Raquel’s feelings/views about, 43–44, 50, 70
Raquel’s free time and, 76
Raquel’s piano playing and, 52
Raquel’s Pittsburgh move and, 116
Raquel’s race and, 117
Raquel’s rejoining Eduardo and, 41, 43, 245
Raquel’s relationship with, 55, 57, 59, 88, 89, 97, 132, 251, 261
Raquel’s schoolmates questions about, 51, 55
Rocío-Raquel relationship and, 198
Rocío’s “rescue” of Raquel and, 69
sheepskin/polar bear coat incident and, 59, 60, 149
tennis and, 48
work of, 46–47, 57, 133
Cepeda, Apolinar (Arquimedes’s father), 237–38
Cepeda, Arquimedes (Raquel’s great-uncle), 211, 215–16, 221–22, 224, 228, 235–41, 243
Cepeda, Casilda Romano (Ismael’s mother/Eduardo’s grandmother), 164, 166, 168, 211, 226, 228–29, 237–38, 255, 264–65
Cepeda, Eduardo “Papi” “Dad” (father)
Alice’s marriage to, 41
Alice’s relationship with, 44–45, 47, 48–49, 53–54, 78, 88, 113, 133, 149, 164
American Dream and, 108
ancestry DNA project and, 145–46, 148–54, 157–61, 163–64, 173, 175, 178, 180, 181, 184, 185–86, 189, 196, 204, 221, 224–25, 227–28, 240, 255, 256–57, 264
Angel-Raquel relationship and, 87–88
appearance of, 8, 43, 44, 47, 236
Arquimedes-Raquel interview and, 222, 228
birth of, 238
Casilda’s warning to, 228–29
as caul bearer, 165, 172, 184
Cepeda family photographs and, 162–63
childhood/youth of, 161, 162, 164–69, 171–72, 228, 238, 240
comparison of Rocío and Raquel by, 48, 69, 88, 103, 112
crime and, 62
Danielle-Raquel fight and, 102–3
Dean Kelly’s interview with, 105
as dental technician, 8, 21–22, 51
Djali and, 194, 199
as driver, 44–45
early married life in New York of, 18–21
Ercilia and, 62–64, 79
fantasies/dreams of, 165–67
gilgul neshamot concept and, 268
Goldsteins and, 82–83
graffiti writers and, 50
Hindu couple’s violence and, 19–21
illness of, 146–47, 148
Jewish ancestry of, 159, 160–61, 225, 227
Maria (Lizardo)-Raquel relationship and, 89
and Maria’s (Lizardo) dream about Raquel’s death, 114
photographs of, 210, 211
police and, 69–70
racial views of, 139, 153, 159, 225
Raquel fights back against, 115–16
Raquel-Rocío Boston visit and, 77, 78
Raquel’s adult relationship with, 132–33, 139–40, 146–48, 152–53, 167, 172, 173, 194, 199, 243, 261, 265
Raquel’s appearance and, 251
Raquel’s birth/birthday and, 21, 57–58
Raquel’s childhood/youth relationship with, 22, 41, 43, 44, 47, 48–49, 51, 53–54, 55, 57–58, 59–60, 65–66, 69–70, 72, 75, 88, 89, 93, 102–3, 104, 112, 113, 114, 115–16, 225, 230, 240
Raquel’s dream about Ercilia and, 78
Raquel’s free time and, 76
Raquel’s Morocco trip and, 173, 175, 178, 180, 181, 184, 185–86, 189
Raquel’s piano playing and, 52, 53
Raquel’s Pittsburgh move and, 115–17, 132
Raquel’s postpartum depression and, 139
Raquel’s race and, 117
and Raquel’s rejoining of Eduardo in New York City, 40–41, 245
Raquel’s schoolmates questions about, 51
and refusal to shake Casimiro’s hand, 93–94
religion and, 64
Rocío-Pascal relationship and, 27–28
Rocío-Raquel relationship and, 198
Rocío’s courtship and wedding to, 5–12, 13, 210, 211
Rocío’s divorce from, 25–26, 45
Rocío’s early married life with, 18–21
Rocío’s relationship with, 3–4, 7–8, 9–11, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24–25, 28, 73, 196, 201, 245
Sacha-Raquel relationship and, 153
self-image of, 10
sheepskin/polar bear coat incident and, 59, 60, 149
show business interests of, 6, 8, 9, 21, 52, 171
tennis and, 48, 49, 63, 65, 69, 70, 112, 114, 118, 230
time machine interest of, 145, 148–49
views about Dominicans of, 46–47, 54, 65
views about Ismael of, 171
womanizing of, 6–7, 9, 10–11, 12, 21, 24–25, 55–56, 83, 93, 113, 132
Xiomara (David’s mother) and, 55–56
Yesenia-Raquel fight and, 105
Cepeda, Ercilia Rabassa (Raquel’s grandmother/Eduardo’s mother)
Alice and, 62, 65, 66, 79
ancestry DNA project and, 225, 255
appearance of, 63–64, 162
Arquimedes’s memories of, 238–39
childhood of, 169, 239
daughter of, 222
death of, 77–78, 79, 80–81
at Eduardo and Rocío’s wedding, 10
Eduardo’s childhood/youth and, 168, 172
Eduardo’s relationship with, 6, 9
family background of, 12
Ismael’s relationship with, 240
Ismael’s separation/divorce from, 168
personality and character of, 64
photograph of, 162
Raquel’s dream about, 77–78, 80–81, 226
Raquel’s feelings about, 130
Raquel’s relationship with, 63–64, 65, 225
religion and, 62–63, 64, 223, 238
visit of, 62–64, 65, 66
Cepeda, Esperanza (Raquel’s aunt/Eduardo’s sister), 7, 24–25, 26, 222–23
Cepeda, Felicia (Arquimedes’s sister), 238
Cepeda, Fulana (Ismael’s second wife), 164, 168, 169, 171, 240
Cepeda, Ismael (Raquel’s grandfather/Eduardo’s father)
ancestry DNA project and, 161, 222
appearance of, 236
Arquimedes’s memories of, 238, 240–41
death of, 171, 240–41
Eduardo’s childhood/youth and, 161, 168, 169, 171, 172, 227
Eduardo’s views about, 171
Ercilia’s relationship with, 64
Ercilia’s separation/divorce from, 168, 240
Los Peladeros and, 241
New York City move of, 240, 241
personal and professional background of, 161, 240
photographs of, 162–63
Raquel’s curiosity about Eduardo and, 64
second wife/family of, 164, 168, 169, 171, 240
as seer, 79–80, 165
womanizing of, 10–11, 12, 240, 241
Cepeda, Jorge (Raquel’s great-uncle), 215–16, 217, 221, 222, 223, 224, 226, 228
Cepeda, Juan (Eduardo’s great-grandfather), 237
Cepeda, Perla (Raquel’s aunt/Eduardo’s sister), 65
Cepeda, Raquel
abuse of, 30–31, 32–33, 51, 53–54, 55, 65–66, 69–70, 103, 104, 115
ambitions of, 59–60, 68, 76, 84, 113, 133, 135, 139
appearance of, 42, 43, 44
baby photos of, 210
birth of, 21
“death” of, 130
depression of, 124, 139, 194
Eduardo’s comparison of Rocío and, 48, 69, 88, 103, 112
fantasies/dreams of, 31–32, 43, 47, 52–53, 65, 74–75, 77–81, 124–25, 131, 156, 165, 191–92, 193, 202, 229–30
la africana and, 192, 193, 228
la india and, 31, 225–26, 264
Maria’s dream about, 114, 116, 130
mitochondrial DNA of, 173
as mother, 172, 193–94
name of, 51
paranoia of, 186
pregnancy of, 136, 266–67
pro-choic
e paper of, 105
race of, 117, 155–57, 158, 177
role models for, 136
SATs of, 114
scoliosis diagnosis of, 60
selection of college by, 114–15
self-identification of, 177
spiritual guides of, 93–94, 131, 156, 194, 223, 225–26, 257, 264, 266–69
as writer/poet, 103, 113, 131–32, 135, 136, 139
See also specific person or topic
Cepeda, Raul (Eduardo’s adoptive father), 18
Cepeda, Rocío Mancebo “Mami” (mother)
abuse of, 28, 30–40
ambitions of, 5, 8–9, 11, 19, 28, 204, 261
ancestry DNA project and, 173–75, 191–92, 197–204, 261
Antonio’s concerns about, 17
at Antonio’s house, 194–96
Antonio’s rescue of, 38–40
appearance of, 4–5, 23–24, 34, 35, 37, 44, 69, 75, 194–95, 200
childhood and youth of, 4, 5, 210, 211
children of, 69, 73–76, 77, 78, 134, 174, 200, 204, 261
disco-dancing of, 29, 30, 34–35
Eduardo’s courtship and wedding to, 5–12, 13, 210, 211
Eduardo’s divorce from, 25–26, 45
Eduardo’s early married life with, 18–21
Eduardo’s relationship with, 3–4, 7–8, 10–11, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24–25, 28, 48, 69, 73, 88, 103, 112, 196, 201, 245
education of, 21–22
fantasies/dreams of, 202
Florida home of, 194, 197–204
fukú and, 253
gilgul neshamot concept and, 268
as grandmother, 199
gun of, 231
Hindu couple’s violence and, 19–21
Jean’s abuse of girlfriend and, 36–37
Jim (boyfriend) of, 202–3, 204
mentor of, 5
as “Mother of the Year,” 75–76
Paloma’s comments about, 242, 243
Pascal “Papito” and, 26–28, 29–40, 43, 204
photographs of, 210, 211
pregnancies of, 4, 8, 35
Raquel compared with, 48, 69, 88, 103, 112
Raquel’s adult relationship with, 133–34, 173–74, 192, 194, 196–97, 199, 200–201, 203–4, 242, 243, 245, 253, 261
Raquel’s birth and, 21
Raquel’s Boston visit with, 73–78, 174
Raquel’s childhood and, 22–24, 26, 34, 41, 66, 69, 73–78, 89, 174, 213, 231–32, 251, 252
Raquel’s feelings/views about, 77, 203–4, 245, 251, 253, 261
Raquel’s Florida visit with, 197–204
Raquel’s memories of, 252–53
Raquel’s schoolmates questions about, 51
Raquel’s sex conversation with, 134
Raquel’s views about, 139
relationship between “Mama” and, 12, 13, 19, 27, 202
“rescue” of Raquel by, 69
in San Francisco, 28, 30–40, 42, 204
second husband of, 194, 195–96
views about men of, 8
as worker, 4, 8, 21, 26, 30, 43
Charo (Blackie’s wife), 90, 96–97, 99–101, 106, 112
Cheadle, Don, 157
Chickasaw Indians, 157
Chilly D (Lorenzo Llamas), 56–57
Chino (Maria’s son), 90, 99–100
Chris (Raquel’s college boyfriend), 120–21, 122–23, 124–25, 131
Christgau, Robert, 136
Christiansen, Hendrick, 209
Christophe, Marie, 83–84, 85, 88
Ciboney people, 218
citizenship, American: Raquel’s questions about, 260
Clarence 13X, 109–10
clothing store: Raquel’s work at, 108, 109
coat (sheepskin/polar bear) incident, 59, 60–61, 62, 149
coffin dream: Eduardo’s, 166–67
Cohen, Mike, 66
Columbus, Christopher, 217–19, 246
Conrad, Joseph, 29
D
Dalai Lama, 239, 243, 269
Danielle (St. Catherine student), 102, 104
David (St. Thaddeus student), 55–56, 57, 68
De La Soul, 84
de las Casas, Bartolomé, 218, 246
Dinkins, David, 102, 103
DJ Van (rapper), 183
Djali (daughter)
ancestry DNA project and, 145, 152, 227, 264
birth of, 137, 139
Cepeda family history and, 162, 164
comment about Alice of, 163
Eduardo-Raquel relationship and, 139, 140, 146, 147–48
Eduardo’s family stories and, 168, 171–72
Eduardo’s relationship with, 199
Eduardo’s time machine interests and, 149
fukú and, 193–94
Maria’s visit and, 140
race of, 153
Raquel’s pregnancy and, 267
Raquel’s relationship with, 145, 193–94, 253
Raquel’s travels and, 175, 185, 258, 259
Sacha-Raquel relationship and, 153
travels of, 206
Dominican Republic. See Dominicans; Santo Domingo/Dominican Republic
Dominicans
African ties to, 234, 245–51, 254, 255, 274
Blackness of, 196
as campesinos, 107–8
divisions among, 107–8
Eduardo’s views about, 46–47, 54, 65
as encomiendas, 220
history/ancestry of, 152, 192–93, 201, 212, 219, 220, 232–34, 243, 245–52, 253–57, 263, 274
language of, 250
Maria’s (Lizardo) views about, 101
racial classifications and, 248–49, 256
religion/spiritual guides of, 35, 250
relocation to New York of, 140
Rocío’s comments about, 3
stereotype of, 196
views about Haitians of, 84
whiteness and, 234, 248–49, 250–51, 256
See also Taíno people; specific person
dominiyorkian, 9, 120, 177
drugs, 67, 100, 127, 128, 211, 212
Durán family, 5, 211, 243
E
Egypt (Mintz friend), 117, 121–22
Elisa’s Law, 171
Enrique (rebel leader), 221, 247
Enter the Dragon (movie), 53
Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes, 244
Estevez, Jorge, 261–64
F
Family Tree DNA, 151, 158–59, 173, 224, 259–60, 264–65. See also ancestry DNA project; Greenspan, Bennett
Fès el-Balim medina (Fez, Morocco), 182–83
Fez, Morocco, 180, 181, 182–84, 190
Fez Under Time Cafe (New York City), 131
Five Percent Ideology (Clarence 13X), 110, 111, 127
fortune tellers, 156, 183–84, 190, 255
Freestyle Fellowship, 131
Fuentes, Carlos, 137
fukú
Catholicism and, 222
as curse between mothers and daughters, 192, 202
Djali’s birth and, 193–94
Dominican history and, 212
la africana and, 193
origins of, 192
Raquel’s confrontation with, 193–94
Rocío-Raquel conversation about, 202
Rocío-Raquel relationship and, 253
funeral homes: Maria at, 92, 94, 95
G
gang fights, 61
Gates, Henry Louis Jr., 157
Genographic Project (National Geographic Society), 150–51
Ghana: Raquel’s trip to, 249
The Gift (Hyde), 224
Gigi (Raquel’s friend), 138, 139
gilgul neshamot concept, 157, 267–69
Giselle (sister), 35–36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 74, 197, 199
Gnawa music, 180
Goetz, Bernhard, 61–62, 108
graffiti, 49–50, 53, 57, 117, 183
Grand Pupa, 110
Grandmaster Melle Mel (rapper), 55, 58
Greenspan
, Bennett, 151, 156–57, 158, 159, 160, 161, 184, 233, 260, 267
Guinea-Bissau, 191–92, 201–2, 243, 247
Guitar, Lynne, 232–34, 244
H
Haiti/Haitians
Dominican ancestry and, 192, 201, 233, 249, 250, 251
Dominican history and, 217, 218, 219, 233, 248, 249
Dominicans’ views of, 33, 84, 85, 207
history of, 217, 218
lady on plane’s comments about, 207
Mancebo ancestry and, 5, 211, 243, 244
and Maria’s (Lizardo) views about men, 101
mocking of, 13
Raquel’s maternal ancestry and, 211
religion and, 250
Rocío’s dream about, 202
in Santo Domingo, 213, 216
stereotype of, 249
Taínos and, 263
Trujillo regime and, 251
See also specific person
Hare Krishnas, 76, 91, 140
Hawkins, Yusef, 102, 108
Heinlein, Robert, 191
Herminia’s Nightclub (bordello), 16–17
Heureaux, Ulises, 216
Hindu couple violence, 19–21
hip-hop, 68–69, 71–72, 110, 117, 131, 132, 136, 141, 153, 154, 155, 183, 208
homosexuality, 222–23
Horovitz, Adam “Ad-Rock,” 258
Hyde, Lewis, 224
I
Igneri people, 218
illegal immigration, 147, 260
Imazighen people. See Berbers
Immortal Technique, 206, 208
Indigenous people
Dominican ancestry and, 233, 234, 250, 254, 255, 263
See also Amerindians; Taíno people
Infinite Reality. See Lizardo, Angel
Izquierdo, Elisa, 170–71, 172
J
Jaén Province (Spain), 257
Jamal (Raquel’s boyfriend), 133, 136
Janet (prostitute), 15
JAP (Jewish-American princess), 81–82, 83
Jean-Baptiste, Claudine, 60–61, 83
Jenkins, Sacha (Raquel’s husband), 146, 153, 174, 175, 197, 213, 215, 216, 258, 259, 267
Jesus: miracle of appearance of, 66–67
Jesús (Leonicio’s son), 94, 95
Jews
Alhambra Decree and, 233
Dominican ancestry and, 251
Eduardo’s ancestry and, 159, 160–61, 225, 227
Latino-American ancestry and, 266
Jim (Rocío’s boyfriend), 202–3, 204
Jimenez, Emilia (maternal great-grandmother), 211
Jones, Lisa, 136
Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey (Wells documentary), 150
Jung, Carl, 73
K
Kaufman, Ms. (Raquel’s piano teacher), 52, 53
Bird of Paradise Page 33
