Cultures and Contados

Alejandro Herrera
Friday 3:30
S/F Literature
November 11, 2008

Pre-America Cultures Existing in the San Francisco Contado

Living within the San Francisco contado are various cultures and peoples which have existed long before San Francisco has become a modern western city. Examples of this are the cultures and religions of Asia as well as the people and cultures of the Native Americans. Located in the city of San Francisco is Gold Mountain Sagely Monastery which was founded by Hsuan Hua, a monk who started the Dharma Realm Buddhist Association in 1962. Master Hsuan Hua did not seek profit or fame, but rather sought to humble himself and act as stepping stone to assist those who wanted transcendence.
The Zen teachings of Hsuan Hua were at odds with the industrial capital his monastery resided in, however. San Francisco’s industrial state has been realized by feeding off of the resources of other biological and industrial spheres, ever increasing the impact it has on surrounding and global regions. In fact, the city has done this by doing harm and invading the space of others.
Physically, the monastery is located right next to a Bank of America, a symbol of capitalism and prosperity. The monastery is placed in a city where both prosperity and poverty thrive. The monastery and the movement associated with it, bringing Dharma to the West, must struggle with offering followers simplicity in an industrial powerhouse.
Another group of people struggling for existence in the San Francisco contado are the Native Americans, who have inhabited the land long before it has been deemed inhabitable by the land’s newcomers. Before America was America, it was Turtle Island, and a return to that land is being urged for by several minority groups. This goal is not the goal the city has, which wants “empire to expand westward,” consuming all in its path in order to manifest modernity.
There is also the issue of displacement and silencing. Those who have previously lived in harmony with the land have been displaced to reservations or forced out of culture. Alcatraz and the documentary “Alcatraz is not an Island” can be used as an example. Alcatraz started out being Native American land, being used as a place of isolation for individuals. Later in history, it was acquired by America, used for military purposes, used as a prison and then labeled supplementary government land.
The temporary occupation followed by a failure in reclaiming the land Native American territory is simply a sad and violent history repeating itself. Though a brief moment of vocalization increased the country’s awareness of a forgotten and ignored people helped their cause, the momentum died.

Sources:

The following sites provide background information on Hsuan Hua and his Monastery.
http://www.virtourist.com/america/san-francisco/41.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hsuan_Hua#Bringing_the_Dharma_to_the_West
http://drbachinese.org/branch/GMM/
The following websites document the history of Alcatraz as a government property and the several occupation attempts by the Native American Activists as well as Native American history.

http://www.pbs.org/itvs/alcatrazisnotanisland/nativeland.html
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/alcatrazisnotanisland/background.html
“Alcatraz is Not An Island” PBS documentary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz