April 17, 2006
Women's Work
This is the project I am attempting for one of my classes. Suprisingly, I was able to find quite a bit of work on Latina women, specifically those that worked in the factories in the early 19th century, which is near to my heart as that was my grandmother's fate. Despite being the rare (female) high school graduate in her family, once she came to Nueva York, her training as a stenographer and book keeper was stilted because "her English just wasn't good enough". Ah...yet another reason why I think that I was destined to be a rhetorician. Exactly how much language does it take to do book keeping? But I digress... What follows is the work I am now actually thinking of pursuing with more scholarly vigor. Who said dissertation? I'm just expressing an interest is all.
When we think of societal contributions made by women, segregated images of family, motherhood, and domesticity are recalled with nostalgic warmth. Feminism conjures up another exclusionary image; White women working towards temperance and suffrage, and the overall liberation of their sisters. Seldom are these versions of womanhood expanded to include women of color, or the various contributions (fiscally, culturally, and politically) that they have made by assuming what were (and in some instances still are) considered by some to be less feminine, or less traditional roles. To that end, this paper will explore the ways in which Puerto Rican women entered the workforce during the late 19th and early 20th centuries respectively, why they were compelled to enter this male dominated arena in the first place, and how said involvement ultimately led to feminist awakenings and the Latina suffrage movement. By charting the migration pattern of Puerto Ricans and the political promises made to native islanders which initiated (what is known as) the great migration for Puerto Ricans, this paper will shed light on the pivotal roles that Boricua women played in maintaining the family structure while gaining independence through work, suffrage movements, and the fight for unionization for female factory employees. Incorporating the work done on Luisa Capetillo, it is my intention to argue that despite the patriarchal underpinnings of Latino culture, these women demonstrated agency in a way that was unique to the current historical understandings of feminism as it occurred in the early 19th and 20th centuries.
Wish me luck!
Posted by dvaldesd at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)
December 09, 2005
No Hablo English?
Some things will never change. When people ask me why I am so sensitive about language issues and why it is that I want to pursue a career in cultural rhetoric, I often explain that I there is a huge gap in the knowledge perataining to my culture and language. That while we may all speak what appears to be the same language, our rhetoric does indeed vary, and is socially constructed in unique ways. I am usually an optimist, and certainly protective of my cultural rhetoric, specifically because of this ignorance. I have this idea that if enough of us (Latino/as) become scholars of language, perhaps the xenophobia that runs rampant in our society (with regard to Latino/as) will diminish. The problem lies in that there are more (pseudo) scholars that perpetuate the racism than there are Latino/as scholars. Case and point: a young man is suspended from school because he was caught speaking Spanish in the hallway. WHAT? But that's not the good part. The good part is that the jackass principal (the pseudo-scholar) actually confirmed this and added that she has asked the Spanish speaking students before not to communicate in their native tongue. So, because her hegemonic, racist rule is not being followed, she suspended the boy. Where did this happen? Kansas City-where a colleague of mine is from. D has told me some horror stories of living there and the lack of tolerance for people of color-but this is something that I would have never expected. In private, acts of racism are certainly not surprising; it's to be expected wherever racism is the rule and not the exception, however,in a public school setting-absolutely not! And what's worse is the fact that the students’ father has to go to court to fight this-because freedom of speech certainly doesn't apply to personas de habla Hispano. It's the same story. Justification, rationalization, hateration...So when you see me and I am ranting about race, culture and the like, you'll know why. When you think of me as a Latina that is obsessed with her Latinadad, you'll know why. And when you hear people speaking another language, don't hate on them by accusing them of being rude because you can't understand what their saying. Instead, ACCEPT the fact that white (monolingualism) is not always right, nor do you have the right to be included in a conversation that was created for ears other than your own. Or better yet, stop subscribing to the myth that monolingualism is the key to your (or anyone else's) happiness. Besides, none of us Latinos believe the hype; we know America does not really love us-even as it proclaims to do so.
Or in the words of MC Lyte...
When you say you love me, it doesn't matter.
It goes to my head as just chit chatter
You may think it's egostistical or just worry free
But what you say I take none of it seriously
And even if I did I wouldn't tell you so
I'd let you pretend to read me
and then you'd know.
Cause I hate when one attempts to analyze.
In fact I despize those who even try
to look into my eyes to see what I am thinking.
That dream is over you gotta sink it.
I tell all of you like I told all of them
what you say to me is just paper thin, word
Buen dicho!
Posted by dvaldesd at 06:25 PM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2005
For Class, For Me, and For V.V.
The Science of el Ritmo and other Amalgamations
History. The retelling of an important event for posterity, for preservation; for future reference. Identity. The social construction of who we become racially, culturally, ethnically, and publicly. The science of el ritmo. The rhythm. The way we use history, theory, and other bits of information to generate the beats we follow as we formulate who we are and who we want to be. This is the theory of identity.
Paul Miller’s work discusses each of these things, but amazingly allows for the free interpretation of this information, of history, and of amalgamation. The freedom to interpret, that I would argue, we do not have when we discuss other theorists that many feel must be taken up in a certain way; not in a way that would necessarily allow us to remix it, but instead only as a fixed tune and an prescribed dance. Not free, but fixed. I’m not saying that this type of dance is not valuable or even necessary. What I am saying is that if we all do the same dance isn’t that perpetuating hegemony? I know-you will say that there are many theories, not just one. But who creates them? Upon whose work are they predicated? At the end of the dance (the essay, the book, the article), who are the members of the band (who is in the works cited list)? And, more importantly, where do I fit in? Where do I go to dance when they are playing the (tried and true, never to change) Waltz while I stand with my nose pressed against the glass wondering if they will ever play an eclectic, come as you are Mambo? Where is my theory? This is where identity comes in.
Paul Miller’s theory is my Mambo. It is my identity. It is where I can use the history I learn and generate the identity I want to forge. It is an amalgamation of ideas that speak to me because it does not take up (“T”) theory in the expected way; it is not the same old song. For me, Miller allows the discovery of what was and what can be, and who Denise is now, and who I am going to be. The point being that I want to choose-not have some theorist that has no idea of how I construct my identity choose for me (simply because the gatekeepers of the discipline say dead white males are qualified to do so). I want to be the remix-the scholar, the Mom, the student, and one day the professor. Don’t tell me what dance to do, for I know how to do many; all of which demonstrate who I am. Victor Villanueva stated this beautifully at the NCTE convention when he said “we all carry many identities, and we assert one over another based on the contexts in which we find ourselves. When I’m among a bunch of folks in my business, I identify as one of them—a compositionist, say—and apart from them—a Latino. If I’m among a bunch of Latinos, I’m more likely to be a Puerto Rican. Among Puerto Ricans, a Nuyorican. Or maybe a Professor. Abuelito. Dad. We choose.(NCTE, 2005)” Miller’s take on theory allows me to choose. He is not preoccupied with what was as much as what can be, and perhaps more importantly, how we want it to be at any given moment-not how others say it should be. A remix.
The social construction of who I am and want to be racially, culturally, ethnically, and publicly is still a work in progress; and I hope that will always be the case. My identity is eclectic, so the theory that speaks to me must also be thus. And while the history and (traditional) theory we learn will certainly contribute to this growth and expansion, for me it will never be the total description. Theories should never be conclusive or closed; they should be instructive-flexible enough to withstand the remix, the growth process, and whatever changes those situations and different identities may bring. Science alone has very little flexibility, but the science of rhythm, that’s something else.
The science of el ritmo. Miller would not object to this appropriation of his title. He might wonder if I have the beats down, if I know how to jam in a way that will produce a melodic creation, but he would step aside and let me do it. And the science part; synechodoche. Not all inclusive, but a small part-my part. A small piece of the scholarship I have learned and want to learn; a small piece of myself that I choose to share-a sample. And only a sample.
For me, theory is rhythm. That is how I need to understand it if I am going to discover my scholarly self (within it); it is not the arbitrary way in which we are told we must take it up, but guidelines to the dance. Therefore, theory must be told en mi ritmo, my Mambo. And according to Miller, that’s okay. So yes, for me Miller is capital “T” and lower case “t” theory; my kind of theory. It is the kind of theory that can be worked by all of us, not just the gatekeepers of the DJ booth. It is a theory that allows me to find my way in, and, when necessary, my way out. And while I might have to learn to play my instrument in a prescribed way so that I may gain admittance to the band, I do so with the knowledge that one day I will be not only a member of the band, but a bandleader. And within my scholarship I will be able to create my own beats using “T” and “t” theory. Like this non-traditional writing. A remix.
________________________________________________________________________
Villanueva, Victor. “Blind Racism”. Pittsburgh Convention Center, Pittsburgh. 17 November. 2005.
Posted by dvaldesd at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2005
On Rhetoric
In discussing my career goals with CGB today, I was expressing the difficulties in acquiring theoretical readings in Latino/a Rhetoric. As we discussed the ways in which I might enrich my research, we ran straight into the million dollar question: what, indeed, is the definition of rhetoric? And, with a plethora of definitions before me, how do I determine which definition is appropriate for my research? Well, this is the question isn't it? As expected, that question begs another, and another. What does Latino/a Rhetoric look like? How can it be articulated in a way that fairly (because I am apprehensive about using the word "appropriately") depicts the people of the Caribbean-more than that-the island of my heart? Then of course, there is the dilemma of naming. In his essay titled "Memoria", Villanueva gives a brief history of Puerto Ricans and explains that since our discovery from other people we have been bearing the names that have been imposed on us, and not any of our own social construction. He asserts that we came from the lower Antilles and were named Arawak/Taino by the Caribs, only to be renamed once Columbus arrived and decided that the rich port that he had landed upon should be called just that. The acquiring of this information tells me that my academic journey lies not only in the acquisition of knowledge in rhetoric, but in history as well. The history that I hope will lead to me forge a way into a conversation that as of yet has not been undertaken. My other career goal is to create a journal that will be for all of us that are underrepresented in our field; those of us that want to be included in the scholarship we love; those of us that want to tell our stories, our pidgins, and the events that have always been in our memoria.
Posted by dvaldesd at 06:51 PM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2005
Calling All Latino Rhetors
Been thinking a lot about [my]Self lately; where I'm going, what I'm learning, and what I'd like to learn. Problem: Where are my Latino rhetors? No, not just the one or two that we know about, but the ones I grew listening to. The ones that taught us that our language was valid, insightful; the language that has always been filled for with laughter and whoops!; the language that belongs not just to us, the boricuas, but to all people of Latino descent that have suffered the loss of indigenous culture, religion, and yes values. WHERE ARE YOU? I am in search of you, of the comfort that I know I will find in your Voice. Where are you, or mejor dicho, why aren't you? Why aren't you easy to find? Why must I play hide and seek while others can easily seek out their research and what it means to be academic in a way that doesn’t involve self-negation? I love learning; hate having to teach myself. I look forward to research; hate being told that I have to look harder, deeper, or in other places. I love the idea of bringing this conversation to the places I want it to be taken up; hate knowing that the only way to do that is to wait for an appropriate time, venue...blah, blah, blah. In working on a project for 601, I find that I am both elated to find SOME stuff I can use; sad to see that it is the SAME stuff. *SIGH* Where are MY philosophers, MY language scholars, MY PEOPLE. I am looking for you, waiting for you to teach me, tell me, inform me, and yes, make me work my ass off for the knowledge I feel I have a right to own. "Have you tried Google"? Claro, claro. No luck. I know what you’re thinking. And yes, I am happy that the lack of scholarship implies a fruitful writing career for me- that is, of course, if I can get my hands on enough information to write a dissertation on something that reflects who I am culturally and acdemically. But that’s another conversation…
Posted by dvaldesd at 01:21 PM | Comments (0)
September 29, 2005
west side (his) story repeats itself...
This saddens me so that I am unable to comment extensively. I will say that I am dismayed that with everything that has been taken from my beloved Tainos, they are still fighting to survive. The oldest colony in the world, under the rule of the the country that is supposed to epitomize democracy...when will the terrors of colonization end?
***
U.S. Assassinates Puerto Rican Independence Figure
By Bill Van Auken
09/27/05 "WSW" -- -- The fatal September 23 shooting of Puerto Rican
nationalist leader Filiberto Ojeda Rios represents an act of state terror and
cold-blooded murder by the US government. It is one more proof that in the
name of a "global war on terrorism," Washington has arrogated to itself the
right to conduct political assassinations and act as judge, jury and
executioner against opponents of US policies and interests.
Aged 72, Ojeda Rios was the leader of the Boricua Popular Army, also known as
the Macheteros, a group that advocated independence for Puerto Rico. He was
wanted on charges that he had participated in the planning of a 1983 Wells
Fargo armored car robbery in Hartford, Connecticut, in which $7.1 million was
taken. A fugitive for 15 years since fleeing house arrest in 1990, he was
sentenced in absentia to 55 years in jail.
Ojeda Rios was alone with his wife in their home in the rural southwestern
Puerto Rican municipality of Hormigueros, near the city of Mayagüez, when
scores of FBI agents stormed his property, unleashing a rain of bullets.
According to reports, at least 100 armed agents were involved, backed by
helicopters and a squad of military sharpshooters brought to the island from
Virginia.
The nationalist leader was struck by a single bullet from a sharpshooter's
high-powered rifle. While he suffered no wound to any vital organ, he was left
to bleed to death on the floor of his home as FBI agents refused to allow
Puerto Rican authorities and emergency medical teams anywhere near the house,
maintaining a militarized perimeter for 24 hours.
Later, an FBI spokesman claimed that the agents who had surrounded the house
and shot Ojeda Rios feared that the house could be wired with explosives and
were waiting for reinforcements to fly in from the US.
Testimony from his wife and a neighbor, as well as the results of an autopsy,
exposed as lies the FBI's version of events. US authorities had claimed that
federal agents had come to arrest Ojeda Rios, opening fire only after he had
fired on them.
In a press conference Monday, however, the nationalist leader's wife, Elma
Beatriz Rosado Barbosa, testified, "On Friday, September 23, in the afternoon
hours, our house was surrounded. Armed men penetrated our property and took
our house by assault, hitting it in a brutal and terrible manner, firing with
heavy weapons against the front wall of our residence.
Hector Reyes, whose house is approximately 300 feet from that of Ojeda Rios,
confirmed this account, saying that the US assault team began firing on the
house as soon as the helicopters arrived on the scene. "The first shots were
very powerful, not from a little revolver like they say he had," said Reyes.
The killing sparked spontaneous demonstrations throughout the island and
statements of condemnation by leaders of virtually every political tendency,
from pro-independence to the supporters of the island's status as a US
"commonwealth" and those advocating US statehood.
Even the territory's Governor Anibal Acevedo Vila, whose Popular Democratic
Party supports the island's current colonial status, found himself compelled
to declare his "deep indignation" and demand an explanation from the FBI for
the killing of Ojeda. "As governor, I make an energetic demand to the federal
authorities to end the silence that they have maintained in relation to these
events," he said.
Neither the governor nor the Puerto Rican police and local prosecutors were
given any advance notice that the FBI was about to mount a military operation
on the island. They first learned of the siege from news reports and received
no official report from the FBI until nearly a full day later. An FBI
spokesman claimed that the silence owed to the fact that the operation was
"developing" and the agency feared endangering its agents.
The head of the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico, Monsignor Roberto Gonzalez
Nieves, also condemned the killing, warning that it would "continue the cycle
of violence.
"They are operating as if they were in hostile territory, like Iraq or
Afghanistan," said Radio Isla political commentator Ignacio Rivera. "It has
political consequences," added Rivera, a supporter of statehood for Puerto
Rico. "They achieved their military objective, but the political side was
absurd.
The half-hearted protests from the island's establishment were a timid
reflection of the popular outrage the killing has provoked throughout Puerto
Rico.
There were demands on the island for the declaration of a day of national
mourning for Ojeda. The University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, the island's
largest campus with 23,000 students, announced that students would be excused
from classes and university employees given the day off to attend the
nationalist leader's funeral Tuesday.
In a press release, the university's president, Gladys Escalona de Motta,
stated, "I call on the university community, in an exercise of its free
expression, to set a high example in these moments when the nation demands
clarity." She added, "Puerto Rico needs to take stock of its convictions to
confront the feelings that have overcome the country.
The FBI chose as the day to carry out the assassination the 137th anniversary
of the "Grito de Lares," the first revolt for Puerto Rican independence from
Spain. The day is celebrated each year as a commemoration of the Puerto Rican
national struggle against colonialism.
It appears likely that the day was chosen based on the belief that Ojeda Rios
would more likely be alone, as his sympathizers and supporters would be
marking the day with public meetings and demonstrations. The Puerto Rican
nationalist leader recorded messages that were read out in Lares every year.
Ironically, his last message was broadcast even as federal agents were moving
in to kill him.
Many, however, saw the choice of the day as a political statement by
Washington of impunity and contempt for the sentiments of the Puerto Rican
people.
An autopsy performed at the San Juan Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed
the sadistic character of the FBI's assassination of Ojeda Rios. It showed
that he suffered a single bullet wound entering beneath his collarbone and
exiting his back.
"He did not die instantaneously," said Doctor Hector Pesquera, who
participated in the autopsy. "What I saw as a doctor was that they let him
bleed to death.... In my opinion, there was enough time, a considerable time
in which he was wounded and he did not receive the aid that could have saved
his life.
Puerto Rico's Justice Secretary, Roberto Sanchez Ramos, concurred with this
assessment, stating, "The information we have is that if Mr. Ojeda had
received immediate medical attention after being shot, he would have survived.
Ojeda Rios had been the subject of a similar FBI raid involving helicopters
and scores of agents in 1985, when he was arrested in connection with the
Wells Fargo robbery. He was subsequently jailed and tried for attempted murder
for shooting and wounding one of the FBI agents during the arrest. A federal
jury in San Juan, however, found him not guilty, its members accepting his
argument that he had acted in self-defense against the government's
aggression.
The FBI and other US authorities never forgave nor forgot this humiliation.
Now they have taken advantage of changed political conditions in the
US-characterized by the "global war on terrorism" and the USA Patriot Act-to
murder him. Clearly, if the agency had wanted to arrest a 72-year-old man,
accompanied only by his wife, they could have taken him alive.
The assassination of Ojeda is a case of Washington deploying a death squad on
what it claims as its own territory. This brutal killing serves as a warning
of the methods the US government is prepared to use to suppress political
opposition within the US itself.
Copyright 1998-2005 World Socialist Web Site
Posted by dvaldesd at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)