Here's a piece of the story. My small and immediate family migrated to El Paso, Texas in 1987. Moving to the U.S. was sad and difficult for me. I truly missed the support of my relatives and the culture. I missed the little things, such as playing at parks and frequently sharing meals with at least a dozen relatives. I missed cleaning with my family while listening to the Spanish music of Vicente Fernandez, Rocio Dulcal, Juan Gabriel, El Puma, Timbiriche, Flan, Lucero and Luis Miguel-to name a few. I also missed watching novelas, El Chavo and Topollillo on tv, getting ice cream after mass, and taking after noon naps with my favorite aunts. I feel that having Ciudad Juarez as a twin city, made the transition of moving to El Paso less painful. I grew up traveling to my home town in the city of Chihuahua every summer to spend time with my beloved relatives.
The setting of this monoprint titled "Border" is in downtown Juarez, Mexico. Driving or walking across the border was common, weather it was to visit relatives, dine, shop, party or go to the dentist. In 2004, I moved solo to Tempe, AZ and it opened my eyes to my Latina identity. Not being around the Mexican culture, and in my early 20's, I finally felt I was living in the USA! I experienced a little bit of a culture shock and became home sick, missing the home made food made by my loving Abue (grandmother).
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| Diana Calderon, "Border" Monoprint, 2013 |
