Who is the audience the author is writing to? How do you know?
I believe her audience is people of Latina/Latino descent. I know this because the essay points out that she herself is of Latina descent. Also she refers to numerous Spanish items.

What is the author’s purpose of the essay? How do you know?
The purpose of this essay is to inform people to be proud of themselves no matter where they came from. The reason I know this is because of the very first thing you read is a quote saying “the greatest thing you have is your self-image, a positive opinion of yourself. You must never let anyone take it from you”. Also she makes several referrals of how proud she is of her heritage.
What is the thesis statement of the essay?
The thesis statement of this essay is “The children had proudly contributed examples of cultural examples of cultural items that were relevant to their backgrounds”.

What aspects of the introduction and conclusion of the essay emphasize the author’s main idea?
The entire conclusion emphasizes the author’s main idea. The aspect that emphasizes the main idea in the introduction is the third sentence.
What aspects of the author’s writing make the essay effective and strong? Explain why these are strength’s in her writing.
One aspect that makes the essay effective & strong is the constant use of Latina/Latino vocabulary this is strong because it shows the writers knowledge of the culture. Another aspect that makes the essay effective is how she refers to people as beautiful. This is strong because it emphasizes the main idea that everyone should be proud of themselves no matter