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Bella Juventud/ Wonderful Youth, by Gloria Velásquez
- University of Texas Press
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220 The Human Cost of Food Bella Juventud/ Wonderful Youth Gloria Velásquez Pregúntame qué aprendí en la escuela ese tiempo feliz en mi niñez y juventud, en los fifties y los sixties. Aprendí que Columbus descubrió la América, y que mis forefathers fueron Washington y Roosevelt. Aprendí que mi ‘‘cultura’’ consistía en Dick y Jane, con comidas americanas de hot dogs y mustard. Aprendí de prejudice a los morenos y los spics porque los demás con sus P.T.A. mothers se olvidaron de nosotros. Aprendí del sportsmanship de anglo football players, de anglo cheerleaders; ignoraban a los morenos que eran tontos y muy slow. Aprendí de summer vacations, swimming pools and suntans hincada en los files de betabel con el azadón en las manos, aguantando el calor. Ay, qué bellos recuerdos de ese tiempo feliz de mi niñez y juventud, en los fifties y los sixties. 221 Bella Juventud/Wonderful Youth Ask me what I learned in school, those joyful days of my childhood and youth in the Fifties and the Sixties. I learned that Columbus discovered America and that my forefathers were Washington and Roosevelt. I learned that my ‘‘culture’’ consisted of Dick and Jane with American meals of hot dogs and mustard. I learned about prejudice toward morenos and spics because all the others who had P.T.A. mothers, forgot all about us. I learned about sportsmanship from Anglo football players, from Anglo cheerleaders. They avoided the greasers, who were stupid and very slow. I learned about summer vacations, swimming pools and suntans, stooped down in the beetfields with a hoe in my hand suffering the sun’s heat. Oh, what wonderful memories of those joyful days of my childhood and youth in the Fifties and Sixties. ...