Draft Questions Week 10

By: YuYu Madigan

1) In regards to the King County emergency relief fund, the qualifications are listed as: individuals, including undocumented immigrants, must make below 50% of the area median income. Do you believe this to be a fair metric given our areas inflated mean income?

2) Washington State implemented a moratorium on evictions as highlighted in the Why COVID 19 is hitting Washington Latinos Especially Hard but highlighted that landlords were still threatening residents if they don't pay rent saying that "they don’t know any better because they’re not up to date on the legal protections that renters have". What ways can we educate people and put a stop to this predatory behavior? Is a moratorium on evictions enough?

3) Grass roots campaigns as highlighted in Undocumented Workers... are not enough, government assistance is far from enough. What other options do we have and what as citizens should we put more time into changing to be enough?

4) In the Why Covid crosscut article, Alvarez says: ""I think employers take advantage of Latinos,” she said in a recent interview in Spanish. “Latinos kill themselves working, and we’re part of this country. But the government doesn't value us as human beings.” This struck me as exactly the definition of social death - in what other ways does this crisis relate to Cacho's ideas on social death?

6/1 Questions - Haleh Mawson

1. De La Torre says that "claiming a Chicana identity was a political choice for" women in 1970s-80s community public radio (184). Does she mean that the act of publicly voicing, on air, one's Chicana identity was a form of activism? If so, how?




2. She also says that only >7% and <7% of radio licenses are held by people of color and women respectively (which probably means some infinitesimal percentage for women of color), roughly the same as back in the 70s. To her, this means we need "to learn from and implement [their] tactics today," but if things haven't changed much, it doesn't feel like the Chicana feminist takeover of the airwaves was all that successful back in the 70s (188). We do have the same goal as the 70s feministas. Is it best to repeat their tactics? Or should we modify them?

3. From the two Crosscut articles, it sounds like the biggest problem is not a lack of supporting organizations and programs, but a lack of support for the supporters, as it were. Seattle has a "$5 million fund for rental assistance" that offers aid to undocumented immigrants, meaning there's local government support, and the list of non-profits and community groups that offer aid is pretty long (Fowler, April 2020). Grassroots aid is common, it's just that there isn't enough to give. Does that sound like a fair assessment of the limits of American mutual aid? And if so, is there anything we can do to help the situation without involving a federal government that, frankly, I would not trust to boil water on a gas stove unsupervised?

Everybody stay safe,
- Haleh

Monday Draft Week 10

1. In “Programas sin Vergüenza,” de la Torre writes that the radio show “topics included birth control, abortion and women’s sexuality, among other controversial topics.” These are such important topics because they are considered taboo in many Catholic households and for Chicanas, especially in the 1970s, access to health care services (specifically sexual health care) was probably lacking. Where do you think Chicanas had access to sexual health education outside of this radio program?
2. De la Torre writes that “sin vergüenza carries connotations for women and men” and goes on to elaborate what it means for women. What do you think sin vergüenza means for men? 
3. In the article about the disproportionate effects of covid-19 on Latino populations, Alvarez says that “Latinos kill themselves working, and we're part of this country. But the government doesn’t value us as human beings.” The refusal of the US to recognize the work of immigrants as absolutely necessary to this economy and to protect the workers who are so obviously essential is a clear example of social death in my opinion. Do you agree? Do you think this disproportionate effect of covid-19 on Latino populations can be explained by anything else?
4. The article “Undocumented workers fend for themselves with very little Covid-19 help” makes me wonder what could possibly be done to help so many. Can you think of ways that individuals or communities can work towards a solution even when the federal government won’t? Are these ways of helping specific to Covid-19 or should they be present at all times?

6/1 questions - emilia garcia-bompadre

1. how and why are Latinos being disproportionately  affected by COVID-19?

2. what are some possible solutions to this disproportionality?

3. how can we relate social death to the fact that Latinos and other people of color are being affected by covid-19 at a much higher rate?

4. in Programas Sin Verguenza, Monica de la Torre writes that the women working at the radio station "enacted a Chicana feminist deployment of being a sin vergüenza that utilizes “a bold language and stance that does not anticipate or reproduce social codes and norms” ". How is this an act of resilience, and how does their embracing of the title rather than shame emphasize their goal?

Week 10 Brainstorm - Zahra McKee

I thought both of these organizations, the Ovarian Psycos and Chicas Rockeras, were really inspiring because they are examples of women of color organizing for themselves and their communities. Particularly, Chicas Rockeras really stood out to me, as the creator Marin says in the Podcast episode Chicas Rockeras: Empowering Girls in Southeast Los Angeles Through Music, that she wishes she had something like it in Southeast Los Angeles when she was growing up. She continues saying “I was just thinking of all the other kids that I knew. I was thinking of my nieces, of all the other working class families where [other camps are] just not accessible for them” (0:46). This community-focused mindset not only helps these young girls learn music, but imagines and helps create a new future where young Chicana girls are encouraged to be bold, loud, and strong. As Jessica Schwartz puts it in Si se puede!: Chicas Rockeras and punk music education in South East Los Angeles, “Chicas Rockeras utilizes punk feminist pedagogy, with a mestiza consciousness, to remind students of their past and present power, and also give them a space for their affective empowerment musically” (1). The camp is also tailored specifically to these girls to help them see positive images of themselves through things like the bilingual theme song, affordable tuition, and little references to Chicana culture like the group names of “bidi bidis” and “bom boms”. The mission of the volunteers and employees of Chicas Rockeras is so pure and powerful. On the Chicas Rockeras website they say “eventually, we met that one family member, that one teacher, that one mentor, that one person that kept that spark alive. Now it’s our turn to be that cool tia, to share and encourage your voice through music” (About Us Page). These women embody Chicanafuturism by reimaging an alternative past for themselves and projecting it onto these girls to help them get ahead. 

Ovarian Psycos too, is women organizing for themselves and for a better future. The group gets women in East LA together to ride bikes, but in doing so they speak out against issues in their community like stereotyping, domestic abuse, and sexual abuse. The group also provides a judgment-free zone for women to practice leadership. In the documentary, Andi Xoch, a founding member of the group,  says “we could be leaders without feeling like we were bossy b*tches” (9:16). Additionally, the group practices Chela Sandoval’s resiliency ideas of redefining objects by reclaiming ovaries and other female anatomy parts as signs of power. In the documentary, Maylei Blackwell discusses the group, saying “What women are shamed by, or what they are often the victims of violence over, they claim as their own and put it upfront” (33:53). Additionally, the act of convivencia by bringing all these women together is itself a resiliency practice.

Monday Draft Week 10

1) In KDNA: La Voz Del Campesino, the front page mentions, "KDNA will direct its efforts as a minority public radio station in response to the cultural and informational isolation of Hispanic/Latino and other disadvantaged communities" (KDNA, 2020). What do you think the importance of a radio station to deliver a message about a minority group is compared to other forms of media?

2) In Why COVID-19 is Hitting Washington Latinos Especially Hard, Lilly Fowler and David Kroman say "Among Hispanic or Latino people, confirmed cases jumped by nearly 10 percentage points since mid-April, to 31%, compared with their 13% share of the overall population" (Fowler and Kroman, 2020). How does the United States healthcare system disproportionately affect individuals of colour and is this an example of discrimination?

3) In Undocumented Workers Fend for Themselves with Little COVID-19 Help, Lilly Fowler mentions "Daniela Murguia, 24, another member of the coalition, said her mother, an undocumented immigrant who owns a hair salon in Lynnwood, has earned zero income since the business closed" (Fowler, 2020). How can individuals like Murguia be helped so that they can survive this economic crisis? Is she also being discriminated and not being provided the resources she needs?

4) In Undocumented Workers Fend for Themselves with Little COVID-19 Help, Lilly Fowler says "Immigrants without work permits also do not qualify for the direct cash payments - up to $1,200 - that the federal government has promised individuals as part of the $2 trillion COVID-19 relief package Congress passed last month, even if they pay taxes or their children are U.S. citizens" (Fowler, 2020). How can these individuals be provided with the support they deserve? Is this yet another example of discrimination?

Monday Draft Week 10: Grace Grotz

1. In Monica de la Torre’s “Programas Sin Vergüenza”, the creation of Chicana-run broadcasting programs after the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act passage is described. De la Torre explains, “the effects are lasting to this day, and yet there is little scholarship that documents and analyzes these strategies” (2). Why is recording the strategies of activist movements as they are happening important? How can this affect future movements? 
2. Fowler’s “Undocumented Workers Fend for Themselves with Little COVID-19 Help” details the different federal and local financial aid programs created during the pandemic. Many of these programs do not provide aid to undocumented workers. Fowler also notes a local collaboration of groups that “have established an emergency fund to help undocumented immigrants during the pandemic” (14). What can citizen-run convivencia and collaboration bring to communities that government organizations do not?
3. “Why COVID-19 is hitting Washington Latinos especially hard” notes the disturbing rise in cases in communities of color, saying “The reasons for the recent shift are likely multiple” (9). With so many underlying causes of this disproportionality, how can a solution be reached?

Brainstorm Week 10 - Caroline Johnson

Feministas in the borderlands organize community in the present as they plant seeds for the future by bringing together their community to create strong women now that will pass on these skills and values to their own daughters and other women in the future. Everything they do works towards healing with their traumas and the history of their ancestors, to empower women in the future. These groups take all women who want to participate in creating a sustainable path towards a future with affinities within difference as they move towards emancipation. These women do not compare what they have gone through to try and say that one has suffered more, they work together to both overcome what they have struggled with to create a better future for both. In doing so all of these groups show practices of resilience that prepare for the health and well-being of the future. Two examples of such groups are Ovarian Psychos and Chicas Rockeras.

The organization Ovarian Psycos is a group of women of color who ride their bikes together and have a dialogue. All women are accepted here. This organization brings together healing and cycling as resilience practices by creating a space where all women of color are able to come together and discuss what they have gone through; while at the same time riding their bikes to create an empowering movement to move into the future. They also bring together different communities, by connecting these they follow the idea of affinities within differences. The group had multiple chants but one that I noticed was how they said “We have nothing to lose but our chains” (Frances 50:00). This group is not set back by any of the comments such as it being sexist. Maylei Blackwell explained how they manifest the punk idea of do it yourself and making gang symbols to be a symbol of empowerment. Many of these women have daughters of their own or reflect on their own experiences in being young girls and created this group to try and make these girls to not fear moving around their city, to change the future.

Another group that empowers women and is an example of how feministas in the borderlands are using what they have now to change and better the future is Chicas Rockeras. This camp allows women to learn an instrument and form a band for a performance all in a week. The skills this teaches in itself are very valuable; however, the idea that it is a punk camp is very valuable. For example, “Alice Bag says she wants the girls to feel self-confident and free” (Ampersand 2:10). Girls find their voice and power here. Before the camp girls are told to be small and quiet, but here they are told to do the opposite - to play loudly and reclaim their voices. The skills developed here transcend into all other parts of life. This camp is a form of Chicanxfuturism as it is empowering women for the future. This camp that Marin started is allowing these young girls to take the future into their own hands at a young age.

Brainstorm Week 10 - Pavithra Prabhu

My name is Pavithra Prabhu.

Feministas in the borderlands organize community in the present in various ways. A couple of ways including having camps to appeal to the new generation of feministas such as Chicas Rockeras, or having organizations that bring feministas together such as Ovarian Psycos. The Chicas Rockeras is a camp that caters to younger children to learn the ways of the Chicana feminista, specifically their “camp experience promotes healing, growth, and confidence for girls through music education while building self-esteem and encouraging group collaboration” (Chicas Rockeras SELA, chicasrockerassela.org).  The Ovarian Psycos teaches the current generation of the importance of unity as said in the 13th principle of their pledge “ALL of us or none” (Point 13, ovarianpsycos.com).

Chela Sandoval’s use of the phrase ‘affinities inside differences’ refers to the foundation of the conference itself; people from various backgrounds coming together in order to achieve something bigger (Pg. 26, Dissident Globalizations, Methodology of the Oppressed). Only when we are aware of the struggles faced by other communities and what they stand for, we can proceed forward to form a coalition. This is embodies through Chicas Rockeras and Ovarian Psycos where they are open to feministas of different ethnicities or backgrounds, in order to form a collective that can spread their message in a united manner. 

According to Catherine Ramirez, “Chicanafuturism explores the ways that new and everyday technologies, including their detritus, transform Mexican American life and culture.” This is synonymous to the creation of the Chicas Rockeras Rock Camp for Girls. Girls are the next generation of the movement, and educating them about the purpose of the movement and giving them room to explore their own unique identity. The camp has the “goal of encouraging self-esteem and self-empowerment in young girls through a medium of music” (Ampersand Chicanas Rockeras: Empowering Girls in Southeast Los Angeles) and “to remind students of their past and present power (Abstract, Si se puede!: Chicas Rockeras). 

Acocording to Xela De La X, the founder of Ovarian Psycos, the organization is a “young women of color bicycle brigade” (0:15-0:22, Ovarian Psychos). States that the majority of the participants of the brigade had some sort of trauma in their lives; the organization brings in healing and resilience practices to the bikers by providing the comfort a family would typically provide.
Throughout this quarter, we learned practices of resilience through the use of art, social media, music, ofrendas and literature. The Chicas Rockeras utilizes music for its resilience practice, while Ovarian Psycos utilizes its community and the concept of “strength in numbers” in its practice for resilience.

Irrespective of what method they use, their main goal is to create a sustainable future that caters to the health and well-being of the women involved. These camps and organizations try to represent these young women not as victims nor as weak, dependent people, but as resilient women who are capable of demanding their rights and empowering the next generation. They are showcasing resilience by spreading their message and informing the larger public about the issues they have had to face on a daily basis.

Monday Draft Questions Week 10 - Eric Fong

1. "Broadcasting on a frequency of 91.9 FM with an effective radiated power of 20,000 watts, from studios located in Granger, Washington, the station is governed by a minority Board of Directors representative of its listening community. (KDNA.org)" What was the decision to locate the KDNA offices in Granger Washington as opposed to Seattle or Spokane?

2. "Many of the clinic's patients work because they don’t have any other option. They have to pay their bills." (crosscut.com) What are legal actions that can be taken against landlords misrepresenting the law and taking advantage of lack of information?

3. "While individuals cannot currently be evicted, advocates continue to worry about the long-term economic impact of families who end up months behind on rent. "(crosscut.com/undocumented) How will families be impacted after the moratorium on rent stops?

4. " the family is searching for a personal loan that won’t charge too much interest." (crosscut.com/undocumented). How will the long term impacts of needing to take loans/firesale possession impact one's ability to rebound after the end of the lockdown? 

Week 10 Draft Questions - Noah Krohngold

1. It's currently reported that "Communities of color [...] account for a larger share of positive tests" of COVID-19 than white people (Fowler, Kroman). How do the systemic inequities and socioeconomic conditions of the United States put communities of color in more danger than their white counterparts?

2. The health system in the United States has been contested for several years now but has been in hot water recently because of the COVID-19 crisis. When the pandemic was starting, "even people with private insurance or good access to health care had some limited access to testing" (Fowler, Kroman). In what ways does the healthcare system's privatization disproportionately impact communities of color in terms of their access to coverage and testing?

3. Families around the nation have found themselves scrambling to make ends meet with businesses closing their doors due to the pandemic. For undocumented families specifically, this crisis poses an immense threat to their well-being. Is the government providing enough support for families in the U.S. in general? If not, what more should the government consider doing?

4. Local governments around the nation have given out free meals for children and increased food-bank activity. Should the federal government step in and give out meals for these families, or should the funding and focus be placed on rent relief?

Brainstorm Week 10 - Albert Lam

One example of a feminista activist organizing community in the present while she plants seeds for the future is Marin, from “Chicas Rockeras: Empowering Girls in Southeast Los Angeles.” Marin, described as a "short, tough, determined woman", brought rock and roll camps for girls to Southeast LA, where she said, "many people lack access to resources, where it could really make a difference." Marin's entrepreneurial bout was spurred by her desire to help girls from her community have access to music, build confidence, and learn and grow in a positive environment. Chicas Rockeras is definitely an example of Chicanxfuturism: she identified a problem that is pressing, personal, and important, and she acted upon that problem to provide a novel solution herself for the sake of community and not profit.  Marin's efforts not only organize community in the present, but also works to break down gender roles for a stronger, more cognizant future; she noted that "Girls are often made to feel small...so imagine being ten, coming into camp and being told 'Yes you can' over and over again...or even being encouraged to yell into a mic." By far my favorite line from her was "Some girls, they have a breakdown, but they also have a breakthrough." I really like this line because it clearly exhibits that Marin creates a space for these girls where they can make mistakes, but also be honest with their emotions and grow through guidance and a network of support. I experienced this firsthand as someone who was active in youth sports and I love that something similar is made more accessible and through a different medium.

Amidst all the chaos of recent current events, stories like Marin's Chicas Rockeras program is really inspiring. In supporting the next generation, Marin exhibits a "lift as we climb" mentality that forges a path towards emancipation through recognizing and building upon the affinities within difference. The diversity of thought and representation in her camps is a testament to that. Marin is a true revolutionary, a problem-solver, and an apathy-fighter. With activists like her, there is hope that the status quo won't be the same for long.

Brainstorm Week 10 - Natalie Stagnone

Natalie Stagnone


Feministas in the borderlands have been working to create global networks that connect different communities all around the world. An example of this would be Ovarian Psychos. They state that they “are connecting dots, becoming aware of community agencies, spaces and movimientos in an effort to solidify our local networks.” Ovarian Psychos are actively working to ensure that different communities are connected. This connection serves as a way to show women that they are not alone in their experiences. There are others that have had similar experiences or may identify in similar ways. Learning this empowers young women to accept themselves and form a larger discussion around their identities. One way that women are able to talk about their identities is through music. Throughout this class, we have discussed how music is able to speak beyond words and reach new people. Schwartz writes, in the article Si se puede!: Chicas Rockeras and punk music education in SouthEast Los Angeles, that “these women were enthralled with the openness, experimental possibilities, and expressive potential of punk, and they also utilized it as a medium to escape the dictates of the machismo culture.” (48). By having these connections, they were able to reach more people and create a large impact. Similarly, by creating art, their identities and experiences are immortalized and create a model for future generations to adapt. Using technology and art to tell stories empowers these young women to use art as a way to express themselves. Tradition is also recreated with the emphasis on art and this is able to show the resilience practices that are defining generations. With the world in a position of unrest, women must utilize these resilience practices to not only overcome the pandemic, but to help shape the world when it returns to “normal.” Chicana women have been fighting injustices both personally and outwardly for many generations and using these techniques will be able to continue to fight injustices. Overall, it is important to consider how new organizations are coming together to network which is allowing voices to be connected in their struggle against injustices.

Draft Questions Week 10 - Natalie Stagnone

Natalie Stagnone


1. In the article, Programas Sin Verguenza, it states that the radio stations used Task Forces as a way to “reimagine” public broadcasting (176). Why do you think using committees is an effective way to diversify the message of a radio? Do you think there is a more effective way to do this?

2. The CrossCut article Why COVID-19 Is Hitting Washington Latinos Especially Hard discussed the disproportionate effect of COVID - 19 on Minority Communities. Do you think that the increase in testing helped enable more people who are part of minority groups to get tested? Is this discrimination?

3. The CrossCut article Undocumented workers fend for themselves with little COVID-19 help explained how Undocumented Individuals are left without government support. What do you think is the importance of having nonprofit organizations working with undocumented individuals? What should be changed in the system to help undocumented workers?

4. All three of these articles address a need for change in society and creating more support for minority communities. In what way is social media and technology creating more support? Is it harming social movements?

Live Blog 2 - Abby Hecko

Another moment in the event that stood out to me was this altar by Ofelia Esparza. This altar was called, “Hijas de Juaraz,” by Dona Ofelia. This altar was made to honor the victims of femicide in Juaraz Mexico. This moment was especially powerful to me because my  altar was dedicated to the lives of the women in Juaraz whose lives were taken. The way Dona Ofeliia described the altar was so beautiful and thoughtful. Everything she said I wish I  had heard before writing my midterm. She did such a powerful job of describing the  altar as a celebration and memory, rather than making it only full of sadness. Dona described the painting in the center of the altar as a symbol of the tears of the families but also the beauty of the lives of the young women. She described the altar in a very balanced way which I found beautiful.

Live Blog 1 - Abby Hecko

I couldn't make it to the event, so I watched it on Facebook after. The recording and connection were very poor. But I talked to friends in the class and read many of the other live blog posts to learn about the events. I felt connected to the experience of making altars through this event because of how Ofelia and Rosanna spoke of the importance of altars in their personal lives. What resonated with me the most was how the altars connected both to the past and the future action, the altar is not only a memorial. Something that also stood out to me was when Ofelia was describing her altar where she set out placemats and settings for people crossing the border and the migrant workers. This resonated with me because it connected to one of the altars I saw that one of our classmates made.

Live Blog 2 - Karen Velderrain-Lopez

The panel was very interesting to listen to. The initial interaction between Francesca and Rosana and Ofelia really resonated with me and excited me about the discussion to come. They talked about how an altar is a form of social activism. They mentioned how it is social justice in a spiritual way. I love the way that they described it in this way because it really embodies the purpose and intention behind an altar. Although altares are usually thought of as a way to honor a family member who has passed, it is interesting to think of altares in a more modern context in ways to really empower people and movements, and create a call to action through its spiritual intentions. Being able to understand and bring forth important dialogue from the injustices that must not be forgotten is important and this form of social activism is awe inspiring.

Live Blog Post 1 - Karen Velderrain-Lopez

During the unconference, the two speakers Rosana and Ofelia were going through the altars and at the end of presenting them and talking about them, the speakers mentioned that the presence of an altar is the presence of a sacred space and that it is important to acknowledge that. They also mentioned that an altar and an ofrenda is not a decoration, but a form of healing. It really resonated with me to hear them say that because cultures have so often been appropriated without understanding the roots or the intention behind certain practices and traditions. The altar is a sacred tradition, as lively as it seems, the altar is a serious thing meant to be a space of spiritual healing, remembrance, and empowerment.

Live Blog Post 2 - Eric Fong

Cultural Advisors for CoCo. I think that this was really cool. I also appreciated the way in which their input was utilized into Coco. I got the opportunity to watch the movie before taking this class and this class really help conceptualized the Ofrendas I saw in the movie. This is an extremely cool real-world connection of Ofrenda making in popular culture. It was interesting and important that they turned down creating an Ofrenda for the Coco characters. I believe it is important to maintain the sacred integrity of Ofrendas as an altar to pay respect to important individuals in society/one's life.

Live blog 2 - Haleh Mawson

Just want to call out this altar for being extremely pretty. All of them are powerful, but this one is just very visually pleasing. I like pink. I was going to write more from my notes, but instead I'm going to talk about the song Patricia Chookenshaa just sang, because I wandered off and came back to find her singing and it was beautiful, first because the music was lovely, and second because it is a wondrous thing to see someone exist fully at the intersection of past, present, and future that such a song represents, at least to my mind. She said at the end - I'm afraid I didn't write it down - that the last verse crescendos to show how much remains after the storm of colonialism and violence, how much is still breathing and alive in this present. I think we often hear about the malaise that sits on Indigenous people in North America, the struggles they face, but there are fewer chances to see the power that resides in them still. I suppose it was simply amazing to see someone embrace that, because it is not, at least for me, an everyday occurrence. So my thanks to her.  

Live blog 1 - Haleh Mawson

I think I missed out on the concept of a live blog, because I wrote all my thoughts as they occurred on a doc, and only now went back to transfer them here.

First, I think it was Esparza, or perhaps her daughter, who described names as a "vibration f love." I was really caught by that imagery. I suppose the surface level of it is that, as someone with an unusual name for this country, I am not used to hearing it. When she said to say your name in your mind and listen to the voice that spoke it, it was my voice, in the firm tone I always use after I've corrected people a few times. One of the things I like about Seattle is that there is a mess of people who have changed their names here, and whenever I correct their pronunciation and tell them not to worry, they reply with "Names are important." It's oddly reassuring. I have never been one convinced of the power of names, but the idea that these sounds, like an altar, are an expression and invocation of love is the most persuasive argument for it that I've heard so far.

Please forgive my poor photography. I am not a screenshot master.

Live Blog post 2

I thought it was really cool to see the varying mediums use including music, dance, along with more traditional art mediums.

Live Blog Post 1

In alignment with the things we've been learning this quarter, speakers addressed the way that an ofrenda creates sacred space along with the healing nature of ofrenda making, remembering, and collective healing. One thing that i especially appreciated was the way that in hearing the bios of each speaker we see that these womxn are also devoted to social justice in their work and lives 

Brainstorm Week 9 - Clarissa Lunday

In Professor Dian Million's article "Indigenous Matters", she writes about Indigenous knowledge, which we have previously learn about this quarter. However, she writes, "Indigenous knowledge is politically potent because it is place-based knowledge and now deeply intertwined with the people's experience with colonization" (p. 96). I think it is important that we understand that Indigenous knowledge is part of the learning for buen vivir or "living well". Million writes, "Indigenous societies are adaptive and creative cultures that live and change in the present day" (p. 102). This connects with buen vivir by showing how Indigenous societies use Mother Earth for their wellbeing but also make sure that the wellbeing of Mother Earth is maintained. This, in my opinion, is living well.

Priscilla Ybarra writes about Goodlife writing and notes that the four values for this writing are: simplicity, sustenance, dignity, and respect. As we saw in Million's article it is imperative to respect Mother Earth. Ybarra writes, "Mexican American knowledge about climate and healthy land practices in the Southwest was largely lost in the latter half of the nineteenth century discarded for the sake of dispossessing this community if new America" (p. 5). What we have learned, however, is that, as a process of decolonization, Indigenous peoples, Mexican Americans, and Chicanas/os are moving back into learning that knowledge that was stolen by white supremacy. Even Black Americans are relearning what their ancestors once knew. This process of relearning and following the four values for the Goodlife are the principles of buen vivir. 

Live Blog #2

By: YuYu Madigan

I was struck by the beauty of the altars that Rosanna shared. The intricate detail amazed me but what I connected with most was her words of how it was a process of healing and represent a call to action rather than simply decoration which relates to the point of the altar I made for the midterm. She calls on everyone to  know that we are not far from healing and whave the ability to do it within oureslves, we just must allow ourselves permission to do so. Furthermore I was very curious about their ideas on preserving names and not using them in conversational manner and would like to learn more about that ideology. Grief is a very individual and emotional journey and these altars are one way to confront those feelings and come to terms by celebrating the life rather than mourning the death.

Live Blog Post 2 - Alexis

The altar is a sacred space and a process of healing, it emphasizes aesthetics but it is not a mere pretty decoration. It is not just a reminder of the past or a documentation, but a call to action for change. This is why it is a form of praxis in activism. What makes the altar so powerful are the "vibrations of love" or the amount of love and respect put into making the altars. It does not look at the circle of life with sorrow but with respect and celebration. This is important to keep traditions alive, to teach the next generation of the past and continue the conversation and mission. This really reflects the openness and intersectionality of Chicana feminism, that celebrates differences and multiculturalism without misappropriation.

live blog 2 - emilia garcia-bompadre

As the panelists talk about the importance of names and the healing power of honoring those who pass, Ofelia Esparza comments "we need to allow ourselves to heal".  I thought this was a really powerful quote, and it ties into a lot of what the panelists have been saying. With all of the death and killing happening around us, it is important to remember and honor those people, not forget about them and let it pass by. It encourages people to embrace traditions of a culture, to teach the youth those traditions and to continue to be resilient against colonizing powers.

Live Blog 2 - Chloe Rabinowitz

During the panel session of the event, something really beautiful happened. These powerful women who are recognized for their different accomplishments within their own communities in terms of spirituality and empowerment came together. In this coming together, they shared a lot of different aspects of their cultures and how each culture responds to a death or the loss of a loved one - or even the hardships that they’re going through. Hearing these different voices that come from different backgrounds with distinct cultural practices and traditions embodies the idea that Sandoval described as forming affinities within difference. They deliberately are coming together (convivencia) to create a discourse around the ofrenda and how the ofrenda is translated into their respective cultures. This made me think about my own family’s form of grieving and remembrance, encouraging me to look further into the traditions of my community. 

Blog Post 2: Teresa Bonilla

I liked hearing Omi (and others) talk about finding a place to spiritually reconnect and recenter ourselves, and the importance of this at all times, but especially during COVID 19. I feel that this is something that is a big challenge many people who are religious and consider religion and important part of their life have lost that. It has definitely been a different experience for me to not be able to go to church and be watching bc mass on Facebook and participate in my religion on the internet.  I really liked the idea of  the mini library style altar. I’m my home we have small mini altares around with religious icons and some candles that we can pray to. The connection to faith which we can use to center has been altered and adapting the way we do it is an important thing.

It’s also and interesting way to connect to our ancestors. The ancestors of our religion who also had to practice on their own. Of course it is different because it is not about persecution now. However the idea of continuing the practice on our own and connecting while apart is the same.

Live Blog Post #2 - Pavithra Prabhu

The topic being discussed is about the symbolic meaning behind ofrendas and the different practices surrounding after a person’s death.

Rosanna builds on how the ofrenda is a reflection of what we have inside of us. Patricia Chookenshaalater talks about how she finds healing by going to her “own private space”, and how her own space is going to the beach. She further emphasizes how going to a private space allows us to connect with ourselves and spiritual heal us.

Francisca then starts the discussion around grievance practice by recounting a question she came across about a person who lost a person they had somewhat known. Patricia Chookenshaa began to talk about how in her community, after a person passes away, her community’s traditional practices for grieving, such as not attending public gatherings, not singing, not saying his name. This reminded me of traditional, Hindu practices that I follow where we do the same things for a year after a close-family member has passed away.