Rocio Veliz's Angeleno roots trace back to Pico Union, a diverse community of Central Americans and Mexicans. She was born and raised here, but her family is from Guatemala. Her mother wanted to show her Guatemalan traditions and culture, and cooked dishes like pepian and salpicón. But when she visited Guatemala, she didn't feel like she was from there. And here in L.A., didn't really fit in as an American either. "I don't look like how the average 'American' is supposed to look like," she says.
Banner image: Rocio Veliz, 30, talks about how identifying as Guatemalan and American interlaced in her Angelena culture.