A friend of mine who also lives here in NY was just telling me that she is having some moments of nostalgia for Los Angeles. I have to say, I am always nostalgic for California. I was born and raised there. I grew up on a farm, and ran wild in places that only seem to exist in my imagination at this point, as I am surrounded by the heat of this concrete jungle that we call NYC. Something that I really love about California, is the latin influence. The mayor of Los Angeles is Mexican, the Mexican food is unparalleled, and the the whole culture of Salvi, Guatmalan, and Mexican, skater/punk kids totally fascinates me. My mother is from Guatemala, my father is of German/Irish descent, so I'm never quite one or the other, somewhere in between Latina and white girl. Regardless, I feel very connected in latin culture, since I lived in L.A. for so long, and these are my peeps! I am a child of the 80's and I never saw a Mexican kid ride a skateboard around my hood. So much of the media portrayal of Mexicans/Guatemalans/Salvadoreans, was about gang violence, working class roles, and any other lower denomination of the social ladder. I think that's what makes me feel so psyched to see latin skater kids sort of walking to the beat of their own drum. I photographed these kids while I was in L.A., and these three beauties are triplets, all from the same amazing womb! Loving them, and representin' Mexican style. Happy Summer!
