This South East L.A. rock camp celebrates 10 years of amplifying the punk spirit of girls, trans, and gender-fluid youth

At the end of her first summer camp, 11-year-old Naíma Arteaga was nervous about the final group activity she was required to do: sing in a rock band and perform onstage in front of a large audience. The task sounds ludicrous, but Arteaga wasn’t at any ordinary camp — she was at Chicxs Rockerxs South East Los Angeles, where girls, trans, and gender-fluid youth learn to play instruments, create bands with one another, write original songs and perform live for a crowd during a showcase, all in just the span of a week. “I was nervous about singing, I just didn’t feel comfortable with it, but by the end of the week it really helped me boost my confidence, and it really helped me come out of my shell.” A photo exhibit of Chicana punk bands formed through the CRSELA program at the South Gate Museum. “It’s important to make sure we are using this space to highlight and honor our communities,” Jennifer Mejia, cultural arts coordinator at the South Gate Museum and Art Gallery said. “What Chicxs Rockerxs SELA has been doing for 10 years should be celebrated and seen.” CRSELA began as an idea in 2013 by a nonhierarchical collective of musicians who were inspired by Portland’s pioneering Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls and the larger Girls Rock Camp organizations in the U.S. CRSELA became an official nonprofit in 2014.