In celebration of Our Heritage Month, TikTok hosted the second installment of Visionary Voices, a gathering of the Latine community and its allies in honor of the creative and cultural change-makers in the media and entertainment industry.
Held last month in New York City, the event included a dynamic discussion about how Latines can drive culture and creativity across social media. Attendees were also treated to a culinary experience with food and drinks from inspiring Latine-owned eateries, an interactive art installation, music performances, and freebie gifts from Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez.
During Visionary Voices, Remezcla got the opportunity to speak to three TikTok creators about what inspires their social media content, what advice they have for someone who wants to share their voice on the platform, and how they feel about representing the Latine culture on a platform that boasts one billion active users in 154 countries across the globe.
Bryan Hernández
Hernández is a Dominican TikTok influencer from Brooklyn, New York. He currently has 141,300 followers on the platform.
How would you define your current purpose as a content creator?
My purpose is to build and curate a community. I just love making people laugh and feel better about themselves. So, when I see the comments coming in — all the love — I know that my job is being done.
When was that aha moment in which you saw your content resonating with people?
That aha moment happened when my friends started sending me screenshots of their family group chats, asking, “Isn’t this your friend?” I’m like, “Oh my God. People are actually seeing my content. People are talking about me.” That’s when I knew it was hitting home for people.
What’s your biggest tip to anyone who wants to create content on TikTok but maybe feels discouraged?
Just do it. For a long time, there was this fear where I thought, “What are people going to think about me or say about me?” That shouldn’t be a factor. Just get on that camera or on that platform, open your mouth, and speak your truth. I feel like the more you do that, the more you’ll find your niche and the people that resonate with you.
In recent years, there have been several Latine TV shows that have been canceled, but it seems like maybe we’re reclaiming that power on social media. How do you feel about seeing Latines reclaiming that representation that other people have taken away from us in the media?
I think it’s great because we are taking power back. In my case, if there’s a TV show that I like, I will 100% put my short spinoff on TikTok – a Dominican version or Latino version – on it. I’ll make a whole series on it. People love it and resonate with it because I’m speaking about my experience and what I want to see in the media. So, I’m taking power into my own hands.
What do you hope to see more of when it comes to Latinidad on TikTok?
I want people to broaden their minds on what Latinidad is. Latinidad doesn’t have one look. We can all fit under that term and not look like one another. So, I want people to be more considerate of what Latinidad is.
Jessica Morrobel
Morrobel is a Dominican TikTok influencer from Brooklyn, New York. She currently has 89,100 followers on the platform.
How would you define your current purpose as a content creator?
It’s to empower other women to find themselves through creativity and self-expression. As someone who was ostracized in corporate America for wearing my naturally curly hair, I like to use my story and my journey and share that with my audience so that they, too, can feel empowered and know they’re not alone. To say, “I’m right here with you. This is my journey. You can say this if someone says something nasty to you in corporate America about your hair.” So, a big part of my mission is to empower other women — specifically Latinas and women of color.
What’s your biggest tip for aspiring creators?
If f they don’t feel seen, lean into their community of other creators to learn from them and to share stories. I learned early in my career that if I were too afraid to speak to the camera or share my journey, I would just record myself in my room. I would not post that video content. I would just play it repeatedly, so I could feel more comfortable with what I was saying and how I was sharing things. I would also allow my friends and family to tune in and let me know their thoughts. It was a way of seeking a little bit of validation. I was once in that place where I didn’t feel seen. Again, that was me tapping into my community and my friends and family who had maybe gone through the same shared experiences. Those are my top tips for those creators.
How do you feel about seeing Latines reclaiming that representation that other people have taken away from us in the media?
I love to see it. I firmly believe that something like Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month should be celebrated all year round and not just monthly. We’re making space for the people who deserve to have a voice. That’s also a big part of my platform – to lend a voice to a community that feels unseen and unheard. I’m a big proponent and supporter of what’s happening now in this space.
Andrea Ventura
Ventura is a Salvadoran TikTok influencer from Brooklyn, New York. She currently has 271,900 followers on the platform.
What’s important to you when it comes to growing a following and being on a platform like TikTok?
I started posting videos and creating the type of content I make because I am a model. I am short, so it was tough for me to get signed by agencies and get taken seriously in the industry. I felt so alone that I decided to create content showing my journey and teaching people what I was learning because I didn’t want anybody else to feel as alone as I felt during that time. So, that’s the big reason why I create content.
What’s your biggest tip to anyone who wants to create content on TikTok but maybe feels discouraged?
I think it’s very important to go ahead and do it — just rip off the Band-Aid. I know sometimes we have insecurities. For example, I have an accent. Sometimes I think, “Oh my God. People won’t want to hear me because I have an accent.” I stumble on my words, but people will still love you. People will still love you if you have a great personality and create valuable content. So, I always tell people, “You’ll never know unless you try!”
What do you hope to see more of when it comes to Latinidad on TikTok?
I’d like to see a lot more representation. One of the things that I really enjoy doing in my personal content, for example, is to show my “ethnic nose.” I tell people, “Hey, I have this nose, which is not the beauty standard.” But I’m still a model, and I’m still booking amazing campaigns with it. I’d like to see more of us showing off our features and our skin color.
What’s something you feel people have learned from your TikTok about your cultural background that they might not have known before?
I think Salvadorans are not highly represented in social media and the entertainment industry, and I want to see a lot more of that. So, I think people don’t really know that I’m from El Salvador until I mention it. Then, they’re like, “Wow, my God, you’re from El Salvador, too!”