Womxn Who Rock: Ofrendas for the Future

Attending this virtual event really opened my eyes on how important it is to appreciate any sort of culture. The Ofrenda project helped us all express ourselves creatively and it was heartwarming to see how some people really put their whole heart into it. It was really interesting seeing the panelists speak about why this meant so much to them and hearing the different stories that makes the concept of the Ofrenda unique. I had only known what an Ofrenda was after watching the movie Coco, so listening to people speak about their authentic experiences was moving. Going through the K-12 system, we hardly learned about any cultures outside of American culture, thus hearing their struggles truly makes you ponder the American education system. The entire virtual event was rich with information and spread an important message about preserving culture. Rather than ignoring race and pretending that color does not exist, instead celebrate and honor other cultures and diversity. By participating in creating an Ofrenda, I was able to interpret what this project meant for me personally, while also learning about others' extensive history. Setting up events like these brings a light upon dark times and reminds us that we are all in this together. Without ignoring the real struggles that minorities face every day, we can all show effort in caring about the existence of others. Preserving culture is so important, especially with the effects of assimilation. 

(Johnny Le)