California State University (CSU): Open Journal Systems
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El Baile de Los 41: Sexuality in 1900’s Mexico
No full textDuring the dictatorial reign of Porfirio Diaz, a ball was discovered following noise complaint. That night, 42 men, a number of them members of Mexico’s elite, were found dancing together. This event brought so much scandal to Mexico, that the number 41 is still associated with homosexuality. The attendees, location, and the political climate of Mexican society played a pivital role in the dance\u27s infamy. The Dance of the 41 served as a public catalyst for a changing sexual climate in Mexico, and therefore had a lasting impact regarding sexuality and gender roles in the following centuries
To the Struggles Ahead
Get PDFDibbi Barua, 17 at the time of writing, tries to capture his reality after arriving in America—struggling to make friends at first, finding himself in ELD with his brother and close friends, feeling like an imposter just trying to blend in, and finally breaking through in high school. Now in college at Cal State LA, Barua finds himself struggling with a different kind of imposter syndrome as the youngest person in his class trying to make it in the world of adults and fighting against the lowered expectations people seem to have for the “TikTok generation.” In this piece, Barua offers honest insight into first-gen experience and his drive to prove there’s much more to him than his immigration status or his age
For Me or For Us
Get PDFWhat happens when you just don’t want to “dream big” anymore, when you’re tired of the pressure of “proving people wrong”? In this piece, Emilia Gonzalez shares how her first-gen experience led to a critical decline in her mental health and her decision to finally confide in her parents for support. Through this experience, Gonzalez realizes her potential as a powerful source of inspiration for future generations of first-gen women
This Is My Design
Get PDFIn this free form poem, Nadia Lee, a wheelchair user and a first-generation student at East Los Angeles College, illustrates how she navigates through tribulations in her life using biblical imagery and metaphorical tales. Lee begins this ongoing saga by alluding to a frail two-headed lamb, a rare phenomenon of genetic deformity, as an allegory to herself and her disability. As this journey ensues, Lee learns to overcome bastions of insecurities and mercenaries of betrayal with the aid of friends and family. Lee concludes this chapter in her adventure by rediscovering herself and finding solace in the uncertainties of life
Identity Awareness in Casting: When Trans Actors Play Roles Outside Their Gender Identity
Get PDFAutonomy in choosing is a powerful source of human contentment, and performer consent is essential in producing the best experience for the actor and the audience (McCloskey, 1990). This Note from the Field reflects upon practical consent-based tools for performance and communication that supported me, as a transgender (“trans”) masculine student actor, in confidently playing a classic feminine role for my university’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. I offer my experience in order to provide practical recommendations regarding: building a support system; optimizing communication; implementing apologies; using self-care cues; separating the actor and character (entrance and spring-boarding gestures, closure routines); creating individual and group closure practices; undertaking structured pre- and post-rehearsal check-ins; and giving compliments. Consistent application of such consent-based performance practices substantially improved my theatrical experience as a trans actor, and I anticipate that similar practices will benefit the journeys of other trans actors, their cisgender peers, members of production teams, and faculty. 
Devising in Hawaiʻi: The Efficacy of a Eurocentric Methodology With BIPOC Students
Get PDFDevised theatre has been praised for celebrating cultural differences as assets, and boasts a flexibility and adaptability of form that suggest a formidable tool for creative expression and education in an increasingly shifting and unpredictable world. However, the reality is that devising comes from a Eurocentric theatre tradition and most professional devised theatre companies in the United States today are made up of a majority of White practitioners. In this article, I discuss my experience devising with Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and Asian American students on O’ahu, and based on the gathered data, I make the argument that a devised theatre process aimed at giving its participants as much control as possible can benefit BIPOC communities under the right circumstances
The Hair Issue: Political Attitude and Self-Esteem as Determinants of Hairstyle Choices Among African American Women
Get PDFThis paper presents a two-fold study. First, the study focuses on whether self-esteem influences hairstyles among African American women. Second, it focuses on whether hairstyles are an indicator of political beliefs. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 100 African American women in order to analyze their attitudes regarding hair in relation to political beliefs and self-esteem. Using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and OLS Regression, the findings suggest that those with high self-esteem are more likely to wear their hair in a natural state. Therefore, African American women with high self esteem are more likely to wear their hair in a natural state, while African American women with low self-esteem are more likely to process their hair. Meanwhile, political attitudes do not affect hairstyle preferences. Finally, more educated women prefer to wear processed hair compared to less educated women, who prefer to wear their hair natural