Molinary was the only Puerto Rican girl in her South Carolina high school, and her lively, honest narrative captures the immigrant conflicts of trying to fit in at home and feeling a stranger outside. She combines her personal experience with commentary drawn from more than 80 Latinas she interviewed and more than 5,000 who answered her Web-based questionnaire. They talk frankly about prejudice, family tensions, body image, skin color, sexuality, faith, social norms, and much more. Throughout, the young women are candid about ignorance from all sides, and they are fiercely critical both of the stereotype that Latinas are all "Mexican and illegal" and of the exotic, sexy roles Latinas play on television.
Rooted in clear details, the strong, upbeat message celebrates the traditional and the contemporary sides of today's Latinas. A final section includes the survey, interview questions, and an up-to-date bibliography and a resource guide.
Author: Rosie Molinari. 280 pp. Ages: Adult. Softcover. Publisher: Seal Press, 2007.