When I Was Puerto Rican

When I Was Puerto Rican

• Genre: Nonfiction; Memoir; Autobiography
• Originally Published: 1993
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1020L; Grades 9-12; College/Adult
• Structure/Length: The memoir is divided into several chapters that chronicle different stages of Santiago’s life; approximately 288 pages; audiobook length approximately 8 hours and 16 minutes.
• Central Concern: When I Was Puerto Rican is Santiago’s evocative coming-of-age memoir, detailing her journey from a childhood in rural Puerto Rico to her adolescence in New York City. The narrative vividly paints her experiences with poverty, family life, and cultural identity shifts. As Esmeralda navigates between two worlds—the rural, island traditions she was born into, and the bustling, challenging life of New York City—she grapples with issues of identity, belonging, and the struggles of an immigrant family.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Sexual aggression including sexual abuse directed at children by adults, child neglect and abuse, death of a child, poverty, family dysfunction and breakup, cultural dislocation; racism and sexism.

Esmeralda Santiago, Author

• Bio: Born in 1948 in Puerto Rico; moved to New York City at the age of 13; known for her work in both English and Spanish; her writing often explores the Puerto Rican immigrant experience; a highly regarded figure in contemporary Latino literature
• Other Works: Almost a Woman (1998); The Turkish Lover (2004); several contributions to anthologies and publications focusing on Latino experiences.

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Coming of Age
• Labels and Stereotypes
• Family and Family Duty
• Womanhood
• The Immigration Experience
• Religion
• The American Dream and Hard Work
• Education and Learning

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on Puerto Rico and coming-of-age stories to increase their engagement with and understanding of When I Was Puerto Rican.
• Read/study short paired texts and other resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to Coming of Age, Labels and Stereotypes, Family and Family Duty, Womanhood, The Immigration Experience, Religion, The American Dream and Hard Work, and Education and Learning.
• Demonstrate their understanding of important thematic elements of the text by writing an imagined interview with one of Santiago’s younger siblings.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the text, such as characterization, plot detail, motif, symbolism, tone, diction, language, and voice, and construct essay responses tying these to the text’s meaning.