“When I was Puerto
Rican," Esmeralda Santiago,1993. “When I was Puerto Rican,” by Esmeralda Santiago, is an autobiographical narrative that tells the story of the young Esmeralda, or “Negi,” as her parents affectionately call her. Negi’s tale begins in her native Puerto Rico, where she experiences childhood as the oldest of eight siblings and the daughter of an unmarried mother and father who love each other and their children but eventually grow apart. Negi’s life growing up is characterized by frequent relocations between the city and her birthplace of rural Mancún, struggles and triumphs in school, and adventures with her siblings and the occasional neighborhood playmate. Just when Negi is on the verge of figuring out her life in Puerto Rico, she is uprooted yet again to New York. Despite new economic, social, and academic adversity, Negi and her family persevere. The end of the novel jumps ahead to reveal that Negi has successfully progressed through performing arts school and is on the verge of graduating from Harvard.
This novel is definitely teachable to a middle school
audience, with the possible exception of several scenes in which the
protagonist is exposed to certain sexual themes that may not be appropriate for
young students. Negi’s search for
identity as well as her progression through physical and emotional
maturity are themes that a middle school
audience would probably find familiar and relevant. Universal themes, such as fighting with
siblings, taking on increased responsibilities in the home, and the battle of
wills between mother and daughter also serve to make the novel appealing to a
middle school audience. The novel offers
students the positive message that hard work and determination can lead to
life-changing results. It provides a
rich depiction of growing up in rural Puerto Rico and the challenges that face
young immigrants. The writing style is descriptive,
yet straightforward, and would probably be at an appropriate level for most middle school students.
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