Philadelphia, PA. October 26, 2015– Esperanza announced the winners of the “Yo Soy La Cara: Pride through the Lens” photography contest. In the Best Selfie category: Adriana Torres, a student from John B. Stetson Charter School; in the Best Portrait category: Jacob Rodriguez, a student from Esperanza Academy Charter High School; and, in the People’s Choice category, with nearly two thousand votes: Daiana Loza, a student from Council Rock High School South.
Last year, Esperanza introduced the “Yo Soy La Cara” community pride campaign during which we encouraged community members to show their pride by sharing selfies with the hashtag #YoSoyLaCara (I am the face) on social media. This year, Esperanza presented a unique opportunity to show what pride means through the lens of our youth during Hispanic Heritage Month.
“As the presidential campaign continues and the harsh portrayals of immigrants persist, we are called to create a space for positive expression for Latino youth.” says the Reverend Luis Cortes, Founder, President and CEO of Esperanza, “Esperanza encourages our youth to continue to express themselves through creative, productive outlets. We hear that our children feel invisible. Our youth are paying attention to all kinds of messages in print, broadcast and social media and realize that –with few exceptions-the only reference to the Latino community is tragedy or criminal activity. We must take advantage of this unfortunate truth and use this opportunity to rewrite the stories of our community. We have so many reasons to be proud of our culture, our identity and our voice. We are excited that through this project our youth are empowered to tell their own story. It’s very powerful.”
“We are proud of everyone who participated,” says Josue Duarte, VP of Media & Marketing at Esperanza, “We received such a wide range of entries, from portraits of immigrant youth to youth making progressive statements through their fashion, proving that young Latinos have a lot to say and even more to be proud of.”
Contestants were encouraged to submit their photos and a short registration at Esperanza’s Facebook page. The winner of each category received a cash prize of $500 and will be featured on Univision 65, Mega Radio, and Al Dia News, as well as Esperanza’s website and social media.
Partners include: the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs, Univision 65, Mega Radio, Al Dia News, Esperanza College, Esperanza Academy, Aspira, Acción Colombia, Argentinos en Filadelfia, Mexican Cultural Center, Taller Puertorriqueño, Hunting Park Business Association, Hunting Park Community Collaborative, the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, Afrotaino, and the Village of Arts and Humanities.
###
Esperanza, the premiere Hispanic Evangelical faith-based network in the country, was founded in 1987 by the Reverend Luis Cortés Jr. and the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity. With a national network of over 13,000 Hispanic congregations, faith and community based agencies, Esperanza is a leading voice for Hispanics in America. To read more, please visit www.esperanza.us