Lourdes waiting for some delicious food.
Lourdes Sierra is no stranger to the world of immigration law. Though she is currently our part-time bookkeeper, Lourdes has many years of experience as a paralegal at immigration law firms. She previously worked at Avirom & Associates, where Protima, Lizzie B, and Matt Bray also started their careers, and Spar Bernstein Lewis LLP, a large firm in Manhattan. Even now, along with her bookkeeping duties, she works two days a week at a small firm in White Plains where she focuses on family immigration.
She was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in the Bronx. She says her parents were very protective of their children growing up, and they played a lot of indoor games. “We broke a lot of walls,” she says. To her mom, who is from the countryside in Puerto Rico, coming to New York was a shock. “To this day, she won’t get on the subway by herself,” Lourdes says. “She only does buses.”
Lourdes has three daughters. The oldest works in the medical field in Pennsylvania; Stephanie, who previously worked at the firm as a paralegal (we still miss her!), is studying nursing at NYU; her youngest daughter is a student at Sarah Lawrence College. “I made sure that these girls got an education so they can support themselves. It’s important. I was very strict when it came to school work.”
Her loyalty to New York City was only briefly tested when she moved to Maryland after her husband got a job there. Like a true New Yorker, she doesn’t drive, and so she found the lack of public transportation to be a problem, but still she enjoyed the outdoors, nature, and change of pace from New York City. She returned after a couple years and expects to remain in New York until she eventually moves to Puerto Rico. “I would like to retire there,” she says and laughs. “If that day ever comes.”
Questions taken from and/or inspired by the Proust/Inside the Actors Studio/Bernard Pivot/AnOther Magazine questionnaires.
What is your favorite word?
Love.
What is your least favorite word?
Can’t.
What turns you off?
Bad smells.
What sound or noise do you love?
My granddaughter’s laugh.
What sound or noise do you hate?
Sirens.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Private investigator or lawyer.
What is your idea of happiness?
Sitting on a sunny breezy day on a porch in a house in Puerto Rico.
If not yourself, who would you be?
Julia Roberts.
Where would you like to live?
Somewhere south or Puerto Rico.
What is your favorite film?
Pretty Woman.
Who are your heroes in real life?
My daughters.
What would your last meal be?
Yellow Rice, beans, and stew pork chops.
What do you hate the most?
Bullying.
What natural talent would you like to be gifted with?
Singing.
How do you wish to die?
In my sleep.
What is your present state of mind?
Stressed.
What are you thinking of right now?
About my trip to Puerto Rico.
What makes you laugh?
Hearing my granddaughter laugh.
What makes you cry?
Sad movies, books.
What do you consider to be the greatest invention?
Video chatting.
What is your proudest achievement in life?
Raising my daughters as a single mom.
What do you most like about the age we live in?
Diversity.
Whatʼs the best advice youʼve been given?
Listen to your gut.
What is the biggest risk youʼve ever taken?
Moving to Maryland.
What is your earliest childhood memory?
The birth of my sister.
If you could wish for one change in the world what would it be?
No more crime.