PRLS3105 Midterm Exam -2 PDF

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Professor Peter L. Carlo-Becerra PRLS 3105 Midterm Exam Question#1

Culture and history is a development that has influence society throughout time. George Lipsitz, Juan Flores, and Stuart Hall are influential thinkers that state the concept of the way society is affected by the influence of customs throughout history. George Lipsitz, Footsteps In the Dark, gives the example of metaphor of waves in which reveals the“ hidden histories” of “recent” and “long stretch.” In other words, Lipsitz sets the example of the waves to prove to society that, “The life of a wave seems to be short, both spatially and temporally. Yet these waves can have enormous power” (Lipsitz 7). Lipsitz metaphor refers to the idea of the “hidden histories,” because waves are the symbol of what's introduced at a moment in time in a culture. As small as the wave may seem it has a lot of power because it's what makes your background important even if it seems like it's fading away, at some point it comes back. The purpose to this is because it from a long fetch. The long fetch symbolizing the powerful comeback of culture returning and never fading away. Flores and Hall talk about the vernacular cultures and transnational and diasporic migrants. In Flores article, Creolitè in the Hood , he mentions the Puerto Rican group in New York. The diaspora in this caribbean community is the main focus because “ Caribbean diaspora communities need to be seen as sources of creative cultural innovation rather than as mere repositories or extensions of expressive traditions in the geographical homelands” (Flores 283). According to Flores he believes, that the Puerto Rican group should be able to expose their culture anywhere they go, rather than just following there norms in there country. In the conversation between Hall and Pnina Werbner, Cosmopolitanism, Globalisation, and Diaspora, also focuses on the way society has to adapt to a different country.

According to Halls, he considers it cosmopolitanism because it something that appears to expand worldwide. These intellectual thinkers develop the idea of how culture and history is an important part of society, the “hidden history,” are what makes up the present time based on what goes on in modern society, it is caused by the past. Lipsitz opinion towards history is something he strongly believes to be important. The purpose of “long fetch,” is based on the metaphor he interprets, “The force and fury of history come from its long fetch. Events that seem to appear in the present from out of nowhere in actuality have a long history behind them… things that appear suddenly in our lives have a past, and to appreciate that part of what things are is how they came to be” (Lipsitz 8). According to Lipsitz, events that we see today are not something we should consider to be something we have never seen before. Based on anything that occurs currently is based on the idea that it once was an issue and now it has suddenly appeared again. One of the “hidden histories” examples, Lipsitz mentions is the hatred amongst people, violence and overthrowing of society outbreak. Lipsitz backs up his argument by using the examples of music during the 1990s and early 2000s. “Footsteps in the Dark,” by the Isley Brothers made in 1977, is one of the songs he states to cause contradiction between the past and the future based on the way its expressed to be heard. This song becomes an impact on culture because the song reveals the personal issues and change amongst the public life. “The Isley Brothers’ song worries about the past and the present. It expresses doubt about the future” (Lipsitz 9). According to Lipsitz, the use of this song is to express the “hidden history” behind the hidden truth. This becomes hard to know what's to come about; since not knowing the truth is better than fearing the worst.

According to Isley Brothers, “He argues that no monologue exists in culture, that all utterances answer something that was said before, that the word is ‘always half someone else’s’ ” (Lipsitz 9). Based on Isley Brothers nothing is consider “new,” in some type of way it becomes something that you have heard or seen before. This relates to the idea of “long stretch” since the continuation of this culture still continues. Liptruzet way of expressing the hidden histories, is the use of music and paying close attention to how it has affected society. Music as described by Lipsitz, is the main topic that he uses to describe the “hidden histories,” he backs up his argument by stating the hidden histories of Diaspora, of Greater Mexico (Banda), Nationalist Multiculturalism (Jazz), Dominican Migration (Merengue), Colonialism (Salsa). Each of these music genres have a meaning that yet has not been told. In each section of the hidden history there’s a significant meaning of why there is a cause to the the secretive history that has been hidden. According to each genre of music there is an explanation to why things happen. For example in the hidden history of Diaspora, the artists that are taken in consideration are the Fugees (1996). There album, The Score b rings about many political issues during the 1900s, which were police brutality, racism, and sexism. Lipsitz chooses this artist to express the opinion towards the population movement express in there lyrics. In the lyrics of On

 yclef Jean states, “in this great future you can’t forget your past” (Lipsitz 28). This The Score, W quote becomes significant because this quote reveals that as much as you may want to keep history a secret it always comes. Referring to today’s world the Political issues that happened during the 1900s still continue to happen today. Issues such as, police brutality, racism and sexism are political issues that still continue to be a huge problem in today’s society. This is why

it becomes important to know the history because when referring back to something that has once occurred becomes easier to understand. The different genres of music Lipsitz mentions become a useful source to understand the meaning behind the hidden histories. Mexico, the music genre being Banda brings out a significant meaning to the history of culture. “Banda music and the practices attendant to it signaled a new cultural moment, one that challenged traditional categories of citizenship and culture on both sides of the U.S.Mexico border…. The 1922 “banda boom” appeared to emerge suddenly from out of nowhere, but it actually represented the long fetch of history, the culmination of long-established policies on both sides of the border that encouraged Mexican migration to the United States” (Lipsitz, 58). As described in this quote Banda wasn’t only a music genre, it represented a historical issue of Mexican migration to the United States. Banda becomes a way Mexicans decide to represent the hidden history based on the lyrics of Banda songs they expressed the idea that many people assimilated to the change when moving to the United States. As stated by Lipsitz, Banda allowed them to celebrate where they came from, express their identity of harpolicing, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. These immigrants that migrated to live a better life style use music to help Mexicans remember where they came from. On the other hand, jazz is the other hidden history that represents nationalist multiculturalism. Jazz becomes something that was consider to be like beautiful and blossomed. It becomes something significant because Jazz expands all over as stated, “ the ways in which weeds pulled violently from the ground in one spot cab throw out seeds that may blossom later in unexpected places” (Lipsitz, 132). As described by this quote

Jazz becomes something that is expanded and influenced internationally. As stated in the quote “blossom later in unexpected places” proves that Jazz was proliferated in many different places and heard world wide. Merengue, is another genre that influenced Dominican Migration, the use of the song “Voy pa’lla” by Anthony Santos in 1992, represents immigration occuring at that time. The significance of the song is dominicans migrating to the United States and never forgetting their roots of where they came from. The song bring a huge influence to dominicans as stated, “At a time when nearly 10 percent of the population of the Dominican Republic had immigrated to the United States, this song about longing to be reunited with a loved one resonated with the everyday concerns of many of its listeners” (Lipsitz, 133). As revealed in the quote this song brings out the hidden history of immigration because since the 1990’s this song brought an impact to dominicans when migrating to United States this song expresses the crisis that confronts traditional nationalisms in a transitional age. Cosmopolitanism is the idea of society being part of the same community based on shared morality. In the conversation between Hall and Werbner, the discussion becomes a controversial argument involving cosmopolitanism, Globalisation, and diaspora. Contemporary globalisation is considered as a “hidden history” when Hall states, “Not that the interdependencies don’t constitute something new. I think they constitute a profoundly new historical moment” (Hall 245). Hall makes this statement because of contemporary globalisation and his view of reversing back to one space, one globe, and one citizenship. His belief amongst cosmopolitan has to do with the history, “ Identity is always tied to history and place, to time, to narratives, to memory and ideologies. It requires material conditions of existence” (Halls 347).

Hall wants to prove that a person can't consider their identity if they don't have a history. You can't claim to be something if you have no proof based on your background.

 lores, Puerto Ricans migrating to New York music In the text, Creolitè in the Hood by, F is also something that taken inconsideration. “Traigo la Salsa”(I bring salsa) and “Esta Navidad” (This Christmas), is what Flores uses to express the vernacular culture. “Lyrically and musically they enact the diaspora addressing the island culture in complex, loving but at the same time mildly challenging way. At one level, “Trigo la salsa” is about “bringing” Latin music to the immediate New York or North American audience and along with it holiday cheer from the warm topics” (Flores 286). To showcase their routes and the journey that they have taken to get to where they are, the Puerto Rican migrants would incorporate the island culture and the passage of music into their songs , such as “Traigo La Salsa” This quote is significant to the vernacular culture because Puerto Ricans moving to New York brought their culture with them. Music was their choice method of retaining their cultural identity as to not lose it in their efforts to assimilate. New York City exemplifies a melting pot of cultures, so it is very fitting that the Puerto Rican community acts as the social foundation of Latin music in this area. The 1960s and 1970s were marked by planes packed with Puerto Rican migrants seeking the riches that New York City was fabled to have. “With the dramatic growth and increased diversity of the Caribbean diaspora, and with decades of ongoing interaction with Afro-American culture, that we witness the full force of diaspora as source and challenge in Caribbean music history” (Flores288).

This quote exemplifies that the spread of culture and exampanding it through different nations was something really important for Puerto Ricans. These intellectual thinkers focus on the “hidden history” and the culture that influenced throughout time. Lipsitz makes an argument about “hidden histories” of different genres of music by making the analogy of the waves. The waves are a powerful statement because there consider to represent the history of the culture. In cultures sometimes things start to fade away. That’s when the “hidden history” is taken in consideration because as stated by Lipsitz “the word is ‘always half someone else’s’’ (Lipsitz 9). Lipsitz believes this because in order for you to believe in something there has to be a background reason of why you believe in this. On the other hand, Flores and Halls also bring out the idea of Puerto Rican culture and the migration to the United States. There statement is based on the diaspora of Puerto Ricans and the music and culture that comes with them.

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