An Awakening in Me

I got what I wanted. An hour and a half of intense chasing scenes, with shoot-em-up interludes, and of course the snippets here and there of a background story, that of course, is never really resolved. But than again, those background stories are never to be resolved; their purpose is to distract the audience from what some may describe as the monotony of a big explosive action packed, internationally actored film, set in our present-day war infested lives. At least it gives many a chance to escape that, or at least view the War on Terrorism as somehow a foreign subject.

Vantage Point for the late night viewer was definitely too involved. Not that everyone would have gone thinking about war, international involvement, US intervention, or maybe even blame. No, I suspect many of the late night movie goers went to chillax (Chill and Relax-youngster colloquialism), set their minds free from another mind numbing day at work or their studies. From the anamalistic grunts and hee-haws that escaped their mouths, it seemed that they were not ready to get involved in another superficial analysis of our present international situation; nor did it seem that any one was ready for the “Memento”-esque rewinds in the time continuum of the movie. (Not such a new technique, as Kurosawa displayed in Rashomon-A film I admit I have not seen yet, but have been told I need to.)

Definitely not the most phenomenal film I have seen that intended to touch on global terrorism and make any sort of commentary. The film did employ many international famous actors as well as cameos from (some note noteworthy) recognizable Hollywood actors. But that is where the kudos stop.

As blogger Tim Footman sums it up:

The film seems to be striving for a level of political neutrality, with hawks and doves, goodies and baddies on both sides (and even a few ambiguous ones, which is brave for the Hollywood mainstream), but there’s still a sense that, as the carnage erupts and the bodies pile up, so long as the President of the United States is OK, all will be well.

Most people of color, descendants of Non-Caucasian Americans and other Non-Americans, either end up dead or disappear for the sake of the safety of the President of the United States. What happened to the other representatives of the other countries present? Terrorism takes many faces, no one nation is safe from evil deeds, but most are from a different hemisphere, those that are found within the US ranks are lone rogues, and seem to be recruited by OTHERS.

I asked myself, and my mother, as we walked out of the cinema, did anyone of those few late night movie goers see that? Did they not get the misconceptions developing over the erroneous portrayal that Hollywood gave us to consume? From the “I thought that was corny” and “I could handle the first two time swaps, but after that, huh” I am disappointed with people and youth in particular. It seems even the most flightiest of messages was too much to consume for them.

I wonder what that would arouse these lackluster non-politicos. Do they think change just happens because it happens? I think some people might have missed some important history lessons.

It’s Cinco de Mayo everyone!

No not Mexico’s Independence Day, that would be September 16th, not even a national holiday in Mexico, but what has, in the US of A, turned into, so it seems, a sublime national day for for white people to lose their social filter, whether mouth or thought, and outwardly display their ignorance in an orgy of Frat-Sorori-hood drunkiness.

This is not the Cinco de Mayo that I relate, celebrate, or support. For those of you still in shock that in fact September 16th is Mexico’s Independence day, Cinco de Mayo is actually the day Mexican forces were victorious against the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

As impressively wikipedia explains:

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for “5th of May”) is a regional holiday in Mexico, primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla. It is not an obligatory federal holiday. The holiday commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The date is observed in the United States and other locations around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

Although the Mexican army was victorious over the French at Puebla, the victory only delayed the French advance on Mexico City; a year later, the French occupied Mexico. The French occupying forces placed Maximilian I, Emperor of Mexico on the throne of Mexico. The French were eventually defeated and expelled in 1867. Maximilian was executed by President Benito Juarez, five years after the Battle of Puebla.

Despite the ignorance faced on a daily basis, the eye rolling, outward, internal, institutional racism, for many Chican@s/Xican@s it is a day of cultural pride, to share a sentiment of over coming and defeating the odds.

A Celebration of cultural heritage and pride. That is what I kept reminding myself as I sat outside in a wonderful paved veranda of Muchas Gracias (I wasn’t looking for authentic anything, I wanted some sort of “wrap” with vaguely familiar fillings,watered down pee-ko day gaiy-o and a side of ice-tea on one of the first days of Springy weather here in Eugene Oregon) in the middle of what, despite all its updates and face lifts, is a strip mall.

Sitting there eating my overstuffed burrito for super-size America, it was tasty, and eating my really crunchy yellow and blue corn chips with some pee-ko day gaiy-o I see “Mex-cellent, Mex-anagment, Mex-elicious….” Posted on the windows. I didn’t know if I shoul dbe mad, cry, laugh, grossed out, but it was a bit much.

I laughed, what else could I do.

It only reminded me that I too participate in Mex-ame (think Sesame) street, next to my fellow sister on Oriental Lane and I’m sure there is bound to be Africa-Land. It is only small niche through the lens of White Middle America, everything filtered and tailored to be US-friendly. Culture appropriated by consumerism and I just wanted a burrito, damn it.