The Honors College at FIU
John Bailly, Fellow
e: baillyj@fiu.edu
w: http://www.johnbailly.com/

CITY OF A HUNDRED FIRES PROJECT

Richard Blanco’s work is characterized by a search for identity, for self, for place. His life itself is an example of cultural diversity. Blanco, in his words, "was made in Cuba, assembled in Spain, and imported to the United States-meaning his mother, seven months pregnant, and the rest of the family arrived as exiles from Cienfuegos, Cuba, to Madrid, where he was born."

This project is about cultural origins, and how individual origins separate us one from the other. When two cultures come together, a new one is born. We are all from somewhere. For this project, define/search for your own origin. Who are you? What is your cultural identity? In defining yourself, is it your lineage or geographic place or something less tangible that is important?

However, this personal reflection is only part of this project. Students will work in groups of 4, with a member from each section. After reflecting upon yourself, you will then compare\contrast your cultural identity to those of others in your group.

Some subjects you may wish to consider examining are differences in (or attitudes to) language, food, religion, music, art, gender relationships, gender roles, morals, clothes...

The format of this project must a time based medium: PowerPoint, iMovie, video, film or other media. You may appropriate existing images, but they must be altered in some manner. For example, you may edit the work heavily or distort it in some manner.

Each student group will produce one video\slideshow for presentation to the combined sections. It must be 4 minutes or less.

For inspiration, reflect on the issues of cultural identity and the quest for place, identity, and self-discovery in Blanco’s work.

“Photo Shop”
by Richard Blanco

These faces are fifteen under faux diamond tiaras
and grandmother's smuggled brillantes;
these faces are pierced with the mango smiles
that dress hopeful Teresitas and Marías—
quinceañeras with coffee bean eyes;
these pearl faces are mother's taffeta dream,
a decorated anguish in painful pink manicures.
These young faces can't remember that last day—
the innocence of their small steps into the propeller
plane drifting above palms waving elegant farewells.
These barefoot faces are those red mountains
never climbed, a Caribbean never drunk,
they are a guajiro sugar never tasted.
These faces are displaced Miritas and Susanitas.
These faces are a 50s revolution
they are the Beatles and battles,
they are Celia Cruz—AZUCAR—loud and brown;
these faces rock-n-roll and roll their r's,
they are eery botánicas and 7-Elevens.
These fiery faces are rifles and bongos,
they are maracas shaking, machetes hacking;
these faces carry too many names:
their white eyes are toppling dominoes
their glossy eyes are rum and iced tea
their African eyes are gods and Castilian saints
haloed with the finest tabaco smoke.
These faces rest an entire ocean on Taino eyebrows;
they are Kennedy, Batista, and Nixon,
they are a dragon in uniform;
these faces are singing two anthems,
nailed against walls, the walls are chipping.
These overflowing faces are swollen barrels
with rusting hoops and corset seams straining;
these faces are beans: black, red, white and blue,
with steaming rice on chipped china;
these faces are pork fat and lace gowns.
These standing faces are a sentinel—
when the Vietnamese kitchen next door stops
when the alley veils itself and closes like a fresh widow
when the flower shop draws in buckets of red carnations
when gold and diamonds are pulled from late windows
when neon flashes relieve the sun over these fading faces.
These chromatic faces are nothing important,
they are nada we need to understand,
they will transform in their photo chemistry,
these faces will collage very Americanly.

The Honors College at FIU
John Bailly, Fellow
e: baillyj@fiu.edu
FIU University Park Campus, DM 233
11200 SW 8TH ST
Miami, FL 33199
t: 305-348-0297
f: 305-348-2118
w: http://www.johnbailly.com/

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