Food is an integral part of every culture, because it shows where they are from, and their heritage and tradition. In America, fast food and quick dinners are more of the norm today, as society is bustling constantly. However in other cultures like Puerto Rico. Society is more family-oriented and dinners are full course meals that everyone eats together. The food represents the area they are from. This can be difficult for those that are raised with conflicting cultures, much like the protagonist, Negi, of Almost a Women.
Almost a Women follows the life of a teenager as she struggles with the balance of her Puerto Rican heritage and growing up while being surrounded by the American culture. In one chapter there is a section that compares and