reflectionblog4creativity

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Module 13:

   The beginning of the chapter, we learn about the 17 lives lost in Victoria County, Texas. These people had died from suffocation. They had been traveling from Mexico and were trying to get to Houston, Texas. They were traveling in the back of a semi truck for hours and began to lose air. The people in charge of this journey are both sentenced to jail time. The people often leading these groups are called coyotes. They are paid money to help people cross the border. Some view them as heroes and the good guys who want to help people find a better life. Some coyotes are seen as evil and abusers. 

    Pop culture in the Unites States has done its fair share to spread anxiety and create a false narratives about coyotes. Coyotes in films are often portrayed as men that are violent and want to take advantage of people. That might come across as them trying to scam people of their money or abusing the person who is asking for their help. This narrative is adding to the xenophobic culture in the United States. It is creating more stereotypes and anxieties about people that live in other countries. Coyotes historically have served their communities in an incredible way. Dating back to the 1920′s, coyotes had paper work ready for the people they were helping. This paperwork was huge because it helped the immigrants get jobs when they arrived to the different country. Coyotes also are known to mainly work in their inner circles. This means they are trying to help their close friends and family members have better opportunities. They are going to want to do their best to protect these people because they have such close relationships with them.

   What happened in Victoria County was awful. I think instead of creating a narrative about coyotes, I think the United States should take a look at what people are willing to go through in order to get into this country and they must change their policies on immigration. It can take dozens of years to get into this country. That is not right and things must change. 

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Module 12: Latina/os And The American Landscape

    As we all know, the sports industry is huge. It has a large influence on our world. In this chapter, the author takes time to dig deeper into the influence that Latina/os have had on this billion dollar industry.  

   Sports followed societies led by having all white teams. In a world where segregation was going on, this was not strange. A huge shift happened in sports in 1966. There was an all white men’s basketball team that was coached by Adolf Rupp. Adolf truly believed he had the best team in the country. That was all changed when Don Haskins, all black men’s basketball team, crushed Adolf Rupp’s team. Sports became integrated with more players with different backgrounds. 

    Latina/os had a difficult time integrating into this world. A lot of times they were seen as the other because they were neither black nor white. This group was often overlooked. A difficult obstacle for Latina/os to overcome at that time was poverty. It is difficult to do well in school when you do not have a stable home or food coming through the door. Then it became hard for this community to even imagine going to college. To continue onto professional sports it was best to play at a college first. The author says, “the lack of opportunity made it problematic to even consider athletic participation.” 

    Now there are more Latina/os playing in professional sports. We have seen the impact of these famous Latina/o athletes, but there are still problems with how the world views these athletes. It does not matter if you are a professional athlete or someone working on a farm everyday, you deserve the same respect and dignity. That view is not held strongly in our society. While it is great that you admire and respect Alex Rodriguez, why does that respect not carry over to other Latina/os in our society? The author touches on this perfectly, “similar attitudes continue to prosper into the twenty first century when critics of undocumented Latina/os are not similarly outraged that large industries such as agribusiness, restaurants, and hotels often employ these very same individuals. It is a position that wants the benefits a group of marginalized peoples provides without having to recognize them or their rights.” 

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Module 11: Bodies in Motion

   Phoenix, Arizona is surrounded with lots of issues involving migration and the Latinx community. This city has been involved in many arguments about immigration policies. There have been legislative bills passed that negatively affected the Latinx community. 

   Puente Movement is a non-profit organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are working to advocate, educate and protect migrant communities. They often use art as their way to communicate important issues. Chandra Narcia is an artist that helped this organization. She designed the logo for the Puente Movement. Chandra says she feels connected to this issue and would like to help with her art. In an interview Chandra says, “The injustice and attacks on human rights through terrible laws being past [sic] have been very upsetting and I feel the need to speak my opinion through my art.” Below is a picture captured by Chandra at one of the Puente Movement protests. 

 This photo gained national attention. Julio Salgado, an artist and community organizer, got a hold of this photo in San Francisco. He remade the photo, but through graphics. He added his own twist by making it bright colored. He also changed the look on the officer’s face and added the words, “protect who?” onto the police officers helmet. He wanted to showcase the idea of questioning who the police are really trying to protect and serve. 

   In an interview, Julio discusses his identities, “I use two identities that are supposed to make me weak and empower myself. As an undocumented person, I am seen as a criminal. As a queer person, I am seen as somebody who is going to hell. So how do you turn that around? For me, through art.” I wanted to add this quote because it resonates with Chandra Narcia. Chandra is also using her art to fight back against the injustices in this world. One of my favorite inspirations is turning my pain into paint. I took that as the theme of these chapters. Pain is unavoidable. Why not our pain to our benefit and make a difference.  

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Module 10: Day of the Dead

   There is a huge difference on how the United States views death and how Mexico views death. You can see the blatant difference in the holidays. In the United States death is associated with Halloween and Mexico death is associated with Day of the Dead. Halloween is about being spooky and things like demons, hell and the devil come up. Day of the Dead is a celebration with lots of bright colors and it is about honoring loved ones that have passed aways. 

   George Romero is a well respected Cuban filmmaker. He created a cult classic series called, “Night of the Living Dead.” George has hidden symbolism in his movies. For instance, in his 1978 film, “Dawn of The Dead,” the film is mainly set in a mall because that is where the zombies all go after they die. The symbolism is representing consumerism in the United States. 

   This chapter also takes a look at another great filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro. He produced, “The Book of Life,” which is a film that celebrates the Day of the Dead. During an interview about this movie, Guillermo del Toro, told The Telegraph, “Ultimately you walk life side by side with death.. and the Day of the Dead, curiously enough, is about life...” I thought this quote was beautiful and it touched on my first paragraph. Death and life go hand in hand and I think Day of the Dead is all about honoring and celebrating that. I am excited to be learning more about this holiday so that I can truly appreciate it this year. 

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A look into Quinceañeras today. From the article you can tell how the focus is on connection to their culture and not on old religious ways. 

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Module 9: Quinceañeras

   Quinceañeras have changed greatly. This has created a tug and pull between popular culture and religion. Quinceañeras used to revolve around the Catholic beliefs and that does not hold as true anymore. A common tradition during these ceremonies is to pray to Virgin Mary and then followed by a private prayer that is supposed to be about waiting to have sex until heterosexual marriage. The author touches on how this practice was mainly used to shame women into staying “pure.” Now quinceañeras can be seen embracing more of the popular culture by wearing lots of makeup and the author says, “even venturing into sexual experimentation.” The show George Lopez has an episode about his daughter’s quinceañera. Her celebration is considered to be a secular revision because it is more focused on popular culture and class than the catholic church. In the episode Carmen explains what a quinceañera is to her white boyfriend. This is used as a way to give knowledge to the viewers. While Carmen is explaining to her boyfriend, her grandmother chimes in and makes a joke about having sex at 14. To the catholic church this is supposed to be about a girl becoming a woman and promising to wait until marriage. Carmen’s grandmother, Benny, is a great example of the new meanings behind this celebration. To Benny this is about her granddaughter coming to age and the things that come along. In the book it mentions the difficulties that can come with this such as having sex and getting pregnant. 

   I think it is best for Quinceañeras to step away from the old religious ways. They are trying to control women through shame and that can be very harmful. The old way also does not welcome different sexualities besides heterosexuality. I think Quinceañeras can have parts that honor their culture, without harming these young woman. 

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Article I mentioned in my last post. 

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Module 8: Farmworker To Table Mexican

   In chapter 21 it discusses how Mexican food has been widely accepted in the United States, but not it’s people. The author of this chapter, Paloma Martínez-Cruz, says,“If only bordered bodies could circulate as freely and exaltedly as burritos! If only our children were as beloved as chalupas!” It can be difficult to fathom that a tortilla is more accepted than an actual human being. Human life being valued also brings in the discussion on farm to table concept. While there are advantages to the farm to table style such as sustainability and staying local, there tends to be a part that is left out. Farmworkers remain to be the most disadvantaged economically. So while people get to enjoy their fresh food, they are not considering how that food got to their table. Farmworkers often work in terrible conditions and are paid the bare minimum. Seth Holmes, a medical anthropologist, interviewed some farmworkers to get a better look into their jobs. He asked them about their physical state and one woman responded that she has gone numb and her knees often hurt. Another woman said her back is in constant pain. The book says that there is insane pressure to keep the prices of the crop low which means the workers get paid less and less. It is inhumane for the farmworkers to take the fall for the pressure put on the farmers. 

   A huge argument that is brought up in our country is that “Mexicans” take jobs from Americans. The New York Times says that according to the Agriculture Department, undocumented immigrants make up 75% of farmworkers. Imagine if those people were deported tomorrow. How would the United States make up for that 75%? It seems to me that our country could not go on without farmworkers. Most importantly this chapter shows the irony of our country. We go buy some taco bell with our family yet we turn our heads when children are in cages. 

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Module 7: Why VideoGames

   This chapter is about the representation of Latina/os in video games. So far in the book, representation has been talked about in television, movies and the music industry. I think this chapter is important due to how large the video game world has grown in the last decade. Similar to video games, the book says that Latina/os are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States.  

    In some video games you get to create your player which means you get to create how their face looks, their body and the clothes your player wears. From personal experience I have created players that looked like me and I have seen my friends do the same thing. For Latina/o gamers this may be harder due to the video games lacking in diversity. Not only can the gamer not create a player that looks like them, but they may also see a very limited about of characters in their video games that look like them.  

   While there has not been a lot of character development for Latina/o characters in the video games, their land has been used frequently. Red Dead Redemption features some parts of Mexico and Call Of Duty: Black Ops features a mission just outside of Havana. These are two household names for Video Games and yet they still could not take the time to create meaningful Latina/o characters in their video games. 

    At this point it feels extremely repetitive, but nevertheless it is extremely important.. REPRESENTATION MATTERS. This feels like a common theme that I take away from most chapters in this book and that is because it is so valid. People need to see themselves in the media and in a way that actually represents them not some stereotype. 

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Here is a photo of Youtuber, Dulce Candy. In 2016 Dulce uploaded a video called, “When People Say I’m Not Mexican Enough.” She had recently gone on a Spanish speaking TV show and had forgotten some words in Spanish. She says this was due to her worrying so much about what people would think of her. She received backlash for speaking English on the show and some saying that she is not Mexican enough. I think the author from our book had some very valid points, but I also think it is important to hear Dulce’s side and how she feels. 

Here is the link to her youtube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8xlQPD2l48

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Module 6: Beyond The “Digital Divide” And Latina/o Pop

   This chapter discusses how the transfer from television to digital media has positively or negatively affected Latina/os. In 2013, a survey was done by the Pew Hispanic Center. This survey found that Latina/os were using the internet less than white people. Latina/os are just as likely or even more likely to own a smartphone then the other races. These studies are important because they help to take a look at how the Latina/o community is transferring to the digital world.

   An example of a Latino transferring well into the digital world is Perez Hilton. He has created a gossip platform that discusses celebrities and their drama. The author writes that, “these stars have promoted and downplayed their Latina/o identities in strategic ways in order to cultivate dedicated online followings “as break in” to more traditional media and marketing outlets.” Hilton has dealt with backlash for not promoting his Latina/o community and for not representing or speaking about people of color in order to focus on more mainstream identities. Dulce Candy is another influencer that comes from the Latina/o community. She is a youtuber who has over 2 million subscribers. The author says she has incorporated both her Spanish and English into her youtube videos. Over time Dulce’s viewers began commenting on how she started focusing more on a mainstream Latina persona. This looked like straightening her hair and not incorporating spanish words or music anymore. 

   I chose to look into these digital stars because I have been consuming some of their content in the past and it was interesting to take a deep dive into their careers and what they are doing for the Latina/o community. Whether their contribution is negative or positive, they are a part of this community.

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Module 5: Canta Y No Llores- Life and Latinidad in Children’s Animation

   While names like Shakira and Jennifer Lopez are huge in pop culture, there are still not enough Latina/o characters and shows for children. Dora The Explorer continues to be the largest Latina representation for children. Dora the Explorer was created by white people. This simply does not make sense. Stories about Latina/o characters and cultures should be written by people who identify in that group. The author writes, “by not defining Dora’s cultural heritage, the show is implying that it is irrelevant because clearly there are no differences between Latina/o groups.” This reminds me of the first chapter in the book for our class, From Our Land To Our Land. Rodriguez goes on to explain how Latina/o is so broad and does not address everybody. It is a huge blanket statement. Our history books have been so quick to group people with brown skin into the categories of Mexican and Latina/o without even trying to dig deeper. It is insulting. 

   El Tigre was a children’s show that was actually created by Latina/os. It is not a coincidence that it only was on air for a year. It seems that if you are going to have a show with Latina/os it has to be Americanized in order to make the cut. The author says that El Tigre celebrated Mexicaness. Then the author goes on to write about the film The Book of Life. She says that this film is centered around Mexican culture and appeals to a young audience. “What is so refreshing about Gutiérroz’s film is that it is so unapologetically Mexican.” While it feels so nice to have the author write about a movie that actually has representation that is respectful, it also brings up a lot of sadness because it should not be this difficult to have representation for Latina/o children on the television. With so many mixed messages being sent about what it is to be Latina/o in the media, I think about how difficult it must be to find your identity in this world. 

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Pictured here are Taíno descendants. 

“If you have ever paddled a canoe, napped in a hammock, savored a barbecue, smoked tobacco or tracked a hurricane across Cuba, you have paid tribute to the Taíno, the Indians who invented those words long before they welcomed Christopher Columbus to the New World in 1492.”

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/what-became-of-the-taino-73824867/

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Module 4: Branding “Latinohood” Juan Bobo, And The Commodification Of Dora The Explorer

     Dora The Explorer has been seen as a great milestone for the Latina/o community. This chapter dives deep into how these mainstream Latina/o characters have been commodified. Commodification can be harmful to a culture because it will change the original product to something that meets the needs of the consumer. This is very unfair because most media production companies are going to choose to be in favor of the white consumers. The author thinks that beneath the surface, Dora The Explorer is just a way to “perpetuate stereotypes”. 

    Another show used as an example in this module is Juan Bobo. In order to understand the commodification of Juan Bobo, we must get a history lesson about Puerto Rico. The Taínos are the original tribe from Puerto Rico before it was invaded. The Taíanos told their stories through dancing, singing, action and humor. This is a beautiful form of storytelling, “at the same time, however, endangers the history and culture of a people.” When the United States claimed that Puerto Rico was its territory, most people were not able to read or write. The author then makes the assumption that Juan Bobo and Dora The Explorer are now the storytellers for this culture. 

    The main theme of this chapter is colonization. Colonization is why the stories that should be told, are not. There is a lack of comprehension and it shows through these shows. The original stories have been erased by the colonizers that came and stole their land. No wonder it is difficult for the stories from the Taíano tribe to be passed down, they were invaded by Spain and then the United States. 

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Watch 2:11- 3:06 to hear the cast of the new Dora movie discuss how representation matters.