Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aurea Altamirano Cuaresma. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Aurea, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
When I am the only Spanish speaker, dark skinned person, even when I am the only woman in the room, group, project, etc. I work on facing and overcoming the feeling of underestimating myself, and look for my power of being unique. Changing my perspective, from negative to the one with possibilities can transform it into an opportunity, my moment to shine.
The process of morphing my mindset has been slow and long, and is still ongoing. I still have setbacks but each time there are less. I, recently, can consciously look for my self- empowerment. To change my fear for something more positive; to feel proud of who I am; my identity, it has been something so meaningful to me. That just being in the process is enough gain. Feeling and doing what I believe, allows me to be an ambassador of my roots, and that gives me further purpose in my generational tree. I remind myself that my ancestors survive through me, through my voice, work and art, and I not only must but most importantly want to honor both them and myself with my actions.
My most recent experience was a couple of days ago, when I was invited to a reading at Revolution Books, an important library in Berkeley. While my good friend Rafael Jesús Gonzales invited me to participate and I had his support, I had never read at such a politically activist place before. Rafael was the only other Latino who read, but he was the closing speaker. Of course Rafael’s presence helped me with my anxiety, but I was still representing Latina women and it was my turn to read some poems before him. What inspired and sheltered me was listening to the inspiring voices of other poets; Asians, Jews and the LGBTQ community. And now that I realize, they were also the only ones who looked like them. There was actually a beautiful diversity and
and that helped me feel more at home. Everyone is fighting their own struggles but we can support each other, just by inspiring each other. We are never really alone. And together we support the same cause, speaking up against discrimination, racism, fascism and bigotry.
I still struggle, but now when I am the only Latina or dark-skinned or woman, I feel more empowered. When I lived in Peru, many times I used to be the youngest or the only woman in projects, jobs, groups, etc. When I was in Atika, a journal for my university, I was the only woman. When I started to teach language to adults I was the youngest teacher. At the beginning, I had to perform at the same level and even more to prove I can be trusted, but I became more comfortable in that skin. But as an older adult I am trying to reach those memories. We have to remember that we have exceeded our expectations sometime in our lives and that can nourish our strength, our resilience. If I believe in myself, my abilities and ideas, others are infected and also believe in the project, and that helps me to be effective.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Áurea is a teacher at heart, a mother, a daughter; a writer, a visual artist, and an eternal student of life.
Teaching is my passion and I can not deny it. In Peru, I have been a tutor, summer school teacher, preschool assistant, and, then head teacher. Now, in the Bay Area, I am a Spanish teacher for children of school age, at BAHIA Afterschool Program, at their location Sol de Berkeley, and for adults, at Centro Latino language school. At my private practice, at Aprendiendo con maestra Áurea, I intend to create further immersion in the curriculum for all my students, from the beginners to the advanced ones, opportunities to be exposed to the language, to explore and use their grammar from day one, through conversation, games, music, movies, art, and field trips to sites and classes outside in nature. Currently, I am teaching in person, but also online, one-to-one, and hybrid classes. I also have experience teaching family groups, and multilevel. To register or for more information about my classes, you can contact me on Facebook as Aureamaria Altamirano or on my page Aureamaria.com
But my foremost passion has always been writing, since I learned to write properly, I would say that I had an on-and-off relationship with writing, mostly because of motherhood, but finally, in my forties, I decided to make my dream come true. The past June of 2024, I just published my first book, Mariposa de Fuego: A Journey to Empowerment, which is much more than a book of poetry, it is a story about a personal process of self-discovery and transformation. It talks from the perspective of a Latino immigrant woman but could reflect on the struggles and reflections of many human beings transitioning through life toward owning themselves. I only hope to accompany others, especially women, in their growth journey and perhaps inspire them to write their own stories, share their wisdom, and speak up against violence, to break the circle of self-doubt that society puts on our backs; to know that we are not alone in the fight. This past December 2024, I also released the expanded version of Mariposa de Fuego: Un Camino al Empoderamiento, in Spanish. With it, I hope to honor my mother tongue, Spanish, and highlight my highland roots with some sprinkles of Quechua, my parents’ and grandparents’ mother tongue.
Most recently, I have been working on assembling a unique group book, soon to be released in April 2025, a bilingual Latin American anthology, with original and collected poems and stories, by Latino immigrant and Chicano poets; Rafael Jesús González, Marina Cruz, Erica Lopez, Ximena Soza, Rosalilia Mendoza, Gustavo Guerra, Puma Tzoc, Melba Stetz and Maritza Rivera and myself; representing, Mexico, Chile, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Peru, as a response to the actual situation that we are living on this 2025. It is imperative, the world needs to listen to the voices of those who do not have a voice. We are the bridge for them, so our young people can feel reflected on and be proud of their identity and culture.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Definitely, redirecting my weaknesses, taking risks, and practicing resilience.
Exploring my inner self allowed me to understand how to surpass my own mental obstacles, how to use them, and in what dosage to progress and not get stuck in overthinking. Making ADHD and anxiety work to my advantage has been key. To get a goal done, the only thing that works for me is to use effectively the energy of my impulsive part, more assertively; push myself enough to research or make decisions, while regulating that energy; try to be constant, with the focus on my purpose. If I didn’t start things hot and in situ; when the idea originated or surfaced with its connections, it would be very possible that my project would get lost in the universe of procrastination. Usually, I had some similar idea years ago and now, I am ready to execute it.
I am still learning to regulate myself. When I let my emotions open up, I need to be ready to face and work with them. But even though I am a woman in construction, taking the risk is something that moves and pushes me to grow. I need that dose of adventure, and what better way than to get it from something positive and productive. I learned I can not bear the feeling of staying with my hands crossed when I believe something should be done, and I see I can do it. I look inside me and look for tools and resources I could have or connect. Doing something gives me peace and freedom.
To strengthen my resilience, I found value in practicing to get used to making mistakes, tolerating rejection, and trying again more and more prepared. Overcoming the fear of rejection was and still is one of my biggest challenges. It only helps if we stop caring excessively. Don’t take rejection personally because only a few are accepted. Wiping the slate clean each time after each attempt eases the taste that rejection leaves behind. In truth, we are building on top of each no. Our expected arrival of a yes is in the view. Furthermore, we have to be ready for a yes as well. My attitude, strength, voice, and knowledge are key to convincing others to join me in starting a project. I can begin by myself but it is important to work with others, have allies; construct a sense of community and support.
As a gift of exercising my new habit of combining my resilience and positive risk-taking, an idea of a project is born in my mind, I try to use that first impulse quickly to create, connect, connect with people, and commit myself to organizing a group or performing myself. That means checking the idea early to see if it is viable if there is interest, and if I will have any support. Usually, if I’ve been able to connect the dots, it is because I have seen a need for a group or an opportunity, and the outline of a project has been presented to me.
As a gift of exercising my new habit of combining my resilience and positive risk-taking, to release my first book Mariposa de Fuego; A journey to Empowerment at the Library, I had to find the support of a Latina library worker who could understand and see the value of my book, after an initial rejection. I added an art exhibition commemorating Peru’s Independence Day to strengthen the proposal. For the Spanish version of my book, I linked its release with my trip to Mexico, where I took it to some of the main bookstores in Mexico, making the connection for some presentations for next year. I was able to make the presentation at the hostel Mundo Nuevo, the cathedral, in Mexico City, at their posada event after a small proposal in a previous event to which I was invited the week before.
Another example is how the project of our upcoming book, Latin-American Anthology, started, in the middle of the presentations of Mariposa de Fuego. Having Latino guest poets and seeing them in dialogue about the precarious political situation in 2025. There has been already an idea in previous months, but it took off right there. The proposal was made immediately before leaving the event. It was obvious that we could do something much more powerful than just being upset, we could be the voice of our immigrant brothers and sisters through our pencils.
I took the first chance to talk to the Latino departments of some organizations and was able to make connections with BAHIA. Inc (Bay Area Hispano Institute for Advancement) for a pre-launch-reading for our First Latin-American Anthology, on April 2025, for their 50th anniversary, also a plan to present it at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in their Spring festival in May 2025, and a great release for our second Latin-American Anthology, in conjunction with the Legion of Honor Museum, for the Hispanic Heritage Festival, on September 2025.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
My number one challenge is unlearning the self-sabotage protection techniques I have learned; procrastination, doubt, and living in the past or the future. I realized that to own myself I need to live in the present; regulate my inner self, live my loved ones, and get closer to my full potential.
The shock of losing my father in Peru, due to the negligence of the healthcare system during the pandemic, while I was in the U.S., unable to do more for him and my family, surpassed me. And the already atmosphere of social injustice of the 2020s added up with the death of George Floyd and the protests, only exacerbated my emotional and physical health; my asthma got out of control. Eric Garner’s phrase, “I can’t breathe”, took on a profound meaning in me, in every sense of the word. I could hardly breathe because also anxiety was overtaking me.
It only started to change when making the conscious effort to listen to my body, stopped working for some days, slowed down the pace for a couple of months to a minimum necessary, gave rest to my mind, and better nutrition and hydrated my body. I had to stop evading and face the compelling need to escape and scream for which I had no space. I did this by allowing myself to externalize it; running, and then walking as much as my body demanded until I gradually emptied myself of that horrible feeling.
I continued my healing through the tools of self-care I have listened to before but not used continuously. It was time to use the few or a lot that I knew about mindfulness and grounding, awakening the power of my five senses, feeling the warm and smelling my tea, observing nature, listening to music, and moving forward, from talking to myself with encouraging phrases, to internal visualization to calm my physical pain, asking my body to be strong and let it heal, coming back to stretching and walking, and listening to music, allowed me to cry and finally scream.
When I felt more regulated I tried to retake my introspection work where I had left it, a year, before my father’s death. I went back to the point where I lost control of my life and was living on autopilot, in my avoidance of marital and parenting, and some existential issues. My father sensed it. Even though, my father was a man of few words with his daughters, he left me an important teaching not before he died, he told me, “Áurea, be present now.” At a time when I was going out of my way to do a million things that probably had lost their meaning to me already. I was about to lose the unique moment when my father and son reencounter after five years. The first time they could recognize each other. My father had supposedly improved his Parkinson’s, and my son was seven years old and now could collect memories of life events. There was no perfect picture, and that was okay. I could barely start to understand my disconnection with myself and others.
Slowly, I recognized and could name my barriers and promised myself that anxiety, depression, and my unofficially diagnosed ADHD were not going to continue taking away from the quality of so many important moments of my life again. Finally, I understood my father’s philosophy of life through his eyes. It was not just passivity, but contemplation and mindfulness. He did not waste time. He went slow because he could stop and appreciate the simplest things in nature, and there was a treasure in that. My Peru is precious, but the truth is that it is a country where only the fastest and street smartest can survive. He was different there, and I am different here in the U.S. Finally, I can conciliate that uniqueness is not easy to understand by others. The important issue is to know yourself and honor others’ uniqueness. There’s potential in all of us, your supposed weakness could be an underworked strength. Understanding how to work with them can tap not only into your personal and family life but also into your effectiveness in your business. You just have to do the homework.
During the exploration of my own self, my inner child came and gave me back the pencil to cry and scream everything that was inside on paper, and then cuddled me with the paper of my writing and more music. And I became Mariposa de Fuego, somebody reborn from its ashes. In this interaction, my book became a diary in poems of an ongoing active process happening inside me. I had to let myself be inundated by journaling, surrender to grief, and slowly stand up again. It was not easy for me to let pain and healing take over my life again. As a teenager, it was so hard to handle my emotions, especially when bringing them to write but this time, the pain was real. I needed to hurt, to bleed my soul out to heal. I was able to do all this because I accompanied myself with therapy through the stages of shedding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Aureamaria.com
- Instagram: Aurea484
- Facebook: Aureamaria Altamirano
- Linkedin: Aurea Altamirano
Image Credits
Guthrie Kornbluth (Photographies at La Marina Berkeley with Mariposa)
Lucille Lang Day (Photography at Book Revolution Event)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
