"Hey, Tony!" one of the boys called out to the new kid whose family had recently moved into the neighborhood. But the new kid didn't respond immediately; in fact, he just stared at the caller as though he hadn't heard. "Hey, Tony, what's the matter? Are you deaf?" the first boy called, walking closer to the new kid on the block. He wasn't trying to be a smart aleck, but was hoping to be casual in trying to become better acquainted with the new boy. "My name is Antonio," the new boy responded firmly but without any hostility. "Well, so what? Antonio, schmonio, what's the difference?" the first lad replied with a shrug.

Antonio and his family, who were Hispanic, had moved into the neighborhood from the Rio Grande Valley. Prior to living there they had lived across the border in Mexico. But …