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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Refusing to Forget seeks oral histories of Mexican Americans in South Texas
“A lonely historical marker stands in the desert winds of Presidio County in far West Texas, telling of the 1918 Porvenir Massacre, when 15 Mexican American members of a farming and ranching settlement were murdered by a company of Texas Rangers.
The marker is the result of efforts by San Antonio-based nonprofit Refusing To Forget working with the Texas State Legislature to give a more complete historical picture of life along the Texas borderlands…”
Mexican and Cuban experts to discuss diversification of the sugar agroindustry
“HAVANA, Cuba, Nov 3 (ACN) Experts and specialists of the Associations of Sugar Technicians of Cuba and Mexico (ATAC-ATAM) are meeting today in Havana for their 7th meeting on the flexibility and diversification of the sugar agribusiness in their countries and also in Brazil.
The deliberations will be held at the National Sugar Training Center, starting from the consideration of aspects common to their respective managements, especially for a space for analysis, reflection and exchange of experiences, ATAC reported exclusively to the Cuban News Agency.
Mainly, it added, to contribute to the reorientation and development of the productive chains of co-products and derivatives, in an efficient and effective way in the current conditions, taking into account the requirements of sugarcane agriculture that supports it…”
Meet the fellows: UC President’s and Chancellor’s postdoctoral fellows begin new award year
“Julio Orellana, English
President’s Postdoctoral Fellow
A child of Guatemalan migrants who left Guatemala under dire structural conditions, Orellana joins UC Santa Barbara with a doctorate from UC Riverside. His research in Central American studies looks at forced migration in Guatemala.
“The study examines Guatemalan labor migrants from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, primarily Maya and mestizo/a/x ladino/a/x,” he said. “My family was part of these large migration streams that arrived in the U.S. beginning in the late 1960s and throughout the 1980s and 1990s during Guatemala’s 36-year civil war. People were forced to leave Guatemala for various reasons including those in search of dignified material conditions, along with those fleeing political violence, persecution and in the case of Mayan communities, state sponsored genocide.”…”
The 7th Annual US-Mexico Natural Gas Forum takes place November 13-15, in San Antonio, TX
“HOUSTON —
U.S.-Mexico cross-border natural gas market decision-makers participate in key industry event to gain insight, analyze, and structure arrangements to buy, sell and transport natural gas. Hundreds of energy industry professionals convene in November to gain insight and conduct analysis of up to the minute issues facing US-Mexico cross-border natural gas markets. The 7th Annual US-Mexico Natural Gas Forum takes place November 13-15, in San Antonio, TX. This is the industry’s premier gathering for natural gas industry professionals, which is much more than simply a conference with participants routinely negotiating transactions during the event. Dedicated networking time is incorporated into the agenda to ensure participants are able to engage with other key stakeholders. The Program for this year’s event includes all the critical issues faced by stakeholders in this dynamic market. Agenda highlights include:…”
t News to Share? Send 2 FREE Releases ↓ NATIVE AMERICAN/HISPANIC STUDENTS & PROFESSIONALS SHINE-SACNAS 2023 NATIONAL DIVERSITY IN STEM CONFERENCE #2023NDiSTEM
“Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science holds nation’s first, all-Native American/Indigenous session focused on mathematics.
We’re investing in the current and future workforce. We want to help lead change at the highest level.”
— Juan Amador, FASAE, CAE, SACNAS Executive Director
PORTLAND, OR, USA, October 28, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science) will continue its National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference at Oregon’s Portland Convention Center on Saturday. Friday’s highlights included the nation’s first-ever all-Native American/Indigenous session focused on mathematics, Indigenous Perspectives in…”
San Antonio event discusses the barriers preventing Latinos from buying homes
“SAN ANTONIO — City of San Antonio leaders are working with federal partners to address housing barriers, particularly as it pertains to the Latino community.
According to research by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, only half of Hispanic households are homeowners in the U.S. On Thursday, Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) hosted the housing forum to discuss the factors why…”
How Can Family Affect Diabetes Management in Mexican American Adults?
“Interviews with Mexican American adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) revealed that most feel supported by their family regarding their diabetes management in general, but many still desired more familial social support and support around dietary changes, feeling that their family members don’t understand what it means to live with diabetes.
Additionally, focus groups that included both Mexican American adults with T2D and their relatives showed that most family members want to learn more about how to help their relatives manage their diabetes, while also acknowledging how cultural norms can affect their relatives’ well-being…”
https://www.ajmc.com/view/how-can-family-affect-diabetes-management-mexican-american-adults
From the archives: UCSB Library showcases community art collection
“An exhibit of groundbreaking prints dating back to the inception of California’s Chicano Civil Rights Movement opens on Oct. 25 at UC Santa Barbara Library.
The event, “Cultura Cura: 50 Years of Self Help Graphics in East LA,” highlights the library’s Special Research Collections extensive archive of art, records and related ephemera from Self Help Graphics & Art (SHG), an intergenerational Los Angeles-based nonprofit that has been facilitating and promoting printmaking and other art media by Chicano/a, Latinx and other BIPOC artists since 1970. SHG was founded by artists Carlos Bueno, Antonio Ibañez, Frank Hernandez and Sister Karen Boccalero…”
Jessica Gonzalez Discusses Recent Hispanic Representation in Mainstream Media and Its Impact on Culture
“Holland & Knight’s Diversity Council and Hispanic Affinity Group are proud to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and pay tribute to the generations of Hispanics who have enriched America’s history and continue to play a role in its future success. Since last year, we have taken time to speak to some of our Hispanic attorneys, who have shared their stories with us. We now present the 2023 video series showcasing some of these conversations. We hope that the stories conveyed in these videos inspire those struggling with recognizing their roots and shine light on the contributions that Hispanics have provided to the United States…”
https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/media-entities/2023/10/jessica-gonzalez-discusses-recent-hispanic
Warrior spotlight celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet M.D.-Ph.D. student Rafael Ramos
“Rafael Ramos is a first-generation Mexican-American enrolled in the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s M.D.-Ph.D. program. He was born in the United States and grew up in Mexico. He moved back to his birth country for higher education, earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree before moving to Detroit in the late 2010s. Ramos has completed his first two years of medical school, and is in his third year of the doctoral portion of his degrees. He is a candidate in Biomedical Engineering, funded by the Detroit Cardiovascular Training Program T32 grant hosted by the Department of Physiology. He also received a Michigan Space Grant Consortium Graduate…”
Some GOP candidates want to use force against Mexico to stop fentanyl. Experts say that won’t work
“MIAMI — Ron DeSantis wants suspected drug smugglers at the U.S.-Mexico border to be shot dead. Nikki Haley promises to send American special forces into Mexico. Vivek Ramaswamy has accused Mexico’s leader of treating drug cartels as his “sugar daddy” and says that if he is elected president, “there will be a new daddy in town.”
Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner for the 2024 nomination and long the person who has shaped his party’s rhetoric on the border, has often blamed Mexico for problems in the United States and promises new uses of military force and covert action if he returns to the White House…”
https://www.wlrn.org/americas/2023-10-10/latin-america-mexico-fentanyl-opioid-gop
Review: Who are Mexican Americans? ‘American Homeboy’ at Portland Film Festival offers perspective
“Making use of 50 hours of illuminating restored archival footage, the film elicits an array of perspectives from Mexican American historians, scholars, artists, activists, a retired law enforcement officer, and cholos — members of a subculture associated with street gangs — to help viewers understand the origins and import of pachuco and cholo culture and Xicano experience…”
Gene Block and administrators discuss equity and diversity, campus expansion and more
“…The university has also increased diversity throughout Block’s tenure, but there is still a long way to go, he said. In 2008 – the first incoming class Block oversaw as chancellor – Black students made up 5% of the incoming class of freshmen, with Chicano/Latino students making up 16% and Native American students less than 1%. The fall 2022 incoming class was made up of 8% Black students, 22% Hispanic students and 1% Native students…”
Hernan Diaz (writer)
“…Diaz was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When he was two, his family moved to Sweden.[4] His family returned to Argentina after democracy was restored. After obtaining a BA in Literature (Licenciatura en Letras) in the University of Buenos Aires, he moved to London to study for an MA degree at King’s College.[5]
Diaz moved to New York in 1999. He received his PhD from New York University advised by Avital Ronell and Sylvia Molloy, and filed a dissertation on a topic that straddles comparative literature, Latin American literature, and philosophy.[6][7][8]…”
Hispanic unemployment dips to 4.6% in September
“Cid Wilson, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility CEO, joins ‘Closing Bell Overtime’ to talk Hispanic employment rates in the U.S. jobs report.”
Marissa Pérez discusses artistic background, evolution of styling
“Through her eclectic background in the arts, Marissa Pérez is tailoring her own trends.
Previously an event producer and managing director of the Student Committee for the Arts at UCLA, the alumnus currently works as a wardrobe stylist in the fashion industry. Pérez has assisted in dressing a number of different celebrities, including actresses Laverne Cox, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Zendaya.
Pérez spoke with the Daily Bruin’s Sanjana Chadive about the evolution of her interest in styling and how her background in other artistic mediums has informed her career…”
https://dailybruin.com/2023/10/01/qrez-discusses-artistic-background-evolution-of-styling
First-generation students discuss experiences, resources at UCLA
“There’s just a lot of fear of reaching out or asking a ‘dumb question,’” said Williams, who studies at the UCLA School of Education & Information Studies and taught a university studies class geared toward first-generation students. “It’s just that lack of confidence because you haven’t had these experiences or know anyone that’s had these experiences.”
First-generation students can also feel a lack of belonging compared to other students depending on their socioeconomic background.
According to the Brookings Institution, about 51% of students from low-income families go to college compared to about 89% of students from well-off families…”
https://dailybruin.com/2023/09/21/first-generation-students-discuss-experiences-resources-at-ucla
Consul General of Mexico in Raleigh addresses crowded Phyfer Auditorium
“It was standing room only when Claudia Velasco, Consul General of Mexico in Raleigh, N.C., addressed students, faculty, staff and visitors on Thursday, September 21 in Phyfer Auditorium. Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, Velasco was sponsored by the Association of Latino Professionals for America – Clemson University Student Chapter, the Department of Management at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business and the Consulate General of Mexico in Raleigh, N.C…”
https://news.clemson.edu/consul-general-of-mexico-in-raleigh-addresses-crowded-phyfer-auditorium/
The Multifaceted Latine Community and What Managers Can Learn
“I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household in Chicago raised by Mexican-born parents who worked to afford an annual trip to Mexico to visit family. I recognize that the act of traveling to Mexico was a privilege for my family because so many immigrants left their homes without the option to travel back until they were able to obtain legal status. I also recognize that Chicago is home to a diverse Latine community that makes up 33% of the city’s population….
In contrast to how I self-identify, there are Latine professionals who prefer not to be labeled as part of a group and instead lead with other professional experiences or personal interests…”
https://www.adweek.com/agencies/retain-bipoc-talent-latine-managers/
What book inventories reveal about shifting cultural identities in New Spain
“Colonizers were known to carry books in their luggage. In the early 1500s, books began to arrive in America by the thousands, destined for the capital of New Spain, Mexico City, and other urban hubs in Spain’s territories. A century later, Catholic monarchs in Spain learned of crypto-Jewish books across the Atlantic Ocean. They ordered all bookstores to submit detailed inventories to the Mexican Inquisition — an extension of the Spanish Inquisition — freezing in time a record of the reading materials that circulated among New Spain’s intellectual class…”
