Zayra's Alter of Cultural Acceptance

Zayra's Alter of Cultural Acceptance

Zayra Serrato Garcia

A Multimodal Literacy Autobiogrpahy:

I hope that my audience can view how I utilize my culture and creativity to approach this autobiography visually, musically, physcially, and through writing. As well as, how you can unite cultural traditions and academia together as a mode of learning. Due to Dia de los Muertos coming up, I thought of honoring my 12 year old self's struggles to be accepted into both the Mexican and American culture. In her honor, I made her an alter with ofrendas (pictures of some of my role models and songs) that collaborate to demonstrate my acceptance journey through conversations with authors like Anzaldua, Friere, and Trevor Noah. The reader should approach my autobiography with some context on Dia de los Muertos and why alters are set up. Thank you for time.

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Works Cited

Anzaldua, Gloria. How to Tame A Wild Tongue.

Gross, Terry, host. "Trevor Noah Says He Grew up 'In The Shadow Of A Giant' (His Mom)." Fresh Air, NPR, 22 November 2016, https://www.npr.org/transcripts/503009220

Freire, Paulo. “Chapter 2 .” Pedagogy of the Oppressed.

G, Becky. “Becky G - We Are Mexico.” YouTube, 26 Jan. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE-U1HQl-o8&pp=ygUVYmVja3kgZyB3ZSBhcmUgbWV4aWNv. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.

UCHIS, KALI. “Kali Uchis - Igual Que Un Ángel (Ft. Peso Pluma) [Official Audio].” YouTube, 11 Jan. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY-nAOFpenI&pp=ygUea2FsaSB1Y2hpcyBsYSBmYXZvcml0YSBkZSBkaW9z. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.

Anzaldúa states, "The ever-present corridos narrated one hundred years of border history, bringing news of events as well as entertaining. These folk musicians and folk songs are our chief cultural myth-makers, and they made our hard lives seem bearable" (Anzaldúa, p. 61). Music has always played a significant role in shaping my identity and providing a source of comfort throughout my life. As I grew older, I noticed a lack of representation of people like me in American television. Around the age of 12, I turned to music as a way to find stories that resonated with my own experiences. At that time, I was struggling to navigate the complexities of belonging to both American and Mexican cultures. Some of my own family members, along with people on social media, would mock my Spanish, deepening my sense of alienation. Fortunately, I discovered Becky G, a Mexican-American artist, whose music spoke to me in ways I had not previously encountered. Through her songs, I realized that I didn’t need to conform to societal standards—I could simply be myself. Her lyrics helped me embrace both of my cultures, and I came to cherish the fact that I belong to two places that I call home.In agreement with Anzaldúa’s reflection on how folk songs can make "hard lives seem bearable," I believe music serves as a refuge during difficult times. For instance, Becky G’s song, released around the 2016 election, provided strength to many, including my family. During a period when Trump’s rhetoric targeted immigrants, particularly Mexicans, and led to an increase in deportations, my family lived in constant fear. Becky G used her platform to challenge these injustices, proudly affirming that we are hardworking people whose identity cannot be erased. I now see these lyrics as an ofrenda to my 12-year-old self, who once felt disconnected from her heritage. They helped me embrace both my Mexican and American sides, allowing me to fully appreciate my dual identity.

Candles

They light the path for souls form the underwrold.

https://www.npr.org/2016/11/22/503009220/trevor-noah-looks-back-on-childhood-in-the-shadow-of-a-giant-his-mom

As I reflect on Trevor Noah’s observations about language and accents shaping how we view others in America, one of his insights resonates with my own experiences: "When you hear somebody speaking in an accent, it's almost like they're invading your language while they're speaking to you. Because if you hear someone speak another language, you almost don't care, but when they speak your language with an accent, it feels like an invasion of something that belongs to you" (Fresh Air). This captures how many Latinos in Mexico view Mexican Americans, and similarly, how Americans view Chicanos. When students are sent to specialists to "fix" their accents or are told in American classrooms to only speak English, they are essentially being told to erase parts of themselves. Both languages and cultures are integral to their identity, and being asked to conform is a form of erasure. This hit hard when I first went to Mexico at age 17. I was getting my nails done, and the girl working on them asked me what I did for a living. I told her I attend university. She immediately asked, "You’re from the United States, aren’t you?" I responded, "Yes," and she said, "You can tell when you speak," but her tone was cold. The mood shifted, and she stopped talking to me, turning her attention to her coworkers instead. It felt like my accent, which marked me as an outsider, changed the way she saw me. Similarly, my family members often warn me, "Don’t speak Spanish at the markets—they’ll know you’re not from here and overcharge you." There’s a deep sense of shame that surfaces when we speak Spanish with an accent that’s not considered "authentic." It’s as if we’re caught between two worlds—neither fully accepted as American nor fully embraced as Mexican. Becky G, however, has been a role model in showing me how to navigate this in-between space. She has made a name for herself in the Latino music industry, fully embracing both her Mexican and American sides. Becky G proudly calls herself "200 percenter"—not half Mexican and half American, but fully both. She reclaims her identity in a way that resonates with many young Latino Americans, showing us that we don’t have to choose between our cultures. We can take pride in being all of who we are. I no longer feel that shame in my languages. Berky G is on my ofrenda for being a role model to my younger self.

Link

This color represents the feminine energy in which the role models in my life provided and how important it is to me in my idenitiy as a women.

Pink

"Pocho, cultural traitor, you're speaking the oppressor's language by speaking English, you're ruining the Spanish language," I have often been accused by fellow Latinos and Latinas. As Anzaldúa explains, "Chicano Spanish is considered by the purist and by most Latinos deficient, a mutilation of Spanish. But Chicano Spanish is a border tongue which developed naturally" (Anzaldúa, p. 55). This resonates with the work of Kali Uchis, a daughter of Colombian immigrants, who, like Anzaldúa, embraces Spanglish in her artistic expression. In her music, such as the song referenced above, Uchis seamlessly shifts between Spanish and English to reflect her dual identity. By doing so, she highlights both aspects of her cultural heritage, taking pride in both languages rather than privileging one over the other. Through her lyrics, we can see that she resists allowing dominant English to overshadow her Spanish, much like Anzaldúa emphasizes the natural development of Chicano Spanish as a form of self-expression. Both Anzaldúa and Uchis showcase how language—whether through writing or music—becomes a powerful tool for navigating and maintaining a connection to both cultures. Their use of Spanglish reflects the desire of many Latino Americans to honor and preserve their heritage while also adapting to the broader context of life in the United States. By blending languages, they resist cultural erasure and affirm the richness of their bilingual identities. Kali's picture and music are ofrendas to my 12 year old self who struggled to feel comfortable with both her Mexican and American sides. Kali has inspired me as a women navigating and to navigaitng my feminine energy as well as as being proud of my culture through my Spanglish.

In her NPR article, Romo shares, "the cempasúchil — the Aztec name of the marigold flower native to Mexico. The fragrance of the bright orange and yellow flowers is said to lead souls from their burial place to their family homes. The cheerful hues also add to the celebratory nature of the holiday, which, although it's wrapped up in death, is not somber but festive" (Romo). I handmade the flowers different colors because I wanted to represent the different shades of emotions I experienced on my journey. Orange represents the positive feleings I felt along this journey.

Cempasuchil

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This color represents the joy I felt from finally reaching the confidence to embrace both my American and Mexican sides thanks to these role models along the way. Yellow, also, represents the caution I took in fulling stepping into these communities due to potential criticism and rejection. I was more quiet and reserved through my teenage years, but now I am more loud in different spaces.

Yellow

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I look up to Mary as a feminine role model. I am not a religious person, however, I always admired her growing up because my mother did as well. She just exudes this caring and warm energy that I try to emody. I could talk to her and felt like she listened when my own mother could not listen to me. She the mother to the Mexican people. I grew up with many "Marias" around me as well. My mother was named Maria, my favorite Aunt, and my hometown is named Santa Maria. I feel a connection to her through these people and places. I hope to visit her in Mexico one day.

La Rosa de Guadalupe

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I placed a picture of my mother as an ofrenda because she has been my greatest teacher. Through her, I learned Spanish, and I often remind myself that when I criticize my language skills, I am also criticizing the wisdom she passed down to me. My mother didn’t just teach me a language; she also taught me to embrace every part of myself. She always reminds me that education is a privilege, often saying, "Estudia mucho, hija, quiero que seas alguien en la vida." While this phrase was meant to encourage me, I often found it heartbreaking. My mother sees herself as less because she couldn’t pursue formal education or secure a stable income.Freire’s words resonate deeply here: "The 'humanism' of the banking approach masks the effort to turn women and men into automatons—the very negation of their ontological vocation to be more fully human" (Freire, p. 74). His critique highlights how traditional education systems can strip individuals of the ability to think critically, reducing them to passive recipients of information. I think of the systemic barriers that I, and many like me, faced growing up in the U.S. education system. For example, the standardized testing system is common barrier. It often fails to account for students with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, pressuring them to assimilate into just speaking English. Many students from immigrant families struggle to navigate this system, and it feels like the promise of a “better life” my mother hoped for is overshadowed by these obstacles. She left her home country to provide us with better opportunities, but instead, we continue to face challenges that reflect systemic inequalities. However, I still embrace both my cultures by speaking both languages and Spanglish.

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