2022

2022

 My reading list this year has been relatively short, hopefully I'll be able to read more over summer!

My Reading List:

Pump Room,1804 by John Nattes.
Stapleton Collection. 

Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey. Harrap's, 2022. 

- Northanger Abbey is a commentary on friendship, love, and imagination. And no, it is not "My Little Pony." The main character, Catherine Morland, goes to Bath with her family friend and meets Henry Tilney. Catherine becomes close friends with Eleanor, Henry's sister, and becomes closer to the Tilney family. However, Isabella Thorpe- Catherine's closest friend in Bath- attempts to set Catherine up with her brother John. John is rude and unintelligent, while Henry is smart, kind, and has a lot in common with Catherine. Catherine has to learn who her real friends are throughout the novel. 

Christenson, Allen J. Popol Vuh: Sacred Book of the Quiche Maya People. University of Oklahoma Press, 2003. 

- The Popol Vuh is the sacred book of the Maya, and tells their origin story. Here we learn about how humanity was formed and reformed until they could properly worship the gods. Then, we learn about One Hunahpu and Seven Hunahpu, sons of Xcumane and Xpiyacoc- who formed humanity. They were tricked by the lords of Xibalba and died. One Hunahpu's sons, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, then tricked and killed the lords of Xibalba. They also overthrew Seven Macaw, a false king. They show that the Maya favored intelligence and morality in their leaders.

Video about the defeat of Seven Macaw by the Hero Twins.

From Eye of Serpent

Holmes, Seth M. Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies Migrant Farmworkers in the United States. Univ. of California Press, 2014. 

Author Seth Holmes, Second from Left (Standing), Preparing to sneak
across the US/Mexico Border with Triqui Migrant Farm Workers.
Photo courtesy of Seth Holmes.

- Seth Holmes is an anthropologist that traveled with indigenous Triqui from Oaxaca, Mexico to Skagit Valley, Washington, where he would then work with them picking strawberries. He also migrated to California to work in fields down there with his companions, and he compiled his work into a study encouraging Americans to participate in pragmatic solidarity towards migrant workers (our purchases, language, etc.). It's enlightening to learn the struggles of farm workers and what truly goes in to providing our foods.

Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut

Vonnegut, Kurt. Galapagos. Random House, Inc, 1985. 

- Galapagos is a work by Kurt Vonnegut in which he explores Darwinian theory while making a commentary on humanity's choices. A boat of tourists go to the Galapagos islands for a tropical cruise, and while they are there the rest of humanity is infected by a disease rendering them infertile. This group of tourists is stranded on Santa Rosalia and they serve as the genetic basis for the remainder of humanity. Vonnegut's quirky storyline and characters make for an interesting case study of how the founder effect can change a population.

Theme Project

This semester we had a group project for Latin American Humanities in which we explored the extent to which authority affected various aspects of a culture (ideas, skills, art, institutions). Ever-changing authorities in Latin America have had a profound effect on their culture, making Latin America a unique mix of their indigenous and colonial cultures. I enjoyed being able to see all my work from this semester put into a cohesive project in which you can see how the authority in this region has affected the culture.

Map of Ancient Latin American Civilizations

I spent a total of 6 hours on this project. I spent about 1 hour formatting the first draft and completing the introductory slides, and then 2 hours on the second draft- formatting and doing my sections for the ancient/contemporary Maya and the ancient Olmec. The final draft took me about 3 hours to complete my parts, which included making suggested edits, making sure the project fit the rubric, formatting, and finishing my parts.

I had a great group this semester and we communicated very well and everyone did their fair share! I feel we had very quality work and our division of labor was very equal. We all took turns doing the skills for each section and we chose another aspect to focus on- I chose to look at ideas. 

End of Class Reflection

Statues of saints inside of the Church
of Santiago Apostol in indigenous clothing.
Photo from Pueblo a Pueblo.

My goal for this class was to learn more about Latin American culture, which tends to be glossed over in high school courses. I feel as if I learned a lot more about Latin America, especially the ancient Maya and Olmec, whose cultures are not typically taught. The Mayan origin story, the Popol Vuh, was particularly interesting because I had never even heard of it! I love mythology, so learning about Mayan mythology was exciting for me.

I had a general knowledge about each of our topics within this class, but I feel as if I have a new lens with which to approach modern issues. I did learn a lot about modern indigenous Latinos, as I had very little knowledge of their syncretic traditions. 

Works Cited

Holmes, Seth M., and Tom Philpott. “Author Seth Holmes, Second from Left (Standing), Preparing to Sneak across the US/Mexico Border with Triqui Migrant Farm Workers. .” Mother Jones, WordPress VIP, 31 Oct. 2013, https://www.motherjones.com/food/2013/10/rough-passage-what-its-cross-border-harvest-your-food/. Accessed 26 Apr. 2022. 

L., Karen. “Map of Ancient Latin American Civilizations. .” CK-12, CK-12 Foundation, 28 July 2016, www.ck12.org/user:a2fyzw4ubgf3c29uqhrjc2vkds5uzxq./book/tennessee-7th-grade-social-studies-world-history%3a-the-fall-of-rome-to-the-age-of-exploration/section/10.6/. 

Nattes, John  Claude. Pump Room. 1804, Stapleton Collection. 

“Popol Vuh 5: Seven Macaw and the Hero Twins.” YouTube, Eye of the Serpent, 11 May 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVyRhdZuuy8. 

Pueblo a Pueblo. “Statues of Saints inside the Church of Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlan Are Dressed in Colorful Clothing Reminiscent of the Dress of Indigenous Townsfolk. Flowers Symbolize Life and Resurrection.” NBC News, NBC Universal, 12 Apr. 2017, www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mayan-catholic-easter-tradition-yes-santiago-atitl-n-guatemala-n745176. 

Vonnegut, Kurt. “Cover of Galapagos.” Firefly Bookstore, Firefly Bookstore, www.fireflybookstore.com/galapagos/.