What are the motifs in The Last of the Menu Girls by Denise Chavez?

A recurring idea is family relationships. Woven into the fabric of Rocio's story are a number of comments on the inter-relationships of family members that are rather universal in nature. Rocio's relationship with her mother appears to be rather unemotional. Nieves is a typical hard-working woman who has determined that life is serious business and must be lived seriously and with determination. Thus, she teaches school, raises her daughters to be frugal and responsible, and appears unable to demonstrate emotional nurturing and affection toward her girls.