What happens when you sit your Puerto Rican mom down in front of a microphone while on a family vacation? A LOT. From Río Piedras, Puerto Rico—with the natural chirps of the El Yunque rainforest coquís humming in the background— I sit down with my mom, Wanda, for one of the most eye-opening conversations about life. Wanda opens up about her family’s move from Mayagüez to Brooklyn, navigating an American school system without knowing a word of English, marriage at 16, and becoming a mom at 17. Wanda’s resilience is nothing short of incredible.