Victories in sports and beyond
WOMEN HAVE CONQUERED THE LIMITS OF THE HUMAN BODY AND ARE STILL FIGHTING TO DEFEAT AN UNEQUAL GENDER SYSTEM
“THESE
OLYMPICS HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, TAKING DECISIVE STEPS TOWARDS INCLUSION IN ALL AREAS,”
Interview with Ambassador Blanca Jiménez Cisneros
BY ALEJANDRA ICELA MARTÍNEZ RODRÍGUEZ
PHOTO: COURTESY EMBAMEX FRANCE
Paris, FR. Just days before the start of the most anticipated sporting event of the year, the Paris 2024 Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, which will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in the French capital. A total of 206 countries will participate, with 10,714 athletes, of which, for the first time in history, gender parity has been achieved, meaning there will be an equal number of women and men participating. This is a positive development for reducing gender inequalities.
Mexico’s representation consists of 109 athletes who will compete in 24 disciplines. This is a far cry from the first Olympics in 1900 at the same venue, where three men played polo.In an exclusive interview with Heraldo USA, Dr. Blanca Jiménez Cisneros, Mexico’s Ambassador to France since June 1, 2021, appointed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and confirmed by the Mexican Senate, shares her involvement in the organization and representation of our country
DR. BLANCA JIMÉNEZ CISNEROS, AMBASSADOR OF MEXICO TO FRANCE.
It seems normal to me that athletes, especially highperformance ones, seek the best conditions for training, as well as the best coaches.
AIMR-HUSA: How are you experiencing these Olympics?
BJC-EMF: As Mexico’s Ambassador, it is an honor to represent our country in France. I have witnessed how this beautiful city has been transforming to welcome athletes and fans. I am proud to have the opportunity to meet some of the top sports figures from our country and to lead the consular work that is already underway to assist Mexicans visiting this summer to support their favorite athletes.
As a scientist, one special topic is water, and understanding what it means and how water quality indicators were developed to comprehend their application limitations.Another topic is to meditate from an ethical point of view on what cities are, what they are for, and who they are for. Transforming a city for a sporting event prompts many reflections. We better understand how the environment has been modified to make it functional for daily life, and what the requirements are for stadiums and how they can or cannot be integrated. This is in relation to daily life, people’s rights, and the boundaries between public and private spaces.
AIMR-HUSA: What do these inclusive, gen-
ELENA JIMÉNEZ CISNEROS ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER, RESEARCHER, AND ACADEMIC. AMBASSADOR OF MEXICO TO SINCE JUNE 1, 2021.
der-equal Olympics mean?
BJC-EMF: These Olympics have been very successful, taking decisive steps towards inclusion in all aspects. In particular, the organizers of Paris 2024 have made a significant effort to ensure that people with disabilities can attend the Olympic and Paralympic Games, guaranteeing accessibility.
In this edition, the Paris 2024 organizers aim to achieve gender parity. Tickets have sold out for both men’s and women’s events. However, I am somewhat concerned that in terms of equity, there are only figures for the main gender indicators, and there are not as many data points to assess equity across many other segments of society.
AIMR-HUSA: What do you think about sports migration, and what can you tell us about Marcos Madrid?
BJC-EMF: Each athlete experiences different personal, family, or professional contexts and opportunities. In an increasingly interconnected world, it seems normal for athletes, especially high-performance ones, to seek the best conditions for training, as well as the best coaches. In fact, the migration of top athletes occurs not only in sports but also in many other
DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL WATER COMMISSION (DECEMBER 1, 2018 - MAY 31, 2021). LEVEL III RESEARCHER BY THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF RESEARCHERS.
DR. BLANCA JIMÉNEZ CISNEROS, AMBASSADOR OF MEXICO TO
FRANCE.
One of the most enriching experiences has been connecting with Mexicans who are an essential part of these Games, both organizers and athletes."
gation?
BJC-EMF: One of the most enriching experiences has been connecting with Mexicans who are an essential part of these Games, both organizers and athletes. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to welcome several Mexicans working as part of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee at the Official Residence—a group that receives little media attention.
It is gratifying to see that the Organizing Committee hired so many Mexican experts; some of them have been working in their areas of specialization for several Olympics. Thus, the role of Mexicans in organizing the Games is extensive. Additionally, many Mexicans will be supporting as volunteers. We have also been in contact with several Mexican entrepreneurs residing in Paris who will be present at Casa México, a pavilion in the Parc de La Villette, where there will be a showcase of Mexican culture and cuisine, as well as meetings with athletes and the press.
Finally, we are in touch with the Mexican delegation of athletes who have been preparing for four years for this moment. We are, of course, supporting and attentive to any needs they might have, with the support of CONADE and the Mexican Olympic Committee.
AIMR-HUSA: What are your activities within the organization of the Olympics?
BJC-EMF: As you know, the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games falls under the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, along with the French authorities, in coordination with National Olympic Committees, in our case, the Mexican Olympic Committee (COM).Our role as the Mexican Representation in France is to act as a liaison between the organizers and the Mexican public, gathering information and communicating the recommendations indicated by local authorities. In this regard, for over a year, the Organizing Committee and the French government have called us to several meetings dedicated to the diplomatic corps. In these meetings, we have been informed about the organization process, security measures, logistics of the Games, and general recommendations, which we then communicate to the Foreign Ministry and the Mexican public.
In terms of consular protection, our focus is on preventing incidents and preparing to welcome the 120,000 Mexicans that the SRE (Secretariat of Foreign Affairs) estimates will travel to Paris for the Games. Additionally, as part of our efforts to ensure that all Mexicans receive proper attention, we have trained staff to enhance our consular services and be ready to provide efficient, secure, and prompt consular services.
AIMR-HUSA: What are the challenges and advantages for Mexico in these Olympics?
areas, and it is a way to elevate our culture and the name of Mexico.Marcos Madrid has been in contact with us, and we have seen his commitment and love for Mexico. I am pleased that he can dedicate himself full-time to his sports passion in France, where he has surely found conditions to fully develop his athletic potential and has prepared from here to compete under Mexico’s colors.
AIMR-HUSA: What is your opinion on Mexican-American athletes who choose to represent the United States in the Olympics?
BJC-EMF: The Mexican community in the United States is enormous, with several generations of Mexican descent who have grown up in the U.S. or have lived there for many years. For me, these athletes of Mexican origin or roots competing in the world’s highest sporting event fills me with pride, regardless of the flag they represent because they carry Mexico in their hearts. Moreover, they are not only exercising their right but also living their reality of having dual nationalities, which is increasingly common worldwide.
AIMR-HUSA: What is your role as Mexico’s Ambassador in receiving the Mexican dele-
BJC-EMF: The main challenge will be to achieve the highest number of medals, of course. I hope we hear our National Anthem at least once; for me, it would be extraordinary. But these Games will also be an opportunity for young athletes to gain experience and improve their personal records and Mexico’s sports achievements in each discipline.
I would like to wish good luck to the athletes participating in disciplines where we have high chances of success, such as diving, archery, or taekwondo, and others like boxing, where Mexico has traditionally performed very well and could also bring surprises and place us on the Olympic medal table.
For us, the challenge will be to provide the consular support that any Mexican, athlete or not, may require during this period.
AIMR-HUSA: What challenges will Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum, the President-elect of Mexico, face for our country’s participation in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics?
BJC-EMF: Los Angeles 2028 is still far off. However, in my opinion, one challenge would be to surpass the number of Mexican athletes qualified for Paris 2024, and another would be to win more medals than in these Games. The cherry on top would be to achieve, once again, a feat—in any discipline—like the unforgettable one-two of walkers Ernesto Canto and Raúl González in the 20-kilometer walk final, which had the crowd on its feet and deeply moved all Mexicans in Los Angeles 1984
Nadine Gasman Zylbermann PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL
Women on Olympus: Paris 2024, the New Era
ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TRANSFORMATIONS OF THE 21ST CENTURY IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE UNSTOPPABLE ADVANCE OF GENDER EQUALITY IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE. WE ARE AT A POINT OF NO RETURN TOWARDS A NEW ERA WHERE DIVERSE EFFORTS—AMONG GOVERNMENTS, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, CIVIL SOCIETY, ACADEMIA, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS—WORK IN A NETWORK TO PROMOTE A FEMINIST AND PROGRESSIVE AGENDA GLOBALLY.
One of the highly effective mechanisms in this endeavor is the principle of gender parity, which seeks to guarantee balanced and fair conditions to ensure the equal participation and representation of women and men in all spaces. The sports world is precisely one of those spaces. In 2024, Paris, a city known for its progressive spirit, will be the symbolic host of this new era’s first gender-parity Olympic Games, where 5,250 women and 5,250 men will compete.
This is a significant milestone worth highlighting, considering that historically, women were excluded from this arena. The journey towards Olympic parity began at the 1900 Olympics in symbolic Paris, a momentous
event where 22 female athletes (only 2% of the 997 competitors) participated for the first time, four years after the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, whe re 100% of the athletes were men.
This step results from a series of deliberate and systematic actions. Over the past three decades, the International Olym pic Committee (IOC) and sports federations have been at the forefront, encouraging internal measures and recommendations for the countries and international federations to increase female presence in sports competitions and decision-making spaces. The Olympic parity journey gained momentum in 1996 with the IOC’s recommendation to establish a minimum target of 10% women in decision-making positions by 2000, reaching 30% by 2020. Similarly, the Olympic Agenda 2020 adopted in 2014 in
cluded 40 recommendations for a more inclusive and transparent Olympic movement in all aspects of sports. The creation of the Gender Equality Working Group in 2017, which issued 25 more recommendations in 2018, furthered this effort.
This gender agenda led to women making up 34% of the athletes at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, reaching 49% in just two decades at Tokyo 2020, where mixed competitions were introduced to promote diversity and equality in disciplines like swimming relays, athletics, and judo—doubling the number of such events compared to Rio 2016, with four more added for Beijing 2022.
Since 2021, this journey has gained new momentum with adopting the Olympic Agenda
2020+5, which includes several recommendations to strengthen diversity, equality, and inclusion per the measures of the 5th Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030. Most committees and federations have managed to close the gender gap in sports leading up to Paris 2024, where 50% of the athletes will finally be women, symbolically 29 years after the historic Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
The Olympic Parity Journey in Mexico
the Legislature and the Executive Branch’s cabinet. Still, its effects quickly encompass all realities of Mexican women. This Fourth Transformation government has positioned Mexico as a world example of parity.
Sports is one of those realities, and leading up to Paris 2024, Mexican female athletes are the majority, with 63 women and 47 men out of a total of 110 athletes. It’s worth noting that this is not the first time the delegation of Mexican athletes has had more women than men. Beyond numbers, sports parity has meant that women compete and lead teams, are protagonists, and excel in their results.
However, as in many other cases, the journey towards Olympic parity has also been long for Mexican women. The first was María Guadalupe Muñoz, who represented us in the discus throw at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Another unforgettable moment occurred in 1968, at our country’s Olympics, when Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to light the Olympic cauldron, and María del Pilar Roldán and María Teresa Ramírez became the first national medalists. Teresa Ramírez also shone in swimming at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
More recently, who can forget the glories of Soraya Jiménez, our first gold medalist in weightlifting at Sydney 2000? Also, Ana Gabriela Guevara, Belem Guerrero, and Iridia Salazar in Athens 2004; María del Rosario Espinoza, Paola Espinosa, and Belem Guerrero in Athens 2006. Aída Román, Mariana Avitia, Laura Sánchez, and Luz Mercedes Acosta in London 2012. Guadalupe González in Rio 2016, Alejandra Valencia, Alejandra Orozco, and Gabriela Agúndez in Tokyo 2020. All these great women leaders have raised Mexico’s name high and contributed to winning 73 medals in 22 editions of the Olympic Games.
athletes who will represent us in Paris 2024.
However, despite achieving parity in Mexican Olympism, many challenges must be addressed to achieve full gender equality. These include the gender pay gap among athletes, limited media coverage of women’s achievements, and the scarcity of women in leadership and decision-making roles within federations and sports organizations.
In this regard, the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (CONADE) has implemented measures to promote equal pay among female and male athletes, recommendations to increase visibility and media coverage of women’s achievements, training and educating women in leadership roles within sports organizations, ensuring that more women can make decisions in sports; encouraging more women to participate in traditionally male-dominated sports; among other specific actions and programs for the development and support of female athletes.
Moreover, the National Women’s Institute (Inmujeres), in coordination with the Ministries of Public Education, Health, Culture, the Mexican Youth Institute (IMJUVE), and the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (CONADE), among other entities, has successfully held the first three editions of the “Scientific, Cultural, and Sports Projects for Girls and Adolescents at the National Level” contest.
To achieve gender equality, we must address challenges as the gender pay gap among athletes.
This contest invites girls between 10 and 14 and adolescent women between 15 and 19 to present written or audiovisual projects that promote gender equality in science, culture, and sports to foster young Mexican women’s creativity and leadership capacity. The initiative has received a great response, especially in sports projects.
This is a way to repay the effort and dedication of great athletes like Alejandra Orozco, Alejandra Valencia, Ana Paula Vázquez, Ángela Ruiz, Nuria Diosdado, Cecilia Tamayo, and another 57 high-level athletes I cannot mention due to space constraints. All these women will inspire other Mexican girls and young women and be worthy representatives of our country, as well as all the women who have fought and continue to fight every day for gender equality in sports. One hundred twenty-four years later, Paris is a symbolic venue for the first parity Olympics. Much success! Paris will host the first
Our country is not exempt from the transformations of this new era of gender equality. Gender parity has been a principle enshrined in our Constitution since 2019, primarily reflected in the composition of both chambers of
Mexican Athletes on the Path to the Parisian Olympus
One strategy for the Fourth Transformation of public life in Mexico is to address the root causes of the main problems inherited from neoliberalism. We are committed to ensuring that all girls, boys, adolescents, and young people have access to education, arts, culture, and sports as means for their integral development and to keep them away from risky activities. In sports, the results are reflected in the strength of the delegation of
DBICUL TURAL ISM
EMBODIES THE MESSAGE AND ESSENCE OF SPORT: DANIEL ACEVES
aniel Aceves, current Vice President of the Mexican Olympic Committee, has expressed his admiration and support for athletes born in the United States who have decided to represent Mexico at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Aceves—silver medalist in Los Angeles 1984 and the first Spanish-speaking Latin American to win a medal in Greco-Roman wrestling—believes that the choice of these athletes reflects a deep connection with their roots, a very significant merit.
“When we talk about this binational culture, of this third nation, which is made up of at least 35 million people who were born in Mexico or are of Mexican descent in the United States, it fills us with many feelings,” he said in an exclusive interview with El Heraldo USA.
“We must recognize many things, not only the contributions in remittances but also the fundamental contribution to a culture with one of the most powerful countries on the planet, which is the United States,” he added.
FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE MEXICAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, HAVING ATHLETES THAT COMBINE TWO CULTURES ENRICHES THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TRICOLOR DELEGATION IN THE MOST IMPORTANT SPORTING EVENT
For Aceves, the decision made by athletes like golfer Abraham Ancer—who was born in McAllen, Texas, but has represented the tricolor flag since his early days in the sport—is an act to be recognized and appreciated, as it demonstrates a deep connection with their roots, even knowing that their development occurred on the other side of the border.
“When there is this resolution to want to represent Mexico, either by birth or precisely by descent from Mexicans, it has a double merit, because after all, they decide to raise the Mexican flag by conviction.”
This biculturalism, in the sports field, is one of the reflections of the universal and inclusive message that sport transmits, demonstrating that borders are not an impediment to unity and national pride.
However, another factor that forces athletes to seek their dreams away from national borders is the talent drain, like the case of table tennis players Marcos Madrid and Arantxa Cossío, who left the country to improve their competitive level and found the niche that helped them aspire to a place in the national delegation in other countries.
•Paris
•329 events in 32 sports will compete for medals; baseball, softball, and karate are not included this time 01 02 03 04 05 Paris 2024 in
•10,500 athletes will participate, parading along the Seine for the opening ceremony
I am confident that there will be a harvest that I dare to qualify today as historic.”
DANIEL
ACEVES VICE PRESIDENT OF THE MEXICAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
•206 countries and a refugee team from 11 additional countries are participating
While Marcos moved to France 20 years ago, Arantxa went to live in Austria, and although both found ways to achieve their goals, it was their families that acted as springboards.
Aceves lamented the loss of talent in Mexico not only in sports but also in areas such as science, technology, culture, and the arts due to lack of support and the misunderstanding of some federations and officials.
“It is unfortunate that these great human and sporting capacities have to take refuge in other administrations, in other countries, in other cities, due to lack of support. However, they are an example of resilience,” he pointed out.
109 54%
MEXICAN ATHLETES MAKE UP THE TRICOLOR DELEGATION TRAVELING TO FRANCE.
As an athlete who was in the same position, family played a fundamental role in being able to achieve his dream. “Today, those who represent us are the result of the efforts of their families, their mothers, their fathers, those who have believed in them and have fostered the practice of sports and physical culture from a young age,” said Aceves.
The story of these binational athletes and sports migrants is a testament to their perseverance and the unconditional support of their families, showing that the combination of personal effort and teamwork is key to achieving success in sports.
“The Mexicans who represent us have not only overcome any type of difficulty to reach this Olympic dream, a reason that is a great source of pride, considering that this is the first time the number of women exceeds that of men. With everything we have seen this Olympic cycle, it is where I believe that resilience is and will be the main characteristic they have,” he added.
WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE
For Olympic medalist Daniel Aceves, the window of opportunity for national sport is great, now that they are on the verge of a change in leadership after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
9 24
DISCIPLINES ARE IN WHICH MEXICANS PARTICIPATE. OF THE MEDALS HAVE BEEN WON BY WOMEN SINCE SYDNEY 2000.
The current Vice President of the Mexican Olympic Committee (COM) and President of the Association of Mexican Medalists and Olympians did not rule out the idea of leading federated sports.
MEDALS ARE THE MOST WON BY MEXICO IN ANY OLYMPIC GAMES.
“Without a doubt, we are willing and interested in continuing to contribute in any determination made by the virtual elected president (Dra. Claudia Sheinbaum). We have already formulated a series of proposals, which we have presented at the time, and which fundamentally focus on strengthening the issue of social sport,” he said.
Since his retirement after winning the Olympic silver in Los Angeles 1984, Aceves has remained active in national sports with various roles linked to the COM, as he maintains a “feeling of gratitude regarding what sport and the Olympic movement mean.”
MURRAY:
WITH
MURRAY:
“FOURTH” MUSKETEER
On August 5, 2012, right there at Wimbledon, 27 days after that painful defeat at the Open, he became the Olympic champion by defeating Federer.
on the grass; the response was an effusive “God save the Queen,” emotional and thunderous. Then a fervent and fraternal hug with Djokovic, his rival yes, but above all a long-time friend. Andy Murray, then 26 years old, was the first man in shorts to win on the sacred grass; in 77 years there had only been one other winner born in England, Virginia Wade, who won the women’s singles tournament in 1977.
In fact, Djokovic’s furious onslaught winning three editions, and Federer’s return to win his eighth crown, left barely any room for the Scot to win again, except for once, in 2016, by defeating the Canadian Milos Raonic.
In an event that deeply marked his career, on August 5, 2012, right there at Wimbledon, 27 days after that painful defeat at the Open, Murray became the Olympic champion by defeating Federer.
Perhaps too late, but he became the first Briton to win Olympic gold since the sport’s reinclusion in 1988 in Seoul. This victory, coupled with his first win at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, earned him the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire, a distinction he received from Prince William, Duke of Cambridge.
However, after concluding the most successful year of his professional career in 2016, when he won his second Wimbledon title and reaffirmed his Olympic champion status in Rio de Janeiro, in addition to becoming world number one, His Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II of England, finally honored him by naming him a “Knight of the Order of the British Empire.”
After being eliminated in the first round of the Australian Open, everything suggested that he would come to Wimbledon five years later to say farewell to his great career.
It would be the end of the career of a boy from a town called Dunblane, more famous than anything else for a sad and tragic chapter that occurred in 1996 when a man murdered 16 students and a teacher at Dunblane Primary School in the most cruel massacre in recent British history.Andy Murray arrived in Paris and announced that once the Olympic tournament concluded, he would finally say goodbye to the courts. No longer a fourth musketeer, who in real terms, is the second to officially depart after Federer, as Rafael Nadal has resisted but will likely join him soon.
For history, Murray will hardly be remembered as Scottish, or perhaps he will be remembered because he made an entire Empire, Great Britain, bow down to him..
AS
A MEXICANAMERICAN ARTIST, JOSÉ’S CULTURAL HERITAGE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF HIS IDENTITY AND INFLUENCES THE ESSENCE OF HIS ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
“While my tattoo style primarily revolves around black and grey realism and does not incorporate explicit Mexican cultural elements, the essence of my Mexican heritage subtly permeates through my work, infusing it with authenticity and depth”
Captured in Ink
by José Pérez Jr.
Each piece encapsulates a unique narrative, blending personal experiences, artistic vision, and technical skill.
His pieces highlight the diversity and artistry José brings to his work, capturing the essence of his creative journey.
03 04 05
He looks forward to the possibility of collaborating and sharing his artistry with a wider audience.
BY: DANIEL BENET
As part of a series of stories on the Mexican American community in the United States, El Heraldo de México USA visited Dark Water Studio in Chicago. This is the workplace of José Pérez Jr., one of the best tattoo artists in the country.
Entering the place is like diving into a fantasy world. Decorated with a collection of memorabilia from many different places and countries that José has visited while traveling to leave his art on people’s skin worldwide, the space invites imagination and creativity.
He confesses to being a lover of antiques, partly because, as he told us, some items in his collection, despite being over a hundred years old, still work.
“Unlike now, if you buy something, it won’t even last five minutes,” says José with a laugh.
Among the pieces are many skulls in different styles; however, he does not consider them macabre images. For José, they are an important reminder of the temporality of life.
“Underneath everything, we are all the same,” the artist reflects.
He echoes this perspective in his artwork.
The business also has a family touch; while José focuses on tattoos, María, his sister, helps manage the place. Their family hails from Michoacán, Mexico. He and his sister, who also collaborates in the tattoo studio, were born in Chicago, but when they were. around eleven, they returned to live in his father’s country. From the ages of eleven to eighteen, they lived in a town in this western Mexican state before returning to the United States.
His first encounters with tattoos were while living in Mexico. He remembers that when he was sixteen, one of his friends put together a tattoo machine and with the help of a prison tattoo magazine for the designs, he started practicing. His first tattoo machine was his own creation. He built it from scratch, using guitar strings and the little motor of a Walkman; since it worked with batteries, it allowed him to take it anywhere, making it portable despite being rudimentary.
This is how he started off in the tattoo world; once disreputable, but now increasingly widespread and accepted as art.
José laughs when he remembers what his family said when they found out he wanted to seriously pursue tattooing.
“They told me to get a real job,” he recalls.
However, this activity has allowed him to travel the world and even finance other activities he is interested in.
He mentions that the public notion of tattooed people has changed recently. While they were once exclusively for military members, gangs, or people in prison, now it is no longer the case; even CEOs of multinational companies, lawyers, doctors, and people from all professions get tattoos, Pérez Jr. tells us.
JOSÉ PÉREZ JR. TATTOO ARTIST
Growing up in a Mexican-American household and drawing from the rich tapestry of traditions during my formative years have deeply rooted me in a sense of pride and connection to my Mexican roots”
Creating good works on the skin through tattoos requires dedication and talent. José Pérez Jr.’s style is realistic, so the tattoo’s size, detail, textures, and lines demand that José takes several sessions to finish them. Some of his clients have attended for years so he can complete the works. He even pays attention to the customer’s body structure, bones, and muscles, which can affect the tattoo’s appearance, so José ensures the tattoo flows with the body’s features.
Some people come to his studio regretting a tattoo they got some time ago somewhere else, and José has had to make corrections with creativity and ingenuity. He has even recommended against tattoos that could later be problematic, but he always ensures the client is sure of what they want and respects their wishes. Despite this, some technologies can help remove tattoos, although a perfect result is not guaranteed, and the procedure carries risks.
José Pérez Jr. is also an audio engineer and has a recording and editing studio in the same place. He has mainly worked with hip-hop songs from his friends. Part of the resources he earns from tattooing has allowed him to finance the professional equipment in his audio studio. He estimates they have recorded over 250 songs in his studio, which he says is a very demanding but satisfying hobby.
If you’re looking for a place for quality and highly specialized tattoos, you can find his studio at 501 Willow Blvd #102, Willow Springs, IL, or request information on his social media: @ joseperezjrtattoos.
PHOTOART: ALEJANDRO OYERVIDES
