This means America needs to take the initiative in exploring that which Puerto Ricans have to offer. This quote puts the responsibility of getting included into American culture on the Puerto Ricans first. This is not to say that America should still not take the initiative to include Puerto Ricans in American culture and society, however Puerto Ricans must also do their part by figuring out to what extent and in what ways do they want to be included. In conclusion, what Cruz does not cover in her novel is the concept of factionalism in Puerto Rican mobilization. In certain situations where a group is struggling for some sort of change division can often arise as a result of different ideas.
Different ideas come from different peoples' understanding of the same basic concept.
To be more specific, the idea is to develop techniques and strategies for obtaining basic equalities that were not afforded Puerto Ricans when they first arrived. A person's strategies are going to come from their understanding of themselves in this country, thus factions develop amongst the new group of people. However, with diverse thinking come new and different approaches to solving those problems which present the biggest obstacle in the way of advancement for the Puerto Rican people. What also aided and continues to aid Puerto Ricans is the realization of the power of identity politics. A good example of the potential power of an organized group of Puerto Ricans is the organized riots.