Standing Firm: What It Means to Be a QPOC Creative and Small Business Owner
Being a QPOC small business owner isn’t just about building something for yourself, it’s about building despite everything that was built to work against you. Every day, I wake up and choose to stand firm. Not just for me, but for mi mamá, for my daughter, for the women who came before me and for the ones who’ll come after.
My mom immigrated here like so many others, with nothing but grit, faith, and love. She worked herself to the bone to give us a shot at a dignified life. She brought me, my sister, and our abuelos to this country with the hope that our futures could look different. And even now, we’re still hustling with that same fire, if not more.
But that fire didn’t start with her. My hustle comes from my abuela’s prayers, her strength, her quiet wisdom, and her unshakable belief in a better tomorrow. Esa fuerza runs through my veins, and it’s the reason I don’t dilute who I am to make people comfortable.
I’m not here to be palatable.
I’m a proud Dominicana. Queer. A creative. A small business owner. A mama. A voice. And I won’t separate my identity from my work. My roots, my voice, and my fight are stitched into every photo I take. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you support me as an artist, you need to understand that I don’t tolerate injustice. Not in my business, not in my community, not anywhere.
If you unfollow because I speak up for immigrants, for trans lives, for Black lives, for Indigenous sovereignty, for Palestine, for the communities so often silenced, good. You were never my audience. You were just passing through. Art rooted in truth doesn’t need everyone’s approval.
To my fellow QPOC creatives staying quiet, please don’t confuse silence with strategy. Silence doesn’t protect you, your family, or your people. Silence is a choice. And privilege. And honestly? It’s loud.
I won’t pretend I have a manual for being both an artist and an activist. I’m learning as I go, making mistakes, listening, doing my best to show up with heart. To hold space for others. To use my work and platform for something that feels real and necessary, even when it costs me.
Defending humanity will always be worth it. No act of solidarity is too small. Showing up for your comunidad, even in quiet ways, is still resistance.
Tu activismo no tiene que ser perfecto, tiene que existir. El dolor que sentimos viendo esta historia repetirse no nos hace débiles, nos hace humanos. No dejes que te roben la empatía. No dejes que te la apaguen.
Estoy aquí. Firme. Loud and proud. Con mi cámara, mi voz, y mi comunidad atrás de mí.