Louisara poses for a picture at a Hurricanes game. Louisara is a sophomore, who enjoys telling her story as an immigrant. Photo courtesy of Louisara Diaz Martinez
Past experiences, challenges and achievements make people who they are. For student Louisara Diaz Martinez, also known as Louisa, challenges such as adapting to American customs as an immigrant from Venezuela have made her a stronger person. These challenges have led to her success in Barry Peters’ creative writing class this semester.
Diaz is an immigrant from Venezuela who entered the United States with a visa at 13. When she first arrived, it was immensely hard to make friends, as her peers did not know how to communicate with her, as she only knew a few basic English words taught in her country.
High school marked a turning point in her social life. She made more friends because there was less of a language barrier, as she made Latinx friends, and her English skills improved. Through this, Diaz was able to join a creative writing class, where she cultivated her culture and past through stories.
“Louisa knows how to build a story that’s true to life by using specific details from her own experience, ” said Barry Peters.
Diaz brings her characters to life while sharing her experiences and culture alongside stories that her relatives and friends have experienced in Venezuela. She’s been able to tell a specific story about the music genre salsa and washing banana leaves for tamales- a beloved dish in Latin American households. These are a few examples of Louisa transforming her traditions into vivid, heartfelt narratives.
“I made a story regarding salsa. I am able to identify with music as it has always been a great part of who I am and brought back nostalgia because my dad was a DJ back in Venezuela. He is the one that mostly tells me stories as he wants me to remember where my roots are and where home is,” said Diaz.
Though language barriers and Diaz’s introverted nature have made it difficult for her to make friends and social hurdles at a young age, her creativity and ability to bring characters to life have let her express herself and embrace her culture with her classmates and her teachers. Diaz has been able to overcome various obstacles as a young immigrant, turning her challenges into opportunities for personal growth while also building connections through her artistic talents.