Professor Bouloubasis

It was really interesting having Professor B share her story of being a journalist and a food writer and filmmaker due to her own personal background. She represents the right idea of someone wanting to learn a culture outside of their own and prioritizing the humanism factor first. Mexican food isn’t anything without the factor of the people, their story is what gives the food its value. This idea made me remember about Chef Bayless, and how I frown upon his ethics of not putting the people first. He takes credit for a culture that while he has educated himself very well on he still lacks the human aspect of the culture.

Professor B definitely emphasized the fact that she makes sure to put the people and their stories first for her job. It’s about the connection and the bonds that are made with people that make her stories possible and so valuable. It really surprised me to hear that her parents are from Greece, and she’s into learning about other cultures outside of her own. It’s more than just a project its a relationship build with the person that allows her projects to become so worthful because when the person becomes comfortable they also tend to open up more and share stories that are usually not as easy to get out of a person

 

 

“Where are you from?”

We are always focused on building walls between people instead of bridges. The question “Where are you from?” is typically directed to brown people in respects to guessing what country they are immigrants from when the question comes from an Anglo. This comedian does a great job and bringing up the point, that there are so many people in America who have been here for generations and just because they look a certain way there is a wall of racism that forms. When speaking of Native Americans, this is their land Americans are the intruders yet they get to feel like they have more rights over this country. Mexicans in specific are always targeted for being immigrants or as the current president Trump considers them as illegal people when in reality many of them are native to this land more than the president himself because somewhere down his line his family comes from Europe.

Lucha libre and Tacos

Yes, you heard that right in Dallas Texas there exists a festival that brings together Lucha libre fans and Mexican food it is called Taco Libre. Lucha libre comes from Mexico and it is professional wrestling. It is known for its customers and their colorful mask on the wrestlers face. This sport dates all the way back to 1863 during the French intervention in Mexico. The festival held in Dallas and in Austin Texas, it’s a festival to celebrate Mexican heritage from Lucha Libre to a variety of Mexican food and artist come out to showcase their talent. Bands such as the Tejas brothers and Bidi Bidi Banda come out to celebrate. At the Dallas event, there are 27 different taquerias that come out to sell their delicious tacos. It must be a great festival to attend.

Latino USA

While browsing through my Instagram I came across Latino USA page and I read an article on “Navigating the maze of higher education” it was so interesting to read such a relatable story. I think as immigrants we don’t realize this a lot of the time but our stories may be different but yet they share so many similarities at the same time. The article spoke about a Hispanic college student Jasmine and her journey getting herself through college and succeeding greatly, being extremely involved, reaching goals that her mother was not able to achieve but dreamt of her daughter to do so for her. Jasmine mentioned that she always calls her mother and tells her about what she has learned in class and it is so relatable because I always call my mother and tell her whats going on in my classes and sometimes she doesn’t understand because back in Venezuela it was different but she gets to learn whatever I tell her I am learning in class.

Besides jasmine story, the article shared statistics of the latinx population and higher education. And it sad to see the truth behind the statistics while there are many entering the world of higher education not everyone is making it out. “Today, Latino students are entering college at unprecedented numbers. Over the last decade, Latino college enrollment has gone up by 82%. Yet, Latino students are also leaving school at higher rates. The number of Latinos between the ages of 18 and 34 who left college without completing their degree has gone up by 35 percent in the last decade while the general non-completion rate has only gone up by seven percent that time period.” This statistic will hopefully improve throughout time while its great to see more of us stepping a foot into colleges more of us have to be able to stay. While there are many challenges that we force we cant give up on the mission of education.

Work cited-

http://latinousa.org/navigating-the-maze-of-higher-education/

 

Irwin Sanchez

I really enjoyed having our guest speaker Irwin Sanchez, his story is very relatable to many immigrants when it comes to language. Our native language is always shamed upon we are always told not to speak it. To learn English in America is viewed as essential our culture our roots are expected to become a thing of history. Holding on to one’s native language can be challenging in a country that is not welcoming. I praise Irwin Sanchez for holding on to his native language and for having to face challenges of being forced to learn Spanish because in Mexico it was the language prior to Nahuatl. And then when immigrating to America having to adapt to another language English. And wanting to pass down his roots to his soon is also amazing hopefully his son one day is as fluent and passes it down to another generation.

Many words in Spanish and in English actually come from Nahuatl words. This is a good example of how the Aztecs have affected our lives today.

 

Being an immigrant

Watching the video Immersion was truly heart breaking, because its so relatable to myself as it is to many children and families daily in the United States. Families who immigrate do it for a reason, and that reason is usually to give their children a better future. There exsist so many struggles that go unnoticed by the world of what it takes to be an immigrant. Struggles that each and every family member undergoes from the parents to the grandparents who stay behind to the children. Inorder to strive many sacrifices must be made, when all odds are against you, you must be determined to find glory. In the video Moises being a young boy, has had his life changed around drastically because of his parents decisions to give him a better future one that includes a better education. The barrier of language, is very tough especially at his age, he is being excluded by his fellow classmate and even bullied. It’s a lot to handle at such a young age especially because he probably doesn’t realize and understand his parent’s decisions.

It’s sad to witness this because a lot of the blame should be dirrected to the school system and not towards the student. Instead of working to help students succeed they must either swim or sink. Which is unfair because the students who have the ability to swim due to something as simple as a language barrier forces them to sink. It’s sad to see parents efforts of starting a new life go to waste in circumstances when the education system fails the student. especially the student who wants to succeed.

It is so important for there to be a drastic change in the way the school’s systems function particularly when focuses on immigrant children. Because everyone has a right to education and that education should be a fair and just one. An education that allows students like Moises who have the ability to succeed with a little extra help that extra help.

 

Guest speaker Robert Sietsema of Eater.com

Through his amazing presentation of what being a food writer is like, the one thing that I was fascinated to hear was when he shared the story about whether or not it was comfortable to dine at a cuisine whose ethnic group is not the same as oneself. His repose is that people are having to have other people try and love their food and as the customers, part one must do a little bit or research on the restaurant to also show respect towards the restaurant culture. The reason why I found this inspiring, is because there have been times when I have restrained myself from trying a new cuisine because of a fear of feeling out of place or unwelcome at a certain restaurant. the idea of not being accepted, when in reality we need to get rid of this perception. Educating ourselves on other cultures is the first step to feeling welcome. As the outside of the culture we must do our part to change our perception of things.

People shouldn’t be discouraged of going into a restaurant that is not of their ethnic group instead people should be motivated to try restaurants from around the world because through people food we can receive the ultimate education. Interacting with food, trying things that differ from one’s own culture finding even similarities. Interacting with servers and asking a question and having the opportunity to learn about a country that may be on the other side of the earth simply through a plate of food.

 

Brooklyn street vendor

While walking the busy and magnificent Brooklyn bridge I encountered multiple street vendors, I captivated by the multiple street vendors at the beginning of the bridge people had multiple stands set up with NYC souvenir that ranged from magnets to keychains and paintings. All the stands that sold souvenirs lacked a crowd of people surrounding them. While there was one stand that had a flow of clientele every so often. This stand, in fact, was a food vendor, it brought me back to our learning in a class of how difficult the united states historically have made it for Mexican street vendors. In the book planet taco it states “From the perspective of street vendors earning a precarious living, however, these cross-cultural encounters posed very real dangers of harassment from city officials”(pg.1939). While watching this lady stroll her cart and selling mango with chile, a few thoughts crossed my mind, what are the chances this lady or any of these vendors have legal permits to do this? And if they don’t how much do they fear a police coming their way? These people are just trying to make a living not harming society at all. Can the souvenir vendors get jealous of her clientele and call the cops on her because she is taking clients away from the souvenir vendors? all these possibilities that crossed my mind at the moment. Its a shame that the government shames people who are just trying to make a living, working hard selling their culture to other people.

People who would of never thought mangos and chile go well together become facisinated by the idea and addicted as well to the new flavors touching their pallets. Street vendors are a blessing they are a way to access food easily and to introduce new people into new cultures. Not only is the vendor making money but the comunity is enriching itself on culture.

 

Pluque

As you could probably tell if you’ve taken a quick look at my Instagram ( and if you haven’t I invite you to click on this link https://www.instagram.com/p/BhYHr8GFEkZ/ ) you will notice multiple post of alcoholic beverages. Mexico seems to have a big concentration of alcoholic beverages. From well known beverages such as tequila and mezcal that is slowly but surely making it was to become as popular in the United States as tequila. There are other drinks that are also big deals in Mexico especially during special occasions. Drinks such as rompe that are traditionally drank during the holidays. Doing a little bit on alcoholic beverages in mexico i came across something that surprised me. I figured there must of been a connection between drinking and culture that dates back. But I was incorrect its actually said that in mesoamerica alcoholic beverages did not partake in culture. The settlers were the ones who brought liquor with them and introduced the idea to the indigenous people. Alcohol was considered the cause of all evil, doom and decadence.It was only used for reasons such as numbing pain if a snake bit you. After the settlers alcohol was more of a recreational drink.

 

Pluque was the beverage that existed it consist of fermented derivative of aguamiel, the juice or sap of the agave known as agave pulquero—principally Agave salmiana. Aguamiel is a sweet, somewhat heavy juice that collects in a scraped out basin in the heart of the agave pulquero and, unless refrigerated, rapidly ferments into the alcoholic pulque.. Tequila and Mezcal are products that derived from processes that were introduced by the europeans.

 

http://latinamericanhistory.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199366439.001.0001/acrefore-9780199366439-e-369

http://www.mexican-authentic-recipes.com/history-prehispanic_beverages.html

Dakota access pipeline

While Watching the video of the Dakota acess pipeline during class a few things stood out to me that I would like to expand on besides the comment that was left under the video.

Under the idea that we took the indigenous people land and by we I refer to the European settlers, and then the government gave the indigenous people reservations. The idea of going back into the lands they have been inhabiting and constructing something that goes far past what they believe is right is wrong  in behalf of the government. It’s wrong because the government is just running through a continuous circle of taking land from people a jojo game. This is their land it’s what’s sacred to them and the government doesn’t see it or respect it or it’s people.

What is amazing though is towards the end of the video a person who getsinterviewed states that it’s people from different tribes. It’s the fact that people who are not bonded together by the same tribe still come together for the same cause. They don’t let their different believes create walls between people. Instead they allow their similarities overpower their differences. It’s an example that we should learn from. So much more can be done when people come together more gets done, unity is the key to success. As shown in this video different tribes came together for the same purpose set their differences aside and succeded in getting rid of the security off the land.