1991

24″ x 34″

When I migrated back to the U.S. after growing up in Ecuador, the culture shock was overwhelming. I craved a sense of belonging — a community that could echo the warmth and familiarity of home. But in the place where I first landed, that connection felt out of reach. So I turned inward, to my art. This piece became my way of carving out space for myself — of saying I’m here. By declaring “miembro de la comunidad Latina,” I wasn’t just naming an identity — I was claiming presence, insisting on belonging in a place that didn’t offer it freely.