Recently, I went to Cali Bash with my sister and her bestie. While we’ve been attending this concert series since 2016, we had a hard talk on …
Clariza Ruiz De Castilla
But Californians should pay attention to what is happening in Texas with legislation that would allow all police officers to deport undocumented immigrants. This legislation would embolden Texan police officers to deport people who they suspect are in the U.S. without legal documentation.
Singer and musician Lila Downs, with origins in both Oaxaca and Minnesota, is the daughter of a Mixtec Indigenous woman and a U.S.-born father. Her narratives are about indigenous resistance defending the original vision of the sacred plants and food of her Oaxacan culture while continuing the traditions of the American continent. In addition to being a human rights activist, her lyrics often tell stories varying from social injustice to the exploited Latin American chronicles of women of indigenous and working-class backgrounds. It is such intertwining that has resulted in her winning 5 Latin Grammys and one Grammy. Since 1994, she has released a total of 15 albums. Undoubtedly, she is one of the most prevailing and única voices that exists today.
For immigrant families, the hope is that one day they’ll show their kids their homeland. Parents who immigrated to the U.S. may dream of sharing with their children their ancestral roots to help them learn of their heritage. I was fortunate enough to have made this trip at a young age.
The year was 1992. I was 10 years old and my brother, Paul, was 7. My parents made a travel plan that would change the rest of my life. They decided that my brother and I would go to visit Lima, the city where my parents immigrated from. Since it was not possible for both my parents to travel, my mom, sibling, and I traveled to their home country for about two weeks.
This visit marked my first international trip. I was overjoyed to have the opportunity to learn about my parents’ hometown.
Upon arrival, I recall being happy to meet family members I had never met yet. However, I specifically remember an aunt telling my mom the disadvantages my brother and I faced for not speaking Spanish. I thought to myself, “She’s right. I have to do better.”
September is for salsa (both music and food), Spanish, sabor (taste), salud (health), and símbolo (symbol).
Well, September 15 (specifically the second half of the month) kicks off Latino Heritage Month. It runs from September 15 to October 15. The logic for starting in the middle of this month is that certain countries (like Mexico, Chile, and other Latin American nations) celebrate their independence in mid-September through mid-October.
As we begin to prepare our Latino heritage celebrations, it’s worth noting that 2023 is uniquely different. Why? Because our culture has had a remarkable year thus far.
Karol G helps people in need, especially in Latin America. In 2018, she decided to have all her concert profits in Guatemala go to the people affected by the Fuego volcano eruption. Then in 2020, she helped families affected by COVID-19 in Colombia. And thanks to her Con Cora Foundation (which is short for “con corazón,” “with heart”), women from all over South America have been given opportunities otherwise not available to them.