#soycorrea

[phillynessa]

#hhmphotochallenge2017 today on the last day of #hispanicheritagemonth my wish/hope for the Hispanic/Latinx community is that we continually learn to love ourselves and each other, that our homes are a light to all other cultures so they can do the same #soyboricua #soycorrea

[phillynessa]

#hispanicheritagemonth #hhmphotochallenge2017 Day [I can never remember what number]: Your name. This is a hard one. It means belt; I've never been very fond of that. I used to be rowdy when I was a kid and now I use my words instead of my fists, so some people call(ed) me Vanessa the Belt. Will I change my name if I get married? Only if I marry someone whose last name starts with C. Growing up people would say I look so much like my mom and I would say they thought so because they've never seen my dad. I had very little time with him throughout my life, but I was always so proud to be his daughter, to be Correa. Seems to be a very Puerto Rican name; the only other people I know that have it are Brazilians. For me Correa means power, bravery, autonomy. No one can tell me what to do or who to be. I don't need anyone's approval of my character or personality. I'm sharp and I don't take crap from no one. I get it from my father. #soyboricua #soycorrea

[phillynessa]

"You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens." --Rumi Today's topic is very hard for me to discuss, since I am not an immigrant and am unlikely to ever be. So I can have all the feelings I want, but their meaning is limited. Kind of like men's opinions on abortion; I would never diminish the role of fathers, but at the end of the day no man is ever going to be pregnant. Anyway. I keep thinking about and hearing other people mention the words heart and broken, whether over war or poverty or natural disasters or DREAMers... I am sad that the immigrant gets persecuted while the bigger issues that form the root causes of the migration go unchanged: modern colonialism, government corruption, powers that operate in the dark and in secret. As someone not affected or limited by my citizenship status, I (through the power of the Holy Spirit) consciously decide to be hurt. I want to remain in pain because that way I know my heart hasn't turned to stone, hasn't petrified far from the touch of what puts millions of my black and brown brothers and sisters at risk every day. I want God to break my heart until it opens, because that seed will bear flowers, even through opposition as fierce as asphalt. This is what immigration means to me. Compassion for a suffering I don't understand and determination to do the little that IS in my power. #hhmphotochallenge2017 #hispanicheritagemonth #soyCorrea

[phillynessa]

#hhmphotochallenge2017 #hispanicheritagemonth #photochallenge Day 3: picture of yourself I am kind, smart, and important. ENFJ, singer, dancer, actress. I never lie because I'm good at it and I'm afraid of where that path would lead me. I'm verbose, impatient, punctual, no longer violent, mothering to some, smothering to others, and on occasion cold to others. I'm short, I work hard, I almost never cry, I make really great mistakes. Depending on who you ask I'm confident or intimidating. I've become bad at keeping in touch with my long distance loved ones. Terrible with money. I can cook, but act like I can't so that no one expects me to. I'm 60% fighter, 40% lover and God help me when I'm older because my greatest hope these days is I pull off not having any kids. I'm brown, I'm a feminist, I'm unafraid and unashamed. I love my God, and love to belong to Him. I love my church and love to belong to them. I love my home, and I'm on my way there. #dmvnessa #soycorrea

[phillynessa]

#hhmphotochallenge2017 #hispanicheritagemonth #photochallenge Day 2: Hispanic/Latinx Inspiration This is my late father's parents. I believe my grandmother was pregnant with him and around 18 years old when this photo was taken. I never knew my grandfathers, but my father and his mother have always been unapologetically Boricua. My abuela taught me that the reason la gente Boricua somos bellos is because we're a mix of everyone, all the people groups that passed through the rich port. My late father was always ALWAYS playing salsa and he and his mother always loved to eat good food and laugh and joke. They inspire me to love myself con fuerza and enjoy my life con mucho gusto because God is good and to be alive is nothing but a blessing. #dmvnessa #soycorrea