Analysis Of The Movie ' Ballad Of Gregorio Cortez '

David G Gutiérrez’s Walls and Mirrors: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the Politics of Ethnicity discuss the deep and complex understudied relationship between Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants. This relationship was a natural consequence of the mass illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States that had constantly been increasing the population of “ethnic Mexicans” and along with it brought tensions between those who were Americans of Mexican descent and had been living here for generations and those who had freshly arrived to the United States and as such did whatever they had to do to make a living.

Foreigner in their own land, as “Latino Americans” individuals faced many challenges that test their fate in faith, home and identity of family. As war divide and conquer part of land and that advocacy of political independence of a formation of the United States. Latino Americans outline main points in part of the race and racism in America being language, majority’ and ‘minority’ stratification that alter and expand the differences that expand in culture, race, and religion classes. Thus, construction of territory that outline the bordering disputes of the Republic of Texas with Mexico wars begins with the struggle over Southwestern territories that once belonged to Spain through the establishment of building Catholic Missions. With the defeat

Richard Rodriguez’s essay “Blaxicans And Others Reinvented Americans”, states that using race as a basis for identifying Americans is not valid; culture should be what defines a person’s identity. For example, when Rodriguez states “For there is no such thing as a Hispanic race” (89). This demonstrates that people should not use race because when we use the term Hispanic, we group everyone in one category. It’s not fair to group everyone in one category because we are not all the same. Even though, the food that we eat, might be the same.

Juan Gonzalez uses Chapter 12: “Speak Spanish, You’re in America!: El Huracán over Language and Culture” of his novel Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America to introduce a truly polarizing argument that has plagued the Latino community in the United States of America. Gonzalez is quick to point out that English is the common language in this country, though he is quicker to note that it should not necessarily be so. This author is so incredibly biased in this chapter that it is nearly impossible to disagree with his opinion without feeling like one is completely shutting out the entire Latino community. However, speaking as a member of this community, perhaps it is this unique insight that allows for not only a contending opinion, but also the framework to make the opinion relevant. Gonzalez makes brash claims with little supporting evidence and relies heavily on argumenta ad passiones to manipulate the reader’s emotions instead of focusing on rationalism and sound judgment. Quite possibly, it was the abundance of this logical fallacy that made it difficult to sympathize with his argument; though, it lays the basis for this chapter analysis.

Several communities are known for having residents from a specific ethnic group. Oscar Casares delves deeper behind this topic in his essay, “Crossing the Border without Losing your Past,” where he discusses how vital it is for an individual to hold onto the roots of their ancestors as well as practicing its rich culture and traditions. Due to prominent similarities in culture, language, life style, and cuisine, many individuals from a certain race live in a community with others of their kind, hence the gathering of neighborhoods in unison. Thus, Casares states, “In my hometown, Brownsville, Tex., almost everyone I know is Mexicano: neighbors, teachers, principals, … rich and poor, short and tall, fat and

Gloria Anzaldúa writes of a Utopic frame of mind, the borderlands created in and lived in by the new mestiza. She describes the preexisting natures of the Anglos, Mexicanos, and Chicanos as seen around the southwest U.S. / Mexican border, indicative of the nations at large. She also probes the borders of language, sexuality, psychology and spirituality. Anzaldúa presents this information in various identifiable ways including the autobiography, historical/informative essay, and poetry. What is unique to Anzaldúa is her ability to weave a ‘perfect’ kind of compromised state of mind that melds together the preexisting cultures while simultaneously formulating a fusion of genres that stretches previously

When one visualizes Latino culture, the prevalent images are often bright colors, dancing, and celebrations. This imagery paints a false portrait of the life of many Latino’s, especially those that are forced to leave their home countries. Latinos often face intense poverty and oppression, whether in a Latin country, or a foreign country, such is true in Pam Ryan’s novel Esperanza Rising. Ryan chronicles the issues that many Latino immigrants face. The first is the pressure from the home country. Many of the countries face turmoil, and many are forced to leave their homes and culture. Once in a foreign place, people often struggle with standing by their own culture or assimilating to the new culture. Latino authors frequently use young adult literature as a platform to discuss the issues they face, as young adults are coming of age they struggle with their identities, personifying the struggle of old culture against the new culture.

David Newman’s article, “The Lines that Continue to Separate Us” and Guillermo Galindo’s art piece “Pinata de Cartuchos” both define powerful borders and heavily relate to the border that I faced throughout my senior year of high school with my peers and

The Mexican War was a test to the belief that the United States had about itself and its destiny of gaining land. The book To the Halls of the Montezumas by Robert W. Johannsen demonstrates the way in which race interweaves with the war, with Americans not just viewing Mexicans as inferior, but as superior to others themselves, functioning independent of any other race. The victories against Mexico simply support the argument; the demeaning of Mexicans was another way to justify the military actions. The overblown ego and sense of the entitlement that the United States has is what makes the territorial expansion, and the means through which it acquires land, seemingly in the American spirit. This attitude is fitting with its actions.

Benito Cereno is told in a third person limited point of view. The unreliable and naive Captain Delano gets in the minds of his readers. The crew was outnumbered, but yet gave the "negros" responsibilities that the crew should have had.  ". . . six blacks; each with a rusty hatchet in his hand" (Melville 40). A slave ship with whites being highly outnumbered doing their chores should had been odd. Yet e makes numerous excuses for the odd things he sees upon the ship, by doing so he convinces the reader to dismiss the red flags. The story being told through Captain Delano’s point of view manipulates the reader in to seeing only what he sees. It is not until the reader gets to the deposition at the end of the story that the reader realizes they had been deceived. That the story they had been told was as if it had been sugar coated. The factual account for what actually happens is not what the story portrays. Captain Delano’s personality misleads the reader into being fooled that the slaves are able to roam about a ship freely yet still be under the order of the captain. In addition to captivating you into Delano’s thought process Melville also indirectly insults blacks. Making the character unable to suspect the slaves of being smart enough to do such a thing as over taking the ship. Delano himself stated on page 65 that he felt the slaves were "too stupid" to think of such an elaborate plan against him (Melville).

The book Translation Nation by Hector Tovar begins by telling his own story, and how migrating to Los Angeles from Guatemala changed his parents and shaped his. Not only that, but how iconic Che Guevara was to his family, even comparing him to god. He continued by showing the similarities in Los Angeles and New York, how the Latino immigrants were following in the steps of those from around Europe, assimilating and creating a community of their own. Then he began talking about the border between Tijuana, Mexico, and California. Describing the emptiness of the beach that day, and the fact that many people from all over Mexico were wandering the streets of Tijuana, waiting for nightfall to cross the border. Also describing the tactics border patrol use to find the immigrants before they cross. Even including interviews with people waiting to cross, some knowing the tactics of border patrol and others clueless, following el coyote y el pollero. In addition, Tovar went undercover, pretending to be an immigrant looking for work, and experienced first hand the process. Throughout the book, he includes the story of many people who he met along the way. Their stories helped write the book, and give a more personal meaning to it.

"Benito Cereno" is appropriately titled, because despite it being narrated Captain Delano, it is not his story or his character arch. Delano finds out Cereno’s relationship with his slaves, but otherwise does not change much. Cereno is controlled by his slaves, which results in his death. At first glance, I thought this story would focus more on Delano, painting Cereno as a villain to be defeated by the end. I can tell it doesn’t take just one read to fully understand this, as the twist ending changes everything that came before in the story. Another look at this makes the strange behavior more understandable. It becomes clear why Cereno reacted the way he did when asked about the ship because he hesitated to recall Babo’s story. It is clear that Babo was threatening Cereno when he showed him the razor. The secret isn’t revealed until the very end, so a first read for anyone may feel tedious and confusing. Melville expresses Delano’s thought process in a very gradual and precise matter. As the crew’s behavior becomes increasingly suspicious, with the black slave stabbing the cabin boy and Cereno doing nothing about it, the exchanges between master and slave, the attack of the Spanish sailor, Delano is skeptical, but trusting nonetheless. It is unclear if Delano should’ve trusted Cereno more or less. If Delano was carried away by his thought process, or if he didn’t trust most people, he would have more quickly discovered Cereno’s secrets. On the other hand, Babo would have

Emiliano Zapata has garnered a cult of personality that shares a common trait with myths from the beginning of time in which people would create gods to worship and heroes to admire. Zapata was a revolutionary during the Mexican Revolution who stands out as one of the most admirable figures in Mexican history. From the state of Morelos near the city of Mexico, he started a practical movement for land redistribution in his home state that transforms into an ideology of rebelling against bad government and a true representation of the majority of Mexico. Zapata’s myth by this time has become ubiquitous in Mexico in which highways, streets, and a statue show how important he is and is remember in Mexico. His myth had to arise from somewhere and in his case; he would become popular mainly through the transformation of his ideal into something universal. The rise of Zapata 's myth would come about through the artists of corridos, murals, and movies all contributing to the image of Zapata spreading it throughout Mexico and the United States.

It’s been more than a century since the revolution in Mexico because of the president. Many people in Mexico in the nineteen hundreds, were suffering of poverty and were starving, because of the lack of jobs in the cities. Porfidio Diaz was the president at the time, and there were many rebels against him. But through the revolution, there were many battles that ended the lives of thousands of Mexicans just for the land. But, for a revolution to happen, there has to be leaders, the leader that led the Mexican revolutionists was Doroteo Arrange, also known as “Pancho Villa”. He was known for the Robin Hood for Mexico, would steal from the rich and give to the poor. He didn’t choose the life of a criminal; his destiny was to fight for justice in his country. Although Pancho Villa was a run away criminal, he was an important role in leading the revolution for the rebels.

According to Anzaldúa, they are figurative, linguistic borders have a dual purpose for that separating and forming an identity. Anzaldúa (1987) claims that the “Chicano Spanish,” English and Spanish mixed together, “developed naturally” because “of the Chicanos’ need to identify [themselves] as distinct people” (p. 146). This was because they