the afro-caribbean diaspora in panama

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The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama Professor Ifeoma C.K. Nwankwo Dept. of English and Center for Latin American Studies

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The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama. Professor Ifeoma C.K. Nwankwo Dept. of English and Center for Latin American Studies. Session Overview. Part 1 Introducing VFOA CLAS-VFOA resources for educators Part 2 Historical Background—Panamanian West Indians Case study—Women’s Voices - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Professor Ifeoma C.K. NwankwoDept. of English and Center for Latin American Studies

Page 2: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Session Overview

Part 1 Introducing VFOA CLAS-VFOA resources for educators

Part 2 Historical Background—Panamanian West Indians Case study—Women’s Voices

Part 3 Curriculum Development Activity

Page 3: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Voices from Our America™

Description, Goals, and History Filling in gaps in existing source base Grandparents

VU Center for Latin American Studies

Teachers shaping the future

Page 4: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

CLAS AND VFOA

New resources for teachers

New perspectives on and from Latin America

New departure point for teaching about the African Diaspora in Latin America

Page 5: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Historical Background

Origins of Panamanians of West Indian Descent

Slavery and Emancipation in the Caribbean

Haiti, Cuba, and the Caribbean Economy

Legacies of British Colonialism

U.S. Activity in Panama/Colombia

Page 6: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Historical Background

West Indians involved in:

Building the Panama Railway (1850-1855)

Constructing the Panama Canal (1904-1914)

Managing the Panama Canal (1914- Present)

Growing the United Fruit Company (1899- )

Page 7: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Historical Background

Cultural roots of Panamanians of West Indian Descent

Oral Traditions—Sayings, Onomatopoeia, History e.g. “Cockroach no bizniz a fowl yard”

Rhetorical Jousting

Victorian values Education—the three Rs Morality and Propriety

Page 8: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

New Resources from CLAS and VFOAWebsite

http://voicesamerica.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Digital Library http://voicesamerica.library.vanderbilt.edu/

diglib.php

Educators’ Blog http://vfoa.edublogs.org/2011/01/17/vfoa-teache

rs-lounge-8/

Page 9: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Living Primary Sources

Key issues addressed include: Growing up in the Canal Zone Working in the Canal Zone Racial Pride Racial Discrimination Laws re: Citizenship Political Activism (Stories and Silences) Family Values and Traditions Youth Not Interested in Their History Bilingualism and Language-based Prejudice Experiences in School; Key Teachers; Being a Teacher Music–Jazz, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Reggae, Calypso, Christian, Hip Hop,

Reggae en español/Reggaeton Relationships with the USA (Music, Migration, School)

Page 10: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

The Educators’ Blog

Introduction

Your comments and queries on “How I Became and Artist” lesson plan “Teachers’ Lounge” “Words of Wisdom” “Book of the Month”

Page 11: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

The Noble Heroes of Panama

Ruben Blades, “West Indian Man”

Came from the sea to PanamaTo work in the jungle and build the CanalHe got paid in silver, the white man in goldAnd the yellow fever took everyone’s soul…West Indian Man, I want to recognizeyour iron will, your sacrifice.You gave your life to build a pathSo oceans could meet inside the heart of Panama.

Page 12: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Perspectives on Women

Calypso sung by Professor Leslie George“I’m tired of living alone, I want a woman to call

my own,… I want a woman who knows how to cook, knows how to wash, clean, and when I get home from work kiss me and call me ‘papacito’.”

Page 13: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Perspectives on Women

Poem by Dr. Carlos Russell, “Glamor Gal”She put on she escudunand walk with a lot of piquete.When she stroll down the streetevery boy she a deh meetShe bat she eyesand sway she hipsand walk with a lot of piquete.

Page 14: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Women’s Voices and Views

Excerpts from An Old Woman Remembers by Carlos Russell

.”The morning the boats sailed…/there was a lot of bawling…all of the women folks them/as if in chorus/just started to cry and cry”

Now me have great grandchildren…/Some of them I don’t understand…/they don’t want to speak English…/they name is Griffith or Blackman/and they don’t speak English/That’s stupid!

Page 15: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Women’s Voices and Views

Clip from Interview with Grace Maynard Clark“my grandmother was a person of, of very strong character, a person with very good principles, who, even though she didn’t study that much, read a lot, and explained things to you, one of the main things that we knew is that we should study and become somebody, and that we were important…”

Page 16: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Women’s Voices and Views

From interview with Grace Maynard Clark“one of the things when we were growing up, there will always be this expression of, uh, the Latins would call us chombo, and one of the things that my grandmother always emphasized is, yes, number one, they shouldn’t be calling you chombo.”

Page 17: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Women’s Voices and Views

From interview with Grace Maynard Clark“another thing that she did unto me was very important - i- in growing up, the kind of integration of the blacks in the, in the community, it was important for, for us to, to be bilingual, not that we don’t speak English and only speak Spanish, so when there was, will be the problems of eh, if you are in trouble because you speak English, that’s no problem, she says, you need to dominate both.”

Page 18: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Women’s Voices and Views

Page 19: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Women’s Voices and Views

From interview with Melva Lowe de Goodin“Now that we have control of the Canal now everybody’s seeing the need for English. And we have the unfortunate thing that those of us of Afro Caribbean descent who had parents or grandparent who spoke English many of those people didn’t give their grandchildren or great grands the language and those people now are at a disadvantage now at getting jobs and doing well in school... Because at one time we were so eager to fit in that we shied away from using our mother tongue.”

Page 20: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Women’s Voices and Views

From interview with Melva Lowe de Goodin“I’d like to communicate [to the other generations whether it’s the younger generations or the older generations] that we should be proud of who we are… I think we have to know a little bit about ourselves to be proud about who we are. It’s a struggle that you and a number of people like myself are involved in... I think it’s also important for us to never lose sight of the value of education. I think many of our forefathers placed a greater store on education than some of the younger families that I see today.”

Page 21: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Women’s Voices and Views

Page 22: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Curriculum Development Activity Identify and discuss one or more of the themes

in Melva Lowe de Goodin’s interview

Discuss how you could integrate the material into your own curriculum

Outline a lesson plan, as time allows Share any suggestions on CLAS and VFOA can

help you do that

Page 23: The Afro-Caribbean Diaspora in Panama

Curriculum Development Activity Are there other women in your lives or in the

literatures, cultures, or histories you teach about whose voices could be integrated into school curricula?

How might you do that?