Blog Entry #2

After reading the chapters, what are your thoughts regarding this art form and how it relates to economic conditions?

I remember seeing a black velvet bandit with his menacing look and wondering why anyone would want to buy that. I never questioned what lay behind it or thought about the artist who created it. I had no understanding of how black velvet art had altered the lives and economy of so many people until now. Sam Quinones has given me a new appreciation of the art. What began with one man’s accidental discovery mushroomed into a global phenomenon. What intrigued me the most was how the network of trade evolved. Quinones even attributes the expansion of intra-American trade to black velvet art. He claims that the factories that Harden and others had set up to produce velvet served as prototypes for maquiladoras churning out car parts and televisions for the U.S. today. Perhaps he’s right. All along the Mexican-American border people were drawn to the industry in the hopes of making money. Sleepy border towns exploded. Northern Mexico experienced rapid growth and economic expansion. As long as demand was high, there were people more than willing to fill the orders. Unfortunately, interest in the paintings has faded, but its legacy remains.

Think of the culture tied to the paintings. How would you respond to an ELL who is ridiculed when he or she shares this family tradition with the school environment?

How I would handle this kind of situation would depend on several factors including the context of the event and the age of the offending students as well as their understanding and intentions. I never like to see anyone ridiculed. For this reason, I would feel the need to address the issue as soon as possible. If the situation involved older students or the abuse was flagrant, then zero tolerance might be the course of action. With younger students, the situation might be handled more discreetly involving a conference with the students or even a class meeting where the issue could be addressed more generically and used as an opportunity to build greater understanding, mutual respect, and a stronger sense of community.