"We Season the World"
By Charlene Sena-Alvarez
Latin people are a feast of the soul —
We are the arroz con pollo of warmth and heart,
the mole of ancient memories, slow-simmered with generations of love and survival.
Our skin shines like golden brown sugar, kissed by sun and history,
our passion stirs like chile rojo — hot, bold, unapologetically alive.
We are café con leche at sunrise — comforting, rich, strong yet sweet.
We dance like tamales unwrapped at Christmas — joy bundled in tradition.
Our love is spicy like jalapeño, daring you to taste,
but once inside, it lingers like cinnamon on the tongue — warm, deep, unforgettable.
We are guava and papaya, bursting with flavor and color,
we are pan dulce — soft inside, but crusted with resilience.
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We are not just one dish.
We are the whole kitchen —
a sazón of every spice,
a caldo of healing,
a fiesta of flavor that speaks through food,
music, hands, and heart.
Because to know us,
is to taste life bold and unfiltered.
We are Latin — and we season the world.
MORE ABOUT CHARLENE SENA-ALVAREZ
"We are spiced with love, stirred by roots"
~ Charlene Sena-Alvarez
Charlene Alvarez is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and cultural advocate whose work uplifts Indigenous and Mexican-American heritage through bold color, reclaimed materials, and spiritual symbolism. Her portraits speak to survival, dignity, and the power of ancestral memory in the face of colonization and cultural erasure. Based in Colorado and Florida, Charlene also runs a nonprofit teaching art and environmental stewardship to youth, blending activism and creativity to preserve legacy through hands and heart. Read more at www.gogreenkidz.org.