“American History” by Judith Ortiz Cofer is a story set in 1963. Back then, prejudice and segregation between different races were still in full bloom. The protagonist, Elena, is a fourteen-year-old girl of Puerto Rican origin who lives in Paterson, New Jersey, with her parents. Elena's neighbor, Eugene, is a boy of European origin who Elena likes. The story is set on the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. While the people in Elena's community are shocked by President Kennedy's death, Elena faces her own tragedy: being shunned by Eugene's family. Ortiz Cofer's story examines the theme of tragedy, personal and collective, and revolves around Elena's dreams that can be shattered in a shocking moment. When Elena knocked on Eugene's green door, she had a lot of hope that she would study with Eugene and get to know him better. But when Eugene's mom answered the door, she told Elena to leave and that she wasn't welcome at Eugene's house. “'What's wrong? Didn't you hear what I said?' She seemed very angry and I finally came out of the trance. I you...