I have not updated in many days now, taking rather a necessary respite during midterms week and Fall Break. Sin embargo, tengo muchas cosas de que puedo hablar....
El primero... presentaciones que mire.
Made in L.A.
Wondering about the Spanish? There's a reason for it. I attended a showing of "Made in L.A.," a documentary focusing on a group of illegal immigrant workers in the Los Angeles garment industry. The women protest the long hours they are forced to work, wages withheld from them without reason, and mistreatment from supervisors, and achieve some victories. The movie is also subtitled in Spanish and English (where applicable). I recommend the film highly; I felt moved to action and sought out a local organization fighting for Immigrant Workers' rights. In speaking with my contact, I discovered some
dirt on American Apparel. A student group I belong to has bought T-Shirts from AA in the past (as have I), but we are switching to
Royal Apparel. Here is some pertinent info for my new contact, Joan Suarez:
Joan Suarez
Co-Chair,
Workers' Rights Board & Immigrant Rights Action Task Force
Phone: 314.862.0911
C: 314.422.7389
email: suarez.joan@att.net
website: www.stl-jwj.org
The directors of
Made in L.A., Almudena Carracedo & Robert Bahar, were present and gave a brief Q&A and signed DVDs after the showing. The Q&A was largely logistical, but I enjoyed meeting the two, especially lively Alamudena. I recommend the film to anyone interested in social justice, women's issues, latina/o issues, or quality documentaries.
Lastly, Flannery Burke, whom many of us know and love, is teaching a history course on Latina issues next semester; worth a look if you're piqued by this entry.
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Female Dance and the Sexualization of Blackness: European Perception, 1550-1860Dr. Katrina ThompsonHistory & African-American Studies Departments, Saint Louis University
The study group on cross-cultural history put together this presentation. I arrived SUPER early and met Katrina, whom many of you know, and learned a little about her background in history. She studied at SUNY Stonybrooke and highly recommended the Anthro Department's grad school, which is fab for me, por supuesto!
The talk was held in the Teasdale conference room on the upper floor of SLUMA, one of the most beautiful spaces I have yet seen at SLU and (sadly) usually off-limits. It would be the most brilliant secret daytime study spot. I had a small carton of chocolate soymilk to whittle away at during the talk. As the rest of the group/audience (largely history professors) arrived, I realized, to my chagrin, I was the only undergraduate present. But pity those who missed out! Katrina's talk was incredibly interesting.
She looks at travelogues and diaries from European (mostly English) travelers to West Africa, and specifically at the ways they viewed African dancing by females. The travelers seemed to be utterly remiss at the lack of clothing and furthermore, believed the women were coming onto them sexually. I was put in mind of Malinowski's many daliances with (and crushes on) Trobriand women, in the 20th century. There was in fact quite a readership for these logs, back in the day, and many of them are excruciatingly hyperbolic. Still, the ways in which their perceptions of West African women "tainted," so-to-speak, the later visions of black Africans, is palpable. The Q&A session for Katrina's talk was FABULOUS, and I also highly recommend asking Katrina about the project if you get a chance. Quite neat!
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Updates
Women's Studies Blog/Group
School constraints (midterms, scheduling calamities) have put a hiatus on this brilliant collective idea for whom you should thank Shelley Womack, Penny, (me) and also the Women's Studies Advisory board who had many good points. It's still in the works, Shelly an I can hopefully meet this coming weekend.
Heart and Crescent
Met wit Mark Chmiel, who was incredibly openminded and helpful, and also seemed to understand the need for this kind of group and also the problems with which we might meet. He gave me a few contacts, in both Campus Ministry and Theology Dept. I'm not going to share their names just yet, but I'm hoping to set up appts. soon.
Memoirs
I'm still waiting for these, but I realize 5-15 pages is quite a lot to work on.
SLU Monologues
Just started writing one!
Mas Mas Tarde!!!!!
E
