The story of Julia Reyes, a brown girl of color coming of age, a story, an experience that Erika.L.Sanchez calls   “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” takes place in Chicago, Illinois after Julia Reyes’ sister dies after getting hit by a car. Her sister Olga was what Julia considered to have been “the perfect Mexican daughter”. Later on, as Julia does some digging she finds out Olga has a huge secret. Julia since the beginning has known that the death of her sister was her fault. Julia has been really into writing and reading. Ever since Olga passed away, Julias has been having a  rough time dealing with it and eventually attempts suicide. As time goes on she meets a boy named Connor. During these tough times, Julia learns a lot about her parents and her sister all while getting ready to go to college.

Ama is a religious person who doesn’t really agree with Julia’s way of doing things, she is Julia’s mom.  Apa works at a candy factory that tends to not show any emotions. Olga was Julia’s older sister, Julia says she “had a special talent of making herself look less attractive” Olga passed away when she was hit by a car. Lorena is Julia’s best friend. Ama doesn’t like Lorena because according to Julia she said Ama thinks she’s “loud and slutty”.  Angie was Olga’s best friend. Julia likes her because she’s pretty and stylish. After Olga passes aways Julia becomes a little detective and while looking through Olga’s room she finds underwear that is what Julia calls “skanky”. Later on finding out some crazy secrets about her sister. Julias has always been into reading and writing. She thinks she sounds smarter in English than in Spanish. Julia meets a boy named Connor while she’s at the bookstore, shes end up having her first kiss with him, and he’s the first person Julia ever has sex with. Julia is also getting ready to go to college. She had a teacher named Mr. Ingman help her despite not being in her class anymore. As everything starts to pile up Julia, as Julias life’s starts to feel like “a never ending punishment” Julia is forced to go to therapy for her own good and after that, her parents send her to Mexico. Julia finds out a lot about her parents while she’s in Mexico with her family.  While Julia is in Mexico, Ama and Apa are working on bettering themselves as parents to make sure Julia always feels loved.  In the end, Julia confronts the secret Olga had kept from everyone after so long. Julia went to college out of state to finally be the independent woman she has always wanted to be.

Before my opinions and the thoughts of others. “ I wrote a book that I wanted to read as a child. As a teenager when I was growing up we didn’t have access to books like this. We had “the house on mango street”, which was beautiful but I mean it came out 33 years ago. And so, I felt it was time, it came out when I was born and it felt like it was necessary to have a book about a girl of color coming of age, I wanted girls of color to feel validated and to know that they matter and feel less alone” said Erika l. Sanchez when asked what experiences made her believe in the need for writing a book like this.  Personally, I think it’s a great answer. Now how do I feel about this book from the perspective of a  young girl of color…. I loved it. I related to this book, as a chicanx girl from Illinois as well I related, it brought me to tears, a perfectly imperfect girl who wants to be free and independent who just wants to be happy. I loved how it talked about all topics a teenage girl would go through and experience. I felt like I was reading a part of myself and I found it beautiful.  As someone who’s always wanted to be the perfect Mexican daughter, I related to Julia because she could never be that perfect Mexican daughter to her parents. So what does someone consider “the perfect Mexican daughter”?  “Someone who stays at home and takes care of their parents. Like cooking, cleaning, and lending a hand 24/7. I think it’s quite impossible to keep that since you need your own separate life.” said Lizbet “perfect writing, perfect speech, reading in both languages, having high paying jobs, buying parents a new house and cars. Getting married and having kids. Being religious is also what I think parents want and expect from their kids” said Sabrina Garcia. “Being able to do everything, cleaning, knowing how to interpret their culture well, being perfect enough to maintain the family” said Naomi Mejia . I think all of these answers are pretty much what I believe to be the ideal “perfect” Mexican daughter and I think its someone I will never be, the same way Julia thinks she’ll never be the perfect Mexican daughter, I think the reason why I love this book so much it feels like it tells a little part of my and every other chicanx girls life. In this society where everything is so whitewashed, seeing a little bit of me makes me feel like I’m getting hugged and that some part of the world sees me and loves me for me.