Central America and Pre-colonial Times (Mexico and Native Americans)

President Roosevelt was once known to be a president that cared about preserving  the history and story of people. One thing that has always been present in our society and history fearlessness of the person in off has been the connections other societies and cultures have had on ours. It is evident when you walk around our city, you can go from USA to Europe to Asia in minutes. Some say it is because of how close things are but one can extrapolate that is due to the affect our societies have had on each other. If you speak to people on the street you will hear lots of tales and stories about what they remember from other societies. President Roosevelt once said “in any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing and the worst thing you can do is nothing,” teaching that culture is an important thing that you should know about.

I went to the natural history museum in Manhattan, New York to learn more about Mexico and Central America. Mexico and Central America make up the vast majority of the Latin countries with customs but what we don't know are the artifacts. Mexico is a country that covers about two millennia. It started out at 13,000 people but has grown dramatically. Mexico is known for its large population of Spanish and Native American speakers. The country refuses to give credit to Europe because of the conquest. Alot of what is spoke about is the westernized culture of Mexico. During the Spanish rule of Mexico most or more than half of the indigenous population were wiped out or killed. Mexico declared its independence from Spain in 1810. Mexico for centuries has fought  against wars, drugs, government and all the politics, it was freedom to the most possible peace filled country but one thing that continues to plague them is the drug cartels.

Precolonial period had alot to do with the Native American population. Alot of what I saw at the museum had to do with art and how the natives communicated. There was alot of Aztec artifacts, one being the emblem they are known for. In the exhibit you also saw the way they cooked and dressed and honestly it was not so far from what we use today. You saw half clothed women with scrubs as the clothing, you also saw the weapons they used such as spears. In their ways of life the people of the Andean region mirror the diversity of landscapes from desert coasts to snow capped mountains. The ancient Andean civilization began and created a system of combining and coordinating their varied resources and cultures to create a civilization of great wealth. The Native Americans created systems of curing illnesses and sicknesses from herbal sources to what some would today consider voodoo. The Natives used raddled so they could perform rituals on the sick. The Natives would take the raddled and place it below the forearms so that if it raddled it would show and indicate the connections to spirits. Alot of what displayed has to do with pottery, figurines, jewelry and monuments.

In closing I learned alot about pre-modernization and colonial peoples. It is extremely interesting how out of everything there are those small successes and failures. In the museum I thought it was interesting to see how things worked out with interaction and learning how these people were able to work with each other and they had no form of technology to help them out so it begs to ask why cant we as a society do the same with everything we have but then again the question has to do with common sense which is not so common anymore.

3rd Annual South Bronx Folk Festival

South Bronx Folk Festival   

Folklore is an concept that has been around for sometime, actually ages. Every culture has some folklore and tradition to it. On Friday December Seventh Two Thousand and Twelve I attended a beautiful event, it included folklore from four ethnic groups. The puerto Rican's, Dominicans, Hondurans, and Japanese. All of these cultures are very similar in the sense of celebration. Though culture is an important thing folklore is the most important of it all because it teaches us what the origins are. Folklore has tradition, customs,clothing and even music.

The event I attended occurred at the Casita Maria Center for Art and Education and it was called the Danza Fiesta ! Baile Y Teatro Puertorriqueno Third Annual South Bronx Folk Dance Festival. The event was presented by Diversity in the Arts and Nations for Cultural Education and was directed by Hilda Rivera Pantojas, who is a facilitator at Boricua College. The South Bronx Folk Festival is a week long festival meant to highlight the cultural diversity. The event had many featured performers and performances by Danza Fiesta, Irka Mateo and the women of fire, kaoru Watanabe and Hamalali Wayunagu.

Danza Fiesta is a group that was created in 1998 by Hilda Rivera Pantojas. It was created to show and exemplify Puerto Rican culture and folkloric traditions with everyone. Danza Fiesta is made up of a band and a group of performers. They play lots of musical instruments from timbales to cow bells. Danza Fiesta  performs international folklore while explaining taino culture. The performances both included entertainment and performance. The show had casoglos, the women had dresses that were very cultural and elegant, they told a story of a couple that had gotten married and had a jealous family member who was portrayed as a skank and whore. The performance included dancing, singing , spoken word and crowd involvement. There were a part where the married guy started dancing in public with other people and the wife created a spectacle when she saw she was not getting attention. This performance gave us historical context just like many other types of folklore performances.

Although very different from the first performance the Honduran folklore performance brought similar music but with a different vibe and historical background. It was back in 1797 that the country of St.Vincent and the grenadines began what would to be be known as the British Exile of St.Vincent. It was only fitting that during a very energetic performance would these great performers come together with the thought of having a conflict, fighting performance. The performance reflected the fight for St. Vincent in which the Caribbeans were exiled to Honduras where today in the Sandy Bay some of their descendants can be found. The performance was put on by a group called the Hamalali Wayunagu which has the mission to “expose, share and teach audiences about Garifuna culture, heritage and history,” this company was established in the Bronx in 1992 about twenty years ago.

Japanese folklore is similar to most traditional cultures. The Japanese believe in a lot of mother earths energy. Most of the folklore is celebrated using drums and these drums can be anything from traditional drums to Bangos. Th celebrations occur for festivals, religious, and cultural events. They all come from a sense of connections from the gods drawing from earth energy. the performers used high pitch performances to relate how energy is drawn from earth.

One of the last performance s of the day was Irka Mateo and the Women of Fire. The women of Fire and Irka Mateo set out to perform and teach people about Dominican folklore using music and drums called palos. Palos are used to perform Inonu dance or Baile De Atabales. The performances are barrier breakers because there are not many female percussionists out there today.

In closing I had a good time experiencing the folklore and seeing the different cultures. I think being true to who you are and understanding your culture is a pivotal thing that makes you human.

Videos:

Photos:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4539047728735.267094.1667422128&type=3

My Strengths and Resilience.......

None of this comes easy, writing this never is easy, understanding this is never easy, even in the most emotional and successful times this is difficult but we all have a story to tell and if its not told no one is listening.....Here we go ! 

                      Alot of people have told me growing up you are going to be something, I was nicked named the "Abogado" aka Lawyer in Spanish  nicked named the giant, and even 3000 for the infamous Andre 3,000. Truth be told growing up was never easy and it still to this day isn't easy living with some of the things I live with, do I experience depression ? No not at all, do I experience stress ? Sometimes but one thing I do not experience is Pressure or failure none of those two are in my vocabulary or dictionary  I remember growing up always being the outcast, the kid no one liked, the one everyone wanted to jump, I said a word and it would be taken out of context. But one day that all ended, I opened my eyes, saw where I was going and saw where I wanted to be so here we go....

                     My strength and resilience come from the many experiences I have had with people and the work in the community I live in. I have had a lot of resilience because I have seen people struggle and I understand struggle because of my family. Things growing up were not easy, I had to learn that the ward way early on. Everything from drama and illnesses in my family to physical reactions and interactions (Fights and arguments nothing sexual or crazy like that). I think some of my strengths come from working with people who have been through some of the struggles I have been through. I see people who have everything but are not happy and people who have nothing and who are happy. When you see other people struggle it reminds you of what you are thankful for. 

                      My resilience comes from getting used to what I already have been through. Some examples of struggles that built my resilience have been experiencing homelessness, foster care, the affect of my mothers many illnesses, being told in middle school that if I did not seek something positive I would not be successful and one of the biggest struggles that has made me who I am was finding a way to fit in at times when I could not. I think to have resilience in my time means success. Many people fall to drugs and crimes and gangs but I found my solution in helping others in their problems and issues. I try to support everyone who wants to make a change because those are the ones who have will and power and use it because we all have it but you have to want to see something new in yourself to be happy and loved with in yourself. 

                Finally we all go through struggle but do not let that stop you from being happy always remember there are options but they only work if you choose to use them. I have chosen to help the community and will continue to do so in the future, I want to lead my community, city, state and country in whatever ways that I can. 

A Memorable Thanksgiving........

                   A Memorable Thanksgiving........

     Thanksgiving a holiday full of thankfulness, a time of the year to stop and reflect of what has been, what is and what will be in the future. Thanksgiving a time to sit and communicate with family, although sometimes it is not with family. Everyone has something to be thankful for, but for what exactly is a great question to be asked. Thanksgiving also has its historical background and if you look into it, doesn't always look good, so what are we celebrating ? If its supposed to be a good holiday what does it look like and how should it look like ?

       The question of what does it look like and what should it look like has always been a question I have had to ask myself and everyone in my immediate circle. Year after year my family gathers and sometimes it is good and sometimes it is bad. Good because we only get to see each other once in a blue. Bad because unfortunately not everyone can be in the same room without wanting to kill each other. But what should a traditional Thanksgiving look like for us, a simple question that at times can be hard to answer......

       My most memorable Thanksgiving of all my 19 years of life had to be this year. A week before Thanksgiving 2012 there was a death in my family, my brother in law had lost his grandmother and it was an emotional time for most of us physically and mentally. Although I normally do not have feelings for death I understood how deep in pain he must have been. My sister, my brother in law and niece all went to Florida to bury her and remember her for the person she was, and that had left questions in my mind. Not out of selfishness or self contentedness but out of question because at the end of the day that is all I do, question.

       Thanksgiving day 2012 came and it was a day after my brother in law had buried his mother so it was like how are we going to be doing this, I was not really expecting anything but family maybe at that. I was surprised to say the least when I entered my sisters house. The dining table was set in decoration for Thanksgiving with all the different clothes and napkins and plates with all the different platters, some being pie, cake and even nuts with a nutcracker standing not far. My sister was still cooking so we started to take pictures with my mother and nephews. We were expecting my brother in law family and my family and it went off without a hitch. The food was cooked and place in their rightful spots, rice at the rice holder, the Turkey and pork in their rightful spot, happy with pineapple and cherries and stuffing and the scraps.

       It was memorable not for the food or decorations but rather for the community, family likeness of it. It was the first time everyone was in the same room without arguments and drama. It was the first time we had been together holding hands praying over the food and telling stories of previous Thanksgivings. We then took more photos some with my sister and mother then the nephews with their grandmother and such. When it came time to dig in as we call it in my family, the food was hot and still steaming and was gone instantly. The bird had been picked to shreds leaving only the wings still tied and the wishbone still in tacked.

       Finally it came time to go home and I was in a great mood because all I have ever wanted was to have a not so drama filled Thanksgiving. I would pray to god that everyone had the same, I also hope those in need had gotten some sort of help in this time of need. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what you have and one of the biggest things I am thankful for is everything I have, share with others and everything that has not been taken or stolen from me.

What Am I Thankful For ?

........Dedicated to all my family members who have passed away and to those who struggle daily with all types of issues. 

What Am I Thankful For ? 

It is 2012 and I am 19 years old so what am I thankful for ?

I am thankful for my family

the good, the bad, the crazy and even the dumb asses.

I am thankful for my wisdom

when to do right, when to do wrong and even the painful ones in the back of my mouth.

I am thankful for my experiences

Bronx River, Bronx River Community, Soundview Community, Edenwald Houses, Ohio, Detroit, Washington DC, and even New York State, Middle School, High School, College.

I am thankful for the lessons

Family drama, life and personal.

I am thankful for my mother the most

She represents struggle and through her I have learned to be who I am today.

I am also thankful for my sister

Who practically raised me when times were rough.

I am thankful for all that is mine, all that I share, and all that has not been taken or stolen from me !

I am thankful for life ! 

The Presidential Election 2012

Every four years we make some sort of history and that history can come from anywhere, a majority comes from elections but what happens when history is repeated ? 2012 was one of the election years where history needed to be repeated but by who would it be ? Another question was this vote popular or electoral that would remake history and if not what would become of the United States ? Two candidates Barack Obama or Mitt Romney both had some good and some bad but which one was the less of the two evils or was there an evil ?

           Mitt Romney is a candidate who has more history with government in the sense of running a state not so much a country of which Obama had a sense when he first stated and looked to running for office. Mitt Romney was the governor of Massachusetts where he basically created a debacle of the State from his education plans to his state economic plans. He is a politician focused on factory and production jobs and money. He also is a mormon which for those who do not know means that he is part Jewish and Part christian in a sense. To catholics like myself he would be considered a sinner (not trying to judge). Mitt Romney is a person who basically wanted to turn the rich into the richest (as if they already were not) and the poor to the poorest. He said he would cut programs if he say they were unnecessary. Mitt Romney was bent on building up factories and companies that continue to pollute our environment, companies that manufacture products using fossil fuels which are some of the worst on the planet. He also mentioned things about how he had power on his side with binders full of women and how he would do all these great things but we all knew he was only going to cut big bird and let the poor people suffer. 

     It was a close call Obama coming out the winner as to be expected honestly, he always helped out the people regardless of how he has done it. He said he would save the auto industry and he did, he said he would get a health care bill and he did, Obama also said that he would get immigration reform and he got that ball rolling to. Allowing our people to prosper is the start of something new because for decades our people have been oppressed and suppressed and a state that has needed the government spoke. Ohio was the deciding factor in the election, a state that relies on farming subsidies just like New York City residents rely on housing subsidies at times. President Obama had one thing going for him that Romney did not and it was Bill Clinton, had Clinton not been so honest and charismatic Obama would have had a tougher call because if you look at the popular vote Obama really lost to Romney but the electoral college was swayed by the honesty of this administration.

     In Closing I thought it was a very close election, everything from the trash Romney spewed to the honesty Obama spoke about. I remember staying up until almost 2 in the morning watching the results. I also remember Romney taking forever to admit his loss.

What I Carry ?

      Everyone has something they carry that has some type of sentiment. Some people carry the sentiment in their pocket or on their body but others carry their sentiment in their bag.

      In my book bag I carry a lot of different things. I carry my books for school, folders for organization and other non essentials. My books are needed for learning and my folders serve for organization purposes. I carry my keys which unlock my house, my sisters house, my work equipment, and of course my bike which is my transportation. I also carry my whistle for biking and pens and pencils for school work. I  carry my community patrol badge and id so that if someone is in trouble I can help them safely without interfering with the professionals. I also carry a reflective jacket and tape for when I am biking in addition to my rain gear at times. A lot of what I carry in my bag has to do with school but can be metaphoric for my life story and success, everything  I carry is carried on my shoulders. 

       I carry determination because I am not willing to kneel down to failure, it is not even in my vocabulary. I carry success because I am the first to graduate and stay in school out of everyone in my family. I carry understanding and empathy to the struggle of being poor and working class. I carry appreciation for everyone and everything I have because I have had nothing and everything and I have seen people who have it all and are not happy and those who have nothing but enjoy it . I also carry my experiences negative and positive. I grew up in a mental Chaos but I would not deny it. I have seen and been thru bad and I have been part of change and everyday is an opportunity for learning. 

       In closing i carry a lot physically and emotionally but you wouldn't not know unless you asked or been apart of it. everything I experience has a story or a reason and I enjoy and learn from what I do.