Home | About Julia Alvarez | Discussion Guide | Events | Resources & Booklists
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Your
guide to Tacoma Reads Together 2004
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Tacoma Reads Together was created in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 2001 to help create community - to bring people from all walks of life together to talk about issues of concern to Tacoma residents (and beyond). Informal book discussions (led by librarians & community volunteers) conversations with authors, artists, journalists, community leaders and citizens on significant issues raised by the novel. The book, provocative films and documentaries, live performances and other events all provide an opportunity to reflect upon and respond to issues of immigration, assimilation, our nation's policies and values, and what it really means to be an American. With renewed attention on our immigration polity and the impact of undocumented aliens on our culture, there is perhaps no better time to read Julia Alvarez's novel and then come together as a community to talk about community. The events listed below, in addition to may informal events in churches, schools, the workplace, community meetings and around countless tables after dinner, provide a starting point for this community conversation. Please jon us. The Tacoma Reads Together 2004 committee has prepared a free Discussion Guide with additional information on the author and the book, immigration in the United States and provides several discussion starters. These guides, along with copies of Julia Alvarez's book, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, are available at all Tacoma Public Library locations and local bookstores. A version of the guide is also available on line here. All programs are free (with the exception of Associated Ministries' CommUniversity) and open to the public. Refreshments at all book discussion programs courtesy of Starbucks Coffee. For more information on any of these programs telephone the Tacoma Public Library at (253) 591-5666. |
Tuesday, February 17 |
| 7 p.m. - Olympic
Room, Main Library Is Living the American Dream an American Nightmare? A Community Conversation |
| Promised land," the immigrants' phrase for America, is nearly always used ironically these days -- unkept promises that require too high a cost. The "promise" here is cultural assimilation or Americanized homogeneity, being like everybody else. However, assimilation comes at a price - immigrants experience pain at the loss of self which this assimilation has demanded. Once the land of opportunity, the United States has become a disappointment, a trap and oftentimes, a place of broken dreams for many immigrants. Panelists include Jonathan Raban, preeminent social historian and best-selling author of Waxwings and Hunting Mr. Heartbreak: A Journey Across America, Darius Khaleghi, Deputy Commissioner, Washington State Commission on Human Rights, Don Rennegarbe, Executive Director Tacoma Community House and Alfonso Montoya, Executive Director, Centro Latino-SER. Moderator: Ross Reynolds, host of KUOW’s The Conversation. |
| Wednesday, February 18 |
12:10 p.m.
- Cascade Room, Main Library 6:30 p.m. - Swasey Library |
| Thursday, February 19 |
| 7 p.m. - Olympic Room, Main
Library Film: El Norte |
| The powerful
story of a brother and sister who must leave their village in Guatemala
after their family is killed by militiamen and make the journey
to "El Norte," the land of their hopes. They discover,
however, that America presents hardships of its own, particularly
for immigrants who are non-white. The power of this story is that
it is not just about Central America and the USA, but tells a universal
story about family, refugees on the run and the way cultures perceive
each other.(1984) |
| Sunday, February 22 |
| 2 p.m. - King's Books (218 St. Helen's Avenue} |
| Book Discussion
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| Tuesday, February 24 |
| 7 p.m. - University
of Puget Sound Wheelock Student Center (1500 North Warner Street.) |
| Teens, Culture & Relationships: A Community Conversation |
| Discovering and
forming one's identity is a focal point of adolescence. But today's
teens are coming of age in a culture of confusion, with conflicting
and contradictory messages about relationships being broadcast by
popular culture and friends on one side, and family, adult society
and educators on the other. Coming to the United States from another
country worsens the situation, as the traditional cultures of immigrants'
homelands are threatened by the American emphasis on women's rights,
individual expression, and rebellious teenage culture. For many
parents, the perceived loss of control over their children, combined
with their unfamiliarity with American life, can lead them to take
desperate measures to restrict their children's out-of-school activities,
education, and careers. For many teens, the taste of a freer lifestyle
and the opportunity to pursue their academic and career goals may
alienate them from their family and native community. Panelists include Dr. Pepper Schwartz, Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington and popular author, columnist and commentator on relationships and sexuality; Jennifer Allen, Planned Parenthood of Western Washington; Joy Eckwood, Youth Program Coordinator, Generation YW, Tacoma YWCA; and others. Co-sponsored by the University of Puget Sound. |
| Wednesday, February 25 |
| 4 p.m. - Swan Creek Library & Literacy Center |
| Film: Anatomy of a Spring Roll |
| "Food is everyone's first language," says Paul Kwan, the Vietnamese-born immigrant who fashioned this film out of the rich sensory memories of his childhood. He tells his story of finding a new life in America while maintaining his cultural connection through cooking, eating and sharing the rich and varied food of his native land. Discussion follows. |
7 p.m. - Anna Lemon Wheelock Library |
| Book Discussion
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| Thursday, February 26 |
| 7 p.m. – Olympic Room, Main Library |
| Film: My American Girls: A Dominican Story |
| A vivid portrayal
of a year in the life of the Ortiz family -- hard working Dominican
immigrants who live frugally in Brooklyn and dream of retiring one
day in their native country. Their American-born daughters have
different ideas and aspirations. These bittersweet contradictions
form the core of the film as we watch the family sort out the rewards
and the costs of pursuing the American dream. Discussion
follows.
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| Saturday, February 28 |
| 10:30 a.m. @ Anna Lemon
Wheelock Library 1:00 p.m. @ Centro Latino-SER (Spanish language) 1208 South 10th Street 3:30 p.m. @ Moore Library |
| La Causa / The Cause: a performance by the Living Voices Theater |
| La Causa /
The Cause is the story of Marta Hernandez, the daughter
of Mexican American migrant workers, and her life changing involvement
in the United Farm Workers Movement led by Cesar Chavez in the 1960's
and 70's. Marta's story is one of thousands of common experiences
familiar to young Latinos in America. Though the story takes place
mostly in California, it clearly shows how this regional movement
quickly became an element in the greater fight for civil rights
across America. La Causa / The Cause is not only
a story of Mexican Americans but all Latino and immigrant Americans
east and west. Living Voices combines live performance
with video and audio to create a evocative and powerful historical
story. Especially for older children and adults.
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| Sunday, February 29 |
| 2 p.m. - University of Puget Sound. |
| Book Discussion : Facilitator: Ms. Jane Brazell. |
| Sponsored by
Associated Ministries' CommUniversity. Registration required. Information: www.associatedministries.org or 253-383-3056, ext. 120 |
| Tuesday, March 2 |
| 6 p.m. - Centro Latino-SER (1208 South 10th Street) |
| Book Discussion |
| Bilingual (Spanish
& English) discussion of Julia Alvarez's How the Garcia
Girls Lost Their Accents. |
| Wednesday, March 3 |
| 7 p.m. - Starbucks Coffee (South 56th and South Tacoma Way) |
| Book Discussion
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| Thursday, March 4 |
| 7 p.m. - Olympic Room, Main Library |
| Film: Mississippi Masala |
| An Indian family
is expelled from Uganda under the reign of dictator Iddi Amin. The
family eventually moves to the U.S. When Mina grows up she finds
herself caught in a curious cultural twist and considers herself
a mix, a "masala". She later falls in love with a African-American
carpet layer, only to stir up a hornet's nest in her family, culture
and community. Mississippi Masala eloquently captures
the feelings of an exile's life, with all the hope and sorrow of
dislocation.
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| Tuesday, March 9 |
| 7 p.m. - Starbucks @ Old Town (2112 North 30th Street) |
| Book Discussion
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| Wednesday, March 10 |
| 7 p.m. - Moore Library |
| Alien in America A Community Conversation & Mayor's Reception |
| Tacoma's teens and
their families talk about their experiences living in what Julia
Alvarez describes as 'a hyphenated world.' How do they balance their
family's needs for maintaining traditions and their own needs for
discovering their own voice in a new country. How do their native-born
mothers and fathers adjust to the different values and mores of
US youth? How does the immigrant experience today differ from that
of a generation ago? Moderator: Kathleen Merryman,
columnist, The News Tribune. |
| Thursday, March 11 |
| 7 p.m. - King's Books (218 St. Helen's Avenue) |
| Film: Anatomy of a Spring Roll |
| "Food is everyone's first language," says Paul Kwan, the Vietnamese-born immigrant who fashioned this film out of the rich sensory memories of his childhood. He tells his story of finding a new life in America while maintaining his cultural connection through cooking, eating and sharing the rich and varied food of his native land. Discussion follows. |
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