2023

For my creating component as you can see I decided to do a Nicaraguan flag covered in blood, and to me

this is a clear representation of what Latinx Issues are. The flag is upside down to represent how things

are not normal back in my country, and the blood splattered represents the murder of all of those innocent

individuals that one day protested so their country could be free. As some of you know, my country

Nicaragua has been undergoing a Dictatorship under the Ortega regimen for years (since 2007) however it

all exploded on April 2018 when people were tired of Ortega's regimen, and an increase in taxes and

change in social security reforms were many people last straws, that is when the protests started, protests

that led to violence and the murder of many innocents who just wanted a brighter future for their families.

Leading to more problems denoting Orteagas severe restrictions on freedom of expression due to

september 2018, when he made political demonstrations illegal. To me the blood in this flag represents all

of those innocent individuals who were brutally murdered by the Ortega regime, and to me it represents

latinx issues due to being the reason for many Nicaraguans to have to immigrate to the United states.

Can you upload to YouTube and send me link?

A Response to “in america i will”

By Maggie Jaunet

Who am I to tell you to turn back

And find another place for peace,

When I rest where you dream of?

The Land of the Free

And the Home of the Brave.

But let me tell you

In America nothing is free

And we are all afraid.

In America I…

Avoid my health issues because I cannot afford them.

Am afraid for my queer friends.

Learned how to hide from a shooter in school.

Hold a taser and mace when I walk alone.

See celebrities in clothes that could pay off my debt

Ten times over.

In America I think about…

Where is the best place to hide in this classroom?

What states the abortion pill is still legal in.

Why my dad’s insulin is so expensive

Why so many old fucks run our country

Living somewhere else

Everyday.

The American Dream is a lie

Living in America feels like a nightmare.

Click here for the presentation

Can you upload to YouTube and send me the link?

Click here for the presentation

Hey Homophobe

Hey Homophobe, it’s me…

I wanted to apologize for the way your parents raised you,

For taking away your dolls and giving you trucks,

For influencing you to think that growing out your hair was girlie,

To be tough and show no emotion,

I’m sorry you were forced into a box by your family,

To be taught that boys can only date girls,

That must display their dominance when you were submissive,

For teaching you bigotry and deterring you from finding your own identity.

Hey Homophobe,

Maybe these are the reasons why you resent gay people.

Because they have the ability to expand beyond the invisible boundaries and social

norms society enforces…

The mental capacity,

The courage,

The effort to step outside the binary and find their true identity instead of the one

assigned at birth.

Hey Homophobe,

What’s your favorite color?

Is it neutral tones like Black or White?

Because those are the only colors I see you wear in your wardrobe…

Hey Homophobe, I hope you know these colors represent sadness, blandness,

resentment…

Resentment that you weren’t brave enough to break the social boundaries like I

did.

To rupture the core of social norms and lastly conjure a crack on the surface to

allow a vibrant rainbow to shine in the high sky,

A rainbow that cleanses me of your judgement and allows me to wear burettes in

my hair, a flannel around my waist, and colorful nail polish.

Hey Homophobe,

How do you think your future children will think of you?

How will you react to them when they say the last words you want to hear?

“Mom I’m gay,”

“Dad I’m gay.”

I WOULD expect you to change yourself,

your beliefs,

and your opinions for the love of your child, but that would be too easy, right?

Would you disown them and wait until they are standing in my place, resenting you

as their parent like how you resent my existence..?

Resenting your Black and White values…

Values that would lead you to beat, scare, and torture them until they took their

truth back?

Would you spit in their face?

Would you “tolerate” them but ignore and denounce their feelings and opinions?

Or would you finally take the initiative to remove your Black and White colored

lenses to lastly endure the beautiful colors you’ve been missing all your life?

Hey Homophobe,

Are you sad- JEALOUS that I can see more colors than you?

Don’t be mad at me because you can’t let go of your parents’ outdated beliefs.

Hey Homophobe, before you refer to the next gay person as a “faggot” try to

reflect and think…

Is it a projection?

Because your closet is see through.

Belleza

¤ ― ¤

Amidst the tropics, in the Caribbean's embrace,

Lies a land of beauty, Puerto Rico by grace,

A place of wonder, where cultures do meet,

Where the island's heartbeat pulsates to its beat.

The mountains here rise, majestic and high,

A symbol of strength against the azure sky,

While the beaches below, with sand so white,

Glisten like diamonds, in the sun's golden light.

The palm trees sway, with a gentle grace,

And coquís sing, their sweet lullabies in place,

As the rivers flow, with a soothing sound,

A symphony of nature that echoes around.

But amidst this beauty, a shadow does loom,

As gentrification creeps, like a darkening gloom,

Displacing the locals, who call this place home,

As money and power, to the forefront do come.

Land and cash, the currency of the world,

Grips its steel fingers, a looming hurricane unfurled,

Cresting beaches overtaken by resorts,

The essence of the island reduced to simple exports.

The history and culture, that make this place unique,

Are slowly fading, as progress takes its peak,

The authentic, replaced with a façade,

As the gentrification train continues to plod.

Yet hope still remains, in the hearts of the few,

Who fight for their island, to stay true,

For the beauty of Puerto Rico, can never be erased,

And its people, their resilience, will never be replaced.

So let us celebrate this land of beauty and strife,

And honor its people, who fight for their life,

For Puerto Rico, a gem in the sea,

Will always be a place of wonder and beauty.

How Western interference has impacted Latin America

Throughout history, Western Nations have continuously interfered with elections, economics, trade, and various social issues within Latin America. This level of mass interference has caused large amounts of harm in Latin American countries such as long term social and financial impacts. In many cases, the nations of the West have chosen to interfere with Latin American politics and trading policies for their own benefit. As a result of this, many leaders in Latin America were backed by Western politicians or corporations whether they are corrupt or not. If it is in the best interest for the United States or a European government, they support whoever will benefit them the most. At all and any costs, the West is notorious for making sure their prospective political or economic partner takes the lead.

The most common recurring theme with the United States’ interference within Latin American governments is that they end with millions of people  in financial and political distress. Many of the countries that have had their elections and general politics interrupted by a Western Government still suffer economically and socially to this day. There are thousands of articles and accounts of the United States partaking in Coup D'etats across Latin America in favor of new regimes to partner with in trade and global politics. In 2002, the U.S unofficially supported having troops in Venezuela and did the same in Honduras in 2009. However, these are just two examples out of dozens. The United States is one of the more known nations to have gotten involved in Latin American politics and global affairs. In 1902, the U.S pulled out troops from Cuba and warned that any interference with American interests would result in future invasions. Over the following 30 years, the United States continuously invaded Cuba in order to protect economic interests of the U.S government, stopping labor strikes and demonstrations that impacted U.S fruit, sugar, and coffee industries. In 1954, the CIA underwent operations in Guatemala to overthrow the democratically supported president Jacobo Árbenz. The CIA’s reasoning was for “concerns of communism” when truly, the U.S feared that Árbenz’ policies of land reform would interfere with the United Fruit Company. The UFC owned 42% of Guatemalan land and paid zero taxes for it. High ranking members of the Eisenhower administration and cabinet had connections in the UFC. This is just one of many examples of the CIA doing the U.S’ dirty work and using falsified concerns to commit a crime. 

These actions tend to be written off as the ‘White Savior Complex’ in historical circles. The ‘White Savior Complex’ is something that has been seen throughout history ranging from the mentality behind brutal colonialism to help “civilize” indigenous communities and any non-white country. The CIA later on became the primary route for the U.S to attempt an assassination in the Dominican Republic and a coup in Brazil in 1964. In 1973, President Nixon allegedly ordered the CIA to back the military leader Augusto Pinochet in a coup to overthrow Salvador Allende in Chile. In 1983, the U.S invaded Grenada after accusing it of partnering with Cuban Communists. Just 6 years later in 1989, the U.S invaded Panama to oust Manuel Noriega. The list goes on and on, but take a look at the situational similarities of these invasions. Whenever there is an economic or political opportunity to benefit a Western government, it is taken. Even if the population supports their leader, the United States seems to believe that whatever benefits them the most should be what happens. This idea of believing they are entitled to interfere with other nations affairs with the belief that they cannot take care of themselves is also applicable to the “White Savior Complex”. Time and time again, the United States government has taken other nations' problems into their hands. This action in itself implies that Latin American governments are incomplete without the help of the West. When in reality, it is the West that set many of these countries up for failure. Let's take a look at how the countries that have been interfered with by Western governments are doing. Ever since large amounts of Western Interference, Venezuela’s infrastructure has suffered. Evidence of this being the 2019 blackouts across Venezuela due to fuel shortages leading to nationwide electric blackouts. The political climate in Nicaragua has become increasingly tense as their political leaders have been in a power struggle for decades after constant interference. Argentinians are suffering from rising inflation and financial collapses while Brazil has had an immense rise in poverty and economic inequality. The ‘White Savior Complex’ has been a major part of Western interference during global affairs for centuries, ranging from categorizing any nation that exists within the absence of whiteness as ‘savages’ and ‘uncivilized’. This has been done to almost every African nation, Latin American nation, and many Asian nations. In the long run, Western interference and imperialism majorly impacted every continent except Europe, displacing and forcefully assimilating the populations and governments to a ‘civilized’ or white way.

I personally definitely see this concept of ‘White Savior’ as a hierarchy and god complex kept by white majority countries and governments ever since the idea of a racial hierarchy was created. Even tracing back to the days of the Crusades when white Europeans took it upon themselves to slaughter and instill fear in the Middle East to “help them”. This is a major issue as it implies that those of us with lighter skin have the responsibility of civilizing those who do not. It is a core part of institutionalized and systemic racism, as well as the leading cause behind many of these infiltrations of Latin American politics and economics. The reason I see the ‘White Savior Complex’ as the leading cause of the infiltrations and invasions is because they would not have intervened if they believed those countries could have handled their issues themselves. Of course I recognize the motivation behind the interventions that were for economic or political gain, but the whole reasoning altogether is compiled from the lack of belief that each Latin American nation was ‘civilized’ and equipped enough to handle their problems.

One may ask why this essay is full of listing nation after nation, but how else will we ever learn? All in all, it is not difficult to see that large amounts of Western interference without any after-care has led to political dissatisfaction amongst populations, leading to civil unrest, protests, and increased crime. Alongside these factors, Western countries barging into Latin American governments and economies everytime their own interests are at risk is purely out of selfishness. With complete disregard for the citizens of the nations they are tempering with, the West has proven time and time again that they are only present for prevention and damage control. For the United States specifically, Latin America is here for our benefit until they are a risk factor, then we send over armed forces and the Red Cross to help out once we’ve done the damage.

Works Cited

Savoy, Cian. “University of Oregon Libraries.” Vehicles of Injustice: White Savior Complex in Latin America, University of Oregon, 1 Jan. 1970, https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/handle/1794/26467.

Gonzalez/Reuters, Jose Luis. “Turmoil and Protests Shake Latin America as Region Sours on Democracy.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 16 Jan. 2023, https://www.wsj.com/articles/turmoil-and-protests-shake-latin-america-as-region-sours-on-democracy-11673886497.

Little , Becky. “10 Times America Helped Overthrow a Foreign Government.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 7 June 2022, https://www.history.com/news/us-overthrow-foreign-governments.

Press, The Associated. “Before Venezuela, US Had Long Involvement in Latin America.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 25 Jan. 2019,

https://apnews.com/article/north-america-caribbean-ap-top-news-venezuela-honduras-2ded14659982426c9b2552827734be83.

When I was fifteen years old I visited Dachau, Germany. At the time, I was taking part in

a choral program hosted by Oregon State University, which involved a tour of several countries.

It was a strange time to travel, seeing that Donald Trump had recently enacted his zero-tolerance

policy. Photographs of crying children and caged families had spread across the globe and an eye

of condemnation seemed to be cast upon all associated parties. A few hundred students including

myself visited Dacaus’ concentration camp, which bore a stark resemblance to ICE detainment

facilities along the U.S. border.

Upon entering Dachau, I was immediately ushered into a large square, where prisoners

were divided into lines by gender and age. I then walked through rooms containing abandoned

children's shoes, suitcases, photographs, jewelry, watches, and all manner of treasured objects.

The shoes haunted me though, they were so small and well-preserved. Eventually, I came to a

grove of trees, and saw the showers. They smelled like sulfur, with low ceilings, spouts, and blue

tile. Apparently in America when children were being taken from their families, officials claimed

they were being given “showers.”

Beyond the showers was a crematorium. The ovens were small, and ashen bodies were

scattered among the trees and paths beyond. People walked along the trails in shock.

Everywhere I looked, people wept, shamelessly, as if in mourning. I wondered if America had

already succumbed to the same fate. Would people find mass graves around the detention centers

one day? Tour them in the future? hear stories of child molestation, forced sterilization, and

murder? This heavy sense of heartbreak and hopelessness came over me and I could hardly

move.

There was a nunnery within the camp, and though I am unsure as to when it became a

fixture, there was something comforting about it, and I was oddly relieved to see it . People

congregated in the chapel, lighting candles and crying within the pews. I prayed for families back

in America, and I hoped that there was a higher power that could provide some comfort. It

seemed that God had to be close by, as I believed that this force was always present and potent in

places of pain. At no other time in my life had I ever felt more sure that God existed. The fact

that people with no historical connection to the experiences of Holocaust victims could weep for

their experience made me believe that perhaps humanity shares a spiritual connection, rooted in

love. I felt that my own home could be redeemed and evolve from the zenophobic chaos many

citizens had become entrenched in.