Diego 'Yung Pueblo' Perez

I was really fortunate, you know, so I grew up in Boston and I grew up really poor. When I think about what my major trauma was, it was literally just struggling through poverty with my family. My mom, she worked cleaning houses. My dad, he worked at a supermarket. So we were stuck in a very classic American poverty trap. And

I was really fortunate. So I grew up in Boston and I grew up really poor. When I think about what my major trauma was, it was literally just struggling through poverty with my family. My mom, she worked cleaning houses. My dad, he worked at a supermarket. So we were stuck in a very classic American poverty trap.

I was fortunate to get connected with this youth organizing group called BYOP, and that was based in Boston. And what we did was basically just learn how to organize ourselves, literally bring people together around a common cause. And then we would go to different schools and ask students, what do you want to change about your school? And they would either focus on changing different policies or

I was fortunate to get connected with this youth organizing group called BYOP, and that was based in Boston. And what we did was basically just learn how to organize ourselves, literally bring people together around a common cause. And then we would go to different schools and ask students, what do you want to change about your school? And they would either focus on changing different policies.

One time we had a citywide campaign where we changed the guidance consular policy. Another citywide campaign where we helped all the young people in the city get free passes so that they can go to school. Because there were so many young people who were impoverished in the city of Boston that it costs money to take the transit system.

One time we had a citywide campaign where we changed the guidance counselor policy. Another citywide campaign where we helped all the young people in the city get free passes so that they can go to school. Because there were so many young people who were impoverished in the city of Boston that it costs money to take the transit system.

But it was really empowering to see if there's something that we want, we can organize around it and make it happen. And that was a great lesson to learn at 15, 16 years old.

Yeah, I think that was the interesting part. When I was in high school, growing up, the group that I was with, BYOP, we were constantly winning. We would win campaign after campaign and I internally still did not feel good. And when I went to university, when I got there, it...

really came to a head where growing up and being a part of that constant struggle, it was so challenging that I was oblivious to the fact that it was placing such big imprints on my mind. I was being so deeply imprinted with sadness, with anxiety, with a scarcity mindset, and I had no way of processing my emotions. This is a very pre-wellness world.

really came to a head where growing up and being a part of that constant struggle, it was so challenging that I was oblivious to the fact that it was placing such big imprints on my mind. I was being so deeply imprinted with sadness, with anxiety, with a scarcity mindset, and I had no way of processing my emotions. You know, this is a very pre-wellness world.

When I got to university, it was 2006 to 2010, and what I ended up doing was I could feel the tension in my body, but what I would try to do was, how can I avoid it as fast as possible? And the best way was to drink and to smoke and to do different drugs and just try to numb myself so that I wouldn't have to be aware of my own pain.

I was really fortunate that one of my best friends who I used to be crazy with, we were crazy together in college. He was traveling through India and did a silent 10 day meditation course. And he ended up writing an email to me and a few other friends all about love, compassion, and goodwill. And I was like shocked, you know, because this is the same person I used to party with all the time.

And now he's trying to talk to me about the importance of love and goodwill. But it was at such a good moment because I knew that I was done with the drugs. I wanted to build a new life for myself. I wanted to just reset my life and really focus on growing. And when I got to that silent 10-day course, it was... Very challenging. I found it quite difficult. It was the summer of 2012.

It was hard to like always be there because you're there, you're silent and you're feeling whatever's coming up. And I could feel the tension, the anxiety, all those things that I used to run away from. But I noticed that when the retreat was over, my mind felt lighter. undeniably lighter. And I was shocked by it. I was just like, is this real? Like, is this really, do I really feel better?

It was hard to like always be there because you're there, you're silent and you're feeling whatever's coming up. And I could feel the tension, the anxiety, all those things that I used to run away from. But I noticed that when the retreat was over, my mind felt lighter, undeniably lighter. And I was shocked by it. I was just like, is this real? Like, is this really, do I really feel better?

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