Mohr, Nicholosa | Irma Garcia
IRMA GARCIA
[The stories of El Bronx Remembered describe] the anxieties, fears, loves, hates, pride, despair, nostalgia and hopes of several Puerto Ricans in the barrio, El Bronx, from 1946 to 1956. The subjects of these well-written and descriptive tales want to escape to suburbia, or into the arms of men, or to be accepted and assimilated into a materialistic society which rejects and exploits them. We have seen their faces. But despite some truths and sharp insights, these are not stories of change, struggle or love. Rather, they are negative stories which reinforce stereotypes.
One incredibly racist story is about Jasmine, a gypsy who wins the acceptance of her classmates by reading palms and telling stories. When Hannibal goes to Jasmine's house to have his fortune read, he gives her all the money he has to be blessed…. The ending is obvious: no fortune, no refund, no more Jasmine—she and her family move on "as they all do." The description of...
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