A LA BRAVA

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Her origin story is simple. Jalisco's a humble girl that lives on the outskirts of Guadalajara. Her mom takes her to the park to cheer her up with folklorico dance, and out of nowhere- Jalisco's mom disappears. 

Jalisco goes to the cops, who brush her away. She goes home in hopes that her mom is there, but she's not. Jalisco ends up going to the bar to ask for help- anyone's help.

Again, everyone snubs her. So Jalisco sets off on her own to find her mom. Luckily for her she gets saved by a band of Adelitas. They all know the fate of her mom but can't tell her about the rampant femicide. 

Instead Adella, the matriarch of the Adelitas, says she'll train her so she can learn to protect herself. Jalisco says she just wants to find her mom. Adella tells her about Malinche, the traitor to our gender and the leader of the femicides. 

And the story continues...

The disappearance of females across the Western Hemisphere is astronomical. From the Natives in Canada and the US, the Boriquas in Puerto Rico, and all the females in Mexico, notably the "Women of Juarez". 

Mexico's femicide has grown since the 90's. The UN even stepped in to push the Mexican government to stop the misogynistic murders, but the failure of law enforcement to investigate has continued. As well as the alarmingly high death toll.   

In Mexico, NINE women are found mutilated and killed each day.

Santa lives in Wexo, a made-up bordertown in Texas. With elections coming up, the tension rises as the conservative frontrunner, Illena Chavez-Estevez, AKA ICE, wants to start a race war in the town. On the Domino side, we have La Politica running. Comadre, the mentor and  veteran, ends up recruiting Santa for La Politica's campaign and as the  racial tensions rise in the town, Santa learns what it means to be patriotic while harnessing her Mom’s military past. When civilians start getting stolen, Santa finds her voice and strength to raid the detention camps and take down ICE. 

Governments all over the world have detention centers for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Many of these immigrants flee their country to escape from violent and inhumane conditions. In the US, more than 50,000 people are currently being held in ICE facilities, while approx 20,000 are being held in CBP centers. More than 11,000 children are now in the custody of HHS, which holds unaccompanied children for up to 45 days. 

There are horrifying reports of unsanitary conditions, overcrowding, and cruelty. 

Overcrowding is a major problem and one of the main reason’s illnesses are spread easily. Detention camps have been known to hold more than 155 detainees in cells built for 35 people.

In direct violation of the Flores Settlement, children have been held in Border Patrol custody for weeks, without access to adequate food, space to sleep, and even basic sanitary necessities- like soap and beds. Cases of sexual misconduct are prevalent. 

Putting humans in cages for indefinite periods of time is not simply a regulatory “tweak”; it is a monstrous and criminal violation of basic rights and human dignity. 

 Loquita is from Miami, Florida and is a sophomore in high school. As she  comes into womanhood, she gains her powers. Loquita starts to see  demons and is scared beyond belief. It doesn't help that no one else can see them. A ghost, Sissel, asks Loquita to help save her and although Loquita has no idea how, she accepts. Loquita follows the clues leading her deeper into the supernatural, all while maintaining her grades and  family life.  

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in kids and teens ages 10 to 19.  The 

rates among teenage girls continues to sharply rise. The spike points to social media as a contributor as well as economic downturns and mental illness. 

In our society, there are unwritten rules and expectations for young ladies that create immense pressure. Then you add possible biological components such as hormones and a genetic disposition. Some young ladies don't have the resources (financial or family support), nor the knowledge to take care of their mental illness; especially when it comes to depression or anxiety. Most times they stay silent. And with depression, they manifest as anger and irritability.  

It’s normal for teenagers to get a little moody  and defiant, but drastic changes, such as decline in academic performance, not  spending as much time with family or isolation, are red flags for something deeper.  

Every day, on average 16 American youth take their own lives. 

Ruca made a cameo in SANTA, SJW Latina Superhero, where she unknowingly is given her powers. In this book, we start off with Ruca coming back to East LA only to discover everything’s changed. She heads to Whittier Blvd and instead of the usual cruising, there’s an art show. There she discovers an activist group called the BB’s. They tell her about the stolen neighborhood kids and that word is they take them to San Diego to  sell them off. Ruca decides to go to Barrio Logan to find out who’s behind the kidnappings and child trafficking. Along the way, she befriends Vato, the pitbull, Pachuca, the b-girl dancer, and the  good-natured Chicle. 

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery. According to the U.S. Department of State, 77% of trafficking victims are exploited within their country of residence. The number of victims annually range from 2-4 million; 50% of those victims are children.

Today, the FBI leads 86 Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces around the nation and participates in Anti-Trafficking Coordination (ATC) Teams in 12 offices, including Los Angeles.  

BANDITA is a cowgirl living in modern day New York. She’s got 2 ivory plated guns on each holster, speaks only country, and bleeds southern hospitality. When Bandita hears about a Broadway theatre gang taking advantage of the talent, she tryouts for them and lands a job as a custodian. There, she befriends Chyanne, the new lead singer, and learns all about the Cientificos abusive ways. On opening night, Bandita faces off against the boss of the Cientificos, Luna Loca.

Studies show domestic violence is a dynamic of control and oppression in relationships; with marginalized groups facing the highest rates of abuse. For example, 60% of Native American women are physically assaulted in their lifetime by an intimate partner.

In the US, there are more than 20,000 phone calls made daily to domestic violence hotlines. 

As many as 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men face severe (beating, burning, strangling) domestic violence from an intimate partner.

Domestic violence concerning an intimate partner account for 15% of all violent crimes. 

When there’s a gun in an abusive home, the risk of homicide is increased by over 500%.

1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year; 90% of those children are eyewitnesses to the violence. 

The A LA BRAVA team is finally together! Jalisco. Santa. Loquita. Ruca. And Bandita.   

The superheroes are brought together by Muneca, an eager agent wanting to prove herself and her new-found grassroots organization. When the controversial Fair Share Bill, a bill to tax the billionaires, gets presented to Congress, females in political powers mysteriously start dying. The media labels it as freak accidental deaths but Muneca has her suspicions as to who's behind it all. So she bands the superheroes together and has them stake out the possible suspects, billionaires.   

After a failed assassination attempt on President Hilda Ruth Sotomayor, the superheroes put aside their differences and work together to figure out which billionaire is causing political unrest and the murders. 

Gender as it functions today is a grave injustice. There are 41 female CEOs in the Fortune 500 (8.2%). There are 120 women serving in the U.S. House of Representatives (23.5%). Though both facts are "ground-breaking" and "historic wins" for women, 8.2% and 23.5% is no where near equal. Which proves the higher you go, the fewer women there are. 

We've evolved but our ideas of gender have not. Feminism is used as an insult. Though believing in equality of sexes (the definition of feminism) is moralistic. One day it will be a different world, a fairer world; where a woman's success isn't a threat to a man.