Amanda MarsalisCamila Cabello opens up to Glamour magazine about her journey from Cuba to America when she was just six years old. In a joint interview with her mother, Sinuhe Estrabao, she recalls leaving everything behind, taking just a single backpack of belongings and starting a new life in Miami.
“In Cuba there were days in class where we would just watch cartoons. We weren’t learning. But when I came to the U.S., it was like: homework,” Camila says. “A lot of things were suddenly so different — being at a new school without my friends, I didn’t speak the language, and I missed my dad.”
Camila’s mom, an architect, brought them to the U.S. because opportunities were limited in Cuba. Camila’s father eventually joined them a year-and-a-half later and her parents later started a construction business together.
Camila says her upbringing is currently inspiring her new music. “Right now I’m in the process of writing about our whole journey,” she tells Glamour. “I want to make a love song for immigrants.”
She adds that she wants to get rid of the negative connotation around the word “immigrant” and inspire other young girls who dream of coming to America.
“I want to be what people think of when they think of America — a person who, no matter what her first language was or what her religion is, can see her dreams come to life if she works hard enough,” Camila says.
And speaking of new music, Camila has been working with OneRepublic‘s Ryan Tedder. Ryan confirmed they’re collaborating in a video posted on Twitter. He captioned it, “Studio moments of musical genius with Camila Cabello.”
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