|
|
|
The unity clap was a tradition that began long before our class did and is used in MEChAs and activist organizations across the nation. It began during the early days of the United Farm Workers, to connect workers that all spoke different languages like Tagalog, Spanish, and Indigenous tongues from throughout Latinoamérica. Workers would start the clap slowly, people catching on as they went, and in small increments go faster and faster, like a racing human heartbeat or a movement gaining steam. The Tagalog name for this is, "Isang bagsok" which translates to, "One fall" although when expanded upon, means something along the lines of, "If we don't stand together, we won't move forward." We begin and end each E.S. session with the clap to remind us of this important message and the hardworking activists that came before us, paving the way for things like Ethnic Studies.
|