“I Am UndocuQueer”

“I Am UndocuQueer”

Julio Salgado

– Artist’s Website –
When I visited and interviewed staff members in 2014 for a film project I’m working on, beyond their insistently holistic approach, two other things impressed me very deeply: the fact that they start and lead much of their political work through the arts; and the vast array of people who participate in and support the Esperanza. DeTurk talks about the latter point this way: “Staff and volunteers alike spoke of elders who came into the Center for the arts programming, despite its reputation among some people for being run by ‘a bunch of communist lesbians.’ Once they were there, the elders’ personal relationships with the staff breaks down cultural and political barriers.” It is rare for radical social justice organizations to be able to draw a wide audience and network of support to their work from across demographic, age, and class groups, but the fact that Esperanza has been so deeply rooted in and responsive to the Westside community, and also the fact that they have always supported other groups around the city in their own social justice efforts, has helped them earn the trust and respect of many in the San Antonio community.

The Esperanza’s choice to lead with arts and culture is particularly important given the fact that Mexican, indigenous, and Mexican-American culture is missing or maligned in many of the dominant histories of both San Antonio and the US. The center celebrates and holds up cultural production not simply to preserve it, but also to insist on the unique perspectives and wisdom that it carries and the dignity of the people who created it. From DeTurk: “The experiences of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center illustrate the essential role of narrative and artistic expression in establishing relationships, alliances, and coalitions among individuals, and in transforming private experience into public testimony.”

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