Two months before her fourth birthday, Ardinely, “Lenny,” Tamarez found herself in America, without any concept of
this new land, or its golden promises. She was surrounded by strangers who told her they were family, and hundred of miles away from the family and land she had bonded with in the Dominican Republic. Lenny’s aunt, Zobeida, remembers the first night she spent in New England, saying, “no podia dejar de llorar.” “She couldn’t stop crying.”
That first night in America for Lenny was strange. In a matter of hours, she met her father. Victor Manuel Tamarez had been living in America, working odd restaurant and manufacturing jobs since the time Lenny was born. He managed to save up enough money to send for his only daughter. The family thought it would be best for the little girl to get used to her new surroundings before calling her mother… but the little girl thought otherwise. It would be a matter of hours before Lenny, a four year old, teary eyed toddler, convinced the adults in the house, that her mother was her only comfort.
Lenny’s home in the Dominican Republic is typical. Her family lives in the American equivalent of southern Georgia— a deeply patriotic, rural area. It is also an area with little to no educational resources. Her mother, Bethany, owns a bodega (corner store) on the street Lenny called home. She was hesitant to send her daughter to shores beyond her reach, but the reality of her situation called on her to do the impossible. The average monthly income for Lenny’s family in the Dominican Republic was roughly $300 (USD). This was not enough to send Lenny to a school that would prepare her for university. It was barely enough to sustain the bodega.
Since coming to the U.S, Lenny has fallen in love with learning. She’s bilingual, and takes pride in knowing all the words of Drakes, “In My Feelings.” She loves listening to hip-hop because, “they talk so fast, and I try to catch up with them.” Lenny recently picked up a basketball, and when she isn’t writing in her unicorn journal, she’s usually shooting hoops. She is as competitive in her rhymes as she is on the basketball court.
In the video, you hear her counting from one-ten in Spanish and English. She still doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up... but she likes the idea of being a teacher!
