Las hijas de Juan: Daughters Betrayed

by Josie Méndez-Negrete

Las hijas de Juan shatters the silence surrounding experiences of incest within a working-class Mexican American family. Both a feminist memoir and a hopeful meditation on healing, it is Josie Méndez-Negrete’s story of how she and her siblings and mother survived years of violence and sexual abuse at the hands of her father.Méndez-Negrete was born in Mexico, in the state of Zacatecas. She recalls a joyous childhood growing up in the midst of Tabasco, a vibrant town filled with extended family. Her father, though, had dreams of acquiring wealth in el norte. He worked sun-up to sun-down in the fields of south Texas. Returning home to Mexico, his pockets full of dollars, he spent evenings drinking and womanizing.

When Méndez-Negrete was eleven, her father moved the family to the United States, where they eventually settled in California’s Santa Clara Valley. There her father began molesting his daughters, viciously beating them and their mother. Within the impoverished immigrant family, the abuse continued for years, until a family friend brought it to the attention of child welfare authorities. Méndez-Negrete’s father was tried, convicted, and imprisoned.

Las hijas de Juan is told chronologically, from the time Méndez-Negrete was a child until she was a young adult trying, along with the rest of her family, to come to terms with her father’s brutal legacy. It is a harrowing story of abuse and shame compounded by cultural and linguistic isolation and a system of patriarchy that devalues the experiences of women and girls. At the same time, Las hijas de Juan is an inspiring tale, filled with strong women and hard-won solace found in traditional Mexican cooking, songs, and storytelling.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2006

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Josie uses vivid memories to bring the tragic stories to life. She is an amazing, strong woman. I'm fortunate enough to know her, and was pleased to have been present at her presentation of the book @ CSUN. Girl power! :)

[Lourdes Resendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie Mendez-Negrete’s account of the physical and sexual violence she and her family suffered for many years is so well-written in this account. I will admit that this book took a while to read because of the amount of violence. I had to put it down for days at a time before I could continue. I laughed and smiled at fun childhood memories, then cried at the memories of violence and torture.
These are the stories that need to be told so others will know that they don’t have to suffer in their marriages or make their children suffer at the hands of an abusive parent. I hate that our culture and the church have made women feel that they have no way out. Thank you, Josie, for sharing your story. Hopefully this will help others to know there is hope for happiness.

[Laura Steinert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book for young teens because of the sexual abuse detailed, but a well-written, moving account of growing up in a family where the only person of importance is the father and a culture that accepts that.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really sad, I had a hard time reading it because of the detail abuse written. It was really hard for me to believe that a father could do that to his own child.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful story about Josie Mendez-Negrete's experience with sexual violence growing up. Difficult to read because of it's content but it's definitely something that needed to be written about.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Testimonio. Difficult subject matter. Not too crazy about the author's storytelling abilities - repetitive.

[Jo Reyes-Boitel]

as people of color we don't talk about incest and abuse. this book pulls away at the layers pulled over ourselves, revealing much about the after effects and survival.