My Immigration Story: I Am Not an Immigrant, I Do Not Look American

My parents were born in Puerto Rico in the 1940s. For those that don't know, Puerto Rico is a small island in the Caribbean. The island became a United States territory in 1917 and Puerto Ricans became United States citizens.  

My parents arrived in New York in the late 1950s (obviously, not together - they were children and they hadn't met yet). They arrived by plane without passports; they arrived as United States Citizens. My mother spent her early years in downtown Manhattan (Chelsea), my father in The South Bronx.  

I was born on September 18th in Bellevue Hospital. If you know anything about Bellevue, it probably explains a lot about me. (That's NYC humor...) My mother likes to tell the story of how I was almost born in a New York City cab. It was the age before cell phones and beepers. My father was at work and couldn't be notified that his second child was about to be born. 

By definition, we are not immigrants. We are American.

But we don't look American. Not by some American standards. Our hair, eyes and skin is too dark. Our names are too long. Our clothes are too colorful. Our language is too loud. And our food has too much sazón.

I am not an immigrant but so often I feel like a foreigner in my own country. 

And there are times when I don't know where I fit in. 

I may not have a true understanding of the immigrant experience. But I understand the immigrant plight. The want for more. The need to do better. The desire to keep going even when society seems against you. The dream of opportunity. 

This country was built by immigrants. It was built on a dream - millions of them.

It's what I love about America. It's the land of opportunity. And New York - it's a city of bright lights and big dreams.  

No matter what country we are from, no matter what language we speak, no matter what color our skin - we all have a dream. And we should all have the right to pursue them. 

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." -
Norman Rockwell painting in United Nations

***

  

I am honored to have been recognized by LATISM as a Top Bloguera for the 2nd year in a row. Today the Top 100 2013 Blogueras visited the United Nations to discuss immigration issues. We were encouraged to share our immigration story. And later this week, we will attend the Latism13 Conference.

What The Heck Do I Pack for LATISM? ¡Ayúdame!

By this time next week I'll be en route to Houston, Texas for the LATISM 2012 Conference. I am beyond excited.

And I am extremely honored to be fully sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. 

Johnson & Johnson has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. My mom always purchased J&J products. And now that I'm a mom, it's the brand I trust for my own family. But it's only since I've started blogging that I've learned that Johnson & Johnson really is a company who cares. They care about their employees, their costumers and the global community. I'm looking forward to learning more about their give back initiatives and sharing with you.

But before I can do that...I need to pack. And while I'm excited to be going, I'm not so excited about trying to figure out what to wear. It's Houston, so it's warm. And it's only for a few days...

But there's the LATISM Gala Awards and the Pijama Party. And that's where I'm stumped.

I mean...have you been to a Latino party? We are a people - especially the ladies - who like to Dress to the Nines.*

I'm not really a fancy girl (though, I can fake it pretty well).

The last thing I want to be is underdressed is for the Awards. But I also need to be practical. It can't be anything that needs ironing (I don't do ironing). And it needs to be something pretty that I will feel comfortable in (i.e. something that hides the bulge around my belly). I've pretty much described absolutely nothing in my closet right about now. I refuse to spend money on something that I will most likely not wear again. I'm also determined to lose weight and refuse to go up another size (which is why I am squeezing into my clothes and spending most of my day sucking in my gut).

As for the Pijama Party...WTH? I don't think I own a pair of pj's that I would or could wear out in public. I may need to buy pj's. But at least I'll know I'll wear the pj's again.

Then of course J&J offered me a polo shirt to wear for one of the days. Which is fine but this probably means, I'll need to wear jeans. And did I mention I put on weight and that I'm having trouble fitting into my pants? So whenever I wear pants I usually wear a shirt that hides the muffin top. I'm crossing my fingers that the polo is super stretchy. 

Sure there's other stuff that goes into prepping for a blog conference other than what to wear. But I'll let my amiga Ruby of Growing Up Blaxican tell you how best to prep - click HERE. 

 
* just a little trivia: the term "dress to the nines" comes from England when sailing ships were used. As the ship would come into the harbor all sails would be flying, all nine of them. And all the sailors would be dressed in dress uniforms lined up on either side of the ship. The modern connotation is to have put on your finest clothing and jewelry, almost as if you were being visited by royalty.          

I'm Going To #LATISM12 and 5 Reasons Why You Should Too

Ever since I met the lovely ladies of LATISM back in May for the Top Bloguera Retreat and briefly reunited with them at BlogHer I have been trying to figure out a way to make it to the LATISM conference in Houston, Texas. 

Unlike BlogHer, the conference where it's easy to get lost in a crowd of 5000+ people, I knew LATISM would be the conference for me: intimate, familiar, inspiring. 

I may have also wanted to go because a conference means I get to sleep in a hotel room without a six year old foot in my face but I digress...

And now I am so excited to say that I'M GOING! Thanks to LATISM and the wonderful folks at Johnson & Johnson, I get to go to LATISM12. I am so grateful and honored for this opportunity to be a representative for Johnson & Johnson's philanthropic mother-orientated initiatives. And I cannot wait to share more in the weeks to come.
     

Here are 5 reasons why attending LATISM12 is important to me. And they may be important to you too.   

5. To Learn. This may seem obvious but whether you're an experienced blogger or a novice  there is always something to learn. Maybe you haven't quite embraced Pinterest or Google+ plus freaks you out. Maybe you haven't discovered that 'oh yeah, there's an app for that.' Maybe you want to hone your photography skills or improve your writing or grow your audience. Or maybe you're thinking about turning your blog into a book.  

Check out the agenda.  LATISM focuses on Education, Health, Technology and Business. And there are some pretty amazing sessions going on with something for everyone regardless of your niche. 

4. Connect with Brands. It's only in this last year, that I've connected with brands. It can be intimidating to approach a brand blindly but LATISM attracts major brands. And they're there for one reason - to connect with bloggers and social media influencers. 

3. To Meet Your Blog Buddies IRL. One of the best parts about attending conferences is that you get to meet your favorite bloggers and tweeps in real life. Over the last year, I've got to meet some pretty fabulous and inspiring men and women of social media. So for me, LATISM is more like a family reunion - with hashtags and instagram filters.  

2. To Network.  The sessions are great, the parties are fabulous but it's those one on one moments that will make the difference. LATISM is the place to talk about new ideas, to brainstorm, to meet, greet and smile, to make new connections. A social media conference like LATISM are where projects are born and inspiration can be found. 

I will be taking serious notes during the Pitch 101 session. I'm friendly and nice but pitching  and networking is a challenge for me. I'm shy, I get nervous - I need to work on that. I know LATISM will make a difference. And what I learn about networking at LATISM, I can take with me where ever I go.      

1. To Be Inspired. The opportunity to attend LATISM is inspiring. I mean do you know who will be speaking at LATISM? It's pretty impressive.

One of the key note speakers is Sandra Cisneros. SANDRA CISNEROS! Do you know what that means? For me? 

I grew up in a home filled with books (my father worked in a book factory) but not a single one was written by or about a Latino. 

I've worked in Corporate America for almost 20 years, I am always the minority. 

I have spent the last few years in graduate school, hearing how difficult it will be for me to become published because I'm Latina. 

The opportunity to meet an award winning, internationally known Latina author at a Latinos In Social Media conference is something I could have never even dreamed about as a little girl. And while I may not be a little girl, it's never too late to stop dreaming.  

So I hope that you can make it to LATISM this year, because if we haven't met - I would love to. And if we've already met, I would love to see you again.  But even if you can't make it this year...follow us on twitter #LATISM12. Hopefully it will inspire you to join us next year. 

To learn more about the LATISM conference click HERE

Natural Wonders a #MaryKayGlam GIVEAWAY!

While attending the LATISM Top Blogueras Retreat last month, we were all pampered by the fabulous ladies of Mary Kay.  I returned home with a new line of beauty and skin products and a new love for Mary Kay. 

And now, I have the opportunity to host a giveaway and you can have the chance to win all of the fabulous products I've been using. 

The products are featured in People en Espanol Spring Trend Report.



photo courtesy of Latina Bloggers Connect



Personally, my favorite trend is "Bold Boho - splashes of cool, bright blues sparkle against flow-y fabrics, petal pinks and earth-tone sandals."   While I am not the fashionista I once was, I love looking at what the current trends are and incorporating  - even in a small way - it into my everyday frazzled mom style. Typically I wear neutral eye colors but I'm excited to experiment with the Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color blues (Azure, Midnight Star and Peacock Blue)  

Before you tell me what your favorite spring trend is - let me tell you about the products in the giveaway. Check it out:

Products featured in People en Esp. Spring Trend Report & Suggested Retail Price (Total $138.50):

$14      Mary Kay® Nourishine Plus™ Lip gloss in Mango Tango

$14      Mary Kay® Nourishine Plus™ Lip Gloss in Au Naturel

$26      Mary Kay® Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist and Pale Blush ($13 each)

$15      Mary Kay® Lash Love™ Mascara in Black

$13      Mary Kay® Cream Blush in Sheer Bliss

$32.50 Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color in Cinnabar, Emerald, Ivy Garden, Copper glow and Honey Spice ($6.50 each)

$12      Mary Kay® Eyeliner in Rich Jade

$12      Mary Kay® Eyeliner in Deep Brown

Additional products to complete looks and fill a compact and compact mini  & suggested Retail Price (Total $82.50):

$6.50   Mary Kay® Mineral Eyecolor in Crystaline

$20      Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek color in Strawberry Cream & Sparkling Cider ($10 each)

$18      Mary Kay® Compact (unfilled)

$16      Mary Kay® Compact mini (unfilled)

$12      Mary Kay® Lip liner in Soft Blush

$5        Mary Kay® Cheek brushes (2 per person at $2.50 each)

$5        Mary Kay® Eye brush sets (2 packs per person at $2.50 each pack of two)

Botanical Effects™  Suggested Retail Price (Total $58):

$14      *Cleanse

$16      *Hydrate

$14      *Freshen

$14      *Mask

*Each available in Formula 1 (dry skin), Formula 2 (Normal Skin) and Formula 4 (Oily Skin) - winner will need to let me know which one they want.

A  grand TOTAL: $279.00

Now for The Rules:

• You MUST post a comment with each entry.
• Comments will be numbered in the order they are listed and a random number generator (random.org) will be used to select the winner.
• If you combine entries into one post, you will only have one chance to win rather than up to three.
• Giveaway is open to Continental U.S. and Puerto Rico addresses.
• Mary Kay will ship the package to the winner directly

Mandatory entry:  Click HERE to view the Mary Kay Spring Trend Report (English version) & check out their products.  Then come back to this post and leave a comment telling me what Mary Kay product you'd love to try (or have tried) and why. 

Additional entries - you must leave a comment for each additional entry:

• Follow me on twitter - @LaliQuin
• “Like” the AutismWonderland Facebook page
• Tweet: I just entered to win @MaryKay Spring Trend products http://bit.ly/KC4X7d #MaryKayGlam #giveaway via @LaliQuin  

This giveaway will end Tuesday, June 19th at 11:59pm EST. Winner will be announced on Facebook & Twitter by Wednesday, June 20th.  I will contact the winner and you will have 24 hours to reply.

Feels Good To Be Glam #MaryKayGlam

I can't tell you how often people tell me:  You look really tired.   As if I didn't know.  As if I didn't look in the mirror every day.  As if my tube of under eye concealer goes untouched.  As if the exhaustion is fighting its way through my make up.


But truth be told - I look tired, because I am tired.  I don't get much sleep.  (Just see the labels - Lack of Sleep or Exhaustion.)   


And even though, I go through the motions of applying under eye concealer, pressed powder, blush and painting on enhancing my eye brows.  And on a good day - curling my lashes and brushing on mascara.  I stop there.  


Even though I am a lover of lipstick.  I don't take the two extra seconds to put it on.  I apply clear lip balm to keep my lips from chapping.  But lipstick?  Not really.


And my reasons are silly.  Usually, I just forget.  Or I think, it will just come off while drinking my coffee.  I'll have to reapply it when I get to work or after lunch.  I think - what's the point?  Or - who am I trying to impress?  As if looking in the mirror and impressing myself is not reason enough to make the effort.


But it's amazing what a little lipstick can do?  


While attending the LATISM Top Blogueras Retreat, we were all pampered by the fabulous ladies of Mary Kay.


And we clustered around the Mary Kay Beauty Bar, giddy with girly excitement, trying on glosses - ohhing and ahhing over the products.  Every bloguera left with a sweet swag bag of Mary Kay products.  


I'll be honest, I've never used Mary Kay in my life.  But once I tried on their Rock n' Red
lip gloss - I was hooked.

photo courtesy of Latina Bloggers Connect
Mary Kay nourishine plus lip gloss in Rock n' Red

  
It felt light and natural.  It wasn't sticky - which I love.  And the best part?  It made me feel better about how I looked.
        



au naturel - not wearing a stitch of make up
#MaryKayGlam - feeling fab in Mary Kay nourishine plus lip gloss in Cream and Sugar

  Will a smear of lip gloss take away the exhaustion?  Probably not.  But if I can look in the mirror and feel a little bit brighter and a little less worn out - that's good enough for me.  

I think as moms - especially as special needs moms - we put ourselves last.  We forget to make the effort.  We forget to put on the pretty dress that's hanging in the closet with the tags still on because we're saving it for a special occasion.  We forget to put on some blush or lip gloss or paint our nails or brush our hair (please someone agree with me, don't let me the only one...) because we're always running someplace, because we have a never ending to do list.  As moms, we make sure our kids have everything they need while we walk around looking like a hot mess.  (Or is it just me, that's a hot mess on most days?) 
So ever since coming back from DC, I've been taking those 2 extra seconds to apply a little lip gloss. Because the person I'm trying to impress, is me.  And I've decided I'm worth the effort.
What will YOU do to feel glam?

 Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post.  I was provided with complimentary Mary Kay products, the opinions expresses are my own.