Latino arts, history and culture
Decency is not transactional… Again, by your leave, I’m going to deviate from my usual diet of politics and such and focus on a topic that is more personal, more intimate, yet just as important as … [Read more...]
History matters… History instructs. History inspires. History matters. Ignoring it is problematic and causes discord. A couple of recent events bring this to mind. One has to do with César Chávez … [Read more...]
Activism is the foundation… “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.” Incoming POTUS Gerald Ford, August 9, 1974 on the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Ford’s words … [Read more...]
Undocumented workers more patriotic than Trump… If we had a microphone that could hover over the United States during tax time, the collective mumbling and grumbling—not to mention the ear-reddening … [Read more...]
Trump lied, people died… That sign is ubiquitous at civil-rights marches and other rallies. But the sign is more than a clever slogan. It’s a four-word essay reflecting reality. Some people have … [Read more...]
Corridos: “singing newspapers” and community organizers… The corrido, which tells a true story in song, has served us well over the years. It has informed and inspired us and has moved us to … [Read more...]
The pandemic and racism… We’re living in dangerous times. Much of that danger is either created or facilitated by Donald J. Trump, the president of the United States, an inveterate liar, virulent … [Read more...]
Truth-telling—Mexican American Studies… Mexican Americans have not lived in a vacuum; they have left footprints in terms of history, literature, and interactions with the legal and educational … [Read more...]
“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” Shannon Alder, Therapist and Author True friends are a real treasure. … [Read more...]
Coronavirus and culture change In addition to the known damage the Coronavirus pandemic is currently visiting on us, it can potentially wipe out an important feature of Mexican American—actually, … [Read more...]
Let us forgive… By your leave, I’m going to deviate from my usual diet of politics and such and focus on a topic that is more personal, more intimate yet just as important as (community-based or … [Read more...]
Bring back decency! All politics is local. Former House Speaker Tip O’Neill Restoring decency into our politics should be our community’s political priority for 2020. It is a moral imperative to rid … [Read more...]
Draft boards, one of the least visible governmental bodies, have had an immense effect on the Mexican American community over the years. Draft boards oversee the registration and selection of persons … [Read more...]
“Hypocrites chasing windmills…” It’s the Christmas season, and, predictably, the right-wing “war on Christmas” nonsense has begun. Former Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and other Republicans are … [Read more...]
Huelga! Huelga! Huelga! The United Steelworkers(USW) and several other unions—Teamsters, Boilermakers, Electricians, Machinists & Aerospace workers, Automobile workers, and Operating … [Read more...]
Proud Yaqui Gabriel Ayala is multi-layered yet simple... I was thrilled to have a front-row seat at a recent performance by Gabriel Ayala, award-winning, internationally known and acclaimed … [Read more...]
Voting and self-determination… People love to complain about the government (what it does, and more often, what it doesn’t do) and the elected officials in charge of the government, … [Read more...]
There's blood on their hands... The blood of the 22 El Paso massacre victims, the youngest of whom was 15, is on the hands not only of Donald Trump but also on those who support, protect, make … [Read more...]
Income inequality rears its ugly head everywhere... Income inequality is pervasive. It rears its ugly head everywhere. We hear much about income inequality from the likes of U.S. Sen. Bernie … [Read more...]
When are we Mexican … indigenous? Recently I’ve witnessed two spirited debates. One revolved around terminology, that is, what do we call ourselves? The other one revolved around the question of … [Read more...]
Are pickets, marches, etc., effective? Were the demonstrations, pickets, marches, etc., of the Chicano Movement effective? During an interview (by a college student for a term paper) I was asked that … [Read more...]
