Zaragoza, Nestor

Hello everyone, my name is Nestor Aaron Zaragoza and I am a fourth year majoring in sociology and minoring in Chicana/o studies. I was born in Ventura County (about 2 hours north of LA) and grew up in a city called Oxnard within the same area. My hometown is mainly known for being a large producer of fresas (strawberries in Spanish). I transferred from the local community college in Oxnard where I got to experiment with different courses before officially sticking to sociology.

            Why sociology? I just became really fascinated with how institutions structure what people do and knowing how these institutions are reproduced became a big interest of mine. Also, my older brother majored in sociology so he definitely influenced my decision to stick to this major. I’m taking this course because I’m hoping it will help me appreciate art a little bit more. I didn’t grow up going to art galleries or museums so I never got a chance to develop an interest for art. Furthermore, I’m looking forward to being able to learn how to draw especially considering that I’m horrible at drawing.

I grew up in a Catholic household where I was, in essence, forced to attend catechism to receive my communion and confirmation. That being said, yes, I did grow up with the Virgin of Guadalupe image throughout my life. I used to pray to her and I also used to wake up super early on December 12^th (church gets VERY overcrowded on this day) in order to give thanks to her. Since completing my confirmation, however, I no longer attend church or go to any of these celebrations. I can say from experience that the Virgin of Guadalupe plays a strong role in the lives of people living in Oxnard.