How many of your parents encourage you to travel the world solo, as a Latina or Latinx individual? Barely anyone raises their hands. How often have you seen fictional works reflect back to you the experience of leisurely traveling and being seen as other?
Acclaimed author Sandra Cisneros takes these shared experiences and writes a new bilingual book where you’ll be sure to find a piece of yourself. In Martita, I Remember You / Martita, Te Recuerdo, Sandra uses her life’s travels and stories, as well as those of the many women she encounters, as a source of inspiration. This story mostly takes place in Paris, a destination that exists for many purely in an imaginative, mythical realm where romance and aesthetic photos reign. However, for the characters in the book, they are just trying to find their place in this world and find clarity on who they are.
Most travel stories usually feature a white male protagonist, who typically lives in opulence and never truly contends with his identity throughout his travels. This is not the case for the characters in Martita, I Remember You / Martita, Te Recuerdo. Throughout the virtual conversation between Sandra Cisneros, Liliana Valenzuela, and Rigoberto González I listened to this past Tuesday, September 23rd, hosted by The Center For Fiction, something Rigoberto said landed with me: “The immigrant is always away from home and looking for their home.” Therefore, the immigrant travels to far off places to build or find a new life; sometimes they find it, and other times they do not. However, that intention is what changes the course of their story forever.
Like Sandra says, “ What else are you going to do with stories that break your heart, except write about them, especially if the people who gave you them are not writers.” Taking action towards what you desire and need will not only give you clarity, but to the rest of those who watch your journey. To bring the stories we’d like to see out in the world to fruition, and listen to the stories of those who mirror our own experiences is a brave affirmation of self. If that sounds like what you are about, I’d encourage you to grab a copy of Sandra Cisneros’ new work, Martita, I Remember You / Martita, Te Recuerdo and hold space for the clarity we find on our often-chaotic journeys towards home.
Alondra Vargas-Soto is a creative and Boricua from Brooklyn, New York. They have received their BA in English: Creative Writing and Music: Vocal from Hunter College. Alo loves writing poetry and can usually be found bailando, practicing yoga, or exploring the world around them. Connect with them on Instagram @corriente_alo.
