¡Mi Cultura is 2 Cultura!

Baby Jesus' Got Swag

2012-02-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

Baby Jesus has got swagger? Let me explain...

So today is El Día de la Candelaria which marks the 40th day since Christmas. In many ancient cultures, a woman who has just given birth is considered 'unclean' and must be kept in isolation, or not bathe, or not go outside, or not have intercourse for 40 days after the baby's birth; in latino culture it's called la cuarentena. It is said that the Virgen María was not able to take baby Jesus to the temple to be blessed until February 2nd. The tradition has been carried on to take one's baby Jesus figure from the nativity set to church to be blessed on this day. Apparently the complimentary cloth diaper that comes with the baby Jesus is not appropriate church attire, so women started making little baptismal rompers to dress their Niño Dios for the occasion. Growing up my mom and the aunts made their rompers out of satin, and lace, and silk, and knitted yarn, but holy smokes have these fashions evolved in ways that not even Karl Lagerfeld could have envisioned.

Google images.

Traditional Baby Jesus.

A couple of weeks back I was at a local swap meet and I saw a lady carrying a giant ceramic baby Jesus. It was such an odd sight and my curiosity was sparked, so I discretely followed her to a stand that typically sells baptismal and first communion fashions, but had temporarily been transformed to a celestial fashion boutique. Evidently, the tradition has metamorphosed in a way that people choose to dress their Niño Dios as their favorite saint, as a soccer player, as a doctor, or even as - get this - a hipster. Naively, I took out my phone to take some photos but was quickly shut down by one of the employees (apparently they don't want people taking photos because they fear their designs will be knocked off... as if everything else in the swap meet is not?)

Photo by me (before my mission was shut down)

Pick an outfit, any outfit.

Photo by me (before my mission was shut down)

Physician Baby Jesus.

Photo by me (before my mission was shut down)

Ready to be dressed up.

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Choose your size.

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So many options.

BBC Mundo México image.

Military Baby Jesus.

BBC Mundo México image.

Biker Baby Jesus.

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A special edition magazine for dressing your Baby Jesus.

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Representing futbolistas.

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Selección mexicana.

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Hipster Baby Jesus with black-rimmed glasses,

an iPad, Starbuck, and designer sneakers.

From an anthropological lens, this cultural ritual is ever so fascinating- I mean, it even got its own museum exhibit in México- but in my own world, I'm torn between unbiasedly appreciating this cultural tradition and its evolution, but fearing that the sacrilegious line has been crossed.

A cultural delight or a tasteless sacrilege?

At the end of the day, I guess it's a good thing that people are spending their time and money dressing their Baby Jesus instead of a Bratz doll. Plus, Baby Jesus seems to be the most popular of Jesus' representations (as so memorably depicted in the dinnertime prayer scene in Will Farrell's Talladega Nights), so as long as people are paying their respects to His son, I'm hoping the Almighty won't mind that He's given a little swag.

Dear Lord Baby Jesus...

Can I Still Vote for Pedro?

2012-01-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

This is election year, and I am wondering, can I still vote for Pedro?

Let's time-warp back to 2004: we were well into the Afghanistan war and just at the start of the Iraq war, but there was still an optimistic spirit in the air, a sense of infinite potential as symbolized by car companies one-upping each other's SUVs, families taking out half-a-million-dollars loans for houses that a couple of years earlier (and now a couple of years later, again) were worth a fraction of the price, and the job market thriving; it was an unsustainable, yet comfortable reality we were living in pre-recession years. That year, the involuntary simplification that the years to come would force upon us was foreshadowed by a low-budget film with unknown actors that left an undeniable mark on our pop culture: Napoleon Dynamite.

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Lamas and ligers and piñatas, oh my!

Tonight on Fox was the premiere of Napoleon Dynamite, the animated series, and skeptics are already at work. Ok, ok, I get it, some will say that we can only take so much of Uncle Rico's nostalgic has-been athleticism, and so much of Kip's online-casnova swagger, and so much of Napoleon's quirky crankiness before it gets old; but in an entertainment era of junk reality TV and overwhelming computer graphic blockbusters, the return to such simplicity and such wittiness is much welcomed. Part of its original appeal was the datedness, silly social strata, and quirkiness that drove the plot, but 8 years later, the universal themes central to Napoleon Dynamite are more relevant than the reference-to-the-past irony they can be dismissed as: online dating, untraditional family constructs, and bargain-priced food of poor nutritional value, to name a few. But what I most love about it (and what made me re-watch the movie more than a dozen times) is that steadfast self-confidence of the staring duo: Napoleon and Pedro.

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Now as caricaturas

Napoleon and Pedro are as dynamic of protagonists as they get. Mr. Dynamite has no problem standing up to the bullies in his life, whether it be his family, his "martial arts" sensei, or the tot-envying jock. His best friend, Pedro, who by some can be viewed as the token minority, is really the most pioneering spirit of them all. Against all odds, he runs for school president against Summer, the most popular girl, and in the politically conservative state of Idaho, he is unapologetic of his Latino culture as demonstrated by his choice of vaquero belt buckle, religious practices as he prays to the venerated Santo Niño de Atocha (which in my opinion is one of the most authentic Latino scenes I have ever seen on screen), and even his family's pimped-out lowrider car. If you really think about it, Pedro became our generation's Ferris Bueller, with the "Vote for Pedro" paralleling the "Save Ferris" catch phrase. Theirs is a friendship that looks past their obvious differences and rather focuses on common goals, whether it be suit shopping for Napoleon's suit for the school dance or picking out a wig for Pedro's newly-shaved head.

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Best amigos

Fast forward to 2012 and the ingenuousness of Napoleon Dynamite that initially captivated us is still refreshing and welcomed. Not only am I'm anxious to see these characters further developed as cartoons, but I'm equally anxious to recover that hopeless optimism we had back then, even if only one Sunday evening episode at a time.

P.S. And yes, Pedro, you have my voto. At the very least, you should be in our Latino caucus.

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Salma Hayek's Revenge à-la-mexicaine

2012-01-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite go-to chisme sites (www.dailymail.co.uk) is reporting that french president Nicolas Sarkozy has bestowed Salma Hayek with the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honour of France; in other words, she has been Knighted, or in spanish, she is now a Caballero. Of course, this is sparking controversy echoed throughout the web, with some of the other nominees even declining the same award because of Salma's inclusion.

Getty Images from Daily Mail

Naysayers will be naysayers but I think destiny, or rather, imperialistic karma, had this one in the works for a while. You see, if you read up on mexican history, you'll learn that México was under French invasion from 1862 to 1867, with the french-appointed austrian archduke, Maximilian Ferdinand, serving as emperor of México from 1964-1967. Ok, ok, so some will argue that "The Maximilian Affair" (as this period is also known) wasn't all bad and Maximiliano brought some lasting and progressive european influence into mexican culture: he prompted laws that ended child labor and limited the work day; he influenced urban design in México, calling for the construction of Paseo de la Reforma in México City (a principal boulevard striking similarity to Paris' own tree and street light-lined beauties), encouraging further development of the D.F. downtown, which is still known world-wide as a thriving metropolis; and who could forget his influence on mexican culture by bringing the austrian waltz which evolved into the quinceañera vals (valse in french), danced in the débutante-like coming of age balls for adolescent young women (note: vals videos on YouTube are an entertaining way to kill more than a few hours. I speak from experience...). But, after all is said and done, nobody likes an invasion and Maximilian was eventually executed by los mexicanos.

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El Max and the lovely Carlota.

End of story, right? Nope. Mexicans are a resentful type who are not quick to forget and sometimes these traits are innate and beyond consciousness. And sometimes there are karmic interventions beyond our understanding, which is what I suspect happened here. Sure, some could call it chance, but I say it takes more than chance for a telenovela actress from Veracruz, México to end up marrying a french fashion house billionaire who happens to be good friends with a guy who happens to become french president who happens to be in office at the peak of said actress' global career who then happens to be nominated for one of France's most distinguished cultural honors. Chance? I don't think so. It was fate because yes, los francés influenced mexican culture, but guess what, like it or not, a mexicana is now recognized for influencing french culture. Of course, we would have preferred a literary Elena Poniatowska, or a surrealist Frida Kahlo, or even a musical Lila Downs to represent true female mexican cultural talent, but we'll take the teta-showing (Desperado), bandida (Bandidas), accented-pussy cat (Puss in Boots) of Hayek to do the honor.

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More than "Dusk til Dawn"... now she IS the Knight.

Take the Risk: Believe in Yourself

2011-12-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

As this year comes to an end, I reflect on the beginning of this blog...

I've always enjoyed writing but wasn't ready to share with others (out of fear), so I kept putting it off, imagining that some day I would miraculously have the courage to actually pursue my passion. During the end of last year I found a box of childhood mementos and in it was a book I wrote in the 4th grade. I still remember the thrill of typing out the pages on a DOS-based Mac and saving it on a floppy disk when my turn was up (one computer per classroom era); the sound of the inkjet printer zapping back and forth, and then tearing the perforated edges off of the paper (if you were born in the 90's or after, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about); illustrating the pages to bring to life my story about a girl who discovered a pizza-loving monster who melted away in the rain. But most importantly, I remember the profound joy I felt after creating the story, writing it, and sharing it with others.

Bad haircut and all, this 4th grader reminded me

that the time to pursue my dreams is now.

It's interesting that it took 4th grade me to encourage adult me to take the risk and start writing, start writing now. So last January I started this blog, not knowing whether my first post would be my last or whether anyone would even want to read what I had to say. What I did know is that I HAD to do it because we only get one life and it's up to us to live it to the fullest. The last thing I wanted was 80 year-old me wishing 30 year-old me would have had the courage to follow her dreams. And here I am- 33 posts later (34 counting this one) and with near 14,000 views- satisfied and further inspired. Happy that I took the risk. Grateful and humbled that you have joined me on this journey.

My wish for you is that you look within yourself and be courageous enough to admit to yourself what your passion is, what your dream is, and pursue it. Don't leave it for next year, start now. Take the risk, and believe in yourself. You owe it to 4th grade you and 80 year-old you; but most of all, you owe it to present you.

A Target Navidad, Day 6: The Gift of Ethnic Dog Food?

2011-12-22T22:21:00.000-08:00

My entire life I wanted a dog. Seriously, I was willing to move out of my parent's house (against their will) just so I could get a dog; but didn't after threats of disownment from my uber-traditional mother. So the moment my husband and I got our own place, he immediately bought me a pair of puppies. Happily ever after, right? Well, kind of. Lolita and Vin Scully (Vinny) have turned our house upside down, tearing up expensive toss pillows, chewing away at the coffee table, and gnawing at computer charging cords... in addition to the emergency trip to the doggy-hospital after a night of puppie incestual activity (listen to the wise words of Bob Barker: spay and neuter your pets ASAP!). But you know what? It's all worth it because dog is indeed man's best friend.

El Vin Scully.

Lolita with her Target Bullseye toy.

Loyally waiting at the door for my husband to get home.

Earlier this week I had a not-too-good day at work, but the moment I got home and found los perritos waiting for me at the door- tails wagging, ready to show me their unconditional love- all the stress was forgotten. So, how to reward their loyalty and what to get these little critters for Christmas (not really, buy hypothetically)? Pues, mexican dog food, of course! I recently spotted some Beneful Healthy Fiesta dog food at Target, which is a good option to spice up our dog's bowl these holidays and keeping them from begging for the tamale scraps in front of the company. If it were up to my husband, he would feed them chicharones, enchiladas, and every type of our dinner leftovers. But of course, ever the disciple of el paisano, Cesar Milan, I calmly and assertively say no because not only will they become overweight, but it's not the best idea to feed them "human food. However, now thanks to the creative marketing of Purina, there are some "ethnic" food options for the foodie canines in our lives.

Would you like some Tapatio to add more Fiesta?

Who knows, adding a little spice to your dog's diet may lead to some surprising results, like the talented dog featured in the video below:

A Target Navidad, Day 5: Give a Libro

2011-12-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

Still not done with your Christmas shopping? Don't fret, I've got the solution for you: the best gift you can give someone is a libro. Whether it be a childhood classic, a coffee table photo book, a biography, a comic book, or the latest novel, there's a perfect book for everyone. Plus giving a physical book and dedicating it to your loved one is so much more meaningful and memorable than handing over a credit for an eBook. (Full discloser: I am anti- eBooks, not so much because they exists as much as because I have a horrid fear that the printed book will become extinct.)

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¿A gift para mi? Gracias.

If you can't make it to your local bookstore, or Barnes & Noble, not to worry- the book section at Target has a wide selection; plus, it has a substantial Libros en Español assortment. Not only do they have the classics- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, Paulo Coelho-, but they also have Spanish versions of English best-sellers like the Twilight (Crepúsculo) and The Secret (El Secreto).

What's not to love about Target?

What I especially appreciate is that they respectfully acknowledge the fact that Spanish-speakers are literate and interested in reading something more than the Telenovela gossip magazines or a manual on the path to citizenship.

On my wish list.

Be it in English, Español, Francés, or Japonés, this Christmas give a book to your loved ones. It will not only keep the printed book industry thriving, but it'll spark their imagination and also reconnect them to the beauty of reading. Well, the beauty of reading before the existence of blogs, that is.

Forget Yo Gabba Gabba!

Remember when this used to get kids excited?

A Target Navidad, Day 4: Paper goods & baby dresses

2011-12-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

How many of you remember singing José Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad" during a Holiday Assembly in Elementary School? (Gosh, I miss those days. Do they even have Holiday Assemblies anymore or are the too politically incorrect?) Every year, without fail, either my class, or some other class, sang the "I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas, from the bottom of my heart"-classic that made us all forget that Feliz Navidad was a phrase in Spanish because it simply became synonymous with Merry Christmas; as a matter of fact, it has become a quintessential expression of the American Christmas tradition.

This Christmas skip the cute snowman napkins and the boring mistletoe plates because at Target you'll find a nice line of "Feliz Navidad" paper goods in a retro font and vintage green and red colors.

I wanna wish you a plate full of tamales.

Your finish touches on your Christmas pari.

Plus, if there's a baby girl in your life, head over to the kid's section and you'll find a matching "Feliz Navidad" dress for the bebita. Spanish-speaking, or not, the dress will ensure that the baby is the talk of the party. Plus, I don't think anyone's Scroogey enough to harass a baby because, "This is America, wear a dress in English!"

Holiday baby garb is so stylin'.

Sure to be the bella of the ball.

So save yourself the hassle of washing dishes after the company's gone and buy these super neat paper plates and accompanying napkins. But if you do decide to use your fine china, make the chore less cumbersome and jam to this classic rola:

Merry Christmas.

A Target Navidad, Day 3: Tamale Cookware

2011-12-19T23:25:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't figured it out yet, food is the heart of the Holidays, and in the Latino culture, tamales are the nucleus. In the coming days you'll find Latino women (and forward thinking men) in the kitchen soaking corn husks, kneading the corn masa, slow cooking the fillings, and steam boiling the tamales in preparation for Christmas dinner.

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No such thing as "Too Many Tamales"

The tamale assembly line, or tamalada as the event is more properly known, has to be one of my favorite Holiday traditions because I love being in the kitchen with the multiple generations of women from my family- reminiscing, sharing stories and laughter.

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La Tamalada by Carmen Lopez Garza

Now, when my husband and I registered for our wedding registry a few years back, we registered for all the usual kitchen necessities: toaster, knives, deep fryer, etc. But something I forgot to add (and to my credit, I didn't see any at Crate & Barrel or Macy's) was an olla tamalera- a large pot used to cook tamales. Every proper Latina(o) (and adventurous non-Latino foodie, for that matter) should have a tamalera, and thanks to Target, you don't have to fight off your cousins to inherit one because you can purchase your own at a reasonable price (here's a link to the Target site).

Yes, I was at Target again.

Don't forget to pick up your own Olla Tamalera

As an added bonus (because we're on the topic of tamales), let me share with you a video of the Los Tamales song. What makes this song so educational is that it roll-calls the different types of tamales: de dulce, rajas, queso, rojos, verdes, oaxaqueños.

Annoyingly catchy.

What makes it so fascinating is that this is the hit song of Banda La Costado which rose to fame from some Spanish-language T.V. reality talent show. You'll notice the ethno-musical fusion that incorporates the Caribbean timbales, the German oompa tuba, the tamborazo tambora, and the fiddle-like violin that some mexican indigenous musicians have made their own. The song literally repeats the chorus like 20 times and can get a bit annoying, but the exaggerated accent mocking either a Mexico D.F. chilango street vendor accent, the dancing, the clear dubbing of the musical track, and the random small person confidently wearing the sunglasses while playing the tin can makes it entertaining.

A Target Navidad, Day 2: Galletas

2011-12-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

One of the only benefits of growing up without health insurance was the trips to Tijuana. Our family took the two hour drive to T.J. for all of our health-care needs: cavity fillings, allergy shots, cyst on the face and breast tumor removal, broken ankle and your common flu; we literally went for it all. Believe me, it was embarrassing when, every year at the beginning of the school year, we filled out our emergency contact card and under the "Name/ phone number of you physician" field I would write "Dr. Emilio Huerta/ in Tijuana", leaving my teacher with a perplexed look. But, our trips south of the border also provided the adventure of roaming the mexican mercados and the local CaliMax (their largest supermarket chain) in search of goodies not available in the States; our favorite being the galletas.

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A two hour drive to another country for a visit to the Doctor.

Such was our devotion to these cookies that my cousin Leti even composed a song inspired by our favorite: Barras de Coco, which are a coconut-flavored wafer (never mind that it went to the tune of a corrido that two 10 year-old girls had no business knowing!). Sure, sometimes I wished I had the Oreos or Chip Ahoys that my classmates took for lunch, but once they tasted my delicious cookies, we often traded a few.

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Our muse.

Now, imagine my delight when I was roaming the aisles at Target yesterday and encountered the mexican cookies of my childhood on display! There, in all of their glory were the Polvorones, the Barritas de Piña, the Canelitas, and the assorted beauty of Surtido Rico. They've even renamed the classic Galletas de Bombón to ¡Sponch! (I think they're trying to say "sponge", as in soft and spongy) and added Tartinas to the repertoire. And as you can see, they are featured alongside the Nescafé Clásico because there's no better way of enjoying your cookies than with a warm cup of instant coffee or Chocolate Abuelita (also available at Target).

So many options, I'll take them all!

If you're a first timer, may I recommend the Surtido Rico.

So if you're on your way to a Christmas party, or your local Posada, pick up a couple of boxes of these delectable treats. Heck, at $2.50 each, you can pick up 4 boxes for the price of 2 gourmet cupcakes, and I'm sure they'll be more popular than the fruit cake!

Targeting a ¡Feliz Navidad!

2011-12-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

Ok my friends, the count down has begun: we are officially one week away from Navidad!

Aside from the insanity we saw on Black Friday, I have to say that the shopping craziness has not been as crazy as in years past. But of course, conventional wisdom reminds us that most leave their shopping to the last minute and that's when the madness begins. If you find yourself in that predicament, then let me give you a piece of advice: forego the mall and go to the one place where you will find everything you need (and when I say "everything you need", I also mean everything you need with a Latino twist, of course): la Target.

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La Target.

For the next week I will give you daily recommendations of products you can purchase at Target that will fulfill both your Christmas shopping needs as well as your desire to add that Latino je ne sais quoi (inevitable tangent: thank you Tyra Banks and André Leon Talley for expanding my french vocab) to your Holidays; at an affordable price, of course.

For us Latinos, Target's product diversity and cultural marketing makes it possible for you to buy everyday products while at the same time encounter those productos that our parents or grandparents are more familiar with, and used to import themselves from the motherland. Plus, by seamlessly integrating the Suavitel with the Downey, and the Fabuloso with the Pine-Sol, Target has managed to highlight recognizable Latino brands in a respectful, strategic way rather than the random Cinco de Mayo display of "ethnic products" that some other chain stores set up once a year. For our non-Latino friends, please don't be threatened in any way. I promise nobody's trying to eliminate Downey or Pine-Sol or eliminate Christmas cards in English, but rather, I invite you to venture out and try something new: if it weren't for cultural exploration we never would have encountered the pleasures of Tapatio sauce on our Pizza, nachos at the ballgame, or the Macarena at weddings.

Ok, my first recommendation for your Latino Christmas consists of Christmas cards in Español:

It appears that the ante has been upped with the options available for Spanish Christmas cards at Target. It used to be that you had the option of one or two styles, typically limited to the nativity scene or the three wise-men. Plus, they were recycled year after year which resulted in my mom choosing to send an English-language card instead (that few of my relatives understood). However, this year they have 7 varieties to choose from.

You can choose from a simple "Paz" (peace) message style, a madonna and child in a folk art motif, or some Byzantine wisemen following the North Star.

Plus there's also a whimsical snowman, a secular Santa Clós, and the classic "Feliz Navidad" with traditional mistletoe graphics. All with a generic, yet heart-warming message. Had I not already purchased our Christmas cards for this year, I probably would have chosen the snowman or the madonna and child.

If you venture to the greeting card section, there's also a nice selection of cards with a more personalized message for your tía, esposo, or mamá. My personal favorite was the one with the chihuahua wearing both a sombrero and a Christmas sweater with a bilingual greeting; cultural fusion doesn't get better than this!

All about La Virgen de Guadalupe

2011-12-11T21:08:00.001-08:00

Perhaps there is no better time to immerse yourself into Latino culture than during the Holidays, and December 12th, which is El Día de la Virgen María de Guadalupe, is no exception. This year marks the 480th anniversary of her appearance and we continue to be reminded that there is no more emblematic cultural image than is La Virgen de Guadalupe (Note: the "María" is often omitted to shorten the name. Other nick names include Virgencita, la Guadalupana, Virgen Morena, and Lupita).

BTW- if you're more of a picture person, stroll straight to the bottom for some awesome Virgen-inspired products.

La Virgen María de Guadalupe

Such is the fascination, that entire dissertations have been written about the cultural phenomenon that is La Virgen Morena, as she represents the convergence of the european and the indigenous, the harmonious spiritual balance of the female to the prevailing male, the hope for the afflicted.

She is a cultural power-house and has her own weekly TV show on Spanish-language T.V. (La Rosa de Guadalupe) and over a dozen songs have been written in her honor (my favorite is at the end of this post). There's even a Virgen de Guadalupe-landish website (that says "Güelcom" on its homepage, lol) created with the animations of graphic desinger Distroller who has managed to Hello Kitty-fy la Virgencita into a character popular with children. On the site you can submit your miracle request electronically or "like" the page on el faysbuq.

Modern-day kids light virtual candles to La Virgencita

Although she appeared on Mexican soil, she is considered the spiritual empress of the Americas, and her veneration is something that unites all Latinos. Before I proceed, I must clarify, yes, I used the word "venerate" and not "worship". A common misconception is that she is worshiped when in reality she is honored and looked up to as a beacon of hope, a role model, and a female representation of God's love to mankind, the female part of divinity.

La Basilica de la Virgen de Guadalupe, Mexico City

Her story is beautiful, and one worth exploring- the "Guadalupe" movie (here's the Netflix link) is a good one- but I will give you a really brief, one run-on sentence synopsis: oppression of the indigenous people in Mexico by the european hierarchy of the Catholic Church; in 1531 a humble indigenous man named Juan Diego sees a divine woman appear in a remote area of Mexico City (a hill called Tepeyac) to spread the gospel of God's love and justice; he returns to town to tell others but no one believes him; the Bishop thinks he's crazy, he asks for proof; Juan Diego comes back with a cloak full of roses (not native to that area, nor in season) which also has La Virgen de Guadalupe's image colorfully imprinted on it; everyone becomes believers and since then she has been declared as La Madre de Mexico (Mexico's mother).

El Tepeyac, the actual site of her appearance to Juan Diego

Decades and centuries after the miracle of her appearance, Juan Diego's cloak has been analyzed by scientists around the world, and there continues to be many unexplainable mysteries surrounding it, including study of the pigments of the La Virgen's image which, to this date, have not been able to be replicated, and the arrangement of the stars on her shawl which mirror the alignment of the stars during the year of her manifestation. There were a couple of unsuccessful terrorist attempts to destroy the original cloak when it was displayed at the Basilica in Mexico City for many years. Today the original is vaulted up for protection and a replica is on display. During the attempts to destroy it, everything else around it burned, but the cloak survived unharmed. There's also the discovery that in her eyes there is an image of a bearded man. Who that man is? No one know for sure. Oh yeah, and for you conspiracy theorists out there, the mayan calendar (regarded as highly accurate) ends on 12/12/12, which will fall on next year's Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe.

Make-your-own-Juan Diego cloak activity, by Paper Dali

If you are interested in the full cultural experience, then I recommend one of two things: either attend midnight mass at your local Catholic Church on December 11th (if you live in an area with a significant Latino population) or turn on your television to the Spanish-language T.V. channel. You will watch in amazement as hundreds, thousands, and millions of Latinos unite to sing her Las Mañanitas with Mariachi, which is a Spanish Happy Birthday/For She's a Jolly Good Fellow-esque song traditionally sung on a Saint's given day. You will see devotees travel from afar, some on their knees, to offer her roses or simply offer a prayer of thanks. You will see has-been singers and current "it" soap opera stars serenade her or recite a poem. But most of all, you will see that amongst the chaos, the chaos stops- the chaos that is the current state in Mexico (the world, for that matter), the chaos that are social disparities that afflict many, the chaos that is the spiritual disarray of our lives- as everyone comes together both in pride and hope. Perhaps that is why La Virgen de Guadalupe is most representative of Latino culture, because for more than four centuries she continues to represent the hope that everyone so desperately needs- be it the undocumented in a foreign country looking for a better life, a desperate devotee petitioning a miracle on behalf of their sick loved one, or even a member of the National Fútbol Team hoping for the winning goal. In times like these, hope is the last thing we (Latinos, Americans, and all mankind alike) can afford to lose and unity is definitely something we need more of. And if a brown-skinned Virgencita can get us closer to that harmonious state, then may I say, amén.

Unidad for the Americas

Ok, now on to the visually appealing stuff. In an Ethnic Studies course I took in college, the one and only Mr. Padilla assigned us the following task: take 10 photographs of la Virgen de Guadalupe manifested on the most unique items you can find; and since then I have not stopped looking. I offer the following for your cultural enjoyment:

A toss pillow (purchase on Etsy)

Botas (borrowed from Flickr)

Keds (purchase on Zazzle)

Graffiti (image borrowed)

A car mural (borrowed from somexican.com)

Some guy's back (borrowed from Photobucket)

Undies (purchase on Buy.com)

Market bags (purchase on rubycarmen.com)

Blanket (borrowed)

iPhone case (purchase at buy.com)

Clock (purchase at Sears.com)

Skateboard (purchase at boardpushers.com)

Trucker hat (purchase at zazzle.com)

Baby bib (purchase at buy.com)

Beach tote (purchase at buy.com)

Doggie shirt (purchase at buy.com)

Retractable badge holder (purchase at etsy.com)

Cufflinks (purchase at esty.com)

Flask (purchase at etsy.com)

Denim vest (purchase at esty.com)

Light switch plate (purchase at esty.com)

Apron (purchase at esty.com)

Matryoska doll (purchase at esty.com)

Christmas stocking (purchase at esty.com)

Beaded necklace (purchase at esty.com)

Bottle cap earings (purchase at etsy.com)

Sticker asking for Blog protection (borrowed from google images)

Psychedelic image asking for a boyfriend (borrowed from google images)

And a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim car sticker (photo taken by me)

Here's the video of my favorite song in her honor, by the great Marco Antonio Solis:

This Gato is no Pussy Cat

2011-11-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

The long weekend is coming up and you know what that means: road trip! But if you're on a budget and are staying local and shouldn't spend their money shopping (like me), then a long weekend means: movie time! I'm anxious to see if DreamWorks' Puss in Boots will hold its #1 spot at the Box Office for the third weekend in a row. Its success comes as no surprise considering that it reunites the Latino power duo of Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek for the first time since Robert Rodriguez's 1995's cult-classic Desperado (I know, Banderas is Spanish, but my Latino lens is a very broad lens).

Wonder if his botas are crocodile or ostrich skin?

Banderas lends his voice to the feline protagonist, Puss in Boots, while Hayek brings life to his counterpart, Kitty Softpaws. And then there's a big huevón, Humpty Dumpty, that is, played by Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover). Have no doubt, this flick has all the elements of a good latino drama: Puss orphaned as a kid and later betrayed by his childhood friend el huevón; the galán is not only a Latin lover, but also a fighter who finds redemption through his street cred, proving that he has more to offer than the average pussy cat; a sexy gatita who challenges Puss and plays hard to get; and a quest to find the magical substance to cure all of their worries (in this case, some magical frijoles). Add all this telenovela-worthy drama to a good soundtrack and some awesome latino accents y ya, you've got an instant classic.

All cool cats have amigos and foes

But DreamWorks is not full of mensos and I'm sure they considered the past successes of Puss' Latino / Spanish-speaking cousins when deciding to give him his own featured film. As a matter of fact, it appears that the "animal with an español accent" equation is one for a sure blockbuster. And so, for your enjoyment, I have compiled a list of some of the most note-worthy animal characters who either speak spanish, or speak english with a spanish accent, or exude that Latino je ne sais quoi.

Looney Tunes' Speedy Gonzales

Disney's Los Tres Caballeros:

José Carioca (Brazil), Panchito Pistolas (México), El Pato Donald (US of A)

Strawberry Shortcakes' Café Olé and Burrito

Papi and "La" Chloe

Papi, Chloe, Papi Jr., Lala, Rosa, Ali, and Pep

(and this was just the first litter!)

THE Taco Bell Chihuahua

(ok, he's not in a movie or cartoon, but he definitely started a phenomenon)

The Simpsons' Bumble Bee Man

Dexter's Laboratory special guest "La Chupacabra"

Quick Draw McGraw's Baba Looey

Lalo Alcaraz's brilliant "La Cucaracha" aka Cuco Rocha

Alright, maybe some of these characters reinforce stereotypes, but if "successful" has become a stereotype for Latinos, then that's something that needs to be perpetuated. So make sure you go to the movies this weekend and ensure El Gato en Botas another week of being the cat's meow at the box office.

Day of the Dead: 2a Parte

2011-11-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

So where were we? Ah, yes: tattoos. You know how in the 90's the latest trend in body ink were the south pacific and pacific islander tribal bands, and then in the early 2000's japanese-inspired tats were all the rage? Well, a couple of years back we began to see a rise in popularity in Día de los Muertos-inspired ink. The common thread between the three (south pacific/pacific islander tribal, traditional japanese irezumi, and mexican Día de los Muertos art) is that they are rooted in ancient cultures, are symbolic of sacred ceremonies, and are permanent reminders of life's cycles.

Permanent art for a temporary life

Now, the interesting thing with the Día de los Muertos tattoo art scene is that it has literally metamorphosed the body into a living, walking altar commemorating death, some even choosing to have portraits of their deceased loved ones inked on their flesh. But the irony is that tattoos are permanent whereas life is not. That's exactly the paradox that started the artistic renaissance of the calacas and calaveras associated with the holiday. Yes, the sacred rituals of remembering those who have passed can be dated back centuries to pre-hispanic times, but the parody of death as we see it today can be attributed to mexican artist, José Guadalupe Posada, who during the late 1800's used skeletons and skulls as a tool of social commentary, presenting with raw honesty the fact that death is not only inevitable, but it's also a great equalizer; once dead social status or political power or gender are pretty much irrelevant. In addition to that, he also accomplished to make death approachable and erase the taboo and fear that most often are associated with it.

Posada's sancing calacas and a fancy dead lady

If you think about it, making death less scary in turn also makes life less scary and consequently, more easy to enjoy (I think about it like that scene in V for Vendetta in which Evey finally discovers that V is all of a sudden not so scary, and it wasn't until she realized it that she was fully liberated). And this is exactly why I believe Americans are now demonstrating such curiosity with El Día de los Muertos and even embracing this mexican tradition; it provides an avenue to better cope with the concept of death and it provides an artistic medium to celebrate the lives of our loved ones who are no longer with us, something that was previously lacking in our american culture.

A traditional altar in honor of the literary great, Miguel Cervantes

Oh, and one more thing... don't think that all calaveras and calacas are created equally. The way to distinguish a Día de los Muertos-inspired skull and skeleton is by the elaborate decorative and/or colorful designs that model the traditional sugar skulls or the playfulness that emulate the Posada masterpieces.

The traditional sugar skull

Yes, perhaps El Día de los Muertos is becoming commercialized, and some may ask where do we draw the line? Where does artistic interpretation and cultural evolution cross the line and disrespect the sacrality of the tradition? I'm not sure. But what I am sure of is that it looks like the curiosity and demand for all things related to this mexican tradition is far from dead.

For your enjoyment, some more random Día de los Muertos-influenced products:

¡Tequila!

Arracadas

Hello Kitty calavera earrings

Los Beatles

A wedding cake

Cowboy botas

Betsey Johnson jewelry

Baby zapatitos

Un skateboard

Bed sheets

Mas earrings

A dress

*All photos borrowed from Google images. Products available for purchase are hyperlinked.

Dia de los Muertos: Part 1

2011-11-01T23:18:00.000-07:00

A couple of Sundays ago my husband came back from Northgate Gonzalez Super Market (the preferred Southern Californian, family-owned latino marqueta) with some pan de muerto for us to snack on. As we were enjoying it I examined the packaging and realized that my suspicions were becoming a reality: El Día de los Muertos was well on it's way to becoming the next mexican tradition to go mainstream in the United States, á-la Cinco de Mayo or José Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad" Christmas carole (that plays every hour without fail during the Holiday Season). Don't get me wrong, pan de muerto, the specialty bread placed on the altar that honors the deceased during this special day, has been available this side of la frontera for quite some time now, but whereas it was generically placed in a clear plastic bag with a twist tie in past years, this year it was packaged in a custom box decorated with graphics of papel picado and Posadaesque calaveras- in other words, packaged to sell and cater to the fast growing niche market for all things Día de los Muertos and calaveras that has transcended Catholics and mexicans.

Mmm, yummy.

Now mind you, if it weren't for my good old calendar (with Catholic holidays listed...which I got for free at Northgate) confirming that November 1st is All Saints Day and November 2nd is All Souls Day (together they create El Día... although really they're Los Dias...de los Muertos), I could swear that the holiday was in October because I kid you not that every single weekend in October had some kind of event, or art exhibit, or concert commemorating the occasion. And this appears to be unique to the United States, because in México it's not the case: the 1st and 2nd of noviembre, that's it. The interesting thing is that I didn't even learn about this tradition- in it's full sugar skull making, incense burning, cempazuchitl (yellow marigold) offering, altar building glory- until we watched a video on it in my Spanish 2 class with the one and only Mrs. Goodwin-Noriega (who happened to be anglo married to a chilean). I was sort of freaked out by the smoke and skulls because as a good Catholic girl (then, not sure about now) I was accustomed to remembering those who had passed on the 1st and 2nd of November, but my family's ritual consisted of having a mass dedicated in their honor and going to the cemetery to clean their tomb (we never painted our faces or actually ate food at night en el camposanto).

Muy gorgeous and sexy, but don't think my grandma ever did this in México.

This is far more american than mexican, modern than traditional.

True example of the cultural evolution.

Fast-forward 15 years (yes, I am dating myself, but I'm super cool with that) and it'd be rare to find a high schooler in Southern California that doesn't know about this cultural tradition because I'm sure they've all created an altar or filled out a vocabulary-enriched worksheet in their Spanish class. I knew the tide had shifted when I was shopping at Mother's Market (the über-hip, healthy, out of my price-range grocery store) and encountered some kiddie lunch sacks and sippy cups with a Día de los Muertos-inspired calavera pattern that were seamlessly placed next to the cute robot and heart- patterned ware.

Kiddie calaveras? Sure, why not?!

Then, while at Target, I saw a ZZ Top tribute album that had a little sarape-bearing, sombrero-wearing calavera on the cover.

Who said ZZ Top was dead?

So american + so mexican = so rad

But by far one of the greatest surprises in Día de los Muertos product placement came when I accompanied my husband (an obsessive "sneaker head") to a sneaker consignment store and I saw various tennis shoes that had Día de los Muertos-inspired art.

Calavera kicks with cultura.

I mean, the only thing more mainstream than sneakers are tattoos... and Día de los Muertos art has that area covered too (unintentional pun). But we'll have to explore that tomorrow. To be continued...

The Chola In Us

2011-10-23T08:00:00.001-07:00

I think most Latinas who grew up in the United States, particularly in the 80's and 90's, have a secret that perhaps they're not too eager to share publicly: in them lives a little chola. By chola, I'm referring to the gangster/homegirl fashion style (not life style, although some also have a bit of that too... or are the two even separable?) that became popular in Los Angeles during the 1980's and spread to other areas of the country where there are significant Latino populations. The chola style originates from the 1940's pachuco-era fashion, during which the ladies wore pomped up hair and scarlet red lips.

A vintage pachuca photo

Fast forward to the 80's and they traded the tailored suits and pinup dresses for oversized shirts and baggy pants, their high-heeled shoes for Nike cortez. But they never compromised the detail they spent on their makeup or hair, not to mention their use of accessories such as gold jewelry and bandanas.

Mi estilo loco (crazy good)

Fashion icon and music artist, Gwen Stefani, has attributed much of her fashion inspiration to the chola muses of Southern California, where she also grew up during the 80's. She was actually one of the first mainstream artists to effortlessly mesh masculinity, in the form of baggy Dickies and white "wife beaters" (I hate this term, but this is the only name I know for them) with the femininity of her red lips, done-up hair and well-groomed (not shaved and sharpie filled) eyebrows that have become her trade-mark look.

Chola inspired classic beauty

She was so inspired that she even wrote a song, with an accompanying video that gives homage to this Latina subculture.

She's luxurious

Even our beloved Sandra Bullock had a well-embraced chola make-over while on the George Lopez show (when it still existed).

La Sandra

So what got me thinking about our inner chola? Well, earlier this week, one of the most level-headed teen stars out there right now, Selena Gomez, gave the world a peek at her inner-chola and it caused quite a buzz in the celebrity gossip world.

We know "who the eff she is": Selena Gomez y Selena Gómez

This promo commercial is for her upcoming hosting gig for the MTV European Music Awards and I guess it shocked some people because she's usually so grounded and wholesome; they're not used to seeing her cuss and be so rough and so tough. I say, come on people, give her a break and have a sense of humor. She is a great role model for young Latinas- for all girls for that matter- because she is classy, works hard, and has earned herself a reputable position in the industry without the need of controversy á la Lindsay Lohan or Miley Cyrus, etc. The "craziest" thing she has done is date Justin Beiber, and that's not crazy at all given that most girls (under 18, of course) dream of doing the same. So what if they're taking vacations together, aren't we in post vatican 2 anyway? Plus, I think it's good to let out the little chola within now and then: it lets foes know to think twice before messing with you. And if anyone tries to steal El Beiber from her, they'll know very well that she'll pull out her hoop earrings and "duke it out".

Concert Review: Calle 13

2011-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday night, my sister and I went to the will call window at the House of Blues in Anaheim thinking we were on the guest list (a contact tried to put us on it last minute but apparently was unsuccessful) however, ended up forking $50 each for tickets to see Calle 13. Sure, that's a lot of money in this economy, but I was anxious to see them in concert performing from their latest album, Entren Los Que Quieran, and wanted to write my first "official" concert review about them. Fast forward two hours and we are inside and standing front row next to the stage. "¡Culero, culeeeeerooo!" chanted the restless crowd, frustrated that the show was running late.

Entré porque quise.

The only good thing about waiting for over two hours for the show to start was that the DJ marveled us with an incredible playlist ranging from La Sonora Dinamita to the Beastie Boys, from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs to 69 Boys, and even some Elvis Crespo Suavemente. As much as we were enjoying hearing the perfect blend of Spanish and English music, we were wondering why they were taking so long to start. It appeared that the roadie (carreteirito in español? lol) was having trouble with the computer (I asked myself if he tried control+alt+delete? It solves my compu problems... most of the time). And just as our fussy fútbol-fan alter egos were revealing themselves in full chant, Residente took stage and went straight to business, reminding us why we were there in the first place.

Let the flow begin...

Calle 13, for those of you who are not familiar, are a multi-grammy winning Puerto Rican rapping group consisting of stepbrothers, René Pérez (aka Residente), Eduardo José Cabra Martínez (Visitante), and their sister Ileana (PG-13). The music executives erroneously have categorized them under (the now basically defunct) reggaetón genre, but if I had to put them in some kind of classification, I would place them alongside Mercedes Sosa, Facundo Cabral, and Los Tigres del Norte: better defined by their lyrical content rather than by musical style alone.

Visitante + PG-13 + Residente = Not the Brady Bunch

And so, when they started the show with Baile de Pobres (Dance of the Poor), Bollywood beats and all, Residente immediately demonstrated his keen ability to package a social message, pop culture knowledge, sensuality, and mastery of language (with the use of alliteration) all in one, as if they should never exist autonomously. However, his real genius is in his delivery; injecting us the message with a sense of urgency but without sounding preachy or erudite; he has a raw knowledge, yes acquired by some schooling (he has a Masters of Fine Arts from the Savannah College of Arts and Design), but primarily from living, from observing and from the desire to highlight the diversity of latinoamérica, including the injustices. Baile is about a love interest who's from a higher social class than him, but that doesn't phase him. In one breath he declares, "tu tienes agua destilada, yo agua con microbios... y con un besito vamos a pegarnos la procina", seamlessly exposing issues of disparity in potable water and at the same time mocking the H1N1 Swine Flu paranoia that enveloped us last year. To further highlight the issue, Visitante, the beat-mastermind of the group, infused beats from traditional Indian music, tactical given the fact that the caste system in India has produced some of the greatest social disparities of our time.

Baile de Pobres

Once warmed up, they jumped right into "No Hay Nadie Como Tú" (one of my favorites which was originally recorded as a collaboration with Café Tacuba but in this case is tag-teamed with PG-13) and their artistic characters quickly emerge. Theirs is a harmonious trinity, each an independent but fundamental part of the artistic magic that is produced on stage: for someone who doesn't speak a single word during the performance, Visitante manages to say a lot through his experimental and strategic use of instruments, alternating between 3 guitars, a keyboard, accordion, melodica, and an electronic contraption that allows him to pluck at the air and produce alienesque sounds; Residente is fierce and passionate, spitting out rhymes as smooth as Pablo Neruda, but with anger and urgency; and PG-13 is no side-kick little sister, she's an artist in her own rite with a unique voice that is street-alternative-classical all in one, and is fully committed to the theatrics that she uses to bring to life the lyrics such as gun pointing, crotch-grabbing, elephant trunk hanging, and ballet-like pirouettes (without the use of any props). The message of Nay Hay Nadie is one that the group lives: be an individual even though the world is a big ying-yang full of contradictions and polar opposites, "hay inocentes, hay homicidas, hay muchas bocas, y poca comida... hay tanques de oxigeno y tanques de guerra, hay Don Quijotes y Duclineas... hay religiones, hay ateismo, hay capitalismo y comunismo... aunque nos parecemos no somos los mismos, poque no hay nadie como tú."

No Hay Nadie Como Tú

Just a song or two into the show, the crowd was fully pumped, throwing flags of Perú, Puerto Rico, and México onto the stage. Residente and PG-13 picked them up without losing a beat and displayed each on set with the same respect as the other. As the playlist proceeded, they continued to incorporate an array of musical genres such as jazz, ska, merengue, electronica, and beats infused with afro-carribean and arabesque sounds into their songs, all the while staying true to their style and their message. Sure, at face value lyrics such as "sentárlos en el marco de mi ventana, volarles la cabeza como se la voló Nirvana" in Ven y Critícame, or "Aunque no quepa, métele con Pepa, yo se que quieres chuparme las quenepas... quieres soplar un poco la harmónica, para tragar vitaminas super-sónicas" in Suave are graphic and tasteless, but when coming from the same source that produces "hay poco dinero pero hay muchas balas, hay poca comida pero hay muchas balas... hay poca educación hay muchos cartuchos, cuando se lee poco se dispara mucho" in La Bala and "aprendí que mi pueblo todavía reza, porque las fokin autoridades y la puta realeza todavía se mueven por debajo de la meza, aprendí a tragrarme la depresión con la cerveza" in Pal Norte, it is indisputable that their artistry is one that pushes our social norms and forces us to look past them, like Picasso or Botero who through nudity extort us to tap into a consciousness that we often ignore.

Pal Norte

It was near 12:30 a.m. and the crowd, who earlier was impatient for the show to get started, was once again edgy, but this time because we didn't want it to end. Although most of us had to work the following morning (I knew this only because everyone, including yours truly, was whining about it aloud 2 hours earlier), we begged for an encore, and, of course, they obliged. The night could not have ended on a better note than with Latinoamerica, whose poetic lines provide imagery that rival what Che Guevara witnessed (I'm assuming) as he travelled his way up South America. Perhaps with time René Perez, in his diligent use of words to document the Latino existence, will be more universally viewed in the same light as the greats like Guevara himself or José Martí (albeit with a more colorful language)- but in my book he already is. Vulgar or not, controversial or not, Calle 13 is the bona fide Latino troubadour of our generation and what an experience it was to yell their lyrics back at them on a Thursday night, into a Friday morning.

Latinoamérica

Sesame Street, My First Maestra

2011-10-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

Please raise your hand if your first English teacher was Sesame Street; I know she was for me.

Class reunión.

My mom made every effort to prepare us for kindergarden by teaching us our abc's and taking us to the library, but given the fact that she then had a literacy level of about a 3rd grader, and by the time we saw her in the evening she was exhausted from laboring all day in the strawberry fields or the tomato cannery, there was only so much she could do on her own. In came Sesame Street, which we religiously watched every morning on PBS. She taught my siblings and I the alphabet, vowels, numbers, shapes, words, and even the weather. Although we only spoke Spanish at home, by the time we entered kindergarden as five year-olds, we were somehow able to survive in the all-English setting.

(Side note: I read in his biography that Bela Karolyi, the famed olympic gymnastics coach, also learned how to speak English as an adult by watching Sesame Street... guess we weren't the only ones).

Las vocales (that means vowels, not vocals).

The brilliant thing about Sesame Street is that it has always found how to connect with each child in a way that makes them feel like part of their community, regardless of their background. Yes, it teaches kids the letter 'n', the number '12', and lessons in character development, but it does so while seamlessly exposing them to different cultures, professions, and sectors of society. This coming week there will be a special Hispanic Heritage month episode of Sesame Street that will feature two Latino mega stars: international pop/rock star, Juanes, and over-the-top sex symbol, Sofia Vergara (both from Colombia).

Juanes

Sofia Vergara

But this isn't the first time that Latino stars have swung by Big Bird's barrio; as a matter of fact, there have been quite a few. Not only has Sesame Street brought on these Latino notables with the goal of introducing others to the beauty of our culture, but some of their own stars, such as Elmo, have taken on the beauty of learning Spanish as a second language as well. And perhaps that is the timelessness and genius of Sesame Street- that Americans come in a variety of colors, and traditions, and backgrounds, and languages- and it's ok because it makes it fun and interesting. So next time someone gets their feathers ruffled because I'm speaking Spanish or listening to Spanish music, maybe- instead of giving them the sociological, political, and historical context of my existence- I should just throw in the yellow feather or red fur card, because who in their right mind would ever challenge Big Bird or Elmo, right? After all, they were everybody's childhood friends.

For your nostalgic enjoyment, following are some of the most memorable Latino appearances on Sesame Street (yes, there are quite a few, so feel free to come back when you have more time). Do you remember any of them? Which is your favorite?:

Linda Rondstant (1980's super star)

Celia Cruz (Cuban salsa legend)

Gloria Estefan (one of the first cross-over successes)

Tito Puente (another cuban legend, latin jazz & salsa)

Plácido Flamingo (long-lost avian cousin of Spanish tenor, Plácido Domingo)

Eva Longoria (Mexican-American actress)

Los Lobos (Grammy-winning, chicano roqueros.
How could I forget?! Thanks to my brother for reminding me)

A bilingual cover of this Veracruzana beauty.

And a couple of Spanish lessons, to freshen up your High School Spanish:

Te Quiero (I love you)

Amigo (friend)

No Me Gusta/Me Gusta (I don't like/I like)

In South America (En Sudamerica)

Counting to 20 in Spanish with the Count

(contando al 20 en español con el Conde)

Hace Calor (It's hot)

Hace Frio (It's cold)

Judios Who's Who

2011-09-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I wrote a brief post on the Latino-Jewish connection in honor of Rosh Hashanah, the 3 day Jewish New Year. Today, as the sun is setting and their festivities come to an end, I give you a brief list of Who's Who in the world of Spanish-Speaking Judios, and, as you will read, they are as diverse as they come:

Julio Iglesias

Womanizer, futbolista, singer. Dad to Enrique Iglesias.

Mom was Sepharic-Jewish.

Frida Kahlo

Painter, political activist, feminist icon. Mexican legend.

Father was Hugarian-Jewish (although some dispute the claim).

Joaquin Phoenix

Actor, director, producer. Went weirdo for a documentary about going weirdo.

He was born in Puerto Rico. Mother was Jewish.

Geraldo Rivera

Reporter, talkshow host.

A hybrid of Gerry Springer and José Luís Sin Censura.

Father was Puerto Rican, mother was Jewish.

Don Quixote de la Mancha

(& Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra)

Legend (& author). The greatest literary protagonist to ever exist

(& author of the most influential piece of Spanish literature).

Both were implicitly Jewish (highly held notion by researchers).

Mauricio Umansky

Realtor, real househusband of Beverly Hills.

Born in México City of Russian-Jewish descent.

Jacobo Zabludovsky

Televisa news anchor in México for over 27 years.

Inspiration for Molotov song... Qué No Te Haga Bobo Jacobo.

Of Polish-Jewish lineage.

Something Jew should know...

2011-09-29T23:09:00.000-07:00

Our Jewish brethren are currently celebrating their New Year, Rosh Hashana, and that got me thinking about our Latino-Jewish connection.

A while ago I was taking a summer Spanish course at the University of San Diego and when I first walked into the classroom, there was some music playing. It was such an odd experience because my brain thought it understood the language yet I couldn't decipher all of the words. I thought, "ok, this must be some kind of experiment with a made-up language to show us how foreign language learners feel", but then Martha, our instructor, shared that it was Ladino that was playing.

A Ladino wedding song: Yo Hanino

Do you understand what they're singing?

Ladino, also known and Judezmo and Judeo-Spanish, is the language of Sephardic Jews. The language is a hybrid of Spanish and Hebrew- the parallel to Yiddish which in turn is a hybrid of Hebrew and German. Sephardic Jews are those who lived in (or descend from those who lived in) Spain and the rest of the Iberian Peninsula since the Roman empire but were expulsed, converted, or killed by the Catholic inquisition beginning in 1481. Well, if you can trace back any of your relatives to Spain, there's a possibility that you have sangre judia (or morisca, for that fact). In my maternal family's case, the last name Miranda is associated with Portuguese Sephardic Jews who temporarily settled in Portugal after expulsion from Spain. Now, if you recall the stuff they taught you in school, 1492 is also when Spain began their colonizing exploration and europeans began inhabiting the Americas. Amongst those that left the motherland were Judios who were looking to start a new life, away from the persecution. Historical evidence reveals that there was a high concentration of Judios Sefarditas in Zacatecas (where my family is from) and Guadalajara, México that arrived during the colonial era and were attracted to the mining industry there.

Do I have Jewish ancestry?

Sometime back, I was having lunch with Laura, my genealogical and historical guru of a friend who also descends from Zacatecas, when she said, "You know, there are a lot of Jewish descendants in Zacatecas. Does anyone in your family use the words "ansi" or "ansina"? Or how about the sweeping? How does your mom sweep the floor? Does she sweep the dirt to the corner, to the door, or to the center of the room?" After some thought, I realized that some of my relatives do say "ansina" (instead of así), which means "like that" and now that I thought about it, my mom does sweep the dirt to the middle of the room. But what did that mean? "That's an old Sephardic Jew custom", she shared. When I looked up the words on Google Translate, nothing came up, but sure enough, when I looked them up in a Ladino-English Dictionary, there they were, along with a couple of other words I had heard and thought were "mispoken" such as mueler instead of moler (which means to grind). And a quick googleada of the words "jewish custom sweeping floors" reveals various sources that confirm the tradition.

Do you sweep the Jewish way?

The irony is that growing up, when I used these words, I was told that they were incorrect or it was the language of those without formal education. However, in reality I had learned some of the remnants of a language that has survived through the centuries, against persecution and across the continents, existing far before most of the words we use today, like googlear. Anyway, to come full circle let me finish telling you about Marta. She was actually a Sephardic Jew whose family established itself in Argentina but had to leave during the Dirty War and became American. The class I attended was the last one she was teaching, as she was retiring and moving to Madrid. Well, at the end of the session she gave away all of her materials (30 years worth) and I ended up with a magazine that had on the cover, of al things, a portrait of El Santo Niño de Atocha, who is the patron saint of miners in Zacatecas. I guess it was fate, or as one would say in Ladino, fadarju.

A magazine that was destined to be mine (no pun intended).

¿Vive México?

2011-09-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't forget that Mexican independence day was earlier this month on the 16th. In fact, it seemed that about half of the month of September was full of parades, and festivals, and beer displays at the super marqueta reminding me of it. But I'll be honest, I didn't feel very celebratory this year. Don't get me wrong, it's quite obvious that México- in all its cultural glory- doesn't cease to inspire me. But the corrupt state of affairs, politics, and violence that have exponentially plagued it certainly do.

Viva, si. Pero que clase de vida?

Some may argue that corruption and unrest are part of the mexican patrimony- like mariachi or tamales- but it seems that as of late, progress has really been replaced by lawlessness and impotence. The days of summer-time trips or December pilgrimages to the motherland are near extinction.

If the U.S. State Dept. tells me not to go... I'm not going.

And so, I have taken to collecting books and travel literature about México; particularly those items that are vintage. I figured, if I can't visit the pyramids of Teotihuacán, then I'll build my own pyramid of books on Tenochtitlán.

The Pyramid of books: libre through libros.

There's a certain irony when considering that one was more free to explore and physically appreciate México in the 1940's than we are today. Vintage tourism guides and handbooks document a time when estadounidenses were encouraged to jump in their car or board a plane and go south to explore. On my part, there's both fascination and resentment at the fact that they were able to do so with so much freedom, tan libremente. One of my finds, a 1950's mexican map guide, still has the notes that the original owner took, noting their preferred hotel in San Blas. I loved finding this personal piece of history, but I'm jealous that I don't have the opportunity to visit myself. I'm begrudging the fact that I need to experience these geographical gems through the eyes of some adventurous gringos from the mid 1900's than through my own account. (Note: I undoubtedly value the authors' points of view and am grateful that they documented their findings for future generations to enjoy, I am just saddened by the fact that many in my generation don't have the same opportunity, especially those of mexican descent).

I want to, I really want to...

I take comfort in reading old books about the old México full of burros and señoritas, huaraches and sarapes. Sure, today SUVs and modern women prevail, as do sneakers and Hollister t-shirts, but is it a more advanced country now than before? Or is it simply a cheap sweatshop-version of what it once was, the potential it once promised? Perhaps that is what's most despairing of all- that as rudimentary and unsophisticated as México was presented in some of these vintage books, at least there was prospect of its development, of its potential, something that is looking very bleak today. Yes, México is still alive, but it is looking pretty parched, immune system low, and pulse very weak. One can only hope that this is seasonal and not chronic. One can only hope...

... imensa nostalgia invade mis pensamientos.

(... a profound nostalgia invades my thoughts.)

September 15th: Celebrating Independence and interdependence

2011-09-15T23:18:00.000-07:00

If you grew up in Southern California during the 80's and 90's, and your parents watched Spanish TV on Univisión Canal 34, you probably remember a television commercial with a couple of sexy air stewardesses and pilot "El Capitán Echeverria" during which he breathlessly roll-called Central and South American countries, "Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, etc... ¡Nadie vuela más barato!" This is one of my first memories of being exposed to the existence of Spanish-speaking countries south of México (except for Venezuela because my five-year-old mind heard their different accents on the mid-day telenovelas and thought they spoke funny). Anyway, not only did I take interest by trying to memorize the entire commercial and name the countries as quickly as he did, but I also secretly made a list in my head and wanted to meet someone from every country he named.

So this blog is in honor of my Central and South American amigos whom I join in celebrating the September 15th Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. I am a (culturally, intellectually, and emotionally) richer person for knowing you. And so, of you I write:

Costa Rica: Dr. Ivannia
One of the best professors I have had. She inspired me and pushed me past my intellectual limits and re-sparked my passion for the field of education; I had convinced myself that I was "over education", disillusioned by the politics, pettiness, and injustices that are more common in schools than not. But she made me see beyond that and demonstrated what a true professional educator should look like. She is living proof that language proficiency is not an indicator of intellectual ability... she was once an E.L. (English learner) student and now a PhD with post doc work from Stanford. Eat your hearts out naysayers! She is the best of Costa Rica I know yet!

¡Pura Vida! Paraiso on Earth.

Honduras: The Leyvas
They are like family to my husband, and they have become like family to me. Honestly some of the funnest, funniest, and friendliest people I have ever met. I love how they flawlessly mesh their Honduran and Mexican cultures together- eating both versions of tamales in the same sitting. I know, I know, often their Mexican side gets more attention, but I love talking to their mom about Honduran current events and I loved being nosy when their cousin Carlos came from Honduras to visit. I hope one day to be able to visit Honduras, especially the ruins of Copán. But they, my friends, are the best of Honduras I know yet!

Incredible Mayan ruins of Copán

Guatemala: Eleazar
Possibly the most self-driven, motivated, and confident person I have ever met. I cannot believe that he went from knowing practically no English in the 10th grade to graduating not only with honors, but also having passed like 5 A.P. tests, and completing who-knows-how-many college units through a bridge program. He is the student that I am glad I broke the rules for; we enrolled him in classes he was told by other educators he couldn't be put in because he was not "English proficient". This is the kid that joined water polo even though he didn't know how to swim and learned within a couple of days! I honestly thought for a while that he was an undercover agent posing as a high school student on some kind of mission because he was too mature and driven for his age (seriously, I thought that). Of course, he continues to be on his way to accomplish amazing things, and I just ask one thing: please don't forget to hire me when you are CEO of some Fortune 500 company. He is the best of Guatemala I know yet!

Antigua Guatemala: ¡Qué belleza!

El Salvador: Ibeth
Sincerely one of the most charismatic students I had that year. Actually she inspired me to write this blog post 5 years ago. She was always one to participate in class and be engaged. On September 16th, 2006, the Spanish Department at the school I worked for decided that all students would complete an assignment to learn about Mexican Independence Day as part of a cultural relevancy unit. All students were happy to complete the assignment because it was a break from the "book work". Anyway, when I got to her to check her work, she was sitting there with her arms crossed and not a thing done. When I asked her why, she said she refused to do it. Initially, I got a bit angry at her defiance, but when I told her that her behavior surprised me because I thought so highly of her, she finally confessed, "You know, I don't think it's very fair that everyone's making a big deal about Mexican Independence Day because yesterday was the same for El Salvador and nobody even mentioned it." And she was right. At that point I realized that other Latin American countries and cultures represented in Southern California sometimes don't get the recognition they deserve given that the majority of Spanish-speakers in our region are Mexican or of Mexican-descent. I encouraged her to complete the assignment for homework with a focus on El Salvador and then I posted it on the bulletin board to display. Thank you for teaching me such a valuable lesson. She is the best of El Salvador I know yet!

La gran bandera de El Salvador

Nicaragua: Mrs. Ruiz
Having just graduated from UCLA, I had recently learned about the Nicaraguan Civil War. But talking to her put a face to the tragedy of war. Her family escaped its war crimes and sought refuge in the United States. They endured the pain of their mother country from a distance, but managed to become Americans while never abandoning their roots. They navigated a new language, a new culture, but fought hard to succeed. She chose to become a high school counselor to help others, and is an exemplary one at that! She is living proof that the majority of immigrants come to our great country to look for better opportunities, work hard, contribute, and succeed. She is the best of Nicaragua that I know yet!

What a lovely tribute by Google

Yes, today and tomorrow many latinoamericanos commemorate independence, but I encourage you to also celebrate our interdependence... for we are all Latinos, we are all Americans, we are all students and teachers, we are all amigos and hermanos, we are all humans.

(p.s. A special thanks to my husband for remembering "El Capitán Echeverria's" name, what a memory! I tried to look for the video on TuTubo, but couldn't find it.)

Julius the Ozomatli

2011-09-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

If a fotografía is worth a thousand words, then this one will take us straight to 2012...

Julius the Ozomatli and the Aztec danzantes courtesty of Paul Frank's facebook.

Don't know where this photo was taken, but it is evident that Julius the Monkey is ecstatic to get in touch with his Aztec roots and pay homage to his Ozomatli cultural patrimony.

No my friends, I am not referring to the Grammy-winning, Los Angeles-based, latino rock (dash hip hop-jazz-salsa-reggae) band that has made cameos in Never Been Kissed, with Drew Barrymore, Sex and the City, and the Democratic National Convention (politics are kinda in the Reality TV realm nowadays, right?). Rather, I am referring to the primate reference in Aztec ancient manuscripts in which Ozomatli is the name for the monkey. In Aztec civilization, the monkey was considered the god of music and dance and was also used to reference the 11th day of the month, considered good luck. So it's kind of cool that Julius was given the opportunity to get in touch with his heritage; he looks like he can't wait to start danzando the rain dance.

Paul Frank enterprises had already crossed over to the Mexi side before when they reincarnated Julius as Frida Kahlo (as I previously wrote about- link to blog post), so to see them do it again, reinforces their commitment towards multiculturalism, and I love it! I propose that they make available more merchandise with both Fridulius (the Julius/Frida love child) and Julius the Ozomatli (in headdress and all). Heck, I challenge them to continue to venture out and create an entire cultural icons line, Latino and beyond. Oh, and did I mention that they even have a bike with little mariachi chihuahuas? What can I say, our cultura is pretty inspiring...

Hello Mariachis, do you play any covers of the Monkees?

It's HOT! Aguanta this heat with Aguas Frescas.

2011-09-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

The general notion is that Labor Day marks then end of summer, but all I know is that yesterday was Labor Day and today was one of the hottest days of the season! Ok, so all of us that were whining yesterday because we thought summer was over, apparently mother nature is granting us a couple more weeks of summer weather and there's no better way to keep cool than with a nice glass of agua fresca (literally translated as fresh water but better described as sweetened fresh-fruit, herb, pulp, or grain beverages). Global marketing giants have once again jumped on to the Latino bandwagon and sought ways to tap into our purchasing power by introducing their own lines of aguas frescas. Make no mistake, there's no replacement for home-made, made-from-scratch aguas frescas (not only are they tastier, but also healthier), but in the mean time, here are 5 unexpected reincarnations of these refreshing drinks:

1) Starbucks!

Muy refrescante: agua de lima/limón y agua de jamaica en el Estarbucks.

Earlier this summer, Starbucks introduced two new iced beverages under the 'Refreshers' line that seem awfully familiar: Cool Lime (which is a very close cousin of agua de lima/limón) and Very Berry Hibiscus (long lost sister of agua de jamaica). Yes, I know, Latinos don't have a copyright on citrusy water, but interesting how it's not lemonade or limeade that they're marketing. And the same applies for hibiscus (known as flor de jamaica in Spanish), which is actually consumed as a beverage in many countries such as Cambodia, India, Mexico, Egypt, and yes, even Jamaica. So kudos to Starbucks for not only bringing us a continual global sampling of coffee, but also for tapping into other realms of multicultural beverages.

2) Nestlé

Los trés amigos: jamaica, horchata, & tamarindo

Nestlé is not only the company that produces Nesquik chocolate powder for your milk (arch nemesis of Pancho Patera), it is actually the world's largest food and nutrition company in the world. They produce everything from cereal to cookie dough, bottled water to baby formula, and even dog food. It's obvious that this Switzerland-based company knows what it's doing and by the PR blitz they've given their aguas frescas line, it's evident that they expect this to be quite a lucrative product. They have even created an entire webpage dedicated to the jamaica-horchata-tamarindo trio (http://nestleaguasfrescas.com/), with its own singing competition and all (!). Who needs Sábado Gigante when you've got Nestlé to find our next big star, all the while enticing us to quench our sed.

3) Kerns

Say something sweet "hor-chata" heck up. ;)

Far before Jamba Juice and Juice it Up!, Latinos have frequented juice bars. Most mercados in México (my other Latino friends, is this the same in your country?) have many a stand that sells fresh fruit and vegetable juices and licuados (smoothies). As a matter of fact, to date there is no better orange juice that has delighted my mouth like the freshly squeezed one I had at el mercado of Jerez, Zacatecas (my parent's hometown in Mexico). The point here is that as far as I can remember, my family bought canned Kern's Nectar fruit juices and in elementary school my Spanish-speaking friends always had one in their lunch box too. So when years back Kern's added horchata to their line up, I was delighted; I guess our loyalty to their brand encouraged them to explore beyond the guava or pear variation. Since horchata is milk-based, it must be refrigerated and therefore shouldn't be canned, but their newest addition of jamaica, tamarindo, and limón are available in the good 'ole can version that we're so familiar with.

4) Kool-Aid

¿Azucar, agua, y rojo?

You remember that Dave Chappelle skit, "What the eff is grape juice?! I want drink! Sugar, water, purple?" As hilarious as it was, it was equally tragic because it pointed out low-income children's limited access to nutritious food or beverages (I know, I know, sometimes you just have to laugh and not think, but given the epidemic of diabetes, obesity, and other health issues among Latino children, I can't laugh too hard). Well, Kool-Aid has now added an aguas frescas line of 'drinks'. And although the packaging advertises that it is unsweetened and caffeine-free, it also clearly states that it is an artificial flavor, which I'm sure can't be too good for your health.

5) Tampico

Mmm, ice cream.

Lets get to the point here: Tampico is a pretty cool American company that was founded in Chicago and was geared towards the Latino market from its inception (the very name Tampico is the name of a city in the mexican state of Tamaulipas). The awesome thing here is that the company is owned by its employees, which is a pretty darn cool concept (a business model that tragically is becoming more scarce). Plus, I like their venture into creating an ice cream line inspired by Latino flavors, such as the horchata flavor shown above.

So look for these products at your local grocery store and survive this last heat wave by enjoying a nice glass of agua fresca. Let me know which brand and flavor is your favorite, and if your mercado doesn't carry them, ask for them!

'Hair's' the thing about Latino Men

2011-08-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you know a Latino man that obsesses over his hair? I think we all do. Recently I was talking to my cousin Maribel and she mentioned how Mark, her son (and the adorable ring bearer at our wedding), had been wanting to see our Uncle Gabriel, "the one with the fancy hair", he said. Not only did I think it was the sweetest thing ever that, instead of asking to go to Disneyland, the kid was asking to see his great uncle but, I was also impressed by his keen observation of the impeccable styling of my dear Tío Gabriel's hair. His hair is an unrivaled example of how the Latino man takes pride in his appearance. My dad and my other two uncles won't deny it- they envy the fact that he still has a full set of hair (especially because he's the eldest, and the rest of them have begun to go bald) and it's always immaculately cut, just like his San Agustín lawn .

Tío Gabriel: guapo y siempre bien arreglado

(handsome and always well put together)

Interestingly enough, not so long ago Univision (yeah, as in media giant/telenovela Univision) commissioned a study to better understand the purchasing power and buying habits of Latinos. Part of the results were published in a report titled "Why Latinos (men) Look So Good". Among the meticulous grooming habits revealed was that "Latinos use hair-styling products an average of 3.4 times per week compared to 1.7 times per week for non-Latinos"(Los Angeles Times, 7/30/11) and this equates to about $8 more per month in "personal care regimine" products (don't you dare call them beauty products). Some may be surprised to hear that our macho Latino men take pride in their appearance but, for me it came as no surprise at all because the men in my life have always done so, especially when it comes to their hair. All one has to do is look down at your Lotería card and see El Catrin to realize that perfectly coifed hair is the epitome of style.

Oh, how José Guadalupe Posada mocked you with his calaveras,

but your style is undeniable.

One of the fondest memories I have of my maternal grandfather, José Miranda, was his love for his fedora hat. Quite frankly, he and his fedora were inseparable. When taken off (only at the dinner table or to enter a church) a flawless head of hair was revealed, each strand perfectly placed. My mom tells me that when hard times hit their family, he would style it with the juice of a freshly sliced lemon because he couldn't afford the brillantine. Money or not, nothing kept him from looking his finest.

My Papá Che: timeless style, always flawless

As kids, it was kinda cool that we had a couple of cousins stay with us at different points in our life (some as summertime babysitters, others to get away from a troubled neighborhood). One of our cousins that briefly stayed with us was nicknamed "El Chulo" (brief tangent: Google Translate tells me chulo means 'pimp', but we've always used the word for 'cutie'... anyway this'll have to be further researched) because he would look in the mirror and say "yo estoy muy chulo" (I'm really cute). Although his stay with us was ever so brief, he did leave behind two legacies: 1) a love for Art Laboe oldies, and 2) the amazement of watching him comb his hair "old school style" with Three Flowers (Trés Flores) Pomade, a plastic hand brush from the liquor store, and a hair net. As a matter of fact, after his departure my older brother was so obsessed with Trés Flores that there came a point when my mom had to buzz his hair because the grease was so profound it couldn't even be washed out (and it stank)!

Now this is old-school for Latino men

Now-a-days the lemon juice, Trés Flores, and the hairnets may not be as popular but, the Latino obsession with hair persists and the product of choice is Gorilla Snot. Yes, Moco de Gorila. This is a hair product line that was imported from México and is now all the rage here in the U.S.. A couple of years back the only place you could find this was at the Mexican supermarkets (Northgate for you Southern California folk) but, now you can even find it at Rite Aid or Target. They have two lines- regular out of a jar and Squizz (yes, this is the Mexican-spanish way of spelling squeeze- laugh out loud!) from a squeeze bottle- and three formulas- éstilo roquero (rocker style), éstilo punk (punk style), and éstilo galán (playboy style). My husband swears by his Moco de Gorila éstilo punk, whereas my younger brother Gabriel, he's loyal to his éstilo galán (of course, we lovingly tease him about this). And these are no "pretty boys" I'm talking about here, this is a construction worker and a jock- as macho of men as they come and they aren't ashamed to clean up nicely when needed.

Check out Gorilla Snot at your local Target. Try it!

Estilo punk.

Estilo galán.

Estilo roquero.

Just in case you had any doubt left about Latino men's obsession with their hair, check out some of those on the roster of the Selección Méxican de Fútbol who paradoxically embody both macho and metrosexual traits :

Giovanni Dos Santos

Andrés Guardado

Javier "Chicharito" Hernández

Jonathan Dos Santos

And so I leave you to ponder: Can a macho be a metrosexual, or has it always been one in the same?

Two links: interesting Los Angeles Times Article (http://www.latimes.com/features/image/la-ig-latinogrooming-20110730,0,7531051.story) and the website for Moco de Gorila (http://www.mocodegorila.net/)

Let me tell you about MY Rage...

2011-07-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

Fist in the air, in the land of hypocrisy; Zack, you could not have spoken more truer words.

Yesterday I chose to rise above the comfort of my middle-america existence and be inspired by the artists at the LA Rising festival featuring revolutionary musicians as are El Gran Silencio, Muse, Immortal Technique, and the archetype of revolutionary: Rage Against the Machine. The diversity and talent of the musicians was unbelievable and the gospel they were spreading was undeniable; government policy and corporate greed are squashing our wages, our freedoms, and our pursuit of happiness more and more everyday. Unfortunately, we are not alone in this current instability. In fact just turn on the news (which in itself is a filtered version of reality) and see what's going on in Lybia and Egypt, the crisis in Greece, Spain, Israel, and you'll quickly realize that in comparison, our bad suddenly doesn't look so bad. So when Cano, the lead singer for El Gran Silencio shouted, "México está para la chingada (Mexico's in the shitter)" and asked us to send our good vibes her way (because apparently their desperation is such that anything is better than what their government is doing), and when a certain jerk mockingly yelled "Arriba, arriba!" and wondered aloud "I don't get it, he's speaking Spanish, I'm in America", it is evident that he missed the message of the entire LA Rising music festival itself- that we must look beyond our selves and our comforts and recognize that there are many brothers and sisters in distress, under oppression, in danger as a consequence of poor policies, apathy, and lack of action.

The first step is to rise above one's ego.

And this my friends, was a sad reality for me, that although the music was so incredible and inspiring, many of my fellow concert goers were not! I was warned of the pit crowd at Rage concerts, and YouTubed some videos to prepare myself. Now, I pride myself in being open minded and was pumped at experiencing something like it (although a bit scared, I must admit), convincing myself that the human energy for a common cause would be worth the occasional bump and elbow in the ribs, but let me tell you that I was heartbroken and enraged by the egotistical, hypocritical, reckless behavior that I witnessed.

What happens when you have rage towards other's faux rage?

So when the idiot that stole a hand full of churros (from the tired, middle aged, latina woman that had been standing in sun for near 12 hours and was forced to move her carrito because she was warned that it would be trampled over if the crowd from the section broke the barrier to rush towards the stage) minutes later was screaming to the lyrics some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses, it was evident that he missed the mark. The irony that he's yelling about social hypocrisy and practicing the same thing that he's so "enraged" about. And when the morons that couldn't read instructions nor show up on time became angered that they were corralled in section 3 of the floor area and decided to trample security and fellow concert goers and later were moshing to Guerilla Radio's a silent play in the shadow of power, they missed the mark. Yeah, all those phony rage and superficial actions but, did they even consider that they had became the oppressors?

Definitely a play for power...

but who's the privileged that could afford $100 tickets?

It was sad to see the security staff (the majority of which were young minority men, a couple of young women, and some defeated looking middle-aged men) endure hours of sun and attempt to look tough when their eyes really revealed the terror they were feeling because they far too well understood that once again they were on the losing side of the barrier; we were the ones with the luxury to have a free Saturday and $100 bucks to splurge on a concert (probably a fraction of the salary the workers earned for the day) and once again they were invisible.

These idiots didn't realize that the message that Rage Against the Machine envisioned for LA Rising was a wake-up call urging us to activism, summoning us to look at the injustices taking place in the workforce, and commanding us to become aware (did anyone else visit the Re-Education Camp?!) of our surroundings... but yesterday the damn hypocrisies couldn't have been more apparent. Seriously, half the people in the pit were far more concerned with putting up the ego-driven facade of what they think they're supposed to act like at a Rage concert, rather than really listening to the message and living it out.

So who you raging in the name of?

Blasted through ya head, blasted through ya head, I give a shout out to the living dead, just victims of the in-house drive by, yeah, so easy to say but suddenly superficial when we look in the mirror and are unable to recognize when we are the living dead, blind to the oppressions and the fact that we can easily become the oppressor, a puppet of our own ego-driven faux-fury. Oh, so easy to posture anger and pretend rage in the pit, but it takes real rage to look within, be aware of our acts, and take action. As Zack said, "I've got to expose hypocrisy in my own self. The consciousness of my own self, before I ever stand up and speak for other individuals", now if only his followers could authentically be so self-reflective. So for me, LA Rising was bitter sweet: on one hand the thrill of seeing legendary bands perform at a legendery venue, but on the other, the realization that as loud as Rage played, very few heard the message. And this my friends, fills me with rage.