In chapter seven of “La Nueva California; Latinos in the Golden State”, author David E. Hayes-Bautista answers the questions surround the identity of Latinos in America. He gives point to the notion that being Latino or of any other ethnicity does not make you less “American” than your blue eyed, blonde hair neighbor. The author also discusses concerns regarding the health of Latinos in America. At last, he focuses on the “true origins” of the Latino society and how it evolved to what we know it as today.
In the beginning of chapter seven the author describes and incident where a reported during an interview repeatedly asks him to define himself, was he “primarily a Latino, or primarily an American?”. Frustrated by the question, the author explains that being Latino does not make him un-American or that being Latino is not American. He goes on by using the analogy of a Texan by explaining how a Texan is an American but with just a different touch of being “American”. Latinos that are born in the U.S are as much of an “American” as those Americans who hang their red, white and blue flag by the door steps of their homes. Being American is not defined by race or color but instead by the ideologies and values that shape a persons life. It is these ideologies that are instituted in the minds of immigrants who come to the U.S that give pathway to transforming them into true “Americans”.
The second main part of the chapter focuses on health issues concerning Latinos in America. Latinos primarily Mexicans give importance to internal factors when dealing with their health. They are strong believers to the idea that high spirits, good vibes and positive emotions are fundamental key elements in keeping a person in good health. On the contrarily non-Hispanic whites focus solely on the external factors when dealing with a person’s health. They believe that practical medicine is the main key for curing diseases and keeping a person healthy.
The last part of the chapter dealt with the origins of the Latino society and how it evolved. When crusaders from Europe made their voyage to the Americas’ they brought with them their culture and traditions. Heavily influenced by the Spanish most of these crusaders spoke Castilian and practiced Catholicism, which eventually was imposed among the Indians in the Americas. Eventually, a new language was born along side with traditions and religion, little by little the Indians lost their culture and language.
Personally, the first and last part of the chapter impacted me the most. Understanding how being a “Latino” is just as American as the blue eyed, blonde hair American stereo type made me realize that us Latinos have the same rights as they do. The color of my skin, the spanish music I listen to and the celebration of México’s Independence on September 16, does not make me less American than those who have a barbeque on fourth of July to celebrate Americas’ independence.
Working in this group project had challenges as well as benefits. The main challenge our group faced was on agreeing what were the three key points we wanted to present to the class. After agreeing on the three main ideas we equally divided the sections into three sub parts. We were each in charge of our section and helped put it together into a power point presentation. Working with my two group members was fun and enriching at the same time, listening to their ideas and perspectives on the sections helped me understand the chapter more easily.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Persecution of Homosexuals
Throughout the history of the world, homosexuality has been condemned by different religions and societies. Homosexuals have been looked at by many as the “disease” in our chicano communities. They are the reminiscence of Europe’s nineteenth century homosexual crisis, in which Europeans were withdrawn from their moral beliefs and began engaging in what some called “deviant acts.” During the holocaust homosexuals were also targeted and sent to concentration camps where they were enslaved and ultimately incinerated. Today, homosexuals are still being persecuted, they face day to day discrimination, harassment and hate crimes, in specific cases some of these acts have led to their deaths.
Homosexuality is not accepted, recognized or protected by the law of most governments. In many countries such as the United States homosexuals are deprived from their civil rights, the union of same sex marriage is not recognized by most states. The second issue at hand deals with the constant harassment homosexuals face on a daily basis. One of the most hostile environments a homosexual can experience is the constant bullying of their peers throughout middle school and high school. The psychological effects that this trauma may cause are mental and emotional distress. At times leading the victim to take their own life. Lastly, many homosexuals must deal with hate crimes. For example, their property is commonly vandalized or stolen by the people in their communities.
The persecution of homosexuals in our chicano communities should be intolerable. We must come together as a “hermandad” (brotherhood) to embrace our gay brothers and sisters. We must unite so they can have the same opportunities and rights we exercise as individuals. We can not let their sexual orientation divide our chicano communities, if we do, then our own fences will become the borderlands that divide straight from queer in our own back yards.
Although some nations have moved forward by adopting certain laws that give homosexuals a voice in their country, there is till much more to be done. The persecution of homosexuals is in a dark, lost state better known as “Coatlicue.” Many chicanos do not want to recognize that there is an issue at hand taking place. They refuse to acknowledge that their own people are being deprived from their civil rights, just as they were once deprived as immigrants. They go about in their lives shutting their eyes to the discrimination their brothers and sisters are experiencing, they seem to think that what does not hurt them will not affect them. In the essay, “La herencia de Coatlicue / The Coatlicue State,” the author makes a good point of this view when stating, “In order to escape the threat of shame or fear, one takes on a compulsive, repetitious activity as though to busy oneself, to distract oneself, to keep awareness at bay. One fixates on drinking, smoking, popping pills, acquiring friend after friend who betrays; repeating, repeating, to prevent oneself from seeing” (p. 67).
In order to bring awareness to the Chicano community we must educate ourselves about issues regarding homosexuality to unite our communities and move forward towards progress. The importance of understanding each other and respecting one’s sexual preference is of significant value if we want to live in harmony with our brothers and sisters. If we begin teaching our children that there is nothing wrong with being homosexual then they can learn to be more accepting of it. Starting off with our school systems we can engage children and teenagers in conversations that deal with homosexuality. If schools can include homosexuality awareness in their curriculum then we can begin to change the mindset of future generations. Just as Gloria Anzaldia described in her article “Border Arte: Nepantla, El Lugar de la Frontera.” She wrote “Through the centuries, a culture touches and influences another, passing on its metaphors and its gods before it dies. The new culture adopts, modifies, and enriches these images, and it, in turn, passes them on. The process is repeated until the original meaning of images are pushed into the unconscious. What surfaces are images more significant to the prevailing culture era” (p. 109,110).
Homosexuality is not accepted, recognized or protected by the law of most governments. In many countries such as the United States homosexuals are deprived from their civil rights, the union of same sex marriage is not recognized by most states. The second issue at hand deals with the constant harassment homosexuals face on a daily basis. One of the most hostile environments a homosexual can experience is the constant bullying of their peers throughout middle school and high school. The psychological effects that this trauma may cause are mental and emotional distress. At times leading the victim to take their own life. Lastly, many homosexuals must deal with hate crimes. For example, their property is commonly vandalized or stolen by the people in their communities.
The persecution of homosexuals in our chicano communities should be intolerable. We must come together as a “hermandad” (brotherhood) to embrace our gay brothers and sisters. We must unite so they can have the same opportunities and rights we exercise as individuals. We can not let their sexual orientation divide our chicano communities, if we do, then our own fences will become the borderlands that divide straight from queer in our own back yards.
Although some nations have moved forward by adopting certain laws that give homosexuals a voice in their country, there is till much more to be done. The persecution of homosexuals is in a dark, lost state better known as “Coatlicue.” Many chicanos do not want to recognize that there is an issue at hand taking place. They refuse to acknowledge that their own people are being deprived from their civil rights, just as they were once deprived as immigrants. They go about in their lives shutting their eyes to the discrimination their brothers and sisters are experiencing, they seem to think that what does not hurt them will not affect them. In the essay, “La herencia de Coatlicue / The Coatlicue State,” the author makes a good point of this view when stating, “In order to escape the threat of shame or fear, one takes on a compulsive, repetitious activity as though to busy oneself, to distract oneself, to keep awareness at bay. One fixates on drinking, smoking, popping pills, acquiring friend after friend who betrays; repeating, repeating, to prevent oneself from seeing” (p. 67).
In order to bring awareness to the Chicano community we must educate ourselves about issues regarding homosexuality to unite our communities and move forward towards progress. The importance of understanding each other and respecting one’s sexual preference is of significant value if we want to live in harmony with our brothers and sisters. If we begin teaching our children that there is nothing wrong with being homosexual then they can learn to be more accepting of it. Starting off with our school systems we can engage children and teenagers in conversations that deal with homosexuality. If schools can include homosexuality awareness in their curriculum then we can begin to change the mindset of future generations. Just as Gloria Anzaldia described in her article “Border Arte: Nepantla, El Lugar de la Frontera.” She wrote “Through the centuries, a culture touches and influences another, passing on its metaphors and its gods before it dies. The new culture adopts, modifies, and enriches these images, and it, in turn, passes them on. The process is repeated until the original meaning of images are pushed into the unconscious. What surfaces are images more significant to the prevailing culture era” (p. 109,110).
Letter to Eight Grader
Dear Student,
I remember when I was in eighth grade all I wanted to do was see my friends in school and socialize. The music that was in at that time was Backstreet Boys, N’sync and Britney Spears! Yes, Britney Spears was in, they played her music all over the radio and her videos were always on the top ten, MTV’s TRL with Carson Daily. You are probably thinking by now “gosh how old is this girl!?” that was like ten years ago, right. Well I am twenty four years old my name is Veronica, I am Mexican-American. I work part-time and I attend East Los Angeles Community College, I am a full-time student, my major is Political Science, I would like to one day work for Homeland Security or Immigration.
When I got out of high school I enrolled into a junior college right away, I didn’t really want to but I did it to please my parents. As the first year went by I lost interest in school. I just felt I was not ready for college, I knew I wanted to study and earn a degree from a four year university but at that time I just found myself lost. I stopped going to college for about three years and finally I am back on my feet. I am very happy to be back at school, sometimes when younger people like yourself think of college they might think it’s boring and not cool. However, college is the opposite of boring, at most junior colleges and four year universities they have a gym, a pool, and they even have an arcade room for the students where they can play video games, shoot pool and play darts. Also in college you can join different clubs and even a sports team. For most sporting events you will get to travel and go to different states to play against other schools and if you are lucky enough you might get the chance to go play to Hawaii. In my Chicano class I have learned that only a small percentage of Chicanos graduate from college but students like you and I can change that. If more people like “us” were to attend college we could prove to the world that our Hispanic community is as good as any other community.
College is definitely what I expected it to be, fun and educating at the same time. I have learned many things in college from the classes I have taken and at the same time I am having a lot of fun. I am in the philosophy club and we plan to go on fieldtrips for the rest of the school year, we are also going to be joining community events. There have been some challenges I have faced in school but I consider them to be minor. Due to the fact that there are so many students in my school sometimes there are too many students in one classroom, or sometimes you cannot find parking but overall I have had great experiences. I have made new friends and met new interesting people. I hope that when I finally get my bachelors degree I will be able to find a job where I can interact with people and help them. Once I know what government office I would like to work for, I plan on going back to school and earning a master’s degree. With a master’s degree I will be able to get a stable job for the rest of my life and not to mention I will be making enough money to be able to go on vacations and travel the world.
I just want you to remember that going to school, not only high school but going to college can guarantee you to have a better life than the one you have today. By going to college you can change your life and the lives of those around you; you can travel and explore the world. Just think of somewhere in the world where you would like to visit or something you would like to do, well you can go there all you have to do to achieve it is go to college. It is that easy. Just remember that when someone tells you “no you cant” I tell you “yes you can.”
I remember when I was in eighth grade all I wanted to do was see my friends in school and socialize. The music that was in at that time was Backstreet Boys, N’sync and Britney Spears! Yes, Britney Spears was in, they played her music all over the radio and her videos were always on the top ten, MTV’s TRL with Carson Daily. You are probably thinking by now “gosh how old is this girl!?” that was like ten years ago, right. Well I am twenty four years old my name is Veronica, I am Mexican-American. I work part-time and I attend East Los Angeles Community College, I am a full-time student, my major is Political Science, I would like to one day work for Homeland Security or Immigration.
When I got out of high school I enrolled into a junior college right away, I didn’t really want to but I did it to please my parents. As the first year went by I lost interest in school. I just felt I was not ready for college, I knew I wanted to study and earn a degree from a four year university but at that time I just found myself lost. I stopped going to college for about three years and finally I am back on my feet. I am very happy to be back at school, sometimes when younger people like yourself think of college they might think it’s boring and not cool. However, college is the opposite of boring, at most junior colleges and four year universities they have a gym, a pool, and they even have an arcade room for the students where they can play video games, shoot pool and play darts. Also in college you can join different clubs and even a sports team. For most sporting events you will get to travel and go to different states to play against other schools and if you are lucky enough you might get the chance to go play to Hawaii. In my Chicano class I have learned that only a small percentage of Chicanos graduate from college but students like you and I can change that. If more people like “us” were to attend college we could prove to the world that our Hispanic community is as good as any other community.
College is definitely what I expected it to be, fun and educating at the same time. I have learned many things in college from the classes I have taken and at the same time I am having a lot of fun. I am in the philosophy club and we plan to go on fieldtrips for the rest of the school year, we are also going to be joining community events. There have been some challenges I have faced in school but I consider them to be minor. Due to the fact that there are so many students in my school sometimes there are too many students in one classroom, or sometimes you cannot find parking but overall I have had great experiences. I have made new friends and met new interesting people. I hope that when I finally get my bachelors degree I will be able to find a job where I can interact with people and help them. Once I know what government office I would like to work for, I plan on going back to school and earning a master’s degree. With a master’s degree I will be able to get a stable job for the rest of my life and not to mention I will be making enough money to be able to go on vacations and travel the world.
I just want you to remember that going to school, not only high school but going to college can guarantee you to have a better life than the one you have today. By going to college you can change your life and the lives of those around you; you can travel and explore the world. Just think of somewhere in the world where you would like to visit or something you would like to do, well you can go there all you have to do to achieve it is go to college. It is that easy. Just remember that when someone tells you “no you cant” I tell you “yes you can.”
Monday, February 22, 2010
Bits and Pieces
I am blessed to have a loving and caring mother that has encouraged me throughout my life to pursue my dreams and aspirations. A father who has provided shelter over my head, has put food on the table for my siblings and I, and has never ask for a single penny in return. I am the second oldest of four, my older sister Erica, graduated from CSUF in 2006 and my younger sister Maribel just finished her schooling there as well. My brother Felipe the youngest, is currently attending Rio Hondo College. Yet here I find myself thinking why did it take me three long years to realize I needed to go back to school. Was it to make my parents proud, so I wouldn't be known as the "black sheep" in the family, or was it to fulfill my own personal desires of satisfaction. Personally, I think it is both I want to make my parents proud and I want to have a successful career where I can help change peoples lives. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a community where people value education, family and morality. Most people who have heard of Whittier, California think of one thing, Richard M. Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. A fellow student of Whittier College, President Nixon helped put Whittier on the map. Although I have lived most of my life in Whittier and have enjoyed the comfort of privacy and security it wasn't always that easy. My family moved to Whittier when I was five years old, before that we rented a one bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, in the corner of Eight Street and Esperanza Street. Coming from a very traditional Mexican background my parents have always worked hard throughout their lives to own their home. There are many goals in life I wish to accomplish, I too want to one day be the owner of my own house. It might not be on a hill with a white picket fence but knowing that it is mine would be self rewarding. In order to be able to accomplish this goal in life I understand that there are many responsibilities in life I will have to face. The foremost important responsibility will be attaining a diploma from a prestigious university. A diploma that can symbolize, success, determination, wisdom and respect. With a major at hand concentrating in Political Science I wish to be able to understand the views of the world. The reasons behind every view and ideals that impact our country and the international community on a daily basis. For these reasons and more I enjoy spending my free time engaging in conversations that deal with the problems of the world. I listen and watch newscast, yes including "CNN" that can keep me up to date on current events. However, I do value family and therefore, I find myself spending great amounts of time interacting with them. Whether it be from simply watching a movie or a basketball game together (Los Angeles Lakers) I always find the time of day to make quality time for my siblings, parents, relatives and friends. I hope that at the end of the semester I will have a more comprehensive understanding on the history of Chicano Studies. Where it originated from, what does it mean to be a chicano and most importantly how does teaching and advocating about chicanos in America and in the world help us have a better understanding of the daily struggles we face in life.
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