"Las Niñas is a Latina Little Women, a real-life Judy Blume saga, alternately hilarious, touching, and poignant, but always written sharply. If you have a daughter, get rid of her American Girl collection and give her this book!"
Gustavo Arellano
Author of the books “Ask a Mexican!” and “Orange County: A Personal History”
Las Niñas is a collection of autobiographical childhood memories of three Mexican-American sisters. It recounts their struggles while being raised as the first generation born in America of their Mexican family. Las Niñas portrays common situations that immigrant families can relate to through their own process of cultural assimilation.
Las Niñas reveals the most humorous, intimate and traumatic events that occurred as Sarita, Chuchen and Nini grew up in their family's new country, ultimately providing the foundation for surviving their father's death at such a young age. The bond among the three sisters allows the reader to feel their family's pride and growth in a dual culture. Nevertheless, the reader's own entertainment and personal relevance will be the greatest contributor to Las Niñas' popularity and triumph.
Excerpt
Chapter Three
Ch-air, ch-air, chair!
"During my first years in school, I was asked by the new teachers if English or Spanish was my first language. At the time, I didn't know the reason behind the question. I proudly answered "Spanish!" That same day I was sent to ESL class and a note was sent home to my parents. The next morning my parents accompanied me to school and there was some kind of confrontation in which the teacher appeared angry and was told that I would no longer attend ESL classes. This apparently happened to many bilingual students. Eventually my parents coached me to state that English was my first language. My parents were very creative when explaining to me that it was okay to lie to my teacher for that particular reason."
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