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Chapter 1
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
You’re usually “in the most basic of places” when you learn life-changing news. Yahaira is at lunch with Dre, listening to Dre chat about a climate change protest and flipping through a magazine when she’s called to the office over the loudspeaker. Though she gets a pass and flashes it at Mr. Henry, the security guard, he jokes that she wouldn’t cut class after being summoned. Yahaira used to be known for taking risks in chess, but in real life, she’s very predictable. She spends every Saturday with Dre, and all her progress reports say that she’s quiet and meets expectations. So, she has no idea what they want with her in the office. News spreads through the halls, but Yahaira still has no idea that there are no rules when you learn news like this.
Given the way that Yahaira begins her narration (by implying that she’s going to learn some big news), it seems likely that she’s going to learn what Camino just did: that a plane to the Dominican Republic crashed. Unlike Camino, who seems to occasionally enjoy breaking rules, Yahaira seems to find comfort in following the rules—as she notes here, staying in line means that she usually doesn’t have to confront surprises. She creates increasing dread in the reader as she describes the news spreading through the school while she remains oblivious.
Themes
On this day, the 5th of June, Yahaira thinks the worst thing that could happen is that she’ll be scolded for poor grades or asked to return to the chess club. She had no idea that three hours before, “the door to [her] old life slammed shut.”
Note that while Camino described how difficult her life is and compared finding out about Papi’s death to a premature birth (implying she has some experience with premature births), Yahaira’s concerns up to this point are pretty mundane: she doesn’t want to be scolded. This may reflect that Yahaira is better-off financially, or is better supported, than Camino is.
Themes
Mami is in the office, wearing flip-flops and rollers in her hair. She never leaves the house without putting herself together, as she manages a nice spa and believes looking nice is good advertising. Ms. Santos, the principal’s assistant, puts an arm around Yahaira’s shoulders. Yahaira wants to shrug it off, as she knows this hug is trying to lessen the impact of whatever news is coming. Looking at Mami, Yahaira asks what’s going on. Mami’s lip quivers. She says, “Tu papi” (your father).
Immediately, Mami’s appearance is a red flag for Yahaira: it’s unheard of for Mami to be so underdressed in public. Mami’s two-word explanation suggests that like Camino, Yahaira has also lost her father in the plane crash. And also like Camino, Yahaira is already trying to shrug off people’s attempts to comfort her or grieve with her.
Themes
On most days, the flight Papi was on makes it from JFK to Puerto Plata without incident. It’s a routine flight, with a veteran pilot, and it should have landed just fine. According to Mami, the New Yorkers found out earlier than the families waiting for the plane to arrive. Thirty minutes after taking off, the plane’s tail snapped and the jet plunged vertically into the water.
The matter-of-fact tone in this passage contrasts with the emotional heft of what happened—a plane full of people is probably dead, and countless families are learning about this now, just as Yahaira and Camino are.
Themes
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Yahaira signs herself out of school, ignoring Ms. Santos’s condolences. Mami, still crying, accompanies Yahaira to her locker. They don’t say goodbye to Dre first. It’s a beautiful day outside, with a lovely breeze—but Mami still cries. Has the day forgotten it stole Papi? Or is it happy to have him? Yahaira doesn’t cry.
Yahaira picks up on some irony as well: it seems unbelievable to her that Papi could die on such a beautiful day, and that the weather wouldn’t reflect her and Mami’s inner turmoil. Just as Camino did when she walked home from the airport, Yahaira is going through the motions and doing her best to pretend that things are normal.
Themes
Through a text, Yahaira learns that she’s one of four students who lost someone on the flight. In her neighborhood, everyone is outside, trying to glean new information and wondering about survivors and if the crash was a terrorist plot. Mami ignores them. Their neighborhood, Morningside Heights, is made up of people from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Puerto Rico, as well as Black Americans, white people, and Columbia students “who disrupt everything.” But everyone from the Dominican Republic knows someone who died on the flight. Mami continues to ignore the neighbors as she enters the apartment and then slides to the floor to cry. Yahaira helps her up and to her bedroom. When the phone starts ringing, Yahaira answers it. She “take[s] charge where no one else can.”
While the neighborhood community starts to come together to grieve and discuss what happened, Mami and Yahaira distance themselves from their neighbors. It’s unclear at this point if Mami finds the neighbors’ speculations distasteful or disrespectful, or if she’s simply more comfortable grieving on her own. And with Mami in such a state, Yahaira is forced to assume a far more mature role than she might otherwise as she “take[s] charge” and begins answering the phone.
Themes
When Yahaira learned Papi’s secret last summer, she felt instantly like she had to keep it a secret herself—even from her other family members. Papi always thought she stopped talking because of chess; he had no idea that she was actually just disappointed in him because of what she discovered. However, Yahaira never stopped being a “steady daughter.” She didn’t know how. She still doesn’t know how, so she continues to take out the trash and microwave leftovers. She keeps her feelings wrapped up inside herself, like “a gift no one wants.”
For now, Yahaira isn’t forthcoming about what Papi’s big secret is, but it’s clear that discovering his secret had a huge impact on Yahaira’s life. She implies that it harmed her relationship with Papi, since she stopped talking after learning about the secret. However, even the secret couldn’t keep Yahaira from continuing to be reliable and dependable. Keeping up with household chores is something that helps Yahaira feel more normal, so she clings to her chores in difficult times like these.
Themes
