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When I Was Puerto Rican Essay

1465 Words6 Pages

In her memoir “When I Was Puerto Rican”, Esmeralda Santiago talks about growing up in Puerto Rico. Santiago talks about how life has been tough for her and her family living in Puerto Rico. She talks about how they were very poor, how they lived in many different places and how life in Puerto Rico shaped her into what she became. As a student, taking Multicultural studies has helped me make sense of this diverse society and currently helped me see several theoretical perspectives in this book. In my point of view, Identity is a great part of this book and the most important theoretical perspective. Negi is constantly questioning her identity. In the book, Santiago portrayed herself trying to find a place to fit into in this world. Negi is constantly presented in a changing …show more content…

When we speak about age and gender, as I mentioned before, Esmeralda was the oldest child, and so, she was expected to look after the younger siblings at a young age. This is something that happens very often in Hispanic culture. Everything is very traditional thought it’s not what it should be this is how people are raised. As an immigrant and young Latina, I really enjoyed reading this memoir by Esmeralda Santiago because I think it really portrays every side of what a Hispanic woman goes through and struggles in life. I found myself agreeing and relating to Santiago’s experiences and thoughts multiple times. From when she was a little girl in Macun to when she moved to the city and then New York. At the ending point in When I Was Puerto Rican, Esmeralda had overcome her fear and made her dreams a reality. With her motivation and courage, she had proven herself to be a strong young woman. At the ending point in When I Was Puerto Rican, Esmeralda had overcome her fear and made her dreams a reality. With her motivation and courage, she had proven herself to be a strong young

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