Mi existir es Resistirissue II

Part I

WHO ARE YOU?What’s your story?

Que te inspira?What do you listen to?

Que lees?

Por que luchas? Por quien?

De dónde vienes? A dónde vas?

Que has aprendido?Que te ha enseñando la vida?

Beautiful peoplesharing their stories,

their struggles,their advice,

Their causas and luchas and vidas,

Beautiful people,Viviendo,

Sobreviviendo,Resistiendo

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René Melara

I'm an introverted queer person of color

(qpoc) who is determined to have a positive impact

in the lives of others.

Three of the most important books I've ever readare The Perks of Being a Wallflower,

The Little Prince, and The Art of Happiness.

I think these have had such a strong impact on me because they all have a common theme in

staying true to who you are, even if the rest of the world seems to be against you.

Also, I read the first two books when I was lost in the sea of dreams in my head when I was in high school,

and they gave me a lot of hope for who I was and who I would be in life.

I guess they make me nostalgic for that time.

My words of advice are to never be too hard on yourself and learn and love to forgive yourself. It's hard to make ends meet out there, and you gotta always give yourself the opportunity to do what you think is right! And surround yourself with people that make that easy.

I've always felt most comfortable and at ease when I help others with all kinds of stuff, and in the past couple years, my understanding of my qpoc identity has given me a much deeper appreciation to the establishment and importance of community and what it means to take care of your community.

Non-oppressive and transformative social work and community organizing is what lies ahead for me and I'm ready to start social working out!

I was born in Mexico, and several months after

I came to the US. My home is here. Soy Americana no documentada.

Jacky acosta

I'm currently stuck in a phase. I'm depressed and embarrassed at the same time.

I graduated from college with a bachelors degree in psychology and social behavior. My diploma hangs on the wall, gathering dust.

It is simply a piece of paper that looks pretty. I work at a cafe. Every morning, I hate myself for wakin up. What if I just sleep through my alarms, and wake up whenever my body is ready. Would I get fired? Mi lucha es existir. Mi causa es ser Feliz. For a long time I was involved in the Dream movement. I advocated, I organized. Fui fuerte. Pero el movimiento se olvida de ti. Cuando te gradúas, you are lost sometimes forgotten.

manu chao-clandestino miles davis-nature boy

nina simone-sinnerman chavela vargas-que te vaya bonito

1984, orwell. God of Small Things, Roy.

Invitation to a beheading, Nabokov. These books made me appreciate story telling, politics, romance, his-

tory, ideologies. I definitely recommend.

my mother, she inspires me someway or another.Con querer todo se puede. Find what inspires you -what you love and what you feel passionate about and don't give it up. Pa' lante.

the news but for it to be formally archived and considered to be officially

MArilynn montaÑo

I roam las calles de SanTana ...

I am a Xicana storyteller through writing, poetry and multi-media artivism.

I am the daughter of undocumented parents and I am the first in my fa-mily to graduate from high school.

I am currently a Santa Ana College student majoring in Xicana/o Studies.

My long-term goal is to obtain a PH.D in Chicano/a Studies and follow my real passion:

Artivist Storyteller,that documents the stories of the voices behind the

struggles,organizing, arts y mas.

I plan to not only write but also archive the upcoming new history and herstory to preserve,

share and for the community to be empowered on their on-going autonomous movement .

Most importantly for our movement not to just be another headline in the news but for it to be formally archived and considered to be officially

taught through public school textbooks.I had opportunities to write for news print media such as

OC Register, Voice of OC, and OC Weekly. ZMy poetry has been published in Santanero Zine,

Mujeres de Maiz, Barrio Writers, and Tortilla Power Zine.

I am the co-founder of Coyolxauhqui Circle for Young Womyn, a healing circle for young womyn, about young womyn and by young womyn that meets every Friday at El Centro Cultural de Mexico in Santa Ana.

I am the program coordinator for Barrio Writers,a non-profit that empowers teens through creative writing, higher educa-tion, and cultural arts.

Look out soon for La Marilynn y sus “LOS PIESITOS” at a website near you documenting las estorias de la gente behind the cocina, mural, mic, organizing, picket sign etc...You can find me sipping on a Café de Olla at Café Calacas…

3-5 song playlist that helps pick you up/inspire you when you’re feeling down:

Joven Navegante- Chicano BatmanTiempo Pa Pensa-Julieta Venegas & Mala Rodriguez

Las Cosas Por Su Nombre-Ana TijouxMe Voy- La Santa Cecilia

Obstaculo- Ana Tijoux

3 books and why/how they inspire(d) you:Borderlands by Gloria Anzualdua – One of my good companera’s gave me this book and I like to carry her words in my bag for inspiration y reminder that I must not conform but be my own.

House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros-She is one of the authors I started reading in high school a lot in my own account because high school had books that did not grasp my attention..

& I want to share that reading Junie B Jones y Captin Underpants books as a young girl is the reason why I don’t just conform but I’ve broken into being my own rare y (good) weird.

Someone you go to for advice advice/inspiration/support: I am very blessed to have awesome-chingon inspiring gente around me that I can talk to for advice or just to hear me out. I can’t just say a specific person porque I don’t want to bring any left-out.. However having a space as Coyolaxuhqui Circle has really empowered me as young mujer to keep on lu-chando because organizing has no age.

3. Words of Wisdom:It is never too late to start-

whether it’s organizing, artivism, public narrative etc. has no age, don’t let yourself be tamed by what others might say…

do what the heart feels!

Look at yourself in the mirror there are always going to be people putting

expectations y so-called constructive criticism on you but remember to take them as a suggestions that you have the ability to either follow y conform or

turn around y take your own route.

(Love advice) If you like someone please put yourself out there even if the love is not cor-responded at least you stepped it up and fuck the whole gender roles... just

do it!

emmanuel maciasSoy Meño

An extravert, loud, direct, yet gentle and firm

Give me a reason and I’ll do soPero no más porque quiero…yo mismo

I know this shit. I’m not blindYou can’t fool me, but you can damn sure frustrated me.

I am uniqueOne—Yet so manyTry to tear me apart and suck me into your capitalistic bullshitHomie I ain’t blind, ya te dijeBeen breaking them stereotypes since day oneWe ain’t stupid, we just ahead of all this non sense.

Soy el/la chingonxBorn and raised in Eastern Oregon,Mi sangre viene desde la sierra de DurangoIndijenxMexicanxWe crossed some border? do you know about manifest destiny…DO YOU KNOW ABOUT AZTLÁNYeah pendejx…awkward.

I am EmmanuelGood ole EM-MA-NUEL, PROUNCED IN ESPAÑOLI love my family, though they don’t understand my sense of selfI love my cultura, though this individualistic environment shadows thyI love my body; caramel bronze textured by Macías furI love me, educated fucking QPOC…confused, look it upAthlete, bailadorx, el/la pinche chef.

Soy MeñoLoving, accepting, classy, fucking fiercePero qué es fierce…You………………………………YOUWe all have our own story; our own unique storyYOU determine whether to be a crowd reinforcing the cycle of oppressionOrProvoking, challenging, and NOT GIVING A SHIT.

Porque its ALL been a constructionEither you understand me, disagree, or………

What’s my story? What motivates me?I think what motivates me every single day

are the inequalities, injustices, manipulation, and mass-capitalistic shit that our gente encounter.

The fact that we are continuing to be thrown into jobs and positions where we are exposed to harsh

working conditions, labor homes, sweatshops, and stereotype chingaderas, is ridiculous.

This country doesn’t understand the struggles our gente faces like separation in familias/support,

difficulties queer undocumented youth encounter, accessibility to higher education,

or immigration statuses.

Furthermore, I hate looking back at my hometown and seeing folks within the queer community and Latinx community become another

statistic of dropping out of school, not pursuing higher education, get-ting pregnant, etc.

There are so many factors that play into this and it doesn’t help when one lives in a rural environment in which there are little resources and accessibility for these individuals.

I find myself in a privilege situation, seeing that I was able to step out of Hermiston, pursue higher education and be exposed to Oregon, the Northwest, and South America.

It is my obligation and responsibility to out-reach back to my community and gente, be a resource for them, share my story as a gay hombre, feminist, Chicanx, athlete, fierce-meow.

I love me some Calle 13 or Los Tigres del Norte. Whether I am listening to Prepárame la Cena, Latinoamérica, Baile de los Pobres

Más Americanos-Jose Pérez LeónSomos it reminds me of the impacts that neoliberalism, capitalism, privatization, and laissez faire has in Latino América.

Words of wisdom: You are fierce.

We are all unique individuals with so much to offer. Don’t let the struggles and inequalities one faces

determine your fate. Remember that times are changing;

demographics will not be the same in the next 20-30 years.

La lucha sigue, el movimiento sigue, go on with your fabulous self and rock privilege

ass people’s boats.