Lorena Manríquez, documentarian of “Ulises’ Odyssey,” has been with NALIP for over a decade. She joined because it was not only for producers, but for “all of us:” all kinds of people in the industry of Latino heritage.

Manríquez was a civil engineer in Mississippi before deciding to become a filmmaker. Throughout her experience, she learned that all fields of work are difficult, but possible if an individiual works hard enough.

It is her passion to display the repression of the Latina/o community. Though her stories were deemed “too political” by some, she says it gave her the fuel to put her stories outside of the box of normality.

To Manríquez, NALIP has been critical to the growth of her connections within the industry. She believes the #WeAreInclusion campaign means to create content by Latinos and people of color to show the “humanity” and “dignity” of their stories, and ultimately show a face to the world that truly represents “us.”

Manríquez encourages people to continue creating content and reach for those higher executive positions. She wants every Latina/o to continue making quality content and educate the masses. She believe that the more we do, the faster the stigmas and stereotypes diminish.