Latino History | VivirLatino

Of Sleeping Giants and Cults of Personality

25 May 2010

With resistance growing against SB-1070, weekly arrests for real immigration reform, and students across the country amping it up for a DREAM, I have been reading more opinion pieces in the media that can be simply (and imperfectly) characterized into two categories: Behold the sleeping brown giant rubbing its eyes or Take me to your leader – once you all pick one. The problem with both these narratives is that they look at current resistance as happening in a vacuum and fail to see the rich legacy of activism within Latino communities. Additionally, these frames attempt to box what they see happening into more acceptable models of of protest, in other words co-option justified by wider mass appeal.

The Giant was Never Sleeping
The Latino community as sleeping giant is a metaphor that usually is reserved for election time and in reference to power as a voting block. The sleeping giant metaphor in this context can usually be exchanged with perceived monolithic swing vote power that is hyped up immediately before and after a major election. With anti-immigrant sentiment and violence growing across the country, acts of resistance, from boycotts to sit-ins are getting much media attention and have invoked sleeping giant metaphor use as if “brown” movements have been playing Rip Van Winkle.

Latino culture gets a museum

6:42 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Culture|history|Texas · 2 Comments

12 Apr 2007

After 10 years in the making, the city of San Antonio, Texas will welcome this week the opening of brand new museum dedicated exclusively to Latino culture and its history, the Museo Alameda. Its mission: To tell the story of the Latino experience in America through art, history and culture.

The museum, located in the heart of San Antonio, in the historic Plaza El Mercado, belongs to the Alameda National Center for Latin Culture and the Arts and was created with support of the Smithsonian Institution, one of the most important philanthropic organizations in the U.S.

Organizers hope that the Museo Alameda, which has among its treasures an emerald ring that once belonged to the emperor Maximiliano de México, will attract 400,000 visitors per year. “U.S. culture is written in Hispanic ink and this museum is the best way to show our own and others our invaluable contribution to history,” said businessman Henry R. Muñoz, founder of the museum.

If you are in San Antonio, don’t miss the grand opening celebration this Friday night, which includes a free concert by Linda Ronstadt and fireworks. The museum will also be giving free admission to visitors all weekend. Visit, then tell us what you think of it!

Via / El Pais

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Of Sleeping Giants and Cults of Personality

Latino culture gets a museum

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