Bilingual Bible Study: La Conexion

In Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes, Justo L. González invites the reader to read the Bible in fresh ways, and gain insight from the perspective of “those who claim their Hispanic identity as part of their hermeneutical baggage, and who also read the Scripture within the context of a commitment to the Latino struggle to become all that God wants us and all of the world to be—in other words, the struggle for salvation/liberation.” (González 1996, 28-29) Published hot on the heels of the quincentennial of Columbus’ voyage to the new world, and abreast of discussions taking place in the larger Hispanic community, González’s book is both timely and well researched.

Diversity, what does it look like at Jackson State University (JSU), a historically black university, located in Jackson, MS? Administrators in higher education are charged with the responsibility of preparing students to be civil minded in a society that is changing rapidly as it relates to the inclusion of others. With such intensity to incorporate increased changes and differences, there is a need to collectively understand the full scope of differences among students.

The Young Lords started off as a gang in Chicago, until they transformed into a community based outreach program. All of the people that were in charge where teens and young adults. The young lords did what they thought was best on their part as well as for their community. Yes, on the path of doing the right thing they did break some rules and made noise to get their message across to the public. The group originally wanted to become their own claim and cry for independence. When in reality the group just wanted to pull away from the United States, but could not. In their 13 point program they wanted self-determination for their people (Puerto Ricans). They oppose on the Amerikkkan military, meaning that they do not want their young men to be involved in any war that the United States may go into. They did not just want self-determination for their own, but for other Latino groups and they asked for the liberation of the third world people and countries. They also asked to have a proper education and with that they wanted their education to have their own culture and the Spanish language. The young lords stood for their people and other people of color. They knew that unity with themselves and others was important in order for them to make any

In Santa Biblia: The Bible Through Hispanic Eyes, Justo L. Gonzalez explains that the meaning of “Hispanic eyes” is viewpoint of those who have claimed Hispanic identity and have read Scriptures to the commitment of the Latino struggle for freedom. The author is trying to communicate the new meaning through biblical texts that are read from a different perspective as well as showing the readers that embracing different theological viewpoints is necessary and shows how they function in interpreting the Bible. Gonzalez goes about making this argument through the five perspectives, Marginality, Poverty, Mestizaje and Mulatez, Exiles and Aliens, and finally Solidarity. Each perspective talks about how the Latinos apply them to both their life situations and when reading the Bible.

4) What kind of information, learning experiences, contact, and so forth would you need to increase your knowledge about this group?

According to Mrs. Turner, many of what they will accomplish in the future will depend on politics, academic laws, students and the advocacy of donors and sponsors. The executive director was able to share her perspective regarding individuals wanting to take this route as a career. She continued, “Working in the non-profit world when you make that choice if that is what you want to do with your life. It’s a passion and a commitment to the organization, a commitment from the heart. Don’t expect to get rich, (Unless, you are the Red Cross, YMCA or the National United Way they may make good money, I am not sure) it’s not a 9am to 5pm job, more like 7am -7pm and sometimes more, but you have to love what you do and do it for the mission, for that cause.” It was interesting to interview an executive director who is interested in improving the life of individuals like me who need it. I hope their organization continues to be successful and thrive from the obstacles and the issues they may face along the way. The Hispanic League improves the lives of other, it is not surprising to hear they were selected as a bright spot in Hispanic Education on Educational Excellence for Hispanics by the White House Initiative. Being part of the organization not only as a staff but also as a volunteer or a member can make a difference. Not only for others but also

One of the groups is called Jooi which is when we go with the city manager and have meetings and sometimes go on trips and meet other Jooi groups. Another group is french class and we learn about their culture and how to speak french. Then we have our girls mentoring group when we talk about our problems and we some time go and walk the college.

Diversity is more than a racial term. While we are at a school that has a high concentration of nursing and engineering majors, we also live in a city that thrives on the arts. This encourages both mindsets to coexist together in a symbiotic relationship, both benefiting each other. Diversity also plays into a cultural aspect. Different cultures come together at the University of Louisiana to create an overall culture that focuses on the aspect of family. While there is a strong sense of Cajun culture, as embraced by the city of Lafayette and of the university as a whole, this does not drown a sense of pride of different cultures existing together, encouraging individuality in a community context.

Community and diversity are two of the most prominent factors colleges and universities use to attract students. At Temple University, it is easy to see that the school tries hard to implement these words into our heads whether it be succeeding or failing in reality. Temple makes it known in their mission statement, policies, and standing proof that they surely uphold the title as being one of the most diverse schools in the nation. However, after reading the chapter about Rebekah Nathan’s experience in My Freshman Year, I recognized her assessment among freshman is similar to that of my own granted it had not been completely

The Latino Student Organization will began its inaugural year in 2015, but had a provisional start in the fall of 2014. The organization started when former Latino Student Organization president Melody Martinez and Dr. Carlos Aleman, an Assistant Professor of Latin American History saw a large number of Latino students and the lack of what every heritage needs to thrive, a community. That is why together they created The Latino Student Organization, or LSO. A place where students latino and non latino can come together and establish a family or una familia. “I love being a part of an organization that really makes me feel part of a family away from my family”, said former President Melody Martinez. The LSO is more than creating a family for

Mexican American Catholics combined socializing with religion to form traditions uniquely to them. Jamaicas, for example, were church bazaars and parish fundraisers that surrounded “parishioners in cooperative work and cultural celebration, creating a sacred-secular space in which they…affirmed a sense of dignity and community” (Goff & Harvey, 2004, p. 186). Similar ethnic and religious celebrations include posadas and pastorelas (community Christmas processions and nativity plays), quinceañeras (rite of passage for fifteen-year-old girls), and baptism parties among many others (Goff & Harvey, 2004, p. 186). The Mexican American Catholics’ sacred space was out in the communities where social and religious traditions

Just like what I had known my whole life, it was a church that was mostly Latino. At first sight, it appeared homogenous, but with almost ten years there, I realized I was utterly wrong. There were men and women from Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and Columbia, each with their own lingos, cultural beliefs, and attitudes. For some of the men and women there, just a single border separated them, yet it seemed like they were oceans apart as people. Save for the occasional squabble, they stupefied me with their openness and cooperation toward each other, and even more with the wisdom they shared with me. At that point, I had only known how a Salvadorian lived, but through my time at church, it was as if I was getting a perfect panorama shot of the diversity I never

Gonzalez also explains how he feels like there have been many ‘macroevents’ and ‘macroformations’ that are going on now in the 20th century, which can be tied back to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation. He talks about how history has shaped where the Hispanic culture is today, and how that ties into how they view theology and the Word.

Regardless of my town’s homogeneous population, I grew up accepting diversity and valuing individual differences even amid the same racial group. One of the first experiences of diversity I can vividly recall is the various religious beliefs within the Black community. My parents believed “exposure to the world around you” was one of the primary factors for raising a well-rounded individual. Therefore, we often visited different churches of various faiths.

From further analysis of the two works “Bible Latina” and “In Evangelium Iohannis tractatus” there is a wide variety of similarities and differences between the two works. Both works have the same layout, in that the text of each work is organized into two separate columns. These two works likewise are written in Latin on biblical references, however Bible Latina is referring to The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians and in St. Augustine Hippo’s in Evangelium Iohannis tractatus refers to the lectures on the Gospel according to St. John. In Evangelium Iohannis tractatus is written in Carolingian minuscule script in dark brown ink, where as Bible Latina is written in Gothic script in brown ink. The parchment for the Bible Latina is smaller, lighter,