Latino arts, history and culture
REMEMBERING SAL CASTRO. Some 45 years ago Sal Castro told me, “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders – for a guerito – go out and do something good for yourself and for your gente.” He said it … [Read more...]
THE IMMIGRATION BILL THAT COULDN’T. The much-hyped immigration reform bill that millions of undocumented immigrants, as well as their families and allies, have been waiting for is expected to be … [Read more...]
HOW TO HONOR A GIANT. This month I was going to focus on some cultural matters, but then César Chávez got in the way. Many communities recently honored César Chávez, a labor- and civil-rights icon … [Read more...]
THE AP'S DITCHING OF "ILLEGAL" SIGNALS A LARGER CHANGE FOR LATINOS. Last week the Associated Press finally decided to eliminate the word “illegal” from its style guide to describe immigrants (this … [Read more...]
PASARON POR AQUÍ. New Mexico reminds me a lot of Spain, especially northeast Spain going towards Asturias. Maybe that’s why the early Spanish explorers and settlers sought to make New Mexico into … [Read more...]
CESAR CHAVEZ WEEK ON LATINOPIA! Hola mis queridos vagabundos! This is the week that we celebrate the birth of a great labor leader, César Chávez. While even Google has seen fit to honor our great … [Read more...]
SCHOOL AGAIN? It was first good sleep I’d had in several days. I awoke to the sound of someone jamming a piece of paper, loudly and persistently, under the sill of my bedroom door. For a moment I … [Read more...]
CHICANOS? LA RAZA UNIDA? LATINOS IN TEXAS AND CALIFORNIA ARE FIGHTING THE SAME FIGHT. Recently I found myself in a room with Chicanos from East LA, Tejanos from the South Texas border, and even a … [Read more...]
GENETIC RIDDLES. “A zombie dog?” I asked. It was a few minutes after our arrival at the underground chambers of the Mano Poderosa laboratory, secretly situated underneath the Los Angeles County … [Read more...]
AQUI Y ALLA. Some year ago I wrote about “Demography and Destiny: American Hispanics in the 21st Century” which was met with mixed reactions, more negatively than positively. The Texas demographer … [Read more...]
SAN PATRICIOS, PEREGRINACIÓN AND MORE! Hola Latinopians! We celebrate St. Patrick’s day this week with a look at the Irish Mexicano connection. Ever heard of the Mexican architect Juan O’Gorman, … [Read more...]
VIDA. “Just remember, you’re here to visit a sick relative. If anyone asks, it’s your uncle José on your mother’s side.” Having narrowly escaped the bombarding metal darts of the Oñate zombie … [Read more...]
LET'S GET TOUGH ON ILLEGAL BORDER-CROSSERS! That’s it! I’ve had enough. All this talk about immigration reform. All this talk about “Let’s just accept the fact that they’re here and let’s give them … [Read more...]
HI JUSTICE SCALIA. I'M A LATINA AND I LIKE BEING ABLE TO VOTE. In the same week that I cast my ballot for Los Angeles mayor for the first time, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia sat on the … [Read more...]
ESCAPE! We had been walking steadily for about a half hour. Lazaro De La Tierra, boy zombie, Pearl Gonzalez, the most beautiful zombie woman in the world, were being led by the mysterious Mr. Nez … [Read more...]
Lovely Sky This is a view that I photograph often. It changes everyday depending on the weather and time of day. Part of my Instagram series. … [Read more...]
My Monet… We have a pond in our back yard which brings us many subtle pleasures with light and textures. I have a painting background and at times my photographs look like paintings. And this is … [Read more...]
VALENTIN''S DAY IS HERE! Hola my amourous and love struck peeps. Tia Tenopia here welcoming you to another week of Latinopia. This week we have a special Valentine's Day video offering-- poet … [Read more...]
