La Gente Spring 2016 by LA GENTE NEWSMAGAZINE

ABCD ABCD

SPRING 2016 ISSUE 1

Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 1

Est. 1971

Letter from the Editor

This year saw discrimination and its evils all

VOL. 46 ISSUE 1 EDITOR IN CHIEF Maria Perez MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Salinas EDITORS Karina Carbajal Elena Diebel Jocelyn Martinez Roxana Martinez Madelinn Ornelas Michelle Salinas PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Elena Diebel WEB EDITOR Maria Perez STAFF Anakaren Andrade Karina Carbajal Elena Diebel Miranda Edmonds Rosa Garcia Hector Guevara Jocelyn Del Real Jimenez Janeth Lopez Guadalupe Maldonado Andrea Martinez Jocelyn Martinez Roxana Martinez Silvia Orellana Madelinn Ornelas Robert Peña Mayra Perez Yadira Sesmas PHOTOGRAPHERS Vicente Ceja Vladimir De Jesus Santos

over the media. News sources are enthralled by a presidential candidate who drew out the nation's infinite pools of hate by using Latinxs as the main victims of his hate rhetoric. Meanwhile, waves of ICE raids took place all over L.A. and fellow compañerxs employed social media to inform and provide support and relief while the media ignored these violent attacks. Circumstances across the U.S. worsen as families continue being separated and folks' basic human rights are violated, but recent cultural movements and demonstrations attest that our unity is a force to contend with. Though we are all our own individual, the different aspects that make us also connect us to different communitiesOur struggles are not defined or limited to one definitive category such as race, class, sexuality, or gender. Instead, all of these combine to create an intersectional identity that gives way to the ability to create connections with groups of people with whom we share one similarity or many more. With this issue, we choose to celebrate the differences that connect us with each other.

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SOCIAL MEDIA Marla Ramirez Kimberly Soriano

@la gentenewsmag

CONTRIBUTORS Natalia Cadena Masmela DESIGN Tina Tran ILLUSTRATORS Oscar Magallanes STUDENT MEDIA DIRECTOR Doria Deen STUDENT MEDIA ADVISOR Abigail Goldman

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Table of Contents latinoámerica 4-5 I Estancia La Porteña and Fleeing an Undesired Life

universidad 6 I Thoughts with Angela Davis 7 I Silencing Our Stories Within the Classroom 8-9 I Padres

artículo principal 10-13 I Soccer as Medicine

arte y cultura 14 I CASA 0101: Bringing the Stories of Latinos/as to the Stage 15 I Crossing Language Barriers Through Kpop

comunidad 16 I San Francisco: An Alternative Spring Break 17 I Comida de L.A. Comunidad

expresiones 18 I Dear Alejandra 19 I Brown Identity

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OUR MISSION

La Gente Magazine is for el estudiante -- the student -interested in Latin@ issues. We represent the diversity of our culture and cultivated pride within our community. We’re a forum for conversation, hoping to inspire readers to get involved and get their voices heard.

lagente@media.ucla.edu 310.825.9836 2 I LA GENTE Spring 2016

Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 3

latinoámerica

Estancia La Porteña and Fleeing an Undesired Life Argentina’s historical estancias reveal a lifestyle of oppression and poverty. By Robert Penna Edited by Elena Diebel and Natalia Cadena M ásmela On the 30th of January, 2016, I spent the day at an Argentine ranch, more commonly known as an “estancia,” where I rode a horse named CocaCola, ate Argentinian style asado (barbecue), and met several intriguing Porteños, a term used to refer to people who grew up in a port city. Being that Buenos Aires is a port city, this term derived from the many Spanish and Italian immigrants that settled there during the turn of the 19th century. With this in mind, today it is frequently used to distinguish their identity from other Argentinians. Typically, when one visits an estancia, you will find authentic gauchos (Argentinian cowboys). However, the Estancia La Porteña one of the most historical estancias that exists in Argentina, located just outside the very small town San Antonio de Areco accommodates tourists and guests in hopes of educating the public of their very distinct culture. Thus, authentic gauchos do not exist at the Estancia La Porteña. Public opinion, however, is divided on whether gauchos still exist today or not. The figure of the gaucho like the American cowboy is tied to a particular historical time and a very specific lifestyle. In this sense, gauchos disappeared by the end of the 19th century. A more liberal interpretation of the term “gaucho” would suggest that gauchos’ successors or descendants carry on some of the traditions in clothing 4 I LA GENTE Spring 2016

Luciano (age 18) participating in an a traditional sport called La Corrida de Sortija in which a ring or “sortija” is hung loosel from an arch. A gaucho must ride his horses at high speeds and use a pointed tool called “palillo” or “puntero” to capture it. In some special circumstances, the gaucho may offer the ring to his beloved woman of choice.

and horsemanship, and a number of today’s farmhands may be considered the modern equivalent of the gaucho (except for those who work at tourist locations). Nevertheless, there is still much to be learned from visiting this historical site. While visiting La Porteña, I realized that the gaucho is the main attraction, where he displays his horsemanship, tends to the farm animals, plays his guitar, cooks asado, and entertains his guests. To complement the males’ tasks, most of the women cook inside, serve pastries and empanadas, offer beverages, and clean after their guests. After the daily chores are completed, a woman may even lead a dance lesson after dinner, to complete the experience. The life led at such an estancia is indeed gorgeous. However, with every beautiful lifestyle, comes its respective hardship, as well. Historically, gauchos were either creole or mestizo men. They traveled on horseback and lived off the land, spending their free time skillfully playing the guitar or sipping maté. However, in 1846, when British farmers first implemented their invention of the fence in Argentina, farmers began to exercise their right to establish their private property. As a result of privatization, the lifestyle of the gaucho came to an end. Gauchos who were often considered lazy and barbaric by higher classes were also admired for their horsemanship and

hunting skills. As a result, the oppressive Argentine oligarchy took advantage of their skills and issued an ultimatum for the gauchos: they could either work for the estancias of the upperclass or be immediately drafted into the Argentine military. This ultimatum marked the start of a strict interdependent relationship with its landowning class and the rest of Argentine society. The gauchos produced meat products for export and consumption on both a national and international level. In turn, the profits supported the gauchos and aided in the stabilization of Argentina’s economy. The once freeroaming gauchos, however, had little autonomy or voice over the direction of their vocational lives and theyalong with other minority groupsonly served as working hands for various estancieros (estancia owners) by tending horses and cattle. Thus, like many underserved minorities, gauchos were forced into an oppressive class structure that ultimately served only the ruling classes of Argentina. My visit to the Estancia La Porteña provoked me to reflect on my own family and how they were previously affiliated with gauchos of the workingclass; but more importantly, how my grandmother escaped this lifestyle by her own wits. My great paternal grandfather, named Raymundo Batalla, was a gaucho in a province located near the northeast side

Photograph of Maria Batalla at age 24, September 1, 1944. This photo was taken the day Maria received her DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad).

Martín Tatta relaxing on his horse and sipping on matte, a traditional South American caffeinerich beverage particularly found in Argentina.

of Argentina called Santiago del Estero. Raymundo fathered many children together with my great grandmother Feliza Avila; but sadly on September 18th, 1920, Feliza died while giving birth to my grandmother, Maria Batalla. Feliza’s death weighed heavily on Raymundo and as a means to cope with the trauma, he abandoned his newborn baby Maria and turned to alcohol. As a result of Raymundo’s poor choice in coping mechanisms, Maria felt the repercussions that would eventually propel her to escape the negative environment she was dealt with. Before this would occur, Maria was raised by family members that were not her own. Although they loved her, nothing could replace her mother Feliza or substitute the role of her absentee father. Until she was fourteen years old, my grandmother Maria worked as a servant. She cooked, cleaned, and tended to the residents during the day, and at night she traveled back to the pueblito (small town) with her fellow laborers where she would rest and prepare for the following day. Within her, Maria knew that she could not continue with this lifestyle. While others would have accepted the circumstances, she felt it only held her back from her true potential. She saw the

big city as a place of great opportunity; and by remaining on the estancia, Buenos Aires would only be a fleeting image of the kind of life she dreamed for herself. Being that she was a minority, illiterate, and had no solid familial ties, Maria could only be upwardly mobile and had little to lose. In what seemed like fate, an opportunity to abandon this lifestyle finally arose when a guest she became acquainted with offered her a business card to work as a maid in the big city. Despite her illiteracy, and seeing this as the opportunity she had been searching for, she risked running away to the nearest train station. Upon arrival, she showed the conductor the business card that was handed to her, and with that she was granted a oneway ticket to Buenos Aires, where new possibilities were waiting to unfold. Among those new opportunities that existed in the city life, was her new found relationship with my Grandfather Francisco Penna who taught Maria how to read and write. With this she was able to break free from the illiteracy that ultimately held her back socially and intellectually; and thus Franciso will forever be seen as a gift to not only her and her life but the generations that followed thereafter. Although my grandmother Maria

Martín playing his guitar after dinner.

would remain a housekeeper and later a garment worker in Buenos Aires, her life changing decision is still something to be commended. During the time she lived on the estancia it was all too apparent that she, as did most women of el campo (countryside), would marry a common laborer and bear the children that would only fuel a lifestyle that she no longer saw herself apart of. She was able to overcome the inevitable and take a chance on something she believed in. Even if she couldn’t achieve all that she sought after by moving to Buenos Aires, her generations to come would possess the tools to achieve everything that she was not offered as a young girl. Her sacrifice for the betterment of her future served as an example to my family that we are not defined by the confinements of our social class. Maria, will always be considered a saint to my family that can attest to what life entailed both at an estancia and in the big city. She bridges the two worlds and it is through her and my family’s recounting of her story and contribution to us that her memories stay alive. They add to many others’ personal stories of determination which only enhances Argentine history and culture. Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 5

universidad

Silencing Our Stories Within the Classroom

Thoughts with Angela Davis

UCLA Asian American Studies professor attempts to mute the history of undocumented families.

Angela Davis gives an inspiring talk for students at Scripps College.

By Silvia Orellana

By Jocelyn Del Real Jimenez

“Undocumented and Unafraid” is a

On January 29, revolutionary activist and

phrase that undocumented students use as resistance to the ideal image of who and what a college student should be. Within the classroom, however, professors have different views. This campus claims

former Black Panther Angela Davis graced Scripps College’s Garrison Theater with a talk, “Radical Acts: A talk with Angela Davis.” This full house event warmly received Davis and set the tone for a conversation predominantly about activism, education, and prison reform. Here are a few highlights of an afternoon with Angela Davis:

Education “I still believe that without education there can be no liberation.” “First of all, I think education should be a right and not just a formal right, not just an abstract right, but it should be a substantive right and thereforeand I’m gonna make that leap hereeducation should be free. It’s not just about decommodifying education, but it’s also about looping back to what it means to be educated in the 21st century. ” “We have to see affirmative action, as well, affirmative action, right? It’s just a little bit of action that’s slightly affirmative...We need to thoroughly transform our education system”

Prison Reform “I’m someone who has been doing work around prisons for a long time, and we’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no way to make prisons better. Better prisons end up creating a situation that is much worse for people of color, for poor people, and so we say, abolish imprisonment... and reimagine what justice is all about.”

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Credit: *_Abhi_*

Activism Today “We were facing the most powerful forces in the world and it was through organizing and people coming together across all kinds of boundaries, racial, class, and national boundaries that it was possible to achieve what appeared to be the impossible and that, I think, should be remembered because there are lessons to be learned for today’s activism.” “And so here we are at the 16th year of the 21st century and its seems as if we have this amazing energy on campuses all over the country, am I right? This is something I’ve been

Credit: Russell Tribunal, photo by Renauds

waiting for, for a very long time.”

Angela Davis continues to spark thought and conversations about activism after six decades since her early headlines as an advocate. Activism continues to be prevalent in today’s society, and Davis assures that the fight for reform will endure with the energy she sees, especially in college campuses. Many in the audience, while ecstatic and attentive, left with an undeniable notion of inspiration from the empowering thoughts.

to pride itself in its diversity, and for a moment I truly believed it. Campus flyers and pamphlets showcase students of different ethnicities smiling and laughing together in front of Royce Hall or Powell Library. UCLA even makes sure to include these images in your admissions packet, and I held on to the hope that I would have the experience the images sold me. I was very sold on these images until the first quarter of my second year. I never thought that I would feel oppressed sitting in a class at UCLA, but I was wrong. I realized that although students of different ethnicities, cultures, and identities do come on this campus, professors often hinder their progress. I came to the realization of this when I decided to take an Asian American History course the Fall quarter of my second year. After learning about postwar immigration, we were assigned a short paper about our family’s immigration story, which I was very interested in. I felt that I was finally going to be able to apply what I was learning in class to my own life. My TA said this assignment was meant to accommodate the stories of people of different nationalities, but there seemed to be a great restriction on what type of stories were acceptable. We were told not to write about any post war stories

that were “compromising” or would be “difficult to read.” In other words, my professor was worried about the legality of our stories, and he didn’t want to be responsible for the stories we might tell. It appeared as though he thought that if he listened to our stories, he would be an accomplice to those who came to the U.S. illegally. The problem was that if I couldn’t tell the truth about my Salvadoran family who escaped the wrath of the national government fighting guerrilla forces in the Civil War, then I was being robbed of a huge part of my identity. I only have one story to tell: the truth. The Salvadoran Civil War was the reason my family fled the country; it was the reason that they saw dozens of people dead on the streets; it is the reason that people can't trust the government. My family does not like to speak about the things they saw-- things I’m sure are traumatizing to think about. So, if my family was open to letting me write about the tragedy that was the Salvadoran Civil War, then why was my story being silenced? I was being silenced because my family’s story didn’t fit with my professor’s guidelines -- my experience didn’t fit with what society wants to hear. The idea that perhaps my family didn’t come to this country to attain jobs but came because

experiences in this class, the professor only wanted to hear about migration that was allowed and legalized by the U.S. government. This professor disregarded refugee stories similar to my family’s -- those that were considered “illegal.” Refugees come from Central America, South East Asia, Laos, Haiti, Liberia, and Syria, and their stories should be considered valid and allowed to be shared in a class setting. However, in this classroom, people from these countries were asked not to share. A person's story is a large part of their identity, and as an institution that aims to be diverse, UCLA shouldn't stifle a person who is open to sharing. I ended up submitting my story for grading and my TA appreciated my commitment, but I left that class carrying my professor’s message with me. My professor was telling me that my story, my identity, the only thing I had to share was not valid. That it was not enough. That it was a liability. I love this campus and the fact that it didn’t accept me as I was changed the way I saw this institution. This campus provides me with clubs and activities where I can speak to my peers openly and freely, but I have to leave a part of myself at the door of the classroom. I’m still a Bruin, but I’m a Bruin with a story. This experience made me feel

their lives were literally in danger isn’t something that is pleasing to people's ears. These are stories that people might not want to tell, but I choose to because to be silenced, is to be stifled. Even though we studied various refugee

unafraid. I overcame the fear of sharing and being open about my family and my culture. I will continue to speak openly about Central American history and culture because it is at the center of who I am. Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 7

universidad

Padres

UCLA student and daughter sees father working at construction site on UCLA campus. By Yadira Sesmas

“

Y por siempre apreciar el amor y la fuerza que mi padre me ha dado.”

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Credit: Per Gosche

remember that as a child, I was often woken up by a small noise coming from the kitchen of the garage my family and I were living in. The morning noise signaled activity on the other side of my sister’s and my bedroom-- my pops was getting ready for his day. Looking at the clock, it was 5 de la madrugada. I remember tucking the blankets tighter into my legs, feeling the cold crisp morning air in my nose, hearing other neighborhood trucks pulling out of their garage with Spanish banda playing from the speakers just outside my window, while I treasured the last couple hours I had to sleep before I woke up for my walk to school. By the time I got to school, mi papa was already plucking some vegetables from la tierra or hauling wood and cement up into high rise buildings for some construction zone, or maybe at some local Home Depot conversing with his compadres about la chamba they were hoping to get. And by the time my father got home, he only had time to eat, watch some tv, crawl into bed, and fall asleep because of how drained he was. My papa has worked on a variety of hard labor jobs since he migrated to the U.S with my older sister and mom in

‘92. So he’s been working random gigs when friends tell him they need a couple temporary workers for a construction job, a seasonal field worker picking naranjas or fresas, or other similar backbreaking laborious jobs that tend to be temporary and underpaid. So when I went to visit my parents a weekend last month, my dad told me about a job he landed working at UCLA. Unknowingly, he has been working at school at the same time while I have been attending lecture. He is sent to different large construction facilities like universities and parks and he comes to UCLA on the weekdays and CSUN every other weekend. On one of my walks to lecture, I even saw my dad rushing to help lead a big truck into a particular zone with a stop sign in his hand, a bright yellow and orange jacket, and a hardhat. I had enough time to run to give him a hug and say goodbye before he had to run back to do his things. After our departure, though, I couldn’t help but feel emotionally overwhelmed because of this encounter. I cannot help but feel weird over the dynamics of this entire situation: I am a student at an extremely prestigious university, while my father is a working class immigrant that is literally breaking his back to build the school I attend. I am a student receiving a topnotch education while having access to resources and material in lecture that is meant to give me countless knowledge and being able to access these facilities as an “exclusive member of the Bruin family.” My father, on the other hand, is an humilde trabajador that did not even have access to secondary education and will never be able to access the material in these classrooms. Nor

will my father ever have people honor his existence for his contribution to this university like I will have during graduation. This is difficult for me because I have become a benefactor of all his labor. I am in a position of privilege and power, while he is in a position of invisibility in a university like this one. I cannot help but feel emotionally fucked when I see him there. I wish I had the immediate capacity to place him into retirement so he could stop waking up at 5 a.m. like he has for the majority of his life, and take a break from all the backbreaking labor that has left him paralyzed and unable to use his body freely like he did once in his youth. As Latino@/Chican@ students, a majority of us come from working class backgrounds where we have parents working in agriculture fields or construction zones while earning minimum wage. We understand the struggle of this labor, but having your parent come work on the school you attend is a strange reality. I also reflect on what this all means for himself and me. He is doing this with the knowledge that his daughter is receiving the education he never attained. He feels extremely proud of me and my accomplishments as a student and a worker. Even though he does not express it to me, porque es muy serio, I know that he would rather continue waking up as early as he does and continue working for many more years, if it means that his daughters are going to have the opportunities that he migrated to this country to give us. I’d rather take this experience with conocimiento y gratitud for what my father has done for me. This experience will remain as a reminder to stay humble and to always

remember where I come from. It also serves as a reminder to always appreciate the contributions that working class immigrants, like my father, bring to our universities (and to the U.S). Our immigrant parents are the foundation of these institutions, and as a student and daughter of this working-class community, I feel obliged to recognize and aid them. Y por siempre apreciar el amor y la fuerza que mi padre me ha dado.

“

I am a student at an extremely prestigious university, while my father is a working class immigrant that is literally breaking his back to build the school I attend.”

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artículo principal

Soccer as Medicine:

Reflecting on the First Ever World Indigenous Games By Elena Diebel

“

To Lane, soccer is an incredibly empowering and healing sport, especially to American Indian youth.”

TOP: Team Turtle Island/ U.S. Delegation with U.S. ambassador. BOTTOM: Lane with Mexican tribe.

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When the word “indigenous,” comes across us, most of us tend to associate it with antiquated times. Indigenous people of North America are grazed over in our education at school, leaving a massive gap in our knowledge of our country’s history—leaving us ill equipped for the world we must navigate. Indigenous people are of the past as well as the present and future. Institutions in the United States lack representation of American Indian people in such areas as the world of professional sports. Temryss Lane, a current graduate student in the American Indian Studies program at UCLA identifies herself as a Lummi soccer player. Before entering her graduate studies, she attended Arizona State University on a full ride, and later played professional soccer in Sweden. Last year, Lane was asked to participate in the first ever, World Indigenous Games. Indigenous athletes from around the world came to compete and play in the host country, Brazil. Lane, who was one of the representatives for the U.S., participated in the tug of rope and the 100-meter race, in which athletes had to compete barefoot. She discusses what participating at the games meant to her. “To be able to stand on a stage with thousands of other Indigenous people when the world is looking, and stand in our power and our strength and our identity—individual,

diverse identities—to be able to stand there and represent Lummi in the name of sports and celebrate not only my identity but the identity of each and every one of those survivors of genocide as it’s still happening today under these structures of colonialism; it was like nothing I had ever experienced.” As much as it was an incredible experience to be at these games, it was important to realize the charged political climate that swept Brazil at the time, considering many Brazilian Indigenous communities that are as Lane states, “still enduring genocide.” There had been talk of placing into action constitutional amendment, PEC 215, which “removes power from FUNAI [National Indian Foundation] and their protection agency and puts it in the hands of the Brazilian Congress.” It was ironic, therefore, to have this event that recognized and celebrated Indigenous people while at the same time driving off their indigenous people from their own land. “There’s such division, like one percent and the rest,” says Lane. This paradox of celebration as well as condemnation of indigeneity creates conflict between tokenism and authentic respect. Who watched the World Indigenous Games? Those who had the time and leisure. Or those who had the money to attend or access to a TV. Lane mentions that many Indigenous people Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 11

artículo principal

artículo principal know exactly what they are and do not need the acknowledgement or validation from the world regarding their Indigeneity. To Lane, soccer is an incredibly empowering and healing sport, especially to American Indian youth. “You learn about failure and how failure is such a large part of success and about how it’s okay to fail and I think for our kids, for our youth, they need to know that it’s okay, and they also need to know that a lot of what they endure is—the shame that they were born with is not their fault, the shame of speaking their language or not speaking their language, the shame of being Indian and self–hatred that’s developed because they’ve been treated as inferior historically, that it’s not theirs to attach themselves to. I think that soccer provides a space of selflove and community love and knowing that you’re never alone.” She adds, “[Soccer] provides that confidence—and the space to be safely violent. I know that seems like an oxymoron but it’s important, because if you’ve received violence or have been a victim of violence, that energy has to go somewhere—either it’s internalized or you have to find a way to release it.” Lane did not get to play soccer at WIG because there were not enough players for either a men’s or women’s team, but she intends to change that for the next games to come. She plans to first start assembling a women’s team and then possibly a men’s. Lane’s most profound moment during her time in Brazil was when she was warming up for the 100 meter with a small soccer ball. All of a sudden Indigenous Brazilian kids joined in. “They just flocked to the ball and they just wanted to play so badly. It didn’t matter how young or old they were…that moment for me was evidence of how empowering, not just the World Indigenous Games were, but how

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empowering the sport is…” The next day, one of the girls who played, came up to her and gave her a hug. “It was the most profound moment to hand to her this little ball that I hope inspires her to continue to play—forever.” The World Indigenous Games gave the outside world a chance to see the rich cultures and diversity of Indigenous people. And yet, for Lane it was so much more. Her trip confirmed the bond and beauty soccer creates between people and its power to spread wellness throughout Indigenous communities, especially for American Indian youth. The journey to wellness begins with empowering the community. “Soccer…is a community driven sport and we are a community driven people.” LEFT TOP: Temryss Lane, picture by Elena Diebel. LEFT BOTTOM: Lane with Maori tribe. RIGHT TOP: Team Turtle Island/ U.S. Delegation with U.S. ambassador. RIGHT BOTTOM: Lane running the 100meter race barefoot. Photo taken by Julie Ruvolo.

“

It was the most profound moment to hand to her this little ball that I hope inspires her to continue to play—forever.” Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 13

arte y cultura

Crossing Language Barriers Through Kpop

CASA 0101: Bringing the Stories of Latinos/as to the Stage

International listenership creates cultural understanding between Korean and Mexican audiences.

L.A.’s very own Latino/a theater creates a space for Latino/a narratives.

By Karina Carbajal

By Anakaren Andrade

During the summer of 2014, I had the wonderful opportunity of interning at CASA 0101, a local theater located in Boyle Heights. Despite my inexperience, I was welcomed into CASA, and the directors and actors worked with me and taught me terms and strategies used in the theater world. It was the first time that I was introduced to the arts as a profession. My experience is an example of why CASA 0101 was first created by Josefina Lopez. It is CASA’s mission to expose people like me, who come from a lowincome background, to the arts, in order to inspire us to change the world with our creativity and passion. Lopez said, “I grew up in Boyle Heights and I wanted to give this as a gift to the community because I didn’t have this growing up.” Many theater companies are located in higher income areas and are inaccessible to lowincome groups due to distance and ticket prices. CASA is a theater that is more accessible to the community because it is nearby and its ticket prices are affordable. CASA brings the arts to the community in many ways. It offers classes in acting, dancing, and playwriting to children and adults. At the end of every class, the students are offered the opportunity to 14 I LA GENTE Spring 2016

arte y cultura

Image Credit: Trevytoe

present their work on the main stage. Some of the students have been cast in CASA’s main productions or have written the plays that have been displayed. CASA 0101’s mission is to portray the Latina/o community, which is often forgotten or inaccurately represented in

“I grew up in Boyle Heights and I wanted to give this as a gift to the community because I didn’t have this growing up.” film and theater. The theater has addressed issues regarding sexual shame and violence against women. Plays like Drunk Girl and Locked Up aim to empower women by showing them that they can reclaim their sexuality and fight the prevalence of violence against women in their communities. CASA has also displayed other important topics through genres such as eco feminist plays, which have discussed how women have risked their lives in order to help combat the environmental issues that plague our communities. The next play

that will be displayed at CASA is called Bad for the Community, which discusses the displacement and gentrification that is occurring in Boyle Heights. Lopez said, “We have a right to exist and we have the right to demand that there is a place for us where we belong.” With plays like these, CASA is telling stories that inform people about the issues the Latino/a community is facing and demonstrating that they can be changed for the better. CASA 0101 is a home to people that want to create stories and other forms of art in order to empower themselves and their communities. While working at CASA, I was empowered by working with strong artists and by the stories that showed the different ways women and Latinos/as are strong. As Lopez says, “When you mirror somebody back, you acknowledge their existence, you acknowledge their worth. You acknowledge that they are important so it’s an affirmation that our stories matter.” CASA has done what many theater and film companies have failed to do, which is to acknowledge that the stories of Latinos/ as matter. Our stories are important and it is only a matter of time until other theater and film companies start to recognize us, because we are too powerful to be ignored.

A fan showcases her Kpop fan collection alongside her Camila

PSY is not the only artist South Korea has to offer, nor is he the only artist many Latinx KPoppers follow. Before “Gangnam Style,” Korean Pop, or Kpop, attracted fans on a global scale into a music genre filled

to, Annalesa said, “There is no language barrier at all... Koreans listen to American music and Americans listen to Spanish music and they don’t understand it, but they still sing it and they still enjoy it.”

a more positive experience with other Latinxs understanding her love for Kpop. Her musical tastes influenced her to help out the Korean community in Koreatown by volunteering for the Los Angeles

with Infinite boy and girl groups. Super Junior, 2NE1, BTS, F(X), to name a few, are all popular boy and girl groups from South Korea, which many Latinx KPop lovers follow on multiple media platforms. Though there are language differences between Kpop idols and many of their global fans, it does not hinder the quality of music and complex dance choreography that enchanted many Latinx KPoppers. Many Kpop artists attempted to reach out to their Latinx fans outside of South Korea by incorporating Spanish terms into their songs. LunaFly, a multiethnic Kpop group, has done different covers of songs in Spanish, such as Quiero Besarte, to help target Latinx audiences, but a Kpop subunit or group targeting the Latino population specifically has not been created. There is a language difference between the two communities, but Latinx Kpop fans do not consider language a barrier. Annalesa Luna is a Latinx Kpop fan, but she does not fluently speak Korean. She identifies as both Mexican and Native American, and she travels from Fresno to Los Angeles whenever she has the opportunity to see Kpop groups she loves. When asked about the language difference in terms of the Kpop she listens

Annalesa is open to new music from Korea and does not judge the music based on language. She does not always understand everything she listens to, but this does not hinder her experience and love for Kpop, but not everyone is as accepting. Lexus, Annalesa’s older sister, experienced facing others who did not understand her love for Kpop and were not as accepting of her multicultural interests. Lexus said that she decided to join both Folklorico and Kpop dance groups because she enjoys traditional Mexican dances and loves dancing to music she listens to. During her experience in the Kpop dance group, she began to make more Asian friends, but her Latinx friends questioned her relationship with these new friends. Lexus said she was asked by her Latnix friends, “Why do you hang out with them? Why do you listen to their music if you don’t understand it and you’re not Asian?” Lexus’ friends in her Folklorico dance class may not understand the appeal she found in Kpop music, but their lack of understanding does not change her appreciation for the music and dance Korean Pop has to offer. Aracely Gonzalez, who happens to live in Los Angeles and attend UCLA, has

Korean Festival. She helped organize the hanboks (traditional Korean dresses) for the festival’s models who were wearing them, to give a visual representation of Korean cultural roots. Aracely said that the majority of the guests were Korean, but Koreatown neighbors many Latinxcommunities, so not everyone was Korean or Asian. Aracely was in charge of greeting new guests during the actual festival. When asked about her experience, Aracely said, “When we would have hispanic people come since they saw us being us hispanics they would go ask us the questions.” Although she was at a Korean Festival, Aracely was able to reach out to her Latinx community because Latinx guests were able to more easily relate to her and ask her questions while they were enjoying the Korean culture around them. Although Kpop may not be for all Latinxs, recognizing the Latinx community that participates in Kpop and other Korean activities is beautiful because it shows the Latinx community is able to enjoy what other cultures have to offer. As Aracely said about her experience in the Korean Festival, “It was interesting to see that there were other nonAsians to see the performances.”

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Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 15

comunidad

Comida De L.A. Comunidad

San Francisco: An Alternative Spring Break

Food with a side of tradition, community, and family values. By Vicente Ceja

A group of students travel to San Francisco to learn about HIV/AIDS health care.

By Jocelyn Martinez “I am HIV positive.” Trekking up the steep hills of San Francisco, unprepared for the day’s soaking rain, UCLA’s Alternative Spring Break-ers make their way inside the warmth of Alliance Health Project (AHP). They are greeted by DK Haas, Community Liaison and Development Director with AHP. “How many of you know someone living with HIV or AIDS,” she asks. Silence. Only three students raise their hands. “Now you can all say you know someone living with HIV because I am HIV positive,” she shares. Alternative Breaks at UCLA, founded in 1991 underneath the Community Service Commission, offers students the opportunity to volunteer within a diverse array of communities across the country during their spring break. Led by second year World Arts and Cultures student, Maya Ram, and fourth year Biology student, Jesus Uribe, a cohort of students with a passion for community health navigated through San Francisco’s public healthcare system. Officially titled “Social Determinants of Health: Understanding Healthcare and Stigma in Underserved Communities,” Alternative Breaks: San Francisco aims to foster an understanding of “the strong relationship between social issues and health care.” With its focus on the “HIV epidemic and its effects on LGBT and other [marginalized] communities,” as stated on the Alternative Breaks at UCLA website, the cohort of Bruins visited Ward 86 at SF General Hospital and several non-profit health organizations in San Francisco, among them AHP, Bay Area Young Positives, and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. While assembling packages consisting of clean needles, “tourniquets (to tie off arms/legs to make veins ‘pop’ and reduce the likelihood of 16 I LA GENTE Spring 2016

failed injection attempts), sterile water or saline ampules (to dissolve drugs prior to cooking), ‘cookers’ (aluminum caps to hold drugs while they are cooked), […], vitamin C packets (to dissolve crack rocks), cotton (to filter out chunks as the drug solution is drawn into the syringe), and alcohol wipes (to clean injection site in order to prevent bacterial infections and skin abscesses)” – as explained on the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s site – the Alternative Spring Break-ers learned about harm reduction, a practice/set of strategies that aims to reduce the negative consequences of drugs among individuals who use them. For site leader Jesus Uribe, harm reduction was the biggest take away during his first trip to San Francisco with Alternative Breaks back in 2014. “It’s [about] no judgment. It’s a really compassionate and empathetic form of care. I’d never thought about medicine that way,” said Uribe. Through the practice of harm reduction, individuals assess their needs and health providers cater to such demands; it allows individuals to receive the healthcare they desire/ are ready for. Harm reduction proves to be an effective, revolutionary practice because it grants healthcare access to populations who have historically avoided seeking medical assistance due to existence of addiction. Like Uribe, third year Psychobiology student Victor Vu shared similar sentiments regarding healthcare. “There are more things to caring for others than just prescribing medicine. There are a lot of different social aspects that we overlook. We have to look deeper at the different social aspects of each individual and how they might affect an individual’s health,” said Vu. Socio-economic status, housing availability, addiction, and citizenship status are among

Visiting San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

the social aspects that influence health and determine access to healthcare. Stigma, too, is often a factor that dissuades individuals from seeking healthcare. Historically, stigma has long been perpetuated against individuals living with HIV/AIDS. At the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, it was believed that only members of the LGBT community were susceptible to HIV. The epidemic was ignored by the conservative Reagan administration. According to San Francisco Gate, Regan’s communications director Pat Buchanan preached anti-gay rhetoric, constantly stating that HIV/AIDS was “God’s punishment” for LGBT individuals. Over 20,000 Americans died of HIV related complications when President Reagan finally addressed the epidemic. Today, despite the medical advancements regarding HIV/AIDS, stigma remains prevalent. For site leader Maya Ram, Alternative Breaks: San Francisco is especially meaningful. “I love how this trip fosters open mindedness,” said Ram. Alternative Breaks at UCLA Director and fourth year Biochemistry student Melinda Ng hopes that Alternative Breaks will encourage volunteers to continue volunteering within their own communities. “I really hope people are inspired to continue long term service,” said Ng. “I hope to see people make impact not just in LA, but further.”

A is best known for its diverse setting, in terms of the city’s culture, traditions, people, and most importantly--it's food! Nowadays, mobile applications like Yelp come with the support of social media platforms like Facebook and help promote local hot spots or ideal areas to catch a quick grub. With that in mind, I recently visited East LA/Boyle Heights with the goal of defining Mexican food and the culture behind it. One of the most well-known restaurants that many locals in the community and residents outside of the area hear about is the restaurant called El Tepeyac. Known for their massive burritos, each meal incorporates Mexican spices and herbs that are infused into the produce. Chile de habanero, Jalapeño, fresh herbs such as cilantro, tomatillos, cebolla, and ajo not just only give off a great aroma, but taste great, too. One of the reasons why the burritos are so good is because of the fresh house salsa the restaurant uses to bathe their burritos in. The tomatoes, chile, and cloves of garlic are roasted on a comal, which is a hot iron plate that softens the skin of the vegetables. Then, the ingredients are all blended together and served with many dishes or used as an appetizer, along some fried chips de maiz, (corn chips). To try this authentic taste, you don’t always have to go to restaurants like El Tepeyac to experience traditionally-made Mexican dishes, because many markets in East LA sell herbs and spices that help you to prepare your very own meals. Markets such as El Mercadito not only have their very own restaurants that sell

food, but local vendors sell you fresh ingredients daily. You can find different types of food pastes, herbs, spices, vegetables, fruits, aguas frescas, and many different kinds of desserts. One of the more popular snack items includes churros and papas fritas (potato chips). Along with my discovery of different restaurants in East LA, I came across Tania Pizzaro, a local high school student who works in El Mercadito and asked her what she thought defined Mexican food and culture. Tania works for a family business, which is common for many Mexican business owners that prepare freshly made food and share family recipes with the rest of the community. Tania said, “Mexican food depends from where you’re from, and what your family makes of it and what generation you are.” Because many locals in the community of East LA come from different parts of Mexico, Tania added, “[Mexican food] it’s made differently, and sometimes even the name is different.” Businesses such as Al and Beas on 1st Street have been opened for generations, passing the baton to the next person in line within the family. Secret family recipes are passed down to younger generations to continue to be a part of the family business. It’s important for these businesses to continue the tradition as it gives value and highlights the aspect of what really defines a community for many people. It’s not just the food that matters, but the value in tradition, community, and family values. Food in East LA is one of the many places to visit for a delicious meal for a great value.

TOP: Outside view of El Tepeyac, a restaurant in East L.A. LEFT: Massive Mexican burrito served at El Tepeyac. RIGHT: Mexican dishes at El Tepeyac.

Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 17

opinión

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Already in America: The Story of the Second Generation Immigrant parents play important role in children’s decision to assimilate. By Guadalupe Maldonado Children of immigrants are expected to assimilate to new cultures, lifestyles, and systems while still retaining their place in their family. Being a child of immigrants, I have seen a constant clash between complete assimilation to achieve socioeconomic success and cultural retainment. Retaining my culture acts as a buffer of protection between me and the world outside my family circle. I’d like to claim that there are degrees in which assimilation and retainment occurs. I have not completely lost all aspects of my culture, nor retained all of them. I do not see myself as 100% culturally American or 100% of anything, for that matter. I have retained my parents' native tongue, as well as learned English fluently, along with coming to terms of the existence of cultural norms within the United States. As a child of two immigrant parents, I believe it is essential to speak to immigrant parents about where they stand in regards to cultural assimilation. Whether or not the children of immigrants assimilate completely or in certain degrees depends on the external influences of their parents. Some forms of assimilation, such as learning English as their first language, depends on the parents. I asked my parents both where they stood on the matter of cultural assimilation and whether the costs and benefits outweigh each other. The results were two opposing views. Although my mother, 18 I LA GENTE Spring 2016

Hilda Maldonado, acknowledged the beauty and niceties of one's cultural background, she emphasized the importance of assimilation when it comes to moving up socioeconomically. She claims that although culture is beautiful, if we want to move up, it is a cost we have to pay. She specifically said, “Con cultura no vas a comer,” meaning that assimilating is the best option for improving your current state in a society foreign to you. My mother came to this country with her mother, learned English, and after marrying and starting a family, decided to distance herself from Mexico physically by not visiting for years. She did this in order to assimilate while raising her children within the U.S. She made this decision because she thought it would benefit her family in the longer run; to fit in to avoid the discrimination social systems impose on us. Her fears were based on the discrimination she faced by U.S.-born Americans for speaking fluent Spanish along with limited English. I recall a specific instance of my mother urging my siblings and me to never let school teachers or any other school faculty know that we were Spanish-speakers, due to the fear that they would place us in lower-division English-speaking classes. My father, Rafael Maldonado, on the other hand, lives by the belief that we must never forget where we come from. He emphasizes on the influence our culture has on the way we shape our lives and

opinión

futures. Our roots are essential to who we are as individuals. My father started as a humble construction worker and grew to own his own company. As a recent immigrant, he learned English within 6 months through simple interactions with an American-born supervisor. The supervisor took interest in training him to work efficiently and assimilate into the United States' working systems. Within a month, his pay jumped sporadically, and he moved to work as an interpreter for his supervisor. Throughout these occurrences, he retained his native language and was a proud Michoacano. Now as a CEO, he actively employs people of Central America, Mexico, and South America. More than half only speak Spanish in the workplace. My father remembers being in their place and empathizes with them, and he gives them the opportunity they deserve. I believe that through a balance of these two ideals, a compromise can be accomplished to allow us to retain cultural aspects of ourselves while assimilating to our new society. Immigrant parents are the closest connections we have to our background culture and therefore in a way are a representative figure of our culture. Through the eroding of our culture we are, in a sense, doing the same to the connection we have to our parents. I strongly connect with the concept of shaming that Kasinitz expresses. As a

I personally do not believe complete assimilation is worth the cost of losing and shaming a part of ourselves.” young and extremely ignorant middle schooler, I felt ashamed every single time my mother could not spell or say a word or phrase in English correctly. I looked away and felt embarrassed when my mother would speak to school teachers in broken English. It was not that I intentionally meant to hurt my mother with my behavior, but it was the culture that I was integrated into that nudged me to view her difficulties as wrong and embarrassing. As I grew up, I acknowledged how incredibly insensitive and unaware I was of the struggles of my mother's attempts to assimilate--which was to seek a better life for her family. I wish that I was educated earlier and taught about the struggle immigrants face day to day when they assimilate into a new society. In the words of Aysha Syed, when I see my mother struggle with the spelling of English words, “I want to break the entire language into little pieces so that the edges of the letters will stop cutting her.” I personally do not believe complete assimilation is worth the cost of losing and shaming a part of ourselves, even if it means socioeconomic success. Success is not measured by money, status, or anything material, if we do not acknowledge and remember who brought us up and where we came from. The underlying question we must ask ourselves daily is whether the means and costs to assimilate are worth losing a part of ourselves.

The writer’s mother and younger sister.

The writer’s father with fellow workers.

Spring 2016 LA GENTE I 19

expresiones

Dear Alejandra By Andrea Martinez

Dear Alejandra, It was December 21st, 2015. It started off as any normal winter day. I was stressing over my classes, final grades, and my major. Never did I think when I woke up that day that my life would forever change in less than 12 hours. I went about my day consisting of mundane activities and anxiety. 7:00 pm. The phone call lasted exactly a minute and a half. You had been killed in a hit-and-run. I went into panic mode and was suddenly a hysterical mess in front of my friends. So many questions ran through my head. Why you? What were you doing that led to this tragic event? Why so close to Christmas? Why only one month after your 20th birthday? In the moment of that phone call I knew this day would be the worst day of my life; however, instead of giving in to negativity, I realized all I could do is continue your memory, your spirit, and your impact. Here’s to you, Alejandra Martinez. A gifted intellectual, I remember your high school graduation when you received numerous honors awards. I know it was hard for you to be so far from home these past three years, but you were an idol for many Latinas. Pursuing Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley was impressive, to say the least, and you were truly someone to look up to. Growing up, you were my partner in crime. I remember always sitting next to you at Christmas. Even as we aged into high school, we still found fun in trick-ortreating instead of parties. People would often confuse us for sisters, and more often than not they would always find us together. You were there for me through my darkest of times and I tried to be there 20 I LA GENTE Spring 2016

expresiones for your troubles. You were kind yet headstrong, fragile yet courageous. You expressed to me your deepest insecurities yet irradiated with effortless beauty every time I saw you. You cherished your family to a degree that left me in awe; it was a special and unique quality that you always possessed. You spoke of your mother as your true best friend, following her words of wisdom to their very core. You attributed your love for Iron Maiden and Journey to your father, whom you considered your idol. Lastly, you were a committed sister, attributing more time to Paulina than most people your age do. Your greatest quality was your perseverance. You struggled with your own problems, yet never gave up. I saw you express your fears, crying as you were left wondering what the future had in store for you. On the outside, I was the tougher of the duo, yet on the inside, I admired you for fearlessly sharing your ideas. Despite our mutual body image issues we both always assured the other of her worth and beauty. No matter how strong the urge to give in to despair, you pushed through and gave off the most inviting energy. No one will ever make such an ordinary task such as eating cereal as enjoyable as you did. Gossiping and fangirling over celebrities we would never admit to our peers, spilling our guts over a bowl of corn flakes became a weekly occurrence. I never needed another filler to enjoy spending time with you; there was never a need to find activities that made boredom pass. The lesson here, is to take a moment to cherish gifts we sometimes forget. You were a gift. To your family, to your friends, and to me. You taught me to always push through, to cry if I needed to, and to try to laugh at even the most trivial situations. I wish I could have spent more of these

past few years with you, but unfortunately, things did not work out that way. It is still difficult accepting your departure, but now more than ever I believe that you are in a better place. I will live everyday with your memory engraved in my heart and soul until the day I die. On December 21st, 2015 I lost you, my best friend, but I gained a guardian angel.

Brown Identity By Rosa Gracia

We live with a Brown Identity, Never to be seen as our own entity. One in which the color of our skin is all you see. Can I just be me? Light, dark skin We are all the same to you. To have dark skin, Means to be assumed the help. When it happens, I just hold my grin And hope it is not because of the color of my skin.

Until we reunite, Andrea Martinez

To have light skin, Means to be labeled an outcast Because I do not carry my people’s past. Yet I carry this Brown identity Always to live with this inequity. To live with this Brown identity Means to worry about being pulled over. To wonder what treatment you will face, To worry whether you shall be asked for your papers Just because of your race. To live with this brown identity, Means to be a minority Where our voices are not heard. In Texas it is an identity, Where papers are needed to validate an existence, Because we are an identity in which constitutional rights are not the case. An identity in which there is prejudice to face, Because there is no resistance to think otherwise. “Broken Mask,” by Josef Stuefer

Stereotypes are written in the Brown Identity Never to be seen as an individual. Always seen and judged, When all I want is to be seen as an equal. My own entity.

TOP: Alejandra smiling with her mother and younger sister in San Francisco during one of their visits. BOTTOM: Alejandra with younger sister Paulina, her father, and her boyfriend, with whom she attended UC Berkeley.

I live with a Brown identity I am my own entity. My identity to reclaim, My inner flame shall combat all injustice to come. Our minds give us power, Power to rise above all prejudice. And power to help others rise Above our identity’s expectations. I LIVE with a Brown IDENTITY, I shall SUCCEED despite society’s adversity.

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