Month: March 2023

Entry Question

Pick one of the four paintings by Martin Wong. In an index card describe what you see. How does the painting give a spotlight on how life was in NYC in the 1980s?

Wong’s work ties together brick, queer erotics, tenement living, city disinvestment, exploitative landlord arson to cash in on insurance money, and the Black, Brown, and Asian lives of Loisaida. Wong’s paintings, and the poems of Piñero and Rivas, represent a time that the current landscape of the Lower East Side actively conceals. The condemned tenement I pass by seems to be one of the only remnants left. It gives shape to the stories of yesterday, with its blasted windows and barred doors, this obelisk invisibly inscribed with their memories, keeping their Loisaida alive.

-Marcos Gonsalez

The Obelisk of Loisaida

Non-fiction writer, Marcos Gonsalez, of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent reflects on his time living in Loisaida (LES). He references architecture, poetry, visual arts, and scholarly work to reflect on the Lower East Side’s history, vibrant culture, systemic marginalization, the derivative social ills that came with it, and eventual gentrification. In the essay, he argues that in order to avoid the erasures that come with gentrification it is vital to learn from the stories of the long-standing neighbors of the area as well as the arts.

Group Discussion

Groups 1 and 2

In groups, select and discuss a quote from the essay in which Gonzalez tries to respond to these questions:

How do we “continue to struggle for the rights, well-being, and lives of the marginalized, in places like Loisaida, New York City, and beyond?

How do we keep thinking of, and fighting for, the displaced?”

Groups 3 and 4

How does Gonzalez compare life in suburbia vs life in the city?

Class Presentation (s)

Ortiz,Kelvin Joel

Pulla,Yamilee J

Nuyorican Poets (Cafe) and Urban Storytelling/Poetics

My time in Loisaida cultivated a particular kind of sensibility which was not the one I was raised on. The high concentration of people in such a small perimeter taught me ways of being in the world with others that were about caring and responsiveness, about being attuned to the ebbs and flows of neighbors and strangers alike. It was about the ways a story is told – the emphases of the voice, the twists and turns of a plot, the preciseness of words – and not just about the content itself. It was about the listener and audience, keeping them with you in story, in emotion, in longing, towards laughter, crying, thinking. My time in Loisaida was about learning to live in a space where the odds were stacked against you. It was about the imaginative reanimating of a past that was but will never again be, lived through the streets and tenements. 

-Marcos Gonsalez

Latino poets, playwrights founded iconic Nuyorican Poets Café

Miguel Piñero

How does Piñero’s poem simultaneously create a portrait of himself and the neighborhood?

Denise Frohman

How does Denise Frohman think of her mother’s accent? How does she connect it to Puerto Rican culture?

Final Check-In

Instructions:

1. In Pairs think about these questions:

What Latino/a/x/e neighborhood are you inclined to photograph and write about?

What lens and/or thematic approach are you planning to take?

Where are you in the process? What steps do you need to take to complete the project?

What sources from the class are inspiring your work?

2. Share your plans with a partner

3. Report on the plans you heard.

ASYNCHRONOUS ASSIGNMENT (Deadline: 3/29 before the class)

Instructions:

1. Read the essay “The Obelisk of Loisaida” by Marcos Gonsalez.

2. In the comment section down below answer ONE of the following prompts (2o0-words minimum).

OPTION ONE

Why Marcos Gonsalez starts his essay on Loisaida (the Lower East Side) by referring to the Luxor Obelisk? What does the obelisk represent in the essay?

OPTION TWO

Gonsalez writes:

“Loisaida’s storytellers, dreamers, philosophers of brick and mortar taught me to imagine the past. To imagine the past, not as something to feel justified in transcending, nor to fit some narrative of progress that makes those in power feel good about how far we’ve come. Rather, they taught me how past times and neighborhoods made certain kinds of care and community possible, certain ways of thinking and storytelling manifest.”

How does Miguel Piñero’s work allow Gonsalez to imagine and understand different time periods in Loisaida?

OPTION THREE

Gonsalez says: “Like Loisaida’s poets and artists of the 1970s and 1980s, it similarly became for me the site of an erotic awakening, and of artistic possibility.”

How does Gonsalez present the connections between sexuality and artistic expression in Loisaida?

Entry Question

What things presented in the documentary and/or the essay about the PR-US relationship were new to you? Why they were impactful? What other questions emerged?

Crash History

US imperialism in Puerto Rico began in 1898 when the United States invaded the island during the Spanish-American War. After the war, Puerto Rico became a US territory, and its people were granted US citizenship in 1917. However, despite their citizenship, Puerto Ricans did not have the same rights as US citizens on the mainland, such as the right to vote in presidential elections.

As the documentary presents US government used Puerto Rico for its own economic and military interests, including the establishment of military bases and the exploitation of the island’s natural resources. This exploitation often had negative consequences for the Puerto Rican people, who were often forced to work for low wages in dangerous jobs (in the archipelago and the diaspora) or had their land seized by US corporations (very recently by Airbnb and other Realt State Agencies).

What is transnationalism?

Transnationalism is a term that describes the processes of globalization that have led to the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of people, organizations, and institutions across national borders. It could refer to social, economic, cultural, and political activities and interactions that transcend national boundaries and create new forms of identity and community that are not limited by geographical or political borders.

Both the Nuyorican actress, community activist, author, dancer, and choreographer Rosie Perez and the scholar Jorge Duany depict Puerto Ricans’ strong cultural identity en vaiven, on the move.

They describe circular migration, transnational practices, and how Boricuas present all sorts of tensions and at times open resistance to the prospects of assimilation into mainstream US society.

They highlight the ways Puerto Ricans are creating new forms of identity, community, and power that are not bound by traditional notions of national sovereignty.

In their work, they also refer to the ways in which Puerto Rican people maintain connections to their home countries and cultures while living and working in NYC, other states, and countries.

Nation and Migration- J. Duany

After reading Jorge Duany’s excerpt (pages 53) discuss the following question:

How the notion of transnationalism could help us to better understand the Puerto Rican diaspora? How does Rosie Perez’s portrayal match Duany’s arguments?

Class Presentation(s)

Neljkovic,Alen

Ortega Morales,Magaly

Thakur,Nishta

I’m Boricua Just So You Know 

What is the context in which the documentary was written and produced?

Using the Puerto Rican Day Parade as a backdrop and questions about the roots of Puerto Rican pride, Nuyorican artist, Rosie Perez, her sister, and cousin embark on personal research about the history of Puerto Rico and its colonial dependency on the United States. The processes of Puerto Rican migration and community building in the U.S. are also discussed in the film.

What is the documentary’s central argument?

Rosie Pérez and her family, argue that to understand Puerto Rican migration to the United States, one has to discuss the history of imperialism and colonialism on the island and comprehend how the United States has benefitted from Puerto Rican land, resources, and people. The film also explores how US imperialism impacted Puerto Rican culture, language, and identity. Many Puerto Ricans faced discrimination and were pressured to assimilate into US culture, causing a loss of traditional customs and language. However, Pérez presents that Puerto Rican culture and identity persisted, and many Puerto Ricans fought back against US imperialism through political activism and cultural expression.

Group Discussions

Discuss how the documentary addresses ONE of the following topics. Refer to specific scenes or sequences:

.US military presence in the archipelago

.Population control and medical experimentation on Puerto Rican women

.Grassroots activism

.Puerto Rican diasporic culture

Expanding on the impact of US imperialism on Puerto Rico:

Agricultural Exploitation: The film discusses how the US government promoted large-scale agriculture in Puerto Rico, which resulted in the displacement of small-scale farmers and the destruction of the island’s natural ecosystems.

Language Suppression: The film also touches on the suppression of the Spanish language and Puerto Rican culture in schools. Many Puerto Ricans were forced to attend English-speaking schools and were punished for speaking Spanish. This policy had a lasting impact on the island’s cultural identity and contributed to a loss of traditional customs and language.

Political Struggle: The film also documents the political struggle of Puerto Ricans against US imperialism. The film argues that the US government’s efforts to suppress this political activism had a lasting impact on the island’s democratic institutions and created an environment of fear and repression.

Military Bases: The film discusses the establishment of US military bases in Puerto Rico, which had a profound impact on the island’s environment and the health of its people, a case in point would be the island municipality of Vieques. The film argues that the military’s use of Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals on the island has led to an increase in cancer and other health problems among Puerto Ricans.

The US has also used Puerto Rico as a testing ground for pharmaceuticals and other industries, often with little regard for the health and well-being of Puerto Rican people. The contraceptive pill is a significant example of this type of practice.

Yo soy Boricua Pa’ Que Tu Lo Sepas! I’m Boricua, Just So You Know! (Rosie Pérez, 2006)

ASYNCHRONOUS ASSIGNMENT 

Instructions

1. Watch the documentary Yo soy Boricua pa’ que tú lo sepas directed by Rosie Pérez (posted above).

2. Read the essay “Nation and Migration: Rethinking Puerto Rican Identity in a Transnational Context” by Jorge Duany (Blackboard Course Documents)

3. In the comment section down below, write a 200-word response based on ONE of the following prompts (due on 3/22 before the class):

OPTION ONE

Jorge Duany defines Puerto Rico as an overseas possession of the United States. He says that the archipelago has been exposed to an intense penetration of American capital, commodities, laws, and customs unequal to other Latin American countries. (51)

Taking into consideration Duany’s exposition and the documentary, discuss what are some specific effects of  US colonialism in Puerto Rico? Expand on at least two cases presented in the documentary.

OPTION TWO

Duany argues that over the past few decades, Puerto Rico has become a nation on the move (en vaivén) through the relocation of almost half of its population to the United States and the transnational flow of people between the archipelago and the mainland (and vice versa). (54-7)

How does Rosie Pérez’s documentary depict the notion of Puerto Rico as a country on the move (en vaivén; in back and forth flows)?

OPTION THREE

Duany contends that Puerto Ricans moving back and forth between the islands and the mainland carry not only bags full of gifts but also their cultural practices, experiences, and values, such as ideas about respect and dignity (53)

Thinking about this argument elaborate on how do Puerto Ricans defend their cultural legacy and community in the US beyond the parade? Expand on at least one example presented in the documentary.

On the Interviews

.Who do you interview and why?

.What values and/or ways of living resonated with you and how did you connect them to the discussion and sources in the classroom?

.Main takeaways: tell us about an idea or experience that stood out from the conversation.

Self-Care Practices

Discuss with three partners self-care practices you do and/or would like to do in the next couple of weeks?

What are your needs at the moments?

What things we can do in this classroom to honor those needs?

Janel Martinez is a Black Garifuna writer living in the diaspora. Her personal essay “Abuela’s Greatest Gift” thinks of her matrilineal lineage and examines how she connects with her Garifunidad. She underscores the “gifts” she has inherited: ancestral memory (historical/ spiritual connections to the homeland and its people);  truthful storytelling; historical awareness and visions for the future; survival; individual and collective self-love and oral traditions.

Class presentation (s):

Medrano,Matthew

Mendoza,Yari

Moran,Andy

Group Work

Pick ONE of the Garifuna traditions underscored by Martinez and describe how they impacted her as a diasporic woman.

.funeral rites (p. 215-216)

.punta dance (p. 216)

.food  (p. 218-219)

.language (p. 219-220)

Discussion Question

What are Janel Martinez’s reflections on the identity terms available to her and why she decided to emphasize her Black identity first? (p. 226-229)

0:55-11:50

ASYNCHRONOUS ASSIGNMENT (Deadline 3/8 before the class)

Instructions:

1. Watch the short documentary “A Story of the Garifuna” (Ben Petersen, 2013)

2. Read the personal essay “Abuela’s Greatest Gift” by Janel Martinez.

2. In the comment section down below answer ONE of the following prompts (25o-word minimum).

OPTION ONE

Based on Janel Martinez’s essay and the documentary elaborate on how Garifuna people in the diaspora learn, transmit and protect their culture. Bring specific examples from both the essay and the film.

OPTION TWO

Janel Martinez says that “my lived experience as a Garifuna woman born and raised in the Bronx is different than that of my family in Honduras” (227). How do Martinez and the documentary show the differences between Garifuna people living in Central America and those in the diaspora?

OPTION THREE

By referring to the essay and the documentary analyze the role of social and alternative media in adding complexity to Garifuna and Afro-Latinx identities in the US.

Agriculture and Drugs

Why Ramos argues that the labor conditions of farm workers and the addiction to methamphetamine are connected?

How seeing these social issues from a health and ecological perspective could possibly change the way they are addressed by institutions and the Latinx communities?

The Crystal Meth Epidemic Plaguing Fresno- Vice and Paola Ramos

In the Second half of this section of Finding Latinx, Paola Ramos touches upon reproductive health and the real and symbolic borders ostracizing Latinas and LGBTQ+ youth. Ramos also explores the correlation between gun violence, ethnic discrimination, and mental health.

Class Presentation (s)

Lopez,Sarah

Matias,Franly

Rhetorical and Concrete Violence Against Latines

The powerful memorial for the El Paso shooting’s youngest victim

El Paso as”ground zero” of the border debate [and violence]

The El Paso shooting, in many ways, was the culmination of all the stereotypes society has otherized us with, all the barriers society has pushed the Latinx down with and all the stigmas society has taught its members to internalize. It was a wound that exposed not just the pain that’s inflicted by piercing bullets but all the different manifestations and facets of that pain: the pain of longtime discrimination. (Ramos, 87)

Following and expanding on Ramos’ argument, how do anti-immigrant policy and rhetoric from politicians and media personalities, the rejection and dismantling of ethnic studies, patriarchal systems of oppression, and the lack of gun regulation are connected?