Andrés Tapia

“When I think about Rompiendo Barreras, one thing comes to mind right away: in 2021, I became the first Latino elected to City Council in Highland Park in its 152-year history. But my lived experience of breaking barriers began much earlier: growing up in Lima, Peru during twelve years of military dictatorship, living under the shadow of autocracy. 

Tanks in the streets. Checkpoints everywhere. States of emergency. Disappearances. Civil liberties suspended. Freedom of the press curtailed. Curfews that were not like teenage curfews in the U.S., but military ones. Lethal if you were caught outside. And there were times when we almost were. 

It was a dark time. 

And yet we kept living. We went to school. We studied. We surfed. We played soccer. We went dancing. Nos enamoramos. We prepared for the future. Even when the present looked bleak. 

Al mal viento, buena cara. To a bad wind, a strong face. Se hace camino al andar. Leaders make a way out of no way—by extracting ganas from the deep to keep moving adelante. ¡Siempre adelante! 

Asi eś que se rompen barreras.”