Anayancy Nolasco is a Latina to be reckoned with. She’s already conquered San Antonio, and is now set to take the whole country by storm as the star of the hit Bravo series, ‘Texicanas.’

Influencer, TV personality and now reality TV star, Anayancy Nolasco originally hails from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. Nolasco lives in San Antonio with her young daughter and juggles her life in the spotlight with style, grace and a little bit of Texas sass.

We sat down with Nolasco to talk about everything from being part of the first Latina cast of a reality TV show to motherhood and how living in the United States has changed her life.

You came to Texas for college – what made you decide to stay?

Yes, I moved to San Antonio to pursue my college education. I decided to stay when I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl Ellie to be able to provide a good livelihood for my daughter. Living in the United States has been such a wonderful experience for us all, and I feel so blessed to live here. It’s true that here we all have a host of opportunities to achieve our dreams.

What is your favorite thing about Texas?

The opportunity to be able to work and pursue your dreams with no limits! I can be a mom, an influencer, a girlfriend, and not feel like anything or anyone (or stereotypes) hold me back. I didn’t feel that way in Mexico. I always felt trapped by stereotypes or the perception of who I had to be to fit in. Not to mention – I love my life in San Antonio. I feel like I get the best of both worlds by being able to speak my native tongue and practice some of our most important cultural rituals while also enjoying the freedom to make my own decisions in terms of career and well, anything I can set my eyes on!

How has being on ‘Texicanas’ affected your day to day life?

Depends on what you mean by ‘affected’! Ha! I feel like it has been such a blessing and positively impacted the way I see my community and family at large. There is a running joke in our household that “I’m famous” because I get followed or noticed at our local grocery store; but honestly, I’m just me. I leave the house in my gym clothes, and I act as I would normally act on a daily basis both on and off the camera. I do have to say, though, it’s pretty amazing knowing that I have an audience, and even more amazing to know that I have a platform to influence women/children/individuals at large with my voice and actions. I am so blessed to be able to use this platform for good! I am passionate about empowering women, especially Latinas, to never give up and to follow their dreams.

Was watching the show after filming hard? Is it what you expected?

It wasn’t hard, but it definitely built extra thick layers of skin in me. But I strongly feel I was 100% true to myself and to my audience. I am just a girl from Mexico who has been given the opportunity to live here in the States and build a future for me and my family.

How do you feel about being part of the first Latina cast on Bravo?

Honestly, I feel blessed. It is very humbling because I think that we, as cast members, just wanted to show our audience that we are women living our normal lives. (But, on camera!) We were able to share our transition for some of us being born and raised in Mexico and how we had to leave everything behind to be here.

Given recent headlines concerning Mexican and Central Americans, did you have any reservations about being on the show?

No, not at all. I am proud of being a part of ‘Texicanas,’ and I feel proud that I am an example of how Mexican-Americans can contribute to the fiber of not only our community but also our society in both entertainment and politics. I know there is much out there that can be controversial with respect to immigration as well as politics, but I choose to focus on the good. I know so many amazing people who have come from Mexico and Central America, and I believe it’s only a matter of time before many of this hostility will vanish.

Cover photo Jacob Miles

Gabi De la Rosa lives in Houston with her husband and three children. You can usually find her at a great local restaurant or out exploring HTX with her family. Visit her on Instagram @gabioftheroses_htx