THIS WEEK ON LATINOPIA: EDUARDO PORTILLO ON WHY POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST LATINOS IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT, BURUNDANGA BORICUA ON MUCH ADO FOR BILINGUALS, AND MARK GUERRERO’S CHICANO MUSIC CHRONICLES PODCAST WITH CHRIS MONTEZ.
In the wake of the guilty conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, one is left to wonder why while police killings of African Americans is rightfully called out, mass media continues to ignore the continued police violence against Latinos. Latinopia asked sociologist Eduardo Portillos, who has written extensively about policing of Latinx youth, to help us understand. In our two videos, the first addresses the question the abuse of Latinos by police is ignored and the second video is what we can do to raise consciousness about the long history of police brutality of Latinos. These two pláticas are thoughtful and worth looking at, especially in light of Black Lives Matter.
José Umpierre returns with his Burundanga Boricua blog. This week he looks at the two opposing solutions being offered for the decades long quagmire about the status of the island of Puerto Rico. Many in Congress are pointing to the November status vote that had 51% of Puerto Ricans voting for statehood and 49% not. They say Puerto Rico should become the 51st state. Others are proposing a convention to definitively determine the political status of the island. This is a bilingual blog, so you have no excuse not to read it!
Also this week, Mark Guerrero returns with his Chicano Music Chronicles with a conversation with Chris Montez. It was before my time but your Tia Tenopia remembers his hit song “Let’s Dance.” Check out this interview with a Chicano recording pioneer.
Have you gotten your vaccine shot yet? Your Tia Tenopia has but I am safeguarding others by still wearing my mask.
Enjoy your week on Latinopia!
Tia Tenopia