For the past five summers, I have spent two weeks writing alongside young adolescent Latina girls in Somos Escritoras (a writing workshop for Latina girls). In the space co-constructed with my writing mentors, we encourage our girls to write bravely and without apology – to amplify their voices, stories, and experiences. In our space, we lean on each other for support, cry together, come to new understandings about our identities, grow a sisterhood, and celebrate one another.
As I am gearing up for our sixth summer of Somos Escritoras talleres de arte y escritura, I am reflecting on my younger self, the girl in the blue glasses, and all the hopes, dreams, and uncertainties that she carried in her heart and mind. I am reflecting on the times I lost my way from her, and how now, as an adult, I am finding my way back to her – finding my confidence and my voice.
Writing is hard. Writing bravely, without apology, is even harder. I write this letter to my younger self as a gift to heal my inner niña and reflect on how far we have come. I write this letter as an offering to my escritoras, walking alongside them as we unearth the stories of our lives and open our hearts through writing.
May 30, 2023
Querida Tracey,
I am writing this letter to you as I am about to begin writing and creating alongside Latina adolescent girls in Somos Escritoras. There are so many things that I have been thinking about as I prepare for our taller, about who I was when I was a young Latina, the things that mattered to me, made me cry, made me worry, made me wonder, and brought me happiness. Your voice is powerful. Your voice is your strength. Don’t be afraid to raise it. Don’t be afraid to use it to ask questions. Don’t fear how others receive your words – especially if they are your truths.
With each reflection and word I write, I offer comfort for when you felt lost and reassurance that we will be okay.
“I’ve watched parts of me die in order to give birth to new versions of myself.”
Kim Guerra, badassxbonita
Loving Your Body
Your body will change. And it will start early for you, and unexpectedly. This is a natural part of life. And, once it starts to change, it will continue to change throughout your life. When it first starts, I know you will feel awkward and ashamed of your developing breasts and hair growth in new places. You will try and hide yourself in baggy shirts, giving up parts of yourself that you once loved – namely ballet and baton twirling – because you now feel uncomfortable in your changing body.
Learn to love your body, and the beauty that it holds. It is strong. It is resilient. It will carry you through some of the toughest moments of your life. It is perfect just the way it is. Honor your body and listen to her. Do not be ashamed. Do not try and change it to fit society’s whitestream images of beauty. One day your body will grow life, your body will grow a miracle, your body will grow Milagros.
“The love expressed between women is particuar and powerful, because we have had to love in order to live; Love has been our survival.”
Audre Lorde
Finding Your Comadres
Hold on to your good friends, to your kindred spirits. These people see you, hear you, know your heart, root for you, and love you – in all your complexity. They are the ones that sing with you, dance with you, go on long runs with you, call your bullshit, let you cry, and celebrate your accomplishments. “Friends” will come and go throughout your life, and as you grow older, your true friends will grow older with you, and along the way, you’ll find your comadres.
Understanding Your Mother’s Embodied Lessons
Your mother is raising you con mucho cariño for life. She is placing her hopes and dreams in you – and drawing on the lessons from her own life to prepare you. While raising you, she is also learning more about her childhood experiences and healing her inner niña, too.
You may not always understand the lessons in her silences, stories, and consejos. Be gentle. Be understanding, and know that as you grow older, you mother will always be by your side. She is your champion. One day you will have the language to name and understand the lessons of your mother’s love. One day, you will come to recognize the strength in her experiences, her wisdom, and her fight and how she is part of your story, your history.
“Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity–I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself.”
Gloria Anzaldúa
Embracing Your Languages & Identities
You are a Spanish speaker; you are a learner. You are reclaiming your language to heal the linguistic oppression your mother and your familia endured. Your attempts at speaking Spanish may sometimes be ridiculed. And it will hurt the most when it comes from other Latinas. They will call you names, and will look down upon you as una vendida, una agringada, or think que crees que es más. This repression of language, and the stereotypes, that are imposed on you and continue to be imposed on you have led to you silencing yourself.
You are Latina enough. You are Chicana enough. There are many ways to be Latina. There are many ways to be Chicana. “A monolingual Chicana whose first language is English or Spanish is just as much a Chicana as one who speaks several variants of language (Anzaldúa, 1987, p. 80-81).” You will feel bad about yourself and your language, and there will be a time when you stop trying. Remember that these imposed stereotypes of who you are, do not define you. You are creating positive self-definitions of who you are and who you are becoming through your actions and words. The self-definitions you create for yourself will lift you, helping you navigate life.
You come from a legacy of beauty, strength, love, and orgullo. You will not learn the stories of your people, your familia, your raza in school. Your elders hold these stories and will gift them to you throughout your life. Listen, ask lots of questions, and document these stories, your stories. These stories are where you started and the semillas for the life you will one day live. These stories are the remedios that heal, and restore your soul, and regalos to pass on to your own daughter one day. They are reminders that you, we, have always existed.
Querida, Tracey, all these moments, experiences, and people are part of the story you are writing for yourself in your own words. There will be sadness. There will be heartaches. There will be fear. There will be many questions. There will also be joy. And happiness. And love. All of this is part of your story, your strengths. You may not understand it at first, but it will become clearer one day. You will find your purpose. You will embrace your passions. You will find your path. Finally, you will realize that it all comes back to the girl in the blue glasses – the lover of books and writing, full of wonder and hopes for a life beyond her wildest dreams.
Con Cariño,
Tracey – Dra. Flores
About the Author
Dr. Tracey T. Flores is an associate professor of Language and Literacy in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Flores is a former English Language Development (ELD) and English Language Arts (ELA) teacher, working for eight years alongside culturally and linguistically diverse students, families, and communities in K-8 schools throughout Glendale and Phoenix, Arizona. Her research focuses on Latina mothers and daughters’ language and literacy practices, teaching young writers in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, and family and community literacies.
Dr. Flores is the founder of Somos Escritoras/We Are Writers, a creative space for Latina girls (grades 6-12) that invites them to share and perform stories from their lived experiences using art, theater, and writing as a tool for reflection, examination, and critique of their worlds. She believes in the transformative power of reading and writing to change lives, help us understand our experiences, imagine our futures, build community, and heal.
This blog post is part of the #31DaysIBPOC Blog Series, a month-long movement to feature the voices of indigenous and teachers of color as writers and scholars. Please CLICK HERE to read yesterday’s blog post by Ashley McCall (and be sure to check out the link at the end of each post to catch up on the rest of the blog series).
Somos Escritoras | We Are Writers 
This is a beautifully written letter to one’s younger self. It inspires self-reflection, self-acceptance, and love for our unique identities and experiences. Dr. Tracey T. Flores’ passion for teaching and empowering young Latina girls is evident in her heartfelt words.
founder of balance thy life.