Obviously, I had to give a huge shoutout and a personal little blog post to my life partner, best friend, and fellow first-gen Mexican in a small white town, Martin Sosa.
Let me be clear: this IS a success story, and he most definitely deserves recognition. Alright, I'm definitely hyping him up.
Anyways, before I get into that, a little background on some ideas and thoughts that helped me view his story as a successful one. I've noticed a bit of a trend among my fellow first-generation Mexican American friends (I don't have many friends, so take this with a grain of salt, lol). The trend being the idea that "The American Dream" was a scam, a hoax, a lie. We've grown up watching our parents suffer in this "great" nation and not get much recognition out of it.
But this also makes me wonder if our critique of the lack of an American Dream is only proof of our mixed identities—the American part of us demanding more and believing we deserve better, instead of being grateful for the opportunities that growing up in the United States has unfortunately provided us with. (I say unfortunately because the opportunities are largely based on the fact that the U.S. has an immoral and unfairly gained status of power in the world.) In order to not spiral into a deep depression, the American Dream must be reclaimed by us.
We can start by asking: what do the American-born children of immigrants strive for? I can't speak for all of us; the intersectionality of the different ways we are all existing would make it impossible for any of us to experience life in the same manner. But speaking for my friends and I, I've noticed the new American Dream revolves around topics of joy, community, doing what you love, and honoring your immigrant parents for the sacrifices they seem to have purposely made for you.
So, back to my honored guest, Martin Sosa. Under much initial disappointment and confusion from his parents surrounding his decision to study Graphic Design (a virtually unheard-of career in Mexican immigrant culture), he is slowly but surely showing us what it means to live the New American Dream. Having grown up in Oxnard, surrounded by other Latinx, then moving to Ojai at age 12, was probably an even bigger shock for him than someone like myself who was born in Ojai and just assumed all cities were predominantly white. His parents raised an extremely hard-working, disciplined, and committed person—a problem solver and a friend to all. He quit his reliable and "successful" $80,000-a-year Graphic Design job after 9 years, and took the plunge to reclaim his version of the Dream.
Did this dream include sleepless nights filled with doubt, loads of financial insecurity, and countless moments of dread? Yeah, easy stuff. Did it bring him closer to the goal of joy, community, and doing what he loves? Definitely.
I could go on forever, and there's so much I didn't touch on. But my main point is this: the American Dream was reclaimed and reinvented in the arms of Martin. In every T-shirt he prints, every sticker he designs, and every time he has the bravery to share his creations with the world, he is honoring himself and his parents.
Ojai is a white-dominated hippie town known for its artists. It even hosts an annual "Art in the Park" where artists are invited and approved as vendors, filling Libbey Park with tents and music. That's obviously amazing and shouldn't go anywhere. But places like this didn't welcome Martin's art as "fine" enough to be a vendor, and we must ask ourselves: how many artists in Ojai are being missed because of these strict guidelines? Who even gets to decide what art is? Ok maybe I'm a little bitter, but seriously.
Ojai needs an event celebrating the local artists in Ojai who don't come from white or affluent backgrounds. The energetic vortex in Ojai doesn't miss when it comes to inspiring people; the only ones missing are the gatekeepers of the town itself.
If I can remember correctly, around 2 years ago pop-up markets in Ojai were banned, leaving many locals (including Martin) without access to a community business space, and basically ceasing their income from these pop-up events. (So much for Ojai claiming a "local first" mentality.) It’s a clear reflection of what happens when community spaces are forced to compete with commercial greed. Because independent artists can’t afford the astronomical rent of a downtown storefront, pop-up markets served as a lifeline. Yet, a mindset of scarcity and capitalism led established businesses to view these diverse creators as a threat to "their" customers, oftentimes seeming to claim ownership because they've lived here "for generations." As you'll begin to notice, in this cute little small town of Ojai, it’s a common theme here to hear people claim status as the "real locals" of Ojai—a claim that carries a deep irony when we remember that the only true local people of this valley are the Chumash. It shows that the affluent crowd here often wants the aesthetic of the culture, but only if it’s sanitized and profitable... for them.
After all has been said and done, all I know FOR SURE, is that Martin did more than just sit at a computer and blog and question Ojai's art politics—he took action. He put his art out there. He's fighting that system I'm critiquing, IRL.
Can you imagine how proud we are of him?!
Have any of you local artists had a similar experience or thoughts around Ojai's art politics? Do you feel welcomed as an artist of color in this town? Let me know your experiences—I'd love to think about them and share them with everyone if you feel so inclined!
Until next time!!
Meet the Artist
Martin Sosa is an Ojai-based graphic designer, illustrator, and the founder of Lokull. After nine years in the commercial design world, he stepped away to build his own independent art and apparel brand focused on community, culture, and authentic design.
Shop his latest apparel drops and custom artwork at lokull.com
🧸 Meet the Author
Chantal is the founder and curator behind Lila Bear, a dreamy, sustainable gift shop dedicated to giving new life to secondhand treasures and celebrating mindful curation. When she isn't yapping on the blog or analyzing social theories, you can find her restoring items and saving teddys from the landfills.
Browse the Lila Bear curation here: https://mylilabear.com/
P.S. I love to yap, so if you have a topic you'd like me to yap and blog about... I'm so there, it's insane (shoutout to the iconic Eunice in She's the Man). Anyways, email meeeeee! Byeee!