“Luisa, At Your Service!” is a charming children’s book (coming in August) celebrating beloved neighborhoods, bilingual storytelling and the love of family. Actress, writer and L.A. mom Sara Amini wrote the story inspired by her mother’s experiences growing up in Salento, Colombia. Spirited young tour guide Luisa introduces visitors to her beloved hometown on the way to the Cocora Valley, proudly sharing her favorite foods, places and people along the way. Award-winning illustrator Juana Medina brings the charming Colombian town to life with warm, expressive illustrations full of personality.
Tell us a little about your growing up years in a multi-cultural family and fondest family memories.
I grew up in Texas in the 90s, the eldest of three children born to a Colombian mom and an Iranian dad. Despite all their differences, my parents did an amazing job of blending their cultures together in simple yet effective ways. Like, how they drank Colombian coffee in the morning and Persian tea at night. Or how I used to tag along while my mom prayed at St. Justin’s Catholic cathedral before she’d drop me off at the Armenian church down the street for Farsi lessons. An afterschool snack consisted of dolmeh and empanadas — both cooked by my mom, who learned to master Persian cooking. (In turn, my dad speaks fluent Spanish.)
My fondest memories center around the holidays. We celebrated Christmas Eve in accordance with Latin custom, where children stay up until midnight to open presents. (This required a LOT of sugar.) Then every Spring, we’d celebrate Norooz, or Persian New Year. Because neither of my parents had many relatives in America (my mom had one sister in New Jersey, my dad had no one), they were always active participants in each other’s cultures and put a lot of respect into honoring what was important to the other. It taught me the value of upholding family traditions through small, thoughtful gestures.
Were you the kid who always loved to create stories and make up characters?
I WAS! I’ve been eager to express myself since I was a young girl. I was an only child for the first seven years of my life, so I was left to my own imagination often when it came to playtime.
I really feel like my love for acting began much younger than I could probably even articulate. According to my mom, I would put on shows for all my stuffed animals alongside my flashy co-star, a Miss Piggy doll I got as a Happy Meal toy.
Writing was also something I enjoyed, though it began as more of a meandering journey. I have a funny memory of entering a local PBS-sponsored writing competition in Houston. I had written a short story about a missing dog named Truple, and we got a call that I’d made finals. During the big ceremony they called my name first, so I thought I’d won the entire thing and RAN on stage. Turns out I was an “honorable mention” and didn’t even place. You can imagine the look on my face when they started giving out medals to the actual winners! I’m glad I didn’t let that experience deter me, because over the years writing has become such a necessary catharsis for me.
Where does the inspiration for your characters come from?
I draw a lot from my own life, mainly because I realized pretty early on that there was a gap between the stories I enjoyed and the ones that I could deeply relate to. Matilda and Ramona Quimby, these were young female protagonists I admired but whom I felt far away from, coming from an immigrant parent, multicultural household. My first book, a middle grade graphic novel titled “Mixed Feelings,” is a semi-autobiographical memoir of my upbringing, and it’s brought me such delight to connect with young readers who feel seen by my experience. I’m always looking to add to the conversation about being biracial, because we’re out here! And representation truly matters.
What was your inspiration for Luisa and writing this children’s book?
The inspiration for “Luisa, At Your Service!” came from my mom! She is my Luisa. One day I was interviewing my parents, asking them about their childhoods, just for my own personal memories. My mom completely lit up in a way I hadn’t seen before, as she began reminiscing about her life in Salento–a tiny pueblo that is nestled amongst the Cocora Valley in Colombia. She grew up in a house in the center of Salento’s town square, known colloquially as “La Plaza,” where no two houses were the same color, and where everyone knew and took care of one another.
I had also happened to read the classic “Eloise At the Plaza” around the same time. Not only do I find that book hilarious, but at its core, to me, it’s about the pride you have in the place you live and in all the people who help take care of you. And that’s what my mom’s memories reminded me of too–it truly takes a village to raise a child.
Using her anecdotes as inspiration, and because Salento gets a lot of international tourism for its hiking, I came up with this idea of a precocious young girl who takes a group of tourists around her very own “plaza.” It was really fun to marry Salento’s lush and vibrant scenery (captured masterfully by Juana Medina), with a funny, unfiltered six-year-old who parades around town like she owns the place. But the story’s also got an earnest message. Though the tourists have come for one very specific landmark, Luisa knows how to put the tour in detour, and shows them that there’s more to a place than what it’s known for. Community, culture, getting to know the people–that’s where it’s at!
When did you move to L.A.?
I can’t believe I’m saying this but, sixteen years ago. Summer of 2010. My L.A. life can officially drive a car!
You are now a mom to a 7-month-old. How do you keep the cultures of your family alive while living and raising a family in L.A.?
I’m very lucky that L.A., like Houston, has a large Persian population, so I’ve got great access to markets, restaurants, and festivals. And I’m always looking for intentional ways to expose him to other cultures. Thankfully, Los Angeles is a city that celebrates diversity, so I don’t have to go looking too hard to find something.
This last March was my son’s first Norooz, and one important element of the holiday is Chaharshanbe Suri, where you jump over flames to cleanse yourself of the year prior, entering the new year with renewed energy. He was still a newborn at the time, so we lit a small candle at home and carried him over it. It brought me immense joy.
Tell us a little about your family’s cultural traditions and what you hope to pass down to your child.
Hands down my favorite tradition is my husband and I annually seek out the worst ornament we can possibly find for each other. We wrap it and everything–and it’s the first gift that kicks off the Christmas season. Our tree is absolutely hideous, but it makes me laugh every single year. Last year we each bought our son a hideous ornament for our own amusement, but I’m looking forward to him being in on the joke.
We also have a movie bucket, where we write down movies that have long been on our watchlist, and when we’ve both got a free night, we go to the bucket. The last great watch was “All That Jazz.” I know my husband can’t wait for our son to be of movie-watching age to join us. I imagine a lot of Miyazaki and Pixar will be thrown into the mix.
So many of our readers in L.A. are multi-cultural families. Please share some insight on the challenges and the joys of raising a multi-cultural child.
I remember having an emotional breakdown when pregnant because I’ve lived so much of my life feeling like a bit of an outsider when it comes to my two cultures, so how and what could I possibly pass down to my son? But as my parents taught me growing up, it’s all in the details. So, it’s been little things, like, listening to Cumbia during breakfast, and having him practice “tummy time” on our Persian rug. Meaningful Facetimes with his “Abuelita” and “Big Baba, ”as well as his “Pops” and “Nonna” (my husband is half-Italian). I point to things around the house in all three languages (“Book” “libro,” “ketab”). Speaking of the movie bucket, eventually I’ll get to show him films like “Encanto” (apparently animators went to Salento for its inspiration!) as well as one of my favorite movies as a kid, the Iranian classic, “Children of Heaven.” Though I constantly question whether what I’m doing is enough, at the end of the day all I want is for him to be proud of his lineage. He’s even more multicultural than me! I’m committed to creating consistent moments that he will cherish as he grows older.
When not working, where will we find you?
Honestly, my backyard. It’s my sanctuary. It’s where I read, meditate, do a lot of writing and memorizing lines, play volleyball, and hang out with my son. I’ve also got a small statue of my late dog, Captain, that oversees the lawn, and I like that he keeps me company.
What are some of your favorite spots in and around L.A. to go with your family?
I love the Atwater Village farmers market. We usually make a morning of it and go to either Proof or Homestate for pastries and breakfast tacos, then grab our produce for the week, as well as flowers from my guy Daniel at Patty’s Farms. On the way out of the market we stop and get Delmy’s pupusas to snack on later. It’s my favorite Sunday activity. My husband and I also love Jon&Vinny’s, Vidiots, Skylight Bookstore and strolling York Blvd. in Eagle Rock. Nothing beats the combination of a Kumquat Coffee espresso tonic and a Donut Friend donut. I’m a simple girl with simple pleasures.
