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"We don't hug and say, 'I love you,' like on TV shows about boring white families"

This shows how her family isn't outwardly affectionate, which affects her

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"That would not be acceptable, especially since Olga, my angelic sister, was our mother’s reliable helper."

This shows how she feels obligated to help her mom because she has to live up to what her sister used to be

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"He introduces himself as Dr. Scheinberg and uses the word propitious. I know what that means, of course—I read, duh— but why would you use words like that with a Mexican cleaning lady?"

This shows that she seems to prefer if people look down on her or have low expectations for her

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"'So…did Olga like to clean with you?' I don’t know what else to say, but I can’t stand that it’s so quiet. 'Like it? Who likes cleaning? No one likes it. It’s just what you do.'"

This shows that she really doesn't know that much about her sister on a surface level

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"As I look at a painting of a woman with a large butt, hanging in the dining room, I remember Olga’s friend Jazmyn, who also has a large butt."

This shows that she tends to remember and characterize people by their physical appearance

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"'The only boyfriend she had was Pedro, such a nice young man.' If by nice, she means ugly and dull, then sure."

This shows that she doesn't think highly of Pedro or his relationship with Olga

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"'What’s so strange about a young lady who doesn’t sleep around, who enjoys spending time at home with her family? Girls here have no morals. You’re the weird one, you know that?'"

This shows how her mom disapproves of her lifestyle and wants her to be more like Olga

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"Amá hates it when women wear revealing clothing, but this dress is not sexy at all. It’s not even low cut, doesn’t show any cleavage whatsoever."

This shows that she and her mom have very different ideas on clothing

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"'Remember, you’re not the boss here. Why are you always making everything so difficult? Why aren’t you ever happy? I try to do something nice, and this is how you act? Dios mío, who would have guessed I would have such an ungrateful daughter?'"

This shows that her mom is trying to make her happy but going about it the wrong way. She does things that she thinks would make herself happy if she were Julia, but Julia's views are very different, and so her mom feels unappreciated.

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"There are times I feel completely alone, like no one in the world can possibly understand me. Sometimes Amá stares at me like I’m some sort of mutant that slithered out of her body"

This shows how she feels isolated because of the way her mom treats her

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"Being compared to my mother makes me want to punch Lorena right in the mouth"

This shows that Julia doesn't like her mom and doesn't want to be like her

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"I’m tired of people telling me how I should act and how I should look"

This shows that she wants to be independent and act like herself, but she feels held back by how other people treat her when she does

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"I try to act disappointed when Lorena tells me he isn’t going to join us, but she sees right through me."

This shows that she's not very good at pretending to like Juanga, but also that Lorena knows her well enough to tell when she's hiding something

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"'You, a woman? Ha.' He gets closer and lifts his sunglasses, as if trying to get a better look, as if I’m some chunk of beef on clearance he’s evaluating. 'Why you gotta dress stupid all the time?'"

This shows that other people view her as less because of her appearance, which affects her

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"'Yeah, so gross,' I say, but I’m wondering if anyone will ever touch me like that."

This shows how she changes how she acts to fit in with people around her so she doesn't get bullied and instead is the bully

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"After class, Mr. Ingman calls me over to his desk. 'Is everything okay, Julia?'"

This shows how her teacher cares about her wellbeing, which may contribute to why she likes her English class more

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"I’d rather live in the streets than be a submissive Mexican wife who spends all day cooking and cleaning."

This shows that Mexican women are expected to be obedient and submissive and she doesn't want that

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"Connor is gentle with his tongue, and something about the way he touches me makes me feel so wanted."

This shows that Julia wants to feel wanted by the people she cares about.

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"Amá still cries a lot. I can hear her in the bathroom sometimes. I think she covers her mouth with a towel to muffle her sobs. Her eyes are always red, too. I wish I knew how to help, but I feel useless, as always. Apá is as silent as ever. He could be dying inside, and no one would even know."

This shows how her family expresses their emotions differently. While her mom is very emotional, sometimes even taking it out on Julia, her dad bottles his feelings and keeps them hidden from her.

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"'You smell like Mexican food,' he says as he hugs me. 'Like fried tortillas or something. You’re making me hungry.' I laugh, even though I’m mortified."

This shows that Connor isn't very empathetic and doesn't understand when he's being offensive, but also that Julia goes along with it because she wants him to like her.

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"How poor do you have to be to sell something that’s free?"

This shows that even though Julia has a fairly low social class in the US, in Mexico she is still quick to judge anyone she deems below herself

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"'Don’t listen to them,' Belén says. 'They’re here begging every day. She should work like everyone else. Typical indias.' Belén practically spits out the words. I don’t understand why she thinks she’s so much better than they are. She’s just as dark and wears the same frayed red dress every other day."

Despite Julia being quite harsh herself, she doesnt think Belén should think of herself higher than others, simply because Julia sees her as just as poor and dark.

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"It’s funny how in the United States I’m too fat, and in Mexico I’m too skinny."

This shows how different parts of Julia's family view her differently based on how and where they were raised.

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"I don’t want everyone to think I’m a spoiled American princess, so I close my eyes and inhale the taco as quickly as possible."

This shows that Julia is very conscious about how her extended family views her.

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"At first, I was too scared, but Olga told me that the horses wouldn’t hurt me because they were magical creatures. And I believed her."

This shows that only after Olga's death Julia starts to recall more fond memories of her

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"We sit on the top bleachers with Belén’s friends, a group of mildly attractive girls who wear way too much makeup. Although they don’t say anything petty or snarky, I can tell right away that they’re jealous of my cousin."

This shows, again, how Julia tends to make very surface level observations about others.

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"Why do I have to be such an asshole, even when I don’t want to be?"

This shows that even Julia tries to be nice, she still fails.

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"I think she’s used to being the beautiful one and doesn’t appreciate the attention I’m

receiving. It’s both uncomfortable and satisfying at the same time."

This shows that Julia likes feeling like she's better than everyone else, but not necessarily the center of attention.

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"It’s almost hard to believe that she’s Belén’s mother, because Belén is kind of selfish, mostly concerned with how pretty she is."

This shows that Julia is NOT self aware.

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"'You need to try harder, especially with your sister gone. You’re all she has, Julia.' ... 'You don’t understand, tía. I try. I really do. We’re just so different. She thinks I’m wild and crazy, but what I want makes sense to me'"

This shows not only how Julia and Tía Fermina don't see eye to eye, but also that Julia hasn't considered sacrificing anything for her mother, she just wants her mom to compromise for her.

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"I never imagined I would have to protect and care for my mother—I didn’t know that was my job"

This shows how Julia doesn't consider the lives and emotions of people other than herself, especially her mom.

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"'Don’t be sad, Julia. We all know you’re as fierce as those beautiful ladies over there,' Juanga says, looking at the lions."

This shows that even though Julia didn't really like Juanga at first, he still shows her respect and tries to comfort her when she's feeling down.

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"I miss him, even though he’s sitting right in front of me. It’s hard to explain, but it reminds me of a haiku I once read: “Even in Kyoto—/ hearing the cuckoo’s cry—/ I long for Kyoto.” I feel like that a lot. I get nostalgic before I have to."

This shows that Julia feels like maybe life is passing her by, especially when she's with Connor. She's passive in the progression of time, and she's not making any move to make the moment last.

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"We went shopping and we didn’t fight, which is unheard of for us. I think I can tell that she’s scared and doesn’t want me to go away, but she never says it directly anymore. It’s like she’s trying so hard to be supportive, but it also makes me crazy when she doesn’t say what she means. I feel like I can tell right away what she’s thinking. She’s terrified that I’m going away to college. I know her, and I can just sense it."

This shows how Julia cares about her mom and what her mom thinks of her, even if she doesn't want to admit it to her face.