Stephanie Mendez

Proud daughter of IMMIGRANTS ✨👑🌟

I did this portrait session with @j_moncrief the day before the fires started with the intention of sharing these the next day. But after everything unfolded the way it did, it didn’t feel right to celebrate in the midst of so much loss. So I put off posting these photos…

But now, I feel like I have to allow myself some joy to celebrate—it can’t be darkness all the time. We won’t be able to get important work done if we let sorrow swallow us. We have to cherish these moments when we can.

So I want to celebrate the arrival of my Emmy Awards and these fun pictures that my favorite photographer & talented friend Jessica Moncrief shot. She’s been shooting my portraits for years now and she really killed this shoot. 🔥⭐️

With so much hatred and vitriol being directed at immigrants and other disenfranchised groups right now, I also want to celebrate my identity and resilience as a first generation Purépecha-Mexican American, a daughter of immigrants who crossed the border in hopes of a better life. I am proof to them that they did good, that they succeeded in this land, and their sacrifices were worth it.

✨This daughter of immigrants is an EMMY WINNER. ✨