[2] Her impact extends beyond cultivating narratives as she paves the way for more coming-of-age stories about being a Latina in the United States, alongside navigating cultural dissonance through acculturation.

The stroke affected the Wernicke's area of the brain and made her unable to read and write in both Spanish, her native language, and English.

Santiago chose to return to the United States and began publishing short essays and stories in local press.

[1] In When I was Puerto Rican, Santiago illustrates sexist experiences from her own life, extending recognition to other women who experienced similar treatment.

[3] In Almost a Woman, published in 1998,[9] Santiago extends upon her memoir When I was Puerto Rican and continues from her late childhood through adolescence in the United States.

[4] The main character, Negi, experiences identity crises at the hands of adolescence while simultaneously navigating acculturation after her move from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn, New York.

[10] Santiago demonstrates the plight of Puerto Rican women living in the United States as they battle cultural identities.

[13] She matriculates into Harvard and begins to argue and defend political topics surrounding popular issues- including Puerto Rico.

[14] Chiquita then travels back to Puerto Rico and is struck by the mass destruction of natural beauty and the food-chains and big-box stores that replace it.

[15] Ana arrives in Puerto Rico at the age of 18 in search of power and money but instead faces the harsh realities of slavery on her sugar plantation.

[15] Like other Latino writers of this time, Santiago's writing serves as both a tool to discover and uncover her cultural identity, seen heavily in her exploration of her family's history.

[15] Santiago creates feminist literature that is catered towards women, promote CP in High Schools [1][8] paving the way for more women-centered narratives of the Latino experience.

[11] Her use of the autobiographical, memoir-like, format allows for discussions of women's societal gender role, biculturalism and bilingualism from a place of personal experience,[11][10] making her work even more impactful on the reader.

[3] Additionally, as one of the first to write in this format, Santiago paved the way for exploring Puerto Rican and Latino identities in popular literature.