coursework videos- https://youtu.be/g46GmTcOqYQ
the Ancient Place We Call San Antonio, Texas (United States)
The third video I ask you to watch this week, “A Walk on the River” (13 minute video clip), explains the same story of Spanish colonization from the perspective of those Native and Black people who became part of Mexico and the U.S. – Mexico Borderlands through the Spanish Catholic mission systems in the ancient place we call, San Antonio, Texas. The film also exposes the centrality of Native labor and African Engineering to the creation of the Spanish mission systems, central to the formation of what would become, San Antonio. Pay attention to those connections. Before this land was the United States, this was Mexico, and before this was Mexico, this land was claimed by Spain, and long before any of that, this place was/is called, Yanaguana.
The second film students are expected to watch this week is entitled, “Black in Latin America: Mexico and Peru.” It acknowledges the often overlooked history of Black people and culture in Mexico and our Black-Brown relations over time. It is part of a series called “Black in Latin America” that exposes this hidden history across Latin America and this episode is focused on Mexico and Peru. The film stresses the legacy of Black people and culture through physical appearance, Black people in Mexico, and cultural practices such as regional dialect, food, and music that are woven into Mexican and Latino culture. As you watch it, be sure to think about the implications of this hidden history. Think about your own experiences with Mexicans and Mexican Americans, stereotypes about what Mexicans look like, anti-Blackness in Mexican American communities, and the contemporary Black Lives Matter movement that has grown into the largest global Civil Rights Movement in history (we are history in the making!)
Video clip: “Walk On The River 2.0: The African Influence In San Antonio, TX” documentary (Clip approximately 13 minutes)
Assoignment:
CTA- Native, White, and Black roots of Mexican Americans (Due by Sunday)
This page is your Critical Thinking Activity for Module 1. It does not include the coursework students are expected to complete to get here and you should work through the previous module pages before attempting this work.
Instructions for Critical Thinking Activity (1-2 pages)
The coursework this week focused on the Native, Black, and White roots of Mexican Americans. We focused on older histories of contact and inter-mixture as they occurred in the ancient places we call Mexico and San Antonio. These histories are connected and reflect the story of the people we call Mexican and Mexican American, surviving and thriving in the face of over 500 years of violent anti-Indian and anti-Black oppression. This is not a history of victimization. We are here.
Listen to the 3 minute video below and think about how it relates to our content this week. It is a poem called, “Curanderismo,” written and performed by Ariana Brown. Here is a snippet from Brown’s Bio on her website: “Ariana Brown is a queer Black Mexican American poet based in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas. Ariana holds a B.A. in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies from UT Austin as well as an MFA in Poetry from the University of Pittsburgh. She is the recipient of two Academy of American Poets Prizes and a 2014 national collegiate poetry slam champion. An alum of Brave New Voices, Ariana is the author of Sana Sana, a chapbook from Game Over Books. She has also recorded a digital EP titled LET US BE ENOUGH, available on Bandcamp. (Click the following if you want to go to Brown’s website to learn more about her genius: Ariana Brown.)
Draw from the coursework to write about the following poem by San Antonio-based poet, Ariana Brown (writing prompts below). Reference the coursework for this week by pointing to specific videos and people by name so that you are writing to communicate (no formal citations needed). As you listen (and/or read along), think about what Ariana Brown means when she says, “The lessonif you are alive, you are descended from a people who refused to die. Nothing is more sacred than you” (Ariana Brown, Curanderismo). How do the origins of “curanderismo” reflect the Native, White, and Black roots of Mexican Americans?
Writing Prompts:
How does Ariana Brown describe what “Curanderismo” is in this poem? When and where does she say it was created and under what circumstances?
Draw from the lesson in Module 1 to explain how Ariana Brown’s description of Curanderismo’s origins reflect the Native, Black, and White roots of Mexican Americans?
Draw from the lesson in Module 1 to write about what Ariana Brown means when she says, “The lessonif you are alive, you are descended from a people who refused to die. Nothing is more sacred than you” (Ariana Brown, Curanderismo)?
Tips: This is a 1-2 page writing assignment. It is a writing assignment that requires students to engage with all the sources included in our coursework this week and the source on this page. You should use the pronoun, “I,” when you write. Point to sources and details by name to demonstrate engagement with the videos I instructed students to watch this week.
This work should be typed and submitted as a word or pdf document. Double spaced if you can. As well, student can cut and paste the journal entry into the text box. Be sure to keep a copy for yourself in case Canvas loses it. If you have trouble submitting a file, try a different web browser before you contact technical support. I look forward to receiving your work!
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