Mike de la Rocha '00

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A book by Mike de la Rocha '00, "Sacred Lessons: Teaching My Father How to Love," is set to be released on June 3. In it, "de la Rocha explores how inherited definitions of manhood profoundly impacted his ability to connect with his father, his family and, ultimately, himself, inviting readers on a transformative journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and love.

"Through his story, de la Rocha reflects on his father’s legacy as a beloved professor who impacted tens of thousands of students, yet struggled to teach his own son how to be emotionally vulnerable. Reflecting on the most important relationships in his life, the author explores the difficulty in communicating with his father and loved ones — a byproduct of a toxic culture that prohibits men from truly expressing themselves, and purposely doesn’t teach men how to give and receive love. Through these stories, we see how trauma is passed on intergenerationally and how to find ways to stop the cycle of harm. In the end, both de la Rocha and his father teach each other the greatest lesson of all: the sacredness of the love between a father and a son."

de la Rocha earned his bachelor's degrees in Chicano and Chicana studies and American literature and culture.