Dolores Huerta: Soldadera for the Farmworkers Movement

Dolores Huerta was the co-founder of the union that became known as the UFW.  Everyone talks about Cesar Chavez, but without her there would be no union.  She was a dedicated and fierce community activist.  She dedicated her life to protecting the rights of farmworkers, women, and immigrants. She grew up in Stockton, California – in a world where agricultural workers were cheated, mistreated, and exploited.  The working conditions and standards of living were well below poverty level.   In 1960, Cesar called her up.  He needed her.  He said, “We’ve got to start the union.  If we don’t do it. No one else will.”  It was Dolores that came up with the slogan, “Si Se Puede!”

In the early seventies Dolores was at the forefront of the Coachella Grape Boycott.  She lived in Coachella.  She kept an office in Indio. Her efforts to protect and organize farmworkers were beginning to pay off. There were now water jugs, work breaks, bathrooms where none had ever been before. Women were placed in higher-paying jobs.  Young people were given opportunities for training and advancement. But that was before the Teamsters came to town.  They threatened UFW strikers with violence. These Teamsters were big guys.  They were thugs.  Criminals with tattoos, heavy biker boots, and sticks!  They would beat on anyone who looked remotely connected to the UFW.    In the Spring of 1972, Coachella became a war zone. It was the UFW against the Teamsters. Dolores and Cesar had to find a way to keep the peace and advance the cause.

I found two books that will help me shape my essay:

* A Dolores Huerta Reader by Mario T. Garcia. It’s a collection of essays written about Dolores Huerta.  The voices included in this book are from friends, family, journalists, professors, historians, and farmworkers.  The book begins with Dolores’ early childhood.  It ends with her continuing fight for human rights.

 * The Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmwokers Movement by Susan Ferris and Ricardo Sandoval. This book doesn’t mention Dolores on the cover, but there is plenty of Dolores inside on the pages.  At one point, they made a PBS documentary based on the book.  I could go to Youtube and see clips. 

Whenever we talk about great civil rights leaders we talk about Cesar Chavez, but we don’t speak about Dolores Huerta.  She was very tough, competitive and independent woman.  Because of that, she intimidated many of the men she tried to lead.  Because Cesar was a man, most farmworkers looked to him for direction.  But that doesn’t mean Dolores wasn’t a critical part of the union.  She was a skilled negotiator.  Cesar might have been in front of the cameras, but Dolores was always in front at the table in union negotiations with the growers.  She did the dirty work.

The story of Dolores Huerta is the story of a fighter.  In fact, she is often called la Pasionaria.  The passionate one.  She must be 85 years old, and she is still working for the causa.  I read somewhere that during the Mexican Revolution, there were a group of women soldiers that followed Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa into battle.  They were fierce woman warriors. The people called them Soldaderas.  This might be a good title for my research paper:  Dolores Huerta: Soldadera for the Farmworkers Movement.

Sandra Cisneros: Not So "Only" Daughter

This was the first week of class.  Mr. Lewenstein shared one of his favorite authors.  Her name is Sandra Cisneros.  Mr. Lewenstein said she writes with an edge.  We all agree!  We worked in groups to respond to her essay "Only Daughter."  She writes about her life-long struggle to gain acceptance from her father.

Sandra’s childhood experience of being “the only daughter” proved to be a great training ground for a writing career. In fact, it was her feelings of isolation and abandonment from her fathers and brothers that pushed her towards reading and writing. When she grew older, her skill for transferring her plight to the page enabled her to enter UC Berkeley and later become on of our most renown Latino authors. Her “ House on Mango Street”, for example, reflects many of the same childhood frustrations she describes in her essay. One story after another boasts the voice of a poor young girl struggling to make sense of her loneliness. When she writes in “Only Daughter” that she values her mistreatment from being an only daughter, We believe her. She learned how to convert her pain and confusion into beautiful, meaningful stories. In my opinion, her anger is her juice.

The Black Geishas - About Them Page - Strong Females!

Dear Classmates,

This semester our group  have selected strong, independent women for the subjects of our research.  The following three women have overcome hardship and adversity in their home lives.  They are all strong women.  When things got tough, they didn't sit around and  feel sorry for themselves.  They didn't let anyone push them around.  They all believed  strong people stand up for themselves.  They picked themselves off the ground.   Their actions inspire strength in others.  Don't ever give up. Never, ever give up...
* Arish starts off with a profile of Suzanna Kaysen, the author of Girl, Interrupted.  Arish read the memoir and saw the movie during her time in English 009.  She respects Suzanna's courage to share important truth about mental illness. Suzanna wasn't a doctor or a psychologist.  She herself suffered from borderline personality disorder. Her writing opens up important discussion.
* Hissie watched the Jenni Rivera documentary Mariposa de Barrio on Netflix.  Hissie identified with Jenni's relentless pursuit of her dreams.  Jenni is a hero for the rest of us.  She's a girl from the streets.  This is Hissie's favorite quote from Jenni: "The number of times I have fallen is the number of times I have gotten up."
* Ana Lucia writes about the legendary artist Frida Kahlo.  Ana Lucia enjoyed Salma Hayek portrayal of Frida in in the movie, but she may have learned more about the artist from studying Frida's self-portraits. In her high school years, Frida suffered long-lasting injury to her spine and foot in a freak trolley accient. For the rest of her life, Frida's movements would be severly restricted.  Often she would remain immobile in bed.   Frida's pain would only strengthen her will.  She learned to paint on alone on her back.  Her self-portraits reflect her true self. 

I hope you had as much fun as we did with our writing.

We can't wait to read yours.

  

Con mucho cariño,

              The Black Geishas

Three Things You Probably Don't Know about Me:

Below I share a list of my interests: a movie I love, a book that moves me, a man that inspires me.  I wrote about these things in Mr. Lewenstein's class. Under each paragraph, I've include a video.  Enjoy. 

1. A Movie I Love:

Everyone knows Spiderman, but few people know the Spider Woman.  I love the movie Kiss of the Spider Woman. When two men are thrown together in an Argentine prison cell, it doesn’t look good.  Complete opposites, one is a flaming homosexual while the other is a rebel intellectual.  Although they seem have little respect for one other, over time they learn they have a need for each other.  After all, they have no freedom, comfort, or hope – all they have is each other.  These two guys are trapped in their prison cell.  They exchange stories to make the time pass.  You never know what is real and what is a dream. The first time I saw it, I didn’t understand it.  The second time, it was even more confusing.  It’s sad.  It’s weird.  It’s great!

2. I Love English Class!

I know. I know.  You will think I'm weird.  I often hear my friends say in class, "Why are we reading this?"  That's when I know the book is going to be good. Others may see no connection between our assigned books to what happens in real life. But, that's what makes English Class great.  It makes our world bigger! This is where I got turned on to Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One.  It's a book that makes you think what you want to do with your life: Dennis is a young British poet who lives in L.A, and he hates it.   He writes phony consolation cards for a pet semetary, and  all of his friends are alcoholics.   When  his despondent roommate hangs  himself in their apartment,  he’s entrusted with the dead body.  In this way, he  meets a young woman at a mortuary who prepares corpses for public display before they are embalmed. Dennis is smart enough to know Aimee is a dreamer and a lunatic, but  he’s still dumb enough to fall in love.  He thinks she will be different, but after all, they both work in an industry where there are no surprises - everything turns  out the same way.  I probably shouldn't say this, but I just about fall asleep in all my other classes. The teachers shove standardized information down your throat. English teachers care more about you than the others.    They want to open your eyes to new possibilities.

3.  I Share Something in Common with Kobe Bryant:

Kobe grew up around basketballs.  His father was an NBA player.  I grew up around books.  My father was a college professor.  Both us knew from early on what we wanted to do with our lives.  He was going to play.  I'm going to write.  Kobe was born  under a star – his father played for the Philadelphia 76ers.   As a child Kobe moved to Italy when his father continued his career in Europe.  Here, watching his father,  he learned the value of tough physical play and teamwork.   By the time he returned to play Philadelphia high school basketball, he was already superstar.    His dominant  skills permitted him to  go straight to the NBA where he has now won four rings with the Lakers.  A fifth ring he wears symbolizes his marriage to his Mexican wife Vanessa.    Beyond his all-time greatness,  Kobe has clearly mastered the “crossover” like no one else.  This is what I think: You have to have a dream.  I know Kobe had his, and I have mine.  But from him, I draw inspiration.  He shows us all that dreaming is not enough.  You have to be determined and stay determined to reach your goals.  It's about hard work. 

Angelina Jolie: Defiance and Compassion

    This was very cool assignment.  In English 009, we read the memoir Girl, Interrupted with Mr.  Lewenstein.  We learned to look at mental illness in a compassionate way.  Reading the book inspired me to see the film.  Seeing the film inspired me to read more about Angelina Jolie.  She is a strong and compassionate woman.  I could see now why someone would tattoo her image on his/her skin. 

  

     I know Angelina Jolie from the film Girl, Interrupted.  I watched it for Winona Ryder, but Angelina stole the show with her brilliant portrayal of a beautiful, clever, and charismatic sociopath committed to a mental hospital for her violent behavior. Winona had the name and the experience, but Angelina walked away with the Oscar.  

    This tattoo may show Angelina’s  off-screen look.  Maybe it is a portrait of her taken backstage at an awards ceremony.  Although she will always be one of our most beautiful Hollywood stars, she is also earning acclaim for her work behind the camera.   She is one of few famous starlets to achieve success as a major motion picture director.  In this tattoo, if you look into her eyes, I think you will see a glint of defiance. Angelina has always refused to be typecast or stereotyped as just another beautiful face.  I’ve read of her leadership in charity and human rights causes.  She may be becoming as famous for her philanthropic activities as her films.  

    For me, her real stardom comes from making her own decisions and taking her own road.  I probably will never get a tattoo, but this image of Angelina represents two important qualities I will always aspire to:  defiance and compassion.

Taylor Swift and Sparks Fly in Motorcycle on the Sea of Tranquility

I wrote this one for Mr. Lewenstein's class after we read Motorcycle on the Sea of Tranquility. It was a about a young Latina who had to develop her own sense of courage and direction.  Like, all on her own.  When I listen to Taylor Swift's music, I hear the same type of challenge.  Taylor knows...

Book Out of My Past - Kiss of the Spiderwoman

When Mr. Lewenstein asked us to share a postive reading experience,

I thought of Kiss of the Spiderwoman.

Here is what I have to say about it: 

"Life can trap you in a sticky spider web."

 I just couldn't put this book down....

Two Truths and One Lie - Told in Colors

On the first day of class, Mr. Lewenstein asked us to write down three paragraphs about ourselves.  TWO of them had to be true.  ONE of them had to be a lie.  After 20 minutes, we exchanged our papers with classmates to read.  Here are my three paragraphs.  I wrote about 'houses" in my life.  I like them all, but one of them is B.S.

BLUE: Recently, I went with my family to visit family in Mexico City.   My mother loves art, so she took me to the Frida Kahlo museum in Coyoacan.  This is the famous “Blue House” where she lived with  her husband and legendary painter, Diego Rivera.  It’s a popular tourist destination.  I believe a national government agency has preserved the house so you can get the sense of their life and genius.  Diego has his studio on one end where he created his murals.  Frida has her studio upstairs.  You can still see samples of their original artwork hanging on the walls. My favorite part of the museum was the kitchen.  The colors are beautiful.   Frida loved to cook.  Diego loved to eat.  This is what my mother said to me: “You can still feel the love in the air.” 

PINK:  In Mexicali, we once lived in a pink house.  Or, maybe I should say that we lived in a house that was once painted pink.  My mother loved the color.  She always said the bright colors found everywhere in Mexico – in the markets, the food, the clothes, etc. – are more than just a cultural tradition; they are the reflection of the warm and lively people.  But my father hated the color.  He was lively in another way.  He was a machista. There was no way he would live in a pink house, but every time he tried to paint the house in his favorite color, green,  the pink would eventually seep back through. The color looked like vomit.  It made him so angry.  He thought the house was haunted.  In the end, we packed up and moved.

WHITE: When I was high-school age, I lived in New York City.  I played saxophone in our school jazz band. We were good.  We played jazz, blues, classical music – we were so good, we were invited to play at the White House.   On a weekend in February, we took the Amtrak down to Washington D.C.   We stayed in a motel outside of town and took a bus in for the day of the event. On Saturday night, we played “New York, New York,” inside the East Wing of the White House.  We met the President’s Marine Band.  They were all dressed in scarlet jackets.  Afterwards, Michelle Obama gave each and every one of us a hug.  How cool was that?  I’ll never forget it.  She told me she would never forget it either; then she told me to go to college.  Here I am.