Tag: Identity

Time Frame

• 1–2 class periods

Materials

• Green Card Youth Voices: Immigration Stories from a Minneapolis High School – Alexandra Irrazabal’s story and video
• Slides

Connections to the 7 Cs of Ethnic Studies

• Cultivate: learning about how Mexican and Latino history, people, and language provide opportunities for identity affirmation and healing
• Celebrate: using Mexican and Latino counter-stories and community narratives through storytelling

Instruction (ICCR)

Day 1 – Ignite: Intro/Warm-Up

Welcome, agenda, announcements, learning target (slide 1)

a. Warm-Up Question: When was the last time you were told a story? What was the story about?

                       i. Write in a notebook! (2-3 minutes)
                       ii. Turn to a neighbor and share (2-4 minutes)
                       iii. Share out to the class; pick a few students to share (2-3 minutes)

Chunk: Understanding Stories
             
           b. Stories as a sense of self + the world around us (slide 2)

                       i. “To know the past is to know the present. To know the present is to know yourself.” —Jason Reynolds + Ibram X. Kendi (Stamped)
                    ii. Mental health disclaimer/advisory: “Today’s lesson discusses migration, hardship, identity and experiences from non-dominant communities. Some students may personally connect to these experiences in different ways. Please take care of yourself; participate in ways that feel comfortable.”

           c. Vocabulary + examples of stories (slide 3)

                   i. Vocabulary: Stories 

1. 1. 1. What is your definition of a story? Write it down! (Give students 2 minutes to think and write.) 
      2. Definition: an account of past events in someone’s life or in the evolution of something.
                    a. Does your definition match up with the definition on the board? (Call on some students to share.)
      3. Let’s make a definition together. (Find commonalities within the definitions and come up with a definition as a class; use that for their notes, if taking.)

                 ii. Vocabulary: Oral Storytelling (slide 4, same header as “b”)

1. 1. 1. 1. the collection and study of historical information using sound recordings of interviews with people having personal knowledge of past events
                   a. What do you think makes this different from written stories? (Have students share with a partner, then walk around the room asking groups to share with you. Return to front of class and share what you heard + any additional input. Also a good time to share something a shyer, quieter student said and give them their flowers.)

           d. Keeping stories and language alive: Dichos (source 1, source 2, source 3) y corridos (slide 5)

                 i. Dichos have been used in Mexican and Latino communities for centuries.

1. 1. 1. They provide a form of expression or advice for all kinds of situations
      2. Example: “el que se lo guarda para alrato, se lo come el gato.” → translates to: If you save it for later, there’s no guarantee it’ll be there.”
      3. Ask students to shout out “sayings” used in their families (not on slide).
             a. If time allows, research some common dichos or sayings and post them around the room. Students can have a gallery walk, noting some of the sayings or dichos their families might use. Create a table on a graphic organizer or model drawing one out for students with one saying they’ve heard before, one they’ve never seen, and one they found interesting. 

                ii. Slide 5: w/ evidence of study (source 1)  (ask student to read aloud for class)

1. 1. 1. The sharing of stories and narratives, dichos (sayings) and consejos (advice) is a prominent experience among families in Mexico as well as among immigrant Mexican families in the United States. An opportunity for entertainment and enjoyment, the retelling of family stories and folktales also serves to build family bonds, share cultural values, and construct identity. The sharing of narratives, particularly narratives of poverty and struggle, is associated with resiliency and empowerment, serving to support parents in their interactions with school and advocacy for their children (Delgado-Gaitan, 2005).

                iii. Slide 6: Corridos defined

1. 1. 1. a ballad in a traditional Mexican style, typically having lyrics that narrate a historical event.
                  a. Ask students: Can you think of a song that means something to you or resonates with how you feel or think? 
                        i. Ask students to share out. 
      2. Slide 7: Corridos have been used since the Mexican Revolution, and regained popularity during the colonization of what is now the Mexican-American border (source 1) and additional southern US lands. 
      3. Corridos were mostly a male-dominated genre, but women have since created subgenres of their own, such as coquette corridos.    
                 a. For deeper diving or more time: check out Belinda’s music in “300 Noches” or “Cactus” or even Eydrey’s “X Ti” (both singers talk about women’s perspectives in relationships, gender, and feminist themes.)

                 iv. Slide 8: Popular corridos then and now

1. 1. 1. 1. (missing image) The legend and life of Gregorio Cortez, who bravely fought against American Texas Rangers for the independence of Mexico and Mexican peoples. (source to listen to)
         2.  Slide 9: “La Jaula de Oro” by Los Tigres del Norte (source to video)
                   a. Explains that the “American” dream is not what it seems, and one ends up feeling more and more isolated from their culture and people while living in America. 

           e. Review: “To know the past is to know the present. To know the present is to know yourself.” (slide 10)

              i. Latin American countries and people of all identities, backgrounds, and perspectives have been telling their stories for centuries through dichos, consejos, corridos, and more.  
             ii. Sometimes these stories show us hardship, but they can also show us resilience.
             iii. As a dicho says: “No hay mal que por bien no venga”  → “Good can always come out of bad/hard/difficult things.” 
             iv. Close out: What resonated with you the most today? (Feel free to do an exit ticket, pair/share, or even a whipshare large group discussion.)

Day 2 – Chew: How Can Stories Teach Us About Ourselves and the World Around Us? (slide 11)

         f. Review concepts from yesterday: “To know the past is to know the present. To know the present is to know yourself.”
            i. Latin American countries and people of all identities, backgrounds, and perspectives have been telling their stories for centuries through dichos, consejos, corridos, and more. 
            ii. Sometimes these stories show us hardship, but it can also show us resilience.
            iii. As a dicho says: “No hay mal que por bien no venga” → “Good can always come out of bad/hard/difficult things.”
            iv. Warm-up: What stories did you share with your family or friends between yesterday and today? 

         g. Class work time: instructions for students > “Today you will learn a story about a girl and the perspective and stories she carries with her.”

            i. On your own, read + annotate the GCV story of Alexandra Irrazabal.
            ii. Circle words you do not know.
            iii. Underline phrases that describe who Alexandra is—what she enjoys, her favorite things, etc.
            iv. Highlight words/phrases that demonstrate the world around Alexandra.

Review: With a partner, share your annotations + work on reflection questions together

          v. Partner Discussion Questions (record or walk around during this)

1. 1. Describe Alexandra or the world she experienced as you read her story.
   2. What do all the forms of storytelling today share?
   3. In what ways do all the forms of storytelling differ? 
   4. Why is it important to hear stories or worldviews like Alexandra’s? 
   5. What can people learn from listening to various forms of storytelling?

Optional: Homework 

1. Students will be assigned to record an oral history and jot notes as the story is told.

                i. The story is about the first time their parents or guardian met them. Students will interview parents or guardians about the first time they met (birth, adoption, etc.).
               a. Questions: 

1. 1. 1. What was it like leading up to the “meet-up”?
      2. What was the weather like?
      3. How were you feeling? 
      4. What was I like?
      5. And more! There are so many other questions to further deepen understanding, and these can be specific to the course, context, or even school community.

Resource List

• “Dichos, Nuggets of Wisdom” www.texasstandard.org/stories/dichos-nuggets-of-wisdom 
• “Dichos y Refranes: A Saying For Every Occasion” www.mexperience.com/a-saying-for-every-occasion
• “25 refranes mexicanos que necesitas en tu vida” www.poliglota.org/post/refranes-mexicanos
• “Storytelling in Mexican Homes: Connections Between Oral and Literacy Practices” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3614910 
• “The Corrido: A Cultural Ballad of the Mexican-American Experience” www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/corridos 
• “Américo Paredes, a Mexican-American Hero” www.marfapublicradio.org/podcast/rambling-boy/2013-04-29/americo-paredes-a-mexican-american-hero
•  “La Jaula de Oro” by Los Tigres del Norte https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jeBzqS_6WE 
• Liberated Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Values and Principles (7 Cs) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cGOs7rsY9wT2qI-yIQh5dye8snRjGYxr/view