Category Archives: Cultura

#aztlanreads

Posted on by
3

I need more space on my bookshelves

Yesterday afternoon, I noticed some of my Twitter contacts naming fiction and non-fiction works by Chicana/o writers and scholars. As is the custom on twitter, they added a searchable hashtag: #aztlanreads.

First it was just 3 or 4 people chiming in, but it’s grown. It’s obvious, there are hundreds of texts out there by Chicana/o writers. Xicano007 said #aztlanreads will be the perfect way to show others that we do indeed read and write. Annemarie Pérez, a recently minted PhD in English, replied that it could also be useful to anyone at a loss for finding Chicana/o texts. She added that it’s neat to see how the same texts have influenced several people as they’re mentioned again and again.

I added a few contributions including my blog’s namesake Spilling the Beans: Lotería Chicana by José Antonio Burciaga. Then I pulled out his collection of poetry Undocumented Love/Amor Indocumentado which includes one of my favorite poems, “Bilingual Love.” I’m not sure I’ll be adding books to my reading list any time soon or going back to re-read old favorites.

The #aztlanreads list is growing. You don’t have to be on Twitter to view it, but you do need a Twitter account to join the conversation on Twitter. (Your account can be private, but your tweets won’t show up in the #aztlanreads database, only to your approved followers.)

Check it out and add your favorite texts. There are no rules. You can add edited volumes, prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, texts you read in your Chicana/o Studies classes, lo que sea.

There’s chatter of starting other lists such as #aztlanfilms and #aztlanmusic to highlight the work of other Chicana/o creatives. Maybe if we get crazy, we can add an #aztlanblogs.

Hah.

Old school

Posted on by
Reply

My grandma only compliments my looks when I wear an apron Sometime in the late 80s, Papá Chepe and Mamá Toni sold their Boyle Heights home. My family’s Hacienda Heights home became their default residence while they were in LA, away from their homes in Tijuana and El Cargadero, Zacatecas.

As one might expect, our three bedroom, 1.5 bathroom house felt crowded with eight people spanning three generations sharing the space. The physical aspect wasn’t ever that big of a deal except when the grandparents went to bed early on the living room sofa bed and we had to be quiet in the kitchen. No, what took more time to adjust to mom and Mamá Toni’s often clashing opinions on how the house should be run.

Mom has always had all four kids help out with chores both in and outside the house. I had to help in the kitchen more often than my brothers, and they had to rake the leaves of mow the lawn more often than I did. There were times when the roles would be mixed and Danny would be doing the laundry or ironing. And we all had to help trim la mora and clean up the huge mess (the mulberry tree in the front yard).

Mamá Toni was quick to express her disapproval of this set-up. She scolded Mom for letting Danny iron his own pants and called me and Lori lazy. Once when she saw dad washing dishes and helping mom clean up after dinner, she told mom she was embarrassed.

My grandma’s old school attitudes stressed out mom who saw talking back to one’s parents as taboo. Mom had to find a respectful way to tell her own mother that in her household it was okay for her husband to help wash dishes and her sons to wash their own dirty socks.

After living with my mom for 20+ years and nearing 90, Mamá Toni has calmed down a bit in her strict division of labor. After she got sick and was hospitalized in 2004, she even let Papá Chepe wash his own dishes after lunch. I was flabbergasted when I saw this as I’d never seen him even take his dish to the sink or warm up his own tortilla. I’ve seen him do this a few times since, and it’s still strange for me.

Every once in a while, Mamá Toni will still speak up when she sees something that conforms to her view of the way things should be. On Sunday most of the women in my family complimented me on my cute new dress. Mamá Toni said nothing about the dress and only complimented me when I put on my apron so I could make a green salad and protect my white dress.

“Que bonita te ves con tu pechera,” she said. [Translation: You look so pretty with your apron.]

The only time she ever compliments my looks is when I’m wearing an apron. I’m okay with that. The apron is pretty cool.

Every day is like (a Lenten) Friday

Posted on by
7

Chilaquiles by El Chavo

I gave up meat for Lent. I chose meat over sweets because the former seemed easier. I’m still eating fish, seafood and eggs, so it’s basically like every day is a Lenten Friday.

I’ve never gone so long without eating poultry or red meat. It was a bit challenging initially. I wasn’t eating enough protein and was hungry all the time. Plus, I was still training for the marathon and I worried that the change in diet might negatively affect me. It didn’t.

After the first couple of weeks, I’ve adjusted to the new diet. I miss meat, but not too much. There have only been a couple of instances when I really wanted meat. One was when I was right in front of the taco stand at my family’s fundraiser. The tacos de pollo, al pastor and carne asada smelled so good. It didn’t help that I wasn’t interested in any of the meatless options. A second was after the marathon. I really wanted a cheeseburger but settled for a salmon burger.

I miss meat more out of convenience. When I cook, I usually make something with chicken or beef. If I don’t have time to pack anything for lunch, I typically make a turkey or ham sandwich, or I grab a Trader Joe’s microwavable meal. Those usually have chicken. I’ve tried TJ’s vegetarian microwavable meals and they’re either not satisfying or just taste bad.

The best part of this has been trying out new recipes and cooking some things I love but never make (e.g., tacos de papa). Over the weekend I made El Chavo’s veggie mole. I had this at his house last year and loved it despite not caring for tofu. I followed El Chavo’s directions to a tee and my veggie mole was delicious. Sean even had seconds. [Note: the chilaquiles, soyrizo with papas and beans up there were made by El Chavo too. Very delicious. He needs to post up a recipe for the salsa he used on the chilaquiles.]

If anything, I know that giving up meat for 40 days is much easier than giving up tortillas. I dreamt about tortillas three times then, but haven’t had any dreams about cheeseburgers or tacos de pollo asado… yet.

Mariposa martyrs (book giveaway!)

Posted on by
3

Thanks to Algonquin Books I’ll be giving away two copies of In the Time of the Butterflies, a historical fiction novel by Julia Alvarez.

Giveaway details:
1. To enter, leave a comment. Make sure to include a valid email address (don’t worry, it won’t be posted online)
2. In the comment, tell me about your favorite novel
3. Only one entry per person (honor code, don’t use more than one email address, folks)
4. Contest closes at 11:59 pm on Wednesday, March 23rd
5. Two winners will be picked at random

Also, tune in to Monday’s webcast. Alvarez will be interviewed by acclaimed writer Edwidge Danticat about In the Time of the Butterflies. The interview will take place in Miami at Books in Books and will be webcast online. I’ll be checking it out as I recover from the marathon!

Webcast details:
Monday, March 21
7:00 pm EST
Streaming live at Algonquin Book Club

Click through to read why In the Time of the Butterflies is my favorite novel. It’s not because of my affinity for butterflies…

Continue reading →

This day in Chicana herstory: Eva Longoria

Posted on by
1

March 15, 1975
I used to watch Desperate Housewives. I couldn’t stand Eva Longoria’s character, Gabrielle Solis, in early seasons, but she was one of the few Latinas on TV. So I kept watching. Then I read a profile on her in some magazine while getting a pedicure. She seemed kind of likable.

Longoria doesn’t shy away from her ethnicity, unlike other Latina actresses (cough, Jessica Alba, cough). She seems very committed to various philanthropic causes and charities, including Eva’s Heroes for children with developmental disabilities. Eva’s Heroes is quite personal as Longoria’s older sister has developmental disabilities. I don’t know if she’s really a great person, or if her publicists just make her look good.

Last week, I highlighted the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and mentioned that it was supposed to protect those who had been granted land before the Mexican American War. These people are the original Chicanos who can actually say, “we didn’t cross the borders, the borders crossed up.” Apparently, Longoria’s ancestors are one of those families. I knew they had been in Texas a long time, but they went way back.

In 2009, she enrolled in the Chicano Studies master’s program at CSUN. I remember this news spreading through Facebook. My friends in the program were ecstatic, especially the men who couldn’t wait to offer to be a study partner. I don’t think they’ve ever seen her. Maybe she’s taking the classes online.

Happy birthday, Eva.

This day in Chicano history: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Ratified by US Senate

Posted on by
Reply

March 10, 1848:
While February 2nd is noted by some as the original birthday of the first Chicanos, March 10th is notable too. because the version of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ratified by the Senate was different than the one signed in Mexico a few weeks earlier.

Via the Library of Congress:

Other provisions stipulated the Texas border at the Rio Grande (Article V), protection for the property and civil rights of Mexican nationals living within the new border (Articles VIII and IX), U.S. promise to police its side of the border (Article XI), and compulsory arbitration of future disputes between the two countries (Article XXI). When the U.S. Senate ratified the treaty in March, it reduced Article IX and deleted Article X guaranteeing the protection of Mexican land grants. Following the Senate’s ratification of the treaty, U.S. troops left Mexico City.

This would be a significant part of the Chicano Movement in the 60s and 70s as people like Reies Tijerina fought to have the original land grants recognized.

As mentioned above, the civil rights of the new Chicanos were also amended from the version signed on February 2nd.

Article VIII guaranteed that Mexicans who remained more than one year in the ceded lands would automatically become full-fledged American citizens (or they could declare their intention of remaining Mexican citizens); however, the Senate modified Article IX, changing the first paragraph and excluding the last two. Among the changes was that Mexican citizens would “be admitted at the proper time (to be judged of by the Congress of the United States)” instead of “admitted as soon as possible”, as negotiated between Trist and the Mexican delegation.
[Via Wikipedia]

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is still relevant today, especially as states like Arizona pass law after law targeting our community. As Dr. Cintli Rodriguez discusses, the provisions guarding the civil rights of Mexicans in the ceded territories may be useful for those who seek to challenge SB 1070 and proposed laws affecting citizenship rights for children of undocumented immigrants.

From Hoppers to Fullerton

Posted on by
3

While you read this, you should listen to Lucero’s The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo

Last Thursday night, Sean and I attended the second lecture in Gustavo’s Awesome Lecture Series at the Fullerton Public Library. Gustavo Arellano is currently teaching a course in the Cal State Fullerton Chicano Studies department. The lecture series is an effort to take Chicano Studies in to the surrounding community and make it more accessible (read: free parking at an easy to find location).

Thursday’s talk featured Jaime Hernandez co-creator of the seminal Love & Rockets series. Even though I had to bail on a work event and go all the way to Fullerton in rush hour traffic, I didn’t want to miss this talk.

I’m a newbie to the world of L&R. I tried to get in to the series summer ‘09, but I was a little lost. It wasn’t until I read the collections as suggested by L&R publisher Fantagraphics Books that I really started to enjoy the series. Sean gave the first three collections of Jaime’s work for Christmas that year. I read them while home sick and on vacation. Even though I never lived a life like Chimatli who saw her life, friends and experiences in the characters, I was hooked. By February, I’d gone through the larger collection Locas II, featuring the later adventures of Maggie, Hopey and a wide array of characters.

On Thursday afternoon, Sean and I left work early to battle rush hour traffic on four freeways. Thanks to Gustavo’s tips, we made it to Fullerton with a few minutes to spare and took seats in the front row of an almost full room.

Gustavo introduced Jaime and started an informal discussion. Rather than delve into the “fictional world of SoCal Chican@ punks, cholos and weird, spooky unexplained happenings” (Coincidence pt 1 by Chimatli) contained in a few decades worth of L&R, Gustavo mainly focused on Jaime’s upbringing in Oxnard and the inspiration for the fictional Hoppers. Jaime talked about which comics he enjoyed as a kid and how his mother actively encouraged him and his brothers to read and collect comics.

He also gave a lot of credit to his older brother and partner in L&R, Gilbert. I was a little surprised and amused by this. As a kid and teen, Jaime looked up to Gilbert and admired his drawing and writing skills. “Gilbert always knew what he was doing,” he said. The way Jaime spoke of his brother made me think of how Danny had influenced me or how I may have influenced Lori or Adrian. When Gustavo opened up the questions to the audience, I asked Jaime how he and Gilbert continue to influence or collaborate now that they’re both well established artists. Jaime admitted that they don’t really talk about work when they get together as he is in Pasadena and Gilbert lives in Las Vegas but they do still check in and ask “What stories are you including in the next issue?”

After questions, we lined up to by books and get our books signed. Sean bought The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death by Todd Hignite (2010). I tried not to be as much of geeked out fangirl as when I met Sherman Alexie. Jaime signed my copy of Locas II and L&R #31 (of course!). I told him I was a new fan and really enjoyed New Stories Vol. 3, especially “Love Bunglers” an intense and heartbreaking story. I told Jaime I was impressed with the storytelling and found myself reading it a few times to really appreciate the story. I’m sure I still sounded like a dork, but he graciously accepted the compliments and admitted that “Love Bunglers” was intense (to say the least).

Sean and I left feeling geeked to meet one of our favorite writers in a low-key setting.

Thanks to Gustavo, CSUF Chicano Studies and Fullerton Public Library for planning and hosting the talk. Oh yeah, and thanks to Gustavo for suggesting El Camino Real for a delicious and cheap dinner nearby.

Heads up:
If you’re near San Jose, you should check out Novelas, Love and Other Adventures at MACLA. The original panels for the “Death of Speedy” by Jaime Hernandez are up alongside some work from my friend and talented artist Rio Yañez.

Re-imagining Guadalupe

Posted on by
4

Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe (1978)

I’ve always loved imagery of La Virgen de Guadalupe, both traditional and non-traditional.

It’s no wonder that I was drawn to Yolanda López’s art when I was introduced to her in college. I instantly loved Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe (1978) one of the pieces in her Virgen de Guadalupe series. At the same time, I was also introduced to other artwork by Chicana/o artists featuring la Virgen de Guadalupe. I liked those pieces too, but they didn’t pull me in like Portrait did.

That was over ten years ago. I look at the painting differently now. I can see myself as López grinning as I take a long stride and try to be just as amazing.

From Tepeyac to Hacienda Heights

Posted on by
2

I was raised to be a Guadalupana.

This happened long before my parents met at the youth group at Assumption Church. I’m pretty sure it was before Mamá Toni learned to pray the Rosary or Grandpa made dad and his siblings kneel down to pray the rosary every night.

But I don’t know that far back. I just know that my affinity for La Virgen is undoubtedly influenced by my elders. My parents and grandparents rise at dawn on el Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe (or the Sunday preceding the 12th of December) to go pray and sing Las Mañanitas with other devotees at church. Mom typically dresses up in traditional clothes. Dad always takes his guitar as he’s part of the church choir.

When I was a kid, I slept through the early morning prayers, but would not miss 8 a.m. mass and the subsequent party at our home parish, St. John Vianney. Like my mom, I’d dress up in traditional clothes for mass, which was packed more than usual with hundreds of Guadalupanos. The church might have been more full than on Easter Sunday. Mass on la Virgencita’s feast day was festive. A mariachi would come and play “Las Mañanitas” as well as other songs like “La Guadalupana” with the regular choir. Aztec dancers would offer up their dance in the aisles and at the foot of the sanctuary. Sometimes there was even a reenactment of the story of la Virgen’s apparition to Juan Diego. There was no way I would nod off with sleepiness on la Virgen’s feast day.

After Mass, we’d proceed to the party at the O’Callaghan Center for delicious food, more music from the mariachi and dancing with my folkórico group.

I’ll be up early with my parents and grandparents tomorrow.

I miss the celebration.

Hometown roots

Posted on by
2

My roots are showing right now. This is typical. Since I first started dying my hair five years ago, I’ve never gotten the recommended touch up six weeks later. I typically wait 3-4 months to get rid of the grays after a little prompting from my mom.

This time around, I couldn’t pass up my mom’s offer to set up an appointment with her yoga buddy, Sylvia.

Mom picked up her cell phone, made the call and made an appointment for the following morning while Sylvia’s children would be at school.

The next morning, I made the 5-minute drive from my mom’s to Sylvia’s house. She greeted me warmly and invited me in. Her home looked as I remembered it, sans children and with a young woman, let’s call her Alicia, sitting at the dining table examining various items of gold jewelry.

At first, I thought Alicia was a family member or close friend because she and Sylvia were talking about mutual friends. I didn’t realize they had just met moments earlier when Alicia had knocked on her door asking if she had any gold to sell. Sylvia found some broken bracelets, lone earrings and other items to sell. While Alicia inspected and weighed the jewelry, Sylvia started dying my hair.

After getting the pesky gray roots and dying the rest, Sylvia put up the wet hair on top of my head. She removed her gloves and for the next half hour while the dye set she made calls to friends and neighbors. Earlier, Sylvia had promised to help Alicia find some more people willing to sell gold.

In quick Spanish, Sylvia explained why she had so much confianza (trust) in a stranger whose named she didn’t even know. Shortly after meeting Alicia, Sylvia discovered that she was from Jalisco. Not only that, she was from a neighboring rancho to Sylvia’s hometown. The people they were talking about when I arrived turned out to be mutual contacts. It was a coincidence that made a big difference for Alicia. Without the hometown connection, she likely would have not had much success going door to door.
Continue reading →