who is Alyssa Garcia?
Early Years
Alyssa Garcia was born in Pasadena and her family later moved to the San Gabriel Valley, more specifically West Covina. Alyssa recalled how impactful it was moving around and seeing different parts of Los Angeles County throughout her childhood and all were viewed as places that she called home. However, it was Boyle Heights where she found the most comfort. Surrounded constantly by family whenever she visited her grandparents on the weekends, Alyssa explained how her upbringing was super unique because of how often she was in Boyle Heights/East LA with her siblings, noting that there was where she felt the most at home. Additionally, living in all these different areas played an integral role in learning about her heritage and Chicano culture. “I don’t think I was as appreciative of it when I was younger, but looking back I am so happy I have it,” she noted. From this, Alyssa reflected on the importance of being surrounded by Chicano culture as a kid, “Chicano culture is extremely broad and welcoming, from low riders to oldies, I know it sounds so LA, but it is who we are and it is who I am and I don’t think at the time I knew what was happening, I was just like …ugh, my dad is making us listen to this again or my mom’s cooking this again or we have to celebrate this holiday and go to church, and I think being able to see these differences of where I come from were really formative when I was a teenager.” Yet, although her weekends were spent in the heart of East LA, Alyssa attended school in more affluent Alhambra/Covina, noting that it was interesting to be in those spaces. “ You go to Boyle Heights and you are eating raspados with family or carne asada, then you go to school where people are like ‘Do you want to go to the country club for lunch?” Alyssa recalled.
Formative Experiences
Unfortunately, Alyssa was subjected to growing up in a household of domestic violence and alcohol abuse, but because both of her parents were educators she believes she hid in education, whereas both her other sisters chose alternative outlets. If things were ever bad at home or she was stressed she felt that education was her escape. She could read, or receive academic validation from teachers, or feel a sense of pride when scoring really high on a test. Learning was always her outlet from the overwhelming stress and anxiety that lingered back home. An avid student/reader when she was younger, Alyssa stressed being the top of her class, despite her parents never forcing her as well as her siblings to do well in school. “It was always me pushing myself and I think that really shaped my relationship with school, the education system, wanting to be a part of it as an educator and also wanting to excel as a student,” she stated. While also being able to overcome ups and downs within family life when she was younger allowed her to excel in school, as well as the knowledge she took with herself when learning about two different cultures. Alyssa learned how to fit in when she needed to, never changing who she was in an effort to appease the opinions of others. “I think that even now, networking and building connections, especially for your career, you can code switch. You can go to a gala and help fundraise, while also being able to talk to señoras down the street and buy tamales for breakfast and feel very comfortable… and have the community accept you.”
Alyssa described the immense pride and gratitude she feels towards the position she holds as the eldest in her family, acting as a role model for her siblings when they were all growing up. Even though it was a lot of responsibility, Alyssa believed it pushed her to be better and cannot imagine being born at a different time. With fate on her side Alyssa stated, “The universe kind of decides our birth order on purpose, in my opinion, with sibling structure… I couldn’t imagine us being at different ages.” Being born first came with its own set of perks, being able to spend a lot of time with her mother, as her father was a teacher, affording her mother the privileges of being able to stay home with her during the first five years of her life. “I think that gave me enough care where when my sisters were finally born I was like, ‘Okay, they are my kids’... I just took care of them and it impacted who I was.”
High School Life
While growing up, Alyssa remarked that she felt a lot more connected to people who identified with Boyle Heights or East LA, noting that she had her own “little cholita phase for sure”. During high school there was a fundamental shift in which Alyssa had to adapt, learning how to code switch between her two lives, one in East LA and the other in the Valley. Alyssa illustrated that she went to a high school in West Covina at South Hills as a means of seeking better educational opportunities, not to become a part of the rich minority, however there were still distinct differences that significantly affected her own work ethic and overall perception of reality. Being within a predominantly white, well-off high school, Alyssa explained the toll of having to understand the economic/cultural difference between two distant realities of normalcy, and how her family would be unable to keep up. “I felt like studying and staying on top of things was my in, I got really into sports and played everything every single season… It was a survival tactic I would say, but I felt like I was doing what I needed to do in order to survive… to fit in.” Furthermore, Alyssa added that on weekends she would be hanging out in Newport Beach with friends in their parent’s boat, but the following day she would be at her grandmother’s, eating a meal at the kitchen table where the family don’t all fit. “There is a lot of juxtaposition and learning about two ends of social structures when you are younger,” Alyssa emphasized.
College Years
One of the few people to get into Cal State Long Beach at her school, Alyssa wanted to pursue studies in the art field, but went in undeclared as she always loved surrounding herself with creative people, yet was unsure if that was the path she wanted to explore. While attending Cal State Long Beach, Alyssa took a dive into different creative endeavors, unsure if she truly wanted to continue an arts based career. Alyssa ended up moving to Citrus Community College where she was able to find her groove before transferring to Cal State LA, where she fell into education. Having that she had always felt safe in a school atmosphere and both of her parents were educators, to her it just felt normal. Aspiring to incorporate all of her passions Alyssa expressed the importance of trying to merge her love for painting, writing and photography (her favorite) as well as education every step of the way, setting up the foundation of where she is today in arts education.
Arts Educator & Director of Education at Las Fotos Project
Knowing that education was for her, Alyssa was not married to the idea of a traditional classroom space. Although inspired to pursue education because of her parents, seeing how they taught, reminded her that it was not the structure she wanted to be in. Alyssa studied for multiple subjects, TK-6th, but ended up going back to school for a single subject credential in art. Finally, officially teaching and working for a school district Alyssa was able to help evolve her students' creative side through art and photography, but still aspired to do more. “I am doing photography, I paint a lot, I sketch a lot, but in the classroom it was very straightforward… I was working with Special Education and teaching art, TK through 8th and I loved it, however I began to feel burnt out, but then I found Las Fotos Project.” Las Fotos Project’s mission is to elevate the voices of teenage girls and gender-expansive youth from communities of color through photography and mentoring, empowering them to channel their creativity for the benefit of themselves, their community, and future careers. Alyssa started out volunteering at classes, making amazing friends and eventually mentoring, which is a large part of what they do there, she was hooked.
The executive director at the time welcomed her many contributions and energy that she brought to Las Fotos Project, and so they offered her a position to teach on the weekends. Alyssa adored the space and she began to teach the Digital Promotoras program which utilizes photojournalism as a tool for youth leadership, helping students learn to raise awareness about social issues in their community through visual storytelling, social media campaigns and documentary photography. Slowly working her way up from being on staff, to Program Manager and Alyssa is now the Director of Education and Programs at Las Fotos Project.
For a long time it was just after school offerings, but about 7 years ago they finally got a brick and mortar in Lincoln Heights, then moved to the location they are currently in now which resides in Boyle Heights. Over the course of the decade Las Fotos Project has grown exponentially, providing a place for girls who are interested to participate and explore the arts, regardless if you have a camera of your own. They have three main branches of programming: Esta Soy Yo, focusing on self-identity/mental and emotional health, Digital Promotoras (documentary/photojournalism), and their advanced branch, CEO where students are working for different brands, on the red carpet, getting paid, and building portfolios. Alyssa noted, “It has grown from this little idea to a massive group… from a small hub of photographers who wanted to support youth and youth who were so hungry for this medium… it has blossomed dramatically ever since.”
South Pasadena Community
Alyssa’s father went to Occidental College and her family went on many excursions in the South Pasadena/Highland Park area. From museums, to eateries, her dad knew all of the spots in South Pasadena, claiming that “those were his stomping ground” and it was because of her connection to South Pasadena that got her into the arts. When looking for a place to call her own home, Alyssa wanted to be somewhere that she knew the people and area. It was crucial that she was still close to family and she inevitably found herself residing in the South Pasadena area. “When I work from home I work in all those coffee shops, I get all my groceries from the South Pasadena Farmers Market, all of the little eateries, and South Pasadena hidden gems.” Because she is always in the South Pasadena area, Alyssa tries her best getting involved, especially during election season. She is close with the Latino Coalition in Los Angeles and is very involved with civic engagement. Alyssa tried to stay informed and active with current events, especially during the pandemic with BLM, in her Boyle Heights and South Pasadena communities, trying to figure out how she can make the most impact. Alyssa remarked, “East LA/Boyle Heights is very much like my mother, metaphorically and figuratively as my mom grew up there too, but South Pasadena/Pasadena area is my safe space.”
Greatest Impact- Alyssa’s Mother
Alyssa now feels that she can look back on her upbringing from a different light and alternative perspective. She is immensely grateful for her family dynamic and has made so many great memories despite having had many obstacles, traumas and triggers, “which we all have,” she stated. Radiating nothing but gratitude and positivity for her mother, Alyssa emphasized how her mother was a light in her life and she owes everything to her. She knows that when she was younger she thought, “My mom is so embarrassing, my mom is so this, but definitely she is the person that shared and showed me that community is also family and how a community can raise you.” Her mother ensured that Alyssa, along with her siblings, would be at every community function, having very fond memories of knowing that if you needed anything there was a community there to provide and there were people working to make sure you have resources. Alyssa realized that she has been drawn to community organizing because of her mother and her upbringing. She reflected, “I am very proud of my sisters and how we are very close-knit, they are my best friends, my mom and my sisters.” She credits her mother’s strength, light and resilience as the reason why Alyssa and her siblings were able to overcome so much when they were younger, whether it was financial and family hardships or trauma. Alyssa felt that her mother is “the light of everything, my mom is my leader.”
Achievements & Accomplishments
With Las Fotos Project and her overall experience within education being an achievement in itself, affording her a lifetime of memories, Alyssa has been provided with a various amount of other opportunities as well. Due to her work with Las Fotos Project, Alyssa is part of an LGBTQ+ panel at the Museum of Latin America Art where the organization had an exhibition of their students' work. “Just to have said that I was on a panel at the Museum of Latin America Art, just to say that I did it there and knowing we went there when I was younger with my dad. To say that I have actually been a part of their programming definitely sparked a lot of other movement in my career from there,” Alyssa mentioned. In addition it was an incredible honor for her to be on a panel at UCLA with their Visual and Performing Arts Department with Fabriana Rodrigez, an amazing artist from the Bay Area, and other art community members. Alyssa was reminded that her mother used to take her and her siblings to workshops there for kids and families against violence, being able to express their emotions through artistic mediums such as painting. “I would paint and paint and paint and cry when we would have to share, but being able to bring those experiences onto a panel and share it with the community, while still being respected as an arts leader was super dope,” Alyssa recalled. Finally, her overall experience growing with the Las Fotos Project has been nothing short of exhilarating and life changing. Recently, Alyssa took their advanced group to New York City and they showcased their projects in front of the United Nations. On a personal level, being able to connect and bond with her students, come back to her roots, with the neighborhood greeting her ‘Buenos días mija’, is according to Alyssa, “one of my greatest accomplishments… to still be recognized by my own people.”
consejos/advice to the next generation of Latinas & Youth
“Definitely say to explore your identity, connect with your identity in whatever capacity, but also understand that there is this vast vast pool that makes us Latinx people… I think a lot of times people are like ‘Oh you’re Latina so you speak Spanish, and you wear red lipstick and hoops right? Like that’s what Latina is?’... But it’s not right, being Latinx is such a vast, vast space to be in… There are people from all different parts and all different countries that make up Latinx community… So I would say to really tap into that and explore and understand that you are one part of a massive whole that is doing so much work and at different levels and sectors they are very interested in us… and making sure you use the platform to the best of your ability. But also just not be afraid to be fearless and being proud of who you are. Just be proud of where you come from and know where you come from.”
