Gabby Rivera: The story of Marvel's first queer Latina superhero
Gabby Rivera: La historia de la primera superheroína 'queer' y latina de Marvel
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would become such a huge part of my life.
algo tan importante en mi vida.
and I saw everything I wasn't.
todo lo que yo no era.
y con el cabello más rizado
of nervous, soft energy,
de energía dócil y nerviosa,
much like the bullies at school,
como los chicos malos de la escuela,
a lot of room for that, for me.
by Puerto Rican women from the Bronx?
puertorriqueñas del Bronx?
and sold jewelry up the street,
y vendían bisutería en la calle,
una maestría en educación
in New York City public schools
públicas de la ciudad de Nueva York
around the dinner table with me.
a comer con superheroínas.
women from the Bronx,
puertorriqueñas del Bronx,
of the world's greatest storytellers.
de las mejores narradoras del mundo.
at my grandmother's dining room table
del comedor de mi abuela
about navigating their lives in the Bronx.
peligrosas y salvajes en el Bronx.
to the soft threads in their stories,
más tiernas de sus historias,
a contar historias,
a young-adult novel
una novela juvenil
[Julieta se toma un respiro],
Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx
regordeta y 'queer' del Bronx
su familia y su identidad.
to write the solo series
una serie dedicada exclusivamente
Latina lesbian superhero,
for the Marvel miniseries "Vengeance,"
para la miniserie "Venganza" de Marvel,
in the Marvel Universe
parte del universo de Marvel
portals into other dimensions.
a golpe portales hacia otras dimensiones.
her identities -- queer and Latina --
características --'queer' y latina--
tratando de sobrevivir.
had sacrificed themselves to the universe
se habían sacrificado por el universo
of having to be tough,
and the Bronx is tough,
soy del Bronx, que es muy duro.
para víctimas en las aceras
on your way to the train type of tough.
policiales de camino al tren.
people are like,
desgracia, la gente dice:
You gotta keep trucking.
mis tías o mis abuelas
or to invest in self-care.
o darse un tiempo para a sí mismas.
that I wanted to give to America,
que quise darle a América,
to give to my abuelas and my tías,
a mis abuelas y a mis tías,
to give to my mom now:
just to discover yourself,
descubrirte a ti misma,
crumble and you will fall
compassion and healing stuff
de la compasión y la sanación
to be human, to mess up,
ser humana, para equivocarse
You know what I'm saying?
¿Saben a qué me refiero?
un sabático de superheroína,
in Justice Sonia Sotomayor University.
en la Universidad Juez Sonia Sotomayor.
and represented and liberated
segura, representada y liberada
to the first Puerto Rican woman
a la primera mujer puertorriqueña
of the United States?
Revolutionaries and You,"
"Los revolucionarios intergalácticos y tú"
she's ready to show off her strength,
estaba lista para mostrar su poder:
her portal-punching skills,
from her right away.
ese mecanismo de protección.
and I changed up her location
because that is what college is like,
es lo que ocurre en la universidad,
to be alone for long,
estuviera sola por mucho tiempo,
gone totally wrong,
que le salió mal,
de batalla con los X-Men.
was my mentor,
Kelly Brown Douglas,
needed one, too.
también necesitaría uno.
America Chavez than Storm,
para América Chávez que Tormenta,
members of the X-Men?
más poderosos de los X-Men?
how to quiet her mind
a calmar su mente
she opens up the dimensions,
consigue abrir otras dimensiones,
silence and deep reflection
el silencio y la reflexión profunda
but with Storm's encouragement,
con la motivación de Tormenta
el mundo que la rodea,
una profunda vulnerabilidad.
loved me enough
que me quisieron lo suficiente
myself and my ancestors,
a mí misma y a mis ancestros.
how do you even know what that means?
siquiera lo que significa eso?
of my people in college.
no la aprendí en la universidad.
sitting on my grandmother's lap
sentada en el regazo de mi abuela
aquí y a los que se quedaron en la isla.
and everyone still left on the island.
a grandma on America Chavez,
que llegar de sorpresa una abuela,
a big, strong, luchador grandma,
una abuela luchadora, grande y fuerte,
to take her to the ancestral plain,
que la llevara al Plano Ancestral
could see the history of her people
viera la historia de su gente
and her mom flee.
y a su madre cuando huyen.
that they experience
accepts them openly
las recibió con los brazos abiertos
met with even greater compassion,
recibieron una gran compasión,
the tremendous strength of her family.
queer kids of color
los otros jóvenes 'queer' de color
because you will find the pieces there.
y allí conseguirás las respuestas.
is not a pass to duck,
no te da derecho a aislarte,
lands in World War II
a la Segunda Guerra Mundial,
lo hizo en 1941,
to punch Nazis in 2018.
continuaría combatiendo nazis en el 2018.
kind of wrecks her a little bit,
justificado la afecta un poco,
with her best friend,
con su mejor amiga
and they go on a road trip
y juntas viajan por la carretera
at the top of their lungs.
"Just a Girl" de No Doubt .
and almost kills America ...
y casi mata a América...
that healing, that gives her the fuel
lo que le da la energía
and having to be tough ...
sola y tienes que ser fuerte...
una verdadera supeheroína
to help her find herself.
la apoye para encontrarse a sí misma.
that is rooted in compassion
enraizada en la compasión,
in justice and liberation.
la justicia y la liberación.
and vulnerability meet strength
la debilidad y la fuerza se encuentran
something majestic,
mucho mejor, algo majestuoso
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Gabby Rivera - WriterGabby Rivera is a Bronx-born, queer Latinx writer.
Why you should listen
Gabby Rivera is the author of AMERICA, the debut solo series for America Chavez, Marvel's first queer Latina superhero.
Rivera's critically acclaimed debut novel Juliet Takes a Breath was called "f*cking outstanding" by Roxane Gay and will be published in hardcover for the first time in fall 2019. Rivera has also written in the Lumberjanes universe for Boom! Studios. Her latest short story, "O.1," can be found in Victor LaValle's upcoming anthology A People's Future of the United States. She is currently working on her next novel.
When not writing, Rivera speaks at events across the country on her experiences as a queer Puerto Rican from the Bronx, an LGBTQ youth advocate and on the importance of centering joy in narratives as Latinx people and people of color.
Gabby Rivera | Speaker | TED.com