The Many Pieces of Me

Born in Costa Rica, I came to the US not knowing a word of English. Growing up, my home life was full of violence, starting with experiencing my father's abuse of my mother and siblings to witnessing my older siblings' perpetuate the abuse in their relationships, I had no frame of reference for what a loving, caring, and supportive relationship was. I was exposed to adult settings too early, sexualized too young, and put into many situations that I had no idea how to navigate-and that was a...