REWRITE THE ENDING

I left Don Juan with a new mindset of freedom, something I have been longing for. My job was materialistic and Love lasts forever. The final words that ran through my mind while on the phone – “ 2 continents, 3 oceans, 8,643 miles, and 31 airplane hours”- I quit my job. I decided to live like Antenna, most of all I realized love was worth fighting for. 

On the plane to New Zealand My stomach was turning. I did not tell Antenna I was coming, I wanted to make this big romantic gesture. 

I landed in New Zealand and I emailed Antenna right away. She gave me the directions to her tiny apartment and I set off on my voyage. 

When I reached her apartment, every bone in my body told me to run into her arms as if nothing happened. But I have grown as a person in the past 14 years, I needed her to see that. 

I knocked on the door and before I could blink I was embraced by her body heat. 

Antenna had always been different, I knew this since I saw her wearing the cunt-bead necklace all the way to the love she showed me.

14 years, 2 continents, 3 oceans, 8,643 miles and 31 airplane hours away. And we had been reunited. She still loved me and I was finally ready to love her and give her all of me. 

It was not too late. 

I will always love Antenna. 

CLASS ENLIGHTENMENT

Bad Bunny y Princess Nokia son artistas puertorriqueños. Princess Nokia es Afro-Latinx que hace música sobre feminismo y rompiendo los roles de género.En la imagen de la izquierda, Princess Nokia representa a una bruja.Cuando las mujeres muestran fuerza o son independientes, automáticamente se las etiqueta como brujas. El video de Princess Nokia recupera la etiqueta de bruja.

Bad Bunny hace música para varias emociones y también es conocido por romper los roles de género. En el video de Bad Bunny “Yo Perreo Sola” él trae conciencia sobre los roles de género mientras representa la independencia y no necesita a nadie que te haga feliz, cómo necesitas hacerte feliz.

Ambos artistas llaman la atención sobre problemas del mundo real a pesar de que lo hacen de diferentes maneras. Esta clase me llamó la atención sobre esto, ya que nunca me senté a pensar en ello.

SIGNIFICANCE OF MEXICAN HEAVEN

ACCEPTANCE,STRENGTH, FREEDOM. All things people strive for. LGBQT+ communities are a topic through this blog. Strength to survive, accepting what you cannot control and the freedom to live the life you’re proud of. The poem “Mexican Heaven” by Jose Olivarez he says “all of the Mexicans sneak into heaven. St. Peter has their names on the list, but the Mexicans haven’t trusted a list. since Ronald Reagan was president.”(stanza 1)this stanza depicts the cruelty Mexian American’s experience, the cruel reality is evident especially in the rise of the anti-immigrant environment. 

IN this movie trailer of “Under The Same Moon” it shows a son and a mom, the mom is working illegally in the US, both the mom and son try to reunite because they are separated. This relates to Jose Olivarez because immigartion issues are ripping families apart and ruining the lives of millions. In the US families have gone missing and children have been held in cages. Even the people whose names are on the visa list don’t listen because of fear. 

KIMBERLE

The song “Hold on” by Chord Overstreet relates to the short story “Kimberle” by Achy Obejas because in the song he says “I’d be so lost if you left me alone.You locked yourself in the bathroom. Lying on the floor when I break through. I pull you in to feel your heartbeat. Can you hear me screaming? Please don’t leave me. Hold on, I still want you. Come back, I still need you. Let me take your hand, I’ll make it right” his song is about someone struggling with a hard time and he wants people to listen to it and feel like they are not alone. In the short story Kimberle struggles, challenges after challenges and it does not get better.” Kimberle you all right?[…] please let me in[…] Imagining her hanging from the light fixture, her veins cascading red in the tub…” ld give her hope but it also shows what pain a person goes through when they are suffering and when they see someone else they are close to suffering. 

Pain Room by Au/Ra she says “Welcome to the panic room. Where all your darkest fears are gonna come for you” these lyrics relate to Kimberle because in the short story they have the dialogue of

“I wanna do a threesome with a guy”….

 “Look, I’m not gonna . . . and he’d want us to”

“Well, exactly.”

“Exactly? But . . .”

“Kimberle, don’t you ever think about what we’re doing—about us?”

This conversation made me feel like the narrator was panicking from this response. Especially because Kimberle said “US? There is no us.” I think anyone would feel sad or panicked by this response.  

In the song “let you down” NF he says “Feels like we’re on the edge right now

I wish that I could say I’m proud

I’m sorry that I let you down

I let you down” this song relates to Kimberle because in the end she say “ But it was too late “implying Kimberle died. I feel this person has deep regret and takes responsibility for Kimberle. This whole story was as if the narrator had a saviour complex. 

PANDORA’S BOX

In the story “Pandora’s Box” by Arturo Arias a man named Juan was never comfortable in his own skin. He envied a woman Pandora. Through the story he goes through uncertainty whether he wants to get the surgery to transition into a female. In the end Juan was then Juanita and she was very happy in her body, exploring and learning new things. She learned to deal with all female struggles and found love with Pandora. In the article “NikkieTutorials Has Come Out as a Transgender Woman in a New YouTube Video” By Marci Robin a famous youtuber decided to finally come out as transgender. In a youtube video for 12 million fans she came out and began with “ when I was younger, I was born in the wrong body” Nikki began to take hormones and growth stoppers to fully transition into a female. Much like Juanita in Pandora’s box, Nikki decided to become her true self,both got gender confirmation surgery and they both get to live their best life.  

COMPARISONS 

Graciela Iturbide

Dulce Pinzon

Both Photographers have an eerie tone to their images. Graciela’s collection is in all black and white showing what seems to be abandoned places. Dulce’s collection is of a wide variety but particularly this section has animals and humans but the form and body parts of some of the animals are detached and disfigured. Both photographers seem to be digging deeper into a bigger picture of loving and caring for our planet. The teddy hanging shows that humans are killing wildlife by endangering their habitat. Whereas the train tracks are showing the impact we have with new inventions and the toll this takes on our planet. Environmental issues have been on a rise and sometimes taking a moment to create a better and sustainable future for everyone is what needs to happen. I feel their artwork speaks volumes.

LA GUERA

Out if the whole reading of La Guera by Cherrie Moraga paragraph 14 relates to me the most. “I didn’t trust him because he was a male” (Moraga). I think men are the coolest but I wouldn’t want to be alone with one. I speak to my male friends about consent and how to protect themselves when with a female and I too like Cherrie mentions, would  tell them to “imagine being a woman”.  And they have the same reaction as her friend. To my male friends they are afraid to be a woman because so many things could happen to us, I guess that’s why they try to protect us. Another part of the reading i relate to is “the feminost movement must be a movement of such survivors, a movement with a future.” In class we went over the 13 point, this passage was a beautiful example of feminism in my opinion. Feminism is not just for women, it is simply for equality for women, LGBTQ+ and men. The 13 points included everyone in it and hoped for a better future for their people.