Mexican American History

Please respond to ALL OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
Each individual essay should be at least 600 words. You must answer all essays. Please use the readings and cite it in MLA style. You must use the class readings. Focus on paraphrasing the class readings and avoid quoting the readings. The essays are quite short for quotes.
1) In week 1 we explored the concept of a fantasy world that was created about the nineteenth century and the Mexican/Spanish past. Explore what was the real world among Mexican-Americans of the 19th century and what was the created fantasy world of the 19th century(the Spanish Fantasy heritage). Do you think that the fantasy has lasted into the present day? Do you think it has affected American views of Latinos? Describe both the real and the fantasy heritage.
2) In an examination of gender roles in the Latino community in the WWII period to the present day, what did you learn about the changes that have occurred over time? How did historical events lead to changing gender roles? What were the expectations of masculinity and femininity for Latinos in distinct eras? What was the impact of non-conformity?
3) In week 3 we examined the issue of authenticity through Latino food. Explain what you think is the true meaning of authenticity using all the readings and your own opinions. Do you think that authenticity is affected by issues such as labor and racial perception? How are Latinos viewed through the lens of food, according to YELP and ideas of authenticity?
4) In the week 4 readings, we explored the issue of community and how it has changed from the 1960s to the 1970s and 1980s with the influx of immigration. How did AIDS and new Latino immigrants transform communities thinking about their impact on Dia de los Muertos? How did political organizing in each area evolve to deal with these changes? What have been surprising coalitions that have created social changes? In our present world, do you think we are continuing to build communities or are communities struggling? Please share a bit about any community you are a part of and discuss.
5) In our final week, we are exploring issues of immigration more explicitly than in previous weeks and looking at the personal impacts. Please consider your own life and/or the lives of people you know. Do you see the impact of immigration around you? Explore the SFV and/or your family and consider how you might fit into this larger story of immigration to Los Angeles. What similarities or differences does your own history share with Latino immigrants? How might we sympathize with the plight of immigrants?

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