Baby Ruca

BABY RUCA

BY Arianna Marie Ramos

Since she was a child,
she was proud to be brown,
proud to be a Pachuca,
proud to be a mosaic
of many cultures.

Raised by fierce Pachuca,
Chicana, and Indigenous women,
she learned that pride
is an act of resistance
and that her roots
were something to honor,
never hide.

She finds joy
in the chain around her waist,
her grandmother's bangles
brought her comfort and confidence,
and combat boots
paired with mini skirts.

She loves vintage treasures
and timeless classics,
finding peace in the past
while carrying it into the present.

Her family taught her
the meaning of braids,
Nikes, Rosarios,
Selena's voice,
Texas roots,
and the beauty
of being Tejana.

Through music, food, and fashion,
she stayed connected
to her family and culture.
Her mother filled their home
with R&B, oldies,
jazz, soul, blues,
and corridos,
teaching her that music
can carry memory.

A dream catcher
hung above her and her sister,
watching over them
through childhood nights.

Most of all,
she finds joy
when her mother braids her hair.

Each braid holds a memory,
a lesson,
a bond between mother and daughter,
woven together through love,
culture, and tradition.

Now she walks proudly
in every part of herself.

She wears suits without apology,
finding freedom in Pachuca style,
where masculinity becomes strength
and authenticity becomes power.

She stands tall,
fierce and unafraid.

She refuses to shrink,
refuses to disappear.

She is brown.
She is resilient.
She is Baby Ruca

proud of where she comes from,
and proud of who she is.