How the García Girls Lost Their Accents Family Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

We look at each other, and then, drop our gaze to hide our confusion. We are free at last, but here, just at the moment the gate swings open, and we can fly the coop, Tía Carmen's love revives our old homesickness. (2.1.149)

The girls are really ambivalent about their family—their family drives them absolutely crazy, but at the same time they love their family a lot.

Quote #8

But Laura's inventing days were over just as Yoyo's were starting up with her school-wide success. [...] It was as if, after that, her mother had passed on to Yoyo her pencil and pad and said, "Okay, Cuquita, here's the buck. You give it a shot." (2.2.68)

We like this quote because it shows us how Yoyo feels like she has a special connection with her mom. The desire to create, a gift for telling stories—are these family traits?

Quote #9

The seemingly endless list of familiar names would coax her back to sleep with a feeling of safety, of a world still peopled by those who loved her. (2.3.81)

Family becomes an important security blanket for Carla when she first moves to the United States. The experience of being a foreigner makes her feel really lost and vulnerable, so she relies on her family to make her feel safe and loved.