Quotes by Raquel Cepeda, Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina

“When we illuminate the road back to our ancestors, they have a way of reaching out, of manifesting themselves...sometimes even physically.”

“Even the juncture in history and the zeitgeist we live in is something we choose, setting the scene for the spiritual fodder we need to grow and achieve deeper elevation of our souls.”

“I think Dad wanted to feel the pain, to feel his body cry, an urgent reminder that he was still alive. I pretended not to notice.”

“The truth is usually left for us to hunt and gather independently, if we are so inclined.”

“This thing I am feeling, Im almost certain, is the closest Ill ever come to standing somewhere in between truth and reconciliation.”

“Come to think of it, maybe God is a He after all, because only a cruel force would create something this beautiful and make it inaccessible to most people.”

“While America will always, I think, feel foreign to me, New York City is my home. This is where I can construct my own identity freely and reject labels imposed on me.”

“If it werent for her setting me free, I may still be a caged bird today, holding my own daughter captive on a shit-laden perch.”

“Individually, every grain of sand brushing against my hands represents a story, an experience, and a block for me to build upon for the next generation.”

“If Aphrodite chills at home in Cyprus for most of the year, then Fez must be the goddesss playground.”

“I have never bought into the idea that blood is thicker than water. Love and respect are meant to be earned from our children, our spouses, our families, and our friends.”

“For some, excavating the past isnt an adventure, its more akin to tearing a Band-Aid off an open wound.”

“More than anything, this place feels familiar. I bury my hands in the hot sand and think about the embodiment of memory or, more specifically, our natural ability to carry the past in our bodies an...”

“I remember feeling that pieces of me were scattered around the world; I belonged to her, Mother Earth.”

“I wish shed said something different, but patriarchy is as prevalent around the world as racism and xenophobia are. We cant hide from it, not even here.”

“Globalization by the way of McDonalds and KFC has captured the hearts, the minds, and from what I can see through the window, the growing bellies of the folks here.”

“To me, travel is more valuable than any stupid piece of bling money can buy.”

“Hip-hop...has been the proverbial key thats opened the door for me to roam this breathtaking planet.”

“Hip-hop is storytelling.”

“The past is buried deep within the ground in Rabat, although the ancient walls in the old city are still standing, painted in electrifying variations of royal blue that make the winding roads look ...”