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Equipment for the Future

A CULTURAL DIVERSITY FORUM

MANKATO STATE UNIVERSITY
EastVVin~ VVestVVind
MSU Box 65, Mankato,
MN 56002-8400
East Wind, West Wind
(507) 389-2812

Editor
An MSU Cultural Diversity Forum
Vann Phan
Summer Special '94"
Staff Writers
Victor Philips
Samurai Ph an 'Equipment for the Future'

Cover Design
Mario Quintero TAB.LE OF CONTENTS
Photography
Victor Philips From the Editor pg. i
Duc Nguyen Accomplishments in Recruitment and Retention pg 1
Typesetters Family Values, Latino Style pg 2
Duc Nguyen Rape in Marriage: What's Really Going on? pg 3
Vanna Nguyen Poems by Noronirina Andriantiana pg 8
Contributors There Should Be More Programs like this PCSI pg 8
Kris Haacke Unveiling Islam pg 10
Damisha Walls
What You Can't Miss pg 13
Eric Dollershell
Francisco 1. Gonzales To Maria and the Office of Multicultural Affairs pg 17
Noronirina Andriantiana Picture News: Cultural Diversity Activities pg 19-20
Chanda Thammavongsa Profile: Gregorio Mendez-Ortega pg 25
Angi Montgomery The Vietnamese Society under Communism pg 27
Tarsh'a Jackson
East Wind, West Wind News pg 35
Roslyn Harmon
Betsy Walton Welcome Returning and New Students pg 39
Zainab Ali Acknowledgments .inside back cover

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CROSS-CULTURAL ISSUES
By Francisco J. Gonzalez
Editor's Note: Since its Spring 1994 issue, East Wind,
West Wind has been presenting viewpoints on some cross-
cultural issues or issues related to values that are held in
high esteem in other countries. As Mankato State is the
center of many cultures brought in by thousands of
international students from all over the world, the column
may serve as a forum for writers who wish to present their
viewpoints on matters concerning values they consider
worthy of being shared by people from other cultures.
East Wind, West Wind sincerely hopes that, through thfs
column, the exchange of cultures among people of different
backgrounds in our community could be carried on, and the
ideal of cultural diversity will be served.
In this Summer Special '94 issue, Francisco Gonzales, a
contributing writer for the MSU Cultural Diversity newsletter,
will be presenting his viewpoint on ""Family Values, Latino
Style."
In the last couple of years, a new term has entered the
American vocabulary: Familyvalues. Politicians of all
ideological orientations, from former Vice-President
Dan Quayle and Minnesota's radical right leader Allan
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Quist, to President Bill Clinton, all talk ofthe importance
of the family and the need for solutions to the problems
that result in the loss of values and disintegration of
the family.
The media also in influences our perception of the
changes in family structure and values. TV shows like
"Roseanne" portrays a somewhat dysfunctional two-
parent family, "Murphy Brown," a professional single
mother, and "Grace Under Fire," the problems of a
blue-collar single mother, to name just a few.
However, all these different media portrayals and
discussions among political, social and religious
leaders tend to focus mostly on the White/Anglo
family. The problems and strengths of the family
structures among people of color are only discussed,
it seems, by other people of color. And if the media
and the mainstream politicians deal with our family
values, theirversion of the issue is only in the distorted
context of crime and welfare.
In the United States there are between 25 to 30 million
Latinos, all sharing a basic language (Spanish), culture
and social organization. The !irst thing that must be
pointed out is that the definition of "family" is different,
for Latinos, compared to white population.
The traditional white family is the "nuclear family,"
formed by a married couple and their children living in
theirown house apart from other relatives. In contrast,
the traditional Latino family is the extended family
formed not only by the married couple and their
children, but also by other close relatives, all living
together. These relatives are most frequently the
parents or grandparents of the wife or husband in the
couple.
There is also great respect for the elderly whose
experience and knowledge are always sought as they
are an integral part of the decision-making process in
the family. The elderly also help to raise the children,
allowing both parents to work, and raise largerfamilies.
Also, they transmit the culture and traditions to the
new generations in the process.
Latino children, like children in any other culture, are
greatly cherished and loved by their family. Common
to other cultures, but absent from White/American
culture, are rites of passage, ceremonies or landmarks
that signal the transformation of a child into an adult.
For Latino girls, it is the "quinceanera" the celebration
of her 15 years. This is an elaborate series of public
events in which the young woman is officially introduced
to society as an adult. Most "quinceaneras" attend
a Mass or similar religious service, this followed by
a dance and other festivities.

For boys, there is no specific ritual. A boy is

generally considered a man when he attains some
community-defined standard for what a man is
supposed to be. These standard vary according to
the social, geographical an economic background
of each community. For example, a boy can
"became" a man when he gets his driver's licence
(if he lives in an urban area), or when he ventures
alone into the sea to fish (if he belongs to a
fisherman's family that lives in a small. coastal
town).

Religion is another very important value for Latinos.

For historical reasons, most belong to the Roman .
Gatholic Church. In the U.S., close to half of all despite all their attacks. As they say in Los Angeles,
Catholics are Latinos. The religion practiced by we Latinos !"somos un chingo, y pronto seremos
Latinos, both Catholics and Protestants, is based on mas"!.
a personal relationship with God. The figure of the
Virgin Mary is the vehicle used by most to converse
with God. In Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe is
specially revered, and Mexicans ask her to intercede
before God so that he assists them in their troubles.

Another crucial family value is that of "ganarse el pan

con el sudor de la frente" (earn your bread with the
sweat of your brow), or working for your living. For
male heads of families, it is specially important as
failure to supp·ort your own family is considered a
disgrace, and the man be branded as an inadequate
parent. This is also why many Latinos, unable to find
work to feed their families, migrate to the U.S., often
risking their lives in the process.

To conclude, the Latino community have strong "family

values" based on a deep and long-standing cultural
background that stretches for 500 years. The value of
the extended family, the respectforthe elderly, a deep
religious faith, a profound love for their children, and
the importance of honest and hard work are all part of
our common heritage.

Some factions of the so-called radical religious right in

the United States, while claiming to work for the
protectionH of. these same "family values", want to
destroy our distinctive Latino culture, our Spanish
language and our ethnic pride, by calling it "un-
American" and a "threatto traditional American values".
These people must understand that it is our culture
that gives meaning to these values that they want to
preserve. We cannot have one without the other, and
we are determined to preserve our culture and values
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