#carolina fernandez
Carolina Fernandez was born in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. She moved to the Dominican Republic at two years old and then moved back to Brooklyn when she was seven. She decided she wanted to major in English as a junior in High School after keeping a journal for 5 years and spending a lot of time at her local library, which became a haven of sorts. Today, she is working on her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing at SUNY Geneseo—her preferred genre is poetry. One of Carolina’s favorite books is East of Eden by John Steinbeck.
We received several inspiring short stories for La RazaAnthology by many colorful voices.One of them being Carolina Fernandez, who submitted a short non-fiction story about her childhood in the Dominican Republic and her life as an immigrant in the U.S.
Here’s an excerpt from Carolina’s piece A Tribute to our Youth:
“On the plane I had to fight for the window seat so I could eagerly look down toward new ground and the legendary America. This is it! My excitement was pouring over and I felt like a Disney princess desperately waiting for Prince Charming. I stuck my nose to the glass of the window, trying to get closer to the dream. After landing, I took a look around and the excitement deflated, my metaphorical prince was a frog. I did not feel a sense of rightness; there were no palm trees and the air as you stepped outside did not hug you with its warm embrace. This is it.
My vision had not been fulfilled. I wondered then why my family back home wished to leave their exotic and tropical island for a place that failed to take my breath away. The airport bustled with an air of importance, people did not care to know you or ask you if you needed help. It was different; in my country people were amiable, kind. They welcomed you from your journey with fruits, feasts, and family ambushes.”
“We waited for my father to come. We waited to be ambushed. We had arrived as the sun was at its highest point and waited until dark; our hearts and hopes correlating with the sun’s path. No one was there to claim us. I was in a strange country. My mother only had pesos. I do not know to this day who to blame for our abandonment, but I can tell you that it would be the first of many…”
We’re excited for you to read the rest of Carolina’s story in our upcoming anthology La Raza Anthology: Unidos y Fuertes. Check out her blog for more inspiration!!
