We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marina Cruz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Marina Cruz Lopez, born on December of 1980, from Mexican parents. Born in Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico. Studied in Nezahualcóyotl’s public schools, also at a all women’s school in Mexico. In 1998 immigrated to the USA, at the age of 17. She graduated from Berkeley High School in 2001, works as a server, is an activist; and is one of the parent leaders of Latinos Unidos de Berkeley. She has also obtained her California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) License. She is also a poetry lover, it is her hobby; and her biggest inspiration are the kids from all over the world. One of her favorite mottos is “practice the art of the non violence”. Her poems are inspired by the places shes been and the people shes met along the path of her life. She continues to learn and educate herself by taking courses, and she will continue until she reaches her goals. She is a wife, a mom of two daughters, admirer of the art and and all the cultures of the world. She loves the place where her parents are from, which is from the Oaxacan culture (Mixteca culture) in a town called Chalcatongo. Marina Cruz believes in the education, she likes to promote the culture of reading, she likes to give away books to the children, and she loves listening to audiobooks. She recently discovered that being talkative is not a defect, it is a gift. On the journey of her daughter’s education, she too, educated herself, by living adventures along the side of her daughters; through education programs that educated the youth about the earth’s environment and how to avoid contamination. Along the way, she has also learned from the people she admires like Alicia Soltero, Lucia Terol, Marie Kondo and Jorge Bucay. Another source of inspiration are her friends, teachers, poets, artists, muralist, painters, activists and writers. She is very thankful to the group of writers that invited her to participate in this new adventure, which she embraces with appreciation, administration and pure gratitude.

Marina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an activist who advocates for the English Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC). I am really interested in children’s wellbeing, especially during this new era, where technology is all around us, and anxiety is more common. Our kids are growing up in a different world, than the one my generation grew up in. It is a completely new reality, where our kids are exposed to the dangers and pressures of society, at an early age. This is what inspires my poetry; I reach out to the youth, in hopes to inspire them, and make them reflect on all their potential, on the power they may not know they possess.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

First I had to discover myself, then I began to accept myself, love myself and respect myself. I had to be brave enough to break generational cruses. Then I learned from the people around me. I embraced what I truly wanted in life which is harmony, mindfulness, and minimalism. I learn to listen, I practiced empathy, learned to set boundaries and i learn to say . No I began to be more present in my life.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My particular goal is to inspire more people to read poetry; my mission is to make more people fall in love with poetry. I would like to see more books in peoples hands, as opposed to phones. My poetry is my grain of sand, it is my attempt to make a difference in all or some.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: marinapoeta2022

Image Credits

By Alexa Villa Cruz