Creating radical visibility — for artists of color, queer artists, undocumented artists — is hard work. And people doing hard work need to eat well. Over chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican dish of fried corn tortillas covered in sauce and queso fresco, CultureStrike co-founder Favianna Rodriguez and queer undocumented artist and cartoonist Julio Salgado dish out more than just a delicious meal.
“The entire ecosystem of the arts does not have enough of us in it,” Rodriguez says of artists of color. “It’s not just about being represented, it’s about us having real power.”
For Salgado, whose work is informed by his various identities, but not defined by them, the current political climate makes him question his decision to be out — both as a queer man and an undocumented immigrant. But, he says, “The artist in me is like, ‘No.’”
“We definitely need to have stories — especially now,” Rodriguez says “of joy and pleasure and just our complicated humanity.”