S1: Welcome in San Diego. It's Jade Hindman. On this episode of KPBS Midday Edition , we hear from the owner of local Brown Baby , the store in Barrio Logan. This is KPBS Midday Edition. Connecting our communities through conversation. Welcome back to KPBS midday edition , I'm Jade Hindman. Make your way down Logan Avenue and you'll pass a tiny red storefront near Chicano Park. The shop may look small , but inside is a world of creativity , culture , and storytelling. The store is called Local Brown Baby. It was born from an online art shop with the same name created by Gian Rios Zandi. Gian joins me now to talk all about it as part of our series highlighting local voices this Hispanic Heritage Month. John , welcome to Midday Edition.
S2: Thank you so much for having me.
S1: So glad to have you here. So take me back to your upbringing here in San Diego. How did your identity as a Kurdish and Mexican woman influence your approach to art? Yeah.
S2: Yeah. So , um , growing up , I , um , I always felt like I was caught between worlds , right? So Mexican , Kurdish , Southern California , American. And I never really felt like I fit in anywhere. So , um , for me , growing up , I was always kind of searching for for women like me and the media representations of of this mix cultural background. And I never saw it very , very often. So as I got older , I started using photography as a creative form of creative expression. Um , and , and I started exploring that , that topic of identity and culture through photography. Um , and I started sort of just creating the media that I wish existed and creating the visuals that I wish existed. And that's kind of what took took shape.
S1: That's great. Um , tell me , tell me the origin story here for for your brand. Local brown baby. Where did it come from? Yeah.
S2: Yeah. So it started off as a , like I said , a photography project. Um , I was it was about nine years ago. Um , and , and like I said , I never I never saw this , this complex representation of , of mixed brown women in the media. And so I picked up my camera and I started taking photos of my friends in traditional Kurdish clothes with hoop earrings and Nike's and kind of this , like , showing this contrast of , of modern and traditional and , and showing all of that clash together , I think was really important for me because it showed the layered beauty of of the different stories that brown women carry with them. And that was really important for me.
S1: How did you decide? Tell me again , how did you decide on on local Brown baby as a name?
S2: As a name.
S1: What does it mean to you?
S2: For me , like I said , growing up and never really feeling like I fit in. Brown is a unifier. Brown is what connected me to other brown women , and Brown allowed me to be everything that I am and to accept myself and and for other people who identify as brown , to accept themselves as well. So , so Brown became a community. And it's really at the heart of everything that I do. Wow.
S1: Wow. At what point did you then decide you wanted to bring the shop to life with a physical storefront?
S2: Uh , so , yeah , for the last nine years , I did it through photography. I did it through art , I did it through storytelling. And the shop is a physical manifestation of all of that. Um , it really has become a third space. And I think third space is something that we need more than ever right now , especially in the political climate that that we're in. You know , we're all on our phones and we're all we're all seeing the craziness in the world. Um , and , and I think a lot of the times we feel alone in what we're feeling and what we're experiencing , what we're what we're witnessing. Um. And we really need more physical spaces that are validating , that are welcoming , that are celebrating the beauty of our cultures.
S1: And tell me about the the specific space that it's in now in Barrio Logan. Um , why is that community important to you?
S2: Barrio Logan is a space where I have planned in my roots. It's where I met my husband. It's where I had my daughter. It's where I'm raising my daughter. And it is also a place where I have found my artistic home. Um. Barrio Logan is a is a place where I've met some of the most incredible artists that are living and working there. And it it's a space with such rich historical political history. It's a space that has used art and social movements to create real change. And you see that when you walk down the street in Barrio Logan.
S1: Yeah , yeah. And tell me about the shop itself. Like , so we're on the radio. People can't see it. Yeah , yeah. What is what's the atmosphere like inside?
S2: Oh , it's just my little corner of the universe. It's it's just I it's surreal that it's that that I , um , that it's there and that it's real. Um , it it is a little less than 200ft² shop with checkered floor. And the outside has a beautiful mural that my friend Patty , um , painted by hand. Um , and it has two women , um , guarding over the , the building. And we have a Kurdish , um , a Kurdish woman , a Kurdish freedom fighter , and we have a Zapatista woman on the other side. Um , and then we have , um , symbols of my two cultures. We have the grape leaves. We have , um , um , we have corn. We have all of these really beautiful symbols that , um , express the richness of my of my cultural background and of the cultural background of many people that that live here in San Diego. Wow.
S1: Wow. That's great. Well , and if you haven't seen it already , uh , There's a great piece about it on our website , KPBS , that McAfee did , where you can actually see this greatness that you're talking about. How does the shop highlight local artists and creators?
S2: Yeah , so everything that is in the shop is chosen with intention. I really try to focus on handmade , um , really intentional products. So you'll see little postcards next to products that will have a creator profile and that'll highlight who made the product , what their background is , how you can follow them. Um , and it's rotating , right. It's a small shop , so , um , I can't I would love to house every amazing creator , um , in the world , but , um , little by little , I'll be featuring different rotating artists. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. And how does your own identity influence the themes and stories you tell through through the shop?
S2: So growing up , storytelling was a big part of my upbringing. And like I said , every product tells a story. So , you know , olive oil , there's Palestinian olive oil. It tells the story of of a land of agriculture. There's um , there's , you know , a whole library with authors that tell their own stories through fiction , through nonfiction. There's spices that are preserving culture and , and food. Um , and there's art on the walls and there's apparel that that's designed. There's Palestinian , um , soccer jerseys. You know , it's really like , like stepping into this world where , um , where the beauty of , of , of all of these cultures that are , that are , um , you know , so many , so many cultures that you see , um , you don't get to see the beauty of enough. I , I really want to highlight that. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. You have this quote on your website. It says I make things for the ones who move through worlds but never lost their roots. For the ones who know that our culture is not just our past , it's our future. Yes , I think that is so powerful. Expand on that a bit. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. Um , I , I've always carried this mantra with me for local brown baby , is that you remember your roots. You remember where you come from. Um. And I am conscious right now in the present of what I am doing with that responsibility of carrying my roots forward and and also of looking forward and thinking , what am I leaving for future generations? What is our legacy right now as people? And we all have that responsibility no matter who you are. Um , so so local. Brown baby is really like a carrying the the beauty of your roots , acknowledging your responsibility in the present and then deciding what world are we leaving behind?
S1: It's it's one of the many ways I think politics and art intersect. Yes. Um , within this space. Tell me about that.
S2: Everything's political. Everything's political. And I think that , um , once we understand that , we understand everything. Um , and so anybody's , anybody's story is always going to go back to politics because politics shapes the way that we live. Um , and I think that understanding that connection , understanding the the interconnectedness between our struggles across different countries and struggles and movements , understanding the the unity that we have as people and the and the power that we have to really to make a change together. You know , we live in a time where we can pick up our phones and we can record ourselves talking and and we can do , you know , we can we can publish things so easily. We really do have the power to change things. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I mean , what role has art played in your own emotional healing?
S2: Can you be a little more specific?
S1: Well , if there's if in having to grow up. right? Yeah. And then live in both worlds? Yeah. Um , how how has that does how does art sort of , um , bridge that gap for you?
S2: For me , my camera was always my canvas. Um , and like I said before , art for me was creating the worlds that I wish existed. Um , and that that that happened through a photograph. It happened through the shop. It happened through a t shirt that I would design. Um , so for me , um , creating local brown baby was sort of like talking to my younger self and saying , hey , that that woman that you always wish that you saw in the media. Growing up , you're becoming her. And and I want other women to feel that way as well , that we can become the people that we always wish that we saw growing up.
S1: How do you want to honor your ancestors through your art and through this space?
S2: I want them to know that I used my voice and that and that I used , um , the resources available to me , um , and the privileges available to me. Um , to to take that responsibility seriously. Um , to take the responsibility of of being proud of my roots , um , and of carrying them forward for future generations.
S1: Yeah , that's and that's part of it goes back to that , the quote that you have in the shop very much. Yes. Um , how do you want to I mean , you've been running this shop for just a few months now , right? Yeah.
S2: Yeah. Three months.
S1: Three months? Yeah. Um , since it officially opened in July. That's right. So. So what has that process been like for you?
S2: It's been. It's been a lot. I mean , the positive. I'll start with the positive. It's been incredible to meet people in person. Um , so many people have walked through those doors and poured their heart out , told their own stories about their ancestry , about their background , about what they're feeling , about how they connect to things that are in the store. And I think that's been beautiful. It's been beautiful to take something so personal , put it into a public space and then feel validated that , hey , we're all kind of feeling the same way. Um , that has been really amazing. And then on the flip side , of course , you know , being a business owner , the realities of all of that balancing everything. Um , I am so lucky that I have the support of my family and my community to help me. Um , and also behind the scenes , it's a one woman show , the day to day of running the shop and doing all of that. So that that has been challenging. But I'm growing and I know that this is just the middle part.
S1: Yeah , I know that that that can be a challenge. Yeah. But you're passing down a legacy. Yeah. Which is so.
S2: Good I hope so.
S1: You are , you are. Um , what message do you hope people take away from your art , either online or in store?
S2: I always say , I hope that you leave inspired , and I hope that you leave curious whether that's , uh , curiosity about a culture that you didn't know about , about a story , about an author , about a creator that you didn't know about or curiosity about yourself , that maybe it touches a idea that you've had for a very long time that you're afraid to start. I hope that you leave the shop wanting to start wanting to to publish , to express , to , to carry your own legacy forward.
S1: And just , you know , quickly because earlier you mentioned third space. Yes. What have you learned about transforming local brown baby into a physical space? Has that changed its meaning at all for you?
S2: Like I said , it's been validating and realizing that we need third spaces more than ever. We really , really need them. I know that my space is it's a tiny little , you know , it's a tiny little space. But , um , I hope that people leave wanting to , to create their own versions of their universes and create community where people need it the most. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. That is good. And have you learned anything about yourself through this process.
S2: That I'm resilient. That I can do more than I thought that I could do , and that it's important to to just be fearless and and just start and just take the first step. Because that's how all of this started. I , I didn't have a shop , I didn't have money , I didn't have all the resources that I had , um , that I , that I have right now. Um , and nine years ago , I just picked up my camera and that's all I did. And look at where it's taken me so far. You know.
S1: It's taken you so far , is there? You pick up that camera and you capture so many stories through that lens? Is there is there one in particular that stands out to you that you like , hold close to your heart still to this day?
S2: A photo? Yes.
S1: Yes.
S2: There is one. There is one photo that you'll see the first thing when you walk into the shop. It's a it's a photo that I took on in January , um , during the day without an immigrant protest , um , where protesters shut down the five freeway to basically symbolize. Hey , um , when when when we're not here. Um , this country doesn't work , you know? And there's this really beautiful photo that I took of a , um , lowrider. And it has a kid holding a Mexican flag on Samson on the Samson Bridge in Barrio Logan. And you can see the San Diego skyline in the background. And and I that photo , I can't I was , you know , I was taking the photo and I was just snapping it and I saw it when I got home and I was like , wow , you know , that just that encapsulates so much of our experience right now of what? Of what we're going through right now. Um , and that photo really stands out to me. And then on the flip side , on my Kurdish side , I think about about those first photos nine years ago of my friend in a Kurdish dress , hoop earrings , Nike's and and just kind of like , you know what? Being between worlds , all of these contrasts , all of this , like , complexity is beautiful. It's really , really beautiful. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Yeah. I mean , these are drafts of history captured in art. Yeah. That'll be here for for generations to come. I've been speaking with Gian Rios. Sandi. She's the creator of local Brown baby and art shop in Barrio Logan. And you can learn more about her story on our website , pbs.org. Gian , thank you so much.
S2: Thank you.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman.
S3: Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
