¡Soy Chingona!

Afro-Latinos in New York City represented in a major way over the weekend.

The 4th Annual Afro-Latino Festival kicked off Friday with a series of panels that explored the nuances of Afro-Latino identity and continued throughout the weekend with a series of concerts, parties and festivities.

Co-founded and co-directed by Afro-Panamanian singer-songwriter Mai-Elka Prado Gil and her partner Amilcar Maceo Priestley, who is also Afro-Panamanian, the festival aimed to affirm, celebrate and educate people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds about Afro-Latino culture and identity. “Our objective is to educate ourselves as Afro-Latinos, as well as the broader community of Latinos, and everybody else about some of the issues that we are concerned about, but in solutions-driven manner,” Priestley told The Huffington Post Sunday.

QOTNCWOCBEATS MIX PT3: for the laziest of sundaes

for women’s history month, wocbeats collab’d with @qotnc to highlight and celebrate women in music. here’s a lil’ mix summer put together of her fave indie/alt/blues/soul jams by women of color.

hope you like! (◕‿◕✿)

Written By Gabriela Herstik

We all have trauma. We all have wounds that we need to heal, regardless if they’re old or fresh or sewn up.  If you’re being drawn to a certain part of your darkness and don’t know why- if there’s something that feels remembered in your sadness or sorrows or hurt- you may be feeling karmic wounds. You are incarnated with certain people from life to life- there to teach you a lesson in some way, shape or form. And sometimes when we encounter people we’ve known before, the lessons and hurts they teach us bring up our karmic past, and parts of our souls that are hard to reach. This spell for karmic healing uses the tarot cards I wrote about a couple of weeks ago to create a transition into surrendering old patterns and wounds. The symbols and images on the tarot cards allow us to connect with a part of ourselves we may not always listen to- especially when the cards speak of heavier issues. By working with a few of the cards that scare us, we are able to tap into past pains and traumas and access them from a new way. Use what scares you, leap into it and heal it. Use my last post as a guide for what card speaks to you- or use whatever other card you feel drawn to.

What you’ll need: Tarot cards- 2 or 3 tarot cards.

They can be:     The Tower     The Two of Swords     The Ten of Swords     Death     The Devil     Or any card you’re drawn to for healing purposes.      Sage/ Mugwort/ Lavender/ Sweetgrass to cleanse your sacred space A shower A fireproof bowl Pen and paper A black and white candle Some uninterrupted time in sacred space

 Optional:: Anything needed to cast a circle Stones:  Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Onyx, Obsidian

Altar Set Up

Set up your altar facing the North with your two candles, cards and whatever stones you choose to use. Have your fire proof bowl and your pen and paper ready to use. You can create an altar with whatever makes you feel whole and protected and healed. Buy yourself some flowers, cover your space in mementos- do whatever. Just make sure you have enough space to light pieces of paper on fire safely!

Before you shower, cleanse your sacred space with some white sage, mugwort, sweetgrass or lavender.     •    Shower. Undress intentionally. Take time to slow down and start breathing into your feelings. Once you’re naked imagine yourself in a cocoon of white light. Bathe in it. Take a few slow, deep breaths and step into the shower. Continue to breathe intentionally as you feel the rush of warmth come over you like a waterfall of white light. Imagine that every drop of water on your skin is healing you, kissing any of your wounds. Let your mind wander to whatever feels like home. Imagine you’re somewhere far away under a waterfall. There’s nothing wrong- you are blissful. Warm. Safe. Free. Take time and enjoy the light. Once you’re done showering, take time to put on some lotion or oil, imagine white light moving from your palms into your skin. Give yourself a massage. Bask in how wonderful it feels to touch yourself. Give yourself some TLC. Ground yourself.

    •    IF you want:: Cast a circle Once you feel all effervescent and loved on, move to your altar. You can stay nude, also called skyclad, or you can wear something that makes you feel amazing and powerful- a robe, some lingerie, a comfy sweater. What feels most like YOU? Wear that.

Using your finger, a wand, a crystal wand or an athame, cast a circle. Moving clockwise, extend your arm and walk around the parameter of your workspace in a circle three times, imaging white/violet light shooting out from whatever you’re using and forming a circle ofaround you like a protective hedge of energy. You can say something if you’d like, like “I cast this circle as a sacred space between worlds. Only that which serves in my highest purpose and in my highest favor resides here. This is a space of love, of healing. So mote it be”

    •    Meditate on the Tarot Now comes the fun part. Sit down with your tarot cards. Take a second and breathe. Look at the cards, and take deep breaths, gazing into the cards and listening for anything they may be telling you. How can the hurt, the fear, the pain in the cards you’ve chosen help heal you? What is it that you need to let go of or pick up or soften? What part of your karma are the cards you’re working with talking to you about?

    •    Light your candles Light your black candle thinking about all the pain you want to release and let go of. Imagine any unneeded energy getting dissolved by the white light that surrounds you. Gaze into the flame of your candle, softening your eyesight and imagining everything that has hurt you burning in the flames. Once you feel ready, light your white candle, imagining that violet light is surrounding you. As you light the candle imagine healing. Bliss. Peace. Feel everything in your soul. Gaze into the flame, imagining the warmth healing any wound you may feel. Imagine it getting covered with loving kisses from the universe. Gaze into both flames and feel softness and warmth. REMEMBER- Listen to your intuition. Soften your gaze and see where the flames take you. Listen to the little voices in your soul reminding you of where you’ve been- listen to what it is you need to heal.

    •    Burn It and Let it Go Grab your paper and pen. With your tarot cards in front of you, take a second and think of what part of yourself or your soul you want to heal. Fold your paper in half. On the left half right about what you want to let go of. On the right half write what you want to manifest, and heal. Rip the left half of your paper into strips and light each on fire, disposing them in the bowl to burn when you’re done. Imagine each thing you want to let go of dissolving into the universe, detaching itself from you. You can say something like “I release these old wounds and patterns that no longer serve me into the universe, so mote it be” when you’re done. Take your time- bask in the actual physical act of watching these papers burn. When you’re called to, do the same thing to the right half of the paper. This time imagine each of these intentions as bubbles of energy bursting in the universe, ready to manifest. With each strip of paper you burn, imagine a bandage of white light healing your hurt and your pain. When you’re done you can say something like “I release my wounds into the universe, and I cover myself in love and white light to heal. I bask in the essence of the divine//universe. So mote it be”

    •    Sit with it Once you’ve burned it all up, sit with your tarot cards and your candles. When you feel ready, close your eyes and take five deep breaths. Imagine that you are bathed in white light. You can hold or place any crystals along your body- a rose quartz on your heart and an amethyst on your third eye are especially healing. Imagine a vortex of white light covering and engulfing you, healing you of your hurt. Don’t rush the process. When you’re finished, sit up. Put your forehead to the ground and imagine any excess energy being grounded through you into the earth. Take some time to journal or create if you feel the need to record what you’re feeling. As always- follow your intuition.

    •    If you cast a circle: Walk counter- clockwise once. Imagining all the energy going up through whatever you cast the circle with, through your body and into your feet and the ground. When you’re finished you can say “The circle is open, may it never be broken”. Ground your energy once more.  

When you’re done, take time to relax. Do whatever it is that makes you feel good. Sage. Write. Create. Bask in your healing. You may revisit this ritual whenever you need- focusing on what you want to release during the Waning Moon, and focusing on what you want to manifest during the Waxing Moon.

In summary

EXTRA CREDIT POST: VISUAL ART

Extra Credit Post 2 - Black Trans Lives Matter Video

This Chicago Panel was designed to discusses the issues of transgender people of color (because as Monica James discussed, this is also a problem faced by gender variant other people of color) specifically the trans-misogyny, institutional racism and its resulting systemic violence. The panel had two primary speakers, CeCe McDonald who was previously charged with murder for defending herself against her attacker, and then had to navigate the prison system. The other primary speaker was Monica James who has been targeted multiple times by police, and has fought locally and internationally against violence and abuse exhibited towards trans women of color. 

The panel had two primary themes, intersections of oppression and activism. CeCe McDonald a lot about how systems of oppressions make black trans lives vulnerable to violence and how there are a lot of people are forgotten and disregarded because a discussion on intersectional oppression would be ‘too complicated’ do dissect. What she was really trying to emphasize to the audience was that these lives are worthy of a movement, and worthy of being protected and advocated for (by both inside and outside the community itself) on a larger scale than the individual. Monica James discussed the need for activism, and how this meant that many people of all different kinds of skillets needed to be involved in order to create large changes. She also discussed how ‘activism’ also need to me ‘advocating’. She talked about how black and poc trans individuals needed to be involved in the systems of change, that means both in the social activism as well as governmental changes. There needs to be a demand for these voices to be the ones involved in these conversations because its the only way meaningful change will happen. 

The first thing I think I took away from this panel was that the language you use for advocacy is important. Its very easy for people that have been studying and researching and advocating for years to slip into statistics and very technical speech. And while I think there is a place for this I also think that when you’re trying to address the public in order to engage with them you need to speak in an understandable vernacular, which I think the members of this panel really made a point to do. 

I also think that CeCe discussed something that I personally grapple with. She discussed how while she was in prison, she was receiving letters of encouragement but also letters asking her to become a leader and an activist. She spoke at the panel how she didn’t know at first how she could use her voice for activism when she was still trying to advocate for herself in a very immediate way. It was when she realized that she wasn’t advocating alone, even when she felt she was, that activism became her path. I really appreciated knowing about her transition to activism. 

Trans model Jennifer Diva poses on a crucifix in a church in Mexico, causing much controversy, I will talking about Univision’s coverage of this which can be seen here. 

The clip is introduced as there being buzz around a picture of a trans woman who posed as if she were crucified in a Mexican church. Cutting to images of Cristo de las Noas Church in Torreón, Mexico, the reporter explains that it might seem peaceful, but they are unfired for the image that Jennifer posted on social media. We then see reactions of local people who are think it is disrespectful to the religious aspects of the church. Then in an interview with church spokesperson, Ignacio Mendoza, he says it is a lack of respect, lack of education, and lack of common sense. To do something like this for art, well, he doesn’t think it’s art. 

Some people speculate, because of the openness of the place where the photo was taken, that this photo was something the church knew about all long. Univision spoke with the photographer Kimberly Serrato, also a trans woman, about it. She explained the pictures became a statement about the mistreatment of trans woman. She said it is meant to show the way that she and many other trans women feel on a daily. Serrato also explains that many trans woman in Mexico can’t find jobs because society doesn’t allow it. She says she was hired by Jennifer and these photos are servicing the purpose to open up people’s eyes toward the discrimination of “gay” people. She also feels that they let her voice come through and show they are here, they are real, they are normal people and they are not crazy, or perverted. She also insures that they paid to use the location for the pictures. The church, however, denies this.

(7th Post) Analysis of a Second Scholarly Source: Ambiguity& Metaphor in Relation to Gender and Sexual Identity  

This source doesn’t specify on any sort of gender variant person or people of color, but it will have to do given it’s analysis of queer representation in the media (the book title is Queer Media Images: LGBT Perspectives)

In the chapter “Should We Stop Believin’ ” television show “Glee” is looked at for its different approaches of identity and how those identities are disclosed within the show and the characters. As “Glee” already was prominent for it’s lead characters being the unusual and unpopular high school students, the inclusion of of characters with different gender identities isn’t too unexpected. But these identities might be too central to the character(s) and in doing so define them. Like in it’s characters of color and cis gay male characters. But is a bit more ambiguous with its sexually fluid and gender variant and/or non-conforming characters. That can be confusing, refreshing, and also frustrating. Like to portrayal of character Santana Lopez, “her sexual identity is not directly stated at the beginning of the series, her sexual relationship with fellow Cheerio Brittany is referenced…in addition to her numerous sexual encounters with male classmates…the viewer can at best assume that Santana is bisexual.” The character then goes on to say that she doesn’t like or use labels for her complex sexuality, but is somewhat out-ed and called a lesbian by fellow glee club members. “While it is clear that the members of the glee club believe they are doing her a service, Santana’s continued discomfort with the label (most notably in her hesitation to use the term to describe herself) is unsettling.” This portrayal is refreshing in that a character (of color) doesn’t like labels or to be defined by them. While the ambiguity and refusal to label oneself, it can be argued that any sort of pansexual or bisexual representation is needed (especially since the character is seen as a lesbian by others because of her relationship with another female character). But frustrating is this portrayal in the sense that some much time and speculate is made in labeling the character. 

Gender identity is also tackled within the show in the form of character Shannon Beiste, the football coach. The character is described as, "physically imposing and gruff, with a deep voice, a short haircut, and a lumbering gait… identifies as heterosexual and engages in flirtations with men, but she is positioned in the show as anything but a woman.“ This at first glance is a bit problematic as it seems a bit stereotypical to have to football coach be a butch female. But the continuation of the character’s story-line is more complex. The character goes on to not use gendered pronouns (preferring to talk about them-self in the third person). The character isn’t simply a butch female stereotype, "an essentialist categorization as ‘woman’ does not accurately describe the complexity of her identity, and as such would be an act of categorical violence… she also does not identify as a man, suggesting that a constructivist read of her maleness would also be an oversimplification.” The character eventually, does transition and come out a transgender though, which might be problematic in oversimplifying the characteristics and choices of the character. (after the publication of this book did this happen though). 

Differentiating from ambiguity, is the use of metaphors to showcase LGBT stories. The example used here is Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in which the use magic as a metaphor and in Glee where musical numbers are used to express feelings. This may not have anything to do with trans or gender variant stories, but it is good in seeing that stories don’t have to always be literal. More abstract story-telling can be more successful than straightforward dialogue, "the intimation of feeling through metaphor has much more narrative potential than the explicit portrayal of character interaction… letting viewers experience media messages through their own lenses is perhaps the more effective way to express complex ideas about identity.“ Regardless of if you are expressing gender, race, or sexuality 

-Michael

Work Cited: Campbell, Jane, and Theresa Carilli. Queer Media Images: LGBT Perspectives. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2013. Web.Export As… PrintEmail

Before looking at the immigrant rights activism that Latina trans women do, it’s important to understand why they migrate to the United States in the first place

The article, Trans migrations: Exploring life at the intersection of transgender identity and immigration, involves an interview of ten Latina trans women and why they immigrated to the United States. It is estimated that out of the Latino immigrant population in the US, 25% of them are LGBT (Cerezo et. al 170) . There isn’t that much research done on the Latinx LGBT immigrant population so far. The article does highlight the main reasons for the migration of Latina trans women include economic opportunities, protection from violence, access to health services, and escape from trans discrimination.

The article described the migration of trans people as sexual migration, which is “the result of repression,oppression, and persecution in relation to one’s sexual orientation” ( Cerezo et. al 170). Although Latinx LGBT individuals migrate to the U.S. to escape their home countries, they continue to face hardships when they reach the U.S. Finding a job is a constant struggle, and gender variant/ trans people are more likely to live in extreme poverty and resort to alternative economics such as sex work.

When it comes to studying LGBT immigrants in the U.S., the legal documentation process needs to be mentioned. A lot of the times, immigrants acquire legal status through family or employer sponsorship. For trans immigrants, it is difficult to attain legal status in the U.S. Without the support from their family, they’re unable to get family sponsorship. A lot of LGBT immigrants seek asylum or refuge to attain legal status, but that proves to be a difficult because of transphobia and homophobia. 

Through the interviews with the Latina trans women conducted by the authors, there were some main themes that came up in the interviews. One of the themes was “motivations to migrate” and that included gender expression freedom, the notion that trans people are more accepted in the U.S. than Latin America, and the belief that’s there’s greater economic opportunities. The second theme was “psychosocial stressors” which included lack of emotional and economical support,constantly being the target of violence (especially from law enforcement) , and dealing with decreasng mental health due to discrimination. The last theme was “employment challenges in the U.S.” which included the lack of legal documentation regarding to name and sex marker and resorting to survival work because of the many barriers these women have to deal with.

Photo credit