Memories are like Pooh

Sticking on your shoe

And when you keep walking

Pieces fall off

Until its all gone

Until you step in it again.

A wise Oracle once said, “I know I know nothing.”

When I was a kid my daddylolo taught me to honor our ancestors because he had that good ole Spanish pride, and so he hammered that pride right into me. But then I met my dad’s family and heard my dad’s story, and I saw a way of life of a mountain people still living like they did 333 years ago, and I was completely astonished and overjoyed in the pride of an indigenous people.

I realized then that I am made of not just different races, but different classes. People in my family had skin as dark as night. People in my family had skin as light as the inside of a cassava. People in my family had maids. People in my family were maids. The duplexity and dichotomy of my history and existence have me always questioning what I am. Am I really a descendant of all that?

Watching Roma reminded me of my own Indigenous people even though it was set in a land unfamiliar to my own ancestors as I know them. There was something in the eyes, the cheekbones, and I could only dream that maybe someone from my tribe long ago migrated to a land far away, and I was looking at her today like some long lost sister with her stories buried in her soul.

People frequently mistake me for being indigenous myself, and in fact I am, but not one native to this American land. How many times have I been asked what is my tribe? What is my nation? And how many times have I been stumped with how I may answer? I come from many tribes, same as you.

Watching the film, Roma, my son asks me why knowing where you come from even matters.

I tell him to honor our ancestors. Although race is a social construct, it is important to respectfully regard the existence of the people who came before us as we would not be here today if it were not for them. Honor your ancestors, This is a truth universal. This is a universal dharma.

Cleo’s story is one of those universal truths, familiar as if  you’ve heard some variation of it before. I understand the interest in keeping it black and white, being somewhat a semi autobiographical piece of the director’s life. Black and white allows you to see through the lens of journalistic and universal truths. Her struggles become yours as you watch the camera move with her through her noise filled terrain, and there’s a longing at one point, to take in the smells of the fields and she breathes in the place reminding her of her homeland.

If you haven’t seen Roma, go see it.

Update: I recently came up on a harsh review on Roma found here. This is what I have to say on that:

I absolutely detest reviews that are made to stand out by writing a horrible critique on a well deserved award winning film. The film was deep and full of realism. The writer should take some film classes because he missed so much details, and it’s so sad he has a job writing rubbish. I have family who has had servants, and let me say that they treat these ”servants” like family, even taking care of the servants’ own family. They clothe them and love them because they understand these people are making a huge sacrifice. I saw two women supporting each other in this film. I saw love for a family that was not her own by blood, but by choice. Where would Cleo be if not for this family? Where would this family be without her? You think this is just about class warfare? It’s about love despite of class. I would also like to add that the critic mentions his desire to glean more politics from the film, as he criticizes the lack of details on the political events within.  He misses the point of the film completely. I love that the film includes political events, yet is not a political film.  It is not the director’s role to fill in the blanks when there is enough information for the viewer to find that out. The critic does not understand the culture. Also take note that the employer takes care of Cleo completely- they bring her to the hospital and I’m sure they take care of the bill. They provide healthcare which is something quite lost in this American culture.