I've been in Los Angeles for about a year now and I'm still processing this move. Grad school doesn't exactly give you time to get to know a city. Not truly understanding your place, your home, it's just depressing! I did have a small realization the other day... despite the fact that I don't belong to a specific community just yet, in Los Angeles I feel more connected than ever to the Latino community and this gives me hope. This summer I've decided that it's crucial that Caye and I cultivate our friendships through visiting friends and family as much as possible. Acceptance into new communities doesn't happen over night. It happens slowly over shared pieces of pan dulce and hot chocolate. We visited Caye's padrino the other night and as usual the Oaxacan hospitality included lively conversations about the motherland, el mendigo but necessary trabajo, and the state of immigrant persecution in Los Angeles. When we first made this dinner date I was determined to talk to these folks about my thesis project, but once I was there in their home it just seemed silly and inappropriate.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the word confianza and how long it takes grow. People always say "con confianza" when you come into their home for the first time and ask for a cup of water or something. Sometimes we loose it even when we've known someone our entire lives... "ya no te tengo confianza" Imagine saying that to someone. How is it that confianza fades?
Below is a picture of maximum confianza! I recently spent the day at the home of my tio Pedro and his wife Francis. Me tenian tanta confianza que me pusieron a trabajar! They were putting on an event for the author Javier Valdez Cardenas who they were hosting from Culiacan and upon arriving they quickly put me to work. I manned the drink station, helped set up chairs and tables, and had wonderful conversations with my new cousins. Despite being my uncle I've only really known Pedro and his family since moving to LA and I've been consistently blown away by their kindness and hospitality. I love that our culture honors family ties and often guarantees automatic admission into the clan... I really need more of that! Pictured are some of my new found family members.
Finally I'll end on the upcoming Low Performance night that I'm currently planning with my cohorts. I've been listening to lots of Pancho Barraza in preparation for this evening... WHY? I'm not even sure! Maybe it's all the Glee episodes I've been watching. Banda is theatrical, it's melodramatic, and does cause you make a fist with your right hand and hold it close to your heart. More info on the FB page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202298543147307
