Wàchale!: Poetry and Prose About Growing Up Latino in America edited by Ilan Stavans

The title of this book, Wàchale! means watch out! in Spanglish.  This title is appropriate because the whole book is about bringing attention to the Hispanic culture in America.  Wàchale!:Poetry and Prose About Growing Up Latino in America edited by Ilan Stavans and is an anthology of poetry, prose, short stories, and letters, all written by Hispanic authors about being Latino in a very different American culture.  He embraces the language of the Latino culture by leaving all of the Spanish in the pieces that he selects to include in this anthology.  The combination of Spanish and English is representative of the combination of cultures that Hispanic people face when growing up in America. 

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

In Time of the Butterflies is set in the Dominican Republic during the reign of dictator Trujillo, who ruled the Dominican Republic from 1930-1961 with fear and brutality. This story revolves around the adolescence and adulthood of the four Mirabal sisters who become symbols of a national underground movement to overthrow Trujillo. In the Time of the Butterflies is loosely based on the true story to three sisters who were ambushed and killed after going to visit their husbands in prison. These sisters, known as “las mariposas” or “the butterflies” then became national symbols of the revolution against Trujillo. This book describes the tension of trying to live a life with the threat of violence and destruction always hanging over one's head. It also speaks to circumstances that drive people to stand for change, even in the face of extreme adversity. 

Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros

Puro cuento, Spanish for “just a story” is an idea that Sandra Cisneros toys with again and again throughout her cross-cultural treasure, Caramelo. Caramelo is the story of a young Mexican girl named Celaya Reyes growing up caught between her heritage and the North American culture into which she was born. This novel, however, is so much more than a simple narrative; Cisneros skillfully weaves a complex tale of fact, fiction, family, and ultimately cultural identity through the eyes of Celaya and her family. As the narrative progresses stories are revealed about the rich history of the Reyes’ family, though it becomes difficult to decipher between the truth and puro cuento. Within this mixture of truth and fairy-tale Cisneros gives the reader three very important gifts: a frank, insider-look at the complex nature of Mexican-American culture, the author’s response to that culture, and a lasting impression on the reader.

Book Report Picture & Description

The book How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez is a story about four sisters that grew up in the Dominican Republic until their family sought refuge from the government in the United States. The story describes the struggles and life events of the girls and their family as they grew accustomed to the life and culture of being an American and what it meant to lose their Spanish accents. (Emily Vos)

Teaching Strategies

Making Connections through Social Interactions

            This teaching strategy encourages students to make connections to what they are reading from their lives and the lives of others around them.  These connections can be made through teacher led classroom discussions and also through conversations of student led small groups.  These groups can also model comprehension by acting the reading out, creating a poster, drawing a picture, and a variety of other small projects. 

            This strategy works well in an elementary setting because it will allow students to see connections to the real world.  It is easier for English language learners to talk about things that they know about, so making connection to their lives will make it easier for them to discuss what they are reading about. 

            (2006). In Teaching diverse learners . Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/elemlit/orallanguage.shtml#strat4

Daily Sharing

            Because culture affects oral language, this teaching strategy helps English language learners to learn the socially valued way of speaking while also listening to how their culture organizes its communication.  After listening to how an English language learning tells his or her story, the teacher will then ask the students questions and write down responses that will model the socially valued way of telling the story. 

            This would be especially effective in an elementary classroom where sharing daily events with the class is an everyday occurrence.  It would help your English language learners to improve their oral language.   This strategy will also help your English speakers to practice their listening skills. 

            (2006). In Teaching diverse learners . Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/elemlit/orallanguage.shtml#strat4

Student/Teacher Conferences

            This strategy puts the teacher and the student together one-on-one to discuss the work that the student is doing.  This takes away the competition that a student might be feeling from the more proficient students in the classroom.  During this conference, the teacher and student discuss what was written or drawn.  They talk about what the students did especially well and what the student could improve on for next time. 

            In an elementary classroom, this strategy would be effective when having the students do daily writing assignments and special writing projects.  If would not only be effective for students who are learning English but also for all English speakers who need help with their writing.  The teacher could spend just a couple of minutes with each student, as they complete their writing, discussing what is done well and what could be done better. 

            (2006). In Teaching diverse learners . Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/elemlit/orallanguage.shtml#strat4

Description of Hispanic learners

Hispanic students want to be accepted in the classroom. They are afraid of the me vs. them mentality. Some students struggle with poverty and hunger issues leaving them tired and hungry in the classroom and some work in order to help the family and fall behind in schoolwork. They often struggle with learning the new language because the conflicting language at home.

 

Hispanic students learn best with interactive technology and visual aids. They feel safest in an inviting and accepting classroom with a teacher than cares about their story. They benefit from “hands on” experiences. They enjoy interaction with other students.  

Hispanic Influence in United States History

• The Spanish were the first Europeans to land in what was to become the continental United States when Jose Ponce de Leon landed in Florida in 1513. Since that time, the Spanish continued to be the foremost European explorers in North America, seeing half of what would be the lower 48 states before the English settled in Roanoke in 1585.
• In 1835, Texas, a Mexican state, revolted from Mexico and was then annexed into the United States in 1845. In response, Mexico initiated the Mexican-American war, which ended with the cessation of the Mexican states of Alta California and Nuevo Mexico to the United States. 
• Tales of Spanish atrocities in Cuba sparked the beginning of the Spanish-American war in 1898. The war was fought mainly for Cuban independence, but resulted not only in Cuban freedom, but also in the United States's colonial acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.
• In the mid-twentieth century, there were many migrant workers in the Western and Southwestern United States who were treated poorly by their employers. Cesear Chavez, a Mexican-American field-worker, organized the National Farm Workers Association. This union successfully improved conditions for millions of migrant workers in the United States. 

Current Films

In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she's a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again.

UNDER THE SAME MOON (LA MISMA LUNA) tells the parallel stories of nine-year-old Carlitos and his mother, Rosario. In the hopes of providing a better life for her son, Rosario works illegally in the U.S. while her mother cares for Carlitos back in Mexico. Unexpected circumstances drive both Rosario and Carlitos to embark on their own journeys in a desperate attempt to reunite. Along the way, mother and son face challenges and obstacles but never lose hope that they will one day be together again

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War photographer Grace, devastated after a violent incident in Iraq, renounces her profession. Her Belgian husband, Max, is a cataract surgeon working at an eye clinic in the high Andes of Peru. Nearby, the villagers of Turubamba succumb to illnesses caused by a mercury spill from a local mine. Saturnina, a young woman in Turubamba, loses her fiancé to the contamination. Ignorant of its true source, the villagers turn their rage on the foreign doctors, and in the ensuing riot Max is killed. Grace sets out on a journey of mourning to the place of Max's death. Saturnina takes drastic measures to protest against the endless violations towards her people and her land. Grace and Saturnina's destinies merge. ALTIPLANO is a lyrical and probing film about our divided but inextricably linked world.

Two Works of Art

The first piece of art is called "Woman at the Window (Muchacha en la ventana)". It was done by the Hispanic artist Salvador Dalí in the year 1925 by using oil on a board. Salvador Dalí was a Spanish painter and sculptor.

The next piece of art is called "Execution of the Defenders of Madrid, 3rd May 1808" by the artist Francisco de Goya, a Spanish painter and printmaker. The art piece was done by the use of oil on canvas and is a reaction to the historical event of the Madrid civilians' revolt against the Napoleonic French army attack.

Picturebooks

 
In My Family by: Carmen Lomas Garza
In this book, the author describes her childhood memories, in both English and Spanish, about growing up in a traditional Mexican American community.  The illustrations are paintings done by the author which show her memories. 



Papa and Me by Arthur Dorros and Illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
This book describes how a father, who speaks only Spanish, and his bilingual son spend a day together, from morning until evening.  The illustrations in this book show actions to help you understand what the Spanish words mean. 

Popular Music of Hispanoamerica

This song "Rayando el Sol" is by the popular Mexican group Maná. Maná has won 3 Grammy awards, 5 Latin Grammy awards, and is very popular in Mexico and the U.S.

"Solo en Ti" by Enrique Iglesias

Julieta Venegas is an Mexican American singer who has become very popular in the United States and Mexico. This is one of her most popular songs "Me Voy"

Hispanoamerican Music

Here are just a few examples of popular and tradicional Hispanoamerican music.

-This first song is by Juan Luis Guerra is a well-known Dominican singer, songwriter, and self-producer. He has won 12 Latin Grammy Awards and 2 Grammy Awards. Much of his music is a mix between two Latin styles, merengue and bolero. This song "Ojala Que Llueva Cafe" is one of his most famous.

Two Latin American Poems

This first poem is taken from the inaugural work of famous Chilean poet and political activist Pablo Neruda. In this poem, Neruda misses his former lover, but realizes that he will get over her. Neruda wrote poems of love, history, and politics. He received the Noble Prize for Literature in 1971.  


POEMA 20
Pablo Neruda, poeta chileno (1904-1973)
English Translation


Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.

Escribir, por ejemplo: "La noche está estrellada,
y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos."
El viento de la noche gira en el cielo y canta.

       Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Yo la quise, y a veces ella también me quiso.

       En las noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos.
La besé tantas veces bajo el cielo infinito.

       Ella me quiso, a veces yo también la quería.
¡Cómo no haber amado sus grandes ojos fijos!

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Pensar que no la tengo. Sentir que la he perdido.

       Oír la noche inmensa, más inmensa sin ella.
Y el verso cae al alma como al pasto el rocío.

¡Qué importa que mi amor no pudiera guardarla!
La noche está estrellada y ella no está conmigo.

Eso es todo. A lo lejos alguien canta. A lo lejos.
Mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Como para acercarla mi mirada la busca.
Mi corazón la busca, y ella no está conmigo.

La misma noche que hace blanquear los mismos árboles.
Nosotros, los de entonces, ya no somos los mismos.

Yo no la quiero, es cierto, pero cuánto la quise..
Mi voz buscaba al viento para tocar su oído.

De otro. Será de otro. Como antes de mis besos.
Su voz, su cuerpo claro. Sus ojos infinitos.

        Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero tal vez la quiero.
Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido.

Porque en noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos,
mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Aunque éste sea el último dolor que ella me causa,
y éstos sean los últimos versos que yo le escribo.

This second poem is the work of Cuban former political prisoner and international human rights activist Armando Valladares. Valladares was imprisoned for 22 years after refusing to display a sign promoting communism. Since his release, Valladares has published several collections of poems and has worked to defend human rights. 

LA MEJOR TINTA

Armando Valladares

Me lo han quitado todo

la plumas

los lápices

la tinta

porque ellos no quieren

que yo escriba

y me han hundido

en esta celda de castigo

pero ni así ahogarán mi rebeldía.

Me lo han quitado todo

-bueno, casi todo-

porque me queda la sonrisa

el orgullo de sentirme un hombre libre

y en el alma un jardín

de eterna florecitas.

Me lo han quitado todo

la plumas

los lápices

pero me queda la tinta de la vida

-mi propia sangre-

y con ella escribo versos todavía.

Original escrito con mi sangre y una astillita de madera en abril de 1981 en las celdas

de castigo de la Cárcel Combinado del Este, en La Habana.

English Translation:

The Best Ink

They have taken everything from me

pens

pencils

ink

because they don't want 

me writing.

And they have sunk me

in this cell of punishment

but they have not so drown my rebellion. 

They have taken everything from me.

--well, almost everything--

because i keep my smile

the pride of being a free man

and in my soul a garden

of eternal flowers.

The have taken everything from me

pen

pencils

but I have kept the ink of life

--my own blood--

and with it I write verses still.

Original written with my blood and a splinter of wood in April of 1981 in the cells of punishment of the jail of Combinado del Este, in La Habana.