Rodriguez, Sasha (Week 4 Rasquachismo)

 Rasquachismo has always been taught to me as an attitude and way of life. Just as the readings give a definition of it being an attitude and strategy to go on in the world that is similar to how I know the word. It has been taught that rasquachismo defines all of the Mexicans that I grew up with who worked hard each day to keep living each day. It is the idea of picking yourself up even when everything is going unwell not because you want to but because you have to. It defines neighborhoods where it seems like the people are overlooked but they still keep going on no matter what life or anything throws at them. 

 

I know now that rasquchismo means something different to a lot of people and there seems to not be one correct definition of the word. It can mean being resourceful, being stingy, being brash. It can mean not being afraid to get dirty and the word can be seen in a negative light to who or what it is describing as well. 

 

The phrase  “making do with what’s at hand” is a line that I believe perfectly captures my experience with rasquachismo and one that also defines the Watts Towers. This iconic destination is a prime example of rasquachismo because this art started from a man who was just using what he had to make art in his backyard. He didn’t need fancy tools or expensive material he just decorated to make himself happy. Why I think these towers represent this idea is because the Watts Towers are considered to be art but Simon Rodia used anything he could find and put on the towers to create it. He used seashells, tiles, ceramics, and most memorable he used broken glass. All items that he used are usually considered trash and that have no more use but he found another purpose for them. Rodia repurposed objects and was resourceful. Working hard and working cleverly to create what we know today as a National Historic Landmark. It shows that no matter what you can use your surroundings and make what you have into something great. Even if they look like just trash rasquachismo means you can keep going and find the purpose in everything maybe not because it’s easy but because you have to.