Making Our Immigrant Ancestors Proud Through Writing

As a Black Latina woman in publishing, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my voice and my stories with the world. I have dreamed of being an author since I was seven years old because I wanted to be a storyteller like my grandmother. But that dream seemed out of reach because I didn’t see or read stories like my abuela’s in books or libraries. Honestly, I thought only dead white men became authors because that’s what we read in school. And in my defense, when I was younger, there weren’t many books that featured diverse characters. In 2000, less than 1% of books were written by or about Latinx authors.

(I’m writing a picture book based on my grandmother’s experiences.)

But I knew I couldn’t give up on that dream so easily because of the sacrifices my ancestors had made. My grandmother and mother immigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic (on my mother’s side) to have access to better opportunities. They left behind their home, family, friends, language, and culture. My abuela (grandmother) on my mother’s side embraced the unknown and the idea of ​​the American dream. She worked multiple jobs (seamstress, housekeeper, and caregiver) for many years in Puerto Rico and the U.S. The pace at which she worked caused her many health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, and lymphatic cancer. My mother then had me after immigrating to the Bronx to care for her mother when she was 19, working multiple jobs (at a grocery store and a car wash) and going to school.

Most of my childhood memories are from the hospital when my abuela was sick and from the library where I would watch my mom do her homework. I remember overhearing them worry about how they were going to pay the medical bills and the rent. We would go to different soup kitchens and soup kitchens. When it was time for me to go to school, I remember studying English with my mom. She would turn it into a game where we would study by candlelight when the power would go out. We would shop at Goodwill and other thrift stores to save money.

We both fell behind in school because of language barriers. I didn’t actually learn to read until fourth grade because I attended an underfunded and underfunded public school in the Bronx that didn’t have the resources to teach me how to read as an English language learner. I witnessed my mother cry during a parent-teacher conference in third grade after my teacher told her I would have to go back to school because I wasn’t reading at the appropriate level for my grade. My struggles in school inspired my book Gloriana Presente: The Story of the First Day at School.

Check out Alyssa Reynoso-Morris Gloriana Presente: The Story of the First Day at School Here:

Bookstore | Amazon

Gloriana Presente: The Story of the First Day at School is an affirming multicultural story that will help new students stand tall and discover the joy of community at school. On her first day of elementary school, Abuela soothes Gloriana’s nerves by telling her stories from her childhood home in la República Dominicana. But as soon as Gloriana enters the classroom, the tropical setting crumbles and la música is replaced by English phrases she doesn’t understand. When other children approach her to play during recess, she freezes, unsure of how to live between two homes or how to make new friends between two languages. Abuela recognizes echoes of her own immigration journey in this difficult day at school and gently guides Gloriana toward newfound confidence. This beautifully painted, imaginative picture book celebrates the magic of being in between and the transformative power of self-soothing to build self-confidence. Published in July 2024 in English and Spanish.

Thanks to the unwavering support of my fourth grade teacher, Mr. DiSalvo, I learned to read. I honor Mr. DiSalvo by including him in the book because he changed the trajectory of my entire life. In addition to the support I received from Mr. DiSalvo, I had a desire to learn new things.

In the first book I wrote when I was 7, I said, “Writing is like magic… When I write, I have the power to do whatever I want.” I internalized what 7-year-old Alyssa was saying and truly believed that I could do whatever I wanted. Despite my lack of financial resources, my mom showed me how to dream big and work hard.

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Steps I took to get published

• First, I honed my skills by reading books such as How to Write Picture Booksby Ann Whitford Paul and through class participation.
• Second, I sought out a writing community. We helped each other improve our stories. Finding the right critique group was not easy. Most of the critique groups I joined early on were not diverse. They did not understand my Black Latino voice and sometimes gave me unhelpful advice. For example, they encouraged me to use less Spanish in my manuscripts, which was the exact opposite of what my editors advised me to do. While their intentions were wonderful, it was important for me to find a diverse critique group that could give me better advice.
• Third, I wrote the stories I needed as a child and that my daughter Isabella needed. At first, I followed trends and wrote stories that were similar to stories I had seen before. Then I finally took control of my own voice and realized that my identity was an asset. I learned that it was okay for my experiences to influence my writing. I gravitated toward writing about growing up in the Bronx with a single mother. I was proud of my experience as a daughter of an immigrant. I honored and celebrated my unique voice, which helped me stand out.
• Fourth, I applied to the Las Musas Mentoring Program and The Word’s Editor-Writer Mentoring Program to learn about writing and publishing from seasoned professionals. I got feedback on my manuscripts and insights into how the publishing industry works.
• Fifth, I had to find the right literary agent. My manuscripts had been rejected by over 50 literary agents. Experiencing so many rejections had an emotional impact and sometimes clouded my creativity. Finding the right agent can take months or years, so it’s important to find ways to stay motivated during the process. I remembered something my mentor said: “all it takes is one yes.”
• Sixth, my agent and I edited my manuscripts to make sure they were the best they could be, then submitted them to editors with the hope of selling them.
• Five years later, it all paid off. Now I’m an award-winning author Plane trees are love, The Bronx is my homeAND Gloriana Presenteand further books are in preparation.

Like Gloriana in my book, I have learned to overcome my fears and now my books and author visits are empowering the next generation of young readers. I am so happy that my books are improving representation in the children’s literature landscape. Children can see characters who look like them and share similar experiences through my books. I have visited over 50 schools across the country and the students enjoy the excitement when I read my books because they can relate to them. In conclusion, no matter how unattainable your dreams may seem, be brave like Gloriana and don’t give up.