SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - There are so many ideas that often race through my mind. Sometimes, you have to bring them to life, especially when it's about representing your culture. That's the essence of this photoshoot with Graciela.
I am a proud Chicano, a proud Mexican, and, until recently, a proud Chichimeca. But above all, I'm a proud human being and a dedicated servant of Jehovah. Given this, I felt a strong urge to portray the beautiful aspects of Mexican culture that society has often misunderstood. Culture, in my view, isn't limited to the nation it's associated with; sometimes, nations are shaped by culture. Traditions and lifestyles existed long before nations were established or took control. Culture bestows humanity with beauty, much like patterns and colors adorn a field of flowers.
With this in mind, Graciela and I collaborated to showcase the elegance of my people and the style embedded in our culture. Adorned in her Oaxacan dress and embracing her innate Mexican beauty, we captured imagery against the backdrop of Old Town San Diego's architecture, a testament to the legacy left behind by Spanish settlers from bygone eras.