Dear free-born, democratic country-living American friend…or stranger, here is something you can read before you once again utter the statement: “But at least in Cuba they have free health care and free education.” Not really true. And at what cost? Check out the photos from a 6th grade classroom in the Rocky Mountain state. They [...]

The following is my talk from the Latism 2011 panel titled Social Media Disruption: Finding Your Voice.  It was my pleasure and honor to be with panel leader Julio Ricardo Varela of Latino Rebels, Lisa Stone, co-founder and CEO of Blogher and Catherine Connors of Her Bad Mother and Babble.  If you attended, you’ll see some words and [...]

This essay is part of the first #HablaTalk writing prompt series I am doing with Latina Bloggers Connect. They’re a way to inspire the writer, bring out the video star, and promote the community of talented voices. Check out the community and join in. A few weeks ago, I escaped on an overnight to Atlanta [...]

Hey, American South, look what is happening: A new cuisine is emerging, born of Southern and Latino cultures. Que? Tamales stuffed with greens, corn ice cream topped with hot praline sauce, brownies with chile, sweet potato and plaintain casserole. Welcome to El Nuevo South. The ingredients of our people are joyfully intermingling with traditional Southern [...]

Hallmark came to Nashville last week and I snagged an invite to a small gathering they had with local bloggers. It was mostly conversation about celebrating the little things in life, and getting to know a little bit more about how they go about creating the cards and products that help us express words and [...]

We get into the car. It’s about 100 degrees and humid. Maria says: “Ay, carajo, it’s hot!” Guat? And then, I realize. We’ve been listening to the soundtrack from the musical, In the Heights — love and hope in Latino Washington Heights.  The line my kid so expertly and correctly gave me from the back seat [...]

I am in the kitchen, putting dirty dishes in the sink. My husband and daughter are in the dining room cracking up and repeating “The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants Win the Pennant!” over and over and over again. I have no idea why this cracks them up so much. He tells her sports [...]

So, Maria has started school. The First Grade. Oh, what a big, big girl… I realized this week, as I dropped her off, that in the three years she has been in school, my New Year’s Resolutions kick in. I don’t wait until January. My constant list: I will finally finish the scrapbooks I will [...]

Little more than two years ago, I wrote a post titled Looking for All the Latina Bloggers. The post was inspired by my attendance at a great conference that was sorely lacking in Latinas. I later determined, as best I could, that there were three of us out of a couple hundred. Que-que? Why so [...]

I have been told it takes guts to cut off your hair. I guess it does. Honestly, for me, it takes more guts to walk around in a ponytail all the time. I have felt dragged down by the pelo, so off it came. I feel lighter, happier, hipper…and when you’ve just turned 43, hip [...]