The only thing more painful than growing up as an undocumented immigrant, was finding myself — my true self — as a mixed girl with nurturing of only one of those elements. It’s not lost on me that as a child, being in public places with a white woman by my side allowed me to … More My Self/Black Girl Magic
When I first arrived in the United States in the summer of 1998, my mother and I lived in my uncle’s house in Berkeley, California. He had sponsored our tourist visa. After picking us up from LAX, he took us to Disneyland and Universal Studios, before we made the six hour drive to his home. … More My Childhood in Rio
One of the most memorable moments that I experienced during the trip to my homeland, Brazil earlier this year, was unexpectedly stumbling upon a ceremony known as Festival of Lemanja. It was at a locals’ beach adjacent to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) that I saw a large group of mostly Afro-Brazilians gathered under a … More Candomblé (Part I)
It’s a crazy, surreal, indescribable feeling when you realize that life is not random — that it has purpose. When you realize that there are signs everywhere of choices you should make, directions to take, validations of your gut instincts, it can feel overwhelming. It can be confusing, but I’ve found that the more you … More Following Divine Signs
(image courtesy of Shutterstock) I don’t think there has been a louder anti-racism revolt since the Civil Rights Movement. The Black Lives Matter revolution that we are witnessing right now is opening the eyes of America– including white Americans — to the violent systemic racism that exists in the United States. It is inspiring protests … More Black Lives Matter in Brazil, Too. #VidasNegrasImportam
On May 31st, I had the pleasure of discussing the mental health of immigrant children with an expert, Safi Lynch on Instagram Live. A Therapist and Certified Licensed Social Worker who specializes in treating immigrants, she piqued my interest because I was not aware that this type of therapist existed. Delving into her website, I … More Introducing Safi Lynch & Culture and Identity Sensitive Therapy
Recently, I shared a brief summary of my last four years in Brazil. It was essentially what I could provide as context; context into who I was before I was a DREAMer. When my dreams were theoretical, my identity was Brazilian. When I came here for the chance to live out my mom’s dreams of … More Becoming American
There hasn’t been a day since I returned from my trip this January, that I haven’t missed and wanted to be back in Brazil. It’s not just because I felt safer there than I have ever felt in the United States. It’s so much more than that. When I finally got to go back after … More The Feeling of Belonging
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