Rasquachismo is as Tomas Ybarra puts it a view from “los de abajo,” or the underdog. It refers to other people believed to be of lower class or status than one is. However rasquachismo is not necessarily an insult as it refers in a way to a sort of resourcefulness and sort of dark horse that will rise from ashes forming a source of power and fuel for resistance. As said by Ybarra, “the rasquache is to be down but not out (fregado pero no jodido),” (86). “Fregado pero no Jodido,” is a phrase near and dear to my heart because it is the way in which my parents describe their existence in this country. When asked how my dad is doing on any particular day it is his go to response. But in general, my parents have also used it as a mantra through which to raise me. My mom likes to say, “Fregadas nacimos, pero ni madres que estemos jodidos, de alguna manera sacamos la puerca del agua.” I see in their attitudes the idea behind rasquachismo of the underdog attitude. My parents know their capacity and their worth, and while their status may not reveal it, their power lies within. Likewise, growing up acutely aware of money, resourcefulness was the name of the game, “haciendo un mickey mouse,” as my mom would say as she would make shift contractions to again, “sacar la puerca del agua.” Nonetheless I relate to the idea of rasquachismo understanding both the power of the underdog as well as the feeling of vulgarity is the identity, with the general “pureness,” generally associated with scaling classes. However it is the same underdog capacity that allows for the transcendence and upward mobility. In many regards the sometimes subliminal embarrassment felt by the need to make do is eclipsed by understanding that making do afforded you a different life even if its not polished gold.
No comments:
Post a Comment