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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Working in Canada under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement
“The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement allows non-Canadian citizens in the US and Mexico to obtain a work permit in Canada. Explore the four different categories below….”
Mexico’s 1st labor center Centro Laboral UAQ opens with UCLA support
“The Autonomous University of Querétaro has opened Mexico’s first labor center with support from the UCLA Labor Center.
The Centro Laboral UAQ, which opened in August, seeks to provide more resources to workers in Mexico by supporting working class mobilization, assisting in contract negotiation and helping workers understand how to unionize, according to UCLA Newsroom…”
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/
Key facts about U.S. Latinos for National Hispanic Heritage Month
“…The U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.5 million in 2021, up from 50.5 million in 2010. The 19% increase in the Hispanic population was faster than the nation’s 7% growth rate, but slower than the 23% increase in the Asian population. In 2021, Hispanics made up nearly one-in-five people in the U.S. (19%) – the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This is up from 16% in 2010 and just 5% in 1970…”
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month from HRMorning
“…Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) starts on Sept. 15, the anniversary of the Cry of Dolores that began the Mexican War of Independence, and runs until Oct. 15. September 15 is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18 respectively…”
https://www.hrmorning.com/news/hispanic-heritage-month/
Report: Cuban Doctors Brought to Mexico Work in Slavery Conditions
“…A REPORT by the NGO Prisoners Defenders assured on Thursday that the members of the Cuban medical missions, which include 650 health professionals sent to Mexico, work in conditions of “slavery” and that 80% of their salaries are stolen by the authorities of the regime…”
https://elamerican.com/report-cuban-doctors-brought-to-mexico-work-in-slavery-conditions/
How to come to Canada through CUSMA If you are American or Mexican, you may be eligible for a work permit under CUSMA.
“…American and Mexican citizens do not require a Temporary Resident Visa to enter Canada, so applications for a CUSMA work permit can be done at any Port of Entry or at a Visa office.
There are four categories of temporary work covered under CUSMA:
- CUSMA Professional
- CUSMA Intra-Company transfer
- CUSMA Traders
- CUSMA Investors…”
- https://www.cicnews.com/2022/08/how-to-come-to-canada-through-cusma-0829779.html#gs.9ltsjn
‘Representation is critical’ | Hispanics in the labor force
“…The report shows Hispanics remain overrepresented in certain occupational fields, locally, with 66% in farming, fishing, and forestry; 46% in building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; and 36% in construction.
Even though Hispanics are still overrepresented in service jobs, they now make up 10% of workers in management positions, nationally. That’s up from 5% in 2000. More of them are also getting into business ownership…”
10 Fastest-Growing Jobs for Hispanic and Latino Americans
“…In the second quarter of 2020, the Hispanic and Latino unemployment rate was 16.7%, the highest unemployment rate in that period compared with those of white, Black and Asian Americans. More recently, in the second quarter of 2021, the Hispanic and Latino unemployment rate was 7.2% — 2.1 and 1.6 percentage points higher than the white and Asian unemployment rates, respectively, and 2 percentage points lower than the Black unemployment rate…”
https://www.moneytalksnews.com/slideshows/10-fastest-growing-jobs-for-hispanic-and-latino-americans/
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…”
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
Statewide Gender and Race/Ethnicity Pay Gaps in California Exceed $46 Billion Trusaic Analysis of California SB 973 Pay Data Identifies Large Pay Differences
“…Comparing white (non-Hispanic) and nonwhite (or Hispanic) employees, executives have the largest annual race/ethnicity pay gap per employee of about $12,700, followed by officials & managers (of about $10,400) and professionals (of about $7,800). The smallest race/ethnicity pay gaps per employee were found in service and laborers (both about $800).,,”
NPPC voices concerns over swine industry visa decisions
“…Created under the North American Free Trade Agreement, the TN visa allows Canadian and Mexican professionals to temporarily fill specific job openings in the United States. It is used widely in the swine industry as a way to source qualified and competent labor for farm jobs.
NPPC has received reports that eligible applicants have been denied entry into the country for no cause and cannot appeal such decisions. Other evidence suggests applicants have been rejected because of subjective interpretations of having “sufficient ties” to their home country and about their intent to return to it. The NPPC reports that in one case, a veterinarian with a clinic in Mexico was denied a TN visa and told the decision was final…”
https://www.thepigsite.com/news/2021/10/nppc-voices-concerns-over-swine-industry-visa-decisions
‘Appreciation for one’s roots’: Latino professionals honor family heritage on social media
“Bismarck Lepe’s earliest memories of spending time with his parents riding in the family’s Ford Granada in the early 1980s as they went from Mexico to Southern California to pick lemons and strawberries, then to the Central Valley to pick apricots, peaches and nectarines, then to northern Washington to pick apples — and then back to Mexico.
In Gridley, California, especially, he remembered how the “brutally cold” mornings would become warm by noon. It became a kind of “Groundhog Day” routine as he followed his parents’ field work, occasionally sharing housing with other migrant workers along the West Coast and knowing just…”
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/
Crehana Raises Largest Series B for Edtech in Latin America
“…Crehana, a leading education technology platform for companies and individuals focused on closing the reskilling and upskilling gap in Latin America, announced today that it has raised $70M in a Series B round led by General Atlantic. This round represents Latin America’s largest Series B funding for an education technology company and comes just months after Crehana raised a $13M Series A extension round. Crehana will leverage the funding to expand its enterprise solution, launch operations in Brazil, and invest in new products and technologies…”
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/
Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey (a comparison of employment rates by ethnicity)
Complaint accuses Mexican factories of labor abuses, testing trade pact
“…The complaint focuses on the Tridonex auto parts factories in the city of Matamoros, just across the border from Brownsville, Texas. The AFL-CIO said workers there have been harassed and fired over their efforts to organize with an independent union, SNITIS, in place of a company-controlled union. Susana Prieto Terrazas, a Mexican labor lawyer and SNITIS leader, was arrested and jailed last year…”
