Yes, Your Setting Was Changed Too
In The Community
For Latinas in the outdoors, it’s often rare to find a face that looks like theirs or a voice that sounds familiar. Because of the lack of diversity in the outdoors, several Latina hikers have taken it upon themselves to create spaces for them, and other women of color, to feel comfortable, represented, and educated when exploring nature. Here are five inspiring Latina women diversifying the outdoors who are ready to be your guide down any trail.
1.Anette Padilla
Running, biking, and swimming come naturally to Anette Padilla, a regular triathlon participant. But after coming across a social media post that encouraged users to have diverse feeds, Padilla began noticing that the outdoorsy accounts she followed were predominately white and male. After a failed online search for Latina hikers and explorers, she decided to start an Instagram presence as Outdoor Latina.
“I think some people feel they’re not ‘outdoorsy’ based on the traditional definition, so by broadening it and making it a little more inclusive, [it] empowers people to call themselves outdoorsy…and continue to do outdoorsy things,” Padilla tells Luz Collective.
Currently traveling the U.S. in an RV with her partner, Padilla documents their trips while providing beginner tips for biking and hiking all in an effort to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. She also welcomes advice from more experienced outdoors people and shares this knowledge with her followers.
“In order to feel welcome, it’s easier if you see someone that looks like you already doing it,” she adds.
2.Heather Diaz
Through Hike and Lift, Heather Diaz is bringing representation in the outdoors. Diaz founded the blog to help people understand the fundamentals of hiking, camping, and backpacking. After learning about the Leave No Trace method, which encourages campers to not leave behind food, cans, plastic bags, or other items, she was motivated to teach and inspire others to do the same through online tips and guides, like how to plan a day trip or what to carry in your backpack. The goal is to help set individuals and groups up for camping and hiking success, no matter their level of experience.
“When I see people post a [nature] picture or image with a quote, it does nothing for me. I want [my followers] to feel inspired and empowered, and think ‘yes, I can do that. It makes sense,’” she says.
Growing up a runner, Diaz realized her love for nature could reach deeper levels by slowing down her pace in walking trails and camping overnight. For these trips, Diaz packs bright and bold colors; she’s not a fan of the neutral tones that are popular in mainstream hiking gear. After a friend likened Diaz’s style to tejana icon Selena, she started using her flamboyant prints and colors as a way to also inspire more Latinas in the outdoors.
“You don’t have to conform to a certain look or style just so you can be outdoorsy,” Diaz says.
3.Nez Nuñez
Moving from Texas to Colorado for a job opportunity, Nez Nuñez was exposed to new landscapes. Living closer to nature, she says, improved her physical and mental health. In 2019, she started The Random Rover to share everything she could about her newfound love for nature.
“We were too poor to travel…but most of these things are free, and I just really want my nieces, nephews, cousins, my future kids, and future generations to know that the outdoor spaces are for all of us,” Nuñez says.
In August, Nuñez extended the invitation to diversify the outdoors to others by creating All Women Outdoors, a digital outdoor community profiling women of all backgrounds, shapes, and sizes exploring nature. By widening representation of hikers and explorers, she hopes to encourage more Latinas to adopt these hobbies. Through the page, she also educates and raises awareness about how to preserve the beautiful landscapes that are pictured.
“I’m educating myself on people who [need accessibility] and things that I hadn’t had to keep in mind when I’m outside,” she adds.
4.Cindy Rodriguez
After a solo winter trip to Badlands National Park in South Dakota, Cindy Rodriguez realized the journal she carried was among the most important items packed. After all, her trip through the national park was inspired by her need to reflect on life and return to the outdoors. Not long after, Reclama, a spiritual wellness community for women of color she founded in 2018, was born.
“You take up space in the woods, you will take up space in other parts of our life,” Rodriguez tells Luz Collective. “…I tell [my groups], ‘we’re going to do a sharing circle at the trailhead. I’m going to smudge you with sage. You might even feel people kind of looking – ignore them. This is about us right now.’”
Diversifying the outdoors as a spiritual hiking guide, Rodriguez leads her groups by asking hikers to make sure they take moments to stop, breathe, meditate, and journal.
“To be with other women that look and sound like me who are taking up space in nature is reclamation, and it’s empowering to me,” she adds.
5.Evelynn Escobar-Thomas
Growing up watching kids of all racial and ethnic backgrounds enjoying the outdoors during summer camp on the Disney Channel’s reality TV series Bug Juice, Evelynn Escobar-Thomas assumed she’d see similar representation during her first national park trip at 23 years old. She didn’t. To get this representation, Escobar-Thomas formed Hike Clerb, an intersectional hiking community and nonprofit that centers Black and brown women working to dismantle white supremacy, recharge, and focus on collective healing.
“As Black and brown people, we do carry a lot of intergenerational trauma, and nature is this sort of infinite source of healing [that] we can tap into and heal ourselves and our past generations,” Escobar-Thomas says.
The hikes are open to anyone who aligns with the mission and values of the community, including the goal to promote diversity in the outdoors. She tries to ensure that anyone who is interested in attending the trips are able to by securing partnerships that allow her to offer giveaways, like monthly national park passes, to low-income women of color.
“Being Black and being Indigenous, it’s been such a journey to not only reclaim the land but solidifying my own roots,” she says.
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If there’s one thing the Latine community prides itself on, it’s that we know good food. From full meals to snacks, we love to eat! Sweet, savory, and everything in between, we have a special relationship with all the food we consume. Check out our list of the 10 Latine snacks we crave, and all the memories that come back with every bite. After all, isn’t that one of the main reasons we’re so attached to these snacks? They’re reminders of those simple moments that brought us so much joy.
Gansitos
Country of origin: Mexico
Gansitos are little snack cakes filled with creme and strawberry jelly and also covered entirely in a chocolate coating. Can you say yum? So many recall sweet memories of eating frozen Gansitos. We don’t know what our parents were thinking but we definitely know some of us might have had these for breakfast. But if poptarts count as breakfast food, Gansitos definitely make the cut, and IOHO they’re much tastier!
Alfajores
Country of origin: Cuba
From the outer crisp cookie to the dulce de leche filling, alfajores are melt in your mouth delicious! They're the perfect in-between of a cake and pan dulce and pair perfectly with your midday cafecito. They’re a little bite of heaven that no one can resist!
Tequeños
Country of origin: Venezuela
Simply put, Tequeños are an upgrade to the basic mozzarella cheese sticks. Made with crispy dough and fried until golden brown, we can’t stop ourselves from eating as many as we can. The perfect appetizer to kick off your party and show off your Latine cultura!
Elote En Vaso or Esquites
Country of origin: Mexico
We’ve always loved elotes, but an elote en vaso (AKA esquites in Mexico) is magic. Elotes are a little bit of the best of all the things you enjoy: queso, crema, chilito picoso and of course, the fresh corn (it’s not legit if it comes from a can). People stand in line for 30 to 45 minutes or more waiting to get their hands on a snack that they will devour in less than 10 minutes because the taste of corn in a cup is that amazing!
Pupusas
Country of origin: El Salvador
The greatest thing about stuffed cornmeal patties? They’re fully customizable! We love pupusas because they’re super filling and can be made to your liking. Pro tip: order them with curtido, a spicy cabbage, carrot, onion, and vinegar slaw. Warning: if you eat them with a fork, you might get side-eye.
Tostones
Country of origin: Caribbean and Latin America
Fried and salted plantains, anyone? Tostones were a staple growing up for many in Puerto Rican households. Some of our favorites are tostones de pana that our abuelas would make from scratch. You can’t forget the mayo ketchup on the side to add a bit of flavor to an already savory treat.
Pastelitos De Guayaba y Queso
Country of origin: Cuba, Colombia, Puerto Rico
Walk into any Latine bakery with a large Cuban, Puerto Rican, or Colombian population and you’ll probably always see pastelitos de guayaba y queso in the display case. These puff pastry desserts can be covered in powdered sugar or corn syrup but the base of guava and cream cheese always remains a constant.
Arepas
Country of origin: Colombia, Venezuela
Similar to the Salvadoran pupusa, arepas are a favorite for anyone looking for a handheld cornmeal-based snack stuffed with anything imaginable. We love ours with cheese and chicken, and if we’re feeling fancy we might throw some avocado on there too!
Quenepas/Mamoncillo
Country of origin: Many in Latin America and the Caribbean
Totis Donitas
Country of origin: Mexico
Totis Donitas are little wheat circles covered in lime and chile. These are a great portable snack for those on the go, and come in some flavor varieties as well we love to share.
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When Colombian coffee is mentioned, it’s almost reflexive to associate the bean with top-notch quality and flavor. Ever wonder how Colombian beans rose to such global fame? It's a saga of cultural identity, meticulous craftsmanship, global marketing, and, inevitably, controversy. And no one embodies this narrative better than the iconic figure of Juan Valdez.
Who is Juan Valdez?
Contrary to popular belief, Juan Valdez is a fictional character, conceived by the FNC to humanize and exemplify traditional Colombian coffee cultivation processes. But before Juan Valdez became synonymous with Colombian coffee, this globally loved beverage was struggling to find its unique identity in the crowded world of coffee brands. The National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia (FNC), established in 1927, had the challenging task of promoting Colombian coffee as a premium product internationally.
In 1959, the FNC, in collaboration with the Doyle Dane Bernbach ad agency, created the character of Juan Valdez. This humble coffee farmer, accompanied by his trusty mule Conchita, quickly became the symbol of Colombian coffee's high quality and uniqueness. Dressed in traditional Colombian attire and wearing a sombrero, Valdez was a personification of the countless coffee growers who toil on the country's mountainous slopes, painstakingly picking every coffee cherry by hand.
The FNC's strategy was hugely successful. Juan Valdez represented not just a brand, but the labor of more than 500,000 Colombian families involved in coffee farming. The authenticity of the narrative appealed to consumers, and the '100% Colombian Coffee' logo became a sign of quality assurance.
Throughout the 1960s and beyond, the Juan Valdez marketing campaign spread worldwide. It emphasized Colombian coffee's distinguishing factors: its hand-picked harvesting, the unique climate, and altitude of the Colombian Andes, which resulted in a smoother, richer taste, and the warm, honest labor of its people. This narrative set Colombian coffee apart from its competitors and played a crucial role in its global success.
By the turn of the 21st century, the FNC had not only succeeded in establishing Colombian coffee as a premium brand but had also ventured into cafe businesses. 'Juan Valdez Cafe' stores, adorned with the image of the beloved character, became places where people could experience the rich Colombian coffee culture firsthand. They expanded globally, creating a robust presence in America, Asia, and Europe.
However, the journey of Colombian coffee was not devoid of controversy. For all the prosperity the coffee trade brought, it also had its share of negative impacts.
Coffee cultivation can be incredibly hard on the environment. Intensive farming practices lead to deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution. While Colombian coffee farmers, represented by the FNC, generally adhere to sustainable practices, some criticisms have been made regarding environmental degradation in some regions.
Moreover, the fluctuating prices of coffee on the international market often leave coffee farmers in precarious economic positions. While the FNC is meant to support farmers, the small growers, whose image is so powerfully symbolized by Juan Valdez, can struggle to make a livable income. The reality for these farmers can contrast sharply with the idyllic image portrayed in the Juan Valdez marketing campaign.
Juan Valdez’s character himself hasn’t escaped criticism, either. Some argue that he may inadvertently uphold cultural stereotypes and fails to represent the sector’s labor demographics accurately, where women actually constitute 70% of the workforce.
Lastly, during the late 20th century, the political turmoil in Colombia and the rise of drug trafficking cast a shadow over the coffee industry. The safety of rural communities involved in coffee cultivation became a significant concern.
Despite these challenges, the story of Juan Valdez and Colombian coffee remains an example of successful and enduring marketing efforts that have effectively elevated a national product into a global brand, a reminder of the power of a well-crafted narrative and the importance of maintaining the balance between economic progress and social-environmental responsibility.
The tale of Colombian coffee is far from over, and as consumers, we hold a stake in its ongoing journey, every time we savor a cup of this beloved beverage. So, next time you savor a cup of Colombian coffee, remember the remarkable journey it has undertaken and the legacy it continues to foster.