As a Chicana writer, I am highly concerned with decolonizing the mind: that is, to challenge oppressive conceptions in society by starting with consciousness raising of myself and others. My work, constructed through my unique experimental and personal lense, focuses on critiquing western colonial impacts on arts and entertainment, the fetishization of women of color, and discrimination against marginalized communities. Through storytelling, I aim to help others recognize the value in the experiences that exist outside of the white, heteronormative experience. I don’t see myself in The Great Gatsby, Shakespeare, or the Canterbury Tales, which led me to pursue a degree in English at the University of California Los Angeles, in hopes that I would read writers who validated my experiences. Luckily, I found my niche of nonfiction third-world feminist narratives written by women of color. Their unapologetic experimentation of writing and asserting their presence inspires me to push back against standard conventions to fully express my words in a way that feels authentic to me. Thus, I allow my thoughts to manifest organically into the world based on what moves me, leading me to develop a diverse portfolio of journalism, screenplays, essays, poetry and experimental life writing. Outside of my academic pursuits, I immerse myself in the community on campus through working at UCLA's Academic Advancement Program as a peer learning facilitator, serving Phi Lambda Rho’s Delta Chapter (a Chicana/Latina based sorority) as president in the 2021-2022 term, previously writing for HerCampus at UCLA and currently writing for FEM’s Arts and Creative section, and writing and directing original short plays and films for the Latine Film and Theatre Association’s Night of Cultura. But I still make time to crochet, spend time with my family and animals at our ranch, do editorial makeup looks, and generally enjoy the little moments on this floating rock.
