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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PolitiFact: Pell Grants helping half of Latino students
Posted: 12:00 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016
Proposed education appropriations legislation from the Republican-controlled U.S. House would cut Pell Grant funding next year by $1.3 billion.
Despite the overall funding cut, Pell Grant maximum amounts are due to rise in the 2016-17 award year to $5,815 from $5,775. Pell Grants, started by Congress in 1972, are awarded to financially needy students who haven’t yet earned a bachelor’s or professional degree.
The proposed funding “cut” is because some — such as U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who chairs the House subcommittee that drafted the legislation — says the Pell Grant program has been running a surplus for years and that money would be better spent elsewhere…
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Chicano Movement for Beginners
M Montoya – 2016 – books.google.com
As the heyday of the Chicano Movement of the late 1960s to early 70s fades further into
history and as more and more of its important figures pass on, so too does knowledge of its
significance. Thus, The Chicano Movement For Beginners is an important attempt to stave …
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The Devil is Loose: Drownings, shootings, high-speed accidents, immigrants in labor-the life of a border paramedic
For the paramedics in Laredo, Texas, the only event more concerning than a Dallas Cowboys’ loss is a fight night. Saturday, May 7, the eve of Mother’s Day, was fight night. Throughout the afternoon, the cemeteries were full of people carrying flowers to their mothers’ tombstones, bright tributes laid down in the searing heat. That evening, much of the town gathered around flat screens to watch the Mexican champion Canelo Álvarez and a British contender named Amir Khan slug it out for the middleweight title. Not many were rooting for Khan…
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Without Change, African-American and Latino Families Won’t Match Current Average White Wealth for Centuries
WASHINGTON – If current federal wealth-building policies remain in place, it will take the average African-American family 228 years to amass the same amount of wealth that white families have today and it will take Latino families 84 years to reach that goal, according to a new report from the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) and the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS).
The Ever-Growing Gap: Failing to Address the Status Quo Will Drive the Racial Wealth Divide for Centuries to Come shows how the well-documented chasm between white household wealth and African-American and Latino household wealth will play out over a period of decades and even centuries if nothing is done to change the current scenario.
For instance, the report finds that by 2043, when households of color are projected to account for more than half the U.S. population, the racial wealth divide between white households and African- American and Latino households will have doubled from about $500,000 in 2013 to $1 million…
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Reyes appointed director of Southwest Hispanic Research Institute
Bárbara Reyes has been appointed director of the UNM Southwest Hispanic Research Institute (SHRI). Reyes, an associate professor of History, has research interests that include Chicano History, Southwest History, U.S. Immigration History, Gender and Comparative Women’s History, Race, Ethnicity, Cultural Studies. For additional information about her research visit her faculty website.
Reyes has served as interim director of SHRI for the last two years. Earlier this year, the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) coordinated an internal, competitive search process with SHRI faculty affiliates. In consultation with the search committee and with feedback from SHRI stakeholders, Reyes was selected as director. She began her two-year term on July 1, 2016…
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Visiting artists celebrate Mexican heritage in West Chicago
Mexican artist Juan Chawuk works with teens from the West Chicago Library’s young adult council on a mobile mural that spells out the words “West Chicago.” Chawuk is one of two artists who were invited to take part in People Made Visible’s artist residency program this summer…
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Jobs Report: Latino Unemployment Rate Falls in July
July surpassed expectations for job growth in the U.S., and although the national unemployment rate stayed the same, the Latino labor force saw gains in job growth.
More than 255,000 jobs were added in July, which surpassed predictions of about 180,000 for the same month. The Latino unemployment rate fell from 5.8 percent to 5.4 percent, according to the National Council of La Raza’s jobs report.
The national unemployment rate stayed constant at 4.9 percent, the U.S. Department of Labor reported.
The number of employed Latino workers increased from 25.1 million in June, to 25.3 million. In July. Meanwhile, the number of Latinos available for work or not working dropped by about 100,000.
NCLR speculated Latino workers benefited from the addition of 45,000 hospitality jobs in July…
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Hispanic millennials make less, but save more
Most millennials are trying to save for retirement, but female and Hispanic millennials make less money than their counterparts and are more focused on everyday finances, according to new survey results released Wednesday by Wells Fargo.
The survey focused on how millennials plan for retirement. A $1-million savings goal is supposed to provide enough retirement funds for decades, according to Wells Fargo. While 64 percent of respondents said they don’t think they will ever save enough to hit that mark, nearly 60 percent have started stashing away money anyway…
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Latino Lessons
It’s a joke that probably dates back to the time of the Aztecs. Attempting to prove mental superiority, a poor schlub reveals a hilarious series of intellectual failings. In the Aztec version, that was probably some guy about to be sacrificed to Quetzalcoatl.
Or did the Mayans do that?…
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As population booms, so do Hispanic businesses
It only seemed natural that the Díaz family would go into business for themselves some day.
Father Ruben worked in horticultural for years. Sons Rafael and Ruben Jr. went to school to specialize in business and horticulture management.
In 2007, the three teamed up to create the Díaz Group LLC, a Chicago-area landscape and brick paving contractor.
The company has grown since then. Rafael now serves on the board of the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance. Other Diaz family members have joined the Diaz Group. Their services have been featured on HGTV.
The Díazes are typical of many Hispanic-owned businesses. They are often family-owned, launched within the past 14 years, and concentrated in service industries such as landscaping and retail…
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Immigration Reform 2016 News – Facebook and Microsoft Say STEM, Immigrants Help U.S. Tech Companies Stay Competitive
Representatives from the country’s most affluent companies challenged the next presidential administration to revise education and immigration programs during a Democratic National Convention forum on Wednesday.
Members of the nonpartisan Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, which pushes for scientific and technological advancements, urged lawmakers to reform longstanding immigration laws that limit how long individuals can work or study in the United States. The panelists also said a lack of enthusiasm for STEM – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – education programs among minorities makes it difficult to compete globally…
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Lynn Massachusetts Sees Shift In Latino Market
LYNN — The explosive increase of the Latino population and its influence is not a trend, but the future of the country.
In Greater Boston, a Top 25 Latino market, the number of Hispanics is expected to grow to more than one million by 2020, and nearly a third of Lynn’s population is Latino, a figure that will be much higher when new U.S. Census data is released.
But most of America’s Fortune 500 companies still have no marketing plan on how to attract the Latino consumer in the U.S…
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2016 Hispanic Heritage Month essay contest now open to Nebraska students
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Latino-American Commission invites Nebraska students to participate in the 10th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Essay Contest.
The Nebraska Latino-American Commission, a statewide independent government agency serving as a link between the Nebraska State Government and the Latino/a community, is accepting essays in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which is from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15…
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Hispanics In The Boardroom: Glass Ceiling Or Foggy Windshield?
We all know about glass ceilings as the deceiving transparency of moving into the upper ranks of a corporation by members of under-represented groups. We don’t often think of that barrier as a detriment to an enterprise’s long-term success and value. We tend to think of it as a matter of fairness and equity towards those who have struggled to gain access and develop their careers.
However, if one stops to think a bit more deeply, glass ceilings inhibit vision and action that could augment the ability of a company to see more opportunities, understand more consumers and manage resources more effectively. By blocking would be points of view that could contribute valuable insights to corporate strategy, glass ceilings are actually obstacles to rapid evolution, which could stunt the growth of companies seeking a fresh outlook on rapidly growing consumer segments — such as women, cultural minorities and those with unconventional gender identification…
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Eva Longoria’s powerful speech: ‘My family didn’t cross the border. The border crossed us’
Eva Longoria took the podium at the Democratic National Convention with a powerful speech about her family’s immigrant past.
The actress was among the various speakers at Monday night’s opening night in Philadelphia. She spoke about her personal experience as a Mexican-American living in the U.S.
“I’m from a small town in South Texas, and if you know your history, Texas used to be part of Mexico,” Longoria, 41, said. “I’m ninth-generation American. My family never crossed the border, the border crossed us.”…
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San Diego’s Chicano Artists Grab Some Comic-Con Spotlight
While the San Diego Convention Center is the center of the pop-culture universe this week, a thriving arts and culture scene is developing just a few miles away in Barrio Logan.
San Diego’s Chicano artists grabbed a piece of the spotlight this week at Comic-Con, attention that some thought was long overdue.
“But at least we’re moving forward,” said cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz.
Alcaraz was one of several Chicano artists and supporters who talked about the growing Latin art scene in San Diego…
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Mobvious Expands to U.S. with Focus on Bicultural Hispanic Market
Mobvious, a European firm specializing in mobile marketing solutions is entering the U.S. with the support of HiMedia Group and Latam Digital Ventures, Located in Miami, Mobvious’ new office will be co-founded and led by Isabel Rafferty (picture). Rafferty previously worked at Adsmovil. Rafferty tells Portada that Mobvious will also have offices in Los Angeles. The firm already has offices in Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Holland, and Italy.
isabelraffertyMoviousMobvious will provide innovative and interactive formats (including video, audio and social), including programmatic, as well as an exclusive network of high-quality publishers, to develop and implement mobile campaigns for the bicultural millennial Hispanic market. “The experience, vision and relationships Isabel has built during her career are fundamental to lead Mobvious and make it a competitive player in the United States market,” stated Cyril Zimmermann, CEO of HiMedia…
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Eloy Ortiz Oakley tapped as California community colleges chancellor
Long Beach Community College District head Eloy Ortiz Oakley will take over as chancellor for California’s 2.1 million-student community college system in December, its governing board announced Monday.
Serving as superintendent-president of the district since 2007, Oakley is best known as one of the architects of the Long Beach College Promise, a partnership with the city and local schools to provide early outreach, a free year at Long Beach City College and guaranteed admission to Long Beach State for students. It has been credited with raising college attendance in the area and was a model for a similar national program proposed by President Barack Obama…
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A Latino Angel Wants To Help You Invest In Tech Startups
For the past two decades, I have been an advisor to many technology startups, and I can tell you this: raising the first million is the hardest.
Even harder: raising the first million if you are Latino/Latina founder.
Last week, DreamFunded – a San Francisco-based company that I’ve written about before — became the first SF-headquartered firm to get approval from FINRA to launch a portal that will enable many people — not just the rich — to invest in technology through crowdfunding. According to DreamFunded, it’s also the first Latino-led equity crowdfunding portal anywhere to get FINRA approval…
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CantoMundo – celebration of Latino poetry is moving to New York
For the past five years, audiences in Austin have been able to enjoy public readings of CantoMundo, a national organization of Latino poets and poetry.
But this may be the last year CantoMundo is held in Austin, where they will hold two public readings July 22 and 23. Next year, it is moving to New York, where one of the founders, Deborah Paredez, recently accepted a professorship. The retreat may be held again in Austin in the future, but that’s uncertain…
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