EL Barrio is a book that mainly analyses between the problems of poverty and structural change in New York and the problems experienced by people living through the social transformations that occur with immigration. This outcast group of the people in El Barrio is derived in large part from Puerto Rico immigrants. Moreover, the book focuses on aspects as patriarchy and masculine gender-hierarchies community that controlled life in America. Additionally, In search of Respect gives us a new insight into how culture and people interact in this part of New York City called El Barrio. The street culture found in New York reveals how poverty affects developed countries as the US. The amount of poverty in this particular portion of the country is incredible much higher than other areas of the US. Another issue discussed on this book is the segregations of races that exit in El Barrio. Racism is seen as a natural element in this portion of New York. In addition, the violence occurring in El Barrio is extremely high; however, the motives of this problem are conjugated with the factions of the underground economy that reign in El Barrio. We also learn in this book the disability of the inhabitants of Harlem experienced in the bureaucratic world, a totally unknown world for this people. In another perspective and cultural interaction people like Bourgois experienced also difficulties living in El barrio.
One of the motives the drive the people of EL Barrio to their isolation from society and lack of opportunities in the "real" world is due of racism that occurs in this part of the US. Bourgois explained that Puerto Rican immigrants have suffered for generations the oppression of the majority which cataloged them as "the underclass." The standard of life that this people in El Barrio experiences daily has not comparison with the people who live in the industrialize world. The author points out this unfair inequality that lied on the immigrant of Puerto Rico: "In the heat of daily life on the streets of El Barrio I often experienced a confusing anger with victims, the victimizers, and the wealthy industrialized society generates such an unnecessarily large toll of human suffering" (p.