Read it&weep

Bienvenidos.

I have been here in Chicago (and Cicero) for the past 8 weeks, interning for a non-profit organization called the Interfaith Leadership Project. The experience has been a surreal mix of rewarding, challenging and difficult-- only because I have really begun questioning some of the beliefs I have long held about tough issues like immigration, which is something on the table everyday at work. When I came here Gammy specifically told me to be careful and to do help people but only legally. Duh, I thought at first. But having been here I am realizing more and more what she means. She's an immigrant too so of course understands the plight of people dropping their lives in another country to come here. On the other hand, she is the most anti-illegal immigration person ever. I am starting to feel here that sometimes we are catering to immigrants, bending the rules to accomodate. I thought I was all about the agenda here initially but stepping back, I have realized the race card is pulled out all too liberally sometimes. Everyone gets towed in Chicago. Tons of people get foreclosed on their homes, no matter where they are from. People are poor, white, black, Mexican, whatever. Trying to create drama where there is none is a damn shame.

I don't feel badly questioning some of this, but at the same time it definitely prevents me from becoming fulling empassioned in this cause. All I know is that I could never work for a non-profit professionally because I guess I don't feel screwed over by the system enough. And I don't see enough concrete progress in the work here. I know that comes with a territory of non-profits, of course, not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I guess I just like to see evidence firsthand that something is getting done.

"Yuppies out of Pilsen" was a sign I read on the way back from the gym the other day. I laughed at first but then thought about how incredibly ridiculous that statement is. The neighborhood is up and coming. That's a nice way to put it. Other people see it as the ghetto. Up and coming, though, refers it is on its way up. Progress is good. Ipso facto, gentrification is progress. People taking pride in their buildings. Cleaner streets. Less crime. Unless we want to pull the race card again. Would I be one of the "yuppies" to whom the sign refers? The white hippies riding their bikes to work also? I thought we took pride in a diverse community, folks.

MLIA

I lost something when I came back to the United States and was not able to everyday publish online what was going through my mind. I soon realized, however, that it seems like everyone is blogging. Blog. To me it sounds more like someone burping or some kind of technical acronym. When someone blogs, he or she assumes that his or her life is interesting enough to publish. Moreover, he or she assumes that people care enough to log in and read it. I cannot really think of a more self-indulgent activity. At the same time, I find myself drawn back.

When I was in Spain, I felt like my everyday life was definitely worth sharing. Now that I am back here, however, I feel like my life is average [MLIA]— my craziest day-to-day experiences are the freaks on the el or the creepy man selling elotes on the corner. I cannot hop a train and go to Madrid for the night. We do not stay out until 7 am. Apparently MLIA was already taken as a site name.

The only reason I continue to write is because I still find myself outraged and entertained by the everyday life here and now. I like feedback on what I have said in these things. And the name references the nickname my little sister gave me when she was two. So maybe I am submitting to all of those yuppie stereotypes and truisms but whatevs. xoxo