Shelsea Montiel
My altar is an homage to my beautiful and colorful Latinx/Mexican/Xicanx culture. I have always been proud to be a Latina, but the transition from my predominantly Latinx community to Berkeley during my freshman year was when I realized how much I took my home for granted. At Berkeley, I was expected to assimilate to this predominantly white institution, study this caucasian curriculum and live in this gentrified city, without access to the things that made me feel at home. I craved the comforts of pozole and tamales, but instead I get gringos invading Cafe Durant asking for “mey-new-doh” (they’ve discovered our cure for la cruda). Just recently, I discovered a restaurant in Fruitvale called El Taco Zamorano, whom I would love to honor as well, for finally satisfying my authentic Mexican food cravings (se pasaron honestly: fresh handmade tortillas and delicious horchata). Anyway, eventually I found friendships and spaces where I could get a small sample of what I missed from home: Hermanas Unidas, Students of Color Emerging in English and my Hoe-mies. Although, now I am in an infinitely happier place than I was a little more than two years ago, I often still find myself feeling displaced and unaccepted in this environment where white supremacy still reigns. People of Color are still treated like second-class-citizens on this campus and my altar is my quiet form of resistance. ¡Que viva la Raza! ¡La lucha sigue!
Share
