"La Primera" by Asenette Ruiz
“11x17”
Designed by Asenette Ruiz for the 2023 Artwork for Equity Campaign.
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“La primera pero no la última” serves as a call to action. This piece is for those of us who are the firsts, the first but not the last. Graduating from college as a first-generation latina was an emotional moment not just for myself but for my family. Not even a month later, affirmative action was overruled by the supreme court.
This filled me with so much outrage that there are even more barriers for someone like me to get a degree than there were when I entered college 4 years ago. This piece reminds me that we are not alone in this struggle. While I am the first in my family to get a degree, I am part of a broader collective. There are so many others who were also first - first to graduate, first to go to high school, first to come to the US and we stand collectively so that we are not the last.
This piece portrays womxn across professions and also generations standing with this call. I got this degree so I could fight for more of us, ensuring that the path to education remains open and equitable para todas las que vienen.
“11x17”
Designed by Asenette Ruiz for the 2023 Artwork for Equity Campaign.
—
“La primera pero no la última” serves as a call to action. This piece is for those of us who are the firsts, the first but not the last. Graduating from college as a first-generation latina was an emotional moment not just for myself but for my family. Not even a month later, affirmative action was overruled by the supreme court.
This filled me with so much outrage that there are even more barriers for someone like me to get a degree than there were when I entered college 4 years ago. This piece reminds me that we are not alone in this struggle. While I am the first in my family to get a degree, I am part of a broader collective. There are so many others who were also first - first to graduate, first to go to high school, first to come to the US and we stand collectively so that we are not the last.
This piece portrays womxn across professions and also generations standing with this call. I got this degree so I could fight for more of us, ensuring that the path to education remains open and equitable para todas las que vienen.
“11x17”
Designed by Asenette Ruiz for the 2023 Artwork for Equity Campaign.
—
“La primera pero no la última” serves as a call to action. This piece is for those of us who are the firsts, the first but not the last. Graduating from college as a first-generation latina was an emotional moment not just for myself but for my family. Not even a month later, affirmative action was overruled by the supreme court.
This filled me with so much outrage that there are even more barriers for someone like me to get a degree than there were when I entered college 4 years ago. This piece reminds me that we are not alone in this struggle. While I am the first in my family to get a degree, I am part of a broader collective. There are so many others who were also first - first to graduate, first to go to high school, first to come to the US and we stand collectively so that we are not the last.
This piece portrays womxn across professions and also generations standing with this call. I got this degree so I could fight for more of us, ensuring that the path to education remains open and equitable para todas las que vienen.
IG: @asenette_r
Web: brown.digication.com/asenette-2023-esc-e-portfolio/home
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Asenette is a facilitator and creative engineer working to bridge STEM, art, and justice for herself, others, and collectives. She focuses her work on environmental justice with intersectional approaches that consider the impacts of education, race, gender, and more. Asenette currently works at trubel&co, a tech-justice nonprofit championing youth to learn technical skills for community advocacy.
Asenette is also a fellow at our climate, focusing on channeling her artistic visions to support organizing efforts. She’s exploring how to bridge her artistic side with her commitment to justice and equity and STEM background.
Asenette is a proud first-generation graduate, she received a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Brown University with a certificate focused on environmental justice. To center joy and peace in her life, she loves to hammock, be outside with her plantitas, and enjoy a cup of tea.
