The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition

Reyna’s umbilical cord is a symbol of attachment and longing in the memoir. When Reyna is a little girl, Mago tells her the story of her birth, informing her that the midwife buried her umbilical cord in the dirt floor of the shack where she was born. The location of the cord is meant to represent Reyna’s connection to Iguala, the place of her birth. Indeed, the midwife is fabled to have told Mami that “no matter where life takes her, [Reyna] won’t ever forget where she came from” (14) because of where her umbilical cord is located. For this reason, Reyna remains attached to Iguala even after she immigrates to the United States. She often finds herself thinking of the umbilical cord to remember where she came from and the life and people she left behind.

The umbilical cord gains new meaning after Reyna’s mother leaves Mexico for the United States. Mago tells her that the cord is “like a ribbon that connect[s] [her] to Mami” (14) no matter where she is. Reyna often touches her belly button when she misses Mami, because this habit reminds her of her mother and quells her longing. The repeated images of the umbilical cord therefore illustrate Reyna’s attachment to both her mother and her homeland.