Latiné Heritage Month, also known as Hispanic Heritage Month, is a national celebration to honor the history, influence, culture, and diversity of those in the Latiné community. Being a minority and woman-owned company that works with Artisans in Latin American countries, the love Nena & Co. has for this community is immeasurable. To all the Latiné women in our community, we love you and we appreciate you.
As we celebrate, we want to extend an invitation to learn more about these cultures in hopes of gaining a better understanding and appreciation for them. Women in general have not had access to the same rights and privileges as men throughout history. Because of this, we want to share a few of the many Latiné women who are challenging the norm, striving for change, and making a mark in the industries they’re in. Here are 7 Latiné Instagram influencers you need to follow on social media.
Taste and Cook Traditional Oaxacan Food
If you missed it, Ali’s favorite dish on her trip to Oaxaca was Mole, a traditional food born in Oaxaca, Mexico, so naturally we had to feature this amazing woman. Bricia Lopez Maytorena is a Mexican-American restaurateur and author known for her Oaxacan culture and cuisine. She was born and raised in Mitla, Oaxaca and grew up learning how to cook true artisanal food alongside her mother, sisters and grandmother. In fact, her family has a long lineage of Oaxacan Mezcal craftsmen.
In 1994, her father founded Guelaguetza, a Oaxacan restaurant located in Los Angeles. She began working in the restaurant at a very young age, later graduated college in Business Administration, and now is a partner of Guelaguetza alongside her three siblings. If you’re ever in LA, you won’t want to miss a trip to Guelaguetza, which was chosen as the best top 10 Mexican restaurants in the country by Travel and Leisure. Bricia and her family restaurant is also known for helping popularize Mezcal in the United States.
While her food is rich in tradition and flavor, that’s not all Bricia is known for. She’s also an author and inspiration to those around her. She’s the author of the book, The Oaxacan Cookbook, and the co-founder of the Super Mamas podcast, a non-profit for women who own restaurants in LA, and a michelada delivery service. In 2013, she was awarded a special recognition for achievements in her community and inspiring other women as leaders. She’s even been to the White House for a discussion. Get to know Bricia and learn how to cook Oaxacan food by following her on Instagram and visiting her website, Mole and More.
Create A Casual Yet Chic Fashion Wardrobe
Gina Ybarra, born in Mexico and living in San Diego, is a lifestyle blogger and Instagram Influencer known for sharing her casual yet chic style. She started her blog, Hunt for Styles, back in 2014 to share styling tips and spread her love for finding beautiful fashion pieces that don’t cost a pretty penny. Since then, she has gained over 654k followers and created a loyal online community. Currently, she just launched a clothing line with a popular clothing brand.
In addition to fashion, this Mexicana shares a love for her heritage through speaking Spanish to her followers and giving us a peek at her Mexican-American family dynamic. If you’re in need of some street style and chic fashion ideas, you definitely want to follow @Huntforstyles on Instagram! We'll take one of everything from this beautiful woman’s closet.
Try Easy and Fun Cooking Recipes
Born and raised in Honduras, Maria Sierra co-founded La Cooquette in 2014 as a bilingual food and travel blogger. In her videos, she speaks Spanish and English as she shares one-of-a-kind recipes for her followers to try. Maria’s motivation for becoming a traveling foodie has always been her love for how food can inspire and connect people from different walks of life. Since her start, she has reached around 91 million people with her travel and food blog and has created content for top media outlets.
From living in Los Angeles for some time to studying in Spain, Panama, Mexico City, DC, and New York, Maria has tried many different dishes. What better way to explore the world and connect with the culture than through taste? As you cook with her, you’ll find a new appreciation for the smell, colors, taste, and history of each food she makes. She even tells the cultural story behind different dishes!
If you’re ready to expand your taste buds with simple recipes while also being adventurous with your approach to food, follow La Cooquette on Instagram and Youtube. Her quirky personality and fun videos will be educational and entertaining!
Style Your Wardrobe and House
Of Salvadoran descent but born and raised in Los Angeles, Denise (Dee) Hernandez is the woman behind The Jitana. With a life filled with adventure and spontaneity as well as her latin heritage, La Jitana describes who she is as a person. Online, she loves to share her home decor, fashion, and travels. As of 2021, her personal brand has amassed 84k followers on Instagram and continues to grow.
Along with her personal brand, Dee embraced her love for home decor and launched Shop Jitana. In this collection, Dee finds one of a kind pieces made by Artisans from around the world. Each piece is unique and ethically sourced. Does this sound a little familiar? We knew we had to share a fellow creator who works with Artisans. Go follow her on Instagram. We hope you love her as much as we do.
Support or Be A Part of A Latina Community
Anna Flores is the founder and CEO of #WeAllGrowLatina, the first network of Latina influencers founded in 2010 as a way to build a global community of impactful Latinas. Its mission as a whole is to elevate the voices and stories of Latinas in order to drive social and economic change. Today, her community of #WeAllGrowLatina on Instagram has grown to 195k followers since its founding in 2010.
Born in Houston, Texas, raised by her mom in El Salvador and a graduate of the University of Florida in video production, Anna now lives in Los Angeles with her daughter. She first started her career with a personal blog, Spanglish Baby, where she talked about raising bilingual and bicultural children. Through connecting online, she saw a need to connect Latinas and create a space for them to support each other. It started as Latinas Connect and evolved into #WeAllGrowLatina.
In addition to the community she has built, Anna has been to The White House twice for a summit on gender diversity and women empowerment issues. She is also a sought-out speaker and thought leader and hopes to write a book in the future. Learn more about Anna and her community by following on Instagram and visiting the We All Grow Latina website.
Get Maternity and Parenting Tips
Claudia Felix-Garay, also known as @thelatinamom on Instagram, is a bilingual blogger who writes about fashion, parenting, maternity, and beauty! She started her blog in 2013 to help women be realistic with their spending and that with a little confidence, you don’t need to buy expensive items. As of September 2021, she has grown her audience to 66.6k followers.
Born in Mexico, Claudia arrived in the San Fernando Valley at the age of three, went back to Mexico at the age of six, and then returned to the United States when her family decided they wanted a better life for her and her sister. At the age of 25, she married her high school sweetheart and is a mama Mexicana to two beautiful sons.
During her college years, Claudia got a degree in Liberal Studies and Child Development. Through her blog, she loves to share her knowledge on this subject. Some topics include potty training, eczema, her maternity journey, gestational diabetes, and more! Follow The Latina Mom for fashion, maternity, and parenting on Instagram and her website, The Latina Mom.
Strive To Live More Sustainable
Stevie Van Horn is a lover and advocate of Mother Earth and has a passion for living sustainably. Through her platform, Stevie uses her voice to share tips and help her followers gain an understanding and appreciation for the earth. As a social activist and climate activist, Stevie leads through action. She picks up trash, shops second hand, buys food from the local farmer’s market, participates in social events, and even founded her own organic skincare line, YAY FOR EARTH.
Stevie’s sustainability journey is a story of turning what seems like a failure into something beautiful. Her parents couldn’t pay for school so she worked full time as a barista while going to community college. Her hope was to become a nurse. When she didn’t get into the school she wanted, one day at work a customer walked in and started talking about fungi and mycelium. This sparked her curiosity to learn more which led her to where she is now.
In addition to sustainability, Stevie is an advocate for self-confidence and embracing your natural beauty. In one post, she shared how she would push down her Mexican roots to fit in with her friends when she was younger. In her 20s she made a change and had the best journey loving her body, embracing her insecurities, and learning her family roots. Give Stevie a follow for more tips on self-confidence and sustainability while having a laugh and enjoying nature. And here’s a little reminder we had to share from Stevie herself:
“Remember your journey is never ending - you will have awkward, insecure phases, but own them. Don’t be ashamed of being a weirdo, or of your natural hair, or your body type. We are all so unique that comparing and contrasting to others is doing yourself a massive disservice as well as stunting the power you really have.”
Thank You For Supporting Nena & Co.
As a woman and minority-owned business, we want to thank you for supporting our mission as a brand. Each vintage and newly woven textile that’s used on our bags tells a story of the Artisan and their heritage who created them. Our hope is to continue supporting Artisans in keeping the art of weaving alive and honoring their indigenious heritage.
Are you new to Nena & Co.? Explore bags, accessories, and home goods thoughtfully curated each Wednesday and Friday. Because items are handmade by Artisans, they drop in limited quantities and sell out quickly. Don’t worry though, we have you covered! Learn how to score your Nena bag and be prepared for the next drop.