BalancingAnger, Hyperbole and Criticism ByRodolfoF. AcuñaWriting books and writingblogs are similar. They should be truth. If they were not the author losescredibility and his/her ability to convince suffers. This is how it should be. But Arizona is testing this rule of thumb.
The assault on the truth inArizona makes it impossible for those seeking the truth to get traction, andlike Sisyphus; they fall into a rut with the boulder rolling back on them, atevery turn.
Because of the apparentfutility and ability to communicate, people become dispirited. Those whocontinue to fight have to resort to hyperbole to get their message across. Theybecome so desperate that they want to emotionally shake up people to get theirattention.
A hyperbole is defined as anexaggeration of fact, but in my experience this not necessarily true. Thespeaker just wants to wake up people.
Hyperbole was used in the1960s before the anti-war demonstrations when students were told that they wereexaggerating the truth. When people finally woke up thousands ofAmericans, and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese were dead.
The truth be told, a motivatedstudent mass stopped the use of nuclear weapons and the bombing of innocentcivilians. At home changes were brought about by politicized students, whichmade possible the enrollment minorities into all white student campuses.
Students were interested in amore just society, and they were attracted to groups that had a social purpose.Consequently, the number of fraternities and sororities fell drastically oncollege campuses.
American students, for a brieftime, became more like European and Latin American students who havehistorically been politically and socially active.
One of the roles of studentswas to act as champions of the underdog and confront tyranny. Because ofthis, Latin American students were targeted by dictators.
The United States does nothave a tradition of student activism. And recent in times campus activism hasbecome an endangered species.
It is difficult to build massmovements on campuses when public colleges and universities have beenprivatized, and tuition at four year public institutions run close to $10,000 ayear.
My reaction to this apathy haspassed through stages, beginning with frustration and then turning into anger.The Arizona experience has lessened my patience.
The Arizona reality is thatcorporations have taken over state and local governments and most electedofficials have capitulated to corporate interests. It is not hyperbole when Isay that Arizona has become a fascist state where “[a]ll pretenses of democracyare flung to the winds.” In Germany it began with the suppression of labor andthen teachers; in Arizona these sectors have been reduced to a whimper.
In times like these I havefound myself trying too hard, and becoming a motivational speaker instead of ateacher, relying on what some may call hyperboles to make my point. But, is ita case of exaggeration? In a democratic society this something we cannot answerunless we are allowed to test the facts, which is impossible in Arizona.
As an educator I am alwayssearching for reasons why students are so apathetic. The other day I was at anevent at Tia Chuchas, a community center in Sylmar, California, where Iappeared with Luis RodrÃguez, an internationally known novelist. Luis and hiswife Trini founded and fund Tia Chuchas.
The audience was made upmostly of students with some community activists present. Among otherthings we discussed the situation in Tucson and the state and future ofChicana/o Studies. There was only one other university professor presentalthough there were several teachers.
During the discussion period,I noticed that the students were willing to criticize the system but weresilent about their programs and teachers. The silence was almostdeafening.
I saw this silence as one ofthe major reasons as to why there has not been a major revolt amongprogressives in Arizona and among Chicana/o Studies professors nationwide. Myfeeling is that we have either grown complacent or that we cannot handle the truth.
I asked the attendees why theywere not angry. Why haven’t they criticized, for example, the Chicana/o StudiesDepartment at California State University at Northridge? Were thestudents satisfied that only two or three professors attend MEChA meetings andthat, for the most part, the overwhelming majority of Chicana/o studiesprofessors nationally have been complacent about the destruction of the TucsonUnified School District Mexican American Studies Program?
Where is our sense ofcommunity? Where is our sense of pride? Why aren’t we mad as hell? I remindedthem that every social movement is based on moral outrage.
I knew instantly that I hadpushed the choir too hard; however, it did provoke a discussion.
Luis was the voice of reason.He cautioned that anger could also be very destructive. Many community programshave been destroyed by unbridled anger and what often amounted to unreasonabledemands.
I conceded the point but Ipointed out that there is a danger in being reluctant to criticize Chicana/oprofessors and administrators because they are our friends. This is the symptomof a much greater national problem.
As it turned out, theNorthridge MEChA students are frustrated by the lack of involvement of theirprofessors. However, they do not want to push the criticism too far, they donot want to get angry and break relations. Therefore, nothing changes.
Relationships differed in thesixties and seventies when some programs went through periods of turmoil.Criticism often went too far and programs perished or entered into a state ofjust existing.
What is happening in Chicana/oStudies is a microcosm of what is happening in society. The same thing ishappening within professional and community organizations and in the politicalarena. Few leaders or politicos have contact with the mass of students or thepublic. Their world is comprised of a professional activist class made up ofwhat have become their friends and in many cases their extended family.
After the Tia Chucha meeting Icontinued the dialogue. The students said that they had tried to talk tofaculty members and that they responded that they did not go to MEChA meetingsbecause MEChA was not like it was in the early days or that they were teachingduring the hours of the MEChA meetings.
I asked them why they did notpress the professors as why they didn’t go to the meetings to make MEChA likeit was in sixties. Also, why didn’t they change their schedule in orderto make the meetings?
The truth be told, theprofessors were giving pretexts. Most of today’s faculty members were in gradeschool in 1970. If they were in MEChA it was in decline. Moreover, most are notinvolved off campus, and they are not heavily involved in professionalactivities.
Maybe I am over simplifying itbut involvement with students is part of teaching (it is called mentoring). Ifwe don’t like teaching, we should find another profession.
But that is another story. Thequestion is why is there so much apathy? Are students and faculty partlyresponsible for the apathy? Why is there so much apathy in society?
Is the answer for students toget mad as hell and act like Robespierre, creating a climate where the MadamGuillotine lops off heads? Given today’s times, what was good in the 1790s isnot necessarily a model for today.
We are at the point thatsocial movements, outside the bought off Tea Partyers and the small Occupy WallStreeters, have become complacent and reluctant to criticize not only theirprofessors but their elected officials and leaders.
Those who do not want to goalong with the situation escape into social media like Facebook where they haverelatively little impact. (What is happening in the Middle East and Europe isan aberration. I concede that social media can be used to motivate people. Thequestion is, how?)
Ironically, you cannot evenescape criticism by writing in the isolation of Facebook. Many of my friendsobject to my portrayal of Latino National Organizations and leaders and theLatino community’s cheerleading of the political processes. They are notcomfortable with criticism.
A sail boat is called a sailboat because its sails pick up the wind. If you do not have any wind the boatdoes not move and you do not reach your destination. Without using hyperbole,we are going to have to blow wind into the sails of our community.
In this context, Arizona hasgiven us a powerful wakeup call,
If we cannot deal withproblems in Arizona; if we cannot hold onto a basic program like MexicanAmerican Studies; if we cannot get the federal government to enforce the U.S.Constitution, how in the hell can we call ourselves a political force?
We have more than enoughpeople to move a progressive agenda. But, it can only be achieved throughunited action. This will not happen as long as we live under illusions such asChicano Power; we are the Number 1 Minority; we are the future. All that mattersis if we can get the boat to sail and tack our way to a common destination.
The alternative is to staystuck in the middle of the ocean and do nothing. But, if we do nothing the endwill be to drown in the cesspool that our society is becoming.
Ed. note; The Bilingual Multicultural Education Dept. at CSU-Sacramento had many of the characteristics of Chicano Studies. It graduated more Chicano teachers in northern California than any other institution. It was terminated in Spring 2012.
The story of how and why is here. https://sites.google.com/site/democracyandeducationorg/chicano-mexican-american-digital-history-project/history-of-bilingual-education-dept-at-sac-state
Depositions begin this week in the caseagainst HB 2281. You can donate by clicking on to http://saveethnicstudies.org/ . Weare run entirely by volunteers; however, depositions are expensive. Please donateat least $5 a month.
Depositions have started in the case against Sean Arce and José González.Four hours of depositions were taken of both Arce and Gonzalez. Our sidedeposed Ward this past week. Please donate: https://www.wepay.com/donations/144408
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder