As a first-generation American with immigrant parents from Peru and Germany, raised in a Mexican-American border town, my American Dream is one of navigating cultural intersections, yearning for acceptance, and confronting the narratives imposed upon me. My existence itself is a testament to resilience—the resilience of immigrants who sacrificed for the hope of a better future, and the strength it takes to reconcile multiple, often conflicting identities in a country that both invites and alienates.

For me, the American Dream isn’t just about opportunity; it’s about creating a space where I truly belong, despite feeling perpetually in-between. It’s about resisting the pressure to assimilate while embracing the richness of my diverse heritage. It’s about confronting and untangling generational trauma—healing the wounds passed down through displacement, migration, and cultural erasure. I personify a more nuanced American Dream, one that demands visibility and insists on centering voices from the margins.

My multidisciplinary art practice reflects my journey of self-definition. Initially focused on photography to explore identity, memory, and belonging, I later incorporated textiles as a metaphor for weaving together disparate parts of myself. More recently, I’ve expanded into sculpture to represent the liminal spaces I inhabit. This evolution mirrors the complexity of my multicultural identity, which transcends any single medium or discipline.

Through my work, I aim to turn the colonial gaze upon itself, reclaiming my power and agency, not just for myself, but for all who feel similarly in-between, turning the gaze back on itself and inviting others to confront what it means to exist in the hyphen of multiple identities. It is a way of asserting my place in the world, of being seen and understood on my own terms. My work is my way of letting you in—into the spaces between cultures, identities, and histories that shape who I am.