Category: Portrait of a Word

Raymond Rambarose

Professor Carrie Hall

ENG 1101

18 March 2019

 

Bacchanal

“Oh gosh! There is big bacchanal goin’ on in Trinidad” my grandmother says surprised and upset. I was in the living room sitting on the couch while she was sitting to my right. The room was dim with only the TV as lighting while playing the weekend news. My grandmother had just heard some frustrating news on the phone from my uncle in Trinidad. Not even a month has passed from the death of my grandmother’s sister and the other side of the family is already fighting for the property that my side was left with. This all sounds like the definition of bacchanal, but what is (a) bacchanal?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines bacchanal as “A wild and drunken celebration”. The word originates from the mid 16^th century. It derives from the Latin word bacchanalis, but is most popularly known to come from the god Bacchus; the Roman God of wine. To me and the Trinidadian community the word bacchanal primarily means both drama and to party. It is rarely used outside of the Trini community, yet it is all around us. From the streets to the school to the workplace to the household people are either in conflict or having a good time.

Trinidad is a Caribbean island that is located in the West Indies. The accent and slang of the Trinidadian people is like a language of its own. It flows up and down beautifully, but can also get a little annoying. Trini language has an English base, but is also made up of words and phrases from African, East Indian, Amerindian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and other languages. It is so complex to learn and sometimes understand for outsiders, but is very entertaining to search up the abundance of different words. One Trini word you should know is bacchanal because it is widely used throughout the country and among it’s people. So how does the Trini community use bacchanal?

Any drama or conflict in Trinidad is bacchanal. It is a fight between two or more people; either verbal, physical or even both. Picture two coolie guys drinking in a rum shop. One of them has a little too much to drink and confesses his love for the other guy’s sister. The guy gets mad and puts rell licks on the man. A Trini bystander will see this and go “wey, you see that bacchanal in di rum shop?”.

Bacchanal is used frequently with drama, but another substantial meaning is a big party, event or celebration. One specific bacchanal is the biggest celebration in Trinidad which is Carnival. Carnival is held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. People travel from all across the globe to party during carnival for day on end. They wear colorful costumes and parade through the streets while music blares and entertains the masses. The music that is most popular during this event includes calypso and soca.

Carnival originated through slaves who worked in French plantations. Back in the 18^th century French plantation owners threw masquerades and balls. Slaves were not allowed to participate so they created their own celebration called Canboulay. They would beat bamboo sticks together and later used frying pans, lids and oil barrels as drums in order to create what is now the popular music calypso which now uses steelpans. Canoublay has turned into Carnival over the years. The Spanish also celebrated Carnival while Trinidad was a Spanish colony. The Spanish thought of the word bacchanal as carnival, which they celebrated in Trinidad like the French. Carnival is known as the biggest Bacchanal in Trinidad up to today.

To sum it up, bacchanal is a significant word in Trinidad culture that has two big meanings. The meanings are both drama/conflict and events/celebrations. Bacchanal was originally a Latin word which originated from the Roman God of Wine; Bacchus. It is now regarded as a Trini word within the Caribbean. When people argue and fight there is big bacchanal going on. Carnival is one of the biggest bacchanals held annually. Bacchanal has two pretty opposing meanings yet they are used just as frequent.

 

Works Cited:

Meihy, José Carlos Sebe, and Jonathan Ritter. “Carnival.” Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture, edited by Jay Kinsbruner and Erick D. Langer, 2nd ed., vol. 2, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2008, pp. 130-132. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3078901175/GVRL?u=cuny_nytc&sid=GVRL&xid=f2a22da5.

“Bacchanal.” Urban Dictionary, www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Bacchanal.

“Trinidad Carnival: the Birth & Evolution.” Discover Trinidad & Tobago, 29 Apr. 2018, www.discovertnt.com/articles/Trinidad/The-Birth-Evolution-of-Trinidad-Carnival/109/3/32#axzz4ZRlw7vuI.

“Bacchanal | Definition of Bacchanal in English by Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English, Oxford Dictionaries, en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bacchanal.

 

Deonarine Karan

English 1101

Professor Carrie Hall

 

“The Backstory of the word Coolie”

      Guyana is the only South American nation in which English is the official language. Although, Guyana is in South America it’s considered to be part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. The majority of the population, however, speak Guyanese Creole, an English-based creole language, as a first language. Guyana is part of the Anglophone Caribbean. British Guiana was the name of the British colony, part of the British West Indies, on the northern coast of South America, now known as the independent nation of Guyana.  Have you ever heard the term “Coolie” before? Now used in the Caribbean (primarily Guyana & Trinidad) to refer to anyone of East Indian origin. The word today is usually associated with the history of the Caribbean, in fact, “coolie” had been used as a slur against low-wage, immigrant laborers in the United States. “It’s widely believed that the word “coolie” is derived from the South Indian language Tamil, in which the word “kuli” means wages (“A History Of Indentured Labor Gives ‘Coolie’ Its Sting” by Lakshmi Gandhi). The word coolie can be mistaken for the word “dougla. But “dougla” is someone that is a mixed with both african and indian descent. A coolie is a person that is only of full indian descent. But the dictionary definition of coolie says we are unskilled native laborer in India, China, or some other Asian countries. Many West Indians that come to New York live in Richmond Hill, Queens its a diverse neighborhood with many ethnicities like Jamaican, Trini, Guyanese, Dominican, and Puerto Rican.

               East and South Asians that traveled to the Americas as part of a system of indentured labor used throughout the British colonies. The word would enter the English language in the 1830s, as the indentured labor system gained currency as a replacement for the use of slavery in the British Empire. Although the word “coolie” is primarily associated today with the histories of the Caribbean and South America, indentured labor was a widespread in the mid-19th century America. The workers would work for low wages and live in poor living conditions, the word “coolie” became a derogatory code for Asians in the United States. The anti-Chinese labor sentiment was so high that in 1862, Abraham Lincoln signed an “anti-coolie” bill that “banned transportation of ‘coolies’ in ships owned by citizens of the United States of America.” Chinese labor and the “coolies” would surface again during the construction of the Panama Canal. After intense initial resistance, the Theodore Roosevelt administration elected to allow “coolie labor” to work on the canal in 1906. The decision to use “coolie labor” on the canal was a reversal of course for Theodore Roosevelt. The anti-Asian sentiment that existed in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, the word “coolie” was also used by fashion designers to describe Asian inspired clothes and accessories. There were “Coolie hats”, “Coolie coats” and “coolie pajamas”. In 1950, Spring Training was about to begin, Jimmy Powers from the New York Daily accused Branch Rickey (Jackie Robinson manger) of paying his players “coolie wages” after two members of the team were reportedly asked to take pay cuts.

               (The Chinese Coolie trade) Indian workforce was brought to a halt in 1839, Guyana proprietors were pressed to consider further alternatives. According to Clementi, the first hint that British Guyana should look to China for a supply of free labour dated back to 1811 but  not until January 1853 that the first shipment of 262 Chinese ‘coolies’ arrived in the colony on board the Glentanner. Two years later migration to the colony was “suspended due to financial pressures. For example, (Guyanese) Girl: Ay coolie bai wah yuh do? Boy: Nothing coolie gyal meh deh hea,( Trini) Girl: Ay coolie bwoy, i tell yuh tuh put di ting ova der in di corna. Boy: Coolie gyul ah do it , and ( Jamaican)  Girl: Wha gwan dey rude bwoy, Boy: Nuttin, we guh lock it up tonite. Coolie even refers to West Indian descent who have spend years and many more years to consider whether it is really chicken curry or curried chicken. People from Trinidad would say it’s Curried Chicken and people from where I’m from (Guyana) would say chicken curry but at the end there both the same.

            My parents were born and raised in Guyana and my ancestors were from India. Guyana

is one of the original colonies of the British West Indies and, although not located in the Caribbean Sea. It is home to a number of ethnic and racial identities, including peoples of African, Indian, Chinese, European and Amerindian descent. Today, the word “coolie” has largely faded from use everyday life. But for many in the Caribbean community, the word is a painful reminder of the troubled history of indentured labor in the Americas.

 

Works Cited:

Williams, Karen. “Coolie: A History.” Google, Google, 2015, www.google.com/amp/s/mediadiversified.org/2016/06/29/coolie-a-history/amp/.

“Coolie Trade in the 19th Century.” College of Liberal Arts | University of Minnesota, 16 June 2015, cla.umn.edu/ihrc/news-events/other/coolie-trade-19th-century.

UNIT 2 MLA ESSAY

Zevanya

Carrie Hall

1101-D355

March 17 2019

The Outcasts

Around a year ago, I was in a car with my best friend, her parents and her parents’ friend (Tante T). We were on our way to a teacher’s wedding reception when we stumbled upon a homeless person on the street asking for change. I clearly remember her parent’s friend said, “tuh kan karena orang-orang inilah negara Indonesia enggak maju. Yah boleh dibilang sampah-masyarakat kita la” (this is why Indonesia never improve economic wise, it’s because of these poor people. I guess you can say, they’re basically our society’s trash) I was fueled with so much anger and annoyance because do you think they wanted to be poor? Are you saying that just because YOU’RE MORE PRIVILEGED you have the right to talk down at them? Have you ever tried to understand them instead of blaming them? I wanted to ask her all of these questions so eagerly but it was considered very disrespectful to talk back at elders and they would say how “young people’s” opinions are invalid because they are young and clueless.

Not long after the incident with Tante T there was a talk show called ‘Kick Andy’. It was similar to Ted Talk and it just so happens that the topic was about “sampah masyarakat.” During the talk, it briefly explains the definition of the word which means outcasts or in direct translation society’s trash. They were talking about the homeless, prostitutions and children born outside of wedlock. I never knew the word represented so many communities besides the homeless. I would be lying if I said I have no problem with young females or males becoming prostitutes but behind every title there’s a story. A story that not many know or care to know because a majority of Indonesians are self-centered, ignorant and judgmental.

In relation to the homeless, it turns out that the two main causes behind our country’s poverty are corruption and unstable food prices, especially rice. According to Project, T.B, “25 percent of Indonesians reported having paid a bribe to obtain identification documents, and one in seven reported having paid a bribe to utility services in the past twelve months.” (p. 3) “These problems impede the development of Indonesia’s public infrastructure including electricity generation and provision of clean water.” (p. 4) In other words, numerous Indonesians are blinded by their ego and are unaware how it is affecting the society especially the less fortunate. I’ve seen news about children in Indonesia falling ill and dying due to insufficient access to potable water. In addition, The World Bank economist Ndiame Diop stated that the reason behind the fluctuation of food prices is because Indonesia has low farm productivity (caused by the old-fashioned technology), almost no progress in new crop development and when there are scarce food supplies, the country is unable to instantly accept imports. This shows how the homeless people aren’t the cause of our country’s poor economic development instead they’re the victims.

Not only are the homeless people victims but so are prostitutes. As I’ve mentioned earlier, most Indonesians are Muslim and the remaining population is either Christian, Catholic, Buddhist or Hindu. In other words, Indonesia is a very religious country which is what makes it so diverse but how is it possible for a country that implements numerous norms and values have prostitution as the most grossing career? According to Pomchertchoo, “it becomes clear that poverty remains a key driver that leads individuals and even families into prostitution.” (p. 10)
In the article “Indonesia’s sex trade ‘impossible’ to shut down”, a mother named Ratu entered the prostitution industry at the age of 17 because her parents were struggling financially. What made it even more heartbreaking was that her daughter, Putri, also works as a prostitute. Putri dreamed of becoming a doctor but money became an obstacle. The article mentioned how most families are exactly like theirs, both the mother and daughter would be a part of the industry just to help the family live another day. Do our people (the higher class) know that not everybody comes from a three generation of rich businessmen?

In America, children born outside of wedlock isn’t really a big deal whereas, in Indonesia, it’s viewed as the most sinful and horrific act. Close-minded adults would say how illegitimate children are most likely to become failures but I’m living proof that the way you were born doesn’t determine your future in any way. When my mom’s friends and family found out she was pregnant with me they all told her to abort it before she ruins her life. People discriminated her and assumed her life would be a downfall but she proved them wrong. We both proved them wrong. She now works as a director in the largest beauty company worldwide – Loreal – and travels all around the world visiting salons, attending huge conferences and events. They thought I would become a failure but here I am in New York chasing my dreams, helping people and successfully achieving a 4.0GPA. There has always been a quote within my family that said “jangan liat gw sekarang tapi liat gw nanti.” (don’t look at me now, look where I am in the future). This very quote was what motivated my mom and I to keep moving forward.

“Jadi sebenerny maksud gw itu apa?” (Okay, then what exactly is my point?) Indonesians have always used the term “sampah masyarakat” to make these communities feel even more worthless. They put the blame of the country’s image and failures on these communities but never understood or tried to understand their side of the story. Instead of complaining and putting the blame on other people, take a look in the mirror and ask yourselves “what exactly have I contributed to my country?” If the only thing you people do is buy imported branded goods (which actually provides revenue for the country the product was made from instead of ours) and waste millions of dollars on cars just for collection maybe you guys are no better. Maybe, we all are sampah masyarakat.

Works Cited
Project, The Borgen. “The Two Main Causes of Poverty in Indonesia and the Need for Further Progress.” BORGEN, 3 Aug. 2017, www.borgenmagazine.com/causes-of-poverty-in-indonesia/.

Promchertchoo, Pichayada. “Indonesia’s Sex Trade ‘Impossible’ to Shut Down.” Channel NewsAsia, 27 Aug. 2018, www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/indonesia-s-sex-trade–impossible–to-shut-down-8009820?cid=youtube_cna_social_29012018_cna.

“Indonesia.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia.

Nina Darbonne

Dr. Carrie Hall

English Comp 1 1101-D355

19 March 2019

Creole

Growing up in Jackson Heights I’ve been surrounded by a diverse melting pot of cultures. Take a walk down 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue and you will be assaulted with the smell of spices that is heavy in the air. The store fronts convey the newest trends in Bollywood fashion. It’s not uncommon to see groups of monks dressed in orange robes walking down the streets. As you wander a few blocks over, Mariachi music can be heard mingling in with blaring announcements from La mega noventa y siete punto nueve. The smells wafting through the air comes from pop-up taco stands, food trucks, shopping carts, you name it and we have it converted into a food dispensing vehicle. It doesn’t stop there though we have a further break down in our realm of Hispanic cultures, because everyone knows in my neighborhood they can’t all be lumped together. This is painfully apparent with the different Latin pride parades that block off Northern Blvd damn near every Sunday during the Summer. Ecuadorian, Colombian, El Salvadorian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and last but not least Dominican. The Spanish community is probably the largest component in Jackson Heights at the moment. However, we do still have our tiny group of hipsters and the power of their influence is apparent in the solitary Starbucks that sprang up a few years back on 37th Avenue amidst the slew of Spanish bakeries.

My family is from Louisiana, but we feel quite cozy in Jackson Heights. My grandma always said the myriad of different cultures reminded her of home back in New Orleans. No there aren’t revolving Latin pride parades and richly Indian spice scented areas down South. However, down South the mixture of cultures is more a blast from the past that is still prevalent today in the Creole and Cajun populations.

Personally, I have family that falls on both sides of the Creole-Cajun fence. I tend to identify more with my Creole roots; I’ve spent vast majority of my life with this side of my family. To me “Creole” is having a multicultural diversity while being unified at the same time as a group of people, having a rich history that ties back into the settlement of the United States.

Some of the rich history of the Creoles is apparent in the traditions like Mardi Gras celebrations. Fat Tuesday parades and festivities of Mardi Gras are an all day event in the French Quarter. I remember one year my grandmother and I went back to New Orleans for Mardi Gras week. On Fat Tuesday, we set out early and camped out on the section of Canal Street that intersects with the French Quarter, decked out in our gold, green, and purple sweaters. We clapped and cheered as we watched the “baby dolls” dance and strut in the parade. I loved watching the ruffled coordinated costumes, rhythm streamers, and painted faces of the women dressed for the Zulu Parade. My grandma’s favorite is always the elaborate Indian costumes that take the seamstresses an entire year to design and pull together.

By the time late afternoon rolled around, we were famished. We asked one of the parade participants if he knew a good spot to eat in the area. The man decked out in Zulu skeleton regalia replied,  “Well if you looking for good food and people who gonna do right by you, take yourselves down to Mena’s Palace over on Chartres and Iberville. They got real Creoles in the kitchen, so you know you can’t go wrong in there.” We made our way over to the restaurant.  The mouthwatering medley of Creole spices, seafood, and jambalaya was heavy air as soon as we entered the restaurant. My grandma wasted no time finding a spot at the oyster bar and downed half a dozen raw oysters with a splash of hot sauce. I decided on a tamer, cooked alternative for food, the shrimp po-boy. The sandwich was amazing on so many levels from the spicy tangy tastes to the variety of textures experienced in each bite. The crunch of the French bread, juicy tomatoes, the creamy remoulade sauce, crisp lettuce and pickles, and last but certainly not least the highlight of the sandwich, the seasoned, battered, deep fried shrimp. Hands down the best sandwich I’ve ever had to this day. Before wrapping up the day, we walked over to the Cafe Du Monde for beignets and coffee.

Now a brief cultural history: New Orleans, Louisiana commonly referred to as “NOLA” by many natives of the region; has a rich history that affects the makeup of the culture to this day. Creole people of NOLA are the result of a melting pot of several cultures. The term “creole” ties its roots to “the sixteenth century to identify descendants of French, Spanish, or Portuguese settlers living in the West Indies and Latin America.” (Countries and their Cultures) The actual genesis of the word “creole” may have Spanish or Portuguese roots. One theory being, “the word Creole comes from the Spanish word, criollo, which roughly translates to native or local. People used this term to describe things that were part of the New World during the time that the Spanish and French controlled Louisiana.” (WiseGeek) However, another possibility is “the term ‘Creole’ derives from the Portuguese word crioulo, which means a slave born in the master’s household.” (Countries and their Cultures)

Another prominent group of people found in western Louisiana are the Cajuns. The difference between Creoles and Cajuns revolves around migration history of the two groups. Creoles are essentially the product of the merging of several different cultures as Louisiana was colonized. However, Cajuns are said to have travelled from Canada and settled in Louisiana. Another subtle difference is the language utilized by either group. “Although both types of people use French as a basis for their speech, Creoles rely more heavily on other languages.” (WiseGeek) Additionally, most Cajuns are Catholic; while many Creoles practice Catholicism, elements from influencing cultures are often present. This is evident as “some people… lean toward Native American spirituality, using medicinal healing. Others focus on folk religions from Africa or the Caribbean. In some cases, individuals mix a little bit of everything together, using an eclectic combination of prayer, voodoo, charms, candles and ‘wild’ church services that emphasize being ‘possessed’ by the spirit.” (WiseGeek) Wasn’t that enlightening and refreshing.

Creoles are more of a “self-identified” group based on ancestral roots, as opposed to “many other ethnic groups in the United States… that immigrated from a specific country.” (Caver) “The word first came into common usage in the United States after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Louisianans of French and Spanish descent adopted the term to differentiate themselves from the Americans who were moving into the area in increasing numbers.” (Caver) The term Creole is still prevalent to this day in the United States as the Creole culture continues to thrive. Some notable modern public figures that have Creole ancestry are: “rapper Ice-T (1958–) is the son of a Creole woman, Drummer Sheila E. (1957–) also has a Creole mother. Pop singers Beyoncé Knowles (1981–) and Solange Knowles (1986–) are descendants of a Louisiana Creole grandmother. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (1954–) is of Creole descent on her father’s side.” (Caver)

 

Works Cited:

 

“Creoles.” Countries and Their Cultures, www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Creoles.html.

 

Hobby, Jessica, and Bronwyn Harris. “What Is the Difference Between Creole and Cajun?” WiseGEEK, Conjecture Corporation, 4 Feb. 2019, www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-creole-and-cajun.htm.

 

Caver, Helen Bush, and Mary T. Williams. “Creoles.” Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, edited by Thomas Riggs, 3rd ed., vol. 1, Gale, 2014, pp. 567-576. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX3273300055/GVRL?u=cuny_nytc&sid=GVRL&xid=ce3df0c6. Accessed 7 Mar. 2019.

Ashley Peren

English 1101

March 10, 2019

 

I roamed around the colmado¹ one last time. I have to enjoy the last moments of this air conditioner before I step out to this heat.“I have a refresco rojo², platanitos³, hojuelitas⁴… Yeah, I think that’s all I need”, I thought to myself. After all, I only have 200 pesos on me. I make my way to the register, where primo is quietly singing along to the latest Romeo Santos on the radio. As I place the items on the counter, his boss says “Cuando termines con la gringa, sácame esas cajas pa’ fuera por favor⁵.” I immediately look up to see who they’re talking about and I catch both of them looking at me. Did they just call me a gringa? “Diganme, cual es la gringa?”⁶, I ask with the bitchiest tone. They both look at each other, almost in shock to see that I speak spanish. “Ay disculpa mami, es que con ese flow tuyo”⁷, says the boss. Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?

“La gringa.” “La blanquita.” Si ustedes supieran que yo como plátanos así como ustedes. Growing up, it wasn’t uncommon for people to assume I was white. Or in the case where they figured out I was hispanic, it was “Oh!, you’re Mexican?”  But, in my family I am the gringa.

The word gringo/a can be used in so many different ways. It can be used to broadly and inoffensively refer to a group of U.S citizens. In another context, you would call a person this if they didn’t speak spanish or aren’t in touch with their latino roots. The origin of the word is honestly hazy. There are so many different theories regarding where it came from. People believe  that it came from Mexican-American War in 1846. This is because American troops were dressed in green uniforms and were often told “green go home.” But, then there’s numbers of theories that point further back to the 17th and 18th centuries about the word being a Spanish (as in from Spain) derivative of “peregrino” or pilgrim, and of “griego,” from an expression of “it’s like you’re speaking Greek” or being misunderstood. In other words, this means the term  originally didn’t refer to people from the United States. Don’t get me wrong though, use it in the wrong context and this word can be offensive. As Coates pointed out in his article “In Defense of a Loaded Word”, it’s all about context and relationships. More specifically, he talks about how names take on different meanings within the relationship, which is fundamental to human language.

At home, no one was fluent in english. This meant I had to learn english on my own because at 4 years old, I would be starting school. Thanks to Dora, her cousin Diego, Blue’s Clues, and Sesame Street, I learned the basics so I wasn’t completely lost at school. As I learned more in school, I started forgetting Spanish. I mean I was about 7 years old trying to balance two languages, gotta cut me some slack. As time went on, my spanish wasn’t the best. I would pronounce words wrong, I would mix up the tenses, I had a tough time translating; I was a mess. So because of this, I earned the title of la gringa. Although my family didn’t mean it in an offensive way, it didn’t make me feel the best. It was almost like calling me that excluded me from the family or even the culture. Okay, I will admit that I don’t look like most Dominicans, more specifically the ones in my family. My skin complexion is much lighter, my hair doesn’t curl, and I don’t tan I get sunburned. But, I think my family sometimes forgets that I am mixed. My dad was Panamanian so there’s that.

Now, in Dominican Republic a foreigner is identified because of their behavior, dressing preference, and brands on their belongings. In D.R, there are even songs made about gringas, like about marrying one to get out of the country and live a better life. In D.R, more than one-fourth of the workforce is unemployed.  With basic services like electricity, water, and public transportation becoming so unreliable, living in the U.S is a luxurious life. Let’s not even start on the violence and corruption that lives in this country. To them, los gringos have it all. Although we may not have the same problems as them, the truth is most of us are miserable. Even with all of the economical problems and the violence, Dominicans are still full of life. A Dominican can be unemployed, living in un campo, and you’ll still see them posted up outside a bodega⁹ with a Presidente saying, “Hoy se bebé coño.” ¹¹ with a big ass smile on their face. In the U.S, depression is a big thing. Yeah, they might be jealous of our economical stature but I’m jealous of the cultural difference. Over there, everyone knows each other. While here in the U.S, half of us don’t even know our neighbors. Bottom line is, “us gringos” go through it too mi gente. We don’t have it all and we don’t live a perfect life either. It’s hard out here too.

To some, it may not seem like a big deal and you know what, it may not be. Some may think they’ve been called worse. But, for some reason being called gringa really ticks me off especially when it comes from family. Maybe it’s because I feel like it separates me from the rest of my family and it makes me feel less Latina. And trust me, if I’m proud about anything, it’s about being Latina. It’s honestly not meant to be an offensive word but just like any other word; it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. So unless you want to see the aggressive Latina to come out, don’t call me that.

1. Colmado: corner-store; convenience store
2. Refresco rojo: red soda (dominican soda)
3. Platanitos: Plantain chips
4. Hojuelitas: Dominican cheese chips
5. “Cuando termines con la gringa, sacame esas cajas pa’ fuera por favor”: When you finish with the gringa, take these boxes out for me please.
6. “Diganme, cual es la gringa”: Tell me, who’s the gringa.
7. “Ay disculpa mami, es que con ese flow tuyo”: Sorry mami, it’s your swag
8. “Si ustedes supieran que yo como plátanos así como ustedes”: If you guys knew that I eat plantains too
9. Bodega: corner-store; convenience store
10. Presidente: dominican beer
11. “Hoy se bebe”: Today we’re drinking.
12. Mi gente: My people

Works Cited

Ramirez, Aida. “Who, Exactly, Is A Gringo?” NPR, NPR, 7 Aug. 2013, www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/08/07/209266300/who-exactly-is-a-gringo.

“GRINGA.” Urban Dictionary, www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=GRINGA.

“What Does Gringo Mean Anyways?” Always a Gringa, 5 Jan. 2018, www.alwaysagringa.com/2017/07/12/gringo-mean-anyways/.

 

Hi everyone– papers are due BY CLASS TIME  on Tuesday! For guidelines, see UNIT 2 (under “Units” on the header above.)

If you have any questions, please email me at chall@citytech.cuny.edu

Hi everyone– I hope you enjoyed your day off. I sure didn’t! I’m still feeling pretty sick!  For Thursday, I’d like you to bring in your essay drafts ON PAPER (as planned for today.) I’d also like you to do the following:

1. Print out, read and annotate the attached essay “S^&t” by my old student, Elijah Zeise. I do have permission to use this essay. It also won some big awards at the school I taught at previously. You’ll notice that it is less about a particular community than I have assigned you to write about. While you read, do the following:
2. Underline (or write it out if you think he doesn’t have a distinct “thesis statement”) What Elijah’s main point, or “So What?” is. What does he want readers to know or to think about differently after reading this essay?
3. For every paragraph, write a quick sentence or phrase in the margin about what you think that paragraph is trying to do-make it general enough that you could use Elijah’s “formula” with your own word, if you wanted. For example, in the first paragraph, he is using his word in a variety of different sentences to show the multiple ways it can be used. In the second paragraph he introduces himself and asks “what does this all mean?” Looking at the structure of a finished article like this is called “a reverse outline.”

shit

Aegyo: super cute

1 plus 1 equals Gwiyomi, 2 plus 2 equals Gwiyomi, 3 plus 3 equals Gwiyomi, 4 plus 4 equals Gwiyomi too, 5 plus 5 equals Gwiyomi too, 6 plus 6 equals chu chu chu chu chu chu Gwiyomi, I’m Gwiyomi- Korean Aegyoaeygo song 

I remember the first time I ever saw Korean pop music video I was seventeen years old it was this group called big bang who had just debuted, and instantly I was hooked. It had everything any Asian pop culture fanatic could want, at least for me that is. They had a lot of colors, coordinated dancing, amazing storylines, fun videos huge group numbers and cute actions or saying as fan service. And who doesn’t like a good fan service am I right? Now, remember when I say fan service at least for k-pop I mean a bunch of things from simple fingers symbols to full-on gender bend outfits and actions. Aegyo is one of the most common and services in South Korea, as well as progressively within the United States amongst those who enjoy Korean troll economic export as in Korean music K dramas and movies. Other known as Hallyu which is a Chinese umbrella term used to refer to the phenomenal growth of the Korean culture amongst the western cultures.    If you happen to be into K-dramas or k-pop then you have already seen and heard Aegyo being used by actors or a multitude of singers. Aegyo is the action of being ‘cute’ and is primarily used by Women in South Korea when speaking to loved ones or trying to gain something that they want and flirting. When performing Aegyo you have to remember that not everybody enjoys it and it is seen as very annoying at times because there is what is called fake Aegyo and what is called natural Aegyo,  Fake is normally what you would see on the TV or performances and overly exaggerated movements are words. Natural is when you’re not trying to seem cute for somebody and it tends to be the one that’s less annoying generally.   Aegyo is generally expressed by females by simple actions like delicately covering their teeth while they laugh which is very common. Acting like they are unable to open things like cans of soda. Let’s not forget something we even see here in the state’s girls pouting their lips and wide-eyed snapping selfies in the coffee shop. Even though it tends to be female males are able to use it as well normally reserving it for the cute baby talk with their partner.   Fans use Korean words in their daily speech with each other, these words are generally a form of Korean slang that recurs frequently in the Korean pop culture. For me, I find that the fans, I am generally around or female and we will call each other Noona (elder sister) or  yeodongsaeng ( younger sibling) and will talk about our biases ( favorite group or person) as some call them and others say oppa ( big brother) which kind of makes me think of sempai ( upperclassmen)in Japanese. Imagine a bunch of little girls at a Justin Bieber concert and you get a General idea of how we can act when talking. A lot of squealing and cooing with an immense amount of Korean hand gestures like the finger hearts or the ‘v’ sign (in Korean movie is not the same as the English letter) and pouting while using sickeningly sweet baby voices. I remember when I first got into Korean music and I would show it to my friends since it made me feel happy and they would look at me like I grew two heads. Or acting in an aegyo fashion with my loved ones, and oddly enough, it became more expected of me even though they found it annoying. It made me feel very uncomfortable and the thing that made me happy at a time became the thing that made me the most self-conscious and to be able to find a group of people that understand my language and my interest is an amazing thing because they are so full of love.  The groups that are able to invoke this much emotion have a huge impact on aegyo . As a fan you’re gonna wanna watch your favorite group perform live because it’s almost there in the actual crowd.  K – pop artists seem to have a lot more fun with their fans while performing that is easy for you as the viewer to feel like you’re there and you’re actually trying to interact with you. Groups or singers that are very well known for using it are Girls generation which is just a group of cute Aegyo girls in my honest opinion, se7en,  wanna one The list goes on.  With k-pop comes fandom’s and those fandoms were asked for Aegyo and bbwing bbwing.   I really enjoy how cultures bring diverse people together in mutual understanding. To me, a word as simple as aegyo is a great example of a cultural phenomenon that can be, and often is, misunderstood and/or interpreted in an unnecessarily negative light. Many may have that love-hate relationship with aegyo culture, most seeming to lean more towards the latter. but for those who shy away from things they view as odd or different should remember that it is important to learn about what others enjoy with no assumptions in their minds. Everyone has a bit of aegyo in them and shouldn’t be afraid or uncomfortable to let it out.       

During the years of 2009 – 2012, if you were a person who watched a lot of tv and was a fan of reality tv you were probably aware of a show called “Jersey Shore”.  If you hadn’t seen it then you probably heard mention of the show considering that it had recently surfaced. Viewers are first introduced to 7 randoms that will come to know each other first as roommates then eventually as family. This would span for every summer for 3 years. Although hearing mention of the show around the time it came out to the public, I wasn’t really into the genre of reality tv and all the drama considering I was only nine years old. However, I came around to watching all 6 season of the show 6 years later from the time it stopped airing. What I had found to get to that point however was literally me watching a few episodes of the sequel to the franchise, dubbed “Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.”

The reason I bring this up is because, those said 7 roommates were not picked as randomly as it may have seemed. If they had something in common it was the fact that they were all italian or of italian descent. First off, we should ask ourselves as to why this is important, or at least in my case. For one, there goes a term for describing the types of personalities and conflicting characters that each cast member possesses. The term being “guido” or “guidette”. What’s funny about this word is that I had only come to hear it after watching the show.

Considering I had previously known nothing about the word, the only thing that was left for me to do was do some research on the word. I had come to learn that it was a term used mainly for people of italian descent. Through the show I had come to learn that these “guidos” are known for their 3 step daily routines; Gym, Tanning and Laundry. This was apparent due to it being the only 3 main things that all the guys in the show would do other than clubbing. Upon doing research on the word, I found no articles relating to the word when searching for databases on the word. When searching on websites on the internet I found varying details like the origin of the word being from Saturday Night Live television comic Guido Calabresi’s name or how it originated in Italy. However, these websites of course weren’t exactly reliable considering they home to blog posts or they were wikipedias. So no concrete answers for the origin of the word. The word obviously has made itself a name in the Italian community is something I can say though.

So obviously now it’s time for us to discuss what exactly a guido is or as urban dictionary would put it, “A sad pathetic excuse for a male; not necessarily of Italian descent, but most likely; usually native to the New York/New Jersey Tri-State Area”. Other notable qualities of a guido is a guy who spends more time on his hair than his girlfriend, goes out clubbing , or spends a lot of time in the gym. It basically comes down to someone who overly conducts themselves in a macho manner.

In conclusion I came to know the word through the sequel of a television show that aired from 2009 – 2012 named “Jersey Shore”. I had known nothing previously about the term having never heard it in the first place. I came to learn lots of things about the word, although nothing concrete considering it was on websites that were short of being reliable. All in all though I came to appreciate this show and reality tv a lot more considering it gave me a word that I never would have imagined talking about.

Hadeel Abuhamda

March 10, 2019

English 1101

 

In the Muslim community, if you would like to know if someone is lying or telling the truth, all you have to do is ask them to say “wallah”. Wallah is an Arabic word and expression which is used to make a promise by god. It holds such great credibility in the Islamic religion. Whether you speak Arabic or not, if you are in an Arabic household, the word wallah will come up quite a bit in just one day. Depending on the Arabic dialect you use in your daily life, it is also pronounced “wallahee”, but for the sake of this essay, I will be using “wallah”.

Despite it being considered disrespectful to use the word “wallah” and not be truthful, it is used quite a lot. This is where religion and culture come into play. In the Islamic religion the word “wallah” has such a strong powerful meaning behind it. Misuse of this expression will be considered profane. It is as if you are lying in the name of god. Religiously, this word is only used when it absolutely has to be used, to let the other person know that you are telling the truth. It is a way to make a point of yours, valid. It is a sin to use the phase and follow it up with a lie. Arabic speakers most commonly use this phrase to swear by something. Arabic speaking muslims consider it as the most divine way to confirm something without the need of actual proof. Sometimes this word can be intensified by using it on yourself. For example, “wallah on my soul”.

Now, using the word culturally is a different story. The word “wallah” will be in almost every single sentence when speaking to another Arabic speaker. Even non-Arabic speakers use this word. Sometimes it could be used in the beginning of a sentence to start it off and also at the end of a sentence to end it. It can also be used in different ways depending on the tone you say it in. People nowadays can use wallah and mean, “I promise.” or “are you serious!?” And of course “I swear to god”.