Comic: My life as a migratory bird - Los Angeles Times
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Comic: My life as a migratory bird

Growing up in Colombia with my mother, I was able to be with family and embrace the small town we lived in. But creating a new home in Portland makes me feel like a bird, migrating between my two homes.

My life as a migratory bird is a bittersweet one...
(Natalia Cardona Puerta / For The Times)
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This comic is an ode to all the migratory birds out there. As a first-gen Latinx living in the U.S., Natalia grapples with the joy and heartbreak of having two homes: One in Portland, where she is building her career, and Pereira, the small town in Colombia where her mother, family and childhood memories still reside.

Natalia Cardona Puerta is a Colombian illustrator based in Portland, Ore. Her work is inspired by 1990s nostalgia, her connection with nature and everything whimsical.

My life as a migratory bird is a bittersweet one ...
After 5 years in the U.S., I traveled back to my hometown in Colombia
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My mother's garden cradled & surrounded me with her warmth, colors and love
I was nurtured by my favorite meals & surrounded by my abuelas, tios y amigos ...
We basked in the sun and swimmed in the rivers. I enjoyed speaking Spanish and laughed at words I had forgotten.
I was able to reconnect with all the past versions of myself in the safety of my childhood bedroom
Just being home made me feel whole again. Feeling supported by community was so healing ...
and when I had to say goodbye to my home and family,  I couldn't hold back the tears ...
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I know that my heart will always be divided between the place that made me and the place where I chose to become ...
To all the migratory birds out there & to my mom, te amo.

Are you interested in contributing to De Los? Read our guide for how to pitch stories, comics and social content about Latinidad.

July 9, 2023

Are you an artist interested in contributing to De Los? We need your help telling stories about Latinidad through comics. We are accepting pitches that answer the question, “What does this say about Latinidad?” Email our art director at [email protected].

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