Camille Garcia’s San Antonio to Santa Barbara Shift

From San Antonio to S.B.

Though born and raised in San Antonio, Texas — “My heart will always be there,” she promised — Camille Garcia recently moved to Santa Barbara for a new job and to be closer to her sister and the sea. For the past few months, she’s been covering Latinx culture as a freelancer for the Independent, including this week’s interview with Juana Flores. She tells us more about herself below. 

What’s your journalism background?  After getting my bachelor’s in journalism, I worked as a reporter and assistant editor for nearly two years at a San Antonio news startup. I covered everything from Latinx affairs to local government to urban development. It was a grind! I’ve been freelancing ever since.

What stories do you like to tell?  As a proud Tejana — a Texan of Mexican descent — I’ve always been passionate to write about Latinxs. So far, I’ve written about efforts to preserve Ortega Park’s Chicano/Chumash/Aztec art, and also about the Mujeres Makers Market, created and run by Latinas. I hope to continue writing about the genius, joy, and creativity of all kinds of Latinxs in the region.

What do you think of Santa Barbara?  Living in the sun between the ocean and the mountains is incredible. Most days, I’m feeling pretty darn great, especially when I’m eating Tacos Pipeye, swimming in the sea, or slurping down an agua fresca at a lowrider show. I’m so grateful to be in Santa Barbara.