Diaz starts off the first section of her book talking about her family life and dynamic, as well as her childhood in PR. Emphasized in the first few pages is her deep love and adornment for her father, as she wrote on page 13 “But I was sure of one thing: that I wanted everything my father wanted, and if he loved this man, then I would love him, too.” and “I ADORED MY father. He was the center of my universe, and I wanted, more than anything else, to be the center of his” (pg 17).
Like a lot of traditional families, focus is on the sons of the house. Her brother, Anthony was Mami’s, Papi’s and Abuela’s favorite. Contrary to her, he had light eyes and skin, while she was “ brown, brown, brown, like tierra”.
During this section, Diaz also shared the issues her family had to face. Her father had an affair with the neighbor which led to a fight with Mami, and there was a racial tension between Mercy, Mami’s mother, and Diaz’s black father. In fact, Mercy was against her daughter getting with a dark skinned man, even telling Diaz “ it’s your father’s fault. Your father and his black family. Your black grandmother. Your black uncle.” (pg. 45)
She then reminisced about the good times she spent with her family.
Hi Karen, thank you for sharing this information about Ordinary Girls, by Jaquira Díaz. I remember when I had read some of Díaze’s experiences, and the parts that mention her father seem to be one of the most impactful memories she had. I can’t really relate to this, as I didn’t grow up with my father, but I find it interesting that although both Díaz and I lived different lives, we have some similarities. What similarities and differences can you find between yourself and the author?
Karen, this was a great response. You touched based on many different points being, the connection between a daughter and father, the sons position in the family household, and real life family and relationship issues. Overall, this response can connect with many different people due to the fact that all of these positions are relevant.