Centro (político)

El centro no es un lugar, sino una ausencia de lugar; fraudulentamente, desea no ubicarse en ninguna parte, sustraerse de toda ideología. La noción de centro produce la ilusión de que, vaciando de contenido toda proposición, se realiza la utopía de una vida política sin fracturas. Pero así se rompe el lazo que ata las palabras al mundo: temeroso de agitar la realidad, el centro político flota en el vacío y prefiere dejarla como está.

Mexican American Disambiguation by José Olivarez, translated from English by Arelis Uribe

after Idris Goodwin

my parents are Mexican who are not
to be confused with Mexican-Americans
or Chicanos. i am a Chicano from Chicago
which means i am a Mexican-American
with a fancy college degree & a few tattoos.
my parents are Mexican who are not
to be confused with Mexicans still living
in México. those Mexicans call themselves
Mexicanos. white folks at parties call them
pobrecitos. American colleges call them
international students & diverse. my mom
was white in México & my dad was mestizo
& after they crossed the border they became
diverse. & minorities. & ethnic. & exotic.
but my parents call themselves Mexicanos,
who, again, should not be confused for Mexicanos
living in México. those Mexicanos might call
my family gringos, which is the word my family calls
white folks & white folks call my parents interracial.
colleges say put them on a brochure.
my parents say que significa esa palabra.
i point out that all the men in my family
marry lighter skinned women. that’s the Chicano
in me. which means it’s the fancy college degrees
in me, which is also diverse of me. everything in me
is diverse even when i eat American foods
like hamburgers, which to clarify, are American
when a white person eats them & diverse
when my family eats them. so much of America
can be understood like this. my parents were
undocumented when they came to this country
& by undocumented, i mean sin papeles, &
by sin papeles, i mean royally fucked which
should not be confused with the American Dream
though the two are cousins. colleges are not
looking for undocumented diversity. my dad
became a citizen which should not be confused
with keys to the house. we were safe from
deportation, which should not be confused
with walking the plank. though they’re cousins.
i call that sociology, but that’s just the Chicano
in me who should not be confused with the diversity
in me or the Mexicano in me who is constantly fighting
with the upwardly mobile in me who is good friends
with the Mexican-American in me who the colleges
love, but only on brochures, who the government calls
NON-WHITE, HISPANIC or WHITE, HISPANIC, who
my parents call mijo even when i don’t come home so much.


Desambiguación Yanqui-Mexicana

después de Idris Goodwin

mis padres son Mexicans que no deben
ser confundidos con Mexican-Americans
o Chicanos. soy un Chicano de Chicago
que significa que soy un Mexican-American
con un título universitario elegante y algunos tatuajes.
mis padres son Mexicans que no deben
ser confundidos con Mexicans que todavía viven
en México. esos Mexicans se autodenominan
mexicanos. en las fiestas los blancos les dicen
pobrecitos. las universidades yanquis les dicen
international students & diversos. mi mamá
era blanca en México & mi papá era mestizo
& después de cruzar la frontera se volvieron
diversos. & minorías. & étnicos. & exóticos.
pero mis padres se autodenominan mexicanos
que, de nuevo, no deben confundirse con mexicanos
que aún viven en México, esos mexicanos le dirían
a mi familia gringos, que es la palabra que mi familia usa
para nombrar a los blancos & los blancos llaman a mis padres interraciales
las universidades dicen: ponlos en un brochure
mis padres preguntan ¿qué significa esa palabra?
señalo que todos los hombres en mi familia
desposan mujeres de piel clara. ése es el Chicano
en mí. que es el título universitario elegante
en mí, que es diverso en mí. todo en mí
es diverso incluso al comer comida yanqui
como una hamburguesa, que, aclaro, es estadounidense
cuando la come una persona blanca & diversa
cuando la come mi familia. muchísimo de Estados Unidos
puede comprenderse así. mis padres eran
indocumentados cuando llegaron a este país
& por indocumentados quiero decir sin papeles, &
por sin papeles quiero decir realmente cagados
que no debe confundirse con el American Dream
aunque son primos. las universidades no buscan
diversidad indocumentada. mi papá
se hizo ciudadano que no debe confundirse
con llaves de la casa propia. nos salvamos de ser
deportados, que no debe confundirse
con caminar por la plancha. aunque son primos.
le llamo a eso sociología, pero ése es el Chicano
en mí que no debe confundirse con la diversidad
en mí o el mexicano en mí siempre luchando
contra el aspiracional en mí que es buen amigo
del Mexican-American en mí que las universidades
aman, pero solo en brochures, que el gobierno llama
NON-WHITE, HISPANIC o WHITE-HISPANIC que
mis padres llaman mijo aunque no los visite tanto.

Alguna vez Inti Illimani estuvo en El Bronx y Quilapayún en Town Hall (records by Patricia Pottlitzer)

DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS OF SAMPLE VIDEOTAPE #2

00' 1. Inti-Illimani, Chilean singing group who was touring Europe at the time of the coup, in concert at Hostos Community College, Bronx, New York, October 1974.

03' 2. Quilapayún, Chilean singing group who, like Inti-Illimani, were leaders in the New Chilean Song Movement (La nueva canción chilena) and were in Europe at the time of the coup, in concert at Town Hall, March 1975.

05' 26 seconds of blank tape

06' 3. Members of Quilapayún watching a video of Víctor Jara singing. Jara helped the Quilapayún get started and sang with them for a few years. Taped in Macrh 1975.

07' 4. Members of Quilapayún talking about New Chilean Song Movement.

The prayer, Plegaria a un labrador, by Víctor Jara translated into English by Joanne Pottlitzer

Stand up
Look at the mountains
source of the wind and the sun and the water
you who direct their course
you who sowed the flight of your soul

Stand up
Look at your hands
Extend them to your brother so you can grow
Together we can go, united in blood
The future can begin today

Deliver us from that which keeps us in misery
Bring us your kingdom of justice and equality
Blow like the wind the flowers of the valley
Clean like fire the cannon of my gun

Make your will be done at last on earth
Give us your strength and your courage as we fight.
Blow the valley flower like the wind
Clean like fire the cannon of my gun like fire

Stand up
Look at your hands
Extend them to your brother so you can grow
Together we go, united in blood
Now and at the hour of our death, amen