My Community Fights

Abstract

​Los Angeles, the City of Angels as many people would describe it. A city where dreams are meant to come true, where the fresh faces of diversity can be seen as you walk the streets at any time of the day. My city has been a huge inspiration for my art, the city where I was born and raised in. Despite the beauty we see from afar of the city of dreamers, many struggles can be found within the city as people try their hardest to push forward and live another day. My work demonstrates my perspective as I walk through my neighborhood and see the many struggles my people are facing on a daily basis. Poverty, racism, and homelessness are just the few struggles we face when living in a large city. I love to use animals to symbolize the hardships people face, as a way to bring me back to the animal kingdom and see how a wolf or a poisonous snake can signify what we see in the city. Los Angeles is a beautiful city with a deep, rich, and meaningful history and I use my community as my main motivation. I’ve experienced and witnessed the hardships and hope to shine a light brighter on my community to continue fighting our battles and remind us that we are capable of so much. To not get blinded by the immense beauty of the city but to spread awareness on the many issues people in Los Angeles deal with.

Nadine Aguirre

Nadine Aguirre is a first-year student who is majoring in Criminal Justice. She’s a first generation student and is actively involved in her community by participating in community events and helping to educate others. She hopes to create a safe space for her Hispanic community to keep fighting for the resources they deserve and a space where they can all come together to share their struggles. Her poem was inspired by her perspective and experiences she witnessed in her community Koreatown, located in Los Angeles.

"The hunting wolf, trying to make our Hispanic community seem like weak birds and the white community, superior eagles."

My community fights against the roaring sound of poverty.
I see many blue tents flying across the world moving from one place to another.
My nose gets a revolting smell of trash that homeless people leave out in the world.
I see many homeless people fighting to get through in life to get the sweet tasteof water in the palm of their hands.

My community fights against hunting wolf-like racism.
Always out there spreading vicious words to separate people, crueler than the venom of a poisonous snake. The hunting wolf, trying to make our Hispanic community seem like weak birds and the white community, superior eagles. I see my community going to protests to have their voice heard, trying to end racism in our community once and for all.

My community fights to get by in this cruel world.
They fight to do what’s right for them.
They fight with peace, without any deaths nor threats.
They make up a piece of a missing heart in this world.
My community will keep in fighting!