Where It All Goes Down
Abuelita's House, Los Angeles, CA
City of Angels
"The Moths" takes place in East Los Angeles, in the neighborhood where the author grew up. First Street really does run alongside the Evergreen Cemetery between Lorena and Evergreen, the route the narrator describes in the story (9). It's a Latino neighborhood, which makes sense since the narrator herself comes from a Latino family. So even though Viramontes writes in English, she reminds the readers of the setting by speckling the story with Spanish words words like Amá and Abuelita.
Going to Grandma's
While East LA is the wider context, the real heart and soul of the story is Abuelita's house. Whereas the wide world is a bit hostile, full of screaming fathers and teasing sisters, for the narrator her grandmother's home is a safe haven:
I liked her porch because it was shielded by the vines of the chayotes and I could get a good look at the people and car traffic on Evergreen without them knowing. (9)
The chayote vines provide a sort of shield, connecting the setting to Abuelita's protective character. It is clear that no matter what else happens, at Abuelita's house the narrator is safe.