FROM: Shoutout LA

We had the good fortune of connecting with Luivette Resto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Luivette, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico and proudly raised in the Bronx. Even though I have lived in Los Angeles for 19 years now, I carry the Bronx and Puerto Rico with me. The island is my first home but growing up in the Bronx in the 80s and 90s taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, confidence, and fearlessness. I think of these things when I walk into a faculty meeting, when I speak Spanish, and when I teach my students about literature and the difficulties of grammar. I remind them that I didn’t speak English when I entered kindergarten. That I codeswitch regularly. That I grew up as my family’s translator. Many of them are in the same position. They know that feeling of having to speak one language with family and having to switch gears at school. I can tell they appreciate the empathy and compassion. Read Rest of Interview Here