Couple uses spirituality and hope to overcome discrimination

Starting with a prayer to honor their elders and a song dedicated to people suffering throughout the world, Roberto Rodriguez and Patrisia Gonzales quickly set the spiritual tone that pervaded their Jan. 27 lecture, "On Being Human."

"Our work is a prayer," Rodriguez said. "It is about what it means to be human, and more importantly to try to understand how we are connected to creation."

The couple has written the syndicated "Column of the Americas" since 1994. They also have written several books on Latinos and indigenous people throughout the hemisphere.

During the lecture, Rodriguez and Gonzales touched on a number of current issues prominent in the news today, including U-M's admissions lawsuits and the potential war against Iraq.

Regarding the current debate over affirmative action, Rodriguez said those who are the strongest opponents of affirmative action usually are the ones who benefited the most from special consideration. Citing President Bush as an example, Rodriguez said, "He should be subpoenaed to say how he got into Andover, into Yale." The comment drew enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Gonzales expressed her concern that students' hearts were being neglected by higher education due to the exclusive focus put on intellect. "I see so much arrogance in universities because there is so much emphasis on the mind and none on the heart," she said. Gonzales suggested supporters of affirmative action include in their platforms a focus on the heart.

Rodriguez and Gonzales emphasized their clear opposition to a war against Iraq. Rodriguez referred to the impending war, and war in general, as barbaric. Gonzales expressed disappointment at the lack of vocal opposition. "It saddens me that there are not more people saying what needs to be said," she said.

The theme of healing the soul, especially in the aftermath of discrimination, reoccurred throughout the lecture.

"The discrimination we hold in our hearts is because we were taught to hate ourselves in order to survive," Gonzales said. "All the people of color, we were targeted for destruction. We were not supposed to be here, but we are."

Rodriguez and Gonzales stressed that victims of discrimination and oppression must face the emotions generated by those actions.

"No great change comes without us facing our violence and feelings of revenge," Gonzales said. Rodriguez went further, saying, "We all have to heal."

This healing process is necessary if injustice is to end, the couple said. "Jumping to peace without coming to terms with our past is an artificial peace, Gonzales said. "There is a collective soul wound that is the history of this country."

However, Rodriguez and Gonzales made it clear that healing does not mean forgetting. "We have to leave the trauma and retain the memories. Our memory is who we are. People without memory are people without stories, and people without stories cease to exist," Rodriguez said.

Gonzales discussed the importance of hope in overcoming difficult times. She acknowledged the difficulty of keeping faith when prayers are not immediately answered, but offered a different perspective for those situations. "Many times with a heroic act of a people organized, we may not see our dreams come true. But they will for our children," she said.

The lecture was sponsored by the MLK Symposium Planning Committee, the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs and the Latino Task Force.

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