I attended both the discussion and dance performance with Los Hijos de Maiz. I thought this was an interesting group that connected well with our class and its subject matter. I particularly enjoyed the in-class discussion we had with the group. Los Hijos de Maiz contributed a unique perspective to many of the topics that we had covered in class. One of the topics I was most interested to ask about was the difference between their expectations of the United States, and the reality of the United States, once they had arrived. All of the group members agreed that their was a definite divide between these two frames of mind. Many of them mentioned that they had heard positive things about the United States, but the country did not meet their expectations in the way they had imagined. One of the dancers made a poignant comment on American materialism. She mentioned that our large cafeteria and multiple projectors were nice, but not necessary. She felt as if her school experience was just as good, without all the extra amenities of an American school. Another dancer mentioned how she perceived American culture as unfriendly, and very much preferred her home culture.
The dance performance was also extremely interesting to watch. The group had clearly spent months practicing the various dance sets that they put on. I enjoyed the cultural dances, movements, and dresses. I also liked the way the show was designed, with YouTube videos interspersed between the dance sets. I thought the visit from Los Hijos del Maiz filled an important role in our class, connecting our course with personal perspectives from Nicaragua. I think this visit was especially important for the students not attending the CCESP, and helped illuminate many of the discussion points from class.