Law Student Researches Controversy in Colombia
Teaching research, I appreciate the stories that NPR Latino USA presents because they address the different sides and arguments of a controversy. Unlike cable news, the ideological appeal is the judgment of the audience and not the impulsive reactions of pathos.
In Colombia, law student Paul Bieber interviews people injured and maimed in attacks by who the victims describe as guerrilla paramilitary groups used to enforce Dole and Chiquita corporate interests. The corporations and paramilitary groups claim the people have no right to the land. Recently deposed leaders of the paramilitary groups have testified to having been paid by the banana growers to act on their behalf. The corporations respond that in instances in which they have paid these groups, it was only done so for protection from the groups.
From the NPR website:
"Paul Bieber is a private investigator and law student in California. He has an abiding interest in the investigation of instances of human rights abuses. This summer, he went to Colombia on a 10-day fact-finding mission organized by Witness for Peace, the social justice organization based in Washington, D.C."
http://www.latinousa.org/929-2/
Listen to the full story at the NPR site, or listen to it at the Public Radio Workshop site:
http://transom.org/?p=13256
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Together We Thrive in Tucson
A Bittersweet Moment of Unity
I had the chance to attend Pres. Obama's appearance here in Tucson yesterday. On my way out, a reporter with a recording device asked me for my response and I told her that it was a beautiful event, but it was unfortunate that it came about because of tragedy. I explained that Tucson and Arizona are in need of healing because we are in a conflicted and contested place. Too quickly, sides go on the attack when wounds are still fresh.
(photos by Amanda Wray)
What I found frustrating being attendance was the flippant attitude of college age people who treated the event more like a concert than a moment for healing. Raised consciousness is a process. We have hope that those who lacked the understanding of gravitas might reflect on the event as one step towards critical consciousness. As the saying goes, every saint has a past and every sinner a future.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Arizona the Center of Intolerace?
As I have mentioned before, I live in Tucson. When this past weekend's tragic events occurred here, it was surreal to see the city where I live on the news. I had been to that Safeway and I had eaten dinner last Christmas at the Chinese restaurant in the shopping center that was roped off with police tape.
I hope to make President Obama's speech tomorrow at the McKale Center. I leave you with Jon Stewart's reflections.
I hope to make President Obama's speech tomorrow at the McKale Center. I leave you with Jon Stewart's reflections.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Arizona Shootings Reaction | ||||
| ||||
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Technology, Teaching and Rhetorical Analysis
Technology, Teaching and Rhetorical Analysis
I was asked to speak to a group of first year graduate students about teaching rhetorical analysis and using technology. This is a short video I put together using the Xtranormal software.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
El Gallo Arpaio
Sometime back, some students at a local high school I was working with wrote corridos for a contest. I decided to post one of my favorites that didn't win, but deserves a look. The name of the young woman who wrote it is Mercedes Galarza.
El gallo Arpaio
Les traigo un cuento sobre un gallo,
Grande, blanco, feo, y gordo.
Se brincaba nuestra cerca,
Nos manda a nuestra casa.
Su sobre nombre es Joe Arpaio
El gallo se cree rey del barrio.
Corretea a la gente
Que no se parezca a el.
Discrimina donde debemos
Respirar libremente.
Solo queremos ser indiferentes.
Ese gallo Joe Arpaio
Nos viste a nuestros hombres
Todos de color de rosa,
De los pies a la cabeza
Incluyendo los calzoncillos.
Le gusta el color de mariposa.
El quiere parecerse a un héroe
El mas fuerte y feroz de todos.
En realidad no es mas que un
Hombre con demasiado orgullo.
Sus modos americanos
lo tienen muy cegado.
El gallo que vive al lado
Se levanta muy temprano.
Se la lleva kacarajeando
Y levantando a la vecindad.
Quiere que hagamos su voluntad
Y es muy bueno para mandar.
Bueno amigos aquí se acaba el
Cuento del gallo y Joe Arpaio
Aun nos corretea y picotea
Pero nunca nos quitara
Las ganas de triunfar, tampoco
Los sueños que traemos al barrio.
(bottom Gallo Image by Cristina Sosa Noriega)
Friday, December 17, 2010
SB 1070 Created by Prison Economic
From a NPR story, the diagram shows how members of a prison lobbyist organization were the writers and fundraisers of SB 1070 for the purpose filling prisons with undocumented women and children.
Read the entire story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130833741
From the story:
"NPR spent the past several months analyzing hundreds of pages of campaign finance reports, lobbying documents and corporate records. What they show is a quiet, behind-the-scenes effort to help draft and pass Arizona Senate Bill 1070 by an industry that stands to benefit from it: the private prison industry.
Read the entire story: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130833741
From the story:"NPR spent the past several months analyzing hundreds of pages of campaign finance reports, lobbying documents and corporate records. What they show is a quiet, behind-the-scenes effort to help draft and pass Arizona Senate Bill 1070 by an industry that stands to benefit from it: the private prison industry.
The law could send hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to prison in a way never done before. And it could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in profits to private prison companies responsible for housing them."
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Decolonizing the University
An Interesting Documentary
I had the opportunity to attend some of the panels for the Conference I mentioned in previous posts. I still have notes I took that I should post because of the great point that were made, but for right now, I'm posting a video I saw from a group of Berkeley grads who participated in a Decolonizing Conference.
I had the opportunity to attend some of the panels for the Conference I mentioned in previous posts. I still have notes I took that I should post because of the great point that were made, but for right now, I'm posting a video I saw from a group of Berkeley grads who participated in a Decolonizing Conference.
Decolonizing the University: Fulfilling the Dream of the Third World College from John Hamilton on Vimeo.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Dolores Huerta, Cherrie Moraga, Leslie Marmon Silko,
COMBATING HATE, CENSORSHIP & FORBIDDEN CURRICULA
Update
In the dialogue of the State of Arizona, Dolores Huerta recounted her role in both the Chicano Labor Movement and the attack on Tucson Unified School District's Ethnic Studies program. The highlights of her role working Cesar Chavez was her coining of the now iconic "Si se puede" mantra/motto/dicho. Apparently, while signing up voters, a woman told Huerta that she couldn't register to vote, to which Huerta spontaneously responded, "Si, se puede."
I originally joked I thought Edward Jame Olmos had coined the phrase because I attributed all Chicano accomplishments to him (my father was a fan beginning with Zoot Suit, then on to Blade Runner, and Miami Vice before Stand and Deliver, while the rest of the Mexi-nerd, cyber-Aztec family members are Battlestar Gallactica-tecas).
Huerta also explained how she told TUSD high school students that Republican representatives in Arizona something to the effect of not caring about Mexicans. Opponents of TUSD Ethnic Studies like Tom Horne and John Huppenthal took this quote and ran with it as though there had been no history of subjugation of Latin@s in the Southwest. (See Jane Hill's "Hasta La Vista Baby" for a discussion in greater depth).
Inspired by Huerta's discussion with TUSD Ethnic Studies students, they organized protests when an Arizona school official spoke to the school with the stipulation that there would be no questions asked of the official by students.
Conference at UA Dec 2-4
Highlights from Friday Dec. 3 alone include (from Dr. Cintli's blog):
10:45-11:45am DECOLONIZING THE UNIVERSITY AS SOCIAL MOVEMENT
And later that evening at the Gallagher Theater:
6-:6:50 pm DIALOGUE: ARIZONA HATE and HOMOPHOBIA
And Saturday's events include:
El Rio CC - 1390 West Speedway Boulevard Tucson, AZ 85745-2324
-->
Update
In the dialogue of the State of Arizona, Dolores Huerta recounted her role in both the Chicano Labor Movement and the attack on Tucson Unified School District's Ethnic Studies program. The highlights of her role working Cesar Chavez was her coining of the now iconic "Si se puede" mantra/motto/dicho. Apparently, while signing up voters, a woman told Huerta that she couldn't register to vote, to which Huerta spontaneously responded, "Si, se puede."
I originally joked I thought Edward Jame Olmos had coined the phrase because I attributed all Chicano accomplishments to him (my father was a fan beginning with Zoot Suit, then on to Blade Runner, and Miami Vice before Stand and Deliver, while the rest of the Mexi-nerd, cyber-Aztec family members are Battlestar Gallactica-tecas).
Huerta also explained how she told TUSD high school students that Republican representatives in Arizona something to the effect of not caring about Mexicans. Opponents of TUSD Ethnic Studies like Tom Horne and John Huppenthal took this quote and ran with it as though there had been no history of subjugation of Latin@s in the Southwest. (See Jane Hill's "Hasta La Vista Baby" for a discussion in greater depth).
Inspired by Huerta's discussion with TUSD Ethnic Studies students, they organized protests when an Arizona school official spoke to the school with the stipulation that there would be no questions asked of the official by students.
Conference at UA Dec 2-4
Highlights from Friday Dec. 3 alone include (from Dr. Cintli's blog):
10:45-11:45am DECOLONIZING THE UNIVERSITY AS SOCIAL MOVEMENT
Cesar Chavez # 205 and 209
Samuel Bañales (UC Berkeley). "Challenging the Coloniality of Organizing with Activism
from Below"
from Below"
Mattie Harper (UC Berkeley). "We Are Still Here: Confronting Myths of the Vanishing Indian Within the
Western Academy"
Nelson Maldonado-Torres (Rutgers University). "Next Steps: A Latina/o Academy of Arts and Sciences."
Moderator: Damian Baca, University of Arizona And later that evening at the Gallagher Theater:
6-:6:50 pm DIALOGUE: ARIZONA HATE and HOMOPHOBIA
Moderator: Sandy Soto
8:00-9:30 pm DIALOGUE: THE STATE OF ARIZONA
Opening Poem: Mixelle Rascon
8:00-9:30 pm DIALOGUE: THE STATE OF ARIZONA
Simon Ortiz, Isabel Garcia, Dolores Huerta
Moderator: Leilani Clark Opening Poem: Mixelle Rascon
And Saturday's events include:
El Rio CC - 1390 West Speedway Boulevard Tucson, AZ 85745-2324
10 am-11:30am PLATICA CALPOLLI TEOXICALLI
Mazatzin: "The Ancient Mexika Chronological System"
AMPHITHEATER EL RIO CC
Mazatzin: "The Ancient Mexika Chronological System"
AMPHITHEATER EL RIO CC
Menudo Breakfast
Noon -7pm FLORICANTO ARTS/MUSIC FESTIVAL
2 stages
Indoor and Outdoor stage
2 stages
Indoor and Outdoor stage
LESLIE MARMON SILKO – CHERRIE MORAGA - LUCI TAPAHONSO – FRANCISCO ALARCON - ELENA DIAZ BJORKQUIST – MARIA RAMIREZ – LUKE SALCIDO - CIHUATL CE - NICO-POETS DEL NORTE - FELICIA FE MONTES – MIXPE- STELLA POPE DUARTE – ANDREA HOLM – RAUL ALCARAZ - HEDY TREVINO – ELIAS SERNA – ALEX SOTO – TOLTEKA - TEATRO IZKALLI – SARAH GONZALEZ – NUESTRA VOZ –YWCA - ZARCO – DULCE JUAREZ – SAFOS THEATER – MARGE PELLEGRINO – MIXELLE RASCON – MI’JAN MI’JAN CELIE – SONIA GUTIERREZ - PHOTOGRAPHERS: LAYLA MARIE HERNANDEZ, FRANCISCO DOMINGUEZ – ANITA FERNANDEZ – CELESTINO FERNANDEZ – KEVAN CHUC - JOEL 'RAGE.ONE' GARCIA - EL VUH
(PARTIAL LIST)
(PARTIAL LIST)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
AZ Boycott: 141 Million and Counting
Economic Impact of SB 1070
According to NPR:
"A report released Thursday says the boycott has cost the state $141 million in lost meeting and convention business since Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law in April."
I've posted previously on those artists who joined the SB 1070 boycott, and it's interesting to hear that Arizona's economy has been negatively impacted by the support of this bill. Now that the ficticious narratives about dangerous South Arizona borders have died down, maybe the red-staters will return to thinking with their wallets and realize the error of their mistakes.
According to NPR:
"A report released Thursday says the boycott has cost the state $141 million in lost meeting and convention business since Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law in April."
I've posted previously on those artists who joined the SB 1070 boycott, and it's interesting to hear that Arizona's economy has been negatively impacted by the support of this bill. Now that the ficticious narratives about dangerous South Arizona borders have died down, maybe the red-staters will return to thinking with their wallets and realize the error of their mistakes.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
National Latino Leader
Pew Research Finds Job of Latino Leader Vacant
From Mark Hugo Lopez and Paul Taylor's report: "When asked in an open-ended question to name the person they consider "the most important Latino leader in the country today," nearly two-thirds (64%) of Latino respondents said they did not know. An additional 10% said "no one."
This is a saddening report, yet speaks to the great issue of the need for positive representation in politics, media and other public forums that have the potential to positively affect the perceptions of the next generation of Latinas/os. These finding are in line with those reports that show students migrating to the U.S. outperform their U.S.-born Latina/o peers with one of the factors being the positive, professional role models the migrant students had in their birth country.
From Mark Hugo Lopez and Paul Taylor's report: "When asked in an open-ended question to name the person they consider "the most important Latino leader in the country today," nearly two-thirds (64%) of Latino respondents said they did not know. An additional 10% said "no one."
This is a saddening report, yet speaks to the great issue of the need for positive representation in politics, media and other public forums that have the potential to positively affect the perceptions of the next generation of Latinas/os. These finding are in line with those reports that show students migrating to the U.S. outperform their U.S.-born Latina/o peers with one of the factors being the positive, professional role models the migrant students had in their birth country.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Cruz Medina in Solstice Online Journal
A Short Story of Mine
Check out this issue of Solstice Literary Magazine online. A story that I wrote called "Earth Angel" is featured. Enjoy!
Visit it at: http://solsticelitmag.org/
and my story at: http://solsticelitmag.org/earth-angel/
Check out this issue of Solstice Literary Magazine online. A story that I wrote called "Earth Angel" is featured. Enjoy!
Visit it at: http://solsticelitmag.org/and my story at: http://solsticelitmag.org/earth-angel/
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
More Negative Stereotypical Representations
Pop Culture Artifact Señor Clean Charged with Meaning
The TV show Robot Chicken has provided examples of cliche stereotypes about Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the past (http://writerscholarprofessional.blogspot.com/2010/07/shared-assumptions-about-mexican.html). But when I saw the "Señor Clean" short below, I was reminded of Brummet's Rhetoric in Popular Culture and the discussion of meanings submerged in belief systems that hide reality. Speaking about the validity of the signs we see in the artifacts of pop culture, Brummet writes: "all signs are meaningful, and that artifacts in particular are signs that are charged with extra meaning"(31).
The caricature plays on the subservient role of the Latino domestic, representing the essence of the Mexican with a poncho and sombrero, but then takes a sexually aggressive turn. This suggestion reinforces the role of exoticized 'Other,' the symbolic reminder of inferiority.
The TV show Robot Chicken has provided examples of cliche stereotypes about Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the past (http://writerscholarprofessional.blogspot.com/2010/07/shared-assumptions-about-mexican.html). But when I saw the "Señor Clean" short below, I was reminded of Brummet's Rhetoric in Popular Culture and the discussion of meanings submerged in belief systems that hide reality. Speaking about the validity of the signs we see in the artifacts of pop culture, Brummet writes: "all signs are meaningful, and that artifacts in particular are signs that are charged with extra meaning"(31).
The caricature plays on the subservient role of the Latino domestic, representing the essence of the Mexican with a poncho and sombrero, but then takes a sexually aggressive turn. This suggestion reinforces the role of exoticized 'Other,' the symbolic reminder of inferiority.
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