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Mayor Toro
A resident of the Redwood Apartments and an immigrant from Panamá, Celia is a loving wife and mother, a dutiful, compassionate, and fun neighbor, and a devoted friend to Alma and to many others in the apartment complex. Celia weathers her temperamental husband Rafael’s outbursts with grace and understanding, but she is perhaps too compliant with her husband as his behavior begins to edge toward violence—she warns him to go easy on their troubled and lovesick son Mayor, but Rafael does not heed her advice. Celia is a steadfast and loyal friend to Alma and she takes up a collection to bring Arturo’s body back to México after his death. She clearly misses her family back in Panamá very deeply, and longs for the impossible—to return to a life, and to a country, that no longer exist.
Celia Toro Quotes in The Book of Unknown Americans
The The Book of Unknown Americans quotes below are all either spoken by Celia Toro or refer to Celia Toro. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3: Rafael Toro
Quotes
We’re Americans now. We’re citizens, and if someone asks me where my home is, I say los Estados Unidos. I say it proudly. Of course, we still miss Panamá. Celia is desperate to go back and visit. But I worry what it would be like after all this time. We thought it was unrecognizable when we left, but I have a feeling it would be even more unrecognizable now. Sometimes I think I would rather just remember it in my head, all those streets and places I loved. Because a place can do many things against you, and if it’s your home or if it was your home at one time, you still love it. That’s how it works.
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Chapter 17: Mayor
Quotes
“Next time, just try to blend in with everyone else and you’ll be fine,” my mom offered.
“The way of the world,” my dad said.
“What?” my mom asked.
“Just trying to blend in. That’s the way of the world.”
“Well, that’s the way of America, at least,” my mom said.
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Celia Toro Quotes in The Book of Unknown Americans
The The Book of Unknown Americans quotes below are all either spoken by Celia Toro or refer to Celia Toro. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 3: Rafael Toro
Quotes
We’re Americans now. We’re citizens, and if someone asks me where my home is, I say los Estados Unidos. I say it proudly. Of course, we still miss Panamá. Celia is desperate to go back and visit. But I worry what it would be like after all this time. We thought it was unrecognizable when we left, but I have a feeling it would be even more unrecognizable now. Sometimes I think I would rather just remember it in my head, all those streets and places I loved. Because a place can do many things against you, and if it’s your home or if it was your home at one time, you still love it. That’s how it works.
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Chapter 17: Mayor
Quotes
“Next time, just try to blend in with everyone else and you’ll be fine,” my mom offered.
“The way of the world,” my dad said.
“What?” my mom asked.
“Just trying to blend in. That’s the way of the world.”
“Well, that’s the way of America, at least,” my mom said.
Related Characters:
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Page Number and Citation:
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