Trenzas ~ “¡Yo soy!”

Trenzas ~ “¡Yo soy!”

Trenzas ~ “¡Yo soy!” came to life during my youth, watching my grandmother brushing and braiding my mother’s hair and my mother passing on the loving strokes to my aunts.
Braiding was a time to ask and answer questions, for storytelling, sharing wisdom and always a time for caring and loving.
There was an intimacy about it all that always finished with besos (kisses), lingering abrazos (hugs), and with a resounding emphatic ¡Cuídate! (Be careful! Remain cautious!)
The “doñas” (elders) knew the reasons why caution needed to be ever present while “panzudos patrones” (fat cat land owners) roamed, seeking entitled desserts.

Every woman wore her trenzas with pride and dignity. There was a sameness and yet singularness as trenzas danced in the wind behind them with a story to tell.
I remember how beautiful they were… especially my mother’s trenzas… how they made me feel safe and loved as they danced behind her.

*Artistry by figurative painter Charissa Cota (Gutiérrez) of Cha Gutiérrez – “Seven Sisters of Sonora”

Fronteras ~ “Dólares cuestan dolores” ~ “América es un país sin alma” ~ Immigrants Humanizing America

Fronteras ~ “Dólares cuestan dolores” ~ “América es un país sin alma” ~ Immigrants Humanizing America

Immigration is often thought of as a collective noun.
On the contrary, each immigrant is an individual and comes to America for a plethora of different reasons.
Most often to enhance the quality of their lives and in turn the lives of others.

“Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger — we were strangers once, too. My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too.”
~ President Obama, November 20, 2014