Generating Radical Inclusion & Transformation. This series of conversations explores how grit, an attribute often given to people who overcome obstacles, can serve as a tool to build an agency. With a specific focus on creative expression, G.R.I.T. seeks to expand what it means to practice art for social change. Hosted by Griselda Suárez.
Dr. Maricela J. Becerra García
Dra. Maricela Becerra (she/her/ella) is a first-generation student and immigrant. She graduated from the UCLA Department of Spanish & Portuguese in 2019 with a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures. She joined the Spanish program at CSUCI in 2020 as an Assistant Professor. Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. Becerra received a master’s degree in Spanish Literature and a B.A. in Spanish Literature, Chicano/Latino Studies, and Political Science from California State University, Long Beach.
Dra. Becerra's scholarship focuses on interdisciplinary analysis of State violence, trauma, and memory in Latin America. She specializes in contemporary Mexican social movements and memories as resistance in cultural production. Her current project explores social media as an organizing tool in the contemporary feminist uprisings in Mexico by looking at the role of hashtags in denouncing feminicidios and digital memorials as resistance.
Dra. Becerra began sharing her journey as a Latina mom in higher education in 2016 through the blog and social media account Academic Mami. She hopes to demystify higher education for other Latines and advocate for parenting students.
Social media tags: @academicmami on Instagram and TikTok
Griselda Suárez
Griselda Suárez is a writer, artist, cook, and teacher. She was born in unincorporated East Los Angeles and walked Whittier Blvd and Brooklyn Ave in black and white saddle shoes. She grew up in a place where her thoughts did not easily find a voice; instead, she found a pen and paper. Her hometown inspires her to investigate memories of a home space that continues to be bodiless. She believes that the arts are essential in empowering others to express their thoughts. Throughout her career, she has created programming and trainings dedicated to facilitating transformation and creating agency for her communities.
