120: The American Dream From a First-Gen Central American Perspective

YES MUJER BUILD IT

YES MUJER BUILD IT
120: The American Dream From a First-Gen Central American Perspective
Dec 17, 2025 Season 1 Episode 120
Wendy Amara

This episode is a special repost from The American Dream: In the Eyes of Immigrants podcast, hosted by Heidy De La Cruz, where I was invited to share my story, my roots, and the work I do around healing, identity, and alignment.

In this conversation with Heidy, I open up about growing up as a first-generation daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, how my upbringing shaped my worldview, and why inner work became the foundation of everything I teach today.

I talked about:

  • Growing up in the San Fernando Valley as a first-gen daughter of Guatemalan parents
  • How my parents’ immigration story shaped my identity, values, and sense of pride
  • Experiencing life between cultures and what it taught me about belonging
  • Visiting Guatemala often, and how seeing real poverty changed my definition of wealth
  • Being raised with great pride in my Guatemalan and Mayan roots
  • Doing “everything right” on paper and still feeling unfulfilled
  • My journey through anxiety, depression, ADHD, and learning to slow down
  • Discovering transformational coaching and how it changed my life
  • Why our generation is often the first with the privilege to heal
  • How I support Latinas through coaching, group programs, and community
  • Why I don’t teach hustle, but instead focus on self-trust, inner wisdom, and being work
  • My honest perspective on the American Dream and why I believe we get to define our own version of wealth

This episode is an honest, expansive conversation about immigration, identity, healing, and choosing a life that honors where you come from and where you’re going.

🎙️ Originally aired on: The American Dream: In the Eyes of Immigrants podcast
🔗 Listen on: Spotify
🔗 Watch on: YouTube
🎧 Hosted by Heidy De La Cruz
💛 Reposted here with love and permission from the original show

Connect with Wendy:
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