Future Seen in A Day Without A Mexican?

“They took our jobs!”

“This is OUR country!”

“Build a fence and keep them out!”

All of the above are sentences that I have heard when Americans talk about Hispanic immigrants moving across the Mexico-US border. Some of these statements are even heard in A Day Without a Mexican, which looks (a little satirically) at what would happen in California if the Hispanic population of the state was to disappear one day. It is a striking movie, full of not only humor, but stark reality: for example, the film has freeze frames in which the audience gets a glimpse of some of the statistics from California. 88% of the state's agricultural workers are Latino/a, and 20% of the K-12 teachers are Latino/a as well. 

 

Going to high school here in Goshen made me wonder what would happen if all people who were Latino/a in the state disappeared. I did some research, and found that there are almost 400,000 Latino/as in Indiana, and they make up 6% of the population. This is not as striking as California, but is still a large percent of the population. If everyone were to disappear, I believe there would be a very similar reaction to the movie we watched. Many people would be overjoyed to see the Latino/a population gone, but there would be others that would be devastated. Here at Goshen College, there is a Latino/a population that would be missed, because they contribute much to the cultural diversity of the college, and they are some of the most active students for social change. If the Latino/a students from GC were to go missing, I think many aspects of the college's progressive nature would vanish with them. I think about the DREAM Act, and how Latino/a students are the ones bringing it to the student body.

Not only would the college be affected, but there is a large Latino/a culture in Goshen and the surrounding areas. Many of my friends are Latino/a, and I know their families. If they were to vanish one day, I would be bewildered and affected by their disappearance. 

 

If all the Latino/a population were to disappear, wouldn't that create problems for everyone? In A Day Without a Mexican, California's economy was falling apart because of no more Latino/a people working in the fields. Agriculture is a major part of California's economy. If all of the workers were to disappear, the entire country would collapse. California wouldn't produce the crops needed to support itself, and the country. Perhaps this is a leap, but I think there is a possibility this would be the result of an instantaneous disappearance. 

 

This movie is a good starting point for a discussion on what Americans see as “Latino/a invaders.” I personally do not believe that Latino/as should be treated any different than others, but it is a grim reality we live in.

Finding Clartiy in Bless Me, Ultima

     One of the most impressing aspects of Rudolfo Anaya's novel Bless Me, Ultima, is the way he blends reality and the magical together: magical realism. It is an interesting feat, allowing both the natural and magical worlds to meld together into a story in which no one questions the power of a bruja or a curandera, but takes in stride the world of the mystical. The juxtaposition of the Catholic faith and magical means of accomplishing feats is a driving force behind the story of Antonio Marez, the six year old narrator of the novel.

    In the story, Antonio is a young boy living in WWII era New Mexico in a small town, Guadalupe. Then, one summer, his life is changed with the arrival of Ultima, a cuandera, a woman who is learned in traditional medicine that is different from modern medicine and the belief that prayer and priests can affect the living. The arrival of Ultima begins a turbulent time for Antonio. He begins to spend much of his time with Ultima, learning what she knows, and going with her when she has to do her healing (such as the case of Antonio's uncle Lucas). But the arrival of Ultima means that Antonio begins to question what he has always accepted. How can he believe in Ultima's work and still be a good Catholic? How can he be saved in the eyes of God if he believes in the gold carp that lives in the river, who is supposed to be a pagan god from long ago?

    I believe that Bless Me, Ultima is a story about a young child growing up in a whirlwind of confusion. Antonio Marez is a boy struggling with his faith, and also with his identity. His parents each want him to be something different: his father wants him to grow to embrace his Marez heritage, and his mother wants him to be a priest. Unfortunately for Antonio, he is pushed in many directions by different people, and he can't find himself quite yet.

Responding to I, the Worst of All

When I begin to think about colonial Mexico, nothing comes to mind. It is not a subject I learned in school, nor is it a subject I have put extensive research into. When I think about Mexico before the present day, my mind goes straight to the Aztecs and Mayans who lived thousands of years ago. However, after watching I, the Worst of All, I have more of an understanding of that time than I did before. Colonial Imperialism changed the course of history for so many people, not only in Africa or Asia, but in Latin America as well. Nuns exist in many cultures, and not all of them are Christian nuns. But I, the Worst of All gave me a view of what it was like for a woman living in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. I cannot relate to Sor Juana's plight, because I did not live at that time, nor am I a woman. The movie showed me a life that is hard for me to imagine living, and allowed me to glimpse a time when life was harsh and cold (from my standpoint at least). From what I have learned from Latino/a friends and the books I have read is that in Latino/a culture, men are dominant and this is evident in I, the Worst of All. Sor Juana does not have the ability to express herself or possess books or literature because she is a woman.

The movie also made me think of a barrier that exists in America, but it was not something I saw in the movie. It was the fact that the movie was in Spanish. In America, Spanish is looked down upon, and it is considered by many people a bad language based on the fact that there is a large population of Spanish-speaking migrant workers in America. Many Americans do not take into account that part of America, where many Hispanic people live, used to be part of Mexico, and also there are many third, fourth, or fifth generation people living in our country. In La Frontera, Gloria Anzaldua states this viewpoint very clearly, as she discusses her experience in school, and around other Latinos/as. Spanish was not accepted because it was not popular with the mainstream. Today, Spanish and Latino/a culture is becoming more prominent, but there is still opposition to the culture. Living in Goshen, and attending Goshen High School has allowed me to look at the shift of Latino/a culture to more mainstream from an active standpoint, and I personally think it is a shift in the right direction.

Call Me Rikki

    The first time I ever met someone with the same name (spelling, that is) was a girl when I was in third grade. Her name was Rikki, and that was when I noticed that even though I had an Uncle Ricky, my name was different, not a boy's name, but a girl's. Of course, I've always known I was named after my uncle. It's no coincidence that my name is Rikki, and my uncle's is Ricky. My father, who gave me the name, has never admitted that he named me after his brother, but it's very obvious to everyone in my family. I don't mind the name, and I even like that it's spelled differently than what most people assume when they hear Rikki. My name is a way to show that I'm different, I'm unique, and I'm sometimes confused when my uncle is around, because I'm never sure which Rikki/Ricky someone is trying to talk to. Over the years, my name has morphed. To my uncle, I am “Little Rick,” to help stem some of the confusion. I'm used to that name, and it has only been recently that my more common name “Ant-Rikki” has stopped being used. I have an older brother named Anthony, and my parents would often get the names mixed up and start to call me the wrong thing. I grew used to the new name, because well, what else is there to do in that situation?

     I do often wish that my middle name was my first, and that I was a William instead of a Rikki. I've toyed with the possibility of getting my friends to call me William, but my identity feels so tied to my name. I would have to make changes in my life if I wanted to be a new name, a new person. Instead, I stick with the name I was given at birth, even though now my name is changing just a little. My close friends call me Rik (yes, with one k), and I can manage that. It's close enough Rikki that I don't have to imagine I am someone new, someone else. I can keep my personality and everything that ties me to my name.

My First Blog

I'm looking forward to using this blog to communicate with other students about the books and ideas we discuss in class. It should be a great learning experience for everyone.