At the end of Judith Ortiz Cofer's "American History," Elena is told by Eugene's mother not to be friends with her son anymore. Based on the fact that Elena and Eugene attend the same school and some of the same classes, it is safe to assume that they will see each other in the future. The mother certainly cannot stop that. The mother probably can't stop Eugene from at least saying hello to Elena, but if her son is obedient or afraid of any consequences, he may also ignore his friend.

Elena, on the other hand, will be leery of any interaction beyond common greetings because of the humiliation she feels when Eugene's mother tells her the following:

Listen. Honey. Eugene doesn't want to study with you. He is a smart boy. Doesn't need help . . . We won't be in this place much longer, no need for him to get close to people . . . Run back home now.

It isn't just what Eugene's mother says that hurts Elena's feelings though. Elena learns a lesson that prejudice is real, which motivates her not to look at the house below her window anymore. Maybe this will also prompt her not to look Eugene's way at school as well. Elena even says that as she watches the snow fall through her bedroom window that night she feels like a "lace veil" comes down over the streetlight. In this way, maybe Elena will walk around school as though she were wearing a veil, too—to protect her from the prejudices she faces in life.