I loved reading this novel. It is an autobiography of childhood of Esmeralda Santiago. She wrote this book based on her in life in Puerto Rico. She, as the main character, expresses her point of view through out the whole book. She often addressed her mom and dad as 'Mami' and 'Papi' and they called her 'Negi' ,which is short for negrita. Negi is the oldest sister, which made her felt that she wasn't loved much as her younger siblings and was often jealous of the attention they got compared to her. Her Papi was a carpenter and worked out of town most of the time at people's houses. In the beginning of the book, Mami stayed home watching the children, then she had to find work for extra money. Her and Papi always fought. She always accuses him of sleeping with another women because he had done so before. Sometimes, Papi doesn't come home for a few days and when Mami is fed up, she packs up clothes and brings all the kids with her to move elsewhere. Then, Papi comes looking for her and the family and convinces her to move back to Mancun. They move around frequently which means Negi had to change schools many times. She often gets teased because of her jibara ways that she loved but everyone else doesn't. A jibara is a mountain-dwelling peasant. She was proud of her culture as everyone surrounding her looked down upon it. If people look at Negi as a jibara in Puerto Rico, how will the people look at her in New York? Will she try to rid herself from her culture and fit in for once?This book is a must read. It is interesting with its turn of perspective. It is a backwards story of how America is portrayed. In When I Was Puerto Rican, America is not so great of a culture in Esmeralda's eyes. When they had a meeting in the community center about how to live a healthier life like the Americans, Negi felt as if they were saying Puerto Ricans weren't happy. The way they tried to americanize the neighborhood people infuriated her as if they weren't as good as the Americans. She also didn't accept the food. It disgusted her. The only thing she liked associated with America was letters from Tata, who is her grandma that lives in New York. With the letters came barring presents that weren't brand new but were clothes passed on from her relatives living in New York that didn't want them anymore. Each time they received a box full of clothes and shoes it excited her because they were so beautiful, yet cheap to buy in America as to Puerto Rico it would be considered a luxury. I really liked this book because there was always an issue in Negi eyes. Something always made her sad or question the things in life and she always wanted to find the answer. This being about her younger days, she talks about woman-hood and becoming a senorita. She didn't like that as she grew older she had to be more cautious around boys and men. It was out of her nature. She didn't like the fact that she had to be responsible for her siblings and getting in trouble for everything that wasn't exactly her fault. At heart, she was still a little girl that wanted her mother's love and time and cried many times when she didn't. She still wants Mami and Papi to love each other. She didn't want anything to change and when it did it was always affected her in the worst way. I recommend this book to people who like to have a better understanding of the dailt lives of people outside of the United States and their struggles they faced.
When I was a Puerto Rican is the life story of Esmeralda Santiago. She takes her readers through a journey of an everyday Puerto Rican girl trying to make the best situation out of what she is given. The journey starts in a little town called Macun. Esmeralda lives with her mother, father(who is in and out of there lives mid-way through the story), and her siblings. In this little town she lives in a little house or shack that consists of thin metal walls and a shifty roof. This very house plays a role in learning many different life lessons that would help Esmeralda later in life. She would learn how her siblings came to this earth(birds and bees), what happens to men and women when they grow up(puberty), and what evils to look out for. As she gets older her father and her mother hit a rough patch. Her mother accuses the father of sleeping with other women and eventually moves Esmeralda and a couple of her siblings out of the house to a different city. After living in this city for a little while Esmeralda and her family move to the United States. They live in a home in New York with Esmeralda's grandmother. When living in the U.S., she has to learn how to live as an American girl. She goes through hard times and easy times. Her mother battled through welfare offices while trying to make money for her poor family. Esmeralda was blessed with the ability to work hard in school. She has good grades and eventually applies for a spot in the local school for performing arts. Esmeralda was so successful in the performing arts school she eventually ends up going to one of the most prestigious schools in the world. She attended Harvard University then later continued her acting career.I give this book a three out of five stars. I gave it this rating because i believe you have to be able to relate to her story to enjoy the dream she followed and eventually accomplished. Esmeralda Santiago has a very inspirational story that i enjoyed. I would recommend this book to certain people an would not to others.
I finished the book in a breeze but I kind of regret doing so. As a reader, I don't usually take in what is happening but can state what just happened, if that makes any sense. I should have took pauses every so often because this was a book full of so many events, since it is a memoir, characters, and phrases. It reminded me of so many things, my summers, certain childhood moments, and I wondered if my parents felt this feeling of looking back on their cultural backgrounds and if they felt that a part of their identity has been lost due to adaptation in America. This book was about pride, family, growing up, and of course the teenage struggle. Although, the book is about a puerto rican many non-puerto ricans would be able to connect but I think this because of my environment. Since New York City is the melting pot of cultural influences I would think that but if I was living in the South of America where it is rare for diversity to be seen, I would think that very few people would connect to the book. As the protagonist, and the author, Esmeralda tells us about her stuggles and her happy moments I felt that I was with her in every scene she speaks of. From describing a guava to arriving in Brooklyn, I felt as if I was one of her 10 other siblings. Standing by her side and experiencing every memory she made. Its very hard for an author to lure me into his/her work but Esmeralda Santiago had no trouble doing that which is the reason for my 5 star rating. Its one of those books you can re-read and still feel as if its your first time reading it.It was a great book if you understood what was being said but overall I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about immigrants or the struggle of moving places.
—Assia Sabri
When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago is a memoir with many stories about her life when she lived in Puerto Rico and when she moved to the United States. The story starts off with Esmeralda and her family. It’s her mother (who she calls Mami), her dad (who she calls Papi), and her sisters, Delsa and Norma. Esmeralda is the oldest of them all. She is always punished for her silliness and even for her siblings’ mistake. Throughout the story, her mother scolds her when she is not being poli
—Victoriawow
My coworker once called me a Jibaro because I have family who live in Aibonito, Puerto Rico. Actually at this very moment, my parents who retired, now live there. I remember that beautiful island. Surviving a hurricane, eating mangos, guavas, arroz con gandules, tostones, getting slapped for being a wild child and just being a child growing up on the pearl of the carribean. I enjoyed this book very much, even though my opinion may be biased. Reading this made me greatful for the childhood of which I lived.
—Gabriel Joseph
