Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Cantu
Hi Adriana, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
While I believe that my story starts much further back, I feel like I started a second life after my first child was born. I know that everyone says having a child is life-changing and that it’s the best thing that can happen to anyone, and while I agree, it was a completely different change of life for me. First of all, I never wanted to have children. My partner and I lived happily without children for 10 years, then one day we decided we should have a child. I honestly can’t say why other than a human need to further the species. The first two years were challenging and I found myself isolated and alone as an older mother with cultural ties that did not match those of my surrounding community. In other words, I was very Mexican and everyone else felt very…not. I put all my focus on learning the best way to parent and to educate my child while trying to infuse my culture into his tiny life. Very quickly I found myself occupying my time attending any free events around town that were geared towards children and families. Somewhere along the way I remained an activist but started a small friend group that rotated around my ever growing list of things to do with babies and toddlers around Austin. By the time my child was 3 I had a successful blog and local following of, mainly, millennial parents. By the time he was 4, we had a second child and I continued to grow and share my experience in parenting two little boys as feminists in a community that was also growing with us in a political climate that was changing faster than I could blink. When the pandemic hit, my writing, activism, and life felt like it stopped as I’m sure it did for everyone else. In the few years that we were in shut down mode, social media shifted in a huge direction. Politics also became much more heated and suddenly I found myself scared to raise children in the political climate we were in. By 2022, my blog had come to an end and I found myself having to analyze where my life was going and where it would hold the most meaning. I definitely considered parenting a huge directive and accomplishment but I also craved more. Race and culture were turning into hot button issues. Being a first generation Mexican American had connotations that I did not exactly know how to incorporate into raising progressive, open-minded, feminists. Parenting as a latina mom suddenly became so much more within Texas and I knew I could not remain quiet and complacent. I needed to become my ‘mother’s savage daughter’ and pull out that fierce part of me that was an activist, a mom, a partner, and a voice for my people. In the last year, I’ve opened up opportunities by becoming a hobby photographer so that Queer families have an affordable and safe option for weddings and life events. I’ve reinvented myself as a writer, a parent of a pre-teen trying to find their own way in a very caustic and confusing world, and an advocate for people in marginalized communities. My website, formerly named after my oldest child, was started up again but this time it is more about me and my journey as a Latina mom living in Texas.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My journey was never smooth. Between normalizing being a progressive parent within a culture that breeds misogyny, a pandemic, and a tempestuous political climate, my journey has been extremely challenging but worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m most known as a progressive parent with a platform that works hard to support people in marginalized communities. I like to say I’m a Jane of all trades, master of none but that doesn’t exactly fit because there are a few things I excel at. I’m great at building community, being fair and open-minded, and writing about the trials of parenting in our time. I’m most proud of being a support for anyone that needs it and for raising two little humans that I think are going to grow up to be amazing powerhouses in our community and will evoke huge changes. I think what sets me apart is that I’m always working to learn and grow and I strive to be genuine.
Any big plans?
My goals for the future include making changes within our community to help others understand political policies and changes being made without our consent. I hope to publish a book and to get my website going so that it can help as many people as possible in whatever way they need help.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.adrianainatx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrianainatx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacksmominaustin
Image Credits
Stephen Brockman
