Erik Estrada

the long version

Growing Up Puerto Rican brings together twenty pieces by some of the most important Puerto Rican writers as well as several provocative new authors. Selections range from an autobiographical recollection of the peaceful atmosphere at the corner bodega to one child's memories of the United States' 1937 ambush of a Puerto Rican nationalist demonstration; from one boy's intellectual struggle to reconcile his allegiance to Puerto Rico with his status as an American citizen to a girl's losing herself in a secret love to escape the routine of family traditions and Catholic rituals. A collection of writings that explores pain, love, youthful passion, mischief, and betrayal, Growing Up Puerto Rican is an anthology of distinct voices, each touching on the cultural ambiguity that defines growing up Puerto Rican, by the best-loved names in Puerto Rican writing.