Crimson opinion writer
Brian Baltazar Pimentel
Latest Content
Rest in Mercy
I write this piece standing in front of a grave of murdered Mexican women, whose deaths bear heavy on my hesitating soul. I dedicate this Hispanic Heritage Month to these women, documenting their humanity to the world with the words of this piece.
The Lies of Latinidad
The lies of Latinidad go far back, surround us, and cut deep. They kill. To not question Latinidad, even with the hope to better it, if not end it, is to perpetuate its colonial violence. Let us retire the term for the time being while it is questioned and speak on subjects with specificity. Before we can address issues faced disproportionately by Black, Indigenous, and poor people in Latin American countries, the colonial tower of Latinidad must be toppled.
Can the Oppressed Speak?
The bottom line is that white writers speaking for the oppressed is not trivial. You cannot remove politics from literature and literature from its impact; literature impacts politics which dictate our material conditions, which can decide whether many of us live or die.