Latino arts, history and culture
Unions and civil rights go together Worker-rights and civil-rights dynamics often intersect. An example of the symbiotic relationship that often exists between unions and civil rights is a … [Read more...]
Barrio self-determination An underlying principle of all Liberation movements—labor, women, civil rights, etc.— is the most fundamental civil right, self-determination: the right of people to … [Read more...]
The secret “leaders” amongst us… Circa 1988 I wrote an essay entitled “Why are we so mean to our heroes and heroines and so nice to the vendidos?” in which I lamented the tendency of many … [Read more...]
Everybody loves Mexicans… The political season is upon us, and everybody in the political world all of a sudden loves Mexicans. Republicans will pretend to take a break from demonizing us, and … [Read more...]
TRUE PATRIOTS PRACTICE THE CONSTITUTION! The perversion of what is a “patriot” by right-wingers and racists is breathtaking. Case in point: is it “patriotic” to aim loaded guns and rifles at … [Read more...]
HISTORY MATTERS IN POLITICS. Historian Rudy Acuña periodically reminds us that history matters. Indeed it does, and it behooves us to remember that during the political season. Our history teaches … [Read more...]
SANTA ROSA DE LIMA. For the past 85 years, the Santa Rosa de Lima Mission in Tucson’s Old Pascua Yaqui Village has been a spiritual and community anchor of the village. The Yaquis—whose term for … [Read more...]
HOLDING DEMOCRATS ACCOUNTABLE: A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE. Life is cyclical, and we find ourselves having to re-fight old battles. One of these is with the Democratic Party. In the 1970s, there was such … [Read more...]
Ol’ Yogi had it right… It’s déjà vu all over again. Forty-three (43) years apart, Tucson’s west side fought the same battle with the same folks—a Democratic Mayor and Council—over basically the … [Read more...]
MINING TOWN KIDS- WE'RE EVERYWHERE! Small towns are like big barrios. People know and take care of each other. Which is why Arizona’s mining communities impress me greatly. That, and the people … [Read more...]
POLITICAL SALSA Y MÁS--WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ARIZONA. Obviously, "Political Salsa y Más” will address political issues. In terms of the attitude of the Tea Party-Republicans who are in control of … [Read more...]
PUBLIC COLLEGES BELONG TO THE PUBLIC. The mission statements of community colleges reflect the comprehensive nature of these institutions. More than providers of courses for transfer to a … [Read more...]
Indigenous sacred sites matter… Arizona Democrat House member Ann Kirkpatrick, whose district includes the Apache reservation, teamed up with Republican Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake and … [Read more...]
I like your Christ, but… How things change. When I was growing up, religious folks railed against the commercialization of Christmas. They believed and taught that publicly, Christmas was to be … [Read more...]
CHANGE THE NAME...CHANGE THE MASCOT. The movement to get the Washington NFL team to change its racist logo and name has come to Arizona. On October 12, about 150 people—members of tribes from … [Read more...]
“IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK" -- EL CASINO BALLROOM. "If them walls could talk,” El Casino Ballroom in Tucson, AZ, would be loquacious. Since its founding in 1947, El Casino has hosted thousands of … [Read more...]
CÉSAR CHÁVEZ TAKES ON SCAB-LOVING GOVERNMENT. Coinciding generally with César Chávez’s birthday (March) and the anniversary of his death (April), a movie about Chávez’s life and work will soon be … [Read more...]
THE POWER OF FAMILY. A group of young women from Tucson’s south side—the area 1996 Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan derisively called “Mexico town"—just made history. Representing … [Read more...]
THERE'S SOME GOOD NEWS TO TEMPER THE BAD. First the good… Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio supports my contention that in terms of the attitude of the Tea Party-Republicans who control Arizona … [Read more...]
Mexican American baseball “tiros” and their legacy… Historically, baseball has been very much a part of Mexican American life. In Arizona, the mining towns, which played a huge role in the state’s … [Read more...]
It’s our government, after all... “Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed.” American author and Nobel Prize laureate William … [Read more...]
