● What have you learned in this course; in our classes, during an assignment, from a peer, in a conversation in / outside class? The answer to this question can be the screenshot of a conversation, a voice recording of a reflection, a video speaking, a piece of art, or a diagram. Express your answer in the manner you want.

I was surprised of how much history the Puerto Rican culture has. I grew up with a Puerto Rican aunt that I was closer with then my aunts from my father’s side or my mom’s side. I never knew that there was a woman like Selena that was so inspirational to Puerto Ricans, young kids, and even people from America. This class made me recognize that Puerto Rico and its people have a bigger impact on everyone then what I thought. I am usually closed off to the news and clueless about news in other countries, so I never knew the situations that Puerto Ricans were in. I thought that they were not discriminated against because they received citizenship from the US. This class opened my eyes to the discrimination towards Puerto Ricans like what we saw during class. The stories of those like Princess Nokia and Caria de la Luz, we can see that they were not born into a rich family or lived a rich life. This reminded me about something I learned in anthropology class. We looked at cultures and groups of people and it seemed as if immigrants were made to live a poor life and stay stuck in the lower class so that they do not increase in wealth because that would lead them to leaving discrimination and discrimination is needed to control those that are lower and different.

● After reading La Guera, Cherrie Moraga, record your voice ( just audio) speaking for 1 or 2 minutes about how this reading relates to you.

This article relates to me in two ways. I am a person of color, more light skin, and the other way is that I might be sexist in a way. I try to leave my views of the LGBTQ community to myself because I have no hate towards them. I just do not think they are correct, but they are doing what they think is right for them and they should live their life the way they want to. I know that I hold no authority over their body or mind and neither do they over my own. This also goes for racism. I have been unconsciously racist just like everyone else, for example saying the n-word. I was born and raised during tough times and I live across the street from the projects. I went to school with black people and have grown up with them. I know how to interact with them better than I do with my own kind of people. By being so close to them, I have seen all the discrimination they have received, and being an Arab Muslim male, I have also experienced racism. I usually do not have opinions on things in life because I will never know the whole story but for racist and sexist people, just leave them alone and go on with your own life. You were never racist as a child, so why are you starting now, and it is not like they are out here trying to control you or change your life so just let them live with one less worry in their life.

● Create a playlist on Spotify that matches the short story “Kimberle”, by Achy Obejas. Explain the connection of the songs to parts of the reading and specific quotes.

I chose Sucks to be You by SAInt JHN because I feel like it sucked to be the narrator. She started to like Kimberle after helping her and being lied to by her. Kimberle did not listen to her wishes but the narrator still felt a connection to her. When the song said, “I thought we would die growin’ old, holdin’ hands.” I felt like that might of been something the narrator wanted to have done with the Kimberle.

The second song is Same Guy by Jack Harlow and Adam Levine. This song related to the reading about the times Kimberle lying. The song said, “And when it comes to you and I, all that I ever did was tell lies. Am I gon’ keep this up ’til I die?” and it also said “All these white lies are growin’ to life-size. I don’t wanna split, but I know it’s the right time.” All Kimberle told the narrator was lies about stealing her belongings. When the song said white lies turn to life-size, it meant to me that all those white lies turned into life-size when they got into the car accident.

The third song is about an abusive relationship but they both care for each other. This reminds me of Kimberle and the narrator’s relationship. It seems negative and the narrator is on the wrong end of it but she still cares for her and loves her. “I heard her gasp and choke and then a rustling by my window.” (Pg 26) This quote shows that Kimberle still cares for her when she went around to help the narrator. Kimberle tried her best even though she was badly injured.

The fourth song relates more to the narrator. She wanted to love from Kimberle. She did not want a one night stand. The song said, “This ain’t love, it’s clear to see.” We can see that this relaitonship they both have is not love coming from both sides. Kimberle does not love her. Kimberle is like a parasite, just living off of the narrator but the narrator loves her and wants her to stay with her in a romantic relationship.

The fifth song relates to the reading because the song is about an individual that likes someone and compares it to an oasis. The narrator liked Kimberle but she does not really need her. An oasis is needed when someone is in the desert so the oasis metaphor is correlating to Kimberle more. Kimberle needs the narrator and the narrator loves Kimberle and seems like she needs Kimberle to satisfy this love.

● Find a newspaper article online that relates to Pandora’s Box, by Arturo Arias. Explain the connection.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/joy-goh-mah/objectification-women-sexy-pictures_b_3403251.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAe2FfibSD40pD60tNLJiGQfxUw9ZDiHy-_xCf2yLlz86QFANn_xtc9HdI4E788Xr15wQ4G5xUprxA9xS6zPhRVYzTYH7CStW_NrYXTzm9aNmJ8v9aVwS17gBLQjnWNRmgllmt6jFm3V-KoI9kzXDXyy2BTvCrj0YBmlAHQpoyBf

This reading reminded me about something I was learning in anthropology class. I learned about how women were being objectified by men. Women were seen as objects to do as men said in many countries. The problem is how this objectification of women is kind of like the norm in many cultures and societies. We can see Juan objectifying Pandora in the story. When he saw her, he thought to himself, “She was naturally gorgeous, with dark hair flowing down to the middle of her back like silk, and a perfectly proportioned body, long legs, wasplike waist, the finest possible ankles, and smallish breasts just erotic enough to make me blink as if struck by the first, red rays of the sun after a total eclipse. I had never gone out with her.” (Pg. 29) We can see how he started to describe her physical appearance and rarely her personality. This seems to have been imbued in all of us since childhood because of what we see. We watch a lot of shows with men as the main character and the women always being the sexy attractive figure and this idea will get played over and over again until we do the same unconsciously. This same idea can be seen all throughout households and in many jobs. I feel like this has become the norm because of how we identify ourselves. This connection was also made in my anthropology class. Are we male and female at birth just because of our genitals? We should be identified by what we want to be. It seems like male and female has been the only standards and it seems like it is mind controlling. Juan started to think more instead of acting on what is normal, and he turned into Juanita. Pandora also wanted to become a male. Life is not so simple and should not be made simple because not everyone is the same.

● Choose an image from “selected photography of Dulce Pinzón (link)” and another from “selected photography of Graciela Iturbide (Link)” and write a paragraph or record voice/video analysing a comparison.

Both of these images show someone, or something being tied up. Many people see trees as being free and helping us stay alive even though they are tied up by a rope or what could be though of as the rules of nature. Trees have to constantly take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen so that they can stay alive. A similar case can be seen with the superhero. He looks tired and lonely. Superheroes are seen as having perfect lives and having their lives all under control. We can see that this superhero is tired and he also has a real job to worry about. He has to juggle more in life then a normal person would have to and he looks like he is having a hard time control his life. The superhero and the trees are like essentials in our world, but the common fact is that they did not choose to have these jobs. If a superhero stops doing what he does, then society will become more dangerous. If the tree stops doing photosynthesis, then we are both dying.

● Include the poem by José Olivarez: “Mexican Heaven” ; Poems. Why would you include this poem on your blog; in relation to what?. Post it next to a movie clip that relates to it. Quote pertinent verses.

I would include this poem in relation to the pictures done by Dulce Pinzon. As said in the poem, “Saint Peter lets Mexicans into heaven but only to work in the kitchens. a Mexican dishwasher polishes the crystal, smells the meals, & hears the music. they dream of another heaven, one they might be allowed in if they work hard enough.” We can see in the pictures of the superheroes, they are doing jobs like cutting fish, laundry, and construction work. They see the US as a heaven that can help them support their families. When they arrive here and do the jobs that no one would want to do, they are degraded and seen as less. They should be seen as heroes because they have come to a place that they see as special while others do not give the US any significance, and then do the jobs that are tiring and dangerous. We need them as if they are superheroes so we can live an easier life. The wort part is that they will never see the other heaven they deserve for working so hard because these dangerous jobs do not pay well and ultimately cost their life.

This is a great documentary to watch of crossing the border.

● After reading Porcupine Love, short story by Tatiana de la Tierra (Colombia), write an alternative ending for it. No less than two paragraphs.

She spoke with her therapist and her therapist told her that her porcupine love can be solved by committing to something she whole heartedly loved. She was set out for one person only. She never wanted to have sex and sneak out the next morning with anyone else again. She remembered all of the good times she had with Antenita and wanted to experience them again. Instead of translating for Don Juan del Corazón de Jesús, she set her eyes to find Antenita. She met Antenita in New Zealand and confessed her feelings. She fell on her knees and cried her heart out. She told Antenita her problem and how the therapist calls it porcupine love and that she wants to take care of it with Antenita by her side. Antenita sees and feels her determination and decides to stay by her side.

She solidifies the promise by first going to her family in Cuba and letting them know. They do not have a good reaction and do not like how they were lied to in the beginning, but they understood where she was coming from. Antenita sees how determined she was, and they decide to move in together. They have a good life together and she feels healthier around Antenita. The therapist calls her since she has not been called for a while and the therapist is informed that she is happy where she is at in life and that. The therapist is informed that it might be a while before she gets called again and if she does receive a call, it is mostly for good news. They adapt a child together and travel the world with the child.

Blog 1

By: Kaid Almuntaser, Elijah Herring, and Heidy Espinal

Interviewing Cara De La Luz on what she loves about life

Interviewer: Hello everyone, we have a Puerto Rican poet with us today. Today we have Caridad De La Luz with us, and she is a poet that has performed in the Nuyorican poet café. Hello Caridad De La Luz, may you introduce yourself.

Caridad De La Luz: Good afternoon everyone, I am Caridad De La Luz, and I am a Puerto Rican poet. I was raised and born in Bronx and have see the Bronx as my home. I have been around poetry for all my life and actually wanted to become a brain surgeon as a child.

Interviewer: As you said, you have been around poetry your whole life. Who did you learn or get familiar with poetry from?

Caridad De La Luz: My grandmother started poetry in my life. She used to remember poems since she could not read or write. She would recite them to me, and I would remember them but when I got into school, I eventually started forgetting them.

Interviewer: What is something that you hold dear to your heart?

Caridad De La Luz: I hold family dear to my heart. I used to live in a house where my great grandmother would live in the basement, my grandmother would live on the first floor and my family and I were on the second floor. My family used to always go to my grandmother’s side of the house and even when we moved out, my family and aunts and uncles would always go to my grandmother’s house for all the holidays.

Interviewer: Who was someone very inspirational in your life?

Caridad De La Luz: My grandmother and Julia de Burgos were very inspirational. Julia de Burgos was the first Puerto Rican poet that wrote her poems in English.

Interviewer: Who are you a big fan of?

Caridad De La Luz: I love Draco Rosa. He entered the boyband MENUDO, and he was the first one to sing in English. He represented the Nuyorican culture like non other. He helped me become more creative, resilient, and helped increase my cultural pride. He fought cancer and then toured his album Monte Sagrado. He is a great man with great humility.

Interviewer: How to you view the Nuyorican poet café?

Caridad De La Luz: I see the Nuyorican poet café as a community, a family, a home. It is a place where we can speak freely about how we feel and all the pain that we have gone through. It is a place where can celebrate all the achievements we have accomplished.

This is an interview Caridad De La Luz was part of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mke2MHmPaXY

This is her reading a poem for Julia De Burgos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHFT0IJe52I