Interviews

There are some people who make you braver. Leaders do that, their abilities aren’t really about what they do- it’s what they inspire others to do. That’s the most important part, and Ms. Tayrin Tapia is one such Boriqua leader. The first leaders of Borinquen (known as Puerto Rico) were called Caciques or Cacica if female leaders.  In the time of the Taino (A direct translation of the word “Taíno” signified “men of the good and noble”), Chiefs were chosen from the Nitaínos and generally obtained their power from the maternal line. Our maternal ancestors, literally our ancient mothers, were revered. Yet, when the Spaniards came, Tainos became victims to sexual violence, rape, family separation, slavery, and developed sickness and diseases, introduced by the Europeans, killing our Indigenous people, making them extinct, according to many. Survivors of the genocide? Erased on paper…  The 1787 census in Puerto Rico lists 2,300 pure “Indians” in the population, but on the next census, in 1802, not a single “Indian” is listed”, as historians and advocates point out.  Meet Tayrin Tapia:  Tayrin’s ancestors were Tainos, and they survived! They went on to have a descendant that would speak truth to power, speak to the legacy of sexual violence in our community. A mother, a businesswoman, an organizer, and an advocate. Most importantly, the first Puerto Rican woman I have ever met in my entire life that addressed an audience, talking about her personal life experience of sexual assault and exploitation. Sin venguenza (without shame), it’s often used as a negative term in our dialect, but here it’s the appropriate term in a fairway. Tayrin breaks barriers. She speaks about past roadblocks where our male-dominated culture lies in front of us. She speaks without shame for herself and others who remain quiet. She speaks with the strength that comes from being unafraid; she changes the world for many. I know, she changed my life, in one of the profound ways, simply by being unafraid. She started the first and to my knowledge, only organization created by a survivor of sexual assault this Latino community has ever experienced. She named it Dear Tayrin, putting her name on it, literally. For that reason, she inspired me to advocate on behalf of human trafficking survivors. Right before I stand up every time to speak about human trafficking to community groups or talk about it in a meeting setting, Tayrin stands up with me in mind, and this is every time. THE INTERVIEW Let her speak for herself. Read the following interview, and learn about a woman who speaks truth to power: What values were taught in your home?  I was taught that faith, family, and community are at the top of our values list.  I was taught that being an independent woman is okay and that it means you have strength.  .  I was taught that being independent doesn’t mean you don’t need a partner but that instead, it means you can stand on your own two feet, but if a special person comes into your life to help you stand, achieve goals and dreams, well then that is a bonus.   Where were you born?  I was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, moved to the Bronx, NY, at the age of 5, and then moved to Buffalo, NY at the age of 13.  Even though I have moved out of Buffalo several times since then, I call Buffalo home.   What motivated you to become an advocate? My own story as a survivor of child sexual abuse; it motivated me to become an advocate for other victims of sexual abuse, now survivors.  I wanted to be a voice for those who felt voiceless.  I am also an advocate in bringing awareness to HIV/AIDS.  I became passionate to be an advocate in this field due to my work at Evergreen Health Services.  It really helped me open my eyes to the stigma surrounding this tabooed subject and I wanted to also be a means of support.  I am also an advocate for our youth, focused on youth development and promoting positive mindsets.  What about your child’s experience, did that make you want to speak up?  During seventh grade, I had a conversation with a friend who had experienced sexual abuse.  When I left school that day, I told my then-stepmom about it and eventually said “hey, me too.”  To my surprise, she had no clue which led me to believe, either my dad never told her because he didn’t want to, or he didn’t tell her because he didn’t know.  That night I told my dad for the first time what had happened to me at the age of 5.  It is when I first truly spoke my ugly truth.   Did you get any counseling after your parents found out?  No.  I don’t think my parents knew how to handle the situation at the time.  Especially since it had been years before they found out everything that had transpired.  I think they saw this bright kid, always full of energy, always smiling, with good grades, and didn’t think it affected me.  However, internally it had; counseling could’ve possibly been a great way to release any internal struggles I was dealing with at the time.  I don’t blame my parents in any way and do not think they were bad parents.  They did the best they could.   If you could speak to your younger self today, what would you say?  I would tell my 5-year-old self, it’s okay your older self will protect you.  I would tell my 7th-grade self, that I am proud of her for speaking up and telling her the truth and that she may have to be her own hero.  And I would tell my 16-year-old self, that with trauma there comes healing and it’s coming.   When did you start working?  I started working at the age of 11, babysitting for my own babysitter.  Then at 12, I got my first job as a grocery bagger

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”   There is a stillness about winter. The same stillness is inside of a church when you enter the sanctuary, alone. To me, it feels the same. Some of my most prized moments inside my church have been alone in the sanctuary – in the stillness, just praying. I was taught how to pray. It’s a weird thing to think about, that someone teaches you how to talk to God, but they do. I was taught to pray by my grandmother whose Spanish prayers and coco candy made her feel to me (as a child) as if she was from a different time; as an adult, I learned she was. It’s been a year since I started writing in her honor, time marches on and I miss her more every day.  Though times change, the look of the church, and the denominations, through 1,000s of years – one common activity has NOT changed- praying. The basic idea that a human, in stillness, and deep mediation can extend their voice to the ears of the universe’s creator, has persisted,  across languages and continents for all time. Churches, a pinnacle of Christendom, came to Puerto Rico in 1532. The San José Church, the first Spanish church was built in Old San Juan and would hold the remains of Ponce De Leon, the town’s governor. Churches now cover Puerto Rico, of all sizes and denominations. Following Christ does not just stop at the church door; your obedience must extend past that, into the worldly world. As a young person today, that call for obedience requires more sacrifice and abstention than in past times. Enter Jesenaida Collazo,  the type of woman that Christ depends on. She has his joy in her eyes. The joy of being accepted and knowing that you are loved by your creator. Just looking into her eyes – yes just her eyes alone – say all that and more. Her spirit is strong like the binding of the oldest bible. A warm person, the type of Christian that is brave enough to be vulnerable in the eyes of others, a remarkable leader, a servant leader, they call them. A woman who is gifted to bring people together around their love for Christ, the leader of a Christian youth group, and more than a volunteer project, her vision led her to create her own organization. The Founder of Prisoners of Hope, Jesenaida “Jessy”, is a youth pastor. So young, yet she herself leads her peers closer to Christ in practice. Her bravery to step into a leadership role in Christ reflects her confidence in him when the whole world seems unsure – Jessy isn’t. Her quote:  Hebrews 11:1 — “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” THE INTERVIEW Read my interview with Jesenaida Collado, and learn more about her, her faith, and her future. 1: Where were you born and what values were taught in your home? I was born and raised here in Buffalo NY. I was always taught to cherish family, to always help someone, and to be grateful always for what I have. God has always been impactful in my life as my family, and I are Christians. 2:  What was your experience as a student like? My experience as a student was an interesting one.  Hitting puberty at an early age, having acne, being overweight, and not being able to afford what was “in” at the time was always difficult as those were things I was bullied for. Despite all of that there were teachers who truly cared and made going to school more enjoyable. Those teachers are the ones who really pushed me to become more! 3: What was your first job? I started working when I was 15 years old through the Summer Youth Program, which helped me work my first and favorite all-year-round job at Little Caesars! 4: What was the moment you decided to take control of your future? The moment I was inspired to take control of my future was the moment I gave my life to Christ. Accepting Christ gave my life true meaning and purpose and made everything I did, and do, intentional. 5: What advice do you have for people who want to be heard in the community? The advice I have for people who want to be heard in their community is to first be involved!  Get active! Volunteer, attend meetings and seminars- make an impact. Make your voice heard. If you go to the gym once you won’t see any results, but if you go to the gym consistently, you will see results. My pastor used this example and it’s so true!; the same thing goes for making a difference. Don’t do something once, continue doing it and you will see the fruits of your labor. 6: What is your theory on human potential? First, I believe everyone has potential. Everyone’s potential is different – A person may be able to draw and impact people through their art, but may not be a good speaker, whereas the other person may impact people with their voice and not their art. Everyone has something valuable and useful in them; it’s up to them to tap into it and cultivate it! 7: What is a quote that is important to you? Hebrews 11:1.“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” 8: What was the first time you realized you were a faith leader and What is the biggest shift you have been in your ministry?  I don’t remember the exact age, but I remember in high school speaking to my close friends about Jesus and how wonderful it was to have him in my life  The biggest shift I’ve seen in my ministry is how much I’ve grown with God. While trying to guide and teach others, God has

El nombre de una mujer; she inspired me to learn that less is more, and more is less, and no one cares about your excuses. She lives simply, streamlined, and efficiently, yet feminine, drenched in muted colors, and too chic for your fashion-forward lens. Very euro- the very Bronx like a chameleon with the heart of a lion. I met her in the West Side of Course, on grant Street (where real gangsters have been meeting real gangsters) since my grandfather’s butcher store was open. She was teaching English to refugees and new Americans, fitting for someone- who I would learn taught herself English at age 7. She told me she was a political science major and that did it. I knew we were going to become instant friends. She reminded me of myself frankly. Why? Because political science is defined as the branch of knowledge that deals with systems of government, and the analysis of political activity and behavior. And any Latina who consciously chooses to study political science in my mind is a genius. Liz and I both were done an injustice in our studies though, not taught about the history of women and or common folk. I always say I was taught the victors curriculum- the one where -it was told to us; all our Taino ancestors were killed, and colonization brought “progress” to our islands. That’s not the true history. Liz being Dominican and Puerto Rican – taught through the lens of the separation, of our islands and our peoples. We weren’t told the Taino lived in both lands and creation stories said we emerged from caves in a sacred mountain on Hispaniola. Or that genetic studies show in Puerto Rico, that a high proportion of people have “Amerindian mtDNA.” Thus, the Taino survived. And their ideas and lives were expressed in art- left out of our textbook. History teaches us to separate ourselves, but unity is our strength as evidenced by the labor and women’s rights movements and activists like Luisa Capetillo. Who changed the course of politics across the Caribbean just by wearing pants in public! She went on to publish one of the first feminist theses in Puerto Rico. Liz and I are political scientists who have a serious responsibility to learn and rewrite our own histories of power. The new curriculum is based on the revolutionary idea: we survived thus we are the victors. And what do they say- “To the Victor Go the Spoils”. I’m just glad I don’t have to go at this alone. Lucky Liz matches her glamor with her grit.  Her quote “Be fearless about it.” Read her interview and you’ll see why she is. THE INTERVIEW Where were you raised, and what were the values taught in your home? I was born in the Dominican Republic and raised there for the first 7 years of my life. Then came Washington Heights. Those are my child(hoods) but the Bronx and Buffalo also raised me!  My parents did not play about me and my sisters, we were to be respectful first and foremost; Bendiciones (blessing) every time we said hi to our elders, and Con permiso (permission) if we needed to speak, were expected. We were also taught that family was love. My family means the world to us and growing up we always made sure to keep that present. I am very close with both my father’s and mother’s sides.  Lastly, hard work.  Growing up low income in DR. I understood at a very young age that nothing came easy and hard work was the only way I was going to get what I wanted in life. Since I can remember my father has been waking up at 3AM to head to work. He continues to inspire my dedication and ambition.  What was your experience as a student? I love being a student. I loved going to school and learning. Growing up in the New York public schools was an experience of its own. My teachers cared for me and my learning. In primary school, especially, as a multi-language learner, I learned very fast and excelled tremendously. High school and college saw a different student in me. I started to notice all the holes in my education and that impacted my performance. I shifted from focusing on my academics and more on the social and extracurricular activities that supported the learning I was doing in classes. This meant joining clubs, becoming a leader in my spaces, and applying my knowledge to my every day. When did you start working and what was your first or favorite job? I started working at like 9 babysitting my family’s kids. My first real job was at American Eagle when I was 18. My favorite job was working with Buffalo String Works. It was my first time stepping into the “real world” after graduating college. I was working with youth, community, and development in education; amidst covid-19. The most challenging and awarding experience I’ve ever had.  What was the moment that you were inspired to take control of your future? At the age of 7, it was my third or fourth day in my new school in New York. I didn’t know a speaker of English. I came to school late and missed morning pick-up, so my grandfather dropped me off in the main office. They gave me a pass and told me to go to my classroom. I didn’t remember where it was and got lost. A teacher saw me wandering around and asked me something in English, I truly cannot remember. I said to her “No entiendo” and she replied “Como que tu no me entiendes? Tu tienes que saber Ingles.” she took me to the main office and then to my class. I went home that day and cried my eyes out. I knew right then and there that I had to learn English if I wanted to make it. I had to do this on my own