CULTURE

THIS IS OUR AMERICA TEXT AND ART BY: LIANDRA THIBODEAUX

Deep rooted rasicm in the United States and the importance of voting.

Driving down the street in my neighborhood around 1 p.m., headed home after working out, the traffic light turns red and a police officer pulls up next to me. My body tenses up, so I tightly firm my grip on the steering wheel. My palms are sweating and my hands tremble slightly. Why am I feeling this way when I’ve done nothing wrong? The light turns green and I continue on my way, the officer not far behind. In less than a minute, I turn down my street and into my driveway. The officer stops, blocking my car in, and exits his vehicle with his hand on his firearm.

“Where are you coming from?” he asks bluntly as he proceeds to look me up and down and walk around my car. “I just came from working out with my trainer,” I say, trying to be as compliant as possible to avoid any more unnecessary trouble.

As he continues, I ask what I have done for him to confront me in this way, and the only explanation given is, “You fit the description of a woman fleeing a hit and run.” Not my car. Me.

My body tenses further as it was never given the opportunity to relax from when he drove closely behind me. I asked for details but am provided with none other than my car didn’t match the description of the suspect, but I did. He never mentioned that the suspect has brightly colored hair (I do), that the suspect is wearing an Amon Amarath band t-shirt (I am), or that the suspect has facial piercings (like mine). That’s because she doesn’t possess any of those traits. The only thing I have in common with her is my brown skin.

After he leaves, I become teary eyed and flashbacks from other times when I’ve heard the words “You fit the description” solely based on my skin tone begin to fill my mind. I know I’m not alone in having gone through these kinds of hellish encounters.

I am a mixed-race Black/Hispanic/Native American woman living in the United States of America, in a predominantly white and Asian neighborhood.This is important because although I am not nor was I the only person with my complexion in the neighborhood , my aesthetic is very particular, so it’s hard to mistake. The aforementioned incident happened in late 2018.

Fast forward to mid-2020, the year of CoronaVirus (COVID-19). A time in which most would think we as a people experiencing a shared trauma would come together, but instead there is still a divide within the culture.

In less than six months there has been the news of at least three people of color being murdered by police, filling the social media feeds of many Americans and countless others not making it to the mainstream media or news, causing a much understood outrage. Here we are in a country which prides itself on the diversity of its people still unable to separate from the deep seeded racism in which we were built.

From the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, who was simply out for a jog, to the suspicion that those of Asian descent carry Coronavirus, and many other displays of racism perpetrated on innocent citizens, though unfortunate, these phenomena are nothing new and often become the most apparent during times of high stress.

Although many in our society would like to place the blame for the harm done to our communities soley on President Donald Trump, whose words often stoke hate and display ignorance, and the police officers who have abused their power seemingly with immunity (as well as their colleagues who appear to overlook their misdeeds), and other government officials who fail to address systemic racism and other social ills, these are not the only source of our problem. 10 | LOGOS | SPRING 2020 We also have a part to play in the continued oppression of the American people of color. Those of us that choose not to vote. Those that retort with “all lives matter” whenever someone asserts that “black lives matter,” without truly understanding the meaning behind the slogan. Even if they don’t intend to cause harm, they have become victims to the efforts of those who only wish to divide us. Racially motivated crimes are nothing new: he Native American genocide, slavery, the lynchings that continued in the Jim Crow South after emancipation, the burning of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and even more recently the rise in hate crimes towards Latinx following President Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric and the abuse of migrant children and families.

When Trump became president, he didn’t force anyone to become racist; he only laid the groundwork for those that already were to feel more comfortable being open about it. I am no fan of our current president; however, I cannot ignore the facts. It is unrealistic to think that a person can wake up one morning and just decide to be racist towards an entire group of people.

This leads me to the question of the hour:

What can we do to bring about the desperately needed, lasting change our country needs? First, we must no longer be afraid of having difficult conversations regarding race. Seeing no color is part of the problem. We can not sit back and ignore the color of our skin, nor should we have to, for that matter. Why should a person’s race or ethnicity make another person uncomfortable? It shouldn’t. Our color is heritage, it is our culture, and claiming to not see color, even if said with good intentions, is undermining the struggles that those of that color have experienced. Seeing a person’s color is acknowledging that person as a whole.

Next, see something, say something. In our age of technology, we now have the power to protect one another and to hold those with ill intentions accountable at the touch of a finger and the loud roars of like minded people. Racism should no longer be tolerated, and those that choose to behave in that manner need to be aware that although your speech is free, words are not without consequence, especially online. Finally, the biggest hurdle to overcome is finding the ability to trust one another. Although racism is still very much alive today, there are also a multitude of individuals that want to help the fight against it. These are the people we need the most. The frustration, anger, and lack of trust felt is not unwarranted. However, for our voices to be really heard, we need those that already have their foot in the doorway (who’s words are less likely to be ignored) as much as we need each other. This includes but is definitely not limited to the white allies that have chosen to not only speak up against the injustice towards POC, but also make the conscious effort to educate those around them.

I am not so naive to think that these minor things will completely abolish racism or systemic oppression in our country, but more than ever we have to put certain differences aside and come together as a united people in order to lay down the foundation for the change that we need. And most importantly, everyone with the ability to vote should vote. Those that choose not to are giving up their privilege to place individuals that are for the betterment of our communities in positions of power. This does not mean only voting for a new president, but for our mayors, our judges, our governors and representatives. All of these people make the decisions that directly affect the people in their cities. The protests and rioting that have followed the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, by police officer Derek Chauvin are a prime example why voting is so important as these are the American people showing the world that enough is enough. It is time to make your voices heard in order to bring attention to the injustice that has been going on for far too long and to fight the corruption in our system by voting new people into government positions. L

FLOWER BEANS CAFE

TEXT AND ART BY: LIANDRA THIBODEAUX

Cafe near Citrus College that serves sweet and savory crêpes.

Photo of strawberry and banana smoothie paired with bacon breakfast bagel taken on June 15 in West Covina, Ca. Flower Beans Cafe serves breakfast sandwiches on a variety of breads (such as bagels and croissant).

While U.S. citizens take part in the stay at home order as a response to the global Coronavirus pandemic, many of us have come to rely on take-out orders, curbside pickup and delivery methods provided by restaurants as a means to obtain our sustenance. One afternoon, as I was watching an episode of The Great (a comedic Hulu show about an emperor and empress of Russia, with seemingly very little historical facts) I suddenly began to crave crêpes. This was a bit odd because I hadn’t seen a single crêpe the entirety of the time in which I was watching the show. Regardless, the search to satisfy my craving was on. I decided to turn to Google and Yelp for aid as I don’t know of many places in my general area (which so happens to be about 15 minutes away from Citrus College) that serve crêpes. In the course of my search on Yelp, I stumbled across a wonderful little gem called the Flower Beans Cafe that is located in the city of Covina in the same plaza as the AMC movie theater (near the cross streets of Arrow Hwy and Azusa Ave).

First, I scrolled through the reviews and images of food provided by past customers. Next, I visited the linked website (Flowerbeanscafe.com) to further see if this would be the place for me. While on the website, I found that it was fairly straightforward and easy to use. This was very important because having a hard time navigating a website can definitely deter my interest. So, the simpler, the better. While on the site, I found a gallery of images of food, a menu, methods of contact and how to order. I chose to order directly from the website.

While browsing the Restaurant’s menu, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of variety this little cafe offered. They not only served crêpes but sandwiches (hot and cold) as well as an assortment of hot and iced drinks.

Now for the biggest challenge: sweet or savory? Due to my frequent indecisiveness, I decided to follow the wise words of Retta (a character from a show called Parks and Recreation), “Treat yoself.” I got both. Why not? Most of the crêpes I’ve come across in the past weren’t as filling, so I expected the same from this cafe… Boy, was I wrong.

I ordered the ham and cheese savory crêpe and the strawberry and banana sweet crêpe.. I could have built my own crêpe (a nice feature the cafe offers), but admittedly I was lazy and didn’t want to put in too much effort. I also decided to order the breakfast bagel (I’m a sucker for a good breakfast bagel). As soon as I made my selections, I placed my order and opted for carry out.

Upon arrival and walking inside, I noticed that there was a large clear barrier dividing the cashier (in which I assume was added as a safety precaution because of the pandemic) and paying customers. There was a lovely and strategically placed Japanese cherry blossom partition wall dividing the room in half. The most interesting aspects of the room were the canvas photos of what looks like bags of flour (an ingredient used to make crepês) on the walls and the section of the room closed off with clear glass allowing customers to view their food being made. Once my food was ready, I received it packaged in styrofoam containers ( I know they are not the best for the environment, but they did keep the food intact and from leaking through) and placed in a plastic bag which was tied closed. I was surprised by how heavy it was. I shrugged it off and was on my way home. The combination of sweet and savory smells filled my car as I drove, furthering my excitement for my long awaited meal.

After getting home and opening up the containers, I came to the startling realization that just maybe this would be too much food for me.

First bite was of the ham and cheese savory crêpe . Inside consisted of cooked ham, tomatoes, spinach and melted cheese, all wrapped up in the thin pancake-like foundation. The outside was drizzled with a balsamic dressing and garnished with pickled jalapeños, avocado and more tomato. When biting into it, I noticed that the dressing really brought the flavors together as it added a very slight sweetness to the meal balancing out the saltiness of the ham and cheese on the inside. When choosing to add a piece of the jalapeño to the next bite, a slight tangy spiciness was added to the mix. This for me worked out pretty well because I’m a fan of spicy food but was more in the mood for something subtle rather than drowning my food in hot sauce like I often do. Once I started to feel that this part of the meal was going to be too heavy (thus stopping me from trying the other things) I chose to stop eating. I ended up only getting through about ¼ of the crêpe.

The next bite was of the breakfast bagel sandwich. This also had jalapeños on the side as well as strawberries and a dab of whipped cream. The sandwich consisted of a fully cooked egg, cream cheese, avocado, Monterey Jack cheese (as per my choosing) and ham all stacked inside an everything bagel (also of my choosing). The first thing I ate was the strawberries and cream since strawberries are my favorite food. Admittedly, I probably should have saved them for the end of this meal portion as it would have helped me better transition to the next part but it is what it is.

Next came the bagel itself. Once again the combined ingredients really complimented each other. However, as with many bagel breakfast sandwiches, I will say that at a certain point it became a bit of a challenge to keep together. This is primarily due to the density of the bread. When too much pressure is applied while eating, the inside contents tend to get pushed out, so it can get a bit messy. Either way, I still very much enjoyed it as a whole.

Finally came the sweet crêpe: strawberries and banana. On the inside were sliced strawberries and banana pieces accompanied by Nutella chocolate, wrapped in the thin pancake breading. The outside was drizzled with chocolate, lightly coated in powdered sugar and garnished with SPRING 2020 | LOGOS | 13

Photos of strawberry and chocolate (left) and ham and cheese crepe (right) taken on June 15 in West Covina, Ca. Flower Beans Cafe serves sweet and savory crepes that can be made to order.

more sliced strawberries and whipped cream. This crêpe definitely satisfied my sweet tooth and although there is the option of adding ice cream to this selection, I’m glad I didn’t. It definitely would have melted by the time I made it to this portion of the meal. However, if you’re just looking for dessert, I’d recommend it, especially on a hot day. Like with the ham and cheese crêpe, this was also fairly filling so I only initially made it for a few bites, but proceeded to return to it later in the day (surprisingly it was still pretty great).

Unfortunately, because of the constraint of time while writing this short review, and the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, I was unable to speak to the owner of the establishment, so I can’t really say what safety changes were made nor how this small business was impacted by COVID-19. What I do know by going there, though, is that the employees I’ve come across were all wearing masks and gloves while handling the food, and the cafe seemed very clean.

All in all my experience at the Flower Beans Cafe was a pleasant one. The convenience of location and the ease of use of the website were an absolute plus. Although the cost of food, which for me ended up being about $33 +/- for everything, can seem a bit much at first glance, based on the amount of product you receive, it’s worth the penny. L

A Bit More Information:

Address: 1406 N Azusa Ave, STE G Covina, Ca 91722

Phone: 626) 332. 0097

Website: www.FLOWERBEANSCAFE.com

What they serve:

Hot & Iced coffee drinks (Sizes:16oz, 20oz, 24oz. Prices from $2.65-$5.90 +/-)

Ice blended drinks (Sizes:16oz, 20oz, 24oz. Prices from $4.85-$5.85 +/-)

Ice cream blended drinks (Sizes:16oz, 20oz, 24oz. Prices from $5.60-$6.30 +/-)

Loose leaf teas (Sizes:16oz, 20oz, 24oz. Prices from $3.15-$3.90 +/-)

Sweet crepes (0-2 Topings $5.20-$7.25 +/-)

Savory crepes ($7.25-$8.70 +/-)

Sandwiches, Toast & Bagels ($4.50-$6.20 +/-)