What was your inspiration to start writing, and how do you choose what topics your write about? Gracias por todo su tiempo y ojalá que aunque usted no puede responder, usted puede leer mi mensaje. As person who is hoping to start writing creatively, I would like to ask you a question about your writing. I am hoping to further my studies in both Spanish and Latino culture and the Spanish language, and I was wondering if you had any suggestions for your or other author's works that I could look at. I found that after every work of yours that I read, I gained new knowledge of culture, and the Spanish language.

At a young age, I wasn't aware of the language opportunity that I had, and so I never liked reading books in Spanish, except yours. All through elementary and middle school, my teachers would have my classmates and I read your books and poetry. I am currently a high school student, but I have been learning Spanish since I was five years old. It’s essential we know our own history, especially when we are, as a nation, suffering from amnesia when it comes to our story as indigenous people. For a good book, take a look at AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES by Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz. 90% died when the Europeans arrived with their diseases. The Americas were not empty and barren, but had several indigenous civilizations living here. But we are all OF THE AMERICAS, especially if we are Mexican since we were here millennia before Columbus bumped into us. America stretches from Canada to the tip of South America.

Whatever!Īnd please know that Mexico is America too. I encourage you to tell your story in whatever way you can, aloud, writing, pictures, dance, hip hop. If we don’t tell our stories, it’s as if it never happened, and we need, we must tell our stories if we are to be included in American history. Oh, Josue! I am happy to hear your story too.

Vivir el Dream by Allison K. Garcia