From the Archives #1: Punks

The article featured in From the Archives this week is Punk: More Than a Stereotype written by Rissa Martinez. The article details her personal struggles, from being homeless in Oxnard, CA, to having substance abuse issues. She states how once she went to high school, she bonded with other students who had experienced similar trauma. The rest of the article details how punk culture helped her release aggression. 


The article spoke to me due to my own experience in certain punk and alternative subcultures. Growing up in two conservative spaces, one in Germany and the other in North County, California, as a child I was often at the mercy of whatever doctrine I was being fed. Unfortunately, the doctrines I was presented with were against my own beliefs, and oftentimes were a direct discreditation of everything I stood for. My hometown in California had a very large hardcore punk scene, and I spent many weekends driving to various shows per night, all the while enjoying the moshing and celebration of aggression that these shows had to offer. Without this introduction to punk music, I am not sure if I would have found confidence within myself to live freely without sacrificing my true intentions. I was very impressed with the personal growth that the author of this article detailed. This detail of growth helped me to feel connected with the author, and reading this article was a complete joy. 


LINK TO ARTICLE