I wanted to see my daughter and she wanted to see me, it had been years since we’d seen each other. Seeing the mountains frightened me and I’d say it made me think about all the remains, the bones of all who had died, and I’d get a little scared but then I’d begin again.
... my family lived in El Salvador and survived the war in the 1980s. She tells me many stories of the violence she saw and about everyone who did not survive... No, I cannot—I cannot imagine being in that position at 15 or 16 years old.
Mi abuelita thrives in my heart despite her transformation to a spiritual ancestor. Her details of how to make the masa made a bold call for spirituality in my cooking.
My grandmother, whom we called “Mami,” was an incredibly strong woman and greatly influenced my life...We used to go to the senior center on weekdays, and at home we used to read together and help each other learn English.