Dear Emily,
I agree that more white people are living in Oakland now and I really like how much feeling a felt while reading your article. It seems like you truly care about your home and that you love the way that it is. But when you said “This is saying that change could be great but not here because of all the people are left homeless” it made think that maybe these people who are recently moving to Oakland might be moving here because they lost their homes elsewhere. There are many horrible stereotypes about Oakland and I personally don’t believe that Oakland would be the first choice for many people. Although people are losing their homes in Oakland and we have to help them, we also have to keep in mind that this problem is going on in other places as well and that everyone is looking for a way to put a roof over their family’s head. In the article How Has Oakland Changed? by Adrian Kudler, it syaesthat “Rents in Oakland jumped 34 percent between 2010 and 2014, and 14 percent in just the last year; the median for a one-bedroom is now an unbelievable $2,300 a month.” Rent is one of the biggest reasons why Oakland is changing so much, so what do you think that we as the residents of Oakland can do to solve the raises in rent? What can we do in order to save our city from being overrun by whites who “are changing are colorful,and artistic place into a nondescript place?” This article helped me see through many different perspectives and I really appreciate that. Thank you for writing this informative piece of writing.

Dear Emily,
I agree that erasure is happening and that people of color are being driven out of Oakland because people are raising rent prices for non white people which is causing let diversity in Oakland.

Dear Emily,

I feel bias about your post “Changes In Our Home”. Some sentences that stood out to me were, “Cohen bray a house with so many memories and history is yet waiting to be destroyed” and “The only people that know are those who live near it, this house should get more attention than what it has.” These sentences stood out to me because if the house isn’t getting that much attention, then it shouldn’t be such a big deal that it is getting destroyed. Have you ever thought of instead of writing about something that is going to get removed, just write about another building that has been in Oakland for a long time, that isn’t getting destroyed. Another thing that you should keep in mind should be to get the word out to people that the Cohen bray house is filled with memories and history and it is going to get destroyed so that people can fight to keep it. Other than that your writing was good. Keep up the good work!

Dear Emily, I am Grateful about your story because it really shows about how you feel and your thoughts about yourself as well as others. A sentence that stands out is the fact that you were born in the united states but you don’t feel like that based on the president. Another thing is that being proud of who you are as you say of being chicana is one of the most important things about yourself and that is how you should be, proud.

Hey Emily,
I am Denisse, an 18 year old attending the university of San Jose. I enjoyed reading and viewing your Shadow box, its really. nice the things that you included in your shadow box and got deep into who you are. I enjoyed your box because it reflect on Mexican culture, which I come from too. I really liked the card of the Valiente from the Loteria, I love playing that game with my family! I completely agree with you, on they was you view America. I am also not happy at all with the president that represents America. I wouldn’t put a flag from the U.S either. I noticed some dominant narratives, that you talked about that also relate to me. Don’t let that affect you look at the positive things and don’t pay so much attention to the dominant narratives.

Dear Emily,

Hi I’m Bianca and I’m a student at San Jose State. When reading your shadow box I really enjoyed how you described yourself and got into detail about how you see yourself compared to others. I also like that you incorporate the Mexican flag a few ways in your box to show how proud you are of your culture.

Dear Emily,
Hi, my name is Jamie Buchman and I’m a freshman at San Jose State University. I really loved your Shadow Box as well as the description that you add to it. I thought the detail you provided in both your Shadowbox and the description of yourself was genuine. It was really amazing that you were very honest and open about how you see yourself and I loved the personal touches you added to your box that shows who you are. When you said, “I see myself as…” I thought that was really cool because you do not listen to the assumptions that people make about you and instead you listen to your own voice and self which is inspiring. Thank you for sharing this part of yourself!