Dear Esperanza,
As a teenage girl, it’s not surprising that I can relate to you on a lot of levels. Your musings make me think of certain situations that I’ve come across in my own life. No matter how easy it is to deny, walking through life is simply different for a girl at any age. You brought the privilege I have as a middle-class white person further into my perspective and made me really question whether or not I take it for granted. I only wish that I could further understand the predicaments you are put in as a young Hispanic girl, and now I feel that I have gained a further understanding of your culture and the way in which it works. I will never walk through life in the same way that you have, a blessing in some aspects, I suppose. I hope that someday you get far away from Mango Street and make yourself into a renowned poet or activist or something that will bring you happiness. No matter what anyone has made you believe about your race or your gender, there’s no limit to what you can do. I hope you become a strong woman born in the year of the horse like the Chinese and Mexicans don’t like. I hope all the feelings of conviction and determination that you put on paper last throughout your life and never let you down. By the way, I love the name Esperanza. I hope you learn to love it too.
Sincerely, Kathryn