I. Historical Context
Harvest of Empire (Watch 4:10-11:40)
Key concepts
Imperialism is a policy or ideology of extending a country’s rule over foreign nations, often by military force or gaining political and economic control of other areas.
Colonialism is the policy of a country seeking to extend or retain its authority over other people or territories, generally aiming for economic dominance. In the process, colonizers may impose their religion, economics, and other cultural practices on the Indigenous peoples.
Puerto Rico
.After the Spanish-American War, Puerto Rico became a prize/colony under a new empire.
.U.S. companies benefitted from the unincorporated territory (colonial) status.
.Puerto Ricans on the island cannot participate in US political decisions.
.Imposed citizenship tied to the recruitment of soldiers and workers and to debilitate the pro-independence movement.
.Migration as a safety vault after World War II.
.Ongoing indifference and neglect from (and in) the U.S.
II. Puerto Ricans Building the Institutions for the Next Generations of Latinos by Clara Rodríguez
Central Question:
What is the legacy of the Puerto Rican community in New York City?
.In this essay, Clara E. Rodríguez’ s interest is in “how established ethnic communities have provided the historical base upon newer communities have developed.” (57)
.After World War I “subsequent Spanish-speaking groups built upon the established Puerto Rican communities in New York.” (58)
.Although their number were few and their communities small… (first paragraph, 59)
.But this Puerto Rican im (migration) took place… (second paragraph, 59)
. “The early immigrants entered a world where any departure from the white, nonethnic American- whether in language, accent, culture, or color- was often a basis for exclusion and discrimination.”
. “Those large numbers of Puerto Ricans who came after World War II… entered a system that embraced the entrenched assimilationist ethics of an earlier period. The diversity, cosmopolitanism, and international flavor that is much a part of New York today… was seldom acknowledged or taught during this hiatus period.” (60)
. “But this Latinos pushed ahead in spite of these reactions, and their children came together in the ‘Pa’lante,’ of ‘Forward’ rallying call. In so doing, they carved out new cultural and social spaces for Latinos” in NYC. (60)
III. “Puerto Rican Obituary”
Pedro Pietri (1944-2004)
Puerto Rican poet, playwright, performer, and founder of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. He was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. However, his family moved to New York City in 1947 when he was only three. After graduating from high school, Pietri worked various jobs until he was drafted into the Army and sent to fight in the Vietnam War. The experiences he faced in the Army and Vietnam, plus the discrimination he witnessed while growing up in New York, were the leading factors that would forge his personality and style of poetry.
Upon his discharge from the Army, Pietri affiliated himself with the Puerto Rican Civil Rights group The Young Lords.
In 1969, he read his poem, “Puerto Rican Obituary,” at one of the Young Lords’ events for the first time. The poem sketched the lives of five Puerto Ricans who came to the United States with unfulfilled dreams. By turns angry, heartbreaking, and hopeful, it was embraced by young Puerto Ricans imbued with a sense of pride and nationalism. It was a cry for social and cultural self-determination.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58396/puerto-rican-obituary
Group Question
. What social issues the poet is trying to put into perspective in “Puerto Rican Obituary”?
.What are the poem’s meanings of “death” and “dying”?
.What solutions does Pietri propose to these issues?
IV. Blackout Poetry Workshop
Instructions:
Today:
Creating the Blackout Poem:
- Read your chosen document several times, identifying noteworthy words or phrases.
- Using a pencil and then a black marker, carefully black out the words you do not want to include in your poem, leaving only the selected words visible.
- The goal is to create a poem that conveys a new counter-meaning or highlights themes from the original document.
For next week:
Polishing the Poem:
- Once the blackout process is complete with a pencil, review your poems and make any final adjustments.
- Consider how the remaining words flow together and if they effectively capture your intended message or emotion.
- Repeat the blackout process with a black marker.
Reflection and Sharing:
- After completing your blackout poem, you will write a short reflection (one page) on your process. You should consider why you chose certain words, what themes emerged, and how your poem connects to the historical context of the original document.