The Significance of using Spanish and English in "Almost a Woman"
             Esmeralda Santiago i an american citizen with puerto rican origins who writes the novel called "Almost a Woman". Her book recalls her journey towards womanhood and describes the details of growing up Puerto Rican in the 1960's in America. Esmeralda Santiago wrote "Almost a Woman" at age fifty eight, an age at which she clearly knew how to speak and write English. Being an american citizen by now and writing a book that was going to be published for the american public, Esmeralda decides to write her novel in English. Although her novel is written in English, Esmeralda Santiago chooses to insert small sections written in Spanish. Sections that will end up relating only to her Spanish readers. This is one of the ways the writer related to her roots and "people".
             One example in which Esmeralda Santiago makes use of her native language are her titles of her different chapters in her book. Most of the titles are written in her native language, Spanish. One of the reasons that made her chose to write her titles in Spanish may be the desire to relate to her hispanic readers. It is a way to tell them that this is a novel about them and for them, taking in consideration that the majority of americans do not understand spanish. Her Spanish titles give the feeling that this book is meant to describe the life of a young Puerto Rican girl told by a Puerto Rican. Although the novel is written in English, Esmeralda Santiago reinforces the fact that her book is written by a hispanic heart and for the hispanic people. The american public is invited by the English text to join her journey of integration in their culture but softly denotes it is not specifically addressed to them.
             A different example of why the author chooses to write her thoughts in her native language rather then the one which is used in her "new world" is the scene in which "Negi" tells her poem to her school ...