Latina Leader Spotlight: Maria Clara
Q: Where have you lived, where do you currently live?
A: I have lived in Pennsylvania for most of my life, and briefly lived in Spain.
Q: Tell us about your project!
A: "Migrating Stories" is an Oral History Project that features several stories about migration from different countries, and is continuing to grow. These stories cover topics such as cultural assimilation, the conditions influencing people to leave their home country, the complexity of migrant identity, and preservation of
culture.The purpose is to promote an understanding of difficulties migrants, immigrants, and refugees face. Xenophobia and harmful myths about “the other” continue to rise, but I believe together we can help foster an environment of inclusiveness and empathy.
Q: What inspires you to tell the stories of others?
A: I have always enjoyed learning about other people from other countries, but recently I have been focusing on how intricate and beautiful each individual migrant story is. Even when interviewing
people I knew rather well, I was still learning parts of their stories' I hadn't know about before. I'm sure that everyone who reads these stories will learn something new about migrant identity, the experience of assimilation, and even world history. With each story
that I help tell or that others tell me, I learn something new, and this causes me to self-reflect upon my own blessings, but also upon how I can help others.
Q: What have you learned already from the stories you’ve collected?
A: The most important thing that I have learned from the stories that
I've collected is how brave and tenacious immigrants, migrants, and
refugees are. Throughout this project, I have come to understand on a
deeper level the great intricacies of each beautiful story, and want to share the wisdom and inspiration I have found in each person featured.
Q: Who is your Latina inspiration?
A: Isabel Allende, Mercedes Sosa, and the Queen herself, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Q: How can people follow / support you?
A: If anyone has a migration story that they would like to share about a
friend, family member, or themselves, I would be so happy and honored
to feature it on the website so they can share their perspective if rst-hand. I think it's very important to share the unique qualities and perspectives that all Latina immigrants/migrants bring to this country, especially considering the current political animosity often
frequent in the United States.
I am trying to grow this project, so any support through any social media (@migratingstories on Instagram) platform is greatly appreciated. Additionally, people can merely go to my website www.migratingstories.org and subscribe so they receive email updates when a new story is posted!
