One of my favorite movies of all time is Blood in Blood Out. If you’re Chicanx or you’re married to a Chicanx then you’ve definitely seen the movie! It’s a cult classic and staple within the Chicanx community that touches on the heart, soul and true meaning of our beautiful culture, familia and what it actually means to identify as Chicanx.

I never get sick of watching that movie. It’s nostalgic for me and to this day, it moves me every time I watch it. Yes, it’s a badass cholo movie, but it’s also more than that! The cinematography, writing and acting are absolutely impeccable.

I’m passionate about the power of words and the ability they have to create change and invoke emotions in people they never knew they had. Jimmy Santiago Baca wrote the screenplay for Blood in Blood Out. There are so many lessons in this movie that Jimmy brings to light and it’s important for us to not let them go unnoticed.

If you haven’t already done so, read Jimmy’s poems they are truly magical. Here is one of my favorites. His writing takes me into another realm. It opens doors for me I never knew were there and reveals telltale secrets of dreams I never knew existed within myself. Next time you watch the movie pay attention to the words, their meanings and how flawless and poetic the script is at certain moments. If you’ve never seen the movie, watch it! You’re missing out.

As I enter into this space as a blogger, I can’t stop thinking about how I can use my voice to help others in need, especially within the Chicanx/Latinx community. There will always be a time for recipes, fashion and beauty tutorials, but what about the real stuff happening in this world? Of course we see a ton of posts on Twitter, FB and Insta (-) all bad news mostly about the current state of the world. It can be so overwhelming that sometimes we compartmentalize the true reality of the world we live in.

We forget there are farmworkers still being underpaid, in poor working conditions and struggling to take care of their own families, while they continue to feed ours. We have slowly forgotten there are migrant children stuck in cages at our borders. We forget there are animals in captivity quarantined just like you and I are right now, but for life. Only they don’t have a choice or a voice. My Chicanx/Latinx familia, I have a pet peeve and because I am a person who is honest and direct I have a question to ask you. When was the last time you actually did something to help our community?

My number one peeve is when we become keyboard warriors trolling everyone in sight including each other! We are online activists who talk a lot of shit and fight for what we believe in via our Twitter fingers. I say we, because I am guilty of doing this too. I see something I don’t like...I comment, I repost, I yell, kick and scream about culture vultures, racism and the unjust treatment of our people. However, the question I recently asked myself is, “what have you done lately to contribute to the betterment, preservation and wellness of our community and culture?” The answer is, not enough.

Which brings me back to Blood In Blood Out. We all remember the very intense scene when Cruzito is in the hospital after being beaten so badly by a rival neighborhood gang. Everyone is in tears as the doctor comes out frantically to communicate the unknown state of his condition. Will he live or die? Paco, Cruzito’s brother and in my opinion the baddest cholo of all time, is pacing back and forth in anguish and anger plotting revenge against those who hurt his brother.

All of the Vatos Locos homies are outside. Their Hearts pumping with fury and guns in hand willing to do whatever it takes to avenge Cruzito and impatiently waiting for Paco’s instructions on how to do it. Paco’s mom Dolores, witnesses the discussion of planning their attack and lashes out telling them they’re idiots and are just fighting themselves. Raza fighting against Raza.

This is a very powerful scene because it brings to life the reality and vicious cycle that still haunts our communities...we kill each other. Paco, vehemently refuses to take his mom’s advice and tells her, “If we do nothing, then we are nothing!” Whoa...that line shook me to the core. He was right, but so was she.

If we do nothing, then we are nothing. Take a few minutes to let that line sink in. What does that mean to you? In the movie retaliation only led to worse circumstances for everyone. Some might agree there was no other choice, but to retaliate. I don’t disagree with that, because I understand street life and in some cases there really is no choice. However, it got me thinking a lot about retaliation and how we are still like Dolores said, fighting ourselves and choosing the wrong way to retaliate.

We’ve created our own modern-day gangs run by the most elite internet gangsters and brands. I see us continually fighting each other, putting each other down and not celebrating our wins as a whole. Some of us want to see our culture progress while some of us don’t want any change at all! We stay divided.

Ironically and the point of this whole rant is, we spend so much time being internet gangsters fighting ourselves and retaliating against one another and other injustices via our Twitter fingers that we miss the most important thing of all, which is taking real action to help our communities. The reality is, most of us (not all) are all bark no bite! For those of you who are active on the internet and in real life, I salute you! #SiSePuede

I’m not saying we all need to be the same or for that matter have the same beliefs, but we should respect each other and at least agree on one thing...we need to do more for our people. I understand that bringing awareness to things online is beneficial in so many ways, but it can only go so far. We have to do more.

I am vouching to personally do more. I am extremely passionate about our farmworkers and fighting for their rights. Aside from donating, I plan on digging deeper into how I can be a voice for them and use my privilege to help. I am also passionate about prison reform and the rehabilitation of inmates, especially for our Black and Brown brothers and sisters. We need to remember they are human and everyone deserves love and a second chance.

Lastly, ensuring our Black and Brown at-risk youth get educated and have all the resources they need to succeed is a major priority for me! I want to not only donate to this particular cause, but be a mentor and someone these kids can lean on for guidance and support. As a former at-risk youth, I understand the struggle it takes to succeed. I used to do speaking engagements to tell my story at various schools back in San Jose all of the time, but completely dropped the ball. I need to get back on it here in LA!

If you were born in the US, you are privileged. We all may have not been born with the same resources, but we have freedom of choice to make our lives whatever we want them to be. We have freedom that so many immigrants wish they had. Don’t take it for granted.

It’s easy to ignore the many issues that haunt our communities. It’s easy to just focus on your family and your journey, but I want to encourage you to do more. Seek out organizations you can help. Below are a few of my suggestions, but also check out what’s going on in your local hood. I’m currently searching for more at-risk youth programs in LA. If you know of any let me know! Don’t just fight online. Be a real fighter and remember, if we just sit around and do nothing…then we really are nothing.