Rasquachismo

 Rasquachismo is best described as an underdog attitude, the ability to make do with what you have. In my understanding, it is heavily associated with the working class because they often don't have enough money to buy everything brand new. It is also a way to reuse things that still work and don't need to be thrown away. In modern terms, it would be considered a DIY (do it yourself) aesthetic. 

For me, where I interact the most with rasquachismo is my home. As Ybarra-Frausto explained, "Throughout [yards and porches] there is a profusion of textures, colors, and a jumble of things weathering and discoloring." (86). My mom loves to collect animal statuary in pairs. Because two is better than one right? The painted ladybug rocks were a gift from my tia, each one represents a family member in my house. It really is a jumble of funky statues and is rasquache to me because most of these items were found in yard sales, at the thrift store, or in the 99 cents. My mom is not going to the pottery barn or Ikea to furnish her yard, that is just too expensive in my opinion. 

My mom is not the only rasquache in the house, so is my dad. He always surprises me with his ingenuity and resourcefulness. As seen in the picture below, we made the random fountain in our yard a florero, a broken bench into a porch swing held by leftover wood, an old tire was turned into a swing (that has been there for 20 years), and a barrel my dad found on offer up was made into a cool chair. 

What makes my mom's rasquachismo different from my dad's is the attention to detail. I think that is what makes her more domesticana. For instance, my mom hid a little fairy village in the yard, and no one really notices but without that little touch our home would not feel as rasquache.