What Latinx Studies Could Be?

Overall, this class was truly an eye opener for me. What I thought would be JUST an elective turned into an opportunity of growth and learning for me. I liked the material that we read, but most of all I enjoyed the fact that there were different types, and everything wasn't just a boring textbook read. There was a mix of articles, videos, and even a comic (which I never thought I would read). One of the most enjoyable moments of the class was when we did a Skype call with Cristy C Road. I found her to be very humorous but more importantly, there was substance in what she was saying. She talked about how fluid her writing had become, and eventually how she realized that evolution was constant and there was no need to be stuck in a box. I think that this can be applied to Latinx studies as a whole. There is this image that Latinx studies should focus on certain groups and topics, when in reality it could be so much more. We can discuss more LGTBQ issues as they relate to Latinx studies, or politics as they relate to Latinx studies. We can focus on not just talking about groups such as Puerto Ricans, or Cubans, instead we can talk about the lesser known groups. From my understanding, Latinx studies is a more recent history, that we have yet to fully discover. This is because we are so used to the whitewashed American history that is always taught. But, it is never too late to expand our knowledge, and it was an honor to sit in this class this semester.

Latin Women as Caregivers

It is not uncommon to see an immigrant woman nannying for an affluent white family, especially in my hometown of Jersey City. I really enjoyed reading this work because it broke down the statistics of something that I am witnessing on a day to day basis. This idea that men are the breadwinners is being completely destroyed in this article, because it focuses on the growth of women in the work force. More importantly it talks about the rise in Latina women as caregivers. One of the statements that stood out to me from the reading was "these migrant women are having to leave their family and children to go take care of the children of an affluent white woman". This is something that I never really thought about, but the irony is what struck me. The fact that many mothers have to make the decision to leave their family to care for someone else's just to make a decent living, is sad but it is the reality of the world we live in. I also found it interesting that the article compared the rise in Latino women as caretakers, as well as the decline of black women as caretakers. I figured that maybe it is because they can exploit immigrant women due to the fact that they are more vulnerable.