Every Day is Magic: Ada Limón

In her 2015 collection, Bright Dead Things, a National Book Award finalist for poetry, Ada Limón writes of moving to Kentucky: “Confession: I did not want to live here.” It’s perhaps not a surprising sentiment coming from a coastally oriented person who was raised in Northern California, attended college in Seattle, and then spent over a decade in New York City.

 

But Limón and her husband, Lucas, have been in Lexington for seven years now and the effects of settling into this place are noticeable in her new book, The Carrying (Milkweed, Aug.). It’s a phenomenally lively and attentive collection replete with the trappings of living a little closer to nature. While Bright Dead Things is marked by a preponderance of light, such as images of fireflies and neon signs, The Carrying features numerous appearances by various trees, birds, and beetles. Limón also demonstrates a greater willingness to be explicit in naming colors, particularly green. “It’s crazy green, the whole book,” she says. “Lexington is the greenest place I’ve ever lived.” Similarly, where in Bright Dead Things, Limón tells a lot of stories and anecdotes, in The Carrying she is very present in her thoughts and experiences.

As it turns out, these shifts in focus have another, altogether unexpected source. While putting Bright Dead Things together, Limón was diagnosed with chronic vestibular neuronitis, which can cause bouts of vertigo. “If I’m really having vertigo, it’s pretty intense and I really have to focus,”
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Immigration

Everything You Need to Know About the TN Visa Application Process

“Are you considering the VisaTN (Trade NAFTA) Visa as an option for you or a family member? An essential and complex part of making this decision is navigating immigration law. It can be daunting, mainly because each type of visa carries its mechanics and regulations that must be met.

Careful analysis of these laws is essential to determine if any relevant steps are needed for a successful TN Visa application. Having some direction to guide this process could help you wade through all the red tape and get your visa approved with incredible speed and assurance.

This article will guide you through the TN Visa Application process and explain how an immigration lawyer can help simplify this task…”

https://www.aboutinsider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-tn-visa-application-process/

 

Facts on Latinos in the U.S.

“There were 62.5 million Latinos in the United States in 2021, accounting for approximately 19% of the total U.S. population. In 1980, with a population of 14.8 million, Hispanics made up just 7% of the total U.S. population…”

https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheet/latinos-in-the-us-fact-sheet/

 

Retired Law Enforcement Professional Serves Expats Through Unique YouTube Channel May 30, 2023 154

“Ernie Baca, better known by his YouTube alias Sirdragonx, has made waves in the online community with his unique YouTube Channel: Retired Life in Mexico NO BULL! From serving in the United States Marshals Service to providing security and investigating high-profile cases, Ernie Baca has had a decorated 30-year Federal law enforcement career. Today, he has traded his badge for a camera and a unique mission: to guide the Expat community through the complexities of life in Mexico.

Known online as Sirdragonx, Baca has made it his mission to share accurate, unbiased, and comprehensive information about relocating, living, and traveling in Mexico. His work is far from a typical YouTube channel; it’s a public service that aims to empower viewers with knowledge, serving as a guide for the uninitiated and the experienced alike…”

https://mexicodailypost.com/2023/05/30/retired-law-enforcement-professional-serves-expats-through-unique-youtube-channel/

 

Black American entrepreneurs develop their dreams in Mexico

“…Tiara Darnell’s Blaxicocina restaurant in Mexico City is a “classic” immigrant business, deeply tied to being both Black and physically in Mexico. Her previous entrepreneurial experience included goat milk products and wine, but Blaxicocina’s inspiration is the home-cooked soul food of her Washington, D.C.-based family. The business began last year with cooking events at Darnell’s apartment, but once she was cramming 70 people at a time, she decided to take it to the next level…”

https://mexiconewsdaily.com/community/black-american-entrepreneurs-develop-dreams-in-mexico/

Biden administration sending 1,500 more soldiers to Mexico border

“…The troops could arrive by May 10, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters.

The soldiers will perform “non-law enforcement duties” such as data entry and warehouse support, DHS said in an earlier statement, attributing the new deployment to an “anticipated increase in migration” at the southwest US border…”

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/2/us-plans-to-send-1500-soldiers-to-mexico-border

Mexico’s treatment of migrants raises concern ahead of U.S. policy shift

“MEXICO CITY, April 25 (Reuters) – An impending change in U.S. border policy could put increased pressure on Mexico’s migrant detention system and lead to more reports of rights violations, migrant advocates have warned, in the wake of a fire that killed 40 people…”

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexicos-treatment-migrants-raises-concern-ahead-us-policy-shift-2023-04-25/

 

Mexican kidnappers targeting American tourists have ‘no code’ curbing ruthlessness: expert

“Kidnapping Americans in Mexico was “a business” executed by professionals with a law enforcement or military background – and was more prevalent during the 1980s than any other time in history – renowned private investigator Jay Armes III told Fox News Digital.

Abductions were “run as operations” that targeted the elite and wealthy with average ransom demands of $25 million, and they kept the victim alive if the family paid up, he said. If they didn’t pay, the victim was dead…”

https://www.foxnews.com/us/mexican-kidnappers-targeting-american-tourists-have-no-code-curbing-ruthlessness-expert

US-Visa-Online Offers E-Visa For All People.

“Us-Visa-Online is pleased to announce that we are now offering an online visa service for those traveling to the United States.This new service provides a convenient and hassle-free way to apply for a visa, and we are committed to providing our customers with the best possible experience.We have a team of experienced professionals who are available 24/7 to assist with any questions or concerns you may have.We believe that this new service will be a valuable resource for those planning to travel to the United States, and we are excited to offer it to our customers…”

https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/news/us-visa-online-offers-e-visa-for-all-people-

 

Immigrants and children of immigrants make up at least 15% of the 118th Congress

“…Children of immigrants, though, have increased their representation in Congress in recent years. Their share has increased from 10% (or 52 members) in the 115th Congress of 2017-18, when the Center began tracking this biographical information…”

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2023/02/28/immigrants-and-children-of-immigrants-make-up-at-least-15-of-the-118th-congress/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=9bf94bb349-PRC_WEEKLY_2023_03_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-9bf94bb349-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

Biden administration unveils broad asylum restrictions at U.S.-Mexico border

“…Under the new rules, migrants who do not schedule an appointment at a U.S. border port of entry or use humanitarian programs available to certain nationalities would be ineligible for asylum except in certain cases. They must also first seek and be denied protection in countries they pass through to be able to claim asylum once in the United States…”

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-roll-out-new-asylum-restrictions-us-mexico-border-sources-2023-02-21/

Accounting Firms Have Begun to See Mexico As a Goldmine for Accounting and Finance Talent, Says Guy

“…The U.S. isn’t the only country in the world with talent. For example, our neighbor to the south is rife with bright, bilingual individuals often with the same (if not better) qualifications as their U.S. counterparts. As of the second quarter of 2022, there were more than 466,000 accountants and auditors in Mexico while the U.S., despite having more than double the population, has just over 665,000 actively licensed CPAs. With a shared border, strong cultural familiarity and other benefits, I’ve noticed many multinational accounting firms have begun to see Mexico as a goldmine for accounting and finance talent…”

https://www.goingconcern.com/category/salaries/

Experts: Death of DPS agent at Texas-Mexico border was preventable

“At the top, the driver took a wide turn and ran off the road into a 3-foot ditch obscured by plants. As the truck tipped over, Salas slid and the vehicle landed on him. Several of the migrants were injured. Salas was airlifted to a San Antonio hospital where he died the next day…”

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2023/01/26/experts-death-of-dps-agent-at-texas-mexico-border-was-preventable/

 

Monthly encounters with migrants at U.S.-Mexico border remain near record highs

“The number of monthly migrant encounters had fallen to 16,182 – the second-lowest total in more than 20 years – in April 2020, shortly after the coronavirus outbreak forced the closure of the southwestern border and slowed migration across much of the world.

But encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border have soared since then, with 206,239 reported in November 2022, according to the latest available monthly data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the federal agency that encompasses the Border Patrol. Recent monthly totals far exceed the peak reached during the last major wave of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border in May 2019 and are roughly on par with the previous peak reached in March 2000…”

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2023/01/13/monthly-encounters-with-migrants-at-u-s–mexico-border-remain-near-record-highs/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=78d45753a2-Weekly_2023_01_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-78d45753a2-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

As ‘Three Amigos’ meet in Mexico, experts call on leaders for North American vision

“With Canadian and Mexican manufacturers added in the 11th hour to Biden’s plan to encourage the sale of climate-friendly electric vehicles, there will be room to talk about more familiar irritants like trade disputes and U.S. protectionism…

…As a country that’s not immune to the influences of irregular migration and the flow of fentanyl at the U.S.-Mexico border, Canada will need to be part of that conversation as well, one that’s widely expected to dominate the agenda…”

https://www.sootoday.com/national-news/as-three-amigos-meet-in-mexico-experts-call-on-leaders-for-north-american-vision-6349468

 

Lawsuit says Kia benefited from labor of misled Mexican migrants

“…In the class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta and amended late last month, lawyers representing the Mexican workers accused the Korean car maker of benefiting from “exploited” workers. The plaintiffs say they were lured to Georgia through a visa program meant for white-collar immigrants, but then ordered to work low-paid assembly line jobs…”

https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-news/lawsuit-says-kia-benefited-from-labor-of-misled-mexican-migrants/NB36ZARJLRHQLE7ZXV7TZIYPQU/

I’m Mexican American. But the LA City Council audio leak reminded me that I’m Oaxacan too

“…I felt lightheaded as if I’d stood up too quickly as I processed their words. “Tan feos,” she said. So ugly. A prominent Mexican American had invoked stereotypes about a group that, for so long, has been among the most marginalized in Mexico, a country that has long refused to acknowledge systemic colorism and racism.

As shown in a transcript, then-Councilmember Gil Cedillo followed Martinez’s comments by saying, “I’m glad they’re wearing shoes.” Former Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Ron Herrera casually mentioned his mother used to call Oaxacans “Indios,” or Indians, a word often used not as an identifier but spat as an insult.,,”

https://www.starbeacon.com/region/im-mexican-american-but-the-la-city-council-audio-leak-reminded-me-that-im-oaxacan/article_c9a32aa1-5ccb-5667-80c2-92c13ac9545b.html

Millions of Americans have left the country. Where are they going, and why?

“..After the 2004 reelection of George W. Bush, the 2020 election of Joe Biden and the 2016 election of Donald Trump, Google search interest in moving to Canada spiked. It happened again in June, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark abortion rights ruling Roe v. Wade. According to recent Gallup polls, as many as 15 percent of Americans say they want to leave the country permanently, and even more say they would consider expatriating under the right circumstances…”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/12/23/american-emigrants/

Attention Georgia Companies: How NOT to Recruit a Foreign Workforce

“…A recent case involved Mexican engineers who were brought to Georgia on non-immigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visas by a staffing agency promising them high-level technical jobs. They wound up doing manual labor at parts suppliers for Kia and Hyundai. They could not leave their roles, however, because their legal permission to work in the United States depended on the TN visas sponsored by that employer...

https://www.globalatlanta.com/attention-georgia-companies-how-not-to-recruit-a-foreign-workforce/

 

Mexico.. Promised Land for American Immigrants

“In contrast to the waves of immigrants drawn by the American El Dorado, 38-year-old Gabriel Zarate has left San Diego and California to live in Tijuana, the Mexican border city.

Like Zarate, an increasing number of Americans are moving to Mexico, where they find life less expensive and smoother, despite the risk of upsetting Mexicans deprived of their purchasing power.

“I’ve been in Tijuana for four years,” says the man who crosses the border to work in San Diego as an English teacher for foreign students and returns in the evening.

“One of the main reasons is the cost of living,” explains this Chilean-American. It is less expensive than California.”

“In San Diego, I lived in a studio for $1,275 a month,” says his colleague Mike Rashval, 36, who also teaches English in San Diego but works remotely from Tijuana. Here I pay about half of the amount.”

“I love Mexicans, and Mexican food,” continues Gabriel Zarate, who lived in Latin America for several years…

https://globeecho.com/politics/mexico-promised-land-for-american-immigrants/

Working in Canada under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement

“The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement allows non-Canadian citizens in the US and Mexico to obtain a work permit in Canada. Explore the four different categories below….”

https://www.cicnews.com/2022/10/working-in-canada-under-the-canada-united-states-mexico-agreement-1030694.html#gs.f1e1ho

 


  

Poem
“…And would it have been worth it, after all,
Would it have been worth while,
After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,
After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor—
And this, and so much more?—
It is impossible to say just what I mean!
But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen:
Would it have been worth while…”

T.S. Eliot
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Mexican American Proarchive Annual Report for 2022

The American Community Survey is an annual survey administered by the federal government to help local officials and community leaders and businesses understand the changes that take place in their communities. It includes percentages of our population’s graduate school attainment and the employment of Mexican Americans in various occupations.  These important factors influence the allocation of federal resources. Mexican American Proarchives uses the data provided by the American Community Survey to better understand how Mexican Americans compare to the general population.

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