judith ortíz cofer was born to jesus lugo ortíz and fanny morot in hormigueros, puerto rico, on february 24, 1952. she moved to paterson, new jersey with her family in 1956. morot( her mother) gave birth to judith ortíz cofer when she was fifteen years old..t hey believed they would have more opportunities for young parents in america. despite lugo’s (her father) passion for working in a university, he left school and joined the u.s. navy. later, he was assigned to panama when his daughter was born. he met judith ortiz cofer for the first time two years later. her family’s move from puerto rico to new jersey influenced her writing.