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  • Issue #27 Spring 2024
    • Issue #27 Art Spring 2024 >
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      • Beth Sherman Spring 2024
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      • Liza Olson Spring 2024
  • Issue #28 Fall 2024
    • Issue #28 Art Fall 2024 >
      • Eric Calloway Fall 2024
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      • JooLee Kang Fall 2024
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    • Issue #28 Poetry Fall 2024 >
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      • Clayre Benzadón Fall 2024
      • Catherine Broadwall Fall 2024
      • Sara Burge Fall 2024
      • Judith Chalmer Fall 2024
      • Stephanie Choi Fall 2024
      • Sarah Jack Fall 2024
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      • Svetlana Litvinchuk Fall 2024
      • Mary Lou Buschi Fall 2024
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    • Issue #28 Fiction Fall 2024 >
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      • James Sullivan Fall 2024
  • Issue #29 Spring 2025
    • Issue #29 Art Spring 2025 >
      • Irina Greciuhina Spring 2025
      • Jesse Howard Spring 2025
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      • Elzbieta Zdunek Spring 2025
      • Na Yoon Amelia Cha-Ryu Spring 2025
    • Issue #29 Poetry Spring 2025 >
      • Deborah Bacharach Spring 2025
      • Diego Báez Spring 2025
      • Jaswinder Bolina Spring 2025
      • ​Ash Bowen Spring 2025
      • Christian J. Collier Spring 2025
      • ​Shou Jie Eng Spring 2025
      • Sara Fitzpatrick Spring 2025
      • Matthew Gilbert Spring 2025
      • Tammy C. Greenwood Spring 2025
      • Alejandra Hernández ​Spring 2025
      • Ben Kline ​Spring 2025
      • ​David Moolten Spring 2025
      • ​Tamer Mostafa Spring 2025
      • ​Rongfei Mu Spring 2025
      • Cynthia Neely Spring 2025
      • Pablo Otavalo Spring 2025
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      • ​M.A. Scott Spring 2025
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      • JM Huscher Spring 2025
      • Qurrat ul Ain Raza Abbas Spring 2025

Daisy Bucio Velazquez

Chicana Cumbialera


          Cumbia is a dance that can have the saddest lyrics, but the most inspiring, uplifting beat. Rarely does anyone listen to the meaning of the song because everyone is focusing on masking their emotions with the crescendo of the joyous rhythm. As I am getting up to express myself out on the dance floor, I am stopped. Stopped by the strangers I call family. Stopped by the strangers that make this society. These strangers keep stepping on my right and my left foot vigorously. They bump into me as I am trying to find myself. They dominate the dance floor. That is when I realize that they want me to be part of the audience. Tired of being the lost soul on the dance floor, I start observing and know that I need to break myself down, step by step.
          One: I bring my right foot over my left. It must be done with confidence so I won’t lose my balance. It is difficult at first because when I see myself succeed, my family sees me fail. When I tell them my dreams, they say, “You should lower your expectations.” They want me to stop immediately; they do not believe I am capable of thinking on my own and exceeding. I start stepping into confidence. I will believe that what my heart says is true. I begin to believe that I do know what is best for me. I am capable of accomplishing my goals. Those strangers should not thrust me into their close-minded box. Their words are irrelevant. I learn that I need to have confidence in my own dreams to turn them into reality. Step one: I need to believe in myself.
          Two: I bring my left foot beside my right. I bring my left foot beside my right because I need to stand my ground. I need to stand my ground between society and my dreams. I always listen to the comments and questions that these random strangers have to ask.“You are a Latina woman, so your dreams are to be a housewife, right?” “Oh you’re from the South Side, so you are like those gangster Latinas we see in the movies.” “You’re a Chicana? That means you’re a chola, right?” In order for me to keep moving forward I need to listen and pay attention to every stereotypical thing they have to say about Latinas and prove them wrong. They will not oppress me; they are my motivation. Two: Defeat the stereotype imposed upon me.
          Three: As I bring my left foot over my right, my right foot goes back. Then it repeats itself all over again. Once I step out with my left, I release the negativity. I am not going to carry the resentment on my shoulders; I will be freed. As my right foot goes back, I still hold on to some of the comments said to me but this time around convert it into positivity. I am now at peace with my family and society, but most importantly, I am at peace with myself. I now know it is about me and my future.
          Now that I have learned the three basic steps of Cumbia, I know that is not enough to dominate the dance floor. This is where I push myself into challenging myself by learning more advanced techniques. I know that if I want to be known as someone, I will have to work harder. I am going to be someone who helps the minority prosper. I will be someone who makes a positive change towards society. I will be financially stable for my family and myself. I will become a forensic scientist, writer, or an English teacher. I will be successful.  I will not just mix in with the crowd. I will dominate the dance floor. I will not be seen as an ordinary girl, but extraordinary. My rhythm will be a representation of a Chicana (Mexican-American) defeating oppression from her family and society.
          The moment I press play the rhythm starts streaming through my body. I no longer have blood flowing through my veins, instead it is stories of where I come from and where I am heading. I may have a sad or harsh past, but it is the way I choose to interpret it that matters. I will not let my past define me, instead I find the inspiring, uplifting beat to help guide me in my future. I know that one who comes from nothing knows exactly want they want to accomplish in life. I will now be the one guiding. Grabbing hold of my younger sister’s hands and guiding her to the dance floor. She will never be part of the audience because I will teach her every step scrupulously. I will be her mentor because she looks up to me, and I will do everything in my power to not let her fail. Even if she does, I will be there to pick her up and continue to encourage her. We will dominate the dance floor and the spotlight will be just on us.
          Cumbia is my body’s music. My heart is the lyrics, while my blood is the beat. I am a Chicana Cumbialera. One. Confidence. Two. Motivation. Three. Release. Ambition. Advance.



--
Daisy Bucio Velazquez is a senior at Phoenix Military Academy. She is from the far
SouthWest side of Chicago. Daisy is a woman activist and believes in representing Xicanismo, Mexican-American culture. Her goal is to bring awareness and defeat the stereotypes imposed upon her by these two societies.

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  • Home
  • About
    • Our Story
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  • Features
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  • Issue #27 Spring 2024
    • Issue #27 Art Spring 2024 >
      • Kristina Erny Spring 2024
      • Luiza Maia Spring 2024
      • Christy Lee Rogers Spring 2024
      • Erika Lynet Salvador Spring 2024
      • Marsha Solomon Spring 2024
    • Issue #27 Poetry Spring 2024 >
      • Terry Belew Spring 2024
      • Dustin Brookshire​ & Diamond Forde Spring 2024 Spring 2024
      • Dustin Brookshire​ & Caridad Moro-Gronlier Spring 2024 Spring 2024
      • Charlie Coleman Spring 2024
      • Isabelle Doyle Spring 2024
      • Reyzl Grace Spring 2024
      • Kelly Gray Spring 2024
      • Meredith Herndon Spring 2024
      • Mina Khan Spring 2024
      • Anoushka Kumar Spring 2024
      • Cate Latimer Spring 2024
      • BEE LB Spring 2024
      • Grace Marie Liu​ Spring 2024
      • Sarah Mills Spring 2024
      • Faisal Mohyuddin 2024
      • Marcus Myers Spring 2024
      • Mike Puican Spring 2024
      • Sarah Sorensen Spring 2024
      • Lynne Thompson Spring 2024
      • Natalie Tombasco Spring 2024
      • Alexandra van de Kamp Spring 2024
      • Donna Vorreyer Spring 2024
    • Fiction #27 Spring 2024 >
      • Bryan Betancur Spring 2024
      • Karen George Spring 2024
      • Raja'a Khalid Spring 2024
      • Riley Manning Spring 2024
      • Adina Polatsek Spring 2024
      • Beth Sherman Spring 2024
    • Nonfiction #27 Spring 2024 >
      • Liza Olson Spring 2024
  • Issue #28 Fall 2024
    • Issue #28 Art Fall 2024 >
      • Eric Calloway Fall 2024
      • Matthew Fertel Fall 2024
      • JooLee Kang Fall 2024
      • Jian Kim Fall 2024
      • Robb Kunz Fall 2024
      • Sean Layh Fall 2024
    • Issue #28 Poetry Fall 2024 >
      • Jodi Balas Fall 2024
      • Clayre Benzadón Fall 2024
      • Catherine Broadwall Fall 2024
      • Sara Burge Fall 2024
      • Judith Chalmer Fall 2024
      • Stephanie Choi Fall 2024
      • Sarah Jack Fall 2024
      • Jen Karetnick Fall 2024
      • Ae Hee Lee Fall 2024
      • Svetlana Litvinchuk Fall 2024
      • Mary Lou Buschi Fall 2024
      • Angie Macri Fall 2024
      • Gary McDowell Fall 2024
      • Sam Moe Fall 2024
      • Camille Newsom Fall 2024
      • Elizabeth O'Connell- Thompson Fall 2024
      • Olatunde Osinaike Fall 2024
      • Jessica Pierce Fall 2024
      • Diane Raptosh Fall 2024
      • Isaac Richards Fall 2024
      • Robyn Schelenz Fall 2024
      • Christopher Shipman Fall 2024
      • Alex Tretbar Fall 2024
      • Ruth Williams Fall 2024
      • Shannon K. Winston Fall 2024
      • Wendy Wisner Fall 2024
      • Anne Gerard Fall 2024
    • Issue #28 Fiction Fall 2024 >
      • J​oe Baumann Fall 2024
      • ​Morganne Howell Fall 2024
      • Matt Paczkowski Fall 2024
      • Ryan Peed Fall 2024
      • Gabriella Pitts Fall 2024
      • James Sullivan Fall 2024
  • Issue #29 Spring 2025
    • Issue #29 Art Spring 2025 >
      • Irina Greciuhina Spring 2025
      • Jesse Howard Spring 2025
      • Paul Simmons Spring 2025
      • Marsha Solomon Spring 2025
      • Elzbieta Zdunek Spring 2025
      • Na Yoon Amelia Cha-Ryu Spring 2025
    • Issue #29 Poetry Spring 2025 >
      • Deborah Bacharach Spring 2025
      • Diego Báez Spring 2025
      • Jaswinder Bolina Spring 2025
      • ​Ash Bowen Spring 2025
      • Christian J. Collier Spring 2025
      • ​Shou Jie Eng Spring 2025
      • Sara Fitzpatrick Spring 2025
      • Matthew Gilbert Spring 2025
      • Tammy C. Greenwood Spring 2025
      • Alejandra Hernández ​Spring 2025
      • Ben Kline ​Spring 2025
      • ​David Moolten Spring 2025
      • ​Tamer Mostafa Spring 2025
      • ​Rongfei Mu Spring 2025
      • Cynthia Neely Spring 2025
      • Pablo Otavalo Spring 2025
      • ​Bleah Patterson Spring 2025
      • ​M.A. Scott Spring 2025
      • ​Liam Strong ​ Spring 2025
      • Alexandra van de Kamp Spring 2025
      • ​Cassandra Whitaker Spring 2025
      • Angelique Zobitz Spring 2025
    • Issue #29 Fiction Spring 2025 >
      • Vanessa Blakeslee Spring 2025
      • K. J. Coyle Spring 2025
      • Meredith MacLeod Davidson Spring 2025
      • Jessica Mosher Spring 2025
    • Issue #29 Nonfiction Spring 2025 >
      • JM Huscher Spring 2025
      • Qurrat ul Ain Raza Abbas Spring 2025