Opinions in the Bubble

General Idea of Latin American Studies                   Honest Course Opinion    Beginning the first week of Humanities, I was stressed out with falling behind on the assignments given on the first day, which I was out on a hike and had no idea I would be given homework on a Saturday. Taking American Humanities last semester, I gained some insight into the idea of what humanities are and why the topic is important. I expected this class to be as fun as my last humanities class in which I wanted to learn about how Latin Americans are able to live such enriched lives that were created in unique ways, both by the influence of colonizers and by those that created civilizations along the way that have grown and fallen. Nearing the end of the semester, I believe that the definition of humanities is studying the way humans live in specific areas and the culture they live by that can grow to influence outsiders. This definition intrigues me to consider looking into studying the concept of hum

Smile Now, Cry Later (2017) Artists: Dario Canul and Cosijoesa Cernas       Artwork Introduction     Wtth many pieces of artwork to look at on the website of MOLAA , or Museum of Latin American Art, I was able to get a glimpse into specific pieces of artwork that caught my attention the most. Viewing artwork from the exhibition of OaxaCalifornia: Through the Experience of the Duo Tlacolulokos , I found some artwork that caught my attention for the longest time possible. I selected this exhibition because our course had discussed about the Oaxaca in a past module, and I thought it would be a nice refresher of what I knew or new insight into information unknown to me. Created by artists Dario Canul and Cosijoesa Cernas in 2017, they portray Oaxacans incorporating American culture into their lives. For example, one piece of artwork from the exhibition, which is pictured on the right, shows a Oaxacan woman sitting in a chair taking a selfie while wearing a pair of Adidas shoes. Pictured in

A Migrant Group Waiting On a Bridge Location: Mexican side of the Paso del Norte International Bridge (Between El Paso, Texas and  Ciudad Juarez, Mexico) Date: March 10, 2021            Misinformation Regarding the U.S.-Mexico Border       There is a lot of information online in which what is being stated may be skewered from the truth. Considering the fact that the United States is gradually becoming modernized through technology, the assumption can be made about the amount of misinformation increasing over the course of the years. Such misinformation connects to immigration as there are assumptions of Mexican immigrants possibly causing trouble in the United States. There were many programs to choose from on Latino USA , which is a media website that talks about topics that are important for the Latino community to recognize. The host of the program titled Cross-Border Misinformation  is Maria Hinojosa and Jean Guerrero is the guest speaker. Jean talks with Maria about what she belie

A Migrant Farmworker Picking Strawberries Location: Santa Maria, California                        Book Summary     There is a lot of information unknown to the general public about how the products they buy reach store shelves. In Seth M. Holmes' book titled Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States , he delves into the details of how migrant farmworkers survive, from taking the risk to cross the Mexico-U.S. border to sleeping in poorly-build shelters to earning the bare minimum to somewhat support their financial needs. Migrant farmworkers are stereotyped in a way that, "In much of the mainstream media, [they] are seen as deserving their fates, even untimely deaths, because they are understood to have chosen voluntarily to cross the border for their own economic gain" (Holmes 25). From taking the initiative to crossing the Mexico-U.S. border to experiencing life working on the fields, Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies  informs readers about false ste