Alicia Betancourt: Indie Latina
Indie Latina is a platform created by Alicia Betancourt that highlights independent Latinx artists, business owners, etc. who are pursuing their craft in Salt Lake City. “So yes, I have olive skin, yes, red is my color, and I can totally get down to some reggaeton; I’ve got curves on curves that need those stretch-fit, high-waisted moto jeans. Then the indie in me matches my denim with a sock & Doc combo, a cozy knit sweater, and a felt hat. Get me a capp from the roaster down the street and I’m a happy chica.” Alicia explains about the blending of the two worlds on her website. Indie Latina was conceived while Alicia was working as a soldier in the National Guard as a creative outlet for her to express her passion for photography, fashion, and writing.
Recently. Salt Lily had the privilege to ask Alicia a few questions about her blog and her latinidad, a word according to Alica is the Spanish way to say “Latin-ness”.
Why did you start Indie Latina?
Indie Latina came out of a desire of mine to reconnect with my latin culture, as well as to find a creative outlet for myself.
As a Salt Lake City transplant from South Florida, and someone who's been living here amongst the mountains for a hot minute, I was feeling my sense of identity—my latinidad —slipping a bit. I figured that if I put myself and my culture out there, then I could maybe discover this millennial, urban, latin community that I was having a hard time finding on my own here in Utah.
I also like to mention that the idea for my platform was born during my military deployment to Afghanistan in 2018. The reason that's important is because, on top of wanting to reconnect with my culture, I felt really creatively stagnant since starting a career the year before as a full-time National Guard soldier. You can probably imagine that government jobs aren't the most creatively fulfilling thing.
And side note—I'm not a full-time soldier anymore! Now I'm part-time
How do you define indie?
Indie to me is a way to define this subculture that exists that celebrates things that are independently made. It can even be a way of being in a sense because it can show up in a person's music choices, hairstyles, fashion, vibe; shopping at small business and browsing at farmer's markets, buying vintage over fast fashion; or the choice between small music venues versus giant stadiums, going to the local theater on Broadway rather than watching big cinema box office hits. It could even be synonymous with the label "hipster".
Obviously these are stereotypes, but “indie” was a way for me to categorize what makes a local scene-like Salt Lake City's thrive. There are creators and the appreciators, and both do what they do because of the passion they have for independent craft.
Why do you personally think representation is important?
I'll just put it out there: When you're a minority living in a place with low diversity, it can be difficult to be understood or accepted as you are. Naturally, when a homogeneous society isn't used to being surrounded by diverse folks, there's an inherent ignorance that exists simply from just now knowing about anything other than your own kind.
To be clear, that's not anyone's fault! But when I change the party playlist from alt synthy rock to reggaeton and I'm the only one getting down, you know, it gets awkward. So naturally, I have the instinct to blend in, which wasn't totally bad. Consuming all that is Salt Lake City really has brought the indie out of me and I've come to appreciate so much of the art and music that people gravitate to here. However, while this half of me was being fulfilled, I noticed I had to go outside of this indie bubble to find something that appealed to the latin side of me. Soon I was categorizing my friends into cultural camps: my brown friends and my white friends. As much as I wanted them to, these worlds rarely collided.
For me, cultural representation is so important for a diverse, non-homogeneous society. For diversity to live amongst each other, there's gotta be a latin dance club next to a gay bar next to a indie music venue; there's gotta be an empanada restaurant next to a boulengerie next to a swanky burlesque cocktail lounge. Remarkably, the beauty is that this has slowly been happening in our city. Whether new to the city or not, there are folks out there who have decided to invest in their culture by opening up their own spaces and shops. To me this signals that I am welcomed in this city. When I see that empanada restaurant downtown, I feel safer and accepted in my latinidad.
What has been your favorite memory of running Indie Latina?
Oof, this is so hard! I wouldn't say it's one distinct memory. Instead my favorite memories are all the occasions of discovering other latina creators, professionals, vintage collectors, side-hustlers, etc. here in our community. Whether it's randomly in person or on Instagram, it's just all been really cool to find others like me.
You were born in Puerto Rico and raised in South Florida, was moving to Salt Lake City, a place that’s not very diverse, a culture shock?
Yes! I grew up in a place where I was comfortable in my cultural identity and simultaneously so surrounded by diversity that I was unaware of it. Then I moved to Utah and very quickly felt the subtle tangibility of my latinidad. I swapped warm palms with crisp mountains, kisses-on-the-cheek greetings with long-distance waves, and an air intermingled with spanglish to one that's just english plus so much more.
Do you think it’s difficult for Latinx business owners and independent artists to gain exposure in Salt Lake City?
Hmmm, well I'm no economy expert, so this is purely my opinion: but I would say yes and no. I think it depends on the business and the artist's product. If it's something marketed in a way that can be universally understood and enjoyed, then I wouldn't think it would be harder. But if someone is selling tequeños or elotes at a farmer's market, singing lyrics in spanish or creating art that would only be understood by other latinx people, then I'd guess that it would be harder because now it's being sold in a niche market that would need convincing to be accepted by a whiter audience.
At the same time, Salt Lake City's independent artist and business owner community is incredibly tight-knit and easy to support others. When I started my account, I wanted to start it off with collaborations to give new followers a discount at a local business. Anyone I approached was immediately game to work with me. It was such a happy surprise for me! I couldn't believe how quick people were to help others. Along the way I've noticed an inspiring mentality that goes "if we win, we all win together".
When it comes to food, we all eat pho, ramen, curry, falafel... I don't see why other latin flavors can't be loved, too. We just got a Puerto Rican restaurant last year, which is really exciting for me because I missed my people's food so much, but I'm also equally excited to have it be loved by the city as well.
What do you hope people will get out of your blog?
I hope people will get a sense of community. I also hope it can be a safe space for people to learn about what it's like to be latinx, as well as to appreciate the culture. I want my followers to discover latinx folks here in Salt Lake City and learn about what they do, who they are and hopefully make a human connection. I want my latinx followers to feel like they're not the only latino/latina in the city.
What is your favorite part about running your blog?
I enjoy how it challenges me creatively. I've learned a lot about social media marketing and content creation. I wouldn't consider myself a pro, but I'm stoked about how much progress I've made with my photography and editing.
Working in a medium like a blog has also taught me how to stay within my niche, has given me insight into what works and doesn't work when writing content and then how to use those lessons to then further evolve the website. I've been playing around with the idea of converting the blog into a newsletter to share content in easily digestible bites. It would be a mixture of stuff I write plus other content I feel like is worth sharing.
How has Indie Latina evolved since its conception?
Well, last February was Indie Latina's one-year anniversary! I feel like it's been in constant evolution since I started. My social feed has become more curated, and the blog has undergone several changes as I've taught myself about how to use a website. For example, when I started writing features on latinx creatives here in SLC, I would write it on a dedicated page for features, then I would erase and replace it with the next month's feature. Obviously, now I'm incredibly bummed to not have saved those old features I wrote. My goal this year is really to nail down what works for me off of social media.
I'm also very grateful for the people who have decided to follow me. They're support means so much and is a big reason why I keep doing what I'm doing. They're following me to get to know some rad Latinx folks! So I gotta deliver!
How did being in the military change you and your blog?
It's what pushed me to make this blog! Actually the bitterness I had during my deployment pushed me to make this blog, which is a funny thing to look back on now. Today, I'm no longer bitter and am a pretty content member of the Utah National Guard. I think being in the military adds another layer to who I am and therefore my blog as well, because now it's not like ‘oh, there's this Latina on social media and she supports latinx and local, etc etc’ but it's ‘here's this Latina doing all these things, plus she's in the military.’ I can completely seeing that side of me as something unexpected.
It's a pretty complex thing in the way that I'm a latina that's also a government employee. The juxtaposition comes in the narrative that many latinos are immigrants or are sons and daughters of immigrants. The government has always been a source of anxiety for many reasons, right? And here I am, a soldier which is equal to working in the government. I'm also privileged as a Puerto Rican because we are born U.S. citizens and therefore don't have to worry at all about my status. In saying that, I am very aware of the privilege I was born into and the irony that my role as a soldier can seem, although I have nothing to do with law enforcement at all. In reality, our job is pretty much to be willing and ready to help the state if there was a natural disaster or something catastrophic.
You have a very specific aesthetic, how would you describe it?
Ahhh good question! I haven't thought about naming it. I'm really taken with natural hues and earthy textures. I've really embraced a soft palette of browns, creams, white and even forest greens, and reflects in every aspect of my life! The color palette on my feed is what you'll find in my closet and in the decor of my home. You wouldn't believe it, but it wasn't a deliberate choice to live my life in this palette. It just happened over time, which I think reflects an acceptance of myself that I've finally settled into.
So, if I were to describe my aesthetic, I'd say it's cozy and creamy. (I know creamy can sound sexual lol but in this sense I mean like the joy in taking in something smooth and sweet, like flan or a frothy latte)
What are some ways people can support independent businesses and creatives?
The first hurdle is definitely getting to know your local indie businesses and creatives. When I moved to Salt Lake City, the first thing I did was go for a walk or a drive to someplace new. 9th & 9th is a good example of a city block I discovered holds so many small businesses in one spot. Once you find an indie spot you like, follow them on social media. From there do a little digging to see who they collaborate with. Likely, it will be another small business in your area! Rinse and repeat. Soon you'll discover so many and find the spots that really resonate with you.
Also, if you can, shop small before the mall. Consider giving your dollars to a member of your community who had the guts to turn their passion into a business before giving those same dollars to a corporate store. Of course, the local community can't satisfy every need, but you'd be surprised at what things they can offer, such as unique clothing, jewelry, home goods and even produce and meats. Try the local coffee shop before you go to starbucks, or make dinner reservations at a local restaurant rather than a chain. The take-away is the idea of choosing to put your money back into your local economy.
Of course, share what you love. If there's a small business or creative that you really dig, tell your friends and share on social media.
What are some of your personal goals and goals for your blog for the next few years?
I've talked a bit about it above, but I would love to really start writing more and turn to video content as well. Eventually, I'd also like to use my background in public relations to promote my blog and/or specific pieces I write to other publications. I'd be so crazy stoked to see if I can get more exposure for the blog. It's not ready yet for that, but I hope to get there by the end of the year.
On the Latinx features front, a goal would be to create consistent features on the blog. Maybe once or twice a month. I was feeling prepared to do that, but the pandemic has really but a pause on those plans. Now I'm looking into doing it as a Live session on social instead. Regardless, I know we live in weird times and I just have to keep telling myself that it's ok if I don't meet all my goals this year. I'm letting myself be ok moving at a slower pace.
Almost forgot! I have another goal to be more involved with creating a physical platform for Indie Latin music and musicians here in Utah. Before the pandemic hit, I was working with SoFar Sounds Salt Lake City to put together a music event with a lineup of exclusively latin artists. Now that's on pause as well, but as soon as the world is back to normal, I'll be working on getting that event back on.
Do you have anything to add?
I'm not sure, but only because you sent over some really great questions! I just hope my blog and I can be a source of positivity for a lot of people. I hope that I can help facilitate some compassion and interest for our Latinx community by putting myself out there as a Latina who calls Salt Lake City home.
During the month of May, Alicia will be highlighting more Latinx creatives through live stories on her Instagram.
