If you want something done, sometimes you just have to do it yourself. Take it from cartoonists Kat Fajardo and Pablo Castro.
Tired of the limited representation of Latinxs and Latinx artists in comics and other art, the duo are putting together a collection of illustrations, poems and short stories celebrating and analyzing diverse Latinxs’ experiences and cultures. Titled “La Raza Anthology: Unidos y Fuerte,” the 120-page book will include work from over 30 Latinx contributors from around the world and will cover topics including racism, assimilation, cultural pride and self-identity.
The concept for the project came to Fajardo about a year ago, shortly after she shared “Gringa!,” a mini comic documenting her journey to self-discovery and acceptance, on Tumblr.
“After embracing my roots, I really wanted to read more stories about people’s experiences with their culture,” she explained in an email to The Huffington Post. “Unfortunately it was frustrating to find that the comics industry seriously lacked Latinx stories. Tired of waiting for an anthology like ‘La Raza’ to appear, my co-editor Pablo Castro and I took matters into our own hands and sent out a call for submissions over the internet.”
It didn’t take long for contributors to respond. Fajardo said her inbox was flooded with submissions within days.
Initially, the creators launched their project with the intention of connecting Latinx readers and artists. But now they hope it’ll appeal to everyone, regardless of their ethnicity.
“With all the political hate towards us lately, we want to show readers that we’re all the same, just humans capable of [as] much pain [and] happiness as everyone around us. We shouldn’t be afraid when it comes to discussing issues that matter to us. And with La Raza Anthology we hope to create a safe space for Latinx voices everywhere,” Fajardo said.
But first thing’s first: They have to produce the book.
The New York-based Latinx artists launched a Kickstarter campaign in the hopes of raising the $13,000 necessary to get the books printed.
Fajardo and Castro are offering backers a variety of gifts in exchange for their support, including copies of the book, as well as pins, stickers, comics, tote bags and other items that have been designed by either themselves or other contributors.
The campaign will run until S
Watch the video above to learn more about “La Raza Anthology: Unidos y Fuerte.”
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