http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/our-issues/ode-being-blaxican-video

In the article ‘Ode to Being Blaxican’ illustrates the family structure of diverse ethnicities and cultures infused into a new generation of ‘mixed’ babies. Rush Davis is a product of his grandparents, a mixture of races, Mexican and Black. His grandmother Dolores Morado explains the changes in her daily life after marrying her black ‘knight,’ she was warned by her family that she had to be strong to fight against others remarks on her future children.  She opens the video saying, “My thing was, be proud of who you are.Black, Brown, it dont matter, you are both” and she instilled in her children and grandchildren to be proud of their cultures. This short clip displays Dolores in her kitchen making a mixture of foods from the traditional African American dish such as fried chicken, corn bread with Mexican nopales dish with tortillas. She explains that she worked hard in showing her future generations that they did not have to identify to one race group. When her family relatives found out she was pregnant by a black man, her response to those who were not fond of her decision, “they can kiss my ass then” she replied to them. Her grandson Rush continues his ode, ” Dolores Morado, the brown goddess that laid our foundation with the Black king, to build bridges of light… her pride, and resistance” shows how essential it was for her to obtain a strong character. This family is an example of the increasing , Blaxican group, that is stuck between two different racial planes but they are able to find the balance between them.

My immediate family has always embraced other ethnicities and the youngest family member is Dominic, my two-year-old cousin who is Mexican and Jamaican.  His father, Jon, considers himself Blaxican because his father’s family was Jamaican and his mother was Mexican, making Dominic 2nd generation Blaxican. We had attended the “Blaxican” talk at the Annenberg a couple months back and after the discussion, Jon said that he had similar experiences that the speaker had. He expressed that he was always asked to pick a side and during his high school race riots he decided not to side with either. He said he would have discussions with Dominic as he gets older, to help him realize that being Mexican and African American is perfectly okay and that he can embrace all ethnicities. Dominic will have a unique perspective because he will be raised around a predominantly Mexican family yet he will be educated on the struggles of both his brown and black family lineage. Having a Blaxican family member puts into perspective the ever-changing dynamics of race and family dynamics.

In this weeks reading article Masculinity Reconfigured: Shaking up Gender in Chicano/Latino Literature by Pablo E. Martiínez analyze the books Poncho by Jose Antonio Villarreal and How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents by Julia Álavarez show the path that was established for Chicano “voices in literature.” Martínez focuses on the male figures and how they transitioned their position in the family from the head of household to being dependent on his female counterpart. He lost his sense of “machismo” and the transformation “from archetypical macho patriarch” arose from the “process of emasculation at the hands of their wives and children.” It was done by their families resisting their authority and often times challenging the “traditional masculine norms” with the infusion of nationalism, transnationalism, feminism, and modernity.

It usually began as the daughters and wives saw that education for women was available in the United States and they took the opportunity to gain a higher education. Whereas, in Mexico or the Dominican Republic there commercial industry was based on agriculture and those in charge of the industry were males. When the men began their lives in the United States they had a hard time transitioning into their environment of new laws, language, and social norms. Contrary to the women who embraced the changes and were able to maneuver around the social pyramid. By the end of the novels, the father’s position was opposite, as “mother and children as breadwinners, and father as a dependent.” Thus the Chicano household gains a sense of balance between patriarchal and matriarchal viewpoints.

Have you experienced a similar transition in your household?

Why would you think it would be harder for the men to let go of his authoritative role and assimilate into the new norms?

Mi Familia

https://citedatthecrossroads.net/chs486/2016/09/21/photo-collage/

My family’s photo collage represents various aspects of my life – from my large family and the city we grew up in, to traditional practices throughout the years. These pictures of my family represent the first generation Mexican perspective, second generation Mexican-Americanism and the third-generation Chicana upbringing. The images are a glimpse into the family values I was instilled with, thanks in large part to the complexity of my family’s makeup.  This allowed for change and, more importantly, the evolution of this Chicano woman.

My family dynamic is unique because my mother’s parents were never married and both my grandfather Casto and grandmother Maggie married other people later. My parents were married very soon after my mother’s 18th birthday and she explained how my father’s machismo and controlling attitude pushed her to find her own strength. She knew that she was strong and should not have to endure both physical and emotional abuse due to the traditional patriarchy of la familia. As discussed in Rodriguez book, that “la familia as a genealogical tradition that entails successive shifts contingent upon chaining kinship discourses and formation,”(Rodriguez 3) and in my family, my parent’s divorce at the age of 5, dismantled the traditional patriarchal structure. My mother nor father remarried.

In my father’s family, his mother was a housewife and his father worked long hours to provide for seven children in a one-bedroom apartment. This family continued the patriarchal structure as the men in the family were required to the provide for the household while the women maintained the domestic front. My father’s side of the family migrated to Los Angeles in the 1970s from Michoacán for better opportunities for their children. The lower photo of my family was take at my grandparents 50th anniversary and it is of my family of four generations; my grandparents, my father and his siblings, my cousins and myself, and their children.

My mother’s side, was slightly different. My mother’s mother, Maggie, was a first generation Mexican American, but related mostly with her American/Chicana side. She was a single mother for a couple of years and would eventually marry my step-grandfather Adolfo. My mother’s father, Casto, was involved in her life but did not provide her that strong emotional support one would expect from a loving father.  My mother and I share a similar experience.  Her father was from Mexico and her mother was first-generation.  We are between two different worlds that helped create OUR Chicana identity.

My mother’s side worked in agriculture in the fields and later participated in the Chicano movement working at co-op markets established by UFW. My grandfather, Casto, would take his children to march during the Grape boycotts of the 1960s that sought benefits for field workers. Casto maintained the male dominance in the household and my step-grandmother Carmen was submissive to him and would do simply as he said. She would not refute my grandfather’s words as a young woman.  Now in her 70s, Carmen challenges him. As my grandfather witnessed his granddaughters succeeding with and without having children, he tells us how proud he is with the changes we have made.  It makes us feel good that in some way we are helping the older generations stand up for themselves.  It shows us that it is never too late to change gender dynamics and that change can and will come if we allow it. The top photo is a family celebration for my grandfather’s birthday and this side of the family is considerably smaller than the Alejandre side.

The images from the collage also illuminate the prominence of the Venice circle and the importance that it held in my own upbringing.  It represents the first city my father’s side settled in until the 2000s and remains the residence of my Grandfather Casto.  This played a vital part to my own development.  Venice’s culture was so infused with such rich cultural diversity that my Mexican traditions included other cultures as well.  My mother exposed me to photography, dance, and other skills through the Venice Arts program. These activities lead to meeting people of different ethnicities and faiths that would widened my perspective.  These new perspectives would clash with my traditional family views. The social and cultural changes allowed me to infuse my Mexican beliefs with others and mold it to my own personal insight.

The photo of my grandfather Adolfo cutting turkey represents the flip side of the cultural revolution I am describing.  In traditional Mexican household women are “supposed” to do the cooking. Despite this cultural expectation, my grandfather and grandmother would alternate and now my grandfather predominately cooks. I’d like to think that his profession, as a cook, allowed for this transition of skills from work to the home, creating and shifting toward a more matriarchal structure. My grandmother Maggie is very opinionated and makes the household decisions, and was my example of what a strong Chicana woman is. Yet when I asked her when was her happiest moment in life, she responded, “the day I married your grandfather Adolfo.” She explained she was fearful of being a single parent and was relieved to no longer be. She was able to hold two opposing positions, yet created her own identity.

The other photos show my Mexican culture of the mercado in East Los Angeles and a family game night of lotería. During a BBQ or small gathering, the frijoles and quarters were taken out to play lotería amongst the family. Growing up on the Westside, we would have to assimilate into the “gringo” society and my mother would take us every few months to different parts of Los Angeles that were predominately Latino. She would expose us to bilingual theatre, music, and events to remind me and my siblings of how powerful our cultural foundation is when overcoming systematic oppression. Si se puede.

My generation is an extension of the hardships and perseverance through the norm to obtain one’s happiness.  We are able to understand that some of the Chicano family structures are not as concrete as believed and disruption of these cultural norms can lead to a healthier household. By deconstructing the traditions, we are able to dig deeper into the core challenges found within la familia and produce more fruitful relationships among and between the family. My family is proof that  breaking down barriers and seeking beyond the norms is the basis of the strength, tenacity, and endurance to emerge with a new and, maybe even, improved Chicano.  La Chicana Moderna.

a mini altar within the altar

image of my nino and dog princess

our beloved booboo who we had for 16 years

The season of remembrance has arrived and the construction of my altar is beginning to take shape. Each photo has an item such as the doggie treat that was placed near my dog Booboo image. I try to add on every year a unique item or decoration… I can’t wait for the final look.

://www.npr.org/2015/10/12/447229966/songs-we-love-brownout-la-raza

In the read Next to Kin, it explains that the Chicano hip-hop and other elements are essential, “socially, politically, and historically,” (Rodriquez 108) giving substance to the music, through its explicit and eye-opening lyrics. Most of the hip hop music was created out of the “impulse of working-class consciousness,” (108) regardless of race and in Kid Frost, “La Raza” illustrates the perspective of the daily lives of someone living in the barrio. Even though the audience of the song is predominately Latino, the black community can also relate to the similarities. There has been an infusion with both Chicano and Afro-America when it comes to hip hop, even though the foundation of hip hop was stemmed from the black community, various elements such as the clothing and lowrider cars came from Chicano culture. 

I came across an article on NPR Latino, “Songs We Love: Brownout, ‘La Raza’,” discussing the 25th anniversary of the song. The evolution of the classic song “Viva Tirado” by El Chicano was sampled by Kid Frost for the iconic, “La Raza” to an Austin-born group Brownout’s “La Raza,” each adding a different element to the song. The commonality of the different versions is that they all discuss issues within their community, Brownout’s song begins with gentrification. Many say that gentrification is the new colonialism and in this song, landlords are seen as “slum lords” by raising the rent incredibly high, in turn, kicking out those who could no longer afford housing. The song talks about our roots, “Latino, Chicano, Mexicano- con sangre de Emiliano, revolucionario,” reminding us of our powerful force in fighting back oppression.A female rapper speaks about the pride in our culture and criticizes the current presidential candidate Donald Trump for his racist slurs about Mexicanos. The song describes the community, “la cause, mi gente, por la raza” of the barrios and the police targeting the young men. It’s nice to see the influence of Kid Frost regenerated 25 years later, illustrating the continuous fight against the oppression that continues currently.

What elements of the song did you connect with?

REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, Lupe Ontiveros, America Ferrera, 2002, (c) HBO

The movie Real Women have Curves depicts the life of Anna, a bright student, from the  inner city of Los Angeles. The opening scene of the movie depicts Anna wiping down the windows, an example of domestication, falling within the Chicano gender roles. Immediately Anna and her mother clash because her mother would like for Anna to tend to her, yet it’s Anna last day of high school. Anna leaves the house stating “smart women could contribute to the world,” shows her directly challenging the Chicano gender roles, by stating that she too can essential to society.

At school, her English professor reminds Anna about the college applications and she tells him her family can’t afford college and he should not waste his time on her. After school, Anna quits her job and when she arrives home her mother is furious over it. During the confrontation, an unexpected visit from her English professor creates more animosity with the family. The professor expresses his support for Anna’s higher education and automatically her mother says she has a job at the factory the next day. Her father expresses how she needs to contribute and provide for the family. This scene demonstrates Chicano family values of contributing to everyone, including the sacrifices for oneself. When Anna does get accepted to Columbia University, her family sees it as an abandonment of them. She is not only abandoning them physically but financially and emotionally, by her mother reminding her about her abuelito.

A scene between the Anna parents shows her mother complaining about Anna not doing any domestic jobs, calling her lazy for not cleaning or cooking. Illustrates the Chicano gender roles of women obtaining the domestic duties that her mother was upholding her to. What was unique about the scene was the father suggesting that Anna should attend college and learn. Anna’s father was breaking away from the typical Chicano gender roles and instead of portraying a “machismo” attitude, he gave encouragement for Anna’s education. However, her mother rebuttals that she will teach Anna “learn” by showing her how to cook, sew, take care of her kids, and husband. Once again her mother is applying the Chicano gender role to her daughter. Her mother says it is not fair that she was working since 13, where Anna began at 18, and its time for her to work. That statement could be seen as her mother envious of her daughter’s opportunity for education and growth, so she doesn’t approve.

A scene at the clothing factory shows women doing a domestic job, sewing dresses, and not always paid on time. They work in a hot environment, Anna’s job was to steam the dresses, and the only time her mother showed her compassion was when she burned her finger. Her mother tended to the finger, singing a familiar song, “ Sana sana colita de rana,” a song I too have heard growing up.

A connecting theme of the movie was purity, Anna’s mother stressed the importance of a women’s virginity. Anna challenge her mother, “ Why does a women virginity matter? We have thoughts, ideas, a mind of our own,” addressing the typical Chicano gender roles of the women contained within her own position. The movie connects with gender roles were not only displayed in the acting but also in the music. Throughout the film the songs had a message of both the struggles and empowerment of women. The songs Chica Dificil and Luto by Aterciopelados discuss the “issues” men face being with a strong and difficult women, yet it is worth-wild. Finally when Anna loses her virginity, disobeying her mother’s values of purity. Her mother is upset with Anna’s decision, there is “more to me than what’s in between my legs,” says Anna.

At the end of the film, Anna pursued her education in New York. For Anna to show her mother that her education, not her virginity would help define her purpose of life.Anna is an example of resilience, determination, and the constantly pushing of gender roles by not conforming to them.