Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Clap When You Land, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family
Secrets
Grief
Money, Security, and Immigration
Growing Up and Sexual Violence
Summary
Analysis
Camino has been avoiding the beach. Instead of swimming, she spreads her body and hair out on her bed. She feels like something inside of her has shrunk. She wants to take up all the space around her—though she knows it might not be her space for long. The bills have been coming in, and Camino keeps thinking about Columbia and New York City. Apparently, Zoila, Papi’s “secret wife,” is going to pay for the funeral. Papi had a secret life. It feels like all the things Camino has worked for are slipping away.
Camino has always felt like she had every right to belong in her home, in her neighborhood, and in her country. But now, she’s slowly being pushed out: she and Tía might not be able to afford the house soon, El Cero haunts the beach, and it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Camino will be able to get to the U.S. with Zoila standing in her way.
Themes
Camino is pretty sure Yahaira has the same last name—Zoila was married to Papi, after all. Yahaira is a lovely name, and Camino wonders if Papi chose it. It means “to light, or to shine.” Maybe Yahaira was so bright that he kept going back to her instead of staying with Camino. Camino knows that Papi left Yahaira to see her in the summers—but Papi left Camino for Yahaira for most of Camino’s life. Camino doesn’t want to hate Yahaira, but she’s angry. What girl gets a half-million dollars and doesn’t think about her sister across the ocean? Unless, that is, Yahaira doesn’t know about Camino. Camino has so many questions about Yahaira and the family members who have ignored her. But the Saints taught Camino that when a crossroads appear, you must choose a path. Yahaira will have to learn this, too.
Both Camino and Yahaira have described Papi as the sun around which they and their mothers orbited—but now, Camino wonders if Papi was orbiting a different “sun,” Yahaira herself. And while Camino can understand that Yahaira probably feels like Papi abandoned her every year, just like Camino does, she also believes that their situations aren’t exactly equal: Papi is only around for Camino for a fraction of the year, after all. Now that Papi’s secret has come out, Camino is set on finding out answers, and saying that both Camino and Yahaira will have to choose a path suggests that Camino has figured out her next step.
Themes
Finding Yahaira on social media seemed like a good idea, but Camino has been scrolling through girls named Yahaira Rios for two hours. Finally, she finds a profile picture that’s black with Papi’s date of death. Some people have written on the private profile saying that Tío Yano was great, or that they’ll miss Pops. Shaking, Camino writes a message and sends it. She immediately begins refreshing the page. Camino busies herself washing dishes and dusting the altar, but Yahaira doesn’t respond. It’s the same time zone in New York, so maybe Yahaira is just busy “being rich.” But when Yahaira still hasn’t even opened the message, Camino turns off her tablet. She almost wishes she could take the message back, but she deserves to “know and be known.”
It’s interesting to note that Camino knows nothing about Yahaira aside from who her father is, and yet she assumes outright that Yahaira is out gallivanting with her half-million dollars and so doesn’t have time for social media. This will be important to keep in mind going forward: Camino is naturally suspicious and assumes the worst of her sister. On some level, Camino realizes that she may have dropped a bombshell in Yahaira’s lap—readers, after all, know Yahaira knows nothing about Camino. But Camino justifies her actions, insisting that just as she has the right to get answers from her family, they also have the right to get answers from her.
Themes
Tía and Camino go to the boardwalk, carrying molasses, a watermelon, and honeyed rum for La Virgen de Regla, who loves sweets. They pray over the offerings, kiss them, and then they pour some homemade mamajuana (an alcoholic elixir) into the water. Camino even takes a sip, as she’s feeling guilty—the message might be a lot for Yahaira to process. At least Camino heard the truth from Tía, not a profile picture. Camino imagines pouring her guilt into the water, thinking of how the ocean’s patron saint is known for being many things, like a nurturer and a defender. This reminds Camino to be kind, but fierce. When Camino gets back home, she immediately checks her tablet, but there’s no notification. She’s not a patient person.
Camino doesn’t reveal to readers what the real purpose of taking these offerings to the sea is—if this is a normal occurrence, or if this has to do with grieving for Papi’s death. In any case, though, Camino still finds solace and some comfort as she sips the mamajuana and reminds herself to be kind and fierce at the same time. This highlights how rituals like this one can give a person purpose and help them deal with difficult life events. Still, Camino continues to struggle with not getting an immediate response from Yahaira—it’s impossible for her to know if Yahaira just isn’t checking social media, or if she’s purposefully rejecting Camino.
Themes
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Camino packs a bag with rice and beans. She and Tía will be struggling to eat soon, but for now, they still have enough to share. Camino enjoys the sunny walk to Carline’s house and gives the bag to Maman when she arrives. Maman looks exhausted and Carline has been crying, but Maman still hugs Camino so tight it seems like she’s trying to comfort Camino. Once Maman has gone out to the open fire in back, Camino gently takes Luciano from Carline. A few moments later, Carline says she was fired. They wanted her to go back to work, but she couldn’t leave Luciano so soon.
This visit to Carline’s house highlights again how vulnerable Carline’s family is: they relied on her income, and because Carline needs to be at home to feed Luciano around the clock, she can’t feasibly keep working. That Maman looks so exhausted and upset too highlights that this isn’t just Carline’s problem. Losing her job affects the whole family, and this is even harder to deal with now that there’s one more mouth to feed.
Themes
Camino just nods and hums to Luciano. She’s not Papi; she can’t get Carline another job. Carline says she wishes she could make miracles like Tía and stay with Luciano. Tía already has an apprentice—Camino. Camino can’t work miracles yet, though. So, to distract her friend, Camino describes reaching out to Yahaira. Carline says Camino did the right thing. Though Camino doesn’t usually seek approval, a weight lifts from her chest.
Camino is far too practical of a person to feel okay giving Carline any false hope. All she knows how to do is try to distract Carline, which incidentally ends up helping Camino feel better about her choices too. This suggests that Camino does want to connect with others and process her grief (and her choices) with loved ones—but normally, she feels unable to do so.
Themes
