When I Was Puerto Rican

Blurb

When I Was Puerto Rican is a 1993 autobiography written by Puerto Rican native Esmeralda Santiago. It is the first of three installments, followed by Almost a Woman and The Turkish Lover. This first book begins by describing Santiago's life in Macún, Puerto Rico. It details the circumstances that led to her mother bringing her and her siblings to New York. The second part of the book describes Santiago's initial adjustment to life in America. The novel closes with Santiago's audition to New York's Performing Arts High School.