I remember growing up, I was a big fan of the TV show “That 70's Show." It had a catchy intro and featured a group of teenagers, one of them even a migrant like me! In one episode, one of the characters went ring shopping for his girlfriend. The store owner tried to help him choose a ring by putting it on and pretending to be her. However, the boyfriend was “thrown off” by the … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Love Yourself When You’re Undocumented in the US
From one immigrant to another, I know many people will say you could've done "it" differently. We are judged, demonized, and under constant attack. The broken US immigration system, meanwhile, tries to intimidate us into believing we have no choices left, that we must accept whatever fate a judge decides for us. But remember that your migration to this country meant choosing … [Read more...]
7 Things My Unruly, Curly Hair Taught Me About Being Unapologetically Latinx
Growing up, people would always asked me about my hair, about my skin, about my eyes, about my mother, about my grandmother. Anti-blackness would prompt these questions to become inquiries, attempting to trace back lineage beyond dialogue, and into imaginary stories that may have been true or may have not. In their eyes, my hair symbolized something foreign, something … [Read more...]
Art as Resistance: 7 Undocumented Artists You’ll Want to Follow
When I wake up in the morning, I always reach for my phone. The best mornings start with cumbias in the background. I put on my favorite mix, and throw on a shirt, made by the homies from the IYC. I text my friend Paula, and we chat about upcoming shows and concerts, we talk about ideas for our community, and as my eyes travel across the art on my walls, I sigh. My mornings and … [Read more...]
This Summer I Stopped Hiding: Reclaiming Femmeness and Body Hair
Summer is here, and so are the haters. As the temperatures rise, so do people’s expectations of our bodies and behaviors, of what we can wear and what we should hide. Society has taught us that there is a certain aesthetic to a “summer body”, but what are all other bodies supposed to do during the season then? Hide and wait for fall to begin? This summer I choose to … [Read more...]
What I Learned at Standing Rock: Being Latinx And a Settler
Growing up in Peru, I was taught to be very proud of my heritage. I grew up hearing stories of my people from my teachers, my mother, and my grandmother. They would often tell me to be proud of where I came from, but they would also then compare our ancestors to the current state of our country. “How could we have been so wise, only to now be struggling like this?” I would … [Read more...]
