Throughout the novel, almost every action of Julissa’s, including her successes and struggles, are results of her immigration to the United States. It causes her pain and stress, but she is also able to be happy and achieve great things. Julissa was born in Taxco, a small town in Mexico, and spent most of her childhood there. Although she lived with her sisters within walking distance of her grandparents’ house, she rarely saw her parents. Her mother and father lived in San Antonio, Texas, and only visited Mexico on special occasions to retrieve silver for their jewelry business. They wanted their children to have good lives, but their absence was very hard on Julissa while she was growing up. As her parents’ visits became less frequent, she…show more content… Her problems worsened when her visa expired in 14 and her parents didn’t renew it. This meant she couldn’t open a bank account, get her driver’s license, or do anything requiring a social security number. Although it seemed insignificant, perhaps the worst result of her expired visa was that she couldn’t have her quinceañera. Julissa had been looking forward to this rite of passage since she was very young, ever since her sister’s amazing party. Since she couldn’t go to Mexico and then back to the United States, she couldn’t have her dream quinceañera. She tried to ignore the shock of not being able to see her family in Mexico, but Julissa still lived in fear of making a wrong decision and being deported. “Every accomplishment, every dream could disappear” (5) and she could have lost everything she’d worked so hard for. If she was pulled over or questioned by the police for some reason, they’d discover her lack of a visa. Even if she ignored the laws surrounding immigration, living in Texas as a teenager was very limiting. Julissa explained, “I couldn’t go anywhere without my parents having to drive me. I’d lost my independence”
