Emmanuel - 2

This photograph, similarly to the previous one, shows a very common plant of the Chihuahuan Desert, the prickly pear cactus. This cactus reminds me a lot of home, home where I grew up cutting this cactus to feed our family's cattle. Now these are a reminder of where I come from and who I am. Seeing this at UTEP makes me feel welcome, as if UTEP is intending to let me know that they value my childhood and who I've become. As this cactus helps me value my lived experience, it also acts as a reminder of who should occupy this institution and who the people that exist in the community are; just as a prickly pear cactus is indigenous in the area, so should we be indigenous to UTEP.