CSUN professor publishes women’s empowerment guide

By Angela Melero - The Daily Sundial

Chicana/o studies professor Diana Shakti Contreras is teaching college women a lesson in identity in her book titled “Meditations of a Warrior Goddess Diva.”

Contreras writes that all women possess within themselves the three traits mentioned in the title, yet they remain dormant.

She elaborates on the roles that all three concepts play in the female experience once they are realized and unleashed, using some of her own experiences as a reference. The result is a brave manuscript that takes readers on an insightful and sometimes uncomfortable ride into the female spirit.

Contreras writes, “A woman’s full potential comes when the three powers (warrior, goddess, diva) are put to use, in harmony with each other, and in sync with the laws and rhythms of the universe.”

The book has an appropriate target audience, as the content focuses on elements like identity and self reflection, which are often confronted in college years.

Contreras’ first published manuscript acts as a guide with designated journal sections that include questions and exercises for the reader.

Readers will find themselves in unfamiliar and somewhat awkward territory, writing letters to their parents and doing an internal body cleanse that requires consuming a tablespoon of olive oil every morning for a week.

The book, which is divided into three sections dedicated to the title’s concepts, challenges women to put aside their stiletto heels and designer bags and explore a more raw aspect of themselves.

Contreras’ warrior concept encourages the female reader to be more independent in words and actions.

Contreras defines a female warrior as a woman who “uses the power of her voice to defend herself and the people for whom she cares.”

The writer instructs the reader to live on their own for a year, and to take some time off from dating. She writes that often a woman’s “lovey-dovey” energy invested in a relationship can hinder self development.

Contreras also challenges readers to connect with their inner goddess by focusing on building and restoring positive relationships and loving their bodies.

She writes, “A goddess nurtures her body, understands and cares for it like a sacred temple; she is aware of her emotions, heals them when needed and enjoys life to the fullest.”

This includes tackling issues that are normally considered awkward and taboo, such as the act of forgiving your parents.

“It is crucial you learn to heal any wounds of negativity in your relationships with your parents, otherwise you will drag these feelings into your future relationship,” Contreras writes.

This portion of the book also confronts the topic of female body image, a common issue among women. The author discourages the unhealthy eating habits plaguing the country, repeatedly insisting that “we are using our bodies as a trashcan.”

Contreras urges readers to “embrace your body as a sacred temple, by simply respecting and treating it with love, and realizing that organs inside your body are working tirelessly to keep you alive.”

Contreras redefines the diva concept in the final section, encouraging readers to dismantle the common themes associated with the term.

These days, the concept of being a diva is often associated with self-absorbed celebrities taking part in excessive lifestyles and behavior.

“(Diva) is a force centered around women’s sexuality,” Contreras writes. “If only women knew the power of their sexuality, we would have a completely different world.”

This section is perhaps the most frank and compelling. The chapters instruct readers on how to pick the perfect mate, career path and lifestyle, and master the art of managing their finances.

It concludes with an exercise in which the reader devotes an entire day to channeling her true diva essence. In a fun twist, readers are encouraged to dress to impress and to maintain their diva walk.

Each chapter ends with journal questions and exercises that are meant to put the book’s concepts into practice. It also offers the reader reflection time to allow the information and concepts to sink in.

“Warrior Goddess Diva” is not one of those books breezed through on a long car ride or during a day at the beach. It’s not a book to retire to an empty space on the bookshelf.

The book’s concepts are meant to change the way a woman looks at her life and herself.

Contreras writes, “In the process, you are creating a healthier, stronger, and more beautiful you.”

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SAN BERNARDINO: Students celebrate world's cultures

[Marina Rojas/Special to The Press-Enterprise Christopher Quast, Jose Rodriguez and David Quintero of Son Merekumbe provide the beat for Indigenous People's Day at San Bernardino Valley College recently.]

By MARINA ROJAS

Students at San Bernardino Valley College recently celebrated Indigenous People's Day with exhibitions of dance and music from different cultures around the world.

The event, sponsored by the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA) Club, is held every year on the Wednesday nearest to Columbus Day as a way to celebrate the world's ancestral cultures.

Presented at the Greek Theatre on campus, Mexican forklorico dancers twirled on stage in their brightly colored native costumes as women in attire from South America gathered to talk around the tables that were laden with offerings of foods. One group, Son Merekumbé, presented African influenced Columbian from the region of Cartagena on the Caribbean.

Henry Vasquez, who has made an appearance in the festival for the past 12 years, performed several songs on different pipes and flute-like instruments.

Paula Juarez, 20, of San Bernardino, encouraged people to come out every Monday during the month of October to attend a film festival at SBVC from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. to take in showcased documentaries of indigenous people around the world.

Edward Gomez, associate professor of history and faculty adviser of the MEChA Club, explained that the main purpose of this yearly event is to bring together groups representing the many cultures throughout the world to help people learn about one another's traditions.

"This was an answer to Columbus Day; we learned about that culture, so we wanted to make sure all cultures were included for a time of celebration too," he said.

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Seis Poetas / Six Latino Poets 2 of 3 - 1976

Some old friends do the poetry thing at KQED TV back in 1976. Daniel del Solar is the director... the man. Yes, there are three parts. Go to YouTube to see the rest.

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2011 San Bernardino County Museum Photography Exhibition Focuses on the 70s Chicano Experience

[Photo by Ann Marie Leimer, Ph.D. Click to enlarge]

Chicano Photographer, an exhibition by Riverside, California documentary photographer Jesús Manuel Mena Garza opens at the San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM) Schuilling Gallery, March 26, 2011. The exhibition continues to November 6. A reception open to the public takes place on March 25, from 5:30 to 8:30 PM.

The photographs were captured from 1970 to 1975. During this period, Garza took intimate photographs of Chicano icons César E. Chávez, Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzáles and others. The photographs provide a retrospective glimpse from the unique perspective of the photojournalist and activist. The SBCM exhibition lists thirty-one select images from the photographer’s Imágenes Xicano Archive, a portion of which has already been exhibited on both coasts.

University of Redlands Professor Dr. Ann Marie Leimer adds, “During the past decades, Garza has extensively published and exhibited several documentary photographic series. The Chicano Photographer series explores important aspects of the American experience, historic events and cultural practices often marginalized by the dominant culture.” Photographs from the series have already been published in journals and books. Dr. Leimer recently completed a book on the photographic series. The Chicano Photographer series can be viewed at Garza’s website, jmmgarza.com.

Please contact the SBCM for details about lectures and events coinciding with the Chicano Photographer exhibition. The March 25, 2011 reception is a family-friendly event featuring free entertainment, food and refreshments. Parking is also free.

Chicano Photographer Exhibition and Lecture Series

Location:

San Bernardino County Museum

Schuilling Gallery

2024 Orange Tree Lane

Redlands CA 92374

Voice (909) 307-2669 ext. 227 Fax (909) 307-0689

www.sbcountymuseum.org

Contacts:

Ann Marie Leimer, Ph.D., University of Redlands, 909-557-7159, ann_leimer@redlands.edu

Michele Nielsen, Curator of History, San Bernardino County Museum, (909) 307-2669 ext. 240, mnielsen@sbcm.sbcounty.gov

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Baldo co-creator big hit at Lyceum Series (Victoria, Tejas)

[Photo by Maya Cantu. Click to enlarge.]

He may be a great writer and cartoonist but judging by the reactions Thursday at the Victoria College Lyceum Series, Hector Cantu may have missed his calling as a stand-up comedian. The co-creator of the nationally syndicated comic "Baldo" had the audience in stitches as he shared his stories of growing up, how Baldo came to be and how he deals with hate mail.

One of the biggest influences in Cantu's life happened after his family moved to Crystal City, at the height of the Chicano Power Movement when he was 10, he said. Being surrounded by all these characters and powerful people, Cantu's childhood heroes included Cesar Chavez and Spiderman, the latter of whom had "a more colorful costume."

"It was also at this time that I was reading comics like crazy and Mad Magazine, which I never put down. I remember my dad would tell me 'Come on, we're going to the Chicano Power Rally,' and I'd say 'Again, dad?' So I'd bring the magazine with me and read it while I was there," Cantu said as he mimed reading while half-heartedly pumping his fist and chanting. "And then there was the time Cesar Chavez was in Crystal City and didn't have a place to sleep. My dad offered him my bed and the part I remember is being pissed some man kicked me out of my bed. Sure, it was Cesar Chavez but I didn't care. I still had to sleep on the couch."

Cantu added that one of the things his childhood heroes, which also included Spy vs. Spy creator Antonio Prohias, taught him was to set your own destiny and that you have to decide what you want to do and not let anyone else decide.

Eventually Cantu followed his own heart and become a journalist.

"Although I was writing non-fiction, I always kept my eye on the comics. The guys on the comics page always seemed to have a lot more fun," he said.

It was after moving to California in the late 90s and meeting Carlos Castellanos that the two came up with Baldo, the first nationally syndicated comic strip featuring a Latino-American family. Cantu added that some of the things that make Baldo different from other comic strips is that he gleans storylines from current news stories, e-mails from readers, and his own life experiences, as well as making use of playful language.

"I play with language a lot. For example, in one comic I used the word 'impalated,' which is a trancelike state induced by the sight of a '64 Chevy Impala," he said.

Of course, Cantu isn't afraid to take on more serious topics. When high schools across the country were having walkouts to protest immigration laws, Cantu did a comic in which the same thing happened at Baldo's high school.

"I got tons of e-mail on that one, most of it telling me to go back to Mexico," he added.

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'Galeria 4.0': Retrospective, Galeria de la Raza

[Click image by SFGate to enlarge]

Galeria de la Raza may have been born out of the 1960s Chicano movement, but it has managed to remain relevant for 40 years.

The art studio in San Francisco's Mission District has served Latino artists since it was founded in 1970. Its 40-year retrospective exhibition, "Galeria 4.0," is designed around concepts that encapsulate Latino art over the years.

Those concepts derive from the Chicano civil rights movement, during which artists reclaimed their Mexican American ethnicity and culture via art.

"Basically we looked at the Chicano art movement and the Galeria's place in that movement," said Raquel de Anda, the Galeria's associate curator. "What's beautiful about it is it's very porous and the concepts bleed from one to another."

In the past four decades, Latino artists the world over have been embraced here through a common thread of passionate work steeped in community pride and cultural activism.

"Galeria 4.0" boasts acclaimed artists such as José Antonio Burciaga, whose work is juxtaposed with that of young talent such as Mitsy Avila Ovalles and Rio Yañez.

Yañez essentially comes from Chicano art royalty - his parents are Yolanda Lopez and Rene Yañez, one of the gallery's founding members - yet he's crafted his own techniques and style while remaining true to an art movement his parents helped create.

Work from Rio Yañez's "Ghetto Frida: Mission Memories" series is featured in the show, where he reinterpreted Frida Kahlo as a modern-day chola, replete with distinctive tattoos of teardrops falling from her right eye and "Diego" tattooed on her neck. The series is set in the Mission against such symbolic landmarks as the New Mission movie theater.

Many of the outdoor billboard mock-ups, like Rio Yañez's, that have graced the Galeria are being showcased, along with other emblems of the studio's past, like tear sheets from calendars that local artists used to produce.

"There's so much history, so it's difficult to meld 40 years of Latino artwork, but hopefully it'll start conversations about the Mission," de Anda said of the exhibition. "Something the Galeria has always tended to do is educate. There's going to be a lot of history here and vignettes and lessons about Chicano art and how it's broken out of its framework in a lot of ways."

Other portions of the show offer a Día de los Muertos display and other installations involving video and photo. What it comes down to, de Anda said, is an exhibition that reinforces the studio's roots.

"The Galeria has always been about voicing and creating a space for people who have been stifled or ignored," de Anda said. "The times have changed, but there's still a need for that."

Through Jan. 29. 1-7 p.m. Tues., noon-6 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Galeria de la Raza, 2857 24th St., S.F. www.galeriadelaraza.org.

- Danielle Samaniego, 96hours@sfchronicle.com

This article appeared on page G - 14 of the San Francisco Chronicle