“Como una ala negra tendí mis cabellos sobre tus rodillas. Cerrando los ojos su olor aspiraste, dicendome luego: -¿Duermes sobre piedras cubiertas de musgos? ¿Con ramas de sauces te atas las trenzas? ¿ Tu almohada es de trébol? ¿Las tienes tan negras porque acaso en ella exprimiste un zumo retinto y espeso de moras silvestres? ¡Qué fresca y extraña fragancia te envuelve! Hueles a arroyuelos, a tierra y a selvas. ¿Que perfume usas? Y riendo te dije: -¡Nintuno, ninguno! Te amo y soy joven, huelo a primavera. Este olor que sientes es de carne firme, de mejillas claras y de sangre nueva. ¡Te quiero y soy joven, por eso es que tengo las mismas fragancias de la primavera!”
—Como la primavera por la poetisa y feminista uruguaya Juana Ibarbourou.
Excerpt from the Latino Rebels piece "What I Learned From an 11-Year-Old Boy Who Sang the National Anthem (Twice)"
networkedblogs.comThe real (and sometimes uncomfortable) dialogue surrounding identity cannot stop here. Let’s face it: Sebastien’s social media story speaks to us all. It raises issues that must continue to be explored by the mainstream media, and not just be limited to the social one. de la Cruz proved that the United States is a better place when we celebrate our differences and find the commonalities within those difference. Being Latino in the U.S. doesn’t mean that you love this country any less, quite the contrary. Yet it also doesn’t mean that this country is perfect. It is not. Far from it. We are at a crossroads once again in determining what we want this nation to become. Do we want to be a country that understands that being proud of one’s roots (and for all those suggesting that Sebastien was overlooking his Mexican heritage when he said that he was American, cut the kid some slack—he’s only 11 and I seriously doubt that as he grows up to become a young man, he will shy away from his heritage) does not mean that you are “less American”, or do we want to be a country where an actual congressman freaks out about his office being “invaded” by “illegal aliens?”. Sebastien’s story confirms to me that the days of Rep. Steve King (along with the Coulters and Malkins) are extremely limited, and like Popovich said, “the future could be very bright.”. Yet that will take even more commitment. Are we ready as a community to continue where Sebastien de la Cruz left off? I think so, because social media has given millions of people the chance to share issues and stories that can literally move up the media landscape and become national issues that form part of our consciousness. That is where the real power lies, and to paraphrase a high-stakes poker player, “Latino Rebels is all in.”
As a Latina born and raised in the U.S. the above speaks volumes to me. Even more because I am a proud Mexican-American. Celebrating your Mexican roots doesn’t mean someone isn’t proud of being an American, and it certainly doesn’t make them less American. This is especially true for a lot of first-generation Mexican-Americans because we are perfectly aware that there is a reason our parents fought so hard to make sure we were born here. We honor our parents struggle by being American, but we also often cling to our Mexican roots because sometimes we need a safe place to look to when our fellow (non-Mexican) Americans exclude us.
It’s also important to note that being Mexican-American can mean living in a perpetual limbo where we straddle cultural identities, languages, and even nationalities - and it doesn’t help when as Mexican-Americans we hate on each other. In this case I’m specifically talking about the people of Mexican descent upset at Sebastien for saying he’s American. It’s hypocritical to be outraged by people questioning our rights as Mexican-Americans to be included in American cultural celebrations, while at the same time shaming someone of Mexican descent for identifying as proudly American.
Even though those few individuals questioning Sebastien’s Mexican pride were a sore point for me, I agree with Latino Rebels that it’s quite hopeful to see the community of people, and not just those from Mexican descent, who rose in defense of the young singer. It’s truly amazing how social media managed to turn a collection of bigoted tweets into an organized support net for a young Latino who refused to conform to what ignorant people think an “American” is.
I leave my fellow Mexican American with a final challenge: stand up for your fellow Mexican-American, no matter if you agree or disagree on how they choose to carry their cultural identity. No matter if they first say they’re Mexican, or first say they’re American. Whether they cheer for Chicharito, or insist football is better than fútbol. No matter if they only speak Spanish, English, or a muy fregón Spanglish (or none of these!). No matter if they have no idea who José Alfredo Jiménez is, or swear Vicente Fernández is their padrino. Coming together despite these differences is exactly what proves acceptance can exist in a United States where Latinos are a thriving economic, cultural, and historical asset.
And that’s what I’m hoping my fellow Mexican-Americanslearned from “the 11-Year-Old Boy Who Sang the National Anthem (Twice)”.
Jeb Bush: U.S. economy needs immigrants because they’re ‘more fertile’
washingtonpost.comThe former Florida governor said the U.S. economy needs the labor of young immigrants and immigrants are “more fertile.”
Yup. Potential 2016 presidential contender Jeb Bush actually said this. Of course the whole quote reads “Immigrants are more fertile, and they love families, and they have more intact families, and they bring a younger population. Immigrants create an engine of economic prosperity.”, and while this might almost seem like a compliment, it’s actually insulting to a lot of people. Jeb here is reinforcing stereotypes, because although it’s true that in the past immigrants reproduced at a higher rate than White American citizens, just this past year the Pew Hispanic Center reported a record low birthrate decline among immigrant women. The study also showed both immigrant and native-born Latinas had the steepest declining birthrates of any group in the United States, and I bring this up because let’s be honest, Jeb’s little compliment towards the amazing super powers of immigrant’s fertility was in hopes of making some way with the Latino voters in 2016. But I see what you’re doing, Jeb. We all see what you’re doing and we’re taking our “fertile” voting bodies to someone who doesn’t treat Latinos as one-issue-voting-baby machines, thank you very much.
Violence against women rises in El Salvador
aljazeera.comSan Salvador, El Salvador- Endemic levels of sexual abuse and gender based violence have made El Salvador one of the most dangerous countries in the world for girls and women, amid entrenched “machismo” attitudes and a criminal justice system that too often fails victims.
More than seven sexual attacks were reported every day in the first three months of 2013 - a 17 percent rise in 12 months, according to official police figures. Two thirds of the reported 636 rapes and sexual offences were committed against children under the age of 18. El Salvador has a population of 6.2 million.
While much of the country’s escalating violence over the past decade can be blamed on street gangs and drug traffickers, the most risky place for girls and women is still at home.
In January alone this year, police received 243 complaints of domestic violence - a 23 percent year-on-year rise.
Information gathered by the feminist organisation Ormusa (the Organisation of Salvadoran Women for Peace) reveals that most sexual assaults involve girls aged between 12 and 17 and take place at home. Sexual crimes are usually committed by a close relative or family acquaintance while the mother is out working.
One in three pregnancies in El Salvador involves a teenaged girl, often the result of abuse, according to NGO Plan International.
Too many girls end up in relationships with much older men in order to escape poverty or violence at home, Roxana Ramos, a primary care nurse working with pregnant teens in Chalatenango, told Al Jazeera.
It’s important to remember how underreported sex crimes are and how violence against women is actually a lot higher. Love and solidarity to our Salvadoreña sisters and ORMUSA (the Organisation of Salvadoran Women for Peace), the feminist group dedicated to collecting these stats. I definitely recommend the further reading of this Al Jazeera piece .
25 Latinas Who Shine in Media!
latina.comFrom www.latina.com:
From Rocsi Diaz to Soledad O’Brien, Latinas are paving the way for aspiring multimedia journalists who want to diversify the media landscape and share their unique perspectives with a broader audience. Here are 25 Latinas doing just that.
