Introduction_Caitlyn Cathel Salas

Five things about me:

1. I started off going to school at Felician as a nursing student. Before leaving Felician, I switched to a psychology major, but I was still not happy.

2. I love tattoos and piercings. I started working on my arm and leg sleeve over the last two years, and I have about 10 piercings (all are on my ears lol).

3. Eventually, I secretly applied to NJCU as an art therapy major in order to pursue my two passions: art & helping people. Only my mother knew about it and fully supported my decision to pursue a major that matched me better. Basically, my mother is the only person who always pushed me to chase my passions as long as I put in the effort.

4. While in school I work a full time job to support myself; last year I was working two jobs and going to school full time.

5. My free time is spent drawing on either paper or on my iPad. I want to be a tattoo artist in the future but who knows. Art has always been my passion.

I am very passionate about women's rights, feminism and mental health overall. I know oftentimes the lines between feminism and a general dislike for men can be blurred, but personally, I do not care to be equal to a man. I just always wanted to do as I please without the authority of a man who has no experience of what it means to be a woman & a woman of color trying to regulate that for me. It was always about equal opportunity for me rather than feeling equal to the opposite gender. Also, I have failed to understand why being an advocate for mental health or even acknowledging the importance of mental health is so "de-masculating" for men. I feel as though it takes more courage to speak up about a tough subject like mental health rather than saying nothing at all.

My favorite artist is Frida Kahlo. I was introduced to her in high school because an art teacher I've had compared my artwork & personality to her. As a junior in high school, I took a trip to the Brooklyn Museum to see her exhibit, and I instantly fell in love with her. She was one of the main woman that carved the path for the feminist movement through her many paintings. She wasn't afraid to go against the grain and express herself, her life and her mental health in the way she had see fit. She was a big fighter against patriarchal oppression and an icon for the LGTBQ+ community considering that she was open enough to discuss her sexuality about her relations with both men and women.

One of my favorite works from Frida Kahlo's collection is the Self Portrait with Cropped Hair. The selfie I chose to use to show myself is my own depiction of what she created; Frida's long hair is cut and she is wearing a dark suit, all representing a more masculine visual of her. The quote reads "Mira que si te quise, fue por el pelo/Ahora que estas pelona, ya no te quiero" which translates to "See, if I loved you, it was for your hair/ Now you're bald, I don't love you anymore." This painting was to shine a light on her separation from Diego & how she completely abandoned her feminine look by cutting her hair & dressing in men's clothing; the only thing she kept feminine was her choice of jewelry on her ears. The selfie I posted of myself was my own rendition of that, but with the message that just because my hair is short and I'm wearing sweatpants, it does not take away from my feminine energy. My hair used to be about over a foot longer than it is right now; I had thick, light brown hair that reached to my lower back. I was told by many male figures in my life that I would not be as attractive or feminine if my hair was short, but this was the style that I felt the most confident in. My picture is supposed to represent how the length of hair or choice of clothing does not take anything away from, but how I carry myself is the true definition of femininity and being a woman in a toxic society that favors the male gaze.

Five social justice issues:

1. Women's rights; the right to have authority of my own body is a right that is extremely overlooked.

2. Equal opportunity for women of color. Being a hispanic woman who is a part of the LGBTQ+ community has presented more than a few obstacles for me throughout my life. Has that ever stopped me? Of course not, but I just feel as though another person should not have authority over a body that they do not own.

3. More strict birth control testing regulations. Most of my family was born & raised in different parts of Puerto Rico, and when I was learning about contraception in school and the history of contraception, I found that the women from Puerto Rico were used as test subjects for the birth control pill when it was in its early stages of being created.

4. Mental health; breaking the stigmas between mental health and the hispanic culture

5. Breaking gender norms/rules; I feel as though people on the internet are painting the idea that a woman or feminine-presenting person who is seen as "independent" is presenting herself as too masculine. In my perspective, I was raised with the ideology that if I wanted something, I had to make efforts and work hard in order to obtain my wants and needs; that's not being masculine, its being myself. I don't feel the need to wait for someone else to help me or do something for me where I am capable.