We recently connected with Pamela Rosario Pérez and have shared our conversation below.
Pamela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
In my community, it is common for parents to move to cities to find work and financially support their families. In the meantime, their children are raised by grandparents, extended family and village elders back home. Such was the case for me.
One of the most important values my elders instilled in me was a land-based work ethic. This does not mean that I prioritize “work” above self-care nor that I base my self-worth on my productivity, income, or output. It means that I align the work I do with the seasons, I listen to my body to know when to take breaks or double down on a project, and that I monitor my state of mind so that I only engage in certain types of work when I am in a positive and joyful state.
If you asked me where I got my work ethic from, I’d have to say my grandmothers. If you asked me who had the greatest impact on my life I would have to name my paternal grandmother, Maria Decena, lovingly known as Mami Nonosa.
I was raised by an incredible village of hard working, humble, resilient, deeply spiritual men and women in the Dominican countryside. I learned about working the land, consistency and punctuality from my grandfathers; but I learned about determination, civil disobedience, and community organizing from my grandmothers. My grandmothers, their sisters, and my great-grandmothers were all cycle breakers and iconoclasts. Women with strong characters and an even stronger sense of purpose. They always found a way to speak truth to power in order to uplift their communities and forge paths that had never been walked before. I am incredibly lucky to have been raised by multiple matriarchs.
Although my grandmothers were all fearless, Mami Nonosa was the boldest. In an era when talking about sex was taboo, my grandmother Maria “Mami Nonosa” Decena was known to teach comprehensive sex education, financial literacy, and women’s health classes. Defying social norms and mores, she taught recently engaged young women how to: advocate for their needs, establish healthy boundaries with men, create secret emergency funds, and escape to safety when relationships turned violent. She constantly risked her safety to do what she felt was right for the community. What I found most impressive is that as busy as she was, she always made time to celebrate life. Being grateful every day was her way of life. Her prayers were expressions of joy and gratitude rather than pleas for divine intervention. She taught me how to care for my community and walk the earth with no fear, but most importantly she taught me how to live life to the fullest.
Pamela, 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?
My name is Pamela Rosario Pérez. I am an Afro-Indigenous culture and medicine steward of my Kiskeya Taino and Missoko Bwiti lineages, in addition to, an enrolled member of the Hiwayawa Taino Luku Kairi tribe. I was born in the island of Kiskeya, also known as the Dominican Republic, and raised in the mountains of Bonao, a land previously known as the Taino chiefdom of Maguá led by Kasike (Chief) Bonao.
When people ask me what I do for work I respond with, “Afro-Indigenous liberation.” This is my mission at both my real estate brokerage firm and my wellness nonprofit. I strongly believe that freedom hinges on our ability to self-determine and reclaim our narratives. To do that, we must first acknowledge the systems that keep us mentally, spiritually, and economically oppressed. Only then can we take control of our lives and embark on a path of financial, physical, mental, and psychospiritual wellbeing.
Healing our past in order to intentionally design our future is what we do at my health practice, Yaou Yaou Wellness. At Yaou Yaou, my family and I support individuals who wish to overcome substance and behavioral addictions through the teachings and medicinal practices of our Taino and Bwiti elders. All our offerings are rooted in Afro-Indigenous, land-based practices that are still used by tribal communities in the Amazon, Africa, and the Caribbean. What I love most about our small practice is that it is a family practice. I am deeply grateful and fortunate to help people recover from drug abuse, heal childhood trauma, and forge new paths for themselves alongside my mother, grandmother, and other relatives. Learning from them every day is something I do not take for granted.
My real estate brokerage firm is my first baby. I launched Rocena Real Estate Strategies a decade ago after overcoming homelessness. I graduated Harvard University one day and found myself without a home the next. College didn’t prepare me for the harsh realities of life in the USA. I experienced the consequences of being financially illiterate first-hand so as soon as I could, I founded a practice aimed at improving financial and real estate literacy in historically disenfranchised communities so that others would not have to suffer as I did. We recently partnered with another woman-owned real estate consulting firm, Invictus Real Estate Partners, to increase our impact in the community. Together, we have been able to double down on our mission of supporting people of color on their path to financial freedom by forging lucrative relationships between Black, Indigenous, Asian and Latinx real estate investors and institutional lenders.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Strong values that you are committed to living up to every day is one of the most helpful things to possess. Looking back, there is no doubt my career has been shaped by three family values:
Gratitude, tenacity, and knowing.
These three values come alive for me when I live my purpose. One of my elders, Papa Moughenda, never fails to remind me that “Life is the greatest gift.” He taught me that my purpose in life IS to enjoy it. In our Bwiti tradition, that is every person’s purpose: to enjoy life and not take it for granted. When folks ask me how to apply this teaching, I tell them it is easy. Instead of starting your day by thinking about all the things you’re dreading or mad about, start by thinking of all the things life has given you for free. The sooner you start the day by counting your blessings, the sooner you’ll begin feeling grateful, pursuing your dreams tenaciously, and navigating life knowing that the universe is conspiring to see you win.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
There are millions of books, podcasts, and videos that speak on natural medicine, but my #1 recommendation would be to connect with local indigenous communities and learn from tribal elders. Remember that you’re not entitled to indigenous knowledge. Respect the teachings you receive and honor the teachers who share their wisdom with you.
It is saddening to witness communities that do not treat their elders with the respect they deserve. It is a privilege for somebody to reach old age so any wise words and land-based teachings we can receive from them is a gift that must be cherished.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yaouyaouwellness.com
- Instagram: Iboga.YaouYaou
- Facebook: Yaou Yaou Wellness
