Assignment 1

After our first day at Loyola Academy, my peers in Film 150 and I were asked to discuss some of the students' responses from the activities. We were asked to explore and post images including; one musician, one T.V. show / movie, and one activity from our students' answers to the previously stated questions. Our task was to then make the connection between these images and the students' perceptions of their own racial / ethnic identities.

The musician pictured above goes by the stage name "Pitbull." He is a first generation Cuban American, who frequently exhibits his linguistic talents by rhyming in both English and Spanish.

The favorite activity that was selected was soccer, or football depending on where you are from. The above image is Jared Borgetti, who is currently the Mexican scoring leader in World Cup qualifications. Many of the students commented they play and watch soccer. I noticed some students were venerated by another student's Borgetti jersey while passing in the hallway.

The chosen movie from the numerous responses received from my students was "White Chicks." I thought this was extremely interesting because of the racially loaded synopsis within the movie. In the movie, two African American F.B.I. agents are forced to play the role of white women in order to protect another character. To nobody's surprise, there are numerous ideology clashes such as man vs. woman and also "black" vs. "white".

In terms of the musician, it is obvious to understand why "Pitbull" might be a favorite performer. He not only represents Cuba and Latin America within his lyrics, but he also gives persons of this ethnic identity opportunities to relate, as he often discusses racial struggles in his songs. In addition, he is one of the few Hispanic rap artists to continuously deliver nationwide hits, and brings some pride to a group of people who enjoy rap, yet might not have had "their own."

Jared Borgetti is unarguably (try me...) the best current Mexican national footballer. In the rare chance that Mexico was to exceed expectations and trickle along the World Cup bracket, it would more than likely happen because of the performance of this individual. Though he has had quite a long career, it is common for the older players to dig deep and give it one last chance for gold (the infamous Zinedine Zidane for example). These players often become instant fan favorites off of mere talent, respect, and admiration. The image of Jared Borgetti reminds us that our neighbors to the south have a greater appreciation for this sport, and draw a lot of pride for consistently being a top 15 world-wide team.