Final Thoughts

As this semester draws to a close, I look back on everything that we've done and realize the tremendous growth. Whether it be writing skills, research capabilities, or even knowledge of Afro-Latinos and African-Native Americans, this class has contributed a great deal to my educational experience here at Howard. I really enjoyed the readings, discussions, and activities that we've done in this course, and I would definitely recommend this class, and Professor Diaz, to students looking for a great experience and interesting class.

Bridging the gap

It's a well-known fact that in America, the minority accounts for the majority. Groups such as Blacks, Latinos, and Native Americans often fail to realize, collectively, the power that they possess. If these three groups came together there is sure to be some sort of positive uproar, sparking a positive change. Whether it's promotion of voter registration and getting people to vote, working to end violence against one another, or even a simple reassuring compliment to uplift one another. There is sure to be a movement greater than any other, if these minorities bridge the gap between them.

Interdisciplinary growth

Coming into this class, the only type of research papers that I knew, were the ones where you read information and regurgitate it back onto paper, and credit the source in the works cited page. But I can honestly say that this class has allowed me to further develop my investigative skills, as well as my writing skills. Now when researching information, not only do I learn from information in places that I wouldn't have ordinarily looked, I've also learned to process the information and formulate my own perspective on the subject at hand. I can sincerely say that I've grown as a scholar through the use of interdisciplinary research.

John Horse

John Horse is a perfect example of a Black Seminole taking on leadership roles in their tribe. He served as a right-hand advisor to the chief. His story in significant because he led his tribe from Florida to Mexico in search of freedom from oppressors, and open land. He also led Seminal warriors in the defeat of US generals. He is one of many famous Black Seminoles who are often overlooked, but served their people wholeheartedly.

African-Native Americans

Not many know this, but in times when slavery existed, runaway slaves and freed blacks settled near Native American communities. Blacks and Native Americans intermingled, and intermarried. They gave birth to a new group, the African-Native Americans. This new group quickly assimilated into the Native American culture. African-Native Americans served many important roles in the Native American community. They took on high positions such as advisors, interpreters, field hands, and warriors, alongside their purebred Native American counterparts. With this newly found sense of esteem, blacks were able to own land, as tenant farmers, in which they paid harvest tribute to the Chiefs of the villages, take part in everyday Native American rituals, and learn the way of the Native-American lifestyle.

Interdisciplinary

Interdisciplinary research is often used to investigate topics that are ordinarily misrepresented or even neglected. It's used to shed light on unknown problems affecting the subjects and develop new means of addressing or looking at them.

I plan to use interdisciplinary research as a means to discover and investigate the cultures, lifestyles, and history of African-Native Americans and Afro-Latinos. I believe that interdisciplinary research allow me to uncover a different perception of the groups, and allow me to understand them better, by gathering information from a variety of different parts, to make up a more well-rounded whole.

Famous African-Native Americans

African-Native Americans, and Native Americans in themselves, are often overlooked, and ignored. Most people may struggle with identifying someone of African-Native American descent, and this is because they are often misrepresented as fitting the image of a stereotypical "Indian". People expect to see feathers, moccasins, and breechcloth, when in fact, some of our favorite entertainers and prominent figures in society are African-Native Americans.

Some examples of well-known people, with African-Native Americans bloodlines are:

Rapper T.I.

Rapper Ludacris

Singer Beyonce Knowles

Innovator Oprah Winfrey

Late Singer Aaliyah Haughton

Visual Argument

We have all heard that saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words". However cliche it may be, it's true. A picture has the ability to sum up, in one snapshot, what it takes an author to do in a five page synopsis. Visual rhetoric is extremely useful in modern society, because 93% of communication is nonverbal (or visual). We have subconsciously  learned to master the art of reading other people's cues and body language, that it comes second nature to us (and this goes way back to when we were young and we always chose the picture books, as opposed to the books that we perceived to be small dictionaries.)

When we look at a picture, we evaluate it and try to find ways to connect it to our everyday lives. We ask ourselves questions that allow us to interpret the image in a number of ways.

For example:

When we first look at this image, the first thing we notice are the blue gloves. We ask ourselves: Where have I seen these types of gloves? Our mind then begins to list the possible places and scenarios that are connected with the gloves, and the most obvious answer is the Doctor's office. Right then and there our minds begin to remember the times that we visited the doctor's and the different emotions that we felt.

Next we notice that the person in the image is a teenage girl (possibly of Latino descent). After realizing that, almost all other groups of individuals are weeded out of the audience (especially males).

Next our eyes are drawn to her face to evaluate her emotion, and we see the mascara infested tear trail on her cheeks, and the sadness in her eyes.

We then put all of our observations together to create a story.

Studies show that a large percentage of adolescent girls often feel uncomfortable with their physicians, particularly if said physician is male. It is a doctor's job to examine their patients to entirety to ensure that their bodies are healthy. And because of this, girls feel that their privacy has been invaded. They feel as if they were taken advantage of, and there was little that they could do to stop it. A regularly scheduled check-up may seem like a nightmare to a young girl, who changes into the paper-thin hospital gown, lays on the cold examining bed, and gets poked, prodded, groped, rubbed, squeezed, and everything in between.

If you've read everything under the image, you realize that you really didn't have to. The picture sums up every word, in one snapshot. Your mind created a story similar to the one above, in a matter of seconds. This is a perfect example of how visual rhetoric can sometimes be more effective than its written counterpart.

Okay, you can stop reading now..lol :)

Rethinking Columbus

I remember sitting in class trying my best to simultaneously color inside the lines of pictures of the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria and reciting: "In fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue...'Indians! Indians! Columbus cried, his heart was filled with joyful pride..." These words to the poem that we were all taught in kindergarten have proved to be our first exposure to one of the biggest lies in American history. We were taught the triumph of a very 'brave' Christopher Columbus in 'discovering' the Americas, how he befriended the native people, and how everyone lived happily ever after. But we were oblivious to the fact that that's exactly what the story lacked...facts!

We grew up learning an extremely tainted version of the truth of what really happened in 1492. And when author Bill Bigelow decided to take a stand and educate the public about the brutal truth in his book Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years, he faced adversary in the Tucson Unified School District [TUSD]. His book, along with numerous others, and all Mexican American Studies courses were claimed to have violated Arizona state laws and were banned by TUSD. Many were outraged with the decision to withdrawal these ideals because they believed that Rethinking Columbus along with the other books offer readings and strategies that teachers can use to show the other side of the story.

I strongly disagree with the banning of books that teach enlightening ethnic awareness. Without the reference of the truth, TUSD students (especially those of Native American descent) will grow up with a sort of naivety when it comes to the subject of Columbus. They'll be plagued with the inability to connect where they are, with where their ancestors have been, and what they have been through. If books such as Rethinking Columbus don't make a comeback, the number of those knowing the truth will continue to dwindle until the truth is forgotten altogether. If both sides of the story aren't taught, then we're looking to raise a generation of close-minded and unconscious individuals, and every second Monday in October will continue to be a day designated to the lies about Columbus and cover-ups of injustices towards the Native American people.

African-Native Americans and Afro-Latinos

Being a person of both African-Native American and Afro-Latino descent, I am very excited to take a course that integrates studies of both cultures into the curriculum. I have always been a strong advocate for learning the history of your roots and in the past, unfortunately, I have only vaguely studied these cultures but I look forward to learning more. I believe that this course will successfully help me to understand the struggles that my ancestors have been through, and to be more appreciative of where we are today.

During my time in this course, I would like to gain a broader understanding of each culture. I have many questions about each groups, such as: How and when did African-Native Americans and Afro-Latino come into existence? What are some of the significant contributions that each culture has made to society? What are similarities and differences between the African-Native American, Afro-Latino, and African American experience in America? Do either of these groups struggle with the inevitable burden of being negatively stereotyped, as other minorities in America do? What are some triumphs and downfalls of both cultures? Do the descendants of each group experience a higher role in society when compared to their purebred counterparts? Are they accepted into each parent-culture with open arms? Or are they outcasts and considered a contaminated version of the original?

I believe that at the conclusion of this Freshman Composition course, I will have gained familiarity with both cultures, have the answers to the aforementioned questions, and have a new perspective of African-Native Americans, Afro-Latinos, and myself. I look forward to learning more! :)