Curriculum Guide
2
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
EDITORS:
Dr. Daphnie Sicre is an
assistant professor of
Theatre Ar ts at Loyola
M ar ymount Universit y,
where she teaches direc t-
CONTENTS
4
12
Learn about Quiara Alegria Hudes and LinManuel Miranda, the ingenious artists who
created the musical.
A list and desscription of the most
imporant themes found in In The Heights.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ing, Latinx theatre
and theatre for S ocial
Change. She also direc ted
6
depar tment.
SUMMARY &
CHARAC TERS
Emily Stapleton and
A complete summary of the play as well as
a breakdown of every character.
I n the Heights for the
G ar ret Camiller i
are both ac tors, wr iters,
and teachers based in Los
Angeles. They are Graduate
Assistants in LMU’s
Per for mance Pedagogy
Program.
8
HISTORY & ORIGNS
The history of the play as well as
information needed to learn about the
production origns.
10
MUSIC
In The Heights is unlike any other musical,
and understanding the music is central to
understanding its meaning.
- Produc tion Dates Februar y 20-23 & 27-29 @
8pm, STRUB
I n The Height s Study Guide
Catalog, 2020, Loyola
M aramount Universit y.
THEMES
14
LESSON PLANS
This chapter inculdes several lessons that
teachers can use to explore the themes of
the play.
16
GLOSSARY
A complete list of the imporatnt terms and
Spainish translations in the play.
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
3
18
CONTROVERSIAL
CONVERSATIONS
Perfect for classroom disscussions, In the Heights offers
plenty of wonderful questions to ask.
20
LESSONS ON IMMIGRATION
Additional lesson plans and references.
22
LESSONS ON LATINX IDENTIT Y
Additional informatoion.
*PHOTOGR APHS FROM ORGINAL PRODUC TION*
4
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
Water By the Spoonful ,
THE
AU T H O R
Q u i a ra Ale gr í a H u d es’ p l ays
Water By The Spoonful, A Soldier ’s
Fugue, The Happiest Song Plays Last, In
The Heights, Daphne’s Dive, M iss You
Like Hell, Barrio Grrrl!, Yemaya’s Belly
Q u i a ra Alegr ía H u des
is a wr iter, st ro ng w ife and m o ther
o f t wo, b ar r io fe m inis t and native
o f West Ph illy, U. S . A . Hail ed fo r her
wo r k ’s ex ub erance, intel l ec tu al r ig o r,
an d r ich imagin atio n, her pl ays
an d musicals h ave been per fo r m ed
aro un d t h e wo r l d. They inc l u de
w inner o f the Pu l itze r
Pr ize fo r Dram a; In the
Heights , w inner o f t h e To ny
Award fo r B es t M u s i c a l a n d
Pu l itzer f inal is t; and Elliot ,
A Soldier ’s Fugue , an o t h e r
Pu l itzer f inal is t. Her m o s t
recent m u s ic al, M iss You Like
Hell, appeared O f f -Bro a d way
at N ew Yo r k ’s Pu bl ic Th e ate r.
Hu des al s o w ro te th e s c re e npl ay adaptatio n fo r In the
Heights w hic h rel ea s e s i n
m ov ie theater s S u m m e r
2 02 0.
Or iginal l y trained as a co mpo s er, Hu des w r ites at t h e
inter s ec tio n o f m u s i c a n d
dram a. S he has co l l a b o rate d
w ith renow ned m u si c i a n s
inc l u ding N el s o n G on z a l e z ,
M ic hel Cam il o, Lin-M a n ue l
M iranda, E r in M c K eow n , a n d
The C l evel and Orc he s t ra .
Hu des recentl y fo u n d e d
E m anc ipated Sto r ies, a co ll ec tio n o f w r iting an d a r t
w here inm ates’ vo ice s
m atter. I t s eek s to p ut a p e rs o nal f ace o n m as s i n c a rceratio n by hav ing i n m ate s
s hare o ne pag e o f th e i r
l ife s to r y w ith the wo r l d
v ia the webs ite: ins t a gra m .
co m /em anc ipated_ s to r i e s _
pro j ec t. On this web s i te, t h e
inm ates are abl e to te l l t h e
wo r l d w ho they are, a l l owing peo pl e to read a b o ut t h e
hu m anit y o f fo l k s tra p p e d i n
an u nj u s t s ys tem .
http: //w w w. q u iara. co m
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
Lin- M a nu e l
M iranda
i s a n awa rd-wi nnin g co mp o s e r, ly r i c i s t, an d ac to r. He
wro te the book an d lyr ics
fo r Hamilton ( an d also o r iginate d the ti tle ro le), ear n in g
a re cord- bre ak i n g 16 To ny
N o mi nati ons a nd win n in g 11
To ny Awa rds, i ncludin g t wo
p er s onally for M iran da fo r
B o o k and S core o f a M usical.
I n a d d i ti on, Hamilton was
awa rd e d the 201 6 Pulit zer
Pr i ze i n D rama .
M i randa’s I n the Heights
re ce ive d four 2008 To ny
Awa rd s wi th M i ran da receivi n g a Tony Awa rd fo r B est
S co re, a s we ll a s a n o mi n at ion for B e s t Leadin g
Ac to r i n a M u s i cal. I n the
Heights al s o to o k ho m e
a 2009 Gram my Award
fo r it s O r iginal B ro adway
Cast Alb u m and was rec o gn ized as a Final is t fo r
t h e 200 9 Pu l itzer Pr ize in
Drama. I n 20 16 , M iranda
wo n t h e Ol iv ier Award fo r
O ut st anding Ac hievem ent
in M usic fo r the Or iginal
Lo n do n pro du c tio n o f I n the
Height s.
5
Dram atis ts G u il d and wa s
appo inted by M ayo r Bi l l d e
B l as io to N ew Yo r k Cit y ’s
Theater S u bdis tr ic t Coun c i l
in 20 15 . He received h i s B.A .
f ro m Wes l eyan Univers i t y i n
2 00 2. He l ives in NYC w i t h
his w ife, s o ns and do g.
https : //w w w. l inm anu e l.co m
M iran da is a rec ipient o f the
2015 M ac Ar thu r Fo u ndatio n
Award, the N atio nal Ar ts
Club M e dal o f Ho no r and the
ASC AP Fo u ndatio n’s R ic hard
R o dgers N ew Ho r izo ns
Award. He has received s tar s
o n b o t h the Pu er to R ico Wal k
o f Fame and the Ho l l y wo o d
Walk o f Fam e. He s er ves as
a Co un cil M em ber o f The
“You are perfectly
cast in your life.
I can’t imagine
anyone but you in
the role. Go play.”
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
THE
CO M P O S E R
Notable Wor ks
In the Heights (2005), Bring It On: The Musical (2011) 21 Chump
Street , Hamilton (2015)
I n the Heights ce nte r s o n a va r i e t y o f ch a ra c te rs l i v i ng
in th e n eighb or hood of Wa s h i n g to n H e i g hts, o n th e
no r th er n ti p of M a nhat t a n .
At th e center of t he show
i s Usn avi, a b od ega owner
w h o l o oks af ter t he b arr i o’s a ging Ab uela nex t
do o r, p ines for t he gorgeo u s gir l wor k ing in t he
n ei gh bor ing b eaut y salon
a n d dreams of winning
th e l o t ter y and esc ap ing
to th e shores of his nat ive
D o mi n ic an R ep ub lic.
M ea nwhile, N ina, a c hildh o o d f r iend of Usnavi ’s,
h a s ret ur ned to t he neighbo r h o od from her fir st
yea r at college wit h surpr i si n g news for her
p arent s, who have sp e nt
t heir life savings on b u i l ding a b et ter life for t h e i r
d aughter. Ult im ately,
Usnavi and t he resid e nt s
of t he c lose -k nit nei g hb or hood get a d ose o f
what it means to b e h o me.
This revolut ionar y mu s i c a l
com b ines Lat in r hyth ms
and d ance wit h hip - h o p
lyr ic s to tell a c ap t ivat i n g
stor y ab out what it me a n s
to c hase your d reams a s
you c ling to your roo t s.
CHARAC TERS
*Lin-Manuel Miranda surprises ‘In the Heights’ crowd at the Kennedy Center
USNAVI D E LA VEGA, own er o f D e La Ve g a
B o de ga
N I N A R O SAR IO, a f resh man at St an fo rd
Uni ve r s i t y
S ON NY, Us nav i ’s co u s in
AB UE LA C LAUDIA, rais ed Us nav i, tho ug h n o t
his bl o o d grandm o ther
DA N IE LA, ow ner o f Daniel a’s s al o n
KE V IN R OSARIO, N in a’s f at h er, own er of
R o sa r i o Car S e r vice
C AM ILA R OSARI O, N in a’s mo t h er, co - ow ner
o f R os ar i o’s
C ARLA, wo r k s at the s al o n
G R AFFIT I P E T E, an ar tis t
BE NNY, e mployee o f R o sar io’s
P IR AG ÜE R O (P IR AG UA G UY ), s c rapes p i rag u as f ro m his bl o c k o f ice
VA NESSA, wor ks at t h e salo n
E N S E M B LE, Var io u s Peo pl e
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MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
H I S TO R Y
AND
ORIGINS
OF
PRODUCTIONS
Lin-M an u e l M ira nda w ro te t he fir s t dra f t o f I n the Heights a s a s o pho more u n d e rgra d u ate st u dent at Wes l eya n U n iver s it y in 1999. I n Apr i l
2000 , t h e music a l wa s sel ec ted by S eco n d Sta ge (a s tudent-l ed th eatre
comp any at the sc ho o l ) to b e fe atured a s a n 80-m in ute o n e -a c t pro duc t i o n . En co u ra g ed by his c l a s s m ates a s wel l a s th eatre direc tor a n d We s l eya n a l u m n Tho m as K a il, M ira n da co ntin ued h is developme nt of I n the Heights a f ter gra duatio n , br in gin g in bo o k w r iter
Q ui ara Ale gr í a Hu d es in 2 0 0 4 a n d pres entin g a n ew ver s io n at th e
Natio n al M u sic Theater Co nfere n ce in 2005, th en m a k in g it a l l th e way
to the B road way sta g e by 2 0 0 8. S in ce th en , th e s h ow h a s ga r n ered
a gre at d e al o f a cco l a d es a nd s ucces s, a n d it h a s even been a da pted
i nto a mov i e, set to o pen in the ater s Jun e 26, 2020. Wh il e th e fil m wi ll
mir ror t h e B ro a dway o r igina l in ter m s o f m us ic a l n um ber s a n d pro d uc tion valu e, t here is ta l k t hat the n ew s c reen pl ay h a s been updated to
ad dress cu r rent p o l itic a l issu e s a ffec tin g th e Latin x co m m un it y.
Premiere July 23, 2005: Eugene O ’Neill Theater Center, Water ford, Connec ticut. Produc tions - 2007
O ff-Broadway, 2008 Broadway, 2009 US Tour, 2011 M anila, 2011 Non-Equit y Tour, 2013 Panama Cit y,
2014 S ão Paulo, 2014 O ff-West End, 2014 Tok yo, 2015 M elbour ne, 2015 West End, 2015 Vancouver,
2015 S eoul, 2016 Lima, 2016 Lohne, 2017 Washington, D.C. 2018 N yborg, 2018 Sydney, 2020 Film.
Awards
2 0 0 7 O r igi na l O ff- Bro adway Pro duc t io n Dram a D es k Award - O u ts tanding E ns em bl e
Pe r fo r m a nce Dra m a D esk Award - O ut st an d ing C ho reo graphy (Andy B l ank enbu ehl er ) C l a re n ce
D e r we nt Awa rd - M ost Pro misin g M ale Per fo r m er (Lin-M anu el M iranda)
2 0 0 8 O r igi na l Broadway Pro duc t io n To ny Award - B es t M u s ic al To ny Award - B es t Or igina l
S co re ( L i n- M a nue l M iran da) To ny Award - B es t C ho reo graphy (Andy B l ank enbu ehl er ) To ny
Awa rd - B e s t O rc he st rat io n s (Alex Lacamo ire and B il l S her m an) G ram my Award - B es t M us i c a l
Sh ow Albu m
2 0 1 6 O r igi na l We s t-En d Pro duc t io n Lauren ce Ol iv ier Award - B es t Ac to r in a S u ppo r ting R o l e
in a M u s i c a l ( Dav i d B edella) Lauren ce Olivi er Award - B es t Theatre C ho reo grapher (Drew
M c O ni e) L aure nce Olivier Award - O ut st an d ing Ac hievem ent in M u s ic (Lin-M anu el M irand a )
Wh at sO nSta ge Awa rd - B est Supp o r t in g Ac to r in a M u s ic al (Dav id B edel l a)
MUSIC
“Here’s the thing that I’ve obser ved about Lin M iranda. He deeply loves musical theater and
Broadway, and ha s since he was a child, and he deeply loves hip -hop and pop music as a whole,
and has since he was a child. H is abilit y to wor k in both of those for ms is inseparable from the fac t
that he loves both for ms — he’s not being a tour ist when he visits one or the other, but he’s deeply
embedded in both of them.” — Osk ar Eustis, Ar tistic Direc tor of the Public Theater
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
“ I w ro te th e s h ow I
wa nte d to be i n . I
gre w u p w i th h i p h o p, a n d I wa nte d
i t to s o u n d l i k e my
n e i g h b o r h o o d.” —
L i n - M a n u a l M i ra nda
Per fo r m ed in t wo ac ts w ith i t s
pr inc ipl e c harac ter s expres s i n g
them s el ves thro u g h s o ng a n d
dance, I n the Heights fo l l ows t h e
traditio nal fo r m u l a o f a c l a s s i c
Am er ic an B ro adway m u s ica l. B ut
Lin-M anu el M iranda co ntex t ua lizes this fo r m u l a w ithin Lat i n x
c u l tu re, integrating bil ing ua l
l y r ic s and f u s ing var io u s s t yl e s
o f m u s ic inc l u ding hip ho p, ra p,
s al s a, R& B, f u nk , dance beat,
wal tz, bo l ero, po p bal l ad, re gg aeto n, m ereng u e, and bac h at a .
I nf l u enced by his Pu er to R i c a n
ro o ts, his u pbr inging in I nwo o d
NYC (adj acent to Was hing to n
Heig hts w here the pl ay take s
pl ace), and his s im u l taneous l ove
o f 90 ’s hip -ho p and B ro adway
tu nes, M iranda m erg es his c l a s s i c
and co ntem po rar y s ens ibil i t i e s
w hil e cel ebrating the Latin x co mm u nit y and pro m o ting po si t i ve
repres entatio n o f Latinx c h a ra c ter s — a repres entatio n th at h a s
prev io u s l y been l ac k ing o n t h e
B ro adway s tag e.
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MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
THEMES
O P P O R T U NI T Y . The oppor tunit y that many seek when immigrating to the United States
could per haps be considered synonymous with the “Amer ican Dream.” This age - old aspiration suggests that with hard wor k and sacr ifice, anyone can achieve the economic success they desire; or
at the ver y least, they may create a better future for their children. The promise of such oppor tunit y is especially present for the R osar ios in I n the Heights as Kevin and Camila make the ultimate
sacr ifice, selling their car ser vice in order to pay for their daughter ’s Stanford education.
RESILIENCE.
R esilience is
defined as the capacit y to adapt
to stressful or tragic events,
recover ing ably from misfor tune
or change. The charac ters residing
in Washington Heights show
remar k able for titude, drawing
on each other for strength while
navigating some of life’s most
difficult challenges. From the
threat of losing one’s business, to
the struggle to afford educational
oppor tunities, to the sor row of
saying goodbye to a loved one,
the adversities reflec ted in I n
the Heights are met with both
vigor and courage, depic ting a
communit y resolved to transcend
even the greatest of hardships.
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
G E N T R I F I C AT I O N .
T he ter m gentr ification is used to
descr ibe the rebuilding of an ur ban neighbor hood that results
in an influx of more affluent residents and businesses. The
process is controversial as it tends to displace cur rent residents
who of ten can no longer afford to pay r ising housing costs or
maintain their small businesses. I n the Heights highlights the
devastating effec ts of gentr ification as we witness several of
its charac ters and businesses — including Usnavi ’s bodega,
Daniela’s salon, and the R osar ios’ dispatch — struggle to sur vive.
CO M M U N I T Y / LO V E . The word “communit y ” holds
a number of meanings. I t can refer to a group of people
with a common charac ter istic living together within a larger
societ y, it can encompass a body of persons possessing
the same social or economic interests, or it may simply
indicate the shared her itage of a collec tive group. For the
charac ters in I n the Heights , communit y goes beyond any of
the above definitions to reflec t a neighbor hood of residents
who suppor t one another, who lif t each other up, and who
come together in the most painful of times to offer love and
healing.
I M M I G R AT I O N .
N ew Yor k Cit y ’s Washington Heights has histor ically been home to a
diverse population of immigrants seek ing oppor tunit y — and in some cases, refuge — in the
United States. The neighbor hood exper ienced a significant inflow of Latinx residents in the
mid-1960’s, par ticular ly those fleeing the D ominican R epublic dur ing a time of political tur moil.
R ooted in this histor y, I n the Heights celebrates the Latinx residents of Washington Heights,
paying tr ibute to their vibrant culture and communit y.
13
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
Lesson #1
LESSON IDEAS
F O R YO U R C L A S S
14
Celebrating Co m m u nit y.
Th is ac t iv it y c an be u s ed
over t h e co u r s e o f t wo c l as s
p er io ds. D u r ing the f ir s t
class, div ide s tu dents into
gro up s o f 4 o r 5 and as k
t h em to ref l ec t o n the wo rd
“co mmunit y.” Af ter they have
agreed o n a def initio n, as k
each gro u p to s end u p a rep resent ative to w r ite their
def in it io n o n the bo ard. A
b r ief dis c u s s io n c an be hel d
co mp ar ing the var io u s def in it io n s and f u r ther expandin g t h e s tu dents’ ideas o f
co mmunit y. N ex t, give s tudent s a few m inu tes to individually w r ite dow n al l o f
t h e co m m u nities o f w hic h
t h ey are a par t. When they
are f in ished, as k them to
p eruse the l is t and pic k o ne
co mmunit y to w hic h they
feel mo s t c l o s el y co nnec ted.
Fo r t h e fo l l ow ing c l as s, as k
st udents to br ing in s o m e t h in g (a n o bj ec t, a pic tu re,
a po em, a s o ng, etc. ) that in
so me way repres ents their
co mmunit y. Stu dents s ho u l d
p resent w hat they have
b ro ught and br ief l y dis c u s s
t h eir connec tio n to it as wel l
as to t h eir co m m u nit y. As a
f in al disc u s s io n, as k s tu dents
to ref le c t o n the co m m u nit y
depic ted in I n the Heights .
Wh at do eac h o f the c harac ters b r ing to their co m m un it y, and w hat do they g ain
f ro m it ?
Lesson #2
R ef l ec ting o n Oppo r tu n i t y.
E ither in c l as s o r as a h o m e wo r k as s ignm ent, ins t r uc t
yo u r s tu dents to w r ite a
ref l ec tio n abo u t edu catio nal o ppo r tu nit y. Ask
them to co ns ider the s a c r if ices that N ina R o s ar io a n d
her parents m ade in I n the
Heights in o rder fo r he r to
attend Stanfo rd Unive r s i t y.
What were thes e par ti c ul ar s ac r if ices ? And how d i ff ic u l t was it to m ak e t h e m ?
Was N ina’s attendance at
Stanfo rd wo r th s u c h sa c r if ices ? Why o r w hy no t ? As k
yo u r s tu dents to al s o re f l e c t
o n their ow n edu c atio n a l
o ppo r tu nities. Wo u l d t h e y o r
their parents have to m a k e
s im il ar s ac r if ices in o rd e r
fo r them to attend co l l e g e ?
Wo u l d it be wo r th it? I f yo ur
s tu dents are in co l l eg e, t h e y
m ay ref l ec t o n any s acr if ices that they o r thei r f a mil ies have al ready had ( o r
no t had) to m ak e. As k t h e m
to ref l ec t o n how thei r e d uc atio nal o ppo r tu nities a re
(o r have been) either s i m i l a r
to o r dif ferent f ro m th o s e
avail abl e to N ina. Once t h e
as s ignm ent been co m p l e te d,
al l ow any w il l ing s tu d e nt s to
s hare their ref l ec tio ns w i t h
the c l as s.
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
Les son #3
E xa mi ni ng R e s i lien ce. Ask
yo u r s tu d e nts to def in e t h e
wo rd “re s i li e nce.” Wh ile t h ere
m ay be s e ve ral inter pre t at i o ns, tr y to d ecide as a
c l a ss on one d e f in it io n t h at
fi t s be s t. Wr i te th at def in it i o n c le a r ly on t h e bo ard,
a nd i ns tr uc t the st udent s to
o p e n a note boo k o r jo ur n al.
G i ve the m a fe w min utes to
wr i te d own a s many qualit i es the y c a n thin k o f t h at
wo u l d he lp a perso n to
re m ai n re s i li e nt in a t ime
o f d iffi c ult y. Wh en t h ey are
fi n i s he d, as k them to t h in k
o f a ti me whe n t h ey ex h ib i ted one of the se qualit ies.
H ow d i d thi s q ualit y h elp
t he m to s tay s tro n g dur in g
a t i me of s tr u gg le? Allow
t he m a fe w more min utes to
jo t down the i r t h o ught s, an d
t he n i ns tr uc t th em to f in d a
p a r t ne r wi th who m t h ey can
s ha re the i r s tor ies. Give each
p a i r rou ghly te n min utes
to b oth s hare an d resp o n d
( fi ve m i nute s per st udent ).
Whe n the y have f in ish ed,
a s k i f a ny of the p airs wo uld
li k e to s hare their sto r ies
o r t h oughts wi th t h e ent ire
c l a ss. Fi nally, a s k t h e class if
t he re are any s pecif ic ch ara c ter s from I n the Heights
who d e mons trated t h e quali t i e s the y have discussed,
he l p i ng the m to remain resili ent i n a di ffi c u l t t ime.
Lesson #4
U n derst anding
G ent r if i c atio n. B egin this
ac t ivit y by w r iting the fo llowin g pro m pt o n the bo ard:
Wh en yo u hear the wo rd
“gent r ific atio n,” w hat co m es
to min d? D o es it have a po sit ive o r neg ative co nno tat io n ? Expl ain. G ive the s tudent s a few m inu tes to w r ite
down t heir ans wer s, and
t h en ask any w il l ing s tudent s to s hare. I t is l ik el y
t h at so me s tu dents w il l
n o t h ave a f u l l u nder s tandin g o f the m eaning o f g ent r if icat io n, s o ins tr u c t o ne
st udent to l o o k u p the defin it io n and read it al o u d. I f
any o f yo u r s tu dents have
ex p er ience w ith g entr if ic at io n , ask them to c ite examp les fo r the c l as s. Then
sh ow t he s ho r t f il m titl ed
G ent r if i c atio n E xpl ained
wh ich can be acces s ed at
ht t p s: // w w w. yo u tu be. co m /
watch ?v= V 0 zAv l m zDFc.
Wh ile view ing, have the s tudent s w r ite dow n any co r re lat io n s they no tice bet ween
t h e ef fe c ts o f g entr if ic at io n disc u s s ed in the f il m
an d eve nts that o cc u r in I n
the Heights . Af ter v iew ing,
divide stu dents into s m al l
gro up s to dis c u s s how the
ch arac ter s in the pl ay are
impac te d by g entr if ic at io n . ( Yo u m ay refer to the
t h eme s ec tio n o n pag e 13
o f t h is cu r r ic u l u m g u ide fo r
a few exam pl es. ) Final l y,
ask o n e repres entative f ro m
eac h gro u p to s hare t h e i r
tho u g hts w ith the c l a s s.
15
16
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
G LO S S A R Y
While th e I n The Heights ch a ra c te rs s p e a k m o s tl y i n
E nglish , the S p a ni sh sl a n g a n d p h ra s e s a re ju s t a s
impor tant to t he p l ay a s th e s e tti n g i ts e l f. B e l ow a re
so me tran sl at i ons t hat m ay h e l p yo u u n d e rs atn d th e
c harac ter s b e t te r i f you d o n o t s pe a k Spa i n s h .
Pirag u a — a f rozen t re at
m ade o f s haved ice a n d
covered w ith f r u it fl avo re d
syrup
O ye, pirag ü ero, co m o e s t a s ?
— Hey, pirag u a g u y, h ow a re
yo u ?
N o, q u e pas ó ? — N o, w h at
happened?
Co n l ec he — w ith m i l k
Pac ienc ia y fe — pat i e n ce
and f aith
Abu el a — grandm ot h e r
E s c u el a — s c ho o l
The G eorge Washington Br idge is a double - decked suspension
br idge spanning the Hudson R iver, connec ting the Washington
Heights neighbor hood of M anhattan in New Yor k Cit y with the
N o m e dig a! — N o k i d d i n g !
(N o tel l m e! )
borough of For t Lee in New Jersey. The b r idge was ceremonially dedicated on O c tober 24, 1931
N o pares, s ig u e, s ig ue — D o
no t s to p, g o o n, g o o n
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
“No Pares,
Sigue, Sigue!”
B o d ega - a s ma l l gro cer y
s to re, e s pe c i a lly in
a Sp ani s h- s pe a k in g
ne i ghbor hood.
Eso n o im po r ta — it do es n’t
mat ter
Ay bendito ! — Oh, g o s h ! (O h ,
g o o dnes s ! )
Co may — gir l f r iend
Ay dio s m io ! — Oh my g o d !
Ba r r i o — i s a Sp an ish wo rd
m e a n i ng a q u ar ter o r
ne i ghbour hood.
Ch ach a — gir l
M u c hac ha — gir l
Co ñ o — dam n
Q u é s é yo ? — What do I
k now ?
S a nd wi c hi to — lit t le
s a nd wi c h
Q ué pasó ? — Wh at
h app ened?
Si g u e a nda ndo el camin o
p o r toda s u v i d a — Co nt in ue
wa lk i ng the way (p at h ) o f
yo u r li fe
Ent re, mij a! — Co m e in, gir l
f r ien d!
M ira qu ién es ! — Lo o k w ho
it is!
Te a doro — I love yo u
Ch ulet a s — po r k c ho ps
Te q u i e ro — I want yo u
Po brecita — po o r gir l
N o m e pre oc upo po r ella —
I’m not wor r i e d ab o ut h er
Lin da — prett y wo m an
M u ñe c a — doll
Vieja — o l d wo m an
M i jo — my s on
Sucia — dir t y gir l
Pero — bu t
Cabro n a — bas tard (bitc h)
E s a preg u nta es — Th at
q u es tio n is
Q u e c al o r — the heat
To m a — here
17
18
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
3
CONTROVERSIAL
CASTING TOPICS
Gre at p l ays a re n o t w i th o u t co ntrove rs i e s.
Th e se t hre e top i c s ca n b e gre at d i s cu s s i o n
st a r te r s for c l a s s ro o m s o r re h e a rs a l s.
CASTING ISSUE #1
CASTING ISSUE #2
Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre cast
In 2008, a production of In The Heights
In 2017, an Australian production of
Jack DeCesare, a white actor of Italian
was done with a cast of all Japanese
In The Heights was cancelled due to
descent, to play Usnavi. The Chicago
actors. Surprising critics, the play was
whitewashing concerns.
Latinx community was very upset.
received well.
QUESTION #1
QUESTION #2
CASTING ISSUE #3
QUESTION #3
In a play that tackles race, ethnicity
While not an example of whitewashing,
What is the difference between the
and immigration, what do you think is
this rendition dos not live true to In
Japanese production and the Austra-
the right way to solve this controversy?
The Heights’ original community. Can
lian? Why did the Japanese production
a cast of only Japanese actors convey
get great reviews while the Australian
the themes Quiara Alegría Hudes and
was cancelled?
Lin-Manuel Miranda intended?
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
TEACHING ABOUT
I M M I G R AT I O N
20
Vi s i t t h e l i n k b e l ow fo r m o re l e sso n p l an s o n
i mmi grat i o n .
https://w w w-tc.pbs.org/independentlens/newamer icans/pdfs/
“Imagine how it
would feel going
real slow down the
highway of life with
no regrets and not
breaking your neck
for respect or a
paycheck.”
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
UN DERSTAN D I N G
I M M IGR ATI O N
Fo r t hi s a c ti v i t y, p lease refer
to Te a c hi ng Toleran ce’s Ten
M y t h s About I mmigrat io n
a r t i c le whi c h c an be
a cce s s e d at https: //w w w. to le ra nce.org/ ma g azin e/sp r in g2 0 1 1/ te n- my ths-ab o ut-immigrat i on. B e fore yo u begin ,
m a k e s u re that yo ur st ud e nt s have a c lear un ders t a ndi ng of how t h e to pic
o f i m m i grati on is present
i n I n the Heights . Yo u may
re fer to the the me sec t io n
o n p age 13 of this cur r iculu m gu i d e, a nd yo u may even
have you r s tudent s co n duc t
t he i r own re s e a rch into t h e
hi stor y of L ati nx immigrant s
re si di ng i n N e w Yo r k Cit y ’s
Wa shi ngton H e ight s. * Af ter
a d i sc u s s i on of such rele va nt i nfor m ati on, ex plain to
yo u r s tu d e nts th at immigrat i o n i s a controversial to p ic
i n t h e Uni te d St ates, an d
21
t h at mis u nder s tanding s c an o f ten l ead to a neg ative vi e w o f
immigra nts w is hing to enter (o r per haps al ready res id i n g ) i n
o ur co u ntr y. N ex t, ins tr u c t yo u r s tu dents to tak e o u t a p i e ce
o f pap er and tear it into f ive s ec tio ns. E xpl ain that yo u w i l l
read f ive s tatem ents abo u t im m igratio n in the United St ate s
t h at are either f ac t o r my th. The s tu dents w il l g u es s a s to
wh et h e r o r no t the s tatem ents are tr u e, w r iting “f ac t ” o r
“myt h” fo r eac h o n a s c rap o f paper. Co l l ec t the s c rap s a f te r
each st atem ent, and tal l y them u p, rel ay ing to s tu dent s h ow
many bel ieve the s tatem ent is a f ac t and how m any b e l i e ve
it is a my th. Then, reveal the co r rec t ans wer by readin g to
yo ur st u dents the co r res po nding s ec tio n f ro m Ten M y t h s
Abo ut I m m igratio n. The f ive s tatem ents are as fo l l ows :
1. M o st im m igrants are here il l eg al l y (M y th);
2. I mmi grants tak e g o o d j o bs f ro m U. S . c itizens (M y th ) ;
3. As an im m igrant, it is dif f ic u l t and ver y expens ive to
enter Th e United States l eg al l y (Fac t);
4. U n doc u m ented im m igrants do no t pay any o f the s a m e
t axes t h at United States c itizens pay (M y th);
5. R ef ug ees u nderg o m o re r ig o ro u s s c reening s than a ny
o t h er in div idu al s the g over nm ent al l ows in the Unite d
St ates ( Fac t).
*https://scalar.usc.edu/works/latino-metropolis-a-briefurban-cultural-history-of-us-latinos---1/washingtonheights-1
M o re l e s s o n pl a n s o n i mmi grati o n!
htt p s : / / w w w- tc.pbs.o rg/i n depen de nt lens/newamer ic ans/p d fs/t na8_m osaic. pdf
htt p s : / / w w w- tc.pbs.o rg/i n depen de nt lens/newamer ic ans/p d fs/t na11_lat inos.p df
MUSIC Magazine | May 2011
TEACHING ABOUT
L AT I N X I D E N T I T Y
22
Illustrations by Terry Blas
Latinx /Latino /Latina
“Lat inx ” is a g ender-neu tral ter m u s ed in l ieu o f “Lat i n o” o r
“Lat ina” to refer to a per s o n o f Latin des cent.
Usin g the ter m “ Latinx ” to refer to al l peo pl e o f Lat i n
Amer ic an des cent has beco m e m o re co m m o n as m e m b e r s i n
t h e LGBTQ co m m u nit y and its advo c ates have em bra ce d t h e
label. The g endered s tr u c tu re o f the S panis h l ang ua g e h a s
made “Latinx ” bo th an inc l u s ive and co ntrover s ial te r m .
Pro n o u nced “ l u h-T E E -nek s, M er r iam -Webs ter dic tio n a r y
added the wo rd in 20 18 to des c r ibe tho s e o f Latin Am e r i c a n
desce nt w ho do n’t want to be identif ied by g ender, o r w h o
do n’t identif y as being m al e o r fem al e.
The wo rd was c re ate d as a gen dern e u t ra l a l te r nati ve to “Lat in o s,” n o t
onl y to b e tte r i nc lu d e t h o se wh o are
ge n d e r fl ui d, but a ls o to p ush b ack
on t he i nhe re ntly m asculin e ter m
u s e d to d es c r i be a ll gen ders in t h e
Sp a n i s h la ngua ge.
Eve n t ho ugh “Lati nos” tech n ical l y refe rs to a ll ge nders o f Lat in
Ame r i c a n d e s ce nt, i t ’s st ill a masculi ne wo rd i n Spani s h.
Fo r ex a m ple, a grou p o f females
would b e c alle d “L ati n as” an d a
group o f ma le s would b e called
“L ati no s.” H owe ve r, a gro up o f males
and fem a le s of L ati n Amer ican
de s cent would re ve r t to t h e masculi ne “ L at i n os.”
https : // w w w.us atod ay. co m/sto r y/
n e ws / nat i on/ 2019/ 06/29/lat in alatino - lat i nx- hi s pani c -wh at- do -t h eyme an/ 1 5 96501001/