Te estarás preguntando, ¿qué diablos es una FUPA? El Diccionario Urbano lo define como Fat Upper Pubic Area (Parte de arriba gruesa encima del pubis), pero yo llamo a la mía cariñosamente Creación. La tengo desde antes de que el término FUPA existiera — y durante mucho tiempo, odié mi Creación. La odiaba porque siempre tenía malos momentos comprando ropa que me fuera bien. A … [Read more...]
To Understand Puerto Rico’s Troubles, We Must Understand Colonialism
With all that has been impacting Puerto Rico in recent years, from defaulting on debt payments to Hurricane Maria to the mass protests against our now-former governor, it makes me wonder why more people aren't talking about the state of the Island. Many simply do not know, for instance, that Puerto Rico is on the brink of bankruptcy much like Detroit, Michigan was in 2014. I … [Read more...]
First and Foremost a Person: Finding Yourself Again as a Single Mother
Loving myself as a single parent has been a topic that has been on my mind for some time. I’m quite sure that there are many other single mothers who feel as I do, but who don’t feel comfortable articulating how they feel for fear they will be judged. How dare a single mother, who is supposed to be self-sacrificing, feel that at some point in her life she should come first? … [Read more...]
Why We Need To Stop Shaming Teen Parents
In recent years, teen pregnancy in the US has been at an all -time low. From 2012 to 2013, teen birth rates decreased among 15–19 year olds by 9% for non-Hispanic whites and 11% for non-Hispanic blacks. If there are fewer teenage pregnancies, why is it that so many people still make it such a shameful thing to be pregnant as a teenager? I’ve heard people say that teenagers back … [Read more...]
Yes, Even My FUPA Deserves Love
I have a confession: I HAVE A FUPA! You might be asking yourself, What on this earth is a FUPA? The Urban Dictionary defines a FUPA as a Fat Upper Pubic Area, but I fondly call mine Creation. I’ve had mine since before the term FUPA even came into existence — and, for a long time, I hated my Creation. I hated it because I always had a hard time buying clothes that would … [Read more...]
Finding Peace in Putting Myself First
Until a few years ago, radical self-love was a foreign concept to me. Growing up in a culture in which women are secondary to everything and everyone else, I thought that self-love was selfish. How could I love myself more than my partner or my children? I’m sure many women can relate to that question. We are taught, from the time we are little girls, that boys are first. I … [Read more...]
I Have Hashi What? Living with a Chronic Disease No One Can See
[Image description: The photograph shows a woman with tattoos and black short hair, with the back of her head visible. There are bald areas where her hair is falling out. In the background is a kitchen cabinet.] You spend years complaining to your doctor about everything under the sun, yet he finds an answer for every single one of your ailments. Your menstrual cycle has a … [Read more...]
Calling Out Race in Street Harassment
Few of us can forget the Hollaback video that circulated on the Internet in 2014. It showed us a white woman, in jeans and a T-shirt, walking the streets of New York for ten hours, enduring over 100 cat-calls, wolf-whistles, unsolicited comments, and unwanted attention. When we first viewed the video, I’m sure many women like me could relate because we have experienced the very … [Read more...]
Radical Self-Love and Mother’s Day Blues
Mother’s Day: a day to celebrate your mom, to acknowledge all she’s done for you and how much she has sacrificed in the name of motherhood. If you are a mother, as soon as May hits, you anxiously await the day and anticipate receiving flowers, being taken out to dinner, and even receiving a gift. I’ve been a mother for almost 29 years of my life — and, of course, I’ve been … [Read more...]
