“Both of us noticed the lack of magazines that were inclusive of young Latinas and presented positive images of young Latinas, so we decided to develop Latinitas Magazine in that class,” Gonzalez says.
Rascon felt there were serious issues in her community that needed to be addressed and that girls were really lacking resources. “I felt that media was a perfect outlet to empower girls, help break some of the stereotypes, and help represent our community,” she says.
So Gonzalez and Rascon started clubs, camps, and workshops where girls could learn how to be media makers. Their current signature program is called “Club Latinitas,” an after-school program based in media, technology, and culture. One project that embodies their program, Gonzalez says, is a research assignment on el Día de los Muertos in which the girls created their own altars through Power Point. Through the process, the participants learned how to use computer software while learning something new about Mexican culture.
