Diego – “Fresas y Chocolate”
Miguel Chico - Rain God
Mama Chona – Rain God
Ismael Martinez - From
This Wicked Patch of Dust
Julia Martinez - From
This Wicked Patch of Dust
Gregorio Cortez – “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez”
Rudy Robles – “Born in East LA”
Ivon – Desert Blood
Charlie Smith – “The Border”
Lydia Villa - Desert Blood
Dialogue:
Border Brujo: “Welcome…welcome…please...take your seats. Thank you for joining me in this empty room in the Christ the King Roman Catholic Church on the corner of Rossmore/Melrose*. I
asked my friend to come sit in as a translator, and because they are fluent in
every language that has ever existed, feel free to express yourselves however
you want. Now, first, let us go around and tell each other how we’re doing, what’s
been happening in your lives, what tornadoes and fires have been set off in
your minds?
Everyone looks to Diego, the most talkative so far who stealthily changes seats away from Lydia.
Diego: Well, okay fine, throw me under the bridge then.
Well, I have had one of the most tumultuous past months. I met a young naive revolutionary (who also happened to be the cutest boy in Cuba), lost my job because of political reasons and the resulting breakdown of my partner in art, and now I'm here. How far do we have to go with this?
Miguel Chico: I guess that's enough said then. Well, I am currently living far away from my family, and I guess we'll see how this goes. I really can't stay long, my health is deteriorating.
Lydia: I can not stay for too long either. I have other important things to do, I'm very busy you know. And I don't particularly like this group of people.
Diego: Can we not?
Border Brujo: Please, please, stay together everyone, it won't be as painful as it seems. Or it won't seem as painful as it is. If anyone wants to know, I am currently thinking on ten different threads in my mind and don't have enough time in my life to pursue the ends of any of them. You all have it easy.
Lydia: Easy? You think we have it easy? My daughter's disobey me and leave me maybe about ten times a day, you think I have time for this?
Diego: Maybe there's a reason they're trying to leave, ever thought of that?
Lydia: You trying to say something about my parenting--
Gregorio: Everyone calm down. Can we continue please? I'd like to get this answer off my chest. I'm currently in court proceedings because I killed two men who murdered my brother. I was on the run from the vigilantes and police until I was caught. And I just discovered that what set everything off was a mistranslation of the sheriff's translator. These men have been coming to our land more and more and because of them I am now fighting for my freedom.
Diego: I'm sorry for your situation. Is there anything we can do?
Gregorio: No, no, there is nothing. I have already been talking to Julia about my situation and she has given me kind words.
Diego: I feel like I am fighting for my freedom as well. For my freedom to think within a nation that I love but I have to be weary of it if I want to keep my mind my own. I wasn't going to bring it up but I am being forced to relocate out of Cuba, out of my home.
Julia: I'm sorry, Diego. I was talking to Gregorio about the different cultures that clashed in my hometown and the life that I live in a country and religion that I was not born into. It seems we all have our own situations that don't allow us to remain whole. I am also far away from my family by choice, Miguel Chico. And Diego, I also feel the split in the way of thinking between those I care about from the place I used to call home. My brother has basically disowned me. I do not know if I can ever return home.
Lydia: If you were all able to follow the rules your parents set for you then you would not be in such trouble, you would not be leading such wrong lives.
Miguel Chico: Lydia, what was your relationship with your parents? Didn't you ever feel like a wall was being put up that separated you from your parents because you didn't or couldn't follow their rules?
Lydia: Pues, when you put it like that, with the image of a wall. I feel that wall with my daughters and I felt it with my parents. Did I pass it down? What did I do wrong?
Border Brujo: Yes…yes…I'm glad we got to the stage of understanding our borders from the opening question, now we're in for a long, deep discussion, so put on the border hats I gave you at the beginning. It's time to go on this journey.
*This church is located just south of Melrose where Hollywood turns into Hancock Park. I had always noticed the disturbingly quick change from run-down Hollywood to the sudden burst of trees and wealthy apartment buildings and houses at this junction and have learned more on the demographics. Hollywood is so very mixed ethnically. Wikipedia says the two largest racial groups in East Hollywood (where I live) are Latinos at 60% and whites at 17% and in Hollywood the percentages are Latinos at 40% and whites at 40%. For Hancock Park Wiki says 70% whites, 8% Latinos. I had gone to this church a few times with my friend and her family in elementary school and had considered attending the Sunday school.
Lydia: I can not stay for too long either. I have other important things to do, I'm very busy you know. And I don't particularly like this group of people.
Diego: Can we not?
Border Brujo: Please, please, stay together everyone, it won't be as painful as it seems. Or it won't seem as painful as it is. If anyone wants to know, I am currently thinking on ten different threads in my mind and don't have enough time in my life to pursue the ends of any of them. You all have it easy.
Lydia: Easy? You think we have it easy? My daughter's disobey me and leave me maybe about ten times a day, you think I have time for this?
Diego: Maybe there's a reason they're trying to leave, ever thought of that?
Lydia: You trying to say something about my parenting--
Gregorio: Everyone calm down. Can we continue please? I'd like to get this answer off my chest. I'm currently in court proceedings because I killed two men who murdered my brother. I was on the run from the vigilantes and police until I was caught. And I just discovered that what set everything off was a mistranslation of the sheriff's translator. These men have been coming to our land more and more and because of them I am now fighting for my freedom.
Diego: I'm sorry for your situation. Is there anything we can do?
Gregorio: No, no, there is nothing. I have already been talking to Julia about my situation and she has given me kind words.
Diego: I feel like I am fighting for my freedom as well. For my freedom to think within a nation that I love but I have to be weary of it if I want to keep my mind my own. I wasn't going to bring it up but I am being forced to relocate out of Cuba, out of my home.
Julia: I'm sorry, Diego. I was talking to Gregorio about the different cultures that clashed in my hometown and the life that I live in a country and religion that I was not born into. It seems we all have our own situations that don't allow us to remain whole. I am also far away from my family by choice, Miguel Chico. And Diego, I also feel the split in the way of thinking between those I care about from the place I used to call home. My brother has basically disowned me. I do not know if I can ever return home.
Lydia: If you were all able to follow the rules your parents set for you then you would not be in such trouble, you would not be leading such wrong lives.
Miguel Chico: Lydia, what was your relationship with your parents? Didn't you ever feel like a wall was being put up that separated you from your parents because you didn't or couldn't follow their rules?
Lydia: Pues, when you put it like that, with the image of a wall. I feel that wall with my daughters and I felt it with my parents. Did I pass it down? What did I do wrong?
Border Brujo: Yes…yes…I'm glad we got to the stage of understanding our borders from the opening question, now we're in for a long, deep discussion, so put on the border hats I gave you at the beginning. It's time to go on this journey.
*This church is located just south of Melrose where Hollywood turns into Hancock Park. I had always noticed the disturbingly quick change from run-down Hollywood to the sudden burst of trees and wealthy apartment buildings and houses at this junction and have learned more on the demographics. Hollywood is so very mixed ethnically. Wikipedia says the two largest racial groups in East Hollywood (where I live) are Latinos at 60% and whites at 17% and in Hollywood the percentages are Latinos at 40% and whites at 40%. For Hancock Park Wiki says 70% whites, 8% Latinos. I had gone to this church a few times with my friend and her family in elementary school and had considered attending the Sunday school.
No comments:
Post a Comment