April 2020 to April 2021 brought so much expansion to Latinx Parenting and there is so much gratitude for it. Our team grew and our website needed to catch up with this expansion too. In March 2021 our Community Partnership Coordinator, and also photographer, Karissa Raya, photographed 7 families for our branded media and new website relaunch. It was our first project like this and we look forward to our next familias photoshoot one day!
Here’s what some of the parents had to share about their experience:
Everyone did a fabulous job in creating a safe space (physically, emotionally, etc.) wherein we could remain present and share our lives with you. I am grateful that my daughter and I were able to participate in this experience with you. It gave us an opportunity to create new memories while reflecting on our past. I was also very proud to show my little one how powerful Latinx women are and how she can continue to use her voice and claim her space in our world. Seeing the world through her eyes reminds me how much representation matters. Muchísimas gracias!
—Alva Alvarez
It was a wonderful and warm experience. We have never had our family photos taken ever so we were all very excited.
—Heidi Lopez-Seid
“It starts with the matriarch of the family; my mother Isabel; she came to this country in hopes of providing a better education for her Deaf children. I am the last of seven children and growing up with my family, mostly Deaf; it was definitely an experience I wouldn’t trade. My illiterate mother made sure with her limited experience in this country that we had everything we needed. With her hard work, she accomplished it! I admit I was a typical teenager living the rebellious American lifestyle and in hindsight didn’t accept where I came from; dealing with many identity issues from wanting to be Deaf like my family, to questioning who I am as a Chicana. I really look up to my mother and forgive her for her upbringing which reflected a lot on how she raised us. It really puts everything into perspective on how I raise my girls, and admire the very hands that made our tortillas, boiled our frijoles, charred our salsa to caressing my hair, and giving me the perseverance to push forward. Ama, you are my world and I can’t express enough how much I value you; Siempre eres mi reina. Te amo!”
—Zornoza-Garcia Family
“She is a fierce social advocate and is quick to advocate for others when needed. She has a voice and she is unapologetic about it. Through her I see the child I was unable to be when I was growing up and I applaud her and encourage her as much as I can. She makes me a better version of myself. We now live with my parents and I often find myself re-parenting my parents and myself because I do not want her to grow up with the same hurtful cycles I grew up in.”
—Alva on her daughter Emma
Alva and Emma looking through Alva’s quinceañera album for the first time together. It was such a precious moment to see the laughs, hear the stories and the details as Alva remembers them.
Our immediate family consists of myself and my two boys, Héctor (13 yo) and Mateo (9 yo). Their father and I separated 5 years ago and the divorce was finalized in 2018. It has been a difficult journey learning to be a single mother while working full time and being the sole provider for my boys and also completing a master’s program in the process. We have gone through many ups and downs but are working through them and trying to explore different ways for our family to bond and grow stronger.
Silvia
We hope you can feel the intention and love through these photos. You can Karissa’s website here: www.olivelavida.com and if you’re local to Orange County, California she is available for hire!
