(By Línda Vanesa Perla)
I begin by saying:
That I am aware of the specificity of my person.
That I am proud of the specificity of my person.
That I fight against the specificity of my person.
That I don’t know how to translate the specificity of my person.
That I fear the specificity of my person.
The fear falls out of the mouth of my overgrown ego.
The fear develops out of not being understood–linguistically.
The fear crawls out from under two pseudo confident brown windows I call my eyes.
The fear is the fear that specificity is not universal.
I have learned that is not exactly the case.
I have learned specificity lends itself to communion and communication.
I have learned that it is encouraged.
I have learned that my specificity is not to be considered a hinderance.
I continue by saying:
Today I will share with you one of my favorite preformance artists that I have just recently have had the honor of discovering: Guillermo Gómez-Peña.
He is a a Chicano preformance artist, writer, activist, and educator. Founding member of La Pocha Nostra where he tackles what it known in the Latinx community as the Frontera Experience.
I have been itching to share a few specific videos: but, again, have been fearful of their personal and specific content. Yet, I have decided upon this second presidential debate to share.
La Posta Nostra
This is a video that highlights the mission behind Gómez-Peña’s preformance art. It throws us back into the Bush administration. But if you pay attention, all the rhetoric and the fight is one that is even more appropriate for the political climate we are in now.
Instant Identity Ritual
The actual title in Spanish translate to: Instant Ritual to Regain Identity. Another video–this one an actual preformance.
He is an example of a specificity that is sharp enough to cut.
I will finish by saying:
My specificity is slowly but surely being sharpened.
As all our specific persons should.
