Maria Ramirez felt an urgent need to tell the migrant story she lived

Maria Ramirez is an educator, poet, and activist who has dedicated 31 years to teaching in Colorado. She has earned accolades that include Colorado Bilingual Teacher of the Year, National Bilingual Teacher of the Year, and Boulder County’s Multicultural Educator of the Year. She has served as an assistant principal, district coordinator and English language development teacher. Two chapters from her memoir and one of her poems are now included in the Colorado Alliance for Latino Mentors and Authors’ debut anthology, “Ramas y Raíces: The Best of CALMA.“

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory — what’s it about and what inspired you to write it?

Maria Ramirez: This anthology includes my stories from two books about growing up in the fields as a migrant child and a teen for 18 years. The College Assistance Migrant Program recruited me to Saint Edwards University. I had such an incredible life-changing experience there that made up for my past lost opportunities.

I tucked those memories away after I had to drop out due to undergoing brain surgery. After dropping out, I became a migrant mother as my two toddlers followed me in the fields. I could not stand to watch my babies repeat my childhood growing up in the fields. That heartache I kept in the dark corners of my heart. Like a journal, those memories, without my knowledge, were carving all that pain in my soul. How could I forget them?

This first book speaks to being born while living in a labor camp, turning the fields into my playground, earning money from the age of 10 to contribute to our common goal, and working with adults from 12 until I graduated from high school.

When I was named the 1995 Colorado Bilingual Teacher of the Year for the Colorado Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) and the 1996 NABE’s National Teacher of the Year, I was asked to keynote at the Hispanic Annual Salute in 1996. I received a standing ovation.

After my speech, one of the business leaders asked me if I had read “Rain of Gold” by Victor Villa Señor. He told me to read it because my story needed to be written. When I could find time, I began to write. Storytelling in my classroom and in other audiences in classrooms and libraries gave me confidence that my children’s stories as a child of the fields were engaging, motivating, and fun. I began to take notes on my childhood experiences in the fields.

SunLit: Place the excerpt you selected in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole, and why did you select it? 

Ramirez: I learned there were not enough voices and stories about people like me. When I would attend bilingual conferences, Latino/a published authors told me I had stories to tell. If I did not write my stories, other people, not from my culture, would. I learned the “right to write” concept and decided to write my story myself.

SunLit: What influences and/or experiences informed the project before you sat down to write? 

Ramirez: As a primary source, I was encouraged that it made perfect sense to write my own story.  I was still on this Earth to write from my true-life perspective to give my family and other migrants a voice. I had a sense of urgency to finish my book(s) before the people I wanted to honor would no longer be on this Earth.

SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter? 

Ramirez: While pursuing this challenging goal, I learned that I could not take for granted that my readers needed me to add more detail to the experiences I took for granted. Just because I had lived the migrant experience, I had to be aware that many readers did not understand many of the concepts. I needed other people to understand the importance of our contributions to making this country great. 

I also learned that my personal experience was something the public needed to know so that they could have a paradigm shift on their generalized, biased judgment of migrant people. Through this writing experience, I got to know myself better as a person. I became aware of the enormous suffering, yet how strong I had become due to the harsh lessons in the fields.

SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book? 

Ramirez: Time. Having to choose between family and writing. My family needed me, yet, writing my experience living in poverty and documenting the struggle, the racism, and inequities we all battled against, and not only surviving, but also how to succeed against all odds. Graduating with a B.A., Master’s Degree, and an administrative role made my life more challenging as a professional. I challenged the system, and was blacklisted, to the point that I was pushed out of my profession, the same year I earned Boulder’s Educator of the Year.

SunLit: What do you want readers to take from this book? 

Ramirez: I want my readers to know how someone who had all odds against her made it, from the fields to the White House. I hope they get motivated, inspired, and believe in themselves to work hard and never give up. 

SunLit: What gave you the fortitude to challenge the system in defence of minority parents and students? 

Ramirez: I did not want my students and their parents to be voiceless. I had to make them aware of the injustices their children were suffering. I could not stay quiet when funds designated for those who suffered trauma from teachers and administration were given to the Anglo students,. I could not allow the administration to get away with their attitude and low expectations for these underprivileged students. “I will not spin my wheels with these students,” still rings in my ears.

SunLit: Tell us about your next project. 

Ramirez: I aim to complete my memoir, which will describe my continued challenges of juggling work and college, a husband, and my children while living in a decrepit shack.

A few more quick items

Currently on your nightstand for recreational reading: “An Outburst of Dreams,” by Frank Davila

First book you remember really making an impression on you as a kid: I did not read much as a kid. I did not have books at home. I was an adult when I read “Rain of Gold” (“Lluvia de Oro”) by Victor Villaseñor

Best writing advice you’ve ever received: “Write your stories, or someone who is not from your culture and does not speak your language will write them instead.” – Alma Flor Ada

Favorite fictional literary character: Amelia in “Amelia’s Road” by Linda Jacobs

Literary guilty pleasure (title or genre): “The Sweetness of Water” by Nathan Harris

Digital, print or audio – favorite medium to consume literature: Print

One book you’ve read multiple times:  “Lluvia de Oro”

Other than writing utensils, one thing you must have within reach when you write. A digital dictionary. I can’t pass up an unknown word.

Best antidote for writer’s block: Move about and catch up on household chores. I watch my flowers and garden in my backyard or walk on the trail next to the river.

Type of Story: Q&A

An interview to provide a relevant perspective, edited for clarity and not fully fact-checked.