Meet Patrick Soliz, a Summer 2024 Community Reporting Fellow
Soliz will be doing community reporting work in New Orleans this summer as part of the Lede New Orleans fellowship program.
By Frederick Quinn
In 2023, Patrick Soliz was part of the film crew that produced “Martha’s Journey,” a short documentary focused on the story of Nelvis Matamoro, a local woman who left her home in La Rosa, Honduras, to build a better life for her family in the United States. Soliz and his team documented Matamoro’s retelling of her journey immigrating to the United States, adapting to life in Louisiana and pursuing U.S. citizenship. (“Martha” is Matamoro’s nickname in the U.S.)
The film went on to win the 2023 Film Prize Junior award for best documentary. Soliz, who was born in La Paz, Bolivia, and immigrated to the U.S. in 2021, said wants to keep shining a light on the diverse and complex stories of Hispanic people who immigrate to the United States.
“Normally, I don’t like to share my story, but that is the reason why I want to share the stories of Hispanic people, my people,” Soliz said. “What they experienced in their home country and how their life has changed after coming to the United States”
Soliz, 20, and his brothers were reunited with their mother after more than a decade apart when they moved to New Orleans in 2021. During that time, his mother had been working a slew of construction jobs in states like Florida and Texas, saving up to pay for legal services to get immigration papers for Soliz and his younger brothers. Soliz’s mother followed higher-paying construction to Louisiana, which is why the family now calls the New Orleans area home.
“I’m glad I get to be with her,” Soliz said.
Three years later, he said he is working towards improving his English to become more confident when speaking to people. (Spanish is his first language.) He graduated from the New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy (NOMMA) this spring and will be going to university this fall. He’s interested in continuing to pursue film and production, a passion he developed after joining The COOL Cooperative, a nonprofit that connects local middle and high school students to opportunities in the film industry. The COOL Cooperative supported his work on “Martha’s Journey.” As a Lede fellow, he wants to further explore film and tell stories about the histories of people like him.
I spoke with Soliz to learn more about his interests and reasons for joining the fellowship. Here’s what I heard. Note: This conversation was edited for length and clarity.
What got you interested in media and storytelling?
I want to share the true history about my people and their community. I want to showcase the way that we live and the things that we go through. Focusing on those key issues that Hispanics face such as immigration and racism. A lot of people are racist towards Hispanics and don’t really give us any opportunities, but I want to change that. That’s why I joined this fellowship.
You mentioned the negative stereotypes that have been placed on your people at the hands of the media as being a motivation for your storytelling work. Can you tell us more about that?
I think many American people have this idea that Hispanics come to the United States only to work construction jobs. To me that seems to be the biggest stereotype that has been put on us. I also think that Americans believe Hispanics to be a group of people that can work all day for little pay.
How does your storytelling work honor your family?
I think just being able to share their story is a big part of the fellowship. I want to share it with other people so they can connect to it. I want to tell the story about people like my mom who work construction all day and come home to her family. She values so much more in life, like spending time with us. Sharing her story is very important to me and I want others to see how bad it is for my people living in the United States. Highlighting what it feels like for those who have family [in the States] and lose family back in my home country — not because they passed away, but because they have to leave for work to give them some type of opportunities to change their circumstances.
What is another personal goal you have?
A personal goal of mine is to study music and play in a band. During my time at NOMMA I participated in the marching band and I can play a drum called “The Sixteenth.”
What’s one thing you want us to know about Bolivia?
The food is very good back home. I remember my breakfast. It was coffee or tea with marraqueta, a circular crunchy bread.
Frederick Quinn, 24, is a Summer 2024 Community Reporting Fellow with Lede New Orleans. He studies at the University of New Orleans and is pursuing a career in multimedia journalism. Quinn has interned at WGNO and WVUE Fox 8.
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