Faded green sage, blueish-violet flowers, pebbles of dried tree resin, fresh palo santo sticks are tossed together and strewn across the floor.
The aromatics set the ambiance for a healing space hosted by the Silently Loud Collective, sexual assault survivors
support group.
The group aims to offer spiritual spaces where indigenous people of color can share their experiences while still celebrating their culture and remaining true to their roots.
Silently Loud Collective was founded in 2018 when Mireya Montalvo, a youth program leader and community activist, shared her sexual assault story during her first benefit show at Local Color in Downtown San Jose.
The show aimed to raise money for local sexual assault survivors.
“We chose Silently Loud because often everybody has stories worth telling, but are more than likely silenced by either ourselves or others and families,” Montalvo said. “So, it was the name where we could hope to encourage others to either talk about their stories or even just seek the help and the healing that they need.”
Montalvo added that sexual assault is most likely to be committed by a family member.
From January to September 2019, the San Jose Police Department found that 45% of rape victims and 64% of child molestation victims were of Latino or Mexican descent.
About 70% of the adults arrested or cited for the crimes were also of Latino or Mexican descent, according to a Nov. 12, 2019 Sexual Assault Response and Strategy Report from SJPD.
“This battle of removing violence against women is very much a battle of regaining our indigenous culture,” said Jose Mancillas, one of member of the group. “We are very proud of our indigenous identities and we make sure to keep those cultures and those traditions alive.”
Mancillas explained that sage and other remedial emblems of Latino and Mexican culture as decorations for healing spaces are meant to bring a sense of purity and therapy while also reclaiming culture.
“It’s very difficult because once you break out of that silence, some people no longer see you as you. Some people see you as what happened to you,” Mancillas said. “But surely, you know, as a collective together, as a community, we’re breaking that silence. And we’re gonna be loud as hell about it.”
Mancillas has been involved in the collective since late 2018, initially in support of his significant other. But throughout his time there, he said he became more active in the community and passionate about bringing other men into the healing process.
“It was difficult to sit there and to recount these stories of abuse,” Mancillas said. “We account the stories of abuse, but not necessarily go after what is creating the abuse, and that is males, mainly in most cases.”
Mancillas said that in order to improve, it’s important to acknowledge the environment feeding into toxic masculinity and machismo.
Machismo is an exaggerated or strong sense of masculinity, according to Merriam-Webster.
“I do think that I’ve been a victim of the actions that machismo breeds,” said Ruby Rodriguez, a current corporate social responsibility intern and member of the collective since it started. “And I also think that when you grow up in a culture where machismo is normalized, you unconsciously adopt those ways.”
Another exercise the collective encourages during meetings is writing down anything that comes to mind on a piece of paper and burning it as a form of catharsis.
Montalvo said these practices allow members to safely and openly express their thoughts and feelings on topics that may be uncomfortable in a typical setting.
“I hear the topic of rape being spoken about now more than ever before, which I think is what’s opening doors for individuals to feel that they can actually speak out,” Rodriguez said.
Normally, the group meets every first and third Wednesday of every month at the Mexican Heritage Plaza on Alum Rock Avenue.
However, the collective is struggling to stay active in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic since Santa Clara County enforced self-isolation and the banned gatherings of more than 10 people on March 16.
Montalvo said she is trying her best to stay connected with her members as frequently as possible, but in-person group sessions have been postponed until further notice.
On its Instagram, the collective recently posted where to find resources for families affected by COVID-19.
