Trejo Resendiz, Andrea

Hey everyone! My name is Andrea Trejo Resendiz, but you can call me Drea. My preferred pronouns are she/her/hers. I am originally from Mexico City but grew up in Richmond, California. I am currently a third-year Chicanx and Central American Studies major with a minor in Spanish. Being a first-gen student, my college experience so far has been interesting, to say the least. Navigating higher ed. in an institution such as UCLA has not been easy but I have learned to take every day as a new learning experience. I’m not quite sure what I’m doing with my life, or where the universe will guide me in the years to come but I am at peace. I simply live day by day, trusting that what is meant to be, will be. Still, I’d like to share more background on me.

    I come from a large and rowdy family so chaos is nothing but the ordinary to me. Given these circumstances, I constantly found myself seeking peace within all the madness growing up. This sparked my interest in the arts as I was able to find tranquility in them. I often turn to photography, painting, reading/writing, and music whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed. What I love most about these areas of interest is that anyone can partake in them, sharing their own voice and experiences. Much can be said within a single photo, song, painting, drawing, poem, or any other form of art. Beyond that, these works allow room for interpretation as we encounter them, resonating with whatever fits. Due to this, I found myself very drawn to this class. I hope to expand my knowledge of different forms of art and learn more about how they can be used to advocate for different causes. 

    There is great power in the gifts we share with the world around us. This is why I found this week’s reading to be very moving. In her work, “¡Printing the Revolution!” E. Carmen Campos discusses how individuals used their art as a way to assert their identity and promote activism. What stood out to me the most about the reading was how individuals took inspiration from other artists/movements and supported them. Bringing the works of others to new areas allowed for even more people to be exposed to their styles and informed on different events. This also allowed for various communities to build networks. The 1974 exhibition on Cuban graphic art in the Bay Area, for example, allowed for others to learn about the strategies used by Cuban artists. It was very touching to see this sense of community. I am very excited to see what else there is to learn!