#chst148

My name is Jennifer Marie Aranda. I am 22 years old, I am the daughter of two Mexican American parents, I am the youngest of my family, I am Chicana, I am brown and I am proud to be a Mexican American Chicana.

I am a current college student at Rio Hondo Community College. I am studying to get my degree in Kinesiology to become a volleyball coach/ PE Teacher and to minor in Photography & Chicano Studies. Chicano Studies brought so much interest to me because it is part of my culture and it was history my parents were living through at the time everything was happening. Even in today's society brand new history is being made and we are living in it. Being able to take that and put it into my studies makes really proud. Photography is another minor, the subject it's self is so memorizing. Photography allows me to capture stories with my lens. My pictures tell stories and one day it will allow me to share all my stories with everyone.

I love music, all types. I love trying/going to new places. The LA city is where you'll best find me. I love adventuring out and discovering new places to take pictures. Photography is my favorite thing to do. Playing with makeup is my new hobby. Volleyball is the sport I love most of and have so much passion for. Also, I'm a big Disney fanatic!

I come from a family of 4 my mother Maria Lourdes Aranda who cam from Mexicali Mexico, my father Jose Ricardo Aranda who came from San Antonio Texas, and my brother Julian Augustine born and raised in Whittier California. I am the youngest in my family that's including my dad's older kids Joe and Ruben Aranda that have two amazing children which are my nephews. Ritchie Zyler Aranda and Urijah Joseph Aranda (my godson) come from the oldest Joe. Ruben Aaron Aranda and Dominic Rene Aranda both come from the second eldest Ruben. Growing up I was loved to play sports and used to play rough because of my brothers. I love my little big family. We are blessed and hopeful.

My favorite reading we have done in CHST is "Mascaras". It's a reading that will have you comparing to the characters and one that is there to help you identify yourself as a person or find who you are. This reading truly made me feel like I was a character in the stories. If you are looking for inspiration, read Mascaras you won't regret it. This is me, this is my life and this is my story. Keep up with me and my adventures there are more stories to be told and more history to be made. This is just the beginning. What's your story? -xoxo

Personal agency is a vessel for self-identification. However, it is dictated by dominant society. Quite the conundrum. My convictions and praxis teeter-toter a reality that has been etching itself in stones for eons. I have met a number of social scientists who justify their reality with what is actually real. As a Sociology, my mission is NOT to massage your comfortability. Disabled. Person of color. Gay. Labels imposed on us though years of colonization. Yet, labels I live and die by. Self-identification involves macro and micro forces which I can not solely control. However, I am taking back and redefining an ideology deprived of reconstruction and revolution. My goal is to educate. Conditions- be it teacher, advocate, and/or mentor- are still undecided and undetermined. My goal is to exist. I am being provided with an opportunity to be heard. More often than not, disabled people are silenced. I am taking this opportunity not to only to be vocal, but to reclaim my humanity. As predicted by Professor Serafin, Margaret Montoya's article was the reading assignment I enjoyed most. As an attorney, Montoya enriches and enlightens the reader on how she, as a Latina, "navigated" her way through Harvard. Her insight provides instructions. Therefore, with respect to her title and the title of the article, the picture to accompany my introduction is a picture of rocking "trenzas" over the summer.

My name is Ivy Guerra and this is my second year at Rio Hondo, I plan to major in Anthropology and minor in Chicano/Chicana Studies. At first i was only going to focus on Anthropology but by taking Women in American History it really called me to learn more about women and men from different cultures/ ethnicity. Also this is my first chicano/ chicana class and I couldn’t be happier. Some things about me: I come from a family of six and I love to dance, I’ve dance samba (not zumba) and hip-hop. I;m also a big Star Wars fan, and I like to listen to score music.