Marlen Tagle Rodriguez
Have you ever felt that you have been living with a certain stigma attached to you as an immigrant?
“When I was little, people would say, ‘Go back to Mexico where the trash belongs,’ and stuff like that. Back then, as a young child who was insecure, it was easy to accept it. When I think about it now, I feel like there is a stereotype of my people and what we end up doing in this country and what people say about people from Mexico. But I think the way I take it is that I try to fight it - do outreach and talk to other people who are struggling and encourage them. I think there is a lot of progress to be made.”
What motivated you to participate in this initiative?
“Just to share my story. I’m in the BME PhD program and there’s only like one or two Hispanics...maybe three. I know not everyone is willing to push themselves as much as I am, so I wanted to show up and share my story so that other people know that we exist and that you are not alone. And even if you are alone, it’s definitely something you can do and still be part of who you are.”
