So I was actually born the year
that my parents came to the U.S. from Guatemala and, you know,
looking back like I was-- I was an accident straight up,
like, for my parents, and my mom and dad tell me that I'm like a little like angel
baby that brought them great joy during a difficult time.
But the reality is, right, that they were--they were
really struggling, worked really, really hard to make ends meet for my family.
My dad worked on a trash truck in the morning,
he worked construction during the day
and then worked with a catering company at night.
My mom ran a daycare out of the house during the day to take care of me and some
other kids and then worked the night shift at Taco Bell
with my oldest brother to make ends meet.
So despite that, they were able to raise me really, really well.
They raised me with great morals and values.
And so, right now, like,
I feel super fortunate to have been raised in a multicultural household.
And yet growing up,
it was like a really significant barrier for me, like an added layer for my mental
health that I wasn't prepared to kind of manage.