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Chapter one from the Anzaldua book is very deep because of its poems and how the life of immigrants is expressed through its lines. The way it describes how they are treated and how the whites believe that they possess all of the power is very shocking. We as Hispanics that live here in the Rio Grande Valley are aware of many issues that deal with illegal immigration. It is extremely hard for these people to wake up each day and try to put food on their table. These people that bet everything they have in order to have and offer a better life to their family. Now going back in history, it is very interesting how Indians migrated or possibly occupied the Southwest, Aztlan. It is very important to know the significance of the symbol in the Mexican flag. In this case, the eagle symbolizes the spirit which is mostly represented as the sun, the serpent symbolizes the soul which is mostly seen as the mother. It is said in the text that these two symbols are represented as how the women were considered much less than the men back in the pre-Columbian America. I think that the Spaniards and Hernan Cortes had no right to invade Mexico. It is understandable that they were exploring but it was not fair for them to take the land away from people that have been living there for a very long time. Maybe if the Indians were new to that specific land, the situation would be more understandable. Another point that keeps me in the same posture of being against the Spaniards invasion, is that the Indian population decreased significantly. As stated in the text, “By 1650, only one-and-a-half-million pure-blooded Indians remained.” These were known as the Mestizos which is very interesting to learn about because it is said that these Indians were genetically equipped to survive small pox, measles, and typhus. It is sad to know that many Indians were killed because they tried to defend their land but in the end the only choice they had was to work with the Spaniards or simply die fighting. (355)
ReplyDeleteBruno Morales
When I was reading chapter one on Anzaldua I felt really sad and angry at the same time because I can relate to the several situations. I think that the way that undocumented people get call it’s really racist I mean “los mojados” (wetbacks) come on that just cruel. Also the way that they sexually abuse of them it’s sad because I bet that they wouldn’t like to know that his mom, sister, cousin, or aunt go raped by a men. At the end were all women we feel, we have, we do the same things, just because they feel superior doesn’t mean that they are. Also the abuse that women or men had to suffer by coming over to an unknown country, I mean getting paid $15 the hour its ridicules. Something that personally I would like to go thru is having to stay home alone because my parents had to go work at the maquiladoras, I mean what if something happened and the kids die, it’s bad enough getting to a country without knowing the language, coming here as a nobody with no cents in their pockets and having the courage of risking their lives crossing the border.
ReplyDelete-Mayra Saldaña
Chapter 1 of Borderlands La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua really made me feel transferred to that hash place and time. Unlike, Acuna’s book, this one has a different twist with that poem at the beginning which was my favorite part, and even though the sections are short, they are written in very personal way that really made me sympathize and comprehend more deeply what Mexicans and Chicanos were living.
ReplyDeleteLet’s start by telling you why is it that the poem was my favorite. Let me be honest, I am not quite sure why, but the way she makes it so wavy and profound makes it intense but wonderful for me to read. Moreover, the changes between English and Spanish made me like it even more because; fortunately, I am able to understand both very well. Not only the visual and hearing aspect of it where fascinating to me, but the metaphor of water. Before I got the part where she explains that water is not stopped by a border, I had thought of this saying my mom always says, “el agua siempre vuleve a su cauce” which means “water always comes back to its way”, so I knew where the poem was going, and I loved it.
Other than the poem, I also liked the part where it talks about Illegal women. I had never thought about the difference between a man and a woman when it came to cross the border, and at the time it was certainly very different and unfortunate. Terrifying.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Anzaldúa (A lot more than reading Acuna), because of the more personal aspect that she develops trough her writing which made me feel very close to the families facing difficulties at the time.
Ingrid Davila
In Chapter one of Anzaldua’s book it goes into great dept. and detail automatically which made me engaged with it right away. Gloria Anzaldua is an amazing author and a very relatable one to us also because she attended school here and she’s from here. On page 26 it really got my attention even more when they are talking about Pedro’s experience on being taken away by La migra when he was doing his daily routine and being a hard worker. The fact that he was the fifth generation American but could not explain that to him because he didn’t speak English and didn’t carry his birth certificate with him to work broke my heart into pieces. Till this day it still remains to go on and be fought for Mexican Immigrants who were born in the United States are still trying to send them to Mexico and that is not right what so ever. They assume now just as they assumed in the year 2014. Our ancestors who were Spanish, Indian and mestizo settled and explored parts of the Southwest U.S. as early as the sixteenth century as stated in the book. This has been a really long time now. What angers me the most is when the Anglo vigilante groups began lynching Chicanos on October 18, 1915. Pg30. Within a time span of months one hundred families were killed. The top people are risk were the Mexican women because the Coyote otherwise known as the smuggler wouldn’t feed her or let her go to the bathroom in days. This is so despairing to read but I really love and enjoy how detailed and interesting this chapter has been. I can really tell I’m going to enjoy reading this book just by the first chapter.
ReplyDeleteBrandi Rae Rodriguez
From my understanding of this chapter, I’m just really disgusted by some people act as if they don’t have humanity left in them! The amount of hate that all these people have towards someone else who just happens to be from a different ethnicity and color of skin is so ignorant from their part. Putting aside the fact that the white colored skin people invaded Mexico land, they still have the audacity of kicking the people out, calling them racist names and not allowing them to take anything with them as if they were criminals?! No person in this would should have to kicked out of their own homes because they don’t “belong” there, home is where the heart is and that is that. No one should say you belong here because you belong where ever you want. There should never be superiority because that is where people start taking advantage of one another. It is never okay to make anyone less especially when it comes to someone’s misfortune where, in this case, the coyotes take advantage of the undocumented people who are just trying to get a better life and get make their dreams come true. Women, who are automatically an easy target to vulnerability like the one Anzaldúa mentioned in her first chapter of the book, where she was raped, sold her lands and furniture and or being sold to prostitution just because she was afraid to speak for herself, ask for help and end up being deported. Men and women who risk their lives by being smuggled into the country, cross the border or river or try to fight back for what was once theirs should not feel fear, at all.
ReplyDeleteAshley Escalante
As I read Chapter 1 of “Borderlands: La Frontera” titled “The Homeland, Aztlan”, I was consumed with tons of information regarding the author Gloria Anzaldua. My feelings towards this chapter were very sorrow and frustrating because of the racism that was occurring way back in time. I thought it was very interesting that Anzaldua provided some poetry in the chapter to help the reader understand how a lot of bad stuff was happening. Hispanics were treated horribly and that’s what hurts me because I’ve had people disrespect certain family members of mine and I just can’t stand it. In the chapter, Anzaldua describes her homeland, the border that separates the safe from the unsafe. Of course, the whites are the rich ones and have the most power because they live in the North. The whites tend to always look down on the half breed and queer. Unfortunately, in my view, white people are still this way and they will never change. They always think they are better than anyone else. They always want to feel superior. In chapter 1, Anzaldua also explains the Spaniards invading Mexico and how they successfully conquered it. A lot of people migrated into that land and they are the reason why has been arranged several times to get it where it is today. The Mexican American war was explained in this chapter as well and how the Mexican land got taken over. One part I didn’t like reading was the part where the risk of women being abused and raped as well as deported because of the illegal migration of women. Since they couldn’t speak English or couldn’t even understand it, they were all vulnerable. It hurts me to even see women getting abused, I could only imagine what they had to go through. In the end, I really enjoyed reading this chapter because it comes from a more personal view that I could relate to. Very detailed and interesting to read. I can already tell it is going to be a great book that everyone would love to read.
ReplyDeleteMichael Garcia
Anzaldua organizes the first chapter by first telling us about her homeland, and the border separating her homeland from the north. Us from them, the dangerous "half breed" Mexicans from the "safe" whites up north. Here is where I became intrigued. I loved the vivid and rich history she gave us of Mexico, and the Aztec people. She described Mexico as a wonderful, beautiful place with a rich history, and not the Mexico everyone thinks when they hear about it. Then she goes into the Aztecas, and how beautiful and amazing their culture was, before the Spaniards invaded Mexico. This impacted how the Aztecs worshipped, believed and their society overall. While the Spaniards thought they were helping the "Savage" Aztecs, they were really setting them back. She explains that the Aztecs were abstract, complex thinkers and innovators. Then she further explained how the invasion from the Spaniard messed with the formation of Mexico, and the way it ruled, for centuries to come. Mexico is still having societal troubles and follies from the invasion of the Spaniards, and while it is still a beautiful and captivating landscape, it still holds negative impacts from its conquest. Then she puts us into the shoes of a present day "immigrant" from Mexico. Often things are so bad from police, crime, and government there that most must immigrate. They either want a better life for them and their family, or they strive to make themselves a new life. Which comes into what we should define Mexicans as. They are hard workers, innovators, and the beautiful children of the sun. Most are taught to shame themselves over their heritage, while they should be wearing their heritage proudly.
ReplyDeleteMichael Gonzalez
After reading chapter 1 the “The Homeland, Aztlan” I was really upsetting, the fact that people can treat Mexicans like if their nothing is hurtful. Whites should have the right to treat any Mexicans like if they were convicts, they come to U.S to have a better life. One of the parts that caught my attention was that the people that worked in the fields don’t carry their papers and they’re afraid that the migra was going to deport them. Reading that part was upsetting because something like that happened to my dad, my dad is Mexican American and he doesn’t know English, but one day we were driving and behind us there was a border patrol, he sped up and told my dad to pull over. He started questioning my dad in English and of course my dad couldn’t answer so he automatically assumed he was a chicano and started being rude asking for his papers. When crossing the border people suffer sometime the smugglers take of advantage of the woman or sometimes they just take their money and leave them out in the desert to die. Like I said before they only try to cross the river to better their lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteSandy Martinez
After reading Chapter 1, I felt really connected to the story of Pedro where he was taken away by “la migra,” as known as the border patrols, because my grandfather was in the very same situation many years ago. He would cross the border daily 5x a week with a working permit to work hard in the US, only one day to find out he did not have them on this day. Although these stories are quite different similar, it’s saddening to see one of our kind (chicanx) be deported back to square one, possibly becoming labeled convicts in the US system as it’s becomes a felony to commit this act. After all most of these immigrants come to the land they once belonged to in search for the best opportunity for their families. I think it’s completely ironic how they totally put our race on the other side of the RGV river and cut most of them off by inputting a border. Anyways, it touched my heart to hear the immigration try to take in Pedro for not knowing English, although he was a fifth generation American, but happened to not have his birth certificate with him at that moment. The poems in this chapter also have intense meanings that engaged me in the readings expressing the life of many immigrants in between the lines. It describes how they were mistreated and called “Mojados,” which I found to be a very disturbing nickname. The fight for Mexican families born in America continues today as we have our very own conflict with the DACA recipients.
ReplyDeleteAdrian Martinez
“Borderlands La Frontera” has me hooked on just the first chapter. All the poems and interesting information ongoing about the Aztecs, Mestizos, Spaniards, Mexican Americans, Tejanos and so forth is phenomenal. Sad to say that all this unfairness in the world didn’t just start a couple of years but many centuries ago. My heart goes out to all true Aztecs that had to have their land taken away and their lives changed forever. The poetry adds an interesting sparkle to the chapter. One of the poems, “Del peligro de la Intervencion” which is actually a corrido, was something that I actually looked up on YouTube. I am a musician, and I loved how Anzaldua added that making me even more interested in the chapter. Immigration has always been a big barrier for us Mexicans. “Trembling with fear, yet with courage, a courage born of desperation.” This part of the chapter hit right to the heart. Borders were build to divide the land that once was ours. Being called “mojados” and “cucarachos” are some of the names brought up for Mexicans who just want to live and be free. It’s a lose lose situation; you either get caught and get deported, or live the rest of your life in hiding, trying not to go back to “el otro lao”.
ReplyDeleteGiselle Sanchez
In reading chapter one of Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Anzaldúa, I could feel the sense of pride and dignity that she possesses as a Chicana. She exploits the truth of the Indians and Mexicans of the early Southwest; today its occupants stand oblivious to its true history. It is saddening to read of the discrimination of the Indians and Mexicans, the people that I hold relation to by both blood and culture. Their civilizations, homes, and loved ones were cast out of their own terrain “…while their feet were still rooted in it” (29). This cruelty leaves me to ponder upon the injustices that continue to occur to this day; yet, us as a nation, claim to be a land of freedom. It is only right for those who were robbed of their home to be given the privilege of returning once again in peace and sound arrangement. The blessing of living in goodwill amongst others of different culture and race is an opportunity all should be given under the grace and sovereignty of God. However, circumstances and bias divisions cause for the searching and wandering souls to remain “Faceless, nameless, invisible, [and] taunted…” before the soil that was once familiar to them (33). This, certainly, is not a way to live.
ReplyDeleteCeline Brianna Salas
After reading chapter 1 from the book borderlands/la frontera, it left me thinking about people’s life’s. Each one has a story to tell, for example Gloria Anzaldua. I really loved the poem at the beginning, where she describes the type of environment she grew up in. She describes the fear that many Mexicans go through when they come here to the United States looking for a better future for their families. It kind of makes me feel upset that people look down on Mexicans as if they are worth nothing. Just the fact that some people have more than others or just because they are from another race does not give them the right to judge or treat you bad. We should all be seen as humans that want to be better in life and as hardworking people. We should not be afraid of who we are and be proud of our roots. After reading this chapter I also learned a little about history of Mexico and how they ended in Mexico. Also, while reading a little bit about Mexico’s history, it is really hard to think or belief that the land has been fought for over and over again. This land I believe should be considered no one’s land or everybody’s land. It should be a place where everybody could be free. Not only be free in the sense of not only having physical freedom, but the type of freedom where no one is afraid to be who they are. Whoever fought to be in this land, should be able to stay here, because the majority are hardworking people and at the end of the day they cause no harm to anyone.
ReplyDeleteGuadalupe Cazares
Reading chapter one of Anzaldua’s book made me understand why culture has vanished in this region over time. It is sad to learn that everything our raza had, was snatched in an inhumane way. Not only did they lost their land, their homes, their cattle, they also lost their dignity.
ReplyDeleteIt breaks my heart to imagine a pregnant woman losing her husband and having to raise nine kids all by herself in a place where the land is no longer fertile, a place where cattle slowly died for lack of water, a place where she and all her family were considered transgressors and were granted little to no opportunities to survive.
On the other hand, it is admirable that despite the circumstances, Chicanos decided to stay and fight for the land that belonged to them. They did not mind being lynched in the bushes or having to fight the savagery of the Texas Rangers. In my opinion, those individuals should be called heroes, because they had the sagacity to fight for what belonged to us and was unfairly taken away.
I strongly agree with Anzaldua that Borderlands are physically present wherever two or more cultures edge with each other, where people of different races occupy the same territory, where lower, middle and upper classes touch, where the space between two individuals shrinks with intimacy (Preface). A border is more than a wall or a river, a border represents giving up our roots and betraying our culture, erasing from our memories the suffering that our raza went thru when Mexico was taken away from them.
Rossy Tapia Cervantes
Throughout Chapter 1 of “Borderlands/ La Frontera” by Gloria Anzaldua, I felt myself being completely surprised by what was being said. I am surprised because I have never been taught any of these things before in my history classes. The information that was revealed was frustrating and disappointing because I was saddened by the treatment my past ancestors were given by the Anglo Americans. I don’t remember the story of the Battle of the Alamo ever being taught to me in the perspective of the natives in Mexico. But the reality is that Texas belonged to Mexico, along with more states, and the “white man” decided to invade and take the territory that should have never become theirs. Tejanos land was lost and they became foreigners to their own home. Those who did decide to stay were terrorized and in the end caused them to run. What I thought was inspiring was that even through all that hatred many stayed and fought. They protested but of course were not heard by the white supremacy. The Tejanos were forced to be unyielding and began to up rise violently and valiantly. Not only was their land taken away, but the Anglos actions began to infiltrate the families of Mexican blood. The women were forced to work for U.S. companies ripping them of time with their children. The Mexican women were entirely at risk because they began to be taken advantage of by the “coyote.” They were raped and sold into prostitution. The smugglers knew they would be too afraid to speak by fear of deportation. This fact angered me even more because taken anybody against their will is a brutal and ungodly way of living. After reading this chapter I gained a more appreciation and respect for my ancestors and I know this reading will not go unnoticed.
ReplyDeleteAlma De La Llana
The difference between Acuna and Anzaldua is obvious from the beginning of the first chapter of Boderlands. Gloria Anzaldua writes within the same rhetoric but her way of sharing this information is very personal and passionate. You can feel the power of her words as she describes the terror and injustices faced by both hers and our ancestors. Her content is relatable, as she starts the book with a poem and sprinkles them throughout the chapter. It humanizes the experience that Mexicans have and continue to face. Her personal anecdotes add flavor to her writing as she continues to make the reader feel close even if they themselves have not experienced this struggle. As a Latina myself, it is refreshing to read from a brown woman’s point of view; she describes the general hardships that come with crossing the border and highlights how those are only made worse through a woman’s point of view. She describes our existence as courageous as we withstand the racist comments made by the same people that stole our land. “Barefoot and uneducated, Mexicans with hands like boot soles gather at night by the river where two worlds merge creating…a war zone.” (33) The author’s intersectional point of view makes this already a very interesting read from the start.
ReplyDeleteAndrea Juarez
Chapter one of Anzaldua’s “Borderlands, La Frontera,” had me wanting to read more, I like how she shares people’s stories and quotes them, I get to know what they have been through and how they felt. Pedro’s story was very sad to me because these people are not doing any harm to anyone he was in the fields, I’m guessing he was working, and he was taken back to Mexico, to a place he had never been to before and I can imagine how scary it can be, especially when you do not know anyone there and you do not have any money to eat, for a place to stay or to pay for transportation to go back home. Reading how these people were getting their land taken away is heartbreaking because their land is something they have worked for and it is not fair for someone to just come and take it from them, many of them had to go back to Mexico because they did not have anything else here and they were not being treated right. It’s horrifying to know what women had to go through when trying to cross the border because they are crossing to the United States in hope for a better job, a better life, a better future and the ‘coyotes’ are treating them bad by not feeding them and by sexually abusing them.
ReplyDeleteYadira de Leon
I found this first chapter to be profoundly multifaceted, with her short stories, poems, movies and song quotes. Anzaldúa really brings her individual sense of presence into her words, growing up in El Valle as a chicana it is just natural to transition from English to Spanish. I could certainly relate to this as living near the border, it is just ordinary for us to speak Spanglish, sort of a language on its own. I sensed some hints of feminism in her analogy of the emblematic eagle eating the snake as a patriarchal order vanquishing the matriarchal one. Referencing the many centuries of repression the Mexicana’s and Chicanas have endured. Anzaldúa hit the ground running in this first chapter, with her dauntless and stern viewpoint on what it means to be a Mexican. The Homeland, seems like Chicanos have come full circle, from occupying the mythological Aztlán 20,000 years ago and migrating south, to now immigrating to a land which in no longer ours. This southwest land which has been taken away from us by Anglo Europeans, and not just the land but also the way of life of the Mexicanos. It seems as if the imperialist era continues to endure. (201)
ReplyDelete-Victor D. Gaytan
Reading chapter one of “Borderlines/La Frontera,” by Gloria Anzaldúa, had me amazed of everything the author was saying. I don’t recall being taught in school that the actual reason for The Battle of the Alamo happened because the Mexicans were tired of the Anglo Americans taking over their lands and claiming it as their own. Instead, I was taught in the views of the Anglo Americans and it was said that the Mexicans were the bad ones and the Anglo Americans were just trying to do good. One thing that I disliked in this chapter was that the women were “hit” hard after The Battle of the Alamo. Women were forced to work in U.S companies and weren’t treated fairly and the pay rate wasn’t good. The women were getting tired or working because of all this and some of the women had kids of their own, but were left at the house by themselves and this cause for their kids to become Cholos. Other women that were smuggled by Coyotes were told that they were going to have a better life and charged them a lot of money to smuggle them to the U.S. These women were lied to and instead the Coyotes would sale the women into prostitution, or they themselves would rape and get them pregnant.
ReplyDeleteIvan Lira
After reading chapter 4 of Anzaldua’s book Borderlands/La Frontera I was surprised how all the events that she wrote are still happening in society after decades, she describes how was his life growing up in the RGV or as she describes it “El Otro Mexico”, a situation very similar of what we see today in the Valley, I agree with Anzaldua’s ideas saying that life in the RGV is practical the same thing as Mexico, but as she says between the people there is a fence, a fence that brings you to reality by diving a culture, a reality that says if you live today In Mexico and want to return to the land once owned by Mexicans you have to survive “La Travesia”, which at first our ancestors started by migrating from north to south and now thousands of Mexicans want to go north. I think that it is very sad how all the people that want to come to the U.S. and make it, must suffer from racism, discrimination and exploitation, especially women who are discriminated only by his gender, since they are in a country that does not want them there, they are vulnerable to the “coyotes” who often take advantage of the situation. It is so pathetic that a person feels superior compared to another, I think a person who thinks in that way is a mediocre, by having that kind of thoughts we can notice how he/she was raised. I remember in the film “Precious Knowledge“ a Chicano student said, “I believe there is only one race: the human race” which basically means that everyone is equal and no one should feel different or special.
ReplyDeleteLuis Reyna
Chapter one from the book borderlands/ la frontera made me reflect on my life and the way things really are. When the author said that borders are set up to define the places that are safe and unsafe, to distinguish us from them. I agreed and disagree in some aspects with the author and this is just my opinion. First of all, the border does not define where ‘safe and unsafe’ is because there is no safe place. Borders are meant to be for not to be a crossing of drugs or other dangerous thigs that affects people from both countries. Secondly, the fact that we are Mexicans or Chicanos and including people from other cultures, doesn’t mean that we can’t live here in the united and have the same rights as legal citizens. This is America the land of the free where people have the right to embrace their culture and make it part of their life, not something that they have to hide. Of course there has to be limits and rules if there is actions that can put in danger everyone’s life.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Nicole cantu
In chapter one of “Borderlines/ La Frontera”, by Gloria Anzaldua, made want to value more my culture, I was not expecting to learn and hear all these disappointing things how they use to mistreat past ancestors by the Anglo Americans. I can’t of knew that Texas belonged to Mexico, this included more states and the “white man” decided to invade and take the territory that should have never become theirs. It also touches me because she describes her life in detail, like for instance the fear that every immigrant has when they cross the border. That most come with the image of the “America Dream” and that at some point most get disappointed because instead they see racism and discrimination. I can really relate because most of my family come from Mexico and moving from region to the other was not easy just like Anzaldua mentions it in her reading in the first chapter. And it’s sad that for the most part many families are forced to separate due to their immigration situation. Specially women that are forced to cross the border with out them knowing if the “Coyote “is going to sell them or rape them. I haven only read the first chapter and I am already into it can wait to keep reading it.((maria leal)
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty this chapter was a little bit confusing for me, but what i really wanted to talk about or what caught my attention were the Tarascos. Okay so what is the Tarasco? A Tarascan is a member of a Mesoamerican Indian people of southwest Mexico. What I understood from the reading was that unlike the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas, the tarascans did not leave a written language, scholars could not fond more information on them. But what they do know is that they were the enemies of the Aztecs. The Aztecs did try to conquer them but they failed. In a way I kind of feel bad for them because they probably had a lot of accomplishments and success that they achieved, but we will never know about it because, like mentioned earlier, they didn't leave anything for the scholars to study, not that is was their fault, but it would have been really awesome to see their history. Another reason why I liked this small portion of the chapter was because they kind of remind me of when the Mexican Americans had a treaty that was suppose to protect them was in Spanish, and the Americans didn't know how to translate it, so many Mexican Americans lost a lot of their rights.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Lopez
In all honesty this chapter was a little bit confusing for me, but what i really wanted to talk about or what caught my attention were the Tarascos. Okay so what is the Tarasco? A Tarascan is a member of a Mesoamerican Indian people of southwest Mexico. What I understood from the reading was that unlike the Mayans, the Aztecs, and the Incas, the tarascans did not leave a written language, scholars could not fond more information on them. But what they do know is that they were the enemies of the Aztecs. The Aztecs did try to conquer them but they failed. In a way I kind of feel bad for them because they probably had a lot of accomplishments and success that they achieved, but we will never know about it because, like mentioned earlier, they didn't leave anything for the scholars to study, not that is was their fault, but it would have been really awesome to see their history. Another reason why I liked this small portion of the chapter was because they kind of remind me of when the Mexican Americans had a treaty that was suppose to protect them was in Spanish, and the Americans didn't know how to translate it, so many Mexican Americans lost a lot of their rights.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Lopez
In reading chapter one of “The Homeland, Aztlan” this chapter really brought sorrow to me. Coming from a Mexican background I never once thought about what my grandparents had to go through when living in Mexico. I’m going to be completely honest with you sometimes I would make fun of my Mexican heritage and call people names as mentioned in chapter one. In reading it I felt sick to my stomach and made me realize where I came from. I’m proud to call myself Hispanic. Mexicans were forced to leave out of their own home. I don’t know how someone can do that to people. They were there first and for them to be forced on the spot with no preparations is horrible. Being called “wetbacks” forced to leave all their belongings is inhumane. Especially when poor innocent women were being raped. Imagine the mental trauma all the woman went through. I understand where those women come from cause I myself was a victim of it. I don’t know If I should be saying this but this chapter really hit me hard so I feel comfortable sharing my experiences on here. It really does break my heart because this didn’t happen just once but multiple times.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Galvan
In chapter one of "The homeland, Aztlan" it talks about the rise of corn. Corn was a huge agricultural product that brought people together and created many civilizations. For example, because of the growth of corn it became so important and turned into a dietary supplement for the Mesoamericans. Since corn turned out to be such a positive outlook and because of it's growth throughout the United States more like originated in Mexico, it's the reason why it's so honored. I think that maybe that's why corn is so much better over there than here in the United States. My family always has to have elote blanco if it's not, they won't eat it because it's yellow corn from the can. Another thing is the mayan calander. I find it interesting how their hylogyphic writing is only understanding fort he mayans. IT's like a language that is spoken only between then and when other civilization comes they create a different king of "communication" that is only understood between themselves. Over all, the thing that I got most out of it is how they collected traditions from the other civilizations that were kind of similar which many of the things leads to where we are now.
ReplyDeleteYarazeth Ramirez