Palaaaabraaa, foo! Myths are cool and shi, ese!

For this week's assignment, we had to turn in our finalized individual myth websites. Mine started with a concept that was not very full of information and so I thought, "is this a fundamental question people are asking?" The topic I first chose was about the Latina Valley Girl and while I do have information on it, it would have been mostly anecdotal. That's when I thought, "who is the blueprint?" "who is the reason every Latina girl I know from the barrios around LA and the San Fernando Valley have that same sing-songy accent and use Spanglish in the same sentence?" Cholas came to mind. Despite their namesake, cholas aren't just characterized by the gang violence that is rampant in their communities; they are, like I said, the blue print. Chola women, the descendants of Pachucas, have been the type of Chicanas who never take crap from anyone. They refuse to acquiesce power to the macho men in their life and they refuse to assimilate to the beauty standards placed on them by white America. I loved doing this assignment because I enjoy learning about the hybridity of my culture as a Mexican-American. Creating a myth enhanced my understanding and study of myths because it gave me insight into how people back then had the same fundamental questions that we do. Humans will always question things; we are curious animals and so producing a myth made me feel like I was one of those ancient storytellers. I believe there is a difference between telling a myth and listening to a myth just like writing and reading. However both require the storyteller and the listener to be active in the process. The storyteller produces the myth and creates a world for the listener while the listener applies what they have heard to the world around them. The listener then becomes the storyteller, continuing the myth. 

I guess you could say it's sort of reminiscent of chisme, a word that has gotten a bad rap in Latino communities but literally IS a symbol of community. Chisme when it's not hurting anyone is our people's way of communicating stories that remain in the culture. Albeit with a LOT of embellishments, but what myth doesn't have embellishments? Perhaps Moses did speak to a burning bush and maybe the señora next door's chicken soup cures cancer; who knows? What I do know is that storytelling is important for every culture, especially mine. I want to encourage my students to continue to tell stories that enhance their lives and the culture. And to those that are listeners to not just be passive; read and analyze and apply! Question why our raconteurs are telling us these stories or why they are telling it a certain way. Continue to be active readers and immerse yourself in the arts. That, in and of itself is creation. Art does not demand status or pretense---it is not a luxury as Audre Lorde says. What it requires is a will to make your world better even though it could be a complete dumpster fire, despite the hardships life and oppression presents; and so I, again, quote Audre Lorde and sign off with, "So it is better to speak / remembering / we were never meant to survive