Sweet Home, Arizona

Today is Cinco de Mayo . On this day in 1862 the Mexican Army faced the French headed to attack Mexico City. When the French Army left the port of Vera Cruz, they assumed that the Mexicans would just give in and retreat. But they didn’t loose. In the U.S. we celebrate Mexican culture, food, and music today. Today that is not happening in Arizona. Instead, people are protesting the recent laws past in AZ. I am no politician, I don’t know much about this bill that is causing uproar. What I do know is that I love Arizona the way it is. We are state that I consider to be a “potpourri” of people. I chose my current neighborhood to buy my first home because it is not a street full of cookie cutter homes full of cookie cutter people. My neighbors have a pink, yellow, and green home (no lie) that constantly has some sort of fiesta going on. People set up shop outside the local grocery store selling homage tamales, fruit popsicles, rugs, etc. They wait on the corner for work. The primary race of my area is Mexican and I liked it. They add spice to my life. After this new law passed, there were trucks loading up the contents of many homes as the occupants started leaving. There is nobody outside the grocery store selling tamales. The corner when people sat and waited to be picked up for work is empty. Now I understand the importance of keeping people safe and protecting our economy. I just feel like Arizona has a storm cloud over it now. The air feels thick with tension and fear. Is there not a better way to go about this? Can thousands of people around the United States be protesting this law be in vain? Cinco de Mayo feels sad this year. Like I said, I don’t claim to know the facts. I may be naive. But what I do know is how this is directly affecting my life and my little neighborhood, and I don’t like it one bit. Nobody should be made to feel like less of a person or afraid to leave their house because of the color of their skin. My heart feels heavy for these people.



Love,
Nat