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My research interests includes: identity within the United States' historical, socio-political, and geographical context; intergenerational language use between Mexicans; identity formation; and expression of sexuality & femininity in Mexican/Mexican-American women.
About me:
About me:
Julissa Gómez Ruvalcaba was born and raised in Marysville, a small farming community previously coined the "Biggest Little City" in Northern California. She earned her Bachelor's in Child Development and Asian Studies at California State University, Chico. There, she learned the power of learning her history as a first generation Mexican American and pondered the question, "What factors influences the conceptualization of one's self?"
This question led her to join the Peace Corps and serve as a Youth Development Volunteer in Perú. Her time in Perú soldified her research interests to document the complexity of living with a dual cultural identity specific to the United States' sociocultural & geopolitical context. To explore this cultural phenomenon, she pursued her Master in Applied Sociology at University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Away from her home community, she formed a new community of fellow Latine activists, grassroots organizers, and community members who work toward empowering the local Latine community. Here, she collaborated with her fellow Latines using story telling to document spaces being intentionally built and fostered.
Julissa continues to write about the dual cultural experience through poetry.
Quick preview of what you'll find
Quick preview of what you'll find
This digital portfolio demonstrates my commitment to working with the community and their community members to amplify their voices.
For the past two years, 2021-2023, I worked with the Latine community documenting their stories using various mediums to capture and express their beauty—poetry, performances, and funded research projects—to individuals within and outside the Latine community. What I discovered is our stories are not composed of only suffering rather interconnected with an abundance of joy and celebration. The latter being far greater, but these stories are not told. To combat this narrative I worked with community members so our stories are no longer told from the white perspective with anecdotes sprinkled in with Latine voices to add an authentic but surface level understanding to the listener. A few of their stories are told here.
As I became accustomed to the different environmental and political climate of the East Coast vs. West Coast, I documented these differences through photography and videos. I wanted to show how art and community are understood through this digital portfolio.
My experience in community organizing and academia is ever-growing so await for more sections to be added.
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