You have a wonderfully diverse background. Please share with us a little about your cultural background.

Sure, I’m an AfroLatina and proud military brat born in Puerto Rico. After Puerto Rico, my family and I were stationed on the Hawaiian Island of O’ahu. I live in L.A. with my Korean American husband and our four children.

What stands out most in your memory growing up?

Growing up multicultural, what stands out the most has been calling different places home, taking in diverse cultures, eating various foods, listening to different music and being exposed to numerous traditions.

What was the most difficult part of being a mixed kid growing up?

I must admit that it wasn’t until I was an adult that I felt more comfortable being me. I could then look back at my childhood and evaluate what was good and what could have been more helpful. I can remember being a teenager growing up in Pacoima in the San Fernando Valley and just wanting not to stand out, but there I was attending a predominately Latino school with Smith as my surname. I received a lot of looks and questions. At times I didn’t feel Mexican enough or African American enough. Then I would read school forms with boxes next to ethnicities and the directions would ask us to self-identify by checking one box. What if you’re like me and need more than one box? It was hard having to check one or check “other.” Choosing one culture over the other felt like I didn’t count; like I was not whole. Leaving out a part of me felt terrible.

What was the best part of being a mixed kid?

From listening to ranchera music on the weekends while we cleaned and cooked
different Mexican dishes to spending summers on O’ahu exploring the island, I
loved having the opportunity to be a part of and learn about more than one
culture. Today, I can move in and out of diverse groups easily, which allows me
to connect with a broader range of people and cultures.

When did you move to L.A.?

I moved back to L.A. after completing my bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) from the University of San Francisco. With a focus on the intersection of culture and wellness, I worked as a critical care RN using my multicultural nursing skills to connect with patients. I loved my work as a RN. I enjoyed learning how diverse cultures interacted within the healthcare system. I learned how their cultures were a sense of strength to them.

You are raising multi-cultural kids. Tell us about them, your husband and the cultural dynamic of your household.

I married my husband who is first generation Korean American, and we’re raising our four children in a multicultural and multilingual home, blending all our traditions to create a rich, inclusive environment where they can grow up seeing accurate reflections of our reality. We’re intentional about what food, books, music, art and clothing we bring into our home. We call it “culture proofing” our home. Like when you “child proof” your home to safeguard children from injury, culture proofing is safeguarding how they see themselves, so we surround them with products that look like them.

You began your career as a nurse. Tells us how you started Mixed Up Clothing and what your mission behind the brand is.

At home or at work, it seemed like I was always talking about culture. As part of my husband’s Korean traditions, our kids celebrated Korean traditions like their 100th-day baegil and their first birthday dol celebration. They’d wear a traditional hanbok surrounded by Korean foods. You could see and feel the pride. I wanted to give them that feeling in an everyday way. When I couldn’t find what I needed from large, mainstream retailers, I decided to make them myself. I sourced fabric from around the world that represented our cultures and sewed them into fun, everyday dresses, tops and bottoms. They were conversation starters. People would stop us in stores or at parks and ask about the clothes, the cultures they represented and where they could buy them. It was then that I recognized we just want to share ourselves with others. I also noticed how great it felt telling our stories and learning about another person and their culture. It was then that I saw that the pain point was beyond just myself and my family. Others were feeling it, too, and they wanted more choices in the clothes they put on their kids.

Instead of waiting for someone to solve this issue, I knew I could be the one to make this happen. I took a huge leap of faith, emptied out my 401k and set out to fill a gap in children’s fashion that would help bring multicultural representation to the children’s fashion industry and Mixed Up Clothing was born. We are a mission-driven children’s apparel brand on a mission celebrating diversity and fostering inclusivity through our designs. Our mix and match prints and trims tell a story. We exist to showcase and teach others about the cultures we share the world with.

Did you always love sewing and fabrics?

My mom sewed us clothes. At the time I didn’t appreciate her skill and hard work. Then I learned how to sew in 7th grade, and I remember the first item I made was a denim drawstring tote bag with a contrasting hibiscus floral print reminiscent of Hawaii. I love learning about fabrics, trims, designs, styles and how there are stories there. I also love how all have a way of tapping into a memory or a feeling and that’s what I’ve always been drawn to. The stories of the creatives, the craftsmen, the cultures, the fabrics, and designs can tell. From my cousins wearing guayaberas and who wore beautiful ballet folkorico outfits to my aunts in dashikis, I remember them all fondly. I want to bring some of that feeling and story to my designs.

Your clothing line is now available at Target. Tell us a little about this exciting partnership.

Partnering with Target is a dream come true and feels like a full-circle moment. My local hometown Target in Pacoima was built during my childhood and served as an anchor for the community. My grandpa even taught me how to drive in the parking lot, so partnering with Target has been surreal. Being able to introduce Mixed Up Clothing to a new consumer and reaching more families is going to be great. I look forward to sharing our mission on a larger scale: bringing representation to children who need to see themselves. Not only will they recognize themselves in our clothes, but our models look like them. Our models have diverse skin tones, hair textures, body types and abilities. We know that representation matters so as an underrepresented founder having a large retail partner is a huge deal. To be one of only a few certified Black-owned and Latino-owned brands on the platform is a huge deal and one I don’t take lightly. I want kids to see me and believe they could do anything they set out to do. I’m honored to share my multicultural story and be able to reach so many folks through this partnership.

L.A. is home to many multicultural families. What is your advice to parents raising mixed kids?

L.A. is one of the most ethnically diverse counties. A multilingual and multicultural city, Los Angeles is a great place to raise children. My advice is to be intentional as you raise your kids. I like to think of it as windows and mirrors. “Windows” are things that like books, museums and travel that show children the world beyond them, and “Mirrors” are things that allow children to see themselves like a book that has characters that look like them so they can see themselves in the story. Help them find people that look like them or reflect their cultures. Take them to museums and share their history with them. You are helping them find pride in who they are. Kids need cultural mirrors and windows. L.A. puts on cultural heritage events around the year and throughout L.A. so being able to learn about others while joining in the celebrations is great.

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a parent raising mixed kids?

The multiracial community is one of the fastest-growing populations, yet we are still underrepresented and counted. I try to show my children cultural mirrors to help support and build a strong sense of self, identity and belonging.

What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day involves business, creative design, tasks, family, and me time. Thankful for my RN background as it helps me think critically, triage and prioritize all that I must do daily. Balancing motherhood and being a business owner mean setting boundaries, and sometimes embracing the chaos. It’s busy but fulfilling.

How do you handle the juggle between being a mom and an entrepreneur?

Just like I made a business plan when I started Mixed Up Clothing, I made a “family plan,” which helped lay the foundation of the kind of mom I wanted to be. It’s my truth, so each day/week/month, I prioritize the things I must do and want to do. I work in sprints and work through my list. If my kids have sports or an activity that I’d like to attend, I factor that into my day and schedule my work around the activity. That may mean staying up a bit later or working on it during the weekend. I have also learned to let go of trying to do everything by myself. I’m okay asking for help when I need it. I sign up for carpool lists, I ask my family and friends to help me pick up kids if needed. My life’s mission is finding ways to live authentically and confidently in my truth.

How has parenthood changed you personally?

Growing up, my grandparents didn’t talk very much about their upbringing or their stories. Asking them questions was like pulling it out of them slowly. As an adult, I wish I had asked them more questions, took more pictures of them, with them. Time flies so now as a parent I want to share as much as I can with my kids. I want them to know all they can about me, their grandparents, and elders. We have rich histories on both sides of my family. My father and uncle shared that my paternal grandfather was one of the first class of Black recruits that arrived at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, NC as the first African Americans to integrate and serve in the United States Marine Corps. Grandpa went on to serve our country and saw combat during WW II earning him several medals including the Congressional Gold Medal. He would go on to be in the NYPD where he met my grandmother, one of the first female Black officers in the NYPD.

On my mom’s side, my grandpa taught me about our Mexican and Indigenous roots. My grandfather was of Mescalero, Apache ancestry. They showed me their Mexican heritage through music, food, and Spanish they spoke.

Best life advice you received growing up?

When we moved from O’ahu to Pacoima, we lived with my grandparents. I not only learned practical things from them, but I also got to see firsthand what it meant to work hard and never give up. They never stopped learning or starting over. My grandfather taught me not to take life too seriously. He grew corn in our front yard, put cement in my brother’s bike tires to stop them from going flat and made silly doodles. You must laugh at yourself.

Did you have a mentor growing up? If so, tell us about that person and what insights you gained from that person.

My grandmother taught me that it’s never too late to start over or pivot. At a time when she should have been enjoying her retirement, she went back to work and worked at our local elementary school. My mother taught me resilience and the value of hard work. My dad is still working with the military and his lifelong commitment has taught me how to be of service to my community and beyond.

What would you tell your middle school self?

To my middle school self: immediately stop trying to blow out your curly hair and feather it like Farrah Fawcett. It’s not going to happen. I’m sort of joking but really, I just want to tell my younger self that many people are going to stare and comment on your physical attributes. They’re going to ask, “what are you?” and expect you to answer personal questions. You don’t have to answer or make them understand who you are. It’s not you or your responsibility. You don’t have to choose between being African American or Mexican American when they ask you “what you feel more of” when parsing out how you identify. You are all that makes you, you. Know that you may not have the language to explain how you feel but just wait, you’re going to find the words and go from feeling “different” to fully embracing who you are. You will find out that all that makes you, you are something you don’t have to run from, hide, or wish away. You’ll get to a place of love and acceptance, and it’ll be amazing.

Best worse decision of your life?

I wanted my children to see themselves across all aspects of our life. When I saw a need in children’s fashion, I left nursing for fashion—it was scary but led me to my passion. Folks couldn’t understand how I could go from something I went to school for and was consistent in exchange for a founder in an industry I had no idea how to run a business. What I knew was that I needed to solve a problem and that I could surround myself with talented folks to help me with my business and social goals/mission. Leaving nursing for fashion—it was scary but led me to my passion.

Best parenting advice that you use yourself and you would like to share with all parents.

As a mom to four children, one with special needs, my children teach me so much. Something that sticks with me is that each child is an individual with their own set of needs, so we must discover practical steps that work for us, steps that allow us to be a better parent each day. We must be the parents our children need us to be.

What are some of your favorite spots and activities in and around L.A. to enjoy as a family?

L.A. is home to people from over 100 countries who speak over 200 languages. We have many ethnic enclaves like Koreatown, Chinatown, Thai Town, Little Ethiopia, Historic Filipinotown, Little Armenia and Little Tokyo to name a few. My advice is to get your kids and explore these amazing places. Check out the people, food, music, events, cultural centers and take it all in. We love walking/hiking trails. Dante’s Peak at Griffith Park and O’Melveny Park are just a couple of spots we love.