Meet Alvinita Gonzales | Editor in Chief of TSANGE’ Magazine

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alvinita Gonzales and we’ve shared our conversation below. We love seeing independent, non-corporate media thrive and if you haven’t already, check out and support Alvinita’s magazine, TSANGE’.

Hi Alvinita, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?

Starting out as a fashion and portrait photographer, I have and continue to capture so many different and beautiful people. While capturing beautiful people, I noticed that there was a lack of people similar to myself in the industry.

Being Mexican and Hopi, I found myself seeking out models of similar backgrounds. Having growing up not seeing faces like my own and ones around me in magazines, fashion, films, etc., I wanted to put those faces there.

My idea was to create a magazine showcasing indigenous photographers’ work, indigenous models, indigenous made fashion, indigenous MUA work… overall indigenous talent!

With the help and support of my family, friends, and other indigenous creatives, I was able to photograph, edit, and create the first issue of TSANGE’ Magazine in May 2022!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
​TSANGE’ Magazine is an indigenous created and owned fashion magazine. Showcasing work from indigenous photographers, fashion designers, make up artists, and models.

It started off as just a dream that I had for years. Being Mexican and Hopi, I rarely saw Mexican faces in media, and hardly none of Indigenous faces, growing up. So I always wanted to create something that put those faces front and center. A magazine seemed most fitting as I loved to read magazines as a kid. Any time I would read or flip through a magazine, I would cross my fingers and hope to see a face like my own on one of the pages. Yet I’d end up being disappointed when I didn’t see one.

As I got older, I took an interest in photography. I ended up creating a photography business. Through that business, I started to work with more and more Indigenous and Latino models. Working with these models, I began to notice again, how little Indigenous and Latino models are represented in media, and fashion. Which led to reigniting the dream of creating a magazine and showcasing Indigenous and Latino beauty and history.

However, despite this dream of mine being reignited, I ended up pushing it aside. Mainly out of fear. Fear of: do I have what it takes to create a magazine, to think of the right interview questions, to photograph, to network, to find the funds, etc. All these “what if’s” that scared me.

Then during the pandemic, I had plenty of time to sit back, to read, watch, and indulge in all these forms of media, which led me to, basically, complain to my mother, about the lack of Indigenous and Latino representation, and the representation that we did get, wasn’t always positive. To which she would always respond with, something along the lines of, “then create that representation”.

Over time, she would remind me of my dream of creating a magazine, and would often ask about it. Which pushed me enough to research more into all of my “what if’s” and face those fears. Since I had free time now, during the pandemic, I did just that. Once everything started opening back up, I slowly started making some plans for this magazine. And I fully jumped into creating it at the beginning of this year, 2022.

I am truly blessed and forever grateful of everyone who helped bring this dream to life. Without all those involved with making this possible, this magazine would still be just a dream and not a reality. Thank you to all those that supported, helped, and read and will read this magazine!

TSANGE’ Magazine – tsange’ is the Hopi word for the number seven.

This first issue is small, but a stepping stone to the bigger plans I have for it! Which is an Indigenous and Latinx focused magazine, involving fashion styles, history, and the beautiful faces of our people!

The second issue is currently being worked on, and is expected to be released in December 2022.

Please enjoy the first issue that is out now, and look forward to many more issues in the future!

1/3 of the proceeds from each copy purchased will go to an Indigenous Charity, and a Latino Charity.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a huge thank you to: Rebecca Bautista, Tiarah Tucker, and Brenda Suarez for modeling in the first issue and sharing a bit of their own history and life with us. Thank you for sharing your beautiful selves with us, without you we would have no first issue to share, let alone a magazine. Thank you!

Gaury Verma for helping fund the first and upcoming second issue of this magazine, with her BIPOC Women’s Creative Fund. Thank you so much for having this amazing fund! It means the world to me to have a fellow BIPOC Creative supporting one another. As well as, believing in this magazine and giving support to it! Thank you!

Berlinda Gomez, Daniel Gonzales, Izaac Rudd, and Rudd Family for always lending a helping and supporting hand whenever it’s needed. Thank you for being such a huge support to this dream, and standing by my side through it all! Thank you!

Website: tsangemagazine.com

Instagram: @tsangemagazine

Facebook: facebook.com/tsangemagazine

Image Credits
Models: Rebecca Bautista – @xxdiablita Tiarah Tucker – @tiarahtucker Brenda Suarez – @beeeesuarez Photographer: Alvinita Gonzales – @photographsbyag