Reclaiming Our Story: Raising Our Voices
In our latest episode, we had a deeply moving and energizing conversation with children’s author and community organizer Alyssa Reynoso-Morris. But this wasn’t just a feel-good conversation about books—it was a powerful exchange on the importance of storytelling as a tool for cultural empowerment, healing generational traumas, and breaking cycles within our families and communities. As first-generation Americans from the Dominican and Caribbean communities, these themes hit home for us.
We didn’t just talk about writing—we talked about what it means to tell the truth when so many systems have silenced our stories for generations.
More Than Stories—Tools for Survival
Storytelling in our community has always been more than entertainment. It's been a survival tool, a healing tool, a way to process and pass down knowledge. Alyssa reminded us that for Black and Brown communities, storytelling connects us to our roots and empowers future generations. It’s how we raise awareness through stories that don’t just reflect pain but also joy, success, and resistance.
When we write or speak our truths, we're not just expressing ourselves—we're disrupting the systems that have tried to define us. We’re showing up, being visible, and managing cultural identity clashes with intention and pride.
Breaking Generational Cycles with Intention
Breaking cycles isn’t just a personal journey—it’s cultural work. For so many of us raised between cultures, there’s been pressure to assimilate, stay quiet, or not “make waves.” But silence doesn't heal trauma—authentic conversations do.
In our communities, we’ve often been taught to “keep family matters private,” even when those matters were hurting us. Now, we’re challenging that. We're learning to speak honestly, to process publicly, and to connect over shared struggles and victories. This is what generational healing looks like—acknowledging the past while actively building something better.
Our Voices Matter—So We Speak
This episode also reminded us of the power in elevating voices in Black and Brown communities. We can’t wait for mainstream publishers or institutions to find us “marketable.” As Alyssa put it, many of our stories aren’t reaching the communities that need them—not because they’re not powerful, but because they’re not being marketed well. So we’re taking that into our own hands.
From podcasts to children’s books, from spoken word to panel discussions, we’re creating the spaces we deserve. We’re building a community of like-minded people who believe in sharing life experiences, asking hard questions, and nurturing the next generation with intention and love.
The Beauty of Navigating Two Worlds
One of the most powerful moments in our conversation was discussing what it means to navigate two cultures. As first-generation Latinos, our experiences are full of both pride and complexity. We hold onto our family’s traditions while also questioning what no longer serves us. We raise our children to be rooted, but also free.
Managing cultural clashes isn’t just a challenge—it’s a form of mastery. It means knowing who we are, even when the world tries to reduce us to labels. It means uplifting ourselves and each other in a world that often asks us to shrink.
From Familiar Voices to New Paths
For many of us, our first storytellers were our parents, grandparents, tias, or uncles. They passed down stories through food, music, jokes, and cautionary tales. Some of those stories were filled with wisdom. Others? Maybe not so much. But even in their imperfections, they shaped us.
Now it’s our turn to pass it on. We want our children to grow up seeing themselves reflected in books, media, and conversations—not just as side characters, but as the main ones. This is why Dominican voices, Caribbean perspectives, and Latino empowerment matter. This is why we keep talking.
Our Call to Action: Keep Speaking, Keep Healing
If you haven’t listened to this episode yet, we encourage you to do so. Whether you're navigating your own self-discovery journey, healing from your past, or just seeking a deeper connection to your culture, this episode offers so much to reflect on.
We’d love to hear from you:
👉 What stories are you reclaiming?
👉 How are you choosing to break cycles in your own life?
👉 What does cultural empowerment look like to you?
Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s keep healing—together.