Latino arts, history and culture
There are moments when history seems to awaken—when something long kept distant finds its way home, carrying with it the breath of ancestors and the weight of memory. In Mexico City, such a moment … [Read more...]
Rafael C. Castillo’s Viáztlán Redux is a luminous and deeply personal chronicle of a literary dream brought to life through passion, struggle, and unwavering cultural commitment. As a professor of … [Read more...]
Lest we Forget. On the solemnity of this special day--September 11, 2001, twenty-five years ago, this coming September 11, 2026, we cried, America cried, a day that will never be forgotten as we … [Read more...]
The Spanish saying “pobre y con garrote” carries a weight far beyond its few words. Literally, it translates to “poor and with a club,” but its meaning is richer, more human. It speaks of someone who … [Read more...]
Throughout the twentieth century, Mexican Americans and Chicanos/as fought tirelessly for civil rights, often in overlooked corners of the nation. An initial review of the literature revealed the … [Read more...]
I was first introduced to the exquisite artwork of José Cisneros, the eminent and internationally renowned artist of the Spanish Borderlands from El Paso, Texas, by my good friend, mentor, and muse … [Read more...]
For the past forty years, my wife, Jo Emma, has been compiling some of her own dichos y refranes (sayings and proverbs), and they are all originals. Depending on the occasion or the circumstances at … [Read more...]
The story of Mamá’s repisa, or home altar, is a deeply personal and spiritual journey that spans decades, homes, and generations. In the 1940s and early 1950s, nestled in the heart of Barrio El … [Read more...]
Latinopia preamble. The battle of the Alamo is one of the iconic stories in American history and, over time, has grown in asserting the heroic valor of the Alamo defenders. Particularly significant … [Read more...]
Capirotada, the beloved Mexican bread pudding, carries centuries of history in every warm, cinnamon‑soaked bite. Its origins trace back to Spanish colonial times, when cooks blended Old World … [Read more...]
The Rio Grande has long been more than a river dividing nations; it has been a meeting place of cultures, faiths, and hidden legacies. Along its banks, towns in northern Mexico and South Texas became … [Read more...]
During the 1940s and 1950s, two of the well-known Mexican actors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema that I would see on the big screen at the Cine Azteca in the Barrio El Azteca were Arturo de … [Read more...]
The Spanish language, like many tongues, is a tapestry woven from centuries of cultural encounters. One of the most profound influences came from the Arab world during the Middle Ages, when the Moors … [Read more...]
This is Part Two of Two Parts of six notable people from San Antonio, Texas, for a total of twelve outstanding individuals. Through the encouragement and persuasion of my good friend, brother … [Read more...]
One morning Jo Emma and I went to run some errands close to the house and one of them had to do with stopping at the Dollar Tree to buy some crossword puzzles. We found only two different types for a … [Read more...]
A very important historical event will occur on Monday, September 8, 2025, which marked the 125th anniversary of the birth of Adela Velarde Pérez, also known as La Adelita. When I was growing up in … [Read more...]
Curanderismo (folk healing) is an integral component of the fabric that is very much a part of the Mexican American cultural, social, and historical heritage. My paternal grandmother, Doña Emilia, or … [Read more...]
When Jo Emma and I watch the ten o'clock nightly news in Spanish on Telemundo, I have noticed that the news reporters when they refer to the United States, they say, "Estados Unidos," and on the … [Read more...]
The phrase "Con Safo," often abbreviated as "C/S," carries profound significance within the Mexican American communities of San Antonio and South Texas. Growing up in the cherished Barrio El Azteca … [Read more...]
While growing up in my beloved Barrio El Azteca in Laredo, Texas, during the 1940s and 1950s, I would often hear my paternal grandparents mention the term, "La Canícula," during the hot summer … [Read more...]
In the 1950s, growing up in Laredo’s Barrio del Azteca, I lived for baseball. My grandfather, a former umpire in the Mexican League, took me to see the Laredo Apaches play at Washington Park. The … [Read more...]
