The Tequila Worm

Canales, V. (2005). The tequila worm. NY: Wendy Lamb Books/Random House. Sofia is a Mexican American growing up in barrio in McAllen, Texas. Sofia loves her family connections, but longs to fulfill her dreams of the great beyond from the Rio Grande Valley. Each chapter describes Mexican American traditions that Sofia experiences with her family such as preparing for Día de los Muertos, cousin’s quinceañera, Las Posadas, making tamales with her family during Christmas, and etc. Sofia wins a scholarship to attend a predominately white school, an Episcopal boarding school in Austin, Texas which is about five hours away from her family. She has mixed emotions about leaving her close knit family and friends to fulfilling her dreams of going to college and making sufficient money to make her mom and dad a stable home. Her father supports her on this decision and her mother has mixed emotions because she won’t b e a good comadre to her friends and family. Her godmother, teaches her to be a long distance comadre to her family and friends to keep her rooted. She flourishes in school regardless of her homesickness and racism. She pushes through these difficult conflicts by staying rooted to her traditions, being proud of who she is and continuing her education regardless of all the animosity of classmates. Even though, Sofia ate the worm at the bottom of tequila, she wasn’t promoting underage drinking, it was more of custom to cure homesickness and accepting that she is maturing and growing up. Related books: Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa, The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Margarita Engle, Call Me Maria by Judith Ortiz Cofer or La Linea by Ann Jaramillo.