Multicultural Children's Literature

I really enjoyed the discussion and readings about multicultural children’s literature. I think paying close attention to ways in which material of controversial issues is presented to children is very important.  Children are very impressionable and have to be taught the right thing from an early age.  After reading about the types of multicultural education, assimilationist pluralism and multiracial democracy, I believe the more effective form of teaching is the latter. With multiracial democracy, you are teaching the child the realities about his community and society. In contrast, I believe assimilationist pluralism just paints a pretty picture in the child’s mind that doesn’t actually convey the realities about life.

            Some argue that children shouldn’t be exposed to the “harsh truths” about the world until they are older. I think that accurate facts should be presented to them since the beginning so that they are not given the wrong notions that can lead to a sense of confusion when they are finally taught the truth. I think that if the facts are presented in an efficient manner and with the educator’s tactfulness, the child will be able to handle and comprehend the matter at hand with no difficulties. 

Reinaldo Arena's: Before Night Falls

I really enjoyed watching the film on Reinaldo Arena’s life.  Although I was not very familiar with his life or story, I became very interested in this Cuban poet after watching the movie “Before Night Falls”. I think the movie does a great job at portraying the sad realities that Arenas had to face in his homeland of Cuba and upon immigrating to the United States.  In Cuba he was marginalized from society for opposing the government, writing about controversial issues, and being a homosexual. He found himself forced to leave Cuba in order to escape political persecution. Unfortunately this was the sad reality for many Cubans during Castro’s regimen. Watching the movie helped me realize the injustices that existed towards any member of society that did not follow the preconceived ways a citizen was supposed to behave, or be like in Cuba.            

            Also, watching about Arena’s life after he moved to the US and contracted HIV was really sad.  However, I think it accurately portrayed the harsh realities that Latinos with HIV have to face as members of a disadvantaged group. Like Arena’s, most Hispanics infected with HIV are not given proper care due to their scarce resources and lack of healthcare. This made me more aware of the crisis on this issue that exists in the Latino community. I would like to watch this movie in its entirety as well.

A Day without a Mexican

I'm not entirely sure how to take the movie " A Day without a Mexican." While I understand what it was trying to do, I dont think I agree with the way in which the information was presented. I think the satirical and comical nature of the film may overshadow the point of the movie. The movie was meant to bring to light the blatant anti-immigrant discourse that is prevelant in America today.
I spoke with Prof. Caroll after her lecture to asks if she agrees with the movie and she said at first she didn't like it becuase she also felt that its comical nature might have distracted from the real issues. However, after closely examining it, she found that it did do a good job in getting peoples attention. Its easy for people to "zone out" on such a touchy subject as immigration and getting people to merely pay attention, is the first half of the battle. However, I do still fear that the light heartedness of the movie might not get people to take the issues seriously enough to actually try and make real changes to the way current immigration laws are made.
The movies was meant to show how important the immigrants are and always have been to the way we function as society. America, in its entire history, has not been able to function without the efforts of a cheap labor force. So far, Latinos have stepped in to take the place of other workers who don't want to work in the fields for long hours with very little pay. Its important to see what role these latinos do play in our everyday lives and how significant their presence is here in teh US. Only then, can we start to mvoe away from the anti-immigrant discourse that plagues immigrants everyday.

Picking on Disney

While I agree that we shouldn't place the blame solely on Disney, it is true that their cartoons and movies do play a significant role in how children precieve the world both racially and socially. I know when I was younger, I watched dozens of Disney movies growing up and I still continue to watch them from time to time. However, I can't help but to feel excluded from the Disney equation since there is rarely ever characters I can identify with, at least racially. I know that growing up I wanted to be a disney princess like any young girl, but all the princesses were white, blonde ( mostly) and blue eyed, something I definitely was not. There was a time when I thought I should dye my hair blonde so I can be like them.
However, I do not blame Disney for making these somewhat "racist" cartoons. I think if we pick at anything long enough we can see things that weren't the intention of the creators. I think Disney was just going with what was dominant at the time, and white culture has been the dominant culture in the US since it began. I do believe however, as the country begins to change and grow into the 21st century, Disney will continue to manifest itself to be more "politically" correct in the way it presents its characters.
But its true, growing up I didnt get all of my social and racial cues from disney, but its signifcant presence in the lives of children can't be ignored and should be taken into consideration. Disney and parents should take the responsibility to talk to children about what they are seeing. It important for children to have multilple outlets in which to learn "important life lessons." As far I am concerned, Disney is only for entertainment purposes, but real lessons should come from the family.

Intro to Latino Studies...

This class has been very interesting. It wasnt exactly what I expected but I still learned A LOT. I think the incorporation of other lecturers was weird to me. I have never had that type of experience before but it fit for this class since there were so many topics covered. I loved the incorporation of films that were related to our readings and lectures; they enhanced the topics and helped me connect more. For instance, in the film about Arenas I saw that they were leaving from the port that said MARIEL and I was like (in my head) "LOS MARIELITOS" and I remembered that that was the group of homosexuals and other men that left during that time. It made since that he would be leaving in that group. For the next classes, try to connect ideas like that more often. I could have missed other instances but that one was one of few I caught.

As far as discussion, I wish I could have made it more...and on time. However, the ones I went to really helped me to grasp the concepts. The key terms were especially helpful. Keep up the good work Isabel!!!!!!

PS. Im not really a blogger so this was hard keeping up with it. But, it keeps us updated on other people's opinions.

PEACE
"Be happy, healthy, and holy"

..overall

I really enjoyed taking this class for many reasons. The lecture formats were dynamic, in the sense that we got a little bit of everything. Each professor talked about the things they knew the most about. So, not only did we hear about many different aspects of Latino studies, we heard the best information about them. Discussion sections, in my opinion, were great because the students led them. Not only does this give everyone a chance to participate, but it's definitely way more interesting than having a professor or GSI ramble on about what we learned for an hour. Although there were a lot of reading assignments, they were easy to complete. Some of them were actually very interesting.
For having been an introductory course, I was very impressed with the way it turned out. Plus, we've already met the other professors and gotten to feel out their styles, so we can use that experience to choose new classes more easily. I would recommend this course to anyone who shows an interest in Latino studies...not Latin American studies. ;) I plan on furthering my education in American Culture and am glad to have taken this as my intro course. Besides, it ended up being my best grade!
Veronica Blattner

A Day Wihout A Mexican- Film Post

I did not enjoy the film we had to watch for class titled "A Day without A Mexican".  I was expecting the film to tackle the issue of immigration and immigrant workers in a more serious fashion.  I understand that at times being over dramatic about a point helps people to see the point but I did not think this film did much good for the argument of the importance of immigrant workers.  The protests that happened all across the United States a few years ago had more of an impact on me then this film did.  The protests showed just how many people in the workforce are invisible workers and really made me think about my interactions with all workers.  It is also imporatnt to remeber that immigratns are human.  I think a problem with all of the immigration issues being in the news is the media does not focus enough on the person stories behind the legistlation.  Many of the readings from this class were interviews that focused on the stuggles many families had during their migration and first years in the United States.  Some families went through traumtic events just to be able to have the oppotrunity to reach American soil.  

In my opinon there might be more of a conversation if people looked at all aspects of immigation. What types of conditions are people try to escape?  Is there more opppotunity in America for them?  Is their quality of life going to imporve if they move their famiy to the United States? There needs to be more action similar to the protests to help reinforce the human factor in the immigration converation. 

Looking Back on the Class

Looking back on this class I feel that I have a much better understanding of where Latinos came from and what they are dealing with in this country. While I knew about most of the historical parts like the Mexican-American War, and the invasion of the Spaniards, I have never heard it tin the way that Professor Cotera explained it. It was like hearing the other side of the story.

I also thought that it was interesting to hear about the struggles that Latinos are facing today, such as AIDS, poverty, and the language barrier. I think that knowing about these issues helps me to be more sympathetic to their situation than I was before.

Overall, I thought this was a very good course. I enjoyed the different guest speakers, and I thought that the class was always interesting. I especially enjoyed discussion because we really got to dive into what was being taught in lecture. Having everyone lead a discussion was a great idea because it gave everyone a different chance to take the class where they wanted it to go.

A Day Without a Mexican

Although I know it is late, I would like to comment about the movie "A Day Without A Mexican." I thought that the Hollywood version of "A Day Without a Mexican" was eyeopening and entertaining. People don't realize how much of their lives are affected by not only Mexicans, but all Latinos/as. While the movie was full of horrible acting, I think it touched on the great issue of immigration and "illegal aliens." So many people in America say that they don't want undocumented people living here, but when these people are finally gone they don't know what to do.

I did think that it didn't really make sense that the in the movie all of the Latinos living California disappeared. I think it would have been more powerful if only the undocumented people disappeared because, after all, that was the issue being confronted. I also didn't think that the soap opera drama was necessary. For example, when it turned out that the little girl was actually the neighbor's daughter. Where did that even come from? I also thought that the way in which the people that the non-latino characters in the movie were very stereotypical of people living in California. It got a little old after a while because it was so unrealistic for everyone to be that way.

Overall, I thought that this movie was pretty interesting. It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but I thought it touched on the issue of illegal immigration and brought it to a new light.

Before Night Falls

I really enjoyed watching the clip from the movie Before Night Falls for a couple of reasons. I thought that it was really helpful to put into context the readings from the other unit about Cuba and the Marielitos. I read about the history, how Castro let all of these people leave, but I never really understood and envisioned how it actually happened. It was interesting to see how people had to prove themselves to be homosexual and the stereotypes that the officers were required to judge people on. I also like the actor Javier Bardem and, even though I am unfamiliar with the life and story of Reinaldo Arenas, I feel like he delivers a very good performance of a struggling Cuban homosexual writer in New York City and I will probably end up seeing the movie in its entirety.

Multimedia

Looking back, I have learned much about Latinos, especially in various areas. In my opinion, the multimedia aspect of this class made this class stick out in my mind.

Blogging was a center for expression. Those who were too shy to share in discussion now had another outlet to express their thoughts. Individuals were able to view the blog before discussion to see the questions that would be explored.

If you chose to, the final project involved making a website. As I was new to this, I naturally faced some difficulties. However, this produced a new way for me to express my research. Making the website was much more interesting that writing a paper. It was exciting to create new pages and create a fully functional website.

However, I have found the movie aspect to be the most fascinating. I particularly enjoyed "A Day Without a Mexican." While this film focused on Mexicans, I think that the ideas reflected the objectives of the class well. This movie showed how California, if not the entire nation in general, would suffer if there were no Mexicans working in the fields. I think much discussion today revolves around issues of immigration with many Latinos. Many are only concerned with the problems these Latinos cause. Yet, many are oblivious to how much Latinos contribute to our society. I think that this movie accurately depicted this.

I believe that the multimedia aspect of this course made it more enjoyable, more educational, and more engaging.

Disney Racism?

I think that the topic of Disney being racist is quite controversial. Like many from my generation, I grew up watching numerous Disney films. Not once in my mind has the idea of racism crossed my mind.

While this may be valid, I think these issues must be explored further. For instance, my parents played Disney movies for the sole purposes of entertaining and distracting me. I would sit for hours and watch the movies.

Whether my parents were oblivious to the fact that Disney movies portrayed racism, this was not the source of my education. It was solely a source of entertainment. Cartoons are meant for this purpose. Like all other companies, Disney's purpose is to make money. While this may not be socially beneficial, it is the truth.

For those who believe that Disney is racist and should stop producing movies, please consider this. What other company out there produced cartoons for children to watch? There are very few, none as popular as Disney. Therefore, racism should not be such a big issue with regard to this company. Their purpose is not educating children; it is entertaining children.

So while many of these claims about Disney may be valid, we must look at how important this is in the overall picture. There are other sources of education rather than movies. If children are learning to much from these movies, the blame falls on their parents.

HIV/AIDS

I learned many things from Professor Stern's lecture last week about HIV/AIDS in the Latino community that I had not previously known. First of all, there were some very shocking statistics provided; for example, she said that Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 17% of people living with HIV/AIDS in the 33 states studied, that they have the second highest infection rate after African Americans, and that most of the transmission occurs through male-male sexual contact and drug use/injection, which is very shocking to me. 

In addition, Professor Stern discussed one particular case of an individual who had AIDS, and that was Reinaldo Arenas. He had a very interesting life, and lived a life of exile in many ways; he was labeled dissident for opposing the government and declaring that he was gay, and then he was isolated and alienated in NYC for having AIDS. 

HIV/AIDS is still a very prevalent disease in society today, and the United States needs to continue educating the population on the dangers of this disease. I find it shocking that there are people purposely trying to contract HIV/AIDS, when there are so many people who are suffering from the disease. 

Also, I am doing an advocacy project on HIV/AIDS for the final project, and it has been extremely interesting to talk to professionals in the field and find out how they are trying to solve the problem and also figure out what we can do to help. 

Young People as Competent Citizens

I found the article "Young People as Competent Citizens" to be very interesting. Many youth today are alienated and disengaged from society, and are considered to be 'victims of poverty' and 'problems of society'. In addition, they are over-represented as perpetrators of crime. However, in reality, the rate of juvenile crime is actually falling; this finding is attributed to the media bias. 

Also, the article mentions an organization called Lifting New Voices, which is based on the idea that youth are competent citizens and have a right to serve their community. I think that this is a great way to get young people involved, and feel like they can create community change. It enables them to organize themselves and become more central to planning and decision making in their community. 

In conclusion, from their observations, they discovered that young people actually are creating community chance. They are solving problems, organizing action groups, and planning local problems, which is wonderful. 

I hope that people realize that the youth are a vital component of society today, and are going to be leading the future of our country. 

Disney racist?!? Eh...

I was really fascinated by the issue of Disney being racist in Isabel's lectures. Although I was aware of the accusations against Disney being a racist enterprise I never really thought about them until about 2 weeks ago. 

Growing up, I was definitely a Disney kid. However, unlike what I have heard in discussion/lecture I never thought anything about the characters skin color in the cartoons/ movies. To be honest, the main messages that I received from Disney were ones about hope, dreaming, fairytales, and simple fun. I never read into anything, nor thought anything about the nature of my skin and what that meant in relation to others. In fact, from movies like Mulan, I learned that women can be powerful and just as good as men in whatever they put their minds to. Additionally, from Beauty and the Beast I learned that first impressions are not always right. Mainly, the old adage, "You can never judge a book by its cover." Never once did it cross my mind that Belle was a foolish girl for accepting the "abuse" that the Beast dished out to her. 

Being older now, I do understand the arguments being made against Disney and I do think that they are valid. However, at the same time apart of me still believes that children are really too young to completely understand what adults see as racism. 

A Look Back...

Throughout the semester various important and interesting themes/topics have been brought up and discussed in class. Coming into the class, I really was not sure what to expect but seeming that the semester is nearly over, I am so glad that I was able to take AC 213. Instead of restating all that I have learned in the class (which is A LOT) I would like to discuss something that I wish I could have learned more about. 

To be specific, I found Professor Ortega's lecture on "Latinos and Child Welfare" fascinating. He unraveled the complicated issue of academics for Latinos in the United States. Primarily, he illustrated how unfair/unkind the educational system was/remains to the Latino youth. It is interesting to note that the Latino population is younger than the non-Latino white population. If schools and teachers do not provide the resources/materials that these individuals need, our education system in this country will be doomed! It was appalling to hear that schools deliberately do not provide enough desks/classroom space for the upperclassmen because of their conviction in the idea that a good amount of the students will not make it through to graduation day. It is my hope that in the future the education system be re-structured so as to promote academic success and encourage the Latina/o students to obtain a higher education. Knowledge is power and the only way to bring about change for the future is by using knowledge as the foundation. 

That being said, this past semester I really wish that we could have discussed more ways in which the educational system could be re-structured in the future and how to avoid this from ever happening again.

Overall from this class

This reflecton post is an overall feeling gathered from this class of some things of learned and some things I wish we got into more.

I had never realized the latino minority, a heterogenous group, was the largest minority within the United States. I also never really realized the educational battles that they are faced with everyday. Watching that film of that little girl who was afraid to go to school because her teacher would deport her opened my eyes: this isn't a just and fair society. There are many things that need to be changed. I also never realized how much health care is such an issue for this minority. This is a shame -- health should be above the law and racist views; health should be of the upmost importance. People shouldn't be afraid to go receive healthcare, because the possibility of deportation looms. People shouldn't be untrustful of doctors; doctors should be here to help. And lastly, I learned why we study spanish in school. This language is the 3rd most spoke languge in the world, and it is increasing in importance within the United States.

On the other hand I wish their was more we could have talked about. For example: As brought up in lecture, I wish we could have talked more about the drug trade and drug wars. And how has these wars in mexico effected America as well? And I wish we could have gone into, more so, why we consider mexicans 'dirty' people and yet not spaniards? Or why does America not celebrate holidays, like cinco de mayo, even though the population who celebrates these is large? Their is obviously so much more I could mention, but these are the things right now that stick out in my mind.

Radio broadcast about Latinos and HIV

I listened to the radio show that Professor Cotera sent to us that was being broadcasted on World AIDs day. I was absolutely surprised to hear what the man being interviewed was saying. He explained that many Latino homosexuals are TRYING to contract the HIV virus in order to received benefits and not have to work. They would attend parties with the hopes of having unprotected sex with other males that had the virus. He explained an account of two partners, one had the virus already and the other wanted to contract it that way they would be set for life and not have to work again. This man that was being interview quit his job as an activist in the Latino community helping other homosexuals cope with the disease and other issues because he was so disturbed. Some of the very same people that he was trying to inform and warn about the virus were trying to get HIV so they did not have to work again. I think it is horrible that people would do this, and its so bad that someone who was passionate about helping others be comfortable with their homosexuality became so upset that he quit. I think this put our government and health care providers in sort of a catch 22 position. Yes, they need to help people who have the disease by providing medicine and care. The government should provide those with the virus some sort of benefits incase they are unable to work. Yet people should not be rewarded for knowingly and intentionally contracting it. 

Discussion Questions for Friday 12/5/08

This is Paola and Ana and we will be discussing the Ching and Fregoso articles in section on Friday. Here are our questions!

(Ching's article)
1. How can one define Assimilationist Pluralism versus Multiracial Democracy? What are some key differences?

2. The article states that in order to advocate for certain causes, one needs to be aware of power relations. In what ways can this be applied in children's multicultural literature? What are some examples?

(Fregoso's article)
3. Personal narratives bring reality to major issues that one may or may not experience first-hand. How does the movie "Paulina", Cruz Suarez's childhood story, bring reality to violence against women and sexual abuse?

4. What kind of theatrical tactics are employed to give the audience a better connection to the protagonist, Paulina Cruz Suarez?

(Isabel's Lecture)
5. Do you think that the media/Disney has gotten better at portraying diversity? What are some examples of stereotypes still prevalent today? Do they need to be dealt with?

Latino/a Health

After reading the Latinos ACT UP article I began to wonder why the response to HIV/AIDS in Africa is so high but the response to HIV/AIDS in Latin America is low. We have all seen the RED campaigns that promise a certain portion of the price/donation/contribution goes to research for AIDS and HIV in Africa. But why is Latin America overlooked (or any other countries for that matter)? There are many reasons why I feel that Africa is looked at first. Africa is always looked at as being so overwhelmingly underdeveloped, so is the response so high because Africa is seen as needing the help desperately? I know that Africa is without doubt the region most affected by the virus but does that mean that other countries should be excluded from receiving adequate care? Not only that but like it mentioned in the article the recycling process that is used to give care to other countries is only helpful to a certain degree. Many factors involved in the recycling process make it extremely unreliable. So why not do something where the organizations that are helping don't have to rely on recycling. But that would call for more money, more research, more time. It also said in the article that only when local issues were worked on did the ACT-UP organization receive help. The issue of HIV and AIDS and providing health care for those with AIDS/HIV is not just a local issue. (We know that because it affects all people, all colors, all ages..etc.) So why only help out with local issues? The way health care and insurance is dealt with in the United States along with who we decide to or not to help is sickening. There has to be a change.

Questions for Friday's Discussion

"Sterilized in the Name of Public Health"

1. In 1909, California passed the third sterilization bill in the nation, granting the medical superintendents of asylums and prisons the authority to asexualize a patient or inmate if it improved their physical, mental, or moral condition.
-What kinds of characteristics did inmates have in order for them to be a target for this surgery or treatment?

2. According to the leaflet, what were some of the effects of the eugenic sterilization?

3. Into the 1950s, how did California describe compulsory sterilization?

4. In the survey African Americans and Mexicans were operated on at rates that exceeded their populations. Mexican men and Mexican women comprised 7% of the 8% percent sterilized. Why do you think Mexicans comprised such a high number of those sterilized?

"Latinos ACT UP: Transnational AIDS Activism in the 1990s"

1. Why do you believe that Latinos were left out of/skeptical about the HIV/AIDS movement? What was ACT-UP's response?

2. Do you believe that the "recycling" effort that ACT-UP used and other organizations use today is dysfunctional? Why or why not?

3. What was the CHA and what was it's purpose?

4. What were the three goals of ACT-UP Treatment in Developing countries Symposium?

Reflection Post on Prof. Stern's 1st Lecture

Professor Stern's lecture on Latina/o health in the United States was very interesting. The health care crisis in this country has become a very serious issue, and I think it's sad that we may be the richest country in the world, but our health care system is 37th out of 187 countries, (with all of Europe above us). It is the government's responsibility to make the health system here as effective as possible, but putting the issue on the back burner for all these years has just led to crisis. 50 million people in the United States do not have health insurance. I work at a restaurant, and one of the guys from Mexico that I work with has been working there for twenty years, and does not have health insurance. He told me that he can't get sick because he will "be screwed". I think that the United States government needs to provide health care for everybody. Everyone is entitled to free health care, regardless of how rich or poor, how healthy, or how old. I am hoping that with this new government administration, we can finally start to fix our health system and make it available or more accessible to every American.

Another issue that was discussed in lecture was the bad stereotypes of Latinas/os as "dirty" and "diseased". These stereotypes go back to the early 1900s, and are still around today, which I find disturbing. Also, the working conditions of Latina/o farm workers is terrible. I know people who worry about the pesticides used on fruits and vegetables, so they either buy organic, or try to grow their own. If people are worried about the pesticides and chemicals at the consumer level, I cannot imagine the seriousness of the health risks for those actually picking the fruits and vegetables and working amongst them when just sprayed. Pesticides are still being used, and we need to make sure that the use of them is safe and regulated.

Izote Vos Reflection

I particularly enjoyed reading the pieces off the Izote Vos website. All of the writers were about the same age, and we easy to understand where their opinions were coming from. Most of their stories talked about the same hardships throughout immigrant life. Troubles included poverty, parental sacrifice, and family ties. Each family had to make huge sacrifices and endure much suffering in order to truly become a part of American society. Some related their identities to lacking quality of life and poor material conditions. Often the immigrant families feel they are supposed to be poor, suffer losses, feel anger, and basically be the minority, literally.
The Izote Vos readings related a lot to the "Becoming Somebody" article written by Marcelo Suarez-Orozco. Many of the immigrant students felt compelled to excel in American schools in order to repay their families for their sacrifices. Both the parents and the students were driven by a perception of opportunity in a new land. Often an entire family would immigrate in order for the children to have better opportunities for education. The parents often held multiple low-paying jobs to provide enough.
The fact that parents would sacrifice so much for their children is amazing, but I suppose all American parents feel the need to "make sure their kids are better off than they were."
Veronica Blattner

Health Disparities in Latinos

Professor Stern's lecture yesterday was very eye-opening for me. What truly surprised me where the statistics that she shared with us delineating the disparities that Latinos face when it comes to health care. It is obvious that the health care system in the United States is terrible and like Professor Stern said, "in crisis", but Latinos are one of the most under-served group of people in the system. The fact that they are Latinos sometimes accounts for their diagnosis and their treatment, if they are even able to receive that. Many Latinos are afraid to even seek health care because of fear of deportation. What kind of health care system is that?! One that makes immigrants (who most of the time need more urgent care than anyone else) afraid of getting help. That is ridiculous. And if they choose to get help, their race status furthermore marginalizes them when it comes to treatment and diagnosis. One statistic that really surprised me was that 55% of Latina/os who arrive to emergency rooms with broken bones do not receive pain medication opposed to 26% of whites. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! How can health care providers refuse to give someone medication simply because they look different?! The same statistics apply when it comes to postoperative treatment, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS treatment (Lecture 12/1/08). I think it is IMPERATIVE for the United States to come up with a completely new health care plan that has the health of EVERYONE in mind, not just middle-class whites. If anything, it is the undocumented immigrants that should have the most accessible health care possible! They are the ones working the dangerous jobs, getting treated the worse by their employer. And as was seen in the film A Day Without A Mexican, without them the infrastruture of this country would be in shambles because we would be wiping out the base of it. Hopefully President Elect Barack Obama will clean up the mess that has been made of our health care system and put one in place that has the needs of everyone in mind.

Gender Socialization

In Isabel's lecture, she focused heavily on gender socialization in children, whether it be through Disney movies or children's books. Yes, Disney movies are very gender normative. That is, the characters in the movies represent the stereotypical performance of man and woman. The woman is portrayed as skinny, fragile, and usually white, while the man is portrayed as hyper masculine, and also white. Compulsory heterosexuality is also extremely prevalent in Disney movies and books. So yes, the images that these kids are seeing and the texts they are reading are all sending them these underlying messages about or socially constructed society that views gender and gender performance as very strict. Any deviation from the norm is not socially accepted. I completely agree that children are being socialized by these books and movies. However, I think it is unfair to blame books and movies for the behavior, thoughts, and beliefs that these children will have once they mature. A child does not spend every minute of every day watching movies and reading books that depict this inaccurate representation of the population. I think a lot of times people get caught up with the gender socialization and they account all the blame of these movies and books. Don't get me wrong, they make a big impact in a child's life but the parents or legal guardians need to make sure that this is not all their children are exposed to. There are other factors that account for a child's thoughts and behaviors. For example, the behavior or the child's parents or legal guardians. If a child lives with an abusive dad, and a submissive mom, I am confident in saying that this will affect the childs behavior more so than the socially inaccurate Disney movies they watch on weekends. In conclusion, I think it's important not to ignore the other issues that account for a child's gender socialization.

Reflection Post: Disney World Racist?

This is not a new topic for me -- but yet still it is a very interesting topic. If one sits and just watches cartoons created by disney intended for the children it appears their is a strict reinforcement of these racist beliefs: basically that it is a white person's world.
Over this past summer I worked in the psych department doing research. My research was concerning racist beliefs and negative connotations that are associated with specific races. One weekend my boss went off to Disney for some benefit they were hosting. It was apparently a benefit to show how Disney was moving away from this negative light (whiteness) that had been stamped on them for past cartoons. But ironically my boss had the worst experience on his travels concerning these matters he has ever had. First, they set them up in a terrible (and he said dangerous as well) hotel. Apparently Disney made them pay for their stay as well. Then Disney had a banquet in where their main speaker was a man preaching that racism didn't exist in this world and it was something merely made up. Another important note is: the banquet lasted for quite a while (if i remember correctly he said somewhere around 5 hours), yet they were not fed. Moving along, apparently Disney's host site was connected to disney world, but it was on a side entrance; and they wouldn't let the banquet members enter into their park. They said they could go to disney world, but it had to be off their own budget.
This just seems funny to me -- a company trying to prove a point were not willing to allow those, who they are trying to convince, have a good time.

Isabel Millan's Lecture

I really enjoyed Isabel's lecture this past Monday.
I grew up with Disney movies as a child and I never had really noticed what some of the messages that these movies were sending out until Isabel's lecture. As a child, you never notice these things, and well you really can't notice them...but subtly, messages are implemented in your head. Most of the princesses in the movies are white, have super tiny waists, and are damsels in distress. The princes are also white and a strong, masculine persona. Many of the princesses are stuck doing cleaning jobs (Snow White, Cinderella), depicting that that is a woman's job. The stories end "happily ever after" having the princess attained her goal of finding a male figure. During lecture, there was something brought up about Beauty and the Beast that scared me. It was something along the lines of there Belle being there to tame the angry Beast and make the prince come out of it. Beast is verbally abusive and violent, but the movie depicts that its okay, and that it is Belle's job to save him. This implies that women must take care of men, regardless of how they treat them, because it is thier job to take care of them. That just shocked me. There are all these little things that were hidden that I never noticed.

And well, yea, some people are like "oh, no little kid pays attention to this" and well, yea, i didn't really, but it does affect children in some way or another. I used to babysit this girl that grew up on Disney, and well... she showed racist characteristics. When we would play barbies or other games, she always had to be the light skinned and blonde dolls - they had to be the princesses. The villans were the darker haired or darker skinned barbies. No joke. And when we played LIFE on the computer, I chose a darker skinned couple, because well, i wanted the darker skinned couple, but she wouldn't let me choose them. She gave me the brown haired couple, second best to the blonde haired couple that she had. I dunno, these little things bothered me... related to Disney or not, i don't know, but its influenced by something.

Disney has gotten better though...and has racial variety in thier movies, such as Mulan and the Hunchback of Notre Dame, where the heroes are minorities, or not "the most beautiful" people.

Isabel Millan's Lecture.

I really enjoyed this lecture. This wasn't the first time I had heard about the Disney racism. I had actually come across a message board that had some of the top racist Disney characters which I found interesting. Check here. With some of the things I read I found myself getting mad because they are indeed offensive and for Walt Disney to say that those were not their intentions is absolutely absurd. Of course when you are a child you don't look at the movies in the same light that we do now or as we did in class but it's still doesn't make it right to be in the movie. In high school we also had a discussion about some of the Disney channel cartoons with the same depictions about race, sexuality, etc. The media shapes our ideas whether we believe it or not, so we have to be careful of what we are showing children and what they are learning from all types and forms of media.
With the portion of the lecture that dealt with multicultural literature and all types of literature that can be used as learning instruments, we have seen that in past lectures where the children were reading at home all types of things including websites, books, magazines that dealt with their interests and their culture and how it showed that indeed these children were readers that could read and comprehend. All types of different reading materials help in some way to help children develop and perfect their reading skills. The multicultural literature helps keep culture a main priority and helps keep the child interested in reading, in contrast to our Disney movies.

Reflection Post on Isabel Millan's Lecture

I found Monday's lecture on Chicana/Latina children's literature as sociopolitical texts very interesting. I grew up watching Disney movies and absolutely adored the heroines like Pocahontas and Cinderella. It was interesting looking back at these movies during lecture and realizing just how cliche they are. Every movie had the same happy ending with the girl living happily ever after with her prince charming. There was also a great emphasis on whiteness and heteronormativity. Nowadays, however, I feel Disney is starting to lessen these stereotypes. "Mulan" features an Asian heroine, and "Lilo & Stitch" Hawaiian-Americans.

This lecture also explained to us that multicultural literature is used to educate people about race and race relations by promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity. This form of literature sends a good message about diversity and acceptance to children that Disney and other forms of media fails to do. It addresses serious issues faced by people that need to be solved such as gender violence and sexism. Multicultural literature is very important for children because it teaches them to accept all different types of people and that there is no "perfect person". Women do not need to look like the perfect cartoon of Cinderella and men do not have to be white to be prince charming.

Children's Literature: Disney

I found Monday's lecture to be a very interesting topic.  While I've always been a huge fan of Disney movies, it was interesting to analyze the components or consistent themes that the movies are comprised of.  What messages are they really sending kids?  In lecture we discussed their emphasis on happy endings, whiteness, gender roles and heterornormativity.  Specifically, almost every Disney movie centers around and focuses on a heterosexual relationship.  In doing so, however, they portray men as very masculine, buff, and often violent, while women are sexualized and submissive.  In addition to sending skewed messages about masculinity and femininity, they are anything but works of multicultural literature.  They maintain or sometimes create stereotypes, characters especially those varying in color aren't often portrayed positively, and the movies that do have some historical content aren't historically correct.  Furthermore, while the main audience is children, few Disney movies have a child as the protagonist.  Or if there is a child as the main character, they soon grow up and the majority of the plot takes place when they have matured.  So while Disney movies may be entertaining, it is important to keep in mind that they are a large influence in the lives of children and that perhaps the lessons or characteristics they depict outweigh the magic. 

Tuesday's Lecture (11/18/08)

In my opinion Tuesday's class was one of the best of the semester. I really appreciated the way the hour and 1/2 was divided between lecture and an activity that really allowed us to experience and conceptualize the material in a concrete way. Being asked to "take a stand" regarding particular social issues and ways to address social change/concerns allowed me to attatch concrete meanings to the issues and theories we were presented with in class.

I also appreciate the format of Tuesday's class because it was nice to have the opportunity to get up and move around in a lecture hall, to experience a more interactive lesson instead of a purely presentational lesson. I really liked Tuesday's activities as well because I felt as though it gave me an opportunity to hear the thoughts of classmates in different dicussion sections. I really enjoyed hearing the multiple perspectives in the room.

Most importantly, however, Tuesday showed me that there are many different ways to effect change in our community, that different people will have different methods/comfort levels regarding this. Because of this fact we all should think of the multiple perspectives in society and the multiple ways that exist to effect change.

Obersvation fo the A Day Without a Mexican

I felt this film was very interesting. It informed me about a lot of things that I did not know about the immigrants who come to California to work everyday. The main thing I learned from this film is how much the state profits from these workers. Most of the states economy is based off of agriculture. If it was not for the Latinos working the fields and picking the crops, then California would be in even more trouble then it is now.
From watching the film, we learn how if many Americans achieved their goals of getting rid of illegal works, then our country would not be able to function the way it has been. Many of these people need to do their own research and learn how the Latinos are helping our economy as a whole before they jump to the conclusion of needing to get rid of the illegal workers.

Discussion Questions 11-21

Chicano Art: Resistance and Affirmation

1. The article describes rasquachismo as an alternative aesthetic - " a sort of good taste of bad taste". What does "rasquachismo" mean to you?

2. How does rasquachismo relate more to the working class Mexican?

3. The sensibility of rasquachismo was codified in the novel Las Aventuras de Don Chipote, by Daniel Venegas in 1928. How did rasquachismo take off from this point prior to the Chicano movement in the 1960's?

4. How did the Chicano Movement in the 1960's reinvigorate the stance and style of rasquachismo?

5. How have Chicano youth conserved and redefined rasquachismo?

6. In the article "con safos" is described as a sign of pride, defiance, and self identity amongst urban youth. How do you interpret "con safos" and how is it a central rasquache symbol?

Discussion Questions for 11-21

Young People as Competent Citizens

1. At the beginning of the article, it says that young people are alienated and disengaged from democracy. What are some examples in the reading of youth being alienated from democracy? What are some experiences you have encountered in being alienated from democracy? 

2. What are the three impacts of participation mentioned in the article?

3. What obstacles to youth participation did the authors of the article cite?

4. The article raises the question, at a time when some young people are creating community change, why does American Society view youth as victims or problems rather than as competent citizens? Why do you think society views youth in this way?

Latino Leadership Development: Beginning on Campus

1. Leadership is a critical part of a community's well-being and advancement. What three elements or components tend to exist in leadership development at the community level?

2. What are the contradictory examples of the Latino community listed in the article? Why do you think they appear in a society?

3. Hundreds of Latino student organizations exist on campuses all over the nation, each with an exact purpose for their group. Although the purposes may differ, what four objectives does the author believe that each group possesses?

Fishbowl!

Hi everyone!
I wanted to thank you, again for participating in Friday’s fishbowl discussion. As promised, I will sum up some of the points I made at the end of class. Please use this space to provide additional feedback, reflections, and observations on your experience with this activity.

In answering the question, What type of space did we create/participate in on Friday’s discussion section?, I proposed the following observations based on Elizabeth Moje’s article, “Powerful Spaces: Tracing the Out-of-School Literacy Spaces of Latina/o Youth:”

A space influenced by institutions: we are at the University of Michigan, which implies a relationship between UM and education/learning

A space influenced by time/temporality: our discussion section length (50 mins); but also, how did your observations/comments in class differ from what you may have thought at the beginning of the semester? Or, how have you changed based on your experience in this class?

A space influenced by things material/physical: your level of comfort varied (depending on whether you were in the inner circle or outer circle); differences between being an “observer” vs. being the “observed.”

A space influenced by identities: how was our space complicated by identity? Which identities did you prioritize? What assumptions were you making about other people’s identities? Which identities were less obvious or not really addressed?

A space influenced by power: your relationship to each other and to me (GSI vs. student); what other power dynamics did you observe? How do these power dynamics affect your participation in class?

Also keep in mind that these categories often overlap.

I look forward to reading your responses!
-Isabel

Professor Ortega's Lecture

In Professor Ortega's Lecture on Monday, he explained that schools expect enrollment to drop as students move from freshman up to seniors, so they do not provide the space necessary for classrooms, books, and teachers if all the freshman were to stay in school and graduate. I find this very interesting and horrible at the same time. I feel as though this may play into the decreased motivation that Latinos may have to continue on through school. If a school's administration is expecting numbers to decline, they might tell teachers to only pass a certain number of students each year. I believe combining a child who may already not be passionate about school with teachers that only can pass a percentage of their class through to the next grade could be hugely responsible for the low numbers of Latinos who graduate. 

I think that knowing many of the students will not make it to their senior year sets the rest up for failure. If a student knows coming into high school that only a certain percent of their peers will make it to graduation, it does not put a lot of pressure on them to apply themselves because they could just put it in their head that it is a common thing to drop out or fail out of school. As we have learned in many lectures, many Latinos are in impoverished areas with highly populated schools. The teachers are usually under qualified and not a large motivating factor for the students. If the students do not have a teacher that makes them apply themselves and always give 100%, they may fall into the statistics of Latinos without a high school diploma. If schools set aside enough funding for the space needed to have all of their freshman be accommodated their senior year, I think they would motivate students more to pass classes because they would not want this funding to go to waste. 

11/14 Discussion

Discussion was very interesting on Friday. Normally our entire class sits in a big circle. Everyone’s participation is expected, but very rarely does this happen. Walking into discussion this Friday class was held in a “fishbowl” type environment. Isabel changed the environment we are used to learning in and the class reacted as a whole and as individuals. As individuals people were given more of a chance to talk. Being split up into smaller groups made discussing easier for some people, maybe because there were less people to talk in front of, or maybe it was the pressure of only a few people in the groups that made these individuals speak. Either way more discussion was initiated. The class as a whole was also more interactive even though only certain people were allowed to talk at a specific time. I believe this for some this created for some, a stronger desire to speak based on the fact they weren’t allowed to. Observing the groups discussing also incorporated the other “silent” class mates into discussion. In this learning environment every student was assigned a role and given more of a purpose in discussion. This was an interesting week to do this type experiment because it reminded me of Prof. Moje’s research. The class was place in a controlled environment, and the class as a whole and each individual reacted respectively.

Hybrid Identities and Latinos in the United States

Prof. Moje's article regarding youth, literacy and identities in relation to the different spaces they must navigate made me question the ways in which the social identities of Latino youth in the United States are constructed. It also made me question the different implications for these identities.

Prof. Moje writes about hybrid identities in the youth she studied stating that while navigating different spaces the youth with whom she worked they were constantly adjusting yet bringing markers of their ethnic identity into mainstream spaces and markers of mainstream spaces and identities into their ethnically constructed spaces. She also states that they youth were constantly subject to and were constantly engaging in ethnic labeling. These findings make me realize that the formation of Latino identities in the United States, or any other identity for that matter, must be a complex combination of the messages and interactions that are received and that take place in different social settings. How does what you take away from each space you must navigate effect the person you become? What implications does this have for Latinos in particular?

The article also highlighted the fact that the youth Prof. Moje worked with often sought out spaces in which the youth could construct and maintain certain ethnic/personal identities. Her discussion of Virnot Street, for example, illustrates this. This causes me to wonder about the importance of the existence of, or the importance of creating opportunities for the development of, spaces for the exploration of/expression of ethnic identities in places such as schools. How would this effect the sentiments of different groups, such as Latinos, regarding such institutions and their feelings of efficacy within those institutions?

Shock

Monday's lecture by Dr. Ortega from the UM School of Social work was eye opening for me. I was particularly shocked when he mentioned the statistic that 8/10 Latino students in Seattle, Washington will not graduate from high school. I think that this stat. was particularly hard for me to swallow because I am a native of Seattle, Washington, born and raised in the Seattle city limits and a k-12 product of the Seattle public school system. I had never realized the gravity to which Latino students were suffering within the system in my own community.

After hearing the stat. regarding Seattle and after listening the lecture and reading Dr. Ortega's article I was left with a deep realization of the ways in which social systems in the United States, such as the education system and/or the child welfare system, often marginalize and disadvantage certain groups in the population/community.

I couldn't help but wonder how this could happen? Are there fundamental gaps between social institutions such as school systems and the needs of different groups such as Latinos? In what ways are these institutions structured to favor the privleged in society and leave so many disadvantaged?

Dr. Ortega stated that programs designed to meet the needs of Latinos must encourage and support Latino participation. He also stated that an understanding of cultures, languages and factors such as accountability and accessibility are crucial allowing social institutions and programs to meet the needs of Latinos. So the questions that we need to ask should revolve around how to incorporate these needs into social programs and systems such as the education system.

In conclusion while thinking about the 8/10 stat. tied to Seattle accountability needs to be a major concern. 8/10 Latino students not receiving high school diplomas in a given school district is unacceptable and recognition of the problem/figure is not enough in my opinion, we need to think of ways to serve the needs of all of our students, even if it means restructuring. As a future public school teacher (from Seattle) I am frightened that I will become part of the system which disadvantages certain students. For me the challenge rests in participating in the system while being cognizant of its flaws enough to be able to work to help all of my students and possibly effect change.

Spanish as a second language

Personally, I have always felt that Spanish was an important language within the United States, though many may disagree. I do not like the fact that many people feel they can go by with a few words such as, por favor and gracias. It isn't ok, and it can be especially hurtful if by doing so they are simply making fun of the beautiful language. We should all strive to learn as much as we can about Spanish.

Discussion Questions for 11/14

Latinos and Child Well-being: Implications from Child Welfare

1.) Describe the difference between child welfare and the well-being of Latino children

2.) What are some of the "risk factors" Professor Ortega identifies which tend to increase the likelihood of child maltreatment?

3.) What are the 2 main gaps / problems that he mentions relating to Latino child welfare services?

4.) Define the Latino Paradox with regards to child welfare. Do you agree with it?

5.) What does Professor Ortega suggest for future direction and improvement in regards to the current situation of child welfare?


Powerful Spaces: Tracing the Out-of-School Literacy Spaces of Latino/a Youth

#1.) What methodology does Professor Moje use to conduct her studies?

#2.) What were the four perspectives used to examine self-enactment? What was the fifth perspective that Professor Moje suggested in the reading?

#3.) What concept is Professor Moje developing when she refers to the concepts of time and space? In what ways do you think these "spaces" affect adolescents? What were some examples given in the reading?

#4.) What was the model / diagram Professor Moje used to categorize readers?

#5.) What myth does Professor Moje's research try to combat? What two specific results did she focus on in lecture?

#6.) What does Professor Moje suggest to improve the reading proficiency of Latino adolescents?

A past film...

So, I've been meaning to comment on the film about the Proposal keeping children who were not legal from getting an education. I DISLIKED the woman (I believe her name was Debbie) who would not learn how to speak Spanish and help accommodate the children. I am elated she left the school because a teacher is supposed to better her students not discourage them. With her mindset, she would be better off editing a schoolbook. Between her and the male teacher who tried to blame the children for  throwing gum wrappers on the street, I do not know who was worse. I was happy that the children were standing up for themselves and did not allow him to walk over them. I can  understand why the lady teacher who was Latina voted yes on the proposal; it was from her own experience and she did not have the children in mind. However, the above mentioned woman did. She purposely did not want those children there who "did not belong". I know it has been a minute since we have seen it: Agree or disagree? 

Spanish Language

I always felt that the Spanish was an important language to learned in the United States. There are many people in America who do not feel the same way. These people may know only a couple words in Spanish and feel that it is okay for them to state the words anyway they want or for them to make fun of the language. They feel it is okay for Americans to do this to the Spanish language, but when Spanish speaking people mispronounce an English word they feel the Latino people are mocking the English language. It is not fair for any person to to mock another person's language. No group of people deserve to have their language be considered a way to humor others.

Sec. A Discussion Questions

Natalia Espinoza
Carla Fernandez
AC213 Section A
November 5, 2008
Discussion Questions

Is “Spanglish” the third language of the South?

There are different views on the use of” Spanglish. What are those views? And how does each view justify their assertions? From what community do these views or perceptions about “Spanglish” come from?

People use “Spanglish” in different ways, according to the circumstance. What are the different ways in which Spanglish is used and who are the people that use it? (pg 334)

What are some of the arguments in favor of the use of Spanglish? What are some of the arguments against the use of “Spanglish”?


“Jose, can you see?”

What are the ways in which some Anglo-Americans display racist views through their use of the Spanish language?

Does the author of this reading believe there is a “way out” of these racist practices? Why or why not? (pg 53)

Immigrants in this country are pressured to assimilate to American society by learning English. How are they able to demonstrate membership in this society as well as maintain membership in their original culture?


Chicano Men: A Cartography of Homosexual Identity and Behavior

When talking about Chicano male sexuality, Almaguer delineates two distinct sexual systems: the European-American and Mexican/Latin-American systems.

Discussion: How do these two systems differ and in what ways do they help us understand Chicano male sexuality?

From this reading we gather that the gay identity of Chicano men in the U.S. takes a different shape than that of white American men.

Discussion: What are some of the reasons why gay identity shapes itself differently for Chicano men than white American men?

As Almaguer writes, “…the extraordinary work of Cherrie Moraga articulates a lucid and complex analysis of the predicament that the middle class Chicana lesbian and Chicano gay men face in this society” (90).

Discussion: What are some of these predicaments that queer Chicanas and Chicanos face in their society?

Playing with Fire: The Gendered Construction of Chicana/Mexicana Sexuality

Zavella decided to tackle questions of Chicana/Mexicana sexuality through the use of ethnographic interviews.

Discussion: What are some of the drawbacks she discusses about using interviews to understand sexuality and what do these say about Chicana/Mexicano society?

This article itself is titled “Playing with Fire.” Zavella discusses the use and prevalence of the metaphors “playing” and “fire” amongst her interviewees.

Discussion: What are some of the implications of these metaphors and what do they have to say about Chicana/Mexicano queers and their society?

Sylvia Rivera’s Talk at LGMNY

In her article, Rivera outlines the changing relationship between the trans community and the gay community.

Discussion: What was this relationship like? How has it changed? How is it now? How have these relationships helped with the evolution of the gay liberation movement and the trans movement?

Additional Key Terms for Unit Two

Hey everyone,
Below are the Key Terms all of you came up with in discussion section. Feel free to add others! You should also check out the additional terms posted by Miles on 10/10/08.

Please remember that you will have to be very specific when defining any of these terms on the Unit Two exam--always relate the terms to the larger class objectives (i.e. the Latina/o experience)
-Isabel
p.s. You can also check out the terms and definitions from my other sections by clicking *Section B* and *Section C*

From Lecture:
[]- Globalization

From Discussion:
[]- Laissez-faire
[]- Anti-immigrant Discourse
[]- Xenophobia

Discussion Questions for October 17, 2008

The Cuban Revolution began against Batista who took power by force. There were two separate movements during this revolution: student and rebel. Fidel Castro became the "undisputed" leader of Cuba in 1957 by a reporter of the New York Times. This caused four waves of Cuban exodus.

First Wave: 1959-1962

DISCUSSION: When did the revolution begin to define itself? What types of people left during the first wave (occupations, economic status)?






The Bay of Pigs attack created by Eisenhower and carried out by Kennedy failed. This caused those who were waiting into those who were escaping.

Second Wave: 1965- 1974

DISCUSSION: What were the groups of people leaving during this exodus? What became nationalized in 1968?





DISCUSSION: What is Operation Peter Pan and what were the people afraid?






Third Wave: 1980

Los Marielitos were the majority of the Cubans 125,000 exiting in 1980. These were young men, single or married, who disagreed with the government.

DISCUSSION: Name the ways these plantandos or ubermatos(spelling) were differents from the other exoduses.





Fourth Wave: 1994

Los Balseros (people on balsas {anything that will float}) exited in the Summer of 1994. These people, if caught by the coast guard, would be sent back to Cuba.


DISCUSSION: What was the name of this policy? What was the problem with sending them back to Cuba? What is the Migration Agreement?

Triple Oppression

Examining the experiences of Chicana women within the movement was eye opening to me because it allowed me to realize the ways in which the experience of oppression for these women was multiplied on many different levels. Not only were these women experiencing the race and class oppression that emerged from their social and economic positions within the United States but they were suffering from the sexism both within their own organization and as women within American society at large.

Women in these communities who wished to take an active part in the struggles being fought were often regulatd to menial tasks within the organization. There own concerns regarding sexism and their unique positions as women in the United States and as women within the movement were often marginalized. This marginalizatin stemmed from a real and imagined fear of the oppressive influence of Anglo culture and power in the organization. This also seemed to stem from a fear of overshadowing what was perceived through the dominating male perspective of the movement as the greater struggles for racial and economic equality.

These issues and questions surrounding gender raise important questions. In my mind these issues raise the question of how political organizations centered on certain social identities can resolve the internal conflicts that arise when certain sub cultures and identities exist within a movement.

Introduction

My name is Rachel Rogers, I am a fourth year student at the University of Michigan working towards a major in French, a minor in history and secondary teaching certifications from the School of Education. I love working with kids and young people and am passionate about educating them about our world, helping them grow and develop as people and develop critical thinking skills through the lenses of the subjects I study. I recently studied abroad in France and hope to return to that country for a period of time to work with children before settling into a high school or middle school teaching position in the United States. I find the content of this class interesting and relevant and hope to incorporate the insights I gain here into my teaching practice.

Key Terms

Here are 3 more Key Terms
Macroeconomics-- a broad study of economics that deals with the relationships between unemployment, inflation, national income, trade, etc... It studies these things to understand how the economy as a whole functions.
Ring of Brass-- John Jay's idea of fencing us in and everyone else out, similar to the proposed wall on the border between Mexico.
National Origins Act of 1924-- Act that instituted quotas that severely regulated immigration, excluded Asians, favored Western Europeans, but at the same time allowed did not regulate any Western Hemisphere migration.

Discussion Questions for 10/10

The Founding Immigrants


When studying immigration, we are forced to look at what types of immigrants were desired in the United States and what types were looked down on.
Discussion: What was John Jay’s “ring of brass”? And how does this relate to the recent immigration policy?


Rethinking the Last 200 Years of Immigration Policy

The early form of US immigration policy was that of Laissez Faire, or open door, allowing many immigrants into the US.
Discussion: What were some of the ways in which US policy changed leading to the gradual “closing” of the immigration door?

The immigration act of 1924, known as the National Origins Act, instituted the concept of quotas that severely regulated immigration.
Discussion: How did the creation of quotas reflect the types of immigrants that were favored? What types of immigrants were excluded? Subsequently, who was allowed in by passing this act?

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the system of quotas, but put a limit on immigration from the Western Hemisphere.
Discussion: Even though this act put a restriction on immigration from the Western Hemisphere, how did it also enable continued immigration from Latino countries?


Immigration; Economic Report of the President


Discussion: What are the arguments for letting more highly skilled immigrants in to the US? What are the arguments against this?


Discussion: What is the Presidents immigration plan? Do you agree with this? Why?

Puerto Rico

During the course of the class I have become very interested in learning about Latino politics, particularly Puerto Rican. I had heard of the difficulty of many minority groups becoming immersed into American Culture, but for some reason I repeatedly forgotten about the Puerto Ricans. Perhaps it was due to their proximity to the United States, but mostly likely it was because they are qualified as American citizens. That still has not made the road to acceptance any easier, as stereotypes continue to haunt them.

Discussion Questions for 10/3

Establishing An Identity
Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans were confronted by contradictory messages: on one hand, patriotism and democratic ideals; and on the other, exclusion from the justice, respect, dignity, and equality embedded in the ideology of Americanism and democracy.
Discussion: What type of exclusion is being referred to? How did they respond to these injustices?



Identity politics creates a binary vision of society, and contrasts the social, political, and occupational privilege of the dominant class as compared to the discrimination faced by the oppressed group.
Discussion: What are some of the strategies of identity politics? How did the oppressed class fight back?



Much of the early seventies activism of the Puerto Rican community was propelled by the various Puerto Rican student and youth organizations, like the Young Lords Party, which emerged in New York in the mid-1960’s
Discussion: How did the Young Lords Party begin? What did they call for? What actions did these groups do in order to push for social reform within the urban barrios?


El Plan de Aztlán
El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán sets the theme that the Chicanos (La Raza de Bronze) must use their nationalism as the key or common denominator for mass mobilization and organization.
Discussion: What was the reason for creating this? What were some organizational goals associated with this plan? How did they plan to carry these out?


I am Joaquin/ Notes from a Chicana “Coed”
These poems depict a difference in genders and varying attitudes among genders within the movement. Chicanismo- the ideology of cultural nationalism- was a gendered ideology, assigning different roles to the males and females within the movement.
Discussion: What were these varying ideologies? How did these ideologies manifest themselves within the movement?



Chicanas Speak Out
The oppression suffered by Chicanas is different from that suffered by most women in the country. Raza women suffered a triple form of oppression: as members of an oppressed nationality, as workers, and as women.
Discussion: What forms of oppression were the women confronted with? How did the male members react and respond to these injustices?

Discussion Questions for 10/3

Reflection Post- The Young Lords Party

The growth of Puerto Rican nationalism had a profound effect upon the future of the United States.  As immigrants, Puerto Ricans expected to uncover new opportunities and better opportunities in the United States.  However, this was not the truth that they discovered.  In fact, they found it hard to assimilate into the United States, both physically and geographically.  Many saw a binary vision of society, the ruling class and the oppressed class.  Puerto Rican immigrants fit right in with the oppressed class.  To complicate matters, the United States did its best to force assimilation, yet a form of assimilation that involved all United States matters.  Puerto Ricans were forced to "Americanize."  There was to be no trace of Puerto Rican culture, both on the mainland US and back on the island of Puerto Rico.  English was taught in schools.  Puerto Rican history was replaced with American history in the schools.  Economically, Puerto Rico also lost control.  The economy shifted to a form of monocapitalism, where sugar ruled all.

Many Puerto Ricans saw this injustice and demanded change.  These individuals were part of the Young Lords Party.  After viewing the film in lecture, I have found the measures taken by this group to be dramatic.  What the government could not provide, this party did.  This included free breakfast programs among others.  This party pushed for the advancement of Puerto Ricans.  They pushed for better working conditions for Puerto Ricans.  These individuals were the only individuals brave enough to stand up and fight against the injustice they faced.  I admire their efforts.  To be willing to do what they accomplished amid the threat of punishment or beating is simply remarkable.  Their activity is one that should constantly be studied.  In the Puerto Rican sense, these individuals were truly spectacular.   

West Side Story

Overall I felt that the small clip we watched in lecture of the West Side Story was a clever depiction of what the Puerto Ricans were enduring at that time. It showed that they saw the United States as place were dreams came true and the land of possibilities and opportunities. Although the ignorant could have just seen the play as pure entertainment, those who know better truly get a sense of what life was like for the Puerto Ricans in the U.S. at that time. The song showed almost in a black and white image the positives and negatives of the Puerto Ricans living in the U.S. It gave the audience the sense that although there were plentiful opportunities in the U.S., there was no pride for Puerto Ricans there. If they wanted to live in peace they had to stay within their boundaries and keep to themselves. Because of this unfair, but true idea, it makes it hard for the viewer to choose what would be better- living in Puerto Rica with pride and equality everywhere, or living in the U.S. with more opportunities but more struggles. 

Ultimately, West Side Story was a clever way to portray and exemplify the those times for the Puerto Ricans. It showed what they saw as positives and negatives for living in the U.S. 

Reflection Post: Puerto Rican Obituary

Pedro Pietri's poem "Puerto Rican Obituary" touched me.
The poem really gives view into what conditions Puerto Ricans lived in within the city in the United States. Death is a huge central part of the poem, as the names Juan, Miguel, Milagros, Olga and Manuel are called out, as to sound like a piece of an actual obituary. More than that though, is that Pietri takes death as an outside entity. He claims Puerto Ricans were born dead and they died dead. The lines "All died yesterday today/and will die again tomorrow" really strike me. This death he speaks of I believe is this social injustice they expierience every day of their lives. All these Puerto Ricans have the same destiny, and sadly I think Pietri says that they will go nowhere. This poem also came unto me as a mock of the american dream. I have been taught several times in school that the United States is a land of opportunity, where anyone can be successful, etc... but here Pietri mocks this idea stating several times that his characters in his poem died dreaming of good lives or nice material pocessions, later going on to say that those dreams were "empty dreams" he really paints a clear picture of this gutter that Puerto Ricans are in, hoping that a lottery ticket will get them out of it, in the poem there is an overall feeling in lack of movement, dead ends, adding to the hopelessness of it all...there is sadness in how Puerto Ricans remain "dead" until they assimilate. What really made an impression on me as well was how there is not only tension between the anglos and Puerto Ricans, but also tension between themselves as Juan dies hating Miguel because Miguel's car was in better condition etc... it really shows how simple and basic these people's lives were and how as hard as they worked, they had nothing. It amazes and saddens me how people with such hard work ethic and full of hopes and dreams were so marginalized,exploited and silenced. I am glad that Pietri ends his poem on a slightly higher note, reassuring his audience that there is beauty in Puerto Ricans to be found... optimism is good, even if it is just a little bit... Pietri's poem is a beautiful work, his language is powerful and impacting and really opened my eyes to the hardships going on for Puerto Ricans in the US.

My Reflection Post- Puerto Rican Obituary

The poem "Puerto Rican Obituary" was very well written. It was definately powerful and attention grabbing. By giving names to the characters it was describing it made these everyday Puerto Ricans more real. It is hard to make a connection to someone called "the woman with ten children," but when you give her a name (Milagros) she becomes a person that you could/may already know. At times the poem had a rythem to it that pushed you to read further, while at other times it had repetition that emphasized a point it was trying to make. It made me feel like I was one of these people by how detailed it got when describing their struggles and dreams. At the end when the characters each started to turn on each other I felt betrayed the way that I'm sure those people would have. The hardships that they were experiencing forced them to fight amongst themselves rather than getting together and fighting back against the system that made them that way. The part about the fortune teller in the middle section was very disturbing. It felt erie to read. I felt that it was out of place in the poem but at the same time I could see where it could fit in. It seemed to me to be trying to get across the point that the Puerto Ricans would take any sign of a turning point as something to look forward to, even if it meant begging their lost ancestors to tell them what number to play in the lottery or simply praying to them to help things turn around. Overall this poem was disturbing and yet eye-opening to the struggles that these people faced, and the ambitions that they worked towards in vain.

Latino Politics

So far in class I have been very interested in the lectures and readings about Latino politics, migration, and assimilation into American Culture. I was particularly interested in the information about LULAC. The way they approached this situation was very different from anything I had thought of before. From the lecture we learned that many groups including LULAC focused on assimilation into American culture. I also think it was smart for LULAC to stay out of politics because this gave the group the chance to focus on one of their main goals which to be classified as white Americans. Also when an organization aligns themselves with a political party sometimes the organization has to compromise on its own goals. Also by not picking a party they would be able to vote for any candidate that would help their cause. In order to gain membership to LULAC you needed to be a legal citizen and many of their members will white collar men as well. LULAC made good points about how education should be formed in the United States. I am quite shocked that so much of my history classes only told one side of the story. I have learned about so many more issues and events in history in this class that I did not know about before involving colonial power and the creation of our nation in the south. Since LULAC was very concerned with being classified as white and nothing else they did not join together with any African-American groups to rise up against the injustices both groups were being subjected to. I wonder how history would have been shaped if the minority groups banded together in order to obtain equal rights. In my opinion both parties still are not treated completely equally, not everyone is treated the same and many times it is because of the color of a person's skin. The Zoot Suit Riots are very unsettling because young men were targeted because of the way they looked. All of the police that went after them and rounded them up to only find out that many of them were to be shipped off to war in a few days is awful. I think the treatment of these men is not acceptable considering they were willing to go to war for the country. Also I wonder what LULAC would have focused on if more women were involved. From the clip we watched of West Side Story it seemed that the women were enjoy America while the young men were feeling that America was not that much of an improvement in opportunities for them.

West Side Story Response

I have only seen West Side Story once in my life, and that was when I was just a little boy. I had always thought of the film as purely entertainment but after watching the clip the other day in class it the seriousness of the film became suddenly apparent to me. West Side Story actually gives a pretty accurate portrayal of the problems afflicting Puerto Ricans at the time, even though this message can be delivered with a certain amount of ignorance and perhaps racism (Such as during the song and dance number, the music and dance was more similar to Flamenco, from Spain, than any form of dance native to Puerto Rico). However, that song highlighted the major issues facing Puerto Ricans in New York. It talked about identity, how many were born in the United States and have never even been to Puerto Rico, and the fantasy version of the United States. The latter is a reality that many immigrants face when coming to America. Back in their home country, immigrants are filled with illusions of splendor, material wealth, and freedom in many forms. But once they arrive, they realize that the land of opportunity is not available to everyone (Especially those who do not fit in with the majority, i.e. white and English speaking).
Ultimately, what I took out of the clip was that even though West Side Story doesn’t necessarily give an accurate portrayal of Puerto Ricans in New York, it certainly does highlight the issues and problems that they faced and still face today.

Miles Johnson

Reflection Post

The island of Puerto Rico and its people, like many other Latinos, have faced many political, social and economical changes in the couple hundred years since the US came into being and well even before that when colonist were arriving into the Americas. During those years they faced discrimination, colonization, and persecutions. While the Spaniards imposed their cultural and religious beliefs on the island while it was under their possession, once the United States annexed the island it began a long history of economic imperialism in the Latin Americas. Some tried to assimilate into this new dominant culture, but still found racism and discrimination; others fought for independence because they saw that the US was more interested in Puerto Ricans resources than the people who lived there. These are the ideologies that come into play during the Latino Politics that arise during the 1950s and through the 1960s. With the formation of groups like LULAC, showed Latinos attempts to try and assimilate into this ideal American standard, so that they would receive the same freedoms and liberties that had for so long been denied them. The Puerto Rican Nationalist Party, while their ideas were radical, they were pushing back against the US "Americanization" attempts on the island and in order to save their cultural heritage. These two clashing views created this internal conflict among the Puerto Rican people. This was evident in the documentary "Pa’lante, Siempre Pa’lante" which discussed a group of young, Latino Americans who wanted to change the struggles Latino Americans living moving into urban areas faced. It also provided a different point of view that was occurring during the Civil Rights Movements in the US. Many times, history tends to focus on the African American struggles, but more often than not the Latino struggles occurring at the time are for the most part glossed over in the textbooks. The Young Lords’ party was an innovated and goal oriented group that helped bring some major issues into view. These were also a group that rejected the idea of assimilation and wanted to retain and embrace their culture without facing discrimination for it. They believed in the same ideologies as the Nationalist in Puerto Rico, and supported the liberation of Puerto Rico, even though the members within the group were mainly born and raised in the States.
However, it was with the ideologies that followed groups such as Partido Popular Democratico, led by Luis Munoz Marin, in which a compromise could be made with the US. Marin knew that Puerto Rico could not survive on its own if it became independent from the US and yet he still wanted his people to be able to retain their rich cultural heritage and still be treated as equal among American citizens.
I thought these were great examples of the kinds of issues Latino politics are based on. It also shows why there is such a broad spectrum of Latinos in the United States because for so long, they have fought to retain their individual culture from their respective countries of origin but even so it shows how Latinos are trying to come together in order to overcome racism and discrimination they face in the United States.

The YOUNG LORDS and related things...

I have a couple of things to comment about:

It means a lot to me that the STUDENTS were the ones organizing and defending their rights during this time in history. I have found it similar to the organization and rights groups of other races and ethnicities. Our children are a great part of our history and not many people recognize it. This is why I want to work with children the rest of my life; children are literally our future. The next generations will be more technical and powerful than the generations that have passed, regardless the race. The students of the Young Lords also gave me the motivation that anything is possible. From holding hostage a church to stealing a medical vehicle, I know age is nothing but a number. I wish students of today would recognize this wonderful phenomenon of power. When many come together under one voice, there is nothing the government can do but hear it. 

I love the DIVERSITY of the Young Lords. I relate to the woman who was Black but was not Latina. She was for the cause and was culturally engaged with the Latino/as. I feel as if there were a Young Lords today, I would be in it and I would take her place. I love the Latino/a culture, have visited La Republica Dominicana, speak Spanish and favor Latinas; however, I am biologically Black. The passion of all the different races and ethnicities should be ushered into the groups of today.

First Reflection Post- Chicanas Speak Out

The article "Chicanas Speak Out" was very interesting and really grabbed my attention; however, it was extremely heart-breaking at the same time. It wasn't easy to read about the struggles that the Chicanas endured. 

At the beginning of the article, it mentioned that the Chicanas began to work together in their fight against oppression. They were ready to challenge any institution that they had to, in order for the feminist movement to be recognized and so that they would receive their liberation. There were workshops set up all over the country in an effort to combat the problem of oppression and address the community about their struggles. 

Not only are the Chicanas an oppressed nationality, but they are prejudiced against due to the fact that they are women and are members of the working class. Male chauvinism was deeply rooted in society at this time, which often resulted in the submission of women. However, Chicanas knew that they deserved the right to control their own body and make their own decisions in regard to birth control, abortions, etc. In addition, they deserved equal treatment in the workplace and at home, and adequate health care; so, they fought for all of these things. 

 

Again, I really enjoyed reading this article; however, it was 

difficult to hear about their hardships. They did not have an 

easy time in their struggle for liberation and equal rights. 

However, they remained strong and fought for what they 

believed in, which is important.

Reflection Post #1: Young Lords

After reading about the Young Lords and watching a documentary on them, I was able to understand the reasoning behind their actions. They were a group of young revolutionaries who sought for a change in the social and political system of this country. Unlike their parents, who had grown up in Puerto Rico and immigrated to the US at a later age, the “Young Lords” group was mainly comprised of the first generation of Puerto Ricans born and raised in the US. Their ideologies were different from those of their elders. Unlike them, the Young Lords rejected the idea of complete assimilation to American culture and instead encouraged pride for their culture and history. After witnessing the detestable conditions of their “barrios” and the oppression that existed towards their group from the political system, they were driven to effect change in their communities.

            I think the accomplishments of the Young Lords Party are astonishing. It is certainly very inspiring to see that a group of young people, who came together for a common purpose, was able to accomplish so much for the community. I admired the ways in which they sought to improve their communities’ living conditions and create a better world for their own and future generation. It was a very well organized group and I think their plan of action proved to be very effective at most times. Except in the end, when their aspirations might have been too ambitious. I think they should have stuck to helping out their communities in New York instead of relocating to Puerto Rico. These people were born and raised in America, although they identified themselves as Puerto Ricans, the culture in Puerto Rico was a lot different from the culture of the “barrios” of Harlem. 

Opinions on The Puerto Rican Obituary

This poem was incredibly well-laid out in that the author made his point through the use of repetition. He illustrated the various hardships that Puerto Ricans were forced to face during the years following WWII living in America such as cut wages, indebtedness, depression, and invisibility. One particular stanza that caught my attention was the 6th stanza, as the author vividly described how at a funeral for a Puerto Rican the "...flowers that will be stolen when visiting hours are over. Is very expensive..." This was heart-breaking to me in that it is terrible how disrespectful people were to the Puerto Ricans; the individuals who could not even have a normal burial procession/ funeral because other Americans robbed them of this. 

I am very glad that Professor Cotera included this reading in the coursepack because it made an impact on me, and was rather interesting to read since it was historically relevant but presented from an artistic viewpoint (to me this had more of an impact than any of the other readings thus far).