DANIELA DEL PORTILLO

I was born in Central Mexico in 1998. This was my home until the age of 7. Despite living out my formative years in my native country I was still pretty young when my mother and I moved to the United States. As a result I assimilated to American culture fairly easily and little by little my native tongue and traditions took a back burner. I think this is something that many immigrants and children of immigrants can relate to. As we become more accustomed to the culture around us, we begin to lose a little part of ourselves. As a child this was almost desirable. One of the last things you want to do while in American schools is to stand out, the further you blend into the background the safer you are from teasing and uncomfortable questions.

I began to change my mindset during my early adulthood. I am proud of my roots. I want to reconnect with them. These pieces are my take on “Lotería'” cards, a typical Mexican game resembling bingo, my childhood favorite. I acknowledge that my culture is not fully Mexican anymore, at this point I have spent more years in the United States than in Mexico. However I will also never be fully American, I am a wonderful mix of the two. I carry the blood of my indigenous ancestors and the rich history of my native country but also an offbeat style and interests that my grandparents would never approve of.

This is what I wanted to portray with my Lotería cards.

Lotería (La Flor, El Ojo, La Diabla, La Fruta & El Corazón), watercolor on paper, 11”x15”