Sometimes, I have nothing to say, which is very un-Cuban. Sometimes, I force myself to say nothing, which is very American. I have been fighting with the two sides of my brain:  Shut up…or just say it? On what? The Disgusting Nature of this Election. Well, yes. But, I am only 47% ready on [...]

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 not sure why I am surprised to find Spanish language goods in local stores. Maybe because when I was growing up, the Spanish seemed insulated to the Miami and North Jersey zips where I lived out a bilingual life. I think it was two years ago that I got all sentimental in the [...]

Sometime in the early ’90s, when Mexicans and other Latin Americans began to flood into Nashville, a news editor asked me this question: “What’s this guy’s real last name?” I told him both were the guy’s real last name. But, the names are not hyphenated, so do we have to use both of them during [...]

In my circle of Latin friends and family, I have been mocked a little for my crunchiness: using a Midwife, insisting on breastfeeding despite less-than-perfect circumstances and even our use of cloth napkins. Soy un poco ridicula, they have said. But, among members of my mom’s group in Nashville — co-sleepers, Diva Cup-wearers, CSA members [...]

When la Nena and I are in the car together, the radio is usually stuck on the XM Kid’s Place Live Channel. I like the station. They play Indie kid songs and rarely do any of the songs make me want to plug my ears. Exceptions being Happy Noodle vs Sad Noodle and anything, I [...]

Some women inspire poetry, music, the construction of temples. War, even. Me? I inspire the creation of … headphones. And,  not even totally me. My kid and her cabeza. I just happened to be there. See these headphones by Griffin Technology? Well, a few weeks ago, I got a complimentary set because, well, my friend [...]

One of the most beautiful sentences in the English language: “It is now safe to turn on your electronic and hand-held devices.” iPod on the plane! iPod for La Nena, actually — an expert flier who travels well but can color only for so long. Before every trip we’ve taken for the last three years, [...]

Have you watched CNN’s Latino in America? What did you think? I watched it, and along with some other big mouths on the bilingual webosphere, I feel it focused too narrowly on Latinos in dire straights. I would have called the two-part series “Some Latinos in America.” For reaction, you can watch the comic Mike [...]

I was totally OK with watching Andrew Zimmern of the Travel Channel enjoy the fruit that is Cuba on his new series, Bizarre World, and share it with the world. I was happy to get another glimpse at mesmerizing Cuba today. But, he (to the left in a Travel Channel photo) completely ignored the reality [...]