Monarca

by Sofía Aguilar (Editor), Paula Macena (Editor)

MONARCA is a zine anthology created in response to the ongoing ICE detainments, detentions, and kidnappings across the U.S. over the past several decades. Co-edited by L.A. poets Sofía Aguilar and Paula Macena, the collection features selected writing, photos, and artwork from 20 artists who have meaningful ties to the immigration/migration and anti-ICE movements.

They meditate on the violence of forced separation, the feeling of constant movement and running, memories of homeland and past lives, and the connections that remain among loved ones and elders. Because, much like monarch butterfly migration, our communities and neighborhoods are shaped, made beautiful, and made sacred by the resistance and crossing of borders, nation-state lines, and land. Speaking from first, second, and third generations and beyond, this zine gives voice to the horrors, pain, fear, and rage that persist as much as our joy, defiance, and hope.

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 23, 2025

About the author

Sofía Aguilar is a Chicana writer, editor, and library professional based on the traditional homelands of the Tongva and Chumash peoples, now known as Los Angeles, California. Her work has appeared in the L.A. Times, Refinery29 Somos, and New Orleans Review, among other publications. She is the author of zine and chapbook publications including STREAMING SERVICE: golden shovels made for tv (2021) and STREAMING SERVICE: season two (2022), both self-published; LOS ANGELES: the zine, co-edited with poet Paula Macena; and amor., published by Bottlecap Press in March 2025. Her debut children’s picture book Queer Latine Heroes: 25 Changemakers from Latin America and the U.S. from History and Today is forthcoming from Jessica Kingsley Publishers in September 2025.