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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How Effectively Is Mexico Fighting the Covid Pandemic?
“… Like other populist regimes, Mexico’s federal government has refused to face reality and has instead downplayed the magnitude of the crisis while accusing adversaries of exaggerating it for political purposes. This bodes ill both for overcoming the pandemic and for Mexican democracy, as the attempt to generate an alternative narrative perpetuates Mexico’s poor management of Covid-19—now irrefutably one of the most deficient in the world, with a death rate of 252.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. The federal government’s release of the corrected pandemic figures, however, is good news. The revised data is consistent with the death toll for Mexico City, published a few months ago by different groups of experts, who sounded the alarm on the underreporting of deaths from Covid-19. It is encouraging that decades of investments in independent information systems financed by Mexican taxpayers, such as those of INEGI and the National Council for the…”
https://www.thedialogue.org/analysis/how-effectively-is-mexico-fighting-the-covid-pandemic/
In the Midst of Radicalism: Mexican American Moderates during the Chicano Movement, 1960–1978 (Volume 3) (New Directions in Tejano History)
“…The Chicano Movement of the 1960s and ’70s, like so much of the period’s politics, is best known for its radicalism: militancy, distrust of mainstream institutions, demands for rapid change. Less understood, yet no less significant in its aims, actions, and impact, was the movement’s moderate elements. In the Midst of Radicalism presents the first full account of these more mainstream liberal activists—those who rejected the politics of protest and worked within the system to promote social change for the Mexican American community…”
Latino coalition sues Texas government over ‘discriminatory district maps’
“95% of all new growth in the census came from either Latinos or other communities of color,” said Daniel Diaz, the director of organizing, LUPE.
Diaz said Latinos specifically have been packed into smaller districts.
“They’re being packed into one district so they don’t have enough representation in another district,” said Diaz.
Despite the growth in Latino populations, no new congressional districts reflect that, according to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)…”
Texas now more demographically diverse, 2020 Census count shows
“A majority of the Texas population is now made up of people identifying as racial and ethnic groups other than white, according to information released Aug. 12 by the U.S. Census Bureau. The information is based on the 2020 Census count and will be used by state legislators to draw up new political districts this fall.
A 15.9 percent increase in population netted Texas two additional members in Congress. The areas they will represent will be determined during a fall special session of the Texas Legislature.
The total population in Texas is now 29,145,505. According to the 2020 Census, the population is split into the follow percentages among racial and ethnic groups:
- White (non-Hispanic) — 39.8 percent, 11,584,597, up 187,252 from 2010
- Hispanic — 39.3 percent, 11,441,717, which is 1,980,796 more than in 2010
- Black or African American — 11.8 percent, 3,444,712, an increase of 557,887 from 2010
- Asian — 5.4 percent, 1,561,518, an increase of 613,092 from 2010…
- https://www.dailytrib.com/2021/08/13/texas-now-more-demographically-diverse-2020-census-count-shows/
The new Latino landscape The swift growth of U.S. Latinos is reshaping big states and small towns. Meet the faces of a new era.
‘In New Hampshire, a Roman Catholic church where Irish and French Canadian immigrants used to worship now has the state’s largest Latino congregation. In the Deep South, a county in Georgia is one of the nation’s top 10 in diversity. Hispanics accounted for over half of the nation’s population growth in the last decade. This is not just reflected in larger cities, but in mountain towns, Southern neighborhoods and Midwestern prairies. “The Latino population has been dispersing across the United States for years — a reflection of where the nation’s population is moving and where opportunities are located,” said Mark Hugo Lopez, director of race and ethnicity research at the Pew Research Center…”
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…(?)
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With PBS Wisconsin
“Every year since 1988, Congress has recognized Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting the impact of Hispanic Americans on our nation and recognizing five of our Central American neighbors who celebrate their independence in September.PBS Wisconsin pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have enriched American society and culture with these programs airing in September and October on PBS Wisconsin and on the PBS App on your phone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV, other digital TV devices and many Smart TVs…”
https://pbswisconsin.org/article/celebrate-hispanic-heritage-month-with-pbs-wisconsin/
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
US journalist tangles with AMLO over his crime, coronavirus record
“President López Obrador and United States-based Mexican journalist Jorge Ramos engaged in a robust verbal duel on Monday morning as the latter challenged the former on his record in reducing violent crime and managing the coronavirus pandemic.
Ramos, a reporter for the U.S.-based Spanish language television network Univision, appeared at López Obrador’s morning press conference — the mañanera — at the National Palace in Mexico City, and didn’t hold back when given the opportunity to probe the president…”
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/us-journalist-tangles-with-amlo-over-his-crime-coronavirus-record/
Latino groups push for confirmation of voting rights expert Myrna Pérez as federal judge
“National Latino leaders are pushing the Senate to quickly confirm voting rights expert Myrna Pérez as a justice for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit. If confirmed, she would be the only Latina on the bench of that federal appeals court and the first since Sonia Sotomayor moved from it to the U.S. Supreme Court.
President Joe Biden nominated Perez last week for the appeals court, which serves New York, Connecticut and Vermont…”
Reimagining Regional Governance in Latin America
“…Latin America is experiencing one of the most difficult moments in its recent history as it confronts three overlapping crises: the coronavirus pandemic, a steep economic contraction, and high levels of political polarization and democratic erosion. No region has been more impacted by COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, than Latin America, both in human and economic terms.1 As of April 30, 2021, Latin America had a total of 28 million confirmed cases (out of a world total of 150 million) and just over 900,000 deaths (out of a world total of just over 3 million). With around 8 percent of the world’s population, the region has almost 19 percent of confirmed cases and 28 percent of total deaths. Also, as of April 30, Latin America had administered only 8 percent of the total vaccines.2..
https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/06/24/reimagining-regional-governance-in-latin-america-pub-84813
Harris avoids optics of vaccine-for-immigration quid pro quo with Mexico
“Vice President Kamala Harris headed back to the U.S. after two days of high-level meetings in Guatemala and Mexico about corruption, human trafficking and migration, but one subject was only briefly touched upon: coronavirus vaccines…”
https://news.yahoo.com/harris-avoids-optics-vaccine-immigration-005249667.html
‘Unethical liars:’ AMLO replies to hard-hitting editorial in British newspaper
“…Published under the headline “Voters should curb Mexico’s power-hungry president” in its May 29-June 4 edition, on which López Obrador appears on the cover beneath the headline “Mexico’s false messiah,” the editorial compares AMLO, as the president is commonly known, to “authoritarian populists” Viktor Orbán of Hungary, Narendra Modi of India and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil…”
Membership of the 117thCongress: A Profile Updated April 14, 2021
“…Hispanic/Latino American Members There are 54Hispanic or Latino Members in the 117thCongress, 10.0%of the total membership and a record number.29Forty–sevenserve in the House, including two Delegates and the Resident Commissioner,and 7in the Senate. These numbers include two House Members who are also of Asian descent, and two House Members also of African ancestry; these Members are counted in both ethnic categories in this report. Of the Members of the House, 34are Democrats (including 2 Delegates) and 13are Republicans(including the Resident Commissioner). Fourteen are women, including the Resident Commissioner. Of the seven Hispanic Senators (three Republicans, four Democrats), one is a woman. By comparison, approximately 35 years ago in the 99thCongress (1985–1986), 14 Hispanic or Latino Members served in Congress. All 14 were male Members of the House…”
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46705
Examining the Demographic Compositions of U.S. Circuit and District Courts
“…For instance, across all Article III U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Courts of Appeals, people of color make up just 20 percent of all sitting judges and 27 percent of active judges. In all, African Americans comprise 10 percent of sitting judges and 13 percent of active judges, while Hispanic judges make up about 7 percent and 9 percent of sitting and active judges, respectively. Asian Americans comprise an even smaller proportion of the lower federal courts: Only 2.5 percent of active judges and 4 percent of sitting judges are Asian American. American Indian judges and those belonging to more than one race or ethnicity each make up about 1 percent or less of the lower federal judiciary…”
Ricardo Lara: Insurance Commissioner for the State of California
“…Throughout Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s career, he’s always stood up for working families and against injustice, even when doing so was difficult or unpopular. Grounded in his East Los Angeles upbringing and raised by a factory worker and a seamstress, Ricardo has built a record on bringing people together around tough challenges and delivering results that improve people’s lives. As a graduate of LAUSD schools and a lifelong resident of Southeast Los Angeles, he knows first-hand the challenges facing the immigrant and working class communities…”
http://www.ricardolara.com/index.php/about-ricardo/biography
Some Houston leaders say Gov. Abbott’s decision to lift COVID restrictions puts Texans at risk
“…Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said the decision puts Texans at risk of another surge.“What I see here is a premature and misguided discussion putting our community at risk and it’s unnecessary because we’re headed where we need to go,” Hidalgo said.She pointed out Harris County’s positivity rate is more than double the ideal level and 25 percent of ICU patients here have COVID…”
U.S. downplays possibility of sharing COVID-19 vaccines with Mexico
“WASHINGTON/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The Biden administration on Monday downplayed the prospect of sharing coronavirus vaccines with Mexico, saying it is focused first on getting its own population protected against a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans.,,”
Rewriting the Chicano Movement: New Histories of Mexican American Activism in the Civil Rights Era
“The Chicano Movement, el movimiento, is known as the largest and most expansive civil
rights and empowerment movement by Mexican Americans up to that time. It made
Chicanos into major American political actors and laid the foundation for today’s Latino …”
rights and empowerment movement by Mexican Americans up to that time. It made
Chicanos into major American political actors and laid the foundation for today’s Latino …”
