De Nosotros, Con Amor

Dear Gentista,
This quarter was one where the staff dug
deep and thought of the ways we navigate
amor y el dolor. This has been an ongoing
conversation we’ve held in our meetings
for over a year now. We consistently are
reminded that the things we love are
never simple. The complexities in the
way we love are what make us human.
We thought about our childhood and
how at first glance it is very simple to
look back and feel nostalgic. We tend to
see the past with rose-colored glasses and
quickly forget that our past holds both love
and pain. It is perfectly valid to look back and
praise what we used to love. However, it is also
important to be critical of the things we once
loved. This allows us to move forward and progress
towards relationships that love us more deeply, towards
media that represents us more fairly, and towards self-love that allows us to thrive.
As we close out our 49th year, there are many things to love. We love the way our
founders created a safe space for Chicanx students in the 70s. We love the way past
editors made the important move of expanding the magazine to Latinx students in
general and not just Chicanxs, a move that is critical in creating inclusive spaces. We
love this space because we can consistently critique it and aim to make it better. You
have to love something enough to want to change it towards being a better version
of itself. Future generations have plenty of work ahead. However, we hope that the
passion that lives within our tiny office and virtual calls continues to be the force that
pushes La Gente ahead.
To the staff: you are all “love” if it were personified. Your care and passion in creating
important and valuable content is something that will always be special. It’s been my
greatest pleasure serving as your EIC this year. Entre el amor y el dolor, recuerdo que
el amor y el querer es lo que nos junta.
De nosotros con amor,
Angela Vargas
EIC 2020-2021
2
Editor’s Note