In the film Precious Knowledge, and Chapter One of Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua, both the film and the book stress the importance of the Hispanic lives. While the film was based on the lives of Chicano/a students who were predicted to fail in life, the book focused on the transformation of the valley and the types of treatments the women of color received. Precious Knowledge, was about recording the life styles these high school students had as they were growing up. With their permission, a total of three students, Pricila Rodriguez, Crystal Terriquez, and Gilbert Esparza, were recorded in detail from the moment they were at home to the moment they attended the Tucson Magnet High school. What makes the students in Precious Knowledge
During the Chicano Nationalist Movement, a well-known speaker, Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales, delivered a speech titled Chicano Nationalism: Victory for La Raza. In this speech, Rodolfo Gonzales tries to unify the Latin American people within the United States by using the idea of a family and to create a new political organization for the Chicano people. This speech was a cumulation of various ideas which stemmed from his own life, the experiences of the Chicano people, and the Chicano Nationalist Movement in general. Each of these factors contributed to the context of the speech and how the ideas within the speech are presented by Rodolfo Gonzales. Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales was born to Federico and Indalesia Gonzales, two Mexican immigrants, on June 18, 1928.
The documentary titled “The Chicano Wave” was very effective in displaying its theme and the goals/intentions it wanted to complete. The main theme one could identify could be the theme of using music in order to express oneself and one’s opinions. This is evident during the civil rights movement when bands, such as Little Joe and the Latinaires, used their music to express their problems with the then-current race issues. But instead of being pessimistic about the situation, they sing songs about being hopeful, while still pushing a specific agenda. But there were still many more singers who sang about their opinions during different eras and about many different issues.
Being taken from an education of ten plus years of studying only American history, and then placed into courses with a Chicano point of view can change a vast majority of people’s minds. b.) One of the girls in the film talks about how she didn’t even go to school on a regular basis, because she didn’t like it. She felt as though the people in power were bringing her down. Another young man talks about how society somehow allows, and even pushes for people like him to drop out of school.
In high school I was able to choose an elective that had great appeal to me- Chicano Studies. This was a new course at my high school, it was providential for me that the course became available because of the large impact it had on my life. In this course we studied, the history of Mexico and its influence on current culture, past civil rights leaders, and the topic that struck me the most, current events. Our teacher, Mr. Pisano, expressed his alacrity to teach the course to the administration at our high school, and with appeal he was able to teach one section of the course.
I chose this film because it showed how hard the union workers and families worked in fighting racial injustices, and because it inspired myself to move forward with strong ideologies and pride. 2. Stereotyping in mass media was an important concern of Chicana/o media activists because it imprinted a demeaning label by only casting Chicana/o actors with "minor roles: villains, sidekicks, temptresses, where their main function is to provide the protagonists, typically a handsome white
The Chicano movement derives from early oppression of Mexicans. Robert Rodrigo, author of “The Origins and History of the Chicano Movement” acknowledges that, “At the end of the Mexican American war in 1848, Mexico lost half of its territory to the United States and its Mexican residents became ‘strangers in their own lands.’” In stating this fact, Rodrigo exemplifies the United States’ relations with Mexico, that, ultimately, led to their oppression. Moreover, these early relations led to social injustice for the Mexican community. Carlos Muñoz, author of The Chicano Movement: Mexican American History and the Struggle for Equality reports, “As a conquered people, beginning with the Texas-Mexico War of 1836 and the U.S. Mexico War of 1846-48, they have
In Leo R. Chavez’s ethnography, The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation, the claimed problem of Latino immigration, specifically Mexicans, is tackled using interviews, statistics, and other works of literature. Chavez’s ethnography not only discusses Latino immigration but Latino invasion, integration, organ transplants and even Latina fertilization. One of Chavez’s big topics is on how the media influences the public to believe that Latinos are planning an invasion or take-over in order to gain the land that was originally Mexico’s. The topic of Latina reproduction and fertilization comes up multiple times through Chavez’s ethnography. Another main topic that plays a part in Chavez’s argument is the Latino role in public marches and the citizenship aspect of their actions.
Hispanics overcoming challenges by: Tejas Kar Many people from all over the world have overcome many challenges. For example, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandala, Abraham Lincoln and minor people like Rosa Parks. Many other people, like Hispanics have also overcome a wide varied of challenges.
During the 1920s, the Chicano movement faced many political challenges. One of the many problems was many teachers didn 't put in effort to teach Chicanos. In addition, schools had student’s graduate high schools without even being ready for college. One example of the political challenges the Chicano movement suffers is discussed in the History of a Barrio by Richard Romo the author asserts; “the Los Angeles School District maintained separate schools for Mexicans on the premise that Mexicans had special needs” [Romo 139]. In other words, this demonstrates that school districts separated Chicanos from normal classes because they had trouble learning.
The film Precious Knowledge is from the perspective of a group of students at Tuscan High School in Arizona. The school system wanted to increase graduation rates and was looking at different ways to do this. The school came to the conclusion that a Mexican- American studies class will increase the dropout rate from 48 percent. This class taught students about Mexican-American history and culture with a curriculum that can be related to social justice while thinking critically and socially conscious. The Governor of Arizona started to protest this class because of the books they were reading and some of the material that was being taught was considered to be promoting the overthrow of the US Government.
The Hispanic Student Association, or HSA for short, was founded in 1999 by Nestor "Ito" Rodriguez the former president of HSA. Who is now currently the head of the Hispanic alumni council and married to Jaclyn Rodriguez. The organization is located on the main campus in the university center (UC) through the involvement zone in room 221. The purpose of HSA is to spread and demonstrate to other students the marvels of the Hispanic culture and to enrich their minds of the cultural diversity that is around them. To accomplish this HSA does many social events and gatherings, such as the St. Jude walk/run and Hispanic heritage month, which allows students of any background to come and enjoy the Hispanic culture in a safe and discrimination free
Choosing to be a Mexican over American Today I feel more like a Mexican than anything else even though I was born in the united states. I may have papers and be American but hearing other ethnicities call my people immigrants and illegal makes me feel more like an immigrant myself. I feel this way because although I am considered an American I would much rather stand by my people and my culture. I would label myself as a Mexican-American, Latina, person of color, and as a minority. I describe myself as a Mexican-American because I was born and raised in Chicago and from Mexican descent.
During my two interviews my with my two people of the Hispanic culture I came to find they were both had a good level of health literacy from a quick glance. It’s interesting I came to this conclusion fast after asking them each their questions, because I barely know these two on a personal level. Raul I met last year at comicpalooza, where we bonded over love over television and movies and came in contact since, mostly having conversations about show/movies; but never had conversations on anything like this level. Francis I met over swim class this fall at UH recreation center, so I came to the conclusion to pick two people I didn’t really know to ask these questions for this paper.
Ultimately, ethnic studies promote American ideals, create identity, and only create contempt when being constrained from these courses. Ethnic studies should be implemented in schools, because they promote American ideals of diversity, inclusion, and freedom. In a place like America, where diversity is supposed to be the building block of our nation, one would think that different ethnic groups would have the right to study their own identity. Students question this in the film and make claims such as, “Education is so against me that they don’t want me.” Evidently, with the threat of abolishing ethnic studies courses, students feel a lack of inclusion, which defies American values.
