Issue 3: Revolution by Ascend Magazine

ASCEND ISSUE 3 / REVOLUTION

ASC

BY/ FOR FEMMES ENBY

END

Y W OMEN OF COLOR

TABLE OF C PG. 9/ LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

PG. 12/ THE STAIN OF MY EXISTENCE BY VALERIA PACHECO PG. 13/ AND THAT WAS THE GOOD NEW S BY REGINA ZEHNER PG. 14/ FURY FUELS THE FIRE BY ADARNA TAYOG PG. 19/ 0 30 8 BY STEPHANIE OKUBO CHAVES PG. 20 / PHOTOGRAPHY BY HIBA ABUBAKER SHALABI PG. 23/ SERVING W OMEN: PALESTINIAN W OMEN IN NATIONAL LIBERATION AND W ORKER'S STRUGGLE BY LINA ASSI *TW/ RAPE* PG. 29/ ART BY MARTINA SALAMERO PG. 30 / ART BY DEVI ATIT PG. 36/ ART BY DEVI ATIT PG. 37/ AT THE LOCAL CLIMATE JUSTICE RALLY BY JODY CHAN PG. 38/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANAJE BRINKLEY PG. 39/ CONTORTIONISTS BY VRIDDHI VINAY PG. 4 0 / ART BY HABIBA AFIFI PG. 4 4/ ART BY JASMINE W ILLIAMS PG. 4 5/ YEARS AND YEARS TO FLINCH BY ALLYSON TAYAO PG. 4 6/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY NADA HARIB PG. 54/ ART BY MARCOSA OPULENCIA PG. 55/ UNTIL W E ARE FREE BY ETZALI HERNÁNDEZ

CONTENTS PG. 56/ ART BY ARYANNA CHUTKAN PG. 58/ ART BY WASIMA PG. 59/ ANARCHY ARCADE BY ESTHER MOREIRA PG. 60 / ABALONE BY EUNI LEE PG. 64/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY W ES JAH PG. 72/ ART BY ARYANNA CHUTKAN PG. 73/ A POEM I W ROTE TO MYSELF W HEN I DIDN'T KNOW MYSELF BY REGINA ZEHNER PG. 74/ ART BY MARCOSA OPULENCIA PG. 74/ DEAR CISHETS BY LEX PG. 76/ HONG KONG PROTEST PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANONYMOUS PG. 85/ OKA CRISIS BY VALERIE W U PG. 86/ FLN BY MIN MARCUS PG. 91/ THIS EARTH W ILL SURVIVE US BY JODY CHAN *TW/ RAPE* PG. 92/ ART BY WASIMA PG. 93/ NEW PROPHETS BY STEPHANIE OKUBO CHAVES PG. 94 ART BY WASIMA PG. 96/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANAJE BRINKLEY PG. 97/ RISE BY NANCY MUNGCAL PG. 98/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERUSA NYUKUNDI

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR After a long hiat us, we?re b ack wit h 12 new staff m em b er s and a revolut ion b rewing b et ween p ag es. I w ant t o t hank our contr ib ut or s, our reader s and our team for t heir p at ience and p assion. This issue w as a long t im e com ing for Ascend . In our fir st issue [ self-love] we tr ied t o show all t he d ifferent w ays we love and hate our selves; in issue t w o [ d iasp ora] we attem p ted t o unravel t he p at hs and places t hat m ake us w ho we are. W it h t his b od y of w or k we are answer ing t he q uest ions we?ve b een asking all along : how d o we save each ot her ? How d o we save our selves? Present ing t hese ideas is no easy task, b ut we found our answer in t im e, literally. This issue is d ivided up by t he p ast , p resent and fut ure in order t o m ar k our hist or y, p reser ve t his m om ent , and d ream up t om or row. But t im e isn?t linear and neit her are we; lessons from t he p ast m old our vision of t he fut ure, voices of t he p resent speak wit h yesterd ay?s w ord s. The w or k in each sect ion is m eant t o eq ually p arallel and contrast one anot her. W hat I keep com ing b ack t o w hen w or king on t his issue is t hat revolut ion is rooted in tr ut h. We can?t b e lib erated by deg rees; half-tr ut hs w on?t facilitate t he g row t h we need t o under g o. That m eans b eing b r utally honest in our ar t . We can?t afford t o p ull our p unches, not t hen, not now, not ever. We have t he p ower t o transfor m our selves and , t hroug h our ar t , transfor m t he w or ld . There?s w or k t o b e d one. You read y? Tam ira Am in Manag ing Ed it or

And that w as the good new s, the histor y that lives lives in us. a hint in the voice, a collective feeling. the dr eam tim e of cultur e. the far ther dow n you go, you find ever y body.

- REGINA ZEHNER

FURY FUELS

THE FIRE How anger shatter ed my fear s and em pow er ed m e to advocate for r evolution, and how the Filipino novel Dekada ?70 changed my life

BY ADARNA TAYOG

All my life, I?ve been afr aid. I lear ned to stay quiet in the pr esence of adults w ho w er e supposedly w iser or sm ar ter than I w as. I lear ned to keep my m outh shut and listen intently to w hat they had to say. It w as Kafka-esque: I w as afr aid of author ity, but w or se, I w as detached fr om the people ar ound m e. I w atched the new s, felt pity tow ar ds victim s of injustice, felt fr ustr ation over the cor r uption of tr aditional politicians, felt sadness tow ar ds r epor ts that veer ed aw ay fr om positivity, and then I m oved on ? as if nothing happened. M y subm ission into the nor m alcy of injustice that happens in my ow n countr y and injustice the w or ld over shelter ed m e and kept my fear s justified. After all, these things ar en?t happening to m e or anyone I know , so w hy should I let these issues affect my life in any w ay? M y apathy and ignor ance tow ar ds people w ho w er en?t my ow n blinded m e and kept m e detached fr om the suffer ings of other s. It w asn?t until tw o year s ago w hen my cur iosity got the best of m e that I decided to r ead Dekada ?70, a book w r itten by Filipina author Lualhati Bautista. Dekada ?70 is a histor ical novel that chr onicles the life of Am anda Bar tolom e and her fam ily dur ing the tim e of m ar tial law in the Philippines. I know of the stor y because it w as tur ned into a Filipino film that becam e an all-tim e classic. Like myself, Am anda star ted out subm issive and ignor ant of the w or ld ar ound her , only focused on fulfilling her conser vative duties of being a m other to five boys. Her husband often r em inded her that she ?lived in a m an?s w or ld,? a clear sign of the disgusting m ale chauvinism that oppr esses w om en and chains them to tr aditional r oles. Little by little, Am anda sees the w or ld for w hat it is, and this aw akening is caused in par t by the discor d that her eldest son, Jules, br ought to their fam ily. Jules joined the under gr ound m ovem ent that r evolted against the dictator ship set up by the pr esident in 1972, and Am anda tr ied to stop him fr om doing so. Fr om the ver y beginning, Am anda stepped into the life of her son to under stand w hy he w as doing w hat he w as doing, even if she did not appr ove. Thr ough her active par ticipation in her son?s life, Am anda lear ned of r evolutionar y ideas and the r adical tr uths that ended up r ousing both her individual and social consciousness. W hen she accidentally saw the new spaper r eleased by the under gr ound m ovem ent and r ead the kind of infor m ation they spr ead, Am anda even thinks, ?How is this subver sive w hen it?s the tr uth?? Indeed, it w as not Jules w ho tr igger ed Am anda?s aw akening, but her aw akening w as her natur al r eaction to the chaos that w as unr avelling ar ound her. Just as Am anda r ealized the tyr anny and exploitation that w as happening at that tim e, I too saw for myself the social r ealities in my ow n countr y: since the cur r ent pr esident took office, m or e than 8,000 people

have tur ned up dead because of police br utality and vigilantism . M ost of these victim s ar e suspected dr ug user s w ho never saw a day in cour t and w er e par t of the m ar ginalized por tions of society. Far m er s ar e depr ived of the r ight to ow n and far m their ow n lands; instead they suffer under the hands of feudal lor ds w ho have never toiled a day in their life. Fisher folk get shot dead just for sw im m ing their boats onto w ater s beyond their ?designated fishing zones.? Indigenous people lose their hom es as they get stuck in the m iddle of ar m ed conflict and becom e r efugees in their ow n land. They get killed by the ver y sam e ar m ed for ces w ho w er e tasked to pr otect them ! Tell m e then: w hy should I not get infur iated? It w as sham e that pr opelled m e to educate myself and br ush up on political theor ies, but it w as anger that em pow er ed m e to fight back . I am not as helpless or pow er less as I once thought myself to be. I am not som e ver m in to be cr ushed by any author ity figur e; I am no Gr egor Sam sa. It took m e m onths to find the cour age, of cour se. It took m e m onths of self-doubt. I had to acknow ledge my fear s, my incom petence, my cow ar dice, but like Am anda, I am not afr aid anym or e. In fact, at the end of Dekada ?70, Am anda endur es the tr agedy that befalls her fam ily, but she also finds em pow er m ent w ithin her self. She suppor ts Jules?decision to follow his pr inciples. She becom es a m other to victim s of abuse and injustice as she takes car e of them in her ow n hom e. She joins m ass dem onstr ations and r efuses to stay silent. She becom es a r evolutionar y. W ith that com es the hope that other Filipinos w ill also join the str uggle for lasting peace, fr eedom , and justice. After all, the r evolution w ill succeed if the m asses -- the w or ker s, the far m er s, the fisher folk, indigenous people, the petite bour geoise -- all band together and asser t their r ights. And it is w ith this tiny but pr iceless seedling of r adical tr uth that I plant my hopes for my ow n countr y and the w or ld. It is a spar k that fuels the fir e w ithin. Padayon.

0308

BY STEPHANIE OKUBO CHAVES

af ter ou r m oth er ?s m ou th h as been seal ed sh u t by a h an d , a bottl e, a gu n l ate at n i gh t w h en w e?r e su p p osed to be sl eep i n g. (af ter w e see th ei r sm i l e th e n ex t d ay.) af ter w e h ave d i sap p ear ed . af ter ou r bod i es r eap p ear ed i n a r i ver . af ter th e d oom ed th e on es w h o d i d n ?t get to ch oose w h en or w h er e. (w h o m ad e th e gu i l ty p ay f or th ei r ch oi ce.) af ter th e w ar r i or s w h o p u t th ei r ch i l d r en 's l i ves bef or e th ei r ow n , agai n an d agai n . af ter th e scr eam s tak i n g back th ei r bod i es. af ter th e battl e th e l oss th e bl ood (th e br eak i n g, th e bu i l d i n g th e gr ow th ) af ter (after, after, after) w e w i l l r est bu t bef or e th e cel ebr ati on : th e W ar

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HIBA ABUBAKER SHALABI

Ser v i ng Women: Pal es t i ni an Women i n Nat i onal Li ber at i on and Wor k er ?s St r uggl e BY LI NA ASSI

Occupat i on wor ks t o separ at e t he i ndi vi dual f r om t hei r l and and i dent i t y t hr ough mi l i t ar y f or ce and i deol ogy. So what i s t her e t o do when a col oni al f or ce begi ns t o i nvade and occupy? You r esi st by any means necessar y. Domi nat i on of any ki nd pr ovokes r esi st ance among t he peopl e. I n t he case of Pal est i ne, we can at t r i but e much of t he pr ogr essi on of t he l i ber at i on st r uggl e t o Pal est i ni an women. Names such as Ghassan Kanaf ani , Geor ge Habash and Wadi Haddad ar e most l i kel y t he f i r st t o cr oss your mi nd whi l e di scussi ng t he Pal est i ni an l i ber at i on movement , but how l i kel y i s one t o di scuss t he r ol e of Pal est i ni an women? I n a gl obal syst em t hat i s mar ked by pat r i ar chal domi nat i on, i t must be under st ood t hat hi st or i cal l y, nat i onal l i ber at i on movement s have al ways r el i ed on t he cont r i but i ons of women. Pal est i ni an women act i vel y began j oi ni ng t he nat i onal movement i n t he 1920s, some t r anscendi ng t he not i on of t r adi t i onal i smt o do so. I n Pal est i ne and el sewher e, on t he bat t l ef i el d, t he pol i t i cal st age, or wi t hi n t he communi t y, i t i s wi t hout a doubt t hat women ar e t he f oundat i on of ever y r esi st ance movement .

Lei l a Khal ed Lei l a Khal ed i s not or i ous among t hose i n t he West and I sr ael , of cour se, as an or i ent al i st depi ct i on of a "t er r or i st ." The t er m"t er r or i st " has been used hi st or i cal l y t o cr i mi nal i ze l i ber at i on st r uggl es. For many Pal est i ni ans and ot her al l i es ar ound t he wor l d, Lei l a Khal ed i s a pr omi nent r evol ut i onar y, a l egacy t o t he Pal est i ni an r esi st ance movement and consi der ed t o be a bast i on of Mar xi st -Femi ni st t heor y. As a r esul t of t he Nakba (l and t hef t and et hni c cl eansi ng at t he hands of Zi oni st s) i n 1948, Lei l a was f or ced t o f l ee Hai f a and l at er became t he f i r st woman t o j oi n t he Popul ar Fr ont f or t he Li ber at i on of Pal est i ne (PFLP) i n 1967. Lei l a Khal ed woul d soon become t he f ace of Pal est i ni an women r evol ut i onar i es wi t h her kuf f i yeh wr apped ar ound her whi l e hol di ng a Kal ashi nkov r i f l e. I n 1969, she and her comr ade Pat r i ck Ar guel l o hi j acked a pl ane f l yi ng t o Tel Avi v, f or ci ng i t t o f l y i nt o Damascus. The obj ect i ve of t hi s was t o f r ee t wo pr i soner s hel d by I sr ael . The t wo I sr ael i s on boar d wer e used i n an exchange f or t he j ai l ed Pal est i ni ans. Anot her obj ect i ve of t hi s was t o br i ng t he i nt er nat i onal communi t y's at t ent i on t o t he Pal est i ni an st r uggl e and as Lei l a Khal ed put i t her sel f , ?I t hi nk t hat t act i c spr ead t he i dea t hat t her e was a Pal est i ni an peopl e."

Hi nd Al - Hus s ei ni Not al l f or ms of r esi st ance have t o necessar i l y ent ai l ar med r esi st ance. Al t hough ar med r esi st ance i s an essent i al f act or t o t he l i ber at i on of Pal est i ne, so t oo i s f ost er i ng Pal est i ni an yout h and pr ovi di ng adequat e educat i on. Al -Hussei ni i s al so known as "Mama Hi nd" f or r escui ng 50 or phan sur vi vor s who had l ost t hei r par ent s i n t he Dei r Yassi n Massacr e of 1948. Al -Hussei ni came f r oma pr omi nent Pal est i ni an f ami l y i n Jer usal em. She conver t ed her f ami l y mansi on i nt o an or phanage, Dar El -Ti f i l , t o pr ovi de shel t er and educat i on f or ot her Pal est i ni an chi l dr en who had l ost t hei r f ami l i es f r om et hni c cl eansi ng execut ed by t he Zi oni st r egi me. Asi de f r om her phenomenal wor k wi t h t he or phanage, Al -Hussei ni was act i ve i n soci al wor k or gani zat i ons, l at er wi nni ng t he Jor dan Gl obe Medal l i on i n 1983 f or her soci al wor k ef f or t s. She al so j oi ned t he Women's Sol i dar i t y Soci et y i n t he 1930s. A decade l at er , she woul d become t he coor di nat or of t he Ar ab Women's Uni on. Al -Hussei ni al so est abl i shed a col l ege i n t he 80s, pr omot i ng hi gher educat i on f or women. The col l ege was a symbol of def i ance as per mi ssi on t o bui l d an Ar ab uni ver si t y i n Jer usal em was deni ed.

Shadi a Abu Ghaz l eh Shadi a Abu Ghazl eh was bor n i n Nabl us i n 1949. She l at er j oi ned t he Ar ab Nat i onal i st Movement as a young educat ed woman i n 1964 i n ef f or t s t o l i ber at e Pal est i ne. She r ecei ved her educat i on f r om t he Ei n Shams Uni ver si t y i n Cai r o, Egypt , but f ol l owi ng t he I sr ael i occupat i on of t he West Bank i n 1967 she compl et ed her educat i on at An-Naj ah uni ver si t y i n Nabl us and r ecei ved her BA i n Psychol ogy and Soci al Sci ences. Shadi a t hen j oi ned t he PFLP wher e she or gani zed women mi l i t ar y uni t s and was one of t he f i r st women t o par t i ci pat e i n ar med r esi st ance agai nst I sr ael i occupat i on.

Moheba Khor s heed Moheba Khor sheed st udi ed i n Jer usal em at t he Hi gher I nst i t ut e f or Teacher s. Af t er gai ni ng her di pl oma, she moved back t o her homet own of Yaf a and t aught hi gh school gi r l s, i nst i l l i ng i n t hem t he spi r i t of nat i onal i sm. Al ongsi de her si st er , Ar abi ya Khor sheed, Moheba was t he co-f ounder of t he Pal est i ni an Women Ar med Resi st ance Or gani zat i on, "The Chr ysant hs Fl ower ," i n 1948. The or gani zat i on st ar t ed as a soci al communi t y or gani zat i on pr omot i ng women?s and human r i ght s and r el i gi ous uni t y i n Pal est i ne; i t al so pr ovi ded suppor t f or Pal est i ni an st udent s who coul d not obt ai n an educat i on due t o f i nanci al r easons. The or gani zat i on al so was i n char ge of col l ect i ng f unds t o buy weapons and pr ovi di ng r el i ef t o Pal est i ni an f ami l i es who wer e di spl aced. Fol l owi ng 1948, t he or gani zat i on l at er became an ar med r esi st ance or gani zat i on t o f i ght agai nst t he newl y bor n Zi oni st ent i t y whi ch spr ead t hr ough Pal est i ne wi t h i t s i l l egal occupat i on and set t l ement s. Moheba Khor sheed was al so an out spoken f i gur e who publ i cl y advocat ed f or t he educat i on of women and encour aged t hem t o shun det r i ment al t r adi t i ons. Af t er Yaf a f el l under Zi oni st cont r ol , Khor sheed was one of t he t housands of Pal est i ni an r ef ugees who wer e l i t er al l y dr i ven t o t he sea as a r esul t of t he Nakba. She l at er set t l ed i n Egypt af t er maki ng her way t o Lebanon and t hen Jor dan, wher e she mar r i ed and r et ur ned t o t eachi ng. She never r et ur ned t o her homet own i n Yaf a and di ed i n 2000

Shi r een Sai d Shi r een Sai d was bor n i n 1985 i n t he Jabal ya Ref ugee Camp i n Pal est i ne. As she gr ew up dur i ng t he Fi r st I nt i f ada, she aspi r ed t o r esi st agai nst I sr ael i occupat i on t hat mai nt ai ned a mi l i t ar y pr esence i n her r ef ugee camp and qui ckl y engaged i n st udent movement s t hat ar e associ at ed wi t h t he PFLP. Sai d at t ended Al -Aqsa Uni ver si t y i n Gaza Ci t y and obt ai ned a Bachel or 's i n Spor t s. Li ke most st udent s, she was i nvol ved i n ext r acur r i cul ar act i vi t i es i nvol vi ng pol i t i cs. She wor ked at t he Pr ogr essi ve St udent Labor Fr ont and al so wor ked as a secr et ar y at t he st udent uni on. She was t he f i r st woman i n Gaza t o get t hi s posi t i on at t he uni ver si t y t hr ough a democr at i c el ect i on pr ocess. Upon her gr aduat i on, she began wor ki ng i n t he commi t t ee of t he Uni on of Pal est i ni an Women whi ch i s a pr ogr essi ve movement t hat seeks t o uni f y f emi ni st s i n t he st r uggl e f or l i ber at i on. Sai d cur r ent l y advocat es f or women who st r uggl e agai nst i mper i al i sm and capi t al i sm and t eaches t he ways i n whi ch capi t al i smand Zi oni smexpl oi t women. Shi r een Sai d i s an act i ve member of t he PFLP and wi shes t o uni t e al l Pal est i ni an f act i ons t o di smant l e Zi oni st occupat i on and l i ber at e hi st or i cal Pal est i ne.

Ras mea Odeh Rasmea Odeh i s a Pal est i ni an woman who was bor n i n Pal est i ne i n 1948. As a Pal est i ni an l i vi ng i n di aspor a, she has many gr eat accompl i shment s. She i s t he f ounder of t he Ar ab Women's Commi t t ee and al so ment or s i mmi gr ant women at t he Ar ab Amer i can Act i on Net wor k i n Chi cago. However , Rasmea i s a r evol ut i onar y because of t he way i n whi ch she st ands i n def i ance t o I sr ael i occupat i on out si de of t he I sr ael i bor der s. I n 1969, Odeh was ar r est ed by I sr ael i Occupat i onal For ces who t or t ur ed her f or 25 days whi l e i n cust ody. She si gned a conf essi on t hat she par t ook i n a bombi ng mi ssi on i n Jer usal em. Af t er doi ng so, I sr ael i sol di er s cont i nued t o sexual l y t or t ur e her , despi t e havi ng si gned t he conf essi on. Odeh r ecant ed t he conf essi on but t he I sr ael i mi l i t ar y cour t convi ct ed her on t er r or i smchar ges and sent enced her t o l i f e i n pr i son. She was r el eased on a pr i soner exchange i n 1979. Her case i s t al ked about amongst pr o-Pal est i ni an and f emi ni st act i vi st s. Recent l y, she t ook a pl ea deal r egar di ng i mmi gr at i on f r aud char ges, bel i evi ng she woul dn?t have a f ai r t r i al . Cur r ent l y she wi l l be st r i pped of her US ci t i zenshi p, and depor t ed. Rasmea Odeh embodi es t he spi r i t of t he Pal est i ni an peopl e; each has a st or y of st r uggl e and r esi l i ence t o r esi st I sr ael i occupat i on by any means necessar y.

Not onl y have Pal est i ni an women cont r i but ed t o t he nat i onal l i ber at i on st r uggl e, but al so t o t he cl ass st r uggl e, whi ch of cour se ar e i next r i cabl y l i nked. I n t he cont ext of t he Pal est i ni an l i ber at i on st r uggl e agai nst set t l er -col oni al i sm and i mper i al i sm, t he women?s movement was st r ongl y nat i onal i st i n char act er . I n t he 1920s, pet i t -bour geoi s women pr oduced l eader shi p f or t he nat i onal movement dur i ng t he Br i t i sh Mandat e per i od t o f end of f West er n i mper i al i sm. They demanded t hat t he Bal f our Decl ar at i on of 1917 be r evoked and t hat Pal est i ni an pol i t i cal pr i soner s r ecei ve bet t er t r eat ment . The Ar ab Women?s Uni on i n Jer usal em pl ayed a si gni f i cant r ol e i n or gani zi ng demonst r at i ons agai nst t he est abl i shment of i l l egal set t l ement s i n t he 1920s. The uni on pr ovi ded a f oundat i on f or or gani zed women?s act i vi t i es t o engage i n pol i t i cal act i on. Mor eover , t he Women?s Commi t t ee encour aged Pal est i ni an wor ki ng women t o engage i n soci al and pol i t i cal act i vi t i es. The Pal est i ni an women?s movement cont i nued and st r engt hened i n t he 1970s wher e Women?s Commi t t ees such as t he Uni on of Pal est i ni an Women?s Commi t t ee, Uni on of Pal est i ni an Wor ki ng Women?s Commi t t ee and t he Feder at i on of Pal est i ni an Women?s Act i on Commi t t ee al l Mar xi st -Leni ni st i n i deol ogy - encour aged t he pr ol et ar i ani zat i on of Pal est i ni an women. The commi t t ee st r i ved bot h t o enhance women?s consci ousness of t hei r i dent i t y as women and t o pr ovi de a smoot h t r ansi t i on f r om home t o wage l abor . These commi t t ees have al so al l owed f or t he pr ol et ar i ani zat i on of Pal est i ni an women by pr ovi di ng chi l d car e. I n t he West Bank, chi l d car e cent r es and ki nder gar t ens can be f ound i n var i ous t owns and r ef ugee camps. They al l ow women wi t h chi l dr en t o l eave t hei r chi l dr en i n t hese chi l d-car e cent r es t o par t ake i n t he l abour mar ket , or even dur i ng t he i nt i f ada, t o engage pol i t i cal l y. Uni ons have act ed as an agency t o uni t e t he st r uggl e of al l women i n t he def ense of nat i onal r i ght s. Thi s i ncl udes t he r i ght of r et ur n and t he r i ght t o sel f -det er mi nat i on whi ch i s i nher ent l y t i ed t o t he i nt er est of women?s causes: t he i mpr ovement of women?s soci al , economi c and cul t ur al si t uat i on as wel l as t he r i ght t o educat i on and wor k. I n t ur n, t hi s al l ows f or f or t hei r devel opment i n Pal est i ni an ci vi l soci et y. Occupat i on i s al ways i nt ense, but I sr ael i occupat i on, backed by t he US?s own set t l er -col oni al agenda and i t s weapons, can seemi mpossi bl y over whel mi ng. That t he f i ght cont i nues t oday i s a t est ament t o t he Pal est i ni an peopl e?s wi l l . We know t hat a peopl e?s st r engt h l i es at t he f eet of i t s women, al ways. May we know each r evol ut i onar y by name.

ART BY MARTINA

SALAMERO

ART BY D EVI AT I T 30

N ARTAK A

AN UK ARA

at the local climate justice rally by jody chan

most of us have been here before, on different days in more or less seasonable weather, wearing different slogans over different hurts, scars congealed

into different constellations. there is something quiet in the waiting, like the aftermath of a thunderclap and before the first brush of rain, thousands poised

for the moment when we rouse resolute to the call of a banner, waving us on through the streets of a stolen place we call or do not call home.

and we carry with us the parents who send prayers from suffocating homelands to our cell phones each morning, and the grandmothers who do not speak

the same language, and the ghosts of children we are ashamed of wanting or not wanting, and the better world we still dream of leaving, they are

with us too. and in the surrender to the surge we trust ourselves to each other over and over again ? as if a look from a stranger on a day like today

might be enough to say that you are brave and you are here and can?t you feel the joy, and the joy, and the joy, and there will be such loss but also more love

than you know. and though we wept it was only to say i have known you so long or not long enough, but i had not known i could be held like this until now

so if, in the end, victory is the same as salvation, we have won each other, our hearts a rising river, our elders?hands the banks guiding our dance on the long way home.

cont or t ionist s by vr id d hi vinay

The cust om s line is long er for t hose wit h t he m ost calloused feet ; m y g rand m ot her, t he chem ist , escapes t hroug h rad iat ion, r ifles t hroug h her car r y-on for g uavas and content s of her m ot her 's ar m , b utt ons her b louse unt il her r ib s ag ain crack and slides under neat h t he lug g ag e scanner, m y revolut ionar y I let m y fing er s ink unt il b lue, slice m y skin wit h leaflet s of p assp or t , cr ush m y st om ach ag ainst t he w all of weat her, aw ait ing an ill ver sion of t he carcass t hat w as m y b od y m y m ot her, t he inst ig at or, sand p aper s her lim b s t o feel lig hter, p ar t s her flesh unt il it peels int o sp ong es, wed g es of per fum e and cells and iron, or g ans d r ip t hroug h p r uning fing er s, splatter s a hose of intest ines ont o t he conveyer b elt , w at ches t he w om an wit h cashew -coated skin p rod for kinks I shift m y weig ht ag ainst t he scanner, let m y b alance shift from crooked eq uilib r ium , feel m y g ravit y b um b le sout h t o a m ore sim m er ing axis, m ur m ur p raise for t he p oint of ag e and ind ig est ion, shift m etals in m y b od y aw ay from t he erasure and ig norance int o som et hing t hat d oesn?t reg ister on t his sliver of long it ude m y fat her, t he p hilosop her, p onder s w het her g ram s are enoug h t o car r y t he weig ht of filt h shelled wit h by travel, sees w het her shear s can m ut ilate his w allet t o b e as weat hered as his p ass I seize t he shad ow s of m y face and declare t hem unholy, per m it m y shoulder s t o collap se, decay in t he jet fan

BY HABI BA AFI FI

YEARS AND YEARS TO FLINCH ALLYSON TAYAO ONCE / I M ISTOOK PITY FOR BENEVOLENCE / ONCE I WORE PASSIVITY ON M Y SKIN LIKE A SALVE / ONCE / I IM AGINE WOUNDS WOULD HEAL / IF I PRETENDED THERE WERE NO WOUNDS / ONCE I WAITED FOR FROST TO THAW / FOR SHOES TO BE TIED / FOR THE ACHE TO ABATE / BEFORE I DARED TO SPEAK

I HAVE REVELED IN BECOM E AN UNBECOM ING / I AM REAL AND UGLY AND JOYOUS AND DELIBERATE / ALL AT ONCE / UNDENIABLY AT ONCE / NOW I BLEED BLOOD FROM THIS BROWN BODY / AND LOVE UNRESTRAINEDLY / NOW I AM BRIM M ING WITH SUPERNOVAE / NOW I M AY BURST / AFLAM E AT ANY SECOND / NOW I AM FLESH AND BONE / WITH ROUGH FUCKING EDGES AND NOW I KNOW / THAT JUST TO EXIST IS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE

NOW I AM DISTURBANCE / NOW I AM DISRUPTION AND SO I M UST DISRUPT / DISRUPT / DISRUPT

PHOTOGRAPHY BYNADAHARIB 46

until we are free

I. II. III.

etzali hernรกndez

I V.

W hite people: You are experts in colonizing our brown and black bodies You have spent centuries mastering the art of manipulation You think that we are your slaves You have pit us against one another You exploit us You have never cared about us and you never will You think that we are cannon fodder You see a target in each of us We are bullets made to your taste Colonial leftovers from a past unwritten The result of violent entitlement upon our women Our bodies are mines Made of precious material that you excavated Until we became easily obtainable and disposable Brown and Black folks: It is time for us to realize that our existence is not dependent on whiteness We must listen to the echoes of our ancestors aching It is time to dismantle their supremacy We must clench our hands together in rapport Remember that we have existed since before they were created It is time to make them realize that they live because of us We must ease the trauma brought by whiteness in our genetic memory We are children of Akna, heirs of this world It?s time to take back what is rightfully ours Power and magic run in our scorching hearts It?s time to unite forces and not let whiteness tear us apart We belong here and here we are going to stay We are strong and wise like an ancient forest Long life to my colourful siblings across the world till the last one of us is free, in the revolution we shall meet

Anarchy Arcade

Esther Valencia

ANARCHY ARCADE BY ESTHER M OREIRA

Rev o l ut io n is al l t he r age. It 's w hat 's in r ight no w . Do w nl o ad it t o y o ur pho ne f r o m t he App St o r e. Wit h j ust .99 c ent s y o u'l l get a st ar t er pac k . It inc l udes t hr ee c o o l signs w it h c at c hy sl o gans, A f anc y w at er bo t t l e and 3 c ans o f Pepsi, Lo t io n f r o m Niv ea t o av o id ashy el bo w s, And a f l ag bandanna t o c o v er y o ur f ac e. Jo in an al l ianc e t o c o nnec t w it h o t her s. Do n't f o r get t o c hec k in o nc e a day t o r ec eiv e Reso ur c es t o k eep f unding y o ur c ampaign. Remember t he r ev o l ut io n w o n't be t el ev ised. It w il l be st r eamed o n sel ec t apps, so do n't Fo r get t o sign up using y o ur Fac ebo o k ac c o unt .

ABALONE EUNI LEE

Som etim es I am eight year s old again, and I am sitting at my gr andm other ?s abalone vanity, sm elling her talcum pow der. Ther e ar e sm all, delicate designs along the lid of the pow der , faded fr om age. The pow der sm ells like the cr evasse of her neck, w hen I hold her in my ar m s and she is as sm all as a bir d. I am eight, and I am w atching M om help my gr andm other out of her day clothes thr ough the r eflection in the m ir r or. W ith the gentlest hands, she guides my gr andm other to face the dr esser s on the far side of the r oom . The dr esser s m atch the vanity. The w hole r oom is inlaid w ith the pear ly, ir idescent sheen of abalone, glinting out fr om layer s of glossy black lacquer. The dr esser s and the vanity ar e fam ily heir loom s, passed dow n fr om hom e to hom e. W henever I long for Seoul, I think of these dr esser s, glinting thr ough the w indow s of an apar tm ent building in Gangnam . I see my m other take the cotton housedr ess, the flor al patter n w or n fr om so m any w ashes, and fold it w ithin her hands. They ar e sw ollen fr om chr onic ar thr itis, and the juts of her knuckles ar e all too har sh against her skin. She folds the dr ess, lays it on the sleeping m at on the gr ound. M y gr andm other stands in her under gar m ents, shiver ing, w aiting for my m other to dr ess her again. She holds her ar m s out, childlike. As I w atch the car eful w ay she star ts to pull a nightshir t over her m other ?s head, I see tear s star t to glisten in her eyes. I look dow n im m ediately. I?m not used to seeing my m other cr y, and my stom ach tur ns w hen she star ts to sniff. It?s easy to think that sadness is a w eakness w hen you have gr ow n up Kor ean, w hen all you have lear ned since you w er e young is how to pr eser ve your dignity. I used to put per fum e on my face after cr ying, hoping to m ask any sign of sw ollen eyes. I used to laugh at my sister w hen she w ould tear up fr om fr ustr ation, like the tr ue Pisces she is. M y father w ould r epr im and us if w e cr ied in fr ont of him , so holding back tear s, sw allow ing ar ound the lum p in my thr oat, w as a sign of str ength. M y m other doesn?t get to pull the shir t dow n my gr andm other ?s sides befor e she star ts fully w eeping. She holds her , cr ying into her skin, cr ying like I have never seen her cr y befor e. It?s str ange; it?s as though I am detached fr om them , w atching a tableau thr ough a m ir r or. I am not w ith them , only seeing them .

You?re so thin, M om, she m ur m ur s in Kor ean. You haven?t been eating? You?re too thin, too thin. The w ay she says it ? a lam ent, a plea ? hur ts m e, so I look dow n at the table befor e m e. Her voice is a dir ge, a m our nful hum that disappear s into my gr andm other ?s body. She?s r ight; I can see Halmoni?s r ibs, a hollow haunt behind skin as pale as r ice paper. We?ve flow n to Seoul to tr y and fix exactly this; after my gr andfather passed, my gr andm other hadn?t been eating, hadn?t been able to get out of bed. Ther e w as nothing to do but cr y about the loss. A par t of m e tw inges, w ishes that she could be str ong for her self, for my m other , but her fr ailty has been a piece of her since she w as young. She has only ever know n how to be sm all. M y m other ?s tear s com e faster now , and she clutches Halmoni to her chest, lets her tear s m ingle w ith the thin, silver ed hair atop her m other ?s head. She r ocks her , and for a w hile, I am still, w atching them cr y into each other ?s clothes. You have to eat, my m other says, a thr ead of str ength w aver ing thr ough her voice. She is tr ying to sound str ong for her , to m ake her self hear d. Do you hear m e? You need to eat. She cr adles Halmoni in her ar m s, r epeats her self over and over until all my gr andm a can do is nod, nod, nod. I look aw ay fr om the m ir r or so that I don?t have to w atch myself cr y. # These days, I dr ive my m om up and dow n the hills of our neighbor hood. I like to think of it as r epaym ent for all the tim es she dr ove m e along these sam e r oads w henever I couldn?t sleep, w hen I w as scar ed to lie in the dar k alone. We talk w hile I dr ive, car r y on conver sations as I signal to lazily dr ift into the slow lane. We talk about Kor ea lately. I?ve been m issing the m assive m aw of Seoul, the m uggy w ar m th of that city. M y gr andm a?s r ecently m oved. They?r e r em odeling her Gangnam apar tm ent, and she?s had to say goodbye to the last place she saw her husband. We talked to her ear lier today, her , fum bling w ith her iPhone, us, shouting that w e had to hang up befor e w e got pulled over. She Facetim es us er r atically, tw o seconds after ending a call to r em ind us that she?s going out to shop w ith a fr iend today, to ask w hat she should w ear. She is no longer the w om an that I som etim es tr y to for get.

W hen w e r etur ned hom e fr om that tr ip to Seoul, I hadn?t been able to sleep. Seeing my gr andm other like that had opened my eyes to the vulner able pieces of being a per son. I had never seen gr ief up close, had never allow ed myself to feel tender and sm all. W hen w e cam e back fr om Seoul, I m our ned for my gr andm other , for my gr andfather , for my fam ily that I had never m et befor e. Ther e is a cer tain str ength in letting your self be tender. I ask my m om if they had had an open casket at my gr andpa?s funer al. She shakes her head. No, but they let us see him before they closed the coffin. How?d he look? I glance sidew ays. He looked... my m om star ts. He looked like he was just sleeping. She speaks in Kor ean now , like she tends to do w hen she tells m e stor ies. It?s her m ost com for table tongue, the one that she doesn?t have to w or r y about m essing up in. Like he was napping. He looked comfortable. So peaceful. Ther e?s a hint of tear fulness at the back of her thr oat, and it takes m e by sur pr ise. She sm iles though, thr ough it all. You know, I?ve heard of people who looked like they were in pain when they were laid to rest... like they were worried when they passed. But he was sleeping, he looked asleep. Resting. I say, and she nods. Resting. She says back to m e. I dr ive on, tow ar ds the color of the sky that I like best.

A POEM I WROTE TO M YSELF WHEN I DIDN'T KNOW M YSELF

?i carried a basket full of flames, which has increased the suffering. one hand into the other, my body wakes up and gets inside of you. we think we know how we affect each other; i think i might have seen someone like you on the news the other day. i think i might have read your story on buzzfeed. the countless burning, the houses we grew up in are on fire.?

- REGINA ZEHNER

DEAR

CISHETS BY LEX

Dear cishets I exist I?ve know n you to be the for getful kind I w as taught that you com e in m ultiple for m s I w as also taught that you know about our m ultiple for m s and ignor e our m ultiple for m s And you look the sam e w ith your m ultiple for m s. It?s confusing You say the sam e to us. That it?s ?confusing? That w e?r e ?str ange? And yes w e know this As if w e haven?t tr ied to w alk str aight Talk str aight Be str aight We scr atched love out of our eyes Because it w asn?t r ight Although you follow ?no hom o?w ith laughter soon after We know you m ean that quite liter ally. You don?t w ant us her e

M y hear t is a vessel But a w eak one Pum ping har d enough to m ake up for the bloodshed r ained on pr ide par ades W hy m ust my love be a differ ent language? Too unr uly to tam e your hatr ed-heavy tongue Too br utal to m ake it past your gunpow der lips M y teeth ar e a gate holding back my identity I?m not safe ar ound the people w ho call my sexuality a disease A figm ent of im agination A r eason for not confor m ing I?m sor r y I don?t fit your fr am e But I never liked pictur es anyw ay. Fitting im ages of a ?clean cut Chr istian? Having scr iptur es shoved dow n my thr oat until I thr ew up gospel Sticking hym ns betw een my teeth Becom ing the cause of my ow n er asur e. I?ve loved souls because they inhabit no bodies. I w ill not fuel your bur ning bush. I w ill not be w hat dies But w hat gives life Pr ocr eating is not par t of my par tner ship, but I w ill still cr eate Still coexist Still paint the tow n w ith ever y hue the r ainbow has to offer Being flow er in com post Being hum an w ithout apology Taking your off-color speech and m aking it violet I w ill give you som ething to love w hether or not it?s m ine You for get that I am ever ything you ar e not I am face and cor pse And I em body the god that you think shuns m e So Com ing fr om a double m inor ity w ho loves ever yone in betw een And w hose r ights ar e deter m ined by w hat?s in betw een her legs Know this. See us We exist. We love. And after ever ything If you think this love is still an illusion Then you have never w itnessed r eal m agic.

HONG KONG PROTESTS 76

Th e 2014 Hon g Kon g Pr ot est s, bet t er k n ow n as " Th e Um br ella M ovem en t " h as been a k ey m ilest on e in Hon g Kon g's polit ical sit u at ion . It is t h e f ir st in t h e cit y 's h ist or y w h er e st u den t s an d pr of ession als occu pied k ey places as a f or m of civil disobedien ce f or a per iod of 79 days. Du r in g t h e pr o-dem ocr acy polit ical m ovem en t , m ain ly st u den t s w er e t h e on es sit t in g in in t h r ee m ajor sit es: Adm ir alt y, Cen t r al, M on g Kok an d lat er , Cau sew ay Bay. Th e " Um br ella" n ick n am e w as der ived f r om t h e pr ot est er s' clash again st t h e police w h en t h e m ovem en t began . Th e police u sed pepper spr ays t o disper se t h e cr ow d w h ile t h e pr ot est er s u sed u m br ellas again st t h e at t ack as a def en se. Tw o m ain object ives f ill t h e m ovem en t : 1) Dem an d f or u n iver sal su f f r age w h ich is t o h ave a say in Ch ief Execu t ive elect ion , t h e cit y 's post f or t h e h igh est posit ion 2) pr ot est again st t h e police's, con sider ed on e of t h e w or ld's f in est , act ion s again st t h e pr ot est er s. Follow in g t h e m ovem en t , t h er e w as an ech o of civil disobedien ce in t h e cit y 's k ey u n iver sit ies w h er e st u den t s par t icipat ed in boycot t in g classes. Som e bu sin esses closed dow n du e t o t h e occu pat ion .

M ost of the pr otester s a r e young people a nd boycotted their cla sses so a study cor ner wa s set-up for them to do their homewor k or r evise.

Pr otester s set-up tents to live in dur ing the entir e movement.

Differ ent a r t wor ks emer ged dur ing the 79 days of sitting in.

25 Year s Af t er t he Ok a Cr i s i s , I t s Af t er ef f ec t s Val er i e Wu

Twenty-five years later, memories of the Oka Crisis are still alive. In 1990, a territorial dispute broke out between the small town of Oka and a Mohawk reserve. The area had been debated over since 1717, when conflict between the church and the Mohawks ended in the Mohawks getting beaten back by military intervention. W hile the conflict lasted for the next few decades, it rose to prominence again in 1989, when the mayor of Oka was given permission to build a golf course and residential area on the land, despite arguments from many residents that the land belonged to the Mohawks. As a result, the Mohawks blocked access to the road, which led to a shootout by the Canadian military. The standoff quickly came to a close when both sides agreed on a compromise: in exchange for the Mohawks lifting the barricade, construction of the golf course would be canceled. However, closure was never reached, although the crisis later spurred on many resistance movements that all had one thing in common: ensuring basic native - and human - rights. One such program founded for this purpose was the Royal Commission of Aboriginal People, which acted as a communication liaison between natives and non-natives. A documentary was later made about the events of the Oka crisis by Alanis Obomsawin, an award-winning filmmaker titled ?Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance.? The portrayal of the relationship between Canadians and native people sparked awareness and an appreciation of the Mohawks?actions in the conflict. Since then, the legacy of the Oka crisis has lived on: governments have started acknowledging the fact that land claims need to be discussed with First Nations groups before any developments occur. W hile prejudice against native peoples still exists, resistance in the form of art and policy-making have been essential in broadening awareness of the cause.

FLN Mi n Mar c us Amid all the uprisings and revolutions leading towards the complete decolonization of Africa was the birth of the National Liberation Front of Algeria (FLN), the only constitutionally legal party in Algeria after the war of independence up until 1989. A continuation of the revolutionary body during the Algerian war, the FLN officially came to power following the proclamation of Algerian independence from France in 1962. Throughout the war, militant power and triumph of the FLN was what helped lead to the liberation of Algeria, with liaisons and spies acting as communicators and administrators, many of whom were women. One such woman was Djamila Bouhired, an Algerian militant who worked as a liaison officer and personal assistant of the FLN commander in Algiers. Having been a student activist against French colonialism since high school, Bouhired had no problems following her brothers? footsteps by joining the underground revolution, which gradually grew along with her stature, resulting in her becoming the liaison agent for commander Saadi Yacef. In the course of two months in 1957, she was captured and tortured by the French to get information about a demonstration she was planning for, then later tried for allegedly bombing a cafĂŠ and convicted to death by guillotine. However, due to worldwide backlash, the execution was canceled. Bouhired continues to live in Algeria as an active militant, participating in various protests and demonstrations, a distinguished woman activist and revolutionary who helped the FLN fight for Algerian independence.

this earth will survive us

THISEARTH WILL SURVIVE US BY JODY CHAN

was it my body on the kitchen floor all summer or a piece of onion skin crushed to the new linoleum wish for flight or thunderstorm warning winging my way towards sunset from ishpadinaa to dufferin to lansdowne horizon dissolving into sky the color of distant ocean clouds splitting to let the sun scrape me open and empty and new. by winter i was ready for snow but could not stop thinking about the deserts in our future, how much longer until we rechristen every page of our mythologies with loss, rock homesick grandchildren to sleep wrapped in fairy tales of oases. rivers. oceans. someday, we?ll say, the faithful sky will nourish our scorched earth back into bloom. these tears are not waste but scattered seeds dreaming wordlessly of rain.

by S t ep han i e Ok u bo C hav es

new p r o p he ts

You m or tal s w ou l d n ?t u n d er stan d ; O n ce I r obbed a ban k an d sh ot 30 0 m en d ow n , becau se th at?s w h at w e d o w i th w h at y ou h ave d on e, D o y ou w an t to a r eason or d o y ou w an t a r eboot? Sor r y m a'am , w e w er e sh ap ed to be l i ke th i s: bu r n i n g an d ad d i cted an d p r etty an d r otten an d an gr y. D o y ou h ear m e scr eam i n g? I h op e y ou h ear m e scr eam i n g. I h op e y ou w i l l scr eam w i th u s, f or th e n ew p r op h ets sh ou l d alw ay s be an gr y. For m y br oth er s w h o w er e m u r d er ed , For m y si ster s w h o w er e r ap ed , For m y cou si n s w h o w er e sh ot w h i l e p r ay i n g, (i h ave al l an d ever y r i gh t to be an gr y ) Bu t w e alw ay s cr y, too. Cr y i n g becau se n obod y l oved u s i n to ex i sten ce l i ke th ese m or tal sou l s. T h ey d r eam of gl or y, th ey k i l l u s f or i t. T h ei r h er oi c acts w er e w r i tten i n bl ood ? ou r bl ood . T h ey ?r e bu i l t on sou l s, tor tu r ed sou l s, ou r sou l s. I m m or tal i ty an d y ou th str i p aw ay th e f i n i te beau ty of th i s w or l d . M i l l en n i al s, n ew gen er ati on of r eck l ess k i d s, d r u gs an d booze an d sex an d h or r en d ou s m u si c. D o y ou th i n k w e ch oose th i s? A s w e w er e n ot bor n ou t of l ove A n d n obod y su r v i ved a l osi n g w ar to com e h om e to u s A n d w e w er e l ef t at th e car e of ou r ever y d ay god s T h ey cal l i t a si n , I cal l i t a f am i ly. A n d th e god s ar e alw ay s h u n ti n g Becau se w e, th e n ew p r op h ets, w i l l alw ay s be h u n gr y.

r i se nanc y mungc al

Ma y b e , we we r e mo r e t h a n we t h o u g h t we c o u l d b e , t h o s e f r a g me n t s , t hos e f r i nges , t hos e out er edges , t hos e s t and- by er s . Wh a t we r e a n y o f u s wa i t i n g f o r ? Th e d r u m b e a t , t he c l ap of t hunder , t he s t ar t i ng pi s t ol , t h e s i g n e d p e r mi s s i o n s l i p s t o al l ow us t o r u mb l e , t o r ev ol t , t o bur s t l i k e f i r e wo r k s i n t he dar k of ni ght . Fo r g e t t h e g u n s , t h e mo n e y p a i d . Fo r g e t e v e n t h e l e s s o n s l ef t by hi s t or y . F o r g e t wh a t d e f i n e d y o u o r wh a t o t h e r s d e f i n e d y o u by . We d i d n ? t c h o o s e t h e s t a n d i n g t h e r e , b u t we c o u l d c h o o s e wh a t wa s n e x t . Ri s e .

PHOTOGRAPHY

BY JERUSA NYUKUNDI

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PHOTOGRAPHY J er usa Nyukund i

CONTRIBUTORS Vr id d hi Vinay / @scar yam m u on Twitter and Instag ram Lex / @cant ucunt on Twitter / @uhhlexizz on Instag ram Allyson Tayao / @kid reo on Tum b lr Valer ia Pacheco / @hear teyesval on Twitter / @d raw s4 food on Instag ram Hib a Ab ub aker Shalab i / @hib ashalab ip hot og rap her on Faceb ook / @Hib a76Sh on Twitter / @Hib a_shalab i on Instag ram / w w w.50 0 px.com / hib ashalab i Et zali Her nรกndez / @t opim or ita on Twitter and Instag ram Nad a Har ib / @Nad aHFot og rafia on Faceb ook / @nad a_har ib on Instag ram Nancy Mung cal / @t heseasor m ar ia on Tum b lr / htt p ://p rett ylitt let hieves.com Mar t ina Salam ero / @salam em ero on Twitter and Instag ram Jod y Chan / @jod yr.chan on Instag ram / w w w.jod ychan.com Marcosa Op ulencia / @sailor nep 2ne on Twitter J asm ine W illiam s / @william s.jazz on Instag ram / w w w.jazzg rap hics.net Hab ib a Afifi Est her Moreira / @m olessie on Twitter / @essievalencia on Instag ram / w w w.emvst or ies.w ord p ress.com Wes J ah Step hanie Okub o Chaves / @slyt hyr in on Tum b lr and Instag ram Reg ina Zehner Euni Lee / @m isseunilee on Twitter and Instag ram Ana je Br inkley / @sum snecessit y on Instag ram Lina Assi / Devi At it / @NIRMANAZAKTI on Twitter & Instag ram Ad ar na Tayog

MODELS K eziah / @kikuyuq ueen and @Keziahl on Instag ram Neeha / @neehab ond al on Instag ram Vanessa / @nessaaxoxo on Instag ram Nouq ouja / @nukooja on Instag ram Bailie / @xb ailie on Instag ram Anisa / @anisuee on Instag ram Kr islanny / @kr islannyf and @kr islannyflores on Instag ram

EDITORS m alak shahin, ed it or -in-chief /

Malak Shahin is a Palest inian-Am er ican w r iter and creat or cur rent ly b ased in Minneap olis. She is an aspir ing hum an r ig ht s act ivist wit h t he g oal of b uild ing Ascend int o a lar g er m ed ia collect ive for people of color t o create w or k for us, wit h us, and by us. / @pett yp alest ina on Twitter

tam ira am in, m anag ing ed it or /

Tam ira Am in is an under g rad at t he Univer sit y of Minnesota Twin Cit ies. She w as t he Ed it or -in-Chief of t he online p ub licat ion Fresh U Minnesota. In b et ween classes, Tam ira per for m s sp oken w ord and is developing a chap b ook of her w r itten p oem s t o p ub lish. / @tam tam _t weet s on Twitter / @tam tam _pics on Instag ram

d iana khong , creat ive d irect or /

Diana Khong is a p oet and ar t ist of color. She is ed it or -in-chief of Kerosene Mag azine, and is on staff at Red Queen Lit and Nob le Gas Quar ter ly. She recent ly w on r unner -up in Butt on Poetr y's Video Poetr y Contest . She inhab it s d ream s and t ig ht sp aces. / @unam used leo on Twitter / @deer t hr um on Tum b lr / @d ianekhong on Instag ram

ayam e keane-lee, sub m issions ed it or /

Ayam e Keane-Lee is a 16-year -old Asian Am er ican slam p oet and visual ar t ist . She resides in t he Bay Area. She is t he p oetr y ed it or and r uns t he Instag ram for Kerosene Mag azine. She recent ly per for m ed at Yout h Speaks Br ing ing t he Noise for MLK at t he Nour se Theater in San Francisco. / @akeanelee on Twitter

step h w ang , sub m issions ed it or /

Step h Wang is a Taiw anese-Canad ian hig h school st udent , w r iter, and act ivist . Her w or k has b een p ub lished in t he likes of Nob le / Gas Qtr ly and Vag ab ond Cit y Lit . W hen she's out d oor s (w hich is rare), she's p rob ab ly tr ying t o t hrow plast ic (play fr isb ee).

elisa luna-ad y, social m ed ia ed it or /

Elisa Luna-Ad y is a 18-year -old Chicana living in Sout her n Califor nia. She likes w r it ing p oetr y t hat exam ines in-b et ween sp aces and t he hum an b od y as it relates t o ident it y. / @astronom yhoe on Twitter

len m ora, social m ed ia ed it or /

Len Mora is a Colom b ian/ Puer t o-Rican g ender non confor m ing ar t ist . Len is 17 and from New J er sey. Their ar t focuses on p oetr y, p hot og rap hy, p aint ing , and m usic. They hope t o one d ay st ud y song -w r it ing or m usic p rod uct ion. Len is also a m em b er of Lat inxs 4 Chang e.

channelle r ussell, cult ure ed it or /

Channelle "Chei? Russell is a w r iter from J am aica. Her w r it ing explores t he deconstr uct ion of t he hum an cond it ion and t he im p act of t he sur realist w or ld view on t he m ar g inalized . She is 18. / @cosm icb lackg ir l on Twitter / @rott onm ilk on Instag ram

valer ie w u, cult ure ed it or /

Valer ie W u is a st udent at Presentat ion Hig h School in San Jose, Califor nia. She is an Asian-Am er ican act ivist w ho t hr ives at t he inter sect ion of et hnicit y, m ig rat ion, & hum an r ig ht s. Her w or k has p reviously b een recog nized nat ionally by t he Scholast ic Ar t & W r it ing Aw ard s, and has b een feat ured on t he Huffing t on Post , Susan Cain's Quiet Revolut ion, and We Are Three Dim ensional. / @valer ie_w u on Twitter

m ustafa ham m ad , cult ure ed it or /

Mustafa Ham m ad is a q ueer, b row n trans p oet and ar t ist of color from Flor id a. Her w or k focuses on p ost colonial ident it y, decolonial aest het ics reg ard ing deconstr uct ionism of per fect ion, t he fut ur it y of d iasp ora and how it feels t o b e b row n trans fem m e tr ying t o exist in a w hite sup rem acist w or ld . She is 19 year s old . /

alyssa navar ro, new s ed it or /

Alyssa Navar ro is a 19-year -old Filipina w r iter and act ivist . She w or ked as a rep or ter for a New Yor k-b ased site b efore ret ur ning t o univer sit y t o st ud y Psycholog y. / @ysab ar ro on Twitter

b r ittany ad am es, p oetr y ed it or /

Br ittany Ad am es is a Dom inican-Am er ican w r iter resid ing in easter n Pennsylvania. Her p oetr y has b een reg ionally and nat ionally recog nized by Scholast ic W r it ing Aw ard s and has b een p ub lished in literar y jour nals such as CALAMITY Mag azine. She revels in t he w ay p oetr y soaks int o her skin and often leaves shor t st or ies half-finished .?

m in m arcus, p rose ed it or /

Min Marcus is an aspir ing Korean-Italian aut hor planning t o m a jor in Asian St ud ies wit h a m inor in Creat ive W r it ing at Colg ate Univer sit y. W hen she?s not sleeping or p rocrast inat ing , you can find her w at ching d og videos, w r it ing fir st chap ter s of novels she?ll never finish, or ad vocat ing for t he socioeconom ically d isad vantag ed . / @m in.uscule on Instag ram .

w asim a farah, layout ed it or /

Wasim a is a 17 year old Som ali st udent at Hig her Ground Academ y b ased in Minnesota. Her w or k var ies from vib rant visuals t o p oetr y. She is an aspir ing act or, g rap hic desig ner, and one d ay wishes t o com plete her ow n com ic ser ies. IG/ TW :@Sunbvib es

jer usa, d irect or of p hot og rap hy /

J er usa is an aspir ing self taug ht p hot og rap her b ased in Minneap olis. She loves cap t ur ing people, places, and t hing s as ar t . She aspires t o create and w or k wit h a var iet y of d ifferent people as she attend s t he Univer sit y of Minnesota st ud ying p sycholog y.

jianne, assistant d irect or of p hot og rap hy /

J ianne is a Hong Kong -b or n Filipino and aspir ing p hot ojour nalist . A sm all g ir l wit h b ig d ream s, she str ives t o cap t ure und iscovered st or ies t hroug h her lens t o tell t he w or ld . Also suffer s from incurab le w ander lust . Shares p hot os in Instag ram and t weet s @jiannem sor iano .

ar yanna chut kan, ar t ed it or /

Ar yanna Chut kan is a 17 year -old Ind ian, J am aican, and Am er ican ar t ist . She is a st udent at ASU's Bar rett Honor s Colleg e, and is cur rent ly m a jor ing in p olit ical science. Her w or k deals wit h t hem es of ident it y, p olit ics, b eaut y, and love. She is @lig htand ar y on Instag ram / @achut kan on Twitter