For me, the person I was becoming when we left was erased, and another one was created. - Esmeralda Santiago

Through her work, she has shown a remarkable commitment to maintaining the stories of Puerto Rico in boricua hands. “If we preserve our stories, then they belong to us,” she says.

At a certain point, I gave up on the idea that I’m not enough for other people…You are enough for you if you believe that you are enough for you. Whatever they say — you’re not Latina enough, or feminine enough or smart enough, you know ... just say ‘fuck you.’ That’s their problem.

"I didn't leave Puerto Rico. A mí me sacaron," she tells me, referring to her exodus from Puerto Rico as a girl from San Juan. "I think nobody would prefer to leave that way."