ISSUE NO. 1
TABOO WOMXN AND SOCIETY
INTRODUCTION Too often, society imposes a set of unrealistic expectations for womxn uphold. You are supposed to be pretty, delicate, and dainty. You are supposed to be reserved and calm. You are supposed to know how to cook delicious meals and clean flawlessly. You are supposed to be caring and motherly. You are supposed to save yourself until marriage. You are supposed to put others first and put your career second. Your hair should be long and soft. Your makeup should be just enough - not too much but not too little. Your breasts are supposed to be perky. Your thighs shouldn't touch. You should be counting calories and dieting. You should be assertive, but be careful or you might come off as bossy. You are supposed to age gracefully. Going against the expectations is taboo. Off limits. This zine is a reminder to womxn that the only expectations you are responsible of filling are your own. There are so many messages that surround us as womxn, especially womxn of color, and it takes a lot of effort and emotional labor to process that and overcome it. Some may be well-meaning but sometimes the things people say out of "tradition" or kindness do more harm than good. They can leave us doubting ourselves and our own self-worth. I would like to show some of the realizations I have made as a result of my experiences. I hope this zine brings up some things that are hard to think or talk about on a daily basis. I am creating this to process my own experiences and to share some knowledge I have gained along the way.
Intersectionality
Mural by Jim Chuchu First, I'd like to highlight the importance of intersectionality. I think it's important that we all have different aspects of our identity that we experience simultaneously. For example, I am a Latina womxn. I cannot separate my Latinidad from my womxnhood, and vice versa because I experience them at the same time. Before I came to college, I my culture was not something very salient to me at the time - most people around me looked like me. It wasn't until I came to college where I felt like a was just a small number in a large university, surrounded by people who were totally different than I was. I became hyperaware of my identity and ethnic background as people would ask "Where are you from?" or "Your name sounds Mexican, do you speak Spanish?". My identities inform one another and certain aspects may become more salient than others depending on the space I'm in.
What message does it give you if you can't find your shade in makeup?
Marriage The institution of marriage was founded on the ideas of property and wealth. If you think about it, the ring is almost a symbol that makes ownership of something, to let others know that it is unavailable. While it's a common practice in the United States, it should be critiqued for its exclusion of certain people. There are many benefits when it comes to marriage - tax breaks, shared wealth, and land to name a few. However, those that are not allowed to marry are denied these benefits, even if they are in a committed relationship.
Artist Spotlight
Carol RossettiÂ
Carol is a Brazilian artist and illustrator creates much art surrounding diversity and representation. She has a few well known projects - one that is focused on the experiences of womxn, or womxn identified individuals, and the other that is a comic series geared towards children. I decided to feature Carol because I think that she is doing important work through her art. Personally, I first was introduced to the terminology regarding social justice issues when I went to college. Before that, I didn't even know there were words or theories to describe my experiences. That being said, the fact that she's introducing these topics to a young audience, to me, seems crucial. Additionally, her womxn project focuses on challenging expectations put on women. She displays an intersectional feminist perspective and is not afraid to bring up "taboo" topics or challenge expectations placed on womxn.
Carol RossettiÂ
As you can see, she discusses topics such as identity, marriage, and sexual taboos.
To find more information about Carol's Woman Project, please visit: https://www.carolrossetti.com.br/women
If you'd like to support her artwork, here online shop is: https://www.carolrossetti.com.br/shop
FEATURED INTERVIEW Valeria Moreno
How do you identify? Latina, first generation college student, daughter, friend.
Have you experienced discrimination because of being a Latina woman? Yes, I have. When I took a class last summer. I was asked what I struggle with and I shared how difficult it has been for me to be a first generation student at a prestigious university. Someone in my class said that he struggles with the thought that he sees women of color as dumb, right after I spoke. He clearly didn’t understand groups of people but that was his attempt at him being more understanding. My presence felt questioned. I think that’s what stood out most to me. Also, just being at UCSD I have a difficult time interacting with students that are white. In MMW I had a classmate that said hi in class but outside of the space she would act like I was invisible. I didn’t fit into the category of friends she had. That’s what UCSD made me feel repetitively.
Have you ever felt like you wanted to do something but didn’t because of what people would think of you? Multiple times I wanted to share in class discussions what my experiences have been but I don’t. I think of my first few years at UCSD. I thought I wouldn’t be taken as seriously and that I would be viewed as an angry Latina. There is a certain image of Latinas on social media like we are wild beings without logic to our thoughts and this prevents me from saying what I want to because I'm afraid of adding to that stereotype.
FEATURED INTERVIEW Valeria Moreno
How has your experience as a first generation Latina student been?
I've had a very difficult time being a first generation student. Coming to terms with my major, even. People throw it in my face that "that’s the major people default do because they can't do anything else" or "that’s what women end up doing". And in every space, I am a part of it's mostly women. Being abroad has allowed me to see what being in a major means, not just at UCSD. I felt like a number. I am just paying tuition. My grades are what define me. If I don’t hit the top scores I shouldn’t be part of engineering or science. Even the word engineering I didn’t know what that meant. Things like engineering, things that contribute to big manufacturing companies, I didn’t know anything about. Or even the medical field. When people talk about it, they say "it's for the smartest people and for those who want to make money" but I never hear the intentionality of people caring for people and loving people. But I still hear it constantly that its an easy major and easy way out, when in my major I express care and love for others. I think it takes away from the work that is done. I feel like I'm not contributing to society at times. When I see the results of my work, I see how it's necessary. When it comes to family, marriage or having a partner I think that these are topics I shouldn’t think about until I'm settled in a job at some point. I feel like I have to become a professional before thinking about motherhood or anything like that. I don’t want to say its burden but it’s a reality for me because I don’t have anything else to fall upon besides what I choose to pursue because my parents can't help me in any other way. It's insecure and it's kind of like how college has been. I never know if anything is secure. The most difficult part of being a first generation student is that you don’t know. The emotional support is
SPECIAL THANK YOU... I would like to thank Maria Celleri for creating a class that allows for the creative expression of her students. I've never made anything like this and it was really fun to carry out!
Secondly, I would like to thank Carol Rossetti for inspiring the theme of this zine and for making art that is educational and empowering. There is definitely a need for your work, thank you.
Lastly, I would like to thank Valeria Moreno for allowing me to interview her and include her in this zine. Â