‘We cannot allow our history to be erased’

As a child, author Reyna Grande’s parents left her in Mexico as they searched for work in America. “You’re a total stranger to your parents, and they’re strangers to you,” Grande said, recalling her sense of abandonment and fear of being forgotten. 

Grande moved to the U.S. at the age of nine as an undocumented immigrant. The first in her family to graduate from college, she has since published six books and many essays centered on the immigrant experience. Her memoir The Distance Between Us was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2012.

“Stories have the ability to heal us or harm us,” Grande said at a March book event hosted by Ohlone College in Fremont. “There’s a lot of harmful narratives about immigrants. It’s important for me to write about my immigrant experience on my own terms.”

One of Grande’s memoirs, A Dream Called Home, was introduced this year in the curriculum for Ohlone students who are part of the school’s Puente Project, an academic and mentorship program supporting Latinx students.

At the event, dozens of students filled every available seat in the library, with some crowding onto benches on the side. Many toted heavily-annotated copies of A Dream Called Home, filled with multi-colored post-it notes. They eagerly lined up for the book signing.

“It’s been really inspiring to read the book and then see her here,” said Ohlone English faculty member Melanie Fernandez, who selected the autobiography for inclusion as part of the curriculum. Fernandez was struck by Grande’s story about transitioning from community college to the University of California Santa Cruz, a relatable subject for many students. The Puente program is organizing an upcoming field trip for students to visit UC Santa Cruz in April. 

During the Q&A session, a young woman asked Grande for advice about healing. “My mother is in Mexico right now. I’ve distanced myself a lot from her, and I’m still not properly healing,” she said, asking the writer about her own journey of forgiveness.

“Healing is not like a straight line. It spirals,” Grande replied. “I’m 49 and I’m still working on it.” She encouraged the student to seek help from professional services like counseling, and try activities like writing or art to help process trauma. “[Writing] has given me that sense of purpose, a way to stay in the fight. It has empowered me. It also helps me not be so helpless and hopeless,” Grande said. 

Speaking unscripted to the audience, the author spoke with remarkable candor, recalling one of the most difficult moments in her life when her father was arrested after another bout of violent alcoholism. After she confided the situation to her community college English teacher, the teacher offered Grande a place to stay.

“It was one of the most beautiful moments in my life,” Grande said. “[My teacher] gave me a safe space. She gave me a sanctuary. I could just focus on school… and be away from all that drama and trauma from home.” The same teacher mentored Grande to apply to a four-year university, advising her throughout the journey as she won admission to UC Santa Cruz. 

The path to becoming a professional writer was an uphill climb for Grande. She submitted the manuscript of her first novel, Across A Hundred Mountains, only to receive 26 rejections. Some editors told her that there was simply no market for immigrant stories. Finally, the 27th editor came back with an offer, and the book marked the official beginning of her long and fruitful career. 

Grande’s advice to aspiring authors is to ignore “hot” trends in the existing literary industry and rather focus on true stories with deeper, enduring interest to the writer. “None of my books have ever come out with a splash. They’ve never made a bestseller’s list,” she said, “But these are stories that last. These are turtles. Slowly but surely, they keep going.” The audience gasped in surprise when she shared that she had just received roughly $30,000 in royalty payments for her very first book, published over 20 years ago. 

When asked for advice for students enduring tough times, Grande also encouraged kids to persevere. “It’s important for you to know that in order for your life to not stay the same, to not stay as bad as it is, you have to take little steps every day to make it better.”