(How the Garcia girls lost their accents)
Although I can't seem to tell whether Mami wanted to or not, her idioms were said completely wrong. (Ex: "sticks and stones DON'T break my bones") And since I highly doubt that they were purposely said wrong as a way for her to mock her daughter's "americanization" I have reasons to believe that poor 'old Mami was just trying to fit in by attempting to use these American, traditionally known idioms herself. Ever since she had lost her Dominican social status after moving to the Unites States as an immigrant, Mami felt more powerless than ever. It didn't help when her daughters started arguing in English, putting her parental influence at risk. However, she clearly had trouble understanding the idioms she tried stating. Oh well, at least she tried!
Monday, October 13, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Uncle Ed
In the classical times of political unrest, a young British fellow named Edward had proudly enlisted himself in the Rhodesian army (Zimbabwe, a previously unrecognized state in Africa, was once known as Rhodesia due to British colonization) ready to fight against the so-called rebels.
However it didn't take him long to realize who the real monsters were. Contrary to everything he had been taught, Ed finally decided for himself when he chose justice over power, convinced that the white settlers were the ones who needed to be fought. He came to the drastic conclusion of officially exiling himself from his own country, in search of a political party that supported the very people he was originally sent out to destroy. For 14 years, Zimbabwe was considered an unrecognized state under the rule of the conservative white minority government. His entire perspective on life had dramatically been changed in a matter of days. The physiological and emotional toll was harsh, but nothing stood in his way when it came to fighting for what he believed in.
Alongside his brother, they both joined a Guerrilla movement for the liberation of Zimbabwe, an armed wing proudly known as ZIPRA. On april 18th 1980, Zimbabwe had properly won its independence by achieving sovereignty from the United Kingdom.
Of course as a kid, it's nearly impossible to even begin to understand the full context of Ed's story, but even as a child I can remember getting goose bumps. I felt so proud of everything he had accomplished, shocked by every word that came out of his mouth the day he sat me down and finally explained where all of his scars had originated from. Just like he had experienced, in that moment I felt as though my entire perspective had spontaneously changed regarding a peculiar, close family friend, good 'old uncle Ed. The same man we'd eat brunch with every other Sunday, the same man who'd randomly decide to jump in our pool naked while manifesting his belief in skinny-dipping. I can only imagine how amazed and proud his own children must be. Uncle Ed, along with other influential figures in my family, have always taught me to fight for what you want, no matter how many odds may and probably always will be stocked against you. And I believe it's about time I started listening to them too.
Alongside his brother, they both joined a Guerrilla movement for the liberation of Zimbabwe, an armed wing proudly known as ZIPRA. On april 18th 1980, Zimbabwe had properly won its independence by achieving sovereignty from the United Kingdom.
Of course as a kid, it's nearly impossible to even begin to understand the full context of Ed's story, but even as a child I can remember getting goose bumps. I felt so proud of everything he had accomplished, shocked by every word that came out of his mouth the day he sat me down and finally explained where all of his scars had originated from. Just like he had experienced, in that moment I felt as though my entire perspective had spontaneously changed regarding a peculiar, close family friend, good 'old uncle Ed. The same man we'd eat brunch with every other Sunday, the same man who'd randomly decide to jump in our pool naked while manifesting his belief in skinny-dipping. I can only imagine how amazed and proud his own children must be. Uncle Ed, along with other influential figures in my family, have always taught me to fight for what you want, no matter how many odds may and probably always will be stocked against you. And I believe it's about time I started listening to them too.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Linguistic Evolution
After watching the short yet increasingly thorough video, I was shocked at how much information a linguistic can acquire by comparing features and regular patterns between languages.
Not only can they determine linguistic relationships, but they're also able to trace specific steps in their evolution and apply the reconstruction of earlier languages WITHOUT any kind of written record. Isn't that amazing? The video also pointed out that groups of people that shared a single language split up in multiple tribes, resulting in radically different languages.
This specific part made me think of my own experiences, exclusively when I had first moved from Cairo to New York City. Because I had migrated and settled in a new place, every linguistic aspect of my daily life was different, even though I was still speaking the same language.
It just goes to show you what a critical role culture holds over a language and its evolution. As cultures increasingly grow, languages will continuously divide and separate into their own terms.
Not only can they determine linguistic relationships, but they're also able to trace specific steps in their evolution and apply the reconstruction of earlier languages WITHOUT any kind of written record. Isn't that amazing? The video also pointed out that groups of people that shared a single language split up in multiple tribes, resulting in radically different languages.
This specific part made me think of my own experiences, exclusively when I had first moved from Cairo to New York City. Because I had migrated and settled in a new place, every linguistic aspect of my daily life was different, even though I was still speaking the same language.
It just goes to show you what a critical role culture holds over a language and its evolution. As cultures increasingly grow, languages will continuously divide and separate into their own terms.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
What's Current Creates Currency
1) In today's music industry, sex, money, cars, drugs, alcohol and clubbing seem to be the most reoccurring themes in music videos, along side your typical boy bands and Taylor Swift love stories. It's as though the older the world gets, the more sexually vulnerable it becomes. I mean do you honestly think that "twerking" would have been socially acceptable 20 years ago?
Some kids are being taught to do drugs and drop out of school these days, while others join the influential crowd of degrading women, all through catchy lyrics and highly financed music videos. The sad truth of it is, low morals just seem to be part of the new fashion. And as long as it's making money, you know it's not going anywhere. Our culture's values and standards have increasingly dropped through our generation's technological revolution, one that will continuously evolve.
Whether it's Youtube, Vine or even Instagram, the constant emergence of entertaining and convenient social networks have most definitely taken part in some of our generally decreased moral values. Music videos aren't the only ones to blame. Of course they're not all bad, in fact more than half of them are incredibly hilarious, spreading humor and joy through its virtually connected audience.
2) Entertaining, popular music comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether it's an infamous rap or a catchy pop song, they each portray different kinds of social groups, all while unifying them at the same time. A Nirvana fan isn't necessarily going to be interested in Nicky Minaj's musical work, but that doesn't stop him from knowing the main lyrics to the single "My anaconda don't" whenever it inevitably comes on. You don't even have to try and be interested at times, as whatever song the media decided was hot will be repetitively played for at least a week on most radios. You can find yourself at a party with all kinds of different people and groups, all of them jamming and dancing to the same universally known pop song.
3) Popular music doesn't necessarily dictate what we think, rather it reflects our beliefs and cultural values.Whoever wrote the song or produced the music video most likely expressed their opinions and beliefs through their work, which is then reflected in our cultural values through our generation's youth, whether it be through revolutionary fashion, general beliefs, art...etc.
4) The secret behind a popular kind of music or song is unity. And that's never been easier in today's world. With publicly accessible sites such as Youtube or even Vine, whenever people hear that happy, upbeat familiar song playing in the background, it projects a community-like feeling. Especially when it comes from a foreign country. Knowing that you're dancing your heart out to the same song as someone in, let's say, Australia? That's an awesome feelings mate! It's as if we're all musically unified.
Pop is definitely considered as real music, even though it may not be expressing a deeper meaning or is taken less seriously. Everyone loves a catchy pop song every once in a while. And as long as you're enjoying what you're hearing, regardless of its style or message, that's what makes it music.
6) Music plays a very powerful role and serves as a firm influence in forming peoples ideologies. Especially the one's of the youth. They make us aware of what's going on around us in a very unique way, one that can't be academically taught. It needs to be directly felt through the voices of the very people who've experienced what they're singing about, and that's exactly what makes it so special. No matter what topic they choose to express (our government, the media, social and economic issues...etc) they affect us in a physiological way, every single day, which is bound to take a toll on its audience's mindset and basic beliefs.
Some kids are being taught to do drugs and drop out of school these days, while others join the influential crowd of degrading women, all through catchy lyrics and highly financed music videos. The sad truth of it is, low morals just seem to be part of the new fashion. And as long as it's making money, you know it's not going anywhere. Our culture's values and standards have increasingly dropped through our generation's technological revolution, one that will continuously evolve.
Whether it's Youtube, Vine or even Instagram, the constant emergence of entertaining and convenient social networks have most definitely taken part in some of our generally decreased moral values. Music videos aren't the only ones to blame. Of course they're not all bad, in fact more than half of them are incredibly hilarious, spreading humor and joy through its virtually connected audience.
2) Entertaining, popular music comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether it's an infamous rap or a catchy pop song, they each portray different kinds of social groups, all while unifying them at the same time. A Nirvana fan isn't necessarily going to be interested in Nicky Minaj's musical work, but that doesn't stop him from knowing the main lyrics to the single "My anaconda don't" whenever it inevitably comes on. You don't even have to try and be interested at times, as whatever song the media decided was hot will be repetitively played for at least a week on most radios. You can find yourself at a party with all kinds of different people and groups, all of them jamming and dancing to the same universally known pop song.
3) Popular music doesn't necessarily dictate what we think, rather it reflects our beliefs and cultural values.Whoever wrote the song or produced the music video most likely expressed their opinions and beliefs through their work, which is then reflected in our cultural values through our generation's youth, whether it be through revolutionary fashion, general beliefs, art...etc.
4) The secret behind a popular kind of music or song is unity. And that's never been easier in today's world. With publicly accessible sites such as Youtube or even Vine, whenever people hear that happy, upbeat familiar song playing in the background, it projects a community-like feeling. Especially when it comes from a foreign country. Knowing that you're dancing your heart out to the same song as someone in, let's say, Australia? That's an awesome feelings mate! It's as if we're all musically unified.
Pop is definitely considered as real music, even though it may not be expressing a deeper meaning or is taken less seriously. Everyone loves a catchy pop song every once in a while. And as long as you're enjoying what you're hearing, regardless of its style or message, that's what makes it music.
6) Music plays a very powerful role and serves as a firm influence in forming peoples ideologies. Especially the one's of the youth. They make us aware of what's going on around us in a very unique way, one that can't be academically taught. It needs to be directly felt through the voices of the very people who've experienced what they're singing about, and that's exactly what makes it so special. No matter what topic they choose to express (our government, the media, social and economic issues...etc) they affect us in a physiological way, every single day, which is bound to take a toll on its audience's mindset and basic beliefs.
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