Ofelia
Hometown: Brownsville, TX
Favorite writer: It’s very hard for me to pick one. My favorite poets are Frank O’Hara and Pat Mora. My favorite book is Anzia Yezierska’s Breadgivers. My favorite comedy writers are BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling. My favorite songwriter is Neko Case. Favorite writer isn’t a person, it’s a tier.
Favorite sex scene from a movie/TV/book: If it counts, Meg Ryan at the diner in When Harry Met Sally.
Hidden Talent: I wouldn’t call it a “talent” and I also wouldn’t call it “hidden” because I talk about it to anyone that will listen, but I am very good at fixing laptops with Wi-Fi issues
Posts By: Ofelia Alonso
TEXAS LAWMAKERS CARE MORE ABOUT CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS THAN THEY DO ABOUT YOU
Crisis Pregnancy Centers are essentially fake clinics. These non-medical facilities exist solely to push anti-abortion propaganda onto people seeking abortions. In the United States, there are over 4,000 Crisis Pregnancy Centers. In Texas, CPCs receive millions of dollars in funding. Through state programs like Alternatives to Abortion and the Texas Pregnancy Care Network, Texas is able to funnel state money into Crisis Pregnancy Centers. During the 2018-19 state budget debate, the Texas House approved 20 million per two-year budget cycle for the Alternatives to Abortion program. The state of Texas funnels the money through the Texas Pregnancy Care Network, making it impossible to know how much taxpayer money is going to an individual CPC or CPCs as a whole. However, we do know that over 23.5 million dollars of taxpayers’… Read more »
#METOO, I Was Twelve
Miyam Bialik wrote a piece for the New York Times in response to the allegations against Harvey Weinstein. The Weinstein Company mogul has been accused of sexually assaulting and harassing dozens of women throughout his career as a powerful Hollywood producer. In Bialik’s piece, women’s behavior and appearance are connected to the potential harassment they could be victims of. In her piece, she states that because she dresses “modestly” and doesn’t “act flirtatiously with men as a policy,” she has not had a bad experience with powerful men in Hollywood. The issue with Bialik’s argument is that it places responsibility on women, blames victims, and excuses the behavior of powerful men. It is important to talk about hyper-sexualization, objectification, and exploitative Hollywood culture. However, Bialik does not address these issues… Read more »
CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS ARE NOT “HISTORY,” THEY ARE ACTIVE RACISM
Last week, the Jefferson Davis confederate monument in my hometown was defaced. “No Trump! No KKK! No Fascist USA” was spray painted in red across the plaque. The Davis monument is one of several monuments and buildings in the Rio Grande Valley that commemorate the Confederacy. The vandalization of the monument came at a time when racism dominated both our local and national headlines, proving the rhetoric of the Confederacy has not retreated into history– it is active and present. When the President addressed the Charlottesville, VA white supremacist rally, he directed his words at the “very fine people” that wanted nothing but the preservation of “beautiful confederate monuments. By seeking to protect confederate monuments, the President also protects Nazis, white supremacists, and condones violence against people of color. Last… Read more »
CELEBRATING MY HERITAGE SHOULDN’T BE COURAGEOUS
Hispanic Heritage Month “pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.” Every year, we see national media show us segments on food, folkloric dances, or notable figures in history. With our current political climate, it is important to reflect on the heritage we are celebrating, and how the United States continues to devalue Latinx lives. On the day of the Charlottesville white supremacist rally my dad and I were eating together. I don’t think I have ever seen my dad look as scared as he did at that moment. It was a fear that resonated because I knew that the rally was just the culmination of what has always been there and will continue to be there. Since then, my dad makes… Read more »
#DEFENDDACA, But Feeding White People Pain Porn is Not the Answer
DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, is in danger. The program allows young immigrants to apply for a renewable two year visa to work and study in the United States. The program does not put recipients on a path to citizenship or resident status, but allows 800,000 people to live in the United States with access to resources that would be otherwise unavailable. DACA recipients are able to get a social security card, get a driver’s license, apply for employment “legally,” and apply to college. In a time when undocumented immigrants are vilified, programs like DACA counter that narrative. But the current administration is threatening to end DACA. It is heartbreaking to know that DACA recipients could potentially lose everything they have worked for. At a time like this,… Read more »
