How does Esmeralda describe her mother, Ramona, in the memoir, When I Was Puerto Rican?

Ramona is something of a dreamer and wishes desperately for a better life for herself and her family. She is, however, not expecting a handout and is willing to work hard to achieve these dreams. For example, she takes a job in Puerto Rico though it carries a stigma and pressure. Esmeralda notes that her mother rises very early, cooking and cleaning in preparation for the day, and comes home tired but faced with more chores and demands. When Ramona is faced with the possibility of Raymond's foot being amputated, she determines that it won't happen and travels with him to New York for better medical care. She soon decides that she has to take her family to New York in order to better their lives and does so, despite the fact that the father of her children refuses to go. This means she's moving to a strange city with her children to be dependent on extended family and her own ability to work. Ramona is a strong-willed woman who sometimes steam-rolls over the wishes of others in order to gain her own way.