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Philanthropy 2023! Empowering organizations in Arecibo, Puerto Rico!

Offerings include: Empowerment Workshops, Speaking Events, Group Coaching, and Book Readings.

GORDITA'S WAY: PHILANTHROPY FOR PUERTO RICO COMING FEBRUARY 2023

Help Gordita's Way become a philathropy in February 2023

Help Gordita's Way become a philathropy in February 2023👇

Puerto Rico Fundraiser: Philanthropy Project 2023

For my 30th birthday celebration and with your support, Gordita's Way will officially be a philanthropy. With the help of family and the team, we have selected 3 schools in Arecibo to help with hurricane relief efforts and school supplies. Photos and documentation will be posted to all social media platforms on February 2023!

Felicia Hernandez is an author, speaker, and the founder of Gordita’s Way, a movement that aims to challenge the intersection of Latinx culture, complexities of diet culture, and fight for body acceptance. Felicia's mission through her writings and teachings is to help women find their purpose. She began her personal journey of self-love and finding herself over 10 years ago. She transformed from a teen girl feeling insecure in herself and her place in the world to a confident woman unapologetic for all parts of herself and running her own enterprise. You can connect to her inspiring stories and transformation tools through her book, blogs, and workshops. Felicia's autobiographical book Gordita's Way is available on Amazon.

#VIVAGORDITA CAMPAIGN

Collaborations and Workshops

Limpieza workshops coming in the Spring of 2023

WHat is "Gordita"

Most of you are probably wondering, why in the world did you use the word ‘gordita’? Let me start off by saying that ‘gordita’ is used as an endearing term. It probably sounds insulting to anybody who isn’t Latino. ‘Gordita’ literally translates to “little fat one” or “little pudgy one.” Across various Latinx cultures, ‘gordita’ is used as a form of affection. It’s almost like saying, “little cutie.” Similarly, my Puerto Rican family used it affectionately. It was extremely hard to grasp that concept when I was a child. Anything associated with the word “fat” irritated my soul. Today, I have fully embraced and come to love this word. It exemplifies something radical and something beautiful. Through accepting this term, this concept, I have decolonized my mind by embracing the innermost part of myself. I have fully embraced my curves, body type, and all my imperfections. Through self-acceptance alone, we can deconstruct a diet culture by challenging and breaking societal norms. Be BOLD and unapologetic.

‘Gordita’ demonstrates something that is not widely accepted in our society, but it is embraced (in a distinct way) across Latin America. Let’s be real: Our society is becoming more conscious and capitalizing off the body positivity by hopping on the bandwagon, but are they really showing love to my sisters with a little more carnita on the huesos? When I started this movement as body positive blogger in December of 2017, Social media and societal platforms were slowly getting on board with this curvy love and body positive attitude, but there was still a lot of work that needs to be done. Today, you see mainstream media and a lot of goddesses embracing bigger bodies, however, when I started that was not the case and today, bigger bodied women still face body shaming and discrimination. HELLO, that’s why I’m started the “Gordita’s Way” movement! “Gordita’s Way” means my personal take; my way! Get it? I’m gordita, and I am breaking it down to you from my perspective. Fasten your seatbelts! I am about to dismantle our diet culture real quick!

What significance has 'gordita' had to me personally?

Gordita’ is a term that has followed me around throughout my whole life. Even as a young child, I had that little full figure that my overprotective parents and older brothers would trip about! Whenever a family member would introduce me to someone new, they would squeeze my cheek and say “Que linda la gordita” (what a cute chubby/thick girl). Thinking back on how that word irritated my soul as a young girl, I can almost hear every syllable being emphasized: GOR-DI-TA. I would reluctantly look at my ice cream cone as a child and sigh. I wanted to be thinner and forsake those God-given curves that I was blessed with. Now, what ‘gordita’ means to me is living and loving every single part of myself. Gordita’s Way serves a purpose to encourage all my thick figured womyn to embrace & love every aspect of themselves. This movement has absolutely no room for photoshop; y’all are going to see it all, unapologetically. Even though I am still a product of a society that does not fully embrace full-figured womyn, I have to be transparent when I have these self-inflicting thoughts. Wake up, stare in that mirror, & quote all the empowering “I” statements that you can. You are wonderful just the way you are. One rule that I live by; never skip a Monday workout, and never regret the last meal you ate!

Intersectionality for a 2nd generation Boricua gordita

As a proud second generation Boricua, it’s especially difficult navigating the complexities of body image and expectations in both Latino and American cultures. There are aspects of my Latina identity that encourage me to embrace my body and all of its voluptuousness; yet, the “Americanized” me recognizes a desire to be thinner. When I was younger, I internalized those contradictions on an almost daily basis. Even as a grown ass womyn, you have to put a halt to any self-sabotaging thoughts. Both Latinx and American cultures have perpetuated unrealistic body expectations. Latinx cultures adore a womyn with a big butt, thick thighs, & tiny waist, while American culture embraces an unrealistic Body Mass Index (BMI) that was made for skinny ass people. I’ll pick my battles for today and save destroying the concept of BMI for another day. Both of these cultural differences are not entirely body positive.Therefore, there is still a lot of work to do for the “Gordita’s Way” movement to take off. By understanding the intersectionality of our backgrounds we can challenge these destructive social norms and embrace health and wellness from a cultural and spiritual aspect, not a physical one.

Nicknames such as ‘gordita’ have been influenced by Latino humor. When you are a member of a Latino household, you grow up with two qualities: humor and tough ass skin! Everyone has a nickname, even the dogs do! It may seem shocking that words such as ‘gordo’ or ‘gordita’ are used to express forms of affection. It may even be perceived as offensive to non-latinx folks. I had several of my non-Latino friends ask, “Feli, why did you pick that name for your book?” Ahhhhh, and this is where the enlightening body positivity conversation begins. Embrace “Gordita’s Way,” find your inner happiness, and challenge every fat-phobic comment that comes out of anyone’s mouth. Who knows, you might even find humor in the conversation and laugh!