Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez and her family moved to the U.S. when she was seven years old. Growing up, she said she felt felt out of place and bullied for being Hispanic.
"Anybody who had an accent was called a refugee. So there were ways in which we would tell each other do better, we gotta assimilate faster," Prisca said.
But then, Prisca decided to talk and write about her experiences. In 2013, she launched Latina Rebels, a social platform tackling the issues relevant to the Latinx community. The Instagram page has over 200,000 followers.
"I think we walk around egg shells around whiteness and specifically in elite academic spaces. So for me it was, I don’t care what bridges I burn. I’m not going to sit here and let you assume things about me because you’re ignorant," she said.
Prisca is an author. Her new book “For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts” is a love letter to women of color. It aims to be a guide and educational resource.
"For really long time there was this car called “my life” and I was in the passenger seat. I was like why am I not driving and I got to take a hold of my life and push against social expectations and social norms," said Prisca.
"I’ve definitely felt like I was always scared to be Hispanic," said Stephanie Ramones.
Stephanie moved from Venezuela to Miami when she was a little girl. She said she experienced similar situations and relates to Prisca and her stories.
"She gave me a sense of where I felt like I belong and someone else experienced what I went through and gave me language to be able to talk about it and also own it. That’s the biggest thing. It’s giving me permission to own my Latinidad and own where I'm from," she said.
The book ends with a call to action, asking Latinas to find their community and support one another because it’s what’s needed.
"I just want people to read the book and whatever sparks in you, just do it. Do what feels right and what feels safe or what doesn’t feel safe. Make yourself uncomfortable. I think when you make yourself uncomfortable beautiful things happen," said Prisca.
