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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‘Biological reality’: What genetics has taught us about race
“As US President Donald Trump takes aim at the Smithsonian Institution for “anti-American ideology”, Adam Rutherford examines what the science of genetics has taught us about race.
When scientists unveiled the first draft of the Human Genome Project 25 years ago, it seemed to deliver the final word on some antiquated myths about race. It provided definitive evidence that racial groupings have no biological basis. In fact, there is more genetic variation within racial groups than between them. Race, it showed, is a social construct.
But despite that fundamental finding, which has only been reinforced as work on human genomes has continued, race and ethnicity are still often deployed to categorise human populations as distinct biological groups. These are views that can be found circulating in the pseudoscience on social media, but they also still creep into scientific research and healthcare systems.
Comment & Analysis
Adam Rutherford is a lecturer in genetics at Univeristy College London in the UK, BBC Presenter and author of How to Argue with a Racist, which examines the history and science of notions of race. You can read more from him about how to debunk racist myths with science and facts here.
It is even more troubling when this thinking finds its way into the halls of government.
President Donald Trump and his administration have made no secret of his rejection of many aspects of the scientific worldview. Since returning to the White House, he has made sweeping cuts to science funding for biomedical and climate research, but in a recent Executive Order, Trump took aim at what most scientists now regard as biological reality.
Entitled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History“, the Presidential order, signed by Trump, targeted an exhibition in the Smithsonian American Art Museum called “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture”.
The order is part of a broader attempt to shape American culture by eliminating “improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology” from the institute’s museums. It states: “Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn – not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history.”
The exhibition itself is criticised in the text for promoting the idea that “race is not a biological reality but a social construct, stating ‘race is a human invention'”. The order offers the exhibition as an example of a “harmful and oppressive” shift in the narrative portraying American values.
This is the point when people like me, a geneticist who specialises in the history of race science, get a little bit vexed….”
Daniela Huerta thinks outside the Letterboxd in film-focused podcast
By Aisosa Onaghise
April 9, 2025 10:31 p.m.
This post was updated April 10 at 7:24 p.m.
Daniela Huerta is unboxing people’s personalities one film at a time.
The fourth-year political science student – who is also known as DJ frootgummie – is host to the UCLA Radio show “Letterboxd Unboxed,” an hourlong podcast that dissects guests’ four favorite movies. Huerta said the “Four Favorites” feature on the film logging platform Letterboxd offers a good representation of what people value and want to discuss in movies. She added that having conversations around film informs people about their relationships with others and with themselves.
“I think that’s what’s been so gratifying about the show experience has been how holistic conversations can be,” Huerta said. “I’m able to learn about someone else that maybe they didn’t even think about when they thought about their top movies and how they see themselves.”
[Related: UCLA Film & Television Archive will present “On the Air” series as tribute to filmmaker David Lynch]
Huerta said she was inspired to start her podcast after taking a film and history class fall quarter. Centered around World War II, the films presented in the class broadened her understanding of real events through their translation onto the big screen, she said. Huerta added that she was amazed at how films can transport audiences into historical events they have not experienced. Though Huerta had an existing love for film outside of the classroom, she said her appreciation for film heightened after the film class.
Letterboxd gave Huerta a platform to exercise her new appreciation for film, she said. Huerta said the app was recommended to her by a friend who took her to the movie theater for her birthday several years ago. Letterboxd, she said, enlightened her about films, including classics she had not seen before. She was interested in the diary format for reviewing movies in seeing how and why people rate films a certain way, she added. The social aspect and top four favorites format, she said, were elements of Letterboxd she valued and implemented in her podcast.
Radhika Singh, a fourth-year neuroscience student and the very first guest on “Letterboxd Unboxed,” said Huerta conducts much research on guests’ favorite films before they appear on the show. Singh said Huerta watches one film from each guest’s list every week if she is able. Having been featured on the podcast, Singh said Huerta creates easy, natural conversation and validates people’s personal connections and perspectives on their favorite movies.
“Daniela’s really easy to talk to, so I feel she also gets to joke around with it and bring a little bit of unseriousness,” Singh said. “Films can be very personal to a person, so I think she does a good job of blending why that movie or something is special to you, even though it might not be the best movie.”
In preparing for an episode, Huerta said she typically invites friends and seeks creative people interested in film to feature on her podcast. Though she tries not to dismiss certain types of movies people are interested in, she said she looks for films that can produce fruitful conversation that can fill up time. Huerta added that she features movies she can connect with and that speak to guests’ personalities and interests. In a society that seeks instant gratification, she said she appreciates being able to dissect her likes and dislikes about a film and how movies reflect reality.
“We want the instant, immediate ability to have something, to enjoy it, and then just to dispose of it when we’re done,” Huerta said. “What I really enjoyed about it for movies that, even if they’re just passion, not super thoughtful movies, … I still sit with it for quite some time. I’ll think about it.”
While Huerta has been developing as a podcast host, Singh said challenges occasionally arise in her role. She said Huerta faces issues with scheduling and finding guests to feature on her podcast. Huerta’s responsibilities as a student can result in decreased attention in watching a film that will be discussed in an episode, Singh added. Despite the conflicts, Huerta maintains a low-pressure environment and conversation that flows and engages with her guests, said Faith Corlett, a fourth-year gender studies student and former guest on “Letterboxd Unboxed.”
[Related: UCLA film club Shining Stars provides inclusive community for horror cinema fans]
As she continues to host “Letterboxd Unboxed,” Huerta said she hopes listeners learn about films unfamiliar to them and enjoy movies without feeling they need to be experts. She also plans to expand her guest list and feature people outside of her circle, she added. Finding a creative hobby in watching and discussing film, Huerta said she values how films make people feel and spark reflection on a person’s perspective.
“It’s necessary to talk about media,” Huerta said. “It’s necessary to think about it and to fully engage with it in ways that can actually either challenge your mind or just engage in a conversation that you’ll either come away with it feeling really great or coming away being like, ‘Maybe I should rethink about something that I’ve watched.’”
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Greg Goyo Vargas’ eye-level photography captures uniqueness of LA, everyday life
Greg Goyo Vargas has an eye for capturing moments of everyday life in his city.
UCLA alumnus Vargas has been photographing Los Angeles since the ‘80s. With a natural artistic eye, Vargas said he emphasizes the uniqueness of things others may pass by. The 65-year-old LA native said he dedicates his craft to documenting the unique people and scenes of LA, connecting the city one photo at a time.
“I like to show the everyday thing that a lot of people overlook,” Vargas said. “When we’re walking around, we see so much, and we don’t process a lot of it. … I like to present that as being an important part of anyone’s day, almost like the regular daily life or breath that we take.”
Vargas said even before he began photography, he always paid attention to scenes and moments that would make good photographs. He added that prior to photography, he had an artistic frustration with no way to express himself. However, when he went to a photography exhibit by Joel-Peter Witkin in the late ‘80s, he said he was struck by the concept of creating art and combining it with photography. He said another one of his early inspirations was a scene from the 1995 film “Smoke,” in which a character shows the photos he took from the same street corner at various times…”
As Latino enrollment reaches record highs, UC celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month
As part of its appreciation for Latino contributions to the University, UC has updated its wordmark across digital platforms and the UniversityofCalifornia.edu website to “Universidad de California” for the second consecutive year.
Five out of nine undergraduate UC campuses have secured federal designations as Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz. The remaining four undergraduate campuses, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA and UC San Diego, are emerging HSIs, deemed as institutions with 15 to 24 percent Latino undergraduate enrollment, as defined by Excelencia in Education, a national nonprofit dedicated to Latino and Hispanic student success in higher education.
“The University of California was created to serve the people of the Golden State by increasing economic and social mobility, teaching our future entrepreneurs and innovators, and building a student body that reflects all of California’s communities. Today, Latinos at UC make up one-in-three first-year admits, the largest proportion of domestic community college transfers, the second-largest demographic group, and half of first-generation students. We look forward to building on this progress and honoring the achievements of our Latino community throughout this month.”
– Jorge Silva, associate vice president for Communications, UC Office of the President
Marking Hispanic Heritage Month at UC
- UC’s Lograr.universityofcalifornia.edu website serves as an outreach tool to Spanish speakers
- Over the course of the month, @UofCalifornia will be uplifting efforts across campuses to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
- Remembering UCLA’s Latino founder, Reginaldo Francisco del Valle
- What it means to be a Hispanic-Serving System: A Q&A with UC Vice Provost Yvette Gullatt
- Learn more about UC’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions Initiative
Latinos at UC:
- 38.6 percent of California first-year admits in 2024 are Latino.
- Latino students comprise the largest proportion of domestic CCC transfer admits in 2024, increasing to 31.2 percent, up 1.3 percentage points over fall 2023.
- In fall 2023, Latino students at the University of California were the second-largest demographic group (23.3 percent).
- In just the last five years (2019-23) the University of California has admitted an additional 9,227 California resident Latino students over 2019 admission numbers.
- Latino students make up half (50.1 percent) of first-generation college students at the University of California.
- Across our non-academic workforce, Latinos represent over a quarter (28.1 percent) of staff.
- Over the last decade, Latino faculty have grown by 2.6 percentage points — with additional efforts to encourage faculty diversity underway.
UCLA Hispanic-serving institution initiative town hall features panel, updates
“Students received updates on the UCLA Hispanic-serving institution initiative at a Feb. 18 town hall.
Around 70 students and staff attended the event in the Bruin Viewpoint Room in Ackerman Union. The event featured a student panel, updates on UCLA’s HSI status and information on the Latinx Success Center.
The event aimed to provide transparency to the Latinx community on campus, said Undergraduate Students Association Council General Representative Diego Bollo, whose office helped to organize the event.
“We hope that there is urgency by administrators from all departments to continue using their voice to allow students to speak directly and hold the leadership at our campus accountable,” said Bollo, a third-year labor studies and political science student.
The event began with the panel answering questions from attendees about the panelists’ personal lives and their thoughts on campus administration and national politics….”
Intelligence Leak Congressional Hearings
“At a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) called out Gabbard and Ratcliffe’s testimony from the day before — in light of the newly-published messages which show top members of the Trump administration discussing detailed plans to strike the Houthi rebels in Yemen hours before launch.
“The idea that this information, if it was presented to our committee, would not be classified, y’all know it was a lie!” Castro said. “That’s ridiculous! I’ve seen things much less sensitive be presented to us with high classification. And to say that it isn’t is a lie to the country!”…”
Spanish-language writers and the making of a U.S. literary tradition
Since the 16th century, the Spanish language has been interwoven into the fabric of American history, shaping its literary and cultural landscapes. Yet, much of this literary tradition remains underexplored. In “Florilegio,” Víctor Fuentes — a professor emeritus at UC Santa Barbara — brings together a collection of Spanish-language texts written within the United States, spanning from the 16th to the mid-20th century.
The book’s title, meaning “flower picking,” reflects its purpose: to gather and showcase a literary tradition that has long flourished in the U.S., even if it has often been overlooked. “This literature is part of the history of the United States, but it has been forgotten, erased,” said Fuentes, a historian of Spanish literature. “My intention is to bring part of that to the reader, to offer it.” The texts include diaries, essays and poetry, accompanied by brief notes on the authors and an extensive bibliography — tools Fuentes hopes will inspire further scholarship.
More than an anthology, “Florilegio” presents a historical and cultural context for these works, offering what Fuentes described as “the seeds of a history of Spanish-language literature in the U.S., waiting to be written.” With its 375 pages, “Florilegio de las letras en español en los Estados Unidos: desde el siglo XVI a mediados del XX” (Stockcero 2024), collects a vast amount of erudite and creative texts, divided into five parts with multiple sections exploring diverse themes and topics. The book offers a comprehensive look at this literary tradition, highlighting its richness and complexity.
Conceived as a tribute to Don Luis Leal, one of the most influential Latin Americanists in the U.S., “Florilegio” honors the legacy of the late professor emeritus of UCSB’s Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies. Leal’s early advocacy helped elevate Spanish-language literature within academia, and Fuentes said he hoped to continue this mission by highlighting voices that shaped the literary world across centuries.
“Leal was one of the first scholars to teach Chicano literature at the university level,” Fuentes said. “He legitimized it, gave it the recognition it deserved.” For his work, Leal was honored with a National Humanities Medal. Two articles by Don Luis are included in Fuentes’ anthology, “Vida y aventuras del idioma español en los Estados Unidos” and “¿Qué es un latino?”
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Photo Credit
Debra Herrick
Víctor Fuentes is a member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language and corresponding member of the Royal Spanish Academy, author of some 300 articles and 28 books, including critical editions and anthologies. From Columbia University to the…
“Florilegio” underscores the ongoing influence of Spanish in the U.S. “The Spanish language has been used in literary form since the 1500s — it’s had a continuous legacy,” Fuentes noted. “We tend to think of Spanish in the U.S. as something recent, something tied only to immigration, but it has always been here.” The book illustrates how Spanish-language literature has been integral to American culture, much like French in Canada or Nahuatl in Mexico. “It’s not just a matter of language,” Fuentes added. “It’s a matter of identity, of cultural memory.”
In “Florilegio,” Fuentes brings together works from a range of Spanish-language writers whose voices have shaped literary history in the United States. Among them is Gaspar Pérez de Villagrá, whose “Historia de la Nueva México” (1610) stands as one of the earliest epic poems about the American Southwest. Fuentes also highlights the contributions of José Martí, the Cuban poet and revolutionary who wrote extensively while in exile in New York, and María Amparo Ruiz de Burton, a 19th-century novelist who captured the struggles of Californios in the wake of U.S. annexation. The collection also includes selections from Mexican American writers such as Américo Paredes, showcasing the evolution of Spanish-language literature from the colonial era through the mid-20th century.
Gabriela Mistral, the Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate, also features in “Florilegio,” reflecting the deep literary and cultural exchanges between Latin America and the U.S. Mistral spent years in the U.S. as an educator and diplomat, influencing Spanish-language literary circles and advocating for bilingual education. Her poetry, which explores themes of identity, exile and social justice, resonates with the broader narrative of Hispanic literary contributions in the U.S. “Her last great work, ‘Poema de Chile,’ in part written in Santa Barbara, where she lived in 1946–47, contains a marvelous homage to the native Indigenous population,” noted Fuentes.
By bringing these texts to light, “Florilegio” invites readers to rediscover a literary history that has long been part of the American story. Fuentes hopes that, in doing so, the book will help shift the narrative around Spanish in the U.S. “This is a literature that belongs to everyone,” he said. “It is time for it to be recognized as such.
New UCLA President
Corridor Women’s Network hosting ‘Marketing to the Hispanic Community’ luncheon
“his informative and engaging workshop will feature two esteemed speakers: Pauline Anton, President & CEO of the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC), and J.R. Gonzales, Executive Vice Chair ofTAMACC. These distinguished leaders will provide insights into the significant buying power of Hispanics in Texas and share strategies on how to effectively market to this dynamic demographic…”
UHLC strengthens academic collaborations across Mexico
“A delegation from University of Houston Law Center traveled to Mexico in July to continue fostering global legal education and professional development.
“We recognize the importance and support the goal of developing strong transnational lawyers; those who can speak both languages (English and Spanish), understand the respective laws and are licensed to practice law in both countries,” said Karen Jones, executive director of Global and Graduate Program at UHLC. “Ideally, transnational lawyers must be able to operate effectively in both the U.S. and Mexican legal communities.”
Jones, along with Leonard Baynes, dean, and Julián Cárdenas, a research assistant professor and director of the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law, met with stakeholders, including government officials, academic leaders, major U.S. law firms with offices located in Mexico, industry professionals and alumni.
Dean Baynes said Mexico is the No. 1 trading partner with Texas…”
Opinion | Mexico Flirts With Dictatorship
“…Among the most pernicious of the president’s 20 proposed constitutional amendments is the overhaul of the judiciary. It would remove all 7,293 sitting jurists in the country: 11 Supreme Court justices and all circuit court, federal district and state judges…”
How Mexicans and Americans view each other and their governments’ handling of the border
“Mexicans and Americans view the other country in opposite ways:
- Most Mexicans (61%) have a favorable view of the U.S., compared with 33% who hold an unfavorable view.
- By contrast, 60% of Americans have an unfavorable view of Mexico, while 37% have a favorable view of their southern neighbor…”
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/08/12/how-mexicans-and-americans-view-each-other-and-their-governments-handling-of-the-border/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=3bb41e64cd-Weekly_8-17-24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-3bb41e64cd-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
Mexican Firms Face Severe AI Talent Shortage
“…The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed industries across the globe, and Mexico is no exception. However, the country’s ability to capitalize on this technological revolution is being hampered by a severe shortage of skilled professionals. During the AWS Summit 2024, Rubén Mugártegui, General Director of AWS Mexico, painted a stark picture of the challenges faced by Mexican businesses in this area. He revealed that a staggering 80% of companies in Mexico are experiencing “absolute difficulty” in hiring personnel with the necessary AI skills. This shortage is not just a local issue; it is part of a broader trend affecting the entire Latin American region, where vacancies in AI and related fields exceed 2.5 million…”
https://latinamericanpost.com/business-and-finance/mexican-firms-face-severe-ai-talent-shortage/
AB Barrera elected district governor for the American Advertising Federation’s District 10
“Local advertising and communications professional A.B. Barrera was unanimously elected to serve as district governor for the American Advertising Federation District 10…”
ISM® Enhances Reach with New Initiatives in Mexico and Latin America
“To address the expanding needs of the global supply chain management community, the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) is set to broaden its reach in Mexico and Latin America starting September 2024. This expansion will include a range of offerings such as supply chain skill-building courses, ISM certification prep programs, and executive-level events, available in both English and Spanish. This initiative enhances ISM’s existing presence and community in the region…”
¿Qué necesita?’: Felix Fraga remembered as advocate for Houston’s Mexican-American community
“Early Saturday morning, Jose Sierra walked into the Baker Ripley House on Navigation to ask for information on the funeral services of Felix Fraga, a former city councilman and lifelong community advocate who devoted his career to address the needs of Houston’s Mexican-American residents…”
What the data says about immigrants in the U.S.
“…Mexico is the top country of birth for U.S. immigrants. In 2022, roughly 10.6 million immigrants living in the U.S. were born there, making up 23% of all U.S. immigrants. The next largest origin groups were those from India (6%), China (5%), the Philippines (4%) and El Salvador (3%)…”
Lawsuits Reveal Labor Abuses Faced by Some Migrant Workers on TN Visas
“…In June 2024, Mexican TN workers filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Atlanta, Georgia, against logistics companies within the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. The lawsuit alleges fraud, discrimination, breach of contract, racketeering, and wage violations. The suit claims that the plaintiffs “were exploited as part of an illegal scheme for cheap labor” in warehouses across the Southeast…”
Former Segregated Texas School Becomes a National Park
“The designation as a national park provides permanent protection to help tell the history of Texas school districts that established separate elementary schools for Mexican American children, according to the Interior Department.
The school in Marfa, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of the U.S.-Mexico border and 455 miles (732 kilometers) southwest of Dallas, was closed in 1965 with the integration of the Marfa Independent School District, the Interior Department said.
“The school serves as a significant example of how racism and cultural disparity dominated education and social systems in the United States during this period of de facto segregation from 1889-1965,” according to the website…”
https://www.edweek.org/leadership/former-segregated-texas-school-becomes-a-national-park/2024/07
Alvarez & Marsal Appoints Jose Manuel Ramirez as Latin America Complex Transactions Tax Managing Director
“New York, July 18, 2024 — Alvarez & Marsal Tax, LLC (A&M Tax), an affiliate of leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), announced the appointment of Jose Manuel Ramirez as a Managing Director joining the Latin America Complex Transaction Tax team in New York.
Mr. Ramirez brings over 30 years of experience advising multinationals on local, regional and global transactions encompassing domestic and international corporate and personal tax planning. He helps clients navigate centralized offshore treasury, cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) issues along with managing indirect and excise duties, value chain optimization, site location, captive reinsurances, shared services centers, dispute and tax controversy resolution, and tax incentives projects.
Jose Manuel’s experience with strategic tax services to large multinational companies and LATAM family-owned businesses, aligns with the expansion of the US based team of professionals serving the Latin American region and complements the ongoing investment in talent at the local level as well. Mr. Ramirez will work closely with Managing Director Alfonso A-Pallete who joined the firm in 2022…”
