Esteban turned off the recorder and whispered, Mami thinks that maybe they sent him back to the DR.

Question

None of us said anything. We didn't have to. We knew who the they people were. We knew what Esteban was afraid of. We knew why he turned off the recorder.

Mami says that if they sent him back, then even though we came here for the dream of America, we're going to have to go back too.
Because without Papi, we're not a whole family. We're just like pieces of family. Like my little sister's wooden puzzle, the one that's supposed to be four puppies but it's only three and a half puppies now because the corner part that's the last puppy's neck and face and ears—that piece is gone. Papi is like the neck, face and ears of our family. When they took him they took a little piece of all of us.

Woodson refers to a very sensitive social issue in a very subtle way. What does the use of
"they" do in the situation of what's being discussed in these paragraphs?

Answer 1

The use of "they" in this situation creates ambiguity and vagueness, leaving the identity of the people responsible for sending Esteban back to the Dominican Republic unknown. This allows the reader to interpret "they" in their own context, whether it refers to the government, immigration authorities, or any other entity involved in the deportation. By not explicitly stating who "they" are, Woodson highlights the fear and uncertainty that immigrant families like Esteban's face, as they navigate a system that can have profound impacts on their lives.