Intellectually Entertaining. Socially Relevant.
Anyone who drives along Interstate 95, through the Carolinas, cannot miss them: the billboards to stop at South Of The Border, fronted (of course) by a Mexican in stereotypical dress named Pedro. If you’ve ever stopped there, the first word that probably comes to mind is tacky. My question is: Are Latinos offended by the Read More
Book of the Month Join us as we explore the work of Latino authors together, both old and new! The Book of the Month for June is The Death of Artemio Cruz by the late author Carlos Fuentes, one of the most admired writers in the Spanish-speaking world. Along with Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa 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
Story Behind the Anthem The story of the Costa Rican national anthem is an interesting one. In 1852, the diplomatic representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom were to arrive, and the president of Costa Rica at the time, Juan Rafael Mora Porras, wanted to receive them with the national anthem. However, Costa Read More
Latinos Doing Their Thing… Spoken word poetry, like Salsa music, is a New York City creation. From the sancocho pot that is NYC came the trailblazers; artists like Gil Scott-Heron and Felipe Luciano opened the imaginations of kids sitting at home with a pencil and a piece of paper. One of those kids that heeded Read More
Spanish is our language, but not all Spanish is created equal. Depending on what Spanish-speaking country you’re in, some words have different meanings. If you’re not careful, you could find yourself saying something very different from what you intended to say. Here are a few possible scenarios that you should try to avoid: Let’s say you’re Read More
Mi Vida Latina Fifteen years old and I was still a stick. “I thought Latinas were supposed to be curvy,” I’d reproach myself while looking in the mirror. Every day I’d scrutinize my body, but saw no change. My chest was as small as ever – two miniature pears. Not the round melons they were Read More
Story Behind the Anthem The National Anthem of the Republic of Colombia, or as it is sometimes called “O gloria inmarcesible” (Oh Unfading Glory!), was written by Rafael Núñez, a former president of Colombia who served four terms. He wrote the lyrics as a poem to honor the independence of Cartagena. An actor from Bogotá, 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
What are the requirements of a Cinco de Mayo party? Salsa, tequila, your American friends? Find out with this instructional video from Mun2: