“Sometimes a breakdown can be the beginning of a kind of breakthrough, a way of living in advance through a trauma that prepares you for a future of radical transformation.”

-Cherrie Moraga

Life has presented me with many painful moments, situations, and decisions.  I have not always understood at the moment, why this was happening to me.

I still do not understand.

Why did I have to the only one in my family without papers? Why was my dad not there? Why this, why that… but at this moment none of the Whys matter. I am just so incredibly blessed, to be where I am right now. To meet the people I am meeting, and to be learning all that I have to learn.

I chose to begin with the quote by Moraga, because I feel it depicts what I have been through, and what I am going into.

One of the best things about being here is that there are events going on all the time. There are people coming to campus to give talks, workshops, to have study groups, and I am trying to soak it all in! For instance, I am in a study group at the Kennedy School with Margret Spellings from the US Department of Education and advisor for G.W Bush. She was the one that lead the initiative of No Child Left Behind.  Whether I agree or not with what she has done or is doing is not the point. I am crazy lucky to have the opportunity to be able to listen to her, and many others talk about topics that are so important in my life.

Then I went to a panel at the Law School, where there was a discussion about AZ’s SB1070…you know I was there!  Monica Ramirez the advisor to Attorney General was there, the leader of ACLU, and many others… I was able to ask the Dep. Of Defense, what is happening with the lawsuit against Sheriff Arpaio? Thinking about what the people of AZ would want me to ask, say or do.

Carrying all their expectations, struggles, and blessings with me, everywhere I go.

The point is that there are amazing things happening here.  One very special panel was at the Divinity School where Cherrie Moraga a Xicana playwright, professor at Stanford, and inspiring wombyn was there.  She is the author of my favorite play “Hungry Woman.”  I went up to her to ask her a question about teatro, told her I started my own theater group in AZ called Teatro Nopalero…and guess what !? She knew about us! She ended up inviting me to lunch, and I got to go to the fancy Harvard Faculty Club for lunch with a bunch of amazing xicano/latino professors.  We are going to keep in touch and she will let me know if they are staging a production of Hungry Woman, so I can help!

It reminds me of the time my comadre and I sneaked in backstage and met Los Tigres del Norte. We told them about me going to Harvard, about the Dream Act, and SB1070. It was crazy I could not believe it. The lesson I learned from all of this, is that you have to make a way, even when it seems impossible.

So thankful, and excited… I have also met with many doctoral students trying to get the feeling of what it’s like to be here for a PhD… just thinking ahead.

Not sure where my life is taking me, but this is one heck of a ride…