LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The Oxford Dictionary describes culture as, “the customs, arts, social institutions and achievements of a particular nation, people or other social group.” The beauty of this definition leaves so much up to interpretation. When we decided to focus on international culture I knew it would be relatable. Looking just at the history of San José State University, we are immersed in culture. From the Tommie Smith and John Carlos statues to the Cesar Chavez monument, it is everywhere we look.
Culture is really about self-expression and showing pride in what you love. It’s all about having a deep and genuine connection with the traditions and values that make up your cultural background.
Whether you have a deep relationship with your culture or not, this magazine is made for everyone. Even if it’s a small annual family tradition like eating a certain dish on the holidays or going on a summer road trip, that’s still a part of what makes you, you. My hope is that through reading our articles readers will be able to feel connected to a part of themselves and learn more about others!
This marks my very first issue of Access Magazine as editor-in-chief, and I’m thrilled to share it with all of you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everybody involved in this process. I’m incredibly excited for you to see the hard work, creativity and dedication that each of our contributors poured into this edition. Their passion and commitment is truly reflected on every page. I hope you enjoy exploring these pages as much as we enjoyed putting them together.
MAYA PETTIFORD
WE THE RESILIENT
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1 7
BIG WORLD, SMALL CAMPUS
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3
6 (4 - 6) (14 - 17)
HOT TO GO!
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MORE THAN A DANCER
(23 - 25) (29 - 31) (7 - 9)
INKED IN CULTURE
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(32 - 33) (10 - 13) (20 - 22)
EMBRACING A DIVERSE AMERICA
ALL(COHOL) AROUND THE WORLD DISCOVERING BELONGING THROUGH FOOD
CHICANO
SOUL FESTIVAL
- 19) (26 - 28)
ON THE COVER
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CROSSING BORDERS
Photo of Johanna Angeli Elloso, Dhwani Adhishesh, Vanessa Real, Mikayla Cowan and Kara Michelle Bench
Photo by Maya Pettiford
Resilient We “ the Two-Spirit community celebrates in San José
Saturn Williams Staff Writer | @saturn.sjsu
When Marissa Hemstreet first established a Two-Spirit group at the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley in 2019, she received a budget of just $200 monthly for snacks and outreach.
After years of working with the community and pushing for more space and budget, she established the annual Chosen Family Gathering for the Two-Spirit community in San José.
For Two-Spirit individuals, their identity is more than just a label but a reclamation of colonized history, an intertwining of heritage and self-expression.
“It’s not a term or title to take on lightly, being TwoSpirit means you’re doing something with your time and your energy; you’re being of service,” Hemstreet said. “It’s not, ‘oh, I identify this way,’ it’s ‘I’m going to do something with that and I need to make space for these people.’ I’m going to put in the work for these people, it’s not just a name.”
The term Two-Spirit was coined in 1990 at the third annual Inter-tribal Native American, First Nations, Gay and Lesbian American Conference as an umbrella term encompassing the hundreds of distinct traditional classifications for sexual and gender-diverse individuals across tribal nations in North America.
These individuals were often revered as spiritual or community leaders for their unique relationships with masculinity and femininity, a history erased in many Native communities because of forced assimilation.
Two-Spirited people such as Angel “Tlahuiz” Fabian, executive director of Bay Area American Indian TwoSpirits (BAAITS), are fighting to restore this history.
“Colonization and certain beliefs that came from the West didn’t understand who we were and what our role was in the community, but we have been granted the opportunity to continue creating these beautiful spaces, to reclaim those spaces,” Fabian said.
“ I’m going to put in the work for these people, it’s not just a name.
”
Marissa Hemstreet Communications Coordinator, Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley
Hemstreet said colonization impacted the perception of Two-Spirited people in her own Navajo Nation, the Navajo being a tribe that traditionally recognized a spectrum of diverse gendered categories.
Despite the established history of queer and TwoSpirit citizens within Navajo Nation, the Diné Marriage Act banned same-sex marriages within the reservation in 2005.
“What’s funny is Navajo Nation has the biggest Two-
Spirit pride powwow in all native nations but even on the Navajo reservation, it’s still illegal,” Hemstreet said.
The Arizona Two-Spirit Powwow, as with other powwows, is an intertribal celebration featuring traditional dance, song, food and artistry from the local Native population which takes place at South Mountain Community College annually.
“So, using that terminology of Two-Spirit instead of like, ‘Oh, I’m nonbinary,’ to me feels like I’m respecting my Indigenous roots and respecting that this way of thinking and believing about gender identity goes back further than what the English language could cover,” Hemstreet said.
In Navajo, asdzáán refers to a feminine female, hastíín a masculine male, dilbaa a masculine female and nádleehi a feminine male or other fluid individual.
Hemstreet was able to get in touch with her Indigenous roots and Two-Spirit identity through her work at the
Indian Health Center where she was able to expand the space for the Two-Spirit community through partnerships with organizations such as Silicon Valley Pride and BAAITS.
This work has culminated in an afternoon full of cultural performances, LGBTQ+ talent and influential speakers every first Saturday of September with the Chosen Family Gathering.
The event kicked off with a land acknowledgment by Julie Dominguez, a member of the local Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, as well as a powwow performance before launching into a lineup of Two-Spirit speakers.
Fabian spoke about the position of Two-Spirit individuals within the community, themself being a Two-Spirited Bën Za (also known as Zapotec) and indigenous to Oaxaca, Mexico.
“It highlights the essence of our spiritual path,” Fabian said. “We’re both the masculine and the feminine and the somewhere in between and with that comes a lot of responsibility, a lot of joy and a lot of hope for our community to continue growing and flourishing.”
Fabian helms the support BAAITS provides to the Two-Spirit population in the Bay Area, including the organization’s annual Two-Spirit
Photos of Ivy Flores in and out of drag Photos by Analyn Do
powwow in San Francisco and the grand opening of their first community center on Sept. 14 at 415 Valencia St., San Francisco.
BAAITS offers a $5,000 mini-grant to Two-Spirit artists curating art projects and community service related to Two-Spirit identity, cultural, gender and sexuality expression.
“There’s males and there’s females and there’s people in between, but we are all connected through spirit.
”
Ivy Flores Two-Spirit Drag Performer
“Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) exists to restore and recover the role of Two-Spirit people within the American Indian and First Nations community by creating a forum for the spiritual, cultural and artistic expression of Two-Spirit people,”
BAAITS said.
After wrapping up lunch and hearing from the community speakers, there was a vibrant showcase of local drag performers, including performances from Indigenous and Two-Spirit artists.
For Ivy Flores, who performs in drag as La Bombón Assesina, discovering her Two-
Spirit identity and Indigenous Mexican heritage gave her a new sense of freedom both onstage and off.
“It kind of expanded my consciousness to the point where I guess there’s males and there’s females and there’s people in between, but we are all connected through spirit,” Flores said.
Existing as a transgender, Two-Spirited woman is deeper and more spiritual to Flores than simple labels.
“For me, it’s honoring Earth, honoring my nature, the nature of my physical body, my spiritual body, but also the elements that allow me to live my life today,” she said.
As the performances and festivities wound to a close, performers and speakers at the Annual Chosen Family Gathering reflected on what “chosen family” means to them.
Ash Frandsen, outreach specialist for The Q Corner in San José and member of the Karuk Tribe indigenous to Humboldt County, spoke about the importance of a chosen family when her original familial community wouldn’t recognize her Two-Spirit identity.
“Chosen family has been where I can be deeply held, I can be deeply seen,” Frandsen said.
Where Flores was pushed away by her given family for her trans and Two-Spirit identity, she found a network of support and love from the queer and Indigenous communities in Santa Clara County.
“I choose to separate myself and be connected with other people, and that’s who I call my chosen family because family is people that elevate you, that are going to be supportive, that want you to succeed and want to share this life journey with you,” Flores said.
When talking about the position of Two-Spirit individuals within Indigenous and LGBTQ+ spaces today, Hemstreet referred to a quote she recalled from Navajo Nation Pride.
“We were here since time immemorial,” Hemstreet said. “We are sacred, we the resilient.”
Powwow dancer Arianna Atone-Ramirez at the Chosen Family Gathering. Photos courtesy of the Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley.
Taylor Shepherd Content Editor | @taylor.shepherd
College life for students at San José State University (SJSU) offers a glimpse into campus diversity. SJSU provides a platform for students to express themselves culturally with its own traditions taking place on campus.
SJSU isn’t a stranger to traditions. The university hosts a slew of annual happenings like Spartan Pride Thursdays, Admitted Spartan Day, Weeks of Welcome, “Ask Me Tables” and Homecoming.
More important than SJSU traditions, are the individual experiences of the diverse students who attend.
Cultural traditions unify the student body as an environment where shared experiences among peers are created.
They also keep America’s melting pot alive as different values, beliefs and traditions continue to come from various areas of the world.
Nutrition sophomore Alexander Tran, considers SJSU to be one of the more diverse California State Universities.
“We have a lot of different clubs and while all of the cultural clubs are super welcoming, it still feels really weird just approaching a different culture,” Tran said.
Likewise, there are many other types of cultural student traditions like business administration management sophomore Thao Nguyen, who moved to San José from Vietnam.
“My country has many unique cultures such as celebrating Tet, going to the temple to pray for luck on the first day of the year according to the lunar calendar,” Nguyen said.
““We believe that tradition is the identity of the country, if the tradition remains, the country will remain.”
”
Thao Ngyuen Business Administration Sophomore
Tet 2024, a Vietnamese New Year celebration, falls on Feb. 10 and lasts seven to nine days.
The holiday resembles a parade in full-swing, whether you’re in the city or countryside.
The celebratory mood and pageantry are on display for many days leading up to the actual New Year.
“Besides that, children will receive lucky money from adults to be able to receive good luck in the new year,” Nguyen said.
The first day of Tet is reserved for intimate families when children receive envelopes loaded with “lucky money.”
“In Vietnam, we always aim for traditional things and want to keep those beauties no matter how many years have passed,” Nguyen said. “We believe that tradition is the identity of the country, if the tradition remains, the country will remain.”
Tran always identifi ed with his family’s culture and ethnic background growing up as an Asian American.
By connecting with his family’s culture, Tran said it made him feel closer to his ancestors since he doesn’t know most of them.
“Vietnamese traditions are all about family, respecting elders and respecting the community,” Tran said. “Every year there are traditional festivals, the most famous one known as Mid-Autumn Festival.”
During this time, Tran wears clothing like the áo dài, gets together with family, receives red envelopes and gambles.
Áo dài, a traditional Vietnamese dress, embodies cultural values and beliefs such as modesty and elegance.
Tran said he would take part in more of the culture by studying Vietnamese in high school as a way of understanding the dances in his culture.
“These dances include lion dance, which are performed at every big festival, ribbon dance, áo dài and others,” Tran said. Illustrations by Cia Castro
Sociology and race and ethnicities senior Nathalie Villa, views the diversity on campus as a great thing.
“I am always happy to see people having the opportunity to express their identity,” Villa said. “I personally believe that cultural traditions on university campuses can help create a more welcoming environment, bring cultural awareness and can serve as learning experiences for others.”
As a Mexican American, Villa identifies with and participates in a mixture of both Mexican and American holidays.
“A Mexican holiday I celebrate is Dia De Muertos,” Villa said. “Aside from honoring deceased relatives, my family has passed down ways in which their families have honored specific relatives.”
This has helped Villa set up her own agenda and honor her family members properly.
For American holidays, Villa said she celebrates Halloween and Thanksgiving which includes preparing certain traditional meals like turkey and mashed potatoes.
“I am able to express myself through these various cultural traditions by giving myself the opportunity to truly embrace and submerge myself into both of my cultures on the days they are celebrated,” Villa said. “It gives one time to reflect and connect with the roots that one has toward these cultural traditions.”
Villa is able to express herself through the way she chooses to honor her ancestors, the art she is able to create and the stories she listens to that will be passed down to her children.
“These traditions influence who I am as a person, what I choose to value and how I choose to view the world or current society,” Villa said.
More Than A Dancer
Kennedy Mayo Staff Writer | @kennedymayo_
San José State University (SJSU) Club Dancesport brings people from various backgrounds together to create a group that expresses different cultures and discovers new ways to express themselves.
The DanceSport team at SJSU is a competitive ballroom dancing team that is nontraditional in its own way. The club, established in 1990, grows in stature with each passing year, a testament to the team’s dedication and success in the competitive arena.
SJSU is home to a diverse range of dance clubs catering to several cultures. The DanceSport team offers to teach its members nontraditional styles that don’t adhere to common dance forms.
“One thing I love about dance is that I’ve made many good friends and the people here just feel like family,” SJSU Club Dancesport Marketing Officer and child adolescent senior, Natalie Moua said. “I love coming into practice all the time.”
Natalie Moua has been dancing for about two years and learned many different styles, which she now loves.
“I am Hmong, so I know a lot of Hmong dance which is really different from ballroom dancing,” she said.
It’s like you’re a part of history, in a sense, because then you get to see all these different people doing all these different styles, and some of these people just may go on to being trendsetters in their communities.
Areeb
Yaqub Computer Science Senior
According to Dao Moua Fang, program manager of Kashia Health and Asian American Network for Cancer Awareness Research and Training (AANCART) at the Hmong Women’s Heritage Association, the Hmong culture heavily respects its elders and strong families, remembers its ancestors’ accomplishments and preserves its traditional ways.
Infusing her culture into dance has positively influenced her perspective on it.
“I love samba because I felt like the music of samba was just really cool and the beat was nice,” Natalie Moua said. “I love teaching people who just come and ask me how to do it, because sometimes it’s really hard.”
Natalie Moua said the value of learning different cultural dances and how it can enhance one’s overall dancing experience. She also appreciates the opportunity for SJSU
students to share their cultural dances and contribute to the diverse dance club.
“I think it’s great always, even to have people from different cultures just come in and bring what they can and just share what they’re like as a team,” Natalie Moua said.
Many dancers who have been part of DanceSport for years found ways to express themselves through the power of dance.
Computer science senior, Areeb Yaqub shared his expertise in various dance styles, including Latin dances, the foxtrot and the Paso Doble.
Yaqub said he has admiration for the diversity in the dance classes and appreciates students for valuing the cultural exchange while learning new dance forms.
“It’s like you’re a part of history, in a sense, because then you get to see all these different people doing all these different styles, and some of these people just may go on to being trendsetters in their communities,” Yaqub said.
Dance has not only been an outlet for these dancers but also a solace to run to — a place where they can truly be themselves.
“When I’m in a dance scene, I feel like I’m able to let loose, dance how I want and you just feel this sudden urge of confidence and just wanting to go out there,” Yaqub said.
After dancing, Yaqub found himself a changed man. From introverted and reserved, to confident and outgoing.
“It’s just something that you know when that song hits you, and you just feel that little swing in your legs, the bounce in your step, just it feels so cool to be able to dance your way out of that and just be able to express it even more, and I think even more so with someone else,” Yaqub said.
Graphic design senior, and the president of SJSU Club Dancesport Kelsey Wu, has been part of the team for four years.
She joined her freshman year during COVID-19 when the club had a few members, but in recent years, it has grown to 30-plus members.
Wu’s deep interest in dance started in high school with a private lesson from her coach, who is now the instructor for the club. The joy her coach fostered within herself drove her to come to SJSU. Dancing allowed her to find joy within herself, helped her overcome her introverted nature, improved her communication skills and confidence in school.
“I felt embarrassed before my performances every time I went on stage to perform, but now, I love competing,” Wu said. “I love performing. It’s like a different me that’s shining on the floor.”
HoT To Go!
Hands on Thailand with
Jennifer Yin
Copy Editor | @misslovetohaight
Hands on Thailand
San José State University (SJSU) students ll classrooms around campus, surrounded by the same white uorescent-lit cement walls and subjugated by the same monotonous coursework throughout the weeks.
However, SJSU students have the opportunity to escape the realms of the U.S. education system by studying abroad in Chiang Mai, ailand with Hands on ailand (HoT), a sociology class o ered as a part of SJSU’s Study Abroad and Away Program. In ailand, students can learn among elephants, walk on verdant hills and coexist with ai monks.
“As a sociology class, we evaluate the culture, we compare and contrast, we look for the nuances and see what it reveals about us as individuals within that culture,”
Senior Lecturer Emeritus Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences and the Director of HoT, Dan Brook said. “It is about making connections and expanding awareness so students feel connected, not only to their homes, but to a global society, so they become better global citizens.”
HoT is a three-week course o ered during SJSU’s summer and winter sessions covering service learning and cultural immersion. Participating students help local ai people and in return, they learn about their culture.
Ashley Ornelas, SJSU English alum, recounts a moment when she experienced culture shock while volunteering at a novice monk school.
Photo by Caroline Ma
Photo by Quint Hubbard
“ e monks could only hand something directly to a man, they couldn’t hand it to me directly, or they would have to put it down on a table and then I would pick it up,” Ornelas said.
Volunteer Work and New Opportunities
e foreign experience made Ornelas question a woman’s role, but later she came to terms with the di erences between eastern and western culture.
HoT facilitates symbiotic relationships between its students and ai people where they can learn from one another through volunteer work like teaching at ai orphanages or at Chiang Mai University.
“ ailand is relatively homogenous and San José is diverse so we bring all sorts of di erent perspectives, languages, religious beliefs, political beliefs and skills,” Brook said.
However, Lindsay Walsh, an SJSU communications adjunct instructor and alum, expressed concerns about volunteering at an orphanage during her three-week stay.
“ e rst day, a lot of us created a bond with the kids and I wanted to go back and see Tato and Mo,” Walsh said. “We were starting to build that bond with the kids and I didn’t want to leave.”
Walsh’s way of navigating through these internalized feelings was to incorporate them into her educational journey in the pursuits of her master’s thesis project which highlighted how communications played a role in her experiences at HoT.
She gathered an assortment of ailand photographs and collected fabrics to use as inspiration for her oil paintings. Currently, one of her paintings hangs in her living room, serving as an HoT reminder.
“Brook helped me realize that one hug is better than no hugs.
”
Lindsay Walsh SJSU Alumni & Communications Adjunct Instructor
In addition, Walsh mentioned that Brook helped her come to terms with her volunteer position in HoT.
“Brook helped me realize that one hug is better than no hugs,” she said. “So even if you’re not necessarily able to stay or make the impact as strongly as you may have wanted, you’re still making an impact in a positive way.”
Photo by Caylee Cole
Oppositely, students can also volunteer at Chiang Mai University where SJSU philosophy alumnus Quint Hubbard stayed. He mentioned how he also experienced a bit of a cultural shock when he discovered that the students spoke uently in English.
“We all spoke English here and to that extent we could use colloquial wisdom in saying, ‘bro,’ and that was wild,” Hubbard said.
Hubbard teamed with one of the university’s professors to teach post phenomenology which incorporates philosophy and technology.
“It was incredibly transformative not just for myself but also on my curriculum vitae (CV) that I could put what HoT o ered to me,” Hubbard said.
HoT continued to transform Hubbard’s life. He was accepted into a PhD program at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa based on his CV experiences with HoT which ultimately set him apart from other student applicants.
Life Changing Experiences & Healing Cultural Identities
In addition to transforming the lives of former students, HoT also facilitates students’ reconnection with their cultural background and roots.
Caroline Ma, a SJSU sociology alum and coordinator for the student union’s events program department, said that HoT familiarized herself with her ai background.
“I’m Chinese, ai and Lao and that’s another reason why I wanted to go to ailand was to get in touch with those roots,” she said.
“So a lot of the ai in uence that I have is mostly through my family and my parents leaned more (into) my Chinese side, it’s similar to colorism, so I didn’t get to learn ai or Lao only English,” Ma said.
As she si ed through her black diary where she keeps all her HoT memorabilia, Ma remembers how she never spoke ai out loud until she arrived in Chiang Mai. ere she practiced her mother’s language by bartering with local vendors at the night market.
“It’s a helpful skill to negotiate prices, not too low, but just enough that you are practicing those numbers and conversations,” she said. “Also practice at the restaurants, I would try to say, ‘Can I order this’ or greet them by practicing ‘hello’ and ‘thank you,’ that’s really important.”
Similar to Ma’s experience in nding her roots, SJSU sociology senior, Kelly Ngo, said how HoT brought her closer to her Cambodian roots.
Photo by Lindsay Walsh
Cambodia is a neighboring country located next to ailand and from 1975 to 1979, the country was held under the control of e Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), otherwise known as the Khmer Rouge. During those four years of communist control between 1.5 to 3 million Cambodian people were murdered in the Khmer Rouge by the CPK.
Years later, Ma still feels the rami cations of the genocide.
“My mom immigrated during the war and she went to ailand and stayed in the northern area which is where I stayed,” she said. “I have a very distant relationship with her because of her post traumatic stress disorder but I feel like a part of me being in ailand let me forgive my mom. I felt very healed when I came back.”
Ma continued to have life changing perspectives not only regarding her cultural roots and her relationship with her mother, but also in terms of career goals.
“A er coming back, I realized that there’s a di erent way for me to be in a school setting and it’s with guidance counseling so I shi ed my career path a er that,” Ma said. “I don’t think I would have done that without HoT.”
New Beginnings in Bangkok
Fourteen hours ahead, SJSU behavioral science senior Caylee Cole, has lived in Bangkok for over a month to nalize her last SJSU semester at Chulalongkorn University. She accredits HoT to her current life in ailand where she hopes to reside permanently.
“I would not be in Bangkok right now if it wasn’t for Dan Brook and the program,” Cole said. “It really encouraged me to come out to ailand, go outside my comfort zone and live in a di erent country.”
Cole said that the cost of living in ailand was one of the main reasons why she wanted to continue her stay. She currently rents her own apartment in Bangkok and pays $400 a month compared to San José’s average $3,022 apartment rent payment.
“Whenever I get back from ailand it’s de nitely a big adjustment coming back and having everything be so
expensive, San José speci cally,” she said. “I tell myself that this is the way that the currency is in the United States.”
HoT is not accepting student applications for SJSU winter session but the program is still accepting applications for the college’s summer session in 2025.
Photo by Quint Hubbard
Photo by Caroline Ma
Poland ALL AROUND THE WORLD (COHOL)
OREA: SOJU AND YAKULT
Originating in Seoul, this clear spirit traditionally comes from fermented rice and grains. Often described as sweet and light, soju is a popular additive to a variety of cocktails, like
ICARAGUA: El MACUÁ
Following a 2006 Flor de Caña national cocktail contest, Nicaraguans found themselves a front-runner for their staple drink. Named after an elusive bird, the Macuá encompasses the many flavors of the tropics. A mix of white rum, guava and citrus fruits give this cocktail its wings.
“I would describe it as the drink perfect for boosting your mood. I absolutely love the combined taste of guava, lemon, orange and rum. It gives me a feeling of ease and comfort.”
-Stephen Stewart, Creative Arts Senior
Korea Philippines Mexico
Nicaragua
POLAND: VODKA TONIC
Known for its array of vodkas, Poland’s pure alcohol carries the nation’s beverages on its back. Both simple and timeless, the vodka tonic captures the mature and crisp tones of the spirit.
“I like that sour kick that it has at the end. It’s just a simple drink that doesn’t have that much sugar and that’s why I like it.”
-Zachary Spence, Nutrition and Food Science Junior
BRAZIL: CAIPIRINHA
Coined the country’s national drink, this cocktail features a blend of lime juice, sugar and cachaça. Cachaça, a fermented sugarcane spirit, differentiates the drink from its molasses rum counterparts, giving it an air of originality.
PHILIPPINES: RED HORSE
Fused with barley and hops, the beer’s derivative company, San Miguel Beer, is an 100-year old extra brewed liquor that is the frontrunner of the Manila bar scene. The amber lager is one of the countries’ strongest malt liquors.
“Red Horse is a popular light beer that is usually consumed during parties in the Philippines. ”
--Raven Madriaga, Corporate Accounting and Finance Junior
MEXICO: TAMARINDO MARGARITA
Regarded as sweet and sour, the tamarind fruit promises a tangy punch to an otherwise boring refreshment. Combine tamarind juice and Tajín with Mexico’s finest tequila for one memorable margarita.
“Tamarindo tequila is my favorite because of the sweet tart flavor of tamarind which cancels out the bitterness of the tequila, making it more enjoyable. No chaser needed.”
-Esmeralda Rodriguez, Finance Senior
Korea Philippines Brazil Mexico
Photos by Analyn Do Model Maya Pettiford
Belonging Discovering
Norah Sheppard Staff Writer | @notahwhyyy
Through Food
Food is more than just something to eat, it is a form of expression and a tool to unify people and discover a sense of belonging. Many dishes are passed down through generations with diverse flavors and cultural origins.
Photography senior Stevie Salcido said one of his favorite foods, tamales, takes him back to Christmas celebrations with his family.
“Now that food gives me a warm feeling,” Salcido said. “That’s one of the only days when my family puts all their troubles aside and focuses on each other, providing a comforting feeling.”
Another important holiday in Salcido’s culture is Dia De Muertos, or Day of the Dead, in which they commemorate loved ones who have passed.
“For the Day of the Dead, we celebrate by eating the favorite foods of those who have passed away,” he said. “We also commonly have pan de muertos, ‘bread of the dead,’ a type of sweet bread.”
Like many, Salcido associates his childhood food with cultural influence, saying that they’ve helped his mother from Mexico stay connected to her roots after moving to America.
“We keep our culture here, do all these celebrations and eat these traditional foods to help make her feel comfortable,” Salcido said. “She’s very proud of her culture, and I am too. She worked hard to get where she was, I’m so grateful for her.”
Although there are many differences between cultures, there is a common trait.
Photos by Analyn Do
Food makes people feel like they belong.
Business senior Lucia Tomas grew up surrounded by Croatian culture and holds a deep appreciation for their cuisine.
“Croatians often start with an appetizer before the main meal, especially for parties or gatherings,” Tomas said. “This appetizer is usually homemade soup or a platter or charcuterie board of dried meats including prosciutto, or prsut in Croatian, buđola, pancetta, cheese and olives.”
Tomas said Ćevapčići is a Croatian sausage with half beef and half pork meat. It is grilled and commonly served with chopped onions and flatbread.
Also known for their sweet dishes, Croatians make desserts like the orahnjača, a walnut roll.
Aside from the culture’s interest in their delicacies, Tomas believes it is important to continue passing down recipes and traditions to future generations.
“I have grown up eating these foods and making some of them,” Tomas said. “Eating these meals at family gettogethers and Croatian extravaganzas, learning to make the foods on my own and sharing them with family and friends is an unforgettable memory.”
“Continuing tradition and the recipes I grew up on is important because I want to see my kids someday experiencing our culture.
”Joann Ha Pre-nursing Junior
Aside from the culture’s interest in their delicacies, Tomas believes it is important to continue passing down recipes and traditions to future generations.
“I have grown up eating these foods and making some of them,” Tomas said. “Eating these meals at family get-togethers and Croatian extravaganzas, learning to make the foods on my own and sharing them with family and friends is an unforgettable memory.”
Pre-nursing junior Joann Ha grew up with a fusion of Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. She especially loves Vietnamese food, as she finds herself eating it often.
“One of my favorite Vietnamese foods is bánh xèo, a savory pancake that is very thin and crispy on the outside and inside there is typically shrimp, mung beans and bean sprouts,” Ha said. “We eat that with lettuce and soy sauce.”
Other dishes, like rice porridge, always bring Ha back to her adolescence.
“My mom would always make porridge when I’m sick and when I was a kid I often got the stomach flu, so I remember always eating porridge,” Ha said. “Century egg congee, a popular dish to eat when sick, is especially delicious.”
She reflected on the prospect of raising her future children — how much that would mean to her, and how important those meals would be to them.
“Continuing tradition and the recipes I grew up on is important because I want to see my kids someday experiencing our culture,” Ha said. “Speaking Chinese, eating our food, celebrating the traditional holidays, I want them to have that.”
The foods we grow up with help us stay connected with ourselves and others. Whether it’s family dinners where everyone sits down and enjoys each other’s company, or cooking for ourselves, the foods that are an intrinsic part of culture can make great memories.
Photos by Analyn Do
Inked in Culture
Erika Vinculado Staff Writer | @ikavinc
The next class of young, inked adults are here to stay. Proceeding decades of tattoo stigma, Generation Z aims to deconstruct and push boundaries, serving as a potential turning point for the art community.
Before millennials and Generation Z, people preferred tattoos that were more detailed and had symbolic meanings according to The Guardian.
Ricardo Lopez, a Mexican tattoo artist based in Sacramento, has worked in the tattoo industry for two years and has found that the most common tattoos represent birthdays or deaths.
According to Psychology Today, people may get tattoos to form a closer bond with another person by permanently inking their body with the date of birth or death of that person.
Many tattoo enthusiasts and artists worked to break down this ideology, maintaining that art can be anything one makes of it.
From impulsive decisions, to symbolism and cultural expression, tattoos come in all categories.
Caralie Wegeng, a Sacramento based Filipino tattoo enthusiast said that her tattoo is inspired by Los Angeles based rapper and tattoo artist, Graciela Moreno.
While the tattoo can simply be a tribute piece, it’s a way to loudly express her own interest in hip-hop culture, unifying her to an entire community.
“I love her music and she happens to be a tattoo artist and I was like this would be a great gift to myself because I’m such a big fan of hers,” Wegeng said.
Photos by Erika Vinculado
“ ” to express yourself. way Tattoos are a
Erica Fernandez Tattoo Apprentice at
She enjoys getting tattoos that are very intentional and prefers traditional and old-school tattoos.
Aside from showcasing personal interest, receiving a tattoo from a Filipino American artist like Moreno helped Wegeng connect to a cultural community.
Within each culture, there’s an endless pool of sub-communities to be represented. Tattoos are expansive, touching even religious communities.
Tattooing religious iconography can also be a way to express cultural identity.
Lopez argues that in Mexican culture, Catholicism plays an important role. Tattoos associated with Catholicism like crucifixes and sacred hearts are a commonality that Catholic Mexicans bond over.
“Catholicism is really integrated into the culture,” Lopez said “It’s kind of like its own particular version of Catholicism especially in like Mexican Americans.” In Lopez’ experiences, Catholic tattoos are common requests. “It’s a very unique thing to Chicano culture, especially when tattoos were developing here in California,” Lopez said.
In spite of great meanings, some still choose to get concealable pieces, meant for their eyes only.
Jacob Ramirez, a Mexican American tattoo enthusiast said that his family was very strict about tattoos. However, he decided on getting tattoos that could be easily hidden.
“I have a crucifix on the center of my chest, I just had the artist copy my rosary (crucifix) onto my chest, so I’m never without it,” Ramirez said.
Apart from religious and interest-oriented tattoos, there is a large demographic who wear their tattoos as a permanent reminder of their heritage.
Mar Luz, a Filipino tattoo enthusiast, proudly displays
his Kalinga tattoos, originating from the indigenous group of the Northern Philippine mountains.
“My next addition will be Kalinga style of tattooing that goes from the back of my neck all the way down to my tailbone and on my spine,” Luz said.
According to the British Broadcasting Corporation News, receiving a tattoo that relates to one’s culture can help diaspora and a way to connect to one’s cultural history.
For Luz, this is no different. His Kalinga tattoos are roots to his Filipino family and lineage.
“After my grandmother’s passing, I have been grasping onto threads and trying to get in touch with my culture,” Luz said. “She was the line for me to keep in touch and so I have been looking into more Filipinocentric communities.”
Tattoos can be the missing link in lieu of memorials and tributes. They can help individuals discover parts of themselves they didn’t realize they were missing.
This is the case for Erica Fernandez, a Redwood City based Filipino American tattoo apprentice at InkDripped Tattoo Studio.
For her, it doesn’t matter if it is as meaningful as cultural heritage or as quirky as a childhood memory about a fermented duck egg, she encourages people to get tattoos.
“Tattoos are a way to express yourself, whether that’s something like a memorial piece or just something funny that you thought would be hilarious to get,” Fernandez said. “My only advice for people is to not follow trends and make sure you know exactly what you want.”
Chicano Soul Festival
Israel Archie Staff Writer
San José’s History Park flourished with classic lowriders, food trucks and vendors selling various items including fine art, t-shirts and even flower pots. Hundreds of people came to enjoy delicious food and traditional music to embrace their heritage at the Chicano Soul Festival on Sept. 7th.
“
” It’s amazing to see everyone coming together for the culture and lifestyle.
Fernando Perez
Artist
Local
Photos by Israel Archie
“
” I wanted to bring my business out here so everybody could see a bit of my culture
Christine Caballero Owner of Casa de Artesano y Mas
Photo by Israel Archie
Crossing Borders
Navigating Life as International Students at SJSU
Ankita Modak Staff Writer | @ankita__modak
International students pack their whole lives into two large suitcases and fly thousands of miles away from their hometowns, chasing the dream of making something of themselves. For them, the journey to the United States is more than seeking an education — it’s about embracing a new culture and finding a home away from home.
“ I think the biggest cultural difference would be how social and welcoming the people are in the U.S. I really like that.
”
Teja Vijjagari Computer Engineering Graduate
“I see in the movies, from Hollywood, people would go around at night time, hanging out, getting some drinks and going to a lot of games,” Vietnamese science graduate Tin Pho said.
Students quickly realized that reality doesn’t always match idealization.
“I think the biggest cultural difference would be how social and welcoming the people are in the U.S. I really like that,” Indian computer engineering graduate and International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) Global Leader Suhaas Teja Vijjagari said.
According to ISSS – Director Parinaz Zartoshty and International Programs Manager and Communication Specialist Keri Toma Loehrer students largely come from India and China.
“When our students are struggling with coursework, a lot of times it is because they’re homesick, facing culture shock and anxiety,” Zartoshty said. “It is also (about) trying to meet the expectations of their parents and their cultural background of excelling and doing really well.”
Indonesian psychology junior Sebastian Sutjipto faced a big shift from a community-centered Asian lifestyle to one that values independence.
“In Indonesia, if one of us was going to build a house, the whole village is going to build the house together,” Sutjipto said. “We even have a word for that which doesn’t exist in the U.S., gotong royong, it means teamwork but with a sense of belonging, togetherness and family.”
Sutjipto pointed out that the language barrier goes beyond fluency in English and reaches towards understanding cultural demands.
According to Loehrer, non-native English speakers, or students who come from cultures where questioning authority is discouraged, struggle to adjust to the classrooms here, where participation and asking questions are keys to success.
As Zartoshty recounts, trying to meet the expectations of Asian parents while juggling fi nancial issues can be diffi cult.
“When our students are struggling with coursework, a lot of times it is because they’re homesick, facing culture shock and anxiety.
”
Parinaz
Zartoshty
Director of ISSS
“You don’t want to waste your family’s money,” Sutjipto said.
Empty pockets may compel students to work illegally off-campus, a fear known all too well by Zartoshty.
“My worst nightmare is when a student is caught in unauthorized employment, which leads to the termination of their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record, forcing them to leave the U.S. immediately,” Zartoshty said.
SEVIS keeps track of all students coming to the U.S. on a visa.
ISSS provides resources like the Global Spartan Scholarship, which has awarded over half a million dollars to students since 2021, along with a small emergency fund.
“You don’t want to waste your family’s money.
”
Sebastian Sutjipto Psychology Junior
Kollepara said that back home, he had family to help with household chores, as did the other Asian students.
In Asian cultures, it’s common to live with family well into adulthood, proliferating generations of students arriving in America without basic skills.
Loehrer said that students from tight-knit, multi-generational households miss the constant support.
“I don’t have to try a lot to be in touch with my cultural traditions, because I’m just surrounded by similar people,” Vijjagari said.
Kollepara stays connected to his culture by attending the Indian Student Organization’s cultural
events wearing a traditional kurta, or a loose shirt garment and visiting temples for spiritual connection.
ISSS plays a friendly role in supporting students, as its experts have vast study abroad experience. Loehrer calls the ISSS Global Leaders, “the heart of it.”
“ISSS is like family,” Zartoshty said.
San Jose State University’s Tower Hall
Photo by Simon Haupt
Embracing a Diverse America
Melissa Alejandres Staff Writer | @mel_72a
Melissa Alejandres, a communications senior minoring in journalism, dissects how discrimination can come in various ways. This commentary explores her perspective and conveys to readers that it’s important not to let prejudice take over individuality.
It was a scorching July day outside the DMV walls. The off-white building peeled chipped paint in the heat. Its doors looked like they were hanging on by a thread. The line outside was full of restless people sighing, sweaty people fanning themselves and impatient foot-tapping.
Embracing my culture felt like a discouragement both outside of school and at home. ” ”
Inside, I noticed a woman getting screamed at. The desperation in her voice spread through the crowd as she spoke broken English. I walked over there and asked the fuming employee if I could help.
After immediately translating for the helpless woman who looked around frantically. The woman then proceeded to tell me what the DMV worker had told her — “We speak English in this country.” I’m no stranger to these kinds of interactions, of not being understood because of a language barrier and then immediately judged.
Embracing my culture felt like a discouragement both outside of school and at home.
I remember it like it was yesterday. My elementary school teacher told my mother, “She needs to drop the Spanish to catch up with the other students.” From chatty to reserved, so much of my social life changed. In class, I constantly looked down at the rusty blue ABC carpet, curling its corners anxiously.
My parents pushed Spanish because many of my younger cousins couldn’t communicate with my grandparents, who frequently visited from Mexico. It felt like a privilege to communicate with my elders. “Learning the language is the root of knowing where you come from,” my dad often said in Spanish.
Unfortunately, the price paid for only knowing Spanish as a child affected me early. I was ridiculed and mocked because I was speaking Spanish while the other kids were talking to me in English. A part of me felt shattered and forced to become someone new. The circumstances made me feel different at home and forced me to act more Americanized.
Children who grow up embracing two cultures have stronger feelings of being an outcast as they don’t fully fit into one culture. Despite America’s multiculturalism, many children are ashamed of embracing their native culture: food, language, clothing or cultural expressions.
In America, displaying one’s native culture can mean trouble: the fear of deportation, racism and discrimination. Most individuals want nothing more than to fit in. They want to feel included and never outcasted. Multicultural children face the biggest challenges when they are urged to adopt their native culture and an alien culture. They should be taught how to adopt and adapt to their environments in a healthy manner.
In the words of my grandma, “Vive por ti y no los demas,” or “Live for yourself, not others.”
Inherently, when people can’t be proud of their ”
Illustrations by Adora Vu
Across
2. A Southeast Asian country. It’s known for tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha.
5. The fact of being who or what a person or thing is.
7. A mark, figure, design or word intentionally fixed or placed on the skin.
9. Existing, occurring or carried on between two or more nations.
10. The customs, arts, social institutions and achievements of a particular nation, people or other social group.
Down
1. A long-established custom or belief that has been passed on from one generation to another.
3. A day of festivity or recreation when no work is done.
4. A system of communication used by a particular country or community.
6. The spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
8. Move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps.
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Photo by Analyn Do
Photo of Dhwani Adhishesh and Vanessa Real
Access Magazine is a student-run publication produced by the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at San José State University. It is conceptualized, edited, designed, published and distributed by students at the end of the semester.
Our goal is to write stories for students and our community on topics that are important, informative, educational and entertaining.
Our team comprises creative thinkers and passionate writers who strive to produce an unforgettable issue every semester.
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Maya Pettiford
MANAGING EDITOR
ABOUT ACCESS TEAM
Sophia Sipe
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Simon Haupt
CONTENT EDITOR
Taylor Shepherd
COPY EDITORS
Jennifer Yin
Tracy Escobedo
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Tracy Escobedo
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Tony Hoang, Adora Vu, Doan (Iris) Nguyen, Jose Pelaez, Cia Castro
WRITERS
Saturn Williams, Melissa Alejandres, Kennedy Mayo, Erika Vinculado, Ankita Modak, Norah Sheppard
PHOTOGRAPHER
Analyn Do
ADVISER
Nisha Garud Patkar
