THIS WEEK ON LATINOPIA: RICARDO ROMO’S TEJANO REPORT ON CAROLINA FLORES, GILBERT “MAGU” LUJAN REMEMBERED: IN SEARCH OF MAGULANDIA, BURUNDANGA BORICUA ON THE 4TH AND 30TH OF JULY IN PUERTO RICO AND LATINOPIA DOCUMENT: THE PUERTO RICAN CONSTITUTION.
We begin this week with Ricardo Romo’s visit with artist Carolina Flores at her studio in San Antonio. Romo points to Carolina’s long artistic trajectory and how she has remained true to her love of family and community using her vibrant colors to render family and friends.
José Umpierre returns with his Burundanga Boricua blog, this week he looks at two holidays that are celebrated in Puerto Rico. One is the 4th of July which is celebrated much as it is in the continental United States. The other is the 30th of July, which marks the day that Puerto Rico was establish as an autonomous “free state” in 1952. The peculiar way in which Puerto Rico remains under the hegemony of the United States but is neither a state nor its own country remains the troubling reality that has haunted Puerto Ricans for decades.
We attach the Latinopia Document that explains the history behind this situation. Check out the Constitution of Puerto Rico to learn all about it.
This week marks twelve years since we lost renowned artist Gilbert “Magu” Lujan, one of the giants of Latino art in America and a member of the Los Four art collective which revolutionized Chicano art. In 2015, numerous artists contributed homage paintings of Magu for a special exhibit at the Santa Paula art museum. Check out the art that dozens of artists did to commemorate Magu and his legacy. We’re also posting a video of Magu speaking about what he strives to accomplish with his art work.
Enjoy your week on Latinopia!
Tia Tenopia