Note from the Editors: This article was written by one of the five fellows who participated in the 2025 Pluma Libre Journalism Fellowship. This year’s fellowship focused on developing stories and projects about local immigration and social issues.
Back in the early 2010s, I considered myself a scene kid. I shared pictures of Domo and Gir on my Facebook wall. I listened to 3OH!3 and Ke$ha (before the mainstream hits). I begged my mom to let me get side-swept bangs and purple-dyed tips. The scene community made me feel like I was discovering who I was as a young girl.
According to RGV Health Connect, Hispanic/Latine people make up 92.91% of the reported population here in the Rio Grande Valley. And according to a report by Whittier College, “50% of Emo fans are Hispanic.” With the RGV being a majority Hispanic population, statistically, there must be a lot of alternative people, so it’s important to discuss self-expression, what these subcultures represent, and why they hold so much significance for many of us down here.
Tone It Down: How Alternative People Dim Their Self-Expression To Avoid Discrimination
Many of us may be familiar with the Mexican television program “La Rosa De Guadalupe,” which features multiple episodes exploring alternative culture in Mexico. I sat down and watched one infamous episode with my mouth wide open for the entire 40 minutes.
Although this is a dramatic portrayal of how alternative people are viewed, it rings true that people are sometimes confused, uncomfortable, or even hateful to those who express themselves differently from them.
The episode starts with Sauri’s mother growing concerned as her daughter begins wearing more black, chopping off her hair, and decorating her room with Tokio Hotel and My Chemical Romance posters. Her mother fights hard to understand why she just can’t be “normal.”
This idea of having to be “normal” steps into real life, where people are often asked to tone down or hide their tattoos, piercings, and dyed hair amongst family members, in the workplace, at school, and in certain public spaces.
It is an issue a lot of alternative people are familiar with, as Ayla De La Cruz (she/they), animal caretaker by day, bassist for metalcore band Crush by night, describes that she has “felt the need to change her look” to fit in at work.
When De La Cruz worked in an animal hospital, patients would claim that she didn’t “look like” she worked there despite the fact that she wore a mask to hide her facial piercings and dyed her hair back to a natural color. She shared how the owner of the animal hospital didn’t like her “being one of the faces of her business” and would get told she had to appear more “polished”.
If your appearance is harmless and you are accommodating to your work environment, that should be taken into account by the work place. Alternative people are professionals too.
Despite the former backlash, De La Cruz’s love for animals perseveres. She continues to pursue her degree in biology, and you can catch her touring with Crush, where she doesn’t shy away from expressing herself to the fullest. Their new EP ‘090909’ can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.
The RGV Business That Is Uplifting The Alternative Community
A sense of belonging in all types of spaces is very important. One type of space where an alternative individual should feel comfortable is in the places they’re choosing to give their business to.
I spoke to Aliyah Selena Martinez Cantu (she/they), aka Barber of Gloom, who specializes in alternative hairstyling. Martinez Cantu describes what being alternative means to them, “It’s about your music taste and your political views, but there is an aesthetic to it too. I kind of just wear whatever I want, and I think being alternative just means don’t be a dick.”
The 21-year-old shared stories about her career and the things she’s faced in the barber industry as an alternative queer woman in a male-dominated field. Martinez Cantu shared an aspect of working out of a barbershop that she disliked:
“So, I’ve always had a majority of alternative and queer clients who present however they want, but in the barbershop, some of my clients found it intimidating to come and get their hair done.” She elaborated, “Sometimes I would get a text like, ‘Hey, you work at this barbershop, do they allow gay people?’ And I would feel so bad when they would text me things like that because that thought should never cross anyone’s mind.”
Martinez Cantu built up her platform and naturally left the barbershop. They are part of a movement of businesses here in the RGV that are focusing on inclusivity and providing safe spaces to all people. We spoke about how she changes lives one hair appointment at a time:
“I have a lot of trans kids come out to me before they come out to their parents, and they’ll sometimes tell me how they want to present as more masculine or feminine. It makes me feel so nice that they trust me, it’s very heartwarming…”
If you’re ever looking for a queer/women-friendly barber, Barber of Gloom, will make you feel right at home; they accept hair appointment bookings through their Instagram direct messages.
Stomping the Stigmas: A New Age of Faith
I grew up with my parents getting very mad at me for watching horror movies because they feared el mal espíritu — the evil spirit. I can’t help but feel Catholic guilt from time to time for enjoying dark aesthetics.
I spoke to Pastor Jessica Cabrera-Martinez (she/her) from the Mount Calvary Christian Church, who explains:
“If you’re born in the Valley and you’re born into a Hispanic family, spirituality is embedded in you from the moment you’re born, you know? So it plays a huge part in all our lives, whether we like to acknowledge it or not.”
Religion is an integral part of Hispanic/Latine culture so where do people who don’t traditionally fit the mold fit in?
Pastor Jessica is one of the many outstanding members of the Mount Calvary Christian Church, a progressive openly LGBTQ+ friendly church located in La Feria, Texas. This Church is a pioneer in acceptance of all people, including people who express themselves a little differently:
Pastor Jessica shares, “We don’t pay attention to what people wear. That’s one of the things we pride ourselves on. Come as you are. Jesus himself walked in sandals and a robe; that’s pretty much the same as a dress today.”
Whether it’s due to the media’s portrayal or stereotypes, there’s an assumption that every single alternative person practices witchcraft and spirituality, and/or follows Satanism (which holds a negative connotation for a lot of people). Although some may practice witchcraft or other faiths, there is a high probability that many alternative people practice more traditional faiths such as Christianity or Catholicism.
Whether one chooses to be religious or follow faiths is up to them. As an agnostic, I believe religion should be friendly to everyone. Also, it can be extremely alienating to identify with the LGBTQ+ community and/or alternative subcultures in a heavily religious culture that may not always be so welcoming.
The Mount Calvary Christian Church is very welcoming and meets people where they are:
“We have people from different spiritual backgrounds—Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Protestant, Baptist. Some still hold on to certain practices or rituals from their denominations that are beautiful, and we incorporate them into our services to make them feel more comfortable.”
If you’ve ever actually been inside a church, they’re pretty gothic, when it comes to style at least.
If you’re looking for a progressive Church, check out Mount Calvary Christian Church.
They hold:
Bible Study: Tuesdays at 6:45 p.m.
Mass: Sundays at 10:45 a.m.
Feeling Misunderstood? Find Your Place
Whether you consider yourself a punk, scene kid, goth, emo, metalhead, etc., there is a place for you in the RGV.
While there is an unfortunate mix of stigmas and fear-mongering against the alternative community, and it’s inevitable to come across negativity from time to time, there is a community down here that welcomes everyone. It is integral that we stay true to ourselves and find acceptance during these very complicated times we live in.
The RGV is progressing; alternative groups are encouraged to gather frequently through local shops, markets, local shows, political spaces, community events, etc. Having safe spaces where self-expression is encouraged is extremely impactful and something I wish I had seen more of growing up. Be sure to support local efforts and show up in places where your self-expression is valued.
