Erika Vazquez-Aguilar was born in the border town of San Luis, Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico in 1972. She migrated to the United States with her mother and younger brother at the age of 11. For the first two years in the United States she was placed in ESL classes to learn the English language. Those first two years were the most miserable school years of her life as she experienced teasing and bullying by some of her peers because she seemed different to them. She began writing poetry while in high school, yet did not develop as a writer until after she took Spanish Literature classes while completing her Bachelor's Degree. Her poetry is a reflection of her environment and the reaction it provokes within her. Erika currently lives in Yuma, AZ with her husband Francisco, and her children, Kamyla and Keilem.
