(no subject)
1. Revisionist history is a reinterpretation of the past giving a voice to those, like women and people of color, who have little or no documented place in history. The patriarchal narrative is something we see in our US History text books, written by white, upper-class, Anglo men who only cared about documenting war and land ownership. Both “Race Gender and Work” by Amott and “Borderlands” by Anzaldúa challenge this patriarchal narrative by telling the histories and hardships of Indigenous and Mexican people in the United States. By examining the conquest of the Indigenous and resultantly, Mexican people, we can see how roles of women in both cultures have changed over time because of colonization and how that affects their roles in society today.
Amott’s text is more an examination of this history while Anzaldúa talks about her Chicana experience growing up on the border of Texas and Mexico. Both provide insight to these subjugated cultures in the United States, and “talk back” to United States history that’s erased the lives and stories of whole populations. Women’s contribution is often written out, devalued or overlooked, but the remembrance of a soldadera or the examination of a Chicana, serve to change our view of the past and hopefully, our future.
2. Native American’s were considered savages who needed to be civilized. To the dominant culture, this was the cheapest, easiest way to avoid an “Indian war.” This idea of being uncivilized justified the take over of land, and eventually Native American's were subjugated through violence and fear. Dominance over Native people was maintained by degradation of their culture, two examples being the rape of the native women, as well as military attacks and germ warfare. Europeans brought diseases to the Native Americans, who had no immunity. This was sometimes used intentionally, like offering blankets with small pox to the tribes. Ailments such as chicken pox and measles, though common and rarely fatal among Europeans, often proved fatal to Native Americans. The military would ambush villages, and in addition to killing or enslaving the Indigenous people, raping their women also instilled fear. By taking and raping the land, subjugating and raping the Native culture and people, and through dispossessing them from their land, Natives were forced to either become a part of European society, or to rebel against it.
Colonialism forever changed the lives of Native people. Native women, who came from cultures which were fairly egalitarian or matrilineal, no longer had the freedom they once had. Fear of rape, violence, and disease changed the way Native's lived. In "Borderlands" Anzaldúa sets up historical impacts of colonization and how that’s affected race, class, gender and sexuality. This is the Mestiza consciousness. From conquest to the present, Native American's have been trying to heal the open wounds which have resulted from colonization and subsequently, racism and criminalization. Native women who lost their culture, language, and family are still affected today because there's no complete way to get back what they lost.
3. Chicana women had to As I said before, women are often written out of history because of their little value in society. In Amott's "Race Gender and Work" she talks about many Chicana women who made an impact throughout social history.
4. One inevitable outcome of oppression is resistance. Nobody wants to be controlled by some outside force. Reflecting on our readings and films discuss how Chicana and Native American women have shown resistance after the period of colonization (after 1900s).
5. Native Americans & Chicanas share a similar history and can be compared and contrasted. How were their experiences similar & or different in each of the following historical periods. (Discuss at least 2 major points for each group for each historical period):
A.Pre-Columbian perio B.Colonial period C.postcolonial
before Europeansto Euro conquest after 1900s
6. In a short paragraph briefly discuss how your understanding of the larger macro social histories of these women and their specific micro histories has either changed or transformed your understanding of U.S. history in general.
Amott’s text is more an examination of this history while Anzaldúa talks about her Chicana experience growing up on the border of Texas and Mexico. Both provide insight to these subjugated cultures in the United States, and “talk back” to United States history that’s erased the lives and stories of whole populations. Women’s contribution is often written out, devalued or overlooked, but the remembrance of a soldadera or the examination of a Chicana, serve to change our view of the past and hopefully, our future.
2. Native American’s were considered savages who needed to be civilized. To the dominant culture, this was the cheapest, easiest way to avoid an “Indian war.” This idea of being uncivilized justified the take over of land, and eventually Native American's were subjugated through violence and fear. Dominance over Native people was maintained by degradation of their culture, two examples being the rape of the native women, as well as military attacks and germ warfare. Europeans brought diseases to the Native Americans, who had no immunity. This was sometimes used intentionally, like offering blankets with small pox to the tribes. Ailments such as chicken pox and measles, though common and rarely fatal among Europeans, often proved fatal to Native Americans. The military would ambush villages, and in addition to killing or enslaving the Indigenous people, raping their women also instilled fear. By taking and raping the land, subjugating and raping the Native culture and people, and through dispossessing them from their land, Natives were forced to either become a part of European society, or to rebel against it.
Colonialism forever changed the lives of Native people. Native women, who came from cultures which were fairly egalitarian or matrilineal, no longer had the freedom they once had. Fear of rape, violence, and disease changed the way Native's lived. In "Borderlands" Anzaldúa sets up historical impacts of colonization and how that’s affected race, class, gender and sexuality. This is the Mestiza consciousness. From conquest to the present, Native American's have been trying to heal the open wounds which have resulted from colonization and subsequently, racism and criminalization. Native women who lost their culture, language, and family are still affected today because there's no complete way to get back what they lost.
3. Chicana women had to As I said before, women are often written out of history because of their little value in society. In Amott's "Race Gender and Work" she talks about many Chicana women who made an impact throughout social history.
4. One inevitable outcome of oppression is resistance. Nobody wants to be controlled by some outside force. Reflecting on our readings and films discuss how Chicana and Native American women have shown resistance after the period of colonization (after 1900s).
5. Native Americans & Chicanas share a similar history and can be compared and contrasted. How were their experiences similar & or different in each of the following historical periods. (Discuss at least 2 major points for each group for each historical period):
A.Pre-Columbian perio B.Colonial period C.postcolonial
before Europeansto Euro conquest after 1900s
6. In a short paragraph briefly discuss how your understanding of the larger macro social histories of these women and their specific micro histories has either changed or transformed your understanding of U.S. history in general.