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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First Latina and woman sworn in as Alameda County sheriff
“OAKLAND, Calif. – It was a historic moment Tuesday as Yesenia Sanchez was sworn in as Alameda County sheriff. Sanchez, a 25-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, is the first woman and Latina to fill the role…”
https://www.ktvu.com/news/first-latina-and-woman-sworn-in-as-alameda-county-sheriff
Mexican-American Judge Teresa Sarmina immortalized at Philly City Hall
“In the storied walls of Philadelphia City Hall now hangs a portrait of Honorable Teresa Sarmina, a Mexican-American judge who served in the city’s judicial system for decades and whose name now resides among the Hispanic legal caliber in Pennsylvania…”
https://aldianews.com/en/politics/elected-officials/judge-sarminas-portrait
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….”
Pasadena Mexican American History Association Honors “Rosie” and South Pasadena Police Detective
“Commemorating more than 25 years of service to Pasadena, the Pasadena Mexican American History Association Sunday celebrated two “local heroes,” as they honored 99-year-old Herlinda Ruiz, the oldest supporter member of the organization, and South Pasadena Police Detective Lieutenant Shannon Robledo, during a luncheon event at Mijares Restaurant, itself a long time supporter of the non-profit organization…”
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month from HRMorning
“…Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) starts on Sept. 15, the anniversary of the Cry of Dolores that began the Mexican War of Independence, and runs until Oct. 15. September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18 respectively…”
https://www.hrmorning.com/news/hispanic-heritage-month/
Women and minority lawyers gain ground in Calif., but white men still predominate
“…Two-thirds of California’s 195,000 lawyers are white, compared to 39% of adult residents, according to the state bar’s latest diversity report card, released Monday. Hispanics comprise 36% of California’s adult residents, but only 6% of its lawyers as of 2021. And Black lawyers comprise 3% of attorneys in the state, though 6% of Californians are Black…”
Spotlight: Cybersecurity regulation in Latin America
“…Brazil and Mexico are regional data protection leaders, as they also suffer a rising number of cyberattacks, Carolina Pardo, partner at Baker McKenzie, told BNamericas. “Other jurisdictions are not implementing specific measures, although there are some good starting points in the guidelines on data security in Colombia and a bill in Chile,” she added…”
https://www.bnamericas.com/en/features/spotlight-cybersecurity-regulation-in-latin-america
First look: Latino consultants launch bipartisan news aggregation site
“A pair of Latino consultants — one Democrat and one Republican — is launching a new website focused specifically on curating news about Latino voters.
The big picture: Latino.vote aims to be a RealClearPolitics or Drudge Report-like aggregation source for any news about Hispanic voters, a growing bloc whose political power is being closely tracked amid recent shifts in voting behavior.
- The website promises to feature updated polling about Latino voters, news from other media sites and opinion pieces by Latino consultants and advocates.,,”
- https://www.axios.com/2022/09/08/latino-vote
Report: Cuban Doctors Brought to Mexico Work in Slavery Conditions
“…A REPORT by the NGO Prisoners Defenders assured on Thursday that the members of the Cuban medical missions, which include 650 health professionals sent to Mexico, work in conditions of “slavery” and that 80% of their salaries are stolen by the authorities of the regime…”
https://elamerican.com/report-cuban-doctors-brought-to-mexico-work-in-slavery-conditions/
Mexican border town sees an increase in sales of abortion drugs to women from the US
‘Since Texas passed a strict anti-abortion law in September, more and more women along the southern border have been going to unregulated pharmacies in Mexico to get abortion pills. Border health professionals fear the Mexican pharmacies have become a last resort for some women. Observers say it’s a sign of what’s to come if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
The main street of Nuevo Progreso, Mexico — just across the sluggish Rio Grande from Weslaco, Texas — is a chaotic border bazaar that caters to American day-trippers looking for bargains and exotica. The street is packed with businesses that sell prescription eyeglasses, dental care, switchblades, tequila shots, statues of ghoulish drug saints and over-the-counter medicine.
You can buy many medications in Mexican pharmacies without a prescription, including the pills that have transformed the way women are ending pregnancies. Today, more than half of all abortions in the United States are achieved by what’s called a medication abortion, as opposed to a traditional surgical abortion…”
Fight Song Civil rights lawyer Jose Padilla champions the people of rural California.
‘Jose Padilla’s 40-plus years of “lawyering against power” began with a win before a skeptical judge—his father. After graduating from law school at UC Berkeley in 1978, Padilla, ’74, was poised to fulfill a promise he had made to the community leader who wrote him a recommendation for Stanford: He was coming home to the Imperial Valley, an expanse of sun-scorched scrubland snugged between San Diego and the Arizona border and transformed into prime farm country by the waters of the All-American Canal and the sweat of workers like Padilla’s grandparents…”
Mexican President accuses US of acting in bad faith
“Mexico, Feb 23 (Prensa Latina) President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Wednesday that United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is misinformed about the assassinations of journalists in Mexico or is acting in bad faith…”
https://www.plenglish.com/news/2022/02/23/mexican-president-accuses-us-of-acting-in-bad-faith/
Can Mexico turbocharge pandemic nearshoring by US firms?
“…Encourage more US firms to move businesses they have offshored to China and Southeast Asia closer to home.“Some of our members have been successfully nearshoring to Mexico for several years,” Aburto told Al Jazeera. “About 5 percent of our members had taken up nearshoring prior to the pandemic.”
Activists push for Mexico’s GM corn ban to include imports
Citigroup’s Mexico exit sparks fears over fate of art collection
Avocado toast? US suspends imports from key region in Mexico
US-Mexico avocado spat is already causing shortages
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/2/18/an-mexico-turbocharge-pandemic-nearshoring-by-us-firms
California nominates its first Latina judge to state Supreme Court
“Patricia Guerrero, a justice for the California 4th District Court of Appeal, has been nominated to serve as an associate justice of the California Supreme Court, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.
If confirmed, Guerrero would be the first Latina to serve on the California Supreme Court…”
University of Southern California: USC Gould receives scholarship endowment to support Latino students
”For USC Gould alumni Elizabeth E. Atlee (JD 1993), and Steve Atlee (JD 1990), giving back has always been a shared goal. The couple achieved that aim in a personally meaningful way in March 2021 by establishing the Elizabeth and Steve Atlee Endowed Scholarship, an endowed fund that supports Latino students at USC Gould.
Liz, the senior vice president, deputy general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer at commercial real estate firm CBRE, comes from a line of lawyers in both Mexico and the U.S. — “It’s kind of the family business,” she says.
In 2019 she was recognized as one of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas by the Association of Latino Professionals for America in collaboration with Fortune magazine. She also received the professional achievement award from the Mexican American Bar Foundation the same year. In addition, she is a member of USC Gould’s Board of Councilors…”
Statewide Gender and Race/Ethnicity Pay Gaps in California Exceed $46 Billion Trusaic Analysis of California SB 973 Pay Data Identifies Large Pay Differences
“…Comparing white (non-Hispanic) and nonwhite (or Hispanic) employees, executives have the largest annual race/ethnicity pay gap per employee of about $12,700, followed by officials & managers (of about $10,400) and professionals (of about $7,800). The smallest race/ethnicity pay gaps per employee were found in service and laborers (both about $800).,,”
Latin American leaders divided on OAS at regional meeting
“…Lopez Obrador has suggested the OAS is interventionist and a tool of the United States. But he did not formally propose leaving the organization. Rather, he opposed any kind of sanctions and said questions of human rights and democracy should only be considered if a country accused of violations requests that…(?)
Former Texas Supreme Court Justice, Texas Attorney General Candidate Eva Guzman joining Chamberlain Hrdlicka
“National law firm Chamberlain Hrdlicka today announced that Eva Guzman, former Texas Supreme Court justice, will join the firm on August 4 as a shareholder in the firm’s litigation, appellate, and Texas tax controversy practices where she will focus on litigating cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts and resolving disputes at the administrative level. Justice Guzman will work in the firm’s Houston and San Antonio offices…”
https://sanantoniobar.org/?pg=Blog&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=64284
Mexicans judge the USMCA trade deal’s first year a success
“…One thing Mexicans do agree on is that the USMCA has proved a success in its first year, albeit not always for the reasons they imagined. Business is happy that the deal’s detailed strictures on regulation and governance provide a layer of protection against López Obrador’s more radical ideas. The president and his supporters like the deal’s role as a job creator, as well as its labor provisions. These help improve wages for Mexicans and have enabled moves against a union closely tied to an opposing political party.
Above all, the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of manufacturing close to home, providing a reason for U.S. businesses already in Mexico to consider expanding operations, even when the overall business climate under López Obrador is far from ideal…”
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/analysis/mexicans-judge-the-usmca-trade-deals-first-year-a-success/
News on DACA: Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
“On July 16, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas held that the DACA policy “is illegal.” The Court granted summary judgment on plaintiffs’ Administrative Procedure Act (APA) claims; vacated the June 15, 2012 DACA memorandum issued by former Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano; remanded the memorandum to DHS for further consideration; and issued a permanent injunction prohibiting the government’s continued administration of DACA and the reimplementation of DACA without compliance with the APA. The Court, however, temporarily stayed its order vacating the DACA memorandum and its injunction with regard to individuals who obtained DACA on or before July 16, 2021, including those with renewal requests…”
https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-of-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca
