My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes is a unique memoir that utilizes the concept of language as a framework to explain her life story and the development of her identity. Growing up in Philadelphia with a Jewish father and Puerto Rican mother, Hudes organizes the two halves of her cultural identity by associating her father with English and associating her mother with Spanish. Hudes explains the juxtaposition that is created from her parent’s differing backgrounds by highlighting the different interactions she has with each parent. The juxtaposition is introduced through the discussion of religion. Her father deems religion as the root of all evil, which could be linked to the violence of the Holocaust and the experiences his ancestors had, while her mother is spiritual due her upbringing and supernatural experiences she had in Puerto Rico. Hudes begins to question if her mother is evil given her father’s view on religion. This comparison exposes the confusion first generation children can experience and the difficulty of growing up with multiple cultural backgrounds in one household. As a biracial reader, Hude’s use of language to differentiate her experiences with her parents is refreshing. In my experience, I never knew how to explain the different relationships I have with my Mexican father and Korean mother.
Although the novel begins with Hudes explaining her different experiences and conversations with her parents in a rural horse farm, the pace of the book quickly pivots due to her parent’s divorce. Hudes begins to feel an increase of disconnect between the two halves of her identity as she processes her parent’s divorce. From this point on, the memoir tends to focus on her mother’s side of the family and Puerto Rican family dynamics. Hudes continues to weave the theme of language into her life stories by explaining instances in which language has affected her the most.
The most relatable example was her experience in school. When Hudes sees her mother in an American setting, her cultural differences are even more so highlighted. However, this time, instead of comparing her mother to her father, Hudes is now comparing her mother to her third culture of living in the States. Many of her classmates were very confused about the difference of skin tones between Hudes and her mother, as well as her mother’s broken English. This becomes more emphasized when Hudes has friends over. Her friends’ parents quickly notice the cultural difference with the presence of Hudes’ altar. This makes the parents uncomfortable, which ultimately leads them to forbid their children from having playdates with Hudes. I related to this as a reader. My mother is Korean and I would often feel embarrassed by her broken English and our Asian furniture. I always wished I could blend in with my classmates and felt ashamed when I was reminded that I was different. Looking back now as an adult, I feel even more ashamed that I was embarrassed of my mother’s dedication to being involved in my American life, even if she could not relate.
Hudes also unpacks how silence equals death. Although she was never directly told, Hudes inferred that many of her family member’s deaths were due to HIV or addiction. Hudes disagreed with her family’s coping mechanism of not discussing the tragedies and became president of her school’s Peer Education Against Contracting HIV (PEACH) and led STD prevention as well as opportunities for grieving. Hudes’ discussion of silence creates a full circle on the impact language has had on her life. If you’re looking for a lyrical memoir, this one will leave you speechless.
Mariana Felix-Kim (she/her) lives in Washington, D.C. with her lovely cat, Leo. When she is not working in the environmental science field, Mariana is constantly reading. Her favorite genres include non-fiction, thrillers, and contemporary romances. Mariana is half Mexican and half Korean. You can find her on Instagram: @mariana.reads.books
