A partnership between #WeAllGrow Latina and LatinaMedia.Co
Black History Month
It’s not news that the roles and contributions of Afro-Latinos continue to be marginalized. This month, Afro-Latinas continue to press the Latinx community to be more inclusive and reflect on our anti-Blackness. For KQED, Blanca Torres interviewed and highlighted several Afro-Latino leaders from the Bay Area about the evolution of Afro-Latinidad in their communities. For Refinery29, Janel Martinez spoke with Museum Curator Ariana Curtis and her push to include Afro Latinos in one of the whitest institutions: museums.
We also have to highlight and celebrate Ariana DeBose’s historic Oscar nomination, as the first queer Afro-Latina nominated. Check out her interview with Variety as she describes her identity journey and what this moment and nomination means to her.
When people ask me about representation, I frequently say, ‘If you can see it, then you can be it.’ I believe in our young people; we need them.
Ariana DeBose
Marry Me, Jennifer Lopez
The movie Marry Me, released just in time for Valentine’s Day, brought icon Jennifer Lopez back to the rom-com genre. We know we all love JLo, but would we all love this movie? Spoiler: No, and that’s okay. That’s why LatinaMedia.Co combed the internet for the Latinas reviewing Marry Me. Kathia Woods gave us mixed reviews as she recognized the film’s imperfections but also knows exactly who this film is for and what it is. Alessa Dominquez, culture writer at BuzzFeed, didn’t like it even though she identifies as a JLo fan. And Remezcla editor Lyra Hale loved the film despite the genre not being her favorite. So just say yes already and check out all the reviews of the film.
Marry Me is for JLo fans and anyone looking for an escape during these difficult times. Sure, it’s a little corny, but maybe that’s just what we need right now.
Kathia Woods
A Wrap on Valentine’s Day
Sure, Valentine’s Day might be over, but it doesn’t mean we can’t still watch a romcom or plan a little something with friends or for ourselves. In the words of RuPaul, “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” So this year, we wanted to conveniently remind you, especially now that the candy’s on sale, to spend some time with yourself. Monica Rodriguez gave us 5 Rom-Coms to watch on Netflix this month and beyond. For Latina, Pia Velasco treated the holiday as an excuse to go out on a Monday. Poet Yesika Salgado wrote a piece for Refinery 29 reminding us that romantic love is not all there is.
Look, Valentine’s Day isn’t always pink and roses. Sometimes, it’s anger and darkness, and that’s ok, this holiday can still be for you.
Pia Velasco
