Youth Artist Podcast Ep.1: Mental Wellness, Acceptance, & Identity

This podcast looks into the personal journey of young artists venturing into the music world, covering themes of mental wellness, confidence, acceptance, and more. Listen at VoiceWaves.

How I Learned to Love My Own Skin

Throughout her childhood, Eneceia Lang was picked on for her dark skin, even in spaces where she thought she would be safe from the torment, other members of the black community would still. But after some time, she has learned to think differently about her skin. “Today, I look at my skin as if it’s […]

How Not Knowing Chinese Made Me Question My Identity

“I’m full Chinese, but the fact that I don’t know the language makes me question how Chinese I really am.” Read more at Youth Radio

Struggling With My Identity As A White Passing Latina

For Fresno’s Gabrielle Rivas, acceptance among the Latinx community was always hard to find. As a light-skinned Latina, Rivas constantly faced discrimination from within her own ethnic group who couldn’t understand the diversity of the Latinx community. “As a white-passing Latina, it is difficult negotiating identity when myself and others are pushed away from the […]

Who Am I?

“Who am I?” It’s a question that many people, especially teenagers, have asked themselves. Fresno’s Maria Torres believes she has found the answer, and she shares it through a video. “Maybe I’m not just one thing. Maybe one word or stereotype doesn’t define me. Maybe I could be many things. Or maybe I could just […]

Finding An Identity Through Storytelling

For Fresno’s PeeKay Gill, stories have always been an intriguing connection between the people she met. But it wasn’t until recently that she decided to tell her own story. “For me, stories have always been the tether between my understanding and the experiences of those around me.” Read more at the kNOw.

Tattooing my identity

With each new tattoo, a young woman is claiming pieces of her history. Raised in the foster care system, she’s gradually learning about her family and her Mexican culture. “I’m using tattoos to inscribe my family’s story on my skin, because I went so long not knowing my history or my identity.” Listen to the […]

Without borders in San Diego

The U.S.-Mexico border is an arbitrary and fluid division for people with lives rooted in both worlds. A San Diego art exhibit featured artists works exploring the concept of being borderless showed writer Andrea Morín about herself. “We are all trying to be better every day at what we set out to do. We all […]

Am I Latina enough?

A Latina teen grew up dealing with people questioning her identity because she didn’t speak Spanish and has curly hair. A trip to another part of California changed the way she thinks about her culture. “There, I saw Latinos with many different skin tones, types of hair, and levels of Spanish fluency.” Listen to the […]

Art in the collective voice

In just nine months, 18 young women from the City Heights community in San Diego built a body of photography and writings that explore identity and contemporary women’s issues. Called “Collective Voices,” these young people came together each Friday night through the AjA Project and produced collaborative, self-exploratory images and narratives. “This installation recognizes the […]