Blog #12 The End

     Wow, I can't believe this is almost over.I feel like this year has just flown by! (sorry for being so cliché...)  When I first decided on taking this class I was super excited about it, because I had always wanted to learn more about Latin America. This class has met and exceeded my expectations. I feel like I know so much about Latin America now (though I know there's still much more to learn). I'd say that the indigenous cultures, the Conquest and the Mexican Revolution were probably the most interesting things we talked about. And my favorite assignment both semesters was the final project documentary, I just had so much fun making these and thought it was much more enjoyable than writing a paper. I also liked the writing of the blogs, but I think that homework assignments should not be due the same day as a blog because this semester felt like we had a lot more to do.

     A big thing I owe to this class is helping me to figure out what direction I want to go in life. Let me elaborate; upon arriving at college I was dead set on being an orthodontist. That meant 4 years of science classes here, then 4 more years in dental school, and then 3 more years specializing. Now I'm a Spanish major and I feel fifteen billion times better about my life. I realized that I shouldn't base what I'm doing for the rest of my life on my family's expectations and ideas. This class kind of forced me to accept who I was, and that Spanish was my true passion. Whenever Serrata would give us readings in both Spanish and English, I found myself always trying to read them in Spanish first. This class also forced me to realize that the world is such a bigger place than I thought. Now I'm planning on studying abroad in Chile for a whole semester, and I'm looking forward to it immensely. Honestly, at this point I could actually see myself living in a different country and being part of a whole new culture, whereas before I wanted nothing more to get married and settle down in my hometown of Grand Ledge. Now I can really see myself doing anything and everything. Granted this might be in part due to college in general, but I think a lot of it stemmed from this class. This class really opened my eyes and got me to consider the possibilities.

     My final thought is once again super cheesy, but I really loved getting to know all of you guys :) I would not have adjusted to college nearly as well without the friends I have made from this class :) I enjoyed working with all of you and getting to know everyone. I found it really interesting that we are all such different people, with different majors and backgrounds, but we all shared the common interest of Latin America. Thank you all for making this year great, and I hope that when we see each other on campus in the coming years we will do more than just a nod of acknowledgement, but we will actually talk and remain friends. :)

Response to Stephanie's Blog

"Oh my gosh he flipped her!" Haha I really enjoyed watching these videos! I totally wish that I could dance like that... Maybe someday (but for reals probably not). I thought it was interesting to learn that salsa originated in New York yet we all still think of it as a Latin American dance. But I think that's pretty cool too, because it shows how things like ideas and dances are not contained by national borders. These people dancing are so good, I am so jealous. When you watched it were you super impressed with all of the dancers too?

Blog #11 Bill Stewart

     So if you guys remember Professor Stark told us on Friday about how the ABC cameraman Bill Stewart was killed in Nicaragua. He also said he couldn't find the video to show us though he said that he would like to because of the importance of this footage. Stark told us that this video was what created U.S. awareness and interest in Nicaragua. So I went out and found the footage.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=006_1330628091

 

     I think this video can be seen as a connector of the two parts of our class. It shows how directly primary sources can affect the world. In class we usually read or watch something and then talk about what it is referencing in the world at the time. Well this time I think it's the other way around. This video changed what people thought about Nicaragua. It made people realize how corrupt the government was, and what atrocities were happening there. I believe this is an example of how the media can be used for good. After this video was shown, the U.S. and other countries withdrew their support for the Somoza regime. Jimmy Carter said about the incident "The murder of American newsman Bill Stewart in Nicaragua was an act of barbarism that all civilized people condemn." This helped the Frente Sandinista Liberacion Nacional to take power. In power they instituted many reforms to try to help the Nicaraguan people their biggest being a huge literacy campaign. Later the U.S. would get involved again and ousts the Sandinista government by supporting the Contras because we were too scared of socialism. The corrupt dictatorship of the Somoza family was ended in part by this video and I think that is truly amazing- that a one minute video could have such an impact. 

Response to Gabby's Blog

You bring up a very good point here Gabby. I learned about the Desaparecidos in my Spanish class in high school and I was completely horrified. It's hard for me to believe that the United States just sat by and let this happen- and even worse, that we were involved in installing the government that did this! Like you said, I would hope that if something like this happened today that we would step in and try to stop it, but at the same time we have to be cautious. Maybe when the U.S. supported the government back when, they also thought they were doing the right thing. If we went to try to help again, maybe we would once again end up making the situation even worse for the people that lived there. Foreign involvement is a very tricky situation- is it better to try and help and possibly worsen the situation? Or is it better to stay away and let other countries go their own course

Blog #10 Who Should Own the Art?

     On Friday I really enjoyed going to the Art Gallery Support Building, partly because it was such a beautiful day, partly because I love walking, partly due to the comfy chairs, and partly to do with Posada's prints that we got to look at :)
     As we sat there discussing Posada and his importance to Mexico my mind couldn't help but wander to one of my favorite Nancy Drew computer games... In Secret of the Scarlet Hand, Nancy Drew is working at a Museum in Washington D.C. when there is an art theft. She then (as the super sleuth that she is) tracks down the thief. Now I realize this seems like quite the stretch to our class on Friday but bear with me. So in this game Nancy talks to a man from the Mexican consulate who believes that the museum should not have had the piece of art to begin with (it was a Mayan artifact). He believed that artwork belonged to the country that it was discovered in, and it should stay there. As he says "If people want to learn about Mexico, why do they not travel to Mexico?" I couldn't help feeling some of the same feelings as Alejandro. Why does Grand Valley State University, in Michigan USA have 10% of Posada's works? I just thought that was ridiculous. What gives us the right to take this history from Mexico? Does it not belong there for the Mexican people to appreciate as it is THEIR history? Why is a class of freshman at Grand Valley able to look at Posada's work and not a Mexican class?
     I'm sorry if I sound unappreciative, I really did enjoy getting to see some of Posada's work- I thought it was very cool! But at the same time, I wondered what gave me the privilege to? Just because a guy with money knew of guy that knew a guy?

 

As a side note, I loved this game so much (and learning about the Maya) that this game is one of the reasons I started taking Spanish classes, which eventually led to me taking this Latin American Civilization class!

Response to Jacqueline's Blog

I really like the point you make in this post! I have actually been thinking along the same lines. I learned about Cuba in my A.P. U.S. History class, and I am awestruck at how much was left out. I thought this especially when we were talking about the Cuban Missile Crisis. In that class we were basically taught that Cuba was trying to provoke a war because they hated the U.S. I definitely think that we need to be active citizens and look up additional information and opposing views of event that happen.

Blog #9 What is the point?

     I think we can all agree that our reading lately have been a little more cryptic than usual. Nothing seems to mean what you think it means. As you read you can't just read the surface level of the story, you have to delve into symbolism and juxtaposition of words and directions used and word choice and all sorts of literary tools to get the actual meaning of the story. So after reading, and rereading and doing the questions, and asking Gabby, and looking over it another time, and talking about the story in a class discussion, I am finally able to understand the purpose or the meaning behind the story.
      My thought for this week is what is the point? Why do these authors hide their meaning in-between the lines of their work? Why does it take so much thought just to try to figure out what the author is trying to say? Why doesn't the author just go right out and say it? Wouldn't that be so much easier? Especially with the stuff we've been reading recently. Who is the target audience for this stuff anyways? I dearly hope it is not everyday people of the country. In most the countries we've been studying in Latin America, there is a very low literacy rate, or if the people can read, it is not near the level of these writings. How do the authors expect everyday people to decipher the meanings behind these stories? I wonder if they don't. Maybe these stories instead are targeted toward the wealthy social elite, or even people in the United States. It almost seems like it is leaving out the uneducated of the countries. Who is writing for the everyday man who  works at a farm all day in order to feed his family? It definitely is not the authors that we have been reading.