Anyways, so I come home this morning, kind of hungover and really tired and my parents are like... we are going to CHURCH. And first thing in my head was UGH I really need to sleep right now. But then my moms like, we are going to the 1:00 mass= the spanish mass.
If you dont by now know, catholic mexicans are HARDCORE catholic and religious and bring their whole family and extended families to church, like christmas time. You have to make sure you get there on time (which in this case no one gets there on time) and the church packs up 1/4 of the way through the mass. So im like mother fuck. First of all I hate going to church and second I dont even understand half of it so its ridiculously pointless for me to do so. But. I go anyways.
Church is PACKED. And the mass was going to begin. All of a sudden, a band plays with accordians, guitars, and drums playing an upbeat song and everyone in the church starts clapping. I was like ??? what is going on here? Everyone was so happy to be there and like it was one big party minus the tequila. So during the mass, the priest is flapping across the altar talking about the gospel in spanish, but I really wished I knew what he was saying cause he looked so enthusiastic and so true to what he was saying, Ive never heard a priest like that, so dedicated to what they were saying to all of these people who truley believe every word he is saying. The only downfall of trying to hear during the mass was all the babies were CRYING and screaming and yelling in spanish and their parents dont take them outside and let them run through the isles and are squirming off the pews to the floor. Pure anarchy. But something about it was exciting to me. And i felt like these people arent just there cause its sunday and you must go to church, but you really dont pay attention and think that by just sitting there and pretending to listen makes you a catholic.
When the mass was over, I walk outside with my parents and there are TENTS beyond TENTS on the front lawn of St. Francis. Im pretty sure if i ask those of you who go to st. francis mass would FREAK OUT if they saw this. It was a legit "mercado" outside. Selling every kind of mexican food you can think of like tacos burritos rice beans, all kinds of meats, ice creams, EVERYTHING. I had never witnessed such a thing. It was basically Mexico.
But my whole point to this story is that I came in with a closed mind about coming to the mass, since I myself dont even understand why Im even catholic, but I was just observing the whole time and noticing how these people show real emotion and devotion to their religion, and also how they raise their children to do so also. That is another part also, is that in the mexican culture, the children are probably the most important thing for their community and the future, for their kids to not only go to school and get an education, but to also keep intact their culture and identity and not to lose it living in a dominant white society.
For myself, obviously going to an all girl private school, living in north phoenix, I have definately lost some of my cultural identity. But now that im older and am in college getting an education I realized, more so today, that I am already an example of the new generation of hispanics which are not only americanized and have more goals, but educated and are willing to give back to the community and I already see that within the circle of friends my dad has made here in arizona of professional and very successful hispanic business people and today I decided that I want to be one of those and make cash money and be successful but also help the kids and families in my community who dont have the resources to do so.
I feel like I just wrote a fucking term paper.
But whatever.
I hope you read it.
I was just thinking about this allday.
And I just had to write it out.
OKBAI.
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