Religion, my writing and me
Religion, my writing and me
By Judy Mercado– “I am wise in this small respect: I do not think I know what I do not.” Socrates It has been a while since I addressed what is, after all, one of the major themes of my fiction and this blog — my relationship with religion. This probably reflects my reluctance,...
Jacob Riis: The camera-wielding muckraker of Five Points
Jacob Riis: The camera-wielding muckrake
By Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo– Jacob Riis The other night I caught one of my favorite movies, “Gangs of New York,” on TV. Though I own the film, there is always something satisfying about finding a favorite while flipping through channels. Watching the final riot scene...
Lesson gem: “Embarrassed” v. “Embarazada”
Lesson gem: “Embarrassed” v.
By Carolina Sanchez– Don’t you just love it when someone tells you (usually a language instructor) how much you already know of the particular language you are trying so desperately  to learn?…….So here is me: “Really? I was not aware that I already ...
Puerto Rican cultural identity-Speaking “bilingual”
Puerto Rican cultural identity-Speaking
By Judy Mercado– The language purists among you may not want to read further as you might be scandalized. I am proposing that for those of us who are bilingual, speaking in both languages within the same conversation is not only acceptable but also may be the most optimal way...
Weighing down the immigration movement
Weighing down the immigration movement
By Jenny Patiño – I remember I cried the first time I heard the term “anchor baby.” Maybe about three years ago, I was flipping channels and landed on an alarmist report being featured on CNN. It was all about how “illegals” were sneaking into the U.S. and having children...
What do Latinas really think about feminism?
What do Latinas really think about femin
By Veronica Arreola –  Viva La Feminista There are a lot of theories about how Latinas view feminism. We’re pro-life, unless we’re too American. Our men are full of machismo and make our decisions. We reject feminism based on the movement being too white and too middle...
MAC Rodarte makeup named for Juarez is not pretty
MAC Rodarte makeup named for Juarez is n
By Teresa Puente– I don’t know any woman who would want to wear a nail polish named after the border city of Juarez. Or what about makeup named “factory,” “Ghost Town” and “del Norte?” Fashion bloggers like The Frisky first started buzzing...
My bilingual challenge
My bilingual challenge
By  “Unknown Mami”– I am raising my daughter to be bilingual. You would think that since I am bilingual it would be easy. Well, guess what? It’s not easy at all. You see I am the only Spanish speaker in my home and I have not lived in a predominantly Spanish speaking...
Who is Puerto Rican?
Who is Puerto Rican?
By Judy Mercado– After reading my first Lamento Borincano post, a fellow blogger asked me to discuss what the general population should know about Puerto Rican culture. I was about to whip up a response when I stopped to ask myself which Puerto Rican culture I would write about....
¡Feliz día Papá!
¡Feliz día Papá!
By Angelica Jimenez– Francisco at Easter Brunch, cleaning his plate One hundred years ago this June, Sonora Smart Dodd arranged a tribute to her father who raised her and her five siblings on a farm in Spokane, Washington after their mother died in childbirth.  The idea took...

« Previous Entries Next Entries »