▁of ▁Sal ud ▁is ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁novel , ▁which ▁also ▁port ray s ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁culture , ▁and ▁cultural ▁trans ference ▁in ▁a ▁new ▁landscape ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁One ▁illustr ation ▁of ▁this ▁trans ference ▁is ▁Mar is ol ' s ▁description ▁of ▁her ▁experience ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁months ▁in ▁El ▁Building : ▁ ▁I ▁put ▁my ▁coat ▁on ▁and ▁left ▁the ▁a partment . ▁The ▁sm ells ▁and ▁be ans ▁bo iling ▁in ▁a ▁dozen ▁k itch ens ▁ass a iled ▁my ▁nost r ils . ▁R ice ▁and ▁be ans , ▁the ▁un im agin ative ▁st ap le ▁food ▁of ▁all ▁these ▁people ▁who ▁re - created ▁every ▁day ▁the ▁same ▁rout ines ▁they ▁had ▁followed ▁in ▁their ▁m am á ' s ▁houses ▁so ▁long ▁ago . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁ex cer pt , ▁and ▁many ▁others ▁throughout ▁the ▁book , ▁Ort iz ▁Co fer ▁ev okes ▁the ▁present ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁as ▁they ▁learn ▁to ▁adapt ▁to ▁their ▁new ▁environment . ▁She ▁references ▁the ▁cultural ▁rout ines ▁transferred ▁from ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁to ▁El ▁Building ▁that ▁shape ▁this ▁new ▁bar rio ▁into ▁a ▁rep lica ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁characters ▁once ▁knew . ▁ ▁Religion ▁and ▁colonial ism ▁ ▁The ▁author ▁sp ends ▁time ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁showing ▁the ▁family ' s ▁trad itions , ▁beginning ▁with ▁Mam á ▁C iel o ▁and ▁Pap á ▁Pe pe ▁as ▁they ▁raise ▁Gu zm án . ▁Gu zm án ▁is ▁reck