R’Perspective: “A myth shattered: I’m a writer, and I’m not special”
I’m a classic starving artist. When I first joined the Highlander in November 2013, I was living in a shitty loft suite in Bannockburn. Without a paycheck or a kitchen, my primary sustenance consisted...
Feeling out of place does not mean you will never find your place in...
Entering UC Riverside (UCR) as a freshman, I was the picture of optimism. The moment I stepped onto campus, I felt butterflies in my stomach and an exhilarating sense of anticipation. My first quarter...
R’Perspective: Reading Grandma’s cards won’t be as difficult for Generation Alpha
My grandmother sends me a “Happy Birthday” card with the typical well-wishes and a $20 tucked inside every year. As a child, I remember squinting in confusion and re-reading her loopy handwriting to understand...
R’Perspective: Trying out a New Year’s revolution
If somebody asked me about good places to eat in my hometown, I would be able to give that person a list of options and explain in detail whether the service, quality of the...
R’Perspective: Water can be a class divide
I grew up in a medium-sized farming community in the depths of Northern California, three hours beyond the Bay Area. In my hometown, many families and farms use personal wells, but since the drought,,...
A rocky start to college led me to UCR — my “home in the...
From the moment I stepped onto UC San Diego’s (UCSD) campus, I did not feel the butterflies that I thought I was supposed to feel. Every book I had read described a feeling of...
R’perspective: What I learned about white privilege
Today, like every day for the last 18 years, I woke up white.
I sat through class today without being looked at as being the “positive” exception to my race, and was able to contribute...
R’Perspective: Why Chicanx is anything, but outdated
I was scrolling through Facebook the other day when I happened upon a short video that was supposed to open up dialogue about the “Chicano identity.” The video was no more than a minute...
R’Perspective: Thanksgiving: Expectations vs. reality
Every Thanksgiving special on TV has one staple: The family dinner. And while TV programs show that family dinners can be awkward due to untold secrets and hatred within the family, it does not...
COVID-19 is depriving me of housing
As a university student in America when COVID-19 struck, my mind was elsewhere. It was nearing finals week and the end of a rough winter quarter, all...