Former Intern & Marketing Director, Now GSP Author & Advisor
ABOUT
Chelsea DeBarros is a proud first-generation American of Guyanese heritage, with ancestral roots in India and Portugal. Born and raised in Little Guyana, a vibrant community in Queens, New York, she grew up navigating the complexities of balancing American and Guyanese cultures. Chelsea’s multicultural upbringing deeply shaped her career path and strengthened her passion for fostering inclusive environments.
Chelsea began her academic journey at Hillcrest High School before continuing to Hofstra University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Sociology. In May 2022, she graduated cum laude from Hofstra University and was inducted into Alpha Kappa Delta in recognition of her distinguished academic achievement in sociology. During her time at Hofstra, Chelsea conducted anthropological research on the undocumented Guyanese community in Queens, examining the identity negotiations and aspirations of American-born children of immigrants. This work echoed themes she had encountered in her studies of American history—particularly the ideals of self-reliance, independence, and ingenuity—and strengthened her commitment to amplifying underrepresented stories.
Her passion for community and storytelling led her to Giant Steps Press (GSP), where she worked as an intern, editing manuscripts and interviewing authors. Chelsea also developed marketing strategies for GSP’s books before transitioning to graduate studies in education. She continues to advise GSP on marketing and community outreach, aiming to empower individuals to embrace their full identity.
Currently, Chelsea is working on her in-progress non-fiction book, Backtrack Journeys: Life of the Undocumented in Little Guyana, which seeks to highlight the stories of undocumented Guyanese individuals in Queens and explore how they navigate their identities in America. The book aims to inspire young people to be their authentic selves, embracing all facets of their heritage.
In her professional life, Chelsea has pursued a career in education and is currently a Special Education Teacher and IEP Case Manager at a Title I school in South Ozone Park. She earned her Master of Science in Teaching Students with Disabilities Degree at Touro University. Her work in education, combined with her personal experiences as a child of immigrant parents and her advocacy for cultural understanding, has solidified her commitment to promoting equity, inclusion, and innovation within the classroom and beyond.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Veda Persaud, a college graduate, escapes terror in Guyana, where her father is viciously murdered by racist bigots, and successfully builds a career in America. She meets and marries Gabriel Lopes, a black market tradesman who struggles for US citizenship after first getting exploited by the FBI and then by his legal counsel. Challenged on every front, Gabriel puts his energy into his job as a truck driver. Unlike his peers who doubted him, Gabriel learns the trade and makes a decent living. Together, Veda and Gabriel have Carly Lopes, the family’s first American-born female child. Veda’s cousin, and Gabriel’s best friend, Jal Sukhram, a free spirit working as a waiter on a cruise ship, disembarks in Miami on a whim. He has no visa, and by the time he makes it to New York, his savings are gone. After dreadful work as a tailor in a cramped sweatshop, he re-creates himself as a licensed chauffeur, a job that makes him fulfilled. Experiencing in one another the virtues of self-reliance, independence, ingenuity, and fortitude, these three undocumented Guyanese individuals come to discover just how American they really are at the core of their identity.
FEATURES
- Chelsea Debarros: A young and inspiring author – Guyana Chronicle
- Undocumented Journeys (@backtrackjourneys) • Instagram photos and videos
- GSP author Chelsea Debarros reflects on Guyana… – Giant Steps Press | Facebook
- Backtrack Journeys blogger & GSP intern… – Giant Steps Press | Facebook
- The term “backtrack” is widely… – Journey through the Generations | Facebook
- Taking Giant Steps: Join the Giant Steps Press Team!
- Taking Giant Steps: Inside the New York State Training School for Girls with Tobi Jacobi and Laura Rogers by Chelsea Debarros
- Taking Giant Steps: Giant Steps Press December 2022 Newsletter
- Taking Giant Steps: Unacceptable Rules Made to Be Broken: Interview with Jim Cohn by Chelsea Debarros
- Taking Giant Steps: Learning How to Work GSP’s Design-Your-Own Internship by Chelsea DeBarros
- Taking Giant Steps: Equal Opportunity: This Campus Was Made for You and Me by Chelsea DeBarros
VIDEO FEATURES
GET IN TOUCH
Please check out the first three chapters of Chelsea’s book here: Chelsea’s Site, and follow her book writing adventure on Facebook and Instagram to remain updated on her book writing progress and the book’s debut.
