ola mis muy queridos señores y señoras, frijoles y frijolas, compañeros y compañeras, estudiantes, profesores, intelectuales, payasos, trabajadores, organizadors, artistas, musicos, pues, en fin, everyone who is smart enough to visit one of the most awesome websites ever. You’re Tia Tenopia here, doing a little bragging, y porque no?

This week, in anticipation of Memorial Day,  we are paying homage to the brave men and women who defend our country. While many of us, your Tia included, wish we didn’t have our young Latino men out in Iraq and Afghanistan–we need them here as soldados in the struggle for education and equality in the barrio! But, of course, they are there. And we feel the special need to give them a very heartfelt “Gracias.” For all of their sacrifices.  We are showcasing this week, winners of the Annual Voces Oral History Editing Contest out of the University of Texas at Austin, Journalism Department.

In case you don’t know, since 1999 Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez (check her profile from last week’s video interview) has been interviewing Latino veterans (on video) from World War II, Korea and Viet Nam. Every year she sponsors an editing contest where students from UT Austin can edit a five-minute documentary based on one of the veterans she has interviewed. This year Latinopia is proud to showcase the top three videos. Third place went to Soñia Melendez for her documentary on Col. Enrique Cervantes. Jordan Kerfeld won Second Prize with his documentary on fighter pilot Leonard Fuentes. And Rosa Elena Pruneda won First prize for her documentary on pioneering Puerto Rican WAC Carmen Contreras Bozak. Judges for the competition included filmmaker Nancy De Los Santos, Jesús Treviño and Houston-based documentary filmmaker Roland Hartzog. Check out these cool, inspiring and accomplished videos!

Also this week we bring you yet another adventure with Arnie and Porfi by acclaimed cartoonist Sergio Hernandez as well as a new thoughtful blog by that Thinking Latina herself, Sara Ines Calderón.  Dan Guerrero is still away but we bring in his place a guest blogger, that wacky ZombieMex himself Lazaro de La Tierra. Check out all these great features this week on Latinopia.com!

Hola Mis queridos!

This week Latinopia welcomes guest blogger Ernesto Hogan who writes a weekly blog for our friends over at La Bloga. If you haven’t visited La Bloga check it out–the best literary blog in the world! Ernesto hails from Glendale, Arizona and is a science fiction writer! Your Tia was blown away by his novels (yes, Raza I do read) Cortez on Jupiter, High Aztech and Smoking Mirror Blues.  Of course, we’ll  have more fun with our cartoon strip, Arnie and Porfi. This week the two esquincles discover that a beat up old jalopy isn’t all that it appears to be. And Sara Ines returns with another one of her thoughtful observations on Latino life–this week she speculates about the influence of Latino nerds on America.

We’re running a bit late on our weekly videos but here it is!  We are introducing a new video feature, Latinopia Hero.  From time to time we will showcase an individual who has made an important contribution to the Latino community in the United States. We’re starting with Dr. Maggie Rivas Rodríguez, a firme profesora from the University of Texas at Austin who has created the VOCES oral history project which to date has recorded more than 800 interviews with Latino veterans of World War Two, Korea and Viet Nam. She conducts a yearly video competition where students edit five-minute videos based on the interviews that Dr. Rivas-Rodríguez and her staff have compiled. Next week’s Latinopia will showcase three of these award winning documentaries.  Oh, and in celebration of  Conjunto Festival week in San Antonio ( May 14th thru 20th) we’re reprising our interview with San Antonio Conjunto Festival founder and director Juan Tejeda. If you’ve ever wondered what Conjunto music is about, check out this interview which shows off the conjunto’s different musical stlyes.

Bueno, sin más, enjoy!

Tia Tenopia

ASK TIA TENOPIA 5.06.12

Hey, Peeps! Welcome to another fun week at Latinopia. First off, another in the adventures of Armie and Porfi–check out the Sergio Hernández cartoon strip! Dan Guerrero is away this week, but we have a guest blogger: ZombieMex. Your Tia is not really sure what this blog is about except it is a different way of looking at Mother’s Day. You should really, really check it out! Sara Ines Calderon returns with another firme insight in our Latino world–this time it as about mentoring–something we should be doing!

Our major this week is the final installment in the Librotraficantes Banned Book Caravan. In this final episode you’ll see the Librotraficantes finally arrive in Tucson, Arizona and deliver the censored books to the high school student of Tucson. You Tia has t admit I teared up a little on this one. To see this smart and intelligent leaders of our future as they discover the wonder of books! Hijole!

Also, to commemorate Mother’s Day, we are showcasing Pat Mora’s reading of her poem, “Mi Madre.” An eloquent homage to a mother of a different kind. And speaking of mothers, Latinopia is congratulating Dolores Huerta, who, in addition to raising eleven children, also managed to lead the United Farm Workers into numerous victories. She was honored last week when President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom award. Wow! Eleven kids and the Medal of Freedom, además! Go Dolores!

Enjoy, pues!

OOXX Tia Tenopia

Hola my gente! I have great news for you this week–the launch of Sergio Hernandez´s new cartoon strip Arnie & Porfi. These are two loving but mismatched cousins (one, muy listo y el otro medio tapado) that Sergio created for the celebrated literary and arts magazine Con Safos. Well, this week Arnie and Porfi return! Watch for these rollicking characters every week on Latinopia!

Y hablando de bloggers, la Sara Ines returns with another Thinking Latina blog. Check her muy pesao thoughts on latinos and la technologia. Wow!, someone is thinking! Dan Guerrero is busy for the next few weeks traveling  on tour with his one-man show Gaytino, so for the next few weeks we will have some guest bloggers in his place. This week, its our friend and colega Michael Sedano of La Bloga who makes some pretty cool observations of the Chicano literary canon.(entre nos: your Tia didn’t quite get “literary canon” que we shoot books at people? Pues in a way…)

We have two exciting videos this week, one in History and one in Music. In History we complete the two-part story of the founding of Chicano Park under the Coronado Bridge in San Diego. Your Tia knew nothing about this historic fight but my movimiento Tio Braulio me dio todo el low down. Fijense. It seems the city of San Diego had promised the land under the Coronado Bridge to the Mexican American community of Logan Heights so community activists could convert the land into a public park for the chavalitos.  But when the city went back on its word, the citizens of Logan Heights tore down the fencing around the land and occupied the land for 12 days! Hijole, like a hen protecting her pollitos, the padres and madres of Logan Heights defended the right of their children to have a park! Pos, imaginate! The city council eventually had to give in and then the folks of Logan Heights se aventaron and began painting murals in the park! Pues check out the video y te dira todo!

In Music,  Agustin Lira and Patricia Wells Soloranzano of Fresno-based El Teatro de la Tierra return with another Teatro member, Merlinda Espinosa, who beautiful voice renders a poignant song about the struggle for freedom throughout the Americas.

And in Literature we have another in our series of book reviews of the classics of the Latino Lliterary canon. This time Dr. Thelma  Reyna dazzles us with a review of the late Estela Portillo Tramley’s first book, Rain of Scorpions and Other Writings. Oh, and later this week we’ll be posting on monthly events calendar.

Bueno, como dice me Tio Braulio, “Nothin’ to it, but to do it!” So get on with watching this week’s videos and reading this week’s blogs.

OOXX Tia Tenopia

Hola my Peeps! Hey big changes at Latinopia this week. We’re welcoming two new bloggers! Sara Ines Calderon is a firme sister who until recently was editor at the Newstaco.com  You can check out a Latinopia profile of her  in the Latinopia Showcase Newstaco.  Sara is an accomplished reporter and writer and will be writing regularly on issues pertaining to Latinas in particular but also culture, politics and all things Latino–don’t dare put here in a box!  Watch for her blog Thinking Latina with Sara Ines Calderon!

Our second new blogger will be artist and cartoonist Sergio Hernández. Sergio will be communicating to us his views on Latinos and the world through his regular cartoon strip Arnie & Profi.  Who are Arnie and Porfi? These are two cousins, one rather naive and “tapado,” the other street smart and savvy.  Sergio created them for the legendary magazine Con Safos back i the 1970s.  Latinopia has convinced Sergio to revive the cartoon strip for the year 2012 and beyond. Watch for the adventures of Arnie and Porfi beginning next week!

And of course we’ll continue to hear from our man in Hollywood, enterainment and  cultura, Dan Guerrero.  Dan was busy with his one-man show this week, so we’ll see his new blog next week.  And of course this week we have new videos.  We’ll visit the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, new Mexico as they host the arrival of the Librotraficantes Banned Book Caravan.  Poets and authors turned out from all over New Mexico and they read from their works. Check out the impressive list of authors!

And speaking of impressive authors.  Your Tia Tenopia and all of us at Latinopia congratulate  our friends and acclaimed writer Rudolfo Anaya for winning the 2011 Robert Kirsch Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Los Angeles Times. This is a muy especial and most prestigious award is given to a living author whose work relates to the West. We’re so proud of Rudy being in the company of other winners of the award like Ray Bradbury, Joan Didion, Caroyln See and Larry McMurtry.  Rudy couldn’t attend the awards ceremony but sent a video acceptance speech that so firme we’re thought we’d share it with you. Check it out and avientate Rudy!

Okay, púes, time to let you check out our new bloggers, new videos  and the new Latinopia look.

Abrazos, Tia Tenopia

What up Latinopians! Wow, what an exciting week! Your Tia Tenopia couldn’t resist attending the Annual Conference of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) at the Universal Sheraton hotel in Los Angeles this week-end. The three day conference had really interesting platicas on the new Youtube channels, how Latinos are using Facebook and Twitter to expand film marketing to Latino audiences, and yes, even a panel discussion on new media that highlighted  Latinopia.com!  The finale was a fabulous dinner that was MCed by that terrific actor and comedian Joe Hernandez-Kolski. The dinner honored legendary actress Rita Moreno (West Side Story) for her lifetime of artistic achievements–she is the only Latina to have won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony award and Grammy award! Pesada! Your Tia was inspired to see so many talented Latino writers, directors, producers and actors working together to tell our stories to the world. Hay que orgullo!

Okay, back to our Latinopia world. This week, we have yet another installment of the epic journey of the librotraficantes bringing banned books to the children of Tucson. This time the librotraficantes visit legendary pioneer of Chicano letter Rudy Anaya, whose novel Bless me Ultima is perhaps the most widely read ( and perhaps most banned) novel by an American born Latino yet. Sin embargo, next week, Rudolfo Anaya will receive the Roberto Kirsch Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Los Angeles Times. Mira nomás! Check out this video as another celebrated Chicano author, Dagoberto Gilb, visits with Rudy Anaya.

In Art, we commemorate a historic event. In 1970, the residents of the Logan Heights barrio in San Diego were promised a park in the land under the recently built Coronado Bridge. But then the city reneged on the agreement. The city fathers decided they wanted to lease  the land to the Highway Patrol for a substation. The community responded by occupying the land! In the years that followed they not only built their CHICANO PARK but also filled it with amazing murals. This is the first of a two-part video on the founding of Chicano Park which will be celebrating its 42 anniversary this coming weekend. Ajua!

And of course, check out Dan Guerrero’s blog–this week he tells us about a new up and rising Cuban star. And–Ojo!–we will soon be enjoying two new regular blogs. One from journalist Sara Inez Calderon and another from cartoonist Sergio Hernández–watch for all of this in the next few weeks on Latinopia.com!

Abrazos mis queridos! Tia Tenopia

Hay mis queridos hijos,hijas, buscaruidos, tormentosos, activistas, estudiantes, profesores, intelectuales, vagos, etc. etc. Your Tia Tenopia here ushering in another week of new Latinopia videos and noticias. First off, be sure to check in with Dan Guerrero’s blog about the América Tropical mural. Your Tia posted a clip from Jesús Treviño’s classic documentary, América Tropical (look under the art page on Latinopia) in anticipation of the unveiling of a new viewing platform for the mural this summer. Dan gives us the latest scoop on what’s up with the mural that time could not destroy. Ojos! Ojos!

We continue in our journey with the librotraficantes as they leave El Paso, Texas and reach Mesilla, New Mexico. They had a close call on the way, check out the Librotraficantes 3 video which has some real deep observations by celebrated Chicano author Dagoberto Gilb (winner of the PEN Hemingway award) who went along the librotraficante ride.

Also this week, we visit with one of the legendary artists of the early days of the Chicano movement–Sergio Hernández. My Tio Braulio, to whom I refer all matters pertaining to the civil rights movimiento of the sixties, tells me that Sergio was a member of a collective of multi-talented writers and artists that included Gilbert “Magu” Lujan, Arturo “Tudi” Flores, Adaberta “Berta” Flores, Antonio “Tony”Gomez, John “Figgy’ Figueroa , Oscar “Pinguino” Castillo and many others. Later this year we’ll be posting a report on the work of this incredible group of creators. But for now, check out the profile piece on Serg Hernández. My Tio Braulio affectionately calls him, “Un vato de atolle,” (your Tia’s not quite sure what that means, but it sure sounds firme!).

Okay púes, get on with your viewing for the week and spread the word about Latinopia!

Abrazos, Tia Tenopia

Hola Mis Queridos! Dan Guerrero is back! Yes, our media, entertainment and cultura blogger has returned from New York, so check out his bloga and find out all about his aventuras! And speaking of adventuras, check out Latinopia’s on-going report on the Librotraficante Banned Book Caravan.  Latinopia’s own Jesús Treviño embedded himself on the caravan for a good portion of the trip from Houston to Tucson and, with the help of blogger Michael Sedano (labloga.blogspot.com ), was able to capture the spirit of the expedition and the amazing poetry readings along the way. Check out the 2012 Libreotraficantes 2 report, the second in an on-going series!

Also this week, we feature El Paso poets Richard Yañez and Vincent Emery Jr. reading the works of one of the authors banned by the Tucson Unified School District. I’m talking about Pulitzer Prize nominee Luis Alberto Urrea’s poem, “Hymn To Vatos Who Will Never Be in a Poem.” Scope out the reading of this pesao poem as read by Ricardo y el Vince!

Hay, esta semana llena de literary events! Ojo! While the Tucson Unified School District is busy banning and censoring our books, Governor Jerry Brown has named Chicano poet Juan Felipe Herrera as the Poet Laureate of the state of California! And in San Antonio, Mayor Julian Castro has named multi-talented Chicana poet, author, playwright and actress Carmen Tafaolla as the first Poet Laureate of San Antonio! Your Tia Tenopia sends out kudos to both of these pioneering and gifted poets.

And last but not least, this week we feature the first of our political book review. This is a  review of Dr. Armando Navarro’s economic blockbuster, “Capitalist Global Crisis,” reviewed by Dr. José Calderon, Profesor Emeritus of Sociology, Pitzer College. Your Tia doesn’t pretend to be able to figure out all the wheres and whys and hows of this brainy book, but she’s happy that there are Chicano scholars out there who can analyze all the economics and politics of our world order and make some sense of it–hay, pues!

Enjoy this week’s postings and hey, what do you think of my new look with my new Barrio Dog baseball cap?

OOXX Tia Tenopia

WOW,WOW! Tia Tenopia is so excited about the cool stuff on Latinopia this week! Cesar Chavez’s birthday , Librotraficantes (book smugglers) and classics of Latino literature!

March 31st is the birthday of legendary union organizer and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez  and we’d thought we’d celebrate by posting some of his more memorable quotes–pensamientos to think about, que no? Check it César Chávez In His own Words.

Librotraficantes!  As you know, Latinopia has been in support of the historic caravan of  book smugglers  bringing banned books to the children of Tucson following the edict by the Tucson Unified School District to take certain books out of the classrooms. It seems some books are too dangerous for Mexican American kids to read (among them Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, not to mention classics of the Latino Literary canon such as House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya). What are they thinking?!  Last week,  Latinopia’s own Chuy Treviño ( Mister Barrio Dog himself) rode with the book caravan and we are posting the first of several video reports he filmed during this historic week-long caravan and its aftermath. Yes, only here on Latinopia.com! Michael Sedano of  La Bloga was also covering the caravan, for a day-to-day photo essay on the events check out his La Bloga!

Also in the literary field this week, we offer a book review by Dr.  Thelma Reyna of yet another classic of Latina literature, Nicholasa Mohr’s novel Nilda. This is part of a year long effort by Latinopia to preserve and promote the CLASSICS OF LATINO LITERATURE. Watch for the reviews of classic of our literature by author and reviewer Dr. Thelma Reyna and award-winning journalist Luis Torres throughout the year!

And in history, check out our MOMENT IN TIME photograph of Alex and Esther Bernal. An unassuming couple who decided to stand up for their rights when they were denied entry into an all white neighborhood of Fullerton, California in 1943. Hay Dios! They were attacking our community in 1943 and are still at it in Arizona today. Hay que decir basta, no? Hey, one aunt’s opinion.

Abrazos, Tia Tenopia.

What up, Latinopians! Last week Latinopia’s founder, the Barrio Dog himself, was riding on the bus with the librotraficantes banned book caravan. Riding with the Barrio Dog was Michael Sedano who reported on the exciting week in la bloga.  The exciting week included stops in El Paso, Mesilla, New Mexico, and Albuquerque before finally landing in Tucson, Arizona to deliver boxes of books written by Latino authors to Latino high school students. These are books that have been banned by the Tucson Unified School System and taken out of the school libraries. Hay que barbaros!  The caravan, instigated by Tejano Tony Díaz,  was a historic demonstration of people power–Latinos across the Southwest united to stand up for their first amendment rights. About as American as you can get! Watch for filmed reports on this historic struggle coming to you in the weeks to come on Latinopia.com!

This week we highlight another historic event and yet another attempt to censor the Latino voice. Your Tia is talking about the 1932 whitewashing of a mural painted by Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siquieros called “América Tropical.” Here’s the lowdown.  Siquieros was asked to paint a mural on the wall of a building in Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles. The theme was to be “Tropical America. ” The shop owner who commissioned the mural got more than he bargained for when Siquieros created an image so powerful that the mural was soon whitewashed and kept from public view. What was that image? Check out this week’s excerpt from the classic documentary “America Tropical,” made by filmmaker Jesús Treviño was back in 1971.

Also this week, we have the trailer for a new drama by Latino filmmaker and director Gabe Torres titled “Brake.” This is an exciting action adventure that is released this week (March 23rd) in theaters in New York and Los Angeles. So go out and see this film and support this talented director!

Bueno, as my Tia Braulio likes to say, “Nothing to it, but to do it!” Check out this week’s videos and enjoy!

OOXX  Tia Tenopia

Flag of the San Patricio Battalion

Hola Mis Queridos Latinopianos! Your Tia Tenopia has two themes this week. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, which is just around the corner, we focus on what I call “the Irish/Mexican Connecta.”. That’s the special affinity between the Irish and the Mexican people. We start with a guest blog by Arizona-based Irish/Chicano Ernesto Hogan who reflects on the meaning of the “Irish Mexicano conecta” from first-hand experience. In Art, we feature Wayne Healy, whose parents were also Irish and Mexicano–though known for his pioneering mural work with the East Los Streetscapers, Wayne also was the first Chicano to take an exhibit of Chicano Art to Ireland! In History, we have a classic Moment in Time, when artist Victor Ochoa led an international group of muralists in painting a mural in Belfast, Northern Ireland. To round off our celebration of Irish Mexican week, we reprise Mark Day’s documentary on the “San Patricio Battalion”– check out this incredible story of how more than 300 Irish left the U.S. Army during the Mexican American War of 1848 to fight on the side of Mexico! And in Food, break out your baking soda and raisins and prepare for Bobbi Murray’s recipe for Jalapeno Soda Bread! Hijole, Irish and Mexicanos…what a combo!

Our other theme this week is the Librotraficantes Caravan of Banned Books. As your Tia has been telling you, this whole thing started last year when the Arizona state legislature passed a law banning the teaching of ethnic studies in public schools. To comply. the Tucson Unified School District took the unprecedented step of removing books used in Chicano Studies classes from the school libraries. In effect, Chicanitos can’t read about their history, culture and literature and neither can anyone else! Enter Tony Diaz who is leading a caravan from Texas to Tucson to bring these banned books by Latino authors to the children of Ariozna. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, meanwhile poets mounted an impassioned Benefit Poetry Reading on March 4, 2012. Take a look at the vide of this event as shot and edited by filmmaker Daniel Sonis. Also check out Luis Torres’s review of Rudolfo Anaya’s Bless Me Ultima–one of the books banned in Tucson–he explains why the book is still so powerful.
And, of course, please check out Dan Guerrero’s blog Out and About with Dan Guerrero. This week he reports on the screening of new film.

What a week on Latinopia! Enjoy! OOXX Tia Tenopia

Mijos and mijas! Oh what exciting footage we have for you to see this week! In 1969 your Tia Tenopia  was just a gleam in her parents eyes, but my Uncle Braulio tells me that one of the most important events of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement took place this month 42 years ago.  I’m talking about the National Chicano Youth Conference held at the Crusade for Justice in Denver, Colorado from March 27 through the 31st.  This week we are posting footage from this historic event produced and directed by veteran filmmaker and television director Jesús Treviño, hay he was just a little chavalito in those days!

His cameraman, also wet behind the ears,  was Martín Quiroz and the soundman was young Bobby Romero. These three buscaruidos filmed this historic  meeting convened by civil rights activist Rodolfo “Corky ” Gonzales.  More than 1500 Mexican American and Puerto Rican youths came from throughout the United States. My uncle Braulio, who attended, tells me that the group discussed decades of discrimination and injustice in the United States  and came up with the term “Chicano” to use instead of referring to themselves as Mexican Americans–hay, talk about self-definitional, pues!  They discovered that the indigenous ancestors of today’s Mexican Americans were Mexica indios who came from a place called  “Aztlán,” located to the north and west of what is today Mexico City. Pues,  el Southwest, que no? They decided that from now on, they would refer to the  American Southwest as “Aztlán,” the ancestral home of their ancient ancestors. No more “go back to Mexico where you came from” for them–Chicanos have always been here in the United States!   So check out this exciting footage in Latinopia Event 1969 Denver Youth Conference!

Shifting gears and jumping right into the internet and new media present, we also showcase this week the Latino podcast Elusive Minds. One of the founders of this firme venture, Michael Centeno, tells us about the how and why of podcasting to Latinos. Your Tia is so proud of what these young vatos are doing for our community! Check it out!

And of course, Dan Guerrero returns with another insider’s look at what’s going on in the world of Latino arts and entertainment with his weekly blog, Out And About with Dan Guerrero.

Great fun, Latinopians….ENJOY!

OOXX  Tia Tenopia

What up mis queridos Latinopians! Lots of cool stuff this week on your favorite website for cultura and arte. Fijense, last Wednesday I saw a lot of foreheads smudged with ash so I know we’re into the Quadragesima–yes, Lent is upon us! If you’re wondering what non-meat recipes to cook in the coming weeks, we bring you three Mexican classics. We’re reprising the Cocina Hernández recipes for Shrimp Tortas (Shrimp Fritters) and Capirotada–yummie! Diane Velarde Hernández returns this week with a new recipe, this one for Chile Relleno.

In Literature, we visit with author and publisher Mario Picayo as he reads to us from his children’s book, “A Caribbean Journey from A to Y (Read and Discover What Happened to the Z)” This is a widely popular book among teachers and Michelle Obama has a copy! The First Lady of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cecile deJongh gave her a copy for the Obama girls! Check
out this cool book.

And, of course Dan Guerrero returns with his weekly blog, Out and About with Dan Guerrero. Dan has visited the Grammy Museum this week where there is an exhibit of Latino music. Legends. Find out all about it!

On other fronts, keep your eyes and ears open for the librotraficantes Book Caravan which will be traveling through Texas and New Mexico to end in Tucson Arizona where our Latino children are being denied knowledge of their history and heritage. Whaa? Yep, Arizona passed a measure that outlaws the teaching of ethnic studies in schools. To comply with the new law, the Tucson school system has removed classics of Latino literature from the school libraries. But the librotraficantes (book traffickers) Caravan will be bringing these banned books to the children of Tucson! Watch for events in San Antonio, El Paso, Mesilla, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico and, of course, in Tucson!

Oyo! On other fronts, advance warning for Children’s Day/Book Day, an annual celebration of books for children originated by author Pat Mora and now celebrated throughout the Southwest on April 30th.

Bueno, your Tia is off to the mercado to purchase pasilla chiles for tonight’s dinner of Chiles Rellenos!

OOXX Tia Tenopia

Hola Mis queridos! Big news at Latinopia this week is the upcoming Librotraficantes Book Caravan, Que es, you ask? Pues, the Tucson Unified School System recently outlawed the teaching of Chicano studies in the Tucson schools and took the books used for those classes out of the school libraries. Whaaa? Si, palabra! Tony Díaz, who founded the Nuestra Palabra radio program in Houston, Texas, is responding to the banning of books written by such luminary Latino authors as Rudolfo Anaya, Sandra Cisneros and Dagoberto Gilb. He is leading a caravan of buses and cars loaded with the banned books from Houston, Texas to Tucson, Arizona with stops in Austin, San Antonio and El Paso, Texas, Mesilla and Albuquerque, New Mexico and of course ending in Tucson. Cuando? The Caravan leaves Houston on March 12th and arrives in Tucson on the 16th. And, yes, Latinopia will be there documenting this historic fight for the children of Tucson to know their history and culture.

This week on Latinopia we have videos in Food and Literature and a new blog by Dan Guerrero.
In Food, Diane Velarde Hernández returns with Cocina Hernández. This time she’ll show us how to make that Mexican meal staple, Spanish Rice! In Literature we visit we Michael Sedano, co-founder of the Latino literature blog, La Bloga. Michael explains to us how La Bloga got started and who contributes to this inspiring website. Check out these videos, mijos, and be sure to read Dan’s latest on doings this week in Los Angeles art and entertainment.

Abrazos! Tia Tenopia

Hola Mis Queridos Latinopianos! Breaking News! Your Tia is rete alborotada to announce a new blog on Latinopia.com featuring the wisdom and wit of multi-talented actor, producer and director Dan Guerrero. Now your Tia has just gotten to know Dan recently and I decided to find out more about this vato. Well! I visited Dan’s website (www.Danguerrero.com) and. found out these exciting things about Dan. He is the son of legendary songwriter, musician and big band leader Lalo Guerrero, considered by many as the father of Chicano music (see Latinopia’s 100 Years of Latino Music). Dan has acted on the New York stage (see Dan’s Latinopia video Gaytino).  Although raised in East Los Angeles, Dan started his entertainment career in New York where for many years he was a successful theatrical agent with clients in the original casts of countless Broadway musicals. He returned home to Los Angeles for an equally successful time as a casting director for stage and television before turning his talents to producing and directing. He has produced diverse programming for NBC, PBS, HBO, FOX, Univision and Telemundo. Y ademas, Dan has produced staged spectacular events at such firme venues as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque and the Cite de la Musique in Paris, France. Se avienta este vato! So say welcome to Dan and check out his weekly blog “Out and About with Dan Guerrero.”

On other fronts, we have two exciting videos for you. In history, we have celebration of the life of legendary mathematics teacher Jaime Escalante (1930-2012). You probably will remember that his teaching success with Latino students inspired the motion picture Stand and Deliver. When he passed away last year, the entire East Los Angeles community came out to pay him respects. Check out Latinopia Event 2010 Jaime Escalante Memorial. In Literature, we visit with Tejano author Rene Pérez whose first collection of short stories, “Along These Highways” was just published by Bilingual Review Press. Check out his short story “Closeness to Taste” and if you want to buy his book follow the link to Bilingual Review Press.

Bueno, I’ll le tyo get on to Dna’s Blog and to the videos! Abrazos! Tia Tenopia

Hola Mis Queridos! This week your Tia Tenopia brings you videos in Latino theater and Latino history. In Teatro we have an original production out of Laredo, Texas. Playwright Roberto Gutíerrez has written a probing play about life and death, good and evil, and moral conscience. Check out “Las Mascara del Chivo” (The Mask of the Kid). As most of you know (and as I constantly hear from my Tio Braulio), many of the gains and benefits we experience as Latinos in the United States today, are the result of the hard-fought battles for our civil rights waged in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2009, activists who were a part of what is known as el movimiento, (including my Tio Braulio), reunited in Dallas, Texas to celebrate 40 years of struggle and social advancement. Our Latinopia cameras were there to document the event. Today we post the first of our reports on the 2009 Activists Reunion.

Y hablando de…With laws recently passed in Tucson, Arizona that ban our children from reading classics of Latino Literature like Bless me Ultima, we need to be on guard and defend the advances we’ve made over the past few decades. There’s always some menso out there who will try to take away our rights if we let them! Ojo, por favor!

And your Tia hopes you profes out there have had a chance to check out the Latinopia Teacher’s Guide The Latino Voice in American Society. What’d you think? Give us feedback and if you are using Latinopia to augment your teaching, let us know what your doing.

Bueno, your Tia has to run off and confer with our Latinopia webmasters. We are planning new improvements to our site and homepage in the next few weeks! Watch for the new Latinopia look!

Abrazos, Tia Tenopia

Hola Latinopians! And welcome to February of 2012!

As you will see, your Tia Tenopia has a whole new batch of Latino cultural events in major U.S. cities listed in February Events. Also this week, we are posting our first Latinopia Teacher’s Guide for secondary school teachers and university professors who want to use Latinopia as a resources for their classroom instruction. This first Teacher’s Guide is titled The Latino Voice in American Society and utilizes the timeline, biographies and videos you will find on Latinopia to teach a course which will allow students to identify and find their own creative voice. Check it out! And by the way, those of you who are using Latinopia as a classroom resources, leave us a message and let us know how so we can pass the word on to other instructors.

Also more news in February. Watch for a new Latinopia blog written by Dan Guerrero, one of the pioneering Mexican American television and stage producers whose credits include the Paul Rodriguez Show as well as major stage events in New York and Los Angeles.

And last, but not least, we showcase a new film by Mexican director Roberto Olivares who brings us an exciting Mexican musical group, Grupo Xime, in concert with a Macedonian musical ensemble, “Kokani Orchestra.”  Check out this cool and zany music!

Abrazos,  Tia Tenopia

Hola mis queridos Latinopianos! How’s the new year treating you? All well I hope. Here at Latinopia the new year is ushering in great additions to Latinopia which your Tia will be announcing next week.. Preparense! For this week, however, we have renowned poet Pat Mora returning with a poem about how difficult it sometimes is for Mexican Americans and other Latinos who live in the United States. Though bilingual and bi-cultural they are often viewed differently by other Americans and even by their own people. Check out Pat reading her poem, “Legal Alien,” y dime si no es verdad! And in history, we continue our exploration of the possible geographic site of Aztlán, the mythic homeland of the Mexica people. Por Dios! All this talk of Aztlán makes your Tia want to put on her Indiana Jones hat, jump in a four-wheel drive jeep and go searching for Aztlán herself. Any takers? In Moment in Time. we have a poignant historic photo of President John F. Kennedy in Houston, Texas on the night before he was assassinated. What does this have to do with Latinos? Check it and find out. Hey, if any of you Latinopians out there have photos of key events or moments in Latino history, please pass them on so we can post them on Moment in Time. Well, enjoy this week’s postings, and remember the words of the great Spanish director Luis Buñuel, “Our memory is our coherence, our reason, our feeling even our action. Without it, we are nothing.” OO XX Your Tia Tenopia

“Bailar La Bamba, Bailar La Bamba…” Hola Mis Queridos! Yes, this week we’ve got music in the form of that popular folk song “La Bamba.” But watch out! This version, performed by the ensemble music group Las Cafeteras, is an updated version with contemporary lyrics that link an old song to current day realities faced by Latinos in the United States. In History, we have another Latinopia Event. For this one we go way back to the year 1325 A.D. when the Mexica people, ancestors to today’s Mexicans and Mexican Americans, left their ancient homeland of Aztlán. Something that has always puzzled your Tia: after more than 500 years why has the site of this ancient dwelling never been uncovered? If, as some people think, it was somewhere in the American Southwest, where could that have been? Pues, miren no más, in an excerpt from the video “In Search of Aztlán” we get some provocative clues. Oh and this is the first of a two-parter. And speaking of Aztlán, this week’s Moment in Time photograph documents the Becas de Aztlán (Aztlán Scholarships) program which allowed dozens of Mexican American students to study in Mexico from 1972 to 1982. So check out all of our great postings and have a great week! OOXX Tia Tenopia

Mis queridos! Welcome to another week of Latinopia and do we have fun videos for you this week! Our Latinopia Showcase highlights a new documentary work-in-progress that you can help complete. “Juanito’s Lab” is a true labor of love by San Antonio filmmakers Enrique Lopetegui and Guillermina Zabala who are documenting the music of an extraordinarily gifted blind musician Juanito Castillo. Check out this amazing talent and help out if you can by going to the link and contributing to the completion of this important film. In literature, we visit with four stellar Latino authors convened at the El Paso Juntos Arts and Literature Festival in April of 2010. Check out what Sergio Troncoso, Benjamin Sáenz, Christine Granados and Dagoberto Gilb think about how labels such as Chicano, Latino, Hispanic and Fronterizo affect the reception of their work in mainstream society. Your Tia hopes the next year is being good to you and that you have made that New Year’s Resolution to visit Latinopia at least once a week!
OOXX Tia Tenopia

Happy New Years and Feliz Navidad to all you Latinopians! Your Tia is just a wee bit cruda this week from all of that partying and New Years revelry. No, I didn’t make it to Times Square this year. Hay, standing up for 12 hours straight and they won’t let you get to a restroom? Olvidate!

But great news, Latinopians. This week marks one full year of Latinopia being on-line and your Tia thought we would celebrate by posting our THREE MOST POPULAR LATINOPIA VIDEOS OF 2011 AS VOTED AND VIEWED BY YOU! And, as they say in Hollywood, the envelope please…yes, the top three most viewed Latinopia videos were in literature, music and art. Topping the list is José Montoya reading his classic Chicano poem, “El Louie,” next is Flaco Jimenez, showing off his wide range of musical stylings and another most viewed video was the profile of our friend, mentor, and visionary art innovator, Gilbert “Magu” Lujan who passed away in July. These are all videos that are never dated. If you haven’t seen them before, you have a treat in store. If you have, you’ll find they still deliver. And that’s why people keep coming back time and again.

Also be sure to check out the January Events. We’ll be updating the January Events as the month progresses.

What’s that? Did I make a New Years resolution? Yes, indeed I did. No, its not getting more things done, or more exercise, or losing weight (Hey, what are you saying about your Tia?!) No, my New Years Resolution is just to spend more time enjoying and appreciating the company of my familia and my many friends. Life is short and we must make the best of it. So here’s wishing each and every one of you Latinopians health, happiness and prosperity in 2012!

OOXX Tia Tenopia