Growing up Hispanic in a predominantly white city came with some downsides. One of these downsides was the ongoing one-sided discussion of why we need a wall built to “keep all the Mexicans out.” Jokes underlined with hate against “illegal immigrants” and that the only reason they cross the border is to smuggle drugs and commit crimes in the U.S. shows a horrible side of this country. The book, Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States, by Seth M. Holmes, is a first-person ethnographic which shows the audience why migrant workers are suffering. This take on migrant farmworkers is a new one, for all that’s said about migrant workers is that along the lines of “stealing our jobs.” This book was written by Holmes because he wanted to showcase that social inequality leads to injuries being afflicted upon the bodies of migrant farmworkers. He believes that through collective action, we can fight policies and ideas that cause the suffering of migrant workers. Holmes states, “... my Triqui companions experience their labor migration as anything but voluntary. Rather, they have told me repeatedly that they are forced to migrate in order for themselves and their families to survive” (Holmes 17-18). Not only are migrants forced to come and work in the U.S., but they are also treated horribly. This is a wonderful book that shows the audience why and how to make changes in the policies and ideas that create this horrific treatment of migrant farmworkers.
One of the reasons this book is so great is the care that Holmes shows for the workers he observes. In one instance, Holmes mentions Crescencio and how the care that his doctor's provided him was so horribly given. Cresencio would get headaches because of hurtful and racist words used by his employers. These headaches only went away when Cresencio drank heavily. The doctors, hearing this, believed that Cresecncio started to beat his wife and kids because of excessive drinking. It states, “Without being able to explore all the possible therapies for severe headaches, the physician retrospectively advocated incarcerating people like Crescencio” (Holmes 134). Holmes, although his tone is always that of an observer, is taken aback that the doctors would assume Cresencio would beat his wife and that "people like him" need to be incarcerated. Because of the way Cresencio looks, and the work that he does, he is treated cruelly by his employers and the doctor. There is no escape, or so it may seem.
Looking at this title and reading Holmes's work, we can see that the bodies of these migrant workers are broken along with their spirits. Their bodies are used over and over again until one’s back cannot bend or until a knee gives out. This needs to change. Without this work, we would have never known how migrant workers are treated by people and policies. Holmes states, “In order to bring about political and material change regarding such issues as immigrant rights and worker rights, then we must engage in struggles over the manner in which immigrant workers are presented and perceived” (Holmes 190). When immigrants have no choice but to leave their home and work in another country to support their families, they should not be treated like an animal. They should not be called “illegal aliens” and given racist remarks on why they are better at picking strawberries because they are “lower to the ground.” These workers deserve care and a life where their bodies aren't subjected to horrible pain.
Here is inside the life of one migrant worker:
Works Cited:
Holmes, Seth M. Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies Migrant Farmworkers in the United States. Univ. of California Press, 2014.
In the radio program Latino USA, I listened to the episode titled Rodeo. Originally broadcasted on April 7th, 2017, it was put on Latino USA on April 1st, 2022. I listened to this episode on April 5th, 2022. I chose this episode because we are currently learning about colonialism and the intersecting of cultures. Well, a rodeo is just that. It was part of Mexican culture before it merged into American culture. In this episode, we learn about the Tucson Rodeo Parade and how it is a mix of both Mexican and American cultures. Some people think that it is the most American sport, while others, as we see the producers interviewing people at the rodeo, say that it is more Mexican than American. In fact, being a "cowboy" was first done by Mexicans in the 1500s. It then started to spread to the USA in the 1700s as vaqueros started to teach their skills to others. This episode explained in great detail what the rodeo was all about. One interviewee stated, "The rodeo is not about color. It's about an animal, a man, trying to compete" (Latino 8:48-8:57). I enjoyed listening to the culture and history of how cowboys came about. What I didn't like, however, was the obvious sexism rooted in being a cowboy. When explaining the six events of the rodeo, they used the term "cowboys" in all but one. In this one event, instead of stating "cowboys," they explain that a woman comes in to do this event. This to me means that in the previous events, the cowboys were only men. Hopefully, in the generations to come, there will be more women included in more events.
The article titled "Rodeo: From Custom to Ritual" by Beverly J. Stoeltje also talks about the rodeo and how it is a mix of both American and Mexican cultures. She covers the rise and fall of the cowboys and their traditions mixed in with the economics of it. What I like most is she explains why we have performance rodeos today by stating, "The American public developed such a fascination with the cowboy that a stage and audience for cowboy performance was available even when cowboy work was not. So it was that the cowboy began to perform his skills for an audience" (Stoeltje 247). This connects to the episode as it explains why hundreds of people come to see cowboys. Both the episode and article show the history and blending of Mexican and American cultures. It is this connection that I chose this article as it goes into great detail on why we are so fascinated with cowboys.
Both of these works show the effects of colonialism. The article goes through how the rodeo entered the USA as a result of the Spaniards. It states, "By the thirties, when rodeo form crystallized, the western United States was sufficiently settled that it could begin to look back over its recent past and honor it with cowboy reunions and celebrations of heritage" (Stoeltje 254). From the introduction of rounding up animals through the Spaniards all the way to today, of honoring heritage. We learn later on in the episode that the rodeo isn't just an event, it is a religion to some. My theme of religion ties into this episode as the culture of what it means to be a cowboy. To live and breathe being a vaquero, the Mexican word for "cowboys." It states, "Rodeo is an essential part of their lives, so much so they call it their religion" (Latino 16:28-16:33). Learning about the rodeo gave me so much pride in my heritage. It not only shows how cultures spread and intermingled, but the importance it has on many as some center their lives on being a cowboy.
Here is a video explaining more about vaqueros:
Works Cited:
Latino USA, 13 Mar. 2022, www.latinousa.org/.
Stoeltje, Beverly J. “Rodeo: From Custom to Ritual.” Western Folklore, vol. 48, no. 3, 1989, pp. 244–55, https://doi.org/10.2307/1499741. Accessed 6 Apr. 2022.
In the Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book Of The Maya, translated by Allen J. Christenson, we are old many stories of Mayan mythology. In these stories is the creation story of humanity itself. We are also told of One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu, twins who go through trials and die. And from the death of One Hunahpu, comes the birth of the Hero twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque. The skull of One Hunahpu spits saliva on Lady Blood, a Mayan princess. It states, “Straightaway her children were created in her womb the mere saliva. Thus was the creation of Hunahpu and Xbalanque” (Christenson 130). The Hero Twins are created and we see their differences from One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu.
Unlike the first twins, One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu, the second twins Hunaphu and Xbalanque survive trails thrown at them by the lords of the underworld. The first twins failed these trials, one, in particular, being the trial of the House of Darkness. They fail to sit in darkness throughout the night, as it states, "Therefore they were defeated. For they used up the torch as well as the cigars that had been given to them" (Christenson 124). This is when they were killed by the lords of the underworld, One Death and Seven Death. One Hunahpu would be made into a tree where his skull will spit on Lady Blood. Unlike the first twins, the second twins learned the mistakes of their father and uncle. Hunahpu and Xbalanque were not defeated in these trials as it states, "Thus they did not die in the trials of Xibalba. Neither were they defeated by all ravenous beasts that lived there" (Christenson 177). Instead, as One Death and Seven Death go to burn them, they turn into catfishes and are resurrected. They live and they eventually defeat Xibalba and its lords.
When they had defeated the lords of Xibalba, it is said that one twin arose into the sky as the sun and another as the moon. As they dwelled in the sky, it became a womb. It states, “This, then, is the beginning of the conception of humanity, when that which would become the flesh of mankind was sought” (Christenson 192). Here is where the twins discovered the flesh of humanity. From Hunahpu and Xbalanque comes the creation of humanity. From them becoming the sun and moon it best explains the origin of the Maya people. This symbolism shows how the twins represent opposites, such as sun and moon, light and darkness, life and death. It is from this philosophy of one cannot occur without the other, death cannot occur without rebirth, etc, that the origin of the Maya people is told.
Here is a video where it shows how Hunahpu and Xbalanque tricked the gods:
Works Cited
Christensen, Allen J. Popol Vuh, The Sacred Book of the Maya: The Great Classic of Central American Spirituality. O Books, 2003.
Kerr, Justin. “A Fishy Story.” Mayavase.com - FAMSI - the Story of the Hero Twins as Catfish, www.mayavase.com/fishy.html.
“Who's Who in the Popol Vuh.” Bowers Museum, 12 May 2016, www.bowers.org/index.php/collection/collection-blog/who-s-who-in-the-popol-vuh.
While studying the Olmec people, the earliest known Mesoamerican civilization, we come to find out how little we know about this ancient civilization. In the video entitled Lost Kingdoms of Central America and the article entitled "La Venta" from Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia, by Rebecca Gonzalez Lauck, we see how both of these give us information about the Olmecs, one focusing on their environment and the other focusing on the architecture of La Venta, an ancient settlement and now an archaeological site. The video goes into detail about how the Olmecs survived in the environment they did and how they believed in and worshipped supernatural beings. While the video summarizes a little bit about everything of the Olmec people, the article merely focuses on the findings of La Venta. Lauck states, “One of the most remarkable offerings excavated in this precinct consisted of a group of sixteen figurines and reworked votive celts, carved in jade, serpentine, and sandstone” (Gonzalez Lauck 800). We see that the article talks about offerings that were found at the site. It focuses on what has been excavated at the archeological site and doesn’t mention the environment around it. Whereas the video states, “...these wooden representations of the Olmec weren’t for public display. Instead, they were deliberately thrown into the waters of a bog” (Lost 23:06-23:16). As the narrator goes on to show us wooden carved figurines, he tells us that they were thrown into the bog, the environment around them, as it then states, “They were cast in as an offering to the spirit world” (Lost 23:22-23:26). If we want more information on who the Olmecs were, we would go to the video. But, if we wanted information on how they built their settlement, La Venta, we would read the article.
As we focus on the theme of religion between the video and the article, we find that these two sources are similar in stating what the Olmecs believed in, while also differing as one centers on the environment and the other on a settlement. Lauck again talks about what was found as they excavated La Venta as she states, “A third example is a group of six stela-like sculptures distributed along the southern base of the main pyramid. Four of these, carved in low relief, share the theme of representations of supernatural beings… These sculptures constitute one of the earliest examples in ancient Mexico of large-scale ideological communication through the interaction of architecture and sculpture” (Gonzalez Lauck 800). She shows us how the Olmecs made sculptures of the supernatural beings that they believed in. She also lets us know that these sculptures are examples of how the Olmecs communicated with the other world through these sculptures and the architecture of La Venta. While the article again centers on La Venta, the video shows us how the Olmecs created offerings with their environment to communicate with their supernatural beings. It states, “Rubber trees were found in the area where jaguars lived. Jaguars represented fertility and so the area was very important” (Lost 26:08-26:15). Jaguars were sacred to the Olmecs. So, finding rubber trees where jaguars lived, the Olmes believed that rubber was important to the jaguars. Rubber was then molded into a ball to give as an offering to the jaguars, one of the supernatural beings they believed in. We see that the article talks about how the Olmecs communicate through sculptures and architecture, whereas the video shows us how the Olmecs communicate through the environment around them.
As we come to a wrap on the video and the article, we see that these both give incredible information on the Olmec, even if they do focus on differing topics. In the article, Lauck tells us how important the excavation of the sculptures is as she states, “Based on the sculptural art, we can propose that the supernatural world played an important role among the ruling sector” (Gonzalez Lauck 800). Because of the sculptures and their showcasing of what the Olmecs thought to be important, we can get a better understanding of these ancient people and how they ruled based on what they believed in. In the lessons before this, I learned how important sculptures were to the Olmecs, as we learn the hard work it took to transfer huge stones of volcanic rock some 50 miles in order to carve a face into it. The video, differing from the article, shows us how important the land around the Olmecs was based on offerings found in the water as it states, “To the Olmec, bodies of water were entranceways to the underworld and to break its surface is to enter into another dimension” (Lost 24:01-24:08). The findings of offering in bogs and bodies of water showcase how large of a role the land around them played. And as we learned about the Olmecs again in earlier lessons, I also know how important water was to them. As they believed it to be a life-giving source. As the article mentions sculptural art, the video mentions the land around the Olmecs. Both on the subject of religion, but each one gives new and interesting information. For more information about the Olmec culture, I suggest watching this video:
Live on the radio every Sunday evening is the podcast called Latino USA. It aims to offer insights into Latino communities and how political and social ideas impact their lives and the nation. Not being able to attend the live podcast on Sunday, I went and listened to one of their earlier episodes called “After Ayotzinapa: The Missing 43.” It’s air date was January 28th, 2022, while I listened on February 4th, 2022. In Septmeber of 2014, the students of Ayotzinapa University were attacked and fired upon by Mexican police. These violent attacks occured because the students were “borrowing” buses in order to take students from nearby universities to a march in Mexico City that commemorates the 1968 student massacre. Because of them stealing buses, which occurs frequently by students in Mexico because there is not enough funding by the schools to transport them, the Mexican police got involved. But as the police opened fire without hesitation on the students, it was now a day turned into a crime scene. Three students died, and 43 were taken by the police, never to be seen or heard from again. And as we get the story from Omar, a 40-something human rights lawyer, we learn that there are multiple people coming in and trying to uncover what happened to these students, something that the police is unwilling to do. Why were the students taken and never found again? This is what they are currently trying to uncover. The community believes that Mexican officials are the reason why so many people have gone missing over the years, as the uncovering of multiple mass graves are found as volunteers try to look for the students. What happened in September of 2014 was one of the most horrific crimes of Mexico’s modern history (2:19 - 2:23). Even today, parents are trying to get justice for their missing kids, they are trying to find answers to the disappearance of 43 innocent students.
In the episode, I really liked how we got to listen to the parents and their struggles of dealing with loss. One mother states how she feels about the government and their involvement by stating that they simply do not care about these missing students (6:23 - 6:26). Succumbed by sadness, she tells us that every night she sleeps in her sons room to ease her loneliless. I believe it will be the parents who finally uncover what happened that day, as they are the ones, early on, who hired lawyers and an independent team of forensic scientists to come in and find their missing children. There isn’t anything that I didn’t like about this episode, only the story and how the Mexican police were able to get away with what they did. What is also unfortunate is that my class theme of religion does not relate to this story, but this episode is too important to ignore, the crimes that were committed on that day should be told again and again in order to find out what happened to those students. I also think it would have been interesting to get n interview with one of the policeman who knew what happened that day. It would be interesting to see if they acted strange or nervous.
In the news article “Remains of one of Mexico’s missing Ayotzinapa 43 students identified,” written by Rafael Azul and Don Knowland, published on July 25, 2020, we learn that one of the students remains were uncovered and taken in for a DNA sampling test. These remains belonged to Christian Adolfo Rodriguez Telumbre, which were found at Barranca Carnicería, a ravine in the town of Cocula, Guerrero. It is also stated in this article that the attack on the students in 2014 were not the only ones, as it says, “The Iguala events had not been the first attack on Ayotzinapa students. In May 2013, Guerrero state police assaulted Ayotzinapa students collecting funds for a festival. Twenty-six were arrested and severely beaten” (Remains 1). Among these were other attacks on the students by police. It is a pattern that keeps repeating itself and is destroying the communties around them.
In this episode of Latino USA, there was only grief and pain, and the realization that Mexico’s police is corrupt. The news article helped give justice to one family, however, as Christian’s parents now know the heartbreaking truth of what happened to their child. As this topic does not intertwine with my theme, I do not regret focusing on this at all. To be a student and know that this has happened in another country is horrific. It shines light on what the people in those communities have to deal with. It shows how the police will do anything to cover up their crimes and relations with gangs. While reading the rest of the article, the attorney gives one last staement on the disappearance of the 43 students. It states, “Vidulfo Rosales, attorney for the parents, insisted that in addition to catching all those responsible for the disappearance of the 43 students, all those who collaborated in hiding the truth must be held accountable” (Remains 1). I couldn’t agree more. Here is more insight into this topic from Youtube:
Works Cited
Azul, Rafael, and Don Knowland. “Remains of One of Mexico's Missing Ayotzinapa 43 Students Identified.” World Socialist Web Site, 25 July 2020, www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/07/25/mexi-j25.html.
Ahmed, Azam. “Disappearance of 43 Mexican Students Must Be Investigated Anew.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 June 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/06/05/world/americas/mexico-43-missing-students-investigation.html.
Anayansi Diaz-Cortes, Kate Doyle. “After Ayotzinapa Chapter 1: The Missing 43.” Reveal, 4 Feb. 2022, revealnews.org/podcast/after-ayotzinapa-chapter-1-the-missing-43/.
Starting out this semester taking my first classes for my associates, with three out of the four being humanity courses, I was thrilled. This class especially, out of my other humanity classes, was definitely my favorite. In my first week, I didn’t realize how impactful this class would be. I came into it thinking we were gonna learn the history of Asia, however, it was the fine details, such as art, religion, and the people, which went right over my head. I didn’t have any expectations about this class in the first week. I was just ready to finally start learning about something that actually interested me. My only goal was to receive an A at the end of the semester and looking at my grade right now, I think I can confidently say that this goal accomplished.
What I have found to be the most interesting to learn about religion. Since I was younger, I have always been interested in learning about the origins of different religions. It is in this class in which I got to experience just that. I came into this course a little scared, because what if I had learned that religion wasn’t my calling? But it is, this class and its content have shown me that I can learn and teach this material for the rest of my life. I have learned about religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and more. I have known about these before, as I have a lot of books pertaining to each one, but with the book Awakening by Patrick Bresnan, I was able to learn even more about each religion.
A book we read in class.
In our group project for this class, our theme was religion in which we talked about how it changed and impacted people throughout the centuries. What I liked best about this group project was how well my team and I were able to collaborate with each other in making this a great project filled with great information and vocabulary. I, having the role of the graphic designer, enjoyed creating beautiful slides that were pleasing to look at. I also enjoyed filling up the slides with information based on religion, as I plan on receiving my Masters in Humanities and Religious Studies. Getting to spend about fourteen hours on the project, on a theme that I’ve been passionate about my entire life, was a great experience and an even better way to end the semester.
For more on how important Asian humanities is, here is a Youtube video by Stanford.
Works Cited:
Bresnan, Patrick S. Awakening: an Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, 2018.
“The Future of East Asian Studies.” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJRi7zFR1es.
Bresnan, Patrick S. Awakening: an Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, 2018.
This book goes into detail about Eastern religion, thoughts, practices, and the people. It dives into art throughout the centuries. In the beginning, it tells us the mystery about the Indus Civilization, everything in the middle, and then lastly onto Japan and its history.
Brown, Stephen F. Christianity: World Religions. Facts On File, 1991.
This tells us about Christianity and its history. Although I have only read a couple of chapters, it is both insightful and unbias. It is a great book to learn about one of the most major religions.
Eknath, Easwaran. The Bhagavad Gita. Nilgiri Press, 2019.
This book tells the story of Arjuna and Krishna. It is a story that tells us about Hinduism, as Krishna is the Almighty and Arjuna represents us. It is a book where the man is speaking to God and asking him for advice in life. It is a great book that uses symbolism to target its points.
Feldman, Robert S. Discovering the Life Span. Pearson Education, Inc., 2021.
This is a psychology textbook in which gives us information on our entire lifespan. From how we think and what we need as we are babies, to how we think and what we need when we are elderly. This book goes over every age group and analyzes the human brain.
Wangu, Madhu Bazaz. Hinduism: World Religions. Facts on File, 2001.
This tells us about Hinduism and its history. From the origins to what it’s like today. It is an unbias book that helps the average person learn about Hinduism.
Used as a path for ideas, people, and objects, the Silk Road was one, if not, the, most important trade route that has ever existed. Connecting China with the West brought together two great civilizations, Ancient China and Ancient Rome. And relics from the past are still standing today. In the book Awakening, by Patrick Bresnan, the Mogao Caves are one of these great relics that is talked about by Bresnan. He states, “The justly famous Mugao Grottoes, one of the most splendid of all the remains from that distant time, are located near Dunhuang” (Bresnan 378). On the side of a cliff that used to be a front for a river, now dried up, holds art and sculptures dated back to around 300 B.C.E. The video titled “The Silk Road: Where East Met West” also mentions the Mogao Cave and the importance of the work done there. However, we then are transported back into the 20th century, as we are told about how paintings and documents were retrieved from the ancient site as the video states, “You are an explorer, an archaeologist, Hungarian born, British by choice. The year is 1907 and your name is Aurel Stein” (Silk, 29:50 - 30:00). It is then we are told the story of Stein. While the book covers information about this great Buddhist site, we are told of Stein and his intertwinement with the Mogao Caves.
These Caves, almost 500 of them, all have art lining the walls. From sculptures to paintings, the Buddhist themes and art are beautifully preserved. Bresnan states, “The walls and ceilings of the caves are decorated with very beautiful paintings of Buddhist themes that derive from the earliest period of Buddhism in China” (Bresnan 378). He goes on to talk about the interior of the Caves and how they represent the spread of Buddhism into China, which back in the day, was run by Confucianism. However, the video takes a different approach to the Caves, as it mentions Aurel and how he was able to get away with precious thousand-year-old documents and ripping paintings off of the walls inside the Caves. It states, “You discover that the Mogao Caves are in the charge of the abbot of the nearby Daoist monastery. You meet the abbot and you take a picture of him. He looks a bit simple and shabby, and that’s how you treat him - shabbily” (Silk, 30:14 - 30:31). When he is upon the Mogao Caves, he finds the abbot in charge of it. With what the video has told us, we can assume that he held no respect for the abbot. Instead, he looked down upon him as he used the word shabbily to describe this man. He then expends effort in order to gain this abbot’s trust, which we will see, he takes advantage of.
The Mogao Caves are a beauty of their time. This is the focus that Bresnan takes in his book. He states, “Many of these paintings are pure enchantment” (Bresnan 378). Indeed they are. Aurel Stein also thought that as well. The video goes on to tell us how Stein took advantage of this abbot as it states, “And then you convince Abbot Wang that 130 pounds is more than enough for all of these treasures. You load 29 cases of your plunder onto the backs of camels and take everything back to Britain” (Silk, 31:17 - 31:33). Ripping paintings of the wall dating back to the Tang Dynasty, taking his pick of the documents held by the abbot, one of them being the Diamond Sutra which is the earliest printed book ever discovered, dating back from the ninth century, and only paying 130 pounds for his plunder, is a disgrace. To bring it back to Britain where Stein will get an appraisal for what he “found” or “discovered” is sickening. For the video to state this gives us knowledge into who Stein really was as a man, as a human. The covering of Stein in the video and not the book gives me more knowledge on the details of these discoveries made by Western archaeologists.
Works Cited:
Bresnan, Patrick. Awakening: an Introduction to the History of Eastern Thought. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.
Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. “Mogao Caves.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/list/440/.
“The Silk Road: Where East Met West: Episode 1.” Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2016, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=237206&xtid=124992. Accessed 26 Apr. 2021.
