Throughout American history, society has developed from the many different aspects of cultures rolled into one. Many of our families leave their home countries to come to America for more opportunities, where we are often told to embrace our cultures, still to some extent. As we grow up, we adapt to American culture without realizing that we even allow ourselves to hide our own cultural beliefs and upbringings. The two main characters of Aurora Levins Morales's "Puertoricaness" and Pat Mora's "Elena" both demonstrate an interest in the importance of race in contemporary American society. Implied in both readings is many who believe that if we assimilate into American culture it will open up more. A Mexican woman goes through a difficult time trying to adapt her old life to American culture. The first line says: “My Spanish is not enough” (1). She accepts the fact that her Spanish is no longer enough. She begins to remember her previous life in Mexico with her children. “Now, my children go to American high schools, they speak English” (8). The protagonist left Mexico to allow her family to have a better life, but away from the rest of her family, she risked more opportunities to make her family "feel stupid and alone" (11). As her children attended American schools, their English also improved, making the mother feel like an outcast because of her embarrassment over mispronouncing words” (16). Even though she was embarrassed by her little English, she took her English book and locked herself in the bathroom “because if I stop trying, I will be deaf when my children need my help” (22). She lacked motivation from her husband, but she did it to feel more connected to her family and wanted to be able to bond with her children without difficulty. The mother slowly tried to adapt to American culture for her children, but still accepted her previous life. She came to the United States in 1967. During this period, many people from different cultures came to America for similar reasons such as money, education, more opportunities. , etc. In this literary review he states: “His Puerto Rican Jewish heritage was also an important source of creativity. Her search for a language that would express the experience and struggle of a Latina woman identifies her with the body of literature produced by American women of color and closely connects her to the work of contemporary Chicana writers” (Aparicio). Frances Aparicio explains how Aurora Levins Morales' cultural background influenced her writing and how she is defined as a writer. Towards the end, Frances Aparicio states: "As Puerto Ricans moved away from New York and settled in other urban centers across the United States, their life experiences varied and the emerging writings are thus characterized through a greater diversity of voices. » (Aparicio). People can move from one place to another and their culture will remain true to them, no matter if they adapt to American culture, there is still a sense of diversity among them.