Blog 6: Rasquachismo

Rasquachismo can be used to define the approach one takes on rather than be described as a sense of style or idea. It cannot be learned as it is a taste one acquires as they move through life. Rasquachismo is developed as a response to the reality often lived by the working-class. As Tomas Ybarra-Frausto explains, rasquachismo is “an attitude rooted in resourcefulness and adaptability” (85). We often see individuals reuse items to make do with what they have.

In my own experience, I have seen my tío José collect items he can repair and then sell to others. Specifically, he has worked with furniture that individuals throw out on the side of roads or items sold at garage sales. For as long as I can remember, he always could make such beautiful works out of things discarded by others. When working for a company in San Francisco, he would tell me stories of how the wealthy would remove just about anything that didn’t satisfy them. It didn’t matter how much money was spent to attain it or the condition of things, once these items no longer served a purpose they had to be removed. We were always left in disbelief by how easily they could come into the possession of items and just as easily get rid of them. Noticing their approach to situations, my uncle often feared that they could respond to him or others in the same way. Although he had a full-time job, he always set aside time to do his own work. It was during these times in which he would repair furniture. He would always say that although beauty may not be apparent in something, it does not mean it isn’t there. That is why he makes his best effort to repair what others may think has no value. He is a big inspiration for me and I hope to carry his teachings with me as I navigate life.