Project 4 - Claiming Public Space

County Courthouse Corner

Representation of Space:

As the County Seat of Athens County, the City of Athens hosts the Athens County Courthouse, located at 1 S. Court St. The site has been the courthouse location since 1808, but this is the third courthouse on the site, built in 1880 (http://www.ohio.edu/athens/bldgs/courthouse.html).

The square on the corner of S. Court and W. Washington St. is an interesting public space. When one looks at it, it is just a corner sidewalk area with two benches located on the sides and flowers and trees line the courthouse walls. The space is a paved open square, maintaining the paved sidewalk.

The space is wide enough that it could have been filled in with grass, but the paved ground allows for people to easily access the side doors of the Courthouse. It is a seemingly open, unmonitored space next to the courthouse, but when one looks closely, there are cameras mounted on the Courthouse which monitor the space, as seen below, and signs posted on the corner trashcan indicating that order be maintained.

The City of Athens website is a bit cumbersome to navigate, and although there is likely a form required in order to protest outside of the courthouse specifically, our group was able to uncover a required form governing the use of signs.

http://www.egovlink.com/public_documents300/athensoh/published_documents/Code%20Enforcement/Applications%20and%20Permits/Temporary%20Sign%20Permit.pdf

This form requires that the specific size and location of signage must be stated, and may only be displayed for a maximum of 30 days.

Vending, another common activity that occurs in this space, also requires an application that is submitted along with a $50 initial application fee. This fee could be inclusionary, in that some organizations may not be willing afford the fee, or unwilling to compromise the amount in order to have their voices heard.

Athens County Courthouse as a representational space.

The country courthouse is used by the public to demonstrate outrage against unwanted social and political measures imposed upon them by another group or government power. Though the courthouse itself is a facet of government, the steps of this courthouse can be used to protest the government in question. People who use this place use it for its proximity to the center of town as well as it’s visibility on the busiest street in Athens. These uses of the space support its design as the steps are relatively large and open to the public, allowing demonstrations and protests to be seen by a multitude of passersby. It is important to note that, as this public space is often used by a collective of people, what is absent is the individual.

To show this space as a representational, or “live-in”/appropriated, space we need only to look at how certain groups have used this space:

-An article by The New Political shows how teachers of Athens County schools, as well as professors from the university, used the county courthouse steps to protest the Senate 5 bill signed into law by Gov. Kasich, effectively cutting off teachers’ rights to collectively bargain and outlawing the use of strikes to gain better working conditions and wages. They use this space to claim their rights as workers. (http://thenewpolitical.com/2011/02/22/controversial-labor-bill-hits-close-to-home/)

-The courthouse was also at the center for the Rally to Reclaim America, which took place on January 21^st, 2011, the one year anniversary of the Supreme Court case, Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Committee, which ruled 5-4 that money is a form a free speech, giving corporations the right to endorse public officials and politicians. (http://athensinteractivist.com/rally.html)
It should also be noted that this space can be used by both students, as well as permanent community members. Despite the common tension between these two groups, neither are excluded from using this space and are welcome to use it (after obtaining permission). In September of 2007, residents from the south-side were protesting the construction of The Summit, the now successful off-campus housing project. Citizens argued against the construction citing environmental concerns, as well as an increase in traffic in the area.

(http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/content/neighbors-voice-objections-student-housing-proposal)

The Courthouse as a "Space for Representation"

This spring featured two instances of local groups coming together to use the courthouse as a gathering place to present their social and political messages. On March 17, the Post reported that 75 people gathered there to protest Ohio Senate Bill 5. The crowd chanted "Kill the bill," "What's disgusting? Union busting!" and "They say budget; we say bullshit!" as they took control of the area and used it to exercise their right to assemble.

Quoting from the Post: “The rally is an important component, but it’s not enough,” said [Beth] Clodfelter. “There is a power in being heard and that’s what we’re doing here, but we can always do more.”

The other event took place on April 9th. The university LGBT community opened their Pride Week events with an hour rally at the courthouse.

Again from the Post: “I want people to step out of the comfort zones and educate themselves. There is a lot we all can learn,” said Amelia Shaw, vice commissioner of LGBT affairs.

There are interesting things embedded in these articles. First, the first group of protesters felt empowered enough to use profanity in public. As Athens is a university town, it's expected that groups of academics can get away with being slightly more rowdy. On the other hand, the courthouse is bracketed with surveillance cameras. If the authorities wanted to find these protesters later, they would be able to.

The quote from Ms. Clodfelter makes a very salient point, too. They transformed the space into space for representation out of their desire to be heard, but she knows that even that is likely not enough--that further work must be done in Columbus if change is to occur.

Ms. Shaw's quote also has an additional layer if unpacked. She wants people to step outside of their comfort zone. Standing in front of the courthouse is likely comfortable enough for most people. It's standing in front of the courthouse with LGBT people that makes it less comfortable. That group taking control of that space threatens some people and makes them uneasy. By taking control of the space for representation, two things happen: First, the individual participants are empowered by being part of the collective. Second, those who are uneasy have their fears assuaged by seeing the LGBT community come together peacefully.

There's no commandeering of space a la People's Park. As Carr discusses, nods to what is legal and customary are displayed. Some norms are likely challenged, but not enough to upset the balance of the city. Everyone knows the space isn't really given, either. It's loaned. The courthouse appears to be controlled, but less controlled because people here have all been conditioned. This throws it back into the realm of representational space.

The corner of Court Street and Washington Street is a high traffic area, both pedestrian and vehicle. Because of this, there is a need for strict rules to define the space as well as a desire for some to rebel against these rules. Having a courthouse placed there makes this an even more challenging process. There are people of all social, economical, and racial varieties frequenting this location. The steps outside the courthouse are commonly used as a gathering place to eat and mingle. Of course this was not the original intention but they seem to allow this activity because it is harmless and a method of constructively giving space back to the community. The annex of skateboarding and biking uptown is a major challenger of the uses of public space. Athens, being the varied community it is, promote biking and has a large skateboarding population but refuses to allow these activities on the busiest and most desirable streets uptown. Although some people may be harming the community while they are performing these activities uptown, a majority just use them as a mode of travel. Fortunately, the less invasive of the two, biking, is allowed on the street for commuting. Population density uptown, particularly on this corner, also promotes demonstrations and fundraisers they tend to be allowed. This represents a clear cohesion between what people want to do with the space and what is allowed. As with any public area, they are expectations of the public that can and can not be met, the Athens courthouse is no different.

Project 3 - Home

We have found 4 representations of home in print media that all deal with the notion of home being heavily linked with the post-war era of domesticity.

This old print ad from the 1950s depicts that idea of “home” as a space that is made into place by the addition of a nuclear family and the presence of a housewife who is seen as in her element there. If we exclude the dialogue between the husband and wife, and are left only examining the picture, we are left with the idea that home in a place for women (mothers, wives) to engage in place-making activities by constantly keeping the home clean which, inevitably, makes her husband very happy.



These two print ads from the 1960s explicitly show that a functioning “home” in middle-class, white suburbia was dependent upon the housewife’s role as maid as well as wife. The idea is that the role of the woman was to work tirelessly to make a home place for the rest of her family.

The final print media artifact I found takes a different look at the gender rules of the post-war home.


This print from Vanity Fair shows an old Hollywood glamour couple with the simple tagline, “One can’t help but wonder where the power lies in such a relationship.” This is a challenge to the specific roles of men and women in this time period. Putting the man and the woman on an equal playing field generates a sort of shock value that confuses some people who are used to the idea of the 1950s home wherein men have the most power, and women are delegated to tasks of housework.

As discussed, these print ads provide a specific meaning of home revolving around the nuclear family and the role of the wife. In Domosh and Seager’s chapter on home, the authors state that (through looking at such advertisements of women in these roles) these images of women rely on home “as the basis of definition.” In other words, home is essential to the identity of the women in these ads.

The problem with these depictions of home is that, while they may be the perfect picture of the “American Dream,” they are only imaginable to a small majority of people, those people being middle-class, white single-families in the suburbs. This largely excludes all minorities, any family making less than upper-middle class income, and any family unit or home that chooses an alternative lifestyle. This reminds of Betty Friedan’s “A Problem with No Name,” in the Feminine Mystique, about the woes of the middle-class housewife in the face of oppression and bell hooks’ resulting critique about how this ignores the realities of working women’s lives, who may have a completely different understanding of what home means.



Notions of "home" have changed a great deal from those beginnings. The stereotypical "traditional" family has been brought into the 21st century. Adult children are choosing to stay home with mom and dad. Even some of those who have left have returned home due to layoffs caused by The Great Recession.

Young people are not the only ones redefining "home." Oldsters are living longer and choosing not to give up their independence. Whether living in preplanned retirement communities or simply looking for roommates a la Oscar and Felix, today's retirees (don't call them "elderly") are continuing to live active lives.

Interestingly, conservative notions of the "traditional" family are most likely to be seen in less developed countries or poorer communities. Grandmother might move in after grandpa dies. Cousins and uncles might live next door or just down the street. More and more people are reinterpreting the meaning of the space we call "home." The media is catching on and updating how it portrays these new realities, whether it's Paul Newman in a boarding house or two nerdy scientists dealing with 30-something issues in Pasadena, the notion of home evolves as we do.

These three advertisements were all taken from different magazines. One being from National Graphic, another from Wired and a final from Life, made for a diverse selection. It is evident in all of them the different ways families or individuals can act at their home. There are different demographics as well as physical locations represented as well. Some people use the place of home for work and are able to incorporate their children into their daily life more than most. Although the work at home parent is gaining in popularity, a majority of adults still leave their home for work everyday. This makes for an interesting difference in a parents home and work life. As we discussed in class, the readings explained the different ways people view their home and how they act in it. The three magazine ads accurately demonstrate the concept Gill Valentine explained about how people use home spatially and for personal fulfillment. The article "Putting Women in Place" is reference-able as well. The movement for women to have equal rights at home and in the work place is well documented in these ads. Magazines have long been a way of reaching a large viewing audience for advertisers. The three here are from rather different magazines but can all be tied together as a way of representing the way home and families have changed.

Here are the links for our presentation to the AdCouncil culminating in a PDF file featuring our "family" campaign poster.

http://www.brianwoods.com/traditional.pptx
http://www.brianwoods.com/poster.pdf

By Taylor, Robin, Kelly, Kyle and me

Geographies of Hispanic/Latino Identity

The Basics- Empirical Approach

DEFINITION - The terms "Hispanic" or "Latino" refer to persons who trace their origin or descent to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spanish speaking Central and South America countries, and other Spanish cultures. Origin can be considered as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.

Trying to graph the “race” of the United States is an ever changing problem. One of the most difficult minorities to map is the Latino population. To combat this issue, prior to the 2000 census, there was a movement to remove “race” altogether from the ballot. A compromised was reached and the option of “multiracial” was added to the options (Staples 1). As we discussed in class, the idea of race is hard to describe because it is not a biological difference simply based on skin color as some people may believe. This advancement adds yet another problem to mapping the Latino Population. Due to illegal immigration, children of illegals and citizens who simply do not partake in the census or fill it out incorrectly, the Latino population is misrepresented.

According to the 2010 census data of the United States, Latinos are the largest minority present. Latinos currently compose 16.3% of the American population which translates to roughly 48.4 million people. This number will only multiply as Latinos continue to be the fastest growing minority, with a 3.1% yearly increase. At the current growth rate, Latinos will compose 30% of the nation's overall population by 2050. Interestingly, from 1990 to 2010 the Latino population in the United States has done more than double, so 2050 could hold a much higher presented than predicted. America already holds the number two spot in respect to Latino population, only Mexico has a population (111 million) larger than the U.S.'s. These numbers all represent a major issue of the demographic change that has and will continue to take place in the United States.

So how is this number growing so rapidly? For starters, one in four new born are of Latino ancestry. 2008 data shows that 66% of America's Latino population was of Mexican decent, 9% were of Puerto Rican and the remainder were a mixture of other South and Central American countries. A large majority of the Latino population remains in the southern states, but many cities to the north are starting to see a large influx of Latino immigrants. To put this into perspective, 47% of the overall Latino population lived in either California or Texas while 14 other states had a Latino population over a half million. Predictions for future population growth show that these states along with many others will continue to see increases in their Latino populations.

Critical Theory
While the Hispanic/Latino population has typically been homogenized, it is important to understand how this identity is portrayed in, interacts with, and is constituted of larger social and cultural experiences. Below, we identify how this identity may be positioned within higher education, politics, cultural experiences, and geography.
Higher Education
As the population of identified Hispanic/Latino citizens grows in the United States, the place of Latino Studies within higher education is debated. It is an effort to “institutionalize the study of…group experiences” and give a legitimate voice to the increasing numbers of Latino students. The initial attempts at establishing Latino Studies programs were titled “’Chicano Studies’ or ‘Puerto Rican Studies,’ corresponding directly to the vocal, spirited, and politically grounded struggles of the Chicano and Puerto Rican communities for justice and liberation” (Flores, p. 210). This reflects the diversity to be found in the group defined by the umbrella-term “Latino” and how for many people, this identity can be centered on national identity or very specific cultural experiences. To create a program proposing to address issues and educate on the experiences of Latino people is almost in a way legitimizing the term and its use in homogenizing a vast group of people and respecting the cultural hegemony in which the identity was created. However, identities are constructed through their place in larger social discourse and the influence of “feminist, post-colonial, and race theories” have allowed for a recognition that the identity labeled “Hispanic/Latino” is much more complex than initially recognized (p. 213). The globalization of our economies and cultures has blurred the initial foundation of Latino Studies in creating a “reinterpretation of the concept of nation” and therefore, a reinterpretation of the concept of Latino (p. 215). The challenge in crafting Latino Studies lies in respecting and acknowledging all the experiences of ‘Latino’ people while paying close attention to the ways this identity has been shaped, examining the “real or constitutive unities within and among the Latino population” (p. 914). The creation of these programs asserts an authoritative position within society to study and explain the Hispanic/Latino identity.
Music
In his article Latin Holidays: Mexican Americans, Latin Music, and Cultural Identity in Postwar Los Angeles, Anthony Macias cites music as one of the major tools through which Mexican Americans assert their identity. One major concern of Mexican Americans in this time period was to ensure that were “not [to be] treated merely as cheap labor or, worse yet, as ‘Negroes’”(65). They found that there were many places across the city were “Latin” nights were becoming more frequent, along with events that young people who were looking for the same environment could gather together. In a sense, their “place” was just beginning to come together as a social structure, and they simultaneously worked to create it. This article draws upon sources which identify various night clubs and concert venues where this novel type of music and dance were being explored at the time. Many locations were not catered specifically to Mexican Americans, and they ended up being more of a blend of people from a range of races and ethnic backgrounds from “Spanish” to “Latin” to “Mexican”. While this new sense of “place” perhaps is not a direct copy of what this group experienced in Mexico, they were able to “add[ed] their own distinct spin to [existing] styles”(73) of music and dance, which empowered them as a group, and ultimately helped them to achieve their goal of avoiding the “Anglo-imposed ‘commodity identity’ in which Mexicans were seen merely as cheap labor”(78). They made the most of their situation by blurring lines between different identity groups and creating a place where their new identity could flourish.
Politics
As with most demographics today, the Hispanic voting population has a small turn out in relation to their population size. Although this is the case, both Republicans and Democrats have acknowledged the large untapped voting population they make up. As of 2008, Hispanic Americans made up the largest minority group, 15.4% of the United States entire population, and this number has only continued to grow. Another statistic to show the drastic change in the growing Hispanic population can be shown by the decrease in Non-Hispanic White's overall make up of America's population. In 2000, Non-Hispanic Whites made up 70% of the United States total population, but in 2010 this number has dropped to 63.7%. The change in the under eighteen years old population is much more extreme in this context. One out of every five k-12 students are of Hispanic descent as well as one out of every four newborns. This information clearly shows an overall change in the makeup of the American population.
So how do we handle this inevitable change? Republicans are fortunate that the Hispanic population does not come out in full force when election season comes around. Barack Obama received eighty percent of the minority vote in the last presidential election. Of this number, two-thirds were of the Hispanic population. Hot topics such as immigration reform and healthcare are keys to the Democrats retaining these votes. By having more relaxed and universal laws proposed on these popular issues, the Democrats have helped to seal the Hispanic vote. Both political parties continue to try and fight for the minority vote, but as of 2008 it is clear the Democrats are increasing their advantage over the Republicans.

Below is a video that shows the lack of connection between the Hispanic community and the Republican party.



Geography
In their article, Latino immigrants and the renegotiation of place and belonging in small town America (2008), Nelson and Hiemstra employ critical theory to examine and compare the creation and maintenance of the Latin American identity through two case studies of immigrant/non-immigrant relations in Leadville, Colorado and Woodburn, Oregon. Both of these small communities have a 50% or above Latino population but the structures of these town created two separate outcomes of identity.
In Leadville, CO, the sociospatial structure is maintained in a way that separates immigrant Latinos from their non-immigrant counterparts. Latino immigrants occupy space on the outskirts of Leadville and use public spaces at different times (usually at night) than non-immigrants. Nelson and Hiemstra have found that these "parallel communities" created by geographically separating immigrants from non-immigrants allow for residents to maintain images of immigrants created by the national media (p. 324). The authors have found that increasingly society-wide discourse that stresses the "illegality" of immigrants gives non-immigrants a publicly acceptable narrative to justify the exclusion of immigrants as well as functioning to make these immigrants feel like they themselves can never belong (p. 325). As Mexican-Americans in Leadville see the presence of immigrants as a threat to their own belonging, any chance of a unified Latino identity in this particular case study is shattered.
Nelson and Hiemstra saw a different outcome of the creation of identity in Woodburn, OR. Immigrants, largely working in the migrant farming industry, have been able to better assimilate into the Latino community, and have gained and maintained the support of Mexican-Americans in Woodburn. The acceptance of immigrants in this community can largely be attributed to the popular Chicano solidarity movements of the 1970s, and immigrants are not seen as a threat to the Latino-American identity (p. 329). The support garnered from these groups allows for immigrants to have a stronger and unified voice to negotiate their own "place" in this community. The Latino community in Woodburn has created a unified identity and sense of place and belonging, regardless of issues of citizenship (p. 333).
So What?
These four examples provide only a small view into the ways in which Hispanic/Latino identity is manipulated by larger social forces and is one interpretation through the lens of scholarly research. Identified Hispanic/Latino people are constantly interacting with society in ways to mediate tensions associated with immigration, and assert a presence among higher arenas of education and politics which help combat cultural stereotypes. What we see is that defining oneself as Hispanic/Latino positions oneself along an interesting intersection of society, where historically defined conceptions carry baggage which makes integration and inclusion in the United States a constant process of mediation and struggle.

Constructivist

Our group was interested in understanding how Latinos understood their cultural identity. To that end, we created a short survey and reached out to Ohio University's international community. Unfortunately, our survey only had a 50% response rate, but the answers we received still provided valuable insights. Respondents indicated that being from Latin American countries was key to their identities. One respondent noted that her country (Colombia) featured many different cultural identities based on what area a person was from--a notion not so alien for those of us from the United States.

Respondents stated that differences between cultures continue to cause problems for them. One mentioned that in Latin American countries, it was normal to kiss someone on the cheek when greeting them, but here when she leans it, almost reflexively, the American will put his or her hand out for shaking. It reminds her that she is somewhere else. Similarly, another mentioned being less aware of American's "bubble" or personal zone. She indicated that on more than one occasion she had violated it and had to remind herself where she was.

Respondents stated that their time abroad made them more Latin American. That is, the more they were away, the more they identified with others from their home region. The first respondent indicated she had many more Latin American friends than she thought she would just because it was easier to connect with them because even if their culture was unique, there were enough shared qualities to make connections easier. Another respondent reported she always felt a little alien at home, but the more time away she spends the more "Costena" (person from the coast) she feels.

All this suggests that our core identity is pretty fixed. While we may feel one way while at home in our "safe" place, when we travel abroad, we take our place with us in the form of our attitudes and mores. We use these cultural aspects to present ourselves to others and to make connections with people who share similar cultural traits. This American Life once featured a pair of women, one rich and the other poor. Both married Americans and had immigrated to the USA from Russia. While neither would have been friends with the other in their native land, their shared culture brought them together. Initially they didn't exactly hit it off, but in the end, shared culture won out and they became friends.

Conclusion
Latin Americans are the fastest growing part of the US populace.  Latin families hold onto their unique identities, but there are also forces pulling them away from their traditions into the broader "American" culture.  It's difficult to know at this point how that will be achieved or how successful it can even be.  Latin Americans are very proud of their heritage and culture.  It will be up to members of this community to decide how "American" they choose to be and what identity they create for themselves in the 21st century.

References:
Flores, J. (1997). Latino studies: New contexts, new concepts. Harvard Educational Review. 67(2).

U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2010, Hispanic Americans by the numbers, generated by Census Bureau, ;(3 May 2011).

Staples, Brent. "On Race and the Census." New York Times. Late Edition.Final (2007): 1-2. Print.

Asserting Identity Through Music

In his article Latin Holidays: Mexican Americans, Latin Music, and Cultural Identity in Postwar Los Angeles, Anthony Macias cites music as one of the major tools through which Mexican Americans assert their identity. One major concern of Mexican Americans in this time period was to ensure that were “not [to be] treated merely as cheap labor or, worse yet, as ‘Negroes’”(65). They found that there were many places across the city were “Latin” nights were becoming more frequent, along with events that young people who were looking for the same environment could gather together. In a sense, their “place” was just beginning to come together as a social structure, and they simultaneously worked to create it. This article draws upon sources which identify various night clubs and concert venues where this novel type of music and dance were being explored at the time. Many locations were not catered specifically to Mexican Americans, and they ended up being more of a blend of people from a range of races and ethnic backgrounds from “Spanish” to “Latin” to “Mexican”. While this new sense of “place” perhaps is not a direct copy of what this group experienced in Mexico, they were able to “add[ed] their own distinct spin to [existing] styles”(73) of music and dance, which empowered them as a group, and ultimately helped them to achieve their goal of avoiding the “Anglo-imposed ‘commodity identity’ in which Mexicans were seen merely as cheap labor”(78). They made the most of their situation by blurring lines between different identity groups and creating a place where their new identity could flourish.

The Hispanic Vote

As with most demographics today, the Hispanic voting population has a small turn out in relation to their population size. Although this is the case, both Republicans and Democrats have acknowledged the large untapped voting population they make up. As of 2008, Hispanic Americans made up the largest minority group, 15.4% of the United States entire population, and this number has only continued to grow. Another statistic to show the drastic change in the growing Hispanic population can be shown by the decrease in Non-Hispanic White's overall make up of America's population. In 2000, Non-Hispanic Whites made up 70% of the United States total population, but in 2010 this number has dropped to 63.7%. The change in the under eighteen years old population is much more extreme in this context. One out of every five k-12 students are of Hispanic descent as well as one out of every four newborns. This information clearly shows an overall change in the make up of the American population.

So how do we handle this inevitable change. Republicans are fortunate that the Hispanic population does not come out in full force when election season comes around. Barack Obama received eighty percent of the minority vote in the last presidential election. Of this number, two-thirds were of the Hispanic population. Hot topics such as immigration reform and healthcare are keys to the Democrats retaining these votes. By having more relaxed and universal laws proposed on these popular issues, the Democrats have helped to seal the Hispanic vote. Both political parties continue to try and fight for the minority vote, but as of 2008 it is clear the Democrats are increasing their advantage over the Republicans.

Below is a video that shows the lack of connection between the Hispanic community and the Republican party.

Interviews

Our group was interested in understanding how Latinos understood their cultural identity.  To that end, we created a short survey and reached out to Ohio University's international community.  Unfortunately, our survey only had a 50% response rate, but the answers we received still provided valuable insights.  Respondents indicated that being from Latin American countries was key to their identities.  One respondent noted that her country (Colombia) featured many different cultural identities based on what area a person was from--a notion not so alien for those of us from the United States.

Respondents stated that differences between cultures continue to cause problems for them.  One mentioned that in Latin American countries, it was normal to kiss someone on the cheek when greeting them, but here when she leans it, almost reflexively, the American will put his or her hand out for shaking.  It reminds her that she is somewhere else.  Similarly, another mentioned being less aware of American's "bubble" or personal zone.  She indicated that on more than one occasion she had violated it and had to remind herself where she was.

Respondents stated that their time abroad made them more Latin American.  That is, the more they were away, the more they identified with others from their home region.  The first respondent indicated she had many more Latin American friends than she thought she would just because it was easier to connect with them because even if their culture was unique, there were enough shared qualities to make connections easier.  Another respondent reported she always felt a little alien at home, but the more time away she spends the more "Costena" (person from the coast) she feels.

All this suggests that our core identity is pretty fixed.  While we may feel one way while at home in our "safe" place, when we travel abroad, we take our place with us in the form of our attitudes and mores.  We use these cultural aspects to present ourselves to others and to make connections with people who share similar cultural traits.  This American Life once featured a pair of women, one rich and the other poor.  Both married Americans and had immigrated to the USA from Russia.  While neither would have been friends with the other in their native land, their shared culture brought them together.  Initially they didn't exactly hit it off, but in the end, shared culture won out and they became friends.

Beginnings of Critical Theory portion

While the Hispanic/Latino population has typically been homogenized, it is important to understand how this identity is portrayed in, interacts with, and is constituted of larger social and cultural experiences. Below, we identify how this identity may be positioned within higher education, geography, cultural experiences, and politics.

As the population of identified Hispanic/Latino citizens grows in the United States, the place of Latino Studies within higher education is debated. It is an effort to “institutionalize the study of…group experiences” and give a legitimate voice to the increasing numbers of Latino students. The initial attempts at establishing Latino Studies programs were titled “’Chicano Studies’ or ‘Puerto Rican Studies,’ corresponding directly to the vocal, spirited, and politically grounded struggles of the Chicano and Puerto Rican communities for justice and liberation” (Flores, p. 210). This reflects the diversity to be found in the group defined by the umbrella-term “Latino” and how for many people, this identity can be centered on national identity or very specific cultural experiences. To create a program proposing to address issues and educate on the experiences of Latino people is almost in a way legitimizing the term and its use in homogenizing a vast group of people and respecting the cultural hegemony in which the identity was created. However, identities are constructed through their place in larger social discourse and the influence of “feminist, post-colonial, and race theories” have allowed for a recognition that the identity labeled “Hispanic/Latino” is much more complex than initially recognized (p. 213). The globalization of our economies and cultures has blurred the initial foundation of Latino Studies in creating a “reinterpretation of the concept of nation” and therefore, a reinterpretation of the concept of Latino (p. 215). The challenge in crafting Latino Studies lies in respecting and acknowledging all the experiences of ‘Latino’ people while paying close attention to the ways this identity has been shaped, examining the “real or constitutive unities within and among the Latino population” (p. 914). The creation of these programs asserts an authoritative position within society to study and explain the Hispanic/Latino identity.