I just got back from a quick trip to the United States to see loved ones and renew my tourist visa so I’m legal for the remainder of my stay. It was nice to be back in the States but also nice to return to Oaxaca. I met with my advisor while I was there to let him know how the research was going and find out what I still need to do. The good news is I have a lot of data and can start thinking about the organization my dissertation chapters and the content of those chapters while I’m continuing to interview people for the project. I feel like the worst is over and I’m that much closer to getting the PhD. Now of course I have to start thinking about applying for jobs, a process which will begin in the fall. Perhaps someday I won't be a poor graduate student!
I wanted to post a quick mini-documentary about a Triqui family living in Hollister, California. It was created by a student at Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism for a Master’s thesis. I like this video because it gives you an idea of the challenges that immigrants to the United States face, especially those that only speak an indigenous language. In addition to being immersed in a totally foreign culture and being a marginal member of society, these immigrants have to learn Spanish and often English as well in order to survive. The video also speaks to some of the clashes that occur when the Triqui indigenous culture and the American culture are thrust together. The video entitled, Mi Triqui: Life in Three Languages, is about 15 minutes long and narrated in English.
You can find a few other videos about Triquis and a lot of other information, some in English, on the website http://www.triquicopala.com/index.htm.
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