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When I Was Puerto Rican Analysis

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When I Was Puerto Rican When I Was Puerto Rican is a memoir written by Esmeralda Santiago. She writes of her childhood life in Puerto Rico and how she lived in primordial conditions. Santiago paints a vivid picture of her early life which creates unforgettable memories of her childhood. The author talks about her life from her rural home in Puerto Rico to Brooklyn, and to her graduation in Harvard University. The memoir details the struggles and freedoms of a young woman in a new land. In her memoir, Santiago reveals the history of her life and her family in the Puerto Rican Island. She was the first born to her parents, even though she says her father has an older daughter she has never seen. Santiago tells how her parents’ relationship was on the rocks because her mother suspected her dad was unfaithful (Santiago 107). During all this, her younger brother Raymond is badly injured in a bicycle accident. After this incident, Santiago moves with her mother to New York to find better care for Raymond. In addition, Santiago explains how her they were eleven in their family, yet their parents were not married. The history of her family was that of tension and sadness. Santiago reveals a life full of joy, sorrow, laughter, and pain. Esmeralda Santiago is able to intertwine her childhood memories and her experiences together with her family in order to communicate her life as Puerto Rican. Santiago depicts the importance of culture and customs in her memoir. Esmeralda was
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