Grassroots Movements

I was on the 9News website checking out the news in Colorado for the day and I came across a story about a single mom who decided to start a journey to find people who work to serve their communities in creative ways. It's an interesting idea and made me think of our discussion this week about what we can do once we see something (the movie about Nepalese trafficking) that moves us. 50 in 52 Journey. Dafna Michaelson's journey also reminds me of my favorite Sunday night radio program etown which is also Colorado-based but recognizes caring community members through the e-chievement award. Listening to these stories remind me that there are a lot of ordinary people out there in the world doing extraordinary things, even if it's just a normal day to them.

The subject of life pre and post-9/11 has come up a couple of different times in class now and I always find myself curious to hear what people have to say about their experiences. I have a gap in my American cultural life of this period of time when people became patriotic because it was what made you fit in. I was living outside of the U.S. in the Dominican Republic as a Peace Corps Volunteer and I remember clearly wondering how I was going to be able to relate to my students when I came home to teach the following year, without having had the same experience. I never imagined that it would be something that would come up in graduate school eight years later.

We talked about race as a signifier tonight without considering what other people of the world see when we travel outside the U.S. I was the only American living in my small community, but not the only light-skinned person. However, in the DR, if you look white and like you come from elsewhere, you are called "americana/o". Just like all Asian-looking people are called "china/o" and dark-skinned people are called "negra/o", "morena/o" or "haitiana/o". For Dominicans, race, rather skin color, is a way to identify people so you know who you are talking about.

My point in saying this is that on Sept. 11, 2001, as I was walking back to my friend's house from the bus station (after cancelling my travel for the day), I heard a "psssst, americana!" coming from the corner store I was passing. Because I was the only American in town, the man that owned the store wanted my help drafting a letter to President Bush explaining how he was ready to stand up and defend my country. Regardless of my opinion on the matter or my political leaning, I can't help but marvel at how (at least in this case) race and/or nationality was creating a positive reaction to a horrible event, while in the U.S. race and/or nationality was creating a negative reaction. I know that was not the reaction of all Dominicans, but I do still wonder how many expats/embassy employees/volunteers around the world had similar experiences.

Vermont Video

Playing with Animoto...definitely see that this could be way more fun than Moviemaker.