I am from arepas, from Sabado Gigante and Vicks Vapor Rub. I am from the occasional discipline from la chancla y la correa, I am from the beech trees, Grand, but changing with the seasons
I’m from the gatherings in la sala From Thalia and Sandra I’m from the neverending parcheesi games And the nonstop salsa parties From “levántese, porque hay que limpiar!” and “Comese la comida, que aca no hay perros” I’m from asking my mother for la bendicion before going out
I’m from Sandra’s branch, Empanadas and cafe con leche From my grandmothers hands, swollen from being overworked the multiple jobs my mom worked to keep me full.
In our storage closet are albums Telling the story of my family, Some relatives I never got the chance to meet I am from the hard working family members Who sacrificed their happiness So that I can could be here And share my story.
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My name is Steven Talero and I am 21 years old. Currently, I am a senior at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. I am majoring in Gender Studies and minoring in Sociology. I was born and raised in Flushing, Queens by my Colombian family that consists of my mother, grandmother, uncle, and two dogs.
Growing up, I was not very good at a lot of things. I was always shy and usually kept to myself. I was constantly worried about how others perceived me. I was so worried about this that my self-esteem was never the best. However, I ended up taking a dance class at an after-school program and fell in love with it. That was in the 4th grade and ever since then I loved to breakdance. I loved the idea of performing in front of others. Looking back at it all, I cannot believe how much it helped me grow as a person. Something that most people struggle with while growing up is loving themselves. They constantly face criticism from the people around them, so they always have trouble accepting themselves for who they are. People should realize that they are perfectly fine the way they are. They should learn that the things that other people say about them are not important. This is because, at the end of day, they can't pay their bills with people’s opinions, right? So instead of stressing these things, people need to take a second to: Find themselves, love themselves, and treat themselves to the things that make them happy.