THIS WEEK ON LATINOPIA: SALBALDENEGRO ON THE CO-OPTION OF THE FOURTH OF JULY, JOSÉ UMPIERRE ON A PUERTO RICAN FOURTH OF JULY, JUAN AUGUSTÍN MÁRQUEZ ON PUERTO RICO THE LAST COLONY, OLMECA I AM NOT ALONE AND QUETZAL’S FIRE BREATHERS.
Hola and welcome to another week of Latinopia! This week we have two alternate views on the recent celebration of our nation’s independence. Sal Baldenegro take a look at how American business interests transform historic ethnic events and traditions into money-making opportunities that overshadow the original meaning of these celebrations. José Umpierre takes a look at the brouhaha about July 4th in the context of the current economic crisis in Puerto Rico and the passage of House Bill 5278 which once again puts Puerto Rico’s future in the hands of the United States Congress and out of the hands of the Puerto Rican people themselves.
Reminding us about how the situation in Puerto Rico came to be, we present the trailer for Juan Augustín Márquez’s documentary The Last Colony.
And we repost rapper Olmeca’s bilingual “I am Not Alone,” showing the spirit that permeates Latino realities in the United States.And rounding out the musical scene we repost East Los Angeles group Quetzal’s original song “Tragafuegos”, (Fire Breathers).
Enjoy your week on Latinopia!
Tia Tenopia