News

(Winter 2021) – “We are giving our community members a microphone to speak about who we are,” says SMART alumna, Cindy Dzib. “It’s really the community that keeps us going. They’re the ones applauding for us.”

As the first in her family to receive a college degree, Cindy graduated from the University of Southern California in 2015. Fascinated by the science behind communications and the study of culture, she pursued a degree in communications with a minor in communications design. After graduation, Cindy was a Fulbright Fellow in Brazil, and today, she is a communications professional at San Francisco’s Department of the Environment.

This past year presented unique challenges for everyone and Cindy applied her expertise to bring uplifting joy to her community. When the waves of COVID-19 washed over San Francisco, the Mission District, where Cindy was born and raised, was hit with the highest rates of cases and deaths. “Many of the Mayan community work in the service industry and were heavily impacted by the pandemic,” Cindy shares. “We wanted to bring a balance into media and show success stories of our community members.”

Joining forces with her younger brother, Kenny, who is currently a film student, the two created the short documentary series, Mundo Maya. This series features powerful storytelling of adventures, entrepreneurship, migrant journeys, and cultural assimilation by Mayan community members who have established themselves in San Francisco. Mundo Maya is a project initiated by Cindy and Kenny’s search to understand their history and coming to terms with their own identities.

Since she was young, Cindy noticed the lack of Indigenous representation in digital media and Latinx films. “I always wanted to see someone who looked like me on TV,” she recalls. “Years later, I have the access to resources and knowledge. I saw an opportunity to create a space for us.”

The pandemic had erased any internship opportunities for her brother and she looked to pave a way for him to continue building his resumé. “I wanted to uplift him and give him the space to create,” Cindy mentions. She felt confident going into this project due to her brother’s skills. With only the use of basic camera equipment, a repurposed piece of white furniture used for lighting, and In Chan Kaajal Park in the Mission as a backdrop, Kenny presented his aptitude for filmmaking.

The production of Mundo Maya connected Cindy to her family’s history and was well received by the Mayan community in San Francisco and in other countries! As a life-long learner, her current goal is to learn Maya, in addition to the three languages (Spanish, English, and Portuguese) she speaks. “One day, I’d like to have a conversation with my grandma in her native language.”