Montana surprised him by being more welcoming and open than he anticipated, though there were some less friendly moments. In Missoula, he experienced a tense moment when a desk clerk recognized his last name and looked at him suspiciously, reflecting the prejudice he faced as a Garcia from Miami. This suspicion came from the assumption that he was involved in criminal activity simply because of his ethnicity and background.
Being a Garcia from Miami wasn't easy these days. Some people automatically assumed you had six kilos in the trunk and a loaded Uzi under the front seat.