Pat Mora

Diana, thank you for sending me the video you created based on the poem I wrote many years ago, “Legal Alien.” It’s the last poem in my first book, CHANTS. You are the first person on the Creativity Salon I haven’t met, so I have many questions. I want to mention that in the final scene of your video, we hear the Mexican National Anthem, yes? That makes me smile since my dear, dear aunt, whom we called Lobo and about whom I’ve written so much, new and sang verse after verse. It’s a sweet memory for me.

Where were you born?
Thanks again for this wonderful opportunity to be a part of your Creativity Salon! You are absolutely correct; the song you hear at the end of my video is the Mexican National Anthem. Although I was born in Chicago, I spent two years of my life in Mexico City, my 2nd and 3rd year of elementary school. Every month we would gather around the courtyard and sing the national anthem while some of the students would carry the flag. This is still a very prominent memory of my childhood and my culture, thus I had to include it in my video. After my two years in Mexico, my mom and I came back to the United States.

In the e-mail you sent me, you mentioned reading the poem in high school. Was the poem in a textbook? Where was the high school?
I started high school in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I am now attending college as well. In my last year of high school I took an English class that was focused on thoroughly interpreting short stories and poems and finding the meaning behind them. This is where I first heard of your poem. My instructor handed us a sheet of paper with poems that were relevant to each other and yours was the first one I read. Although the other poems also dealt with being a Mexican-American, I connected with yours instantly because everything you wrote about I had experienced in my life. I wrote it down so that I would never forget who I was and where I came from and because I felt that there was someone out there that understood me.

Why did you decide to become a film major? And, what are your challenges as a film major?
Since I was a little girl all I wanted to do was create other worlds and become a different character in each world. I would also like to act and sing and put on shows for my parents in my living room. As I grew older I tried to experience different things, such as exploring science, and writing stories, however my passion for movies and my desire to make them grew. I had a hard time explaining to my parents that I wanted to be a filmmaker or potentially even an actress because I knew that finding a job in this industry could be difficult. Thus, I told my self that I would stand out from the rest of the crowd by including my culture in my films because it is fascinating and unique. I know that I might have a rough path ahead of me but I am excited because I will be doing something I love.

On a lighter note, what makes you laugh?
Without a doubt my grandpa makes me laugh. He is a wild, interesting dancer. He does not care who is watching, and could dance all night. He dances for himself and it makes both him and myself happy.

Watch Diana’s video: