Educator, Creative, Facilitator, y más.
I consider myself a conservationist through pursuit and education.
I care about the interconnected issues between the environment and Latine/Chicano communities.
This is an introductory repository and work-in-progress of personal thoughts and work regarding the above-mentioned, coming from personal experiences and reflections, along with current work on various interdisciplinary issues.
Environment & Conservation
I am a teacher and artist by training and practice.
I have had the joy and opportunity to work with students of all ages and spirits. I have taught and learned from elementary students, middle school students, high school students, promise youth, college students, and a host of others. I love being in a learning environment.
I hold a California Social Studies Single Subject Credential with an authorization for an Administrative Services Credential. I hold a B.A in History and a M.S in Natural Resources & Environment. I have taught science education, primary language development, culture, history, and Spanish in k-12 and at the university level.
Educator & Illustrator
Chicano & Latino
I am a Chicano by sociopolitical idenity and Latino by sociocultural identity.
What is a Chicano? How much of a Chicano am I? As one elder put it once "Xicanos are descendants of guards in Tenochtitlan, they were guards of traditions and practices and thus to be a Xicano is to be a defender of the culture". To this day I think it is one of the best definitions I have heard. I can’t provide you with THE "definition" since that can be debated until the quarks come home. Does it mean Mexican-American? Is it a political identity? Suffice it to say, while understanding that for some they are fighting words, for now I choose to identify as a Chicano with the safeguarding of culture in mind.
José Gonzolález Arte
I think of my art with a narrative in mind, combining a love for culture, environmental issues, and education. Throughout my years I was heavily influenced by the Royal Chicano Air Force aesthetic as well as manga, cartooning, and children's book design. I do limited digital work while still focusing on illustration and other types of analog work. Each piece tells a story in regards to a mestizo identity, whether the fullness of being Latine, the intersection of Latine culture and nature, the outdoors, and conservation. I especially enjoy working on projects that further expand on this idea of "carrying your culture everywhere you go, including the outdoors.”
