La celebración de la independencia

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/america_latina/2010/09/100916_mexico_fiesta_bicentenario_concluye_fp.shtml]

Me interesa esto artículo sobre las fiestas y celebraciones nuevas durante el día de independencia de españa. Yo se que este no es sobre la revolución pero pienso que es muy interesante sobre los costumbres de México y también su independencia de españa es todavia parte de nuestros estudios. ¿Qué piensan?

MARIA CANDELARIA

No hemos terminado de ver la película, pero me ha gustado lo que he visto. El sentimiento que demuestran todos los personajes es captado claramente en las escenas filmográficas. El paisaje es impresionante, me gustaría ir a visitar ese lugar en Xochimilco. Estoy ansiosa por saber en qué termina la peli. Espero que el martes tengamos la oportunidad de terminarla y podamos empezar a trabajar en las preguntas de la tarea.

La lucha Contra la Muerte

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129998884

Los periodistas estan tratando de luchar contra la violencia que han sufrido. Es como estan empezando a tener coraje y estan mostrando la ira que se sienten sobre todo que ha pasado.

Los hijos de la malinche

Hola clase!

He estado leyendo a Paz toda la semana y me está costando mucho entender su lectura. El vocabulario no está tan difícil pero igual me está enredando mucho este hombre. ¿Alguién esta igual que yo? Me imagino que mañana hablaremos al respect, solo tenía curiosidad de saber si era la única.

Heifer College Program

Heifer University for College and University Students

Heifer Ranch, Perryville, AR

October 29^th–31^st, 2010

What is Heifer University?

Heifer University is a multi-day, immersive program that will introduce participants to the mission and work of Heifer International.  Participants will spend the weekend immersed in Heifer’s theories and practices of sustainable development and will function as a “community of learners,” to come away with a better understanding of what Heifer is and how they can take action to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth.

Topics covered in Heifer U include:

   An Overview of World Hunger (including the root causes of hunger and poverty)

        A History of Heifer through the Decades: Constants and Challenges

        How Heifer Works in the Field with Project Partners

        The Cornerstones of Heifer's Values-Based Approach to Development

        Current Global Issues / Challenges Impacting Heifer's Work

        Heifer's Future Plans and Goals (and the challenge of meaningful growth)

What does this have to do with college and university students?

Heifer hopes to create communities of action on campuses around the country.  College students of today will be the innovators of tomorrow, and Heifer believes that college campuses are a great place to start a global change.  At this Heifer U designed specifically for college students we will additionally discuss:

·        Process of forming a Heifer Club on campus

·        Ways that participants can raise awareness of hunger related issues in their college community

·        Ideas for further collaboration between students and Heifer International

The program will be held at the Heifer Ranch Learning Center, and participants will have a chance to explore the Ranch’s Global Village and see firsthand how Heifer is a leader in the field of experiential education.

For more information, contact:

Todd.montgomery@heifer.org

www.heifer.org/heiferu

Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/heifercolleges!

Diferencia entre la colonizacion de Mexico y los EEUU

Que he pensado es la raza indigena de los EEUU fue casi exterminada por los ingleterras. Los espanoles fueron mas simpaticos verdad, pues no mataron casi todos los indigenas como hicieron los ingleterras. Porque puede ser? Fueron gente mas simpatico los espanoles o simplemente fue porque no trajeron tanto enfermedades fatales al Nuevo Mundo como los ingleterras? Mucha gente Americana ni sabe como es que las raza de Mexico es una mestije, o sea que hay gente con mas sangre indigena y otros con mas sangre espanol y por eso resulta en varias varaciones de gente (color de piel en Mexico). Yo tengo familia de espana pero "supuestamente" no tengo nada de sangre indigena (de los EEUU ni de Mexico). Entonces tengo sangre espanola y hablo espanol pero no, no soy Mexicana. Pero me molesta tanto cuando gente me pregunta "Por que hablas espanol, y eres una greenga"!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAYYYYYYYY como me molesta.....estupidos!

Mujeres antes y ahora

A mi parece que las mujeres de Mexico hoy todavia resemble mucho las de el siglo 20 por sus comportamiento y sus acciones. Por ejemple en Mexico hoy, una mujer que no mantiene su casa limpia es mala y una que no se arregla bien es considerada una mugrosa. A la mejor asi piensan aqui en los estados unidos tambien, pero en Mexico creo que las mujeres estan muy atrasadas y mas lejos de libertad como tienen las mujeres aqui.
En Mexico hoy, hay lugares que no permitan las mujeres, como un bar. Si va una mujer alli esta considerada como una "puta" o mujer de la calle. Otra cosa es que las mujeres no les permiten tomar, fumar, y algunas no pueden manejar. Y si las hacen donde no es permitida, las consideran como una rebelde o una basura simplemente.

Sitio Interesante

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103181125

Otro lider capturado!


I think it's nice to keep in mind that, in the middle of all the negativity surrounding the drug issue in Mexico, there are actually positive things happening.

Así vive México festejos del Bicentenario

Hola a todos,

Encontre este reportaje de la celebracion del bicentenario en Mexico. Espero que les sea util.


http://noticias.univision.com/bicentenario/article/2010-09-15/viven-festejos-del-bicentenario-mexico

High Security for Mexico's Celebrations

High Security as Mexico celebrates El Grito today:  Security for Mexican Indpendence Bicentennial Celebrations

NPR story on good news in Mexico in 2010

In Mexico, Good News Amidst the Bad

Enrique Krauze in today's NYTimes

In Mexico, A War in Every Century

Manifiestos

Me he divertido mucho con los manifiestos en clase. Creo que es una forma de exponer nuestro punto de vista y mostrar a los demas estudiantes que hay muchos desacuerdos, por la diversidad de este pais, y que quizas podemos hacer algo al respecto. Yo creo que nosotros, en Estados Unidos, no sentimos la necesidad de tener una revolucion. Aqui tenemos derechos humanos y oportunidades que no podriamos encontrar en muchos paises del mundo. Por ejemplo el estudio que ofrece el govierno para nuestros hijos, no es perfecto pero por lo menos todo chico o chica tiene derecho de recibir educacion gratis hasta ser mayor de edad. De acuerdo con Wide Angle, en India hay 40 millones de niños fuera de la escuela, y en Africa hay hast 70 estudiantes por clase con una sola maestra. Las familias en Africa desean comida para sus hijos, quieren que sobrevivan aunque no estudien. A mi me gustaria que toda la gente estudiara, sin importar la edad, sexo, religion, etc., para que puedamos dejar un mundo mejor para nuestros hijos.

Murales

Aquí es un artículo sobre unas pinturas y obras de la Revolución Méxicana como hablemos de en clase esta semana. Me interesa mucho. ¿Qué piensan?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/cultura_sociedad/2010/07/100716_murales_mexico_pl.shtml

Dona Barbara

La pelicula, hecho en 1943 es una cuenta de la sistema patrimonia, que existe parcialmente todovia en los partes rurales de Mexico, Centro America y America del Sur. La tema principal se trate de la contesta entre lo bueno y lo malo. Santos Luzardo quiere poner una valla entre la tierre de los rancheros de la llanura para mejorar la cultivacion de vacas. Dona Barbero quiere maintener la sistema de tierra abierta que han existido tradicionalmente aunque no es bueno para las intereses de la region y las trabajadores. Ella usa su encanto personal y hechizos de brujeria para atraer Luzardo

Mexico no es Colombia

   Obama rebuffs comparison of Mexico to Colombia

Read the NYT article above

Timeline

I wanted to post this website that I found...It has a timeline of the Mexican Revolution (including people and what they did with maps and pictures). I was still struggling a bit with getting everything in order but this helped a lot! Enjoy!

http://www.emersonkent.com/wars_and_battles_in_history/mexican_revolution.htm

Mexican Drug Carteles

In light of the massacre of some 72 Central and South American migrants, this article from the BBC discusses the power of the Zetas and includes a map of the regions controlled by Mexico's most powerful carteles.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11189017

Despues de leer las lecturas de Joseph y la discussion en la clase, me recuerde que la vida en tiempos del pasado y en otros partes del mundo era considerablemente mas dificil que my vida en Los Estados Unidos. No puedo pensar tanto horrible fue la revolucion de Mexico fue en terminos de muertos, hambre y tormento en comparision de mi vida aqui. Yo dice gracias a Dios que no ha sido en situaciones como la gente que vivia en este epoca.

Los Temas

Pienso que un tema más importante de esta novela es de que nunca sabe porque ellos están luchando. En el segundo parte en capítulo uno, dice "Porque si uno trae un fusil en las manos y las cartucheras llenas de tiros, seguramente que es para pelear. ¿Contra quién? ¿En favor de quieenes? ¡Eso nunca le ha importado a nadie!" Pienso que esta cita describe que los soldados revolucionarios no sabe porque están luchando. En la primera parte cada persona tiene una idea sobre porque ellos están luchando pero en realidad no hay una razón. También cuando la novia de Demetrio pregunta "¿Por qué pelean ya, Demetrio?" y él respondió "mira esa piedra cómo ya no se para". Es como ellos no saben ninguna manera otra de pelear o luchar en la revolución. En el fin de la novela los federales y los revolucionares son lucharon juntos. 

Pienso que es como un círculo. En la primera ellos no saben porque están luchando en la revolución y en el fin ellos todavia luchar porque ellos no saben algo diferente. Pienso que la oración final de la novela es muy importante para describir esto;

"Y al pie de una resquebrajadura enorme y suntuosa como pórtico de vieja catedral, Demetrio Macías, con los ojos fijos para siempre, sigue apuntando con el cañón de su fusil..." 

Luis Cervantes

Hay alguien que sabe lo que esta pasando con Luis Cervantes? Por que esta cambiando en una persona mas violenta y mas cinica? Yo creo que tiene algo para hacer con la desilucion de la guerra y luchando, pero me gustaria oir los pensamientos de ustedes!
Tambien, porque finge Luis Cervantes en la novela para querer casarse con la chica (que quiere Demetrio y que se viola El Margerito)? El no se parece quererla, y por eso me estoy preguntando que estaba pensando.

Los de Abajo "deshumanizacion"

Me impreciono mucho ver la cantidad de comparaciones de la gente con animales. "Como perros hambrientos"...... los revolucionarios. "Dejar de matar federales como se matan liebres o guajolotes!" "La Pintada se volvio un alacran." Y a las partes del cuerpo se les describe como partes de animales, por ejemplo: Patas, ancas, barrigas y alas. Ademas algunos prisioneros prefieren ser puercos que Carrancistas. Todas estas comparaciones y descripciones me dan la sensacion de que los animales son mejor que los humanos. Si nos ponemos a analizar la situacion actual, quizas nos demos cuenta de que no hemos cambiado mucho.

En mi opinion, una de las themas mas evidente es que los revolucionarios estaban totalmente a favor a la revolucion mexicana. Sin embargo, los Federales no quieren luchar mucho; no tienen bastante entrenimiento y no tienen el deseo a defender su causa. Puede que sea la opinion del autor pero yo tengo la impression que las revolucionarios eran tanto disatisfachas con la sistema de clase y sus existencias de probre. Sera interesante a ver exactamente mas la revolucion mexicana ha mejorado la vida mexicana hoy.

Música dedicada a Tina Modotti

Tina Modotti, una fotógrafo italiana, es una de las figuras más interesantes entre la comunidad extranjera que tomaron parte en la Revolución Mexicana.  La versión de "La Adelita" que escuchamos hoy en clase viene de un disco compacto dedicado a ella.  Aquí está el vínculo:  http://www.amazon.com/Roses-Dedicated-Memory-Concha-Modotti/dp/B002SXWR0S/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1283278109&sr=8-5 .  La música de este disco es muy bonita y funcionaría bien como banda sonora para esta clase...

También deben hacer una búsqueda "google" para ver algunas de las fotos de Modotti.  Son impresionantes.  Yo tengo en mi oficina un libro de sus fotos que traeré a clase para compartir con Uds.

La gente de historia

Ma hace muy confudida la mucha gente de la historia mexicana. No puedo seperar las personas diferentes ni recordarme quien es quien (Madera, Diaz, etc). Hay alguien que tiene un camino facil para memorizar/recordar la gente y sus ideas? Encontre a un sitio en que explica los ideas de alguna de la gente (Los maderistas, los zapatistas, etc)... http://redescolar.ilce.edu.mx/redescolar/act_permanentes/historia/html/cantando_revolucion/maderistas.htm

Pero todavia tengo problemas tratando de recordar la gente.

Que Mujeres Tan Valientes!

Es interesante e impresionante leer que las mujeres, como siempre muy valientes, fueron participes de esta revolucion. Y como no iban a serlo, despues de tantas injusticias y abusos por parte de los federales. El libro las describe de piel morena, con ojos blancos y dientes de marfil. Mujeres que iban de un lado a otro, con revolveres en la cintura y valas en unos cinturones que cargaban en el pecho. Muchas mujeres parecen indefensas, pero cuando son oprimidas pueden ser mas valientes que algunos hombres, sobre todo cuando alguien les lastima a sus hijos.

Los de Abajo

Es obvio que Demetrio representa un heroe de la Revolucion Mexicana. En las primeras paginas del libro el tiene las ideas nobles de un revolucionario clasico, con mucho valor pero compasion tambien. Los revolucionarios que sirven bajo el tiene buen respecto y confidencia para su lider. Demitrio no es soldado professional pero ayuda la revolucion por que el la piensa es un causa beneficia para la clase trabajadora y el progreso de Mexico a una sistema mas justo.

Los de Abajo

En clase estamos leyendo Los de Abajo y aquí son mis primeros pensamientos:
Ya leí el libro pero en ingles (hasta muchos años) pero no recuerdo mucho. Pienso que el vocabulario es un poco dificil porque del contexto social del libro. También pienso que los personajes principales (demetrio, antonio, quail, etc.) son comícos (por ejemplo: cuando ellos están hablando durante la lucha contra los federales).
A mi me gusta información sobre la revolución mexicana y por eso me gusta el libro. ¿Qué piensa (alguien) sobre Demetrio? ¿Él es el lider? porque a veces pienso que Antonio es el lider de los revolucionarios...estoy confundido sobre esta idea!

Gracias para la ayuda

Megan

Anuncios México 2010

UALR Gallery Opens Two Exhibits to Celebrate Mexico 2010

 

UALR’s Gallery Program presents “El Grito (The Cry for Independence)” and “Drawings of Mexico” beginning Aug. 16 in the UALR Fine Arts Building — a part of the Arkansas Mexico 2010 Celebration.

“El Grito,” exhibiting the work of more than 30  contemporary artists with ties to the Mexican-American experience, will be on display from Aug. 16 to Oct. 10. in Galleries I and II.  In Gallery III, “Drawings of Mexico” by Louis Freund, will be displayed from Aug. 16 to Sept. 22.
Many of these artists deal with issues of identity in a social-political context, including immigration — a poignant issue that often evokes a polemic discourse.  Artists are not shying away from this conversation and the artworks being created deal with notions of borders and boundaries.
Louis and Elsie Freund, who in the 1950s created the Department of Art at what was then Little Rock Junior College and grew to be UALR, traveled to Mexico to draw on location at many of the now famous archeological sites. This series of drawings feature The Pyramid of the Sun and Moon, Mitla, and Olmec sites.
The Arkansas Mexico 2010 Project is a university-community collaboration between the Mexican Consulate in Little Rock, UALR, the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock, and the William J. Clinton Foundation. The goal is to encourage and coordinate local events that highlight the history of Mexico and United States-Mexican relations and to encourage the discussion of present and future bi-national development.
Support for this exhibition series has been provided by the UALR Art Department, UALR Friends of the Arts, and the UALR Office of Campus Life.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Following Labor Day, weekend hours of Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday 2  to 5 p.m. will be in effect. The galleries are closed on university holidays.

Looking forward to reading the new blogs

Dr. Finzer,

I'm glad to see you're blog in action again. I look forward to reading your students' insights and views on the Mexican Revolution.

Welcome, UALR Students!

August 2010, start posting here en español o en inglés! 

variedad de temas

Lo que me impresiono mucho de las presentaciones algo muy sencillo y obvio pero importante. cuando yo decia a personas de que se trataba esta clase, se burlaban de mi por decir que eso es lo mas especifico curso que hay. pero al escuchar a las lecturas y las presentaciones, se da cuenta que hay un monton de informacion que cubrir. en todo que ha aprendido de los libros y peliculas, todavia hay mucho que me falta a entender.

Cenizas de Izalco y la historia de dos amantes.

Las circunstancias históricas entre los países de los principales protagonistas de la novela son muy distintas. El Salvador del 1931 esta pasando por una etapa represiva , pues los campesinos descontentos se manifiestan rodeando el fuerte de la Guardia Nacional, y muchos hombres de clase social influyente apoyan la intervencion del general Martinez. Hay intereses economicos por parte del gobierno, y los campesinos viven en pobreza.

Frank acaba de librar tambien otro tipo de guerra, contra el alcoholismo, y se propone realizar su sueño de visitar Méjico y las ruínas de los templos mayas; y muy oportunamente su amigo Vigil, quien esta viviendo en El Salvador como misionero, invita a Frank, quien pasara varios meses con Vigil y tendra la opotunidad de conocer a Farabundo Marti. Frank se enamora de Elena y quiere hacerla feliz, llevarla consigo fuera de su pais, ofrecer una vida mejor a sus hijos, pero Isabel rechaza la oferta, pues no cree que es  Esta ha decidido dejar un diario a su hermana Eugenia, quien se lo entrega a Carmen. El diario de Isabel es un testimonio confidencial que Isabel quiere entregar a su hija para que esta entienda los notivos que tuvo su madre al decidir que no debia dejar a su esposo para seguir a Frank.

El volcan de Izalco es superior a las fuerzas humanas. Frank esta muy deprimido y recurre al alcohol para sofocar su desilusion y dolor, pero dio la razon a Elena al reconocer que 'la gente de Santa Ana se han alimentado de los temores y los prejuicios de sus conquistadores.", Una posible referencia a las convenciones patriarcales de la sociedad en que Elena vivio. 

 

Devin Larsen
Profesora Finzer
Blog Extra crédito
Bueno creo que hay muchas maneras en que los textos literarios y también culturales son buenos para estudiar la historia de un país. Algunos de los ideas en que puedo pensar son: el punto de vista, sea de un paisano o de extranjero. Por medio de los videos y textos, podemos ver realmente estas tiempos en la historia, especialmente por los textos porque son como testimonios de la gente o hechos de un país.
Primer creo que el punto de vista es la mas importante en la historia de otros países. Me imagino que las personas que estuvieron allí cuando pasaban guerras, bodas, muertes, adelantamientos tecnológicas o científicas, y otras cosas así, que estas personas saben mejor que nosotros lo que realmente paso y quien estuvo o lo hizo. Si soy extranjero de un país, aun si hablo el idioma, no voy a recordar todo lo que aprendo acerca de esta país y cambiaria sin pensar en hacerlo la historia hasta un punto. Pasara con cual quier persona, porque cada uno recuerda en su propio manera y ajuste la realidad de las cosas en su propio mente. Por eso es importante a estudiar lo que escribieron la gente y hicieron visualmente para el próxima generación. La gente van a escribir sobre lo que paso y que esta pasando hoy DIA. En esta manera logramos, vemos, y leemos los sentimientos, pasiones, dolores, sueños, y esperanzas de los paisanos en aquel tiempo cuando pasaron por tantas problemas o cumplimientos. De vez en cuando va hacer un poco difícil a entender algunas de las historias porque la manera de hablar siempre esta cambiando con los dialectos y el “Slang.” Entonces los textos y películas son buenos para estudiar porque nos dan una visual, sea por la imaginación o algo que podemos ver realmente. Creo que la única cosa de lo que uno tiene que cuidar es el punto de vista. Como dije antes que depende en el punto de vista, especialmente con guerras, la historia cambia mucho por los ojos de un niño, una mujer, y un hombre.

Central America called free of antipersonnel mines

This is an interesting, short read, Nicaragua says it's done removing any remaining antipersonnel mines and that this means Central America is now free of them to the best of their knowledge.

Here is a link to the story

El uso de Textos Culturales para el Estudio de la Historia

Los textos culturales sirven como una buena herramienta para el estudio de la historia. Especialmente cuando queremos conector bien con los sentimientos de la gente. Eso digo por que nos dejan lograr un sentido de las emociones crudas de los personajes involucrados en la situación y podemos recibir sus testimonios sin haberlos sido diluidos por el gobierno o la censura. Yo separo el gobierno y la censura por que aprendimos de Roque Dalton que no es solamente el gobierno que puede censurar. Como dice en su poema Lógica Revi “…Una autocrítica equivale al suicidio.”

Pero, también hay que examinar cada obra por sus meritos por que, como hablábamos en clase, la literatura comprometida existe y es importante hacernos concientes cuando estamos trabajando con aquella. Aun, no es que la literatura comprometida no nos enseña, sino que es importante estudiar el otro punto de vista también. Especialmente si tenemos la meta de presentar nuestro conocimiento sin parcialidad.

Sin Nombre

One part that I found very interesting in Sin Nombre is where Smiley is talking to the other young kids. He shows them him gun, and tells them he is going to kill Casper. What impresses me about the scene is the look on the other kids faces. They all want to be like him and are very envious that he is in the Salvatrucha and that he has a gun.

It must be very interesting in real life when all the 10-12 year old kids start to see the older teenagers start to get involved in la mara. It is sad to see how much the young kids look up to the members of the la mara, because they dont have much hope for a better life.

History in Literature

How much of history is reflected in our literature? Literature acts a social sponge or net, absorbing and reflecting important events. By studying history through literature we take a slice of our culture and examine our foundation, often times from a different perspective than what enters our history books. I would argue that literature incorporates more the application what happens than the dates it occurred. Hand in hand with the historical facts and dates we get a clear understanding of historical events.
Insenszatez was a book that perfectly describes the use of literature in a historical context. I enjoyed this book not only for the testimonies in the text but also because it showed the changes that history reflected in the literature can have on the individual.
It is easy to look at testimonies and see their historical significance. They are eyewitness accounts of historical events that define us. The movies that showed these testimonies impacted me more than the books or poems we read. Seeing and not just reading gives a very different effect. I enjoy reading because I, as the reader, get to give the characters and events my own view and opinion, but hearing those same words from the voice and with feeling of the person that wrote them makes such a strong difference. Instead of using my eyes and interpretation I get to see it through them.
In the personal accounts and testimonies it is easy to see the historical significance, but in novels and poems me are forced to look a little deeper. It is a great way to indirectly educate the people and maintain a level of understanding. History will always be incorporated in literature. It is something I was excited to discover during this class and hope to continue discovering.

Mojado

I thought this song/video from Ricardo Arjona (guatemalteco) is relevant to our topic in Central American issues.

Check it out…. There are others but this is one of the most recent that I know.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3ztl5_ricardo-arjona-mojado_music

aqui esta la letra

Empaco un par de camisas un sombrero su vocación de aventurero seis consejos 7 fotos mil recuerdos empaco sus ganas de quedarse su condición de trasformarse en el hombre que soñó y no a logrado dijo adiós con una mueca disfrazada de sonrisa y le suplico a su Dios crucificado en la repisa resguardo de los suyos y perforo la frontera. si la luna suave se desliza por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno por que el mojado precisa comprobar con visas que no este neptuno, el mojado tiene ganas de secarse el mojado esta mojado por las lagrimas que bota la nostalgia el mojado el indocumentado carga el bulto que legal no cargaria ni obligado el suplicio de un papel lo ha convertido en fugitivo y no es de aqui por que su nombre no aparece en los archivos y es de alla por que se fue si la luna suave se desliza por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno por que el mojado precisa comprobar con visas que no este neptuno mojado sabe a mentira tu verdad sabe a tristeza la ansiedad de ver un primo y soñar con la vereda que conduce hasta tu casa. Mojado mojado de tanto llorar sabiendo que algún lugar te espera un beso haciendo pausa desde el dia que te marchaste. si la luna suave se desliza por cualquier cornisa sin permiso alguno por que el mojado precisa comprobar con visas que no este neptuno. si la visa universal se extiende el día que nacemos y caduca en la muerte por que te persiguen mojado si el consul de los cielos ya te dio permiso.

Dr. Finzer, perhaps you can add this element to your future presentations/classes if time allows.

Guernica Magazine - Moyas Interview

I just stumbled across this article from Guernica Magazine in which they interview Castellanos Moya after the election of Funes in El Salvador. Thought I'd pass it along to the class, very interesting to hear about how his writing correlates to his political views.

http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/959/our_reality_has_not_been_magic/

Andrew

School of the Americas

So I have been doing my final paper about Torture in Central America.  Erin pointed me towards the School of the Americas.  Basically, it was (and is but under a different name) a military school ran by the US that has been accused of teaching methods leading to human rights violations.  According to Wikipedia page, there are some pretty high profile people that can be called products of the school.  I found a great site at http://www.soaw.org/ which publicizes a lot of the allegations surrounding the school.  Pretty interesting stuff.

Jake

Experiencing the gangs

When I was in Costa Rica on my mission my companion and I were robbed at gun point. It was dark so it was difficult to see clearly but the guns they used appeared to be homemade, similar to what was shown in Sin Nombre. All four of the men that robbed us were covered in tattoos. They took our stuff and everything turned out fine in the end but it was interesting watching the movie and reading the book today. It really starts to hit how real it all is. Sometimes I think we find ourselves living in a bubble oblivious to the real world. Either because we live distracted lives or simply because we dont want to the dust we try to sweep under the rug.

ksl.com - Gang members burn bus in El Salvador, killing 14

ksl.com - Gang members burn bus in El Salvador, killing 14

Another senseless killing in Central America. This one caught my attention because of the gangs we talked about in class today. The gang involved in this attack was 18, the rivals of the Salvatrucha.

The Tatooed Soldier

I thought this book was very interesting. I brought up the contrast of Jose Juan and Antonio in the family situation. I found this intriguing because Jose Juan has everything to make him happy in the family department but chooses to run into the arms of another woman. His wife was worried that he would find a "gabacha" and instead he just found another Mexicana. It actually made me sad because I have met families where the father has two families one in his home country to who he sends money every month and a family in the United States. More often however, the father just cuts ties to his first family and keeps his US family. It's sad.

Antonio on the other hand had a family and although his relationship was a wreck he sees now that he had everything he had ever wanted and now lost it all. He tends to see Elena as a sort of patron Saint. I think it is interesting that he has no family ties that force him to stay away from other women but chooses to avoid starting another relationship.

On an unrealated note, I also personally think that Longoria would have gone crazy if he had a family and his son was shot in the same manner that Lopez lost his son. I think that all the maldades que hicieron los jaguares subieron al fondo e hizo que Lopez se volviera loco. Longoria was way to brainwashed to realize that he is crazy for other reasons.

Politics in the Tatooed Soldier

Some thoughts on the Tattoed Soldier. Tobar, the author, wrote for the LA Times and even won a shared prize for the coverage of the LA Riots, which brings extreme authority to his details provided in the novel. I liked the book. The detail was great and the plot, as simple as it may be, was intriguing. To see the baggage that both Antonio and Longoria brought with them from Guatemala to a crazed LA was interesting and showed the truth that not all is done once you've cross "La Frontera", the conditions of living in the war ravaged and politically strewn countries of Centroamerica leave people and families scarred for generations.

If you get the chance watch the film "De Nadie" or "Wetback", both documentaries about the boarder crossing situations and all that people from Centroamerica are trying to escape only to find that the Steel Beast of 'El Tren' and the viciousness of 'Las Maras' often cannot be escaped. Indeed the idea that the US boarder is difficult to cross is pale in comparison to what the people of Central America have to go through just to enter into Mexico. Having watched both of these films and reading Tattooed Soldier I've learned a lot about Centroamerica and what the results of political mayhem can be...or better yet, I've become aware, with a lot yet to learn.

How do you think Hector Tobar feels about the current Immigration issues taking place in Arizona and Texas?

Life in Honduras and Perhaps most of Central America

http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/

The above link is for the blog of a gringa living in Honduras. You may find her insight into the poor country very fascinating. She is currently documenting the mistreatment of a poor young woman and her baby. Its a devastating story, and is a reality for most citizens in Central America.

Tattooed Soldier

I have really enjoyed reading this novel. One thing that stands out to me if the use of Chess. Antonio first seems Longoria playing chess in the park. However, what is interesting is how the author jumps back and between narrating Antonio and Longorias point of view, much like chess pieces move back and forth. The novel is very masterfully worded and was a very interesting read. It also goes into a lot of detail and explains a lot about the Guatemalan civil war and has helped my understanding of events that happened there.

Police Violence

I saw this video and it made me think about the difference between the protections we enjoy in the US vs. Guatemala, Honduras Etc. I am not saying the officer was right or wrong, but the fact that we are protected by checks and balances for even a punch to the face during an altercation we may have been responsible for is a huge blessing vs. the atrocities that can be committed in Centroamerica with no repercussions. My stomach turns when I see the young lady get punched. I can't even begin to imagine how I would feel seeing my neighbors beaten or killed, knowing nothing is there to prevent me and my children from being next. Here is the link http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/20360943#video=20360943

"La Prueba"

I actually like where this story was going quite a bit and enjoyed its writing style. I wish there was more to read on it. I finished this reading wanting to learn more about the young boy and more of his imaginative perceptions on the nature of God and life...

Graphic Narrative Version of Honduran Coup

http://www.alternet.org/images/slideshows/houduras_coup/illustration.php

Important stuff

I am a teller at a credit union here in the valley and do a lot of work with latinos because everyone needs a bank account, right?  Anyway, though most of the people I help are from Mexico, I do know several who are from Central America.  It's very interesting to me now to speak to these people because of the stories and facts I have learned in this course.  I view their lives differently than I did before learning about the turmoil many of them lived in.  It's important stuff to know and really has broadened my world view.

Jake

Incensatez

I lament missing class yesterday because I really wanted a chance to discuss Incensatez with the class and hear your thoughts. For me the book was somewhat peculiar, if that's the word I am looking for. It came and went kind of like one of those little dust devils that come up out of summer's breeze, spinning and controlling it's tiny space, then settling back down having seemingly come from nowhere. At first I was annoyed by our subjects apparent lack of sincerity, and disconnect from the feelings and emotions of those living in the world around him, but for some reason caring for those he was reading about. I soon realized however that most of the time we are in his mind, and our actions don't always match out thought's(though he seemed a bit more brazen than most). I think this disconnect and conceit, which he expresses through the way he treats the women as meat, and rarely refers to people he encounters by their names, preferring to give them nicknames like, "the man with the mustache" etc., is probably the only thing that allows him to get through the work that was put before him. While the ending certainly certainly causes you to believe that all his paranoia was justified, I am still deciding if the email was real or part of a delusion. What do you think?

As I was reading the Blogs I noticed one that talked about how much of what we are reading is fact, not fiction. I thought it was so interesting that many times as i read these eye witness accounts or personal stories it is so easy to discard them as just that, a story. By remembering that they are actual events it makes what we are studying just that much more important and the massive amounts of reading almost tolerable! (almost)

ksl.com - Honduran journalist shot dead, 9th slain this year

ksl.com - Honduran journalist shot dead, 9th slain this year

I read the news today about another reporter being killed in Honduras. So far, there have been 9 reporters murdered since the coup in June of last year. Its sad to think that in many places you can lose your life for writing about what you think. Violence seems to rule the minds of many Central American countries still. Intolerance for different ideas led to problems in the past, in the present, and I imagine it will do the same in the future.

Insensatez

Honestly I think I enjoyed this book more after I realized that it was based on real events (That was most definitely an "ah ha" moment for me).

A few things that stuck out to me in the book was when the narrator talked about how he was going to write a book. He goes into some detail about how he was going to base the book off of a man who was responsible for recording the names of the dead. Later the military would find out about the book and the man and search after him. The keeper of the book would die after hiding the book and the rest of the story would involve the spirit of the book keeper leading someone to the book so that his name could be recorded and he could rest in peace. I thought it was interesting because the narrator said that he would write a best selling realismo magica and show up all the other authors. It was funny to me because I thought that he was totally stuck on himself and cynically sneering at that genre of writing. However, I think at that point I could see how his work on the editing was actually impacting him. He was reading enough testimonies to have an understanding enough to actually write about a native hiding something from the army and how the army would react.

JC

Noticias de Guatemala

Yesterday also, four decapitated heads where discovered in prominent places of the city. Messages where attached to the heads directed at the Ministry of the Interior and the prison system. The real intent of this gruesome display of violence can also be interpreted as a very clear statement of the dark forces that promote impunity in Guatemala, who felt empowered after Dr. Castresana resigned. The groups wanted to send an unequivocal message to the population, to the justice system and to the President of Guatemala.

Castresana said: "The problem is that in Guatemala, criminal organizations had never been confronted. CICIG is doing it, but so is the Prosecutor General's Office and the Judiciary. Let's say it: we are looking the monster in the face, we are holding its gaze, and it is reacting. The question is: Where were Guatemalans at the most critical moments of this Commission? We are not making the effort in the interest of the United Nations or the people that make up CICIG. We are working for Guatemalans, but if you [do not support our efforts] and do not take charge of your destiny, after a while nothing will be left."

See complete link if you want the rest of the story....

http://www.guatemala-times.com/news/guatemala/1670-shake-up-in-guatemala-after-un-commissioner-castresana-resigns.html

Asociaciones latinas piden Nobel para Micheletti

 Esto es una buena noticia para Honduras y Micheletti
 Felisa
http://www.elheraldo.hn/Hondure%C3%B1os%20en%20el%20extranjero/Ediciones/2009/12/18/Noticias/Asociaciones-latinas-piden-Nobel-para-Micheletti

Email de la Profesora

Me sorprendí mucho de recibir las noticias de la profesora de lo que pasó recién en Guatemala en cuanto a las personas que fueron decapitadas. Es increíble que lo que estamos aprendiendo en clase todavía está pasando hoy en día. Me gusta que tenemos la oportunidad de aprender sobre las luchas y los desafíos de la gente de Centroamérica, a fin de que reconozcamos mejor las libertades que tenemos en nuestro paíz y que busquemos maneras para ayudar donde podamos. Los temas tocados me han ayudado "abrir mis ojos".

Senselessness

I am still not finished with this novel, but it is probably the most enjoyable read I have ever had in a school assigned book. The thing that impresses me most is how the book is written. The narrators emotions are very well conveyed. I can easily tell through the reading how he begins to feel paranoid, and how all his emotions start going crazy as he begins to sort of struggle to separate the two worlds he is in. After this class I will be very interested to check out other works by Moya.

I just gotta write in english because my laptop is being stupid and wont put the accents on right, see for yourselfs. por ejemplo: me gustar´´ia tener los acentos pero mi laptop no est´´a funcionando bien, entonces escribir´´e en ingles!
Lame I know. Anywho all these books and movies we read and watch are pretty depressing but at the same time kind of inspiring, but mostly sad. I think it is great and all how the pueblos come together and help each other but its horrible that the government is fighting agains their own people. Maybe they should have used communication a little better and used the "I feel" language. "I feel you are a communist". And maybe if they just comminicated a little better they could have avoided this whole conflict and lots of deaths.

Diarrea: la causa principal de muerte entre niños

http://www.contrapunto.com.sv/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3185%3Anoticias-de-el-salvador-contrapunto&catid=92%3Aultimas-noticias

Civil War

The films that we have been watching in class have deeply impacted my thought process about America and Central America. I wish I could change the world. The horrible mistreatment of man towards another, makes me so sad. The poor children who grow up in this atmosphere. As we have watched the children in the movies, I think they become jaded. They are so accustomed to abuse and mistreatment by the government and adults, that they only learn fear. I regret the participation of the United States that led to the further suffering of these people. I found it ironic in the movie of Alsino y el condor, the American was fighting for the people that we keeping education from the masses. But, if you remember he kept telling the boy to study. Where was he suppose to study of the army had closed all the schools. I think everyone was confused about what they were fighting for, which led to more and more tragedies.

New Show at Clark Planetarium

This is a new show in the dome theater at the planetarium. It's called "Tales of the Maya Skies"
Here is a link to the trailer http://www.clarkplanetarium.org/shows/view/id/60

Quick Doc

Al azar encontré un documental breve que se trata de las persecuciones de las mujeres en Guatemala. También muestra miles y miles de documentos del gobierno de Guatemala que recién encontraron y que fueron escondidos por muchos años para guardar en silencio la mala práctica del gobierno de Guatemala durante la Revolución... Se relaciona mucho con lo que estamos leyendo en Insensatez, es una situación muy parecida. Pretty interesting...

Copy this into your browser:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70sB6okXDzA

BTW, I think we should have class outside more often. :)

El Salvador Elections in 2004

I came across these articles while doing research. I thought it was interesting that one of the interviewed men said that it reminded him of the 80's and all the intervention from the US during the civil war.

http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/elections/elsalvador/

http://us.oneworld.net/article/is-us-interfering-el-salvadors-election

Check out this film website

Movies featuring indigenous peoples of Central America:
http://www.nativeamericanfilms.org/central.html

China and CAFTA

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/may/31/china-cafta-central-americahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/may/31/china-cafta-central-america

Los Movimientos Revolucionarios

I think that its really interesting that La Mujer Habitada makes a point of comparing Lavinia's struggle against modern despotism to Itza's struggle against the spanish conquistadores. Revolutions and struggles of the past are generally viewed in a different light than contemporary revolutions/struggles. For example the struggle of the indigenous americans against the spanish conquistadores is generally considered a heroic fight against oppression, whereas the more modern struggles in Central America against military dictatorships are judged more skeptically. Also the American revolutionaries are seen as heroes but most modern revolutionaries are seen as criminals or miscreants. That's not to say that all revolutions are just, and maybe the test of time is needed to be able to judge a revolution fairly, but I think that Belli was conscious of these perception when she made the comparison between the two struggles. Also, for wednesday we're only supposed to read the Rigoberta Menchu/David Stoll stuff, right?

Al Gore the Poet - Literatura comprometida?

hear it directly from him or read it..... judge for yourself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbBhMnlXBTE

One thin September soon
A floating continent disappears
In midnight sun

Vapors rise as
Fever settles on an acid sea

Snow glides from the mountain
Ice fathers floods for a season
A hard rain comes quickly
......

Then dirt is parched
Kindling is placed in the forest
For the lightning's celebration
.......

The shepherd cries
The hour of choosing has arrived
Here are your tools

Bananas!

I was reading the Wikipedia article about the United Fruit Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Fruit_Company) and noticed that today the Company is formally known as Chiquita Brands International.  I don't know about you but bananas look a little different while shopping for groceries.  It's really interesting to me to see how connected I am to a piece of Central American history.  In other Spanish classes I have taken for my major I have found that things seem so distant.  Yes it is interesting to learn about Evo Morales or what not but this United Fruit Company contriversy has seem a little closer to home than other topics. 

Jake

Honduras coup still divides Latin America

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/world/americas/06honduras.html?hpw

The Inhabited Woman

I've been reading the book and so far it is pretty intense. After you get past the romantic stuff it got my attention. I can't imagine what I would do if I was put in a position to choose between a normal life and an underground secret life. It really humanizes the people you hear about in the newspapers and other media, which is something I find to be very worthwhile. Similar to the movie we watched in class, when the characters are shown as humans with feelings and goals we seem to have more empathy towards them. That is what this world lacks in my opinion.

Sobreviviendo....

I really enjoyed this film. It was very interesting to see how the people were portrayed. It is interesting to see the message of the film that is directed to the people of El Salvador and how they can progress in the future. I am not sure how it is in El Salvador, but I know in Guatemala there still remains conflict and problems for those who had family members who were guerrillas. Hopefully the message resonated with the people of El Salvador and they have been able to put the past behind them in order to make a stronger future. There needs to be unity in the country in order for that to happen.

Sobreviviendo Soyapango

Cuando vi la película me recordé de todo lo que me salve. El lenguaje es bastante fuerte y sin duda vulgar, pero puedo decir que es muy representativo del hablado de muchos de los salvadoreños. Noté como cuando se dirigían a los muertos no se les hablaba vulgarmente, de lo contrario, se les dirigía con mucho respeto. Cuando se expresaba enojo, frustraciones o burlas sí se llena de visiones de prostitutas y pendejos. Me pregunto si el lenguaje vulgar sirve como una manera de desahogarse de las muchas y largas opresiones.

I really enjoyed the movie that we watched in class last week. I am a history major, but since the U offers little to no classes on Central American history, I really lacked knowledge about all that had happened in Guatemala. I was impressed by the strength of the people, and their desire to stand up to the government. They fought for their rights. Not rights like you and I have, but basic human rights. Rights they had been denied by powerful men and government. They wanted to be treated fairly, and like the were a valuable part of Guatemala and the population of the world. I am grateful for men and women who take the time to bring these part of history to my attention.

Cristo campesino

The credits for the new image placed above belong to www.indigoarts.com, which features an archival gallery of the work of Nicaraguan artist, José Ignacio Fletes Cruz.  Fletes Cruz paints in the "pintura naíf" style.  During the Sandinista Revolution, he painted testimonial images for the Gospel of Solentiname, a liberation theology text that presents a socialist reading of the gospels, by Nicaraguan priest, poet and then Minister of Culture, Ernesto Cardenal.  Solentiname was an artists' commune in the early years of the Sandinista Revolution of visual artists and poets who worked collectively to promote popular art throughout the Nicaraguan countryside.  Much of the art and poetry that was produced in Solentiname was testimonial in nature.

Cenizas de Izalco

He leído en el pasado unos poemas de Claribel Alegría. Muchos de los mismos temas están en Cenizas de Izalco: el rol en la sociedad de la mujer y el hombr, la vilencia, la corrupción, la pobreza y la naturaleza. Me interesa la manera en que Alegría utiliza Frank y Carmen para dar dos puntos de vista. Sin embargo, en mi opinión, la novela no demuestra el mismo nivel de ira ni temor que surgen en sus poemas. No pude encontrar este libro en español y es posible que la traducción falta la emoción que he visto antes. Les recomiendo "Hacia la edad jurásica", "Eramos tres" o "Tamalitos de Cambray" para ver la diferencia.

El Silencio De Neto

El Silencio de Neto demuestra una perspectiva distinta de lo que yo esperaba. Me gustó que pudimos aprender sobre el impacto de la revolución desde la perspectiva de un niño imaginativo como Neto. Al experimentar los cambios en el país de aquel tiempo de esta manera, aprende sobre el impacto más con respeto a la familia que a la nación en si. Por éso me gustó la película.

Reading for Wednesday

Does anyone remember what the readings are for Wednesday?

Thanks,

Scott

Sandino's influence

Sandino's life and consequent mythology are very interesting to me. When I was reading about him and his ability to invoke fear in his enemies and hope into his people I couldn't help but relate it to the legends of America. For example, when reading about him made me think of all the stories and anecdotes of Lincoln and and Washington and how they had so much virtue and character. I've read a number of things about both and i can't think of any negative thing said about either of them. Along the same lines it seems like Sandino is just one of those once a generation people who have the charisma to continue influencing even after they've passed on. The only real negative thing said about Sandino is his relationships with women. Unfortunately that was a black spot for him, nevertheless, he's been able to help so many of his countrymen despite this one bad aspect.

Después De Las Bombas

I just finished this book by Arturo Arias, and loved it. It covers the political unrest in Guatemala beginning in 1954 and continues on into the early 1970's. It also covers the revolution in 1944 briefly. It's a really cool book. It uses magical realism to tell the story of a young kid growing up in war-torn Guatemala, and reveals the political instability of the nation, as well as the fear and very limited freedom of the people. Its really intense and often graphic, and although the violence and oppression is intentionally exaggerated, it definitely made me feel fortunate to have grown up in a time and place that is so relatively safe and peaceful. Its also a really fast and easy read (at least in english), and it's actually kind of funny (in an ironic and sometimes disturbing way). I think I'm going to write my final paper on this, and I'd recommend it if anyone is undecided on their topic.

Eye Opening Education

Its really interesting to learn about the history of Guatemala and its civil wars that its been having, particularly in recent decades. I had the opportunity to go there a few years ago and had no idea that the people had only recently been through so much civil warfare (and in many cases were still going through it). It was so apparent in the people’s humble faces that they had been through struggles in their life, but I had no idea to what extent their trials had escalated. Having learned more from reading these pieces of literature and seeing the documentary in class the other day are very motivating to go back to better appreciate what the people you meet have been through.

Agatha

¿Han visto la ira de la tormenta tropical Agatha en Centroamérica?  A propósito, los desastres naturales muchas veces han tenido efectos no previstos en la política y la historia de la región...

http://www.laprensagrafica.com/el-salvador/social/121145-tormenta-agatah-ya-toco-tierra-salvadorena.html

El Silencio de Neto

It was interesting to watch this movie and think about what it may have been like to live in Guatemala at this time. Seeing the different characters in the movie made me think on the different types of people in this time. From the father and the uncle having disagreements over the current political situation, the brother who becomes very politically active and ends up vanishing, and also the in the schools yards when the girls start teasing Neto, accusing him of having a 'revolutionary' for a father.

I thought this movie was very well done. When I first read what the movie was about, I basically thought it was just gonna be a movie based on the history of Guatemala for two hours. However the movie was very interesting and enjoyable to watch. The filmmaker did a great job in making a good story but also showing how it would have been to live in Guatemala during that time.

Class 5/26

I missed class on Wednesday, due to being in the hospital with some pregnancy complications, and am wondering if anyone would email me their notes from class and let me know what I missed!?!?  I would really appreciate it!

Thank you!
My email is: aubriesmyth@gmail.com

~Aubrie

El silencio de Neto y Cenizas de Izalco

Pienso que El silencio de Neto es una buena representación de lo que la clase alta pudo experimentar mientras vivían en Guatemala durante los años de los 40 y 50. Cierto que tiene su influencia “Hollywood” pero aun representa a la vida de esta sociedad. Toca un poco la situación de los indígenas pero no se sumerge en esa escena, pienso que hace bien en vez de abarcar mucho se enfoca en estas vidas de la gente de la ciudad. Es bastante similar con la novela Cenizas de Izalco. La novela y la película ciento que son mas atractivas porque no vienen pintadas de rojo comunistas, son sutiles en su mensaje y a la misma vez desarrollan personajes con quien yo me pueda relacionar. La escena de los niños en el billar fumando me recuerda de mi niñez más de lo que ustedes se pueden imaginar.

Excellent posts!

Excellent posting!  I just read through everyone's posts for the last week and am so pleased with your insights.

Miguel, I have been thinking about your question today about whether or not there are Central American texts published with conservative viewpoints about what has happened over the last century.  If there are, they have not made it into the canon, which, remember, is formed by academics.  I did think of a few conservative texts from the early twentieth century:  Pedro Joaquin Cuadra Chamorro (father/uncle to Pablo Antonio Cuadra, one of the founders of the Anti-Academia; also patriarch of powerful Chamorro family) published very conservative novels that served as comportment manuals for young Nicaraguan women.  These were _Las dos mujeres_ (192?) and three short novels, "El manto de Jesus", "El gobierno del hijo prodigo" and "Los tres azotes del diablo" (1927).  There was also a comportment manual, _La mujer y el hogar_ by Manuel Rosales (Guat) published in 1930 that was apparently well-received throughout the isthmus.  It was also common to see protests and complaints about the Nueva Mujer in periodicals throughout the 1920s and 30s.

In 1936, Somoza published a scathing biography of Sandino titled, _El verdadero Sandino_.  He meant to discredit the hero that he martyred.

Ediciones F & G in Guatemala published Odette Arzu's memoir in three volumes as a document of the privileged lives and perspectives of the Guatemalan oligarchy.  Although it reads like a novela rosa, this text has historical value in that gives us such a perspective in bound print.

I will have to think of and investigate more examples.

Enrich your FB experience!

Enrich your Facebook experience.  Become fans/friends of ContraPunto-El Salvador, Pnud-El Salvador, 400 Elefantes, Miguel Huezo Mixco, and others featured on the "Central American Links" of the Finzamos blog.

how much have we really changed?

I learned my Spanish while serving a mission in Costa Rica. Many of the people we would interact with lived in the banana fields or the coffee plantations. It has been very interesting reading Bananos y Hombres and comparing it to what I saw. Not much has changed. Obviously things are a little more stable as a country, but the poverty and working conditions are similar to what they were during the early 20th century. Children still work in the fields, these lowest class workers live in one-room shacks, and disease is still rampant. In a somewhat modern society it is easy to see and feel progress but stepping into the banana fields fells like taking a step back into a different world.

Another Point of View

It has been an interesting way of learning about the civil unrest in Central America via literature that was produced at the time, rather than from a text book of solid facts.  I have had a couple other classes dealing with similar issues in the area but have enjoyed looking at a single point of view rather than an outsiders trying to give a blanket overview of a situation that obviously effected many.  I mean, even reading Carmen Sobalvarro's poems (though they weren't very good) has been interesting in that her voice and face became such an icon.  It gives history a much needed personal touch.

Jake

Bananos y Hombres

Se que hable un poco de esto en la clase de hoy pero queria ensenarles una photo de bananos. Me hace pensar en como Carmen Lyra quise que los demas vieron que la naturaleza trata de proteger a sus "frutas" y que los humanos no hagan lo mismo por sus "frutas." Tristemente las cosas no han cambiado desde los 1930's. Hay mucha explotacion de personas. Aun hoy hay personas en los Estados Unidos que trabajan en los campos de fruta y verdurda por todo los Estados Unidos. I remember when there was a huge movement about helping the migrant workers, who were being paid poorly and maltreated, have better lives. People boycotted certain food establishments. There are probably many other things that we should avoid and boycott to help stop inhumane treatment of other humans. Not only do we have issues with cosas de agricola pero there are sweatshops and other types of labor in other countries that make the clothes we see in stores and on commercials. Even if we just treated each other fairly in doing business and other daily interaction the world would be better. Si todos apreciaramos y vigilaramos a los ceres humanos como la naturaleza a sus frutos, quizas tendriamos un mundo mejor. Lastima que las cosas no son asi. Entiendo mejor poque los periodistas, poetas y escritores ahnelaban una sociedad utpica.

U.S. policy in Central America

I didn't know very much about U.S. foreign policy in Central America over the past 100 years before this weeks readings (and I guess I still don't know very much about it), but after reading Bananos y Hombres and the reading by Whisnat about Sandino I understand why there are prevalent anti-american sentiments in Central America. I'm a pretty politically moderate guy, but it seems that U.S foreign policy in Nicaragua, and later Guatemala during the 20th century was strongly motivated by North Americas economic interests at the expense of Central Americas development. Its also unfortunate that the Central American civil wars (especially in Guatemala) seemed to occur at the height of the Red Scare in the U.S., causing the U.S. to come down harshly on anything that appeared to be associated with Communism. I know that any nations foreign policy is motivated by its own interests, but I think that U.S. intervention in both Nicaragua and Guatemala really retarded the progress of those nations. Also I got a book on Amazon about a week ago called Bitter Fruit:The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala, I've only skimmed it but it seems like good source if anyone is planing on writing their paper on the Guatemalan civil war.

Telegrafo

I found this story quite comical. After living in Central America for a short while, I realize this is the manera in which information travels. It didn't take long for news to travel between the group I lived with or in the community. I called them chambrosos. The chambres traveled quick, and as in the story most of the time the reports had been falsified to be more entertaining. It is much the same in the US with facebook, and twitter, a story can be told and retold until only part of none of it is true. I don't see the Central American way of life changing very soon, as it hasn't changed in the past century, since the story was written.

Clueless!

Bueno pues no sé si estoy escribiendo en el propio lugar pero ni modo, si no? Aprenderé. Entonces no sé exactamente de lo que habla las lecturas pero ay voy poco a poco. Es interesante ver la película que nos enseñó la maestra y ver como se presenta la información en dibujos de animales y otras formas. Es interesante porque en una programa se llama NOVA, tienen un historia documental sobre el código de los Mayas. En esta programa hablan acerca de todas las personas que han intentado traducir la lectura de los Mayas y el hombre que, según ellos, realizó esta meta. Si quieren verlo, les dejo el sitio de web.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/63741/nova-cracking-the-maya-code

La Loba

I really enjoyed La Loba as a story. I thought it was a great depiction of what that witch magic would look like. I liked the detailed description of when Kola vomited up her spirit into a flower pot. It actually made me sick to my stomach. It reminded me of stories that were told to me when I lived in Merida. They used to tell a story about the "Coco" who would come and eat bad children who had wondered away from their Mothers.

Popul Vuh

I have previously taken a Classic Maya class, and although we only went over the Popol Vuh for a short time, it was interesting to connect the dots from the video we watched in class to the aspects of the Maya.

Murals, carvings, and paintings have been found all over the Mayan region with depictions from the Popol Vuh. Depictions of Xibalba are often found, especially on tombs of the Mayan rulers. It is also interesting to see how many important aspects of Mayan life are in the Popol Vuh. For example, the ball game was very important to the Maya, and had a lot of religious implications. The stories of the hero twins also involve sacrifice, which was important to the Maya, and the stories also involve maize, which was very important to the diet of the Maya.

I am very glad we got to watch the video, although I have learned about the Popol Vuh in other classes, I was never able to see how the entire story fits together like we were able to do in the video. The video helped me understand parts of the Mayan life that I wasnt even able to fully learn in other classes dedicated solely to study the Maya.

Telegrafo

I actually liked the reading about the telegrafo. It was a fun read because it showed that the same problems being faced then are still being faced today. The differences lie in the amount of technology use. I asked the question as to whether our gossip problems are better or worse and I say that it is obviously worse. With better sources of communication comes better ways to gossip.

Popol Vuh

Lo que me llama la atención en el Popol Vuh es que estas leyendas me parecen muy semejantes a las leyendas de los indígenas del sur de Estados Unidos. Por eso, investigo un poco los imágenes que parecen en los artefactos. Mientras, por supuesto, hay diferencias en los cuentos y el juego con la pelota no existe en EEUU, el uso de las imágenes, especialmente la naturaleza y los animales, acerca el uso de los Hopi y los Navajo (por ejemplo). Sé que estas tribus compartían una ruta comercial, sin embargo, me sorpresa que los colores y las representaciones de gente, dioses, animales y plantas refleja las que he visto en el suroeste.

En caso de que ustedes quieran ver el video de la clase, está en partes en http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=993B4EACD2CEDCA0