When I Was Puerto Rican

Do you feel as if Esmeralda portrays her parents in a sympathetic light? How did your opinions of them change throughout the book?

Over the course of the book, Esmeralda develops strong opinions about what women should and should not be. Do you believe Esmeralda is a feminist?  Why or why not?

What role does food play in When I Was Puerto Rican? Esmeralda takes great care to inform the reader of what she and her family are eating.  Why do you believe she makes this choice? 

What does it mean to be educated? What are the critical differences between learning from a book and learning from experience? Is one superior to the other? Why or why not?

What is Esmeralda’s view of religion in this book? Does her viewpoint change? Discuss how it evolves or remains the same.

Discuss Esmeralda’s portrayal of her family by considering her as the author, not as a character. Was she fair? What should a memoirist keep to himself or herself when writing about other people?

Why does Esmeralda blame herself for things that are not her responsibility? For instance, believing that she was bitten by the termites because she disobeyed her mother.

Discuss and contrast two or more characters’ views on immigration in When I Was Puerto Rican with the current immigration debate in America.

Can people truly change who they are? Discuss why or why not, paying particular attention to the obstacles that may hinder a person who wants to change and using examples from the memoir.