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Norma Elia CantĂș Speech

Dr. Norma Elia Cantu

TAMIU Commencement Talk—December 9, 2021

Sames Arena/Laredo, Texas

11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Dr. Norma Elia Cantú/Trinity University

My buenos dias/ buenas tardes les de dios.  Thank you very much for that lovely introduction, Dr. Arenaz. It is an honor to be here with you in the land of los Coahuiltecas who roamed these lands. I acknowledge them and all those who have passed through here, the Lipan Apache, the Comecrudo, the Karankawa, the Cherokee, los Tlaxcaltecas, and all our ancestors who came to this land from Spain, from the interior of Mexico, and from the north too, with hopes and dreams. I acknowledge all who contributed cada quien con su granito de arena to who we are today. And because we are at TAMIU, I acknowledge the spirits of this university. I especially want to remember Billy Cowart, who as the first president of what was then Texas A&I at Laredo and later Laredo State University laid the foundation for this institution and to Manuel Pacheco, Leo Sayavedra, and Ray Keck who followed suit and built with their vision this gift to our community, a legacy that Dr. Arenaz continues. I want to acknowledge and remember the many faculty who have passed--on my dear friend Panchita Rhodes que en paz descanse, (I dedicate my remarks today to her memory) and so many more: my mentor Allan Briggs (I’m wearing his regalia, a gift I cherish—I’ve work it at every single commencement I have participated in since 1981)  my colleagues, Eddie, Don, Sandra, Alfredo, Rafael, Rex, and so many others. That’s what happens when you live to be as old as I am, you see your friends and family pass on, transition along this river that we call life. Asi pasan los años, as the song says. Day by day. Life goes on. And as the bard reminded us “all the world is a stage and we are merely players.” My role today as I stand here on this literal stage, is twofold: to rejoice with you and to deliver some words that may resonate with you as you graduate from TAMIU.

Gloria Anzaldúa, a Chicana philosopher from South Texas wrote that “nothing happens in the real world unless we first imagine it.” So you imagined your graduation and now it I here. Today is the day. A day of rejoicing and of giving thanks to all who made it possible for you to be here.

As the invited speaker, it is my duty and honor to remind you. to pull you into the reality of this world that you will be adulting in, where you will carry forth and live the rest of your lives. It is a duty I don’t take lightly … I will share with you some thoughts anchored on what I call the levels of being.

But first, I must tell you I don’t recall who was our speaker when I sat out there in May 1973, yes, almost 48 years ago! But I can tell you that I was wearing my sister’s black pumps pinching my feet—I had shown up in my usual huaraches but the dress code was that women had to wear black shoes! I sat in the Laredo Junior College gym with hopes and dreams -- I NEVER would’ve thought that my life would unfolded the way it has; graduating with my BS in Education (we could only graduate with Ed or Business back then) –English and Political Science double majors—I had been accepted to A&I in Kingsville. My dream only went as far as a Masters in English in Kingsville—I would go and return to Laredo and teach at LJC. For a Chicana raised en el barrio las Cruces, the oldest of 11 children, just graduating with a bachelor’s was a miraculous feat! Along with me were other first generation Laredoans, Vietnam veterans and others who like me had dreams.  No, I don’t remember the speaker, but I do remember the sense of accomplishment I felt, and relief. The kind of relief you feel when you turn in that final exam or that final paper in a class that has been giving you headaches all semester…and it’s done…for better or worse, it is done! But also I felt fear Miedo de lo que vendria. A fear that nestled in my heart mixed with excitement and anticipation. It took some reflection and time to realize what a debt I owed the university, my professors, my classmates, my family. To recognize how Laredo had shaped me, given me the values and perspectives that would shape my life.

I can honestly tell you that were it not for the university, I would not be who I am today. Even getting my Associates was an impossible dream when I was a clerk typing away at Central Power and Light Company, operating the drive through window collecting people’s electric bill payments.  I attended Laredo Junior College—now Laredo College—taking night classes but I had little hope of ever getting a degree and realizing my dream of becoming a teacher—we simply didn’t have a university here and leaving my family and studying outside of Laredo was just not an option (out of the question). So you understand why getting that degree was such a big sense of accomplishment and why I am eternally grateful to this university. I know many of you have sacrificed in various ways to be able to get to this point. I know I did.

You are the inheritors of the labor and love of many people. You carry your ancestors with you. Like a turtle carries her home with her, so we carry those who came before us-- our ancestors, our families, our friends. I am here to remind you that others suffered and sacrificed so that you could be here.

What do I mean by sacrifice? It’s not about not getting the latest IPhone or the coolest shoes, or the latest car because you are a student. No. it is much deeper and, in many cases, it is others who sacrificed-- a mother who held two jobs so that her child could go to college, a sister who didn’t go herself but worked to help the family so that her younger sister could go. A child who was left with a sitter or a grandmother while the mother attended classes. A father who would’ve rather been with his kids and instead persisted and is sitting here today. All of these and so many more. The experiences that come with being a student: late night study sessions, all-nighters finishing a paper; the nervous feelings that come when we stand in front of a class to deliver a presentation or when we take an exam. All of these are preparation for life. You can’t predict when you will need that skill you learned in math class or when you will be asked to deliver a talk in front of a crowd—a brindis at a wedding or a quinceañera. Or perhaps present a case in front of the Supreme Court!

Or the many who traveled from the surrounding area, from the Valley or Corpus, or Falfurrias, or Hebbronville or Zapata. Fom outside Texas—Arkansas, Nebraska, and so many countries! Many bear the burden of family responsibilities. Many with children and families, and others with younger siblings—you are the role model! Whatever path led you here, Know that this is where you were meant to be. Today. At this ceremony. At this very moment.  Be PRESENT!

If there is one thing you will carry with you, it is your sense of worth, your knowledge of who you are. And while that in itself may not be something you learned in a classroom; it is certainly something that blossomed during your college years from a seed planted much earlier.  Recently I was talking to my friend, a Chicana activist from California. When she graduated from college, in the 1970s, she went to Argentina to work with a humanitarian organization and in the midst of a political takeover, she was arrested and imprisoned. Not surprisingly, the experience has marked her entire life. “Our bodies remember the pain” she told me. “It stays with you forever.” And it doesn’t have to be like hers, but your bodies will remember the trauma.. In a way, COVID is our torture, our trauma. Your bodies will remember.

COVID has changed us and our world. Your education was radically changed; you took classes virtually, managed to complete exams and papers and even do group work online. Your professors managed to shift to online teaching and still managed to deliver the quality education that you deserve. In the spirit of all that has changed and with a focus on the idea of surviving change, I now turn to a discussion of who we are on what I call the levels of being.

The first is the physical, because we are physical beings. You must take care of your body—it’s the only one you get! Know that what you do now will determine what kind of body you will have in the future. So, eat well, sleep, and exercise. Do yoga, Zumba, play a sport, or simply walk—just keep moving!  And eat “clean” as my niece calls it—judiciously and knowing that your body will thank you for it. Thank your body for being. I am always reminded of the beautiful song by Violeta Parra, Gracias a la vida…yes, thank your eyes, your feet… your heart for keeping you alive.

Second, is the mental level—as a student, you have focused on learning new things. Don’t stop just because you don’t have a class. Be a life-long learner; your brain will be healthier. And I’ m not talking about taking classes—it can be as simple as working a crossword puzzle or figuring out a game. Read. Exercise your brain! Expand your mind. GROW!

The next level is emotional. Accept your emotions. Check in periodically and ask yourself how am I feeling? Sad? Happy? Anxious? Acknowledge the feeling and then ponder why. What is making me happy? What is making me anxious? You will be amazed at how comforting it is to recognize, the emotion and where it’s coming from.

Next is Social—we are social beings. We belong in groups. We have our families, our friends, our pack as it were. Find yours. Surround yourself with positive thinking people who will nurture you and whom you will nurture. Enjoy socializing dancing, going to movies—well in these COVID times it is difficult to do this and we have seen the result. But I encourage you to engage with others even if is through blogs or podcasts or simply hang out with friends on zoom or google meet. Be safe but stay connected.

The next is a bit tricky—financial! I want to tell you that it is not all about the money because ultimately it is not, but the reality is that money is energy that circulates and, in this world, this capitalist world we live it, the financial self has to be exercised just like all the others. Keep to a budget, learn to never spend beyond your means. Your college degree will allow you to earn much more in your lifetime than someone who only finished high school, true. Make a plan and stick to it. Paso a paso se va muy lejos. I am reminded of Sarita Liendo, an elder I met en la ladrillera, when I was researching the matachines dance tradition. Con o sin dinero, los matachines bailan. She told me. I was perplexed because we had not mentioned money and here, she was affirming that with or without money, the fiesta will continue. Know that you too…con o sin dinero will achieve your goals. Your degree will have you earning much more than if you only had a high school diploma, so PLAN.  Adelante! LOVE what you do and the money will follow.

And finally, the spiritual level. Nurture a sense of wonder and of awe in this world; you will find that the spiritual is often confused with the religious. I am not talking about going to church necessarily although I recognize that some people find their spiritual fulfilment in organized religion. What I am talking about is la conciencia, the awareness of that inner voice that guides us. Remember your dreams, jot them down. It is your higher self, sending you messages and guidance. I am not talking about some touchy-feely knowledge, but the knowledge that comes when we listen, when we answer the question who am I? What is my purpose? I can tell you that as you grow older you will find that is a difficult question to answer and yet it is simple. Go back to those levels: that is who you are—you are a physical body, you are your thoughts, your mind, you are your feelings, your emotions, in relationship with others, with financial worth, and you are a spiritual being. Recognize that, honor it. Not just for you, but for those who came before and those who will come after. As in the native American way, do things for 7 generations to come. All these beings as one, a thinking feeling sensing self. The native people in Colombia call it sentipensante.

As I draw my comments to a close, I feel impelled to warn you. It will not be easy. Life is hard, that is what I learned from an elder in a village in Spain where I was doing research. I asked her como es la vida en su pueblo? Dura, she said, as she hit the ground with her walking stick, dura como la tierra. But I also learned that as hard as it is, it is also fleeting, and that we survive. We are resilient. We exist because so many before us survived. My mother survived. And her mother before her, and her mother before her. All so I could be here today sharing my thoughts with you. The Aymara notion “ñawpaj manpuni,” a “looking backward that is also a moving forward,” in some sense, a revisiting of the past and projecting into the future that brings both together with the present. Asi estamos. Here we are bridges sentipensantes— with feeling/sensing awareness taking us into the future as graduates of this great institution. Y mas que nada, with gratitude. Always with gratitude.

Quoting Anzaldua again, do work that you love, do what brings you joy, whatever you choose to do with your life, “Do work that matters, vale la pena, it is worth the pain” and

May the creator guide your path with light and love.

¡Gracias!