As a versatile, bilingual journalist, Maricarmen Cajahuaringa has forged her own way in Connecticut media to provide the Hispanic bilingual community with a platform and a voice.
Through her digital platform, Boceto Media, Maricarmen remains an outspoken advocate for victims/survivors of sexual violence, in part, she says, to remove the stigma and taboo that survivors of the Latinx community face.
“We need to hold hands to work together to make change,” Maricarmen said.
As the child of Peruvian social workers, writers and journalists, Maricarmen knew at a young age that her passion involved elevating voices that often went unheard and providing for the underserved. She began her professional career as a social worker and served as a project coordinator for an organization that advocated against sexual abuse.
After years in social work, Maricarmen decided to turn to her first passion and pursued a degree in journalism. She went on to work with Identidad Latina, a Hispanic multimedia company in Hartford, CT and for Hartford Access Public Television, but found something was lacking.
“I decided I wanted a little more freedom,” Maricarmen said. “I want people to be able to speak how they feel.”
Now, as producer of Boceto Media, Maricarmen juggles an array of tasks as editor, interviewer, social media manager and public relations coordinator.
Her tenacity in the pursuit of an unpredictable and, at times, exhausting career in journalism comes from a place of deep need that she sees within her community.
“The [Latinx] community needs to be united to achieve more representation in media,” Maricarmen said. “This is an untouched area and where there is space, we need to be there.”
To learn more about Maricarmen, visit her page here