Abigail Fuentes

The clash between white and Indigenous historical narratives has not only impacted human lives, but also the American consciousness. The consequences of that history haven’t disappeared. They continue to surface in debates over Indigenous sovereignty, land, cultural representation, and who gets to define what belongs to the American story. So what exactly is the truth? When did the narrative shift? How did we become so accustomed to telling American history from one perspective?

She’s not even that good. Her smile is weird. She’s a slut. She’s trying too hard. What a wannabe. Honestly, she doesn’t know what it means to actually work. Crazy looks good on her. She should’ve just taken any other role. She never really stood a chance. These are just a few examples of remarks incessantly surrounding female celebrities. We’ve seen this time and time again, not only in recent years but since the dawn of entertainment.

Vibrancy. Energy. History. People commonly attribute these words to Latine culture especially in recent years. However, it’s a double-edged sword. Latine communities have always existed, yet social media now reduces that presence to a select few narratives that dominate public consciousness. Some have persisted since the introduction of digital media, and others have only now been gaining traction.