I am the first-generation daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and half-Puerto Rican, half-Cuban American father. My name is Denise Soler Cox. Born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx, I shared a room with my two older brothers in a two-bedroom apartment. This was home but my parents craved a quieter life and moved us to Westchester County. We were the only Latino family in the entire school district.
Through elementary school, I felt like any other kid in Westchester County. I hardly noticed that there were only we Latinos, three African-Americans and three Asian students at my school. By seventh grade, though, fitting in was not an option. Bullies picked on me, called me a 'spic'. I became a walking target and my ethnicity was the bull’s-eye.
In 1993, I moved to Miami and it was there I had the epiphany that today is Project Enye (ñ). I was out at a restaurant with a group of friends, children of parents from Spanish-speaking countries. As we talked late into the night about our parents, experiences and life, I realized I wanted to make a documentary about the experiences of people who juggle two cultures - the culture at home and the American culture everywhere else.
I began public speaking to school-age kids about growing up Enye (ñ), and my desire to make an Enye (ñ) documentary was reignited. In 2013, after talking to a friend about Enye (ñ), she suggested I call her neighbor who made documentaries. I had no idea I would be sitting down with an Emmy-winning, Academy Award nominated producer. But I guess that was a good thing, because I don’t think I would have had the nerve to meet with him had I known! It wouldn’t be until this meeting, nearly 17 years later.
Henry Ansbacher is a four-time Emmy Award winner and Academy Award Nominee for producing films and television series that raise awareness and motivate change around a social or cultural issue. His films have been broadcast on HBO, the BBC, PBS and on leading networks around the world.