Project Eñye

Project Eñye has one single & simple purposeto transform how we think and speak about culture, identity and what it means to belong. I help Latinas overcome the guilt, shame and isolation around not feeling Latina enough so that they can reawaken that powerful Latina within, make their own rules and slay in every area of their life by embracing the... ir Latinidad instead of going it alone. Growing up Latina in the suburbs of Manhattan was amazing at times a lonely experience for me. I didnt feel Latina enough for my Puerto Rican family on the island and I never feel American enough for the mainstream culture I grew up in Westchester County, NY. I never shared how I felt with anyone and sincerely believed this narrative was all my own. When I was 26 I experienced an aha moment where I realized that indeed I was not alone. I was belonged to a group of 16 million Latinos who were born here in the US but who had parents from Spanish speaking countries. (I later found out we were referred to as e ñyes.) I had an idea that night that I believed could change the way that Latinos saw themselves in the world and I knew it was powerful because of how it changed me. I felt connected and part of something in a way Id never known. I belonged to a group. I wasnt alone! Twenty years ago at that bar in Miami, I had an idea to make a film about American born Latinos that felt ni de aqui, ni de alla. I wanted to make a film that would address the cultural nuances between two worlds and in the process make them feel less alone, more empowered and in the process give them a place to belong. I have always aspired to be a person of great consequence. I wanted to have a life that mattered to others and made a difference in the world and I saw this as my opportunity to do that. During the course of making the film, I experienced great challenges. Some financial and some emotional. In order to focus 100% on making to film, my husband and I sold our wedding rings, my treasured Mercedes (that I worked my butt off to earn) was repossessed ...Read More