History

I feel history slipping away

All great grand parents gone

Only one grandparent standing

Ama y Apa’s stories already tremble

None of us remember

They’ve shifted too much

Away from their past

Away from oral telling

Threw out the old for modernity

I hope one day I can save our story

And that there is someone gentle enough in the future to see the significance of the mystery

J.Mar

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Author: J.Mar

I was born and raised in Kern County in an unincorporated area of Kern, CA. My parents moved there in the 90s to make a living as farm workers. Watching them barter their bodies, homelands, and family for a chance at the “American Dream” has caused me to reflect. My writing here is largely the unceremonious unpacking and repacking of what was won and lost in this exchange. My version of the dream consists of completing a PhD in Public Policy. I currently study public finance, public participation, and remittances in Mexico. I am also generally interested in the Latinx public finance experience. I’ve learned to be cautiously optimistic about the future. Lastly, I love plants and cleaning is a freeing ritual to me.

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