The morning of November 9 here in Sonoma you could breathe the air of uncertainty as people learned that Donald Trump had been elected to the presidency of the United States. It was unmistakably a harsh blow to the Hispanic community, who throughout the electoral... Continue
Voices Of The New Majority
I’ve been told that when I was a baby, I had large, luminous eyes that garnered admiration from family, friends, even strangers. People would look intently and comment. Then one day my eyes became watery, exuding a pus-like discharge. My alarmed mother made plans to... Continue
I have been very moved by the current historical gathering of tribes in North Dakota. Thousands of Native Americans from more than 100 tribes and their non-native supporters have come together to peacefully protect the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s land and water from the Dakota... Continue
Where are you, Cesar E. Chavez, why aren’t you coming to finish the struggle you began? Where are you, that the farm workers’ groans don’t seem to matter to you? These days not many remember or care about what Cesar Chavez fought for. It seems... Continue
By Edwin Reyes -- Argentinean Alfonsina Storni in her poem, Peso Ancestral (translated as “ancestral burden”) describes the pressure on Latino males to act like a man, showing no emotions, because that was how they were raised. For Latinos as a population, that ancestral burden... Continue
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” -- from The Talmud These wise words were posted... Continue
Excerpted from a speech at the Sonoma Valley High School graduation ceremony on June 2. I will start by saying that these are some of the best days of the year for me because I get to shake the hands of all of the students... Continue
“Be careful, son,” my father once said to me, “all that glitters is not gold.” With all the electoral politics going on, I am reminded of this again and again. Our candidates for First District supervisor refuse to recognize the benefits of passing a rent... Continue
I recently attended a reception at a new art gallery in the city of Vallejo. The gallery, El Comalito Collective, promotes under-represented artists of all genres, who for reasons of race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender, or religion have not had opportunities for expression. The... Continue
This time, my friends, I come with a topic controversial to some or many: labeling. That is, applying qualifying labels that are incorrect or completely unfounded. I want to be sure that my words are not weak, an inaudible voice of reproach; this is definitely... Continue