If you have something to say...
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If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
Despite the fact that it was the English who invented soccer -- it's clear that in this, as in many other fields related to American culture, the Latino backing has been fundamental to its success.
As if it had happened yesterday, Sylvia Mendez recalled that in 1944, when she was only eight years old, she and two of her brothers were victims of ...
What if instead of continuing to celebrate only heritage, we celebrated our collective Latino leadership? What if we punctuated this year's Hispanic Heritage Month by putting that leadership into action?
While Alabama and other states are putting barriers to the education of immigrant children, California celebrates Latino Heritage Month by passing the California Dream Act, which will ensure that all deserving students get the opportunity to pursue higher education and be productive members of society.
The United States is the magnificent country that it is because of the contributions of the Hispanics. Hispanic Heritage Month is a month to commend these achievements, to encourage new ones, and to acknowledge the contributions of Hispanics worldwide. I celebrate Hispanic culture everyday and I am thrilled that there is the extra focus during September and October.
Of course, I understand, as I type this piece on my laptop, that Columbus' exposure of the New World made exploration inevitable and that we are who we are today, in large part because he triggered that European curiosity. But, I don't have to celebrate the man, his misdeeds, or his arrogant, short-sighted waste of human life.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, I offer some poems by Cecilia Martinez-Gil. This event seeks to answer the question of what are Latinos in the United States?
Unlike other communities that continually seek to cultivate influence, Hispanics don't lift one another. Why? We have trouble trusting others let alone ourselves; thus fueling our own identity crisis.
My cheeks seared red-hot, as I retreated...too embarrassed to say "my mother's maiden name is Barraza" in defense. I did not have my mother's name. Did that mean that I didn't have her culture?
"One can become bilingual at any time during one's life -- as a child, as an adolescent, or as an adult. There is no upper age limit for acquiring a new language and then continuing one's life with two or more languages."
The Berkeley College Republicans' "Increase Diversity" bake sale reduces the historical and contemporary struggles that people of color and women face as we all seek access to education, employment -- a fair share of the figurative pie.
When we talk about racism and immigration, we need to remind those who may disagree with us that we are talking about the same pursuit of the American Dream in which their immigrant forebears engaged -- a nation that has no place for hate; that moves forward, together.
