Do We Need Multiple Translations of The Same Text? I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Analyzed

In 2018, the New York Times Bestseller I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (2017) by the Mexican American poet, novelist and essayist, Erika L. Sánchez was translated into Spanish. Two editions were published: La hija que no soñaste in Mexico and Yo no soy tu perfecta hija mexicana in the United States. Although the paratextual information of each edition differs–that being the title and the brief resources on mental health–the body of the translation is the same. The target audience of each edition lives in a different country which implies understanding different cultural references. This thesis examines the original text and its translation while considering the target audience and the purpose of the translation for a readership in Mexico and in the United States. Generally, it is expected that a translation will align with the cultural needs of the target audience. However, the examination concludes that a domestication of the original text took place which coincides with the characteristics of a target audience in Mexico but does not with those of an audience in the United States. In the end, the examination supports that a translation in a single language fails to cater to the diverse needs of all the audiences that speak that language. Therefore, a new translation that is closer to the reality of Mexican American teenagers in the United States is needed.