"We just are who we are": A Puerto Rican story of identity, plus an author video!
Posted on October 03, 2022
Set among Puerto Rican teens dealing with friendships, bullying, and gender identity, Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro's short story "Bruises" offers an unflinching, yet deeply sympathetic, look at growing up. The story is available bilingually, making it especially relevant to Latino and Hispanic Heritage Month, and Lawrence Schimel's translation preserves some of the original Spanish.
Pizarro's protagonist, Elena, is an unforgettable character equally capable of dreaming about her classmate Johana, taking part in a beat-down of a boy, and obsessing over her burgeoning chin-hairs. In a pivotal scene, the boy Elena once bullied offers her some timely advice:
