There are no borders in the struggle to the death. We cannot be indifferent to what happens anywhere in the world, because a victory by any country over imperialism is our victory, just as any country’s defeat is a defeat for all of us.
-Ernesto Rafael Guevara
As a second generation migrant woman into the United States of America, I am interested in the Psycho-geographical interaction between the integration of one culture into an other one. Also, in the transformations that this may bring to the natural and social environment. As well in the impact that a culture undertakes when it is merged into a new social environment and it is exposed to a different social setting. Economic differences between cultures affect the type of a social structure. The type of job people do, the amount of money they earn and the quality of land they own or can rent are factors which play a role into different racial groups in society, each with its own concerns, interests, values and attitudes. Such differences determine the standard of living that people can achieve. Discrimination is another factor of economy growth. If there are certain groups that are discriminated against, the country’s overall productivity can suffer. Culture can have hidden effects in business, trade and also development.
In my process, I involve the use of rhythm, repetition, and different found objects that hold a cultural significance. These elements are woven together or collaged, creating tension or balance to manifest different cultural, political, economic, and social factors. Over the years, many communities have been formed through the combination of generations of various ethnic groups, through emigration, intermarriage and cultural mixing, resulting in a hybrid culture.
When the first Europeans arrived, the Western Hemisphere had been inhabited for ten thousand years by peoples with long histories and rich natural traditions. In the contemporary era, hybridity has been fundamentally associated with the emergence of post-colonial discourse and its techniques of analyzing cultural imperialism. This critique of imperialism is second stage in the history of hybridity, characterized by literature and theory that studies the effects of mixture upon identity and culture. As a result of my experiences as immigrant woman, my practice has been influence by my relationship to borders and the interaction with different cultures in Europe, the Middle East, and America. In my process, I’ve incorporated the use of weaving and the loom to explore a language that displays the balances of socio-political power relationships. This language allowed me to make references to my heritage and background, as a Guatemalan migrant that moved to United States.
