NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A first-generation Dominican American visual artist, Stephanie Rodriguez, knew at the age of five that she wanted to pursue art, a path different from her mother’s expectations.
Rodriguez’s dream started when she wanted to attend LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts on the Upper West Side. Her mother was not on the same page.
This difference in dreams formed the foundation of her novel "Doodles from the Boogie Down," which mirrors her own journey, portraying a young Dominican girl navigating through middle school, strict parents, friendships, and her artistic aspirations.
Rodriguez, raised in the Bronx and a graduate of the School of Visual Arts with a BFA in Illustration, noticed a lack of representation of Caribbean Latinos and South Americans in mainstream media, which made her want to change this narrative, particularly in children’s content.
“It’s interesting in a city that's filled with Caribbean Latinos and South Americans and it's like we just weren’t represented on the TV we were watching every single day, " Rodriguez told 1010 WINS' Kevin Rincon. “That was weird.”
The story in the book is partially from Rodriguez’s personal experiences. In the book, the main character learns about LaGuardia from her art teacher, similar to how Rodriguez's English teacher, who attended LaGuardia, introduced her to different art forms and guided her in refining her skills.
Before the story was created into a novel, it existed in shorter forms and was shared online. Joanna Cárdenas of Penguin Young Readers discovered a short version in a Latinx comic anthology and signed Rodriguez to publish the full-version.
Rodriguez stressed the importance of representation in media, stating it’s crucial for especially children, to see themselves in the media they consume.
“Not only in books but also on TV, especially for kids. It's important for them to see themselves on the screen and see what's possible.
Rodriguez produces illustrations and comics that depict everyday life and are semi-autobiographical in nature. She said that her books are meant for everyone.