AND SO I RETURN TO THE ROOT: This is the radical positivity that I use as my compass. This is the simple vision that I have. Not a never-ending wearying battle, not an eternal tightlipped scowl. Not moping and hoping and weeping and keeping the feeling of being a victim alive. But a joy filled heart on a sun-drenched field with fight in my bones and light in my eyes.
FROM THE “SWINE” FLU’S declining fervor to 2009’s May Day marches for worker rights and immigrant solidarity; from the tragic killing of Luis Ramirez to legislative movement on immigration, these are tumultuous times. But it is precisely such conflict and challenge that provides the best opportunities to make lasting change.
QUESTIONS OF APPROPRIATION and Tokenism are areas one must approach carefully. Human beings are involved and there is nuance, to be sure. Good can be done with methods that are not optimally beneficial to all parties involved. Furthermore, that cost must be weighed by each person. And yet, shapes of Whiteness move behind and around us, often invisible. They must be named.
SOONER OR LATER there will be a hard choice in how much compromise to make in the path of helping your own people. This is a windswept path, and one you must travel alone. Walk it carefully and choose thoughtfully.
I AM PROUD TO HAIL FROM MEXICO. And I underline this pride both to satisfy my own soul, to boost up gente who struggle, too, under the heavy load of a dominant culture’s disdain. But I also make it a point to connect with other Latinos, with other gente from Latin America, because we share so much and we are stronger when we celebrate this.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW WORK by Shepard Fairey? You know, he’s the cat what did the famous and iconic Obama HOPE poster. I guess the high of being Everyone’s Favorite Poster Guy has worn off and someone’s looking for another hit….
THE MOMENT that the news of the “Swine Flu” hit the wires, it was easy to predict what the anti-immigrant faction would have to say about it. This particular cadre of caustic and crazed voices are so locked into their views that their contributions are unnecessary in a dialogue that preferences truth.
IT’S NOT DIFFICULT TO FIND A MOVIE that portrays the indigenous of this land as heartless brutal savages. Be the people called Apache or Mayan, be the portryal be by John Wayne or Mel Gibson. We enlist words to mask the truth of history. And then, sometimes, we use art to tear that mask away. This is why Art is considered powerful and dangerous by some.
THE LATINO COMMUNITY commemorates the 30th anniversary of Tomás Rivera’s appointment as rector, celebrates and the honor of being the first Latino/Hispanic to lead a university in the United States. We also mark the 25th year since his death.
THE DIALOGUE ON IMMIGRATION has, historically, been contentious and cyclical. There are times when hysteria peaks, and rational thought struggles to enter the national dialogue. And then, there are moments the truth breaches the surface and shines brightly. This week is one of those moments.
VOICES OF JUSTICE: The public is invited to a reception, documentary film preview and panel discussion at Stanford University on Wed. April 15 about the challenges and opportunities for Spanish-language media in an era of transformational change in journalism and the nation.
THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS RETURNED even though under increased militarization, drug production actually goes up, as does the body count, while the seizure of drugs decreases. All the facts in hand show, inarguably, that the Drug War model is a failed method of dealing with immigration—even though President Obama seems intent to resurrect it.
In the modern world, borders do not separate families, nor commerce, nor soldiers, nor bank accounts and their owners. And NAFTA has allowed Mexico’s corn crop to be so devalued that Mexico—the land where the plant was born roughly 5,000 years ago—now imports corn, forcing streams of campesinos to migrate north…where we lock them up.
NANCY PELOSI made statements in San Francisco’s mission district on Saturday that seem to signal a new direction on immigration issues. While advocates for reform have been on pins and needles wondering when the Obama administration would make a move to show that his administration will undertake this, this may be the first clear signal that they will.
LAW OUGHT TO MATCH IDEAL. If Law means anything at all, it is because it is a symbol of Truth. On this week’s Immigration Wire, we examine approaches to immigration that do nothing to synchronize real-life America with the America in songs and storybooks.
House of Nezua
the XOLAGRAFIK theater!
