Las Fuertes

     I titled this chapter “Las Fuertes” because the stories of the women in these interviews are truly remarkable. Despite hardship—of leaving home and family, or growing up with few resources—these experiences have informed their professional decisions, their passion for education, their commitment to giving back to the community and perhaps most importantly, their dedication to family. Ana and Filomena left their countries to look for new and better opportunities, and they have learned to be at peace with their surroundings. They have managed to raise and support their families largely on their own, and serve as an example of women that are positively impacting whoever they encounter or serve. Maria and Sophia grew up in Ohio and witnessed the sacrifices their parents made for them and other Latino immigrants in the area. Their interviews show how the things they are involved in now are a direct relation to what they lived as children—housing people in need, interpreting and advocating for immigrant rights and access to healthcare. Ohio, for these women, means reconciliation, healing, success, safety and home. It is a place that has become of part of them, although they recognize that their parents or their own home countries also are very much a part of who they are. In the words of Ana Berrios, “hay un momento en la vida en que se acepta este vivir partido en no sé cuántos pedazos pero cuando uno se da cuenta, ¿Cómo podré decirlo? Que ‘healing’, es un regalo que está escondido en la pena … te hace sentir que el espacio donde vives es un reflejo de quien eres tú como persona.”