THIS WEEK ON LATINOPIA: ST PATRICK DAY AND THE SAN PATRICIO BATTALION, BURUNDANGA BORICUA ON RAMÓN EMETERIO BETANCES, RANDY JURADO ERTLL ON TRUMP CRIMINALIZING SALVADORANS, LATINOPIA BIOGRAPHY ON BETANCES, AND OF COURSE, A IRISH SODA BREAD RECIPE.
Faith and Begorah to you Latinopians! Yes, it’s that time of year again. We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a look at the Irish Mexican connection in the form of the legendary San Patricio Battalion–Irish immigrants to America who opted to fight on the Mexican side of the Mexican American War of 1848 and are today considered heroes in Mexico and Ireland. Check out this cool video by Mark Day. Also, check out Bobbi Murray’s recipe for scrumptious Irish Soda Bread!
This week El Zocotroco returns and brings us a review of a new book by Paul Estrade, En Torno a Betances Hechos e Ideas. This review reminds us that although Ramón Emeterio Betances called for Puerto Rican independence back in 1868 at the Grito de Lares, his words and wisdom still ring true today in the midst of the Trump Presidency. Check out this review but also see the Latinopia biography of Ramón Emeterio Betances, what a giant of a man this guy was!
Salvadoran author and activist Randy Jurado Ertll weighs in with a guest blog on actions by the Trump Administration to criminalize all Salvadorans by associating them with the infamous and deadly Mara Salvatruchas gang. By the way, this is a gang that might not have been created were it not for U.S. polices in Central America during the 1970s and 1980s. Ertll’s thoughtful and insightful article reviews the history of US involvement in El Salvador and points to actions the Trump White House can take to solve rather than exacerbate the plight of Salvadorans in their homeland and in the United States. Se avienta el Ertll!
Enjoy your week of videos and blogs on this week’s Latinopia!
Tia Tenopia