

MY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HERE
gabriela godinez feregrino
ancestral muscle memory reminds me
of a time when my tongue tangled
through the maze of Nahuatl -
Spanish worked hard to carve it out
they tried to tell my teeth to spit out another colonizer’s words and
a generation lost the tune in their tongue
my people have known decades of defiant designs
zoot suits and graffiti galleries showing
murdered Mexicas
august Aztecas
pachucas, cholos, and xicanos
jaguar headed warriors and feathered serpents
live in my veins
clever classic corridos
rattle in my rib cage
salsa spicing strong sabores
tickle and tug at my tear ducts
yet you will look at me
Look at my flavors, my songs, my clothing,
you will still have your stereotypes
continue with your lies
my people will still be here
even with your made up lines
Gabriela Godinez Feregrino is a writer and activist from Cincinnati, OH. Born in Mexico City, she immigrated with her parents to the United States at the age of 2 years old. In attempting to understand the duality of her identity (ni de aquí, ni de allá) she has discovered that many of life's truths exist in a paradox. In her story telling and poetry, she enjoys experimenting and melting genres like romance and horror. She writes for Streetvibes street paper in Cincinnati, and is co-editor of Moon Cola Zine. In all her work, she believes in amplifying marginalized voices.