In the second year in the J-School at the University of Missouri, the sophomores are required to take a weed-out course listed in the Catalogue as Cross Cultural Journalism. The students derisively refer to it as a course in "white guilt". Grant rolls his eyes (we could tell even over the phone) when relating that the professor spent an entire hour going over the proper way to describe a person from the New World who descended from Spanish heritage. As I understand it now, this is multiple choice with only one (politically) correct answer:
A. Hispanic
B. Latino/Latina
C. Chicano/Chicana
D. (nation of birth)-American; e.g. Mexican-American, Salvadoran-American
E. Undocumented-American
F. Illegal-American
G. Spanish-Speaking American
H. American
When I was growing up in California the Mexicans attending Junior High with me referred to themselves as Chicanos. In College the Chicanos on campus had a separate newspaper called La Raza [The Race] - which always struck me as tilted toward heralding an exclusive ethno-centric worldview. But, those were the times. There was even a separate graduation ceremony for Hispanics sponsored at the public university, certainly not because there was a remnant of racism. But a doctrine of "Separate but Distinctly Different Culture (that you Gringos just would not understand, so why try. No comprende)" was in force. I visited my Friend Bob Lundahl, the Dean of Student Affairs, and enquired about signing up for the exclusive Nordic Heritage Graduation Ceremony. He took a long draw on his ever-present cigarette and laughed. Then he told me to go away. --But I digress...
In the middle of the term, the students in Cross Cultural Journalism were given an assignment to personally interview a farmer and get their opinion on health care reform.
The entire class thought, assign me a chapter to read, give me a topic upon which to research and write, give me a pop-quiz; but where am I going to find a farmer?
Grant called his mother with the news of the daunting task, adding that the TA had provided the caveat that "Don't be surprised if you find in really hard to get an interview, because there are so many J-School students crawling across Columbia, a relatively small town, and most of the locals are tired of dealing with student journalists like you. They've all been interviewed before." Well, Grant had a good source and he made the right call; his country born, bred and raised mother was not at all stymied. One of her more promising suggestions was, "Go the the local farmer's market. Of course after you make your purchase, you can then ask for an interview." With his eye's opened, Grant tried the Columbia Farmer's Market the next day, Thursday. There were no farmers there on Thursday. But on Saturday, there would be farmers. The Farmer Interview had to be turned in next Thursday. Up and at 'em on Saturday morning, be selected a bag of Missouri apples and said to the the apple growing lady at the stand, "How about an interview on your views of health care reform?" She said, "OK, how about next Wednesday?"
Arrangements were made for him to drive 30 miles to Booneville and meet his farmer at the old downtown hotel. At the appointed time, with his iPhone in recording mode, he sat down with his source. She had come, not only prepared to answer his questions, but she had brought a copy of the United States Constitution, marked up and illuminated and explained her ideas and opinions over the following 60 minutes. Wednesday night he had a whole lot of transcribing to do, but he had finished the assignment where others in the class had yet to find a farmer. How 'bout them apples?
| American Gothic Painted by Grant Wood |
A. Hispanic
B. Latino/Latina
C. Chicano/Chicana
D. (nation of birth)-American; e.g. Mexican-American, Salvadoran-American
E. Undocumented-American
F. Illegal-American
G. Spanish-Speaking American
H. American
When I was growing up in California the Mexicans attending Junior High with me referred to themselves as Chicanos. In College the Chicanos on campus had a separate newspaper called La Raza [The Race] - which always struck me as tilted toward heralding an exclusive ethno-centric worldview. But, those were the times. There was even a separate graduation ceremony for Hispanics sponsored at the public university, certainly not because there was a remnant of racism. But a doctrine of "Separate but Distinctly Different Culture (that you Gringos just would not understand, so why try. No comprende)" was in force. I visited my Friend Bob Lundahl, the Dean of Student Affairs, and enquired about signing up for the exclusive Nordic Heritage Graduation Ceremony. He took a long draw on his ever-present cigarette and laughed. Then he told me to go away. --But I digress...
In the middle of the term, the students in Cross Cultural Journalism were given an assignment to personally interview a farmer and get their opinion on health care reform.
The entire class thought, assign me a chapter to read, give me a topic upon which to research and write, give me a pop-quiz; but where am I going to find a farmer?
Grant called his mother with the news of the daunting task, adding that the TA had provided the caveat that "Don't be surprised if you find in really hard to get an interview, because there are so many J-School students crawling across Columbia, a relatively small town, and most of the locals are tired of dealing with student journalists like you. They've all been interviewed before." Well, Grant had a good source and he made the right call; his country born, bred and raised mother was not at all stymied. One of her more promising suggestions was, "Go the the local farmer's market. Of course after you make your purchase, you can then ask for an interview." With his eye's opened, Grant tried the Columbia Farmer's Market the next day, Thursday. There were no farmers there on Thursday. But on Saturday, there would be farmers. The Farmer Interview had to be turned in next Thursday. Up and at 'em on Saturday morning, be selected a bag of Missouri apples and said to the the apple growing lady at the stand, "How about an interview on your views of health care reform?" She said, "OK, how about next Wednesday?"
Arrangements were made for him to drive 30 miles to Booneville and meet his farmer at the old downtown hotel. At the appointed time, with his iPhone in recording mode, he sat down with his source. She had come, not only prepared to answer his questions, but she had brought a copy of the United States Constitution, marked up and illuminated and explained her ideas and opinions over the following 60 minutes. Wednesday night he had a whole lot of transcribing to do, but he had finished the assignment where others in the class had yet to find a farmer. How 'bout them apples?
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