Alondra Padilla Mata

Alondra Padilla Mata is a senior transfer student majoring in English and minoring in both Education and Chicane/Central American Studies. She is a first-generation student, born and raised in Los Angeles. She admires and finds inspiration in the tenacity and resilience of her immigrant parents. Alondra is currently working on an undergraduate thesis as part of the English Departmental Honors Program under the guidance of Professor Rafael Perez-Torres. Her research focuses on exploring the interplay between the Gothic Aesthetic and Chicane literature. The thesis will specifically focus on the work of Chicano poet, Jimmy Santiago Baca. His work with the Gothic challenges the racialized narrative of Chicanedad by introducing it as a mestizaje complicated by Euro-American influences like the Gothic. This complication leads to a deracialized Chicanedad which reveals the cultural plurality present within the Chicane identity. She hopes her research will contribute to the understanding of the Chicane identity as it manifests within the U.S. and is excited to continue doing research in Graduate School. Alondra’s academic journey is not limited to her thesis project. Beyond her research, she is a passionate advocate for equitable education and promoting cultural validation in the midst of oppressive systems.