Dulce Candy on Self-Love: I've Learned to Love the Little Girl I Used to Be, and Who I Am Today"

On her immigration from Michoacán, Mexico, to the United States: "When I was 6, my dad hired coyotes to help us cross the border. I still remember that night. We went to this supersketchy hotel with fleas on the bed. Then the coyote took us up to the roof to brief us on what we were about to do. We saw people getting caught, so we had to wait a few hours before we could go. After we climbed the fence, I just remember running and ducking behind rocks. A coyote carried me on his shoulders through the Rio Grande. Then we snuck into an open garage and rested there for a few hours before moving on. I wasn't scared. For me, it just seemed like an adventure. It must've been so hard for my mom, yet she always put on a brave face and acted as if it was normal."

On her struggles as a teenager: "Though my mom always told me I was beautiful, I didn't feel it. All my clothes were from Goodwill, and I had braces. Between my teeth, brown skin, and textured hair, I never had anyone to relate to. I was 14 when I first attempted suicide. I was talking with a boy over the phone, and the moment he saw me in person, he broke up with me. It made me feel so ugly, and when I got home, I took as many ibuprofen as I could find and drank a bottle of cough syrup. It didn't work, but I tried to hurt myself other times too. I had zero self-worth — I thought things would never be better. If I could go back, I'd tell my younger self that she's beautiful and worthy. I've learned to love the little girl I used to be, and who I am today."