When I Was Puerto Rican (Nicole Martins)

Title: When I Was Puerto Rican
Author: Esmeralda Santiago
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Pages: 270
I found this book on the summer reading list for 11th graders.

This book is about a girl who grew up in Puerto Rico and the struggles she went through in life. She moved around a lot with her mother who had an on and off again relationship with her father. She was the oldest of eleven children. She usually got in trouble and while babysitting her brother he got seriously hurt. This forced her mother to make trips back and fourth to the United States until her mother took all the children and moved there. She went to school and was smart. She wanted to be an actress and made it into a prestigious performing arts school. She ended up getting in to Harvard University.

The audience for this book is teenagers growing up and the learning the struggles she went through.

The authors writing style is autobiographical. She is very descriptive of the places she went and the things she did, you can picture what she’s describing very easily. Page 7, “ We can to Macun when I was four, to a rectangle of rippled metal sheets on stilts hovering in the middle of a circle of red dirt.”

On page 24, “ Don’t think just because I’m stuck in this jungle all day long I don’t know what’s going on. I’m not stupid.” Esmeralda’s mom is arguing with her dad, accusing him of cheating. It struck me because I saw a woman that wanted to give up on her marriage but she can’t because she wouldn’t be able to support her children on her own. I think that happens in a lot of marriages and it’s sad how a woman has to rely on a man.

On page 133 Esmeralda describes her new home. “ The barrio floated on a black lagoon. Sewage drifted by in a surprising variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.” This is shocking to see that people actually live that this. I couldn’t imagine a house that floats around in sewage and that their government doesn’t care to keep the environment clean.

On page 220 the author describes how she felt when she moved to America. “I ran into Mami’s arms, unable to admit that a part of me was looking forward to the morning, to the newness of our life, and afraid to let the other part show, the part that was scared.” I understand why she would be scared, I’ve never moved anywhere in my life. But when I think about having to go to a new school and make new friends I’m scared, I don’t think I could ever do it.

In some ways it was hard to relate to this book because we have totally opposite lifestyles. Her life was so hard and she ended up going to Harvard. She started off in America in the slums and not knowing a word of English. It sure shows you that you can do anything if you try hard enough. If she can do it, then I know I can be successful in my life.