How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents Lesson Plan

What are some of the reasons that Yolanda mistrusted her first husband, John? What role did culture play?

The author gives numerous reasons why Yolanda mistrusted John, most of which revolve around his fastidious nature--"his pencils were always sharpened, his clothes always folded before lovemaking," etc. She feels that "he believed in the Real World, more than words, more than he believed in her." This ease of living is in contrast to Yolanda, who constantly feels at odds with the culture around her.

Much of John's ease comes from being a white man in America, where the culture and the institutions are set up by people like him for the benefit of people like him....