Journalists as storytellers

One thing I noticed about most of the books we read this semester is that they tell wonderful stories about real people. As a journalist one must be ethical and truthful and present well balanced facts, but sometimes reporters forget what we do best. That is why I always try to start my articles with a good anecdote that I can use throughout my story.
For instance, this semester I had the privilege of interviewing survivors of horrible domestic violence and orphans living on the edge of an international border. Both of the stories I wrote went into the special issue of El Nuevo Sol, our school's Spanish language newspaper, of which I am one of the editors. Many of my sources thanked me for taking the time to listen to their stories, because they trusted me to retell them to the public, who might not be aware of the issues that affect them on a regular basis. And that is what I hope to achieve with every story I write, ahem, tell.

Here are a few examples of some solid storytelling in:

The Los Angeles Times
The New York Times
ColorLines magazine

Enrique's Journey

I could talk about the assigned sections of Enrique's Journey but I would much rather talk about the book overall. There are many words that come to mind if someone were to ask me what I thought about the book altogther but the first word that comes to mind is, inspiring. Though the book did not have a cliche happy ending like I usually prefer, it was still a happy and positive story in so many ways. Enrique, unlike others who aren't so fortunate, finished his journey.

Sonia Nazario does an excellent job making the book come to life and allowing the readers to envision the harships Enrique had to go through. I really respect her writing because she is telling a story that is real.

Reading about Enrique's encounter was not surprising to me at all. The majority of my family had to go through similar experiences when they migrated from El Salvador to this country. Though i do not know the extent of what they went through, I do know it was a struggle like Enriques. Also similar to Enrique, it took more then one try for them to finally make it to the U.S.

Men's March

On Saturday April 24th men took to the street in Sherman Oaks to show appreciation for women. A Walk in Her Shoes is an international men's march that promoted awareness for violence against women. The march focused on sexual violence as well as gender violence in general. I attended this even and was over whelmed by the amount of support from the community. There were even younger people there to support the cause. Men walked in high heels for a mile so that they could literally walk a mile in her shoes. There were balloons, music, and food to try to take a light approach to a very heavy subject. I covered the event as a news feature for broadcast. Many people were eager to speak with me, and I even got to speak with a sexual assault survivor. My heart went out to the women because she opened up to me and told me that she had been all over California, and had even had problems with people trying to use her as a prostitute. She was extremely grateful for the event and told me that she had personally been to the Valley Trauma Center to look for a way out of the situation. She encouraged women who went through a situation similar to hers to have hope.

I love events like these because they take the real message into the street to create awareness in the community.

Maid In L.A

Maid In L.A. is a very interesting reading that opens the eyes of non Latino entities who have never known women like the ones described in the chapter. The reading not only talks about the experiences both "live in" and "live out" maids went through, but it allows you to hear the voice of the maids by hearing about their personal experiences.

This reading was particulary interesting to me because I have known many women (family members) who have gone through the experiences that the women in the reading went through. In the first paragraph, it says that the poorest of the poor migrate to the U.S and simply cannot afford to make a living. I couldn't agree more. People migrate here to make a better living and to make more money and they are taken advantage of by businesses that know they can get away with paying them the bare minimun.

Maribel Centeno, the first live in maid talked about, was getting paid a measly $80 a week to care for a child and a 23 bedroom home. A server in a restaurant makes more than that on one five hour shift. The sad part is that Maribel was actually a smart, educated women but because of her age and situation, she got taken advantage of as far as not being provided a better income.

The section about house cleaners also hit home to me because I also know many women who continue to learn a living in this way. Of course, even though still not getting paid enough, they make more than the women being talked about in the reading. I think it's sad and disgusting that someone (for example the family that Maribel worked for), can have so much money to own a 23 bedroom home and be okay with paying someone less than a hundred dollars for the amount of work done.

De Colores Means All of Us

Elizabeth Martinez’s “De Colores Means All of Us” was one of those books that had me thinking about issues concerning women in the Latin community and the terms “Chicano/a” and “Hispanic or Latino/a.” In part 5 (Woman Talk: No Taco Belles here), chapter 18 (The pursuit of Latina liberation) she discusses the story about Latina feminists whose main purpose was to “demolish the stereotype of the ‘passive Latin woman’ (163).” In Martinez’s style of writing she is trying to persuade women to be involved in politics and to have a voice. From my impression she is a feminist who wanted to fight racism, the oppression of people and break the stereotype of feminists being seen as bra-burning and man-haters. Overall, I did enjoy Martinez's form of writing. Not only did she use historical facts but she also used her own experience in a story-tell format.

In the Land of God and Man

Silvana Paternostro’s “In the Land of God and Man” had an interesting approach of writing. She wrote the book in a storytelling format which made it easier for me to read and she also captured my interests about the topics that she discussed. The topic Paternostro was talking about in her book was about women’s sexuality in Latin and Latino America. Various people she interviewed in order to write were women from different types of backgrounds, factories, brothels, and boardrooms. She also wrote about her own experiences in the book. My favorite chapters from the book were chapter one: The Invitation and chapter four: A Love Story. Chapter one discussed about her life in Colombia and she also mentioned that she attended a private school where they were taught to be “proper ladies” in society. It was drilled in their head that were to stay virgins until they got married because if they had sex before that they would be looked at as whores or “easy.” I find it to be a double standard that women are to remain virgins or else they would be looked down upon. Whereas, men were allowed to do anything they wanted including have sex with other men then go back home to their wives. I loved Paternostro’s style of writing which drawn different types of emotions.

Enrique's Journey

The story of Enrique’s Journey really opened up my eyes to the world around me. Having never heard any stories of this nature from anyone in the Latin community, all I know in regards to the immigration process was what I saw on TV. Television often portrays illegal immigrants from Latin American countries as uneducated and violent criminals that come to the United States in search for basic necessities. It never however looks at the children of immigrant works that are left behind as a result of the journey that their parents make. It also does not show the kind of hardships that Latin American immigrants face while having to deal with the immigration process. Not just the customs and police inceptions at the border, but also the long journey from their small villages in rural Latin America to the United States border.

Anyone who is interested in the top should take a look at the movie “ Which Way Home”. It is a great documentary film that gives great insight into the issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFPqHzfX-70

Felipe's Jouney

As another MayDay demonstration has been completed, I came across some food for thought, and it's still kind of lodged in my throat - so call me Adam, I guess. First and foremost, I am absolutely FOR immigrant rights - let's make that crystal clear. Just because most of my father's side of the family was able to gain their citizenship papers or resident status decades ago when it was so simple, does not mean I wish to see anyone denied the same blessing they were afforded. In wake of all the blatantly racist actions and propositions against illegal immigrants around the nation, I applaud Mexican President Felipe Calderon for his comments blasting such proposals as SB1070 in Arizona. However, I applaud him sitting down. I would stand and applaud him if he also demanded human rights to those immigrants brutalized while crossing into Mexico and through Mexico. Countless horror stories throughout the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca are often looked over by Mexican officials. On the other hand, the slightest violation against a Mexican immigrant on US soil is highly combustible fuel for them. Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario has gained well-deserved fame and accolades for its description of a young man's journey from Central America through Mexico. The book describes wonderfully several bloody events at the hands of rural police, the Mexican migra and gangs. In reading this book, it is clear that the brutality, sad to say, is ten-fold for a Central American trying to cross through Mexico - yet, Calderon has not made a public stand since he has taken office years ago. As the conclusion of his term draws near, only he knows how he will exit in regards to such issues. I love a comfortable seat as much as the next person, but I would gladly get out of it to stand and applaud Felipe if he was to ever undertake this particular journey.

Maid in L.A.

Unfortunately the situation many undocumented and immigrant women find themselves in positions of live-in nannies or house keepers are not unfamiliar to me. I am and have been aware of the deplorable work conditions, extreme isolation, violence or abuse, inadequate compensation and extended work hours through personal and academic readings such as Barbara Ehrenreich book Nickel & Dimed. In addition, you see these types of situations occurring in film (for those who truly deconstruct the messages in films and movies) such as Precious (the young Jamaican girl who cleaned for a woman's house and was being laughed at by her peers because the woman rings a bell to summon her and gets paid little to no money for long, hard hours worked) and the Nanny Diaries (even though Scarlett has options available to her, you can see the hierarchy and demands made from the heads of house holds onto their live-in nannies). I must admit until I read Piennette Hondagneu-Sotelo's article, Maid in L.A. I held the belief many Americans do of immigrant domestic workers as those who are less fortunate, uneducated and from rural areas or as Maribel Centeno states, "the same as any other girl from the countryside (31)." I think this attitude stems from the belief if someone is educated, smart and culturized they would not accept or seek employment in such labor intensive and unrealistic in demand types of jobs. But after reading the article and analyzing its content, the legal status of these women leave them vulnerable to having to accept these types of jobs because they have no other recourse available.

I also view domestic work as equivalent to slavery. Employers and agencies are very well aware of the naivete of these women who are seeking employment in these fields. They are intentionally underpaying these women, isolating them from contact with anyone outside the home to limit access to knowledge and information on their living conditions and/or holding their illegal status as leverage to further take advantage of the situation. Case in point of Maribel Centeno who was hired (in the article) to be paid $80 a week to clean a twenty-three room house, Margarita Gutierrez who slept in the corner of the three-year-old child in her care and Gladys Villed who recalled at one of her live-in jobs, the senora had graciously told her to help herself to food to eat yet there was nothing in the refrigerators (33)"

I do find the racial preferences and prejudices from both the employer and domestic workers quite odd and stereotyped. Naturally all stereotypes formulate from some sort of truth but cannot be applied across the board. I find the assumption/stereotype of employers stating, "They viewed Latina domestic workers was responsible, trustworthy, and reliable employees who have a "really strong work ethic"(57)." Or those of workers as, "Anyone marked as "nonwhite," it seems, is at risk of being denounced as a cheap, abusive, and oppressive employer, one to be avoided at all costs (58)."

I see systematic red tape and double standards as means to perpetuate and take advantage of immigrant women doing these types of jobs. I don't know what can be done to stop this as heads of households are looking for cheap labor and illegal immigrants allow as such. I really feel for these young women, it is such an sad and troubling practice still common today.


http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/immigr08.htm

Enrique’s Journey

"Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario was an interesting book that made it hard for me to put it down. The book was very emotional because it discussed the topic of a mother who left her children back at home in Honduras in order to travel to the United States to find a job and continue supporting her children back at home. The little boy Enrique is determined to find his mother in the United States and in order to do that he needs to travel from Honduras to Mexico and then cross the border over to the United States. Through the entire trip, Enrique had to run into thugs, corrupt police, bandits and he even endured a few beatings. His courage and bravery through all the torment he had to face is an inspiring story for people to read. I could not believe on how young he was when he started his journey, in the book it also mentioned on how there were others that were no more then four years old and traveling to find their mothers.

When I was watching the Oscars one of the nominations for best documentaries was similar to what Enrique and the others had to go through. The documentary “Which Way Home” directed by Rebecca Cammisa, follows child migrants through Mexico on their route to the United States by a freight train that they call “The Beast.” I think if people liked the book “Enrique’s Journey” they should also check out this documentary which is similar about young children finding their mothers.

The Absurdity of Ignorance

It is quite unbelievable to me the strong hold that religion often has on people and the way this hold will often blind and mislead people. "In the Land of God and Man," by Silvana Paternostro shines light on the way religion has mislead people's perception of sex and sexuality, in Latin America.
Instead of educating people on sex and sexually transmitted diseases especially HIV and AIDS, the church has imposed their religious ideologies and made people believe that these things only happen to whores and gays. It is through the enforcement of ignorance that so many people continue to be infected, many of which are women who have followed the rules of the church.
Proper sex education goes a long way. The thing that is so mind boggling to me is that inadequate sex education does not only happen in Latin America, it happens right here in the United States. By only teaching teenagers that abstinence is the ultimate contraceptive, many young adults are left victims to unwanted pregnancy and STD's,
We need to acknowledge that teenagers are engaging in sex whether we like or not and it is our job to ensure that they are properly educated. If we do not provide proper information we are ensuring a vicious cycle of ignorance.

Enrique's Journey

It took me a little longer than expected to finish reading Enrique’s Journey. It is a tragic story. I never really knew about the drastic sacrifices that immigrants must face, fight and defeat for the greater good of their children and families lives.

I cannot even begin to imagine how it must feel for the mothers who leave their children and families behind because in their minds, it is the only way to give them a chance for a better life. On the flipside, the mere thought of what the children of Mexico must undergo to simply be with the mothers who had left them breaks my heart in more ways than one.

Sonia Nazario did an extraordinary job in telling the true story of the detailed experiences and hardships that Enrique encountered during his quest for his mother, Lourdes. It is obvious the great lengths Nazario went through that led her through a journey to accumulate the necessary information to write this book.

As depressing as it was to learn, reading Enrique’s Journey helped me to better understand why mothers would leave their children behind and move to the United States to work. I never realized the extent that parents go through just to be able to provide for their children until I had my daughter. This story makes me think about the kind woman who cleans my mother’s house. It makes me wonder about her life. Does she have children? Do they live with her? Are they in the care of other family members? Or, are they in desperate search of their mother?

The Land of God & Man & Absurdity

"30-45% of all pregnancies in Brazil are terminated. 20-30% of all Brazilian women have had abortions. According to the World Health Organizzation, the figure is about three million abortions each year in Brazil alone. As BEMFAM has calculated, that comes out to 250,000 a month, 8,333 each day, 347 each hour, or almost 6 self-induced or dangerous abortions per minute (103)."

After reading Enrique's Journey I didn't think I was able to be "shocked" anymore but I was wrong. After reading The Land of God and Man, A Latina Woman's Journey, I was completely stunned. The above statistics reflects a society, country, nation who permits the subjugation of women. A woman has no rights at all concerning their bodies and are forced to endure harmful and fatal practices. It is a never-ending cycle that permeates all classes (more so for the working poor). I'm not sure which is more upsetting, the fact in this patriarchal society the government and religion (church) deny women rights or its own citizens are brainwashed into the dominant beliefs and perpetuate the cycle (as in the case with the nurse openly admitting she treated patients who suffered and came to the hospital from self induced abortions poorly by perform painful procedures without pain medication and/or leaving them untreated for days intentionally). And naturally social class plays a role in every facet...only certain class of women are able to obtain the drug Cytotec to perform at home abortions. Many women who are not financially capable of purchasing this drug use other alternative methods such as tree limbs, etc. to remove the fetus from the uterus. This really saddened me, I could not fathom the intense physical pain these women suffered to do something like this out of fear of having children. Psychologically speaking, these women must have felt there was no other option available to them and this is what they must do at whatever personal, physical and further mental effects.

How can a man rape a woman or young girl and in order to avoid criminal charges (or any recourse) can marry her? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I can't imagine being raped and then having to marry my rapist and/or give birth to a child as a result of that rape or repeated rapes, "A rape victime in Peru was told by the judge that, as seh was not a virgin at the time, it did not mater that she was raped. Her rapist would be relieved of prison if he offered to marry her. And as in thirteen other countries - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Paraguay - a rapist may go go free if he marries his victim with her consent. In Costa Rica, a rapist may go free even if he marries the raped woman without her consent (18)."

I really don't want to make this a long post because this book covers a wide array of themes such as sexuality, AIDS, homosexuality, transvestites, glass ceiling, prostitution, incest, sexually transmitted diseases and illegitmate children. This book is a really great book written from Ms. Paternostro's own personal experiences along with one-on-one interviews (first hand accounts). It really opens up the taboo world in which women are still considered "property." This book was published in 1998 and I'm wondering ten years later, how much (if any) has changed.

http://reproductiverights.org/en/document/trends-in-reproductive-rights-jurisprudence-in-latin-america

In the Land of God and Man

The story of In the Land of God and Man opened my eyes and heart to a poignant injustice that I had never really been aware of. Silvana Paternostro did an amazing job portraying the life of the average Latin American woman and the burdens she must inevitably face because of the constraints of a patriarchal society. Paternostro’s story made for an even more compelling story in that she shed some truth and light into her own personal existence and experiences. She is a rare individual. I, for one, know that it is not easy for women who are deeply rooted in their culture to separate themselves from the countless expectations that are ingrained in their minds since they were little girls. I have had my series of battles growing up as an Arab-American woman. I, too, come from a family, who to a certain degree, hold strong the belief that a woman’s place is in the domestic sphere – to cook, clean and raise their children. However, the mentality of men and the unfortunate epidemic of unwanted pregnancies, dangerous abortions, men having sex with men, and most importantly, the high-risk factor that women have of contracting AIDS is not an issue that people in my family encounter as seriously and violently. I admire the courage and strength that Paternostro had that inspired her to gravitate towards a new independent beginning to her life. She not only showed a tremendous amount of dedication in her work, but also a strong passion to raise awareness and advocacy to break the perpetual cycle of what really is happening to the women of South American cultures.

In the Land of God and Man

I found the actions of Silvana Paternostro, the main character in the book, to be very bold and brave. Silvana had the audacity to leave her home county, Columbia, to go to the United States and study. She left behind a culture in which patriarchy is the way of life. In Columbia, she was taught, like all females from her country, that in order to be "successful respectable woman must marry a rich man, have lots of children and be able to take care of the domestic needs of her family. She could not run her own business, without her husband’s consent, get involved in politics or have a voice. By her moving to the United States, Silvana was able to realize that there is another world out there where these double standards do not exist. She was able to apply her new way of thinking to presenting the effects of that these double standards have on Columbian society.

I feel like all women that are were once in the same position as people she interviewied and are wanting to seek help should get the right kind of treatment. This website http://www.womenshealth.gov/violence/ provides resources to help women do that.

Sexual Assault on Campus

This is the link to an investigative journalism project of the Center for Public Integrity. Excellent resource for people working on stories about campus sexual assault, date rape, etc. "According to a report funded by the Department of Justice, roughly one in five women who attend college will become the victim of a rape or an attempted rape by the time she graduates. But official data from the schools themselves doesn’t begin to reflect the scope of the problem. And student victims face a depressing litany of barriers that often either assure their silence or leave them feeling victimized a second time, according to a nine-month investigation by the Center for Public Integrity."

Latino Organizations in Big Sugar's Pocket

LULAC and the National Hispanic Medical Association support the efforts of the Americans Against Food Taxes--a front group funded by the beverage industry (see PR Watch and Source Watch)--to derail a proposal in Congress for new taxes on sodas to help with the health cost of diabetes and other diseases associated with high calorie intake. See stories posted on the Center for Public Integrity and the Los Angeles Times about this topic.

Latino men have no excuse for IPV

It's not too much of a shock to read that multiple studies indicate that Latino men are arguably the highest culprits of battering their significant other. I find it disgusting that my ethnic demographic is quite possibly the most frequent batterer of Latina women. Of course, the legacy of machismo and male dominance towards female submissiveness still lingers in our demographic - but it does not make it any easier to accept or tolerate. The heart of the issue is not traditional male dominance in Latino households, but rather a severe problem of alcohol/substance abuse, and the deep ties to gang-member mentality. Latinos are arguably the most prodominant populators of street gangs, therefore, how can we expect them to completely change their violent ways just because they join a partner or have children in a certain union.

Tutorial J498: Spring 2010

This a blog for your tutorial JOUR 498 Latino Journalism. You'll be able to post your entries, edit them, and even delete them, but you won't be able to access somebody else's work—you can comment it f you want. The blog will facilitate our conversation about the coverage of Latino communities. You will use the books we are going to read as the basis for your blog entries. You should include links you would like to suggest so you can expand our collective knowledge on the subject. Welcome,