I AM HER EXHIBITION at SKYLINE COLLEGE: Jane Arias

"I am Salvadorian and Mexican ( morena) . Growing up, I just knew that I wished I was white and I wished I didn’t have brown skin. I never felt pretty growing up. I cannot pinpoint the moment when or why I suddenly didn’t want to be brown. I thought that my eyes were too “chinky”, my skin was “too brown” and my eyebrows were “too thick”. I wanted blue eyes, white skin, and smaller lips. I took a trip to Mexico with my family when I was 7 years old. The more I spent my summers in Mexico, I fell more in love with my family and the place itself. The dress is a gift my mother gave me from her hometown in Los Remedios, Naucalpan. For my 24th birthday last year, I traveled to the Teotihuacan pyramids and was gifted with handmade earrings and a necklace from my cousins. The pyramids made me reflect so deeply on everyday history, past and present. It wasn’t until just recently that I have fully embraced myself, my history and my culture. I’m still digging into my Salvadorian side. I am grateful for who I am on the outside and on the inside. I am grateful to feel blessed and beautiful in the skin I’m in. From El Salvador to Mexico to the United States, I have soaked in the stories from my family and their struggle as immigrants, making all things possible through hard work and dedication."

The "We are the Revolution tours allow is a result of the educational programming around my personal exhibition "Who we are: the will to adorn. Within these tours students are provided a lecture, pop up exhibit, an intimate portrait session, and a student photography exhibit. The interactive photography session allows students and educators to be involved in titling each exhibition.