For me, a very special part of my being Latina is the mucho platos de arroz, gandules y pernir—rice, beans and pork—that I have
eaten at countless family holidays and special events. My Latina identity also includes, because of my particularly adventurous taste buds, morcilla, pig intestines; patitas de cerdo con garbanzo, pigs' feet with beans; and Ia lengua y orejas de cuchifrito, pigs' tongue and ears. I bet the Mexican-Americans in this room are thinking that Puerto Ricans have unusual food tastes. Some of us, like me, do. How does the speaker's use of Spanish names for food most affect the tone and meaning of this excerpt? It shows her strong connection to her heritage. It demonstrates how unusual Puerto Rican food is. It exemplifies a frustration with the United States. It deliberately excludes non-Spanish speakers.
