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Voices
Julio Salgado
De Los

An artist leans on comfort TV as a response to this year’s presidential election

Image of the author on a bus billboard
(Julio Salgado / For De Los )
By Julio Salgado

As a former president makes a comeback to the White House with promises of mass deportations, this undocumented artist couldn’t help but wonder: How does one balance a love life and family responsibilities in a time of mass xenophobia?

There's nothing better than watching some comfort TV as this country is truing to mass deport me.
A favorite comfort show of mine I often go back to is Sex and the City
As I settle into my 40s, I can't help but wonder, am I living my best Sex and the City life?
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The short answer is yes! I get to be creative for a living. Bills are always paid on time.
The longer answer: being the head of household as a DACA recipient can be unfabulous.
As a Mexican gay man who is constantly stressed about my family's future, I ask myself: what would Samantha do?
I often turn to my boyfriend who is his mother's caretaker. She was diagnosed with a mental illness when he was young.
Nobody asked us to be caretakers, but as the only gay sons with no children, we almost felt like it was our duty.
There is the option of walking away. But if Carrie taught us anything, it is that being self centered can only last so long
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We continue to balance our responsibilities. It's not the Sex and the City life I imagined, but one I'm learning to embrace.

Julio Salgado (@juliosalgado83) is a digital illustrator based in Long Beach.

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