Poetry Unbound Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo — Battlegrounds
May 17, 2021
Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, a poet and daughter of Mexican immigrants, shares her experiences at Gettysburg National Military Park. She reflects on uncovering the stories of forgotten Mexican soldiers while confronting cultural erasure in historical narratives. The discussion highlights her rituals of remembrance and the poignant offerings she makes to both her ancestors and contemporary migrants. With a powerful blend of personal and collective history, she challenges dominant narratives and emphasizes the importance of honoring the past.
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Visiting Gettysburg's Unseen Past
- Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo narrates her experience visiting Gettysburg, searching for Mexican soldier graves and finding none.
- She finds KKK books in a gift shop and holds a seance with smoky quartz to call forth unseen ancestors.
Contesting Historical Narratives
- The poem contrasts the curated past told through KKK books with ancestral stories summoned through a seance.
- It reveals how history ignores Mexican soldiers and migrants yet honors Confederate dead differently.
Past and Present Interwoven
- The poem intertwines past and present, civil war and border issues, to challenge erasure of Mexican-American histories.
- It urges honoring the dead and protecting the living through truthful storytelling.