Alex Garcia

I am Alex Garcia a student at Metro State College with a Music Major.

I'm currently a sophomore and plan to graduate by Spring 2013. I am from El Paso, Tx and moved to Colorado when I was a sophomore in high school, almost five years ago.
        For the time that I have been working with David Young, I have learned about the indigenous culture and traditions. David Young is a curandero and a Chicano activists that practices the Temazcal (also known as a sweat lodge) every month. He uses this kind of spiritual events to bring people together and invites everyone in the community to be part of the Temazcal. The meaning for gathering people during a Temazcal is because it is a spiritual ceremony that creates an ambience of leaving negative energies in the past, leading to positive relationships and actions. He teaches history and indigenous culture to high school students. I have visited high schools with David Young and performed Chicano/a songs and had discussions about college experience and motivations for them to seek a higher education.
        Being part of Journey Through Our Heritage is I've experienced opportunities that relate to the passion that I have for music. By being able to work with David Young, I’ve had the opportunity to play guitar for Dolores Huerta when she visited Metropolitan State College of Denver on October 7, 2010. I played with David Young 5 songs and at the end we sang “Las Mañanitas” for Dolores Huerta because it was her birthday. That was a great experience for me, I never thought I would play “Las Mañanitas” for Dolores Huerta and it was something important because she has been a great person and activist for our community that it was a pleasure to be able to play in her birthday.
        The experience that I’ve had by working with David Young and Only One Inc. has been very inspiring and has helped me to learn about my heritage having more reasons to be proud of it. It is a big influence that inspires me to become a positive influence for other students and help them be as motivated as I am to embrace their heritage and traditions. It is an experience that encourages me to learn more and creates an enthusiasm towards achieving my college education.