Through this study I have come closer to my culture, my family and I have desired more and more to express myself in that way, but I live in Vermont. I am not saying that Vermont is not an accepting place, it is, I just don’t look Mexican, and I’m not Mexican I am Chicana. I am just afraid to express myself culturally because people might think that I am trying to assume an identity instead of trying to be a part of my own. I hate it when people say, “Oh! Your Mexican? You don't look Mexican”, because you’d think I already knew that because I have a mirror, I see that I don't look like my Mom, or her Mom or my Tías. I have been unconsciously expressing myself through The Laughing Woman and Giants, they are paintings of the desert and of celebration (Laughing Woman) and discovery (Giants).
CPUS HistoryAt the moment I am in CPUS History with Glenn and as this class goes on and on I keep waiting for us to learn about our relationship with Mexico, the Mexican people or the Mexican Americans in this country but we never do. We skipped of the Mexican American War because that apparently didn't happen. We have these projects where we choose a famous person or events that influenced a certain century, Glenn usually puts the list up on the board and each time there have been no Mexican Americans or any event that has to do with them. We have gotten up to the 1930s now and if it isn’t in the curriculum for him to teach us about Mexicans/Mexican Americans I decided I am going to. So I did a little research and found the Mexican Repatriation act where the US and local governments kicked out up to 2 million Mexicans and Mexican Americans during the great depression due to the national need and anxiety for jobs.
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With TataDuring this past quarter I Facetimed with my tata at least once a week, when we Facetime the majority of the time we speak in Spanish but sometimes when I don't understand what he said we speak in English to clear up the content of the conversation. Last semester I read with my Tata while we met, this quarter our meeting usually consist of conversational Spanish which is good because that is what I need to work on, I need to improve speaking unrehearsed Spanish because life isn’t scripted. Our topic of conversation varies, a veces I talk about my weekend, or what is stressing me just simple things that we can build conversations on. Along with this I would do little routines like listening to a 5 to 20 minute podcasts in Spanish and I would try to do Duolingo everyday but I forget like every other day.
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With Karli
Starting about two weeks into the quarter Karli and I have been having lunch and speaking Spanish together during third band on Monday. We decided that Karli would bring dishes from Spain and I would bring dishes from Mexico. Karli brought in things like Paella, bocadillo and tortillas de España, and I brought in things like Pozole rojo, Pan Dulce y Horchata, and Enchiladas. I wanted to get all of the recipes from my Tía Dalia but I usually ran out of time when I made these dishes so I just googled how to make them. I did get the recipe for the Enchiladas from her and damn they were good.