A New Generation of  'Conscious' Leaders

Wassup, I’m Ale. I was born in Los Angeles, grew up in Tijuana, B.C. and then settled in El Monte, Califas
since the fourth grade and I currently live in Santa Cruz, Califas because I am attending UCSC. My light
skinned, big browned eyed, hard working, Mexican immigrant, and beautiful mother raised me and my
three siblings with tough love and alone. I am a Chicana, Mexicana, and Mestiza womyn that wears red
glasses, speaks Spanglish, puts on some gangsta earrings, and rocks some nice kicks from a Mexican
working class background. I come from a history of struggle, colonization, violence, fear, healing, love,
knowledge, resistance, and beauty. Knowing that my people’s and my place in the world matters is what
keeps the sun shining, the moon mooning, and my heart pumpin’. I am the reflection of my mother’s
struggle to survive in a world where she cannot be fully human because we live in a world that lacks
love, truth, and is ignorant of difference.
Don’t think that I just woke up one day or because I am college student at a supposedly “liberal”
University that I came into conscious about my place in the world and anyone around me, well that’s
not how it happened. Let me tell you that my consciousness was already in me, but I did not know
it was there, how to name it and worst critically analyze it. My older brother that was kicked out
of high school, riding the 70 LA metro bus, Ms. Quezada, El Monte garment factories, Skittles 90
something year old great grama from Mexico, Hip Hop, Tupac Shakur’s songs Dear Mama and Changes,
Represent to Witness program, Michael James, Solymar, Brittaney, engaging education, chapter 1 and
2 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Burro genius by Victor Villasenor, queer people of color, M.E.Ch.A,
and people of color collectives are some of the events, places, things or people that helped me or
continuously keep helping me name my consciousness and ultimately restore some of my lost humanity.
Restoring my lost humanity is an act of justice not only for me, but others. I am the writer of my own
story with constant revisions. Whether we call it freedom, liberation, etc. The discovery of knowing
we matter, we have history of oppression and love, we learn and use forgiveness, we relate to each
other, we are different and we have the ability to change comes to SEEING OURSELVES IN EACHOTHERS
DREAMS.
I like to take things nice and slow with a little bit of spiciness in the mix. Dancing energizes my soul and
writing poems and songs make me more human because I able to create and not destroy. I love eating
rice and beans, staying up late, the dollar ice cream by house, homies, partyin with my brothers, my
doggy bush, and making my mom happy.

(more stories and bios coming soon!)

Giselle Ramirez, Chicana, Los Angeles/Lubbock TX

A Social Biography of Power (click for video)

Giselle Ramirez, Nina Autajay, Ale Sanchez    w/Buddhist monk in East Oakland

Lauren Lystrap    Japanese/Anglo American, Sacramento, CA

Nina Autajay, Joelle Fernandez, Ale Sanchez

Lindsey Quock  Chinese American, San Francisco, Ca/Washington DC

Jamel Leair Jackson, African American, California State University East Bay

Lindsey Quock, Yesenia Ramos  Oxnard, Ca, Crystal Chen  Seattle, WA

MJ; Crystal Talitonu  San Jose, CA;  Rev Deb Lee w Akani James; Rev Kuleo Patterson  Waianae Coast, O'ahu

Luse Pesaleli, Western Samoa

Xugo Lujan   East Los Angeles

Zumi Mizokami  Japanese American, Los Angeles, CA; Eizen Ramones  Pilipino American, Waipahu, HI

l-r: Donovan Autajay, Sophay Duch at IDEPSCA leadership training

Youth Together of the East Bay with R2W conducting a 'toxics tour' at the Richmond, CA Chevron refinery