Becky G | Made in America
Upon the release of Becky G’s documentary on Netflix, Sergio Muñoz interviewed Dr Craig Wilder at MIT, Ana Valdez of the LDC, Wil Dog of Ozomatli and Sabrina Gonzalez from the USHBC. Here is the excerpt with Sabrina and the link for the long read.
This season, Becky G is having a moment of sorts and within that moment she released a documentary on Netflix called, Rebecca. In a poignant mid-section, she shows footage of her deceased Mexican grandfather at one of her concerts and in the audio, the grandfather tells the audience via Becky G:
“No dejes de decir que eres de gente humilde.”
In my long read, linked above and below, Dr Craig Wilder analyzed with me:
“It is probably the moment when she feels stable and secure enough to address that part of her life, it is a deeply personal thing. It is her obligation. Artists often struggle with how to place their background in their professional presentation.”
I called Sabrina Gonzalez, Chief of Staff at the US Hispanic Business Council, to double-click on that with a gaze focused on woman-owned-enterprise and entrepreneurship. What follow is an excerpt from my interview with Sabrina.
Sabrina Gonzalez: First starters, HUGE fan of Becky G. Latina artists spreading their wings, Latinos in general, Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl … I love that we are taking center stage even in places where people don’t speak our language. It is an incredible step. I love seeing us in these high profile situations.
Sergio: As we lobby in support of US Hispanic business owners, as we understand the pulse of Latina entrepreneurs hitting their moment of economic safety and security, what are your thoughts on that moment?
Sabrina Gonzalez: I wear multiple hats. My role at the USHBC in advocacy. And I am a small business owner myself. I come from small business owners. My father came to this country with nothing on a boat that sank on its way to the USA. He was helicoptered over and his shoe fell off and he kicked off the other one because he didn’t want to step onto the USA with only one shoe. I know the story. He was entrepreneurial and launched businesses. He had that spirit. I feel that spirit. There is no shortage of Hispanic owned businesses. We struggle with scaling upwards but we don’t struggle with the spirit.
Speaking for myself, I didn’t wait for safety and security to launch. I launched when my husband and I got married, we put our measly savings together, we got credit cards, we got co-investors, we are in the rental income business, we had a mortgage on the line, we lacked safety and security completely but we were well-thought-out.
There was a moment when there was a proof of concept. I looked at the calendar and every single night was booked. I remember the feeling. The high season bookings just kept rolling in. It was in that moment that I began to see myself as an entrepreneur. It was beautiful. I looked backwards and I ran to my mami and papi and I told them: Everything you taught me has allowed me to reach this point. I was so happy. It’s given me the confidence to know that as an entrepreneur, I will live to see another day. We will recoup and recover, over and onward. It was in that moment that I felt comfortable looking backward and forward.
Sergio: How old were you when you saw the calendar fully booked?
Sabrina: 24!
Sergio: Where are you now?
Sabrina: We have grown considerably. I was pregnant when I got our first property, by the time we got to the third property, I was pregnant again. Our family is growing, our business growing, everything is going in the right direction.
Sergio: At the USHBC, are you seeing that flying your heritage flag is seen as an asset or as a liability?
Sabrina: I love it when Becky G talks about being 100% Mexican and 100% American. In our work, we see how politicians either hide it or show it. Folks need to be genuine and it needs to be year-round the way Becky G does it. It has to come from a place of authenticity and she showcases that in the best way. She knows there is respect and honor in doing so. From my perspective, I was born in the USA, I do not have any connection to Cuba, I haven’t been to Cuba but my Cuban heritage has shaped me to be who I am. When I moved from Miami to Washington, DC, I knew in that moment that I was Cuban. I realized that I am a minority. I am brown. I am Latina. I didn’t understand that until I was in DC. It was a moment where I knew I needed to be connected to my father’ story and it became a place of pride and remembrance.
#Intelatin #Media #Film #Documentary #Rebecca #BeckyG
Sergio C. Muñoz is a Mexican banker writing on Latina/o Prosperity. His work has been featured in the US Hispanic Business Council; Caló, the Los Angeles Times, the OC Register, PBS, NPR, WNYC, Revista - Harvard Review of Latin America, Studio 360, Latino Leaders Magazine, Poder Hispanic, Sopitas, Animal Político & ¿México Cómo Vamos?
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