Telling My Humanities Story

The collection of books I read this year are as follows:

Prejean, Helen. Dead Man Walking. Vintage.

• This was a very insightful book about capital punishment that I had to read for English.  I learned a lot about the justice system and the complicated process that is the death penalty.  I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in law.

Holmes, Seth M. Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies Migrant Farmworkers in the United States. Univ. of California Press, 2014.

• This was a story I read about during Hum 331.  It's probably my favorite book out of this list.  This book was very interesting and showed  me the oppression that migrant farmworkers face every day and the grueling working conditions they endure.

Cover of the book

Christenson, Allen J. Popol Vuh. O Books, 2003.

• This was another book I had to read for Hum 331.  This book was really complicated and had a large collection of stories about Mayan culture and mythology.  I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the long history of the Maya.

Drawing from inside the Popol Vuh

Winchester, Simon. The Professor and the Madman: a Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary. HarperPerennial, 2016.

• Lastly, this was another book I had to read for English.  It's a great story about how the Oxford dictionary came to be.  It's about two characters who are polar opposites that work together and collaborate to make the dictionary.  I'd recommend this to anyone who's a big fan of literature.

     The theme of the project my group worked on was the environment.  I liked the topic and the end result of our project.  I also liked how we worked together as a team and everyone did a great job on their individual portions.  I put in a few hours editing our project and trying to find more research that related to each topic.

     During the first week of Humanities class I didn't know what to expect.  I knew I'd learn about history related to Latin America.  I just wanted to get an A in the class.  Time will tell if can complete my goal.

     What interested me most about the class was the history of the Mayan people and the lives of migrant farmworkers.  I learned alot about Mayan and Olmec history and also the troubles that immigrants face.  I also learned about new topics through the blogs.  I didn't really know much about Latin American history before taking this class, so I'm glad I became educated throughout the course.

Blog #6: Advice for Self-Isolation

The Latino USA podcast I decided to listen to was "Hola Papi's Advice for Life in Self-Isolation", hosted by Maria Hinojosa.  The guest speaker for the podcast was author John Paul Brammer who writes the advice column known as "Hola Papi."  I learned some good tips on how to get  through this time as everyone is quarantining. One piece of advice was to let yourself heal during this time I liked how the podcast was about something that was relatable to me and everyone else, which is COVID-19.

Picture of John Paul Brammer

I found a PDF that discussed tips for social distancing, and also gave a lot of information about the virus.  It addresses things like loneliness and anxiety that a lot of people are probably feeling during this time and gives advice on how to do with these things.  It also encourages the reader to become more educated about this deadly outbreak.  This relates to the podcast because advice was given in this PDF as well.

Coronavirus

I enjoyed the podcast, it was very helpful and I can use this as I practice social distancing.  I'd recommend it to everyone who is curious about how to deal with quarantine.  Also, I think it'd be helpful for anyone struggling emotionally and are looking for advice.

Works Cited

“Hola Papi's Advice For Life In Self-Isolation.” Latino USA, 21 Apr. 2020, www.latinousa.org/2020/04/21/holapapi/.

https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/tips-social-distancing-quarantine-isolation-031620.pdf

The Farmworkers' Story

Cover of the book

Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies is a book by author Seth Holmes, that sheds light on the everyday struggles of migrant farmworkers in the United States.  In the foreword of the book we are told that the delicious fruit that we "worthily devour is produced cheaply by literally breaking the backs, knees, hips, and other overstressed body parts of Latino farmworkers" (Holmes xi).  Holmes wants to give us readers an image of the grueling work that farmworkers have to go through every day through his book.  I think he did a great job showing how terrible the farmers' working conditions are and I thought the book was very compelling and eye-opening.

In the first chapter of the book, Holmes writes, "During the first year of my fieldwork, over five hundred people died in the Tucson sector of the border alone.  Most died of heat stroke and dehydration, some from direct violence" (Holmes 8). Holmes is very descriptive about the dangers that migrant workers face.  The book is very accurate and relevant to these workers because Holmes witnessed these events firsthand.  If someone's curious about the constant hardships immigrant workers go through, I'd definitely recommend this book because it was very informative
and also kept me interested.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book.  Holmes goes into depth about
how overworked and oppressed migrant workers are.  For example,
he wrote, "I picked berries once or twice a week and experienced
several forms of pain for days afterward.  I often felt sick to my
stomach the night before picking, due to stress about picking the
minimum weight" (Holmes 88).  This is only a fraction of the
tragic stories that go on throughout the book.  I'd recommend this
to anyone looking to gain more information on migrant workers,
or just looking for an engaging story in general.

An image of migrant workers

Works Cited

Holmes, Seth M. Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies Migrant Farmworkers in the United States. Univ. of California Press, 2014.

Sullivan, Denise. “Challenges Faced by Migrant Workers.” Chron.com, 9 Nov. 2016, work.chron.com/challenges-faced-migrant-workers-31195.html.

Museum Visit Blog

Still Life with Clock Paining

The work of art I chose was "Still Life with Clock" by Jose Gurvich.  The artwork is a painting, and it was created in 1959.  This painting, along with "Kibutz" are some of Gurvich's most popular paintings to date.

Jose Gurvich was born on January 5, 1927, in Lithuania, however he moved to Uruguay when he was very young.  He always showed a love for arts and began studying painting at the National School of Fine Arts in Montevideo.  Soon after this, he began producing art and it would eventually become recognized all around Uruguay.  In this painting, the materials used to make this work were oils and paint.  This work represents the era in which it was created because during this time (1959), things were a lot simpler back then.  There were no smartphones or personal electronics yet.  The painting is very simplistic and looks like something
that would've been made during older times.  Sadly,
Gurvich died in New York at the age of 47, however
his art lives on, and he has an extensive collection
located in Uruguay.

Photo of Jose Gurvich

It was really easy and convenient to navigate the virtual tour.  It was also easy choosing this particular artwork because it was really intriguing and caught my eye.  It was a little bit difficult to find information on Gurvich because there isn't a lot of information about him available.  I discussed the artwork with a friend and we both agreed that it's a complex painting even though  it doesn't look like it at first glance.

Works Cited

“Still Life with Clock - José Gurvich - Google Arts & Culture.” Google, Google, artsandculture.google.com/asset/still-life-with-clock-jos%C3%A9-gurvich/OQGo7mV5Re1OlA?hl=e.

“José Gurvich.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Dec. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Gurvich.

Patricio Manuel

The Latino USA podcast I chose to listen to was about boxer Patricio Manuel.  The podcast is by Sayre Quevedo and Maya Cueva.  Also, a guest speaker is Patricio Manuel himself.  I learned about the boxer's life and upbringing after listening to this podcast.  I also learned that he was the first openly transgender boxer, and he identifies as black.  I liked how the podcast got Manuel to be a guest speaker.

Manuel after a boxing victory

The news article I found related to this topic was by CNBC.  The article discusses how Manuel made history by competing as a transgender boxer and winning.  Originally, Manuel was a female boxer, then he transitioned to the male side of the sport.  He wants to be a role model to others to be themselves.

Manuel during a fight

The podcast was very interesting.  Manuel was very open about his experience and the difficulties he's gone through transitioning.  I'd recommend this podcast because it was very insightful and you get information straight from the source.

Works cited

JadeScipioni. “The World's First Transgender pro Boxer Is Now the Face of Iconic Boxing Brand Everlast. Here's How He Did It.” CNBC, CNBC, 26 Sept. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/patricio-manuel-the-first-transgender-pro-boxer-represents-everlast.html.

“Portrait Of: Boxer Patricio Manuel.” Latino USA, 10 Mar. 2020, www.latinousa.org/2020/03/01/patriciomanuel-2/.

Telling the Story of the Maya

The final story of the Popol Vuh is titled "The Three Great Stewards as Mothers of the Word".  The three Great Stewards "are like the fathers of all the Quiche lords" (Christensen 305).  "THESE are: The Great Steward before the Cavecs; before the Nijaibs is the second Great Steward; and before the Ahau Quiches is the third Great Steward.  Thus there are three stewards, one before each of the lineages" (Christensen 305).  These stewards are an important part of Maya history and are ancient cultural figures.

Church at Chichicastenango where the Popol Vuh came to light

The hero twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque died together.  "Then they turned to face one another, spread out their arms and together they went into the pit oven" (Christensen 179).  "Thus both of them died there" (Christensen 179).  Then their bones were ground up and spread across the river.

A depiction of the hero twins

The actions of the Hero twins were remembered forever by the Mayan people.  The Maya considered the twins to be their fathers in fact.  "We shall also declare the names of our fathers to you.  We are they whose names are Hunahpu and Xblanque" (Christensen 187).  The history of the hero twins explains the origins of the Maya people.

Works Cited

“Hunahpu's.” Cigar City Brewing, www.cigarcitybrewing.com/beer/hunahpus/.

“Maya Hero Twins.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_Hero_Twins.

Death of a Blood Sport

     For this assignment, I learned about the current state of cockfighting in Latin America, specifically Puerto Rico.  The radio program is Latino USA, and the host is Maria Hinojosa.  Cockfighting, by definition, is the sport of setting two gamecocks to fight each other.  This brutal practice is illegal in many countries.  I liked the information given about this topic, however I don't like the sport as a whole and I'm glad it's illegal in several countries.

Cockfight about to start.  Source: Latino USA

     I found a great article that goes more into depth about this gruesome sport.  The article talks about how the roosters' fighting instincts are enhanced through training, steroids, vitamins, etc.  Roosters often wear knives or other weapons once in the ring to inflict maximum damage.  I selected this article to read because I wanted to learn more about cockfighting and it relates directly to the podcast.

Small weapon attached to the rooster before a fight. Source: ASPCA.org

     Overall, I learned about how gruesome of a practice this is, and why so many organizations like PETA are outraged about this.  This is a very cruel punishment for the roosters and every time a cockfight occurs, one or both of the roosters die.  This practice needs to be illegal worldwide and people who continue to host cockfights should face severe punishments.

Works Cited

“Cockfighting.” ASPCA, www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/other-animal-issues/cockfighting.

“Death Of A Blood Sport.” Latino USA, 22 Jan. 2020, www.latinousa.org/2020/01/22/deathofbloodsport/.

Telling the Story of the Olmec

Monument from La Venta

     The Olmec civilization was one of the most powerful and advanced civilizations in history.  "They were one of the first civilizations of the Americas.  They built the first pyramid in the first planned city in this part of the Americas.  Devised one of the earliest known systems of writing.  Believed their rulers had supernatural powers and played one of the world's oldest ball games" (Lost 0:45-1:06).  The Olmecs have well known landmarks that are very key to their history, like the Tres Zapotes or San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, however one of the most famous Olmec sites is the La Venta.  "It's monumental architecture and sculpture define it as one of the most important cities of the Olmec civilization,..." (Gonzalez Lauck 798).  Furthermore, "The archaeological remains at La Venta provide irrefutable evidence of the sophistication and complexity of the Olmec civilization" (Gonzalez Lauck 800).
 
     Some similarities between the text and video are both were very descriptive about their respective topics.  Also both sources, give information about La Venta.  A difference is the video explores the Olmec history in depth and covers a lot more history, whereas the text just discusses the La Venta site.  An interesting fact about La Venta is "not even one percent" of the site has been excavated scientifically (Lost 34:13-34:22).  However the excavations that have occurred have recovered "remains of corn, beans, palm nuts, deer, crocodile, turtle, dog, and a variety of fish bones and mollusks,..." (Gonzalez Lauck 799).

     I already knew some information about the Olmec sites thanks to the class lectures and notes.  However, I didn't know that the Olmec made the "largest and most thematically diverse corpus of Olmec monumental sculpture" (Gonzalez Lauck 800).  Also, I was unaware that the Olmecs were "immortalizing and empowering their rulers as half man, half jaguar beings" (Lost 49:04-49:13).  The Olmec were a one of a kind people, and I'm glad I was able to gain a new understanding of their sophisticated civilization.

An Olmec Colossal Head

Works Cited

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “La Venta.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 May 2018, www.britannica.com/place/La-Venta.

Minster, Christopher. “La Venta – Olmec Archaeology Site La Venta.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 5 Apr. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/the-olmec-city-of-la-venta-2136301.