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go back to their country."
"That hurt so much and I started crying," Rojas said. "I asked
my mom, 'Why did we have to come to a place where they
don't like us?'"
Rojas said Hispanic people have become more accepted and
welcomed in Montgomery in recent years. There are now many
living in the city, including Dominicans, Colombians, Cubans
and Puerto Ricans.
"Thankfully, Montgomery has become more diverse," Rojas
said. "I think we all deserve respect, whether we're Black,
white or Hispanic, and I'm starting to see that here. We need
to be patient and kind and try to understand where the other
person is coming from."
Rojas said she is grateful to her parents because they
encouraged her to reach for the stars.
"They showed us that we can do better and be better," Rojas
said. "That was the whole reason they came to the States. They
were hard on me and my sisters because they didn't want us to
go through everything they had gone through. They raised us
as independent women."
Rojas said her ability to help people is what drives her to
come to work at Alabama Power every day.
"Sometimes people are going through hard times, especially
during this pandemic," Rojas said. "Just hearing the happiness
in their voice when I'm able to help them or answer their
questions motivates me to continue. Hearing their happy voice
is what brings me joy."
By Carla Davis
Rojas often sells baked Dominican pastries at
Sabor Latino, her sister's restaurant.
