Alex.

Jul 14

Last summer, I photographed Alex as part of my ongoing HumansWho Series & portfolio development sessions. I’m finally getting around to sharing Alex’s images and story on this space.

Tell us about your heritage.

Insert info here

What is the significance of the poncho and earrings you are wearing?

The poncho is traditionally worn in the Andes regions of South America. You'll find them pretty much anywhere—Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia. The poncho is 100% wool and was bought from Ecuador in a town close to where my father was born. He gifted it to me when I moved out west to remember my Ecuadorian roots. My dad is Ecuadorian.

The earrings have the Mapuche crest engraved in them. The earrings were given to me by my Chilean aunt (my mom’s side is Chilean), who always reminds me that the Mapuche women were and still are warriors and matriarchs.

So, these two peices hold value for me because of the ties to my family. It's really hard for me to narrow down the complexities of my identity; I don't necessarily say I'm Mapuche because I'm actually mixed European and Indigenous like most Latinx people, and on top of that I'm not even sure what my heritage is like on my dad's (Ecuadorian) side because a lot of my family history has been lost.

How do you relate to your Identity and your roots?

My identity is a weird intersect between my Canadian nationality and my Ecuadorian/Chilean roots. These two pieces (the poncho and the earrings) are important to me, because while I navigate the nuances of what makes up who I am, it's a grounding reminder that my lineage is long and complex and it means a lot to be able to carry with me some part of it here, in Canada as a first-generation Canadian.

I am still understanding my own identity in adulthood; how I relate to my roots while being born and raised in an entirely different part of the world.