Evelyn Rodriguez

Hello! My name is Evelyn (not Emily-- people tend to confuse the two), and I'm currently a sophomore double majoring in IRG & RTF at The University of Texas at Austin.

I was lucky enough to be born and raised in Austin, Texas (and, yes I've spent 19 lovely years here!) My parents immigrated to Texas from Michoacán, Mexico when they were teenagers. I am very much tied to my Mexican roots; I am also fascinated in anything having to do with Latin America, whether that be books or films!

I am currently the Historian for UT's Texas Latin Dance organization, which explains why I like to spend various long and tiresome nights latin dancing. However, besides throwing it down when that one Cumbia song hits, I also enjoy delicious food, strong coffee, bullet journaling, photography, and of course watching movies!

Growing up, I attended a charter school in East Austin that had predominately Latino students, so my interactions with other races were extremely limited. For this matter, I sought to YouTube as a means of entertainment and as a guide to understand individuals from different backgrounds. However, YouTube was/is not enough for me. Issues of representation and diversity in the media continue to be a problem today, and I try not to bring controversial topics (like race) into film... but I just can’t help myself.

I was raised by undocumented immigrants, and I continuously ask myself if I am either “American or Mexican enough”, or if my skin accurately represents the adversities minority groups face, so racial and economic inequality are topics that are extremely important to me. I realize it's a strange topic, but all of my personal experiences with race, social, and gender identity are what motivate me to pursue film-- and all I seek in film is to do a better job of addressing people's unique experiences.