Status Updates From The Mango Season

I’m done. Not finishing.

I was already done, but also she just basically called her aunt fat. I would have been fine at that point, if I wasn’t already.

If she’d tell them, they wouldn’t try to set her up. But I understand not wanting to crush people you care about.

I’m really over the family bickering.

I want to stop reading, but I’m close to halfway. Onward I go.

Firm in standing up to her grandparents and against racism. Feels slightly guilty, but knows she was right and says that.

“All my life my nother had been drilling in me the “we sacrificed for you, so you have to be our slave,” line.”

Still really having an issue with words/ideas in this book. What is really meant is the mom expects her to bend over backwards with appreciation.

Still cringing…

“I want so much for them to be different, more accepting, less judgmental, less racist, more tolerant. I want them to accept. But the more I see, the more I realize that it isn’t going to happen.”

Talking about her family. I relate to this. You change, then expect people to change, then see they’re the same as they’ve always been—you just didn’t see it before.

Initially I liked the nervousness of telling her family about her American boyfriend. It reminds me of coming out, and trying to push yourself to just finally say it.

Then, when it’s every other page, “They aren’t going to be happy about Nick.” Yes, we get it, we don’t have amnesia. It doesn’t need to be said every two pages.

Anyway, this is a huge issue for me. A few pages prior the author is addressing anti-racism (thank you), but then goes on to bash and slander another entire people group. This itself is prejudice, only mere sentences after addressing race issues.

I’m going to continue reading. But my overall opinion of this book is and will continue to be marked by this uneducated slang and bias. Disheartening & disappointing.

I cringed very hard when the author used the word, “retarded,” on page 3. Indicating stupidity through a word sets off my hackles. I decided to continue reading, although I held onto this deeply. On page 81 when used again in the exact same manner and sentence, I am really annoyed. This book was written in 2003. I know we are more educated 23 years later, but even in 2003 this wasn’t highly acceptable.

“Y había también otra forma de culpa: la de sentirme culpable.” simplemente LITERATURA