Margarita

26 x 20 inches

Screenprint

2001

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This screen print honors the story of my mother and her reunification with my brother, Ricky—her firstborn, who was taken from her at birth and adopted by another family. I grew up not knowing he existed. It was a secret my mother kept from me and from everyone in our family for over three decades.

My mom was a young immigrant from Peru, experiencing domestic violence, when she gave birth at a Catholic hospital where no one spoke Spanish. They strongly encouraged her to give up her child—what I understand now as coercion, especially under those circumstances and language barriers. In 1970, she had no real options as a young, isolated woman. She carried that pain and silence for 31 years.

In 2001, my brother Ricky found us. His adoptive father had passed away, and he wrote my mother a letter. Their reunion came as a complete surprise, and it revealed the deep womb trauma my mother had endured in secret for so long. 

This screen print reflects that journey. I depict my mother wearing a mask, symbolizing the decades she spent concealing this part of her life. I included one of her favorite flowers, the orchid—a symbol of her beauty and resilience. At the top of the piece, the words “Richard and Margarita” honor both her and my brother, and the healing made possible through their reconnection.

I created this work at Self Help Graphics in Los Angeles, in collaboration with master printer José Alpuche. It’s a screen print rooted in healing, memory, and truth.