High Tech High Mechista Magazine Vol. 2 Part 2 (2023)

Summer

IS COMING! P R O F I L E S

PLANS FOR OUR SENIORS Our seniors are about to embark into the next phases of their lives. This will be a time of growth and learning how to be an adult. This is an exciting time and this will profile two seniors and their future plans along with their journies getting here.

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AMANDY DEL NERY My plan for the future is to major in Global Studies at UC Berkeley with a focus on Latin America in a global context. I am planning on doing a semester abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and another in Barcelona, Spain. I am contemplating pursuing a career in government, perhaps as a diplomat in the United Nations, or being involved in some sort of non-profit organization with an international focus. Committing to Berkeley was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. Having to leave my mom, boyfriend, cats, and friends for higher education is a sacrifice of comfort but an investment of resources. I owe my success to everyone who contributed to my development and I want to gain as many tools as possible to make their investments in me pay off. Whatever you do, life won’t be easy. You will have to make difficult choices, you will have to sacrifice things you love and you will have to do things you don’t want to. Be brave and don’t forget why you’re making those hard decisions. You owe it to yourself to discover what you’re capable of.

Hello! My name is Jafet Perez. I am a senior at High Tech High Media Arts, and I am currently committed to UC Irvine where I will be majoring in Educational Sciences! I feel proud of this new journey because I will be the first person in my family to attend college. All my life I have been surrounded by strong, powerful people. Mis padres, my Abueltios, Tias, Tios and family friends all played an important role in my personality. My faith and trust in God has guided me in making everyday decisions and I trust that he will keep helping me in my future. Making new friendships in college is what I am looking forward to. Forming a bond with different types of people, from different cultures and backgrounds. I can't wait to embark on this amazing new journey! Never forgetting where I came from!

Jafet Perez

MAGAZINE

VOLUME #2

WHAT DOES IT

Mean?

LET US EXPLAIN THERE ARE MANY OLD AND NEW TERMS IN THE COMMUNITY; LET US EXPLAIN WHAT THEY ALL MEAN

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a person of Latin American origin or descent (used as a gender-neutral or nonbinary alternative to Latino or Latina).

relating to Spain or to Spanish-speaking countries, especially those of Latin America.

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Chicana/o/x is a chosen identity for many Mexican Americans in the United States.

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BEING BROWN IN A WHITE STATE

Tell us more Senior of HTH Media Arts , Jafet Perez talks about his time at the Mountain School in Vermont in this tell all interview. We explore transitioning between schools and being a person of color in.a majority white area.

Lucía López: Hi Jafet!

LL: At the Mountain School, were there kids from internationally or nationally?

Jafet Perez: Hey Lucia how are you?

LL: I'm good. How are you?

JP: I'm doing amazing.

LL: Okay, so introduce yourself. Who are you?

JP: Well, my name is Jafet Perez and I'm a senior at High Tech High Media Arts. I am super excited to be here and be part of this amazing project that Lucía offered me.

LL: Thank you. Okay, so I thought that today we look at, or we talk about your experiences in Vermont. So I don't know too much about it, but just kind of give me like an overview, like, how long were you there?

JP: I lived in Vermont for four months. I found the Mountain School through a Zoom info-session. I did my research and talk to my parents; they said yes. I was living in like a college environment from August to December. However, there was not a lot of diversity. I was the only brown person in my dorm, so I felt that huge culture shock. I did feel homesick in the beginning. I felt the opportunity to, show off my culture to the people there. I feel I brought something new to the table.

LL: What initially brought you to the Mountain School?

JP: I took the opportunity to take AP and Honors classes, which HTH doesn't have. I also went there because they were well-known and they emphasized a pre-college like experience. I'm a first-gen Latino student and I don't know a lot about the college system. I saw this as a way to stand out. You could say, it makes me be like more. It made me more comfortable, you know, navigate into college wasn't everything. And it didn't, I demonstrated to myself that I could, like, you know, take care of myself, I could be I mess up my time management there.

Because I was always on top of my work. So that's what that's my what's the Mountain School because of the college-like environment that they had.

JP: They were all the United States there was there was like one student who was from you the UK, but there was like only one student. But like most of them will be from East Coast. Some of them were like from Ohio from upstate New York. Some of them were like, you know, like very like, far away from the west west side of the of the US. LL: Did you like going over there and deciding to attend the Mountain School? Did you kind of have in mind that there would be Mexicans over there? Were you wondering if there would be?

JP: Well, I was I, I was more scared of like, you know, leaving San Diego for four months. I think about that.

But once I got there, I immediately felt you know, like, you know, what, like, like, I stopped myself, and I didn't see myself in any other people there. So I was like, This is so like, I never thought about, uh, you know, it will only be like, mostly white, it will only be you know, there won't be a lot of like, Hispanic or Latino people there, you know. I think like, I thought that I had this, like, I have this done in my head that, you know, like, we live in such like an advanced, you know, year like, three, I'm pretty sure you know, like, people know, like to be diverse and everything but, and demonstrated to me that not everywhere, you can see like a Hispanic or Latino.

LL: Do you did you like find that people were not educated on the Mexican culture over there?

JP: Yeah, there were a lot of stereotypes. Lots of racist comments. One time, I was helping out with farming, and a girl said 'Oh, just that you're gonna be good at that because you're Mexican.' That stuck with me. I'm thought, 'Wow, it's 2020 and people still say things like this.'

LL: Do you feel that there was any support from staff to bring awareness? Or to be anti-racist and prevention?

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JP: Yeah. I didn't see like, Hispanic, or Latino teachers there. My Spanish teacher who was actually she, she was white, but she went, like, she just studied Spanish from like a boat. So she smelled like professionals. And, you know, I speak street vendors, like, because I didn't go to school to success. So I feel like I didn't, I didn't like get the, the, the support that I needed as a Hispanic Latino student, and as a Latino student. Because I feel like it wasn't. I felt like I was in. At the beginning, I feel like I wasn't open to express myself, really, especially to the teachers, you know, I don't know why it was just so weird for me to like, talk to them about my culture, and like, talk to them about like, my, my own, you know, how I feel to be like Mexican American. But as soon as you know, the racist racism started with this specific girl, or like this specific person, you know, that you were reaching out to people in a small amount of students of color there. And we're like talking to them and like, you know, expressing them. And they like made this group called BIPOC affinity group, where like, you know, people of color from the school were like, meaning there on Tuesdays and Thursdays to talk about like, you know, how does it feel to be a person of color in white in one of the most white states in the United States, so I definitely felt like that safe space helped me a lot. And you know, it did demonstrate to me that the teachers did care.

LL: Do you think part of it was that, like, there wasn't any representation within the staff to be proud of your culture?

LL: Do you think the school did a good job of supporting their first gen students or not?

JP: No, because I feel like the students there like they had they were they came from, like, wealthy family.

And they were like, no, no, like, I'll talk with like, obviously talking like the my classmates there when I went to Vermont. And no one was like, in low income, like, you know, everyone had like, educated like, top parents. My dorm mate, like, the majority of parents were like, a principal, I like three schools. It was like a like a, what do you call it? Like a dean? I like two schools. It was just like, so like, crazy, like, like the amount of educated these my classmates were because of their parents. So it was definitely like, you know, he did not at all like definitely support me as the first student. And I obviously like, you know, did not have like a lot of you know, like information in my head about college. So like, it was just so crazy, like, the amount of people who like knew about college and knew what they wanted to say and knew what schools went and like, knew what careers are Following the proper college process application process, so I did not feel like you know, included in that way.

LL: Yeah, no, definitely. There's a lot of schools who, if they just assume that, you know, like, the whole process and like, what the steps are?

JP: Yeah, yeah.

LL: What kind of emotions that this evoke in you?

JP: Definitely, I noticed the differences between me and the staff. I was scared to be seen as 'too much.' I am proud to be Mexican, and I love to show it off. So I feel like that was such shutting me down.

LL: Do you think that there was like, within the community, of students of color at the school? Do you think you guys had a strong bond?

JP: Yeah, we definitely, like, you know, fit together, because it was hard. I mean, it was like, something that, you know, you don't live every day or like, didn't experience in, in a very, like, easy manner. You know, like, we knew that we understood we, each of us understood that we were, like, experiencing a moment where it will impact us in the impact is in the future will it will, you know, affect us in the future?

JP: Well, it made me think, you know, I have to step it up, I have to, like, you know, look for help, I have to defend myself. Because, you know, how the college application process is right around the corner. And I have to know what I want to study. And I have to know, you know, what college I want to get into, and I have to know what Well, when I want to do in the future, and like, if I do want to, if I do want to go to college, which one is best for me? So I feel like that woke me up like a step.

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Issue 02

Identity PROFILE

Interviewees

Areya & Amandy A conversation of what it means to grow up bicultural and bi-racial.

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Areya Blanco Is an 11th grader from HTH, who is an activist, poet, amazing human being and is passionate about anthropology

Lucia Lopez: Hi! I'm Lucia.

Areya Blanco: Hi my name is Areya Blanco LL: We're going to be doing the questions and what this article's going to be about is I’m talking with people who are mixed culture, mixed race who are partially Latinx and I am going to have conversations about their experiences about them.

So how do you identify racially or ethnically?

AB: So racially I've always just simply gone with black just because you know, what I present as and look like is black, even though I am mixed with white, and also my history goes so much deeper than that, it’s hard to explain and some people don’t want to listen all the time. Ethnically wise, I am mixed with, well my mom is white so I am mixed with different things like Jewish, and then my dad is Garifuna which is a mix of, well they're from Belize and they're just an indigenous group nation.

LL: Can you talk a little about the, let me know if I am saying this wrong, history of the Garifuna?

AB: Oh yea, so my grandpa is from Belize, and his mom is from Belize and his dad is from Honduras, and so basically the Garifuna are from the

Caribean were brought over to Central America on flee ships and they were trying to enslave them but at one point they crashed in the middle of the ocean very close to like land and they left my people there to just drown in the ocean and didn't really care about like what happened to them honestly, they wanted them to be enslaved but since they crashed they just left them there, and the Mayans there took them in and saved them and then they became one people after generations of you know having children together, and the mix between the of black Caribs and Mayans became the Garifunas, that's what the Grifana is the mix between the black Caribs and the Mayan people out in Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

LL: I have a couple of questions about that. So is there a language that melded together from that or did most of them speak Spanish?

AB: Yes, so the Garifuna do have an official language it's just Garifuna and the language comes from the Aroroc people which are the black indigenous Caribs that were originally or captured or tried to be enslaved.

LL: Wow that's crazy! How big would you say your community is of the Garifuna right now?

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Blanco AB: I know we have a couple thousand out here in the states, I think our largest population would be Handoreze, and then we have, so we have a big majority out in LA. Where my grandpa lives, so you know we have a Garifuna museum out in LA, we have like Garifuna punta, dance classes out in LA, so a large population of the Garifuna nation numbers is in the US are in LA or New York, and like major cities like that.

LL: Are there times that you identify more as one race or more part of yourself than the other?

AB: Yea, definitely, I never really identify with the white side of me because my race is not white so I never really thought that I was never excepted, but my white family, they do love me but I never felt a connection with them, they use to say ignorant and insensitive things, commenting on my skin color, my hair, so I didn't really identify with that part which I am not sad about, it doesn't really aline me in the way I was raised with culture and I always know like my grandpa's first language was Spanish so like I've has always been pretty connected with Belize and Honduras.

LL: Do you think at large, having this two identities together impacted your own self perception of yourself?

AB: Yes definitely, just knowing I have multiple communities to lean on really just ake me feel really welcomed, you know I always struggled growing up with a majority of white people, I always struggled to find where I fit in and so I realize now not only do I have places to fit in, I have a LOT of places to fit in.

Definitely communities have changed the way I feel about myself.

LL: So at school there is not a large population of people of color in general but there is a small population of people who are a mixed race. Do you think there is spaces that you think you have that safe space or people who represent you at school?

AB: I didn't really feel like I was surrounded by people can relate to me or represented me, throughout high school but this year I definitely think that, you know I have gotten a larger friend group and people I can count on who I do relate to.

LL: Have you ever faced discrimination for being mixed outside your family?

AB: Yes, yes. I can use an example, I guess growing up I got laughed at a lot and question why me and mom are different colors and I thought it was a really weird question because I didn't see anything different about it, obviously my mom and dad aren't going to be the same color. I got question a lot and less blamed but the ore people asked the more I start to question “why is this so abnormal to people?” You know. And then growing up at school, I was one of the only black girls in my grade, in my school period and kids would say mean things to me, like I would offer chocolate milk to the swim boy and he was like “Oh, I refuse to drink chocolate milk because I am afraid I'll turn your color.” And so like thats one instance and another one a girl told me, she was passing around chocolate and I asked for a piece and she was like “ No offense, but if you want chocolate why don't you peel off your open skin and eat it.”

And I thought that was really disturbing. And then another boy came up to me in the middle of class randomly, and was like “I heard you were burnt in the fire and thats why you're so dark.”. And to me, my dad’s always been darker than me cause I am mixed and so when they said “I heard you burnt in a fire thats why you’re so dark.” I was really lost with my identity, and people would tell me my hair looked better straitened, so I tried my hardest, like I would straighten my hair a lot, jot wear it down and curly. It was a a hard place, and this was elementary. And then my my brought me to High Tech and because I had been trying to fit this stereotype of like what people wanted me to look like, act like for so long.

When I went to High Tech, kids were just like you’re so white washed, you’re so white washed. And I had to battle “Why I am not fitting in with what should be normal for me?”, “Why am I not fitting these

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Blanco standard?”, “Why am I not just enough?” and it was a rough time, I definitely grew into myself, myself identity. So I don’t car, people call me white washed all the time, and for instance yesterday a kid compared me to a chocolate covered marshmallow, saying I am dark on the outside and white on the inside. Who is he to tel me who I should be and how to act like.

LL: Do you think the hateful comments comes from a place of lack of education about people who are mixed?

AB: Yes, definitely. They were definitely uneducated on the fact that there could be even mixed races, they were so confused when I came out, I wasn’t just black and I wasn't just white.

LL: Do you think there is a lack of representation for black native women in the media?

AB: In the media, absolutely. I mean I’ve lived near the Sycuan reservation for a while and you know there is a lot of black natives up there, and I don't ever see them represented and it is sad but I was really happy to see, they had a powwow this semester, the most recent powwow and I saw a lot of them dancing and these are kids I grew up with so I very happy to see that they were stepping up being brave, breaking a stereotype and pushing past everything.

LL: What is the message from social media you feel the most, like the most prevalent towards you?

AB: With my family?

LL: No, when meeting their families.

AB: Oh yes absolutely, I've liked guys that are outside of my race or ethnicity and I always wonder, are their paerents okay with my race, my ethnicity, you know who I am? Theres always going to be that fear in my head because of like whats been engraved in my head.

LL: In your words what would you say is the mix experience?

AB: You know it really is like a battle but I feel like ts a journey that all of us go through, well you know being all of us mixed kids go through but at a certain age we grow into our identity , well at least I grew into my identity and I hope that everyone else did too, well everyone else will too.

LL: What is something you would've wanted to hear as a kid?

AB: Dont let someone's ignorance affect you.

LL: I think I am going to end with; what is something that you feel grateful about on a positive note about being mixed race?

AB: Definitely the communities coming together now, I mean like I knew I was circled growing up, I hope that like the kids that are younger have us that will help support them cause I didn't have a role model when I was younger enough to help me.

AB: I definitely didn't see any love for black women. I still question like a guy, theres always that fear in my head like do they like black women, so that's a struggle I have to get past and work through because I really shouldn't just like determine if a guy will like me or not.

LL: You can totally not answer it if its to personal, but in that realm of relationships, even in friendships, do you feel that fear with their families as well?

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Amandy Del Nery is a 12th grader on her way to UC Berkeley! She is an active member in her community, as a volunteer towards causes of like immigration and the housing crisis.

Lucia Lopez: Hi! Who am I here with?

Amandy Del Nery: Hi, I'm Amandy, I'm a senior at High Tech High.

LL: Okay, so how do you identify? Ethnically, racially, etc.

ADN: I usually identify racially as Brazilian, but that's kind of like, it's so complicated, you know, because it's the whole, like my phenotype, like how I actually appear doesn't convey any, like message of who I actually am ethnically. Because my mom is part 50% native and other side is a mix of Syrian and Portuguese and just like, so it's a mix. She's the Brazilian version of mestiza. She's half, and then my dad is full Brazilian, but somewhere in our family, someone I think is from Austria. Okay, so racially, ethnically, I think where my mix comes in is like, American and Brazilian. Culturally, I identify with Americans a lot more than I, it's hard to say a lot

more, because it's the way that my, like my mom has raised me at home is the cultural values or the rules.

Then the outside world, you know, is the opposite.

LL: What are the cultural things that your mom has raised you with?

ADN: She she has a lot of value on knowing my roots.

Knowledge and topics that people don't really teach, like, even eating like healthy eating. That's something that individual there's a lot of emphasis on. Here, not so much. Since she was she lived there, her whole life coming here, she has a very different perspective on the country than I do have someone who's been here since I was five years old. So she kind of just reminded me that this isn't a whole world like this is just a little bubble that we live in where things are very different than everywhere else.

So we're eating, for example, she's like, a bunny.

While at that opportunity, kind of like the size of your finger, almost like very small. But everything is like filled with GMO and just like, like, the supersize version of normal things.

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Del Nery LL: What do you feel that you take from the culture?

ADN: I take the positive outlook on life. I feel like that's something that there's a stereotype that the world can be going on in flames and Brazilians will still be partying till 3am. I've adopted that outlook on life. To someone else, points in my life would be labeled as tragedies. Lots of hard situations, but I've never had a victim mindset. I don't see it as 'Damn I went through this and it defines me.' It's always just been, 'Damn, that sucks, but it doesn't really matter.

Just focus on the positive just focus on continuing moving on.' I'm still constantly celebrating the things that are working, because even if you have nothing, there's still so much to appreciate. Just the fact that you can breathe. Just the fact that you can see and you have the ability to move your hands and your fingers is special. You have many things to be grateful for. I think that is a big part of the ideology; perspective.

LL: So taking the optimistic side in life. I like that. Do you feel that sometimes you identify more with your American side or Brazilian side than the other?

ADN: Yeah, I do. Sometimes I feel like my true myself when I'm speaking Portuguese. It feels more familiar to me because it's the language I primarily speak in.

So it's almost like a home. I grew up speaking Portuguese. It represents a side of me that the world doesn't see. Whenever I go to Brazil, I feel closer to people faster, because I'm speaking Portuguese. It feels deeper. In English, I feel a difference, it's a different side of my personality. Sometimes a more a colder version of my personality. Just because I feel like in the language there's very different ways of expressing yourself. English has less of a descriptive words that show feeling and true motion over what you're actually trying to say. So sometimes it's more straightforward and a little more cold. While Latin languages are a little more expressive.

I sound so much happier in Spanish. English is so robotic and monotone.

ADN: The words can be so broad, but in Spanish there are words so specific to that scenario.

LL: Exactly. I don't know if this is in Portuguese, but in Spanish, we re-use words to signify different meanings.

ADN: Yeah, I was just talking with my co-worker yesterday. She's learning Portuguese, and I was telling her that 'meia' means six, half, midnight or it could also mean sock. It's so complex, that you really need to have context. In English, there is just one word, one meaning, one usage, that's all.

LL: Do you think that being mixed has impacted your own self perception in any way?

ADN: I think it's given me escape. Going back to how different speaking the language is: the fastest thing that gets me into like one side of me, like a different personality, in whatever situation. Sometimes whenever I'm going through things here, I like listening to music in Portuguese. It reminds me that this isn't everything that is in life. Traveling makes you realize how small your life actually is. The things you learn day to day are so so small in the grand scheme of possibilities. So sometimes when I'm just feeling really down about something, or, like, I can't, like escape, something that I'm living in the moment, I would kind of switch into this opposite perspective on the world. And yeah, I also think it's kind of mean, be able to be like a chameleon amongst different types of people. Because I understand different things, depending on who the person is, that I wouldn't, if I was it makes if I was just focusing, I want to understand a lot of things I do with Americans, if I was only American, I want to understand a lot of things in the Latin cultures in general, not just Brazil. As I like a global learning as well, because I do think the American point of view is a bit limited.

LL: No, I totally understand. I feel that definitely.

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Del Nery LL: What do you think are aspects of being mixed that people who are not wouldn't realize?

LL: You said that you came over here to United States when you were five, right?

ADN: I feel like it really depends on who it is that you're talking about. I think each culture has its own perspective on life, and what the purpose is, and the lifestyle how we're supposed to live, how we're intended to live as human beings. I think that people who aren't makes might be sheltered into just being surrounded by people who think like them. And that can be cool, because it keeps things pure, you know, it keeps things stronger. But also, it's dangerous.

Because anytime that someone's just surrounded by people who think like them, they are in a reality.

That's not, that's bias. It's a bias reality. So I think being mixed really allows you to kind of play both sides, in switching between values and perspectives and lifestyle.

ADN: Yeah.

LL: Do you think that there's like, Brazilian representation in the media?

ADN: Not really, I think there's no, not really, there's the only people I can really think of is a meat, which is like a big, but now she's like, she's kind of converted herself into just a lot in person, not so much a Brazilian person, like, how she's making a lot of music in Spanish and English. And that's cool. I'm glad because she's getting a larger audience. But I feel like the people in the media aren't really like. It's kind of a small population of Brazil, it's usually well, I shouldn't speak for all the people, but I don't think it encompasses.

LL: What do you wish people knew or saw in Brazil?

ADN: I wish that people saw the potential. One big one being the division between, like, class, really, that it's like a mixture, race and class that kind of go hand in hand because of like access or resources and education and money. It's kind of like the school to prison pipeline, except you're stuck in a loop, depending on who's your family. There's a huge division. But one thing that we all have in common is that that the Brazilian population is incredibly creative.

LL: What was that transition like?

ADN: My mom actually, like, she wasn't going to leave. Because I would, I didn't know that we were actually permanently moving here. Like, every month, I would ask, Oh, when are we going back? over a couple of months? I can in a month. Wait, why are. But I didn't even realize it because I was like really young. So I didn't believe and I do really have a notion of time that was like that good. So I just believe, like, okay, like, I think it was honestly necessary because I do have to think about it. Like, oh my god, I'm never gonna see my family again. I'm never gonna go home, whatever. One time we're in kindergarten, I got hurt. And I really needed like ice or anything. And my teacher didn't understand me because I was just like, trying to speak in Portuguese. So I asked to use her computer and occur on Google Translate. Google is just like, oh, okay, okay, so then I kind of just had to get ways around it, you know, it was, it was scary. So honestly, it was a scary because I just didn't know what was happening all of the time. And whenever I was with my mom, it was okay. But then when she dropped me at school, and I was really overwhelmed.

LL: It's kind of like being alone in a room full of people.

ADN: Exactly, and don't speak whatever you understand.

LL: When did you feel that you began feeling more comfortable in like classrooms and in like, public settings?

ADN: Honestly, by first grade, I was already speaking pretty good English. I learned English really fast. By three months I could communicate my, my day to day needs. It's easier to grasp things when you're younger. By first grade I was okay.

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HOOP HISTORY

101

History of hoops The origin of hoops is debated but we know for certain they began appearing in central African and Middle Eastern regions in 2500 B.C.E. One specific region being located in what was the civilization of Mesopotamia.

Originally hoops were worn by Egyptian men and women for reasons of beauty and social class.

Hoops were symbols of power and wealth. This was trie for ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Persians.

In modern hoop earrings, there is the presence of gods and saints depicted as part of the design. You might be surprised to learn that this is not a new add-on to the original hoop.

Once hoops reached Asian and Latin American countries, depictions of ancient gods and saints began appearing as part of the designs. Creating a trend we still see with hoop earrings having words across or images of saints; such as la Virgen Guadalupe.

The latest surge of hoops has been in the late 20th century. In the 60's and 70's. More and more Black and Latina women began following the trend of straight hair with big hoops.

Hoops are a symbol of pride in one's culture. It is our way of displaying confidence and improving any outfit with the last touch of gold or silver.

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Dear

Hoops

Dear Hoops, For thousands of years, you have been there with us. As a symbol of wealth, beauty, and protection, you have meant so much to so many and have seen more than we will ever know. You were there in 2600 BC, found in Sumerian tombs, and you’re still here now in all four corners of the world. You were there in the days of slavery, being the only accessory that slaves were allowed to wear, and you continue to be such a fierce symbol of identity. You represent pride and empowerment (especially) in Lantix and Black culture, being a symbol of culture, ancestry, and strength. However, despite how much you mean to us, we continue to get backlash and shame in loving you.

“Hoops aren’t classy.” “They’re unprofessional.” “They’re too loud.” “Too slutty.” “Too trashy.” “Too ghetto.” With haters, there’s always something. We are pressured into becoming self-conscious, obliging, backing down, or changing. But we won’t. As minorities and immigrants in America, our culture, history, confidence, and tradition lie within you. You are our symbol of pride, unity, character, and resistance to discrimination. Thank you, Hoops, for everything it is you represent to us. Let’s keep shining together. <3 Sincerely, Amandy Del Nery

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Dear Hoops

The first time that I tried you on

was when I found my identity. You helped me find the confidence in myself

when I didn't know who I was yet.

Since that day at the mall, I haven't

let you go. We have grown up together.

You have made me the mujer I am hoy.

Love, Lucía

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Joe Ortega Lucía López: Hello! Who am I here with?

Joe Ortega: My name is Joe Ortega, and I am native to San Diego.

LL: Mr. Ortega, let’s start off with some general questions. What is a Chicano/a?

JO: It is a political mindset, and the person understands the politics. Not all the politics of course, but an introduction to what’s going on socially and historically. When people call themselves Chicanos, they’re pointing to a political perspective because no one is born a Chicano. You’re either MexicanAmerican or Mexican/Indigenous.

LL: You mentioned you were part of the Brown Berets. Can you tell me what their mission was and their role in the Chicano Movement?

JO: Sure! I was in the Brown Berets for about four years, and the philosophy of the Brown Berets was self determination. It all starts with a perspective of nationalism to develop a representation of their community. Which was usually a high percentage of Mexican community. They were trying to make positive changes to the politics that were impacting their communities. Most of the time when that’s occurring, there’s no knowledge about it. It just happens. It’s been going on in this country for a long time, it’s not uncommon.

For example, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in California. When they had the Mexican-American War, the U.S. government didn’t honor any of those treaties.

LL: Can you explain how they didn’t honor it?

JO: Certainly. Several things. The government said in one year Mexicans who remained on California land would become American citizens. The second thing they did is that they put a head count of people who were hunting Mexicans or Indians. It didn’t matter, as long as they looked Mexican or Indian.

They were paying these Americans from other parts of the country, stealing the gold and hunting the Mexican and Indian. I think it was five dollars a day.

The U.S. will never account for all the atrocities they created.

LL: Could there be a day for reperation for Mexicans and Black Americans?

JO: In the Brown Berets, we talked about Aztlán. That we wanted to establish it, as part of a country. With the politics today, you cannot do that in this government. This government is going to have to change in its basic freedom.

LL: Can you explain what Aztlán is?

Chicano Activist & Brown Beret JO: Aztlán is a concept of states that had been taken from Mexico. Those states, California, New Mexico, Texas, those areas, would formally be a sovereign country away from America. An imagined homeland of Chicanos.

LL: Do you remember your first protest/movement you went to?

JO: Chicano Park is under a bridge going to Coronado. The first time they split it was the 5 freeway. The second time they split it was with the Coronado bridge. I lived in Barrio Logan pretty much all my life. Highway Patrol was coming in and they were going to establish a location so it’s easier to arrest people. When we found out what was happening under the bridge, we as a community took action. I helped with protesting and digging holes to plant gardens.

LL: When did you gain concioussness to the militarization of Logan?

JO: The police would practice techniques against minorities in my neighborhood. I remember they had some dance at the neighbors house. The police wanted to close it down and they put on their riot gear and closed everything down. They chased my brother into the house, and wanted to arrest him. It was part of their training.

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Part of the racism, and it doesn’t stop there. They were involved in the schools for a lot of years. ‘Don’t speak Spanish.’

There are older generations than I am that say ‘Hey I wasn’t allowed to speak Spanish or native language.’ You would get penalized. It affected your self esteem.

LL: What did they hope to achieve by targeting children in schools?

JO: The children are our future. If you can destroy the roots, you can destroy the plant. Then they end up in jail. Then it’s a cycle of in and out of jail. When you’re in school and you’re just trying to survive on your own and see others dropping out.

Others were going to Vietnam at the time. Some didn’t come back. I saw the youth and future being destroyed. I saw parents who had heartaches, and realizing what this country has done to them and the family unit.

LL: Can you give an explanation of what the Chicano Federation is?

JO: At the time that I was involved, it was to represent through the board of the Chicano Federation. They could have developed an economic base devoted to solving social issues.

It was representatives from different areas in the meetings.

Other social groups were there too like the G.I. Forum. I went to lots of meetings. I went when I was President of City College MEChA, an area representative, when I was appointed as a student from City College to be on the Community Relations board. I was president of the Student's Representive Council. I was in a car club, a member and eventually became president.

LL: Did you ever go as a child for the services they had?

JO: My sister used to play tennis and I played basketball. There used to be boxing on Friday nights. Baseball and Little League. There were lots of things and then it all just disapeared. It was over time that you realize everything was gone. You look back one day and none of its there.

LL: Has the lack of activities affected the community youth?

JO: Yes. You have one thing to look forward to and then it's gone.

LL: Is there a specific event you mentioned before the interview that developed your Chicano conciousness?

JO: My conciousness started with my studies. My Chicano conciousness was just part of me. I devoloped more of a spritural conciousness. I continue to study that and happy what I learned from and grew into. I grew into a parent. I always told them to get educated and get your degrees. My daughter is experiencing life and what she needs to grow into.

As a parent, you are challenged to help your children grow into who they will become. Contributing to society.

LL: What did you hope to gain by going to the meetings?

JO: What I found I was developing was leadership and the tools you need as an organizer. I learned to encourage people to get involved to develop a Chicano conciousnes.

LL: What made you want to be a leader?

JO: I didn't want to be a leader. I found myself as a leader. It develops over years. I was able to initiate leadership paths in the other people I met in the meetings. They come to their first meeting and then over time they start doing their own things.

LL: Can you tell me about the Neighborhood House?

JO: Initially it was a women's club, and then they established a community center with cooking classes and sports. Eventually they stopped providing any services and it turned political.

That riled up the neighborhood, and it got taken over. Now it's a medical clinic.

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