HallSpring19_1101

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”.

 

 

Mia Carter

 

Growing up, it wasn’t uncommon for people to assume Im white or hispanic. Or the case be that i’m actually mixed. But, in my family we are all mutts.

The word mutt is used in many ways. Being derogatory word used to call a racehorse slow in poor condition, to call a dog that is mixed bread, a person who is awkward and ignorant, an unattractive woman. But the word is also used in a derogatory word against people of mixed race. The world’s history lies as another insult. It comes from the word “muttonhead,” another American word that also means”fool.” “Muttonhead” had been around since the early 19th century.   

 

Coming form a family where everyone is mixed isn’t something surprising to me. There was always something new and different to try from each and every part of the family that was different. Growing up in a neighborhood were people were mostly black, hispanic and asian you always get you’re just white or you’re hispanic. And telling people people i’m not hispanic was always a surprise for them, “ like really you’re not hispanic? Like not at all not even part?” my answer is always no. I have to explain that i’m mixed that i’m half polish and half african american. People’s second reaction is always “ you’re WHAT? You’re black, you don’t look black? Wow you really are a damn mutt.” Hearing the word mutt always has a different affect on me based on the person that says it. In my family we call each other mutts that’s because we know what we are and we aren’t saying it as a bad thing. But when some people say it, the word always comes off different. You feel like they’re talking bad about you like wow you aren’t origional. Like have you ever felt different or bad because you wasn’t the same as your friends. One thing that is big is what side do you take. Like for me its like i’m i going to choose my polish side more then my african american side when it comes to things or i’m i going to be a “mutt” and be my own self.

 

Have you ever been called a mutt? I have been called a mutt, Oreo,( polabalk) because I’m half polish and half black, mixed baby and some others. All these names have the same thing in common someone being multiracial. However some of these names make us feel unwanted, uncomfortable and just confused about who we want to be.

Kalissa Ortiz                                                                                                                     

                                                                     BDD

   Body Dysmorphia: a disorder that causes a person to have a distorted image of their appearance.

Ever since I was in Fourth grade I started focusing on things I’ve never focused on before. Being a fourth grader someone would think that I would not have anything to worry about, that my focus should just be on being a kid. But I was never that kid, I remember standing in front of the mirror bare and naked looking at my body. I used to call myself fat and wondered how can boys even have the slightest liking towards me. In fourth grade I weighed a whopping 70 Lbs, one might think that any child at the age of 9 should not even remotely think about their weight especially at 70 Lbs. I look at pictures now and alway wondered why I had that mindset at such a young age. But that’s how it all started. Along to four years after, I still seemed to run into the same problems. I was growing into myself, I had a lot more junk to deal with, but because of this my issues didn’t seem to subside. I weighed about 115 Lbs at the age of 13 and looking back i can imagine my old self almost bawling at how much I weighed. I’ve never developed any eating disorder but now no matter how skinny or fatter I got, my body image never changed. And again cut to four years today when I’m writing this, I came to terms that this disorder was something that I obtained for years and never knew I had it. Many people will say that I’m just another girl with a self body image issue like every other millennial, well they wouldn’t be wrong. After my constant back and forth with inflicting self hatred on to myself I found myself in a position where no matter how much layers of clothing to put on (my fat suit) to help cover up everything I hated about my body wasn’t doing me any good. Also I found myself having trials where I  would not care about how I looked and just wore whatever the hell I wanted. Than the next all of sudden a bomb hit me and I was back to covering up every inch I despised about my body. But slowly after years of my silent suffering I finally had a moment where I realized that if I can’t accept who I am than I have to change it, or if I don’t do anything to change myself and change my body than well I have to accept it. And of course I choose the second because I like to eat, but even though the second choice still makes me suffer from time to time I know that I still need to work on my self image. And I know essays like these are suppose to talk about what we’ve suffered and how we’ve overcome them, but I can’t seem to write a lie that I’ve overcome my struggles of Body Dysmorphia because everyday it’s a new struggle that I have to deal with that I’m slowly trying to solve. My Body Dysmorphia represents me and the community around me who also suffer from this too. I always felt so alone for a very long time, i thought i was the only one who suffering. Until i got older and found out what it was it made sense and made me realize that i wasn’t alone. All my life i have struggled with this and for a very long time i found myself just wanting to escape from my own self. This disorder has kept me from going to school sometimes because of the psychological effects it had on me. And then when finding a community that knew how i felt i didn’t hate myself as much. Occasionally it comes back with vengeance but it doesn’t seem to scare me as much.

“Boricua”

 

Being born and raised in the Bronx, Boricua is a term that is commonly heard. It is used to describe someone who is Puerto Rican, especially one who is currently living in the United States. But, behind just this single word, is chock full of rich history, and culture.  But, NYC holds a significant place in terms of the growth and spread of Puerto Rican-Boricua culture. From the food, to the music, and everything in between, it is obvious that the term Boricua is not used in a derogatory or malicious way. In fact, it is the opposite, and it signifies everything that our ancestors did to get us to the position we are in today.

The history of Puerto Rico is actually very interesting. Puerto Rico’s independence was present, but quite short lived. “Only one year after Spain granted Puerto Rico self-rule, American troops raise the U.S. flag over the Caribbean nation, formalizing U.S. authority over the island’s one million inhabitants.”  At the time, this took place, its population was one million. In July, of 1898, this is when the United States formed an invasion of Puerto Rico. The result was known as the ‘Spanish-American War’. This was because Puerto Rico was a territory of Spain that time, and the U.S wanted it for themselves. In about August, of 1898, the land was secured. Later on, in December, a treaty was signed, known as the ‘Treaty of Paris’. This treaty ended the Spanish-American War, and subsequently officially gave up Puerto Rico to the U.S. What changes this would mean for these peoples lives, as well as the  ‘soon to be’ boom in economy both in Puerto Rico and in the United States, was unbeknownst to both parties at the time.

Only a few years after Puerto Rico becoming a U.S territory, citizens of Puerto Rico were able to migrate into the U.S. This was is 1917. But, it was later on in the century, when the highest rate of migration of Puerto Ricans to the United States took place. This was known as ‘The Great Migration’. This historical event occurred in the 1950’s and 1960’s. “The governments of both the United States and Puerto Rico encouraged Puerto Ricans to come to the United States to ease unemployment on the island.” With the backing of both the Puerto Rican, as well as the United States government, as well as the erection of the Commonwealth Office, Puerto Rican emigration was at an all time high. In fact,  “Between 1990 and 2000, the Puerto Rican population in the United States grew by 24.9%—from 3.2 million to 3.6 million.”.

But of course, things didn’t stop there. In fact, by 2003, “there were more Puerto Ricans living in the United States than on the island of Puerto Rico—3.8 million on the mainland and 3.6 million in Puerto Rico”. Now, the cause of such a huge influx of people, all from the same place-in such short period of time can be explained. Recessions, back on the island, as well as job booms in the United States were all attributing factors to the large amounts of Puerto Ricans migrating here. The fact that it was so easy for Puerto Ricans to travel to, and from the island to the mainland made relocating to the U.S much more appealing. To this day, New York is still home to one of the largest populations of Boricuas on the East Coast.

Despite the citizenship and fact that Puerto Rico is affiliated with the U.S, Boricuas still faced struggles, and hardships. One living example of such stories is a man by the name Jesus Colon. This is  man whose story is truly inspiring….(goes into Jesus’ story, discrimination, and how he goes on to document his stories of being born in puerto rico, and moving to NYC)

 

Among the words that are very important to my family, my culture and me, there is the word “Burkindi”. By definition, it means the quality of being honest, diligent, having humility, generosity and dignity. In other words, it is the art of being irreproachable. This word derived from the name of my country “Burkina Faso”, a land locked country in Ouest Africa. “Burkina Faso” is in Moore language (spoken by more than fifty percent of my county’s population), means country of honest men. Over there people tend to put a lot of importance in how we should live and treat each other. Culture wise, we try very hard to be as perfect as possible. Burkindi was widely used by one of my country’s leaders, Thomas Sankara. He was betrayed by one of own close and childhood friend Blaise Compaore who later on took over and became president. In almost all speeches Thomas Sankara gave throughout his presidency, he mentioned about being strong, honest and generous towards others and defined all of this with one word “Burkindi”. He furthermore mentioned that Burkindi should be the biggest wealth in poor countries.

In addition to mutual respect, that our worthy president encouraged his compatriots to have one another, he also wanted us to adopt principles that will reflect our dignity for a better future. The word Burkindi also encourages Burkinabés (inhabitants of Burklina Faso) to adopt other morals and behaviors among which I can quote the total respect towards the older people. In fact, while greeting older people, it is more respectful to kneel.

One more person, who also praised the word Burkindi and spreaded its usage among our culture, is Norbert Zongo, a Burkinabé investigative journalist who worked for a news company “L’independent”. He was one of those who fought for the country’s development and perpetuating the values of our cultures, customs, social behaviors, cultural events and education. However, as everywhere in the world, some people just can’t be like others and will do what we are all fighting hard to prevent.He was also know for his integrity and desire to put light in every shaded spot. His hard work paid off as he was able to expose some conspiracy, impunity and extortion within the government of Burkina Faso. That conspiracy was related to the President Blaise Compaoré. His Newspaper investigated the murder of a driver who had worked for the brother of the president Blaise Compaore. He was close to proving that the driver was tortured and killer by people close to the president and was assassinated. After his murder, regarding all he did throughout his career, his oeuvre must be kept alive and what he fought for, “Burkindi”, praised.

Many other brave men have helped to preserve and perpetuate our cultural value in many ways, but for those two individuals who lost their lives in the struggle will be honored and “Burkindi” will also be more important to us Burkinabes. This had a very big impact in the population and the sayings “Burkindi” will be kept in their mind forever.