I LOVE LA

The transition back to California has been hectic! Unpacking somehow took longer than the packing process and getting used to living at home with my parents took some time. I am rejuvenated and ready to get back to blogging my heart out.

Week one of being back at home, I had to stop at Dodger Stadium. So what if we lost that day? It was just an awesome experience being there representing my home team; the same team that I grew up watching as a child. Before we left we basked at Dodger stadium's ambience and the downtown skyline.

Me, Jorge (My Husband), and My Sister

Week two, entailed a much fuller schedule. Jorge and I decided to apply to become volunteers with Homeboy Industries. Speedily, we were called back within the week, had an interview, and were "hired".  Now I am a GED tutor. Besides volunteering, I enrolled and started my LSAT class on Saturday. Taking a full-length LSAT test meanwhile, my nose was running like a faucet, was no easy task. It was actually pretty disgusting to be honest. I truly feel bad for the random dude sitting next to me that had to put up with my sneezing and nose blowing. On the other hand, he kind of had it coming since, he showed up to class late and had no choice but to sit next to the girl with allergies.

This past Saturday, my husband and I, had a Welcome Home party hosted by my parents. The theme was Angels vs. Dodgers. My family loves the Dodgers, while my husband's family represents the Angels. Get it? Friends and family gathered to celebrate our long awaited return from the Arizona desert. I really needed to dance on Saturday night and thank goodness I had all night to do it! I danced my heart out and it felt great. As I danced, I felt like a woman again and not the stressed out creature that I had let myself become with the move back home.

Working on a word search puzzle that my Mom made for our Welcome Home party.

My Grandma Pat, Me, and My Mom

My Mom and I

My Bestie Wendy, Jorge, Me, and My Big Dog Nelson

Being Latina is complicated, especially when you move back to your hometown after being away for college and graduate school.

SB 1070, The Supreme Court, and Racism Straight Outta Phoenix

Residence in Phoenix showed me just how fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to be born and raised in California. I am not going to act like California is absolutely perfect, but I never had to deal with constant blatant racism.

Racism runs rampant in Arizona and it was made even more clear as my husband, Jorge and I moved out of our apartment.

My father and best friend, Nelson were standing in our U-Haul that was parked right outside of my apartment, when they became victims of drive-by racism. Out of nowhere, a White driver shouts out, "Look at the Wetbacks move. They are running out of here now." Totally caught off guard, my father and Nelson were left frazzled.

Fifteen minutes later, Jorge and I found out and we were more than frazzled.

A friend once told me, "Why do you see everything as racial?" It is this very phrase that irks me to my core. Why do I see everything racially? Do I really have control over whether or not something is racial? I did not know that I could change my mentality and all of a sudden see less racism. I am sorry, but I do not practice colorblindness.

Colorblindness is dangerous and allows subtle, underhanded racism to thrive. The only way to conquer racism is to talk blatantly about it, rather than sweeping it under the rug. Obviously what happened to my father and Nelson was not subtle, and you would be a colorblind fool to say that what was shouted was not racist.

This was an important story to share because this it is reflective of what is going on in Arizona. Yes, maybe people are not getting tar and feathered yet, but it is there. Many Arizonans like to say that media over exaggerates the racial climate, but I beg to differ. Mexicans live in a state of constant fear.

This fear was just reinforced as a result of the recent decision that the Supreme Court has upheld. The worst part of SB 1070 is the section that states that police officers can check a person's residency status.  As a result of the Supreme Court's decision, this section is now deemed constitutional.

Until Governor Jan Brewer and her Tea Party Posse are overthrown, ignorance will continue to run rampant. How can I expect the man who called my father and friend "Wetbacks" to know better, when the leaders of Arizona pass legislation that is specifically aimed at Latinos?

My hope lies in the children of Arizona. Hopefully, they will grow up with a desire to change the political climate. My parting words with my seventh grade students were, "You are the only people who truly have the power to change this state."

With that being said, I'm leaving my Arizona students with the seed of change, while I return to my home state in order to create change in my hometown. After all, you cannot teach without a solid model.

Good Bye Arizona!

Captured as we drove out of Downtown Phoenix