More sex education needed for Latinas
More sex education needed for Latinas
By Lisa Cisneros – Mayra Qunitero, 23, is a single mother of two who knows all too well how the silence surrounding sex education in the Latino community can impact a future.  Quintero became a mother at 15.  She had planned on having an abortion but was talked out of it. Her...
Read More
Proyecto Latina: Promotes Latina voices
Proyecto Latina: Promotes Latina voices
By Irma Iliana Gutierrez – At a Proyecto Latina open mic, an actress re-enacted the embarrassing story of her mother presenting her with silicone breast inserts. In short, her brother found the inserts and made of fun of her until she whacked him across the face with silicone...
Read More
A good man is hard to find
A good man is hard to find
By Araceli Arroyo – ¡Nena, ven aquí!” my father said in his best Puerto Rican jíbaro accent calling me into the kitchen. He had not ordered me to clean but tested my cooking skills. When my mother and I are in the kitchen, chopping onions usually turns into a shouting match....
Read More
An artist’s battle with cervical cancer
An artist’s battle with cervical c
By Iya Bakare – Leticia Rodarte admits her paintings subconsciously reveal her relationships with nature in the past and the present. One painting in particular ironically foretold her future: a diagnosis of cervical cancer. “I’ve sat down to dinner with death before,”...
Read More
Latina viewpoints
Latina viewpoints
By Teresa Puente – How much does our ethnic, racial or cultural identity shape who we are? There are conservatives trying to discredit Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor because of her viewpoints. Clearly, her identity as a Latina has influenced her on a personal and professional...
Read More
Jesus Wept
Jesus Wept
By Jan Peña-Davis – Light bounces from building to doorway to woman, changing each from brown to gold and back to brown as evening prepares to settle in. Juliette-balconied buildings, some with shuttered windows to close out the heat, snuggle closely to its neighbor, allowing...
Read More
Top model Jaslene is too skinny
Top model Jaslene is too skinny
By Lucia Crespo – “America’s Next Top Model,” Jaslene Gonzalez in not your typical curvy Latina. There are young Latinas who aspire to be a model but let’s hope they’re not looking to be as skinny as Jaslene. Photo by Kevin Sinclair Jaslene is reportedly 5’8...
Read More
Desperate for ratings
Desperate for ratings
By Stella Nichols – Desperate Houswives’ risqué plots and conniving characters have attracted both harsh criticism and a cult following. While the show has pushed the envelope that other shows haven’t even bothered to touch, this ABC hit is guilty of exploiting racial,...
Read More
Latina se escribe con mayúsculas
Latina se escribe con mayúsculas
Por Elio Leturia – Una mirada fugaz, una sonrisa breve, un andar pausado y cadencioso podrían ser algunos de los atributos que se me vienen a la mente cuando pienso en una latina. Estereotipos de lado, las mujeres latinas tienden a ser más sugestivas que directas. Basta crecer...
Read More
What does Sotomayor mean for Puerto Rico?
What does Sotomayor mean for Puerto Rico
By Natalia Bonilla – When I first heard the news of Sonia Sotomayor being nominated as a Supreme Court judge, I didn’t pay any attention. Yes, she is of Puerto Rican ancestry but she was hardly known in our culture here on the island. We didn’t know about her political views...
Read More