‘It was like being transported into México:’ How fólklorico is helping students connect with their roots

Members of Grupo Fólklorico Mexica help each other get ready for a dance performance. Photo by Natalie Hernandez.

Alondra Ordaz and other women from the Grupo Folklórico Mexica squeeze into the cramped teachers’ lounge at Minnie Gant Elementary in Long Beach, their makeshift dressing room for the day. 

They step into bright, colorful skirts, drape white lace shawls over their shoulders and take turns putting on different shades of red lipstick. With delicate hands, Ordaz helps place the braided yarn and ribbon tocados on their slicked back hair, pinning everything in place.

It’s 5 p.m. on a Friday and school is out but a crowd of students, parents and educators is beginning to swell outside at the school’s Latinx Heritage Month celebration.

One by one, the women walk out onto the blacktop toward the crowd, heads held high. The whispers of little girls in awe of the Disney princess lookalikes are drowned out by powerful gritos of encouragement and the sound of the zapateado before “El son de La Negra” begins to play.

Ordaz is president of the Grupo Folklórico Mexica at Cal State Long Beach, a cultural dance group that teaches traditional dances from the various regions of Mexico. While she wears this title proudly, she never realized the effect her dancing would have on her sense of identity.

At age 2, Ordaz moved with her mother to the U.S. from Purépero, Mexico, to reunite with her father in Moreno Valley. Here, she was teased for not knowing English and grew up with a distant memory of what her home country was like. She remembers the feeling in third grade, when her older cousin dragged her to dance folklórico at church.

“Once I stepped into the dance room, it was like being transported into México. Everyone was speaking Spanish. The songs were in Spanish, the dresses looked like the ones from México. That’s what I knew México was,” said Ordaz.

Similar to the many first-generation Latinos who have spent most of their lives in the U.S., Ordaz felt disconnected from her roots. She found herself searching for ways to understand her culture, traditions and relate to a country she knew very little about.

Now 21, Ordaz and the club’s student leaders teach baile folklórico to more than 25 students on campus twice a week. Under the hot sun in a concrete courtyard, they go over basic techniques such as zapateados and faldeos, and learn how the songs and dances differ across various regions in Mexico. For Ordaz, it’s been the answer to understanding more about her cultural identity and helping others to do the same.

“Folklórico has helped me find community by being able to share the space with other dancers who grew up with the same traditions as me,” Ordaz said. “[I’m] being surrounded [by] this environment where everyone is trying to learn more about their culture and is passionate about their roots.”

That sense of belonging and building community in a space that celebrates cultures is what attracted Marisol Novo to Grupo Folklórico Mexica.

The Cal State Long Beach sophomore, who was born in Altadena, says dancing has always been a big part of her life. But as a first-generation Latina of Mexican and Cuban descent, she found herself trying to figure out who she wanted to be.

“My mentality was I need to find a community and really find somewhere I can dance, and not really worry about homework, not worry about family problems, relationship problems,” said Novo, who now helps lead the folklórico group as vice president.

Navigating higher education as first- or second-generation college students can come with feelings of pressure and imposter syndrome. Eufemio Fernandez, ethnic and Chicanx/Latinx studies professor at Fullerton College, says clubs like Grupo Folklórico Mexica are providing students with that familiarity and connection they need to feel like they belong.

“Clubs are reinforcing what we already know and are creating a camaraderie, reaching out to others and creating positive stereotypes,” Fernandez said.

But for some, finding community can feel like a battle between blending in and embracing who they are.

That was the experience for Alejandra Yamile Veliz Ruan, who moved to the U.S. from Yahualica de Gonzalez Gallo, Mexico, at age 4. Ruan started dancing when she was about 8 but quit because she noticed kids around her were doing more “American” things.

“I just wanted to fit in more,” said Ruan. “It wasn’t that anyone told me anything, but in my mind no one else was doing it. So why am I doing it?”

Fernandez says this experience is common for kids who don’t see enough examples of representation and cultural appreciation around them. He says having an education that includes positive influences about your heritage is linked to the emotions one has about their culture. But while most learn about traditions and heritage at home, Fernadez says many are not exposed to the overall history of Latinos until they’re in college.

“When you are a young Latino and you are not reading about the great contributions we have made to this country, you can’t help but feel negative. If you are not reading about positive things, how can you feel positive about who you are or your history?” Fernandez said.

It took some time but Ruan learned to appreciate her culture. As soon as she got to Cal State Long Beach, she joined Grupo Folklórico Mexica. These days, she doesn’t seek approval from anyone to dance or be herself.

“Our communities are beautiful, our culture is so beautiful. We should embrace that, we shouldn’t feel ashamed or let anyone tell us that who we are is wrong. Or that we don’t belong in this country,” she said.

Ordaz agrees. For her, being a part of a group that unites and connects new generations with their roots through baile folklórico feels like an achievement.

“My ultimate goal is for them to feel proud of who they are,” Ordaz said. “To be proud to be a dancer, to be proud to be Mexicanos, to preserve the culture, and never let it go extinct.”

This story is part of a collaboration between De Los and DÍG en Español.

The Journey of a First-Generation Chicana Professor

Dr. Loretta Ramirez is a Chicano and Latino studies professor at CSULB. Photo by Dacne Moreno.

What gave Dr. Loretta Ramirez courage, strength and determination, was growing up with tough love from her grandfather.

Being first-generation while also being the very first person in her family to attend and graduate college, meant that her guidance was limited. When it came to planning out her career, she knew that it was up to her to explore her options which allowed her to look for her own pathway and that empowered her to push forward. 

 “I loved studying, it was hard for me to choose a major. I just had a lot of curiosity in myself. I definitely wanted to study culture,” Ramirez said.   

She knew that making an impact in her own community and culture was so important for not only her, but for future generations.

She is half Apachen and half Chicana so within her career she was searching for better representations while also aiming to be that change. 

“I wanted to hear the voices of Native American and Chicanas in particular,” she said. “I was tapping into students' desires to not be talked about, but to talk for themselves, that really launched my teaching career.”

Ramirez, now a professor at California State University, Long Beach, started off by studying anthropology at Stanford University. She loved studying about people, until she realized that the knowledge she was granted throughout her education was from an outside perspective.

After graduating with a Bachelors of Arts from Stanford University with a focus on political anthropology, she searched for better representation to hear from an internal perspective for a change. 

Ramirez’s inspiration came from her grandfather who enabled her curiosity and shaped her way of thinking to seek and find answers for herself.

Robert Warrior, a Native American professor, also inspired Ramirez to push and chase her curiosity. He pushed her to go find the evidence and not just be told the answers.

Within her career, Ramirez was able to earn an honorable amount of degrees. She earned her master's degree in English from Loyola Marymount University with a focus on creative writing and narrative theories, a master's degree in Art History from California State University, Long Beach with a focus on female patronage, devotional art from medieval Spain and a master's degree in English from the University of California, Irvine with a focus on Chicana rhetoric and critical composition pedagogy. Finally, she received a Ph.D. in English with a graduate certificate in visual studies. 

With writing, Ramirez is inspired by Cherrie Moraga, a Chicana writer from Los Angeles that teaches women like herself to tap into that confidence and to use their own voice.

When Ramirez first read Moraga’s books, she remembered hearing her own voice and thoughts within Moraga’s writing.

Throughout her professional career, Ramirez was influenced by several people, just as she has impacted many herself. Michelle Seales, a close friend and former colleague, commends Ramirez for her hard work, dedication and education.

Seales met Ramirez ten years ago and her favorite memories together are the conversations they have had about their roles as Latina women working in higher education, as well as talking about their travels and how they relate to their studies in art history.   

“[Ramirez] is just fantastic all the way around, she’s very professional in everything she does, she gets things done and is focused, “ said Seals. “The list is endless for Loretta because she is so determined.”

Valerie Cortez, a former student, admires Ramirez's teaching style. Cortez thanks Ramirez for encouraging her to become a better writer, giving her advice on how to apply to graduate school and helping her understand more about Latinx culture in general. 

“When I started to get to know Dr. Ramirez, she really served as an inspiration not only as a Latina, but as a woman,” Cortez said. “During the time when I was coming up, I didn’t have family to help me through that and Dr. Ramirez was the one who helped me through it all.” In 2020, Ramirez was awarded the “Scholars for the Dream Award” by the Conference on College Composition & Communication. Ramirez now wants to be the one to motivate her students after writing her first book and waiting for the release of her second.

Ramirez said that Chicana to her means “stripping down to many loyalties even though it is hard to draw the line.” Her challenge as a Chicana is to find those lines and prioritize her wellbeing and her time, but to also celebrate all of her loyalties and bonds to family, as well as other elements that she needs to juggle. 

“I do feel that it is a full life,” she said.

In the future she wishes to see more representation among her students.

“Chicanas are performing based on what they perceive as accepted by scholars or by our own communities, so it is really hard for us to find our voice," Ramirez said. 

Grupo Folklórico Mexcaltitán Keeps Culture and Dance Alive

Grupo Folklórico Mexcaltitán is celebrating the culture of Mexico from Inglewood. Photo by Alyssa De La Cruz.

The tradition of dancing remains in the culture of the Hispanic community. From the elegant walk of traditional dresses to the infectious rhythms of mariachi music, the Grupo Folklorico Mexcaltitán transports the audience to a world where history and art intertwine seamlessly.

Eleazar Rodarte, 62, a native of Nayarit, Mexico, has been dancing since his youth. He is now a dance instructor and co-founder of non-profit organization, Grupo Folklórico Mexcaltitán of Inglewood, California. 

Rodarte has deepened the passion and dedication that fuels this remarkable group, “shedding light on how to keep the spirit of Mexican folklore alive in a rapidly changing world.”

The group was founded in 1996 and its objective has been to spread the culture, history and traditions of Mexico through the use of traditional music and dance.

Grupo Folkòrico Mexcaltitán has participated in various presentations and on different stages within California. Some performances have been at festivals, conventions, private parties and local social events. 

Although Rodarte organized this group, his greatest support for this adventure was his late mother, Belén Vázquez Sánchez.

“She supported me and believed that I could do something with our culture,” Rodarte said.

But Rodarte has also hit an obstacle.

“There is no help within our community, especially in the world of folklore,” Rodarte said.

Graciela De La Cruz, 57, originally from Jalostotitlán, Mexico, has been the coordinator and treasurer of the event since early 2016.

De La Cruz decided to take this position since her nieces were in the group and needed help organizing. De La Cruz can't dance because she has polio, but that doesn't stop her from helping expand the group.

“Not being able to dance but still help from an outside perspective makes me love this group even more. Of course, I can't dance, but I know how Eleazar loves this group and it makes me happy to be part of this,” said De La Cruz.

There are a couple of events to plan, but she loves how the group gets others to recognize Mexican culture. De La Cruz also shared how although Rodante is trying to expand this group and the beauty of it, she still doesn't like it to be seen as a “gift to Mexican culture.”

“He is simply trying to make others see the beauty of Mexican culture, he is not trying to steal the show from his real artists because they are the ones who allow him to show the culture to others,” De La Cruz said.

María de Lourdes Jiménez, 60, originally from Jalostotitlán, Mexico, has danced with Rodarte since the group's inception in 1996.

“Eleazar teaches with joy and love, he loves what he does, he takes it as a job,” said Jiménez. “I love this group because the teacher allows us to think about what region we can dance in for an event. By deciding the region where we are going to dance, we also receive our own personalized dress, if we want.”

For Jiménez, her favorite memory is the group's annual dance event.

“At least once a year or maybe twice a year, our teacher choreographs our biggest event. This is my favorite event because it brings everyone together as a family and everyone invites their family or friends to come watch us dance. It is a whole week of experience but months of practice,” Jiménez said.

Rodarte extended a warm invitation to everyone, young and young at heart, to join them on the dance floor and embrace the vibrant traditions of Mexican folklore.

Whether you are an experienced dancer or taking your first steps, their group invites you to share the beauty of our culture through the power of dance.

“I am very happy to have had this group for 20 years and to be able to show the incredible choreography that I grew up learning. My greatest wish is to take this group on a tour of Mexico to show that our tradition lives in other countries, not just in Mexico,” Rodarte said.

Mujeres De Marijuana: Latinas in Cannabis & Family Stigmas

Jazmin Aguiar is a Latina working in the cannabis industry. Photo by Mike Reza.

Jazmin Aguiar, 38, has consumed cannabis since she was 18 years old. She worried about being labeled a “marihuana” or “buena para nada” by her family. Like in most Latinx families, judgment around cannabis is passed through the Bible and a fear of their children being associated with “drugs.” 

Aguiar is among the increasing number of Latinas working in the cannabis industry. They are defying gender and cultural stereotypes to give Latinas a voice in a white male-dominated industry.

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, cannabis was easily accessible, making her aware of the perceptions it would have. She entered the cannabis industry in 2012, leaving her corporate banking job behind to become an advocate, expert and entrepreneur in cannabis.

She kept her new career path a secret until her parents found out she was featured on Spanish-language television in late 2013. 

“I started this behind my parent’s back because I knew they would be pissed,” Aguiar said. 

The piece aired on Telemundo and Univision, highlighting the growing for-profit cannabis industry, focusing on women’s desires to enter the business and information about how to complete the process. 

Fearful that her family might see the media coverage, Aguiar asked producers to air it on the 10 p.m. news. She knew her parents would be asleep and that they routinely watched the 6 p.m. broadcast.

“Quiero que me expliques qué estabas haciendo anoche en las noticias,” was her parents’ response, demanding that she explains what she was doing on the news last night. A cousin had ratted her out, unveiling her secret. 

Her parents were very upset, this being the first conversation of many, it was difficult for both parties. They wondered about the kind of example she was setting for her siblings, being the eldest of four. They started to think that everything they had sacrificed had gone to waste. To make matters worse, Aguiar’s family was getting backlash about it from outside the family. She was equated to someone who worked with the cartel or a drug addict. She was labeled a bad influence by family friends. 

Aguiar used this as a teaching moment. She took all her knowledge and experience in the business to educate her parents about the amazing business opportunities the cannabis industry has to offer. After years of difficult conversations, her business-minded parents came around and are now her biggest supporters. 

Aguiar currently operates a 15,000 sq ft facility in Downtown Los Angeles that is soon to house multiple businesses including cultivation, retail and distribution. She has organized women in cannabis campaigns and events as co-founder of Women Grow and CannabiSalud, which hosts summits for various business professionals. She has also translated much of the cannabis regulation documents into Spanish, something that had not been done yet. 

For Mala Muñoz, cannabis is part of her comedy and brand. Photo by Mike Reza.

Aguiar partners with women like Mala Muñoz, who hosts a cannabis-centric podcast, and Stevona Delgado, a cannabis brand ambassador. These women working in the industry are dedicated to changing the stigmas around cannabis through education and advocacy. 

Mala Muñoz is a writer, comedian and podcaster whose show “Marijuanera: A Podcast for Potheads,” looks to dissolve the negativity that comes with the moniker. She has been featured in Variety and on the cover of Brown Girl Travels talking about her podcast and involvement in the industry. As a student at Tufts University, she began smoking cannabis with classmates, but her experience with the plant comes from a series of boyfriends who smoked. 

Cannabis is a part of her brand, it is all over the internet, so her parents are aware of her use. 

“These are things they wouldn’t want me to do, you know? So, in finding success in other areas, they sort of leave me alone,” Muñoz said about their response to her cannabis use. 

Muñoz recalled having a conversation with her dad—who is sober—where he mentioned noticing her face after a “session.” He told her he could tell she had just smoked, and the stigma was felt through clear tacit disapproval. But because it pays her bills and cannabis is legal in California, they are more at ease.

She looks to empower women and weed smokers alike. She notes that there are many Latinas working in the retail side of things where they are subject to harassment and sexism. Like Aguiar, she believes that there is protection in ownership, which are the issues that her podcast, though rooted in comedy, also conveys. 

Stevona Delgado is a stand-up comedian and brand ambassador for High Seas Cannabis. Her job is to promote brand awareness on the ground floor by speaking to customers and educating them on their products. 

Stevona Delgado hopes to combat some of the stigma around cannabis. Photo by Mike Reza.

She began smoking cannabis only after her brother broke the barrier with her family. Her mother was lenient on him, stating: “he's an adult, he pays his own bills. If he's not going to jail, if he's not being a menace to society, I don’t care.” In her household, drinking was more of an issue. 

On her father’s side of the family, cannabis “was the devil,” she learned this after a cousin was busted for smoking at Thanksgiving dinner. Delgado’s father passed away before they had a conversation about her usage and, given that he was less lenient than her mother, she says she was thankful because “there’s a lot of things he wouldn’t be happy about.”

She is a believer that if you’re taking care of business, the stigmas of cannabis can be overlooked. If you look presentable and are productive as a stoner, nobody can tell you that what you are doing is wrong. As a comic, she uses cannabis as a resource, a way to bond with comedians, network and as an effective tool to write new material. 

These three Latinas are just some of the women in the cannabis industry who are educating and advocating against the stigmas our parents have grown up with. They are consumers and successful Latinas in cannabis who are creating a space for women in this male-dominated community. 

“It's legal. There are dispensaries, they look like Apple Stores. This is a lifestyle, and this is a community, and it doesn’t have to be some dark, dirty, ugly thing that is in the shadows or under the sink. We can be out here and be, we can have fun with it and consume responsibly,” Muñoz said about the changing landscape of regulated cannabis as it relates to our parents in the Latinx community.

Culture and Basketball

Isa Silva is part of CSULB’s men’s basketball team and hopes to leave a legacy of representation. Photo by Naoki Gima.

Up until this year’s draft of the National Basketball Association, only five players throughout the history of the league have come from Mexican descent. Long Beach State’s new men’s basketball player, Isa Silva, is a first generation Mexican-American and looks to add to the number of Latinx players in the NBA in the future.

Originally from Sacramento, Silva played two years at Stanford University and looks to cherish a grand opportunity by transferring to Long Beach State. 

Basketball has always been the main focus for Silva and his family. Silva’s parents, Mexican-born father Francisco Silva and American-born mother Soyla Fernandez-Jensen, both played basketball and their passion for the game was eventually passed down to Silva. 

“Both of my parents played basketball. So coincidentally, basketball is what I fell in love with,” Silva said. “And you know, ever since I can remember, I've been playing basketball and a basketball has been in my hands.”

Francisco Silva was Isa’s first basketball coach. He started a basketball academy within his community where kids could get free basketball training and coaching.

“We started off with a basketball academy… then it turned into a travel-ball program and they would compete in national AAU tournaments. A good group of kids who are now playing high-level collegiate basketball, including Isa,” Silva said. 

Jaime Jaquez Jr., the most recent Mexican-American basketball player to be drafted into the NBA, is a familiar figure to Silva as they’ve gotten to know each other through competition in the PAC-12. Silva believes Jaquez’s accomplishment is going to make a massive impact in the Latinx community. 

“He was the best player in the PAC-12, and for him to be Mexican-American is something that I think we all should be proud of Jaime [for], no matter where you're from.” Silva said. 

Silva’s mother believes that Jaquez’s success is a massive inspiration for players like her son, demonstrating that it is possible to make it to the highest level despite being a part of an underrepresented group in the sport. 

“Jaquez is everything we’ve dreamed about for any kid that is playing basketball like Isa,” Fernandez-Jensen said. “We should all celebrate his success. I love that kid, I love watching him play.” 

Silva strives to make a name for himself in the National Collegiate Athletic Association and become a part of a generation of Mexican-American basketball players who play basketball at a high level. His pride in his heritage was instilled in him by his parents and grandparents at an early age. 

“It was very important to us that he kept his culture, his language and his connection to his family.” Fernandez-Jensen said. 

Though it is natural in sports to push for competition and comparisons, Silva really wants the Latinx community to stick by each other even in such a competitive field. 

“I think it's important that all Latinos support each other. Latinos are a wide group of people, right? It's not just Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, Latinos can be Puerto Rican, Dominican or Cuban,” Silva said. “There's so many different Latino communities and cultures that we need to stick together, especially in a sport where we deserve more recognition and where we're starting to grow.”

“I think it’s very important to support each other. Someone else’s success is your success.” Francisco Silva said. “It opens up doors and breaks down barriers. If another Latino or Latina becomes successful or becomes the CEO of a big company, it eliminates those barriers.”

¡Pan Para Todos!

Fans of pan dulce can now enjoy the vegan versions of these delicacies. Photo by Dora Yela.

As the vegan lifestyle has grown in popularity significantly in the last decade, Latinx foodies can now enjoy classic favorites as vegan panaderias are also on the rise.

Earvin Lopez, owner of the vegan panaderia Soy Concha Bakery, just opened his second storefront location in East L.A. As someone who grew up with parents who owned traditional panaderias, he thought he would continue with what he knew from the family business, while incorporating new ways that could include a whole other audience. Falling in love with the vegan scene, he was inspired to open his own bakery.

“I went to a couple [vegan] bakeries but there were a lot of donut shops and cupcakes and stuff like that, and it was all good, but I was missing our culture, our pan dulce,” said Lopez.

Once he decided he would create vegan pan dulce, he immediately entered as a vendor at SoCal Vegfest–a two-day event for people to be introduced to new vegan businesses–as his first ever pop-up, back in 2017. At first it was slow, as a good amount of attendees didn’t know what pan dulce was, but as more Latinos approached his booth, he started receiving so much praise. Lopez said people would comment things like ‘Wow, pan dulce, I haven’t had any in like 10 years since I was vegan.’

As word of mouth grew about there being delicious vegan pan dulce, Earvin and his sister began selling out of their first location in Santa Ana. Fast forward through not being able to do events during the pandemic, and solely working hard through pickups and custom orders, Earvin was able to open a second location in August of 2023, that he solely runs in East L.A.

At the bakery there is a wide variety of conchas sold, as well as other traditional treats like smiley face and sprinkle cookies, elotes, Gansitos, conos filled with custard, etc…and on weekends they offer their more specialty items like flan and tres leches cake.

Catalina Luna, owner of plant-based pop-up bakery Cafe y Cocina, shared how she’s also a huge fan of Soy Concha Bakery, and is happy that there are more traditional Latinx food options that can be found within the vegan community.

Luna started her business that she runs with her sisters, back in 2011, when they were only making cakes. A couple of years later she became vegan as she learned more about being health conscious. She and her sisters quickly converted their recipes and expanded their menu to be vegan, and to not include any bad chemicals, additives or dyes. As a plant-based business promoting healthier alternatives within the Latinx community, it’s important to her that they taste just as good as the originals.

“I want to change the perspective on food, and I want that also for our community, because I know a lot of our community doesn’t believe that [it’s possible],” Luna said.

Luna said her signature pastries are their Gansitos and pop-tarts, and that she frequently experiments with the flavors and decorations to keep things fun. 

Cafe y Cocina does custom orders for pickup through their Instagram, as well as posts their rotating menus for upcoming pop-up events. You can sometimes find them set up at Long Beach Night Market, or on weekends, they provide pop-tarts and cinnamon rolls to East L.A. food truck, Vida Pura.

Although not easy, the pandemic did inspire many people to start small side businesses, including Amanda Crane-Fernandez, owner of Sneaky Vegan Bakery. 

As a full-time teacher, Crane started her bakery business as a fun side passion project to further connect to her Mexican heritage. Growing up in Oregon, there wasn’t much there to connect her to her family’s roots, but once she moved back to California as a vegan and started to learn more dishes, she thought it would be great to share what she was learning with others. 

“It’s just really special, that cultural aspect of sharing food,” said Crane, adding that making conchas gave her a sense of community she had been missing. 

And even though Crane’s favorite thing she bakes is conchas, she also offers other treats when she attends pop-ups like Meatless Mondays in Long Beach. You can also find Sneaky Vegan Bakery originals such as scones and her coffee cake at the vegan coffee shop, Wood Coffee Co., or riding around SoCal through donation-based coffee cart, Cafablanca.

So now if you’re vegan, or even if you’re not, be sure to check out these bakeries as they connect traditions and culture with the plant-based lifestyle through their delicious pastries.

@soyconchabakery on instagram 

locations:

• 709 N. Bristol St. Suite J, Santa Ana, CA 92703

• 6164 Whittier Blvd., East Los Angeles, CA 90022

@cafeycocinala on instagram (no storefront location)

@sneaky_vegan_bakery on instagram (no storefront location)

Latinx Comics

Javier Hérnandez is a Latino comic who created “El Muerto” to finally see a Mexican superheroe. Photo by Marlon Villa

While comic books have been popular among people of all ages and backgrounds, very few of these stories feature, let alone star, characters that look and share the cultural background of Latinx readers. However, Latinx comics like Javier Hernandez and Kayden Phoenix are breaching these gaps and sharing stories that mean as much to them as the people they represent. 

An Aztec Heroe

Javier Hernandez, creator of the comic series  “El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie,” is a Latino comic hoping to give back to his community through the stories he creates. 

He became a big fan of the genre in his early childhood by reading his older brother’s comic book stack. Characters like Spider-Man caught his attention, as the struggles that Peter Parker went through resonated with his own as he grew older.

Hernandez drew inspiration from comic writers creating characters such as El Gato Negro and Burrito Adventure to create his own Mexican hero.

“I also want to tell my own stories of action, adventure, slash and supernatural superhero stories of my own characters,”  Hernandez said. “Yeah, there's good guys and bad guys, but a lot of it was definitely ‘okay, it's gonna be a Mexican identity,’”

One of Hernandez's struggles has been to get readers to acknowledge him as many don’t typically pick up independent writer comic books.

“For the most part, at least back then, people were not as interested in the independent black and white comics,” Hernandez said. 

Hernandez is also the co-founder of the Latino Comics Expo which has grown exponentially over the last 12 years. The expo is an event held every September intended to connect Latin American comic artists, animators, and fans at the Museum of Latin American Art. 

For its 25th anniversary, Hernandez has launched a campaign to raise $2,000 to release a special anniversary edition of “El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie.” This edition would include 17 stories, short stories, one-shots, and autobio strips of the character over the years. The campaign has already reached 40% of its goal. 

The 25th anniversary edition of “El Muerto” is expected to be released in November with the exact date yet to be determined.

“El Muerto” is a superhero who was revived by the Aztec gods. Photo by Marlon Villa.

Latina Princesses and Superheroes 

Kayden Phoenix is a third-generation Chicana writer, producer and director based in Boyle Heights changing the roles of gender through her comic books.

Phoenix, started her comic series “A La Brava” back in 2019, starring a group of Latina superheroes from diverse backgrounds.

Teen suicide, child trafficking and domestic violence are some of the real-world problems personified in Phoenix’s stories, each tackled by a Latina superhero of its own, making this the first Latina superhero group in history.

Phoenix’s stories and characters stem from the comic’s own observations of the industry. She started to see a trend that lacked many girls or women, so she created these Latina superheroes as a response.

The women fighting in these comics were made to empower women and younger girls within marginalized groups and show how they too could be protagonists of their own story. 

According to Amanda Shendruk’s 2017 study,  of 34,476 comic book heroes in Marvel and DC, only 26.7%  are female. Shendruk’s study also revealed that of the around 2,500 teams across these universes, 30 % have no women, and only 12 % have more female team members than male.

Phoenix pointed out how animated movies and shows with women on screen typically have male mascots. These figures are often depicted as necessary to guide the princess to safety or to discover their sense of purpose. 

She made these comics to give girls a sense of feminism and the strength that each woman carries inside of her and how being a woman should be something people are proud of and something to embrace.

“A La Brava” and “The Majestics” are two different series that cross over at the end to fight the big boss of Congress. According to Phoenix, these superhero chicas were made specifically for people to look up to and feel inspired since there are not too many people of color in comics.

“Phoenix Studios' mission statement is to create a superhero mindset in every marginalized individual regardless of age, demographic, socio-economic class, etc,” said Phoenix.

Latinx Student Club Loses Funding, Reinvents Itself to Continue Serving the Community

Latinx CSULB education students created their own club after the Caminos Project ended. Photo by Kobe López.

One of Alexis Monsivaiz’s earliest childhood memories is teaching her younger sister how to read. It’s what made her want to become a teacher and why she came to Cal State University, Long Beach to follow this dream. However, as a first-generation Latinx student surrounded by faculty that didn’t look like her, Monsivaiz felt lost. She didn’t feel at home until she found the Caminos program. 

Monsivaiz joined the Caminos Program freshman year and gained access to counseling, school supplies, and an opportunity to study abroad in Ireland. She said none of these resources for Latinx students like Monsivaiz would have been possible without the Caminos Project.

Originally started as the Caminos Project in 2017, the program was federally funded and curated to help students of Latinx heritage enter the education pipeline as a response to the lack of Latinx faculty in education. By 2020, the Caminos program had 400 students in their pipeline. 

The project was funded for five years by the Title V fund—a one-time grant given by the U.S. Department of Education for developing Hispanic-serving institutions. The five-year grant paid for the project directors, academic advisors, teaching seminars, supplies and other resources. It was only offered to students at Cal State Long Beach and was able to help a cohort of 100 students at a time. 

However, the funding ended in 2022, leaving the club and its members without resources for paid staff or classroom space and with one choice: move on or build something new. 

Monsivaiz, along with a few others, decided that their passion and heart for the program were too strong. They did not want to say goodbye to Caminos entirely as they believed in its mission to shift these demographics. They named the club Caminantes and Monsivaiz became co-chair.

Among the new students who’ve joined Caminantes is Minh Nguyen. Nguyen shared his struggle with his first year of college and how finding the new Caminantes club provided him with guidance. 

“Freshman year hit me like a truck, it was not like high school at all. I couldn’t just hang out at the USU all day. Week of Welcome came up and since then I have been coming [to Caminantes],” said Nguyen.

Nguyen is extremely thankful that he was able to find guidance within the education system even though he did not directly experience the loss of the Caminos Project. Nguyen is passionate about helping Caminantes fundraise and spoke about their next fundraiser. Though many members like Monsivaiz are distraught over the loss of guidance and resources, Nguyen said the board is successfully helping new interested Caminantes students like himself. 

“Currently, our student organization lacks the proper resources to support such an important demographic, which we once had when we were Caminos,” said Monsivaiz. “Our old program coordinator understood culturally responsive pedagogy and how to support disenfranchised students.”

As an underrepresented demographic in the education workforce, students like Monsivaiz need support programs like Caminos, and now Caminantes, to help them succeed as K-12 teachers. In the Long Beach Unified School District alone, 55% of students are Latinx while only 21% of faculty are, according to data from a Caminantes study.  

One issue the club has run into is the uncertain permanence of their classroom, also known as the “Centro.” Located in the education building, the “Centro” is a hub spot and safe space for many Latinx education students at CSULB. The university can take the room away at any time as there is no paid staff, but hasn’t reached out to the board to do so. Monsivaiz feels it is quite a privilege that they’ve been able to keep the room.

The new Dean of Education, Anna Ortiz, said Caminantes and all other education students would be provided enough resources to succeed as educators in K-12 or higher education. 

 “I have no intention of moving the Centro,” said Ortiz. 

Ortiz also is aware that funding has ended for Caminos and plans to meet with Caminantes in the near future to support the students as they get on their feet.

Though there are other grants available to HSIs, the Caminos Project was able to make such an impact on the students that they didn’t want it to end. 

“Caminantes and Caminos had always been a home on campus,” Monsivaiz said.