INTERVIEW # 10: FEATURING MIGDALIA VIAS

My roots are from the Lower East Side.

The Lower East Side of Manhattan always existed in my mind as a mythical place I belonged to. When I think of who I would have been if we stayed in Manhattan, I think of Titi Migdalia Vias.

 She is Manhattan, well postured, poised, educated, and sleek. She gives the right type of love that helps you find your gifts and break generational curses. Appropriate, beautifully dressed, and present – fully always watching —- Pendente – watching because we are from the Lower East Side. And we are not going out like that.

We are from the projects– Papi is proud of that. Titi is too, the childhood love of my uncle, My Titi is the lower east side embodied in a cardigan and a murk.

She’s a fighter. Period.  Migdalia Vias fought for every opportunity she ever had.   Coming out swinging – slight, and quiet but a champion. Her weapon of choice? Hard work.

There are 174,000 units of public housing presently in NYC. Each one of them is occupied by families whose aspirations, like Migdalia’s, are born at such a steep economic disadvantage (in relationship to the capitalistic incline), it is almost impossible to scale. But she did.

Though born in poverty, Migdalia’s early life was marked by the love of her seven brothers and sisters. As a child, she worked at a grocery store, during school and after. She got herself a job in third grade, enough said.

Quadruple shifts that about sums it up. She worked singles, doubles, triples, teaching, mothering, cleaning, cooking, scrubbing, reading, and learning. First, taking care of the home and her motherly responsibilities, then in the world of “work”, and then usually in the evening another job, at night – she worked on her own aspirations. Earning a 4.0, (perfection), was her goal in her master’s program.

She signed herself up for opportunity with the risk that she would fail, but with the faith that she would not. She is a gifted and blessed woman – full of the spirit of our Lord and the determination that comes with loving Christ in a world of sin.

Her favorite quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes: “Greatest is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it but sail we must and not drift nor lie at anchor.”

Harvard’s Center for the Developing Child states children can build a “biological resistance to adversity.” Faith, love, culture, desire, resilience — all these things formed the child that got herself a job and was collecting a paycheck long before they even figured she could.  The Lower East Side raised my titi Migdalia Vias, and she was raised right…

THE INTERVIEW:

What values were taught in your home?  My family taught us to always show respect. My mother was born in Albonito, Puerto Rico, where she was taught how important respect was. She always taught us to respect others, and more than anything, to respect ourselves. She taught us to never disrespect our values and our elders. It was always important to my mother that our last name will stand for people who respected and honored their human values.

What motivated you to become an educator? In part, it was my background that motivated me. My parents got divorced when I was 5 and then things were different for all of us. Seeing my family and community struggle with poverty, I knew there had to be something more, more than the projects and poverty. As a young female, there wasn’t anybody who talked to us about attending the correct schools (junior high school and high school).  I didn’t even know that college existed. I learned that my way out of the life that I had was through education.  I had several teachers, specifically in 8th and 9th grade who impacted me. The most impactful was a Mexican female instructor who came from a very poor family. I’ll never forget when she told me I could be anything I wanted to be; I was shocked to hear that because no one ever told me that. This teacher, she really taught me things that I was never exposed to, like going to better schools than the ones I was in, which were tough schools. She also taught me not to be afraid of other people with money, or because I was from the projects. She taught me I could do just as much or more.  For example, when I went to register for school, I was already married and had children as well; I had the responsibilities of a household and a mother, and I had two jobs. I worked during the day teaching and then at night I taught parents how to communicate with teenagers. Sometimes, I wouldn’t get home until 9:30 pm at night, to start with homework and household responsibilities. I remember, just to register, I went three times and left. Three times I was so embarrassed that I went, and I didn’t ask for papers or anything to do with registration. I then thought “If I don’t do this now, I won’t do it at all.” I finally showed up again, and all I said was, “I want to go to this College.” I remember there were so many papers to fill out, and I didn’t know what to do. I took the papers to a friend, and she helped me fill them out. Another person I remember who motivated said, “You are going to make it, you are going to be a success story of the Lower East Side.”  I took the papers back and I had to meet with one of the advisors. She asked me what classes did I want to take, but because I didn’t know, she decided for me. They were horrible but I passed! After that, I knew that I was going to do it – complete my degree in Early Childhood. I took 15- 18 credit hours per semester to make it go faster.  I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education/ Literature I went to work for the catholic school system and continued my love for education.

• When did you start working? My first job was in third grade. We were poor, we were on public assistance, and received food stamps. I always wanted to do for myself. I worked in Miguel’s grocery store, my best friend’s family store. I used to make $40 dollars a week working during the school day (lunch time) and evening (after school). I would have dinner there and I worked until 11:00pm, then I would go home. My mother had so much responsibility, she had less to do because I could do for myself, and I was proud of that.  I had my own money.  

• What advice would you give to other Latinas who want their voice to be heard in their community? You must believe that you have everything and tools you need to stand and speak. I want them to know that they have a valuable voice to share, that there is so much to say from their perspective and experience, and that they need to know your worth.  Just because you don’t speak proper English, just because you don’t have the material things that others have, to remember that they have something very valuable. We have experience that very few have.  We have a strong Latin heritage from our parents, grandparents, and ancestors who never gave up. We are who we are because they believed in themselves, specifically to come to this country without knowing what was going to happen to them. So, we – as Latinas- need to stand up and speak up!

• What was the moment you were inspired to take control of your future? The moment I became a mother –I wanted my daughter to know that the sky was the limit.  This was the time that I knew that would give her that example but not by what I said, but by what I did. Everyone has potential, whether you are at the top, the middle or wherever you are, everyone has something to bring to the table. Potential isn’t just expressed by academics; what about your experience?  What about what you bring to the table? I would say, you show potential in actions. You show potential in what you are doing for someone else. In what you do to make this a better world. That can’t be measured by just books it must be measured by actions.