Sexual harassment is everywhere, not just Hollywood! Shocking, no?

Currently, the focus is on Hollywood and Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of harassment, attacks, and/or rape by over 70 women. This evil industry. Hollywood.

Shocking, no?

No, carnales. Before the Weinstein story broke, Bill Cosby, the sweater-wearing, jello-eating [alleged] rapist, was accused of attacking or raping 41 women. Did we forget about him? To date, he has not been convicted. People still defend him.

Mas…Sexual harassment is everywhere, not just Hollywood! Shocking, no?

Stereotype much? TV spot for Spectrum cable’s Mi Plan has ’em all


Hot sexy salsa dancers! A party — or is it a fiesta? Hopping lowriders! Flags of many nations! Something for the kids! Did Charter/Spectrum/TimeWarner/RoadRunner miss any Latinx cliches?

We asked our favorite ad maven Bernadette Rivero what was missing and what was happening in this spot:

“Missing?” she emailed back. “An abuela kicking a soccer ball with her feet while batting a piñata with one hand and making a call to Latin America.”

Tia Lencha’s Cocina: Hot Sexy Aphrodisiac Valentine’s Day Salsa

salsainabowlI’m Elena Maria Celina Carrillo Martinez de los Angeles Delgadillo Trujillo…Lopez. But you can call me Lencha.

Today my son is in his room reading his Naruto muñequito books, so I can chare with you my special recipe for Valentime’s Day.

M’ijo don’t like it when I talk about sexy things because me and his daddy are divorce because his daddy like to stick his weene ebrywhere.

M’ijo usually checks my espelling but oh gwell. Since I have a little gwhile, I give you the recipe for Aphrodisiac Salsa.

Mas…Tia Lencha’s Cocina: Hot Sexy Aphrodisiac Valentine’s Day Salsa

Sombra of OVERWATCH: Latinx champion of a tech-forward identity

sombraAfter months of secrets leaking out of headquarters, the new hero for Orange County’s Blizzard Entertainment hit game Overwatch has finally been revealed. She’s a Mexican Latina named Sombra (photo). Her name means Shadow.

But does this impact the culture of Orange County? The culture of video game development? The very essence of Mexican and Mexican-American culture?

As a first generation Mexican-American, I think Sombra represents an important and much-needed shift in thought to get Latino people into careers in which we are consistently underrepresented. She is the champion of a new tech-forward identity that uses its own skills to take matters into its own hands. But, most importantly, she’s really freakin’ cool, as you can see in this video:

Mas…Sombra of OVERWATCH: Latinx champion of a tech-forward identity

Take back Latino Heritage Month and #EndHispandering!

hispanderingOn September 14 a Latina friend of mine who’s also a college professor said to me, “Brace yourself for Hispanic Heritage Month, I’m already getting phone calls about recommendations for mariachi bands.”

I laughed a bit, but her comment stayed with me. See, she’s half Colombian and I’m Puerto Rican, and the idea of becoming the “go to” people about such things struck me as, well, just another example of how stereotypes about Latinos often work.

The fact that people are asking her about mariachi bands reveals how U.S. society usually lumps us together under the umbrella label “Latino/a” or “Hispanic” despite our cultural differences and diversity.

At the same time, her warning (“brace yourself”) fittingly captured how many Latinxs/Hispanics feel about Hispanic Heritage Month (which I prefer to call Latino Heritage Month because I find it more inclusive, less Spanish-oriented).

Mas…Take back Latino Heritage Month and #EndHispandering!

Hispanic survival at Texas ‘Christian’ college: White wash (video)


Why did Samantha Granado cover herself with white wash and post the video online? Here’s the explanation she shared on Vimeo:

I was inspired by the idea of an institutional critique based on my personal experience as a Hispanic female student at TCU. My performance was documented as a short film in which emphasizes the emotional and physical transformation I have endured these past years within the “TCU bubble,” an environment that prevents minorities from feeling included and embraced within the community.

True Story: I was a teenaged guera, white like Jesus too

bigblondejesusIn 1969, my mother registered to vote as a member of La Raza Unida, an independent “third party.”

When she came home and shared the news with her father — declaring that she was a “Chicana” — he grew angry.

He told her never to use that word, since “Chicano” was a derogatory term when he was growing up.

Despite my mother’s defiance of the patriarchal family regime that day, she never talked much about the importance of our Mexican heritage or exploring the values of Xicanisma.

Mom did send me to an all-girls Catholic high school, however, and maybe that was an attempt at showing me empowerment for women. The school was in 75% white Glendora, though, so our Jesus statues were white (photo, above), just like our feminism. 

Mas…True Story: I was a teenaged guera, white like Jesus too

Casting Call: Latina actress to play Donald Trump’s assistant (photo)

castingAre you an attractive and passionate Latina actress, 21-35, with perfect English and a slight Hispanic accent who wants to deliver scripted monologues talking straight to the camera about your experiences working as an executive assistant for Donald Trump for an Internet video of some sort?

Don’t apply if you’re in the Screen Actors Guild, or want to get paid. You’ll get a copy, your name will be in the credits and you can be a star on social media. Bring your own lube.

Here’s the original casting notice email, via Los Angeles actor Siri Corretjer on Facebook:

Mas…Casting Call: Latina actress to play Donald Trump’s assistant (photo)