missions

yesterday a colleague and i drove south to go to a conference. we were accepted a few months ago to participate in a Sonora Field Study. we have the opportunity to go to Sonora, Mexico for four days and visit classrooms there in order to gain a better understanding of the mexican education system and the culture behind education there.

as many of you know i work at a school with a high immigrant population and latino population. this kind of experience is invaluable to my understanding of how these students and families perceive and value education. again, it is not about rights and wrongs it is about points of view, the way you are raised, your religious experiences, the expectations of family and culture, and so much more.

missions.

it is my mission as an educator to understand these cultural ties. to understand them and not take them away from students in order to assimilate them completely into the united states point of view. although many might see this as a vital part of education, it is not one that i hold- at least not explicitly. i am a part of that assimilation process rather i like it or not, but i try to open my classroom community to the space of differences and understanding. tolerance some call it.

before the conference i went to one of padre kinos missions south of tucson. although missions have a mixed and not always great reputation, i find there is much in those spaces to think on. they too were part of a great assimilation practice by europe and spain to convert those "pesky natives" to proper christians. however, i think this too cannot be simplified into rights and wrongs.

what i found fascinating is the incorporation of the to'hono odom people and christianity. instead of completely wiping out any trace of who these people are, you will find subtle instances inside the mission of their presence. i am not in anyway promoting the assimilation or annihilation of culture, it happened. i am however attempting to understand the clash of two or three distinctive cultures. it happens still.

the workshop i went to was incredible. we discussed economic and political issues that impact education in mexico in order to understand the complexities of the system. when we go to mexico in a few weeks, we will be visiting several different classrooms, a technical school that works on an oyster farm, and the seri community in punta chueca. we will also visit altar which is a major staging point for migrant coming across the border.

these are issues of humanity. first and foremost these are not political issues, economic issues, or religious issues. these are conditions of being human. of breathing. of wanting what it is that you think will make you and your family whole. yes all things are integrated and political, economic, and spiritual. all wrapped into one intricate beating heart. yet, we cannot forget or deny the fact that we are all human. all trying to live out our own missions, good intentions and all.

i can't wait for this experience. i can't wait to move past romanticizing it. to see past what people want you to see but into the depth of the reality and beauty of a different way of living.

i know more will come of this.
i feel it in my bones.