I Am Not An Immigrant
My mother came to the United States from Guanajuato as a teenager but she is not an immigrant. Generations of family before her also came to the North but that does not make us a family of immigrants.
By the color of my skin and the languages I speak you may think I am an immigrant, but how can that be if I am on the land of my ancestors.
If it weren’t for war and American greed where we stand would still be Mexico. This also applies to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Nuevo Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming. California to me is a part of Aztlan, the point of origin of the Mexica people, therefore it is my home.
You know that feeling of being home, one that cannot be replicated anywhere else. It’s a feeling of tranquility and safety. You feel comfortable with your surroundings and as if all the lights were suddenly turned off and it was pitch black, you still would be able to navigate your surroundings because you know where everything is. Most importantly about your home, you feel loved. You feel like you can be vulnerable. You feel like you can cry without being subjected to criticism or like you can laugh and trust someone else to always join right in with you. For a lot of us this feeling of being at home isn’t found in the literal physical structure of a house. But no matter who you are, it is like human instinct to find this sense of belonging.
To me, home is anywhere between the coast and mountains of California. This is where I can breathe in the ocean air most familiar to me and fill my lungs with memories. Memories of scaling cliffs made of jade with my cousin in Big Sur as the ocean waves angrily crashed below us. Memories of taking naps on the beach and no need to cover up because, as my grandma says, el sol es la cobija de los pobres, the sun is the blanket of the poor. This is somewhat dramatic, but it is true. If I am ever feeling cold, I can step outside and count on the sun to comfort me and not burn me, something unique to California.
I find love here like nowhere else. I find people who switch between Spanish and English in the same sentence just like me. I find people I could listen to talk for hours and I would never get bored or annoyed because I love them that much. I find people who love their family and community to the extent that they are willing to defend it by any means necessary just like me.
Since the 1800s California has been the land of my ancestors, and I can feel that to my very core. Chicano, Chicana, Mexicano, or Mexicana, much of what is the United States was and forever will be our rightful home, no matter who tells us otherwise.
I recognize that in my lifetime California will not return to its people but because of this I will do whatever I can to someday be recognized as a native. Because I believe I am not an immigrant.
Thanksgiving & Thankstaking
As a “Welcome back!” to our Ethnic Studies class, I led a lesson on the origins and implications of celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. The lesson addressed the roots of American land wealth in relation to the theft of indigenous land. We also talked about native genocide, treaty violations, and the continuing colonial reality of native people. We followed up with a class discussion on how these tragedies set the current conditions for native people to live in poverty, be subjected to inadequate educational institutions, the decline of native languages, and other injustices. The dialogue eventually led students to be more critical and reflect on the social inequalities and circumstances native people live with, and how a holiday like Thanksgiving can hide this part of American history.
The lessons and discussion questions were an introduction to what we will be looking deeper into during our last two weeks in Ethnic Studies. We will be seeking representatives, activists and educators of the Kumeyaay people to speak to the class about Native American history, the most pressing matters that need to be addressed within Native American communities, and what we can do to support their movements.
Anakbayan Visits Escuelita Aztlan
Like I had mentioned on my community work page, I am an active participant in Escuelita Aztlan. The last session that took place on 11/18/2017 was led by an organization called Anakbayan, a youth and student organization that works toward systemic change for the betterment of Filipin@ people.
The presentation that they prepared for us was amazing. I learned about the socio economic struggles faced by working class people in the Philippines, and what movements are happening in the country. Learning this background information sparked my interest to educate myself more on Filipino history and the struggles they face in the United States.
This is not the first time I had such a great educational experience at Escuelita Aztlan… If it weren’t for the program I wouldn’t have known about many other organizations and the amazing work they do in different communities.
I encourage young people that have any interest in knowing more about themselves and other cultures to attend the next Escuelita Aztlan session that will take place on December 2nd, 2017. The theme of the meeting will focus on “the Education System VS the Prison System”.
College Road Trip 2017
At the end of July and early August my dad and I went on our first college road trip. We visited UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and Stanford. It was great!
