The title of this novel has a very explanatory ring to it: How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Reading that, you expect to hear an explanation, right? Okay, Ms. Alvarez. How did they lose those accents?
We'll get to that answer in a minute. First, let's think about what it means to lose an accent. For a family of immigrants like the Garcías, it might mean learning to blend in so completely that they don't stand out as foreigners anymore. That's a good thing, right? Well, yeah, if it means not having rocks thrown at you at school or having people call you ugly names. But maybe losing your accent also means letting go of your culture, your family, and your past. And that part seems pretty sad... and confusing.
As this novel tells the story of how the four García sisters learn how to fit in to American society, it brings up their struggles with language. Yoyo is really relieved the first time she writes a speech that "finally sounded like herself in English!" (2.2.40). And the girls' father prides himself on having paid to "smooth the accent out of their English in expensive schools" (1.2.42).
But since this novel moves backwards in time, we know from the very beginning how much Yoyo ends up struggling with her native language. As an adult, her Spanish is "halting," and she has to ask her aunts to define words for her (1.1.27). Sure, she still speaks Spanish... but not like a native. Her accent has officially been "lost." And she wants it back!