The flow of spanglish & power of language

It was exciting to see what people had to say about our first question. It got me thinking that as a bilingual educator-FOR LIFE-I am finding that language is very misunderstood. In these times of looking down upon Spanish, immigrants, ebonics, we often forget that each language is beautiful and evolving. It is ever reflective of our place and time in the world. Nancy enlightens us with her words, "...could the f word come from "fuck you" and could fuku americanus be really as simple as "fuck you americans". Maybe the fuck you was returned to a Dominican and since we all [know] the strength of the return Fuck you, it probably stuck as a damnation..who knows..I am still savoring on that." There is no right language or wrong language. There is however power in crafting a phenomenal message.

Junot does this exceptionally well. I get his FLOW! The flow of mixing languages, thoughts that communicate. As ixchel33 put it, ”Seamless is a good word, I hadn't even noticed that there were words in Spanish, I didn't bat an eye when I read them” Why? ‘Cause the message is clear...well, at least for bilingual/bicultural readers.

Maureen shares the perspective of a non-native speaker of Spanish, “ Diaz just puts in the Spanish and lets you deal with it.” Rich says, "I say, no italics for Sterling Brown*, no italics for Junot Diaz. We're knee-deep in the new American idiom, y'all. Whether or not some folks are ready to accept that, of course, is a whole other story." Language is powerful!

I remember when I first discovered that I spoke Spanglish in my early twenties. I looking up at the sky (or my brain) searching for the best word after speaking English that would describe my thinking. This word was in Spanish not English! Ah yes…perfect! Is that what Junot did as he wrote Oscar Wao? How beautiful to be able to do that with your mind. Have one powerful message using words from different languages.

Walter Mosley, author of Devil in a Blue Dress and Blonde Faith states that Wao “is a book that speaks in tongues”. In more ways than one! Not only is Junot speaking to us in ethnic tongues, his references of sci-fi and comic books are definitely specific to a segment of American pop-culture language, and he also speaks in the tongue of Latin American history. Maybe, just maybe this is why La Mujer Maravilla (Love your tag name!) says, " The language seems more authentic."


“I’ll think of African slaves screaming this curse word from the depths of their pain,” Jessica points out in reference to the word Fukú (Zafa! Just to be safe ;) Do you see the impact…the image…the context…the history that it brings? What a wonderful way to engage in history. Alejandra Ibañez captured my sentiments exactly, “It left me yearning to learn more about Dominican history.” I wonder if we can use this book with young people in high school?

*"In 1933 Sterling Brown published his first book of poetry Southern Road. It was a collection of poetry with rural themes and treated the simple lives of poor, black, country folk with poignancy and dignity. It also used authentic dialect and structures..." --from wikipedia

The Dominican “F” word, can you even say it?

"They say it came first from Africa, carried in the screams of the enslaved; that it was the death bane of the Tainos, uttered just as one world perished and another began; that it was a demon drawn into Creation through the nightmare door that was cracked open in the Antilles. Fukú Americanus, or more colloquially, fukú --generally a curse or doom of some kind; specifically the Curse and the Doom of the New World. "
--from the introduction to The brief and wondrous life of Oscar

All it took was the first sentence...of the introduction! Junot Diaz reached up from the page, placed a wizard's spell on my imagination. I devoured the book and lamented when life forced me to put it down. Being a bookworm was so much easier when I was a kid, when I could afford to spend an entire evening or weekend with my nose in a book.

We hope that you have read the introduction and chapter 1. If you are like me, you probably kept pressing forward. This is definitely a page turner. We plan on taking the book discussions a little slower to help us process the book. We ask for your patience since this is the first time we do this and we are learning as we go along.

Cynthia and I have met a couple of times to discuss our book club goals and timeline. During our meetings every time I say, fukú. Cynthia promptly follows up with a, zafa. This makes us laugh, a little nervously, after all we are Latinas, we can't help superstition. We might be Mexican but we understand Junot's reference, "to extraordinary tolerance for extreme phenomena." We take careful mental notes on antidotes and even begin to avoid saying fukú, instead call it the Dominican "f" word. So, our most pressing question right now is in the title of this blog post, can you even say it?

More food for thought. These questions are regarding language.
Spanish words and phrases appear unaccompanied by their English translations. What is the effect of this seamless blending of Spanish and English? What if Junot had stopped to provide translations at every turn? Why does Junot not italicize the Spanish words (the way foreign words are usually italicized in English-language text)? Are you bilingual? Do you italicize or resist?

We want you to hear from you, chime in via the comments, you can address one thought, or address multiple questions.*

*Cynthia and I are seeking to develop a safe place for honest and open dialogue. Language is powerful, let's exercise some tolerance and be open to opposing views and if debates arise let's do it respectfully.

Oscar loved comics, I'm sure he would have made it out to Table Con

Have you started reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, its our current bookclub pick? Have you discovered Oscar and his obsession for fantasy and sci-fi. The narrator describes him as the kind of kid, "...who loved comic books...knew more about the Marvel Universe than Stan Lee."

I'm a relative newbie to comics, well at least to the American comic book world. When I was a kid, a cousin from Mexico introduced me to Kaliman. A couple of years ago when my friend Liza was developing a character, for a Latina super hero in Teatro Luna's production of Lunaticas, she walked into Tianguis with a stack of comic books--they were a part of her research. I picked up a copy of Supergirl and was mesmerized. "Did you know Supergirl was Superman's cousin? That she killed her mother?" I paused to ask, it had elements of a good telenovela, no one had ever clued me in.

It was serendipity that just as I was reading about Oscar's adventures I came across, The Unbelieveable Laundry Detergent Man by Jose "Nino" Mesarina. Its a comic book and its hero is a boy as awkward as Oscar who gains special powers after being forced to drink a very potent laundry detergent.


Nino is currently busy with an event he has masterminded, and that he describes as a comic book convention with a twist--one table will feature an artist alley, vendors, guest speakers, original artwork, comic books, and even a gamers area.

Nino tells me, "Table con was an idea...since high school...It's the only Latino run comic book convention in Chicago."

Table Con takes place this weekend. Its free admission and held at Third Coast Comics, 6234 N. Broadway. You can get details at the myspace page for Table Con. I'll be swinging by to check out the comics and discover more about Latinos working in the comic book industry.

First 50 pages and your feedback.

Next week, we will be ready to start discussing the first fifty pages, that is the intro and chapter one, of The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Cynthia and I worked on a tentative timeline together that would call for reading an average of 56 pages per week. Feedback on this reading load would be helpful, check out our poll on the top right hand side of this blog page and click on the answer that fits your profile best. None quite describe you or you want to elaborate with a comment or send us a message to info (at) tianguis (dot) biz.

Acuerdos for the virtual bookclub (guidelines)

In our quest to design one of the best experiences for the Tianguis Virtual Bookclub I've put together some guidelines that I use in my work as an assistant professor and consultant. When I use the Acuerdos (Agreements) in my work, I have found them to create magnificent experiences. They are also incredibly helpful when creating critical, absolutely thrilling dialogue!

The Acuerdos we will use are from "Los Cuatro Acuerdos (The Four Agreements)" by Don Miguel Ruiz. They are 4 agreements that are simple yet powerful.

1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Do your best.
3. Don't take it personal: -Be responsible for your own communication. (my elaboration)
4. Don't make assumptions: -Do assume good faith from everyone! (my elaboration)

****************************************************

What are they?
*They are system for integrity and R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
*Not a system of right and wrong.

How do we create them?
*We will get to know them as we use them.
*Pick the "one your with" to focus on for each discussion.

How will they really be effective?
*Grace of forgiveness...we are all learning how to make it a great literary experience.
*At times I will include quotes from inspirational cards Don Miguel has produced.

Let's get this party started! Literary love is in the house! (Yes I'm a Chicago 80's Baby :)

The virtual book club picks its first read of 2009

Cynthia and I took suggestions and we met last week to discuss the title recommendations. We decided on the book that seems to be on every one's mind (including my own) and that is Junot Diaz' pulitzer prize winning novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Over the next several weeks we will be posting book club questions and leading discussions through posts on the blog--we encourage your participation via the comment feature.

For now go get your copy of the book. If you already own it/read it, I encourage you to revisit it and log on for the book club discussions. Look for the first book club questions to be posted next Monday (1/19/09).


book synopsis
Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd who—from the New Jersey home he shares with his old world mother and rebellious sister—dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, finding love. But Oscar may never get what he wants. Blame the fukú—a curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, following them on their epic journey from Santo Domingo to the USA. Encapsulating Dominican-American history, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao opens our eyes to an astonishing vision of the contemporary American experience and explores the endless human capacity to persevere—and risk it all—in the name of love.

reviews
"An extraordinarily vibrant book that's fueled by adrenaline-powered prose...[Junot Diaz has] written a book that decisively establishes him as one of contemporary fiction's most distinctive and irresistible new voices." --Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"Panoramic and yet achingly personal. It's impossible to categorize, which is a good thing. Diaz's novel is a hell of a book. It doesn't care about categories." --Los Angeles Times

"Superb, deliciously casual and vibrant, shot through with wit and insight. The great achievement of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is Diaz's ability to balance an intimate, multigenerational story of family tragedy...The past and the present remain equally in focus, equally immediate, and Diaz's acrobatic prose toggles artfully between realities, keeping us entralled with all."

New Year, new path for Tianguis

photo credit: I design my own path by Cynthia Nambo

Feliz Año y Dia de los Reyes!

I hope you spent the holidays in good company. Aside from being at the store and helping customers pick out Christmas gifts, I made sure to schedule time to spend with my own family. Knowing that I was going to have to move did keep me too busy and I confess that it took a hot minute to get into the Christmas spirit. It finally sunk in when I was making tamales with my mother and getting to hang out with my precious loved ones was probably the best gift.
I know I did end 2008 on a bittersweet note, I always hate sharing bad news. I have received beautiful handwritten letters via snail mail, encouraging phone calls and email messages rooting me forward. Some beautiful customers and neighbors even made it a point to come by and say goodbye personally.

All that energy and hope, I gotta tell you that I am excited about the possibilities that 2009 will bring. I am brimming with ideas and can't wait to share them with you and have you along for the ride . It will be a time of transition and evolution for Tianguis--our biggest change will be going from a brick-and-mortar to an online business. Please be patient with us, our website and blog might look a little rough in the next few weeks but we ask that you please pardon the dust while we make our virtual renovations.

We do want to remind you to save-the-date and join us on Monday, January 19, 2009 @ 7 p.m. for the first Proyecto Latina of 2009--we will be celebrating our third anniversary and the launch of a fourth year with some special treats. Details coming soon.

Also, we invite you to join the discussion on the Tianguis Bookclub that is going on here, we already have a few book recommendations but we would love to have more before finalizing down to our first book of the year.

Tianguis virtual bookclub, kicking-off the wishlist

The bookclub at Tianguis is brewing and we are getting ready to launch it again at the beginning of 2009. I want to introduce my bookclub partner in crime, Cynthia Nambo. You will see her posting here with items pertaining to the bookclub.

Cynthia and I have been brainstorming recently on getting a virtual bookclub launched, and we will be managing that via El Literati. You will be able to read the book and participate from home as you like and as your time allows.

In the meantime we thought it would be cool to get a wish list started and throw out some ideas on our next book club pick. What book by a Latin@ do you think we should consider?

Chime in via the comment feature (look for that link below this line).

Featured titles to help fulfill your gift needs

A thoughtfully selected book can add meaning to your gifts, take it to the next level and turn it into a keepsake by personalizing it with a short note, the finishing touch--a bookmark of course.

Below is our list of recommended titles that we know make ideal gifts, and which can all be found on our bookshelves:


Bless Me Ultima is our current bookclub selection, its a coming-of-age story appropriate for adults and young readers:

Ask A Mexican will draw in even the most hesitant reader on your list. We still have autographed copies available.

The Alchemist Chances are people who read this books got it as a gift and there is a high probability rate that they go on to share the gift with others.

More suggestions:

from l to r: Once Upon a Quinceanera by Julia Alvarez
Lucha Libre: The Man in the Silver Mask,
a bilingual cuento by Xavier Garza

I will never forget you: Frida Kahlo and Nickolas Murray
by Salomon Grimberg

from l to r: Nahui Olin by Adriana Malvido;
Las Soldaderas: Women of the Mexican Revolution by Elena Poniatowska

from l to r: Revolucion!: Cuban Poster Art by Lincoln Cushing
Mexican Calendar Girls by Angela Villalba

December's Dynamic Duo: Ultima & Krista

Bookclub now reading:
Bless Me Ultima


Art Feature:
Lucky Sevens, Art by Krista Franklin

Opens Friday, Dec. 7th @ 7 p.m.

Details: www.tianguis.biz

Tianguis Bookclub news and more

The fall brings exciting developments and it starts with our bookclub selection, Like Son by Felicia Luna Lemus. We invite you to read along with us and join us for the bookclub discussion on Wed, Oct. 3rd @ 7 p.m.

If you're sad that summer is ending, I think this is just the page turner to distract you. And if you can't get enough of Nahui Olin, after seeing the Frida Contemporaries exhibit, you will be as delighted as me to see how Felicia brings Nahui Olin to life on the pages of this captivating novel.

We are also reading this book in anticipation of the October 12th event, that will be part of the Sor Juana Festival: Entre Letras, Palabras y Cantos. Which will feature Chicago's local Mexicana poets open for acclaimed author Felicia Luna Lemus. These local poets include: Stephanie Gentry-Fernandez, Magda Banda, Yolanda Cardenas, and The Luna Blues Machine. This event is a collaborative between the National Museum of Mexican Art and Proyecto Latina*.

Like Son is available @ Tianguis and your local library.

About the book: Set amidst present-day New York, 1990s Los Angeles, and 1940s Mexico City, Like Son is the not-so-simple story of a father, a son, and the love-blindness shared between them. Frank Cruz is a post-punk, sardonic, thirty-year-old who unwittingly inherits his father's legacy. Born a bouncing baby girl named Francisca to parents tangled in a doomed love affair, Frank grows up in both the poorest barrios and poshest hills of Southern California. A defiant loner, Frank leaves home at the age of eighteen, but is later sucked back into helping his estranged and blind father navigate an untimely death. On his deathbed, Frank's father gives him a mysterious crumbling photograph of a woman with a stunning gaze: Nahui Olin, a fierce member of the early-20th-century Mexican avant-garde who once brought tragedy upon the Cruz family. Punctured to his core by Nahui, Frank takes her portrait and flees to New York City to start anew--this time for real. In September 2001 the New York skyline tumbles, and Frank finds himself smack in the middle of his predestined fate.

* Proyecto Latina is a seperate collaborative between the women of Tianguis, Teatro Luna and Mariposa Atomica Ink.

Bookclub: The Devil's Highway, recap

Our bookclub discussion for The Devil's Highway was last night. There will be one more opportunity to share thoughts on the book in July, stay tuned for the date and time.

For now, I want to take a quick moment and follow up on last night's book club discussion. We had a nice exchange of ideas, regarding the book and the immigration issues it touches on. Some shared personal stories, or family anecdotes, it was definitely a book that struck a chord with many. One participant said she appreciated how the book humanized the immigrants crossing and a few regretted not having a novel format because we were left wanting to know more. I wondered if perhaps this was Urrea's way of conveying that desperation and feeling of not knowing feelings that perhaps the families left behind still live with.

Different passages stood out for a few of us. For me it was page 32, its a meager list of effects found on the victims that reads like a poem, for another person it was the top of page 165 that names the GPS coordinates that identifies where the journey ends for some victims, for another person it was page 128 that describes how walkers strip nude to escape the heat and how the clothing is found,"eerily neat, carefully folded and left in nice little piles."

Did you read the book and didn't have an opportunity to join us? Are there any thoughts you would like to share before the next book club discussion. We encourage you to post a comment here or send it to info@tianguis.biz.

New bookclub selection: The Devil's Highway

The Devil's Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea is our next book club selection! It's the first book that we pick that I have not actually read first. But I think its a safe gamble since it's a national bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

The book recounts a true story about a group of Mexican immigrants that got lost in May of 2004, along the Arizona desert on a deadly stretch known as The Devil's Highway or La Carretera del Diablo.

I'm already half-way through the first chapter. I've also thumbed through different parts of the book, including the table of contents, the interview and readers questions at the back of the book. One item that stands out is the timeline summarizing the deadly five day journey these men went on. It begins and ends during the month of May. I'm beginning to feel that perhaps the timing of this book as our book club selection for the month of May is serendipity. In the last couple of months, we had considered a couple of titles by Urrea and just recently and unaware of this coincidence picked The Devil's Highway. The thought of that timing coincidence lingered as I began to read the first few pages, making Urrea's descriptions of desert and desolation all the more surreal.

In light of the ongoing immigration debate we think its a timely read for individuals on both sides of the argument. At the interview at the back of the book, Urrea is asked about how he kept his account objective, he responds, "If I was going to write a book hoping to deal with this issue fairly, how could I write with prejudice...I have to trust my readers to make up their own minds. Even if that means reaching decisions I didn't intend for them to reach."

We invite you to read along with us. If you have already read this book, we encourage you to revisit it and share your thoughts with us. You can do this either through the comment feature on this blog or by joining our book club discussion. Immigration affects us all at many levels, we hope this book can help spark some healthy dialogue in our community and perhaps inspire action leading to changes that ensure that tragedies like this no longer occur.

There are four weeks to read the book. The next book club discussion gathering will be Wednesday, June 6th at 7 p.m. Can't wait to see you.

The Devil's Highway (Bay Back Books, 13.99) is for sale at Tianguis.

--Irasema Gonzalez