tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40292181959097594632023-11-15T23:09:17.791-08:00Latin America and US Latino Cultures OverviewSpanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-27621689641754743112011-02-07T15:55:00.000-08:002011-02-07T15:56:23.096-08:00Global Awareness Through Experience: My Mexico Experience, May 2010By Nikki Fanta<br /><br />Wed. 5/19/10<br />After spending 8 hours traveling from La Crosse to Chicago to Dallas and finally arriving in Mexico City, we are all exhausted but excited to begin our Mexican journey. We met Sister Marie, a Franciscan sister from Viterbo, and our tour guide Jaime, also a Viterbo graduate, at the airport. They will remain with us for the first ten days of our trip, sharing their expertise and knowledge about the country they love. As soon as we left the airport, an overwhelming stench—a combination of sewer, pollution, and thousands of sweaty bodies—reached our noses. I was glad the scent didn’t last very long as we traveled across town to the Anglican Center, our place of residence for the next few days. The traffic here is insane! Vehicles zoom in and out and up and down in every possible direction! We got involved in a bit of a traffic jam on the way to the Anglican Center, and I felt as if we were about to crash several times. There are very few stop signs or traffic signals, and cars just drive wherever they need to go with little consideration for pedestrians or other vehicles. They don’t like you to flush toilet paper down the toilet here, which takes a lot of getting used to. You also have to brush your teeth with bottled water to avoid contamination. In America, we take for granted simple things like clean water. I’m so glad I live in a country where I don’t have to worry about things like that. I’m so happy to be in Mexico, but I’m overwhelmed by the 24 million people and 300 million vehicles! I’m sure this will be the start of a great adventure…<br />Thurs. 5/20/10<br />Today we listened to a presentation by Laura Alvarado about children of the street. Laura is part of an organization that finds street children, gets them back on their feet, trains them to feel emotions, makes them realize their full potential, and allows them to form essential human connections. I’m so inspired by what Laura and her team are doing. Being a future educator, I have a special place in my heart for children, and I would like to see all children thrive. Many of these children end up on the street because they are not happy with their lives in school. I think the resolution needs to begin at an early age, within the schools. Keeping children in school keeps them off the street and out of trouble, creating productive members of society. As a future teacher, I now realize what an impact I can make on my future students. I will have the power to make a difference in the life of a child. That is such a great feeling! We all have such an influence on each other, even if we don’t realize it. <br />In the afternoon, we went to the National Museum of Anthropology. What a fascinating structure filled with so much Aztec, Maya, and Olmec culture! I was so impressed by the intricate creations from ancient times. Some of the cultural traditions may seem weird to us, simply because they are not normal for us. For example, sacrificing people to the sun and rain gods seems incredibly inappropriate by our modern standards, but in ancient times, it made perfect sense. We must never judge others based on their beliefs or behaviors, but instead put ourselves in their shoes. No matter how much diversity there is the world, everyone deserves fair and equal treatment. We are all human beings. <br />Fri. 5/21/10<br />Today we explored the heart of Mexico City. It was a day filled with spectacular art, fabulous architecture, history lessons, and rich culture. First we admired the beautiful murals of Diego Rivera. I’ve heard so much about Diego Rivera and his work, but to witness it firsthand was absolutely spectacular. There I was, standing right in front of such a significant part of Mexico’s art history. Wow! What an incredible feeling. Walking around the Zócalo was an amazing experience. It was so crowded with so many people in the market square. Local vendors were selling a variety of beautiful handmade crafts. The cathedral at the Zócalo took my breath away. The amazing architecture both inside and outside amazed me. I was intrigued by all the small altars on the side of the church in addition to the main altar. <br /> During lunch today at a local café, I noticed a man with the biggest smile on his face standing outside the door opening it for each person who walked through. I watched him throughout my meal, and I saw a few people hand him some pesos on their way out. That is probably the way that man makes a living, just greeting and smiling at people outside a little café. I don’t really know why, but that man really made a strong impact on me. After seeing him, the rest of my day just got more fascinating. <br /> I felt an overwhelming sense of wonder at both the Plaza of the Three Cultures and Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. Standing in front of the monument at the Plaza where several college students were killed while protesting, I realized that I was truly walking in the footprints of history, standing where so many great people before me had once stood. Right on that particular piece of ground, a Mexican tragedy occurred—a tragedy that will never be forgotten. It was a pretty powerful moment to say the least! <br />I’ve learned so much about Our Lady of Guadalupe over the years, so it was very special to see the original image of Our Lady in person. Everything at the Guadalupe site was so beautiful and spiritual. I understand that it is a public attraction, but spirituality is usually a very private matter, and I felt a little awkward and almost ashamed to observe people during their time of worship. In the main basilica, there was a wedding going on. It would be wonderful to get married there, but I’m not sure I would like to have random tourists wandering through and taking pictures during the ceremony! What a wonderful day in Mexico! <br />Sat. 5/22/10 <br />Today we visited a charming little part of town called Coyoacán. We walked around the plaza and market for a bit and then toured the gorgeous John the Baptist Church while mass was going on. I felt like I was intruding on people’s private worship. It just didn’t feel right to go parading through the front of the church and taking pictures while people were praying. <br />We made a surprise stop at the home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Again, I’ve read and learned so much about them and their influence on the Latin American art culture, but to be standing in the actual house where they once lived was surreal. I’m intrigued and fascinated by both Frida and Diego’s work. Without them, the history of Mexico would have been completely different. <br />We had a nice flight to Tuxtla Gutierrez, but we were hit with a heat wave as soon as we stepped out of the airport near the Mexico-Guatemala border. Driving through the mountains to our hotel in San Cristobal de Las Casas, though, the temperature quickly dropped to a comfortable level. Our hotel is beautiful and much nicer that I was anticipating. Maricarmen Montes, a leader of women’s workshops who empowers many women to live better lives, came to the hotel to give a presentation. I was fascinated by her description of the women’s transformations throughout the program. She made me proud to be a young woman and instilled in me a feeling that I have the potential to change the world. <br />Our first night in San Cristobal, I went out to explore the town with Jaime and a group of other students. Jaime took us to the market square downtown where there was live music. The band sounded great! After listening to them for a while, Jaime got us lost, and we ended up at a bar. I don’t drink at all, but it was fun to just sit there and observe the local culture…everything from the fried flowers we ate for appetizers to the children selling things on the street to the juggling act that was being performed on the street outside the bar. Sometimes the best way to learn about a culture is to simply sit and watch. <br />Sun. 5/23/10<br />Today was my favorite day so far. It began with meeting my newfound role model, Sergio Castro. This is a 70-year-old man with a large family of his own who does all he can to serve God and his community. In addition to healing burn victims and treating other ailments, he finds the time to dedicate himself to various water projects in an effort to provide clean water for his neighbors throughout Chiapas. He’s also built 25 schools but never had a home of his own. Sergio also gave us a tour of his museum, where tradition indigenous clothing is on display as well as documentation of all the wonderful humanitarian work he’s done over the years. Sergio’s commitment to his fellow human being is unmatched. I felt extremely honored to meet and shake the hand of such an exceptional man. He inspires me to go out and help people and make a difference in the world. Mr. Castro is the epitome of the phrase “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Many people don’t realize the impact that one small person can make. When people come together for a common cause, an even bigger change is possible. On our way up to the water project site, we saw a large group of men walking up the road with shovels in hand. Sister Marie explained that today was their day off, but the community men volunteered to clean out the ditches to help drain the rainwater during the upcoming rainy season. I was very impressed by that. <br />I loved my experience in San Juan Chamula. We were bombarded by children trying to sell us things and and asking for food. Sad! The church in the village was so simple, yet so beautiful. I had a moment inside the church that really hit me. I was really touched by all the community members praying and meditating with candles and incense. But once again, I felt awkward imposing on their private way of life. We are intruding on these people’s lives and interfering with their daily activities. How do they feel about that? I haven’t experienced any hostility from Mexicans, but I haven’t experienced a great sense of welcome either. It’s more a sense of ignorance. I meet strangers on the street and smile or wave at children out the van window, and they don’t even notice I’m there. I wonder if these rural communities just aren’t used to visitors and aren’t sure how to react, or if they’re just sick of foreigners interfering with their simple lives. Walking through the large market at Chamula, I felt pity for the women walking around carrying heavy loads on their heads with barely anything for shoes and sometimes having babies strapped to their backs. These women cried out to us to buy their handmade materials and the same response came over and over: “No gracias.” I felt bad for the Chamula villagers at first, but then I realized that they are content with the way they live. This is the only way of life that they know. They don’t want high profile jobs or fancy houses. They like things just the way they are, and I respect that. Who am I to come in and say, “How can you people live like this?” Just because living in a run-down shack with an outhouse isn’t “normal” by my standards doesn’t mean it isn’t normal for them. So far this trip, I’ve really learned to appreciate others and the way they do things differently than I do. <br />Mon. 5/24/10<br />Today we visited the CIEPAC office for a presentation on the history of Mexico. I’m by no means a history buff, but I was intrigued by Mexico’s rich and vibrant past. There was so much information packed into such a short time that it was sometimes hard to follow along, but I still learned so much. It was very interesting to find out that Mexico’s independence day is actually a dictator’s birthday rather than a day of independence! <br />I was emotionally moved by our afternoon in Acteal. The long, winding drive there was definitely worth it! I was inspired by the sense of hope among Las Abejas despite the horrible tragedy that struck their peaceful community in 1997 with the brutal murder of innocent women and children while they prayed. I got chills seeing the bullet holes in the chapel building where the victims prayed just prior to their untimely death. Walking through the memorial underneath the auditorium was also extremely moving. Just to see the names and faces of all the victims—so young and innocent—and to realize they are buried right underfoot was overwhelming. The mural representing the whole history of Las Abejas was so symbolic and beautifully painted. I’m glad that the family members and friends of the victims of the tragedy in Acteal are able to carry on the peaceful tradition of Las Abejas. It’s unfortunate that three members of our group missed out on today’s adventure due to illness. They missed an absolutely wonderful day. <br />Tues. 5/25/10<br />We headed back to CIEPAC today for a lesson in modern-day Mexican challenges and economic issues. I have to admit I didn’t take a lot away from this presentation. Too much information was thrown at me too quickly, using too many technical terms and complex concepts that I didn’t understand. One thing I did learn, though, was that the richest man in the world is from Mexico. What a contrast between the rich and the poor! How is it that two people living in the same country can live on such different ends of the spectrum? The unequal distribution of wealth seems so unfair. <br />Meeting with the indigenous women of the CODIMUJ was very inspiring. I really felt a sense of community there. I was impressed that the housing unit/women’s shelter was completely built for free. It’s so great to know that there are still organizations out there to empower women and help them achieve their full potential in a man’s world. Just visiting with the CODIMUJ women for a short time, I felt inspired, empowered, and proud to be a woman. <br />I was unsure about the University of the Land at first, but I quickly grew to love it. I also felt a strong sense of community there. Many young adults in the San Cristobal area probably would not have the chance to attend a university if not for the University of the Land. I like how the University teaches basic life skills like sewing, cooking, and auto repair. After getting a bit of education in those areas, people can return home and become thriving members of their communities. If it weren’t for Viterbo, I could definitely see myself going to school at the University of the Land! <br />One aspect I noticed today while traveling the countryside was how open people are about public displays of affection (PDAs). People just hug and kiss like crazy on every street corner! I guess I wasn’t really expecting that, and I assumed that Mexico would be perhaps a little more conservative concerning this matter. Another thought that crossed my mind pertaining to the whole week was, “Why aren’t these people at work or school?” There seemed to be people everywhere on the streets at every time of day. What are they all doing there? Don’t they have better things to be doing? <br />Sergio came to our hotel tonight, and we gave him a donation to assist in all the great work he does. Again, I felt so honored to be in his presence and shake the hand of such a wonderful man. Before he left, Sergio hugged each of us while uttering, “Thank you for your friendship.” That tiny phrase really struck me. I’ve known the man two days, and he already considers me a friend! Wow. What a humbling moment. <br />Wed. 5/26/10<br />Today we visited a rural Zapatista village. I really didn’t know what to make of it at first, as we waited outside the gates of the village to be summoned inside. While we waited to enter, I observed people coming in and out of the gate. Each one of them cautiously shut and latched the gate each time after passing through. I was surprised by clothing. I guess I was expecting a more traditional form of dress, similar to what we saw in the Chamula village. Minus the black masks, the Zapatista villagers were mostly dressed like us. They just seemed to go about their daily lives, without a care that they were practically confined to their own little gated community. Once we were finally allowed inside, we waited even longer to gain access to the office of the “good government council.” I understand that the village runs on its own time, but I can’t comprehend what the masked council members were doing inside their little hut so that we couldn’t come in. It was nice of the Zapatistas to answer most of our questions, but I felt disconnected with them because of the mask. It was also more difficult to understand their Spanish on account of the barrier created by the mask. I’m not quite sure where I stand with the Zapatistas. I need to do some more research on them. I like the idea of their close-knit community, which seems very secure, family-oriented, and self-sufficient. However, something seems contradictory about their promotion of peace and the weapon imagery. I’m not so sure they’re sending the right message, but the least I can do is accept their beliefs, even if they’re different from my own. <br />One thing I’ve been craving since I got here is cold water, we’ve been provided with plenty of clean water, but it’s always been lukewarm. Today I realized, though, that I’m complaining about not having cold water when people have no water at all. Water is a resource that we take for granted in the United States, and I’ve never been so thankful for clean water. <br />Thurs. 5/27/10<br />Today we awoke to a surprise opportunity—a boat ride on a beautiful river through a vast canyon. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. It was so nice to just get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city to enjoy the natural beauty of Mexico. I loved seeing all the rock formations and wildlife. We saw various species of birds, pelicans, iguanas, and even crocodiles! That’s quite a difference from the wildlife found back home in Wisconsin! The gentle breeze and warm sun on the boat ride was so relaxing, and I didn’t want it to end. What a wonderful way to end our time in Chiapas before flying back to Mexico City…<br />Fri. 5/28/10<br />Today was our last official day of the GATE portion of our trip, and I’m actually kind of sad! I’ve had a wonderful time these last few days and met so many fabulous people. Today was a great ending to our trip with a visit to the Teotihuacan pyramids. First we visited a little site to learn about a cactus plant that has many different uses and the obsidian rock used to make sculptures. It was fascinating to know that one plant can provide an alcoholic drink, needle and thread, an arrowhead, aloe vera, and even paper. What a versatile plant! I never knew such a plant even existed. I was overwhelmed with fascination upon arriving to the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. It’s crazy that these enormous structures were left behind by an unknown civilization. I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I reached the top of the pyramid, and I felt honored to be walking on sacred ground. The view from the top was breathtaking! This was an ideal activity to end our GATE experience. <br />I hate goodbyes, but they always seem to be inevitable. I guess I didn’t expect to form such a close bond with our travel group in such a short amount of time. We’ve been through a lot together though! I think of our group as a little family—Papá Todd, Tío Jaime, Sister Marie, Jesúsito, and all their hijos. In a way, we’re all brothers and sisters, and that is something that I’ve really come to realize this week. No matter what culture we come from or what language we speak or what color our skin is, we are all human beings united by the common bond of humanity. It took me ten days of traveling around Mexico to realize this, but it’s something I will take with me for the rest of my life. I’m so thankful that I was given the opportunity to truly experience Mexico. <br />¡El Fin!Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-76135584715104863092010-09-24T13:50:00.000-07:002010-09-24T13:51:24.158-07:00Proverbio chino<object width="380" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EpXfHrnghAk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EpXfHrnghAk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="360"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-57527022676611919292010-07-02T13:14:00.000-07:002010-07-02T13:16:34.925-07:00Manuela Sáenz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUN5Q8aeiSv6sBP3A9uLGXkBW9exQ_vLMKLcYppN0Y0H8Km5YDa5ik5jyhrvKKGSdBS4NoZFzG07B02L8T2kz66AR2Y9IcxalSwOoH2ZM4ErrdVeCXioKPxe-jDyBuUw4pUKk7CeUxDA/s1600/manuela-saenz.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUN5Q8aeiSv6sBP3A9uLGXkBW9exQ_vLMKLcYppN0Y0H8Km5YDa5ik5jyhrvKKGSdBS4NoZFzG07B02L8T2kz66AR2Y9IcxalSwOoH2ZM4ErrdVeCXioKPxe-jDyBuUw4pUKk7CeUxDA/s320/manuela-saenz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489404953654106418" /></a><br />Este sábado serán traídos los restos de Manuelita Sáenz a reposar junto a su amante Simor Bolívar siguiendo la ruta de la "Campaña Admirable". El evento se lleva a cabo bajo el nombre "Manuelita vuelve" y será enterrada en el Panteón Nacional en un acto que estará precidido por Rafael Correa, presidente de Ecuador, y Hugo Chávez Frías, presidente de Venezuela.<br /><br />Manuela Saenz Aispuru, mejor conocida como “Manuelita” Saenz, nació el 27 de diciembre de 1797 en Quito (Ecuador) y murió el 23 de noviembre de 1856 en Paita (Perú).<br />Debido a la muerte de su madre fue entregada a un convento de monjas conceptas, donde vivió sus primeros años bajo la tutela de su superiora sor Buenaventura.<br /><br />Conoció a las negras Natán Y Jonatás cuando salía del internado e iba a pasar unos días en casa de su padre, ellas se convirtieron en sus amigas inseparables por el resto de su vida.<br /><br />Al terminar su formación en el convento fue llevada al monasterio de Santa Catalina de Siena en Quito, de la Orden Santo Domingo, para completar la educación que se impartía a las señoritas de familias importantes. Esta formación consistía en aprender a bordar, hacer dulces, hablar ingles y francés entre otras.<br /><br />A los 17 años empezó a mostrar un espíritu rebelde, huyó del convento seducida por Fausto D’Elhuyar, oficial del ejército real, quien luego la abandonó.<br /><br />En 1816 Manuela conoció al que sería su esposo: James Thorne. Su padre pautó la boda para el año siguiente ya que el pretendiente era un acaudalado médico inglés.<br /><br />En Lima Manuela Sáenz empezó a tomar partido en las actividades políticas, manifestando su disgusto con las autoridades españolas. Contribuyó en el cambio del Batallón Numancia. Y por sus actividades pro independentistas recibió el título de “Caballeresa del Sol” de la Orden El Sol del Perú por el general José de San Martín, luego de que este proclamara la independencia del Perú el 28 de julio de 1821.<br /> <br />Manuela se encontraba en Quito reclamando la herencia de su abuelo materno cuando Simón Bolívar entra a esta ciudad en 1822, la descripción de su primer encuentro está descrita en uno de sus diarios:<br /><br />“Cuando se acercaba al paso de nuestro balcón, tome la corona de rosas y ramitas de laureles y la arrojé para que cayera al frente del caballo de S.E.; pero con tal suerte que fue a parar con toda la fuerza de la caída, a la casaca, justo en el pecho de S. E. Me ruboricé de la vergüenza, pues el Libertador alzó su mirada y me descubrió aún con los brazos estirados en tal acto; pero S. E. se sonrió y me hizo un saludo con el sombrero pavonado que traía a la mano.” Manuela Sáenz.<br /><br />En ese mismo año empezó el amorío entre Manuelita Sáen y Simón Bolívar. Participó en casi todas sus campañas, dándole apoyo y prestándole ayuda. Fue su compañera y salvadora. Encontrándose ambos en Perú, Manuelita interviene en un intento de asesinato a Bolívar: ocurrió en el palacio San Carlos, ella notó a los rebeldes y los obstaculizó, ganándole tiempo al libertador de escapar por una ventana. Por esta acción Bolívar la nombró “Libertadora del Libertador”.<br /><br />Manuela seguía casa y su esposo le rogaba que volviera a su lado, pero ella estaba decidida a quedarse con Bolívar, su amante. Manuela al expresar la repulsión que sentía hacia su marido y decidirse a separarse de él marcó un paso en la historia de la liberación femenina ante una sociedad represiva por antonomasia.<br /><br />Después que el libertador muriera en 1830 enfermo de tuberculosis (Manuela después del fallecimiento de su amante intentó ser la segunda Cleopatra: se hizo morder por una serpiente para suicidarse pero no lo consiguió) las autoridades de Bogotá la expulsan de Colombia. Se exilia en Jamaica. Al volver a su patria el pasaporte le es revocado por el presidente Vicente Rocafuerte y se queda despatriada, por esto se traslada a Paita (Perú).<br /><br />En Perú sobrevivió trabajando los oficios que había aprendido en su adolescencia en el monasterio. Se dedicó a la venta del tabaco, a la traducción y escritura de cartas de negocios.<br /><br />Se quedó sin la dote matrimonial que entregó su padre a su marido puesto que Thorne murió asesinado en 1847.<br /><br />Manuelita Sáenz murió de difteria en 1856 y su cuerpo fue sepultado en una fosa común del cementerio local y todas sus posesiones fueron incineradas.<br /><br />Tomado de <a href="http://www.talcualdigital.com/Protagonistas/Viewer.aspx?id=37200">Tal Cual Digital</a>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-12575336007079056062010-04-25T14:33:00.000-07:002010-04-25T14:37:28.265-07:00De Centro América a USA: el tren de la muerte<object width="380" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TYEAcOZAfuM&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TYEAcOZAfuM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="360"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-73873122205402442842009-12-13T22:16:00.000-08:002009-12-13T22:18:20.164-08:00Technology is changing Cuba's artistic and civil society communities<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QyXQw0ZZSLA&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QyXQw0ZZSLA&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-87517019009844459052009-11-23T20:35:00.000-08:002009-11-23T20:36:10.650-08:00<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E11cDEr272Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E11cDEr272Y&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-76344543003178410672009-11-10T19:25:00.000-08:002009-11-10T19:26:19.686-08:00Un vistazo a la vida cotidiana de los mayasHallada en México una 'pirámide pintada' que ofrece claves desconocidas sobre esta civilización <br />ELPAÍS.com - Madrid - 10/11/2009 <br /><br />Gente cocinando y repartiendo comida. Personas caminando, acarreando vasijas y otras mercancías... Algunas visten taparrabos; otras, ricas túnicas con vistosos tejidos. Ocurría hace unos 1.350 años en plena civilización maya. Son escenas de la vida cotidiana, "virtualmente desconocidas" según los investigadores, e inmortalizadas en una estructura piramidal policromada hallada en el poblado maya de Calakmul, en Campeche, México, según publica en su edición de ayer Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) .<br /><br />La pirámide hallada es una suerte de tarta ortogonal de unos 11 metros de alto y tres niveles. Se encuentra en el recinto arqueológico de Chiik Nahb, cerca de la línea fronteriza en México y Guatemala.<br /><br />Hasta ahora, la mayor parte del conocimiento sobre los usos sociales los mayas se refería solamente a la vida de las elites y las clases altas (guerras, ceremonias religiosas y protocolarias...). Los dibujos hallados ahora ofrecen información sobre las clases sociales, los mecanismos de reparto de la comida y la alimentación, la dieta, la indumentaria de otros miembros de esa sociedad.<br /><br />"Estos murales describen de manera patente (...) un antiguo mecanismo social de cuya existencia no ha quedado ninguna otra prueba", señalan los arqueólogos en su artículo. El equipo que ha realizado los hallazgos está formado por investigadores de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, el Instituto Nacional de Antropología en México y la Universidad de Yale (EE UU).<br /><br />Las imágenes, además, van acompañadas de jeroglíficos que funcionan como pies de foto para explicar el contenido de los dibujos. "Llevará su tiempo evaluar las implicaciones definitivas de estos hallazgos (...)", señalan los investigadores y recuerdan que todavía hay excavaciones en marcha.Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-77709844016964575532009-10-12T13:17:00.001-07:002009-10-12T13:17:55.779-07:00<table style='font:11px arial; color:#333; background-color:#f5f5f5' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='360' height='353'><tbody><tr style='background-color:#e5e5e5' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com'>The Daily Show With Jon Stewart</a></td><td style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;'>Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c</td></tr><tr style='height:14px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:2px 1px 0px 5px;' colspan='2'><a target='_blank' style='color:#333; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-september-25-2007/president-evo-morales'>President Evo Morales</a></td></tr><tr style='height:14px; background-color:#353535' valign='middle'><td colspan='2' style='padding:2px 5px 0px 5px; width:360px; overflow:hidden; text-align:right'><a target='_blank' style='color:#96deff; text-decoration:none; font-weight:bold;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/'>www.thedailyshow.com</a></td></tr><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><embed style='display:block' src='http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:103275' width='360' height='301' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='window' allowFullscreen='true' flashvars='autoPlay=false' allowscriptaccess='always' allownetworking='all' bgcolor='#000000'></embed></td></tr><tr style='height:18px;' valign='middle'><td style='padding:0px;' colspan='2'><table style='margin:0px; text-align:center' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='0' width='100%' height='100%'><tr valign='middle'><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes'>Daily Show<br/> Full Episodes</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.indecisionforever.com'>Political Humor</a></td><td style='padding:3px; width:33%;'><a target='_blank' style='font:10px arial; color:#333; text-decoration:none;' href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/2009/09/23/ron-paul-on-the-daily-show-tuesday-sept-29/'>Ron Paul Interview</a></td></tr></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-44951959791631547332009-05-05T13:27:00.000-07:002009-05-05T13:28:01.449-07:00Mariachi Roots<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B8Or6Mtf0wA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B8Or6Mtf0wA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-15381908613219560862009-04-23T10:38:00.000-07:002009-04-23T18:05:09.990-07:00Cristina Garcia on her novels<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JxyW-TD1E98&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JxyW-TD1E98&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-23582221910378504362009-04-22T13:27:00.000-07:002009-04-22T13:29:00.098-07:00FreakBy John Leguizamo<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_C8cvQQmiV8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_C8cvQQmiV8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-78797209645521668632009-04-20T13:10:00.000-07:002009-04-22T13:21:08.089-07:00National Museum of Mexican ArtThese are some of the art works displayed at the site. (More on the Museum <a href="http://www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org/">here</a>)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-GNDiaLEe9-inV8Q0FtRtedeOSwCbmUudc62XoxnaoRvrwBdwaAEuufKc9ehf8AIU9f0KigFxtqOlfYHsUxpuL1DMrT072UV6XAFJDj65yqJ_5a4K7sfHUylcUCRtogF3siWw_1DGlc/s1600-h/Hecho+en+Mexico.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-GNDiaLEe9-inV8Q0FtRtedeOSwCbmUudc62XoxnaoRvrwBdwaAEuufKc9ehf8AIU9f0KigFxtqOlfYHsUxpuL1DMrT072UV6XAFJDj65yqJ_5a4K7sfHUylcUCRtogF3siWw_1DGlc/s320/Hecho+en+Mexico.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327612590142093554" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUkbUoURsnChlrlqbHxs4oRc_c8zkl1NtEsFt_GXoPzhPg2Caj6jw3ODXGu5E0unRhuo7CsRcqdd9l4Oc8Js-TXPt6whz97yWBAD5u_95CQXUu29qs_LDzxjpDbgWxV9ausawcCbsQos/s1600-h/El+Muro.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUkbUoURsnChlrlqbHxs4oRc_c8zkl1NtEsFt_GXoPzhPg2Caj6jw3ODXGu5E0unRhuo7CsRcqdd9l4Oc8Js-TXPt6whz97yWBAD5u_95CQXUu29qs_LDzxjpDbgWxV9ausawcCbsQos/s320/El+Muro.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327612484731105346" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwQyI30Av-BdUskf4Fz-B9Y-D340bA5Pcn-Z7nxvY2PI3p7n5V1rji8-GVBxruSWGQW8seUi90C3lw9jd09F1cxfPddi1GOrZ6Pagm4gMiQk00I2ik8ikrMWLWMu-XAJCE3DtXhOBzt8/s1600-h/Bestiecilla.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwQyI30Av-BdUskf4Fz-B9Y-D340bA5Pcn-Z7nxvY2PI3p7n5V1rji8-GVBxruSWGQW8seUi90C3lw9jd09F1cxfPddi1GOrZ6Pagm4gMiQk00I2ik8ikrMWLWMu-XAJCE3DtXhOBzt8/s320/Bestiecilla.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327612334797819186" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLgW8d27HSiqlyGZRQ_6_A8aM59hTm38KMY1JHL91EFuaLBCLHtpJKhK__dJuVVNt0_bwPVXVKGn5HAJLgQr6KU9HDwOHrZrQkIIqPOuizy7UhHatTi9zG__uuP2kw5YuJmfpfKRyfZQ/s1600-h/Mexican+Christ.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLgW8d27HSiqlyGZRQ_6_A8aM59hTm38KMY1JHL91EFuaLBCLHtpJKhK__dJuVVNt0_bwPVXVKGn5HAJLgQr6KU9HDwOHrZrQkIIqPOuizy7UhHatTi9zG__uuP2kw5YuJmfpfKRyfZQ/s320/Mexican+Christ.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327612207488261474" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJrtXyLEMW29axQ76CdFLKvfWJ57SN7F11fibwGc7Rq-TG8ohyphenhyphen2b9WmF4_JyjQ1QJtO4BmmnkBK8EFL4XViQZLTCIVv98DwI4eexutI9v1zhzG_x4E4VcqwZjarofUsN8qxW9-X0nwpU/s1600-h/Mujer+con+perros.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJrtXyLEMW29axQ76CdFLKvfWJ57SN7F11fibwGc7Rq-TG8ohyphenhyphen2b9WmF4_JyjQ1QJtO4BmmnkBK8EFL4XViQZLTCIVv98DwI4eexutI9v1zhzG_x4E4VcqwZjarofUsN8qxW9-X0nwpU/s320/Mujer+con+perros.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327612062922615282" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpmr6Enlpnzb4bo1vjUmOAZgFIDGXRAurQxHBpcwVaYnGwRBoKTvnvoH09joF16dNIjvnMYrqkYK8oZcY_21zFyxM1YiVsS43y_Bg29QuVPuJyiisGuJMn2i4RhzX3vorftJYMYEkpSg/s1600-h/Figurin.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpmr6Enlpnzb4bo1vjUmOAZgFIDGXRAurQxHBpcwVaYnGwRBoKTvnvoH09joF16dNIjvnMYrqkYK8oZcY_21zFyxM1YiVsS43y_Bg29QuVPuJyiisGuJMn2i4RhzX3vorftJYMYEkpSg/s320/Figurin.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327611941238232338" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORXOyUq1-gUxKIACOPW9IFrPVsxbopbToXqoxVQ6XQCviyRWLDLlBNrj82c_V-2vC7oKb1D49L6SwobgZARs9gCm5k-u_OAo9nRSPizWlECf0jYiPKff78Vc_XliTDnf4Sajk6c5Wpi0/s1600-h/Hombre+azul.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORXOyUq1-gUxKIACOPW9IFrPVsxbopbToXqoxVQ6XQCviyRWLDLlBNrj82c_V-2vC7oKb1D49L6SwobgZARs9gCm5k-u_OAo9nRSPizWlECf0jYiPKff78Vc_XliTDnf4Sajk6c5Wpi0/s320/Hombre+azul.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327611781944696546" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A9YaxPLK5W4FpeU75Il3MQRJ4s-PjHaNIUhL6ry48LAN5LChkWphyphenhyphen8qgObsdccOO33MzVmC0vVMogcsWDnZdoOyl-9gBcvNNt6eF_NEJVHVzJIPmJT_C2PqzbGfxyoB60h0SmjBoWo4/s1600-h/Mexicanos+en+Pilsen.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A9YaxPLK5W4FpeU75Il3MQRJ4s-PjHaNIUhL6ry48LAN5LChkWphyphenhyphen8qgObsdccOO33MzVmC0vVMogcsWDnZdoOyl-9gBcvNNt6eF_NEJVHVzJIPmJT_C2PqzbGfxyoB60h0SmjBoWo4/s320/Mexicanos+en+Pilsen.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327611667265231986" /></a>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-80103175714360446452009-04-19T14:14:00.000-07:002009-04-22T14:15:16.647-07:00EmigradoBy Guillermo Gomez-Peña<br /> <br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TufqT5pSCBs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TufqT5pSCBs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-12214502546570539492009-04-14T10:19:00.000-07:002009-04-14T10:20:05.262-07:00Richard Rodriguez<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PS3wPHIKg5s&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PS3wPHIKg5s&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-14310057705078902052009-04-12T13:56:00.000-07:002009-04-22T14:13:14.687-07:00Body Politics of the Americas<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jDj-ieeglAY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jDj-ieeglAY&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-8907918804877028942009-04-01T15:07:00.000-07:002009-04-01T19:55:39.249-07:00Afterword to the Thirtieth-Anniversary Edition(Down These Mean Streets (1967), by <a href="http://www.cheverote.com/piri.html">Piri Thomas</a>) <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQIMg_DFUuaSWI1PZu-D_8hfVTv8pOGWjX4sLGYnYHOkhsnXfxktyEu02-hO8yZSdTosPSkFi9jrdMGR3Td-aj2o_64ReqbscyJPaDH4ivYDbdLYGcL7gZ9syKIFPRgHVx2yajSSmOzU/s1600-h/piri+thomas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQIMg_DFUuaSWI1PZu-D_8hfVTv8pOGWjX4sLGYnYHOkhsnXfxktyEu02-hO8yZSdTosPSkFi9jrdMGR3Td-aj2o_64ReqbscyJPaDH4ivYDbdLYGcL7gZ9syKIFPRgHVx2yajSSmOzU/s320/piri+thomas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319914166968540738" /></a><br /><br />Thirty years ago in 1967, Alfred-A. Knopf published my first book, Down These Mean Streets. It has been in print since that time and is now considered a classic of its kind. When Vintage Books decided to put out a thirtieth-anniversary edition of Down These Mean Streets, and I was asked if I would care to write an afterword for the special edition, I was more than glad. <br /><br />Writing Down These Mean Streets was a soul-searing experience for me, in which I forced myself to go back into time to see the sees, do the dos, hear the hears, and feel the feelings over and over and over again, at times feeling certain past traumatic experiences seven times stronger. Down These Mean Streets exploded out of me in an outpouring of suppressed hurts and angers that had boiled over into an ice-cold rage. <br /><br />Many of us who lived through those desperate years known as the Great Depression of the 1930s struggled to survive the hardships of life in the ghettos of our barrio parts of town, where the invasions of hot- and cold-running cockroaches and king-sized rats always seemed to come from other apartments but never from your own. There was always the pain from the pressure of fear brought about by racism: although many black and brown lives were snuffed out at the end of a rope, any means would do, including baseball bats. <br /><br />We all went through the exploitation that came from greed and listened to politicians wearing smiles on their faces that were wasted because they did not match what was in their hearts, making promises that never came to be. <br /><br />In prison, I did my best to keep love alive in me by tuning in to the love that my mother, Dolores Montañez Tomas, had instilled in my heart as a child. I would remember when she lay dying in the poor people's ward in Metropolitan Hospital and I was by her side. She was thirty-six years old and I was her firstborn, her negrito. At night in my cell, from time to time, I would nourish my soul from her love, reliving past warm memories. I believe love is the barrio's greatest strength. The proof is on the faces of the children who, against heavy odds, can still smile with amazing grace as they struggle to survive and rise above the mean streets. <br /><br />I wrote about the conditions of life in the barrio back then, but in spite of books like Down These Mean Streets, Manchild in the Promised Land, and The Wretched of the Earth, alas, the same conditions still exist for the poor today. In fact, they are worsening, with increased cutbacks of vital programs‹which up to now had given some of the poor a fighting chance‹while at the same time national weapons production climbs. Further, with higher unemployment and more cutbacks planned, with high-quality education already out of reach for most poor children, and with the fast-growing number of homeless who come in all colors, our streets have turned into battlegrounds in the Crack Wars. The toll rises as our young people kill each other as well as the innocent in drive-by shootings. <br /><br />Violence roams the streets of America as well as the streets of the world. Today our prisons are bulging with inmates, most of them doing time for drugs. When I was in prison some fortyseven years ago, 85 percent of the inmates were white, while 15 percent were black and brown. I visit prisons from time to time and know that now 15 percent of the inmates are white and 85 percent of the inmates are the blacks and browns. <br /><br />Racism is a most sad and terrible part of America's history. We know for a fact that since the Reconstruction days following the Civil War, racists in white hoods or dressed otherwise have worked very hard to return things to their version of the good ol' plantation days. <br /><br />Children of the poor are not fools, and many are of the mind that, on the whole, society really does not give a crap about them. So when we hear society expressing that "the children are our future," many of us ask, "Whose children and whose future?" The young are full of concern about the growing numbers of hate crimes, church burnings, and racist riots in prisons that are bursting at the seams. As far as I'm concerned, a quality education is the best way to rise above the ghettos and escape out of the trap of poverty‹that is, unless one hits the bull's-eye by winning the lottery. <br /><br />The truth is, when the economy goes into a slump, Americans of all colors fall into worse living conditions. These bad living conditions are not the fault of other colors, so let's quit looking for scapegoats; sadly, the real culprit is, and has always been, a breed named greed. What else can it be, except greed, when it's a known fact that 2 percent of the population receive 98 percent of the wealth? This inequality certainly has to affect the welfare and education of the children of the other 98 percent of the population, who are forced to get by with a measly 2 percent share of the national wealth. Besides, who created their wealth in the first place? <br /><br />There are multitudes who have died fighting throughout history for all kinds of causes. But I've yet to hear of a worldwide cause in the name of the children of the earth. Children are not stupid, they are all born with innate intelligence and the spirit of discernment. I believe every child is born a poet and every poet is born a child. I believe that every child is 360 degrees of the circle of creativity. I believe that every child is born of earth and universe, so how can any child be considered unimportant and dehumanized, relegated to being a minority, a "less than?" <br /><br />Skin color is not a sign of intelligence, no more than it is a sign of stupidity. That is an erroneous theory taught by those who entertain racist views such as those found in The Bell Curve. Children become what they are taught or not taught; children become what they learn or don't learn. We humans are similar to each other, but like fingerprints and cultures, not quite the same, so viva la diferencia and let's get to know one another, born of respect. Hopefully, this will lead us to caring and then sharing with the children of the world. <br /><br />John Kennedy once quipped, "Who said life was fair?" I'd like to say, "So let's make life fair. Let America set a beautiful new standard of caring, not only for our own children, but for all the children of the world." <br /><br />You may ask, "Where do we start?" As a writer, I am concerned with words, names. And names applied to human beings have great importance, since names can be positive or negative, bullets or butterflies. When I was a young muchacho back in those barrio days, I would hear brothers and sisters call each other names like, "Hey, nigger" or "Hey, spic!" I didn't care for those terms back then and I still don't care for them today. When I was a kid running down dark ghetto streets, there was a saying from which I learned wisdom. "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me." The first part about "stones breaking my bones" is right, but the part about "words will never harm me" is bullshit!! Words can harm a child when they are negative, like "nigger" or "spic" or "minority." Why should we repeat the indignity by referring to each other with contemptuous racist terms? We must learn words can be bullets or butterflies, we must learn to say what we mean and mean what we say. For if we are what we eat, we are what we think, so let's not mug each other with racism and hatred, which are not the sole domain of one color. <br /><br />My father Juan, also known as Johnny, once gave me some advice in the art of survival, saying, "Listen, hijo, sometimes you don't look where you're going and you stumble into trouble. You must learn how to spot danger by learning to smell the ca-ca at least twenty miles away, for remember, son; that mierda not only walks on two feet, but it comes in all colors." I moved to exercise my powers of being able to smell ca-ca twenty miles away and to recognize the difference between ca-ca and flowers, when my father stopped me. "Por favor, son, before you start out to smell other people's ca-ca, smell your own first, otherwise you'll get so used to smelling everyone else's, you might forget you have quite a bit of your own." Punto! (How's that for barrio wisdom from Papi, and as for Mami, she'd say, among other things, "Negrito, tell me who you walk with and I'll tell you who you are." Punto!) <br /><br />I would be very happy if we were all to enter a wonderful new era, where the children of earth, and not weapons of war, are considered the top priority. I have been told that what I'm looking for is utopia. So, vaya!!, so what is wrong with that? Imagine, our world in unity, pooling creativity and technology in order to heal the earth of the horrors inflicted on her in the name of greed. Look at the huge amounts of deadly toxic waste buried where children live and animals graze. Look at the poisons dumped in our waters. Wouldn't it be great to live in a world where peace and justice were a foregone conclusion and calamities were only natural and not man-made? <br /><br />In writing Down These Mean Streets, it was my hope that exposure of such conditions in the ghetto would have led to their improvement. But, thirty years later, the sad truth is that people caught in the ghettoes have not made much progress, and in fact, have moved backwards in many respects--the social safety net is much weaker now. Unfortunately, it's the same old Mean Streets, only worse. <br /><br />I was taught that justice wears a blindfold, so as not to be able to distinguish between the colors, and thus makes everyone equal in the eyes of the law. I propose we remove the blindfold from the eyes of Lady Justice, so for the first time she can really see what's happening and check out where the truth lies and the lies hide. That would be a start. <br /><br />Viva the children of all the colors! Punto! <br /><br />Piri Thomas<br />January 1997<br /><br />---- <br /><br />Be advised. Use of strong language.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-vhcP2knBQA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-vhcP2knBQA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-2299176217114987452009-03-28T13:06:00.000-07:002009-04-01T19:54:02.778-07:00Lula: White, blue-eyed bankers are entirely to blame for the world financial crisis.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyodCq2cVpGslabIA_mlyGtzQY7YDjwrBlXlP0M0VU8Kp_w-Sn2-syo9KwWs76i24vXpbvPngv2a3Cf_Rfkjq_GPkDyBY44BICIKLaGNrpytQtYoKIyuz3AKA96yla-QNq0D0ik4yBn0/s1600-h/Lula.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyodCq2cVpGslabIA_mlyGtzQY7YDjwrBlXlP0M0VU8Kp_w-Sn2-syo9KwWs76i24vXpbvPngv2a3Cf_Rfkjq_GPkDyBY44BICIKLaGNrpytQtYoKIyuz3AKA96yla-QNq0D0ik4yBn0/s320/Lula.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318333154814674514" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/26/lula-attacks-white-bankers-crash">The Guardian</a>, March, 28, 2009<br /><br />White, blue-eyed bankers are entirely to blame for the world financial crisis that has ended up hitting black and indigenous people disproportionately, the president of Brazil declared .<br /><br />In an outspoken intervention as Gordon Brown stood alongside him, Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva pledged to make next week's G20 summit "spicy" as he accused the rich of forcing the poor into greater hardship.<br /><br />"This crisis was caused by no black man or woman or by no indigenous person or by no poor person," Lula said after talks with the prime minister in Brasilia to discuss next week's G20 summit in London.<br /><br />"This crisis was fostered and boosted by irrational behaviour of some people that are white, blue-eyed. Before the crisis they looked like they knew everything about economics, and they have demonstrated they know nothing about economics."<br /><br />Challenged about his claims, Lula responded: "I only record what I see in the press. I am not acquainted with a single black banker."<br /><br />The remarks by Lula, a former trade union leader who had an impoverished upbringing in the poor north-east of Brazil, enlivened Brown's five-day trip to North and South America. This is designed to pave the way for a global agreement on how to tackle the global downturn at next week's G20 summit in London, to be chaired by Brown.<br /><br />The prime minister travelled to Brazil, the world's 10th largest economy, to talk up his latest initiative to stimulate world trade. Brown wants to win agreement at next week's summit for a new $100bn global fund to increase credit flows.<br /><br />Lula lavished praise on Brown for always rallying to the help of Brazil as he made clear that he accepts many of the prime minister's interventionist ideas for stimulating global growth. But as they stood in the formal entrance to the president's palace, Brown had to watch as the pugilistic former trade union leader embarked on one of his familiar tirades.<br /><br />Lula said world leaders had to be prepared for a political fight to ensure no repeat of what Brown called the global financial "power cut". "This meeting in London has to be a bit spicy because there has got to be a political debate," said Lula. "I want a London consensus."<br /><br />The president indicated that he is uneasy about the US, which has been arguing that the most important measure to take is a further co-ordinated global fiscal stimulus. Lula used a colourful analogy to illustrate his demand for tougher regulation of financial markets.<br /><br />"We do not have the right to allow this crisis to continue for long. We are determined to make sure the world financial system is vigorously regulated. You go to a shopping mall and you are filmed. You go to the airport and you are watched. I can't imagine that only the financial system has no surveillance at all."<br /><br />The president then turned his fire on the media for demonising immigrants: "The great majority of the poor are still not getting their share of the development that was caused by globalisation. They are the first victims. I follow the press and I see that prejudice is a factor against immigrants in the most developed countries."<br /><br />The behaviour of developed countries contrasted badly, he added, with Brazil, which is a member of the "Bric" group of emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India and China. "Here in Brazil, on the contrary, we have made the decision to permanently regulate thousands of Bolivians who were undocumented. We can't put on their shoulder the responsibility for the crisis caused by very few people."<br /><br />Brown looked mildly uncomfortable during Lula's outburst. He had hoped that their joint press conference would be dominated by his announcement that he will table plans at next week's G20 summit in London for a new $100bn fund of credit guarantees to boost world trade.<br /><br />The prime minister said: "The newest fallout from this banking crisis that has hit the world is the reduction in trade. Chinese exports are down 25%, Germany's exports are down 20%, Japan's exports are down more than 40%. So we have to act on trade as we are acting on banking reform and on economic growth.<br /><br />"At the G20 next week we will debate further measures. Ninety per cent of all world trade is financed by credit. Credit has dried up dramatically in recent months, it has increased the costs of trade for businesses in every country. The international community cannot stand aside."Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-21144206906811351192009-03-14T12:37:00.000-07:002009-03-14T12:41:11.048-07:00Interview with Latino Artist Salvador Torres<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b6SgxLcyMjU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b6SgxLcyMjU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-56967990121490577152009-03-01T15:02:00.000-08:002009-04-01T15:06:20.982-07:00Afro Latinos/ Conference at Columbia University, Nov. 2007<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hahVfib8Dgs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hahVfib8Dgs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UTZisyqz4pI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UTZisyqz4pI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gIrTRBHL2Sg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gIrTRBHL2Sg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-91355279907464081962009-01-28T12:57:00.000-08:002009-01-28T13:16:56.911-08:00World Social Forum, Belem, Brasil, January 2009<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wj-zD6PiiqY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wj-zD6PiiqY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4029218195909759463.post-23484699562097148002008-11-01T08:31:00.000-07:002008-11-03T13:45:20.401-08:00Day of the DeadNovember 1-2<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ztvEm2ebyt4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ztvEm2ebyt4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOVL49Nz-s3XeG69wNDhvieGRjVaUwM3LxJzJgB-h0E_1uJAsJvwMdsM4CFzuNwj6N8qgPLR0hyphenhyphenaYOBuvJYw2HFITLu4tu9WrSJZhPyNXBoKp9kONdEmmddjvMG143xnKsQxoBKDVJOk/s1600-h/posada1.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOVL49Nz-s3XeG69wNDhvieGRjVaUwM3LxJzJgB-h0E_1uJAsJvwMdsM4CFzuNwj6N8qgPLR0hyphenhyphenaYOBuvJYw2HFITLu4tu9WrSJZhPyNXBoKp9kONdEmmddjvMG143xnKsQxoBKDVJOk/s320/posada1.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263713764357532802" /></a><br /><br />Excerpt from: <span style="font-style:italic;">Sugar, Colonialism, and Death: On the Origins of Mexico's Day of the Dead</span>, by Stanley Brandes, University of California-Berkeley, on Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 39, No. 2 (Apr., 1997), pp. 270-299, Cambridge University Press.<br /><br />Mexico´s most famous holiday is, without doubt, the Day of the Dead. At the end of October, large numbers of foreign visitors descend upon Mexico to witness colorful - some would say carnivalesque- ritual performances and artistic displays. Decorated breads, paper cutouts, and plastic toys, most of them humorously playing on the theme of death, are evident everywhere. Sculpted sugar candies in the form of skulls, skeletons, and caskets suggest an almost irreverent, macabre confrontation with mortality. During November 1 and Novemeber 2, Mexicans clean, decorate, and maintain vigil over the graves of relatives. Tombstones and burial sites are adorned with flowers, candles, and food, all aesthetically arranged in honor of the deceased. Some Mexicans claim that the souls of the departed watch over living relatives during these few days. Negligent family members await punishment, whether on earth or in the afterlife. This belief is invoked throughout Mexico to explain the substantial time, money, and energy invested in the two-day ceremony.<br /> At the outset, it should be made clear that the Day of the Dead is, at least in the contemporary era, an essentially Mexican term referring to the Mexican version of a pan-Roman Catholic holiday. Strictly speaking, the Day of the Dead -in Spanish, el Día de los Muertos (Soul´s Day) or el Día de los Fieles Difuntos (the Day of the Faithful Deceased)- refers to All Soul´s Day, which usually falls on November 2.(...). However, it usually also refers to activities that occur the day before, that is, on November 1, All Saint´s Day- el Día de todos los Santos. In fact, in colloquial speech the Day of the Dead most often means the entire period encompassing the evening of October 31 through the morning of November 2, the days when the greatest range of ritual involvement, artistic exuberance, and commercial activity are in evidence. In terms of time, money, and energy expended, it is no exaggeration to say that Day of the Dead rivals other great annual ceremonial occasions in Mexico, particularly Holy Week and the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe on December 12. Further, even though All Saints' and Souls' Days are pan-Roman Catholic holidays, nowhere in the Catholic world have they reached such lavish proportions as in Mexico.<br /><br /><br />Artworks by<a href="http://mati.eas.asu.edu:8421/ChicanArte/html_pages/PosadaIssOutl.html#artmaker">José Guadalupe Posada</a> (1852-1913).Spanish Language and Cultures Classeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04230219725875726136noreply@blogger.com0