This is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the literary/political statements of Latino and Chicano writers in contemporary America. However, it gives students an introduction to some writers who would otherwise languish in obscurity even in the very communities they celebrate. This unit will, hopefully, give students a deeper understanding of language as a critical component of our humanity and search for self-definition and expression.
Appendix A: Sample Journal Response
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"child of the Americas" (l.1)
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She has identified herself as belonging to a place - but whereexactly? Is her identity with the larger patchwork of U.S. society?
Text
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"a light-skinned mestiza" (l. 2)
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Personal Response
Mixes English and Spanish - dual identity; "mestiza" - "mixed": belongs to both, but Spanish ancestry of primary importance?
Text
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"a child of many diaspora" (l. 3)
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Personal Resonse
She is a political and ethnic outcast? Has she been forcefully removed from her place of origin?
Text
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"a U.S. Puerto Rican Jew" (l. 4)
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Personal Response
She has the triple socio-political stigma of being a woman, a Puerto Rican, and a Jew - opportunity/inclusion has certainly been remote for her.
Appendix B - Actor's Notes
CHARACTER: Student places here the name of the character he or she will be portraying. Each character in a given scene (or segment of a scene) will have a sheet completed by a student in the group.
TEXT: The Act, scene, and line numbers are placed here.
CHARACTER INTENT: The student(s) briefly write an analysis of what is motivating the character to say what he or she is saying at this point in the play. What does the character want from the other character(s) in the scene?
BEHAVIOR: The student(s) briefly describe what he (they) will be doing in the way of physical communication. Gestures, bodily posture, facial expressions, and
AUDIENCE EFFECT: Students should briefly describe what they think the audience is supposed to feel or understand as a result of this dialogue and action.
Appendix C: Rubric for Evaluation of Interview Project
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Strong
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Avg.
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Weak
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1. Presents a dominant impression of subject
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2. Uses fact, anecdotes, and description to draw a vivid picture of the interview subject
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3. Uses realistic dialogue if appropriate
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4. Uses a logical and effective pattern of organization, such as a narrative or series of the interview subject's opinions
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5. Uses transitional words and phrases to show relationships among ideas
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6. Contains no more than two or three minor errors in grammar and usage
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7. Applies quotation marks correctly to both brief and lengthy dialogue
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8. Contains no more than two or three minor errors in spelling, capitalization, and mechanics
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Comments:
(Teachers may assign point values as they see fit. I would give 12 points for strong performance on an individual element, 9 points for average performance, and vary the point value of a weak performance dependent upon how weak the presentation is - a judgment call. The total score would be 96; you can scale it to 100 if you like.)
Appendix D: Rubric for Evaluation of Literary Explication
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Strong
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Avg.
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Weak
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1. Provides enough information about the literary work to enable the reader to understand the analysis
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2. Clearly states a single controlling idea
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3. Presents evidence from the text to support critical and interpretive statements
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4. Uses comparison and contrast, paraphrase and summary, and quotations as appropriate to show the basis for judgments
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5. Uses a logical and effective pattern of organization
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6. Includes a well-developed introduction, body, and conclusion
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7. Uses transition words and phrases to show relationships among ideas
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8. Contains no more than two or three minor errors in grammar and usage
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9. Correctly integrates quotations into the text
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10. Contains no more than two or three minor errors in spelling, capitalization, and mechanics
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Comments:
(For each element I would assign either 9 or 10 points for strong performance, 7 or 8 points for average performance, and 6 or under for weak performance. Again this is dependent upon the individual performance and the judgment of the teacher.)
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Notes
1. Flores, Divided Borders, p. 160
2. Flores, Divided Borders, p. 164
3. Flores, Divided Borders, p. 164
4. Sanchez, Chicano Discourse, pg. 139
5. Flores, Divided Borders, p. 165
6. Morales, in Latino Caribbean Literature, p. 105
1-3,5 Reprinted by permission from Divided Borders, © 1993 by Juan Flores; Arte Publico Press, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-2174.
4 Reprinted by permission from Chicano Discourse: Socio-historical Perspectives, © 1994 Rosaura Sanchez.
