Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Martinez Soltero.
Hi Vanessa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My pronouns are she / her/ hers. My life has been a series of migrations from infancy as I was born in Ensenada, Mexico and spent my childhood from one to 12 years old in Colima, Mexico. Finally, I migrated to Orange County, California where I was reunited with my mother and sisters. I credit my love for community transformation and working at the intersection of faith and justice to my strong matriarchal upbringing. Being a migrant myself lead me to organize for immigrant rights since 2008. As I worked for the rights and dignity of migrants, I also learned to organize intersectionally on worker rights, civic engagement; and how to incorporate indigenous healing practices for young Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). I have been consulting since 2017 as an organizer, cultural worker and healer for those in the front lines of faith and justice spaces. I am Co-Founder and Director of Puentes Collective, an organization that creates spaces for healing, transformation and reflection for young Black, Indigenous & People of Color (BIPOC) engaged in faith and justice across the United States.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road to work for justice and equity in minoritized communities such as the immigrant community, low-wage workers and faith spaces. This work has made me face my own trauma and injustices that I have experienced as a migrant woman of color. However, as I re-learned and engaged more in my indigenous spiritual practices, I have been able to work through all the trauma and injustice that my community and I personally face daily. Being a woman of color working toward a just and equitable society can be very hard. However, I have elders and contemporaries who are women of color and they have taught me by example what it means to live without fear and how to sustain myself through indigenous spiritual practices.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a consultant for community organizing and practitioner of indigenous healing practices, I speak at conferences and lead faith and justice retreats and workshops. I share my experience in immigrant rights organizing and how to include intersection of other justice issues such as civic engagement, lqbtq+, etc. I also include indigenous healing practices such as altar making and its significance in many BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) communities throughout time and the world. I write about my experiences as a woman of color in that context. My latest project is a book of poetry and short stories where I share about my childhood and stories I’ve experienced in my line of work. The book will be launched in Spring 2023. That is something I’m very proud of because it’s joy and struggle that gets to live in my writing that other people can resonate. I am also very proud to reconnect young BIPOC to their stories of origin and just know that they are not alone in not always knowing where their ancestors come from and what gifts and struggles their background carries and how to be present and not let the negative outweigh the good.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you want to know more about my work, please follow me on Instagram @vanessasoltero_ for my work as a consultant and you can also follow my work with a collective of young BIPOC leaders at www.puentescollective.org also in Instagram @puentes_collective.
Contact Info:
- Website: puentescollective.org
- Instagram: Vanessasoltero_
- Other: Instagram: puentes_collective
