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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Mexican American superhero saves Ukrainian civilians in comic book issue
“For the better part of a decade, the Mexican American superhero created by Héctor Rodríguez has helped immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border fight Mexican cartels, corrupt officials and human traffickers.
Now Mexico’s refusal to criticize Russia or support Ukraine has prompted the comic book creator to send “El Peso Hero” to war-torn Ukraine…”
Report finds Latino, Black students in LA experience higher education inequities
“Latino and Black students in Los Angeles continue to face disparities in enrollment and resource allocation within institutions of higher education, according to a February report.
In the report, The Campaign for College Opportunity, a foundation that seeks to make college education accessible for all students, discussed the issues Latino and Black students face as they seek admission to institutions of higher education with an emphasis on the LA area. According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic was a key factor in reducing Latino and Black enrollment in the LA Community College District, as these groups faced more difficulties with housing, health care and other resources because of the pandemic…”
Latino Professional Golfers Celebrate Lorena Ochoa Being Named into the LPGA Hall of Fame
“From Abraham Ancer, ranked No. 16 in the world, to amateur Isabella Fierro, who makes her debut this week at The Chevron Championship, her first major, many Latino golfers are celebrating Lorena Ochoa’s induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
“While her professional playing career was brief, it was quite impressive. I am certain she had a much more to give had she continued to compete. What she accomplished in the short time she played was spectacular. She is someone who has always personally inspired me, ” said Ancer, the best male golfer in the history of Mexican golf…”
Grammys 2022: UCLA professor celebrates Afro Latin jazz in nominated album, track
“Arturo O’Farrill is saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future of Afro Latin jazz.
The global jazz studies professor as well as founder and artistic director of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance is nominated for two Grammy Awards for his recent album “Virtual Birdland” and track “Dreaming in Lions” in the Best Latin Jazz Album and Best Instrumental Composition categories, respectively. “Virtual Birdland” was produced with the ALJA to allow musicians to continue performing during the pandemic while “Dreaming in Lions” is a chamber piece made in conjunction with Cuban dance company Malpaso to describe a farewell’s emotional processes. Despite having different themes and compositions, O’Farrill said his goal with both albums was to celebrate the heritage of Afro Latin jazz and continue its tradition…’
Oscars 2022: Latinos shining at the 94th Academy Awards red carpet
The most important night in the entertainment industry has finally arrived, and the Latino community stood out at the 94th Academy Awards red carpet.
Puerto Rico, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, and more countries had their representatives. Rita Moreno, Wilmer Valderrama, Stephanie Beatriz, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and more were in attendance. But not only did they have a presence on the carpet, but also within the nominations.
How much do former soccer players earn in talacha? This is how it works in the US
“Cesar Arturo Ramos whistler at the 2018 Russia World Cup, is in charge of whistle the Mariachi Cup Final between Toros de Atlanta and Chivas Alabama, clubs that disbursed between 40 thousand and 60 thousand dollars at least, to get hold of the best possible players on the US amateur circuit, many of them former Liga MX players from professional clubs in Central America or even from South America…”
Fighting vaccine inequity, Arizona health professionals vaccinated Mexicans
“The U.S. developed, tested and rolled out a COVID-19 vaccine in just over a year, and by March 2021 anyone in Arizona could get a shot.
But the accomplishment was bittersweet for border communities like Douglas, Arizona.
On the other side of an iron fence from Douglas is Agua Prieta, Sonora. Residents over 60 years old were just getting their first vaccine dose in March 2021.
“Mexico was struggling,” said Dr. Cecilia Rosales, associate dean and professor of public health at the University of Arizona. “We were receiving a lot of requests from our border communities.”…”
Mental Health Mission: Ricardo Muñoz wants to ‘give psychology away’ worldwide.
“When Ricardo Muñoz was 10 years old, his mother sat him down for a talk. Their family was leaving Chosica, Peru, for better educational opportunities in the United States. Later, she said, they would return so that Muñoz could share what he learned. “She taught me two things that day,” Muñoz says. “One was that knowledge is worth traveling halfway around the world to get. And the second was that once you get it, you share it.”…”
RCC Spotlight: Amber Lovatos, the Latina RDH
“…As a first-generation Mexican-American growing up in a low-income home, there was no access to dental care. Amber struggled to speak English and barely graduated from high school. As a teen mom, she suffered from depression. She worked as a dental assistant, but after leaving an abusive marriage, she realized that dental assisting wasn’t enough to provide for her and her two young sons. Amber realized that she needed to get ahead in life, and when her friend Maxine Cordova suggested they both become dental hygienists, it seemed like a path to success..”
https://www.rdhmag.com/career-profession/article/14233012/rcc-spotlight-amber-lovatos-the-latina-rdh
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…”
The Quad: Chilean president-elect reflects political power of young progressives
“On March 11, 36-year-old Gabriel Boric will be sworn into office as the youngest president in Chile’s history. A member of the millennial generation, Boric has garnered media attention with his young age and activist past.
His win signifies what some political scientists have referred to as the “marea rosa” – or pink tide – a trend toward left-wing governments and away from neoliberal economic policies in democratic nations across Latin America..”
‘Aqux’ explores representations of home, connects identities of Latinx community
“Aqux,” a group exhibition which opened Feb. 19 at The Mistake Room, features 23 Latinx artists and their interpretations of what home means to them. Through the featured works curated by TMR’s executive and artistic director and alumnus César García-Alvarez, the group exhibition explores the connection between the artists’ Latin American roots and the places they call home. Pronounced “aquí” like the Spanish word for “here,” “Aqux’s” spelling represents the debate surrounding the term Latinx, García-Alvarez said.
“Our identity is never static – it is always situational,” García-Alvarez said. “Thinking about home in that way became an interesting mechanism to organize the exhibition, and what you see in this show are various contradicting representations of home. You don’t get a full, solid, agreed-upon perspective on how home should be defined or experienced.”
‘Theater for Social Change’
“At UC Santa Barbara, as at many universities, the early 1970s are remembered as a period of conflict and strife. But something remarkable emerged from that tumultuous time: A new theater company created by Hispanic artists, for Hispanic audiences.
It was called El Teatro de la Esperanza — the Theater of Hope — and for more than a quarter-century, it promoted justice and inclusion through storytelling and music.,,”
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/
The Town That Inspired John Steinbeck Has A New Literary Star
“…Steinbeck might not be the No. 1 literary pride of Watsonville for long. Enter Jaime Cortez, whose debut short story collection, Gordo, is set in and around the Pajaro Valley town. Cortez’s book is an unforgettable portrait of the working-class Mexican Americans who lived there in the 1970s — including the charming misfit title character, who narrates most of the stories…”
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/16/1027521278/review-gordo-jaime-cortez
Q&A l “I Wanted to Create the School I Would Have Liked to Attend” – Christian Patiño, Coderhouse
“Latin American talent is becoming quite appealing. Increasingly more companies are looking to hire Argentinian, Colombian or Mexican professionals. This is partly because regional unicorns are in need of qualified talent, and partly because tech hubs like the U.S. are facing a talent shortage that LatAm workers are willing and able to fill…”
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
How to Fix Big Tech’s Diversity Problem
“After years of big promises and little change, Silicon Valley experienced a tiny breakthrough in raising diversity among its workforce, where women, Black, and Hispanic workers have long been underrepresented. On Jan. 12, Twitter said that it had boosted the proportion of Black employees at its U.S. locations to 9.4 percent from 6.9 percent in only one year and the share of Hispanic workers to 8.0 percent from 5.5 percent. Even if the company hasn’t revealed the seniority levels and functional areas where the hiring took place, the numbers attest to substantial changes, especially considering the lack of progress on diversity at other tech companies. How did it pull it off? Can others do the same? And can Twitter do even better? The answer is yes to all…”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/30/big-tech-diversity-recruiting-silicon-valley/
UCLA course allows students to apply Spanish language skills in real-world setting
“Books in a classroom are often not enough as Latino community members have much to share with Spanish language students, said Carla Suhr, a Spanish linguistics professor and director of the Community Engagement Program. Spanish M165XP: “Taking It to Street: Spanish in Community” takes students out of the classroom, guiding them to apply language skills under real-life circumstances.
One of three classes focusing on the Latino community in the Spanish and Portuguese department’s Community Engagement Program, Spanish M165XP gives students the opportunity to apply cultural and linguistic knowledge from class to the real world by working with Los Angeles communities. The course encourages students to learn by using Spanish in a more realistic context, Suhr said…”
Filtering Out the Noise
“It’s a familiar situation: You’re talking to a friend at a restaurant, and despite the background din, you still hear each other clearly. Obviously, our brains are capable of filtering out noise, but scientists are still learning how.
Using fruit flies as a model, Luis Franco(link is external), a postdoctoral fellow at UC Santa Barbara, set out to investigate the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. He and his colleague, Emre Yaski at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, in Norway,…”
