I was born in Villahidalgo, in the state of Nayarit, México. However, I consider myself a native of Jala (a small town in Nayarit) since my parents and I moved there when I was a year old. Im the youngest in a family of seven. My parents, Leonel Uscanga Sosa and Maria del Rosario Chavez Carrillo, have always supported my path in the arts. Throughout my life, I have encountered various teachers and role models who have helped, in one way or another, shaping me into who I am today. Growing up in a small town, I was always surrounded by colorful traditions, rituals, and festivities. I was fortunate to have the freedom of venturing into the wild that surrounded my beautiful Jala, as I discovered the world with my infant eyes, and developed an interest for shapes. Whether it was a rock, a tree, or an animal, I could admire their colors and shadows since they all seemed like big pieces of art to me. When I was eight years old, I joined a youth club with classes ranging from folkloric dance to music lessons to painting lessons. This part of my life increased my interest for the arts and cultural traditions. I attended the local school until I was eleven years old. Then, my parents, for economical reasons, came to the United States looking for a better life for us. I stayed behind for a year with my grandmother and oldest sister in México City. After that year, I had to make the biggest decision of my life: to stay in my beloved México, or to join my parents.
In a whole new nation&Since I have always enjoyed new adventures, I chose to come to the United States in the spring of 1995. At first, it was hard to adapt to this new place, since I was raised in a small country town and had a simple life. I also had to learn a whole new language and start all over without any friends who were my age. As scary as this new experience was, it helped with my view of the problems concerning the U.S.-México border and immigration issues. Now that I look back, I realize that I wouldnt change this part of my life for anything in the world, because it opened my eyes to a whole new world where one is trapped in the middle of two cultures. Shortly after my arrival in the USA, I entered the 8th grade, where I was put into special ESL classes, and continued on until I graduated from high school. Though I wasnt sure at that point what I wanted to do with my life, I tried to go to college, but I encountered a problem that many young people who are in the same situation as myself go through in this country; the denial of higher education due to non-citizenship status. So, now that I have worked in jobs ranging from restaurants to construction, and have seen what my people have to go through on an everyday basis, Im ready to take a stand and show the world, through my art, the beauty of our culture; the issues regarding the U.S.-México border and above all, the people&my people.
