A Oaxequeña says goodbye

For The Madera Tribune

Liliana Miranda in Oaxaca at an alebrije workshop.

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Editor’s Note: Liliana Miranda was one of seven resident teachers from Madera who made a three-week educational field trip to Oaxaca, the capital city of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico in June 2023. Ironically, she was born in Oaxaca and brought to California when she was one-year-old. Here, she shares some of her parting memories of her trip to the land of her nativity.

I was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, but raised in California. The Central Valley has been my home for the past 28 years of my life. During my childhood, being from Oaxaca was not something that was common or celebrated, at least not in my community.

It has been a wonderful experience to find Madera and be allowed to reach my Oaxacan community. During the three weeks of the trip, I celebrated and lived as an Oaxequeña.

Living with a host family gave me the opportunity to experience the “real” day-to-day in Oaxaca. From hailing a taxi, to traveling to the Sierras, to dancing in the streets during la calends, I had the opportunity to live it all. My culture was laid out before me and I could see it in every corner that I turned and in every student or local I interacted with. I saw myself in them, and I saw myself in all that was around me — the culture, the people, the food — everything.