Every September 15th – October 15th, Americans observe and celebrate the culture, history, and people whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. This month is referred to as Hispanic Heritage Month. We wanted to add to this celebration by featuring some Hispanic cosplayers.
Hispanic Cosplayers Feature
We wanted to add to the celebration by featuring some cosplayers from the community and asking them a bit about themselves and what Hispanic Heritage Month means to them. We are beyond excited to share with you the following Hispanic cosplayers: Bokumi_, Starlight_Caro, Jenniething2, Mari.nyaaaa, Mirimon_, and Sinningisasin.
Bokumi_
Anime Fire: What is your favorite cosplay?
Bokumi_: My favorite cosplay is the one I wore to Anime Expo this year: my Wano Big Mom from One Piece. I enjoyed wearing it even more, especially since I got it handmade by an amazing seamstress in Santa Ana, Vicky who owns Creaciones Alejandra Bridal Shop!
Anime Fire: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
Bokumi_: Hispanic Heritage month is a time to not only appreciate Hispanic culture as a whole but to also remember what sacrifices have been made to be able to be where we are now.
Anime Fire: How did you get into cosplaying?
Bokumi_: I got into cosplaying after seeing how a few of my mutuals were cosplayers themselves! I saw how much of a creative outlet it can be. I started off with my first cosplay in the Summer of 2021, as Fatgum from MHA and it just snowballed from there.
Anime Fire: What advice would you give someone who wants to start cosplaying?
Bokumi_: Advice for someone trying to get into Cosplay: just do it. Slap on that wig and have fun!
Starlight_Caro
Anime Fire: What is your favorite cosplay?
Starlight_Caro: Columbina (The Damselette) from Genshin Impact! I spent hours styling and restyling her wig to get it just right. Because of this and the time I put in to get the details of her accessories just right, it’s the cosplay I’ve felt the most beautiful in. Even with all the extra time dedicated to it, I still want to improve it and make more upgrades. That’s what makes cosplay so fun – you can always add to what you’ve already done and challenge yourself to improve your skills!
Anime Fire: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
Starlight_Caro: Hispanic Heritage Month is about remembering the culture and traditions of our ancestors who paved the way for us through both their struggles and success. I view it as a meaningful time to recognize the achievements and history of the Hispanic community no matter how big or small.
Anime Fire: How did you get into cosplaying?
Starlight_Caro: After watching my first anime, Hunter x Hunter all the way through in October of 2020, I took my newfound love of anime to TikTok where I found a vast community of creators that inspired me with their props, body paint, and wig styling. It was truly amazing to see a community filled with such talented women and people of color. Cosplay was also a concrete way for me to tap into my previous love for beauty and makeup and elevate it.
Anime Fire: What advice would you give someone who wants to start cosplaying?
Starlight_Caro: I believe it could help beginner cosplayers to remember that cosplay can be as simple as clothes from your closet or as intricate as building the most detailed of props. There is truly no right or wrong way to cosplay, and to me, that is the most wonderful thing about it. Take the joy of your favorite shows or video games and transform it into a cosplay that is meaningful to you.
Jenniething2
Anime Fire: What is your favorite cosplay?
Jenniething2: Captain Kid from One Piece!
Anime Fire: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
Jenniething2: Growing up I would never see POC representation in the media but since I live in such a diverse city it never really mattered because I would see the Hispanic community go all out year round.
September always meant one huge party in downtown celebrating our heritage. It is so cool seeing all the Hispanic community embracing their culture and being proud of their community. Hispanic Heritage month is just another excuse to go all out like we always do!
Anime Fire: How did you get into cosplaying?
Jenniething2: I would always see people all over my social media cosplaying these anime characters and thought they were so cool so when my friend suggested we go to Anime Expo in 2022 and also cosplay I instantly agreed. We immediately started making plans on which characters we wanted to cosplay and it just started from there!
Anime Fire: What advice would you give someone who wants to start cosplaying?
Jenniething2: Just go for it! Cosplay doesn’t always have to be some huge thing, it can be simply dressing up and hanging out with your friends. You don’t always need to be on the move to cosplay or have the newest cosplays to be relevant. Just do you and have fun!
Mari_Nyaaa
Anime Fire: What is your favorite cosplay?
Mari_Nyaaa: I love this one mainly because everything tied together. The location with the stairs, and sunlight, the wind. Everything was perfect! Fun fact though, I could not see anything out of these contact lenses!
Anime Fire: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
Mari_Nyaaa: Being Mexican is something I’m very proud of, and celebrating all other Hispanic cultures is such a beautiful thing! To me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a chance to really appreciate our similarities and differences, and come together to really be united on a front.
Celebrating the food and the culture that connects us all is an exciting time. Plus I am such a big fan of all the events/festivals/etc. that pop up around this time! It really gives you an outlet to appreciate your heritage more than you have time to do in everyday life.
Anime Fire: How did you get into cosplaying?
Mari_Nyaaa: I first got into cosplay in early 2020, with just some closet cosplays here and there. Initially, cosplay was a way to hang out with friends and attend local events near me while having fun in a cute costume!
However once I started putting on the outfits and learning everything that came with cosplay and the community itself, I fell in love with it! Ever since those early days of just trying to mimic my favorite character with what I had in my closet, I’ve been so glad to have found this little hobby!
Anime Fire: What advice would you give someone who wants to start cosplaying?
Mari_Nyaaa: To someone who is looking to start cosplaying, my advice is always the same: DO IT! It sounds so cliche, but I always mean it when I say it.
The initial plunge is definitely scary, but there’s so many resources out there that can help. But for more specific advice, trial and error is essential in cosplay and things won’t always turn out amazing on the first go, and that’s okay! Errors are a part of cosplay, it’s really about having fun and leveling up your skills along the way!
Mirimon_
Anime Fire: What is your favorite cosplay?
Mirimon_: Toga from MHA! I really liked how this one turned out and I had a lot of fun making TikToks for it. It was really fun to play around with fake blood for it.
Anime Fire: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
Mirimon_: For me, Hispanic Heritage Month is a way for me to celebrate my roots and show appreciation to my parents and everything they have done for my brother and I.
Both of my parents were born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico and they immigrated to the US in 1993. Although my brother and I were born in the US, my parents raised us speaking Spanish and with all of the customs and traditions that they grew up with in Mexico.
We visited Mexico at least once a year for our entire lives, and I’m very grateful that I feel so close to the Mexican culture despite living in a different country my whole life. Hispanic Heritage Month is a way for me to share that part of my life with other people, and show that I am proud of my background.
Anime Fire: How did you get into cosplaying?
Mirimon_: During the start of the COVID pandemic, I got really into posting anime-inspired makeup looks. I started making friends in the anime community online, and a lot of them were into cosplaying and body painting.
They encouraged me to try out body painting and eventually I did, and I thought it was super fun! Cosplaying felt like a natural extension of the anime-inspired makeup I was already doing, and it kind of felt like a way to challenge myself and my creativity!
Anime Fire: What advice would you give someone who wants to start cosplaying?
Mirimon_: Try not to compare yourself to others! It is really hard to not focus on the numbers online, but that is the number one way to suck the fun out of cosplaying for yourself. Remember that cosplaying is meant to be fun, and a way to express yourself and your creativity!
Sinningisasin
Anime Fire: What is your favorite cosplay?
Sinningisasin: I’ve had so many favorites through the years. As of now, my current favorite is Bowser.
Anime Fire: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
Sinningisasin: It means being proud of who I am, especially as a Trans Mexican. I want to be an inspiration for LGBT Latinos because homophobia and transphobia is still a common issue in the community due to our culture and religion. I have also started to embrace my indigenous features and have tried to find more about my roots and family history!
Anime Fire: How did you get into cosplaying?
Sinningisasin: When I met my partner through Tumblr that’s how I found out about cosplaying. It made so much sense to me especially because I always liked dressing up for Halloween and would do random makeup looks when I was in middle school. I started to do casual cosplays in around 2016/2017 but got more invested in 2018.
Anime Fire: What advice would you give someone who wants to start cosplaying?
Sinningisasin: You don’t need to buy expensive cosplays to feel like a “real cosplayer.” The community can be a little rough at times but you’ll find friends that can make cosplaying fun.
Hispanic Heritage Month
It was a delight to be able to feature this group of Hispanic cosplayers and to hear a bit more about their cosplay journey and what Hispanic Heritage month means to them. For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month you can visit https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/.
For more about our featured Hispanic cosplayers, follow their Instagram accounts linked above.
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