I was watching Univision last night, and within 30 minutes there were three references to God and miracles.
First, I tuned in late to La Rosa de Guadalupe, a television drama created for teens that always has a moral at the end. During the show, the protagonists reveal their problem and then at some point, visit a picture of the Virgen de Guadalupe to ask for guidance or help.
The background on the Virgen de Guadalupe is that a young Mexican boy named Juan Diego was walking through the Mexican countryside when the Virgen Mary appeared to him and told him to tell the local priest to build a chapel in that spot. He ran to the church to tell the bishop, who asked for proof. Juan Diego went back and the Virgen de Guadalupe gave him a bunch of roses, not native to the region, to carry in his cloak and take back to the bishop. When Juan Diego opened his cloak to show the roses to the bishop, the roses were gone and an image of the Virgen was imprinted on his cloak. Today, millions of people visit the shrine of Guadalupe and ask for her help.
After La Rosa de Guadalupe, the Spanish-language version of Entertainment Tonight, Primer Impacto, came on. They interviewed a woman in Honduras who has a son playing soccer in the World Cup. Several times during the interview, both she and her son mentioned that they honor or thank God first, and then hope that his team wins and that he does well.
About 10 minutes later, Primer Impacto did a segment on capturing the energy of Jesus Christ, interviewing a man who says he feels real energy and well-being when he sits in front of his picture of Jesus Christ. They interviewed a few people who have worked with this man, and they, too, could feel a physical holy presence emanating from the picture.
This all reminded me about how important the God, the Virgen Mary, and the Catholic Church are in the everyday lives of the majority of Spanish-speaking people, especially in Latin America. There are diverse opinions, of course, but overall, the Catholic Church plays a much bigger role in day-to-day life there than it does here in non-Latino U.S. Society. Being culturally literate in Spanish means being aware of this difference.
I was reminded of a time last year when I picked up my Colombian friend and her two children to go to the swimming pool. As I began driving, she suddenly did an intense prayer to God and made the sign of the cross. I still don't know if that is something she always does, or if she feared for her life with me behind the wheel.
So you watch t.v. in Spanish? Seems like a very effective way to stay up-to-speed in terms of fluency, at least your listening comprehension, unless you also talk back to the programs :-)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this idea of cultural literacy is an important component of academic literacy, don't you think? If you're teaching large groups of Hispanic kids, in whose homes Catholicism is practiced more "vigorously" than in Anglo homes, you have more insight into how to make learning culturally responsive. That's not to say you breach the church and state boundaries, but an understanding of what kids might be watching/hearing/believing will help you teach more effectively.
Smart content analysis. Do you imagine someday requiring your Spanish students to watch Spanish television ( I know Annenberg has some resources you liked)?