A memoir by a Mexican American woman that doubles as a love letter
to the tough grandmother who raised her. Prieta is a term of
endearment. When I tell people who don't speak Spanish what prieta
means-dark or the dark one-their eyes pop open and a small gasp
escapes. I see the offense they feel for me sprinkled on their
faces like the freckles I will never have. How do I tell them that
when I heard Ita say Prieta, I felt the caress of her strong hands
on the top of my head as she braided my hair? How do I tell them
that I never knew what Prieta really meant until some light-skinned
Mexican kids laughed at me and said I had to be more Mexican than
them because I was "bien prieta"? How do I tell them that when they
said the word, it turned ugly, and I called them wetbacks in
response? How do I tell them that now, even after the cruelty of
children, Prieta means love? That each time Prieta fell from her
lips, I learned to love my dark skin No one calls me that anymore.
I miss how her words sounded out loud. My Ita called me Prieta. She
died and took the name with her. After the passing of her
grandmother, Yasmin writes about her family's history as a way to
hold on to their memories. Yasmin does not fit in, she is not
"guerita" like her sister nor does she have a conventional family,
and her plans never go as expected. Her skin is darker and shows
her Mexican heritage, so her grandmother calls her Prieta. While it
can be an insult, when it comes from her Ita's mouth Prieta means
love, a love that helps Yasmin accept herself and her history,
which is inextricably linked with the strong grandmother that
helped raised her while Yasmin's mother worked as a Customs and
Border Protection officer. Yasmin admires the scars that showed who
Ita was-scars from breast cancer, scars from breaking up fights,
even scars she's painted on husbands who thought they were stronger
than her. The exploration of Ita takes Prieta on a journey of her
own past, full of ups and downs. Bars that felt like home, rebel
teenage years, trying on different dreams and career paths that
eventually lead her to writing. Set in El Paso, Yasmin shares her
experience in the border and how that shaped her as a person. The
border city has a diversity of cultures and a sense of home she
cannot find anywhere else. Andale, Prieta shows the bond between a
grandmother and granddaughter, and explores the grief of losing it.
Yasmin's experience is something that readers looking for a
multicultural book can relate to. Adult and young adult readers
alike can identify with her journey to find her identity and the
struggle of growing up between two cultures as a Mexican American,
with a story that brings comfort through the loving words of a
grandmother and characters that feel like your own family. This
autobiography presents a story of living on the border, first love,
and the connection between women through generations. Yasmin
Ramirez is a 2020 recipient of the Woody and Gayle Hunt-Aspen
Institute Fellowship Award as well as a 2018 Dickinson House
Fellow. Her fiction and creative non fiction works have appeared in
Cream City Review and Huizacheamong others. She is an Associate
Professor of English and Creative Writing at El Paso Community
College. She stays active in the literary community and serves on
the board of, BorderSenses, a literary non-profit. Her memoir,
Andale, Prieta is slated for release spring 2021 by Cinco Puntos
Press. For more information about Yasmin visit her website
yasminramirez.com
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
(3)
