Friday, December 11, 2009

Community Cultural Wealth


I've talked about the great stuff I've been learning in my Chicano Studies class this semester. FYI I've only taken two Chicano studies class IN MY ENTIRE ACADEMIC LIFE. One about murals and this one about contemporary issues, everything else I've learned on the streets. Needless to say that the switch from learning this stuff first hand and then reading about it from an academia point of view is quite a change. Frankly, I love both but if I had to choose, I love academia way more. Seriously, reading books, research notes, articles and all that other stuff is the shizz. I'm like aaawwwww yeah !! That's what I'm talking about. Mostly cause it makes me feel ubber smart :) Anyway..... in my class, the teacher had an intern/junior teacher, who is a Chicano Studies higher education major who just graduated from CSUN with her masters, go CSUN.

For the latter half of the class, she took over and focused on the educational pipe line and things of that nature. Nothing new to me since I've read about that before, but great stuff none the less. Here is some of the stuff we discussed in class. And when I say discuss, I mean she talks, the class listens and says nothing and I'm the only one saying stuff. Not all the time, but I do feel like I dominate the class with my questions. My final for this class is Monday so this is from the notes I made earlier today to study. If you are interested in finding out more, look up Tara Yosso, she's one of the main researchers contributing to this subject. EVERYTHING I MENTION NOT ONLY APPLIES, BUT INCREASES TEN FOLD FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS.


Community Cultural Wealth: Knowledge, skills, abilities and contacts that Chicano/a students have to navigate through institutionalized systems, surviving and resisting macro and micro forms of oppression.
The drama students face in their day to day lives of caring for family, responsibilities and non-university responsibilities can be understood, but also seen as assets that aid students in their journey to help them succeed.

Aspirational Capital: The individuals motivation that they will fulfill their educational dreams, despite economic/cultural obstacles. TO make their families proud and to use that as motivation as strength to push themselves through school. (We drive ourselves to accomplish great things for not only ourselves, but our families and communities. We want to make them all proud.)  

Linguistic Capital: The untilization of various linguistic skill sets individuals have developed growing up in multy ethnic communities. Indidviduals enter the school system with these skills and abilities and are better to communicate with others while using them to succeed in their classes as well.(Being bilingual is an assest that helps, it doesn't hinder.)

Familial Capital: Having family support thought those hard times does make a plays a huge role in keeping studnets motivated and in school. Little things like living at home, having a place to study and not worry about food make tremendous impacts.

Social Capital: Everyone helps each other out by helping them navigate through the system. Whether it's by recomending certain classes and teachers, where to get certain things and how to go about getting other things. Friends play another instrumental role and they also provide emotional support. It's easier to make it when you have friends to help and support you through those hard times.

Navigational Capital: Knowing how to use the system to your advantage, when the system is set up to shut you out. Help from friends and others who have been through it come into play. We all share war stories and warn others and prepare them for when they get to that level.

Resistance Capital: The act of questioning the status quo, realizing that things are really fucked up in some cases, fighting against it and resisting oppression. Learning how to over come it, continue on fighting it and making strides to change it by getting to levels and positions where we can make those changes and make them stick.