Ojeda, Alejandro

Hello, everyone! My name is Alejandro Ojeda and I am a third year History and Education and Social Transformation double major pursuing a minor in Chicana/o/x and Central American Studies. Some of my friends call me Alex or Ale, although Alejandro is what I usually go with, and my preferred pronouns are he/him/his. I was born here in California in the city of Bellflower and lived in Bell until I was about 9 years old, which is when my family and I moved to Perris. The transition was a tough time, but I made sure to spend time doing some of the things I love most: singing, dancing, baking, and spending quality time with those I love most. With respect to my fields of study, I am particularly interested in framing the history that is taught in public education in the correct set of lenses. In high school, I realized that mainstream history courses continue to erase the experiences and stories of people of color, indigenous communities, and women. These communities are often the ones to shape history, so why are they left out? Moreover, I think a lot can be learned through the physical items left behind from these communities, which usually includes various forms of art and other creative outlets. By taking a closer look at these items, we may be able to recognize what exactly people were doing in the past and how their identities reflected the environments they depicted in their work.

For this upcoming quarter, I am interested to learn more about Chicanx art and artists, especially as it pertains to the history of Chicanx communities as they became more prominent in the United States. I would love to learn about the ways in which these artists used art as means of protest and retaliation, as well as the changes that may have occurred following the actions of such artists. Through the readings, I hope to be able to gain insight on the work that has been done by individuals in contribution to the artistic collective.