Overall, this poetic collection touches on cultural identity, human struggle and womanhood. The meaning behind the title portrays that brown girls are much more than any negativity surrounding us. Ramroop’s tone sends the message that brown girls should put themselves first and take the time to realize self-worth. “We Used to Waitress,” is a great body of work and is a must-have in every brown girl’s collection of great reads.
~ EXCERPT FROM BOOK REVIEW BY NATALIA SURUJNATH PUBLISHED IN BROWN GIRL MAGAZINE, APRIL 15, 2021.
JIHAN RAMROOP, born in Queens, New York, is an Indo-Caribbean American poet, playwright, and actress. Daughter of Guyanese immigrant parents, she was raised in Fort Pierce, Florida, and Georgetown, Guyana. She graduated in Theatre and Performance at the Purchase College of the State University of New York (SUNY). We Used to Waitress, published in 2020, is her first collection of poetry. She lives in upstate New York.
Photo by Em Hampton published on the Poet's Website.