Author Archives: Luis M. Melgar

100 Years of Dominican Feminisms

 

100 Years of Dominican Feminisms was a lecture that Ginetta Candelario, a Dominican sociologist, gave that provides insight into the true origins of feminism and its development within the Dominican Republic. Her argument and research has led her to find that feminism in its earliest forms began with Mercedes Mota, She was chosen by her sisters to attend the International Council of Women in Buffalo and represent the Dominican Republic along with a few other women. This began the journey and process of women becoming empowered and defining themselves as women. She inspired other Dominican women to achieve equality in all facets of the word and in the process own the title feminist. This movement is less investigated and known and Candelario seeks to retrace the steps of feminist thought and history.

It was very moving to hear Professor Ginetta Candelario describe her 10 years of arduous and intense research methods to discover and unearth the truth about feminism. As a Dominican woman, her passion and interest was apparent as presented her findings throughout her lecture. I did not once question her knowledge on the subject because she was quite receptive to the audience’s questions and explained the ambiguities of the story of feminism well. Candelario provided a long and detailed account of the many instrumental figures that helped provide the foundation for future feminist. The only critique I had about the lecture was that it was longer than expected and Candelario over explained when giving an answer to a question. I wasn’t able to ask her my questions and it was a bit frustrating. Overall, I would say that this lecture was informative and well executed.

Dr. Candelario clearly relates to our readings and course very poignantly as we read her book Black Behind the Ears: Dominican Racial Identity from Museums to Beauty Shops. Her work attempts to assess and describe how a Beauty Shop can create community for Dominicans. It is because each member of the community are looking out for one another. In this section we are studying the Dominican Republic and their past and current race relations. We see that there was a dislike for “blackness” in the Dominican Republic and it continues today. The progress of the Dominican Republic are marred by the Rafael Trujillo’s rule in the 20th century and still influence racial relations for Dominicans even outside the country. Racial segregation continues to exist, but in different and obscure ways. Widespread segregation within beauty shops and other races goes unquestioned. Identity remains the main challenge for many Dominicans as it was changed during the Trujillate and now with the migration to the U.S., Dominicans are having to redefine themselves yet again.

It seems that barber shops are providing outlets for these challenges, while at the same time harboring anti-blackness sentiment in subtle and overt ways. In what ways does the evolving Dominican sense of identity bring about unity amongst other Dominicans, and in what ways does it divide and exclude others?

A Look into the Volcano

The director of Ixcanul Volcano, Jayro Bustamente, beautifully captures what life in the indigenous and rural Guatemalan region near Ixcanul Volcano is like. The plot follows Maria, a young indigenous woman, who is living a life of difficult manual labor as she prepares to be married off to Don Ignacio, the plantation owner who allows her family to live in the region. Although their lives are arduous, they live simply and humbly by surviving off their own lands. Ignacio initially appears to be an honest man with hopes of reaching the United States and improve his life. The story shifts direction when we learn of Maria’s interest in Pepe, a local farmboy, who changes Maria and her family’s life forever.

Jayro Bustamente uses camera techniques and colors to instill in the audience a sense of bleakness in the vast nature filled world in Guatemala. The scenes are shot for extended periods of time and we see just how nature plays an integral part in the lives of these indigenous Mayan peoples. One can see this especially in the family’s reliance on the land’s coffee and corn harvest. Time is oriented around specific harvests and moons, especially in relation to Maria’s pregnancy and it is the main antagonist of the film in a few regards. The scenes that are the most frequently shown are that of the landscape and the labor the indigenous population experience. The sounds that are emphasized are that of nature and it is refreshing to have a film that doesn’t utilize soundtracks to move the plot. As an audience, silence is a very powerful tool that Bustamente uses throughout the film to move the plot and focus on the actions of the characters in the film.

One of the main weaknesses of the film is that it does not seem to show just how Don Ignacio has come into the position he is in. This may be due to poor character development and to add more emphasis on Maria’s story and development, but I felt that it was missing. I feel that by having more interactions with other characters, I may have been able to get  sense of what other issues trouble other indigenous families. The end is however wonderfully executed and let’s us believe that the trials and challenges that Maria faces are more widespread and unfortunately commonplace within Guatemala and perhaps for other indigenous regions of Latin America.

Ixcanul relates to the first unit in a rather moving and troubling way. Indigeneity and identity are the main foci of the film as it is in the PERLA Survey. I believe that the PERLA Survey was intended to provide Mexico and other countries with information pertaining to self-identification and demographic information. There were a number of challenges with the survey that were also presented in the film. The woman who came along with Don Ignacio was tasked with collecting census data and it was clear that she was not well trained to engage with Maria or her family.

The hope is that those involved with the PERLA Survey were sensitive to these indigenous populations and trained their staff to be able to engage openly and comfortably with all groups of people within a region. The way in which it is presented in Ixcanul would leave us to believe that it was less than ideal and not run effectively. It demonstrates that cultural, educational, and linguistic barriers are just a few of the challenges that one may face and need to be overcome when conducting surveys.

The Farming of Bones: A Review

Edwidge Danticat

Edwidge Danticat is the author of a historical fiction novel, The Farming of Bones, that follows Amabelle Desir, a Haitian-born woman and main protagonist, through her intense transformation and struggle to survive through the Haitian Massacre. The story begins and symbolically ends in the fictional town Alegría, and the story moves between border towns near the Haitian and the Dominican border. This novel was published in 1998 by Soho Press and has received many rewards and recognition since its publication, namely the American Book Award in 1999.

The Farming of Bones relates well to the challenges that many living in Hispaniola (referring to the Dominican Republic and Haiti) faced in our current unit “Race & Nation in the Dominican Republic” during the height of the Haitian Massacre. Even with clear and distinct differences in the social hierarchy among characters, Danticat skillfully crafts a narrative that demonstrates the relationships that exist among the Dominicans, Haitians, and those of mixed race and backgrounds. The past few readings relate very well to the novel as they demonstrate that although there are clear class differences, race or nationality weren’t the main impetus for the slaughter. After the Generalissimo, Rafael Trujillo, begins a slaughter of Haitians, one might be tempted to assume or wonder if the tension was always there. Why all this hardship? Why all this dislike for the other? These are just a few of the questions that our unit seeks to address so that the memory of the lives lost, the farming of bones, may one day be remembered in hopes that these injustices come to an end.

While I personally would’ve loved to have discovered the fate of a few characters, I believe that the fact that we, as readers, do not know is in itself a literary tool. It allows us to immerse ourselves into the harsh reality that we probably would not have known the fate of many who were killed, captured and even survived the massacre. Many artistic liberties taken in Danticat’s development of this book. She clearly states this early in her prologue and is intentional about this in order to produce a moving book that includes a wide array of the realities that those who lived in border towns in the Dominican Republic and Haiti experienced. Danticat draws upon historical evidence and personal interviews and is ultimately able to create a presentation and narrative that is succinct and moving, while maintaining the essence of the Haitian Massacre.

In what ways do you believe that the narrative fails or falls short of telling the story of one who were involved and experienced the Haitian Massacre? Any appraisals it deserves?

How can novels like these help us move beyond the genocides and tragedies that seem all too common throughout history and even this day in age?

 

Danticat, E. (1998). The Farming of Bones. New York: Soho Press.

The Black Orpheus

Orpheus and Eurydice

Orfeu Negro tells the story of two Latin lovers who parallel the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in this Brazilian adaptation directed by Marcel Camus. The story is set in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro during the Carnaval season in 1959. The two main protagonists, aptly named Orfeu de Babilonia and Euridice, encounter each other by chance on the way to their homes. Euridice has left her home fleeing from a dangerous figure and is visiting her cousin Serafina, while Orfeu is returning to his fiancée Mira and preparing for the Carnaval festivities. Although promised to Mira, Orfeu irresistibly falls for Euridice beauty. Orfeu’s charm and musical talent make him a very admirable character and he risks much in his pursuit of Euridice, which creates tension between other female characters, principally Mira. The tale of two lovers is moving and is an excellent adaptation of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, with many allusions to the myth made throughout the film.

Orfeu Negro depicts a lively Brazilian culture that is rich with music, dance and diversity. It does a decent job of including people of all colors and the norms of the very affectionate and intimate Brazilian way of life, but the question is; How accurate is this French Interpretation? There are many medium to light skinned individuals in this film which demonstrates the racial and ethnic mixture that exists in Brazil that seems to embrace this feeling of equality and joy, but is this the reality of those living in and around Rio de Janeiro? This film also includes ethnocentric depictions of candomblé, religion and omens of Brazilian culture that directly relate to the symbols and emphasis of gods and fate within the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. This was one of the strengths of the film because this is a nuanced adaptation of a classic story and captures the essence of the myth well. One can see this in the names that Camus gives to the characters. Names such as Orfeu and Euridice directly relate to the story and even early on in the film when Orfeu and Mira seek out a marriage documents. The clerk jokes about Orfeu being with a Euridice, but the characters are unaware of how connected their stories truly will be. This is also true of the maintenance man at the end of Orfeu Negro because his role is very similar to that of Charon, the ferryman of the Underworld and Sisyphus as he ceaselessly attempts to clean up the loose pages in the building, or rather the lost souls…

Orfeu Negro relates to the course material because, as we have read in our course, Brazil was a place that depicts itself as truly accepting of people of all colors and backgrounds. The focus in this film is that Afro-Brazilians are a very warm and lively people who value the arts and romance rather than focusing on how one specifically identifies is strongly related to the idea of the false racial democracy. Orfeu doesn’t address the issue of race and ethnicity as it was during the mid-20th century. It avoids that aspect of life entirely in Brazil. This would be the main weakness of the film; it only seems to highlight positive aspects of life in Brazil. It shows how even in media and the entertainment industry, issues of color are not accurately depicted and further blurs or even eliminates the fact that there are any issues at all during the mid-20th century Brazil. Can we trust this French interpretation of Brazilian culture and society, or must we be wary to not stereotype an entire city, let alone an entire country such as Brazil?

A Closer Look Into Nora’s Will- Luis Melgar

La Tía Leah en Nora’s Will

Directed by Mariana Chenillo, Nora’s Will surrounds the death of Nora Kurtz who, prior to her suicide, invites several guests to a Passover dinner. Each person invited was involved someway in her life. Jose Kurtz, her ex-husband, finds Nora after she overdosed on pills and proceeds to revisit his own past with her and investigate the curious events that led up to her death. The plot follows a number of characters, but primarily Jose, who learns that while he and Nora were married there was another lover in the picture which pushes us through the rest of the film.

Chenillo does an excellent job of providing a central point for the story; the suicide of Nora and the struggle her friends, family, and the local Jewish religious leaders go through as they prepare for her burial. I found that the premise in the movie is fantastic in that there are many elements that the audience can relate to. Themes surrounding death, family and faith are all key aspects of this film. Although I would have liked to learn exactly what intent Nora has for Jose, the open ending might be interpreted in a way that we ourselves don’t always have closure with regards to death. The finality of death can make one uneasy and unsettled among many other emotions. Nora’s will for Jose allows the audience to immerse themselves into his life and it either gives us consolation and satisfaction, or it makes us reflect about what a loved one in our own life would write to us. I did not really find many weaknesses in the film aside from the casting selection. The representation of darker skinned Fabiana, a handmaiden for the Kurtz family, as a subserviant and Christian woman seems to fall into the stereotype that is constantly perpetuated in the film industry, but aside from that I have no major critiques. I enjoyed the sprinkles of wit, humor and irony with the various Jewish faith references as it alleviated the emotions that surrounded Nora’s death.

This film is excellent in that it plays into the themes that we are currently undertaking in our “Race in Latin America” course. Although this is a film that can be understood to have taken place within the past 15 years, there is a connection that resonates with just about any person within any given time period; the changes that occur throughout life and the relationships that make up a person, and what is left after death. The rituals, customs and culture are brought out constantly throughout this film and relate to how groups of people come together from all walks of life surrounding major life events. We have to be mindful about others cultural and religious practices when different traditions cost. A perfect example of this dynamic can be seen with Moises and Fabiana. Initially there were tensions amongst the two as Fabiana, a devout Christian, and Moises, a Jewish convert and Shomer, engage with each other. Moises would later share that he grew up near the same town that Fabiana was from. This changes the relationship between the two, and they find that they have many more similarities than they initially thought.

Our course seeks to find the ways into which we perceive “the other.” The ideas that keep two groups of people apart can purely subjective and ideological in nature. Once we begin to look into the character of other groups, faiths, and cultures, we can then more astutely make suggestions as to how we associate. Was this Nora’s will or intention in the end? That is, to bring groups of people who apparently don’t belong… together, to share a meal? We may never know…

From Mestizophilia to Biotypology

A review by Luis Melgar

Biotypologist Examining an Indigenous Person

Between the 1920s and the 1960s, Mexico underwent many changes in power and governance and in its struggle to find unity and cohesion sought to establish a racialized system that would create a Mexican identity which would serve as a model for the world. This seemed to be more viable and less abhorrent at the time with the use of biotypology, a form of classifying human characteristics, instead of castes with the aim of simplifying Mexico. Ultimately, this system and many before it would fail in its attempts and would only further complicate the turbulent mapping of a 20th century Mexico.

This reading is a secondary source because it was published in 2003 and cites time periods and theories from the early to mid-20th century. This source was created as an attempt to follow and find the path that Mexico took in its attempt to find its identity.

Mestizophilia to Biotypology is a reading that contributes to “Indigeneity in Mexico” very well because it reviews key time periods that shaped how Indigeneity is perceived and categorized throughout 4 main time periods: the Porfiriato (1876-1910), the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), the postrevolutionary movement (1920-1940) and the Partido Revolucionario Institucional era (1940-60s) p.188

The reading was well researched and incorporates various schools of thoughts and theories that were emphasized during each of the time periods mentioned. The introduction was confusing initially, but after having completed the reading, I was able to read and understand the introduction in a new light. It tells a compelling story that follows mexico’s complex racial timeline. The examples cited are relevant and effective. It does require that the reader have a background in Mexican history to make sense of the references used, but thankfully we have had that in our course thus far.

I also feel that a diagram or chart that gives a clear and visual timeline that I could follow easily would add to this chapter and illustrate the racialization shifts in Mexico well. This may be difficult due to the constantly changing Mexican racial landscape. The author mentions this early on in the reading and reiterates this in the conclusion once again. Nonetheless, the reading was easy to follow.

It is clear that much time and effort was put into the eugenic and biotypological “research”. It has certain elements and influences from other factors such as Comte’s Positivism, Lamarck’s Theory, Mendelism from the 1940s.

Why do you think that there was so much emphasis and stress on identifying a people or group of people?

What do you think occurred after biotypology and where does that leave Mexico, in particular, today?