José David Saldívar, Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley, once wrote, “Unless we can relate the struggle of U.S.-Mexico people against exploitation in the past, we shall not fully understand our own present and so will be less able to change it. [Chicano/a poetics] must be part of our liberation from tokenism, condescension, racism, and oppression, and that is why it is well worth pursuing.”

It’s this quote that cemented what I wanted to be doing as a writer. I grew up in a neighborhood named after Ruben Salazar, a Mexican-American reporter who was killed for his work to reveal the extent of racism and police brutality against the Mexican people in the 60s. In my neighborhood, El Sala, was a huge mural dedicated to him. Growing up, I had no idea who he was. I never learned about him in school. I never once thought to research him myself until I came across him while writing my college thesis. Everything he was fighting against is happening right now. Oppression, subjugation, and demonization of the Mexican people.

As an artist, this is where my heart lies. With family on both sides of the border, I want my work to take the steps that Saldívar calls for. I want to highlight my culture’s history while also exploring the ways communities like mine tackle the world at large.