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 consideratio

Another example that describes the importance of using Spanish text to relate to the hispanic public is when Negi bursts into tears during a theater rehearsal at her school. As she feels overwhelmed by the effort of trying to act as Cleopatra, Esmeralda Santiago bursts into tears and runs behind the stage. When her teacher arrives and asks her what is wrong, Negi tells what's on her mind in Spanish. As her teacher did not understand what she said, Negi translated her sorrow in English. The fact that Esmeralda's first words of sorrow where in Spanish denotes the fact that in time of suffering one turns back to his origins and looks for warmth. As she spoke in Spanish she addressed herself to her people, crying for help to the one she associates herself to, her hispanic origins. Her language gave her the familiarity found at home as she looked for comfort in a time of stress. That little section which is addressed entirely to the hispanic audience is translated in English as well in order to describe what she is going through. Again, the idea that the book is written for the hispanic public but with a welcome invitation to the american public is enforced.

Esmeralda Santiago notes as well "Any word that's in Spanish in my English text is not there by accident, or because I couldn't figure out how to translate it, but rather because it has resonance in Spanish that it doesn't have in English". All the sections of Spanish text in her novel are there to reinforce the idea that the novel is written about and for the hispanic audience. Th

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Approximate Word count = 1042
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)