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My father was old
country. He was strong
and full of pride. My
mother was sweet and
vulnerable. I had five
brothers, and I was the
only girl. I was
surrounded by prejudice,
testosterone, and
uncertainty. This kind
of childhood can produce
a serious wallflower
living in a constant
state of apology.
For a long time I was
buried under many layers
of limitations. I had to
break through prejudice,
machismo and low self
esteem. It was either
that or stay victim. I
don’t think anybody
would have blamed me.
But I couldn’t. Maybe it
was the men around me.
Maybe it was the power
of my long legged pride
rooted in the old
country. I am, after
all, my father’s
daughter.
Dice el dicho, what
doesn’t kill you makes
you stronger. I would
add; giving in to fear
makes you crack. I
didn’t want to crack. So
I learned to break
though the fear that
kept me down.
Why did I write this
book? I felt the urge to
pick up a pen when the
news coverage began to
spread through the U.S.
about undocumented
immigration. It became
big news about four
years ago. It was on
talk radio and
newspapers. It was a
popular and heated
subject.
 I
listened to both sides.
They said the
undocumented were a
burden on our economy,
our social services, and
our infrastructures. I
heard talk about walls,
fences and driver’s
license. They almost had
me until I noticed the
argument would travel
from the burden, to the
culture, to the people
themselves. They lost me
when I heard the term
‘anchor baby.’ The roots
of my pride began to
throb. These are my
people, I thought. Now
you’re talking about me.
The old feelings began
to rise. The layers were
not so heavy this time.
But I felt a parallel
with the undocumented
immigrant. The bigots
and the bullies were
pushing their way around
again, but this time I
could see the fear. The
fear was on both sides
of the issue. So I wrote
a book.
In the book I want to
help Latinos overcome
the fear of white
America. I want to guide
them within to find the
power they posses to
overcome any limitation.
I aim to teach Latinos
to be rid of excuses,
let go of blame, and
stop the apologies. If a
little girl, who once
felt like a pair of eyes
stuck on a wall, can
overcome a multitude of
limitations, anybody
can.
What is my book about?
My book is about you. It
is about me. It is about
learning how to surpass
fear. It is about daring
to charter unknown
territory. It is about
owning places we are
seldom given permission
to explore; the place
where winners live. This
book is for Latinos who
want to achieve the
American dream.
By
Susan Orosco |
