Self-Identity

Everyone is a compilation of identities, and Rocio Esquibel is no different. These identities wax and wane and, indeed, change as one moves from childhood into adulthood. What one eventually becomes as a person and as a productive member of society is the compilation of all of the identities that one has had throughout his or her lifetime. As a child, Rocio is a typical Hispanic-American girl, living in a small town in southern New Mexico, a neighborhood populated in large part by other Hispanics, but spattered with Anglos and African-Americans as well. Her identity is steeped in her familial relationships, her mother's character, and her interactions with those on her street. As she matures in her adolescence, she attempts to incorporate the identities of other teens whom she idolizes, but these are unfulfilling as well. Throughout these years, Rocio is searching for who she really is, understanding...