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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Computer Science

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/

 

Borderlands Mexico: Widening technology gap a threat to US-Mexico trade, experts say

“…Commercial transportation is a category that is often stereotyped as a laggard in terms of technology adoption,” said Love, who is based in Laredo. “Most carriers, logistics professionals are just so busy keeping the lights on that they can’t really start to think about innovation in the future.”

Mexico replaced China as the top U.S. trading partner in 2023, with trade between the U.S. and Mexico totaling $798 billion last year. In the first quarter of 2024, trade between Mexico and the U.S. totaled $200.1 billion, a 1.7% year-over-year increase…”

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/borderlands-mexico-widening-technology-gap-110000643.html

 

ZF opens state-of-the-art technology centre in Mexico

“The new building joins the advanced electronic components manufacturing plant that began production in 2023, thus completing the Monterrey campus – a strategic complex for the leading automotive technology company at a regional and global level. It is the first multi-functional and multi-divisional campus for ZF in Mexico.

Located in a 43,294 square metre area inside FINSA Guadalupe Industrial Park, ZF’s Monterrey campus is one of the most innovative and advanced of its kind in Mexico, allowing ZF to continue leading the development of cutting-edge technologies for the automotive industry…”

https://www.autocarpro.in/news-international/zf-opens-state-of-the-art-technology-centre-in-mexico-119952

Takenos, Argentine Fintech, Sets Sights on Mexico with 80,000 User Goal

“Takenos, the fintech startup providing financial solutions for workers receiving money from abroad, has announced its expansion into the Mexican market with ambitions to acquire at least 80,000 users there by year-end.

Founders Lucas Posada, Joaquín Herrera, and Simón Bouche, the latter recently relocating to Mexico City, spearhead this move, aiming to capitalize on the transborder transfer hub between Mexico and the U.S…

https://contxto.com/en/argentina/takenos-argentine-fintech-sets-sights-on-mexico-with-80000-user-goal/

Thunderbird at ASU announces regional Center of Excellence in Mexico

“November 29, 2023

In a move that signaled a significant step forward in its commitment to fostering innovation and global, digital leadership in Latin America, the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, in partnership with Cintana Education and the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG), has announced a new regional Center of Excellence in Mexico…”

https://news.asu.edu/20231128-thunderbird-asu-announces-regional-center-excellence-mexico-advancing-access-education

Mexican marketing company sets out to take over the American construction market

‘Taking advantage of high-quality work at low prices has been a privilege reserved just to the big corporations until now thanks to this innovative and adventurous company that proposes a simple but effective solution similar to the one big corporations have found. Many factories have optimized their profits since many years ago by moving their operations to other countries with highly qualified workers and lower costs of living. Some of the most common industries that have adopted this model are maquiladoras, customer service and software development.

Cliknow knows it’s time to expand the catalog of services Mexico can export to the world. “Mexicans, besides being hard workers, are highly talented, smart, and eager to grow and to create better opportunities for themselves and their people” says Cesar Silva, director of Cliknow Marketing n’Stuff…”

https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/mexican-marketing-company-sets-out-to-take-over-the-american-construction-market-with-high-quality-professionals-at-less-than-half-the-price

Ecuadorian entrepreneur seeks technology experts in the U.S.

“…Through social media, and specifically targeting young people looking for flexible or remote jobs, Kruger has started its search for talent in the U.S.

From Kruger is highlighted how its collaborators do not require a university degree, since in just nine months the company is able to train professionals to handle the necessary tools and software.

“The desire to learn and experience come together to create a professional in the technological area,” noted Kruger…”

https://aldianews.com/en/leadership/entrepreneurs/tech-experts-demand

 

Business Mexico draws young American professionals working remotely

“…“They love the climate,” she said. “They love the people, the culture, the food, the beauty.”

“Yes, of course, safety can be an issue. … And when I say quality of life, I mean of course, we can’t avoid the fact that your dollar goes a long way in Mexico,” she added.

According to data from the U.S. Department of State, there are over 1.6 million U.S. citizens living in Mexico, but that number only includes people who have applied for legal residency, which some remote workers do not do.

Mexico City’s tourism agency said more than 1.9 million foreigners arrived at the capital city’s international airport during just the first half of this year. They spent almost $2 billion in hotel stays there….”

https://vigourtimes.com/mexico-draws-young-american-professionals-working-remotely/

 

Spotlight: Cybersecurity regulation in Latin America

“…Brazil and Mexico are regional data protection leaders, as they also suffer a rising number of cyberattacks, Carolina Pardo, partner at Baker McKenzie, told BNamericas. “Other jurisdictions are not implementing specific measures, although there are some good starting points in the guidelines on data security in Colombia and a bill in Chile,” she added…”

https://www.bnamericas.com/en/features/spotlight-cybersecurity-regulation-in-latin-america

WWC Americas: Nearly 300 passionate Wi-Fi professionals converge on Cancún, Mexico

“…The event above all reflected the huge amount of innovation and not least business opportunities being developed across the industry right now. We’re particularly delighted that so many Mexican and other Latin American delegates decided to join the event as well as for the support of many of our new Latin American sponsors such as SamaWiFi, Datawifi, Arara, SitWiFi, i-Free, and not least our Brazilian partners Mambo. Broad participation from Latin America is a testament to the importance of Wi-Fi across the region including a thriving ecosystem of vendors and service providers…”

https://wifinowglobal.com/news-and-blog/wwc-americas-nearly-300-passionate-wi-fi-professionals-converge-on-cancun-mexico/

 

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…”

https://contxto.com/en/startups/qa-l-i-wanted-to-create-the-school-i-would-have-liked-to-attend-christian-patino-coderhouse/

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/

With Latin American Demand for Cloud Rising, Oracle Hunts for Tech Professionals

“American software firm Oracle Corp is reportedly gearing up to add as many as 500 professionals to its operations in Latin America.The news comes barely a month after the Austin, Texas-based company reshuffled its top management team in the region.Oracle has been present in Latin America for more than 30 years, with its clients including the likes of Grupo Bimbo, GNP Seguros, McDonald’s (Arcos Dorados), Dorinka (Walmart), Arcor, Televisa, TV Globo, Solistica, Consultatio and Smartfit…”

https://nearshoreamericas.com/cloud-oracle-latin-america/

Exclusive: Wizeline’s New Majority Shareholder Will Empower an Enduring Vision

“Wizeline is “the global services technology provider founded by Mexican-American entrepreneur Bismarck Lepe, has taken a giant step towards its expansion goals after Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) purchased a majority stake in the firm…”

https://nearshoreamericas.com/exclusive-wizelines-new-majority-shareholder-empower-enduring-vision-cdpq/

Silicon Valley pledged to become more diverse. A year later, has anything changed?

“Minorities remain underrepresented

Category Tech Overall Difference
Black 5.0% 15.3%
−10.3
Hispanic and Indigenous 11.1% 18.6%
−7.5
White 58.0% 59.3%
−1.3
Asian 25.1% 6.8%

 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/tech/article/Silicon-Valley-pledged-to-become-more-diverse-A-16414178.php

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tidjane Thiam’s Spac pursues $1.5bn Latin American fintech target

“…The special purpose acquisition company of former Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam is in talks to acquire two companies in Latin America, as part of plans to capitalise on rapid growth in the region’s fintech sector.

Mexican fintech group Credijusto and continental corporate data provider CIAL Dun & Bradstreet would be merged and listed in New York later this year under the plans, people familiar with the matter told the Financial Times…”

https://www.fnlondon.com/articles/tidjane-thiams-spac-pursues-1-5bn-latin-american-fintech-target-20210806

 

Mexican tech sector looks to benefit from improved business scenario with US

“Mexico’s ICT sector could benefit from increased business with the US thanks to geopolitical tensions with China, cloud software demand from US corporates and scarcity of skilled professionals north of the border.

In Mexico, the industry is looking to satisfy demand for tech talent from the trillion-dollar US software market…”

https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/mexican-tech-sector-looks-to-benefit-from-improved–business-scenario-with-us

 

Survey reveals Latin America’s cybercrime map

“…Countries with large populations which are intensely digitized, such as Brazil and Argentina, are ‘fertile ground’ for these two types of attacks. Mexico also fits these criteria, but, in Vieira’s view, most Mexican digital gangs prefer to focus their efforts on the US and not on other Latin American countries.

“This explains why Mexico does not stand out in the list of countries that most attack our region,” he said.

Experts from F5 Labs and Effluxio also analyzed the incidence of attacks focused on web pages.

“We tend to think that the Internet and the Web are the same thing – they aren’t. The Internet represents the way where IP traffic will pass. The web, heavily dependent on the browser, servers, the URL and the way in which the page was developed, is the platform that uses Internet routes,” said Vieira…”

https://www.intelligentcio.com/latam/2021/06/18/survey-reveals-latin-americas-cybercrime-map/

 

Do you want to work at Google? The tech giant is looking for talent in Mexico for its new hub in CDMX

“…If one of your dreams is to work at Google , this interests you. The technology giant announced that it will create a Google Cloud technical support center in Mexico City (CDMX) for clients globally. For this reason, they began the search for Mexican talent to join the ‘hub’ . Engineers in systems, cybernetics, application development, telecommunications and specialists in big data, among others, can already apply in Google Careers …”

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/371632

 

Mexico projects to be a technological superpower in the next 10 years

“…The Digital Transformation index , prepared by Dell Technologie , revealed that during 2020 Mexico experienced an important advance with respect to digital transformation , since 52% of the companies surveyed in the Mexican Republic consider themselves part of the category “digital adopters ” , that is, companies that are already investing in innovation.

The transformation and adaptation process has not been an easy task, however, the capacity and talent of Mexican programmers generated innovation and gave rise to a new economy, largely driven by the employment relationship started with technology companies in the United States. …”

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/370455


  

Poem
“…And would it have been worth it, after all,
Would it have been worth while,
After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,
After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor—
And this, and so much more?—
It is impossible to say just what I mean!
But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen:
Would it have been worth while…”

T.S. Eliot
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Mexican American Proarchive Annual Report for 2022

The American Community Survey is an annual survey administered by the federal government to help local officials and community leaders and businesses understand the changes that take place in their communities. It includes percentages of our population’s graduate school attainment and the employment of Mexican Americans in various occupations.  These important factors influence the allocation of federal resources. Mexican American Proarchives uses the data provided by the American Community Survey to better understand how Mexican Americans compare to the general population.

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