Afro-Latinos in Mexico
Stan Greene
October 22, 2009
Edtec 541
Problem, Need, or
Opportunity
This website will not solve the existing racial tension between African and Mexican Americans that live in poor communities together, but it will get people in those communities to question their racial prejudice which is the true purpose of this website. African and Mexican Americans with an open mind will gain valuable information about themselves and others. Multimedia and hypermedia will be the best vehicle to deliver this message of racial understanding. Videos and still pictures will drive home a real reality of Afro-Latinos.
Audience
The main audience will be schools and universities. The main audience can provide an
atmosphere for discussion, which can answer questions that people may have.
User's Needs
I have spoken to Latin American studies professors at San Diego State University and they said they would like to see the following on the website:
* Location of the Afro-Latinos towns
* Videos of Afro-Latino Music and Dance
* Photographed pictures of Afro-Latinos faces
* Videos of Afro-Latino life in the towns – farmers, fishermen, and merchants
The users would like to be able to have web access to the general Afro-Latino life.
Environment
Most professors have access to web on the university campus. The campus Internet will provide the best vehicle access the website. It is fast and secure. On campus, there are several classrooms that can provide a theater type of setting which is good for discourse. Instructional Technology Services (ITS) equips smart classrooms on campus with Internet connection, MAC, PC, and a projector. Most smart classrooms have a sound system as well as a PA system in the bigger rooms.
Resources and
Limitations
I have lived in Oaxaca for three and a half years. I have visited Veracruz and the coast of Oaxaca where there are Afro-Latinos. I have filmed and interviewed Afro-Latinos. I am not expert, but I do have experience working with this cultural group of people. I consulted with professors of Latin American studies to get more background history of Afro-Latinos.
General Solution
Users would visit my site, because most Mexicans and Americans do not know that Afro-Latinos exist. The Mexican school system does not even talk about African slavery; therefore, Mexicans grow up without knowledge of the African experience in Mexico. Mexico has been so pre-occupied with the Spanish and Indigenous history that they have neglected the African root in Mexico. I believe people will find my website interesting as well as fascinating.