Latin Experience
When I look at myself, I feel lost because of my lack of understanding of who I am; the constant questioning of what it means to be enough within the community I’m a part of. I wonder whether or not my experiences align with what is expected of someone of Latin descent. This perspective changed when I spoke with a close friend of mine who’s experience differed from mine as well as what I thought to be the norm. With that, I became curious to what others experienced as members of the Latinx community. Listening to the multiple testimonies of different people led me to create Latin Experience. This is an online archive of one on one interviews of different members of the Latin community speaking about their lives and thoughts on what it is like to be Latin American through their lens. Let it enlighten you like it did me.
For the visual assists I drew inspiration from screen printing. In particular the screen printing that came out of Las Anglos by Mexican Americans. The colors came from houses in Latin America it very common for people to color their house a bright pastel. The most notable colors are the primary colors. Even the logo itself has a link to Latin America. I was inspired by textile cloth that is rooted in indigenous culture.
In my entire educational career I’ve never seen myself in the history books or even mentioned in any context. So I ask, is the Latin American community taken for granted in the United States? The Latin American community is composed of people from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, French Guiana, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. But asking the average citizen what contributions the Latin American community made to the United States is answered with two words. Mexican food.
The Latin American community has a very complex relationship with the United States. There are some who immigrated to the U.S. (Ex: Salvadorans), who are U.S. citizens (Ex: Puerto Ricans), as well as some who settle in the U.S. before it was established (Ex: Mexicans). Even though each individual came to the U.S. under different circumstances.
As I stated before, throughout my educational career, I’ve never seen myself mentioned. Going through this journey of discovery, I have come to realize how crucial the Latin American community is to the United States. It amazes me how a community can be taken for granted by a country, but still thrive in said country. I believe there is a disconnect with the Latinx community and the U.S. and I’m hoping the testimonies of each individual will hopefully broaden the perspective others and help understand what is the Latin Experience.
Jonnea Herman is a graphic designer originally from outside of Chicago. In our conversation we touch upon her experience being both Black and Puerto Rican, what it was like growing up, and how Identity play influenced her work as a graphic designer.
I was lucky enough to speak with a lot of different members of the Latin American Community. Each person not only gave their perspective on what it means to be Latin American, but we also discussed different topics that’s not fully discussed with in the community. If this sample interested you I encourage you to check the rest of them
▽ Click Below to see for yourself ▽