The occupation of white spaces is something that as Latinx peoples are always struggling to break through. As mentioned in the previous blog post within sci-fi and comics it took a lot to break through same as we see with performing arts, having to break through typically and predominately white spaces, such as broadway, to create a counter narrative and shed light on something once hidden. This is powered through the performance os Mestizaje and Indigeneity. Mestizaje a framework working to highlight the ways in which a hybrid way of being is constructed upon both mind and body. Indigeneity highlights the ways in which we understand spirituality, empowerment and liberation through the practice, representation and creative expression of said bodies. These works drive conversation of inclusion, diversity and civil rights. Zoot Suit written by Louis Valdez, the godfather of Chicano culture, had notably won a medal of arts granted by the Obama administration with its highlights of Chicano, Pachuco, culture and the ways in which they faced discrimination during the riots of the 1940s. Mexican Americans in 1940s would be racially discriminated against by the police due to their fashion, Pachuco fashion, a more loose and baggy fitting clothing style type casted as gang wear who were met with violence from sailors at bay ending with some Chicano kids behind bars. Telling a story of resistance as the infamous Pachuco character serves as the spiritual component letting us know that in the hopelessness there must be hope that while things changes they stay the same and we can constantly overcome this sense of none belonging. Entertainment with a purpose, a purpose to educate, open eyes, inspire, and demonstrate how we haven't made as much progress as we think all reminding us that Valdez's work began at its roots causes in migrant farm worker fields. Performance is done anywhere it is needed on a stage of any level even individual.
