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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Celebrating National Hispanic American Heritage Month: A Q&A with Seven Transportation Leaders

“…What began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week expanded in 1988 to become National Hispanic American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Spain. In honor of this important month, seven Latinx leaders share how they are making a mark on the industry and their perspectives on the importance of National Hispanic American Heritage Month…”

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/class-i/celebrating-national-hispanic-american-heritage-month-a-qa-with-seven-transportation-leaders/

 

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:

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/

 

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/

Austin: Design Team for City’s Mexican American Cultural Center Provides Update

“…Austin (Travis County) — The Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) recently held a meeting, in which they detailed the expansion that will nearly double the footprint for Phase II of the city’s Emma S. Barrientos-MACC improvement project…

…Juan Miro said that they envision extending the semicircular cultural center with more classrooms for children and adults, a new gallery and performance space, along with other improvements…”

https://www.virtualbx.com/construction-preview/austin-design-team-for-citys-mexican-american-cultural-center-provides-update/

Proteum Energy and Istmo Energy Sign MOU For Production of Low Cost, Clean Hydrogen in the Permian Basin

“…”Istmo Energy is pleased to have the option to leverage our onsite de-ethanizers to produce hydrogen from ethane for our hydrotreaters, while at the same time offer additional clean hydrogen sales in the Permian region,” said Alex Gutierrez, Principal and Co-Founder of Istmo Energy…”

https://www.yahoo.com/now/proteum-energy-istmo-energy-sign-120000729.html

About the National Museum of the American Latino

“…On December 27, 2020, legislation passed calling for the Smithsonian to establish the National Museum of the American Latino. The new museum will be the cornerstone for visitors to learn how Latinos have contributed and continue to contribute to U.S. art, history, culture, and science. Additionally, it will serve as a gateway to exhibitions, collections, and programming at other Smithsonian museums, research centers, and traveling exhibition services…”

https://latino.si.edu/museum

UCLA organization brings awareness to HIV/AIDS in Latino community at holiday event

“By Breanna Diaz

Oct. 28, 2021 6:22 p.m.

Art and community wellness are merging together for downtown Los Angeles’ Día de los Muertos celebration.

Marking the holiday observed from Nov. 1 to Nov. 2, Grand Park will host its ninth annual Downtown Día de los Muertos event. As part of the 12-day celebration, park-goers can visit art installations, altars and community workshops at the park. One altar featured in the park, operated by The Music Center in LA, was created by the UCLA organization the Los Angeles Family AIDS Network with the Latino Outreach Understanding Division. Their altar, which highlights the impact of HIV and AIDS on women and Latinos, is meant to create a discussion about HIV and AIDS, alumnus and director of the LAFAN Natalie Sanchez said…”

https://dailybruin.com/2021/10/28/ucla-organization-brings-awareness-to-hiv-aids-in-latino-community-at-holiday-event

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

 

Seven Latino heritage sites in need of protection

“WASHINGTON, DC – A new report, Place, Story and Culture: An Inclusive Approach to Protecting Latino Heritage Sites, released today by the Latino Heritage Scholars, an initiative of the Hispanic Access Foundation, emphasizes the need for the protection of seven Latino heritage sites that embody the architectural, cultural and deep historical roots of the Latino community currently in need of preservation. The scholars are a group of young Latino professionals focused on historic preservation and ensuring that Latino history is protected, shared, and celebrated as part of the U.S. narrative…”

https://patch.com/michigan/farmington-mi/new-report-highlights

Mexico’s Andrea Meza crowned Miss Universe from Chihuahua City, Mexico

“…Meza, who is from Chihuahua City, is a model and make-up artist and has a degree in software engineering, according to Miss Universe Organization’s news release.

She is also an activist, and “works closely with the Municipal Institute for Women, which aims to end gender-based violence,” the release said.Meza also serves as the official Tourism Brand Ambassador for her hometown of Chihuahua, according to Miss Universe Organization…”

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/17/entertainment/miss-universe-winner-mexico-andrea-meza-trnd/index.html

 

My Child’s Egg Donor Is Latin American. Does That Make Him Latino?

“…I am the parent of a child who was conceived via in vitro fertilization and surrogacy using the sperm of a Caucasian man and a donor egg from someone who is half Colombian and half Central American. My spouse and I are professionals and both Caucasian, so (knock on wood) our son will most likely not encounter financial hardships. May we in good conscience check “Latino/Hispanic” on his college application?…”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/magazine/egg-donor-latin-american.html

 

In My Words: Navigating feelings of isolation as a biracial Latina who doesn’t speak Spanish

“Being biracial has allowed other people to pick and choose my identity for me.Non-Latinos have always labeled me as white and treated me as such because I am “white-passing.” Latinos have generally viewed me as Mexican and considered me a part of the communityIt has been normal for non-Latinos to ask about my ethnic background and then be surprised that I am of Mexican heritage. “Really?” they would say. “I thought you were Asian or just a white girl.”…”

https://dailybruin.com/2021/03/02/in-my-words-navigating-feelings-of-isolation-as-a-biracial-latina-who-doesnt-speak-spanish

 

4 ways to move to Canada under CUSMA

“U.S. and Mexican citizens can work and conduct business in Canada under CUSMA, here are your options.

Eligible U.S. and Mexican citizens can skip some of the red tape to come work or conduct business in Canada.

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) allows workers, traders, and investors to come to Canada without going through the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process. Before July 1, 2020, CUSMA was known as the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA…”

https://www.cicnews.com/2020/10/4-ways-to-move-to-canada-under-cusma-1016005.html#gs.hxnj6b

 

 

Hispanic Heritage Month gets justifiable criticism, but it’s still worth celebrating. Here’s why

“It happens like clockwork: At least one corporation ends up apologizing during Hispanic Heritage Month because their campaign intended to celebrate Latinos ends up offending them. This year’s loser is Twitch.

The Amazon-owned live video streaming platform issued an apology within hours of launching its campaign last month after users called them out on Twitter for the design of their Hispanic Heritage Month-themed emotes, which employed stereotypical and racist depictions of what Latinos are like…’

https://news.yahoo.com/hispanic-heritage-month-gets-justifiable-222300494.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Hispanic%20Heritage%20Month%20gets%20justifiable%20criticism%2C%20but%20it&utm_campaign=October%206%2C%202020

LATINO-OWNED BUSINESSES Shining a Light on National Trends

“This report draws on a variety of data sources, both quantitative and qualitative. A short descrip-tion of the range of sources referenced in this report, from Census data to surveys to detailed interviews with entrepreneurs, is found in the following paragraphs.Timely and detailed data about small business growth potential, including the ability to access financing, is scarce. For national and state trends, researchers have relied heavily on two datasets from the U.S. Census Bureau: the Survey of Business Owners (SBO) and Annual Survey of Entre-preneurs (ASE). The SBO surveys both employer and nonemployer businesses and is conducted every five years (in years ending in two and seven), but contains limited financing questions. The ASE, which commenced in 2014, provides more frequent data (the first survey was released in 2016 and has been updated annually) but examines only employer firms. Beginning in 2017, the Census Bureau initiated a new survey called the Annual Business Survey (ABS) to replace the ASE and the SBO. The ABS will only survey employer firms and will contain more detailed questions on…”

https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/smallbusiness/2017/Report-on-Latino-Owned-Small-Businesses.pdf

 

South Bay family mourns Gilbert Polanco, San Quentin guard who died from COVID-19

“…A South Bay family is mourning the loss of a beloved husband, father, veteran and longtime corrections officer. 55-year-old Gilbert Polanco died at a San Jose hospital Sunday morning after a long battle with COVID-19.

“Everything I have is because of him.. all the positivity he brought, all the hard work he’s done,” said daughter Selena Polanco.

She said her dad was an Army Veteran and started working at San Quentin when he was just 21. The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused a mass outbreak inside the prison, 24 inmates have died, 2,000 inmates infected. Selena was worried for her father’s safety.

“I was scared he would get sick and this would happen,” said Polanco.

Gilbert Polanco tested positive for COVID-19 in late June, he was admitted to the hospital on July 2.

Last month, Polanco was on life support in the ICU.

Selena and her mom also contracted the virus and recovered…

https://abc7news.com/san-quentin-coronavirus-prison-guard-death-gilbert-polanco-marin-county/6362878/

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…”

https://www.globalatlanta.com/mexicos-ready-and-open-for-atlanta-tourists-but-are-they-bold-enough-to-travel/

 

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

 

Changing the Beat

“…Victor Rios knows this all too well. A UC Santa Barbara associate dean of social science and a professor of sociology, he has both lived through and deeply studied the ways police treat people of color…”

https://www.news.ucsb.edu/2020/019970/changing-beat?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Changing%20the%20Beat&utm_campaign=July%2021%2C%202020

 


  

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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