Tropical Life

Darlene Pena Puente

I am from where my parents make sancocho in 90° weather. Where on Semana Santa my family makes the rare and anticipated habichuela con dulce.

I am from where you never get no peace. It’s Saturday morning, 9:00 AM, boom bachata blasting, my mom screaming her lungs out to Anthony Santos.

I am from people screaming outside, running to your barrel window and gate doors to see what’s going on. Peep the vecinas sticking their whole heads out the windows, sipping coffee, and son eating pan con queso.

I am from where you’ll never starve because your neighbors are like your second family. Although the vecinas are always in your business, they’ll always come over con un plato de arroz.

I am from grandparents, raising seven children in a little ranchito, poor but humble.

I am from where a te amo is nothing compared to all the sacrifices she does for her kids.

I am from multiple jobs, working through the night. From sipping on coffee to make it through the day. I am from where my parents will take any opportunity to work, so they can make some sort of cash in their pockets.

I am from no rendirse nunca, perseguir sus sueños being a person uprooted to a new country trying hard to achieve goals that I couldn’t have had in my motherland. I am from having to get used to a different language, job opportunities denied, but no matter what, we always provided.

I am from a country I would love to keep seeing grow in many different ways, despite the poverty, and the messed up system. The culture and the love from my people truly inspires me.

I am from Santo Domingo.