How Tia Lola Came to Visit (Stay)

Module 3

Alvarez, Julia. 2001. How Tia Lola came to visit (stay). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-375-90215-5

Summary: When Tia Lola comes to visit from the Dominican Republic Miguel doesn’t know how to feel. Even though they are family, they don’t speak the same language. At first Miguel is embarrassed by his aunt’s different customs and behavior. Then he and his sister begin to be exposed to their heritage and to understand Tia Lola. Eventually he sees how she brings life and joy to their family.

Critical analysis: This book is a rather humorous look at a family who is experiencing several transitions. The story gives a modern representation of an Hispanic family from the Dominican Republic. The children, Miguel and Juanita are second generation, having been born in America, and are deeply steeped in American culture. They are definitely not stereotyped or typecast. In fact, they do not know as much about their root culture because their family has so well integrated into American culture. When Tia Lola comes, it gives them an opportunity to learn more about their roots.

There are a few language cultural markers in the children’s speech. While they really don’t use much Spanish in the beginning, they do address their parents with the names “Mami” and “Papi”. Also, their names are Spanish. When Tia Lola comes, the amount of Spanish dialogue increases. This points out the fact that second generation Hispanic Americans are not always bilingual, which is a common stereotype.

Miguel and Juanita’s parents are definitely different from the stereotypical Hispanic immigrants. Their mother is educated and works as a counselor. Their father is an artist who sets up department store windows. The stereotype is that Hispanic women do not have careers, or they work low paying jobs. Also, the parents are getting divorced, which seems unusual for Hispanic marriages. Even so, the sense of family commitment is still evident in the story. Their father remains an important of their life. Also, Tia Lola is the essence of the cultural marker of strong family relationships.

The general environment of the story does not set it apart as a story about Hispanics. The family lived in New York and moved to a farmhouse in Vermont. In the city the children walked to school. In the country they rode the bus, just like other children in the area.

There is a contrast in the types of foods eaten by the family before Tia Lola arrives and after. Before,they ate foods like SpaghettiO’s, Pringles, pizza, hot dogs and french fries. Afterwards they ate pastelitos, salchichon, black beans and empanaditas de queso. The food seems to have a magical element that Miguel finally identifies as love.

In this story, we see the cultural marker of how celebrations are important in the Hispanic culture. Tia Lola takes birthday party planning to the extreme.

Skin tone and appearance as a cultural marker is brought out briefly in this story. Miguel knows that in Vermont “his black hair and brown skin stand out.” We get a little glimpse of how different he feels. The description of Tia Lola is similar: “Her skin is the same soft brown as theirs”. The stark contrast between the way Tia Lola dresses and Miguel’s mother dresses show the varied representations of people from the same culture. The author is trying to make a point about stereotypes. This is also evident in the discussion between Miguel and his father about baseball and Dominicans.

The book gives us a taste of the Dominican culture and some of its specific traits. This delightful story gives us a picture of what it’s like to appreciate your root culture while being totally immersed in American life. It is recommended for ages 9-12.

Review Excerpts:“Readers will enjoy the funny situations, identify with the developing relationships and conflicting feelings of the characters, and will get a spicy taste of Caribbean culture in the bargain” (School Library Journal, 2001)

“. . . a story that is alternately affecting and treacly. . . “ (Publisher’s Weekly, 2001)

Connections: Compare this book to one by Pam Munoz Ryan called Becoming Naomi Leon. Ryan’s book is about a young girl of partial Mexican heritage who discovers her roots in a slightly different way than in the Tia Lola story. While her family situation is vastly different (especially from a socioeconomic point of view), we see the similarities of children who are learning to appreciate their Hispanic roots and heritage.