Dr. Jacqueline Zaleski
Mackenzie has immersed herself both mentally and physically into her research,
while writing Empowering Spanish Speakers: Answers for Educators,
Businesspeople, or Friends of Mexicans by sacrificing all the comforts
of western civilization to live among her hosts of poverty, malnutrition and
faith in rural Mexico. Her book is a combination of scientific
research, statistical analysis, and personal exploits; compiled in an
easy-to-read hybrid format of a text book, biographical and personal memoires.
“With nearly 22% of all
USA births each year are to non-native speakers learning Spanish as their first
language, predictions inform us that by 2024 half the USA will speak Spanish. Thus
officials, academic administrators, CEOs of corporations and educators working
with this population must act quickly in a focused manner for best overall
results,” stated Dr. Mackenzie in her opening remarks. She has
humbly postured herself as a social justice advocate of the Mexican culture to
promote understanding, education and healing.
Empowering Spanish
Speakers is broken down
into chapters with icon embedded segue ways allowing for various sub-interests
to be highlighted; that of reference material for researchers, teaching guides
for educators, and culturally interpreted differences of the Mexican way of
life for all to understand. This constitutes a document which can be paged
like a novel, or indexed by topic. In my particular case I read the
book from start to finish, allowing Dr. Jacqueline Zaleski Mackenzie to present
her findings to me in the way she thought best. By doing this I was
in awe at the manifestation of her sobering reality check; realizing during my
own life “my eyes were wide shut” to truly understanding the daily
circumstances faced by such honorable people living under such impoverished
circumstances. For example, glance into the eyes of an indigenous
Mexican child; if one stares long enough into the depth of their soul, it may
become frighteningly compelling for those of us, having more than we need to
survive, to reach out and help -- yet so many blink, and turn away. Not
Jacqueline Mackenzie, she abandoned all we take for granted to risk her life
and live amongst these impoverished people, helping them to have a better life.
From her book: “Many
of the existent myths related to Mexican’s lifestyles or sociocultural
influences are clearly due to a lack of understanding of the Mexican culture,
especially in indigenous rural areas. The rural area which was researched was
rich with indigenous groups: Guamares, Chichimecas, Guachichile, Otomíes, and
Purépecha or Tarascan, which includes Celaya, Acámbaro, and Yurirapúndaro. The
only living indigenous language in the state was Chichimeca-Jonaz, but it has
been said that the people of the state “have inherited the genetic legacy of
the original Indian people.” With so much native influence, life in rural
Mexico is a blend of sociocultural influences that are embedded in the society’s
day-to-day existence. Current challenges to the communities struggles to
survive from bombardment by external environmental factors influence, bend and
may finally change their rich indigenous Mexican cultural practices as elder’s
struggles to keep traditions. Lacking access to continuous worldview updates is
one of the realities of life in a rural Central Mexican campo, but so was
a strong desire to retain traditions.”
Dr. Jacqueline Zaleski
Mackenzie is, in my opinion, a truly courageous person. By having
communicated with her I found a philanthropic, almost saint-like quality of her
unselfishness, coupled with deep understanding and the desire to share her
research. This book is recommended as an addition to all school
libraries, and for course studies designed around this information for use as a
text book. Anyone and everyone with an interest or curiosity in the
Mexican culture, and wishing to get a handle on the emerging Spanish speaking
majority, should seek an opportunity to buy this book and read it cover to
cover. Only with understanding, education, and having “our eyes wide
open” will real change ever occur.
Buy this book at JacquelineMackenzie.com
