Response to Trenton

I was also surprised to learn about all the successes under Fidel Castro. In previous classes, he was either overlooked or we talked about how he was separating Cuba from the rest of the world. It was interesting to learn that some of his plans and reforms had been successful and after learning this I realized why so many people were in favor of him. Usually when talking about communism, classes fail to acknowledge the benefits it has to its citizens and we only talk about the bad. I found it refreshing to talk about the successes of communism especially in Cuba.

Week Eight

            This past week, we have been talking about the Cuban Revolution. Similarly to the Mexican Revolution, I had not been introduced to the topic before in previous classes. I think this is because the United States has had a rocky relationship with Cuba until recently. That’s not to say we have a good relationship with Cuba now, but it is slowly becoming friendlier and more inviting. Just recently we began talking about Fidel Castro and his rise to power, and I was surprised with how much I didn’t know about Castro and his early life. When talking about Cuba in past classes, obviously Fidel Castro was brought up, but all that was said was that he was a dictator who separated Cuba from the rest of the world. I had no idea that he was an illegitimate child and because of this was insecure about his upbringing.

            In Professor Serrata’s part of the class, we watched a movie called the Motorcycle Diaries. The movie was about a medical student named Ernesto and his friend Albert who take a trip around South America. At the beginning of their journey, they are carefree and enjoy each of their stops. Ernesto soon learns, however, of the poverty that is stricken throughout Latin America. He begins helping others and ends up at a leper colony where he bonds with his patients. At the colony, he makes a speech that foreshadows his influence in politics and the motivation he’ll have in the future. I liked the movie because not only was it entertaining, but it also showed the progression of Ernesto’s passion, eventually leading to his political influence.    

Response to Ian

I agree with your statement, “art can bring people together.” Especially after having analyzed the mural A Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park, it becomes obvious that art promotes unity through a common history. Through these murals and paintings, artists are able to encourage people to look past their differences and to look towards their similarities and shared experiences. I think that music has a similar effect and role in bringing people together as well. People are able to express thoughts and opinions in a calm way through music, and even though they may not be talking about history, they sing about issues and about seeing the world in a better light.

Week Seven

        In class this week, we read a book in Professor Serrata's class called, “The Underdogs.” The book is about a group of men, mostly comprised of peasants and lower class that are fighting in the Mexican Revolution. The main character, Demetrio Macías, begins his journey as a tour of revenge. His house was set on fire by the Federales, and from there on out, the driving factor behind his fighting was to get back at those who wronged him. Most of the other men in his group don't understand the reason they're fighting either-- it seems that they are fighting just to say they did. It isn't until Luis Cervantes, a former federalist and a member of the intellectuals joins their group that they realize they don't have a strong moral behind their fighting. Cervantes calls them out, saying they aren't fighting for revenge, but to get rid of tyranny itself. The book continues with battles and raids, and the reader sees Cervantes and the men transition into people controlled and driven by greed. Cervantes is no longer fighting for a purpose other than his own personal gain. This theme was brought up in one of our discussion questions that asked about the principal irony of “The Underdogs.” The irony is that the men who fight so hard to rid the country of corruption end up adopting it themselves. While answering the question, I thought of the quote from Batman: The Dark Knight. In the movie, Harvey Dent, a hero turned villain, said the famous line "you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Similar to what Azuela is saying in “The Underdogs,” the quote means that power is almost always followed by corruption. This is shown in the book when Cervantes becomes greedy after he becomes part of Macías' men. He finally has a sense of power and a stronghold in the revolution, and as a result, believes himself to be invincible to punishment.

Response to Carter

        I also found it surprising that we did not discuss the Mexican Revolution in as much detail as we did with other revolution in High School, especially those in Europe in Asia. The more I think about it, I hardly remember talking about any other nations in Latin America other than Mexico during my World History Class. Granted, that was freshman year of high school, but I don’t believe it was covered in as much detail as problems and events in Europe and Asia. This makes me wonder why it’s not covered in greater detail. Perhaps it’s because of the relationship we’ve had with Latin America. Maybe the United States’ interventionist attitude towards Latin America has made our connection with them rocky, and that’s why it isn’t covered as much.

Week Six

            This week in class we were discussing the Mexican Revolution. Along with this, we watched a movie called Viva Zapata! The film is about Emiliano Zapata, a revolutionary who is trying to overthrow the corrupt government controlled by Porfirio Diaz. The conflict of the film stems around the fact that land was taken away from the small farmers and they wanted to get it back. Diaz, however, said that it would take time and would have to go through the court system. Zapata and his army were successful in getting Diaz out of power, and Francisco Madero took control. After Madero came to power, the rebels were upset to learn that he was not going to return their land quickly either. After Madero’s rule, Zapata gains power and unfortunately falls prey to the power brought along with the presidency.

            This movie made me question the effect that power has on people. It made me wonder if it is inevitable to succumb to the power that comes along with being a leader. Both Madero and Zapata were unable to keep the promises they made before becoming president, and I wonder if this was a common theme among the Mexican presidents. I also related it to modern day politics within the United States. With all the checks and balances, it is often difficult for our presidents to follow through with their promises, often upsetting their supporters and those who helped them get into office. Is this inevitable when someone gains power? Or is there a way to satisfy the masses?

Response to Anna

        I thought your connection between religion and imperialism was really interesting especially since we haven’t talked about it that in-depth during class. I would agree with your statement that much of the United States intervention in the Middle East is because of religion—especially since most of the terrorist groups we aim to disband are oriented around religion. I think the fact that religion plays such a strong part in these radical groups is a reason why they are so dangerous. For example, if a leader of one of these groups dies, there’s still a reason to continue fighting—for their faith. This relates back to one of the discussion questions for the movie Viva Zapata. The old man said that a dead man could be a dangerous enemy, meaning that sometimes the supporters are more radical than the leader.