Rebecca Bautista | Interview - Issue #1

Updated: Aug 1, 2022

- Rebecca Bautista -

28 - Mexican

Which culture or sub-culture did you grow up in? More Traditional Indigenous, Traditional Mexican, Chicano/Lowrider, Reservation, or More American-esque? Or a different culture/sub-culture?

I am Mexican, my mom is from Baja California and my dad is from Zacatecas. So I grew up more traditional than Chicano. I didn't move to the United States until I was 10 or 11 in 6th grade. So it was a big change.

What are your favorite parts of that culture and community?

I think my favorite part about growing up in my traditional Mexican household... it’s complicated. It’s really hard for me... um, I’m mostly connected more with my culture as an adult just 'cause my mom was a really hard core Christian Mexican, so I wasn’t allowed to like enjoy music and stuff, but my dad was. So, I think my most memorable thing is community growing up in a Mexican household... holidays, birthday parties were a big thing, you invite all your neighbors, and all your friends, you don’t just spend it with your family, especially like Christmas the whole neighborhood would get together and we would cook outside and it was like this big thing. I think I miss that the most. I feel like there’s not as much out here, I feel like that’s mostly restrictions, like people not wanting to do it, but it was weird I guess coming from here, like neighbors don’t really talk to each other but I feel like that’s part of one of my favorite parts-- the community aspect.

How did growing up in that culture effect your current style, and point of view of life?

I definitely think it [my style]. I really wasn’t really allowed to like to dress like alternative and stuff you know, my mom was pretty conservative, and I think that like a lot of like traditionally raised people are very conservative you know. But growing up in Northern Mexico I saw a lot of like cowboy, norteño outfits, and as I got older I really vibe with it now! As I really didn’t understand it when I was younger, I was like, 'oh I’m just going to do like the American thing 'cause I live in America now', and I wanted to do the punk rock thing you know and the kids are like doing that even over there too... the rebellious things like, 'oh I don’t listen to like banda, I don’t listen to norteño, I only listen to like punk and stuff.'

As an adult now, have you learned about other Indigenous or Mexican sub-cultures? What are your favorite parts of that culture and community?

First moving here, Chicano culture... I lived in a really poor area in Arizona, and so Chicano culture was really big thing, there were cholos in my school and like you know gangs and stuff... everybody was really poor, so it was kind of like things you could afford. That was like the Chicano culture back then, like you’re wearing Dickie’s because they were cheap pants. You were wearing little tank tops and spaghetti straps because they were kind of cheap, that’s what you could afford. The Converse we put like the thick laces in our low top Converses, and if you wanted skinny jeans, you would just put a rubber band or whatever at the bottom of your pants. You kind of just DIY you know. The music as well, I had never heard rap before until I came to the US and I was like, 'wow like what is this?', and my friend was like, 'oh my gosh have you heard this', and I was like, 'oh yeah like totally', and I was like no, this is wow... I learned about rap, hip hop and stuff, and I was like so obsessed when I was in middle school.

How has it effected your style and point of view of life now?

Yeah I think so, at first I would dress more like that, I guess. As I grew older, I got more into punk and stuff. So, it was kind of a weird mix for awhile, where I would wear like the pants with the little straps, then I would have a punk vest on top. I would describe myself... I’m pretty flexible honestly, more goth. I left doing western goth, mostly alternative just because it’s a very casual, but if I am dressing up, I’m all over the place. I would generalize myself as like a goth... more punk leaning goth... maybe... new goth is like kind of pushing it. Honestly, I don’t know I never thought about that. I would say right now I feel more western goth, like yaw-ternative, yehaw goth... gothabilly!