Esperanza Santiago Gender Roles

In Esperanza Santiago’s autobiographical novel When I was Puerto Rican I learn about the lifestyle of a Jibara/o. Esperanza Santiago’s nickname, Negi, can be considered a sign of endearment which adds cultural meaning to the whole. The whole as in the Puerto Rican estate ravaged by the imperialistic grasps of the United States like many other Latino countries. Negi takes me through a journey looking through her eyes as a Jibara and how it transitions over into something else when she’s forced to move to the US. I will try to understand just what it means to be a Jibara and what it means for that gender role? For Negi growing up as a child she was not only doing all the things a kid does but she also tries to understand what it means to be a Jibara. She describes it for herself as a girl with home-cut hair, her too large gestures/voice, and her feet unaccustomed to shoes. She explicitly says the things she hears people say about a Jiabara. To Negi this might be true but it goes deeper than that. She enjoys being different she loves to be different her

This is a common fate for first bourns since they play the role of an assistant to their already busy parents. In this case Negi takes care of her 6 siblings when her mother is at a meeting, or when she has to watch over them as they play instead of her doing the same. She gets a terrible taste of this common fate amongst first borne when she is forced to visit her aunt Angelicas family. Experiencing life with Angie is a surreal moment for Negi because shes a spoiled brat who is never appointed to any chores and has her older sister doing all her work. This is coming from a home that is supposed to be holy because they go to church every Sunday. Now what does this mean for Negi it simply reveals to her that she is better off how she is currently living free from having to peel potatoes all day