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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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 …”
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador tests positive for Covid-19
“Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has tested positive for Covid-19, he said on Sunday evening.The President, who tweeted from his official Twitter account, said his symptoms are mild and that he was receiving medical treatment.”I regret to inform you that I have contracted Covid-19. The symptoms are mild, but I am already receiving medical treatment. As always, I am optimistic. We will move forward,” Lopez Obrador wrote…”
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/24/americas/mexico-president-coronavirus-intl-hnk/index.html
Mexico is severely — and maybe purposely — undercounting its coronavirus deaths
“By some estimates, Mexico’s coronavirus cases are 17 times higher than officially reported….
“The numbers do not appear to reflect the death toll for certain,” Donna Patterson, an expert on Mexico’s health care system at Delaware State University, told me. “At the federal level, the numbers aren’t being reported accurately.”
https://www.vox.com/2020/5/13/21255012/coronavirus-covid-19-mexico-death-count-cases
Five things to know about California’s new US Senator, Alex Padilla
“…Alex Padilla — California’s Secretary of State, a loyal Newsom ally and a Latino in a state that has never had a member of that largest ethnic group serve as senator — was a top pick. Sure enough, as Newsom announced Tuesday, the Democrat from Pacoima is on his way to Washington.
But for many Californians — perhaps the majority — Padilla’s nomination is likely to elicit more curiosity than self-congratulation, less “I knew it” and more “who knew?”
If you’re acquainting yourself with Padilla for the first time, here are a few takeaways from his California CV…
https://calmatters.org/politics/2020/12/california-senator-padilla-harris-replacement/
Biden Picks Xavier Becerra to Lead Health and Human Services
“WASHINGTON — President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. has selected Xavier Becerra, the Democratic attorney general of California, as his nominee for secretary of health and human services, tapping a former congressman who would be the first Latino to run the department as it battles the surging coronavirus pandemic…”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/06/us/politics/xavier-becerra-hhs-health-secretary.html
Favorites emerge as Latino leaders press Biden to appoint 5 Hispanics to Cabinet
“Top Latino advocacy organizations are pushing for President-elect Joe Biden to appoint five Hispanics to Cabinet-level posts…”
Covid: Mexico passes 100,000 coronavirus deaths
“Mexico has recorded more than 100,000 deaths from Covid-19 – the fourth country to pass the sombre milestone.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the country has suffered 100,104 deaths since the pandemic began.
The news comes just days after the world’s largest Spanish-speaking country reported more than one million infections.
Government officials have acknowledged that the true toll from the pandemic is likely higher.
Only the US, Brazil and India have recorded more deaths than Mexico, which has a population of roughly 125 million. Its mortality rate of 9.8% is one of the highest in the world, according to Johns Hopkins data…”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-55011840
Wait, so who is Nero, and why are people comparing him to Trump?
After a weekend of golfing in Florida, President Trump quote-tweeted a mysterious meme Sunday evening, depicting himself playing the violin in front of an orange and red background, with the caption, “MY NEXT PIECE IS CALLED NOTHING CAN STOP WHAT’S COMING.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/03/09/nero-trump-rome-burned-coronavrius-twitter/
Latinos gain a Senate seat with Ben Ray Lujan’s win in New Mexico
“…Democratic Rep. Ben Ray Lujan won the U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, bringing the total of Latino senators to five.
“Thank you, New Mexico! Tonight, our campaign showed that people power can elect the son of an ironworker and a public school employee to the Senate,” Lujan tweeted early Wednesday. “I’m grateful for every vote we earned — and no matter who you voted for, it will be my honor to work for you in the Senate.”..’
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/latinos-gain-senate-seat-ben-ray-lujan-win-new-mexico-n1246325
Who is Jovita Idár? Google Doodle Celebrates Mexican-American Civil Rights Pioneer
“Jovita Idár, a pioneer of Mexican-American civil rights, is celebrated in today’s Google Doodle, on the anniversary of the week the First Mexican Congress was held, September 14—22, 1911.
Born in the border city of Laredo, Texas, in 1885, Jovita Idár lived at a time when Mexican-Americans faced rampant discrimination…”
Mexican ambassador to US discusses immigration, trade in Wednesday event
“Martha Bárcena Coqui, Mexican ambassador to the United States since December 2018 and the first woman to hold the position, spoke to Duke students Wednesday in a virtual event.Topics focused on United States-Mexico relations, increasing tensions due to immigration, the replacement of the North American Free Trade Agreement by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and the impact of COVID-19 on an already-complex diplomatic relationship. “Be proud of your culture and what you represent,” Bárcena urged students as she reflected on the parallel trends of increasing opportunities for Mexican Americans and increased hostility toward immigrants.In the past 30 years, she argued, the United States and Mexico have gone from being almost distant neighbors to being essential trade partners, thanks to agreements such as NAFTA. Supply chains between the two—as well as Canada—have become completely integrated in areas ranging from pharmaceutical supplies to automotive parts. The free trade area encompassing Mexico and the United States is now valued at over $1.3 trillion, which, as Bárcena points out, is greater than the gross domestic products of some nations in the Group of 20…”
When Arizona Elected a Mexican Immigrant Governor
“Border Patrol agents once ordered an elderly Hispanic man out of his vehicle and requested his identity papers, which showed that he was a Mexican-born immigrant named Raúl H. Castro. Turns out he was Arizona’s former governor…”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/us/arizona-immigration-new-nativists.html
Mexico is in crisis. Its president insists on alternative reality.
“Last Saturday, Mexico’s finance minister, Arturo Herrera, offered a grim assessment of the country’s outlook after the pandemic. This year and the next, Mexico will have “the strongest crisis since 1932,” Herrera said.
That might end up being an understatement. The Mexican economy is in shambles. GDP has contracted for five consecutive quarters, well before the pandemic began. Investment has fallen at record rates. Crucial industries, such as tourism, have collapsed. Over the past few months, the country has lost at least 12 million jobs, more than 1 million in the formal sector alone. Without help from the government, which has insisted in a policy of austerity, thousands of small businesses have gone underwater. Wages have fallen dramatically. By the time the crisis ends, experts predict 25…”
Editorial: The Democratic convention is missing Latino, Texas voices. That’s a mistake.
“No party should take for granted the votes of any group tied together by race, ethnicity, gender or religion. And yet for all the focus they’ve put on diversity in recent years, Democrats appear to be doing just that as they gather virtually beginning tonight for the party’s four-day online convention.
Latinos, part of a voting bloc that is expected to play a large role in determining the outcome of the election, are all but shut out of the prime speaking spots. In fact, Texas itself, where Latinos are an especially big factor and helping to make the state competitive for the first time in decades, is nearly absent from the podium. That’s a big mistake on both fronts…”
Stephen Miller Not Saying Americans In Mexico Can’t Come Home … Yet
“Time for some more security theater from the Trump administration. They don’t have a plan to deal with COVID-19, but they’re queuing up some more empty gestures, so get ready to please clap.
The New York Times was first to report that Trump’s helpful minions are debating a plan to fight the virus by excluding American citizens and legal US residents from entering the country if border agents believe they may have been exposed to the virus. Never mind that we’re arguably the worst hotspot on earth, with endemic community spread. Forget about the big, beautiful wall around the country since no one else will let us in anymore. Ignore the fact that the president is now scream-tweeting a demand that college football players risk their longterm health for our amusement…”
https://www.wonkette.com/stephen-miller-not-saying-americans-in-mexico-cant-come-home-yet
Mexico City’s Open for Atlanta Tourists, but Are They Bold Enough to Travel?
“…While U.S. citizens barred from most of Europe in what would be prime travel season as COVID-19 cases here continue to grow by the tens of thousands, Mexico has flung open its doors, making it one of the few foreign destinations to which cooped up American tourists can fly for some R&R.
To be clear, Mexico hasn’t conquered the pandemic within its own borders. The country added more than 12,000 confirmed cases and 829 deaths Wednesday to bring its totals to nearly 450,000 and almost 50,000, respectively. Some experts fear the numbers could be much higher, as the country has only conducted about 1 million tests…”
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change appointed as Executive Secretary Patricia Espinoza Appointed for Second Term
“…Members of the COP Bureau unanimously agreed with the re-appointment, highlighting the Executive Secretary’s excellent leadership and commitment to the climate change agenda and her dedication to ensuring the continuous guidance and support of the UNFCCC Secretariat to Parties and the UNFCCC process in general.
Ambassador of Mexico to Germany from 2001 to 2002 and from 2012 to 2016, Ms. Espinosa was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico from 2006 to 2012, bringing more than 30 years of experience at highest levels in international relations, specialized in climate change, global governance, sustainable development, gender equality and protection of human rights…”
https://unfccc.int/news/unfccc-executive-secretary-patricia-espinosa-appointed-for-second-term
Editorial: On drawing California’s electoral districts. Chronicle Editorial Board July 27, 2020
“…This state, and the rest of the country, have plenty to worry about. A runaway pandemic and ebbing economic life are rightly the top focus of lawmakers. But take a look at what’s happening to a crucial panel charged with designing state Assembly and Senate districts, plus all of California’s congressional boundaries…”
Eduardo Porter’s New Book Explains How Racism Poisons America’s Economy For Everyone
“As the United States grapples with civil unrest, many people are questioning how we arrived in this situation and how the nation can change for the better. In his new book, “American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise,” New York times economics reporter Eduardo Porter presents a comprehensive examination of how discrimination based on race has hurt not just members of marginalized groups, but the nation as a whole. While the U.S. has gutted education systems, healthcare programs, and assistance for the poor, he writes, the nation instead diverted resources to incarcerating people. Porter, who has previously served as economics columnist and editorial writer for the New York Times, joins us to discuss his new book and how it relates to current debate over dismantling systemic racism…”
Skilled Workers and Professionals Keep Visa Rights under New USMCA Trade Deal
“After months of negotiations following US President Donald Trump’s pledge to scrap NAFTA, the 24 year old trade agreement between Canada, the USA and Mexico, a new deal was reached minutes before a midnight deadline on September 30, 2018. Despite a number of changes, the new agreement – rechristened the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – leaves NAFTA provisions for work visas untouched. The retention of the visa program is significant for workers in over 60 professional categories, and for employers across the continent, who will continue to have access to labor from all three countries..”
