intro sophia jin malatesta

intro sophia jin malatesta

by Sophia Malatesta -
Number of replies: 2

hello everyone 😇my name is sophia, i use they or she pronouns. the land i call home is on occupied lenni lenape territory and is formally known as kennett square, pa in the us. it is known for mushrooms and being a quaint latine mainly mexican american community, though there are strong socioeconomic and cultural divisions from the wealthy white people that also live there (and the neighborhood that i’m from). 

the cities that i recognize more have a lot to with the ethnicities of my family, usually situating in ecosystems with people like them, like in koreatowns in la and nyc or even churches in harrisburg (one of the worst places i have been besides the church, would not recommend) or italian american communities in south philly or typically transplanted suburbs (another unique experience of smallness). 

i’m hoping to major in psych and minor in child and family studies, all of this in preparation for becoming a therapist of some kind - counseling for anxiety/trauma, art therapy, clinical social work, etc. so i wish to understand especially as a country gal, the issues of the contemporary city, and how this connects to greater natures of belonging, safety, and kinship. 

In reply to Sophia Malatesta

Re: intro sophia jin malatesta

by Thorin O'Brien -
Hi Sophia!
Thank you for sharing where you're from. I have never heard of this area before! I am really struck by its demographics being so strongly divided between white and Mexican Americans and by its mushroom growth. One town producing approx. 50% of the US's mushrooms?!?!?! I can imagine you might be tired of mushrooms, but that blew my mind.

I would love to connect with you to learn more about the socio-economic division between your community and the wealthy whites. That kind of division, especially between two groups that make up most of the town's demographic, is something I have no reference for (being white in a majority white area). I can probably relate to your small rural town experience, coming from small town rural Ohio. I would love to listen if you would like to share :)

I also want to pursue a path in healing divisions between people and repairing the harms from their past. I do not think I want to pursue therapy per se, but probably something in the realm of social work.

See you in class! - Lily
In reply to Thorin O'Brien

Re: intro sophia jin malatesta

by Sophia Malatesta -
I would be happy to share and connect with you Lily, I'm so glad that you found it to be fascinating. Sending my love!