Self-Expressions... From an Argentinean

Based on Michelle Feldman's assignment, here are 5 poems about my heritage as an Argentinean-Spanish-Italian:

"Argentinean Goals"

Running. Shirtless. Cheering.

GOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!

Soccer is our life.

 

Argentinean flags on shirt.

Light blue face paint.

Watching Messi kick up dirt,

Because losers we ain’t.

 

The score is two-two.

Archrival Brazil inspires no fear,

Because Messi charges, shoots…

And Brazil is left in tears.

"All Argentineans are Carnivores"

Meat.

Cows, lamb, pig, chicken… and more cows.

Dad is stationed at the hand-built brick grill,

Because Argentinean men always know how.

 

Dessert is sugary goodness from heaven.

Alfajores, panqueques de dulce de leche, flan,

Of each delicassy I eat seven,

Since the rest of the family’s faces are wan.

 

 

"Hispanic Nights"

Up for school at 7am,

Late every day,

Because I went to bed last night,

The Hispanic way.

 

Home from work and dinner at ten,

Argentinean cow with salad again,

Do not go to sleep until three,

Los padres are up too, so there’s no hypocrisy.

 

It’s Saturday morning.

You hear the alarm beep.

Tonight is a family gathering.

Don’t count on any sleep.

“Familiar Extensions”

Grandma has six siblings.

Never too many cousins.

The entire Argentine population.

I have at least two dozen.

 

The word cousin is relative.

I’ve known him since I was two.

Therefore he is my familia,

And his next-door neighbor too.

 

Say “Ché boludo,”

When you see your best friend,

Because when everyone is family,

The formalities end.

“Llut (Shut) Up”

In a crowd of Hispanics,

Listen to them speak.

Pick out the Argentinean.

His accent is unique.

 

His “ll” will sound like “sh”

As opposed to the Puerto Rican “y”

No me “y-amo” Vanessa.

Me “sh-amo Vanessa.

 

“You” are non-existent

At least in the form of “tú”

Instead we use “vos”

Which is unheard of in Peru.

Affirmative Action: Video Debate

Affirmative action (in the case of Hispanics) is when race or ethnicity is taken into account in colleges and in the workplace to promote equal opportunity. The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle involves themes like discrimination and prejudice against Hispanics. Illegal immigration, another issue explored in the novel, while relevant in today's society, might not be as easy to relate to for students in our class. Affirmative action, however, is prevalent in colleges and universities across the country, and most students are familiar with this controversial issue.If there are two candidates who have identical grades, leadership experience, extracurriculars, community service, but one kid is white and the other is Hispanic, affirmative action dictates that the Hispanic candidate is admitted over the white one. Some see it as a form of reverse-racism against the white population, which is the opposite of what takes place in The Tortilla Curtain, in which the Mexicans are discriminated against. On the other hand, others recognize affirmative action as a way to equally represent the Hispanic community in universities. The Mexican immigrants do not have this opportunity in the novel. Hopefully, this assignment helps you draw your own conclusions and opinions about affirmative action.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

1. Research: 

Research both the affirmative and negative side (pros and cons) of the affirmative action debate. Focus specifically on affirmative action in colleges and universities. Were there any specific universities that had issues with this controversy? Use the sources at the bottom of this post to aid you.

2. Video Debate:
Create a video that objectively presents both sides of the argument... in debate format. You can put together the presentation and have a friend act as the opposing side in the debate. You could also act (and maybe even dress) like two different people and have a debate against "yourself," with one of your personas being pro-affirmative action, and the other against. This debate should be at least 15 minutes in length. Feel free to add some comedic elements to make it interesting, but keep in mind the issues that should be addressed.

3. Reflection: 
At the end of the debate, create a brief 3-4 minute video of you speaking about your opinion of affirmative action. Did you learn anything knew or come across an interesting piece of information in your research? Are you for or against it?

4. Share Your Work!

Upload your videos to a video-hosting site (like Youtube or Google Video) and post them to your blog. 

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Here are some sources to help you with your research:

- Visit my delicious page for a list of relevant links. The tag for all of the sources is VanessaAA.

- iTunes Video Source:

• Go to the iTunes Store.
• In the search bar, type "Impact of Affirmative Action." Only one video should show up in the results, titled "Impact of Affirmative Action: Framework of Democracy."
• Watch this free 4-minute movie clip about the effect affirmative action has had for minorities.

- Check out this blog post written by a teacher who presented the affirmative action topic to his students for an in-class discussion. Also, take a look at the cartoon images he posted and the comments from his students.

- If you want to look at a blog from our English class, take a peek at Camila's.

- You can also use sources I found on the school databases:

• This article is about affirmative action at Berkeley
• Click the link to the 4th article on this page to read "Today's Courts Re-Conceive Race and Ethnicity in College Aid and Admission."
• This is an "Affirmative Action Update" about past court cases involving affirmative action and other interesting information.

Hispanic Identity and The Tortilla Curtain

As a Spanish-speaking Argentinean-American, I am used to being asked where I am from. It is a natural and expected question; what varies is the response. People tend to group all Spanish-speakers into the group of either Hispanic or Latino, assuming that they all think, speak, and act as a whole. An article posted on the CNN website, The Complicated Measure of Being Hispanic, debates the existence of a Hispanic “identity” that all Hispanics can relate to (22). Taylor Gandossy says that these labels “too tightly package the people who are characterized” by them (Gandossy 2). He follows up this point by questioning Hispanics about how they identify themselves and observing their responses for a consensus. What he finds, however, is that Hispanics are “not a homogenous group” (Gandossy par. 16). They are individuals, each with his or her own political beliefs, cultural practices, nationalities, etc.

How people define themselves is a crucial element in determining the presence of a Hispanic identity. When Hispanics were polled about how they would identify themselves, “54 percent said they primarily identify themselves in terms of their or their parents' country of origin. About one quarter choose ‘Latino’ or ‘Hispanic,’ and 21 percent chose "American." It is clear that many people identify primarily with their race rather than their country of birth or residence. The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle tells the story of two Mexican immigrants, Cándido and America Rincón, who try to create a new and more prosperous life by crossing the American border. In this book, not only do the Latinos label themselves as such, but so do the people around them. After the American Delaney’s car collides with Cándido, he tells his wife Kyra that he hit a man. When asked to clarify, the first label that comes to his mind is “a Mexican” (Boyle 15). He could have told his wife what exactly happened, where it happened, etc. but he chose to focus instead on the nationality of the man. Delaney does not make it a secret what he thinks about Mexicans. In fact, he flat-out calls them “irresponsible, thoughtless people, stupid people” (Boyle 11). He experiences a moment of rage when he realizes that Cándido is living on state property that was, according to him, made for the public, as opposed to an outdoor ghetto (Boyle 11). Delaney groups all Hispanics into the category of minimum-wage earners when he says that he sees them everywhere, “silently going about their business,” the list of which only including fast food, garbage picking, and landscaping (Boyle 12). Identity has everything to do with finding a job, especially in the case of Cándido and his wife America. America is about to be given a job and is almost passed over for an American woman, despite turning out to be the more efficient and dedicated worker. That previously mentioned 75% of people that identified themselves as Hispanic in present-day might have been out of a job. America still makes connections with the Mexicans she encounters in the US, noticing the resemblance between them and the men in her village at home. American clearly still relates to the Latino identity.

People should focus on the positives of Hispanic identity, rather than the negatives. For example, one may consider the language that they share, the food that they eat, the culture that they experience—music, religion, family values (22). This certainly creates an identity that is Hispanic.


Works Cited:
Gandossy, Taylor. "The complicated measure of being Hispanic in
America." CNN. 28 Sept. 2007. 17 Mar. 2009 [<]http://www.cnn.com/
2007/US/09/26/hispanic.identity/index.html[>].

The Tortilla Curtain: Discussion

Discussion Questions about T. Coraghessan Boyle's The Tortilla Curtain for Socratic Seminar #1:

1. What are your opinions of the book thus far?

2. What is your standpoint on illegal immigration in America?

3. While you were reading, did it feel like Boyle was choosing sides on the illegal immigration debate?

4. What did you read about in the articles or blogs you researched that compares to the book?

5. The story is told from the POV of two completely different families, in regards to culture, financial situation, and position in society. Do you think Boyle is fair in his dual POV? Which character can you relate to the most?

6. Many symbols appear in Part I. What do you think is the significance of gates and coyotes?

7. Throughout this first part of the book, Candido makes many references to being unlucky or having rotten luck. Do you think this is true?

8. Does the American dream exist? If so, do you think Candido and America will attain their dream life?

An Analysis of Degrassi: The Next Generation, Episode 3x5 Pride (Part 2)

Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian television show that stars high school teenagers and the many trials and tribulations that come with this time in a person's life. One of these Degrassi High teens, Marco Del Rossi (played by Adamo Ruggiero), "comes out" to his friends in the season three episode, Pride. At the end of the previous episode, Marco confesses to one of his closest friends, Spinner, that he walked out on a date with a girl because he is gay. This episode opens up with the two friends talking to each other in front of the school, Marco asking Spin if he has blabbed his secret. Spinner feigns ignorance, laughing while he makes Marco repeat his confession. Throughout the episode, Spinner is extremely homophobic, acting as though heterosexuality is the only "right" orientation to pertain to. He frequently uses the word "fag" in the literal (homosexual) context of the word. He also acts surprised to learn that Marco is going to a hockey game, claiming that he thought he was "doing some gay artsy thing" with his friend, Ellie. Spin apparently believes that he is right to assume that the only reason Marco wants to go to the game is to see his "big gay crush" Dylan. Spin writes "Marco is a fag" on one of the boys' bathroom stalls, but when his friend Jimmy catches him in the act, Jimmy asks, "So what are you gonna write next? Something about me being black?" Clearly, there are certain characters on the show who represent the antithesis of heterosexual privilege.

Twilight: A Tale of Female Stereotypes and Anti-Heroines

Stephenie Meyer has hit the jackpot with her best-selling book series, Twilight. The saga is idolized to no end by the target demographic, young female teenagers aged 12-17, but why? In her blog article, “‘Twilight’ Sucks… And Not in a Good Way,” Kellen Rice went into detail about the female stereotypes perpetuated by the Twilight series. While quite blatantly alluding to abuse, sexism, and inequality, the saga has received no major complaints thus far (Keller par. 11). Meyer’s writing is “insulting on every level—as a woman, as a teenager, as a literature student, and as a graduate of the Harry Potter craze” Keller writes. With examples of female stereotyping from each of the four books in the saga, Keller questions the devotion to the series and the lack of concern for the caveman-universe that the characters are apparently living in. It is quite possible that this series has “set gender equality back two hundred years in the minds of millions” (Keller par. 16).

While the male characters are partly to blame for their treatment of the central female character, it is Bella Swan who brings this damsel-in-distress stigma upon herself. She sacrifices her dreams of going to college in order to be with Edward twenty-four-seven, an unnecessary sacrifice no less. Bella is additionally given the role of “a modern Eve, begging the noble, moral gentleman for sex while he desires to preserve their virtue” (Keller par. 6). In fact, it is only Edward who worries that Bella will go to Hell for sleeping with a vampire; Bella appears to be okay with succumbing to eternal damnation, as long as she gets her husband. At one point in the series, when Edward leaves her—for her own good, mind you—Bella transitions into a “zombie” state, both physically and emotionally. She is in so much pain at the loss of Edward, in fact, that she turns to pulling dangerous stunts—like motorcycling and cliff diving—simply to hear his (imagined) voice in her head begging her to stop (Keller par. 7). What message does this send to the readers? That they should “fall apart at the seams for months if their boyfriend leaves them? That reckless self-endangerment is okay, so long as it’s to be close to your lover?” (Keller par. 8). Somehow, that does not seem correct. In the third installment, Eclipse, Edward is back but jealous of Bella’s friendship with another guy, Jacob Black. He becomes a tad fixated on this green-eyed emotion, taking the engine out of her car and getting his sister, Alice, to “kidnap” her so that she cannot escape the house to see her male friend. Scarier than Edward’s actions is Bella’s rationalization of them. She basically brushes it off as him being a little overprotective (more like possessive) and doing it because he loves her (and is obsessed with her). Sounds like a healthy relationship, right? As if that were not enough, Meyer “romanticizes and idealizes it” in the case of both of Bella’s relationships (Keller par. 10). In Jacob’s case, he forcibly kisses her twice, using the threat of suicide as leverage to get her to go along with the idea. “Not once,” however, “does the thought of abuse, sexism, or inequality even occur to her main character!” (Keller par. 11). In fact, she has an epiphany: she is in love with him. But don’t judge her too hard. I’m sure we all had a moment of realization after our best friend forced him/herself on us. It’s never happened, you say? Apparently, it’s nothing out of the ordinary in Meyer’s world.

Bella Swan is by far “one of the most awful excuses for a female literary hero that I’ve ever seen” (Keller par. 15). Despite this, she is put on a pedestal by thousands of girls, as is her vampire lover whose good looks and charming personality fail to make up for his treatment of the female lead. Maybe parents should take a break from the Harry Potter book-burning and turn their sights in the direction of Twilight. Surely, the negative message is more relatable to today’s world and the impressionable young ladies who inhabit it.

Works Cited:

Rice, Kellen. "Twilight Sucks... And Not in a Good Way." Weblog post. 

     Politics. Sports. Anything. 16 Aug. 2008. Blast Magazine. 1 Mar. 2009. 

     [<]http://psa.blastmagazine.com/2008/16/twilight-sucks-and-not-in-a-

     good-way/[>].

How to be Hispanic (From the Perspective of a Stereotypical Hater)

So the other day, I read the poem Girl, by Jamaica Kincaid. It's basically a "how to" poem that says how to be the "perfect" girl. It inspired me to write my own poem (that, and the fact that it is a required assignment for my high school English class), modeled after Kincaid's style, except I decided to give the poem my own personal twist: how to be Hispanic. My parents were born in Argentina and I grew up with the Hispanic language and culture, so this piece focuses on the stereotypes that people have in this country regarding the Hispanic/Latino population.

Here is an excerpt from the ending of the poem so that you can get the general gist of her style:

"...this is how to bully a man; this is how a man bullies you; this is how to love a man; and if this doesn't work there are other ways, and if they don't work don't feel too bad about giving up; this is how to spit up in the air if you feel like it, and this is how to move quick so that it doesn't fall on you; this is how to make ends meet; always squeeze bread to make sure it's fresh; but what if the baker won't let me feel the bread?; you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won't let near the bread?"

There are some pretty harsh stereotypes included here. Just know that I do NOT agree with most of them, since that would be like insulting myself. I sincerely hope that nobody takes offense to anything I have written, as this was not my intention, and if you do - well, that's life. Get over it.

Some feedback would be great! =)

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Speak English with an accent; this is how you say “Es no my yob;” this is how you say “My ney María Carmela Jimenez;” this is how you say “my especial son;” this is how to drop out of high school, so that you can work at McDonald’s for the rest of your life; this is how to work at Burger King serving Whoppers with cheese, hold the onions; this is how to work at Wendy’s making crispy chicken sandwiches; this is how to be promiscuous like the prostitute you are so bent on becoming; say “yes” when someone asks you if you are “Spanish;” but I’m not from Spain, and I don’t call an American “English” if he was not born in London; answer the right questions wrong on the Spanish test so that you don’t mess up the curve for the students who are wishing your untimely death before test day; never mind the fact that you’ve never heard of half of the tenses and verb conjugations being taught; to avoid the evil eye, Americanize your Spanish accent when you speak Spanish in class; pronounce your Spanish rr’s like an old station wagon failing to start; pronounce your Spanish o’s like a Southerner singing the E-I-E-I-Oooo part of "Old McDonald;" this is how to hop the border and steal our country’s jobs; but I’m not from Mexico; this is how to hop the border and steal our country’s money to take back to your poverty-ridden country since you are clearly from Mexico; this is how to listen to Reggaeton; make sure the radio you stole is tuned into “La Kalle” 105.9 FM; this is how to dance salsa; this is how to dance merengue; this is how to dance tango; this is how to treat your husband after a long day at the construction site; this is how to treat your husband after a long day mowing lawns; this is how to treat your husband after a long day of mopping floors; this is how to treat your husband’s affair partner; this is how to be an illegal alien; but I was born here and there’s an American flag at my front doorstep; this is how to play fútbol with your brothers who take off their shirts and shout Gooooooooool!!! when their team scores against Brazil; this is how to live in a cramped apartment with Mamá, Papá, Tío, Tía, Abuelo, Abuela, y los hermanos y primos; this is how to use drugs; this is how to deal drugs; this is how to steal money and valuables to pay for those drugs; this is how to call your best male friend Ese or Jefe; be an affirmative action charity case in universities and at the workplace, so that you don’t turn into the fast food place employee you are so bent on becoming; you are too lazy and dumb to become educated or employed at a successful location without meeting a quota; besides, these institutions like to present the illusion of equality; but I put a significant amount of effort into my education; this is how to make up less than 1% of American news stories while representing 13% of the population; watch your news on Telemundo and Univisión; watch Spanish novelas and act flabbergasted when Estefanía’s husband Pablo whom she cheated on with Lucas is in actuality her long lost twin brother; this is how to obey your machista husband; but what if I disagree with something he says?; you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of Hispanic woman who has her own mind?