Where do I come from?

It's really hard to say where I come from because everyone I talk to gives me a different response but I manage to sit down with my mother and father to try and answer this question. It's been hard to do so because of my parents being on the go all the time.If they aren't here with my sister in El Paso, they are in Juarez with my older brother and then they decide to go visit my sister in Denver. I wish I could do all that traveling and not worry about paying for hotels and transportation. It's hard to get a hold of my parents as it seems that the older they get the more they like traveling. I finally sat with my mom and started bombarding her with all sorts of questions that she had to stop me and tell me that she could only answer one question at a time. Also telling me that in what hurry was I to be asking so many questions.

Well I told her I needed to know where I came from? she looked at me puzzled and answered "Well from me where else." I just smiled and rephrased the question for her better understanding. No mom I need to know what part of Mexico did our family originated from. She took a while to answer me and said that if she remembers right, we came from Fresnillo, Zacatecas. That's like 720 miles from here.

She started telling about my great great grandparents who were Dario Salas and Petra Casillas which where from my grandfathers side and from my grandmothers side were Preciliano Gaytan and Rita Garcia.Our family on my grandfathers side was big and very wealthy as they owned a lot of acres in that part of the region. She didn't have that much to say about the side of my grandfather's family as they hardly knew them. My grandfather hardly associated with them and when he did it was only for a small period of time. My mom would say that when they would go that they would kill a cow to welcome them. She was saying that that was to much meat for just her mom, dad and her. I wouldn't mind having that big of a feast. My grandparents were always welcomed on either sides of the families but there are always two side to a story. On My grandma's side they love my grandfather but little did they know that behind that face was a very different man. My mom said that her mom had to put a good loving wife's face if not my grandpa would see to that in that moment.

My grandfather had a running with the law because of his actions and that made him move the family to Juarez. My grandfather was a real machista in his time. He was a very mean person not just with my grandma but with just about anyone that crossed paths with him. I guess his actions caught up to him and he realized he had to do something about it. I think that the moved to Juarez proved to be very beneficial. This was the time that he started working for the railroad here in El Paso. He was the one that saw a big benefit coming to the United States and it's because of him that we came over. He new that the United States had better benefits and security than Mexico. So our family started living here in El Paso. I don't have years as my mother doesn't recollection but I think that it was around the early 70's. All of the families move to the United States except for one aunt that stayed in Juarez.

 


On my dad's side its quite different as the familiy originated in Chihuahua, Chuhuahua and my Grandfather move his family to Juarez. My dad doesn't relly remember much about the move because he was very young and said that before you only listen and that was it. No questions could be ask.

Just like my mom we had more interaction with my mom's side of the family that with the side of my dad's family. I don't understand why more time was spend with my mom's side. Now a days we try to keep in touch with my cousins from my dad's side and try to get closer as never before. It's hard because it took longer in getting to know them. My great great grandparent's names where Pablo Beltran and Micaela Franco, Iginio Valles and Sara Torres. My grandparent's names where Damaso Beltran Valles and Maria de los Angeles Beltran Valles. My grandpa also worked in the railroad like my other grandpa.

  

I love where I come from and I am also proud of my family. Knowing some part of history makes me appreciate who and where I come from. Not a machista but a very proud Mexican that came to the United States to have a better way of life not just for us but for all of our generations to follow. I thing that I don't forget is to let my family know that there is more than what we know. If it's to our benefit or not we should embrace it and keep it going for years to come. Love you great great parents and grandparents for being who you are and for letting me be a part of this great men and women we call family. God bless the old ones and new ones growing in the family tree.

"GENDER AND SEXUALITY: HOW CAN I SHOW UP AS AN ALLY?"

Ally is having someone who is on your side. Someone who cares and treats you with respect and is willing to stand up for you in those hard situations.


When dealing and talking about issues that make you uncomfortable, people always tend to stay away from them or try to avoid the issue. For people that have never dealt with topics like this, they tend to stray away from them. In other words people fell their comfort zones are being invaded and clam up. Its not easy for someone that is not used to talking openly about these subjects that tend to be put in the back burner for no apparent reasons. But when is the right time for these issues to be talked about? Changes need to be made and society should lend an open ear to learn from this. A quote from Mark Nepo: " If I dare to hear you I well feel you like the sun and grow in your direction." This is all we have to do, just dare to hear and that is all. But not everyone feels the need to hear. Society is so slow to hear that by the time they pay attention everything has pass. How can we make adjustments and prevail in making things right not just for the ones that think they rule this world but for every single individual that deserves to be treated with respect and dignity?

In the movie "A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Arauju Story" we are faced with a little boy growing up and force to be someone that he really was not. Trying to fit in this world's depiction of gender definitions of male and female. Strong and heavy issues surrounding the families as they are face with with acceptance and refusal that this young man was demonstrating growing up. Family acceptance was not really an issue here but male understanding sure was. As more and more families face backlash from other family members the burden is place on them to try to make all families understand and at the same time show respect to the decisions taking place. It is easier for understanding among families that barriers tend to fall smoother that when society takes place. nevertheless the outcome should be respected and embraced not just by the family but the whole communities that are involved with the understanding that all human beings should be treated respectfully and with dignity.
 
After his friends try to find out if he was really a born male in the movie, thoughts came to my mind as to why this issue. They were happy and playful together. This proved that they did not care for his sexuality and treated him like one of their friends, no if or buts. This also brought back a memory about little children playing together with their friend not worrying about the color of their skin and also whether they be a boy or a girl. There was no difference in their eyes when playing with all of them. Why cant we learn from children and be like them?

It's sad as how two deaths don't bring out the same response in the media. Equality plays a big role even when it comes to dealing with death. Miss Heidenreick states that unlike the death of Matthew Shepard , Gwen's death attracted very little media attention. Why is media so likely to cover stories
involving whites than colored? Does all this have to do with ratings? Progress seems to be taking very slow paces when it involves the LGBTQIA community. Gwen's death came with a price and it showed that when family members speak, the whole world has to stop and listen. It's hard for a family to lose a member and still be treated with no respect. What can we learn from Gwen's death? Activism on the part of transgender people is needed and the commitment and action of her family. White trans-activists are among the most visible advocates for transgender rights and thanks to them for pushing to make Gwen's murder public and for demanding justice.

Understanding and treating people with respect and dignity is what we need to know. There will always be treatment of minorities as being inferior and less capable of doing thing right. It is not gender or our sexuality that makes us who we are but the person inside willing to treat others as we would like to be treated. Not just another statistic or label but as a human being that deserves to be treated fairly with respect and dignity. That we will grow into a more acceptable society with communities willing to accept and defend its citizens without criticizing them.   




                                   

Ten ways to become an ally:

 1. Be a listener.

 2. Be open-minded.

 3. Be willing to talk.

 4. Be inclusive and invite LGBTQIA friends to hang out with your friends and family.

 5. Don't assume that all your friends and co-workers are straight. someone close to you could be             looking for support in their coming-out process. Not making assumptions will give them the               space they need.

 6. Homophobic comments and jokes are harmful. Let your friends,family and co-workers know that       you find them offensive.

 7. Confront your own prejudices and homophobia, even if it is uncomfortable to do so.

 8. Defend your LGBTQIA friends against discrimination.

 9. Believe that all people, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation, should be treated               with dignity and respect.

10. If you see LGBTQIA people being misrepresented in the media, contact the Gay & Lesbian                alliance Against Defamation at glaad.org

                       

Sources:

Heidenreich, L. (2006). LEARNING FROM THE DEATH OF GWEN ARAUJO?—Transphobic               Racial Subordination and Queer Latina Survival in the Twenty-First Century. Chicana/Latina             Studies, 6(1), 118–135.

Holland, Agnieszka, director. A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story. Lifetime Television, 2006.

Picture

Great murals under the freeway which brought back memories when I was younger and used to play wall ball with my cousins. I would only see murals and that was all, but today I see them in a different perspective. Messages that we can interpret and get a better understanding as to what the artist is trying to say or express. I love art and now that I see them for what they are, makes me realize that not just words but art talks too. They tell stories that brings out meaning of what our people and community go through day by day. We are deprived of our own saying when it comes to standing up under oppression and suffering. Its hard for us to express in a society that does not care to listen and understand what minorities put up with and at the same time feel that our voices will never be heard.

Women are seen in these murals as birth giving and not as strong women with power and strength. why would that be? aren't we all human? what makes someone more powerful than the other? Questions we need to answer as our world is changing and society accepting us for who we are. we shouldn't be judges in our communities and we shouldn't be labeling persons for standing up to their own believes. What makes them better than who we are? Equality is a step that takes us backwards instead of forwards. When will change come? maybe a new movement to demonstrate that everyone is equal, that we all bleed red, that we might learn from children as they don't discriminate. Change has to happen and it should start with us taking that first step.

All murals were inspiring but this one caught my attention. As you can see this one shows El Paso as the heart of our two neighboring cities. It has arteries going from one direction to the other. We can say that to the north is our sister city of Las Cruces and to the south the city of Juarez. This mural shows that all three cities are joined together and if one suffers the other two also. Well when the incident happen in Walmart on August 3rd I was part of it in a sort of way. We were supposed to have gone to shop at Walmart but for some reason we ended up going to Sam's. We were just going in for two things but ended up looking at different stuff. We made more time than usual and we were heading out the door and they stopped us. It was a couple of minutes after the shooting started. We realized that if we hadn't stop to look at other things we would of been in the Walmart just minutes before the incident. The mural shows that the heart suffered a huge blow. El Paso was hurting and it still is. It's going to be a long process to heal and get better. not just El Paso suffered but also our neighboring cities with it too. 

Time is on our side and sure eventually everything will go  back to normal. We are a strong city and with the support from our sister cities we will get trough this. 

 

This one was my second choice as it reminded me of one time our neighbors invited us to go pick onion. I was 15 and we didn't want to go but we got courage and decided to go. It was my brother, two cousins and me. so we got up at five in the morning and got on the bus that they had. they gave us the best cutter to use before picking up all other workers downtown. We got to the fields and started working. To make a long story short we did terrible. The other workers had to lend a helping hand in order for us to finish what was given to us. We managed to to make five dollars each. what I'm trying to say is that picking is a hard labor intensive job to do. I have the fullest respect for all farm workers doing what they do. Our people breaking their backs just so the elite can have their needs served in front of their eyes.  

WHO AM I

WHO AM I............


WHO AM I...........I AM PROUD, HAPPY, HONORED, I AM WHO I AM
WHO AM I...........I AM MEXICAN
WHO AM I...........I AM PROUD OF MY HERITAGE
WHO AM I...........I AM PROUD OF MY ROOTS

WHO AM I...........I AM FROM MEXICO AND THE U.S.


WHO AM I...........I AM A YOUNG STUDENT EMBARRASSED BY THE WAY THE TEACHER PRONOUNCES MY NAME  
WHO AM I............I AM SAD BECAUSE THE OTHER STUDENTS LAUGH AT ME BECAUSE OF HOW MY NAME SOUNDS
WHO AM I............I AM THE ONE TAKING DOWN OBSTACLES
WHO AM I............I AM A STATISTIC THAT PROVED EVERYONE WRONG

WHO AM I............I AM THE ONE THAT IS ALWAYS STRIVING TO REACH MY GOALS
WHO AM I............I AM NOT A STEREOTYPE
WHO AM I............I AM NOT A NOBODY
WHO AM I...........I AM A FATHER, HUSBAND, FRIEND, FELLOW STUDENT




WHO AM I...........I AM NOT THE ONE TREATING OTHERS WITH DISRESPECT
WHO AM I............I AM THE ONE THAT IS GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE
WHO AM I............I AM MEXICAN AND PROUD OF IT




MEXICAN STEREOTYPE MENU

Feminism, Racism are we all that

Audre Lorde’s essay is one of so many out there that deal with inequality among black and third world women by white feminist women that tend to see everything through their veiled covered eyes. Portraying that their patriarch knowledge of feminism and minority woman’s oppression is the true understanding and meaning of that of their own. In other words, it is a need for people who are different in many ways to be embrace and not just tolerated. “Now we hear that it is the task of black and third world women to educate white women.” (p. 96) Lorde wrote, “…survival is not an academic skill. It is learning how to stand alone, unpopular and sometimes reviled, and how to make common cause with those others identified as outside the structures in order to define and seek a world in which we can all flourish. It is learning how to take our differences and make the strengths. For the master’s tool will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporary to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change. And this fact is only threatening to those women who still define the master’s house as their only source of support.” In comparison with the other stories we find similarities telling women not to be cowards and to stand firm to what they believe in.

  In the section And When You Leave Take Your Pictures With You, oppression and lack of confidence defines all these women that seem to be in the same situation. “It is not the duty of the oppressed to educate the oppressor.” (p. 73) Asian American women also suffered public negative views during world war two. Being an Asian American during war was a big step to overcome. They were treated unjustly not just for being women but also for their race. “Asian Pacific American women will not speak out to say what we have on our minds until we feel secure within ourselves that this is our home too.” (p. 72) The feeling of not belonging is an experience everyone faces some time in their lives. Being discriminated and compared to animals will always bring morale and sense of hope down. “How does one then emotionally come to terms with racism?” (p. 58) Injustice by the masters who will never contemplate and accept the wrong doings play a big role.

Latin women face similar situations as they are treated unfair by Anglo American women who now nothing about the Latin culture. Just because you see certain shows or read certain articles doesn’t make you an expert. Minority women have always been stereotyped by white feminist that don’t take the time and effort to learn different cultures. “Humildes yet proud, quietos yet wild.” (p. 64) Latin women and third world women should start developing a feminist movement based on their realities and priorities in which racism should be a priority. “Racism affects all our lives, but it is the only white women who can “afford” to remain oblivious to these effects. The rest of us have had it breathing or bleeding down our necks.” (p. 58) Our language shouldn’t be a factor in determining who we are. Taking classes to get rid of our accent does not make us more American. We should be proud that we speak more than two languages. Racism comes from almost everyone but we are the ones that have to deal with it at the end. “Who is to say that robbing a people of its language is less violent than war?”  (p. 75) The white supremacist is always finding ways to stereotype minorities and our language is not safe at all. They criticize us for not speaking English fluently, for not speaking Spanish fluently, for making made up languages like Spanglish and calo. These situations should make us feel oppressed but in reality it boosts our self-esteem to take action. To find the power and determination to fight for who and what we are.

In conclusion racism will always be until we find the courage to fight for what is right.  To stop oppression and humiliation and lift our heads way high with empowerment and support from each other. “It is time we stop letting the rest of this oppressive society dictate our behavior, devour our energies, and control us, body and soul. It is time we dealt with our own energies, and our own revolutionary potential, like the constructive and powerful forces that they are. When we do act on our power and potential, there will be a real feminist movement in this country, one that will finally include all wimmin.” (p. 86)

References:

            Anzaldúa Gloria. (1987). Borderlands = La Frontera: the new mestiza. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books.

Moraga Cherríe, & Anzaldúa Gloria. (2015). This bridge called my back: writings by radical women of color. Albany: State University of New York Press.