I’m from Puerto Rico. I lived in the Dominican Republic when I was very little. There was a chicken coop under the shade of a big mango tree that I remember climbing when I was three years old and getting stuck on the top. My parents sent me to college to a very small all-women’s Catholic school in Boston. I didn’t have much of a choice. I stayed in Boston for 17 years and then went to law school back home. I had a child when I was really young, but I didn’t let that stop me from pursuing my education. I’m now an attorney with two law degrees. I have a happy life.
I have lived in Tucson for 12 years. I belong in Puerto Rico, but my children, who are my greatest joy, were born in the States, so I feel a really strong connection here. There’s a lot of places where I can speak my language and culture in Tucson beyond American and Mexican traditions, so it’s good to have a yearly celebration of all of our cultures at Tucson Meet Yourself.
-Gina