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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.
Julissa Gómez Ruvalcaba is a trained sociologist, oral history practitioner, poet, & puta.
She received 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 to 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.
Through on-going lived experiences, Julissa formed her identity as a radicalized Chicane puta pondering how women express their femineity & masculinity within social spaces. She uses poetry she coined at Lover girl poetry to explore this.
Her future scholarly work aims to collaborate with Northern California's BIPOC communities to document their stories of gender fluidity & puta-ism within the United States' socio-political context through digital work & community storytelling.
Preview
Preview
This digital portfolio demonstrates my commitment to working with the community to amplify their voices. The work is ever evolving.
Community Development
Community Development
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.
Oral History
Oral History
As an oral history practitioner, I worked with museums & non-profits to gather stories historically erased. These stories are historically removed from society's narratives therefore oral history provides a medium for BIPOC Elders & communities to rewrite history. A few of their stories are told here.
Memory
Memory
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.
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