Djali Brown-Cepeda, Founder of Nuevayorkinos
Djali Brown-Cepeda is on a mission to amplify and preserve the stories of Latino and Caribbean New Yorkers with the nostalgia-inducing @nuevayorkinos, a digital archive of family photos paired with colorful, sometimes bittersweet captions that are thoughtfully penned by the submitters themselves. In short, the account is a love letter and tribute to the people who make up the communities that are so often overlooked or lumped into limiting archetypes.
“Like Blackness, Latinidad is not monolithic,” says the Dominican-American New Yorker. “It looks different and has varying existences depending on region.”
Since its inception in 2019, Nuevayorkinos has been featured in the New York Times and NPR, and even secured its own exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in 2021.
I’m so excited for you to meet Djali! Keep reading to learn more about this mujer de magia—and be sure to follow (and submit to!) @nuevayorkinos on Instagram.
Grace Gavilanes: How did you get the idea for Nuevayorkinos and what has been the response?
Djali Brown-Cepeda: I had the idea for Nuevayorkinos while in Santo Domingo with my family. I watched a show that was supposed to be innovative in its representation, but really did nothing but perpetuate tired narratives. So, before going to sleep, I mindlessly scrolled down my Instagram feed, and came across the incredible @veteranas_and_rucas project, curated by Guadalupe Rosales. It's a powerful archive documenting Latina women of Southern California and L.A. Like Blackness, Latinidad is not monolithic. It looks different and has varying existences depending on region. As a Caribbean New Yorker, I could only relate and see my community but so much. And on that night, in the wee hours of February 14, 2019, the name "nuevayorkinos" came to me, and I made the page. Later that month, I ran the idea by Ricardo Castañeda, my then-colleague, now partner in life and love, who created the logo. And now, three years later, here we are.
The response has remained constant: There's a deep appreciation for the stories that are shared, and a deep sense of nostalgia in the images and videos we post. That people are still submitting their family histories, still reconnecting with long lost loved ones, still finding community in the comments, still supporting us years down the line means the world.
GG: What would you say is the most rewarding part of your work?
DBC: Being a bridge! A bridge between communities, a bridge between nationalities and ethnicities, a bridge between cultures, a bridge between generations. In a time of increased division and hating thy neighbor, fostering community and holding space for la gente is everything.
GG: Hustle culture and burnout is so prominent in our community. How do you make sure to take care of yourself first?
DBC: That's a three-part question, because taking care of oneself is a physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual undertaking. Physically, I take care of myself by reminding myself that life is more important than work. Meaning, eating well, drinking water, and nourishing my insides is more important than rushing to answer an email. When you're a product of grind culture and come up in a city run by el joseo, it's easy to forget to eat or drink water. It sounds silly, but we as a society have really downplayed the bare necessities for the dollar. Like Wu-Tang says, Cash Rules Everything Around Me—but never Cash Rule you.
Emotionally and mentally, when things get too heavy, I take a break. If you let it, social media will make you feel like you have to do things, like you need to participate in the latest craze, like you have to explain yourself. I do not abide by those (very unhealthy) social norms. Social media, and people that you'll never meet, should not have such a hold on folks' lives.
Then there's spirituality, which plays a huge role in my life. As an Olorisha Yemayá––or a priest of Yemaya in the Lucumí faith––meditation, thoughtful, reverence for nature and the elements, and honoring of my Eggun (ancestors) is everything. Growing up Lucumí and having a mother who is also a priest, I'm very fortunate to have had this spiritual groundwork laid as a foundation early on. As an Olorisha, I know that I'm here, existing in this lifetime, as a continuation of my ancestors. I'm the amalgamation of their wildest dreams and their deepest prayers.
When you have a strong Mind-Body-Soul-Spirit connection, all is possible.
““Being Latina means that I’m a product of a history that I didn’t necessarily choose. A history that despite it being riddled with atrocity, with violence, with suffering, and pain, we’ve alchemized that pain and that atrocity and that violence, and we created something so beautiful.””
GG: What accomplishment are you most proud of, both in your personal and professional life?
DBC: Ah! I'm proud of everything I've done this far. Cultivating such a meaningful community, and continuing to cultivate it, in a time of extreme division means a lot to me. The show at MoMA PS1 last fall, our exhibitions, our Latin night parties that we threw this summer: All those events left us with adrenaline rushes and sore cheeks from laughing and smiling. But honestly, just that Nuevayorkinos exists and people are still engaging with it means the world.
GG: What does being Latina mean to you?
DBC: Para mí, siendo latina, negra, caribeña, quisqueyana, ayitiana, taína, a New Yorker, siendo mujer significa siendo the realization of all my ancestors. Being Latina means that I’m a product of a history that I didn’t necessarily choose. A history that despite it being riddled with atrocity, with violence, with suffering, and pain, we’ve alchemized that pain and that atrocity and that violence, and we created something so beautiful. Our cultures, our traditions, the ways that we paint our houses, the way that we furnish our houses. To me, being Latina means being everything, and to be everything means being closer to God.
GG: What would you tell 15-year-old Djali right now if you had the opportunity?
DBC: As a kid, I was very into people-pleasing. I never spoke up for myself because I detested confrontation, I was a doormat who let wolves in sheep’s clothing walk all over me, and I cared way too much about what others thought. So I'd tell my 15-year-old self not to care too much about others' opinions and always trust the gut intuitions I'd often silence for the sake of fitting in. And also to be a better judge of character. But, those things come with life experience. Everything I went through to this day has made me who I am, and oftentimes, kids have to go through things to learn lessons vs. just be told not to, or to, do something.15-year-old me was just trying to figure it out, and I'm proud of her that we've made it this far.
Want to keep up with Djali’s passion project? Follow @nuevayorkinos on Instagram!
Photo Credit: Campos
