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What to Look For:

Narratives that rank or center certain traits of racial or ethnic groups over others.

Stories that celebrate some groups as superior while marginalizing or erasing others (e.g. Afro-Latine, Asians, Indigenous peoples).

Key Questions:

How are traits of different groups portrayed in relation to national progress?

Does the story suggest superiority or inferiority based on race or ethnicity?

What roles (authority, labor, etc.) are attributed to different groups?

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What to Look For:

Stories that tie to the idea of belonging (i.e. truly "American" truly "Mexican" or another nationality).

Narratives that promote unity through racial or cultural assimilation (while marginalizing those who remain distinct).

Key Questions:

How does the story define what it means to belong?

How are other groups or histories marginalized (or seen as a threat?)

How does the story reinforce (or challenge) stereotypes about belonging in relation to national progress ?

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What to Look For:

Stories that justify or perpetuate systemic inequalities, such as in land ownership, labor, or education.

Narratives linking national identity economic progress.

Key Questions:

Does the story connect economic progress to national identity or racial or ethnic hierarchies?

How are marginalized groups represented in terms of labor or access to resources?

Does the narrative blame certain groups for their struggles or exclusion?

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What to Look For:

Narratives that frame cultural blending or diversity as progress while erasing distinct contributions (e.g. Mestizaje blending of Spanish and Indigenous traditions, or ideas of "melting pot" in the US).

Celebrations (or appropriations) of cultural practices that ignore the loss of unique traditions.

Key Questions:

Does the story present cultural diversity positively?

What distinct contributions are erased or minimized?

How does the narrative balance recognition and erasure of cultural practices?

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What to Look For:

Stories that emphasize gender roles or stereotypes.

Power imbalances between men and women, such as male dominance or female subservience.

Examples of patriarchal norms or narratives (e.g., "La Malinche as a symbol of betrayal").

Key Questions:

How does the story define or reinforce gender roles?

Does it portray women as passive or men as dominant?

How does gender influence the power dynamics in this story?

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Exclusion of Asians, Africans, and Jewish People throughout the creation of "hybrid beings" because they were seen as an inferior race.

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The story of Hernan Cortes and La Malinche connects to the category of gendered power dynamics. Hernan Cortes is often associated with power and dominance while La Malinche is associated with inferiority and submission. This story helps shape the system of patriarchy in Latin America, where the male has control over important decisions and can use their power to achieve what they desire. The woman has to stand back and let the male do what they want freely, even if it harms them in the process.

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When  looking at the redemption of Ham, we see this interesting depiction after the abolition of slavery in Brazil. It fits well into our national identity as well as belonging and exclusion category. I believe that the narrative pushing for racial assimilation falls towards Brazil's national identity. I also believe the expressions displayed by the grandmother (relief) and father (contentment) fall into that idea of belonging. “Finally,” the grandmother may be thinking. Her bloodline may be able to be accepted and feel belonging in the society of Brazil.

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My example is from Tuesday's reading. I choose it because if has an example of racial hierarchies when it mentions slavery of the Native Americans by the Europeans.

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The example I wrote about in my portfolio was how the author mentioned all Indigenous women that had sexual relations with European men were "raped" regardless of if they were interested or not. I think this shows who was in power and in control in those dynamics. However, we do not get to hear the perspective of Indigenous women themselves.

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Navarette's critique of Octavio Paz and "La Chingada" 

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Navarette's critique of Octavio Paz and "La Chingada" 

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One example from the readings that stood out to me was Navarette’s analysis and critique of Octavio Paz’s interpretation of the myth of La Malinche. According to Octavio Paz, he states: “If the Chingada [1] is a representation of the violated Mother, then it is appropriate to associate her with the Conquest, which was also a violation, not only in the historical sense but also in the very flesh of Indian women.” This connects to the analytical category of gendered power dynamics from the worksheet. As Navarette points out, this perspective is a founding principle of Eurocentrism, which attributes to European conquerors all the supposed virtues of strength, virility, and dominion, while attributing to indigenous peoples the “lesser” qualities of helplessness, weakness, and passivity. This critique from Navarette also reminds me of The Coloniality of Gender by Maria Lugones, in which she claims that Quijano’s approach in the Coloniality of Power is limited, as it does not sufficiently explore how European colonialism imposed strict gender dynamics and structures upon Indigenous peoples in the Americas as another tool for domination.

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Considering the category of Racial & Ethnic Hierarchies, a valuable example that we briefly discussed in class was the “Clean Girl” trend on social media. This trend has aimed to create a visually appealing identity for women by promoting light makeup, slick backs, minimalist clothing/jewelry, etc. However, this trend has ultimately promoted harmful stereotypes, in that the face of this trend is a white/white-passing woman (follows a pattern in the light makeup, light clothing, light skin). This trend best fits the racial and ethnic hierarchies category, as it delivers the message that to portray yourself as a clean, dainty woman, you can only do so if you are white or white-passing. The blatant exclusion of the lack of representation of women of color in this aesthetic reinforces a harmful stereotype that darker-skinned women are uncivilized or unable to present themselves as a “clean girl.”

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The mother as indigenous and the father as Spanish reinforces gender stereotypes about femininity being inferior to masculinity. Indigenous people are "weaker" and "inferior," therefore they have no choice to submit to the Spanish/Europeans; "female" is put hand-in-hand with "indigenous" to reinforce the narrative that these 2 things are inferior.

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The story provides a checklist of what it means to belong. If you're parents are both Mexican, then you come from the mix of criollos and indigenous people. Our parents and we are therefore the product of mixing Spaniard blood with that of the Indigenous. However, if you were born in the United States, you are considered Mexican-American; depending on who you ask, you are either American or Mexican. It almost feels like sometimes we are neither nor both at the same time.

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The overall idea of machismo in Latinx cultures where men believe they have more autonomy and agency just because they are male. And use this idea to minimize the voices and experiences of women in their community, even though their voices are just as, if not more impactful, and worth being expressed. I think the whole reason for this idea of machismo's existence is that men want the knowledge of knowing they have power over someone else, rather than them being able to effectively communicate thoughts, feelings, and emotions in a culture that tells men to stand high and mighty.

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Mulattos were a mix of European and African descent yet were still below Mestizos in their hierarchies. This was because the background of an individual was less important than how a person looked (skin color equated value). This belief has carried throughout Mexico's history where we still see similar racism against Mexicans that are a darker tone, and we still hear "mejorar la raza" in Hispanic households.

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LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) 

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LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) 

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When trying to consolidate the Latino community within the U.S following the acquisition of Mexican Territories and WWI, there was a distinct idea of having to completely separate Latin American citizens and newly arrived Latino immigrants. Where only by creating the idea of Latin American citizens who had little to no attachment to their ancestors or mother tongue would be most accepted into U.S democracy and seen as citizens. Using the label of Hispanic in relation to U.S citizenship allowed for a complete separation of well educated, adjusted citizens and recent arrivals. So there was a requirement of only allowing U.S citizens not any immigrants.

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Coco only takes the time to develop the male characters. Beyond following Miguel through the film, me learn a lot about Héctor as a character and the creators give him a very multifaceted and complex character. We learn about Ernesto De La Cruz (who also appears quite light skinned and European) as both this idol that everyone looks up to. Then as the movie goes on we learn more about his character and how he has this other side to him that people rarely see. Women throughout the movie are only really seen through their connections to male characters.

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This story talks about how it feels to grow up being biracial and how growing up there were times when they couldn't feel truly "Latino" or "American". Especially at this time, being biracial people have a disconnection to both sides, not feeling like enough because of the way they look or speak their language. Thus, harmful emotions can affect us as we grow older.

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Best of both worlds. It's a simple phrase that gets thrown around a lot, but nobody talks about what it means to be part of both worlds. It's easier to think of those worlds as two patches of grass. They're very different, distant, and beautiful, but stretching your legs to reach both at once isn't easy. As a biracial Latino, I've been doing this stretching since I was born, but I realized at a young age that not everybody has had the same experience. So when you have two cultural identities - two very different and beautiful worlds - to live in, what is it like?

To start, there's the idea that Americans will always know English, and people from Spanish-speaking countries will always know Spanish. But being fluent in both isn't guaranteed when someone has two parents with different native languages. This scenario isn't that uncommon; that was the case with my parents, after all. But this pre-established idea made it feel like I should have already been fluent in Spanish when I was a child, instead of only being fluent in English like I grew up to be.

I never blamed my parents for this, though. The story behind why I wasn't raised speaking Spanish is a sweet one: my parents fell in love without knowing each other's languages, so they learned for each other. By the time my brother and I were born, our dad was still expanding his English skills, and the possibility of us learning Spanish early faded.

Did I feel any lesser for not knowing Spanish? Well yes, and I sometimes still do. I'll admit here that it's always something I've been self-conscious of, something that made me different from other people who look like me. I couldn't talk to half of my many cousins, aunts, or grandparents, and it was a hard feeling to deal with. Without this language, was I even worthy of calling myself Hispanic?

Perhaps that's why I need to learn Spanish now instead of continuing to be sad over that difference. It's not to prove that I'm Hispanic or to compensate for lost time, but to have that connection with the other half of my family. The fact is that not knowing a language doesn't make you any less a part of your culture. That's something all children in mixed-race or mixed-culture families like mine should know, and I wish I knew it sooner, too.

There's more to the story than my language barriers, however. I've also had to think a lot about labels and how to identify myself. After all, I wanted to acknowledge my mixed identity. Growing up, the only term my parents knew to use was "Hispanic." That term relates to Spain or Spanish-Speaking countries and can be used to identify people, too. But my brother and I didn't know Spanish. "Latino" applies to those from Latin American countries, but I didn't grow up with it. "Chicano" is the term that likely works the best in theory, since it refers to people of Mexican descent that live in the United States. But I didn't grow up knowing this term either, so for now, I'm still in the process of learning what I like most.

As I've grown older, I've also become more aware of my race. I don't have tan skin, but my facial features are visibly non-white. I thought the term 'bi-racial' was limited to mixed African-Americans, but I've realized that I can use this to describe myself, too.

- J. Molina

As I've grown older, I've also become more aware of my race. I don't have tan skin, but my facial features are visibly non-white. I thought the term "bi-racial" was limited to mixed African-Americans, but I've realized that I can use this to describe myself, too. I may not look exactly like anyone else with the label, but I don't have to either, because there's no "right" way to be something. Labels are nothing more than chosen identifiers.

Outside of language and labels, how else does being part of two worlds affect me? I get to experience both cultures and form unique experiences that others may not have. I'm very proud of my Mexican and American heritage and the cultures that come with them, and all of that pride comes from my experiences. I can't say that I've ever actually walked the streets of Mexico, but I gone to the * carne asadas of random people that I'm told knew me as a baby. I've felt the overwhelming closeness and loyalty of a Latino family as much as I've felt the good-hearted nature of an American family. I have cousins on both sides that I can hardly recall by name but love all the same. I like being able to tell others of my unique experiences, too, and how "I don't know why they had a bouncy house and a mariachi at the grill-out; it wasn't even for anyone's birthday!" All of this adds up to a mixed cultural experience that forever shapes me.

What I've learned from my experiences over the years is that identity is what you make of it. Not anybody else; you. Labels are yours to be defined by or to shed. My mixed-race background, labels, and language abilities don't entirely define me as a person. I'm so much more than just my background, but at the same time, I'm proud of my uniquely mixed experiences. To come from several different worlds or patches of grass means that you can make your own world from the knowledge of both. Most importantly, I've learned that belonging to several different identities doesn't have to be difficult, and I hope to teach others the same, too.

* Carne asadas, in this context, refers to Mexican grillouts.

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Best of both worlds. It's a simple phrase that gets thrown around a lot, but nobody talks about what it means to be part of both worlds. It's easier to think of those worlds as two patches of grass. They're very different, distant, and beautiful, but stretching your legs to reach both at once isn't...

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I think that belonging and exclusion is a big thing right now, especially with the current state of the country. The administration is trying to exclude people and get them out of the country based on how they look, and regardless of people's legal status, it's difficult to feel like they belong, especially with such a racist person in office.

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The example I will be focusing on is the painting shown in class “The Redemption of Ham” by Modesto Broccos. This painting has a white man and a mixed raced woman holding her white baby sitting down while a black older woman is standing right next to them. This painting shows racial & ethnic hierarchies. This can be seen as a “purification” of the bloodline, as more generations are born, the more white they become and any sign of a black ancestor is erased. This shows how much power white skin holds in the era this painting portrays.  It shows black skin as inferior, something to get rid of and to be shamed about while white skin is superior and should be attained for the future of your children.

-Elisa

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Both Mexican yet there is superiority and inferiority within same community 

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Both Mexican yet there is superiority and inferiority within same community 

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Personally it had me reflect on how I have seen the myth of mestizaje play out. My father, who is dark-skinned and from Nayarit, was initially looked down on by my grandmother from Guadalajara, who came from a lighter-skinned family, even though she was very proud of being Mexican. This example shows how national pride in mestizaje masks the persistence of colorism and racial hierarchies inside Mexican families. It best fits this category of Racial & Ethnic Hierarchies, since my dad’s skin color shaped how he was perceived in the family.

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Group: Adriana Espinoza,Fabian Mendoza, Kellin King, Marlyn, Isabel Arriaga, Hope Aloboudi

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Group: Adriana Espinoza,Fabian Mendoza, Kellin King, Marlyn, Isabel Arriaga, Hope Aloboudi

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Pete Hegseth - US SoD

US Military is going to go back on letting women be in positions in power — male dominance is going to be normalized as a standard.

—misogyny: pedelling the belief that women can't do the same things as men

Inez de la Cruz

poet who published her name under male names to get herself recognized

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Regarding National identity, I found that Brazil, which Amanda briefly talked about regarding the picture, is a great example of how a country with a predominantly black population, doesn’t really view them as a race, yet combined together. In Brazil the idea of being Brazilian no matter your background is the same, you are intertwined with the culture and are one big family. Especially in communities like the Favelas, there is a big influx of different ethnicities and races coming from different backgrounds being together to create one big national identity. It was formed due to the government not treating the citizens fairly, whether it be corruption or unfair police brutality. One Favela called Rocinha is notoriously known to be one of the largest favelas where many many people come together and treat each other like family no matter where you came from, they all equally identify with being unfairly treated in some way. It is the biggest example of a community coming together to be together as one despite the physical or ethnically differences some may have or exhibit. They all fight against injustice and unfair treatment from the government, and it has gotten so big where not even the government can do much about it.