30
31
32
33
after the commencement ceremony, my family waited outside in
the parking lot while my friends and I signed yearbooks with
nicknames which recalled our high school good times: “beans” and
“Pepperoni” and “alcatraz.” We hugged and cried and promised to
keep in touch.
Our goodbyes went on too long. I heard my father’s voice calling
out across the parking lot, “Hoo-lee-tah! Vámonos!” 11
back home, my tíos and tías and primas, 12 mami and Papi, and
mis hermanas 13 had a party for me with sancocho and a store-bought
pudín, 14 inscribed with Happy Graduation, Julie. There were many
gifts—that was a plus to a large family! I got several wallets and a
suitcase with my initials and a graduation charm from my godmother
and money from my uncles. The biggest gift was a portable typewriter
from my parents for writing my stories and poems.
Someday, the family predicted, my name would be well-known
throughout the United States. I laughed to myself, wondering which
one I would go by. D
11.
12.
13.
14.
com•mence•ment
(k@m men[t]s> m@nt) adj.,
graduation
CLOSE RE AD
Analyze Literature
Personal Essay How does
the conclusion of the essay tie
back to the beginning?
Vámonos (v5> m5 n9s<). Let’s go (Spanish)
primas (pr7> m5s<). Cousins (Spanish)
mis hermanas (m7s 6r m5> n5s). My sisters (Spanish)
pudín (p1 d7n>). Pudding (Spanish)
Mirrors &
Windows
Find Meaning
Julia Alvarez, at one point, was willing to change her
name to Judy to be more like her classmates. What
would you have done in her place? Why do you think
people feel the need to fit in?
1. (a) According to the author, what happens to her
family’s name at Immigration? (b) Why do you
think she repeats the family’s name to herself?
2. (a) What does the author’s mother advise about
correcting the pronunciation of teachers and new
friends? (b) Does she follow her mother’s advice?
Explain.
3. (a) Why does Mrs. Alvarez almost change her
daughter’s name at the hospital? (b) What
conflict does this anecdote foreshadow in the
author’s life?
Make Judgments
4. Why does Alvarez say that her older sister’s name
is “an awful name to have to transport across
borders”?
5. Although the author says she dislikes being
considered “exotic” by her classmates, she takes
pleasure in “rattling off” her full name for them.
What does this reveal about her feelings?
6. (a) Why does the author describe how her family
differs from the families of her classmates? (b)
Are these differences really important to her?
Explain.
7. (a) What name does the author use when she
becomes a professional writer? (b) What does
this say about her attitude toward her name?
NamES/NOmbrES
199