What would you do if you had to move what felt like a world away? That’s the question Julia Alvarez had to ask herself when she fled from her home country of the Dominican Republic. After her fathers failed attempt to overthrow the government, she and her family had moved to the United states where she grew up to be a writer and inspired people across the States.

Julia Alvarez began writing in 1991 and published a unique story “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents”, a book about the immigrant struggle and how hard it is to blend in an entirely new environment. It was well received and helped shine a light on issues not widely talked about. She continued to write books with similar tones like In the Time of the Butterflies; however, Julia Alvarez’s popularity wasn’t just growing with immigrants, it was also growing among young girls. Her relatability is because Julia Alvarez was a young woman growing up and when these books were published. Seeing a woman writer during the 90s was rare, so her work was inspiring to many. She was so important as a role model, Mattel made a Barbie doll based off her. 

While I don’t have the Barbie doll, she’s inspired me. I too am an immigrant from Syria to the U.S and seeing someone, who went through a similar situation, become so successful is inspiring. She even received medals from the president which can serve as a big motivation.

Julia Alvarez has become a role model for millions because of her work, people of all different backgrounds have read her stories. Hopefully future generations will also do so down the line.