Reflection

As we near the end of the semester, and our presentations/papers are done, I have been able to reflect on what I read in this class. There was nice element of "real life" use of the language and this made a difference in my enthusiasm to learn the technical aspect. In addition, I enjoyed the fact that it was truly related to the Southwest, and we all had an opportunity to relate on a personal level to the topics. There were elements that we could easily transfer to the classroom and this was a nice plus. In summary, I gained information that I never thought would be provided in a linguistics course.

La Raza Graduation

I went to the Raza Graduation ceremony last night and was impacted by the amount of camaraderie that exists between Spanish speakers, despite the country or region of origin. As the director of El Centro put it, "Where else can graduates walk down the line to be greeted by mariachis?". Besides the music and ballet folklorico, there was also a rich amount of Spanish being spoken with pride, respect, and honor. I thought to myself, this would be a great event for both SHL and SSL students to attend. We have a unique university where it's not always necessary to send our students off campus to practice or be exposed to Spanish. There are plenty of events on campus that offer the opportunity. In addition, it's more than exposure to a language, it's all the other stuff that comes with the package of culture: family values, religion, education, politics, music, food, and dance. These were all tightly intertwined with the language spoken last night, and presented a plethora of topics that could be discussed in the classroom.

Reflections

As I come to the end of the semester (and of this degree, in fact), I feel it is important to reflect on some of the things that I have learned in this class. I have always been happily conscious of the fact that Spanish is a part of my identity (in fact, I get homesick when I visit family from other parts of the country and don't hear the language at least once a day), I must admit that I was unaware of just how deep its roots in this region go. My favorite part of the class was learning about what Bills and Vigil call Traditional Spanish, and about the various linguistic characteristics that set it apart as a legitimate variety of Spanish. Code-switching was also interesting to learn about, especially since it psycholinguistic and therefore largely unconscious. Maybe one day I'll come home to linguistics again and delve more deeply into this interesting field of study. I even enjoyed learning about the bilingual education debate, and how people deal with it. I know there is much more that I could talk about, but we simply discussed too many interesting topics and issues for me to comment on all of them. I will simply say that this was a wonderful class; thank you everyone for a rewarding and enriching experience!

Presentations

Ah yes, it's that time of the semester again: time for final papers and presentations! Thus commences the week of sleepless nights and frantic preparations for the end. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed listening to my classmates' presentations yesterday. They opened my eyes to just how challenging and rewarding teaching can be. Though I have no desire at this time to become a teacher myself (weird, huh?), Ricardo's presentation, as well as Alex and Brizelda's, provided some good food for thought. It really is crucially important to consider the students (their background, wants, and needs) before any attempt to teach actually occurs. Both presentations provided good ways in which to begin with this step. I was especially happy to see a theoretical lesson plan developed with a mixed (i.e. SSL and SHL students) classroom. After spending so much time studying the fundamental differences between these two types of learners, I was beginning to lose sight of how one integrates them in the same classroom. Thanks to all who presented yesterday, and I look forward to tomorrow!

In conclusion...

I am incredibly happy to have taken this class because it has challenged my thought process in a very important way. I've always been of the opinion that in any human relationship, all parties bear equal responsibility for the remedy of conflicts that may arise in that relationship. After reading the barrage of articles concerning the relationship that Spanish speakers have had with the American Academy, I was/am convinced that there are certainly a number of conflicts that exist between this demographic and the Academy. Some are particular to Spanish speakers and some of those dynamics are farther reaching, affecting multiple demographics. The common theme that we see in the published literature is a proposed change in the policy at a given university, or in the methodology of a certain discipline. What I would invite us all to do as both Spanish speakers and, as grad students, full fledged members of the academic world is to consider what both parties to this conflict can do to aid its resolution. How can we work together in cooperation with the academy to effect some of the positive changes we would like to see. As I read for this class, I was overcome by the realization that these articles aren't news stories about things that happened beyond my control. They can be that, but they are also documentation of real life phonomena that are occurring at this university and at others around the country. They are each a call to action, to some degree. This class, at least the prescribed readings, challenged me to critically approach my experience at the University both as teacher and student, and to see the conflicts that are pointed out to me from an empowered perspective that gives me both the ability and the responsibility to do something about them.

Buena suerte con lo que resta del semestre.

Arizona II

Language, it seems that it is a simple thing by just naming the name of one of the major differences of the human kind. Major countries have been founded in the basis of language and some are still pushing the idea that one language means one nation. To think, this idea has some truth, but it can also mean the retention of the roots and sometime the correction of a past that became neglected. The reestablishment of the roots has a way to re-amp the society. This whole Arizona situation is going to give a re-amp to the whole southwest. Next in line to try to pass the immigration law is Texas. Even though I don’t think the law is going to pass in Texas because of the Texas constitution it is going to be interesting if they do pass the law. West Texas is going to be some circus because all immigrants are West Texas.

Arizona

Well, it has been quite a week in Arizona. I have been in touch with several family members and friends and all seem to have the same reaction. Jokingly they tell me they feel like they better not speak Spanish in public or they will get picked up and sent back to MX like Cheech in the movie Born in East L.A. But seriously they are concerned that the law is an excuse for racial profiling and feel like they must carry around a file of documents verifying the legitimacy of their US citizen status. In addition, the fear of speaking Spanish in the public arena seems to be a result for many hispanic members of the community who genuinely fear becoming victims of a law that is being disguised as a "need".

While the border issue is a valid concern for some who live on the border and have been victimized by members of drug related cartels or who have to clean up after travelers who are looking for a new life in the US, I do not think this law is the solution. Not only is this an excuse for racial profiling, but it clearly is sending the message that you should become assimilated and look, speak, act, and forget your heritage or you will be deported. While Arizona has always been a conservative state, (lets not forget the refusal to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and English only ) it seems like the extreme measures are becoming more of a norm.

I mentioned and told everyone the story about how my niece was told not to speak Spanish in school and how they reprimanded her for this. Now it seems this attitude is spreading out into the public and forcing all hispanic to keep their Spanish language at home, maybe. Or not speak it all. One policeman who is opposed to the law mentioned that he felt like if he went to a home where there was a crime and there were several hispanics who all spoke Spanish, he would have to arrest everyone regardless of what the crime was and who had committed it. After all, how could he distinguish who was or was not a US citizen? It seems there is more leniency when one enters this country or is questioned at a Border Patrol stop and the only question you have to answer is US citizen when asked about your citizenship.

In the end, the only thing this law is accomplishing at this time is the creation of a tense environment and fear among those who are not white and blonde.