Origins of Quinceanera Essay Example for Free

Origins of Quinceanera Essay Quinceanera cerebrations history is mainly found in the Aztec and Mayan cultures of the Latin American people with the roots in the ancient Mexican society. A girl approaching her fifteenth birthday would be taken from her home to be prepared on how to transcend from girlhood to womanhood and marriage. During this time, she would be taught about her traditions and history as well as being given instructions and guidelines through which she would learn to be a responsible adult and a good wife in her community. By the time she was returning to her family, a great celebration was launched that marked her womanhood (sexual maturity) status. The celebration is still held to this date in Latin and Hispanic families all over the world. However, the girls are no longer taken from their families but they rather get involved in group discussions and classes where they learn issues such as family, adulthood, and religion. In many cases, this goes on for a period of six months or even more as adopted by different communities around the world. Preparations for the major quinceanera celebrations often begin about two years before the actual date of the wonderful occasion. The major purpose for the quinceanera is to act as a right of passage or social initiation that is intended to teach as well as reinforce the important and valuable cultural values of the community. These days, the ceremony is conducted to acknowledge the young girl’s rite of passage to womanhood. Since many societies that practice this ceremony have turned it into a religiously oriented activity, the ceremony acts as reaffirmation of the baptismal vows the parents made on behalf of their daughter(s). The ancient Mexican quinceanera is equivalent to the sweet sixteen in many United States societies. At the age of fifteen, boys traditionally became warriors. This therefore necessitated the need for girls to be presented to their communities as a vital force of community’s future in the sense that their power to become mothers would ensure continued provision of more warriors for the tribe (http://kufflynx. com/historyofquinceanera. aspx) The history of quinceanera, unlike the sweet sixteen, has many religious components that make it more or less the same as the Bar Mitzvah which is held in the Jewish culture when their youth turn thirteen (Lankford, 1994, pp. 18). Before the celebrations commence, family members and guests accompany the quinceanera to a church service. The delivered sermon by the clergy is usually one whose main theme is the importance of growing up to be a responsible woman in the society. In the process, the young lady is given an opportunity to share her future hopes. Other family members and guests may also be allowed to speak too. After the service is over, people proceed to the party where under normal circumstances plenty of food, games, dance, and music take the order of the day. Quinceanera parties usually require a lot of preparation and planning. It is as thus a very big occasion for the young woman and sometimes it takes many years of saving to make the girl’s fifteenth birthday dream a reality. Due to the value attached to this event, it is very common to have live bands, catered food, superb location reservations, and photo sessions. The quinceanera girl will often have a lavish gown and the guest of honor will sometimes have one as well. This makes the birthday as elaborate as a wedding. The most crucial aspect of the quinceanera is invariably a thanksgiving Mass (Karen, 1996, pp. 76). Traditionally, the King conducted the girl’s exhortation, giving the relevant instructions related to the duties of the woman. In the Aztec tradition for example, if a woman died during child birth, she received funeral honors equivalent to the ones accorded a warrior who died in battle. During the whole session of the Mass, the girl remains specially seated at the altar’s foot. When the Mass ends, bolos or commemorative favors are passed out by cousins, younger sisters and close friends to those who have attended, while the quinceanera girl deposits her bouquet in a niche or on the altar honoring the Virgin Mary (http://kufflynx. com/historyofquinceanera. aspx) There is a traditional provision that the quinceanera, depending on the economic strength of the parents and the godparents, can further the celebration opulence by opting between a journey to a fancy city and a party with live band music. Today there is a general tendency of women from all social strata to opt for the later. Regardless of the magnitude of the opulence involved in the quinceanera celebrations, the highest goal of the event is to strengthen the social fabric and bonds that should remain firmly cemented not only among families but also at the societal level. This postulates the spirit of communal cohabitation, togetherness, and cohesiveness that must be maintained at all times. One uncertain thing is how far this norm is maintained in our â€Å"electronic† global community (Lankford, 1994, pp. 40). Learning from the importance that was, and to some extent is still associated to quinceanera or the sweet sixteen in most parts of the United States, we need to realize the significance of the social bonds that persist in our societies from ancient times to date. Beyond any reasonable doubts, there are certain stages and rights of passage that each one of us passes in life and which are given some form of communal responsibility, however little it may be compared to earlier times. These include similarly shared social functions such as child birth, the first marriage, parental responsibility, and lastly the final stage which is death. These are considered in different perspectives in different cultural backgrounds but the truth of the matter is that they are present in all communities in the world. Furthermore, the quinceanera topic is significant in the sense that it portrays the gender differentials were and are still seen in our societies today. Not many years have passed since women stated involving themselves in the disciplines which were traditionally regarded as masculine oriented. Examples of this can be found in cases where women were considered as child bearers and home keepers who were expected to be submissive to their husbands. In academic arenas, mathematics and science oriented subjects were gender-roles meant for men (Karen, 1996, pp. 45). The trend has fundamentally changed from women being submissive child-bearers, cookers, and weavers to equally productive citizens in the world. The political climate has also significantly changed since women engaged in politics. Further lessons from the quinceanera topic advocate for personal growth and development. The major reason I postulate this is because by learning of our cultural heritage and social institutions we find ourselves in, one is able to critically reflect on what needs to be reinforced and what should be abolished from our systems. On example is the fact that in many Mexican communities, women are still regarded as second-class citizens, even with the known fact that they are the best family maintainers as compared to their male counterparts (Karen, 1996, pp. 64). Some of these outdated opinions should be addressed with the most appropriate urgency if we are to claim of freedom from social segregations and inequalities. References: Karen Mary (1996). La Quinceanera: Making Gender and Ethnic Identities. Frontiers: A Journal of Women’s Studies, Vol. 16, pp. 45, 64, 76 Lankford, Mary D. (1994). Quinceanera: a Latina’s Journey into Womanhood. Brookfield, Connecticut: Millbrook Press, pp. 18, 40 The History and Meaning of Quinceanera.

The Holocaust Essay example -- History, Jewish Community

Through the course of history, the Jewish people have been mistreated, condemned, robbed, even put to death because of their religion. In the Middle Ages, they were forced to wear symbols on their clothing, identifying them as Jews. The dates 1933 to 1945 marked the period of the deadly Holocaust in which many atrocities were committed against the Jewish people and minority groups not of Aryan descent. Six million innocent Jews were exterminated because of Hitler’s â€Å"Final Solution.† This paper will exhibit how Adolf Hitler used the three anti-Jewish policies written in history, conversion, expulsion, and annihilation to his advantage. In the fourth century when the Christian church gained power in Rome, the Jews considered the Christians as a Jewish sect early on. Soon their beloved Talmud was being burned because they would not accept the Christian doctrine. By the sixteenth century, the Jews were given an ultimatum, to convert to the Christian faith, which was part of the first anti-Jewish policy or face expulsion. The second anti-Jewish policy was expulsion. This policy was still used when the National Socialist rose to power in 1933 (Bartov,O., 2000). After Germany surrendered in 1918, Adolf Hitler was in the hospital recovering from mustard gas poisoning. He felt the deep humiliation of and for the German Reich, and it was then the hatred and bitterness towards the people he felt were responsible began. In 1919, Hitler wrote his first and last political statement regarding the â€Å"Jewish Question.† He proclaimed the Jews were a Jews altogether (Wistrish, R., 2003). Hitler had three long- term idealistic goals he would share with audiences as he spoke about Nationalism and the econo... ...s and sent an order for the traitors to be imprisoned. Before the Allied troops arrived, Nazi soldiers removed many Jews from the death camps in an effort to kill as many more refugees as they could (Rubenstein, W., 1999). Through the course of history, the Jewish people have been mistreated, condemned, robbed, even put to death because of their religion. In the Middle Ages, they were forced to wear symbols on their clothing, identifying them as Jews. The dates 1933 to 1945 marked the period of the deadly Holocaust in which many atrocities were committed against the Jewish people and minority groups not of Aryan descent. Six million innocent Jews were exterminated because of Hitler’s â€Å"Final Solution.† This paper exhibited how Adolf Hitler used the three anti-Jewish policies written in history, conversion, expulsion, and annihilation to his advantage.

Ap World History Curriculum Framework Questions

1. In what way do we see the expansion of the Byzantine Empire (or the Muslim Caliphates) facilitating Trans-Eurasian trade & communication? answer: give examples of conquered people being drawn into their conquerors’ economies & trade networks) * Byzantine Empire – use of the gold coin, the bezant, facilitated trade and communication by creating a standard currency by which all peoples could expect to trade with; Balkan Slavic peoples came under Byzantine rule and was drawn into the trade network; became trading partners with other towns that were smaller in size such as Florence of Italy, facilitating long-distance trade * Muslim Caliphates – everywhere, there was a huge incentive to convert to Islam because of the massive trade arena that was created as a result of the religion – in various countries, Islamic religion provided links for trading partners (such as in West Africa); when Islamic empire conquered India, new products were introduced (crops) w hich later spread into Africa and Uerope 2. What examples do you see of cross-cultural interactions resulting in the diffusion of scientific & technological traditions? Byzantine Empire – when China finally opened its doors, many Europeans such as Marco Polo visited there and absorbed many ideas about Chinese culture, writing about them and eventually bringing those ideas back to Europe * Muslim Caliphates – Greek thinking (science and medical texts, as well as philosophy) contributed towards Arab scholarship, and its thinking about the natural sciences and philosophy 3. Following the collapse of empires (most notably Roman), the Byzantine Empire constituted a new government. Give examples of the way that traditional sources of power & legitimacy combined with innovations in governance to produce a gov’t better suited to its circumstances (ie: patriarchy, religion, or land-owning elites combining with new methods of taxation, tributary systems, or adaptation of religious institutions). Byzantine Empire – it maintained a Roman style of centralized imperial court that was based in Constantinople; it set up a caesaropapism where the emperor was both the head of the state as well as the head of the church as appointed by God; maintained many social systems such as taxation and the church; in the 11-13th centuries, there was a leap in urbanization and economic growth, which led to many new chances for women to leave their domestic lifestyles to seek more urban professions * Western Europe – the Roman Catholic Church was separate from the state; the pope held religious authority while the emperor headed the state – system of feudalism ensured loyalty in the chaos-ridden world of that time * China – centralized, individual cities; landowners were given privileges by the government rather than merchants, as merchants were viewed as lazy people who gained profit through the works of others 4. Do you see any examples of i nnovations in agriculture or industrial production? ie: foreign luxury goods & crops like sugar & citrus being grown in new regions) * Byzantine Empire – adopted various mathematical, scientific and philosophical theories of the Arabs and India; adopted the technology from China – papermaking, gunpowder, as well as the compass and much nautical technology; heavy wheeled plow that was adapted to suit the environment – could handle the thicker soil of Northern Europe; relied on horses and used horseshoes probably from China or Central Asia; system of three field crop rotation; adopted silk making techniques and became one of the main producers of silk; developed cannons as a result of the introduction of gunpowder * Muslim Caliphates – new crops introduced in India which were spread around the empire such as cotton and sugarcane (two crops had a very complex production process, and in the rush to produce it, slavery quickly intensified; adopted ancient Pers ian water-drilling techniques, rockets from China, and papermaking techniques all from China; developed a series of math concepts such as algebra, scientific advances such as in medicine and pharmacology 5.What factors do you see that contributed to the decline of urban areas (possible answers: little ice age, invasions, disease, decline of agricultural activity – give examples of this) * western Christendom – around 476, much that had characterized Roman civilization also weakened, declined or disappeared in the several centuries before and after; any semblance of large-scale centralized rule vanished, disease and warfare reduced Western Europe’s population by more than 25%; land being cultivated shrunk, while wasteland expanded; urban life diminished as Europe reverted to a largely rural existence; buildings crumbled from lack of care, and outside Italy, trade routes died out * eastern Christendom – decline in urbanization because of the threat of attac k of outsiders; slavs, arabs, latin crusaders and turks progressively disrupted the empire through simple penetration or military conquests – swelling of Constantinople’s population was not growth, but because many people chased from their region by Byzantium’s enemies sought refuge in Constantinople 6. Do you see continuities & changes in social structures, labor management? (labor: free peasant agriculture, nomadic pastoralism, craft production, guild organization, unfree labor & gov’t enforced labor taxes, military obligations? * China – built a bureaucracy that managed public works; Tang and Song dynasty experienced a revolution that made it the richest, most skilled and most populous country on earth; industrial production soared in both small and large scale enterprises, China’s iron input increased dramatically; produced things for the market rather than for local consumption; growing use of paper money led to the increase in output, population, skills and led to a burst of inventiveness * Byzantine Empire – agriculture – production arranged around two centers – estate and village; distinctions between landholders and tenant farmers; guilds of specified jobs introduced a new and more productive division of labor * Roman Empire – coercive labor system (slavery) 7. Give examples of new forms of coerced labor. Give examples of free peasants resisting attempts to raise dues & taxes (ie: revolts in Byzantine empire or China). Give examples of the increased demand for slaves (for both military & domestic purposes) within Central Eurasia, & Eastern Mediterranean. within the new, fragmented and decentralized kingdoms of the Western Christendom, a social system known as feudalism emerged – lesser lords and knights swore allegiance to greater lords or kings; Roman style slavery gave way to serfdom – unlike slaves, serfs were not the personal property of their masters, couldnâ€⠄¢t be thrown off land and were allowed to live in families, but they were bound to their master’s estates as peasant laborers and owed various payments and services to the lord of the manor * Byzantine Empire highly regulated slavery – natural state of humanity is freedom, but law of nations may supersede natural law and reduce certain people to slavery – basic definition of a slave was – anyone whose mother was a slave, anyone who has captured in battle, and anyone who has sold himself to pay a debt, but it was possible to become free * Abbasid Empire had an army dominated by slave soldiers – mamluks – originally soldiers captures in central Asia, but later boys specifically taken or bought to be trained as soldiers – later dissolved their loyalty to their masters and established themselves as the ruling dynasty * Islamic slaves directed at the service sector – concubines, cooks, porters and soldiers – form of consumpt ion rather than a factor of production – many more female than male slaves 8. In what ways do we see gender relations and family life being affected by religious conversion? may not be many examples in Europe, but several in other areas we’ve already studied) * Song dynasty, reviving Confucianism tightened patriarchal restriction on women to emphasize images of female submission and passivity; emphasized the subordination of women and men and the need to keep them separate * Spread of Christianity opened new opportunities for women – to become nuns/join a convent, offered relative freedom from male control; where women could exercise authority and gain some semblance of education * What rise of Islam meant for women is highly controversial – on a spiritual level, the Quran states explicitly that women and men are equals, but on a social level, they were viewed as subordinate, especially in marriage; sometimes it helped women – banned infanticide, g ave women control over property/inheritance, required a women’s consent for marriage etc. , but also diminished their social roles as there were growing restrictions on women

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