Multiple reasons. I wanted the kids to be able to pass for white, for story-related reasons you will see later. I wanted to contrast Isobel's upbringing with Christopher's, both financially and emotionally. And finally, kind of shallowly, I had never written a Hispanic character before (that I knew of) and wanted to give it a try.

Then there's this: racism is overtly addressed with Daniel, Alicia, and Benjy, of course. Hispanic people tend to get a slightly more subtle version of it. I wanted to work with that as well, insofar as I could being a pasty white girl.

I feel like I need to stick a disclaimer on all the stories. "Warning: Written by pasty white girl. If you see a fuckup, please alert the author ASAP."