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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The Association of Mexican American Educators is looking for sponsors to refurbish the Cesar Chavez Native Garden in Nipomo
“NIPOMO, Calif. — The Association of Mexican American Educators (AMAE) is holding a meeting today at the Cesar Chavez Native Garden in Nipomo in hopes of gathering resources to refurbish the park and hiking trail.
The AMAE is a state-wide organization that helps students receive scholarships to further their education.
The AMAE and many others used the San Luis Obispo County park for parent meetings and family picnics. Unfortunately, it has been unavailable since the pandemic…”
Las Cafeteras Presented By ¡Viva el Arte!
“Born and raised East of the Los Angeles River, Las Cafeteras are a sonic explosion of Afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats, and powerful rhymes that document stories of a community seeking to “build a world where many worlds fit.” This dynamic group transcends genres from Afro-Mexican to Americana, from Soul to Son Jarocho, from Roots to Rock and Hip Hop. The use of traditional instrumentation like the eight string jarana, four string requinto, quijada (donkey jawbone), and tarima (wooden platform) produce their unique and electrifying sound…”
Mexican American to Graduate USM with the Highest Honors
“Meet Cheyla Muñoz Ramos, a Mexican American student who served as the Presidential Standard Bearer at The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Spring 2023 Commencement. Standard bearer is considered the highest honor bestowed upon a student during Commencement, as the selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, and campus involvement. Ramos finished with the highest grade point average of all USM graduation candidates.
Munoz graduated with a double major in International Studies and French through USM’s Honors College. Originally born in Minnesota to Mexican American parents, she spent most of her childhood and high school years in Veracruz, Mexico. She moved to the U.S. about seven years ago to attend high school in Pelahatchie, Miss…”
https://www.usm.edu/news/2023/release/cheyla-munoz-ramos.php
Graduating Electrical and Computer Engineering Major Receives the USC Viterbi Community Impact Award
“…Now, Rodriguez, an electrical and computer engineering major in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is being recognized for his community-driven leadership. He’s the 2023 recipient of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Community Impact Award, which recognizes the student who has provided the highest quality service to the Viterbi School and gone above and beyond their area of responsibility within a student organization…”
Student Mariah Hernandez spotlights strong Latina characters in directorial debut
“Mariah Hernandez is embracing unconventional forms of self-love in her upcoming film, “Self-Love, Mija!”
The fourth-year English student and member of UCLA’s Latine Film and Theatre Association made her film directorial debut exploring young womanhood and the significance of friendship in one’s healing journey, Hernandez said. Entering UCLA without prior film experience, Hernandez said LFTA presented her with the opportunity to delve into an art form she had been interested in but never explored. Beginning primarily as a writer, she said LFTA provided her with the encouragement she needed to challenge herself in a larger, directorial role…”
UCLA professor emeritus Judith Baca receives 2021 National Medal of Arts
“…Among her many works, Baca created “La Memoria de la Tierra: UCLA,” a mural displayed outside of Ackerman Union highlighting the presence of the Native American communities where UCLA was founded. The mural, which was unveiled last year, showcases the original Los Angeles River and its original peoples, highlights influential members of the UCLA community and displays a future in which the university coexists with and recognizes the Native land…”
Unfolding Histories Artist Sandy Rodriguez illuminates forgotten pasts of the Central Coast
“…Through the work, Rodriguez draws attention to a largely forgotten piece of local history: The Chumash Revolt of 1824. That year, the native peoples of this region rebelled against the Spanish and Mexican colonizers who controlled the area…”
Chicano/a studies chair Aída Hurtado named a fellow of American Education Research Association
“…Hurtado is among 24 individuals named to the 2023 AERA Fellows Program which honors scholars for their exceptional contributions to education research. Her work has focused on intersectional feminisms, particularly the effects of gender on educational success. In a novel way, she has looked at educational achievement with a focus on Latinas and Chicanas, ultimately disproving the idea that traditional Latino families just want their children to get married and have more children…”
Student Jasmine Gomez sells designed Slayed Sets to accessorize nails
“Jasmine Gomez’s Slayed Sets is nailing what it means to be a small business.
In August 2021, the fourth-year Chicana and Chicano studies and education and social transformation student launched Slayed Sets, which sells custom ready-to-wear press-on nails. Gomez said she started doing her own nails during her freshman year of college and came up with the idea of Slayed Sets after diving deeper into nail art at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic…”
UCLA Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion grants awards to student leaders
“…Award recipient Norma Sandoval said that her own experiences as a first-generation student in the sciences led her to support younger students in the field as well.
Sandoval, a molecular, cellular, and integrative physiology doctoral student, was nominated for the EDI Student Leadership Award by her mentor Stephanie Correa, an assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology at UCLA.
She said it was meaningful to work with people such as Correa, who understands her values and supports the work she’s done, adding that she hopes to fulfill a similar role for other students looking into the field of science…”
Letter to the Editor: UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences combats racial inequity
“…The medical school includes the development of a Social Medicine Collab that uses human-centered design to bring integrated mental health and primary care to youth-serving organizations in primarily Latino and Black neighborhoods in South LA, using cultural and athletic events as a platform…”
Recording Latinx Dance Histories
“…Originally from the El Paso/Juárez border between Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua, it was Avelar’s time and work in New York City that crystalized her identity as a fronteriza (borderlands) artist. Early on, she knew her goal was to research and create accessible, inclusive dance practices anchored in Chicanx and Latinx feminism and border theory…”
Hispanics in Leadership: Meet Two Students at the Helm of CU Denver’s Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Chapte
“From the classroom to the workforce, student organizations at CU Denver help guide people into careers where they can make a difference. And the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is no exception: In November, 11 CU Denver students travelled to Charlotte, North Carolina to participate in the organization’s national conference—and two even walked away with job offers. Here, we sat down with some members of SHPE’s leadership team to learn more about how the group helps develop leadership skills, builds a sense of belonging, and allows them to engage more with their campus…”
UC ethnic studies requirement is vital in the nationwide fight for inclusivity
“I know firsthand what it feels like to have my culture and history tacked on to the end of a social studies unit.
My Asian American heritage – along with African American, Latinx and Indigenous backgrounds – still remains undervalued and grossly underrepresented in education. These histories are misrepresented at best and actively banned at worst.
At UCLA, we’re fortunate to be a part of an institution that continues to progress toward a more diverse student body, but it’s not immediately apparent why we need to continue our shared journey of inclusivity. It’s crucial for all students to feel represented in and out of the classroom and to have the opportunity to learn more about each other in the process…”
UEI Global Education Organises a Fusion of American & Mexican Food Festival
“UEI Global Education is an educational initiative of Berggruen Charitable Trust (USA), India’s top rated Hospitality Education Institutions since 2007. UEI offers courses that can be split into Traditional Higher Education and Vocational Training.
UEI Global currently has 9 state-of-the-art campuses across 9 cities pan India. UEI Global offers a bouquet of industry-oriented programs focused on the requirements of the service sector. The vision is to impart education through meticulous & contemporary curriculum, standardized processes and qualified faculty in a world class environment to create multi-skilled professionals…”
UCLA appoints Miguel García-Garibay as senior dean of UCLA College
“UCLA appointed current dean of physical sciences Miguel García-Garibay as senior dean of UCLA College on Tuesday.
Executive vice chancellor and provost Darnell Hunt announced the two-year term appointment of García-Garibay, which began Nov. 1. García-Garibay will also continue in his role as dean of physical sciences…”
https://dailybruin.com/2022/11/04/ucla-appoints-miguel-garca-garibay-as-senior-dean-of-ucla-college
Certification, minor in Mexican-American Studies now offered at St. Mary’s University
“…In a state like Texas, where Mexican-Americans are now the majority, that’s very important,” Roman said.
She said the certification in Mexican-American Studies is useful in professional development, especially with the increased emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion in the business world…”
Director Elizabeth Gonzalez discusses UCLA’s ‘ambitious yet attainable’ Hispanic Serving Institution goal
“UCLA’s inaugural Hispanic-Serving Institution Director Elizabeth Gonzalez sat down with the Daily Bruin to discuss her qualifications, the university’s goal, her priorities as the HSI director and recommendations from the Hispanic-Serving Institution Task Force.
The chancellor’s office appointed Elizabeth Gonzalez as the HSI director in June. To meet UCLA’s current goal to become a Hispanic-Serving Institution by 2025, 25% of the university’s students must identify as Latino, according to the Department of Education…”
Pursuing greater representation in health care
“According to the census report, more than 80% of the people who live in the El Paso metropolitan area identify as Hispanic.
Yet Hispanic students are underrepresented in health care education, as reported by the Mexican American Hispanic Physician Association.
Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare and the University of Texas at El Paso recently announced a new partnership that aims to improve that representation in advanced education…”
Opinion: UCLA must follow through on its mission to gain HSI designation by 2025
“…To be federally designated as an HSI by the U.S. Department of Education, at minimum 25% of the university’s undergraduate enrollment must be from Hispanic or Latinx-identifying students. But at its current rate of growth – 0.41% increase per year – UCLA won’t reach the requisite 25% until 2029, despite its projected target of becoming an HSI by 2025…”
