By Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo
Here’s to La Familia Here’s to the Mexicanos Who got crossed out by the border Who swore to cross it back Who demanded education For our children For the next seven generations Who fed us the fruits of their labor Here’s to those who survived So that we could live So that we could thrive Here’s to the Chicano children Who bore the burden of integrating Schools in California Waiting for Mendez vs. Westminster SD Waiting for Brown vs. the Board of Education Who bore the burden of “English-only” Punished and ridiculed for speaking The other language forced on our ancestors Here’s to our queridos muertos Passed from the servitude of exploited labor Waiting for the “No Mexicans” signs to come down Waiting to be allowed to attend college Waiting for those who came to remind us Qué “Sí se puede!” y “Hasta la Victoria Siempre!” For those who passed waiting for El Pueblo Unido Y por supuesto For those who passed happily Having lived, breathed, existed Loved laughed, comido y bailado Lo bailado nadie nos lo quita Here’s to you, queridos Los llevamos en el corazón Los sentimos en el viento de nuestras palabras que transforman Here’s to the Chicano youth Who said “Ya Basta” and walked out 1968 couldn’t hold you back no more You who kept us from being tracked Groomed for only service jobs and labor Against our will, without our consent To crush our spirit Here’s to you Chicanas Who made space for us Demanded justice From society From education From family From the men Here’s to the Chicanas Who claimed our place In the world In the university In the workplaces In our own homes In the world Chicanas who knew no limits Who lived by nobody’s rules Who freed themselves And so freed us Here’s to the Chicanos Feeling trapped in jobs That don’t measure up To their potential You didn’t even notice When you were robbed Of your motivation Denied inspiration Kept from essential experiences All before your birth You take responsibility You were set up to fail But you didn’t fail And you’ll make it anyway Here’s to the Chicanos The Mexicanos Our Indigenous ancestors The Mexican-American corporate workers CEOs and business owners Some who make us proud Some who learned to look down their nose Because they were taught to Because they know we can do better They inspire us to do better Not in the hoarding of wealth But in the struggle for liberation For us, and for the pleasure of Discomfort replacing smug smiles Here’s to the Chicano scholars Emerging from the barrios Of East L.A. Of Eastside San José To reach us, connect us Help us notice our worth Make space for horizontal space Inspire us to decolonize our minds Here’s to the Chicanas Who were never seen or spoken to By teachers, by the popular girls Never admired by the family or by the boys Never acknowledged by the scholarship committee The hiring committee, the community You live, you breathe, you exist And in a society that boxes you up To be a mom, a worker, a wife A single mother, a cook, a housekeeper We do all that amazingly We are all that and more We are all that, so you’re welcome You can do it all, refuse it all Your power is that you are needed Here’s to you, mujer! Here’s to the Mexican y Chicano kids Precious, dark-eyed magical beings Exuding energy, curiosity, and love From every pore Run, jump, scream! Explore, experiment, read! Smile, laugh, and hug! We need you more Than you need us Your beauty and power keeps us going. Here’s to the Chicano poet professors The Chicana poet scholars The Chicana poet artists The Chicanx poets The Chicana artists The Chicano warriors Here’s to the Chicanos in the barrio Reminding us that we need to Protect our own neighborhoods That tattoos on arms and faces Are more welcome than stains on the soul That other people mask under clear skin That the colors you claim Are no worse that the flags we claim To battle our own familia Across the continent, across the world For the profit of the wealthy of the empire Here’s to the barrio poets, The barrio scholars The children of the barrio The people of the barrio Here’s to the Chicanos Here’s to the Chicanas Here’s to the Mexicanas Who carried us in their wombs Who let us feed off their milk and love Madres, you are the tree of life! Here’s to the madres, the abuelitas, the tías That filled our hearts with love The primas that filled our memories with laughter The primos that were our extra brothers The padres, abuelitos, and tíos that set an example That worked, protected us, made us laugh, passed us a $5 bill That played the guitar, sang, laughed While we all played and ate and loved life together Here’s to la familia! And here’s to the familia we create The familia we find The familia that finds us And here’s to the familia The campesinos and builders Who feed us and house us Whose names we’ll never know. And here’s to the familia We pass on the street Without saying hello And here’s to the familia Across the nation Across the world Familia who exist in languages We’ll never understand But smile and laugh just like us Who hug, cry, and love, just like us Who eat and sleep and create, just like us Here’s to the familia La familia Our familia
Elizabeth Jiménez Montelongo is a poet, visual artist, and facilitator. Elizabeth’s work is informed by her Indigenous ancestry, Mesoamerican philosophy, Mexika & Mixtec art, Mexican & Raza culture, Chicano history, and her experiences as a woman. Her poetry is published widely in both print and online journals such as Somos en escrito, PALABRITAS, Azahares, Label Me Latina/o, and in various anthologies. She earned a BFA in Pictorial Art and a BA in French from San José State University, served as Creative Ambassador of the San José Office of Cultural Affairs, received a Commendation from the City of San José, and was awarded a Creative Corps Initiative grant from the California Arts Council and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. She serves as a Board Member of Poetry Center San José, and is the Founder La Raíz Magazine. www.ejmontelongo.com/poetry