Something I found really interesting was the different dynamics Diaz had with her grandmothers. She related completely with her Black grandmother and felt she was her safe place, whereas she never felt good enough for her White grandmother. I can relate to this in a way, because growing up I did have different dynamics with each of my grandmothers, and funnily enough one is Taino and the other isn’t. I found that going back and forth between stories was good at showing the differences in dynamic. With Abuela, Diaz loved cooking with her, spending time with her, using her house as refuge. With Mercy, there was judgment, verbal abuse, and passive unacceptance.

I love how Abuela accepts and embraces her roots, which is something that not all Puerto Ricans do, as Mercy continuously demonstrates. The obvious racism that Mercy has towards Papi’s side of the family creates confusion and unnecessary emotions in young Jaquira. This is something that is very important in a child’s upbringing and can have a bug impact on their mental health in the future, which Diaz alludes to multiple times. Not being accepted, especially by a member of the family, can lead to future problems. Abuela calling her “mi negrita” endearingly versus Mercy cutting off her “pelo malo” shows the stark contrast between the two grandmothers’ perspectives on their heritage.

Díaz, J. (2019). Ordinary girls: a memoir. First edition. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.