What is your reaction to the introduction
of El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de
Aztlán? Had you been a teen-ager or youth in the years of 1968-1970,
do you think you would have been swept up within the nationalist
rhetoric? At what point would you have "pushed back" against
the patriarchal, homophobic, nationalist sentiment? Do you think misogyny
tore apart the Movement or at least impeded its progress?
One paragraph response.
What are your reactions to the documentaries Requiem 29, "Fighting for Our Schools" from the Chicano! series, and the Bless Me, Ultima film? Are the documentaries shown in junior high or high schools to your knowledge? Did you view these documentaries in any other Chicana/o Studies courses? Compared to the text, evaluate the film, Bless Me, Ultima. Is it a faithful representation of the text? What stood out from the film, whether a critique or praise?
One paragraph response
What is one idea you think we should include in our reconceptualization of El Plan de Santa Barbara?
One or two sentences
Joseph Ruiz
ReplyDeleteI think that both plans did a fine job at their time and in a time where being a person of color was frowned upon they were decent during the time. The beginnings of both these plans are fine but leave out other marginalized groups. I believe that I would have not been swept up in the nationalist rhetoric. There are countless injustices happening today in Mexico and the US. As a queer individual I believe I would have pushed back early on considering that if one is to fight racism, they are also to fight homoantagonism and sexism. If the whole point is to unlearn and create spaces where we can be ourselves in a non-colonial structure, the plans themselves defeat that purpose. Misogyny and other factors tore apart the movement. If they had been more inclusive then I believe that progress would have endured. Nationalism has hurt groups like MEcha. If one is to face the colonial beast then one must prepare an army that has the strength and courage to face. If that army is weak then the beast wins.
I would not been shown these documentaries in Grade school. We learned about the struggles of Black communities but in a white washed perspective. The schools are clearly regulated and have not been teaching us the essentials. My teachers were cool, but they would show us other stuff. I did see Fighting for our schools in Community college it was very eye opening. I am proud to say that Harry Gamboa jr. follows me on Instagram. The film helped me formulate the text, however the text let me imagine the way I wanted to see things. I think it is a fair representation but it all happened to quick in the film. I think overall the film did a good job, but it can never be as descriptive like a book.
In the Plan de Santa Barbara I would remake it to include Queer and other under represented groups and such. It is way too straight. It is also too nationalistic and carries blindspots, I understand that this was ok back then. However we live in a new era and it should represent the current wave.
My reaction to El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan is that these works were needed at the time of the movement because this created a language for social justice organizers and educators to move forward and fight institutions. This would have been a challenge to not get swept up with the nationalistic rhetoric given that the livelihood of Chicanx and Latinx people were at risk. However, I would have given push back because we also have to think about whose lives are at the forefront. We cannot undermine the liberation of the community without dismantling homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, within those who were given the power to lead. These are also inter-sectional and if you are not pro- these identities, than you are not for the liberation of the community as a whole. I do think misogyny tore the movement apart because if you silence those who putting in the work and labor, than you do not have anything to stand for. It is a fact that Queer and Womxn are the ones who put in a lot of labor and put themselves in the front lines, when often times, have a lot to loose.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, my reactions to the film Requiem 29 and Bless Me Ultima were how this film and documentary both discuss issues in the Chicanx/Latinx communities within different usage of media. One of the issues that stood out to me was how the documentary discussed how a lot of Chicanx students were drafted to the war and the same thing happened in the movie. This made me realize that the symbolism is that the government will use Chicanx/Latinx people to their benefits and strip them of their rights, with little to nothing in return. This was a subtle example but given the current political climate and how many members of my family are in the military, this was something that I resonated with. More so because people of color who go into the military suffer with mental illness and when they come out, there is not great resources for them, forcing them to stay in the military or work in different government branches that do the same thing. Moreover, I was not shown these works as a youth or other Chicanx courses. Bless Me Ultima was also a good representation of the text but I always feel the texts is better. However, I felt the scenery was on point.
I believe that one idea that should be included in El Plan de Santa Barbara is a living wage for those who are doing the community and institutional organizing. Being in a community organization during college, I seen hand in hand how deter-mental it is to be a student, survive, thrive, and put in work doing the groundwork of organizing. The rhetoric that seems is that if people get paid, than they are doing the work for the wrong reasons but truth is, if low-income students of color are struggling to keep their lives a float, than how will they be able to empower themselves to do the work? I believe that community organizers should not fight for the little benefits they receive and it should be a given. The work gets neglected when one is too focused on getting by. Since this piece of work helped many organizations become more institutionalized, I think this is what would be helpful.
My initial reaction to El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Atzlan was that of consideration. I felt sympathy for both compositions for their attempt at delivering an incredibly progressive and necessary stand during a time when Chicanx/Latinx communities faced continuous and blatant discrimination. Although nationalistic, both compositions were necessary for igniting the incentive to establish the programs that exist today. For example, El Plan de Santa Barbara advocated for the existence of a curriculum centered around the Chicano cultural and historical knowledge. The advocation and acknowledgement of such curriculums eventually gave birth to what we know now as Chicanx Studies. Nevertheless, if I was a teenager during the time both compositions were written, I think I would have definitely fallen into the nationalistic rhetoric as this period in time, (60’s-70’s), marked the civil rights movement where oppressed groups, such as African Americans, demanded and fought for the enforcement of their constitutional and legal rights. I believe, however, that I would have shown resistance right from the moment factors of intersectionality such as, race, gender, class, and sexuality, were disregarded. The disregard for such factors within the Chicanx movement not only prevents every member to stand in solidarity but is also what brings the entire movement to a halt. Without addressing issues like patriarchy, homophobia, and nationalism within the community, there is no more community and no continuation forward.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reactions to “Fighting for Our Schools” and Bless Me, Ultima was that of rage, inspiration, and admiration. I felt particularly raged and inspired for the documentary as it highlighted an important time where Chicanx students protested against the unequal conditions in the Los Angeles Unified School district. I believe I took the documentary to heart as I attended one of the schools, (Lincoln High School), where the walkouts took place. My feeling of rage stemmed from the fact that institutions had it in their interest to maintain high drop-out rates in schools predominantly of color. This form of institutional racism still exists today and to see student activists so passionate about changing the system and demanding their rights during a time where nobody considered them left me feeling all the more inspired and grateful for my education. Nevertheless, the film Bless Me, Ultima was a refreshing way to see Chicanx struggles through an artistic lens. Specifically in regards to patriarchal and religious factors. My feeling of admiration, however, stemmed from Ultimas’ role as a curandera. Similar to the people in the film, I had my reservations about curanderismo. My reservations were not motivated by religion but rather from the negative experiences I endured growing up. My sense of admiration for curanderismo arose from the realization of its impactful role in my cultural identity and the interconnection between nature and spirt. In spite of that, from personal experience, both the documentary and film were never shown in junior/high school nor in any of my Chicanx courses. Comparing the film to the text, I felt as though it was an adequate representation but it definitely missed important elements such as the dream of Antonio’s birth story. The film in general was nice, especially with the cinematic scenes, but the text was far better at highlighting the essential factors of Antonios’ family dynamic.
One idea we should include in our reconceptualization of El Plan de Santa Barbara is the addition of an Artivism program that interconnects art and activism. I believe such program would provide a unique platform as it provides an alternative and creative outlet for students during organization.
- Aileen Ramos
DeleteMy reaction to the introduction of El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán is that these plans were well thought in terms of what they wanted for their community and the change they wanted from society. Of course it is very gendered based, but during that time many people still felt very prideful of the movement even though it had many flaws. Had I been a teenager in the years of 1968-70, I think I would have not been swept up within the nationalist rhetoric because even though the movement was instilling/demanding change for the better of the community I would question the aspect of the gender biases. It was very moving and patriotic movement, but most of the unnoticed work was done by women, women who were actually the ones that made things happen. It is unfortunate that the men in the Chicano movement did not acknowledge the work and importance of the women in the movement. I would have pushed back against the patriarchal, homophobic, and nationalis sentiment when these documents were being written to avoid any exclusion of groups of people. It is best to start off on something that everyone agrees on in order to have a successful result. I do think misogyny tore apart the Movement because many women did feel their work was not valued or acknowledged and so they rebelled against the movement.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that we were able to see Requiem 29 because I had never heard or seen it before. It is quite alarming how the judge was very persistent with his questions to push the conversation in the direction that benefited the policemen. It was eye-opening to see all the things that Chicanx folks had to endure in order to be heard or seen in the eyes of the government. I also really enjoyed watching “Fighting for Our Schools” because of the initiative these students put into their movement for better education. I also really enjoyed watching Bless Me, Ultima, it is very similar to the book and I definitely think it reflects upon aspects of the Chicano Movement. I do think the film is missing parts of the book like that of the golden carp and its significance to Antonio. What stood out from the film to me was that there was a scenery that matched with all the imagery in the book, it was quite faithful.
The documentaries spoken of are not shown in junior high or high school to my knowledge, I viewed these documentaries in other Chicana/o courses.
For our reconceptualization of El Plan de Santa Barbara, I think we should define who is a chicana/o//x or who can be part of this plan in order to avoid excluding groups of people.
- Cecilia Sandoval
DeleteThe foundational papeles for what became the Chicano movement made me ponder a lot about the politics and the culture that they wanted to implement for their community. It is easy to see where they had gone wrong (even from the beginning), as well as pointing out many points in the papeles as a form of criticism. It is also very easy to point out that the papeles became a necessity in the 1960s, because there were few things that defended the newly formed Chicano community. Had I been a teenager at that point in time, I think I would have been swept up, because the rhetoric and ideals of that group would provide a sanctuary when there was virtually none during that era of LA and US history. Various things have impeded the progress, such as the misogyny, and it would become pretty evident within the first few months or years of the movement that it would eventually turn the tide of progress, making it regress. I think my pushback would come soon after joining the movement and taking time to observe everything that the movement did.
ReplyDeleteThe documentaries were the first time I had ever seen them. Growing up in a conservative county and decently conservative school district, chicano studies was simply an imagination when attending high school, so seeing these documentaries, particularly "Requiem 29", and reading a book like Bless Me, Ultima for the first time really struck a chord in me, because they were cultural productions that I had never come across, which certainly spurred a lot of thought in regards to cultural belonging, etc. within me. The film adaptation of BMU is, for the most part, an accurate representation. But as many have said, the film can only represent the book to a certain extent before realizing that the book contains much more information that a movie lacks.
As for reconceptualizing El Plan de Santa Bárbara, it is a question of rewriting the papeles, because conditions have changed within 50 years (not by much, but significantly enough) and therefore require a redefinition of "Chicano" and what the nation of Aztlán means.
-Brian
A reaction to El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, like others have said, is how revolutionary it was for the time period and how well thought out they were in their demands. There is no room for vagueness or empty promises in the texts. However, with distance, it's important to acknowledge how exclusionary both texts was of certain identities. Equally important, the fact that the works and the movement engulfed identities of Latinx people who don’t identify as Chicanx. For example, many people of Central American descent still see themselves excluded from Chicano/Chicana studies programs and classes. I don’t think I would have been swe
ReplyDeletept up in nationalism, because as a teenager and youth I always lived in fear and never liked stepping out of line. The last walk-outs that took place, I believe in 2006, my mom said literally, “you’ll get in trouble” and that's all it took for me not to participate. The part that would have made me “push back” like I mentioned, was the exclusion of certain identities. There are areas where it could be argued the texts directly mirrors the same practices of the imperial state rather than being fully revolutionary. For example tthe exclusion and marginalization of queer people while fighting for equality for others. It makes me think of Lincoln “declaring freedom” for african Americans and in that same week ordering the execution of Dakota indigenous people to save white settlers. Further, misogyny definitely tore apart the movement, and continues to work against movements. I believe it was Chicano Movement for Beginners, that has quotes about men fighting for power become an issue, and even other men saying they wouldn't be part of a movement led by women.
My initial reaction to Requiem 29 is always one of pain but it also makes me reflect inwardly. Would I have been one of the students marching? I never heard or saw any of these movies in highschool or primary school. AP classes have really strict texts that highlight white traditional writing as the only true literary work and it is those texts that are emphasized for college bound people. I know I saw an old news clip in another class where a school in arizona fired a teacher for trying to teach House on Mango Street for inciting rebellion of the “Mexican youth”. There is still largely a fear that ethnic studies encourage or inspire hatred of white people, often the argument of “reverse racism”. I have seen clips of Requiem 29 in three different courses at UCLA. I do not believe I’ve seen the other clips. Bless Me Ultima, I had never read or seen before, but as far as movies go, it is pretty faithful to the text. From my memory nothing was altered in that no character were added or excluded. In order for a movie not to make a movie seven hours long it has to be abridged. I’d rather it be abridged that reworked to make a different movie. Obviously things are left out in the film, my biggest complaint (thing that stood out) is leaving out the Golden Carp as it felt like it was one of the most significant aspects of the text.
One thing I would change about El Plan de Santa Barbara is the emphasis on higher education. I believe a push for something like parenting workshops to decolonize the style of thinking and sets a better groundwork for school since, while it's not impossible to re-teach history, for example, it can help avoid culture shock and feelings of inferiority later on. To be cliche, “education begins at home”.
My reaction towards El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán was shocking because I didn’t know these documents existed. I knew of the Chicano movement and their forms of resistance, but it seemed that when I learned about it in school, protests and wild riots were the only thing that was mentioned. I truly believe it was for us to have this horrible image of this movement—of it being chaotic and with no conduct. I feel like at the time, these two plans were powerful and empowering to the extent that made people believe that change can happen. But I think I wouldn’t have been swept up within the nationalist rhetoric. Simply because I wouldn’t be able to relate. Misogyny definitely impeded the movements’ progress because it’s very inclusive and doesn’t advocate for other groups or identities within the Chicanx communities. As a light-skinned queer Chicana, I would feel forced to assimilate within this group—which defeats the purpose of the movement; I would still have to advocate against gender oppression on my own.
ReplyDeleteRequiem 29 and Bless Me, Ultima definitely are empowering films in the time of the Chicano movement. To my knowledge, they aren’t shown in junior or high schools. I have never watched these films. I believe the film represented the emotions and wording of the book. One thing that stood out to me was the lack of representation of Gabriel in the film. The film personified Gabriel as someone who was very compliant towards his family’s wishes. But, in the book, Gabriel is portrayed as a heavy drunk through Antonio’s eyes. We continue to see his alcoholism more and more especially in Chapter 15. Gabriel is a very conflicting character because in the film he is shown as a quiet, submissive father, but in the book, he is very outspoken, drinks too much, and is able to answer Antonio’s questions. I wonder if this was done purposely in order to create a stereotype of a Chicano that would please its audiences.
One thing we should include in El Plan de Santa Barbara is a reform against the erasure of the Chicanx LGBTQ community.
Being a teenager I would've fallen into the nationalist idea as Mexican, limiting myself to those that speak, eat and think like me and excluding others that don’t. Also, I don't think I would have been able to push back any patriarchal, homophobic or nationalist sentiments as I think that in that environment I would had refugee myself on them to hide my internal fear of what was going on. I would have occupied an average person role with little thought but lots of senseless passion for my “justice.”
ReplyDeleteMy reactions to the documentary are mixed and contradictory. I remember feeling detached but forcing myself to empathize with the people and students shown. Also, thinking about how I would've never dared to be part of the walkouts. Regarding the film, I think the portrayal of social rejection of the indigenous traditions and dual hypocrisy is remarkable in the film. The way most of the community rejects ultima in silent depicts the passive aggression and racism imposed by white colonizers and passed onto mestizos against indigenous perspectives and knowledge. However, simultaneously they approach Ultima, their indigenous past, when they think it is the most convenient and then again turn their back to her when she had helped them.
For the plan of Santa Barbara, it would be convenient to add the inclusion of Latino communities other than the groups of Mexican descent, disregarding the disparity in number but instead acknowledging the struggle which forces them to unite on a deeper level regardless of their differences.
-Abraham Jurado
While engaging in both El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, it was shocking to know that these two works engaged in social justices during the chicano movement. However, this was my second time reading these two documents and I realized that while reading it again, I found them more compelling because now that I have more knowledge about the chicano movement, I can say that they gave rise to chicano studies. And although these two works gave rise to chicano communities, I feel like if i were a teenerager at the time of 1968-1970, i would have definitely been swept away by the national rhetoric because fighting for rights is a huge part even now a days. And i would have pushed back against the patricharical, homophopic, nationalist sentiment if were a part of the chicano movement. And i do believe misogyny tore the movement apart because women were not valued for their work, while men’s work was valued.
ReplyDeleteMore so, in high school we never got taught the chicano movement, we just got taught certain struggles that africans would face during that time. So, the two documentaries were shocking to see because it was something new to see the many injustices these chicano cultures were facing. However, the documentary of Bless me ultima, was not faithful to the book, because the book had much more detail. But the film did help navigate throughout the text. And the thing that stood out the most to me was, the role of ultima because i felt like i related in way. I felt like ultima was my grandma and Antonio was me because i was really close to my grandma and I felt like she taught me certain things that my mom never did. Anyways, I really enjoyed watching both documentaries.
One idea that we should include in the Plan de Santa Barbara is the idea of underrepresented groups.
- Marina Gonzalez
El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan were beneficial because they shed light on issues that needed social change and advocated for better schooling conditions for Chicanx. I remember reading El Plan Espiritual in other Chicano courses at UCLA, but it was interesting to thoroughly read and digest them in this class. I appreciated that they took a scholarly and respectful approach in their languages because that way, the groups proved that they were capable of formulating a peaceful call for movement through an eloquent literary document. Though the documents had good intentions, the documents are still very patriarchal because they stem from the radical ideas of mostly men. I don’t believe that this was an accident; the shadowing of women is evident of the ongoing misogyny in Chicano culture. It is misogynistic when men do not give credit where credit is due; men take up the spotlight of struggle and leave Chicanx women behind. Thus, I do think misogyny tore apart the movement or impeded its progress because men have always felt threatened by the potential of women and have always overlooked their contributions and pivotal roles.
ReplyDeleteRequiem 29 and “Fighting for Our School” raised awareness on the issue of young, brown men being drafted. These types of documentaries were never shown in my middle/ high school which leads me to wonder why Mexican school teachers in my cities comply with the very institutional racism they are up against. Instead, my school prioritized teaching european and american history. I think it depends on the location because some peers have had that type of curriculum. It may be that issues of race are more prevalent in a poorer community than a suburban community, so teachers bring light to the issues since they are relevant issues. I do recall clubs such as MeCha, but their existence was discreet; they lacked visibility. The Bless Me, Ultima film followed the storyline of the book pretty accurately. All the scenes enacted what was in text albeit a few omittances. What stood out to me the most from the film was the symbolic representations such as by the inclusion of brown people, valley sceneries, and clothing such as Ultima’s black cloaks.
I’d like to say that if I had been alive and was a teenager in the years of 1968-1970, I indeed would have been swept up within the nationalistic rhetoric. I say this because I myself hunger for social justice and political reform, especially when dealing with issues of race and marginalization. I would like to believe that I would have “pushed back” against the patriarchal, homophobic, nationalistic rhetoric. However, I would have to be motivated to learn in school; most women are instructed to be meek, silent, and passive, so I truly wonder if, in that decade, I would have the support and resources to actually invest in being a radical. Even in this current decade, I didn’t even think much about sexism and marginalization until I entered college! So I think that that definitely speaks volumes. Nevertheless, I feel confident about the possibility of me pushing back against the patriarchy in this decade because I am a characteristically fueled by the desire to bring justice to situations and conditions, especially machismo in Mexican homes. Ultimately, I would say that to join the forces of the decade, I would have to be educated on the issues and influenced by my peers, just as I have been here and now at UCLA.
One idea I propose to be included in our classroom’s re conceptualization of El Plan de Santa Barbara is for the recognition of the fact that men must learn to coexist with women and queer individuals because they must learn to reject old ideals and share the spotlight in order to move forward for a progressive institution. Further, we will have to practice what we preach such as through the ideals of affirmative action and having (or not having) a set quota. Another example is to implement the requirement to have an LGBTQ+ wing for these individuals but also for non-identifiers to interact with and learn from.
Julissa Anabel Lopez
I feel like both El Plan de Santa Barabara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan are very important documents had a big impact on what led to become the Chicano and Chicano Movement in the 1960s in which many Mexcian-Americans in the United States were having their civil rights violated. These 2 documents worked well as a foundation as they shed light on many ongoing issues affecting the Chicanx and Mexican communities. It also helped towards the fight for social justice and calling for an education reform. The level of education that most Chicanx individuals faced when growing was at a really poor level and due to this, there weren't many that would go on to pursue a higher education after high school. If I was a teengaer in 1968-1970, I probably would have pushed back with all the inequality there was for people of color. I do believe misogyny held back the movement in one way or the other as there was still a strong sense of machismo among most Chicanos even though Chicanas also contributed in many ways to the movement but weren’t recognized for it.
ReplyDeleteMy original reaction to the documentary Requiem 29 was that it was a bit of anger due to the all the unnecessary violence many Chicanx individuals had to endure during the protest. I also think the death of Ruben Salazar was also unnecessary and there’s a chance he was targeted as he was a well known Los Angeles Times journalist at the time. These documentaries were definitely not shown at my high school or middle school, which I think they should be implemented at least the high school level. I only remember briefly learning about the Zoot Suit Riots in my history class. I had to wait until I was in college when I first took a sociology class that went in depth of the Chicanx Movement. I think the film of “Bless Me, Ultima” did a decent job of translating the book into a film but there were some small issues in some aspects as the development of some of the characters in the film. The scenery in the film was really good and the use of symbolism in the film was executed very well throughout the whole film. I think everyone in the class agreed that they could of done a better job with Ultimas character in the film and wasn’t the same as in the book.
One thing that should definitely be included El Plan de Santa Barbara would be inclusion to underrepresented groups such as the LGBTQ+ community.
- Polo Hernandez
My reaction to El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan was one of criticism, although I do appreciate the progress made in the time of their conception. If I had been teenager or youth in the years 1968-1970, I imagine I would have been swept up within the nationalist rhetoric. I think that based off what my parents would have been socializing me with, I would’ve found this quite revolutionary. I think I would have definitely joined the Brown Berets or at least exercised my right to protest to improve educational standards for people of color. Especially seeing what my parents sacrificed to give me the life I would’ve hypothetically been living, I would’ve been more compelled to fight for my rights. I think that closer to my twenties and maybe with some experience in dealing with politics within the Chican‘o’ Movement, I would have fought for a space and a louder voice for women. I think closer to the end of my teen years in my real life I started to notice a lot more of the patriarchal patterns which surround us, I imagine this realization would have come at around the same age. Hopefully I would have been surrounded by like-minded women and others who also had the passion to speak up for gender equality and not just social or cultural representation. I think that misogyny indeed had a big deal to do with the lack of progress in the Movement. There could not be any moving forward if within the organization there are disagreements, it makes the organization and its argument weak.
ReplyDeleteThe reconceptualization of El Plan de Santa Barbara should include added resources for parenting students so as to encourage their participation in the incorporation of Chicana/o Studies in the higher educational system. Although in general, resources are usually directed to ‘mothers’, I believe the resources in the addendum should encompass parenthood.
El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán were both created with the intention of rallying Mexican-American individuals behind one common goal: socio-political empowerment. Each document was among the first works of literature produced to advance the Chicano Movement, and as such, deserve honorable recognition for their attempt to stimulate Chicanos into taking political action. Unfortunately, the documents brimmed with shortcomings, as they failed to recognize the individual identities and hardships that were experienced by the people that they were trying to appeal to and hence, were popularly regarded as uninspiring and insufficient reason to back the movement. Personally speaking, had I been a teenager around 1968-1970, when the Chicano Movement was drawing an end, I do not think I would have been swept up under its nationalist rhetoric. At that point in time, I would not have justified the homophobia and sexism that permeated the movement under the guise of ethnic advancement, as being a woman, I’m sure would have placed me at the receiving end of these prejudices. In fact, many Mexican-Americans (mostly non-cis males), broke away into their own factions within the Chicano Movement, as they did not feel that their own needs were being addressed. This definitely weakened the movement as it wasn’t presenting as one singular group demanding one singular thing, but rather multiple groups making multiple demands. Again, personally speaking, I would have broke away from the movement the second I started feeling like my worth, efforts, and contributions weren’t being recognized.
ReplyDeleteThe films each represent a uniquely important issue that the Chicano Movement tried to address. Requiem 29 brings attention to the disproportionate rates of police brutality that communities of color experience. Fighting for Our Schools sheds light on the subpar quality of education that Chicanos received in comparison to their White counterparts. Bless me, Ultima pays homage to the indigeneity roots that the Chicano Movement often obscured. Together, they all serve to depict the grievances experienced by Mexican-Americans--externally, and internally as well. I was never shown any of these movies during my time in High School, but I do think that I would have benefited greatly if I had, as most of the teachings at school occur in a very euro-centric manner and do a poor job of conveying the extent to which communities of color were actually impacted by state-sanctioned discrimination.
In comparison to the book version of Bless me, Ultima, the movie does a poor job of communicating the journey of spirituality that Antonio embarks on. The book definitely gives you a lot more insight into the internal conflicts and emotions that are usually tied to such a character-building experience. The movie on the other hand, seems to cover them only at the surface level and dilutes role of spirituality in Antonio’s life. For this reason, I do not think that it is faithful to the text. Something that I do think the film does a really great job on however, is on it’s contrast of the Luna and Mar energies. The film allows use to actually see the ways in which the two juxtaposed one another in a very complementary fashion instead of it just being described.
I think we should definitely make it more inclusive of the different identities that are present within the Chicano population.
-Perla Cervantes
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the introduction of El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán, I believe that these works were necessary for its time. Both plans took a first step towards addressing the injustices that people of color faced during this time. In addition, it’s worth mentioning that these plans aren’t inclusive to all groups. It is evident that there is a lack of support for other marginalized groups. Had I been a teen-ager or youth in the years of 1968-1970, I think it would have been challenging to get swept up within the nationalist rhetoric. While much of the focus was on racism and discrimination, there was less attention paid to a patriarchal, homophobic and nationalist sentiment. Taking that into consideration, I would have pushed back in order to create an inclusive space for everyone regardless of how they identify. In my opinion, misogyny didn’t necessarily tear the Movement apart but rather it paved a way for correcting the injustices within the Movement.
The documentaries Requiem 29, "Fighting for Our Schools" from the Chicano! series and Bless Me Ultima film revealed the ongoing challenges that Chicanx folks had to endure. I found it alarming that none of these films were incorporated in my junior high or high school curriculum. I haven’t seen these documentaries in any other Chicana/o Studies courses either. However, I think it’s imperative that everyone should watch these films in order to understand the frustration expressed by those in marginalized communities. Compared to the text, the film Bless Me Ultima was very similar to the book. A faithful representation of the text was reflected in the film, especially through the usage of vivid and spiritual imagery. However, something that stood out from the film was the way that female characters were being overlooked or disregarded by the male characters.
In the Plan de Santa Barbara, I would recommend adding more inclusive terms in order for the document to be more open and accepting of everyone. Although there are several flaws and blind spots, it’s important that there are modifications done in order to assimilate to this new wave that has swept through our society.
-Candido Vazquez
El Plan de Santa Barbara is an amazing piece of work that highlighted problems within the education system and attempted to change it. Having a curriculum that was for and by the Chicano/Chicana students is very empowering and stresses their desire for change. As someone who looks to become a teacher, I admired the students work into creating El Plan de Santa Barbara. I also believe there should be changes in the curriculum, as well as more resources for students and parents. However, in my perspective El Plan Espiritual de Aztlan does need some work. Though it attempted to include Chicanx, Latinos, Hispanics, etc. it does seem to target the traditional, heterosexual family. I believe it can be rewritten to be more inclusive to reflect our current times. Have I been a teenager in the years of 1968-1970 I would have been swept up by the nationalist rhetoric. I would have pushed back during my early adulthood primarily because my ideals would clash with the Mexican patriarchal norm. Staying in the house and marrying young is not something I have in mind. Misogyny did impede the Movements progress, but as described in lecture the women who were occupying space in meetings made their voices and opinions known. Nobody likes to talk about racism, sexism, and discrimination within the Mexican community, yet this did affect the speed of progress.
ReplyDeleteRequiem 29 was very empowering to watch and illustrated just how frustrated students where with the poor education system. Students were not being given the same opportunities or funding that a private school receives. Bless Me, Ultima was also a beautiful recreation on the novel and highlighted the environment. I did not see either of both films until I got into UCLA. Junior high and high school are more concentrated in academics, AP exams, sports, etc. rather than social or political issues. I still remember watching a small clip of Requiem 29 in Chicano Studies 10A, but I did not see or read Bless Me, Ultima until taking the Chicano Literature Lecture with professor Omar Gonzales. The film Bless Me, Ultima was a honest attempt in recreating the images and beauty of the environment. Though they did cut some parts of the novel, the careful display of the scenery caught my attention. From the town to the rivers and trees, the film attempted to be as detailed and close to the book as possible.
In El Plan de Santa Barbara, I want to include programs and resources single mothers can use. Opening child care centers, food programs, and work opportunities would be helpful for single mothers who want to continue their education and work (as well as spaces where mothers can comfortably breastfeed, etc.).
-Chelssea Adame
El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Áztlan are important texts that highlight the importance of community organizing. Both place an emphasis on the improvement of the entire community, rather than individual success, an idea I agree with. There’s no point in any of us coming to a place like UCLA and then leaving our communities, to fit into an idea of what middle class America is. However, both texts dependence on nationalism is a limitation. I believe I would have agreed with a lot of it, but I would have also been too scared to join the movement; in part because I would not have felt welcomed. As a queer woman, I know that the movement was not created with me in mind, rather Chicana feminist and queer Chicanxs were labeled traitors. Misogyny severely limited the potential of the movement. A movement meant to help liberate a community, placed boundaries on its members. You had to fit a mold, and deviation from that meant you had no place in it, which only recreates a system of oppression.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching the documentaries and learned a lot. Listening to those involved in planning and taking part in the strikes was inspiring and pulled that moment in history out of the abstract into the concrete. To my knowledge, these documentaries are not shown in junior high or high schools, at least not any in my local school district. I have seen these documentaries in two previous classes, one in Chicana/o Studies, and the other in a general education cluster I took my first year. Bless Me, Ultima the film did a good job at capturing the novels themes. While not everything in the book was included, Antonio’s internal conflicts regarding Catholicism and God, were clearly conveyed.
El Plan de Santa Barbara sets nationalism as its center, but nationalism lacks a clear definition, which has lent itself to the exclusion of different people from the movement. Those who fall outside of traditional gender roles and the nuclear family, should be given a voice in the plan. Furthermore, the term bronze raze in El Plan, erases the presence of Afro-Latinos.
- Marilu Duran
Previously I had already been familiar with El Plan Espiritiual de Azlan so it was extremely informative to me to know that there were other plans out there working towards the same goals. Focusing on education is something that I find extremely helpful within plans of activism because it can be easily forgotten that when giving everything to “la causa,” that we must keep something for ourselves. I think as a teenager I could have been swept up due to the influence of people that i might have been around but ultimately would have hopefully found another way to combat issues that I found within this movement. When patriarchal, homophobic, and national sentiments start to effect my family and people i love is the point that i would have “pushed back.” I feel that it would have been common for this to happen with teenagers in this time because commonly there is this selfish sentiment that teenagers naturally have because they have not fully developed. This by no means gives them a pass but it allows me to believe that I would have not understood the extent of how harmful these sentiments would be to my community unless it was affecting me directly. I believe that misogyny definitely tore apart the movement; if men would have accepted help from woman and allowed them the platform that they deserved then the movement could have been extremely strong and effective as well.
ReplyDeleteI had seen the Requiem 29, “Fighting for Our Schools,” documentary previously before and had not noticed how much focus was placed on the families of the Chicano Movement as a whole. Bless Me, Ultima was a great film, especially in the context of the novel; I enjoyed this film so much that I shared it with my father to which he responded that he had already seen it. This got me thinking about how much I do not know about my Chicano identity nor my Native American or Haitian identities as well. It made me question why my father and paternal grandmother did not share their experiences about living in a time when the Chicano movement was active and how they were involved. Only recently as I have started to learn about different moments of history in my higher education journey have I started to ask my parents and grandparents questions about their perspectives and experiences that they have endured in their time as immigrants, men/ women, being apart of the lgbtq+ community, etc. There documentaries are not shown in either junior high or high schools; I viewed these in Chicanx courses at UCLA, such as Chicanx 10B and 101. I believe it is a faithful representation of the text and what stood out was how much more invisible the female characters are in the film than in the text. In the text it is easy to forget that the sisters are standing right there when certain conversations are happening but in the film it is presented in front of one's own eyes.
There should be a clause about the integration between the generations of activists and learning from their mistakes and furthering/ improving their already developed ideas.
- Isis Curiel
If I were to be a teenager during 1968-1970, I would’ve definitely felt the cultural nationalism through El Plan de Santa Barbara and El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán. Living through the racial injustices right then and there would’ve pushed me to be involved politically because it is the only way to fight injustices.To participate in organizations such as The Brown Berets, M.E.ch.A, etc would’ve been a huge possibility because it was a unity that was essential for the movement to prosper and be heard. In order to help the movement, teenager me in the 1960’s would have waited to push back the patriarchal issues that were involved within our families and organizations. The bigger picture here was for our parents to stop receiving the belittlement, discriminatory treatment and for students to receive a better education to open a better vision than just being automobile mechanics and housemaids. I do believe misogyny tore apart the movement because the women who were on the frontline basically worked harder and no credit went to their attention. The women were creating, organizing and delivering ideas while still being mistreated. How are you fighting for a movement to deliver racial injustices while committing the oppression in your own communities???
ReplyDeleteMy reactions towards the documentaries had mixed feelings varying positively and negatively. Unfortunately, these documentaries were not shown in my junior high or high school. If I would’ve seen them, my exposure to my culture would’ve given me the confidence I needed during highschool. To be completely honest, I was ashamed for being Latina and being apart of an immigrant family because the struggle is an ongoing battle. I didn’t see any of these two documentaries when I was in Fullerton college either but we did see other documentaries in regards to the highschool walkout and the work that Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta did for farmworkers. What really stood out from the film was the imagery and the importance of nature. Ultima has this connection with nature and demonstrated that to the protagonist, Antonio. Most Latinos boys follow the father’s footsteps, so it was impressive to see the visual representation of a Latino boy choosing his calling and not feeling unmasculine while learning about life with Ultima.
Providing a community center where Latinx families can go for resources would be very beneficial. This should easily be accessible. Therefore, it should be within walking distance in Barrios in Los Angeles.
-Stephanie Guerrero
My reaction to El Plans was that these works were necessary during the time and served quite well. However, this allowed for a conversation to be had that opened up the fight against the institutions that have oppressed and prevented social justice that later on was seen as neglected. As a teenager back then, it would have been difficult for me to not be involved with this rhetoric given the fact that my community was being targeted. I would have contributed or helped assemble protests to fight for the equality that we as humans are entitled to. Without misogyny, I believe the movement could have flourished, instead, of the homophobia and patriarchy that silenced those who were working for liberation.
ReplyDeleteMy reactions to the film Requiem 29 and Bless Me Ultima were how we as students learn about the oppression that is not taught in regular middle or high schools. These films discussed the issues that the Chicanx communities face and what is not talked about in a more widespread manner. The closest to those films that I was introduced to in high school were films like, Walkout and Stand and Deliver. However, as far as having genuine conversations about such issues, my knowledge was very limited. Ironically, most of the plots in these films are relatively the same, which made me realize that the issue had not improved nor been eliminated. It was not an issue that I have personally struggled or related to being that I had to opportunity to be a student at one of the most prestigious universities, but being a part of that community has allowed me to want to learn how a person in my position can help. The film, Bless Me Ultima stayed true to the text in the sense that we were able to see more behind the scenes of what was not described in the text, however, the text did not leave any room for interpretation and was able to say exactly how the plot and the characters felt.
I believe an idea that should be included in El Plan, is the idea of activism and how we should continue fighting for our rights for higher education and culture.
It was interesting reading El Plan de Santa Barbara because this was not a “typical” type of text. This manifesto was an important document to unite communities and it was fascinating seeing the framework of what is now known as Chicano Studies throughout the U.S. I think during the years of 1968-1970 it would have been easy to be “swept up” in this rhetoric because it gave power to Chicanos who were continuously exposed to racism. I believe it would’ve been vital form the start to make sure that Chicanismo wasn’t dominated by a patriarchal structure. Today Chicano is though to only refer to Mexican Americans and is seen as exclusionary of other identities. Had they built upon this coalitions, it would have been easier to gather support on political and social issues affecting all Latinx communities within the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI was first exposed to the documentary Requiem 29 during a Chicano history class in community college. It was empowering seeing students take power into their own hand and organize such an important movement. It was also disheartening to see the educational conditions that were in high schools. These films aren’t readily shown in high schools or junior high. On the other hand, Bless Me Ultima was a text read at my high school. Although we were exposed to Chicano literature, the English professor who taught it did not highlight any aspects on identity or other important themes. I think a lot was left out in Bless me Ultima. I would have loved to see the carp story arc and the character development of Narciso and Florence. One thing that stood out from the movie was the Ultima as a curandera, I believe the film did a good job on representing Ultima.
On idea we should reconceptualize is introducing Chicano studies in high schools. I think Requiem 29 should be shown in high schools, especially throughout California, as way to show students they always have the power to implement change.
Jason L.
1) When I read los planes for the first time, I thought it was empowering to the Chicano Movement. The way it states about RAZA and how harsh the struggles of the Mexican community. I, two years ago could feel as sense of nationalism. The younger me would and did feel a sense of pride when I kept on reading. Now, by that I am taking other Chicanx classes and my personal growth as an organizer, I definitely try to understand those feels that I had. I started to really understand what other Chicanx, Central Americans, Puerto Ricans, Afro-Latinx experiences were left out. The point where I started to push back against the oppression that the term Chicano upholds when I saw other voices silenced. While men took all the credit for being on the frontline of the movement. I believe that with misogyny and nationalism tore apart the Movement since the beginning. The movement only went so far because folks from different generations came together because of pride to protect their culture. I think, since Chicanos were trying to be as equal as the white man, they no longer were fighting for la RAZA, but instead for themselves.
ReplyDelete2) These films have not been shown to Jr. high nor high school. I have only seen “Fighting for Our schools in my other Chicanx studies class. Other than that, I have not seen the other documentaries. The film Bless Me, Ultima seemed very similar to the book. I felt that there wasn’t much different. What stood out to me was the innocence of Antonio. Overall, his character was well played and definitely made the book more engaging.
I think El Plan de Santa Barbara should be written by queer folks and women