After reading the story of Lorena’s life, I feel that I would see both Sabrina and Lorena in her selfie. She has had a difficult life coming from nothing, and for most of her life she has been using Sabrina’s identity to gain experience in the work place. From this story I would imagine a change of image in the selfies. It would start with Lorena as a child in Mexico surrounded by her brothers and grandma, without her mother. I imagine her sad due to the lack of father and mother figure in her early childhood. As Lorena grows up and starts working, I imagine her new selfie to show Lorena’s personality of strength and handwork, but with Sabrina’s face. She may have the perseverance to strive towards her goal, but ultimately she is still falsifying her legal image to everyone. The more that Lorena grows up and starts truly accepting herself, I imagine the selfies to continually fade Sabrina into the background and the true Lorena to slowly emerge. It should not have taken Sabrina to enter into back into the states for Lorena to believe in herself and fight for what she wants. I was happy to read at the end her goals of going back to North Carolina and setting up medical clinics to immigrant farmworkers. She finally accepts herself and realizes that no matter where you come from hard work will pay off in the end. At that moment, I could imagine her selfie as a proud woman receiving her medical degree from where ever she will attend.
I personally do not have much in common with Lorena’s story. I have never faced hardships such as paying for tuition or coming from nothing. I have never even had a job. Some people may find me spoiled because I have gone to countries people only see in magazines or because my car, tuition, and rent are covered by my parents. However, my connection to Lorena comes through my mom and dad. Both my parents are first generation college graduates. My dad grew up in a two bedroom house which he shared with his 5 brothers, one sister, and parents. His father was a farmworker, while his mother taught preschool. My mom grew up with parents who had the ideals of women becoming homemakers. My mother was destined to marry the farm boy down the road. Both persevered in their own way. My dad mowed lawns, painted fences, and even picked vegetables to raise enough money to go to city college in Fresno. There he received his AA in Business and went on to receive his Bachelors in Accounting at Fresno State. My mom on the other hand studied her way though high school to become valedictorian and applied to universities without my grandparents approval. She was accepted into multiple universities, but her parents only gave her one option, Fresno State. My mother had to work 2 jobs to pay for tuition because she refused the life her parents wanted her to have. So yes, I may not have life experiences that connect to Lorena’s story, but my parents core values of perseverance, academics, believing, saving, and hard work are what connect me to her.
If I could paint the perfect selfie for me, I would not edit the photo to my liking. My perfect selfie is just in the moment, with no filters or no perfect angle. Just a pure capture of what I am about. I would have animals, a smile, McDonalds, and my parents. Nothing should be forced in my photo. Everything should be natural.
