Spring 2010
Divisadero
Issue 11
Issue 11
GenDER and Sexuality in Latin America
Latin American Studies Department, USF
Spring 2010
T a b l e o f C o n t e n t s
Issue 11
Beauty and the Beast
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Gender, Perfor mance, and Identity
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The notion of beauty in Colombia explored through the world of beauty pageants. Performance art provides women with the opportunity to challenge female stereotypes and patriarchal society, reclaiming their identity. (English translation on pgs. 8-9)
Made in L.A. Film Review
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Global Women’s Rights For um: Militarization of the Border
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Queer Latinidad
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Poesia
Featuring work by Nicaraguan Poet Daisy Zamora.
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Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Student Resource Center
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New Addition to USF: USEU
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Sticks and Stones
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Profe Profile: Lois Lorentzen
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Staff Profile: Nor ma Peniche
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Student Thoughts on Gender Roles
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LAS Graduates
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An inspiring documentary that follows undocumented workers in Los Angeles and their struggle against a billion-dollar retail corporation.
A summary of the Global Women’s Human Rights Forum discussion on the increasing human cost of security at the U.S.-Mexico border. A recap of a presentation on Proyecto ContraSIDA por Vida, an LGBT Latino organization based in San Francisco.
A collaborative effort between students and administrators, the Women’s Center provides much needed support for all students. The recently formed Salvadoran student organization highlights their goals and discussions about cultural identity. A student short story about machismo and life lessons. Meet Professor Lorentzen and learn how she became involved in studying U.S. immigration policy and Latin America. One of the newest members of the USF staff, Norma Peniche talks about her job and why diversity is essential for any college campus. USF students share their views on machismo in the Latino community. Congratulations to our Latin American Studies majors and minors graduating this spring.
Front and back cover illustrations courtesy of Mario Alejandro Cobar. Mario is a senior majoring in Media Studies. 2
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Letter from the Editors
Dear Divisadero Readers,
In this edition, we explore gender and sexuality in Latin America and discuss the changes over the past two centuries. We seek to inform about the strides made by women and men to promote greater freedom in terms of gender and sexuality. Yet, the struggle continues, as noted by USF students who comment on the prevalence of machismo in the Latino/a community. One of the articles examines performance as a space where issues of sexual identity and gender roles are questioned. The author also argues that beauty pageants, while a type of performance, actually objectify women. In contrast, another article looks at beauty pageants as a source of positive representation for Latin American nations struggling with internal conflicts. Due to these internal conflicts and civil wars, many Latin Americans have immigrated into the United States within the last forty years. The struggle of immigrants in the U.S. is presented in the film review of Made in L.A. In particular, the struggle of Latin American women working in the textile industry is highlighted. We would like to extend our thanks to all the professors and students who contributed to this edition as well as our editorial board and staff members for their invaluable editing skills. We invite you to take a look at what this edition has to offer and reflect on your own opinions on these issues.
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Editorial Board Jasmine Bernal Junior Biology
Fatima Duran Sophomore Media and Latin American Studies Jamie Lazaro Senior International and Latin American Studies Violeta Velazquez Senior International and Latin American Studies
Elisabeth Jay Friedman Department Chair Latin American Studies Marissa Litman Program Assistant
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Beauty & the Beast By Professor Michael Stanfield as told to Violeta Velazquez nation aspires to be. The beast is represented by the dysfunctional and violent politics, which unfortunately is also part of Colombian history dating back to the 19th century. Violence is primarily male gendered and I am currently half way through writing my beauty tends to be exclusively female gendered, therebook Beauty and the Beast: Modernity, Identity, and fore I am tracking how the idea and the understanding Beauty in Colombia 1845-1985, which is due to the of beauty is framed since 1845 ,which is very different publisher at the University of Texas Press in October. from how it is framed now. I also look at how over time It is organized chronologically and thematically around the framing and understanding of beauty changes as the the social and political relevance of feminine beauty country becomes more urban and more open to internain Colombia; however I pay special tional influences in the 20th century. attention to the importance of beauty In some ways, what we would pageants. Beauty in Colombia reprethink of as positive social glue in Cosents the opposite of the beast which is lombian society is gendered female. represented by violence, insecurity, and Women tend to be associated with mothe perceived illegitimacy or inadequarality, stability, service to others, virtucy of the government. During the 1940s ousness, and civility, more so than the and 1950s as Colombia began to erupt male secular political sphere. In the into civil war, pageants began to be mid-19th century, beauty was internal embraced as a way to bring Colombiand measured in terms of character; a ans together in a non-partisan, peaceful, woman was beautiful because of her civic, and celebratory ritual. To a ceractions not because of her appearance. tain extent, it was the social glue that This internal versus external beauty was attempting to hold society together, definition marks a simple dichotomy a society which was being ripped apart between traditional gender construcby partisan violence. tions and more modern gender con Colombians take beauty very structions. The traditional narratives seriously because it gives them a space were basically framed by the Catholic to celebrate who they are in ways that Esperanza Gallón, Miss ColomChurch, which continued to have a are competitive, but not violent. For bia 1955, crowned by Brigadier major impact on Colombian society well Colombians, where their queen places General Gabriel París, Colominto the 20th century. In some cases, you bian War Minister. in international beauty pageants is very see a very conservative sense of modesty, important because she is a positive embodiment for all of resisting vanity, resisting revealing, and showing off Colombians. She allows for Colombians to transcend who you are and your beauty as a way of instilling that their national troubles and show the world the positive sense of feminine restraint, that is part of the construcand beautiful face of their country, which will presumtion of what the moral, religious, and modest woman ably bring honor, tourism, and positive attention to the embodies. In the 20th century, we have a completely country. different dynamic that is far more visual and expressive I am certainly messing with some gender noin terms of beauty. This comes from foreign fashion, tions of what it is to be female and what it is to be male movies, advertisement, and beauty products, that to a in the context of Colombian history. In my time in certain extent markets beauty as a way of social mobilColombia, I have noticed that Colombians pay special ity, and more typical issues, like attracting a mate and attention to beauty as a positive expression of who being happy in life. This more modern, visual, and they are, and in some ways what their society and their packaged beauty culture begins to compete with the 4 Divisadero Michael Stanfield is an Associate Professor of History and Latin American Studies as well as Chair of the History Department.
Beauty & the Beast traditional Catholic construction of appropriate gender successful and winning the pageant. By becoming the behaviors, and in between those spaces, there is some reina (queen) you become the symbolic sovereign of interesting contestation of what beauty is, what gender your city, department, or country, which is interesting, is, how women are, and how they should be. This chal- presumably in a democratic society where we no longer lenges the whole vision of what gender and modernity have sovereignty invested in one person. There are a are all about. lot of interesting kinds of politics involved in beauty There is a lot of politics involved in these pageants, where presumably this is a democratic conbeauty pageants. First of all, there are 300 plus beauty test, but in reality it is not. It is exclusive and as always, pageants in Colombia every year. Colombians at the there is room for influence in determining the outcome. local, city, departmental, and national level take this When you are writing about anything it’s about very seriously. Typically, there is some sort of competi- being aware of your own point of view and your pertion between various competitors to be named queen. spectives. This is true particularly as a historian trying Behind those competitors are often to access the mind set of that time period, time organizing committees at the so it means becoming immersed in anneighborhood, national, or departmenother time, sometimes in another logic of tal level. Behind the contestants is a understanding beauty, gender, and sexuwhole economic and political weight ality. Then writing about it in a way that which supports their candidacy. Who is more about those times, people, and can be beautiful in the setting of Cosources than about yourself. What I try lombia where sometimes class, race, to do is be aware of my own perspectives and color are important? Normally in and try not to let those delimit what I am places that are controlled by a white writing about. It will fill in the deeper elite, that means the queen needs to be understanding of beauty, its power, its a white elite female who represents “la definition, its contestation, as well as its gente decente” (“the good and decent uses and abuses by powerful actors. people”), people of class and power. I will be finishing my book at 1985, Much of Colombia, particularly on the particularly because it is a dramatic coastal zones, have large Afro-Colomyear and there are a number of different bian populations, therefore often times events that allow me to finish the hisat the neighborhood level, the contestory then. I think it is fair to say that the tants are women of color. In places beast of violence and insecurity and that such as Cartagena on the Northern negative part about Colombian national Known as the “anti-queen,” coast, you come across interesting kinds María Victoria Uribe, from identity held strong through the 90’s into Bogotá, caused many scandals the 2000’s. Consequently, some of the of battles between the people and the with her explosive statements logic for the need of beauty remains fairly elite, arguing over who should be their around feminine liberation and queen and who should represent them. constant. I think Colombians still take their her extravagant outfits. The politics of beauty pageants Miss Colombia pageant seriously. It could involve being both traditional and modern. Being be that some of President Álvaro Uribe’s policies have familiar with older customs, dances, and music that imposed a certain degree of security in the country demonstrate that the beauty contestant is authentiwhich has given Colombians some degree of hope that cally Colombian, however being queen also implies things might improve in terms of security and political that she is forward looking and modern. Therefore, stability. However, I doubt that Colombians are going Miss Colombia dresses with the latest fashion, and to let go of beauty as a positive and contested value for she is familiar with the larger modernizing world. who they are and who they want to be. I think that will Pageants try to weave together the past, present, and continue as we go into the future. future which are elements that are crucial for becoming 5 Divisadero
Género, Performance, e Identidad By Violeta Luna Violeta Luna es un artista de performance, además de una artista asociada con La Pocha Nostra, un colectivo interdisciplinario de performance, basado en San Francisco, bajo la dirección de Guillermo Gómez Peña. Ella también es un artista asociada con el colectivo de performance Secos & Mojados.
El performance art o “arte acción” como se le denomina en México, ha sido un espacio de resistencia donde se cuestiona y reflexiona sobre fenómenos sociales, políticos, así como también sobre la temática de identidad. Hablar de esta última nos remite a la identidad sexual, tanto femenina como masculina, a los contextos de la cultura patriarcal que les dan significado, y a la naturaleza de los mecanismos de fabricación cultural puestos en práctica por incontables generaciones através de códigos específicos de comportamiento, moralidad y de como “ser” en sociedad. Por medio de modelos de conducta codificados desde el poder se ha reducido tanto lo femenino como lo masculino sosteniendo como diferencia sexual biológica a categorías definidas por las formas y funciones del cuerpo “aceptables” para el sistema, que en suma, nos remiten más al arraigamiento de estereotipos que a la posibilidad de definirnos libremente. Si bien podemos argumentar con validez que en todo sistema basado en la desigualdad y jerarquías impuestas, como el patriarcal, todos perdermos, hay que reconocer que las mujeres hemos perdido aún mas. Al cuerpo femenino se le han atribuido comportamientos específicos diseñados para limitar nuestra acción, y los medios de transmisión culturales y de comunicación han desempeñado un papel importante 6
para construir y perpetuar estos modelos reduccionistas: a la mujer se la ha atrapado con ideales de belleza que hacen de su cuerpo un objeto de compraventa y se la marginaliza con discursos de “maternidad” que le limitan la sexualidad y la expresión y práctica de principios creativos y emprendedores. ¿Qué dice el “arte acción” al respecto? Por lo pronto, a quienes lo practicamos nos llama la atención la centralidad de los espacios performativos, verdaderos “sitios de construcción” de la sexualidad tradicional que nuestra cultura crea para corporalizar, y así legitimizar socialmente, estos principios. Tomemos a modo de ejemplo los concursos de belleza como acontecimientos performativos, donde los “ideales” del cuerpo femenino cambian con el pasar del tiempo adaptándose a las categorias o formas representacionales de un determinado momento, pero donde la objetivación propia de “ser mujer” se manifiesta como una constante. En estos tiempos para ser una ganadora de estos concursos, no solo basta con ser bella, sino que tambien hay que “demostrar” ser inteligentes o tener talentos o habilidades especiales. Paradógicamente, al ser subordinados éstos al atractivo físico, se hace de la ocasión literalmente un espectáculo donde en última instancia, a las mujeres se les denigra y humilla. Desde el performance art nos preguntamos entonces, ¿qué es lo que éstas mujeres aspirantes a Miss Universo están representando en estos rituales culturales sobre el género? ¿Cuáles son los modelos que se establecen en el imaginario cultural cuando se le coloca su corona de reina a la aspirante al título que llegó a lo máximo por medio de multiples cirugías plásticas que en sí mismas ponen en evidencia la artificialidad de lo procedido? Se hizo una encuesta a mu-
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Género, Performance, e identidad jeres universitarias inglesas donde dos tercios de ellas En el performance art se diluyen las fronteras: aseguraban que no les importaría trabajar de modelo o eres creadora, escritora, performera, público, produc“lap dancer” para conseguir dinero. Agregaban mutora y autogestora de tu trabajo. Es un espacio incluychas que a eso no lo veían como algo que las denigra- ente al que acceden no solo artistas desde cualquier ra, sino que todo lo contrario, como algo que las hacía disciplina, sino tambien cualquiera que quiera dar un sentir mas seguras. ¿Para la cultura pop de Oxford y paso hacia adelante y activar en público su identidad Cambridge el modelo covergirl ha superado al pende mujer-activista-accionista social. samiento feminista…? Cabe mencionar que en algunas partes de Quizás lo que dice la encuesta inglesa es que Latinoamérica el término performance art se castelasumir un “rol” femenino o masculino no es solo la laniza en “la performance,” dandole una valoración representación de nuestra identidad, sino que también femenina. “La performance” ha sido un medio de implica estrategias de poder. El performance art centra expresión, un sitio de reivindicación para muchas su atención es estas dinámicas mujeres artistas y activistas que y articula una contra-narrativa En el performance art, el cuerpo no se conforman con el estereoa los discursos del poder, cuesfemenino se transforma en una “zona tipo de mujer, que la sociedad les tionándolos, subvirtiéndolos, liberada” para la creación, pero tam- impone. Reflexiono aquí sobre poniéndolos en tensión con bien para reeinventar el concepto de mi trabajo. Cuando acciono el la realidad, y por sobre todo, género dentro de contextos inclusivos, personaje de mujer en mi pieza permitiéndonos crear nuestras donde no se generaliza lo fememino NK 603 sobre el maíz transgépropias nociones del cuerpo y nico, manifiesto en mí a la fuerza desde conceptos pre-fabricados... de los roles sociales de género. de la mujer indígena, mexicana, En el performance art se protectora del maíz no solo como considera al cuerpo del artista como el principal sopo- fuente de nutrición alimenticia para mi cultura desde rte en su trabajo. Como un mapa conceptual donde tiempos ancestrales, sino también como fuente misma crea sus catografías personales. Como un espacio de toda la cultura. Esta mujer, como muchas en toda metáforico –un cuerpo que es en sí mismo sujeto y ob- Latinoamérica, no solo lucha para darle de comer a jeto– y el significado y significante de la obra creativa. su comunidad, sino que lucha para que se mantenga y Através del performace art, el cuerpo femenino se crezca la memoria cultural de toda su gente. convierte en un sujeto transgresor de los roles que le Soy consciente que mi cuerpo, desde el cual han atribuido. En un sitio de diferencias que acepta la acciono, adquiere diferentes significados en los Estaotredad, que asume y expresa su posición y sus viven- dos Unidos, donde también es un cuerpo inmigrante. cias dentro de un contexto social e histórico determiSiento que es aquí doblemente importante resignificar nado, pero apuntando a la posibilidad y realización de mi condición de mujer, y de mexicana/latina, valiénimaginarios multi-dimensionales. dome de la memoria cultural de nuestros pueblos que En el performance art, el cuerpo femenino se ya estaban aquí antes que llegaran las fronteras, para transforma en una “zona liberada” para la creación, darme fuerza en el difícil proceso relacional que conlpero tambien para reeinventar el concepto de género leva una apertura a la diferencia, como re-conocimiendentro de contextos inclusivos, donde no se generaliza to (nos conocemos a nosotros mismos en relación con lo fememino desde conceptos pre-fabricados, sino que el otro). Como artista, para mí es una preocupación y se particulariza, y se presenta, una mujer determinada, una responsabilidad muy grande articular una dialéccon sus diferencias, su propia biografia, etc., las cuales tica y praxis con lo que estoy viviendo. Como mujer son la base de su discurso creativo, en relación dialéc- Latina, asumo este proceso desde lo creativo de dos tica y participativa con el público, creador último de maneras: contestataria con el poder, y dialógica, con la significados. gente. 7 Divisadero
Gender, Performance, and Identity By Violeta Luna Violeta Luna is a performance artist, as well as an associate artist of La Pocha Nostra, a San Francisco-based interdisciplinary performance collective under the direction of Guillermo Gómez Peña. She is also an associate artist of the performance collective Secos & Mojados.
als of beauty which transform their bodies into commodities on the one hand, and on the other, marginalized by “maternal nurturer” discourses which limit one’s own sexuality and the expression and practice of Performance Art or “arte acción” as it is called creative and entrepreneurial principles. What does “arte acción” say in this regard? For in Mexico, has been a space of resistance in which those of us who practice it, what catches our attention social and political phenomena are questioned and is the centrality of these performative spaces, veritable reflected upon, including themes related to identity. “sites of construction” of traditional sexuality created Discussing the latter brings us to gender/sexual idenby our culture to embody, and therefore socially legititity, both feminine and masculine, to the patriarchal mize, these principles. Take contexts which give for example beauty pageants them meaning, and to as performative events where the nature of cultural the “ideal” of the female production mechabody changes with the passnisms implemented ing of time, adapting to the by countless generacategories or representative tions through specific forms of a specific moment, codes of conduct, mobut where the objectification rality, and how to "be of women remains constant. oneself" in society. In this day and age in or Models of der to be a winner in these conduct encoded by pageants, it is not enough the powers that be to be “beautiful.” Women have reduced both the must also “demonstrate” feminine and masintelligence or any talents or culine, defining as special skills. Paradoxically “biological” sexual these traits become seconddifferences that ary to physical features and actually relate to the literally transform the occaforms and functions The Eye, Photo by Anastacia Powers sion into a spectacle where ultimately women are of the body deemed denigrated and humiliated. “acceptable” by the system, and referring us ultimately From the perspective of performance art, we to the entrenchment of stereotypes rather than to the ask ourselves: What is it that these candidates for Miss ability to define ourselves freely. While we can argue with validity that everyone Universe are representing in these cultural gender rituals? Which social models are enthroned in the cultural loses with any system based on imposed hierarchies and inequalities such as patriarchy, we must recognize imaginary when the crown is placed on the “queen,” who reached this point with the help of multiple that women have been losing much more. Specific plastic surgeries which in and of themselves evidence behaviors have been attributed to the female body the artificial nature of the whole process? According designed to limit our actions. The media and other to a study conducted in England, two thirds of female means of cultural transmission have played a key role in building and perpetuating these reductionist models. university students said they would not mind working Women have been painted in a corner, trapped by ide- as a model or “lap dancer” if the need arose. Many of the women stated they did not see this type of work as 8 Divisadero
Gender, Performance, and Identity demeaning, but on the contrary it made them feel more confident. For the Oxford and Cambridge pop culture, has the cover girl model surpassed feminist thought? Perhaps what the English survey says is that assuming a feminine or masculine role is not only the representation of our identity, but also implies strategies of power. Performance focuses its attention on these dynamics and articulates a counter-narrative to these discourses of power, questioning them, subverting them, and placing them in tension with reality. Above all else, performance art allows us access to create our own notions of the body and of gender roles. In performance art, the artist’s body is considered as the main platform for the work. The body is like a conceptual map where the artist creates her personal cartographies, a metaphorical space- a body that is in itself subject and object- and the significance and signifer of the creative piece. Through performance art, the feminine body is transformed into a transgressor of the roles that have been assigned to it, in a space of difference accepting of “otherness,” that assumes and expresses its position and its experiences inside of a given social and historic context, while pointing to Photo by Zach Gross the possibilities and realizations of multi-dimensional imaginaries. In performance art, the female body transforms into a “liberated zone” for creativity, and also for the reinvention of gender within inclusive contexts, where “the feminine” is not generalized through pre-fabricated concepts. Instead, it is particularized, presented, through a particular, self determined woman, with her differences, her own biography, etc., which are the base of her own creative discourse, in a dialectical and participative relationship with the public- ultimate creator of meanings.
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In performance art, boundaries become blurred: you are creator, writer, actress, public, producer, and manager of your own work. It is a very inclusive space, to which not only artists from all disciplines have access, but also anyone who wishes to take a step forward and activate, in public, their identity of woman-activist-and social shareholder. Interestingly enough, in some parts of Latin America the word performance is Castilianized as “la performance,” giving it feminine value. “La performance” has been a venue for expression, a site of re-vindication for many female artists and activists who do not conform to the stereotypes that society has imposed on them. Reflecting on my work as a performance artist, I recognize that when I activate the role of the woman in my piece NK 603, which deals with genetically modified corn, I manifest the power of the indigenous, Mexican woman, protector of corn not just for its value as a nutritional food since ancestral times, but also as the very source of the culture as a whole. This woman, like many in Latin America, not only struggles to feed her immediate community, but also struggles to preserve the cultural memory of all of her people. I am conscious that my body, from where I perform, also has different meanings in the United States, where it is also the body of an immigrant. I feel that in the U.S. it is twice as important to redefine my condition as woman, and as Mexican/Latina, drawing on the cultural memory of our people who were here before the borders were drawn. This gives me the strength to face the difficult relational process that implies opening to difference as re/cognition (we know ourselves in relation to others). As an artist, I am greatly concerned with the responsibility to articulate a dialectic and praxis with what I am experiencing. As a Latina, I look at this creative process as a two-pronged effort: challenging power, and dialoguing with the public.
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Film Review: Made in L.A. By Jamie Lazaro The exploitation of undocumented workers in the United States is not uncommon; in fact it has sadly become more and more widespread. The question then becomes: can these workers expect to find justice in a country where they do not speak the language or have citizenship? The answer is yes. The film Made in L.A. (2007) follows the three-year-long journey of three women along with the other members of L.A.’s Garment Worker Center as they fight for fair wages and equality against a billion dollar retail corporation, Forever 21. In the twenty-first century, sweatshops are still rampant and continue to produce cheap clothing for the rest of the population. Whether the consumer knows it or not, sweatshop labor fuels the economy and provides the low prices we have grown to like and expect. Director Almudena Carracedo opens the audience’s eyes and reveals the world behind the trendy stores where many Americans shop at for the best deals. Carracedo gives a face to the workers who make the latest blouses and skirts for less than minimum wage; she introduces Lupe Hernandez, Maura Colorado and María Pineda. These women had worked in the retail sector of Los Angeles sewing clothes for contractors hired by Forever 21. These contractors paid their employees well below minimum wage, forced them to work extra hours and fired them for basic complaints about the work environment. With few job options and families to support, most employees endured the humiliations and low pay. Yet those employees, finally frustrated by the injustice, found solace in L.A.’s Garment Worker Center. Working out of a small office, the organizers of the center held meetings to educate factory workers about their rights and organized boycotts. 10
In 2001, a lawsuit was filed against Forever 21 for the back wages of nineteen former employees. The workers began a campaign to boycott Forever 21 and bring awareness to their cause. Three years later, the lawsuit was settled out of court when Forever 21 agreed to pay its former employees’ back wages. Yet, the unbelievable success of the lawsuit and boycotts is just one part of the story. The changes and personal triumphs of Lupe, Maura, and María are the other half. Lupe, a Mexico City native, immigrated to the U.S. when she was 17 to escape an abusive home life. She worked in the factories for over a decade and throughout the course of the film becomes an organizer at the center. Maura, like many, left her country to provide a better life for her young children. For over eighteen years, she had not returned to El Salvador nor seen her children. As the film progresses, Maura becomes more determined to obtain U.S. citizenship and reunite her family. María, who had emigrated with her husband from Mexico over twenty years ago, faced challenges not only in the factories but also at home. Her abusive husband opposed her involvement with the Garment Worker Center, but eventually the lawsuit and boycott against Forever 21 inspired her to fight for herself and her children. Made in L.A. serves as a reminder to the Latino community that justice is possible, but the road is difficult and requires a long-term commitment. The American Dream then is more than owning a house and a car; it means fighting for justice and making an effort to change practices which discriminate against Latinos and other immigrants. After all, who better to challenge the status quo than those who know first hand the negative impact of current practices?
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Gender and Militarization of the Border: Got Security? By Sarah Claytor Sarah Claytor is sophomore majoring in International Studies and Latin American Studies. Who is securing what, and at what cost? Discussion at the fourth event of the 8th Annual Global Women’s Rights Forum revolved around this question. Titled “Gendered Violence and Militarization: National Security versus Women’s Rights to Security,” the forum raised important reservations about the role the military plays in assuring safety around the world. The speakers proposed the idea that there is an inverse relationship between militarization and security. The primary speaker, Kathleen Staudt, a professor of political science at the University of Texas, El Paso, has focused her research for the past ten years on the US-Mexico border, especially the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez crossing. According to her statistics, at this border crossing alone, there were 2,600 murders in 2009, with an average of about 200-250 murders per month. Since last March, the Department of Homeland Security has doubled the number of personnel assigned to Border Enforcement Security Task Forces; tripled the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement intelligence analysts working along the U.S.-Mexico border; quadrupled deployments of Border Liaison Officers; and begun screening 100 percent of southbound rail shipments for illegal weapons, drugs and cash for the first time ever. Even more outrageous are the rate of female deaths and attacks. The astonishing rates at which women are assaulted and disappear point to nothing less than a misogynistic culture, where femicide goes unpunished due to police impunity. From 2003 onwards, between 500 and 600 women have been found dead in Ciudad Juarez, with little to no leads, and a lethargic police response. For women who try to cross the U.S.Mexico border, it is chillingly common to start taking contraceptives before their journey, expecting to be assaulted. Since the beginning of time, rape has been used as a weapon of war. Now, females are victims of revenge attacks in the vicious drug wars. How long must women
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be treated as commodities, as pawns in wars they didn’t start? There might be a solution. Staudt compared the current implementation of the system of “national security,” which consists of a state-centered point of view that comes down to the people from the capital, with a military relying on power and control to enforce the laws, to the alternative of “human security.” Human security is structured around opening up opportunities to succeed and distribute wealth, ensuring safety, health, and the well-being of all humans. Concerns at the community, national, and global levels are all considered. In the system of national security, an atmosphere of fear and intimidation is depended upon to restrain the undocumented immigrants that seek opportunity in the United States. More advanced technology is being invested in, such as heat sensors, video cameras, and high mobile screening cameras, in a time of economic difficulty. The measure of success is the number of round-ups and raids of undocumented immigrants, and an increase in detention facilities and deportations. Billions of dollars in bureaucratic costs are being funneled into this cause, one that demonizes Mexico, a country that is our second largest trading partner. These may result in short-term political gains in the governmental agenda, but will almost certainly produce long-term social problems. Under the utilization of the national security system as it relates to the border issues, deaths are no closer to being reduced, families are being split apart, and humanitarian groups are being persecuted for attempting to right the wrongs of the system, as is the case of No More Death, whose members were fined and taken to court-on the charge of littering- for leaving gallons of water in the Sonoran Desert, in the hope of preventing more deaths. Although the injustices are many, Staudt left the attendees with hope, as she put forward alternatives to work towards, such as a new NAFTA, immigration policy reform, drug prohibition policies, and a general overhaul of the prevailing attitudes towards women and violence.
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Queer Latinidad By Jamie Lazaro & Violeta Velazquez preconceived notions about sexuality and representation. The term “queer” is complex and can have difProyecto also challenged the existing AIDS ferent meanings for different people: similarly the phrase “queer Latinidad” also brings to mind a variety of conno- prevention models by questioning the assumption that all people wanted to live, that all people were equally tations. UC Berkeley Professor Juana María Rodríguez, capable of negotiating sexual contracts and that health the author of Queer Latinidad: Identity Practices, Dismaintenance meant the same care for all people. Proyecto cursive Spaces, argues that the ambiguity of the phrase took into account that the Latino LGBT community is what allows each person to define themselves as they wanted to be represented and worked choose. In essence then the ambiguwith them to cultivate self-expression ity imbues the phrase with power and through art and poetry workshops. purpose. The classes offered by Proyecto At an event sponsored by included education as community the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s building, “Atre-Divas” and “JotograStudent Resource Center and USF’s fia” to name a few. “Atre-Divas” is a Queer Alliance, Rodríguez discussed play on the words atrevida (daring) her involvement with a LGBT Laand diva. The “Atre-Divas” class cretino organization in San Francisco ated a space where Latina drag queens during the height of the AIDS epicould learn to sew, apply make up and demic. Proyecto ContraSIDA por receive acting lessons. The “JotographVida (PCPV) was an organization that ia” class was a photography class for provided the LGBT community in queer Latino youth. The purpose of the the Mission District with informative classes was to provide a space where AIDS prevention workshops, classes both students and teachers could feel and community forums to discuss identity and representation is“Proyecto ContraSIDA Por Vida is com- comfortable with any discussion. In effect, there was less lecturing sues. Founded in August 1993, the ing to you-you joto, you macha, you organization sought to “enrich the vestida, you queer, you femme, you girls by the teachers and instead intersocial and political climate in the and boys and boygirls and girlboys de active learning was encouraged. service of radical social change” ambiente, con la fé and fearlessness that Proyecto was active at a time in though a variety of creative strate- we can combat AIDS, determine our own San Francisco’s history when the gies. (Rodríguez 48) destinos and love each other con digni- AIDS pandemic had become a central focus. As AIDS treatment Proyecto used language dad, humor, y in the United States became more lujuria.” and images to not only reach its effective and could prolong the target audiences, but also create a -Proyect0’s Mission Statement lives of those affected, state and positive and playful atmosphere private funding for AIDS prevention organizations dearound gender issues and AIDS prevention. As the clined. The financial strain faced by Proyecto was further organization was Latino/a oriented, the use of Spanaggravated by the increase of rent in San Francisco durish and Spanglish became an integral component of ing the dot-com boom. The gentrification of the Mission their advertising strategy. Creatively switching between District also meant further changes. After Proyecto’s conEnglish, Spanish and Spanglish in effect also generated tract with the San Francisco Department of Public Health new words such as “tetatúd”, tetas con actitud (attitude with tits). Originally coined by Marcia Ochoa and Nancy ended in August 2005, the organization was replaced by Mirabal, it became a catchy neologism for the promotion EL/LA Para TransLatinas. While the times have changed, of Proyecto and reflected the notion of power and sexual- the legacy of Proyecto’s work lives on though the effort of its former staff and new social organizations in the ity. The appropriation and creation of these words and city. images invited the audience to question and challenge
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Poesia Daisy Zamora-Evans is an Adjunct Professor of History. She is a published poet and a former combatant in the Sandinista Liberation Front, for whom she was also program director of clandestine Radio Sandino. She has taught history and literature at Central American University in Managua, Nicaragua. She conceived, created and taught a course on Central American Peoples and Cultures at Merrill College and UC Santa Cruz, and has taught poetry workshops and creative writing classes, as well as history classes, at various universities across the country.
An Urgent Message To My Mother
Mensage Urgente A Mi Madre Todas íbamos a ser reinas Y de verídico reinar; pero ninguna ha sido reina ni en Arauco ni en Copán...
We were all going to be queens, and truly reign; but no one has been a queen neither in Arauco nor Copán... Gabriela Mistral
Gabriela Mistral
We were educated for perfection: so nothing would fail and we’d achieve our storybook-princess fate.
Fuimos educadas para la perfección: Para que nada fallara y se cumpliera nuestra suerte de princesa-de-cuentos infantiles.
How hard we tried, eager to prove these hopes, treasured so long, were true!
¡Cómo nos esforzamos, ansiosas por demostrar que eran ciertas las esperanzas tanto tiempo atesoradas!
But our wedding gowns grew old and our hearts exhausted, last survivors of the battle. We’ve tossed yellowed veils and withered orange blossoms to the back of ancient armoires.* We will never again be submissive or perfect.
Pero envejecieron nuestros vestidos de novia y nuestros corazones, exhaustos, últimos sobrevivientes de la contienda. Hemos tirado al fondo de vetustos armarios velos amarrillentos, azahares marchitos. Ya nunca más seremos sumisas ni perfectas.
Sorry, mother, for the impertinence of those stuck-up old hens who know only how to cluck with praise for bland, docile daughter.
Perdón, madre, por las impertinencias de gallinas viejas y copetudas que sólo saben cacarearte bellezas de hijas dóciles y anodinas.
Sorry, for not staying where tradition and good taste obliged us to stay.
Perdón, por no habernos quedado donde nos obligaban la tradición y el buen gusto.
For daring to be ourselves at all cost of destroying all your dreams.
Por atrevernos a ser nosotras mismas al precio de destrozar todos tus sueños.
In Latin America and Spanish tradition, orange blossoms symbolize purity and are part of a bride’s wedding attire in crowns and bouquets.
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This poem was previously published in Zamora’s book, The Violent Foam: New and Selected Poems. Translations are by George Evans.
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Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Student Resource Center By Jenny Reed and Sam Sheppard-Gonzales Jenny Reed is a senior majoring in Performing Arts & Social Justice. Sam Sheppard-Gonzales is also a senior majoring in Performing Arts & Social Justice.
and faculty. These meetings became weekly events, which led to the development of subcommittees that focused on proposed curriculum changes, safety initiatives, concerns around militarization, the creation of a The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Student resource center with support groups, and more. EventuResource Center (GSWSRC) has a very recent history. ally, a core group of students decided to create an offiPerhaps most inspiring is the fact that it resulted from cial SLE-approved campus organization titled Students a largely student-initiated effort that aimed to encourTaking Action Against Sexual Violence (STAASV). age more proactive administrative measures combating The continuous meetings and support from faculty, sexual violence. Several students felt that the universtaff, and off-campus allies were eventually recognized sity should assume more responsibility in recognizing by Father Privett. Letters to the Foghorn were drafted, the unsettling statistics of sexual violence on college formal presentations were given, and an enormous campuses around the country, and, more importantly, wave of momentum swept over the campus. the direct affect these As part of these new incidents were having measures, Dean Mary on the USF community. Wardell was given the The GSWSRC charge to collaborate is just one successful with students regarding product of a studentthe formation of a new administration collaboresource center, and after ration that has become an extensive period of a significant part of research, group meetings, USF history. During the and e-mail conversations, spring 2009 semester, the Gender, Sexuality four female students and Women’s Student Kick-off reception for GSWSRC. came forward with their Resource Center was individual experiences created. A “soft openof rape and assault perpetrated by USF senior Ryan ing” and kick-off reception took place on May 14, Caskey. The incidents were announced through an 2009, attended by an exciting number of students, facinformal USFConnect Bulletin on February 12, 2009, ulty, staff and administrators. (See photograph above) followed by a message from Father Privett fourteen The GSWSRC has been in existence for almost days later. Many students were outraged that USF a full year. It was created to educate the USF commucould not provide the resources, education, or support nity, offer support, provide peer training, and establish networks necessary to confront sexual violence. This a safe space for students of all genders. The GSWSRC compelled senior Maggie Mullen to organize a forum sponsors film screenings, self-defense workshops, a for students to voice their frustration centered on these book and DVD library, guest speakers, and a casual current events. The staggering number of people in atbook club. In addition, it provides space for STAASV tendance at the first forum was a clear message that the and Queer Alliance to convene and maintains a volunUSF community wanted to further discuss the events. teer bank and mentor program. Because it was a largely Due to the enthusiasm and passion of those in grassroots effort, the GSWSRC relies on the student attendance, it was collectively decided that more “town voice for future development. The GSWSRC is curhall” style forums should take place. A series of forums rently located next to the Market Cafe in UC 200, but organized by a dedicated group of seniors and friends, will be relocated this summer to the fourth floor of the was attended by a number of concerned students, staff, UC building due to renovations.
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A New Addition to USF: USEU By Fatima Durán
Fatima Durán is an e-board member of U.S.E.U.
student protests during the civil war, her For those of you that might not know, a new dad does not want her to become involved Salvadoran student organization was launched on in political activities on campus. “The research I’ve campus this semester. They are known as la Union done on El Salvador has helped me, but its not as Salvadoreña de Estudiantes Universitarios (U.S.E.U.). helpful as hearing other people’s personal stories,” Their members translate it to the Salvadoran Student Union. The current president, Ricardo Avalos-Gutierrez, Calderon said. As discussed in U.S.E.U. meetings, we can attribute parents’ fear to talk about politics to a transfer from UC Berkeley, said he had been a part the legacy of the war. Parents today associate student of the organization at Cal, and wanted to establish involvement with kidnapping and political repression. a chapter here after he enrolled. “There is so much These are the images they saw during the war, and information about El Salvador at USF and access to they are difficult to forget. It is something they also do resources that connect us with the Salvadoran people. I not wish to remember, which hints at why they often just had to bring U.S.E.U. with me.” prefer not to talk to their children about their country’s Avalos, who was born in San Salvador, said political history. one of the things that make him Nevertheless, the students passionate about U.S.E.U. is of U.S.E.U. feel that they have a that the organization tries to fill right to know their past, which is the void of identity Salvadoranwhy they discuss questions like Americans face in the United what it means to be Salvadoran in States. Such lack of cultural the United States. Dr. Hector Perla, identity can be traced to the the first Salvadoran-American civil war of the 1980s in which to receive his Ph.D in Political it is estimated close to a million Science, said to USF students during Salvadorans sought political his visit in March, “Twenty percent asylum in the United States of Salvadorans are born outside (Migration Policy Institute, UCLA graduate Criseyda Martinez (center) and 2006). As the first generation of Fatima Duran and Ricardo Avalos-Gutierrez of the country. Twenty percent. children born of those refugees, from USF enjoy Pollo Campero at the U.S.E.U. This shows us that to be outside of El Salvador is a very Salvadoran Salvadoran-American students Retreat at UCSB. experience.” Indeed the Salvadoran may often find it difficult obtain diaspora and the transnationalization of the Salvadoran cultural information from their parents. people is a topic worthy of a long research paper, which During an U.S.E.U. retreat hosted by the Dr. Perla encourages students to pursue. “Have you ever organization’s seven California chapters, I recalled meeting a UC Riverside senior who said her parents had tried to look up information about Salvadoran history and gotten stuck with no results? It’s not that Google always taught her to repress her Salvadoran roots and is stupid, it’s that most likely it hasn’t been written embrace her “American” identity in the United States. about yet. You as Salvadoran students need to become According to the student, her parents had such terrible educated and write about your own history.” memories from living in El Salvador during the war However, being Salvadoran is not a requirement that they had transmitted their own fear and resentment to be a part of U.S.E.U. Our chapters include Mexican, against the Salvadoran government to her. She said the first time she acknowledged her Salvadoran identity and Spanish, South American, and other Central American students. Junior Nicole Hertel, who is Salvadoran and had not been afraid to embrace her Central American Caucasian said, “U.S.E.U. is not limited to people of culture was at the U.S.E.U. retreat. Likewise, Sophomore Emilia Calderon said that Salvadoran descent. We are a community of students who unite to talk about our past and our future.” although her parents were involved in the university
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Sticks and Stones By Mario Alejandro Cobar
A
Mario Alejandro Cobar is a senior majoring in Media Studies.
buelito built his own mausoleum. Must have been sticks and stones that he had found on his solitary adventures while he walked through his hometown of Santa Lucia. Some said he went and dug up all the bones of his seven dead sisters and buried them in his mausoleum before he would eventually go in there to meet them. Maybe he had a dream that he was going to die. Nobody quite understood why one day he just woke up and started building his final resting place. Maybe he had what some called a “premonition.” Either way, fate always catches up to the old ones who can’t resist a resistance. A few young boys armed with pistols and the hatred that society impregnated them with, decided that the right thing to do over a few bucks was to shoot four holes into the head of Abuelito while he tried to buy ice cream for his girlfriend and son. He should not have put up such a fight. Maybe if he would have kept calm they wouldn’t have shot him. Abuelito died at an undeclared age. We had the same birthdays, but no one knew what year he was born in. I was born on January 25th and so was he. We are both strange, we are both poets, we are both Aquarius of the Guatemalan kind. I am me, and he was he, but the blood remains the same. His tombstone maker just decided to leave years out of the tombstone altogether. It simply read: Born January 25th. Died August 19th. Abuelito used to walk into town after cutting sugar cane and pass out little candies to all the poor children in town. They called him “Gringo” because he was the only light-skinned man in that town. They loved the “Gringo.” While they carried the casket across the bridge of Rio Bote Aguas, a rain fell like diamonds and daggers from the sky. The people’s tears matched every raindrop and the reality became a surreal funeral march in stormy weather. Immediately the crowd of mourning people stopped. The casket could not pass the bridge because of a hornet’s nest that had spun into havoc because of the wind that came with the sudden storm. Hornets in Guatemala are huge, black, and vicious. They are worth delaying a burial over. They lit a torch and burned the hornet’s nest. The sky was grayer then the eye of the dead, and the dying hornets fluttered with the gloomy sky as their backdrop. It looked very interesting because they flew around in circles with their wings on fire. It looked like a flying parade of pain. Inside the nest you could hear sounds that resembled screams. I think it was the screams from the queen hornets that worked so hard to keep their kingdom intact. Hundreds of burning hornets fell to their demise as Abuelita and the rest of the town continued to carry the casket of the old man to his final resting place. This burial was the first time she had seen Abuelito in thirtyfive years. By the time the crowd had reached the burial ground, both, Abuelita and the girlfriend of Abuelito were sitting in the front row to watch their ex-husband and ex-boyfriend get buried. Many thoughts ran through the head of the ex-girlfriend of Abueltio, like: Who is going to help me stay alive and fed? Who is going to raise the child I made with him? Who is going to help me in this world, which might as well be hell? How am I going to survive now? The seven years they knew one another was a dependency, not a romance. It was sex, survival, and trying to make sense of the horrors of life and the terrors of loneliness.
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Sticks and Stones Abuelita sat there with eyes that tears could not be found in. She had known Abuelito for more years than a child could count, and had been married to him for a lot of them. She saw the worries on the face of the younger woman who so deeply depended on everything her ex-boyfriend did for her and their child. Her sorrow and compassion for this was endless, it didn’t even matter to Abuelita that Abuelito’s girlfriend was a whore. The only thing she had hatred for was Abuelito being the way he was. He used to make her clean after he beat her up. Sometimes he even yelled at her for crying. She wondered why she had put up with so many years of torment. She could not understand why she married him in the first place. Some nights Abuelita couldn’t sleep because of certain memories that would creep into bed with her at night. She remembered how many women he slept with while they were suppose to be happily married. She remembered the scent of another woman on his mouth when he kissed her, and on his neck when he asked her to rub his shoulders. The sorrow from this tragic game of love was one that Abuelita would carry to her own grave one day. She never met another man after him. She couldn’t because she feared all Latino men and thought they were animals. One would think she would find another type of man, maybe a white man, or a black man. But she only spoke Spanish so she couldn’t. She just remained alone and torn until her dying day. The casket began to be lowered into the hole. As the body descended to the bottom, people cried, and some even whispered. What they whispered about, I’ll never know. Abuelito’s ex-girlfriend began to scream and yell, and cause a big commotion. As these terrible sounds of desperation broke the reverence of the burial, a large line of about fifteen to twenty children came walking towards the casket that already lay at the bottom of the hole. The children passed Abuelita and the ex-girlfriend. Each boy and girl threw a piece of candy on top of Abuelito’s coffin, in memory of how charitable he was to the children of that town. They all said, “we will miss you Gringo,” softly under their breath. When every piece of candy was in the hole, the men who lowered the coffin started shoveling the dirt on top of his corpse. Abuelita knew she would never see him again, and that this was going to be the hardest test of time for the woman who was screaming next to her. She saw that Abuelito had done something nice for people, and people came to do something in memory of him, even if those people were very small children. She thought about the significance of this. Abuelita finally understood that no one truly liked him except for children because he was nothing but a child. He was a person who lost his innocence too early in life, and was given no opportunity to grow to be a solid and respectful man. His upbringing kept him lingering in his childlike ways until a bunch of “children” shot him dead. Abuelita understood what was wrong with him now. She forgave him right then and there for everything he had done. Abuelita hugged the ex-girlfriend and told her to let her know if she needed anything. The people walked away from the burial ground. Most of the people already had started drinking. But my Abuelita left with a quiet peace of mind, knowing that Abuelito never truly meant to hurt her the way he did. She knew that he only acted like a beast because he was just scared. He was scared of life, of her, and espe cially of himself. Abuelita slept comfortably from that day on. She turned around to look at his mausoleum one more time before she left the cemetery. It truly was a beautiful mausoleum, built from sticks and stones. Divisadero
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Profe Profile: Lois Ann Lorentzen An Interview by Jasmine Bernal Lois Ann Lorentzen is the Chair of Theology and Religious Studies and Director of the Center for Latino/a Studies in the Americas (CELASA). She is also the principal investigator for the Religion and Immigration Project. In the following interview with Divisadero staff writer, Jasmine Bernal, she discusses her interest in Latin America and her ongoing research.
JB: When did your interest in Latin America begin? LL: I grew up in a tiny town in northern Minnesota – far from Latin America. Fortunately, Señor Villareal taught Spanish, Mexican culture and Mexican literature to junior high kids. I fell in love with the language and with Mexican culture from a great geographical distance. Much later I had the privilege of spending time in El Salvador during the civil war. This experience changed my life; I had never witnessed such incredible courage, bravery and JOY in the midst of a brutal and unjust conflict. I felt responsible since the United States was funding this war and people and I knew were dying. My relationship with El Salvador has continued ever since. JB: What was your experience like teaching in other countries such as El Salvador and Mexico? LL: Incredible!! I’ve taught at five Jesuit universities in Mexico, teaching environmental ethics to graduate students. I also have had incredible experiences bringing USF students to El Salvador and Mexico. These were definitely my favorite teaching experiences ever! In Tijuana, our classes consisted of both USF students and students from the Jesuit university in Tijuana. Twice, USF students, History Professor Michael Stanfield and I taught a course on the history of Baja, California dur18
ing Intersession. This was no ordinary class; we rode bicycles from San Diego, CA to Cabo San Lucas (1200 miles). We camped in the desert and by the beach, visited Jesuit missions, went whale watching, and had wonderful discussions and lectures. I’ve also been lucky enough to teach USF’s summer course in El Salvador and bring students there during spring break. The students are always transformed (as I am). I would love to teach ALL my courses in Latin America (just in case any administrators are reading this) JB: What topics related to Latin America interest you? LL: Gender issues, immigration, environmental movements, civil/political conflict, and religion as it relates to all the preceding.
The Spring 2009 CELASA Seminar: Liberation Theology in El Salvador.
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Profe Profile: Lois Ann Lorentzen JB: What research have you done pertaining to Latin America and what is your current focus? LL: During the 1990s most of my research was based in El Salvador. I published about women in political prisons during the war, environmental issues, the role of liberation theology in social movements, women’s resistance poetry, and other topics. I spent part of a sabbatical in Chiapas, Mexico and wrote about indigenous movements, religion and globalization. From 2000 on, most of my research and publishing has been about immigration, including transnational gangs (El Salvador and the U.S.), gender and religion in new migrant communities, and transgendered sex workers and immigration. My current research obsession is about a controversial Mexican “saint” named La Santa Muerte. The media and government claim that she is primarily the saint for drug traffickers. The reality is that she is important to migrants and to the most marginalized populations in Mexico. It fascinates me that the government considers her a threat (the Mexican military bulldozed shrines to her along the Mexican border last Easter) and the U.S. Department of Defense also commissioned a study about her. JB: Can you tell us more about the religion and immigration research? LL: I could talk forever about that project! A group of us received a large grant to study the importance of religion to new migrants to the San Francisco Bay Area. We spent four years becoming deeply immersed in Mexican, Salvadoran, Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese migrant communities. Our team (except for me) was bilingual, bicultural, and most of the Divisadero
researchers were migrants themselves. We spent time with day laborers on Cesar Chavez Street, transgender sex workers in the Tenderloin and in Guadalajara, Mexico, and gang members in the Mission and in El Salvador. My latest project related to immigration is analyzing interviews conducted with migrants in Nogales, Mexico who had been deported from the United States. Their stories are heartbreaking. Most suffered human rights violations in detention centers, at least a third of them had been separated from their children because of deportation, and some had near death experiences as they tried to cross the desert to enter the U.S. With the new antiimmigration law recently passed in Arizona, I expect that human rights abuses will increase. It is egregious and invisible to most people in the U.S. JB: What do you like most about Latin America? LL: Wow! That is a difficult question. It is difficult because there is a danger for outsiders to exoticize, romanticize, and essentialize Latin America. The tourist version of Latin America features beautiful beaches (which there are), great food (which there is), wonderful music and dancing (also true), great people (also the case). The preceding may be true, but are not what I like most about Latin America. I appreciate the social movements, the alternative models of development, the political experiments, the fact that there is a history of a REAL left. I think there are political and social models and experiments that seem impossible in the United States. We have a lot to learn!
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Staff Profile: Norma Peniche An Interview by Fatima Duran Norma Peniche is the new Senior Admission Counselor for Latino Student Recruitment in the Multicultural Recruitment and Retention at the Office of Undergraduate Admission. In the following interview with Divisadero Staff Writer, Fatima Durán, she discusses her work to conduct recruitment and outreach to Latino high school students considering attending USF.
Background FD: Where are you from originally and what brought you to San Francisco? What attracted you to USF? NP: I am originally from Southern California and have lived in both San Diego & Orange County. I was presented with an opportunity to work in the Bay Area in Undergraduate Admission. I have always wanted to live in San Francisco for its reputation of arts, culture, and urban community appeal. I was attracted to USF not only for its ideal location and beautiful setting but I was particularly interested in the Senior Admission counselor position and being part of the Multicultural Recruitment and Retention office. I was the first person in my family to achieve a degree in higher education, so it is important for me to be part of an institution that strives to help underrepresented student populations gain access to higher education opportunities and be able to be active in the overall process. FD: What does your position entail and what is your favorite part about it so far? NP: As part of the undergraduate admission team I get to travel extensively in the fall visiting several high schools and meeting prospective students and families interested in USF. In the winter, I take part in reviewing freshman admission applications and help coordinate events on campus to highlight the university and all it has to offer to admitted students in the spring. My favorite part so far is being 20
able to connect with both current USF students and prospective students and their families. My outof-state territories include Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Montana, and in California: East Los Angeles area, Central Valley, and the SF Bay Area.
The importance of Diversity FD: Why do you think it is so important to have a multicultural student population? What does it add to the campus? NP: Although the definition of diversity may vary depending on who you ask, I believe that diversity should be recognized and respected on all levels. Exposure to multicultural student populations help enrich our social development and sense of humanity. When we nurture a multicultural student presence in an institution of higher education, we present opportunities to satisfy intellectual curiosities that come from the direct insight of other students from unique backgrounds and experiences. The more we understand and respect different cultures, the better we can communicate in order to establish and maintain future relationships on both a personal and professional level. FD: Did you attend diverse institutions of learning? NP: I came from a very ethnically diverse high school student population. It was as such that I never felt like I was a minority nor excluded from Divisadero
Staff Profile: Norma Peniche interacting with other groups. I developed a more fine-tuned sense of diversity at a very early age and upon reflection feel lucky to have had a chance to relate and connect with students who came from other cultural backgrounds. FD: Considering this semester’s issue is regarding Gender and Sexuality in Latin America, did you ever personally feel discriminated for being a Latina seeking higher education? What were your parent’s views about you attending college?
make those crucial student connections. This is where initial bonds are formed between students and participants and I had the distinct pleasure in being part of that process.
Outside of USF FD:What do you like to do for fun? What are some of your hobbies?
NP: I enjoy several types of dance and yoga which allow me to balance my love of NP: I never felt personfood and cooking. I really ally discriminated against get into the festivals, art, as a Latina seeking higher and culture and my favorite education and was definiteinclude film nights in the ly very fortunate to have park, stern grove concert been fully supported in my festivals, modern art exdecision to go to college hibits at the De Young or in every which way. My SFMOMA, and cafe hopmom has always been a ping in search for the “best positive female role model and encouraged me to go The Multicultural Recruitment and Retention staff and mocha” in SF. When I get into homebody mode I love to college regardless of student assistants. to watch my DVDs (since I any obstacles that could refuse to get cable) or simply read a good book. potentially get in the way. FD: What was it like hosting Bienvenidos this year? NP: Being that it was my first year with MRR, it was important for me to honor the tradition of welcoming potential future Dons. One of my primary roles with the coordination of Bienvenidos was to recruit USF students as hosts and volunteers. As a team, we were able to secure an enthusiastic group of volunteers, a handful of them who had participated in the program themselves just the year before. There is a lot of special attention put into these overnight programs to highlight USF as a place of choice for students of color especially helping Divisadero
FD: What is something unique about you? NP: I know how to say at least one phrase in at least 10 different languages. It would be my dream to travel as much of the world as possible to build up my “world” vocabulary. FD: What is the biggest misconception people have of people from Southern California? NP:I would say the biggest misconception about Southern California is that we can all be grouped into the same category. I think we all have learned that diversity lesson by now and note that despite our differences we probably have more things in common. 21
Student Thoughts on Sexism and Gender Roles Students interviewed were asked their opinions on sexism in the Latino/a community, its prevalence, machismo and their family’s view of gender roles. The majority of students identified as Latinos/as.
The Women “Machismo is over ‘romanticized.’ Men are seen as protectors, strong and unemotional. Often times men use this excuse to hurt women which leads to domestic violence within the Latino community.” -Anonymous “My parents’ opinions on gender roles are the same as mine however my grandparents’ views could be considered traditional due to the era they grew up in.” -Maria Palma “I think machismo weakens us as a community because it limits our potential as men and women. We’re forced to live up to categories that we do not always belong to, categories that we do not wish to belong to or fit into.” -Fatima Duran “Sexism is still present in the Latino community, especially among the older generations. Yet a shift is occurring as more and more Latinas obtain a college education and establish careers.” -Jamie Lazaro “My family has always broken the mold. My grandparents and parents have always advocated female independence. This way in case a marriage fails, the woman can stand on her own two feet.” -Anonymous “My grandparents still believe that it is a woman’s job to serve her husband which I would practice because I was taught to do this. But I will not make my kids do this. I feel that men can do what women do and they should help because women have jobs as well.” -Briceyda Lopez 22
The Men “A machista is someone who is not confident with himself and sees women as objects.” -Anonymous “My views are similar to my parents’ views on gender roles. Both of my parents always worked so they had to see each other as equal. My views are the same because of this.” -Anonymous “I think machismo still exists, but there are many sides to the story.” -Marcelo Rios Muñoz “Change is in the power of the youth. If the generations that are growing up now don’t change their mind-set of sexism, it will forever exist. What children see and hear from their parents will be ingrained in them and thus sexism will continue to exist and pass from generation to generation perpetuating this cycle.” -Jack Torres “ The whole idea of machismo comes from tradition and when my family came here they didn’t bring that tradition with them.. Gender roles in my family are completely different. My parents both do everything. My mom can do what is considered the male jobs, such as painting, and my father does the laundry. Everything is equal in my household. I believe that this is the way it should be. I think that the idea of machismo should be eliminated from many men’s mind.” -Anonymous “I do feel it is present in the Latino community, I don’t think it is limited to the Latinos though. In the workplace women who work the same job as men get paid less for doing the same kind of work, this happens even though there was a law passed that gave women the right to equal pay.” -Julio Diaz
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LAS Graduates
Felicidades Graduating Latin American Studies Seniors!
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LAS MAJORS
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Mary Cavazos Gretchen Dew Jamie Lazaro Angelina Marquez Emily Nielson Raquel Ontiveros Alina Pascarel Dyan Pineda Emily Seager Violeta Velazquez
Belen Arellano Rebecca Bevans Margaret Boyle Eve Cardero Alexandra Diaz Rocio Duenas Joyce Gehr Yazmine Hwu Hidalgo Carlie Kralj Vincente Miguel Lam Jolie LeBlanc Joy Marbello Emily McPartlon Sophia Mendoza Brenda Ochoa Jessica Phan Jenta Russell Allison Thompson Samuel Vinal
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“Divisadero” is a Spanish word derived from divisar (to discern). It refers to a place of high elevation from which one can view an extensive area. Thus the goal of this newsletter is to act as a divisadero for its readers by offering them an inclusive view of the current issues of Latin America reflecting the historical, social, and political forces which drive these countries. As a collaborative publication of the Latin American Studies Program, Divisadero shares in its mission to create and strengthen the community of students, faculty, and administrators who share our interest.
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