Introducing our founder, Maria Vasquez

Jan 26

Written By Maria V

Maria Vasquez, founder. Photo credit: Bethanie Hines 2022 — Maria Vasquez, founder of Tu Madre Healing Collective. Photo Credit: Bethanie Hines, 2022

I’m not your regular girl

I’ve known this from an early age. ¡No soy niña normal! I am not your average [fill in the blank]. But I will start with what motivates me to start this work from scratch.

I was born and raised in California; from San Jose to Los Angeles. My parents' migration story started with a few stops before they settled in South Central L.A. all the way from Santa Cruz de La Flores, Jal. Mex; The distant motherland that I was never really able to connect with, much like home.

Within L.A., I experienced my childhood in all the hoods in L.A.; from Lincoln Heights, to Boyle Heights, Pico-Union and South Central. Finally, I settled myself and my little family in City Terrace, East L.A.

I AM AS L.A. AS L.A. COMES. Not only did I successfully assimilate into multiple neighborhoods, along with my parents and siblings, but that same energy continued on throughout my millennial life; personally and professionally, although I’ve always said they are one in the same.

I had to mold myself to fit into spaces and have become a Jane of All Trades. Really, as a Mexican, it was being a chismosa to the next level. I’ve been able to pick up on skills because of need: to survive capitalism and the patriarchy. Personally and professionally, I’ve hit all the “American Dream” milestones. I had a successful, rewarding and difficult career in the education/non-profit sector trying to address the inequities in inner city L.A. schools. Not only did I grow up attending LAUSD schools, but worked in school operations where I was a leader specifically trying to cultivate a rich, loving and rigorous learning community that taught me everything I know; the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. All at the same time. I’ve served in many school roles in L.A. and the Bay Area; from district schools to charter schools, but nothing compared to serving my own community, where I resided the longest: Pico-Union. I bought the house, got married to a wonderful man, and have two beautiful boys. All without a college degree. Without it, I’ve had to survive a level of toxic elitism that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone. Within the feminine energy, the marianismo and machismo that comes from being a Mexican woman. In spite of all that, I survived. For the most part. It was all made possible by all the people that came across my life. They shared knowledge, energy, time and love to cultivate me. I am grateful to them all.

However, in 2020, the pandemic came and stayed. In 2023, the Palestinian Genocide began after 76 years of apartheid. With all this energy in the world, I finally hit a level of burnout that has required me to get to know and reconnect with my feminine energy and let go of the masculine energy that was no longer serving me.

All of that transition required a lot of learning and unlearning. With a few sacrifices along the way; intentional and unintentional. I credit this awakening, although DARKS, as I like to call it, to grief. My grief journey has been long and hard. I am pushing through. I’ve experienced layer upon layer of grief. As I learn to let it all go, I’ve unraveled in ways that I still don’t understand, but I know that it’s been necessary to continue to survive and heal those around me.

Unlearning from capitalism. It’s hard, but I know that it’s what’s needed for us to birth this new world that we want. No. That we need. For the sake of our collective humanity.

Tu Madre Healing Collective

This is what motivated me to start Tu Madre Healing Collective. A platform created to heal our feminine energy in community by nurturing our creativity, our emotions, our strength and our wisdom.

To heal our collective feminine energy (softness) from our learned masculine energy (hardness). I’ve learned that having grit and taking the punches of life is what has brought us to this level of burnout. It’s what our society, but more specifically, our femmes in society struggle with. Finding a true balance of feminine and masculine energy to survive this world. This same energy balance can be applied to all areas of our community building efforts. As the patriarchy continues to break down before our eyes, the matriarch energy is being called to the forefront. I am answering that call.