The island of Puerto Rico, where my parents came from, is displayed with beauty and poignancy by Santiago. My mind was flooded with memories of visiting Puerto Rico as a kid, but the island Santiago described was not the one I knew. To me, Puerto Rico was an idyllic place filled with beaches, coconut candies and adventure. Santiago gave my imagined Puerto Rico depth, dimension and historical grounding. But what makes “When I Was Puerto Rican” feel so intimate is Santiago’s depiction of her mother, Ramona Santiago, whom she calls Mami.

Source: New York Times April 11, 2019 09:56 UTC