Intellectually Entertaining. Socially Relevant.
Pigs are flying. This was the password for my bridal registry. I got married “late in life” and while this was not a point of anxiety for me, I noted with some amusement that my nuptials were of considerable relief to my parents who had been worried that I would languish alone without the protection Read More
When my parents found out about my engagement, I was a bit worried that it was the beginning of the end of their parental relationship with me. It was a tense moment. My worries were unfounded, but that is not the case for any person who faces the opinions of others regarding interracial marriage. Families Read More
It was an awkward moment and we all felt it. My first official play date with a friend from school and Mami, upon meeting the girl’s mother, leaned in to plant an introductory beso on her cheek. The woman, a Chinese immigrant, was clearly taken aback and I felt the redness of embarrassment splash over Read More
If only I could travel back in time and slap myself on the back of the head. How much time it would have saved me. The moment I thought, “Wow, you were pretty harsh with your mother” should have been the moment I left. My youthful excuses (she must have been mean to him when Read More
“Mas sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo” my mother told me, shining a light on her wisdom in an attempt to guide my youthful, rebellious reasoning. I thought of this a few days ago after laughing for stating that if I ever catch any of my children doing half of the things I did…. Read More
There are many reasons to recognize the good fortune of living in the U.S. Many immigrants or first-generation citizens may wonder what life would have been like had they stayed in the home countries of Latin America. The privileges of living here are never far from my own mind, especially lately when I sit down Read More
In the U.S., we are the happy beneficiaries of a great democratic experiment. The cornerstone of any true democracy is the right of the eligible populace to vote. Historically, the U.S. has witnessed the struggles of disenfranchised members of society to obtain this fundamental right of citizenship. One need only recall the struggle of women Read More
Some of our legal Supremes have been deciding badly. On April 2, the Supreme Court handed down its decision on the case of Albert Florence, who was strip searched after being detained due to a computer error. In a 5-4 vote, the court upheld that law enforcement agencies have the right to subject anyone who Read More
Rick Santorum seems to have attained the iconic American Dream. The child of an educated, skilled, and immigrant father, he now finds himself a candidate for the nomination. He presents himself as a devout Catholic whose political philosophy is guided by his religious convictions; he appears to be a stalwart guardian of his faith and principles. Read More
My heart bleeds for Mexico. Since President Calderon declared war on drugs in 2006, 50,000 people have lost their lives in drug-related violence. The biggest consumer of Mexico’s illegal drug trade is the U.S., per the Mexican president. The complicated interlacing of the drug economy within the total Mexican economy is not surprising, given that Read More