Yakari Gabriel

Ora e ta yega na politica, Aruba merece un comienso nobo

May 17, 2017 by Yakari Gabriel Leave a Comment

No ta cos cu mi ta un experto den politica, pasobra mi no ta. Simplemente un hoben cu ta purba di conclui su propio opinionnan. Pero mas mi ta wak reunionnan den parlamento, mas mi ta sigui Facebook, mas mi ta sigui kico pueblo tin di bisa. Mas mi ta pensa cu ora e ta yega na politica, Aruba merece un comienso nobo.

Un comienso nobo, cu strategianan limpi, sin promesanan falso. MEP a bin MEP a bay, AVP a bin AVP a bay, AVP a bolbe bin, pero pa añanan largo e rivalidad entre e dos partidonan aki a parti sociedad den dos. Pasobra e ta parce cu hende semper tin cu ta of MEP of AVP, pasobra “Aruba” no ta un partido politico. Y bo no por ta pro un decision cu AVP a tuma, sin cu bo ta contra MEP completo.

Pero kisas esey mes nos mester, partido Aruba. Un cu ta dedica na bienestar di pueblo sin tin necesidad di desvia di nan trabou politico pa constantemente trata cu e constante atake di familiarnan di otro. Tur dia un ta mete cu un otro su mama, cu un otro su tata, parlamentarionan segun redo social no ta haci nada pa e pais, pero tin tempo pa skirbi mil y un relato tur siman purbando di limpia nan nomber. Anto e ora den ken pueblo tin cu confia? Unda e credibilidad ta keda si nos propio politiconan cu tin e “miho interes” di tur pueblo na curason no por ni mira otro cu humanidad? Pasobra niun no por ta “politicamente corecto” pero ta hura di ta politico si.

Politica tin un reputacion sushi, un reputacion di ta un carera corupto, pa hende golos y sin berguensa. Y kisas esaki tambe ta algo cu mester cambia, e mentalidad cu cual nos ta wak politica riba su mes. Politica ta un parti hopi esencial den un comunidad, paso sin politica e ora ta ken ta goberna e pais? pa e motibo ey ta importante pa sikiera cuminsa kere cu politiconan bon ta existi. Pasobra kere ta e prome paso pa algo bira un realidad. Si no tin ningun persona riba ningun lista di ningun partido cu bo ta considera algo mas cu un politico, algo manera un…uhm un bon ser humano. Pa ken bo ta bay vota?

Tin hende cu no ta envolve mucho cu politica, cu kier keda leu di e drama. Pero bo sa kico? Si bo no mete den politica, no ta nada paso politica si ta mete cu bo. Y abo como ciudadano ta esun cu ta biba cu tur e consecuencianan di e decisionnan cu politiconan ta tuma. Pues como ciudadano, uza bo privilegio y no pensa riba bo so ora bo vota, pensa riba un sociedad completo. Tin hende na mundo cu ta cana 5 ora na pia, desde nan bario chikito simplemente pa nan por vota. Pues

stop di bisa cu bo no ta worry.

Cuminsa na vota Aruba, paso e berdad ta cu MEP y AVP a haci, tur dos mientras cu nan tabata of ta den poder a haci. Nos no por bisa cu no, tur dos tin bon y tur dos tin malo. Pero ki dia e ta bay stop? Ki dia Aruba lo haya e privilegio di tin politiconan cu no ta grita otro manera ta bestia nan ta den parlamento? Ki dia nos lo conoce un politica cu no ta mara na privilegio di ningun fam of un historia largo di corupcion su tras? A bira tempo pa un comienso nobo. Pero esey ta algo cu e pueblo so por scoge.

Publica den Bon Dia Aruba 10/7/2015

My Caucasian university, dating, and more

May 10, 2017 by Yakari Gabriel Leave a Comment

I really do not know how it happened, I might have some foggy memory of what sparked the change but I can’t go into it now. People often ask me how I do it,or why, and the answer has always been the same I am a woman that has nothing to lose.
I speak what’s on my mind, because by status quo women like me are not to be heard anyways.

Holland is an emotionally violent country, We know this, they prepare us for this.
She shifts from being an opportunity to being a bully at least twice a week but you learn to cope. From racist lecturers, to even more racist and the typical “i don’t see color” classmates that roll their eyes anytime you speak in class. They stay pressed that you exist. That you glow. That you speak. For some of us, the student life is harder and Holland isn’t really the liberal Utopia they want to make it out to be. You have to learn your way around the dutch, you have to learn your way around whiteness if you want to make it.

We have a school group for communication students, besides the occasional asking for PDF’s there isn’t anything happening there. Once upon a time I thought it would be fun to occasionally post a student life related meme if only to make people laugh. it was fun and games until one day a boy stopped me at the stairs and asked me

“Are you Yakari? why are you always so angry?”. oh yes, he did. He came up to this always dancing, always singing, always cracking jokes,
cheerful girl on two feet and asked her why she was always angry. I smiled. I told him I am not angry at all.
He said that it seems like it.

I reflect on my journey to “wokeness” often. I think of all the things I’ve lost because of it and I also look at all that I have gained. Being aware of systematic oppression, of the patriarchy, of the differences between race has changed everything from my dating life to the way I speak to my mother.

I don’t fight everyone, I pick and choose my battles very wisely and who ever wants to think I can be their little intellectual slave who will sit down and educate them can keep it moving. You have to do your own learning, you have to do it at your own pace, in the way it fits you. People are under no obligation to make you see what’s happening in this world, it is your own personal responsibility to find your blindspots..

But I will tell you this much, Life isn’t an uniformed experience It looks different to everyone else and while some people have problems of greater magnitude, this doesn’t mean that the small ones don’t deserve to be tackled. I get called exotic often, I get called angry often, I get asked for sex often, solely because I am a Dominicana and Dominicanas fall under the sultry, she’ll do the whip and the nae nae on your dick Latina stereotype.
The other day I asked someone I fancied what type of women were her favorite,
She said “for one night stands and fun a Latina, but I’d marry a Dutch one”.
Just like that, like it wasn’t problematic at all.

When I speak, I speak out of a need to survive, out of a need of showing that they are more faces to the Dominican identity.
Honey, I too wish I could kumbaya, victoria secret, unicorn frappuccino my way through life…but as you can see

I can’t.

No tin trabou na mundo cu no ta digno

May 4, 2017 by Yakari Gabriel 1 Comment

UTRECHT – Mi hendenan, con bay! Kibanda tin frieu, ambiente, bomboshi y e ultimo 7 siman di scol. Un poco mas y por te hasta sinti e smaak di libertad. Pero bon ban papia, pasobra mi tin sopi ta keinta na Aruba y mi ta pura pa yega mi come prome otro pasa bay cune.

Ey miho mi lemai, nos no ta kinan pa papia di aventuranan amoroso cu tin planea pa zomer.
Na final, mi ta hoben y fabuloso, mi tambe merece gosa toch? Ma bon. Ta asina cu dia di labor ta tras di lomba. Mi tabata tin un idea basta cla di kico mi kier a discuti cu bosonan e siman aki. Inicialmente mi kier a papia di con hopi trabou emocional y intelectual nos ta haci dia aden y dia afo pa otro sin cu nos mes realisa. Papia di trabounan manera por ehempel un bartender of un artista cu ta haci tattoo, cu ta trabounan cu tin un carga hopi emocional cu nan pero hende no ta wak e asina of miho bisa no ta wordo condiciona pa wak e asina. Tin hende cu ta bin bar pa bebe y desahoga nan pena y sin cu nan realisa nan ta pone e bartender shift di un hende cu ta prepara bebida pa un confidente. Of, e persona cu ta bin pa tattoo e cara di su mayor na un parti di su curpa y ta caba na conta e artista full e storia di su bida, llora, etc, etc.

Mi tabata di profundisa mi mes den e topico aki, te ora cu mi a topa cu un articulo di un muhe hoben y Latino cu a caba di gradua na Universidad UC Berkeley na Merca y a duna su mayornan tur e credito pa su logro. E articulo ta subraya un potret di e hoben para mey mey di un campo cu su capa di graduacion cu su mama y su tata banda di dje. E hoben ta conta con el a crece cu resentimento contra su mayornan pa motibo cu nan no tabata tin mucho educacion, e tabata frustra cu nan no a persigui un educacion mas halto y tabata haya su mes ta bisa cosnan violenta na su mama manera “Ami no tabay ta kens manera abo, ami tabay universidad mi biba un miho bida”. Esaki tabata pasobra, segun e hoben den su rebeldia e no por a mira su mama como algo mas cu djies su mama. E no por a wak e sin e titulo, sin sa cu su mama, prome cune tabata un hende cu su propio soñonan tambe y pa motibo di pobresa no por a sigui scol. E hoben ta conta cu e no tabata necesariamente wak trabou di campesino manera un trabou malo pero e tabata resenti ta pober y e tabata sa masha bon cu si tin un chens cu e lo sali di pobresa e lo mester ta pa medio di educacion.

E storia a conmovemi, miso cu miso a bira emocional den mi camber. Pasobra den un manera
mi por a identifica cu e hoben. Creciendo, mi a wak mi mama y mi tanta traha super duro pa hiba ami y mi primanan dilanti. Latina, sin mucho educacion nan tabata haci tur cos desde bende cuminda, haci oficinanan limpi te na cuida yiu di hende etc. Y desde chiki mi tambe ta traha duro mescos cu nan, desde yena saco na supermarket, laba auto, baña cacho di e bisiñanan no tin algo cu mino a haci. Mi a crece rond di otro muchanan cu tabata tin mayornan cu tabata tin bon trabou, sinembargo mi no tabata tin un mal imagen di e trabounan cu mi mama y mi tanta tabata haci tampoco. Mi djies tabata sa cu e ta duro y nan tabata pusha nos pa studia pa nos no traha mes duro cu nan. Pero kico yiu, cu 14 aña ta yena saco na super market ta masha great mi tabata sinti ta yega cas cu mi 60 florin. Ey, ambiente!
Te dia cu mi tabata na un fiesta y un guy cu tabata den mi klas dilanti tur hende, den un tono ignorante a bisami “Ey yakari, ma wak bo mama ta slice keeshi na Bo Wah Supermarket”. Su intencion tabata pa ponemi sinti laaf pero ami a bira conteste “Bo kier mi ta ofendi? Bono a wak e ta horta tog? Ba wak e ta traha!”. Esey si, e dia ey tabata e dia cu puntje a kom bij paaltje den mi bida. Esey tabata e dia cu mi a realisa e asociacionnan cu hende tin cu cierto tipo di trabounan y con nan por uza esaki pa menosprecia otro. Mi hendenan, no tin ningun trabou na mundo cu no ta digno mientras e ta wordo haci cu integridad y balentia.
Nunca, nunca purba ofende hende cu ta traha den un manera honesto pa nan biba.
Pasobra sino lo tabata pa e hendenan balente cu ta lanta tur piki sushi, nos no lo tin

cayanan limpi. Tur trabou na mundo merece respet, te hasta esunnan cu bo ta spera cu nunca bo lo tin cu eherece.

Gratitude to the beautiful Alejandra Lopez, who sincere honesty inspired this column.
You make me, and all other Latinas around the world proud.

“this one’s for you mami, porque la mensa soy yo. because supposedly i came to UC Berkeley to become smart but i now realize that everything good i’ve learned has always been from you. and i can only aspire to be as smart, funny, beautiful, and chingona as you.
gracias mami y papi for all the dichos, reflections, jokes, roasting, and love that y’all have given me, even at my worst of times. los amo <3 <3″ – Alejandra Lopez

Mean world syndrome 101

April 20, 2017 by Yakari Gabriel Leave a Comment

UTRECHT – Mi hendenan, Bon siman! Despues di un siman intenso, llorando pena di mundo henter mi di ta basta! Ta ora di pinta cara color di speranza y sigui bay dilanti!
Kiermen ban saca positivismo di unda no tin y confronta bida.

Pensando riba e edicion di siman pasa, pa esunnan cu no ta corda e tabata tocante tur e desgracia cu tin riba mundo y con tin ora mino por mira sentido na nada. Purbando di saca mi mes di e escuridad cu mi tabata parse di ta cay aden ma bay analysa. Misa boso ta wak mi ta gosa riba Facebook y Instagram y kere cu mi ta na Hulanda ta saca selfie na yen stad na luga di siña. Cual ta mas tanto berdad, pero ataki un poco di locual mi a siña den les.

Ta asina cu tin un theoria cu yama “mean world syndrome”. E Theoria aki a wordo crea pa medio di estudionan haci pa un meneer yama George Gerbner. E theoria aki ta argumenta cu hende cu ta pasa hopi tempo ta wak television ta mas vulnerabel na kere cu mundo ta un luga mas horribel y peligroso di locual den berdad e ta. E “mean world syndrome” ta parti di e “cultivation theory” cual ta studia con e efectonan di wak television a largo plazo ta afecta bida humano. E estudio ta basta bieu si y el a mira hopi critica tempo di su tempo.
E critica mas grandi tabata cu e definicion di violencia di Gerbner tabata uno mucho chikito.

Tumando en cuenta cu tin hopi diferente forma di violencia y no ta tur hende ta reacciona mesun cos. Pero ya, television ta pertence na metodonan di media bieuw y awo den e era digital podise tin otro manera di midi e efectonan di social-media riba hende.

Awo miso ta pensa, porta posibel cu siman pasa ma haya mi mes ta deal cu “mean world syndrome?” aunke mino ta precisamente wak television? Ta posibel cu tanto mira mal noticia di CNN riba Twitter, Facebook, etc a hacimi un poco loco? Tuma tempo pa recarga energia ta importante. Podise, nos por cuminsa cuestiona cu kico nos ta yena nos mente y con esaki ta afecta nos. E no lo ta mal idea pa “detox” un poco y mino kiermen midi kico nos ta come, aunke esey tambe ta hunga un rol. Sino mas bien pasobra dia pa dia nos ta wordo exponi na tanto storia, statusnan, imagennan cu sin cu nos sa nos mente ta drenta over-drive.

y e esaki ta influencia nos actitud y nos manera di percibi cosnan. Desde programanan violento, na canticanan vulgar, na ta rond di hende cu actitudnan pisa. Lo ta bon pa hala nan tur un banda un rato. Bon, ami ta djies bisa. Djies duna un poco unsolicited advice.

Anyways mense, semana santo ta tras di lomba. Mi ta spera tur hende a goza y reflexiona un poco riba nan bida. Nos ser humano ta cosnan raro berdad, nos tur sa cu coneu no ta pone webo pero tog nos ta celebra. Cosnan sin mucho sentido, hopi biaha ta yena nos bida cu alegria pues no ban cuestionanan. Por si acaso bo a lubida, corda cu tur dia ta e prome dia di e resto di bo bida. Y pa esunnan cu mescos cumi, a cabi sali di un terremoto emocional, pinta bo cara color di speransa y sigui dilanti. Manera nan ta bisa Pa’lante es paya! Go get them.

The South American butterfly

April 20, 2017 by Yakari Gabriel Leave a Comment

The other day I went to a theater play. Not really pretending to be boujee or needing to integrate but just out of genuinely having a profound love for the arts. The play was in dutch, so standing where colonialism left me I could follow the plot. Somewhere in between the two white males in the play crack a joke about “Zuid-Americaanse vlinders” meaning South American butterflies. A joke about picking them from the streets and fucking them as they made hump motions with their hips.

The white audience laughs out loud. I look at my teacher that is sitting next to me. she looks back at me like she knew what I felt. She’s a kind dutch woman who seems to be aware of the state of the world. I tune out of the play and think of the first day of school. How a Bulgarian boy called me exotic and got defensive when I told him that wasn’t nice. How later on in class, he and more boys defended their right to use it when referring to foreign women. I think of the Turk who asked me if I was Brazilian and if I wanted to spend the night with him. I think of the German guy that compared me to a cappuccino. Of the ridiculous high sexual expectations people have from me simply because I am a Latina. Because oh, they’ve heard about us Latin women.
What’s funny is that they never seem to know about the poverty, the violence, the oppression and the desperation that very often drive poor Latin women to become those butterflies. How sometimes, our body is our only resource so its all we use for survival.

After the play, I sit down with a group of dutch students.
I wanted to start a discussion about how harmful those jokes are to women like me, but instead I say that my dutch just isn’t good enough to carry a conversation and compliment the lead actress of the play. I say she did a good job.
The male teacher asks me If I managed to understand everything. I say yes. But deep down, I frankly wish that I didn’t.