Making Our Immigrant Ancestors Proud Through Writing
As a Black Latine in publishing, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my voice and my stories with the world. I dreamed of becoming an author since I was seven years old because I wanted to be a storyteller like my grandmother. But that dream felt unattainable because I did not see or read stories like my abuela’s in books or libraries. I honestly thought only dead white men became authors because those were the books we read in school. And in my defense, when I was younger, there weren’t many books that featured diverse characters. In 2000, less than 1% of books were written by or about Latinx authors.
(Writing a Picture Book Based on My Grandmother’s Experience.)
But I knew I couldn’t give up on this dream so easily because of the sacrifices my ancestors made. My grandmother and mother immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic (from my mother’s side) for access to better opportunities. They left behind their home, family, friends, language, and culture. My maternal abuela (grandmother) embraced the unknown and the idea of the American Dream. She worked multiple jobs (seamstress, housekeeper, and caregiver) at once for many years in Puerto Rico and the USA. The pace at which she worked resulted in many health issues, including heart attacks, strokes, and lymphatic cancer. Then, my mother had me after immigrating to the Bronx to take care of her mother when she was 19 while working various jobs (at the grocery store and car wash) and going to school.
Most of my childhood memories are in the hospital when my abuela was sick and in the library watching my mom do her homework. I remember overhearing them worry about how they would pay the medical bills and rent. We benefited from various food pantries and soup kitchens. When it was time for me to go to school, I remember learning English with my mom. She would turn it into a game as we studied under candlelight when our electric was cut off. We shopped at Goodwill and other second-hand stores to save money.
We were both falling behind in school because of language barriers. In fact, I didn’t learn to read until I was in fourth grade because I attended an under-resourced and under-funded public school in the Bronx that didn’t have the resources to teach me how to read as an English Language Learner. I witnessed my mother’s tears during my third-grade parent-teacher conference after my teacher told her I would need to be left back because I was not reading at grade level. My struggles in school inspired my book Gloriana Presente: A First Day of School Story.
Check out Alyssa Reynoso-Morris’ Gloriana Presente: A First Day of School Story here:
Gloriana Presente: A First Day of School Story is an affirming multicultural story that will help new students stand tall and discover the joys of community at school. On the first day of elementary school, Abuela soothes Gloriana’s nerves by telling her stories from their family home in la República Dominicana. But as soon as Gloriana enters the classroom, the tropical scenery crumbles, and la música is replaced with English phrases she does not understand. When other kids approach her to play at recess, she freezes, uncertain about how to exist between her two homes, or how to make new friends between her two languages. Abuela recognizes echoes of her own immigration journey on this challenging day at school, and she gently guides Gloriana toward newfound confidence. This beautifully painted, imaginative picture book celebrates the magic of existing in-between, and the transformative power of self-soothing to build confidence. It came out in July 2024 in both English and Spanish.
Thanks to the unwavering support of my fourth-grade teacher, Mr. DiSalvo, I taught myself to read. I honor Mr. DiSalvo by including him in the book because he changed the trajectory of my entire life. In addition to the support I received from Mr. DiSalvo, I had the desire to learn new things.
In the first book I wrote, when I was 7 years old, I say, “Writing is like magic… When I write, I have the power to do whatever I want.” I internalized what 7-year-old Alyssa said and truly believed that I could do whatever I wanted. Despite growing up lacking financial means, my mom showed me how to dream big and work hard.
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The Steps I Took to Get Published
First, I honed my craft by reading books like How To Write Picture Books, by Ann Whitford Paul and by taking classes. Second, I sought out a writing community. We helped each other improve our stories. It wasn’t easy finding the right critique group. Most of the critique groups I joined initially weren’t diverse. They didn’t understand my Black Latine voice and sometimes gave me unhelpful advice. For example, they encouraged me to use less Spanish in my manuscripts, which was the total opposite of what my editors advised me to do. While their intentions were great, it was important for me to find a diverse critique group that could give me better advice.Third, I wrote the stories I needed as a kid and the stories I felt my daughter Isabella needed. Initially, I chased trends and wrote stories like the ones I had seen before. Then I finally owned my own voice and realized that my identity was an asset. I learned that it was ok for my experiences to influence my writing. I leaned into writing about growing up in The Bronx with a single mom. I took pride in my experience as the daughter of an immigrant. I honored and celebrated my unique voice, which helped me stand out.Fourth, I applied for the Las Musas mentorship program and The Word’s Editor-Writer mentorship program to learn about writing and publishing from experienced professionals. I received feedback on my manuscripts and insights into how the publishing industry works. Fifth, I needed to find the right literary agent. My manuscripts were rejected by over 50 literary agents. Experiencing so much rejection took an emotional toll and clouded my creativity at times. Finding the right agent can take months or years, so it’s important to find ways to stay motivated throughout that process. I remembered what my mentor said, “all it takes is just one yes.”Sixth, my agent and I edited my manuscripts to ensure they were the best they could be. Then, we submitted them to editors with the hopes of selling them.Five years later, it all paid off. Now, I am the award-winning author of Platanos Are Love, The Bronx Is My Home, and Gloriana Presente, with more books in the works.
Like Gloriana in my book, I learned to overcome my fears, and now my books and author visits empower the next generation of young readers. I am overjoyed that my books are improving representation in the children’s literary landscape. Children can see characters who look like them and share similar experiences through my books. I have visited over 50 schools nationwide, and students cheer with excitement when I read my books because they can relate to them. In sum, no matter how unattainable your dreams might seem, be brave like Gloriana and don’t give up.