Finalist for Historias Latinas de Lexington

My word art submission “How to Be a Bridge Person When You’re a Light-Skinned Latina in Kentucky” was selected as one of the finalists for HISTORIAS LATINAS DE LEXINGTON.

The HISTORIAS LATINAS DE LEXINGTON Concurso de Arte hosted by Casa de la Cultura informed me recently that I was a finalist for the competition. They invited us to take photos at the library and are posting every submission to Facebook for voting for the "People’s Choice” award. In truth, I think this is a longshot as a word artist. It’s difficult to compete with dance, music, and paintings which are all vibrant, lovely representations of culture. Words, even when spoken, have a way of not lending themselves to social media hype. Additionally, while I qualified for the submission criteria this competition targets Spanish-speaking and multi-lingual communities, and unfortunately, I am a ‘no sabo’ kid. Part of accepting my blended identity though means engaging in spaces where I may not always feel like I fit in or where I still have more learning to do.

All to say, “How to Be a Bridge Person When You’re a Light-Skinned Latina in Kentucky” is a poem about not knowing how to exist within multiple communities, not feeling well-supported or well-equipped at knowing how to engage with Latina, Indigenous, and Caucasian identities at the same time. It can be a lonely, long journey for those whose understand. It also tends to be something that those who do not have a mixed identity feel frustrated hearing about, saturated with the words “from the other side.” I invite you to check out this poem and see if any lines resonate with you.

If you would like to support me in the voting capacity, here are some guidelines for the voting submissions:

• Voting takes place at Casa de la Cultura’s Facebook page.

• Votes must take place on the ORIGINAL POST and no votes from Shared Links will be counted. I AM POST NUMBER 27.

• Voting closes Monday, September 15th at 7 PM.

Thank you for your support! There are cash prizes for the top three places, but genuinely, I’m just happy to have something meaningful to share. I’m not always brave enough to engage with my community, both ethnically and artistically, and I’m glad to be in the arena this time.

HISTORIAS LATINAS DE LEXINGTON Finalist!

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HISTORIAS LATINAS DE LEXINGTON Finalist! ∞