Latino arts, history and culture
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...]
"Safe" events don't create real change... It's the season to honor César E. Chávez and his legacy of labor activism on behalf of farm workers. However, many of the contemporary Chávez celebrations … [Read more...]
Sanctuary cities-a civil initiative... A local activist coalition, Tucson Families Free and Together, has launched a petition drive to change our city's status from being an "immigrant-welcoming" … [Read more...]
The good, the bad, and the ugly… In the immortal words of Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” Dickens … [Read more...]
Carnalismo is alive and well… “Si sangra mi hermano, yo también sangro … la herida es igual…” (If my brother or sister bleeds, I too bleed … I also am wounded) Chicano Movement song “Yo soy tu … [Read more...]
Donald Trump’s pathological lying knows no bounds. He even lies about Christmas. Since the summer he has been telling the bobblehead crowds at his rallies that he “will bring Christmas back.” And last … [Read more...]
Liberals: a strong force in history… The mid-term elections are over. No more annoying, lying ads. And no more “Friend” emails. For some inexplicable reason, the right-wing Trump cultists—who … [Read more...]
Indigenous political representation… Arizona recently made history by electing three Indigenous women—Jamescita Peshlakai (Navajo), Victoria Steele (Seneca), and Sally Ann Gonzales (Pascua … [Read more...]
History is not a spectator sport… I taught Chicano history at the University of Arizona, and to make the material more relevant, whenever I could I gave a Tucson perspective to historical dynamics. … [Read more...]
Where is the love? And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Saul of Tarsus, aka Paul the Apostle (First Letter to the Corinthians) “Charity,” which … [Read more...]
If you swim in the sewer… “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with … [Read more...]
Spanish is a lovely tongue... Some recent incidents involving the use of Spanish (more on these below) brought to mind an essay entitled “Saints and sinners all agree…” I wrote several years ago. I … [Read more...]
WW II GENERATION GETS IT DONE! It is beyond ironic that teaching young people about the patriotism of the Mexican American community—e.g., that Mexican Americans/Latinos have earned more … [Read more...]
The Republican party, aka Trumpian cult... I’ve written on this topic before, but I’m not being repetitious mindlessly. I believe that every time the phenomenon I discuss here emerges we need to … [Read more...]
Democrats-liberals and Republican-conservatives may be on opposite sides of the political spectrum, but if the dozens of political emails I receive daily are any guide, they seem to use the same … [Read more...]
Listen to the children… As I write this, young people are in the frontlines of political change. High-school students, survivors of the Feb 14 massacre in Parkland, Fla., are confronting … [Read more...]
Special-ed placements: we get it from both sides As they say: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” The Trump administration is looking to delay an Obama-era rule meant to counter … [Read more...]
THIS WEEK ON LATINOPIA: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! ALEJANDRO MOLINA ON "SAN VALENTÍN," SAL BALDENEGRO ON "TRUMPISM A DEATH CULT," 100 YEARS OF LATINO MUSIC, 100 YEARS OF LATINO LITERATURE AND 100 YEARS OF … [Read more...]
A “warrior nation” produces a warrior legislator… Today’s politics are simultaneously depressing and infuriating. From President Trump on down to Republican-dominated state legislatures, right-wing … [Read more...]
