Ñ. That letter in the Spanish alphabet with the weird squiggly line above it. While this letter may seem insignificant or perhaps strange if you didn’t grow up among Latinx’s, it has become a bridge for American Latinx’s to connect and finally feel understood.
Latina filmmaker, Denise Soler Cox took on the courageous task of uniting people by talking about it — discrimination. Founder of Project Eñye, Cox created a multi-media platform for “Ñ” people to share their stories with discrimination as first-generation Latinx’s and to create a space for community.
Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, Cox shared her journey as an Ñ and her recent work with Henry Ansbacher on their documentary, Being Ñ!
“My family sacrificed so much to give me a better life, how could I talk about bullying? I didn’t want them to think I was ungrateful.”
What was it like growing up in a predominantly white community?
My family moved to Westchester, NY when I was very young. At that time I had little awareness about the differences in my community. It wasn’t until I was called a “gringa” in Puerto Rico that I realized something was off. Slowly, a number of events began to teach me what it felt like to be different. For example, my school hosted a potluck and my mother made flan. I thought it was the best flan ever but nobody ever touched it! Bringing my culture to school made me a target for bullying and I couldn’t understand why.
Did this experience influence the inception of Project Eñye?
It did indirectly. I felt alone and didn’t dare to express my experiences with bullying with my family. How could I burden them with these problems when they sacrificed so much for me? I thought speaking about it meant I was ungrateful so I stayed quiet...for years.
I moved to Miami when I was in my 20s. That’s when I realized I wasn’t alone. Other people also felt discriminated against and stuck between this middle ground of half Latin and half American but not fully either at the same time! I started recording these observations on napkins and compared it to my experiences. Seeing everything written down finally helped me understand and feel connected to something.
When you began this project, did you ever imagine it would have the impact it has today?
Yes and no. I imagined the impact because I knew that Miami couldn’t be the only place with people like me. I wanted Project Eñye to become a platform for American Latinx’s across the nation to connect and feel like a part of a community. But I honestly didn’t think it would have this much success. I’ve received very positive responses since I’ve started and I couldn’t be happier.
Henry Ansbacher and Denise Soler Cox, directors of Being Ñ.
Tell me about the documentary you’ve been working on recently?
It’s a series of stories from American Latinx’s from all walks of life. The goal is to help my audiences realize that they aren’t alone. If, like me, they hid the fact that they’ve been bullied, then this documentary is to help them understand that they can speak out about those experiences and not feel alone.
Did you face any challenges with the making of this documentary?
There will always be a set of challenges with any project. For me, it was getting started. It took me years to finally make a pitch because I lacked confidence. My inner dialogue convinced me that all the possible reasons for failure would become real. I had to remind myself of the reason I started — the people. It was because of the people so, I gathered the courage to make the first pitch and it worked! I want my audiences to reflect on their journey and realize how strong they are because they’ve endured the pain that comes with discrimination and feeling alone.
Reflecting on your journey, what advice would you have given yourself when you started Project Eñye?
Believe. I was so afraid of failing that I didn’t give myself a moment to really believe in this project. I also would have told my self that self-care is extremely important. I spent many months putting my own mental and physical health on the back burner that I eventually burned out. I had to find the strength inside me to continue working and that was a result of finally believing in myself again.
Lastly, what do you hope audiences will gain from reading your blog, watching your podcasts, viewing your documentary?
This is the beginning of a journey of self-discovery. Being true to yourself, flaws and all, is the only way you’ll truly learn to love yourself completely. Project Eñye is just the beginning. Let’s connect, share stories, and work together so that generations following us don’t feel betrayed by society.
Denise Soler Cox, New York native and Puerto Rican, continues to inspire the Latinx community to strive for excellence. In addition to filmmaking, she is a distinguished member of Stanford’s Latino Leaders Entrepreneur Program and has recently received the National Association of Latino Independent Producers 2017 Fellowship.
Check out her documentary, Being Ñ, in a city near you and don’t forget to follow her Twitter for an inside scoop on other projects!
Thank you Denise for an incredible interview and your willingness to unite Ñ’s.