Meet Dulcinea Herrera of Café Corazón

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dulcinea Herrera. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Dulcinea Herrera is Miss Kansas City Latina, a fashion model, visual and graphic artist, and does marketing for the family-owned business Café Corazón, Kansas City’s premier Latinx coffee and Yerba Mate Shop. Dulcinea is half Argentina and half Mexican & Mescalero Apache. She is currently an intern at one of the Top 10 international marketing agencies in the world VMLY&R. Dulcinea is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Administration from the University of Missouri Kansas City.

Dulcinea is an advocate for Latina and Native-American businesswomen and for the visibility of Latinx people of color in business and mainstream media. After completing her Business Marketing degree at UMKC in 2022, she plans on fulfilling her dream to help underrepresented groups of people be more visible in the media. Dulcinea has always been concerned by the lack of diversity in both the field of marketing and in mainstream media because there is a lack of role models that look like her. With her experience and education, she plans to make the Latinx, Native Americans, women, and people of color visible in commercials, print, and advertising.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It is my mission to stress the importance of diversity in the workspace and equality and business and representation.
Being Argentinian, Mexican, and Mescalero Apache Native American; I didn’t see many people like me in the fields I was interested in. Who we see thriving in our world teaches us how to see ourselves. It teaches us how to think about our futures and see our own value.

When I started modeling I was often typing cast to be the maid, gangster’s girlfriend, or the sexualized loud Latina. I was always asked during castings “Can you be more Latina” or “Can you be less Latina”. As if being myself wasn’t true enough to me or my culture. Asking to be more Latina. I never fit the European beauty standard mold, but it didn’t stop me. Shortly after hearing those remarks, I pushed harder in my industry. I started volunteering more for organizations where little girls who looked like me had someone to look up to. Now having excelled in marketing and modeling I am in a position of power where I can help cast any person of color that I want.

Many times I was stereotyped to be loud or unintellectual since there is not a lot of Latina or Indigenous businesswomen represented in my field. Often times in a group of peers I was the only Latina or Indigenous person. Latina graduation expectancy rates are very low so there haven’t always been people to relate to in college as well. Did you know that for every dollar a white man earns white women earn 78 c, black women earn 59 c, and Latina women earn the lowest at 55c. This has always been a concern for me.

But I still pushed through and now I will be graduating at the age of 22 in Spring 2022. I am running a business with my family where we represent our cultures. I now have the Miss Latina Kansas City title so I am able to do speeches, attend events, and be a mentor to younger women and girls that didn’t have someone to look up to like themselves.

My identity is not my obstacle it is my superpower

It is my mission to bring awareness to these issues.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Café Corazón, we offer the legendary warm, inviting hospitality, and mouth-watering flavors unique to Latin cultures. We’re a one-of-a-kind coffee house, specializing in classic and specialty Latinx coffee and espresso drinks. Café Corazón is the premier cafe in the midwest serving traditional Yerba Mate Tea. Miel Castagna-Herrera, Curtis Herrera, & Dulcinea Herrera give you a uniquely flavorful coffee drink and a comfortable environment in which to socialize, relax or work.

Our cafe was largely inspired by Miel’s father, Alberto José Castagna, who grew up in the heart of Buenos Aires and emigrated to the U.S. when he was 16. He was a lifelong, multi-talented artist, avid yerba mate drinker, and an example of all that is great about South America and the Spanish-speaking world. We are equally inspired by Curtis’ grandparents, Felipa and Aniseto Herrera who came to the U.S. from Guadalajara Mexico in the 1930s to work on the railroads and the farms of Western Kansas and celebrated their heritage through family gatherings drenched in tradition and flavor.

His Apache Mescalero Native American side plays a huge role in our indigenous flavors. The incredible variety of culture, food, language, and music—fostered and appreciated by Latinx cultures provides beauty and inspiration to us all. And this is what Café Corazón reflects.

Come & experience a café with heart.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
When I grew up in Northern New Mexico in the mountains we didn’t even have a toilet we had an outhouse, and we would heat our house with firewood. I never thought that I would be living the life I today. When we move from the beautiful mountains in New Mexico to Kansas City a lot of opportunities came to us as a family. I still have been very fortunate to make the connections in the city I have. And to have a family that is so supportive and strong together.

I will always appreciate my upbringing because it showed me real wealth is love not just money. When I started modeling, doing art, and marketing for various companies when I was 17, I made a lot of connections realized how wonderful the world can be… With my art, I made a lot of connections as well. Every group I have engaged myself in has given me a different side of life and I’m very thankful for that.

Contact Info:

• Email: dulcineaherrera5@gmail.com
• Website: Art: dulcineaart.org, Modeling: dulcineaherrera.work, Café Corazón: cafecorazonkc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dulcinea_bh/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dulcinea.herrera.39

Image Credits
KrisDavi Photography, SG Photography, and Austin Grate.