Identity and sexuality
This novel is all about Rigoberto's identity as an LGBTQ+ man. He explains how his Catholic upbringing made him feel about his sexuality and the struggles he had growing into an adult. Rigoberto states that his aim in this text is to "claim truth," and he has later been credited with giving a voice to the Chicano LGBTQ+ community. Publishing this memoir itself is an act of reclaiming identity, as Rigoberto states that he had been writing personal essays since he was young, and this itself is a key part of his identity.
Family
In his first self-portrait, Rigoberto introduces his large family. He states that he lived with "four branches" of the family in a three-bedroom apartment. The novel explores his relationships with his family, including his grandparents, parents, siblings, and cousins. He explains the atmosphere and dynamics in the house when they were young, including how "the grown-ups were discussing important matters in the kitchen, the women sipping coffee, the men nursing beers, the ten of us had to sit still and quiet in front of the television, which was kept at low volume." We learn about the place of children in this Catholic household, and how children were expected to behave and act as they grew up.
