O ctober 23, 1996 •T m P o r u a n i ) O ksi rvi r
P Mil C4
Salute to Cultural Diversity
For those people o f vision and
spirit who work toward cultural har­
mony in our community, Nordstrom
presented on Saturday, October 19,
the Salute to Cultural D iversity', a
benefit for United Way o f the Co­
lumbia-W illamette for designated
member agencies whose primary
mission focuses on minority pro­
grams.
Lynne Bangsund, Kids on the
Block Awareness Program - The Kids
on the Block Awareness Program
(KOBAP) owes its existence and
success primarily to Lynne Bangsund.
A non-profit, educational organiza­
tion. KOBAP uses child-size pup­
pets to help children learn to accept
and understand differences in one
another and to protect themselves in
difficult situations. The program
helps to build bridges between peo­
ple by encouraging acceptance and
open communication regardless o f
physical, social or cultural differenc-
cs.
Jose L.agunes. Cultural Commit­
tee o f Nuevo Amanecer—In 1985,
Mr I .agunes and his family moved to
the United States from Veracruz,
Mexico. Today, Mr. L.agunes is an
active participant on the Cultural and
Recreational Events Committee for
Nuevo Amanecer and as a volunteer
for the f armworker Housing Devel­
opment Corporation. He develops
and teaches programs that educate
the community about Hispanic fam­
ily values, traditions and customs.
Mr. Lagunes strives to instill self-
determination among the many fam­
ilies in the farming community and is
recognized as a role model.
Morgan Aquino Mackies, Student
Volunteer, the fam ily Room o f Boi­
se-Eliot Elementary School—As a
m en to r to m any c h ild re n , Mr.
Mackies encourages cooperation,
respect and caring in the classroom.
now a permanent American phrase
S ean C ruz
E ditor , P ortland O bservador
The Presidential election th is No­
vember 5th may prove to be a wa­
tershed event in the history o f His­
panic political participation.
Motivated by decades o f dis­
crimination (50 decades to be ex­
act), recent anti-immigrant senti­
ments targeting people with brown
skin, and the English-only move­
ment aimed primarily at Spanish­
speaking people regardless o f im­
migration status; encouraged by
our visibly expanding numbers and
the rise o f new, effective voter reg­
istration drives. Latino voters are
expected to turn out on Election
Day in record numbers.
The expected voting increase will
be far greater than an incremental
reflection o f population growth.
This time, Hispanic people have an
unprecedented determination to
have a voice in government.
Su voto es su voz, “your vote is
by
Ruby Haughton
Jose Lagunes
He com m unicates with children
through journals and visits, and par­
ticipates in classroom activities.
Through a grant, Mr. Mackies began
working on a project in which stu­
dents could learn more about their
cultural histories. Mr. Mackies strives
to promote self-esteem and an aware­
ness o f similarities and differences in
our multi-cultural society.
Dr Mariam Baradar, Multicultur­
al S p e c ia lists, P ortland Public
Schools-D r. Baradar, a native of
Iran, is a strong force behind the
implementation ofthe Baseline Stud­
ies Program in Portland Public
Schools. The curriculum, designed
and written by scholars from differ­
ent cultures, will be used to teach
students about culture, history and
the contributions o f different ethnic
heritages. Dr. Baradar also serves as
a liaison to immigrant families who
have recently moved to the area.
Donalda Dodson, M anager o f
Health Promotion & Disease Pre­
vention, Marion County Health De-
partm ent-D onalda Dodson has ded­
icated the past 3 1 years to health
advocacy for women and children
through leadership roles in many or­
ganizations, including the Migrant
Head-Start Oregon Child Develop­
ment Coalition and the Multicultural
AIDS/HIV Alliance o f Oregon. Ms.
Dodson is currently the President of
the YWCA Board o f Directors in
Salem and has been fundamental in
creating anti-racism materials and
promoting anti-racism training for
all Pacific Northwest YWCAs. Their
Cultural Diversity Plan was also de­
veloped under her guidance, and has
been replicated in other YWCAs
throughout the country.
Ruby Haughton, Vice-President
of
G o v e rn m e n t
R e la tio n s,
U .S.B ancorp-R uby Haughton is a
passionate advocate of diabetes edu­
cation and treatment for people of
color. She has served at the national
and locai levels o f the American Di­
abetes A ssociation and currently
chairs the A ssociation’s Cultural
Diversity Committee in Oregon. Ms.
Haughton has planned and imple­
mented a diabetes awareness pro­
gram for A frican-A m ericans and
Hispanic-Americans where volun­
teers share life-saving information
using culturally appropriate materi­
als, conversation and nutrition to re­
duce the risk o f diabetes in these very
high-risk populations.
your voice,” is the rallying cry for
organizers who have been working
since the beginning o f the year to
register a million-plus new Hispanic
voters.
The voter registration drives be­
gan as a result o f many years of
frustration in Southwest communi­
ties where there were no Hispanic
elected or appointed officials despite
populations that were as much as
80% Hispanic.
It is ironic that a significant moti­
vating factor for the registration ef­
forts lies not at the local level, but in
the fact that this is the first election
where the Hispanic vote could—the-
oretically-prove decisive inthe Pres­
idential race.
“85% o f Hispanic Americans live
in nine states (Arizona, California, Col­
orado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey,
ew Mexico, New York and Texas) that
have 202 o f the 270 Electoral College
votes needed to win the White House,”
Roger Hernandez, a nationally-syndi-
cated columnist recently noted
The majority o f Hispanics are
projected to vote Democratic. Even
theoncesolidly-Republican Cuban-
American community in F lorida-
offended by the “official English”
position o fth e R epublicans-is ex­
pected to swing towards President
Clinton, bringing Florida’s elector­
al votes with them.
Oregonians-Your vote
is your voice
This election is important to all
o f us. Do not be discouraged by the
number and complexity o fth e bal­
lot measures. There are 15 Consti­
tutional issues to be decided this
time, and each one o f them will
effect your life and the future o f
your children on the most funda­
mental basis. Most o f those mea­
sures have no place at all in the
Constitution, and should be defeat­
ed for that reason alone.
Do not let others vote in your
place by sitting this one out.
Mexican Pre-Columbian Art
Latino leaders join Nordstrom for empowerment
The results o f nearly 250 opinion
surveys gathered from participants
o fth e Latina Empowerment Series
was presented to Latina leaders from
across the countrythis September at
the W illard Inter-C ontinental in
Washington D C.
The luncheon marked the culmi­
nation o f a nine-city forum spon­
sored by Nordstrom and designed to
explore the challenges and accom­
plishments o f professional Hispan­
ic-American women.
“ Latinas represent an important
segment o f our customer base that is
rapidly growing,” said Pete Nord-
C'fcyp’ C'&rS/ffyp
since 1989. As treasurer, she manag­
es an annual cash flow o f over $60
million.
“ Professional Latinas are one o f
the fastest growing segments o f the
Hispanic population yet little atten­
tion has been focused on their needs
and challenges,” said Elisa Maria
Sanchez, president o f MANA, a na­
tional Latina organization. “N ord­
strom has given the Latina communi­
ty an invaluable service by creating
this opportunity to come together
and share our common goals, chal­
lenges and accomplishments with one
another.”
strom, co-president. “Nordstrom de­
veloped the Latina Empowerment
Series because we value the Latina
customer and support the concerns
and needs o f their community.”
Nordstrom hosted the Latina Em­
powerment Series in Chicago, White
Plains, NY; Seattle, San Diego, Palo
Alto, Calif,; Costa Mesa, Calif.; Los
Angeles and McLean, VA.
Chicago City Treasurer Miriam
Santos presented the keynote speech
at the luncheon. Ms. Santos is the
first w om an, first H ispanic and
youngest person ever elected to the
Treasurer’s post, which she has held
Claree,
age 4 f4 años)
Natalia Marisa
Paloma Cruz
18 anos Je edad
Tu nana te ama mucho
v
9
____ ____ /
Above/Center: Colima Seated Male Figure. West Mexico shaft
tomb culture; Late Preclassic, circa 200 B.C. to 300 A.D.
Above/Right: Head o f God III o f the Palenque Triad. Chiapas,
Mexico; Mayan; Late Classic, ca. A.D. 600-900.
Right: Aztec Polychrome Figure-Valley
of Mexico; Late Postclassic, ca. A.D.
1200-1521. A large polychrome
ceramic flute in the form o f a
feathered serpent.
BY R t DI M u PACIIER
With a dimple per cheek and a
cheerful smile, Claree easily engages
admirers. This affectionate Cauca-
sian/Hispanic youngster invites atten­
tion and interest. Whether its running
or dancing to a lively tune, Claree has
more than enough energy to spare!
Despite his significant development
d elay s, w ith each m ilesto n e he
achieves, he inspires those around him
to share in the excitement and joy!
Feliz Cumpleaños, Latina
Above/Left: Guerrero Solid Standing Female Figure. Guerrero
State, Mexico; Late Preclassic, circa 350 B.C. to 250 A.D.
Characteristic o f Olmec figures.
Con hoyuelos en cada mejilla y una sonrisa muy alegre, Claree
fácilmente gana la admiración de todos. Este afectuoso Hispano-
Amcricano invita a darle atención e interés. Aunque corra o baile al
rimot de la música alegre, a Claree no le hace falta energía. A pesar de
su significante atrazo en el desarollo, con cada uno de sus logros, el
inspira a todos a su alrededor a compartir en la emoción y la alegría.
To ad o p t contact The Boys And G irls Aid Society O f O regon, 918
S.W . B oundary C t„ P ortland, O R 97201-3985; o r call (503) 222-9661.
I
The term “ Pre-Columbian Art”
usually refers to the art and artifacts
o f precontact Latin America. Thus
any o f the cultures that existed in
Central or South America prior to
the arrival o f the Spanish explorers
are Pre-Columbian cultures. The Pre-
Columbian area is further divided
into a Mesoamerican area, an Andean
area, and an Intermediate area which
lies betw een the tw o extrem es.
“M esoamerica” refers to most o f
present day Mexico and adjacent
areas to the south.
Early nomadic big game hunters
were present in M esoamerica well
before 10,000 B.C. They were sup­
planted by semi-nomadic hunter-
gathers about 7,000 B.C. The earli­
est domestication o f plants occurred
sometime around 5,000 B.C., usher­
ing in a settlement-patterned econo­
my and the presence o f domestic
plants. A vocado, bottle gourds,
beans, squash, and wild maize ap­
peared for the first time in Early
American cultures. At Tlapcoya. in
the Valley ofM exico.circular house
sites have been identified that date
from 2300 B.C.
The early preclassic period starts
about 1800 B.C. and from then on
we have a continuous record o f na­
tive ceramic cultures that only ceased
with the arrival o f the Spanish in
1521 A.D.
The Classic period (ca. 150 B.C.-
A.D. 900) may be considered the
golden age o f M esoamerica during
which seeds planted in the Preclassic
grew to maturity and produced civ­
ilizations that could be compared
with those existing on the rest o f the
globe. One o f the most complex and
fasc inat ing o f these cultures was that
o f the Maya.
Mayan iconography contains a
bewildering array ofG ods who could
alter their appearance and functions
and whose dualistic roles produced
a vast spectrum o f images.
The M ayan area includes the
Y ucatan Peninsula, parts o f the Mex­
ican states o f Chiapas and Tabasco,
allo fG uatem alaand Belize, and the
western portions o f Honduras and El
Salvador. Here the transition from
village cultures to a culture incorpo­
rating elaborate calendar systems,
temple-pyramids and palaces, poly­
chrome pottery, and pictographic
writing occurred during the Late
Preclassic period (300 B.C.-A.D.
250) and it is here, today, that the
ruins o f new Mayan cities are still
being discovered each year
PRECLASSIC MEXICO
Small solid clay figures appear in
archeological le vels o f the T ehuacan
Valley south o f Puebla at about
1500B.C. O ver the next few centu­
ries they have spread to Vera Cruz,
the V alley o f M exico, O axaca,
Guerrero, Chiapas, and the Pacific
Coast o f Guatemala.
Sometime after 1400 B.C. hollow
clay figures begin to appear, allow­
ing larger pieces to be fashioned.
The Olmecs were probably the ear­
liest culture to produce hollow fig­
ures on a large scale.
SHAFT TOMB CULTURES
The shaft tomb cultures o f West
Mexico were only recently gained
attention from scholars and collec­
tors. Because this area was outside
the zone o f large stone sculpture and
m onum ental a ic liile c lu re . very little
interest in the W est Mexico cultures
occurred until the mid-1930s.
The shaft tomb culture ofN ayarit,
Jalisco, and Col ima produced a great
variety o f hollow figurines, smaller
solid figures, and effigy vessels. Al­
though they produced no monumen­
tal art, these people expressed their
cultural aesthetic statements in an
exciting fine fashion through the
media o f clay.
Large hollow figures seem to have
been made exclusively to accompa­
ny the dead as grave gods possibly
somewhat similarly to the Egyptian
practice o f filling royal tombs with
images that might be required by the
deceased in the afterlife.
THE MAYA
God 111 o f the Palenque T riad was
the “Jaguar God o fth e U nderw orld”
and “The Sun at Night” . God III is
one o f the offspring ofthe first m oth­
er who existed before the present
creation, and is a manifestation o f
the second born o f The Hero Twins
whose name was “ Y ax-Balam” or
“First Jaguar” . In this identity he is
thought to be a patron deity o f w ar­
fare since he is the most common
device found on the shields in cylin­
der case paintings. As The Sun at
Night, he exhibits a solar aspect as­
sociated with the voyage made by
the sun between sunset and sunrise.
THE AZTECS
Quetzalcoatl (the plumed serpent)
is one o f the great Gods o f Mexico.
The earliest record o f Quetzalcoatl
in C e n tra l M e x ic o o c c u rs at
Teotihuacan associated with rain and
standing water symbols. Modern
Pueblo people ofthe southwest Unit­
ed States still identify a plumed ser­
pent with water. In late Postclassic
Central Mexico, Quetzalcoatl ap­
pears as the life supporting aspect o f
the wind God (Ehecatl). This late
manifestation played a pivotal role
in Central Mexican creation myths
and was one o fth e patron deities o f
the lu lrn g Aztec luling class.
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