"Don’t let the fear stop you."
From Escaping a Civil War to Building Legacies: Ada’s Inspirational Journey
I first met Ada at a time when I was incredibly sick. At the hospital, they referred me to her for physical therapy. She made it possible for me to get the treatment and care that I needed. I’m grateful that Ada has touched not only my life but countless others as well.
In the quiet corners of Guatemala, where dreams blossomed amidst the challenges of civil unrest, a young Ada envisioned a future as a doctor. Her parents’ pharmacy, a beacon of hope for the less fortunate, ignited her passion for serving her community.
ADA: I had dreams. Growing up, I wanted to be a doctor and help poor people in my country. That was always my dream. Become a doctor and then go and serve in small towns and villages and help people. I saw my mom doing that. She was a nurse and she was helping people and I helped her help them and I always wanted to do that.
However, fate had other plans.
Forced to flee her homeland at the age of 16, Ada faced the harsh reality of the Civil War’s shadows casting doubt on her dreams. Accused falsely, she had to make the agonizing choice of leaving behind everything she held dear. Guatemala’s landscapes were exchanged for the unknown journey to the United States.
ADA: I still remember that day. And I left my country on October 20th. And I never wanted to leave my country. I always wanted to be a doctor. My parents had a pharmacy and I used to work with them, helping poor people providing health services for them. Unfortunately, it was the time of the Civil War and I had to run away because the guerillas were recruiting young people and my family was falsely accused of supporting the guerillas. And so they gave me time to leave my country or they were going to arrest me.
Arriving speaking limited English, Ada faced the daunting task of building a future in a land of opportunities that seemed distant. Overcoming the initial shock, she taught herself how to speak English and run her own business.
ADA: I always dream big things. And when I got here somebody told me, "If you want to make money, you have to go clean houses." And I started cleaning houses. I started cleaning houses, and I remember crying when I was cleaning houses. Nothing wrong with that job, but I grew up in a different environment that I had to get an education.
So after I was working as a housekeeper, I decided to build my own cleaning company. That was my first business. I was able to hire six people, and I was so excited to create jobs for other people—for other Latinos like me.
In her mid-30s, Ada decided to rewrite her story. Despite the expectations of society, she pursued education, obtaining her GED and eventually transferring to CSUN. From there, her trajectory took an unexpected turn when depression loomed over her life.
ADA: I think what triggered my depression was the overwhelm, but at the same time I was unable to overcome everything that I went through when I was very young, a little girl. I was kidnapped too when I was 16 years old. And I never... In Latino families, sometimes we don't talk about that. We don't talk about what happened. And I think I never was able to overcome that situation. And when I got overwhelmed with my work, with my being a boss, being a wife, being a mother, the fear that I have that not being a good mother, I think that triggered my depression.
Amidst the struggles of being a mother, wife, student, and entrepreneur, Ada found solace in massage therapy, a turning point that marked the end of her reliance on medication.
“The reason I became a massage therapist is because massage therapy saved my life.”
Suffering from chronic depression, Ada was encouraged to undergo massages and aromatherapy. She quickly realized she didn’t need the medication anymore. That’s when her dreams started to take a different route. Now she had a better idea of what people needed and how to help them. Ada became a licensed massage therapist, a business she continues today.
In 2008, during the recession, Ada co-founded “Mujeres Activas en el Comercio Hispano,” a nonprofit empowering Latinas in business and education. The organization, which closed its doors this year, helped more than 450 Latinos get their GEDs and—in particular—helped hundreds Latinas to improve their businesses. These efforts reflect Ada’s commitment to giving back.
Today, Ada is on a mission to establish a nonprofit focused on providing oncology therapies for cancer patients. Her dream extends to creating a haven in Tehachapi, CA, where rustic cabins will be a healing space for cancer patients and their families. She continues to run her own business Kur - Mobile Massage and Spa, provide for her family, and lead as an inspiration for other women, especially other Latinas.
ADA: I always say, "What is my why today? Why do I get up?" And my why is to leave a legacy for my family, for the people coming after me. That if my grandma did it, I can do it.
And I just want to leave them inspiration to continue their lives and never give up. It's not a competition. We don't compete with anybody, but we have to keep going. We have to keep going.
Propina
If you are interested in Ada’s massage therapy services, please visit her website.
[This essay is part of an ongoing series, De La Nada, generously sponsored by the Center for Cultural Power.]
