“We found you in the alley and felt so bad for you, we decided to adopt you,” was the line my siblings and I used on each other regularly as we were growing up. No one actually believed it, yet the person who was being told they had been adopted always responded, “Shut up, no Read More
La Sensualidad del Bolero
10/22/2010 By Leave a Comment
During this series for the Being Latino blog we have shared many a dance; the Mambo; Flamenco; Merengue; El Paso Doble; Salsa; Cumbia; Tango; Rumba and Bachata, but I have saved the best for last: Bolero. Many of you have danced this sensual dance, maybe not to Ballroom specifications, but definitely at some party or club. The Read More
Los Dias De Los Muertos: Ancient feasts for modern times
10/22/2010 By 2 Comments
Every October, there is a day when I feel it—a change in the “electricity” of life around me. It begins as little more than a charge on my skin as the wind blows from the West. It registers as a subtle change in the quality of sunlight—something different about the amber glow of the Read More
Latino family values
10/20/2010 By 4 Comments
I recently had a flashback to when my girls were younger and I heard not-so-nice words come out of their mouths. We had a discussion about adult words and children’s mouths. You know, the kind of discussion that starts with “We need to talk” and ends with “Because I said so.” As a parent, I Read More
La Quinceañera
10/20/2010 By 2 Comments
A Quinceañera is the Latino equivalent of a sweet sixteen party, only more so. The quinceañera is a celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday. It is a coming of age ritual, marking the transition from childhood to womanhood. In the Mexican tradition, the quinceañera typically begins with a mass in the Catholic Church. It is Read More
The Poppy vs. Papi debate
10/19/2010 By 22 Comments
Let me just start off by saying I love my in-laws but sometimes I seriously question whether or not they get me and my Latina culture. So I am completely annoyed with the fact that my mother-in-law refers to my husband’s dad – who we are teaching my son to call grandpa – as “poppy” Read More
Earth to Earth, Ashes to Aye Dios!
10/18/2010 By 5 Comments
At some point in everyone’s life, a loved one has been lost. The closer we were to them, the deeper the grief. We all gather at Ponce Funeral Home, to unite as a family and mourn together. After a few days of viewing our beloved ones, we head to Cypress Hills Cemetery for their burial. Read More
After The Month
10/18/2010 By Leave a Comment
We have come to an end of a great celebration a month full of pride from every Hispanic generation.
13th Annual Latino Family & Book Festival
10/13/2010 By 2 Comments
Thirteen years ago, Edward James Olmos came up with the idea for the Latino Family and Book Festival. One of the reasons for starting this festival was to promote literacy and learning in the Latino community. He wanted to provide a place for Latino authors to collaborate and share their ideas with the Latino community. Read More
El Mal de Ojo
10/06/2010 By 9 Comments
I always love hearing mi abuela talk about folklore that oftentimes seem weird or mystical to me. El mal de ojo; The Evil Eye, is one of those. El mal de ojo is a hex that is well known throughout Latin America. It is also common in the Mediterranean, East and West Africa, and Read More