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Ain\u27t Nothin but a G(raffiti) Thang
Get PDFThis research creates an oral history of graffiti by assembling recollections from former graffiti artists that lived in East Los Angeles in the 1990’s to mid-2000’s, when they were affiliated with various Latino graffiti gangs. At this time, the urban environment of East LA was defined by the racial and ethnic segregation as well as hostilities along those same lines (Davis 1990). This hostility and subsequent territorialization was a remnant of the Los Angeles riots of 1992. Latino gang members were labeled as cholos in Los Angeles, although graffiti gangs rejected that moniker (they did at times have alliances with cholos, however). In that context, these marginalized communities began establishing territories and reconfiguring urban space in East Los Angeles. Gangs rose in prominence, and graffiti was a means of marking turf, territory, and community. The simple dichotomy between art and vandalism, therefore, inadequately captures the social realities of the graffiti writers in urban environments. The limits of these conceptual categories are especially evident in seemingly contradictory descriptions of graffiti as “nuisance street art,” “crimes of style” and “beautiful crimes.”. Both terms — art and vandalism — describe the same product of distinct but simultaneous social process (Ferrell 1993).Graffiti gangs were a new creation during this time, and while they were still sometimes connected to other gang activity, their identities were largely constructed by their autonomous tagging (the nickname for graffiting). When we classify graffiti only as vandalism, we dismiss the complexity of the multifaceted relationship between the walls, the urban landscape, ethics, and artistic expression in East Los Angeles. Graffiti is also an art form. It is connected to the social movements of America’s lower classes and their attempts to have a voice, reclaim public space, and denounce property and ownership. In this sense it has the unique duality of being both an art and a crime. At the same time, it has also been used to convey threats of violence, mark urban territory, and signal to others/communicate messages. For East LA graffiti gangsters of the 90s and 2000s graffiti was a pledge of allegiance to their territory and the legacy of their community they remember. This is the focus of my research
Making the exotic familiar: Representing Chinese Culture in Chicago\u27s Chinatown
Get PDFChanges in Chinese American culture in Chicago\u27s Chinatow
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and The Myth of Japanese Homogeneity
Get PDFThe Olympics opening and closing ceremonies are full of culturally symbolic messages about the host country’s identity including their national myths, values, and character. Promoted under the title of “Unity in Diversity”, Japan’s Tokyo 2020 olympics challenged the popular myth of Japanese homogeneity through its intentional representation of multiracial athletes and performers throughout the opening ceremony events, and the subtle nod to the Ainu and Ryukyuan indigenous communities within Japan
“Teaching First-Year Seminar: The hidden curriculum of culture, history, and heritage at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Get PDFTeaching First-Year Seminar: The hidden curriculum of culture, history, and heritage at Historically Black Colleges and Universities Abstract First Year Seminar (FYS) is a commonly used retention tool developed to support the progression and encourage the completion of college for students during their initial year of post-secondary education. Yet very little is known about the pedagogical approaches of FYS instructors, particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This study specifically explores the experiences and pedagogical perceptions of HBCU FYS instructional professionals. The researchers interviewed six participants to understand ways in which these institutional agents, specifically instructors, leveraged tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy and aspects of fictive kinship to enact social justice, within teaching approaches. Based on the coding and interpretation of semi-structured qualitative interviews, the results uncovered attempts to culturally reach and teach students. Thus, the researchers argue, that HBCU FYS instructors practice a hidden curriculum of instruction informed by Black culture and the institution’s history as a form of explicating heritage as capital in teaching
“Where is the solidarity?”: Black women’s experiences attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution
Get PDFThe topic of diversity and equity in the field of higher education has primarily been explored through examining the experience of Black students attending Predominantly White Institutions. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) enroll 16% of Black college students (Nuñez, et al., 2015), yet there is a dearth of research that explores their experiences. Despite the increase representation of Black college students attending HSIs, existing HSI research has focused on the student success and experiences of Hispanic students. In light of these limitations, this paper presents a qualitative-case study exploring the experiences of five Black women attending a HSI located in an urban city. Interviews were conducted with the participants and the data were analyzed using Hurtado et al.’s (2012) Multicontextual Model of Diverse Learning Environments as a theoretical framework. Results offer insight that the participants did not feel like they were included in the institution’s definition of diversity. Findings also highlight the significance of the local community in constructing perceptions of institutional diversity for Black college women. Participants initially chose to attend this HSI expecting inclusion, however, their overall experience speaks to the reproduction of social hierarchies in higher education settings. This article expands and contributes to understandings of Minority Serving Institutions and complicates perceptions of diverse higher education settings
Healing Justice Spaces: Virtual Intersections of Religion, Environmentalism, and Social Justice
Get PDFHealing justice (HJ) is a term and movement created by queer and trans people of color which combats the burnout and ableism in social justice work. It was created in response to the lack of access to quality healing services and health care for oppressed peoples and centers the decolonial modalities of healing used by oppressed communities. Healing justice holistically intervenes on intergenerational trauma and violence by providing individual and collective care, pushing back against the co-opting and capitalizing of Black and Indigenous healing practices to exclude the communities they were originally created to serve. I conducted virtual ethnographic research with a Los Angeles-based grassroots organization at the center of this movement, called Dignity & Power Now. Community members in the organization participate in digital healing justice spaces which were created due to the inability to gather in person. Work within these spaces facilitates connection to nature, spirituality, and activism in the non-digital lives of the individuals who participate. Work within these spaces allows individuals to claim their stories, develop sovereignty over the bodies, and empower their communities
Hungarian Historical Hysteria
Get PDFThis paper analyzes the deployment of Hungary\u27s historical memory of national movements by Viktor Orban and FIDESZ. This deployment is designed to cement Orban\u27s authoritarian grip over Hungary, as historical threats to Hungarian nationalism are invoked to legitimize Orban\u27s goal of an illiberal democracy