Volume 31• Number 1 • Fall 2021
quepasa.osu.edu
Making Space for Latinx Scholarship and Community
Quiénes Somos Rolando Rubalcava, Editor Jessica Rivera, Staff Writer Luiza Corrêa, Art Director Yolanda Zepeda, Managing Director The Office of Diversity and Inclusion publishes ¿Qué Pasa, Ohio State? each autumn and spring semester. ¿Qué Pasa, Ohio State? celebrates the achievements of our Latinx community. Each thematically organized issue provides a space for Latinx voices to share, express, and highlight our experiences and ideas. The Ohio State University is not responsible for the content and views of this publication. The publication does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the staff.
Contenido El Repertorio Latino Abusado Qué Pasa We are not Doctors Liliana Perez Rodriguez Beyond the Borderlands Rebecca Cepeda Cantiga da Desesperança Cesar Lopes Gemelli
Why COVID-19 Caused so Many Deaths in the Latinx Community? Jessica Rivera Navigating my Culture Through Art Jessica Rivera Calligrams Tania Espinales Correa Desire to Help Rolando Rubalvaca Cinema Boliviano Gabriel Guzman A Letter to Community Victor Mora Lessons Learned: Consejos for Future Academics Jessica Rivera ¿Dónde está mi ‘amá? Irma J. Zamora Fuerte
Cover Art
El Repertorio Latino Abusado by Dania Dallal
Looking For a Home Base on Campus? Qué Pasa Why we support a COVID-19 vaccination requirement? Qué Pasa Celebración d'el Dia de Los Muertos Qué Pasa
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I AM REALLY TIRED COVID is dragging on; climate change is no longer a looming threat but is here now; the academic job market is in shambles; a collective grief is weighing down on all of our shoulders. There is no simple answer to address these problems. How do we fix what’s wrong with everything when everything is the problem? For that, we turn inward. We start small, listening to our bodies, to the voices we have always trusted, tuning out the noise we wish to just shut off. This act Rolando Rubalcava requires an honesty that is necessary, acknowledging what we need and addressing a truth that needs to be shared aloud. Then, we write. Flannery O’Conner once wrote, “I write to discover what I know”. We tell our stories, sharing what is pressing on our hearts. The telling is what moves mountains, topples authoritarians, all beginning with the act of writing. That’s where QuePasa comes in. Our issue this year is one of our most eclectic, covering Latinidad, life after a year of living in a pandemic, connecting and reconnecting with faces, and art as an articulation of how we feel. Our cover image is a collage of ideas drawn by Dania Dallal in her work, El Reportario Latino Abusado, which was awarded the Latino/a Studies Outstanding Undergraduate Research award. Several essays by undergrad and graduate students share, including Liliana Perez, Raul Perales, and QuePasa’s own Jessica Rivera offer insight into the ways we’ve handled the past year while reflecting on both the opening and closing of the academic year. We’re also included several photo essays, highlighting events and public spaces on campus by, for, and ran by Latinx voices. Lastly, but certainly not least, QuePasa is proudly including an article inspired by our interview with Veronica Meinhard, First Lady of Ohio State University. We could not be more excited to share this piece, giving our readers a first-hand look at what Latinx women in leadership positions looks like. The new year is as promising as it is ominous. The unpredictability offers as much worry as it does potential. This is why our stories are needed more than ever. There is a lot of telling in this issue, from students, faculty, and alumni, and lots of wonderful moments of community and support captured in photos. We hope this issue recognizes the grief you are feeling, and will always listen to the stories that need to be heard.
Esquina de los Editores
Our theme for this issue is “Tell me how you really feel”, so I’m going to do just that:
Tell M HowYou Really Fe
With hope, love, and a penchant for good stories,
Rolando Rubalcava, Editor of QuePasa Magazine, Fall ’21
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EL REPERTORIO LATINO ABUSADO WINS 2021 LATINA STUDIES
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e at QuePasa Magazine would like to make special mention of our cover photo this year, entitled “El repertorio latino abusado” by Dania Dallal. This piece is both representative of what QuePasa prides itself on, asking critical questions raised by the Latinx community, as well as winner of the Latina/o Studies Outstanding Undergraduate Research Paper Award (March 2021). A description of the piece is provided by the award committee: “Dania Dallal’s ‘El repertorio latino abusado’ is an artistic exploration of linguistic identity and the diverse repertoires that bilingual subjects bring to bear with different relations, even as overlapping dimensions of
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these repertoires also signal a community that these subjects inhabit. The artwork reflects these themes and more, including the uneven way in which certain repertoires (like academic Spanish) can be shared across generations.” We wish to highlight this piece as a reminder of the work our community receives during a time when the Latinx population is at its highest, while student organizations are fleeting. The amount of Latinx student organizations are shrinking when representation and community is needed most. We hope this tribute helps bring attention to the value Latinx students bring to the OSU table.
We’re Not Doctors by Liliana Perez Rodriguez
T
Doctoral Student, English
his summer, I binge-watched Grey’s Anatomy. I started watching the show to relive my high school dreams of wanting to become some hotshot doctor— caring for patients, saving lives, and being a rock star. However, the more seasons of Grey’s I watched, the more I witnessed doctors deal with life-threatening scenarios, illness, infection, and the tremendous pain of informing family members that their loved ones have died. As I watched the show, sitting comfortably on the couch with a drink in my hand, I started to feel grateful that I did not pursue this career. I felt fortunate to have bypassed this emotional trauma and not have to encounter infection and disease in my everyday job. But this relief was short lived; somehow, trauma caught up to me. This semester, as a first time English instructor and graduate student at the Ohio State Columbus campus, I encounter the possibility of infection and disease every day. Every time I leave the comfort of my home and make the 20-minute commute to campus, I consider the risk I am putting myself and others in. Sure, I am vaccinated and always wear a mask, but I question if these protections are enough. I teach 24 students in the tiniest classroom imaginable, so small that during social distancing mandates, only 6 desks could safely fit in that classroom – and now there are 24. And knowing that less than three quarters of the student population is vaccinated only intensifies my fears of COVID and the Delta variant. Although I’m no hotshot doctor, I don a medical mask, frequently wash my hands, and am always aware of the possibility of infection that I encounter every day as a college student and instructor. After having spent my first year of graduate school entirely online, feeling physically and so-
cially isolated, I spend most days trying to convince myself that a return to campus was a warranted decision. I tell myself repeatedly that the benefits of teaching and learning in-person outweigh the possible harms. However, on days when in-person classes are canceled and Zoom meetings take place instead, I breathe a huge sigh of relief. I no longer feel the physical and emotional strain of commuting to campus, of leaving my home and walking into a classroom where I am exposed to students, and students are exposed to me. And when I attend class virtually, I am reminded that there are online methods of teaching and learning that are just as valuable as in-person modes. Of course, being back in-person has its perks: the comforting aroma of free coffee and bagels in Denney, the spontaneous encounters with friends and faculty in the hallways, and lots of spaces on campus to study, eat, and chat. Although I am certainly grateful for these things, being back on campus has brought with it feelings of helplessness and doubt. I ask myself: Do I truly have any control? Am I able to make decisions about my own safety? The safety of my students? How will I ever recover from this? As I write this piece on the eve of my 23rd birthday, ready to commence season 11 of Grey’s, I realize that it’s been a long time since things have felt safe around here. Although school has never really been a safe space for marginalized identities, COVID has amplified for many these feelings of fear, hopelessness, and trauma. We’re not doctors, but somehow, we are expected to carry on despite the daily possibilities of infection and disease. It is my sincere hope that things will get better soon and, together, we will find collective ways to heal and recover from this unexpected trauma. 5
BEYOND THE BORDERLANDS Diversity within the Latinx Community by Rebecca Cepeda,
Doctoral Candidate, Higher Education-Student Afairs
“A borderland is a vague and undetermined place created by the emotional residue of an unnatural boundary. It is in a constant state of transition. The prohibited and forbidden are its inhabitants. Los atrevasados live here: the squint-eyes, the perverse, the queer, the troublesome, the mongrel, the mulatto, the halfbreed, the half dead: in short, those who cross over, or go through the confines of the ‘normal’” Anzaldúa
Face Silhouette by Erisu
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Soy Mexicana. Filipino ako. I am Mexipina—both Mexican and Filipino. Growing up in a predominantly Latinx community in Los Angeles, I was often called “Chinita.” “No soy Chinita! I’m Filipino…and I’m Mexican, too!” Related to Anzaldúa’s quote, my mixedness designates my existence outside of the normal and within the borderlands. As a Multiracial Woman of Color, I have had to try and prove I am Asian and Latinx “enough,” consequently moving me to study mulitraciality as a higher education doctoral student and scholar. Additionally, my racialized experiences have shaped me to continually validate the racialized experiences People of Color encounter. In my undergraduate experience in Chicanx courses, I learned about the myriad of ways Latinx people may live in the borderlands. I was often taught about the concept of mesitzaje as it is related to the mixings of Indigenous and European people due to the multiple colonizations brought to Latin America. I also learned that the term mesitzaje was then later employed as a characterization intended to embrace liberation and identity. Moreover, I learned to appreciate Gloria Anzaldúa’s scholarship on the mestiza consciousness as she illuminated the space in between identities, cultures, and sexuality. Though the knowledge I obtained through my Chicanx Studies education has contributed to the growth in my connection to my ancestors, histories, and roots, it is imperative to remind myself, the Latinx community, and others that Latinx people are not a monolith. First and foremost, it is critical to point out that Latinx people exist outside of Mexi-
co. The popular discourse around Latinidad centers Mexican American histories and identities, neglecting the experiences of Central Americans and other Latinx communities. Next, not all Latinx people are mestizos, mixed with Indigenous and European blood. Black people, Indigenous people, Asian people, and Multiracial people with varying lineages exist within the Latinx community. Movies, television, music, and other forms of media and scholarship display standard assumptions and stereotypes of Latinx people. While the inclusion of the Latinx community is imperative in predominantly white and xenophobic spaces, there seems to be a lack of diversity within the Latinx community that is captured and portrayed, such as the current critiques of the recent film, In the Heights. The ways in which race is socially constructed in the United States is convoluting and is used as a mechanism for how white supremacy operates. Latinx people as a collective need to confront the anti-Blackness, colorism, and xenophobic ideals engrained within the multitude of cultures enveloped within the Latinx umbrella. Furthermore, we should neglect the defined borderlands that confine people into specific boxes and position those who do not “fit” into said boxes as “others.” Instead, we should collaborate to expose white supremacy that perpetually produces systems of oppression that generates inequities for minoritized people. Abiding to the existing systems of oppression allows white supremacy to remain. Therefore, it is critical to continually remind ourselves and others: Latinx people are not a monolith. Diversity exists within the Latinx community. Let’s celebrate and encourage the diversity that exists. Let’s dispute the harmful and problematic stereotypes of Latinx people. Let’s work together and do better.
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Cantiga da
Desesperança por Cesar Lopes Gemelli
Doctoral Student, Spanish & Portuguese
o Mundo não vale o mundo, 2020 então, foi de lascar. Eu plantei um pé-de-esperança, Nasceu uma desgraceira. Carlos falou que não foi culpa de ninguém, mas foi sim. Foi dos brutos, dos coniventes, dos que viam uma escolha difícil. Os trens não vieram, mas os campos tavam lá. Criançada na jaula, famílias fraturadas, as cordas penduradas mas sem frutos, anunciando, feito cruzes invisíveis queimando. Não viu quem não quis, os brutos, os coniventes.
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Meu capacete é de esquiar. Não tenho barbote, uso a máscara mesmo, N95 ou a que tiver. Guardo os documentos do meu filho numa mochila que fica perto da porta. Não vamos precisar. Repito, mas vai quê, já fica lá. Que las hay, las hay. Quando família pergunta, faço de conta de fortíssimo — mas a força não existe — e na mais pura mentira digo que não tenho medo. Faço de conta de esquecer e de sonhar — mas o sonho não existe — de que cada cicatriz não encobre a ferida purulenta do desengano. A totalização dos brutos é a obliteração dos outros. Esqueci como se ri. Minha boca é o ô do áporo diante do vazio dos aniquilados que foram como o mundo, antes da queda do céu que insiste em queimar o Mundo.
Photo: Erupção. Eduardo Montelli, 2020. www.cargocollective.com/eduardomontelli
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Why COVID-19 Caused so Many Deaths in the Latinx Community? A Conversation with Dr. Reanne Frank by Jessica Rivera, PhD
Education Studies
T
his past spring, I came across an article on the OSU home page titled Many Hispanics died of COVID-19 because of work exposure. I knew the impact of the pandemic had significantly affected the Latinx community, but I didn’t know the extent of this impact. Although it was upsetting news to read, I was hopeful that a professor on campus was conducting research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Latinx community. Here is my interview with Dr. Reanne Frank, a professor in sociology at OSU. How did you become interested in sociology? I grew up in Detroit in the 70’s and 80’s when the city was being gutted -the auto industry was in crisis and there was continued white flight out of the city. I was observing firsthand how racism operates and how devastating its effects can be on such a large scale. That set me up with a sociological frame of mind. When I started to learn about sociology in college it helped me understand the underlying structural issues of what I had observed as a child. What sparked your interest to do research on immigration and the Latinx community? I also became interested in immigration when I was young. The Detroit public school I went
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to, had an international component. There were smaller immigrant populations in my school’s neighborhood back then but some of my classmates were new Americans. The particular neighborhood my school was located had the small pockets of immigrants, alongside internal migrants such as low-income White people from Appalachia, and a large established Black population, which made for an interesting demographic mix for Detroit at the time. After college I attended the University of Texas at Austin and because of my interest in immigration, I ended up working in the population center. That’s where I discovered demography and really liked that it gave me the tools to describe population level processes. When we’re trying to understand really complicated issues like societal inequalities and racism, you need to spend time to describe the population that these inequalities are affecting and how they’re being affected. For me this was very illuminating and ever since then I defined myself as a social demographer. Can you tell me a little more about your COVID study on Latinx deaths? I previously worked with my collaborator D. Phuong (Phoenix) Do on work around racial residential segregation. At the beginning of the pandemic, she started downloading various databases. It was tricky publishing during
COVID because everything was happening fast, and patterns were changing quickly in terms of what was happening and what data was available to capture what was happening. It was clear that there were pronounced racial disparities of who was getting sick with COVID and dying. Much of the commentary around the high deaths of minorities, and the Latinx population in particular, often tied the deaths to pre-existing conditions or other sorts of individual-level risk factors. I remember a spokesperson for a meatpacking plant tried to blame the high deaths on living arrangements. However, it was really clear that people were getting COVID at work, and they were not being provided with protections against the virus. We know that the US occupational landscape is racialized and racial ethnic minorities, particularly the Latinx population, are disproportionately employed in front line and essential industries that don’t have good worker protections. That needs to be the first thing that people think about where they’re trying to understand what is going on with higher COVID-19 burdens, instead of a list of co-morbidities, blaming living arrangements or cultural factors. We set out to take a closer comparative look at COVID-19 cases and deaths by age groups for the Latinx population and found that working age Hispanics (30-64) suffered far greater infection and death rates than whites in the same age group, a fact that had been hidden in looking just at overall death rates that had not been age-standardized. In fact, we found that whites were the most underrepresented in case burden among the working-age population. Of course, for a lot of community members, the fact that the Latinx community died at higher rates was not anything new. There was a symposium at Ohio State in Spring
2021 called “Bringing the Border to Columbus”. At this symposium Dr. Elena Foulis and several students performed oral narratives on COVID. The performance really stuck with me. Specifically, the first words that were shared:
Somos la comunidad que ha muerto mas, que ha muerto at a higher rate because we have no other choice, because we don’t have the privilege to stay home for two weeks and not have to work, we don’t have it, we never had it, and we won’t have it any time soon. It was striking to me to hear someone had clearly articulated what we found in the data, but of course, the people who are experiencing it and living it, knew it.
Professor Dr. Reanne Frank, Department of Sociology
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Navigating My Culture
Through Art An Interview with Raul Perales by Jessica Rivera, PhD Educational Studies
Raul is currently an MFA student in the design program at OSU. He is originally from El Paso, Texas. He is currently working on his Master’s thesis, that merges his passion for design with his Latinx background as a way to help people navigate loss. Can you tell me a little about yourself, where you grew up, how you got interested in art? I’m from El Paso Texas, right on the border of Juarez, Mexico. My dad is from Utah and my mom grew up in El Paso. Growing up in El Paso really shaped a lot of who I was. There was so much art being made there, and I wanted to be a part of that. Even my parents were both artists, not in title, but they really love art. I am the only person in my family that decided to make art my entire life and make a career out of it. When did you start taking art classes? My school’s art programs were cut by the time I was able to take them. I mostly learned to draw from watching my parents. They would like to draw as a hobby and when I would see them drawing, I would sit down next to them and draw too. Then I found out about design in college, and I felt more attuned to that. I’m designing games that focus on what it means to be Hispanic American. It feels good to do that because it is something I have struggled with. For one of my projects, I was able to in12
terview my family as a designer and that really brought me closer to them and allowed me to access a part of my past that I didn’t have before. Growing up, school was challenging, because there was a lot of shame in being a Spanish speaking kid. As a result, I lost my ability to speak Spanish. What influences your art? I think my third year of college there was a cartoon called Steven Universe that approached very adult concepts like coping with death and loss, how it feels to grow up in a single parent household, blended families and dealing with generational trauma. And it did this so elegantly, but it still looked like a kids show that talked about very broad topics that are often heavy. The show didn’t talk down to its viewers and it didn’t try to confuse them or try to be profound, it just talked. One of the biggest strengths of design is knowing what you are trying to say before you say it. That really got me into game design. It was an avenue for people to feel connected to the narratives being told and be able to examine their own experiences. I thought then, why not try it with grief and loss? My original master’s thesis was looking into how people cope with specific traumas like anxiety or things like that. This led me to looking into games that help people mitigate feelings after facing traumas. I still do hope that my work helps others who have had similar traumatic experiences. Is there a specific audience for your art? I think I wanted to make art for a younger me. A younger me is someone who is trying to navigate being Hispanic and American. I always wondered if it was better to abandon your culture so that you didn’t have to keep going back and forth on your identity. When I saw the film Coco, it made me realize I needed to see parts of my own identity displayed in a big sense and I real-
ized that is something I need to put in my work. You talk a lot about navigating your identity as a Mexican and American, how are you navigating that in Columbus? I feel more like myself here. In El Paso, I was seen as not Mexican enough because of how I talk. This gives you a complex about whether or not you are enough. But in Columbus I feel like those aspects of my identity are a little more validated. Can you talk a little more about your video game Triste? This story was about my own personal loss. Before I had come up here, I lost someone very special to me. But I couldn’t access that grief, there was a lot of pain and I just walked with it for a long time. Triste was an experimentation of figuring out how to deal with it another way. Where you are a person going into the underworld to bring someone back, but ultimately can’t. You revel in the memories until you feel them with you again, but differently. It got me thinking about my other games. In this one, you use things like flower petals and conchas to heal yourself. This reminded me of seeing an ofrenda as a kid. It helped me realize that things that remind you of someone you lost helps you heal yourself. Looking back is the thing that helps you let them go. It makes it easier to understand that they are not gone from your life, but they are in a new home. I love the concept of Día de los
Muertos and the Mexican underworld because it is so much kinder of a story than how I grew up learning about death. Has this helped you with your mourning? Because of COVID, I had to deal with this a lot. One of my uncles was battling cancer and passed while we were in lock down, and I had another uncle who contracted Covid and passed. And before I got to Columbus my best friend in the whole world was in an accident and passed. I began investigating different ways of coping, specifically Mexican afterlife myths and how it is to grieve as a Hispanic person, opposed to how it is to grieve as an American person. A lot of what I was taught was that you have to let go and that the person no longer exists. That they are in a better place, but that felt so dissatisfying to me. Growing up when my mom was stressed sometimes, she would smell cigarette smoke. She would say that was her mother because nobody in the house ever smokes. That felt like how I want to grieve. I want to know that if my friends still wanted to visit me, they could. But as an American, hearing all these stories made me feel like I was crazy. But last year, I did an ofrenda and I got to feel what it meant to miss someone differently. It felt like I was coping in another language and I’m pretty sure I didn’t do it well. Growing up as a male, there is also the context that you are not allowed to cry. But I remember that my dad cried at my grandmother’s funeral. I think that memory told me you can only cry when you are at your worst. I still felt like I was taught to be sad quietly. That is something I have had to unlearn as an adult. I think it’s important that people know you can be sad loudly. To learn about Raul’s artwork and download the games he has designed, please visit his website: https://www.rauladrian.com
Look Up Character, Raul Perales
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CALLIGRAMS by Tania Espinales Correa
Doctoral Candidate, Spanish & Portuguese
A “calligram” is known as text arranged in such a way that it forms a thematically related image. Tania Espinales Correa, graduate student and teacher in the Spanish department, taught the values and principles of caligrams to her students, creating beautifully composed image poems. Below are student calligrams Correa shared with QuePasa from her 3450 Spanish Introduction to the Study of Literatures and Cultures in Spanish class, with translations provided. Feel free to browse!
Gina Falvo
Michael Hilmer
Poem's Description
Poem's Description
para cantar, besar, beber café, pero lo mas importante es para defender lo que crees
La hoja, revoloteando por el vientoque sopla, con trabajos se aferra a su rama. Simplemente vive una vida sin remordimientos. A pesar de la inclemencia, continua.
International Studies
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Exploration
Speaking of Creative Writing
Learn more about the Spanish and Portuguese Creative Writing Group
"Escribir es un proceso tan difícil a veces. Sin embargo, mi experiencia en el Grupo de Escritura Creativa en Español y Portugués no es así: a menudo vuelve a ser sencillo y divertido leernos y darnos feedback, y hacemos todo mensualmente. De ahí han salido proyectos personales muy bonitos y sé que saldrán más. A mí me ha ayudado académica y personalmente, ayudándome a recordar formas en las que puedo salir de mi cabeza, de mi investigación, de las preocupaciones diarias, y olvido lo necesario que es eso tan a menudo. Nunca sé cómo agradecerle al grupo el salir adelante, pero sé que siempre lo hago." Mikel Isusi Bermello
Martin Iniguez Diaz
Trina Orr
Spanish & Portuguese Department
Chemistry
agradables
su
nt
ec ho
r arhogar hogar hogar hog
Esas cosas son
agradables
rn oe
hogar hogar hogar hogar
Ho ga
rh og a
Un hogar no es una calle. Un hogar no es una calle
g ar Ho
t ec ho .U nh og a
Un hogar no son cuatro paredes
necesarias
Esas cosas son importantes
su
oe r n s un
Esas cosas son importantes
Un hogar no son cuatro paredes
oe rn
a og
Esas cosas son
ga ho Un
. ho ec nt
h Un
Poem's Description
Poem's Description
Un hogar no es un techo. Un hogar no es un techo. Un hogar no es un techo. Un hogar no son cuarto paredes. Esas casas son importantes necessarias. Esas cosas son importantes. Esas cosas son agradables. Esas cosas son agradables.Un hogar no es una calle. Un hogar no es una calle. Porque la verdad es que…a veces un hogar es una persona. Un hogar es…Hogar Hogar Hogar Hogar...Porque la verdad es que un hogar es un sentimiento, un hogar es una familia. Un hogar es…
En la vida, el apoyo mas importante es el apoyo de uno mismo porque quando estas en un punto mas bajo nadie estará contigo en cada paso del camino/excepto tú mismo Quando estés en tu punto más alto, todos te aplaudirán y felicitáran pero no se darán cuenta de todo el arduo trabajo que has realizado para llegár
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DESIRE TO HELP Interview with Veronica Meinhard, Ohio State's First Lady by Rolando Rubalcava Doctoral Candidate, English
“When I was little, I absolutely adored and worshipped my grandfather. My grandfather was a physician, a surgeon. We were very, very close… we lost him when I was fourteen, and I used to carry around his medicine bag” Verônica Meinhard 16
E
arlier this year, I sat down with Veronica Meinhard, philanthropist, swimmer, and First Lady of The Ohio State University. It’s never easy to have a chance to meet Latinx leaders in academia, in part because there are so few. To have a chance to sit down and interview one was a highlight during my time as Editor for our magazine. Mrs. Meinhard shared with QuePasa Magazine her experience moving to Columbus, Ohio and what it has been like. The dark cloud over this experience came from a public health crisis no one could have planned for: the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of this interview, she has been at OSU while never seeing swaths of students walking up and down campus, or having a preference between Jeni’s or Grater’s Ice Cream.
We sat down in the new Latinx Student Success center, hardly ever been occupied, wearing facemasks. When we started the interview, her calm and coolness reminded us that living with this virus is one of the many obstacles we will work to overcome. We continued to chat, amicably and with a dissipating fear of the virus outside. Mrs. Meinhard and I discussed her experiences moving to Ohio State. Learning about her work in the philanthropy sector was the most interesting, as it paired well with the story of her athletic background. Her journey towards philanthropy work was inspired by seeing the opportunities scholarships and donors bring to students, including herself. Mrs. Meinhard came to the United States from Venezuela on a swimming scholarship. It was her student athlete experience that taught her about hard work and persistence, exactly what philanthropy work interested in increasing opportunities for students in need is made of. “Any craft that requires you to invest a significant amount of time and get better at it, year after year after year, teaches you a lot of different things…I would say that a lot, most everything I have learned about leadership style and work ethic, I learned in the pool”, she shared. Speaking to Mrs. Meinhard reveals a person who found out how to weave a passion with a mission interested in helping others the way others have helped her. It’s not difficult to see how both of these areas have helped shape her point of view. How her athletics background and work ethic influenced how she works through challenges was beginning to be the overarching theme to our discussion. As her first year at OSU was wrapping up, we at QuePasa were interested in asking about something everyone was struggling with: How did you manage your first year while surviving a pandemic? “Swimming just has a way of focusing you. It’s an individual sport…you spend a lot of time in your head…I found the easiest way to
get through this is by finding a new routine”, she said. It’s always interesting to see how even leaders in high positions handle challenges, especially when their solutions are so similar to ours, sifting passed sourdough starter kits and Netflix ques, into the universal tools that will always be helpful. “In terms of support, Kristina has been phenomenal, and we’re always there for each other. And family, too…and then friends. We’re all sorta going through it”, she said, as we discussed the new routines we had to shape. The further we spoke, the less it was about speaking to a person in leadership, and more about someone who is genuinely interesting. She shared more about her interests, giving great answers. QP: Which do you prefer? Basketball or Football? VM: Both QP: Sopes or tortillas? VM: Both. I imagined asking my final question being so intimidated to ask, but that all went away as we came to a close. I asked, “What did you envision as your dream job when you were little girl, and did you imagine doing the work you do now when you were younger?” She shared this wonderful story about her grandfather, a surgeon, and how she emulated him, carrying his medicine bag around. Out of this story came more insight into the intersection of her childhood dreams and her interests in helping others. She closed her story, tying it all together, stating, “I have found that same nurturing spirit and that same desire to help others comes through in other ways…For me, it was that passion to help and serve because of the opportunities that it gives”. It is just as rare to find Latinx leaders in academia as it is to find leaders who emphasize what they can do for their students. Veronica Meinhard’s work encapsulates both, representing the kind of leaders we need. We are happy to see someone dedicated to helping others in such a leadership position, and look forward to seeing her work with our community.
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Cinema
BOLIVIANO by Gabriel Guzmán Camacho
Doctoral Student, Spanish & Portuguese
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ada que voy ver una película en salas de cine en Columbus, o incluso cuando busco por una en las grandes plataformas de difusión (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) que pretenden ser “a-territoriales” hay algo que me desconcierta; el poco acceso a las películas de donde vengo. Al parecer, el ingreso del cine boliviano al mercado de las plataformas digitales y audiovisuales no tiene el mismo flujo que otras regiones del mundo. El motivo a esta alienación tiene muchos factores de los que la difusión y la infraestructura industrial del cine local son algunos. Además, estos fenómenos culturales y políticos se discuten en las aulas aquí en los Estados Unidos. Con esto en mente, la organización estudiantil Abya Yala, con el apoyo de la profesora Elvia Andia Grageda y bajo la supervisión del profesor Nick Kawa, embarcamos el proyecto de traer un poco de cine boliviano contemporáneo a Columbus, Ohio. El 12 de agosto, durante cinco jueves seguidos, en el Gateway Film Center a las 7:30pm se proyectaron cinco películas bolivianas. Los títulos fueron: San Antonio (2011) dirigido por Álvaro Olmos; Lo más bonito y mis mejores años (2005) dirigido por Martín Boulocq; El olor de tu ausencia (2013) dirigido por Eddy Vásquez; Viejo Calavera (2016) dirigido por Kiro Russo; y Compañía (2019) dirigido por Miguel Hilari.
Compañía (2019), Miguel Hilari
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Las conversaciones abordaron temas como las fronteras, los sistemas alimenticios, los racismos en Brasil, el impacto del cambio climático en Latinoamérica y los movimientos feministas en Latinoamérica. La intención del grupo es dar la posibilidad de abrir espacios colectivos que permitan discutir una variedad de temáticas enfocadas sobre la región latinoamericana. Cualquier persona interesada en participar, colaborar, formar parte de nuestra organización, o simplemente conversar, escríbenos (abyayalastudentsosu@gmail.com) o a mi correo (guzmancamacho.1@osu.edu). Toda persona es bienvenida.
Poster Ciclo de Cine Boliviano - Gateway Film Center
Fue un acercamiento a algunas propuestas contemporáneas del cine dirigido por bolivianos. El proyecto trajo consigo al director Álvaro Olmos para que acompañara y compartiera en el ‘screening’ algunas palabras celebrando los diez años de su película, San Antonio. También, los cinco viernes comenzando con el 13 de agosto, en formato virtual, algunos estudiantes graduados, exalumnos de la Ohio State University y críticos del cine boliviano mantuvieron una conversación abierta al público con cada uno de los directores. Paralelamente, la plataforma digital Boliviacine mantuvo el acceso temporalmente gratuito para ver desde la comodidad de nuestras casas, en todo el mundo, las películas que se presentaron en Gateway Film Center. Como organización tenemos otras propuestas en marcha. Uno de los proyectos es Améfrica Landina; un podcast que cuenta con una serie de cinco episodios y que muy pronto retomará sus actividades. El grupo también realizó una serie de conversatorios sobre diferentes temáticas alrededor de los problemas que nos aquejan en estos tiempos cambiantes en Latinoamérica.
El evento del Ciclo de Cine Boliviano fue auspiciado por Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Center for Latin American Studies, Spanish and Portuguese Department, K’acha Willaykuna Andean and Amazonian Indigenous Art and Humanities, Anthropology Department, Comparative Studies; y co-organizado con Gateway Film Center y Boliviacine. Con el apoyo del suplemento cultural La Ramona de Bolivia, el Laboratorio de Comunicación Transmedia y el Laboratorio de Investigación en Comunicación y Humanidades de la Universidad Privada Boliviana.
Poster Lo más bonito y mis mejores años (2005), Martín Boulocq
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A LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY by Victor Mora
Associate Director
Dear Colleagues and Friends, I am writing to let you know that I will be retiring effective October 31, 2021. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this wonderful university for the last 31 years. It has been rewarding to work with a wonderful group of talented colleagues over the years in conceptualizing, developing, and improving tools that have significantly advanced methods and protocols for how the university conducts enrollment management. One of these is EMA. I was privileged to be one of its founding members and develop its approach to supporting the undergraduate outreach and recruitment efforts across the university. It has also been rewarding to have had the opportunity to contribute to the well-being of the Hispanic/ Latinx community at OSU in various capacities. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to work with many outstanding colleagues in the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of the Provost, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, The Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and the Center for Latin American Studies. I came to Ohio State in 1990, to head the Hispanic Affairs component of the Office of Minority Affairs (now Office of Diversity and Inclusion). In the mid 1990’s, I transitioned to the Office of Admissions where I could apply my background in marketing at a larger scale. Despite this change in career, my engagement and commitment to the Hispanic/Latinx community continued over the years. In the early 1990’s I worked with faculty, staff and students and the central administration in the implementation of the Hispanic Action Plan. Resources and initiatives were channeled through the Hispanic Oversight Committee, which reported directly to the provost. We addressed community needs, such as academic enrichment, adaptational support services, methods to keep our community connected, and cultural affirmation and enrichment initiatives. Some examples of these initiatives that resulted from these collaborative and dedicated efforts include: • The creation of the Latino Studies minor in Comparative Studies • The creation of a Latinx psychologist at Counseling and Consultation Services to provide support to students with cultural adaptational issues • The creation of ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? to provide a mechanism to keep our comunity connected
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(Thanks to the support from Jim Mager and other leaders, this magazine operated in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, receiving the space and the administrative and technical support for 16 years. I managed this operation under the direction and guidance of an editorial board) • The allocation of funds for cultural enrichment events, which were channeled through the Organization for Hispanic Faculty and Staff (now known as OLE) Some examples of accomplishments include: • The Student Needs Assessment Survey of 2003 sponsored with Student Life, which helped address issues and experiences of students • In 2003 there was also the Ecuadorian Cultural Ambassadors group, which brought a blend of music, paintings, and lectures to OSU with a focus on colonial times • In 2007 there was the theatrical performance by New York city’s Repertorio Espanol, with a performance at the Wexner Center that featured a play by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Nobel laureate in Literature • More recently, OHLFS was able to bring to Ohio State renowned Argentinian musicians to perform the first ever Latin American Music Celebration. The programming of events celebrated the diversity of Latin musical accomplishments that were arranged by OHLFS members in conjunction with our School of Music. I want to thank the many individuals and organizations who worked so diligently and selflessly over the years to bring into reality initiatives that enriched both our university and the larger community. The list is so vast that I could not include all. So, thank you, everyone! I’ve enjoyed your colleagueship. I hope the few individuals I list represent the large collective group of wonderful people I had the privilege to work with and learn from: Faculty members: Omar Barriga, Jamie Cano, Raul Herrera, Keith Kilty, Ignacio Corona, Pat Enciso; Jose Cabral, Jose Castro, Michelle Wibbelsman. Professional staff: Carmen Alvarez-Breckenridge, Ernesto Escoto, Normando Caban; Yolanda Zepeda. Students: Claudia Moreno, Ezra Escudero, Paula Gonzalez, and many other student leaders of student organizations. Thank you all for your willingness to work alongside me and others in making the OSU community better and stronger. Your encouragement, support, and advice have been invaluable. With best regards, Victor Mora Congratulations Victor Mora, on your retirement after 31 years of service!
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Lessons Learned:
Consejos for Future Academics by Jessica Rivera, PhD
Education Studies
When I left Wisconsin, I planned to never return to the Midwest. Mostly because I had missed the sunshine in Texas, and I had grown tired of the cold, snowy winters. But when the professor I wanted to work with moved from the University of Texas at San Antonio to Ohio State, I decided to apply to a program at OSU. After being admitted, I remember visiting the campus and being nervous about my decision to start a doctoral program. Here I was again, moving away from my family and community, but I knew I wanted to grow and learn more. It is hard to believe that my journey started over four years ago. I can definitely say that my time at Ohio State went by quickly. Here, I want to share some of the lessons I’ve learned for future graduate students. There is a community here, but you have to put in the work and effort to build that community. When I first got to campus, I knew it would be important to connect with other people on campus. However, I did not think it would be a challenge. I attended events in my program and events on campus for graduate students and Latinx students, but due to busy schedules, it was often hard to find time to connect with people outside of classes or events. I had to be intentional when spending time with friends, like studying, making dinners, or scheduling activities weeks in advance. It took effort but having a community through graduate school helps! You have to advocate for yourself.
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No one will explain everything to you; make sure to seek out resources and ask for help. It is no secret that doctoral programs can be a challenge. One of my biggest challenges has been asking for help. Part of that is due to a sense of imposter syndrome and feeling like I have to prove myself as a Latina. But I have learned that everyone gets help in graduate school. Some people don’t talk about the struggles they face and the help they receive. Don’t be afraid to ask for the support you need. It’s easy to compare yourself to others, but everyone has traveled a different path to get here. This is your journey, do it at your pace, with your goals in mind. People around you will talk about their success or progress, which at times has made me feel like I am not doing enough. But then I realize that everyone has a different goal, and it is okay for me to focus on what is most important to me. You will be challenged as a student, but in facing those challenges, you are growing. This journey has been challenging. Most of my issues have not always been academic but instead, challenge why I am here. I have gained a critical lens that has forced me to look at myself and question my purpose. Although it has been a difficult journey, I know that those challenges are helping me grow. You might want to quit many times, but you have to remember your reason
for being here. Everyone has bad days in graduate school. There is a reason why most people do not have a doctorate. When I hit those hard days, I tried to remember why I decided to pursue this degree. I have the opportunity to be in this space, and I have to make sure I make the most of it. Take time to take care of yourself. No one else will think about your health, so you need to make sure you are prioritizing it. It is easy to get burned out when you are in a program that puts pressure on your productivity. Working long hours is normalized in academia, so people will not question you when you compromise your health for work. Make sure you always put your health first; if you are not healthy, you will not bring your best self to your work. Academia can be a toxic place, but there are some gems. Make sure to seek those out and stay connected to them.
As a Latina, I often faced racism, sexism, colleagues seeing me as competition, and other tensions. I felt like I did not belong in this place because most of the messaging I was receiving communicated that I did not belong. However, I was able to find some amazing people on campus who were uplifting and validated my experiences. They reminded me that I did belong. Find your gems! You are more than your intelligence and productivity; you are a whole person. Don’t forget that. Academia measures your success based on your productivity, but you are more than that. It is okay for you to bring your humanity into the classroom. If life happens, it is okay to prioritize the important things. I leave you all with the quote from Gloria Anzaldua tha reminded me of why I started this journey!
“I write to record what others erase when I speak, to rewrite the stories others have miswritten about me, about you.”
Jessica Rivera and Qué Pasa Team at The Bottle Shop - Spring 21
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¿DÓNDE ESTÁ MI ‘AMÁ? by Irma J. Zamora Fuerte
Doctoral Student, English Department
Crecí entendiendo y confundiendo lo que era y lo que no era. Que vivíamos en Estados Unidos, pero no, mis padres son mexicanos. “¿Entonces soy mexicana?” preguntaba a mi mamá. “Pos, sí y no. Tú naciste aquí, entonces eres mexicoamericana.” respondía. Cuando decían mis padres que no tenían papeles, decía que yo tampoco. “No, tú eres ciudadana.” A final de cuentas no entendía ni me importaba esto, pues no era cosa que afectara a quién le iba en partidos de fútbol. Y aunque entendía que había diferencias entre mis padres y yo, no entendía la profundidad del impacto de estas diferencias hasta que estuve casi dos semanas sin mi mamá. En la primavera del 2000 Mami decidió llevarme a mí y a mi hermanita, Jenny, a México. No nos dijo muy bien el porqué, pero sabía que era por algo importante. Aunque era algo muy emocionante, mis padres estaban ansiosos. Murmuraban entre sí y seguía escuchando la palabra “migra”. No sabía bien qué era eso, pero entendía que era algo malo. ¿De qué estarán preocupados? ¿Sería el dinero? Tal vez le tienen miedo al avión— mami nunca se sube a las montañas rusas. Las ansias de Mami desaparecieron al llegar a Petatlán, Guerrero. Y pensé que todo iba a estar bien y que nada más era un mal entendimiento. Pero Mami se puso nerviosa otra vez cuando regresábamos a California. El viaje de regreso a California fue confuso y complicado. Viajamos a Tijuana en avión con Mami. Ahí, mis padrinos recogieron nada 24
más a Jenny y a mí. Mi mamá se fue en un camión “a ver unas amistades.” Se despidió casi llorando--“nos vemos pronto”. Mis padrinos manejaron directamente a Santa Ana después de que Mami se fue. No recuerdo mucho del viaje excepto que Jenny preguntaba seguido que si ya casi llegábamos o si íbamos con mamá. Estaba distraída con el viaje y molesta con Jenny que me sorprendió cuando vimos una parada—era la frontera, pero no sabía qué era en ese entonces. No había mucho tráfico así que cruzar fue rápido y quedé dormida. No desperté hasta después cuando mi papá ya estaba cargando Jenny a su carro. Entonces grité “¡¿Y mi mamá?! ¡¿Dónde está mi ‘amá?!” No la podía ver en el carro de mis padrinos ni en la troca de mi papá. Estábamos en un estacionamiento y no había nadie alrededor salvo un bote de basura. “¡¿Dónde está mami?!” Mi madrina me tuvo que calmar, diciéndome que me calamara para que no despertara a Jenny. Me calmé poquito, pero lloré durante el viaje a casa—mi papá obviamente enfadado. Durante 11 días—los conté—no supimos nada de Mami. Durante 11 días vimos mucha televisión, jugamos afuera, no nos teníamos que bañar seguido ni limpiar después de comer. Durante 11 días, nos quedamos solas cuando Papá iba a trabajar, comimos comida rápida casi todos los días porque él no sabía cocinar, y Jenny me despertaba para que durmiera conmigo porque tenía miedo “a los
monstruos”. “¿Dónde está ‘amá?” Le preguntábamos todos los días a mi papá. Y siempre contestaba “ya viene mañana.” Al llegar el día 12, “¿Dónde está ‘amá?” Finalmente contestó “Viene en la tarde, la vamos a recoger. Así que alístense.” Ese día, mi papá nos ordenó bañarnos y limpiamos la casa. Al terminar, viajamos a un lugar que parecía lejos de Santa Ana. Duramos bastante manejando hasta que llegamos a una Wal-Mart. Ahí esperamos en el estacionamiento por lo que parecía horas sin terminar. De repente apareció una camioneta grande y negra. Tenía las ventanas tintadas. “Ya llegó el coyote. Ustedes quédense aquí.” Dijo mi papá. Jenny, como siempre, vino al frente de la troca para tener mejor vista conmigo de papá. Afuera vimos a mi papá hablando con un señor. ¡Mi mamá estaba en la camioneta! “¡Mami!” gritamos y empecé a abrir la puerta, pero mi papá nos gritó con urgencia que no nos moviéramos. Papá le dio un sobre al señor y ayudó Mami a salir del carro. Caminaron hacia nosotros y la camioneta se fue. Ahora si pudimos correr hacia mi mamá y nos abrazó muy fuerte. Tenía lágrimas en los ojos, pero no lloró sólo pidió que fuéramos a comer. Comimos tacos afuera, cerca de un campo, en la parte de atrás de la troca. Ahí le pudimos preguntar “¿Por qué te tardaste? ¿Dónde estabas?” “Tuve que cruzar la frontera a pie. La migra me cachó una vez y tuve que regresar a Tijuana. Cuando crucé la segunda vez me lastimé y el señor me tuvo que ayudar.” Aquí se subió el pantalón y nos enseñó su tobillo todo moreteado e hinchado. “Pero, ¿por qué no pudiste manejar con nosotros?” “Porque no puedo, m’ija. No tengo papeles.” 25 Unsplash, Aaron Lau
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LSS Mural at LSS Center, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
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LOOKING FOR A HOME BASE ON CAMPUS The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is proud to open its doors to the Latinx Student Success (LSS) Center, the university’s first Latinx-focused student space designed specifically to promote learning, collaboration, and a sense of belonging. With a variety of flexible work spaces and furnishings, the Center gives students a place to connect with others, to study or collaborate, or just to hang out. It is staffed by a team of students who are dedicated to the academic success of Latinx students on campus. Reporting to the assistant vice provost for diversity and inclusion, the LSS team brings a variety of perspectives and professional experiences to create a welcoming space for all. Stop in at 200 Hale Hall and make the LSS Center your campus home base.
LSS Team 1- Miles Reyes (they/them/ella) is a second-year graduate student in the English department at OSU. They are from San Diego, California, and enjoy spending time with their cat, August. 2- Gino Moretta (he/him/él) is a second-year undergraduate student and online content creator studying Comparative Literature and Spanish. He enjoys working out, fashion, skateboarding, cooking, and painting. 3- Stefania Torres-Grisales (she/they/elle) is a current grad student in the one-year ASAProgram earning their Master’s in Social Work. They did their Bachelor’s in Social Work at Ohio State as well. Stefania is of Colombian heritage and is from Columbus. They enjoy traveling, dancing, cooking, and hammocking. 4- Monica Quezada (she, her, hers, ella) is a first-year PhD student in the Higher Education & Student Affairs (HESA) program. She enjoys trying new foods and phone/video calls with her family in California.
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Why we support a COVID-19 vaccination requirement? by Qué Pasa Team Office of Diversity and Inclusion
The Qué Pasa editorial team supports Ohio State’s vaccination policy. Our reasons are personal, and we share them with you: To Do My Part Rolando Rubalcava, Department of English
Rolando Rubalcava
I read an article last year in July. It wasn’t really an article, as it was a list of names: Healthcare workers who lost their lives to COVID while on the frontlines of the pandemic. I was angry, heartbroken, shrunken by despair. I’m not an epidemiologist, or in the healthcare industry, so what can I do about this? Getting the vaccine helped provide that opportunity to do my part. Once I got it, I became a huge vaccine advocate. My parents got it, my siblings, and many of my friends got it shortly after. After my second shot, one of the first things I did was fly home and see people the CDC said I should stay socially distant from until after getting vaccinated. Hugging loved ones almost started to feel linke a lost traditions. I don’t know how our new sense of normal will shape into. All I know is that some really smart people got together and made it possible to feel normal again, whatever that ever meant.
Soulmates
Luiza Correa, Department of Design
Getting the vaccine shot was an act of love for myself and my friends, my community. How could I be happy, feel nurtured and successful without having their company? How could I stand the chance of being the source of their infection? My fam is my family here, they are my soul mates. Going through graduate school without them would be just impossible!” 28
Halloween Party!
For Family and Friends Jessica Rivera, Department of Educational Studies
During the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was very nervous about getting COVID because I wasn’t sure how my body would react to the virus. Hearing that so many people were dying from this virus increased the anxiety that I was already feeling. Because people in my family have compromised immune systems, I was also nervous about what could happen if they contracted the virus. Although I was worried about getting the vaccine, I realized that I would be more stressed out if I didn’t get it. Getting the vaccine has allowed me to have a peace of mind when traveling to ASHE Conference visit family and friends. Recently I learned that one of my sister’s friends and her mom ended up in the hospital with COVID. Unfortunately, they both had not received the vaccine because of misinformation from their church. A couple of weeks ago, the mom passed away. It has made me realize how serious this virus is and how important it is to protect yourself against it.
Creating the world I want to live in Yolanda Zepeda, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
We create the world we live in. The world I want to live in is a world where each of us does what we can to make all of us healthier and happier. Getting a vaccine to eliminate COVID is such a tiny effort when weighed against the 700,000 deaths it has caused in the US. COVID doesn’t discriminate, but we know that our health care systems, environmental risks, and mortality patterns do. I want to create a world where life chances are not determined by race or class or any other demographic. The vaccine will help us eliminate COVID and help reduce its destructive impact on our most vulnerable families, neighbors, and friends. If we each get the vaccine, then we all create a world where we all can be healthier and happier.
Kids enjoying the summer in Ohio
Check you are elegible for a booster or third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Wexner Medical Center Website https://bit.ly/3GEeqi8 29
Celebración del
Día de Los Muertos
The Día de los Muertos Festival is an annual celebration sponsored by the Ohio Arts for Humanity and held at Greenlawn Cemetery. Under the leadership of Professor Paloma Martinez-Cruz, Latina/o Studies, multiple Ohio State offices and programs participate.
Frida Kahlo ofrenda at the Museo de Frida during Day of the Dead in Mexico City, roamingaroundtheworld.com
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Dia de los Muertos at the Green Lawn Cemetery by Latino Arts for Humanity
La Catrina by Susan O'Dell.
Ixchel in the bird and Isa carrying the baby by Leticia Vasquez-Smith
DJ Felipe Revilla and Mexica Dancer Felix Hernandez by Leticia Vasquez-Smith
Ofrenda Honoring loved ones. by Leticia Vasquez-Smith
Ohio State Professor Paloma Martinez-Cruz by Peyton Del Toro
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¿Qué Pasa, Ohio State? The Ohio State University Hale Hall, Suite 200 154 West 12th Avenue Columbus, OH 43210-1132
Connect with Qué Pasa on Social Media:
