‘Take a Look Into a Powerful Journey of Identity and Self-Acceptance in I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Erika L. Sanchez shook the Hispanic community and communities alike when she released her New York Times Best Seller and a National Book Award Finalist, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. 

The book that this story entails is a heartfelt and powerful story about Julia Reyes, a rebellious Mexican American teenager who is having a difficult time coping with the death of her ideally perfect sister, Olga. The book takes the trajectory of exposing family, identity and the immense pressure Julia faces to be “perfect.” This book offers a deep look at the struggles that many in the Hispanic communities face, especially when it comes to dealing with mental health and the cultural norms and expectations that are laid upon you from a young age. 

After Olga’s car accident, which unfortunately resulted in her death, her little sister Julia is left feeling empty, lost and, most importantly, misunderstood. While her parents are grieving Olga’s “perfect” image they have of her, Julia is then faced with the crisis that she is nothing like her sister. She finds this difficult to address because she knows she must fill the shoes her sister once wore. 

Julia’s journey in the book is about finding herself, which might cause grief, fighting against what she expected to be “perfect” in her family’s eyes and understanding her place in two cultures. She never felt more torn to please people, but she is conflicted between her Mexican family’s traditional values and the individualistic American culture she has grown up in. 

A key theme in the book is breaking the stigma around mental health in the Hispanic community. Julia struggles with depression and anxiety, but these are simply taboo topics to discuss in a Mexican family. The pressure is on Julia to appear strong; however, this makes her feel even more alone in the grief world she finds herself in. 

Sanchez’s writing is vivid and descriptive, capturing both Julia’s emotional troubles. Her complex relationship with her parents, especially her overbearing mother, makes the story feel raw and relatable. Julia’s story must be told due to its importance. It shows how confronting these issues through difficulties is a crucial step in healing from the trauma she has endured. 
Ultimately, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is a powerful expiration of family, identity, loss and the journey towards self-acceptance. It is a book about breaking free from the idea of perfection and learning to be true to who you are, no matter the expectations placed upon you.