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41 " I would also like to acknowledge all the immigrants who have risked their lives to come to this country, and the children of those immigrants. You are what make America great. "
― Erika L. Sánchez , I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
42 " I run to my room and slam the door. I hate when Amá sees me cry. — "
43 " I’ve always had trouble being happy, but now it feels impossible. "
44 " Everything is so perfect I wish I could keep it in a jar. "
45 " I also love the book because I’m so much like Edna—nothing satisfies me, nothing makes me happy. I want too much out of life. I want to take it in my hands and squeeze and twist as much as I can from it. And it’s never enough. "
46 " ...nothing satisfies me, nothing makes me happy. I want too much out of life. I want to take it in my hands and squeeze and twist as much as I can from it. And it's never enough. "
47 " I love art almost as much as I love books. "
48 " I lean back into my clothes and take some deep breaths. Why does it always feel like life is a stupid puzzle I'll never figure out? "
49 " Because we shouldn’t be living lies, "
50 " I had never loved him like I did at that moment. "
51 " They act as if I’m some sort of devil-child because I don’t like to go to church and would rather read books than socialize with them. "
52 " Looking at all the cities and towns below reminds me of borders, which remind me of Esteban and his perfect white teeth. Part of me wonders if he will ever cross over here. It’s his dream to live in the U.S., but I almost wish he won’t. Even if he makes it alive, this place is not the promised land for everyone. "
53 " I hate the cliché that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, because covers say so much about what’s inside. Take The Great Gatsby, for instance—the woman’s melancholic face against the city lights in the distance is the perfect representation of the quiet misery of that era. Covers matter. Those who don’t think so are full of crap. "
54 " She has compared me to my sister every single day of my life, so why should I expect that to change now that she’s dead? "
55 " As I look around the room, I wonder who my sister was. I lived with her my whole life, and now I feel like I didn’t know her at all. "
56 " In some ways, I think that part of what of what I'm trying to accomplish, whether Amá really understands it or not, is to live for her, Apá, and Olga. It's not that I'm living life for them, exactly, but I have so many choices they've never had. And I feel like I can do so much with what I've been given. What a waste their journey would be if I just settled for a dull mediocre life. "
57 " Suddenly, I no longer belong to her. "
58 " But not Olga. Saint Olga, the perfect Mexican daughter. Sometimes I wanted to scream at her until something switched on in her brain. But the only time I ever asked her why she didn't move out or go to a real college, she told me to leave her alone in a voice so weak and brittle, I never wanted to ask her again. Now I'll never know what Olga would have become. Maybe she would have surprised us all. "
59 " I look at Connor, and a wave of sadness washes over me. I miss him, even though he’s sitting right in front of me. It’s hard to explain, but it reminds me of a haiku I once read: 'Even in Kyoto—/ hearing the cuckoo’s cry—/ I long for Kyoto.' I feel like that a lot. I get nostalgic before I have to. "
60 " I convinced myself that all the kids are going to be smarter than I am because they went to better schools. I got stuck in this horrible loop. I became completely preoccupied until I focused on my breathing and surroundings, and forced myself to write a list of reasons why that was untrue: 1) The school would not have accepted me if they didn't think I could succeed. 2) I've read about a million books. 3) I'll work really hard. 4) Mr. Ingman says I'm the best student he's ever had. 5) Most people aren't really that smart "