First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream

Honduran Ecuadorian writer and creator of @NuevaYorka, Hoppe draws on her past and present to chronicle her story as the first in her immigrant family to openly share her experiences with generational trauma, substance-use disorder, and recovery. Narrating her own story, Hoppe relays the intimate details of her life and the lives of her loved ones. She describes her parents’ struggles upon immigrating to the States, drawing parallels to her own trauma and path toward alcohol dependence. After years of masking her addiction and denying its existence, she chose to confront her issues, finding help through Alcoholics Anonymous and beginning a journey to sobriety. As she worked through the 12-step process, Hoppe learned about her family’s history of addiction and embraced the experiences that shaped her. Although she expresses the difficulties of encountering abuse, racism, and family secrets, she candidly acknowledges the role her failures and insecurities played in her addiction.