And The Banned Played On

Worthwhile Books for Your Library
(coincidentally, banned, [confiscated, outlawed?] in Arizona)

The information contained in these books is dangerous. Complacency, racism, and injustice fear these books. You've been warned.
Manuel Ramos
___________________________________


Critical Race Theory: An Introduction
Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic
NYU Press, 2001

[from the publisher]
For well over a decade, critical race theory—the school of thought that holds that race lies at the very nexus of American life—has roiled the legal academy. In recent years, however, the fundamental principles of the movement have influenced other academic disciplines, from sociology and politics to ethnic studies and history.

And yet, while the critical race theory movement has spawned dozens of conferences and numerous books, no concise, accessible volume outlines its basic parameters and tenets. Here, then, from two of the founders of the movement, is the first primer on one of the most influential intellectual movements in American law and politics.

500 Años Del Pueblo Chicano / 500 Years of Chicano History: In Pictures
edited by Elizabeth Martinez
Southwest Community Resources, 1990 (expanded edition)

"One of the most motivating books on the Chicano experience as far as working class people and students are concerned...The visual quality adds a fantastic dimension to the understanding of our past." ~ Dr. Rodolfo F. Acuna, California State University, Northridge.







Message to Aztlán: Selected Writings
Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, edited by Antonio Esquibel
Arte Público Press, 2001

[from the publisher]
In Message to Aztlán, Dr. Antonio Esquibel, Professor Emeritus of Metropolitan State College of Denver, has compiled the first collection of Gonzales' diverse writings: the original I Am Joaquín (1976), along with a new Spanish translation, seven major speeches (1968-78); two plays, The Revolutionist and A Cross for Malcovio (1966-67); various poems written during the 1970's, and a selection of letters. These varied works demonstrate the evolution of Gonzales' thought on human and civil rights. Any examination of the Chicano movement is incomplete without this volume. Eight pages of photographs accompany the text.






Chicano! The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement
F. Arturo Rosales
Arte Público Press, 1996

[from the publisher]
Chicano! The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement is the most comprehensive account of the arduous struggle by Mexican Americans to secure and protect their civil rights. It is also a companion volume to the critically acclaimed, four-part documentary series of the same title, which is now available on video from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Both this published volume and the video series are a testament to the Mexican American community’s hard-fought battle for social and legal equality as well as political and cultural identity.






Occupied America: A History of Chicanos
Rodolfo F. Acuña
Pearson, 2011 (7th edition)

[from the publisher]
Authored by one of the most influential and highly-regarded voices of Chicano history and ethnic studies, Occupied America is the most definitive introduction to Chicano history. This comprehensive overview of Chicano history is passionately written and extensively researched. With a concise and engaged narrative, and timelines that give students a context for pivotal events in Chicano history, Occupied America illuminates the struggles and decisions that frame Chicano identity today.




Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Paulo Freire
Continuum, 2000 (30th anniversary edition)

[from the publisher]

First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in English in 1970. The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world. Freire's work has taken on especial urgency in the United States and Western Europe, where the creation of a permanent underclass among the underprivileged and minorities in cities and urban centers is increasingly accepted as the norm. With a substantive new introduction on Freire's life and the remarkable impact of this book by writer and Freire confidant and authority Donaldo Macedo, this anniversary edition of Pedagogy of the Oppressed will inspire a new generation of educators, students, and general readers for years to come.

For more information, visit www.pedagogyoftheoppressed.com.

Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years
edited by Bill Bigelow, Bob Peterson
Rethinking Schools, 2003 (2d edition)

[from the publisher]
We need to listen to a wider range of voices. We need to hear from those whose lands and rights were taken away by those who "discovered" them. Their stories, too often suppressed, tell of 500 years of courageous struggle, and the lasting wisdom of native peoples. Understanding what really happened to them in 1492 is key to understanding why people suffer the same injustices today. More than 80 essays, poems, interviews, historical vignettes, and lesson plans reevaluate the myth of Columbus and issues of indigenous rights. Rethinking Columbus is packed with useful teaching ideas for kindergarten through college.

____________________________


“TU Y YO” -- MARUCA AND DANIEL SALAZAR EXHIBIT AT REGIS UNIVERSITY O’SULLIVAN ART GALLERY
JAN 17 – FEB 17
[from the Regis University News]

Regis University’s O’Sullivan Art Gallery will feature Tu y Yo, an exhibit of installation art and video art by Maruca and Daniel Salazar, Jan. 17 through Feb. 17, 2012.

An opening reception is slated from 4:30 to 7 p.m., Jan. 26 and a gallery talk by both artists is at 7 p.m. Feb. 9.

Since June 2003, Maruca has been an arts specialist Northwest Area, Denver Public Schools, and prior to that was the visual arts coordinator for Denver Public Schools. She is also the executive director of the Museo de las Americas in Denver. Her dual career in education and the arts includes a history of initiating, organizing, and executing innovative programs and projects with students and teachers, including some that have achieved regional and national recognition. She has a master’s degree in Literature and Linguistics/Visual Arts from the University of Colorado.

Since 1988, Daniel has been an artist and producer-director for RAZALAS studios/impossible artz. As a working artist in the areas of photography and cinematography, Daniel has had his works displayed in numerous art photography exhibitions, including international credits. He is a producer-director of some 12 PBS documentaries and experimental animations. He is the recipient of national level awards and screenings including: Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, 2006; Escuela Tlatelolco Centro de Estudios, Flor y Canto, Champions of Change 2008; and Denver Biennial, Museo de las Americas, Liberadores/Liberadors 2010.

O’Sullivan Art Gallery hours are: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Thursday from 2 to 8 p.m. 3333 Regis Boulevard, Denver, CO 80221

For more information, contact Robert St. John, O’Sullivan Art Gallery and Studio manager, at 303-964-3634.

Why Not... Daniel Luna DATE February 2, 2012 TIME 6:00-9:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. Member Reception- Free for Members 7:00 p.m. Public Reception- Admission $5.00 Featuring an aria performance by Opera Colorado from Florencia en el Amazonas. LOCATION 861 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO www.museo.org The Museo de las Americas presents Why Not.... There is no other artist in Colorado that can claim to be a "Regional Mythologist." Daniel Luna's paintings of chickens crying over a frying pan of eggs or a native woman holding a toaster to roast watermelons will remind you of a magic that reality holds within our dreams. Join us for a night full of illusion. Cocktails and appetizers will be provided.

Su Teatro Presenta ...

Enrique's Journey: January 27 - February 4
Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning work of Sonia Nazario
Best New Play 2011 Denver Post Ovation Winner

Amorcito Corazón/ Daniel Valdez in Concert: February 9 - 11
Romantic, raucous and revolutionary. Singer/Composer/Grammy Award-winner. Backed by Jazz del Barrio, Daniel will offer many moods but one singularly beautiful voice.

Water & Power: March 8-25
Written by Richard Montoya for Culture Clash, directed by Phil Luna. L.A. Times Theatre Critic's Award winner and soon to be a major motion picture; a moody "stage noir" about power & politics told with a pulsing city beat.

Placas: April 25-28
Written by Paul S. Flores (PEN Award), directed by John Michael Garces, featuring Ric Salinas (Culture Clash). "Placas" is barrio slang for a graffiti tag, a nickname, or a tattoo. Placas is the story of three generations caught in civil and gang warfare.

Tickets: $20/general; $17/students and seniors.
For tickets/info: 303-296-0219.

El Centro Su Teatro
721 Santa Fe Drive
Denver, CO 80204

Later.

Chicano Studies attack debated. Denver artist dreams while awake.

This past Thursday, Bloguista Ernesto Hogan compared right-wing attacks on everything mexicano to performance art, at its worst. The American way of ruling this country is attacking us: profiling us on the streets, dumping any affirmative action, trying to eliminate Chicano Studies in its many forms, deporting Dream citizens, banning books that tell our country's overall history, and recently attempting to resurrect (anti-)voting rights laws. For the moment at least, it's not illegal to have Spanish surnames, but maybe that too is in a subcommittee somewhere.

For those of you who missed it, PBS station Democracy Now! aired a debate this week between Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal and Richard Martinez, the attorney representing teachers and students trying to save Mexican American Studies in Arizona public schools. Democracy Now! seems to have recently widened their reporting to include "the other side," possibly due to some of the same pressures described above (my own conjecture). But at least it features latino journalist Juan Gonzalez who works to add "our" perspective to its reporting.

Banning of books, censorship of viewpoints is not just totally undemocratic; it's threateningly fascistic, especially when we realize that the Arizona powers-that-be-in-control want Paolo Freire, Rudy Acuña and even some of Shakespeare eliminated from specific curricula--ours. To better understand (and be able to join the debate over) the threat to public access to the diverse history and literature of the U.S., click below to check out the full transcript.

Democracy Now!'s intro:

"Public school officials in Tucson, Arizona, have released a list of seven books that can no longer be used in classrooms following their suspension of the district’s acclaimed Mexican American Studies program. Last year, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal ruled the program violated a new state law, saying it "promote[s] resentment toward a race or class of people." "If all you’re teaching these students is one viewpoint, one dimension, we can readily see that it’s not an accurate history, it’s not an education at all. It’s not teaching these kids to think critically," Huppenthal says, "but instead it’s an indoctrination.

"[Democracy Now!] hosts a debate between Huppenthal and Richard Martinez, the attorney representing teachers and students trying to save the Mexican American Studies program."

Go here for the full text of Debating Tucson School District’s Book Ban After Suspension of Mexican American Studies Program.
__________________

Exhibition Opening at Museo de las Americas presenting
Why Not...
Thursday, February 2, 2012

Denver, CO - Museo de las Americas presents the spring exhibition, Why Not.... This exhibit is a retrospective of Denver artist Daniel Luna whose distinct style has captivated and charmed audiences all over the world. When asked about the intent behind his work, he says, "what I want is for a moment to share the beautiful magic of dreaming while awake."

All of his paintings have a story behind them, and capture a moment in time, an experience. Daniel presents his visions to us in a way that juxtaposes the everyday with imagination, and forces the viewer to accept the possibility of existence.

There is no other artist in Colorado that can claim to be a "Regional Mythologist." Daniel Luna's paintings of chickens crying over a frying pan full of eggs or a native woman holding a toaster to roast watermelons will remind you of a magic that reality holds within our dreams.

Join us for a night of illusion, featuring a performance by Opera Colorado from Florencia en el Amazonas.

A public reception will be held on February 2, 2012 from 7-9 p.m.; members' preview 6-7pm.

Exhibition Programming:
April 19 Conversacion Contacto with Daniel Luna – 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Exhibit runs through May 28, 2012.

About the Museo de las Americas:
Museo de las Americas (Museo) is the Rocky Mountain region's foremost museum dedicated to educating its community about the diversity of Latino Americano art and culture from ancient to contemporary. The Museo presents exhibitions and education programs that offer new views on Latin American art, advances the role of Latino artists in the global cultural dialogue, and is a cultural hub for the local, national, and global community. The museum is centrally located in the historic Santa Fe Arts District – one of Denver's oldest Latino neighborhoods – at 861 Santa Fe Drive. For more information, please visit: www.museo.org or contact: Tessa Harvey; Museo de las Americas (303) 571-4401 ext. 25.