Cultura
It’s Not News to Us
When a piñata is too tough to whack, call ‘The Pinata Closer’ (video)
Sometimes that festive piñata is a tough nut to crack. That’s when folks call Wilmer Suarez, the Piñata Closer.
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‘A Brief History of the USA’ or ‘White People: Why So Gunny?’ (video)
What is the deal with White People and why do they love their guns so much? This animated short — A Brief History of the USA— was included in Michael Moore’s Bowling For Columbine.
Natalie Scenters-Zapico: Poems about La Migra and more (video, text)
Profe and poet Natalie Scenters-Zapico, with violinist Ernesto Villalobos (of the Villalobos Brothers), served up some powerful music and poignant poemas at a recent perfomance in CDMX. [Video by Di/Verso Encuentro de Poemas en la Ciudad de México, a program from the city government.]
Here are the palabras:
Mas…Natalie Scenters-Zapico: Poems about La Migra and more (video, text)
RIP: American Indian Movement’s Dennis Banks walks on
Native American activist Dennis Banks, also known by his Native name of Nowa Cumig, has walked on. He was 80.
New erectile dysfunction treatment is designed for Latino men (video)
There is only one erectile dysfunction treatment designed especially for Latino men — new Otra. Try some today, says the Latino Comedy Project.
Freaky Frightful Friday #FFF: The Tzitzimitl (toon)
Today’s creature is the tzitzimitl. Tzitzimitl (plural: tzitzimimeh) is a feminine spirit that looks like a skeleton with disheveled hair, sharp talons on its hands and feet, and a vicious personality.
Meet me in St. Louis, Louie, meet me at Mayana’s Mexican Kitchen (video)
Mayana’s Mexican Kitchen is the real deal in St. Louis, Missouri, at least according to this scrumptious-looking video.
TV news team vs Carolina Reaper Chile #OneChipChallenge (video)
The KNCT-TV Channel 2 CBS morning news team in Denver tries out a Paqui tortilla chip — made with the Carolina Ghost chile, supposedly the hottest pepper evah — and you won’t believe what happens next.
Before the Doyers: ‘Once Upon A Time in Chavez Ravine’ (videos)
Although we root root root for the home team, we can never forget the gente who were forced out of their homes in Chavez Ravine to make way for Dodger Stadium.
Mister, you’re a baseball man, as anyone can plainly see
The straightest game in this great land. Take a little tip from me
I work here nights, parking cars, underneath the moon and stars
The same ones that we all knew back in 1952
And if you want to know where a local boy like me is coming from:
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
2nd base, right over there. I see grandma in her rocking chair
Watching linens flapping in the breeze, and all the fellows choosing up their teams
Hand over hand on that Louisville. Crowning the top, king of the hill
Mound to home, sixty feet. Baseball been very good to me
And if you want to know where a local boy like me is coming from:
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
Back around the 76 ball, Johnny Greeneyes had his shoeshine stall
In the middle of the 1st base line, got my first kiss, Florencia was kind
Now, if the dozer hadn’t taken my yard, you’d see the tree with our initials carved
So many moments in my memory. Sure was fun, ’cause the game was free
It was free
Hey mister, you seem anxious to go. You’ll find that seat, in the 7th row
Behind home plate, where we used to meet. When we were young, we had dreams
Just a place you don’t know, up a road you can’t go
Just a thought, laid to rest in my mind, just a time
If you care to know where I’m gonna go when I hit my last homerun:
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
Hey, Mister, you are a baseball man
Yes, I’m a baseball man myself
Yes, I’m a baseball man, too
Baseball been very good to me
Yes, baseball been very good to me
‘Hey Vato!’: One does not simply ENJOY a Doyers game! (2014 video)
The Hey Vato! show’s Chuy and Smiley wonder if it’s possible to put away those childish things, and enjoy beisbol with Los Doyers.
The Grateful Muertos: Back from The Dead and live on stage! (video)
Wanda Sowry makes what she calls “automata” — self-operating automatons — like this hand-cranked wooden Dia de Los Muertos band. [Video by V[21] Space.]
Annual Migration: A Monarch butterfly returns to Mexico (video)
The Smithsonian’s Latino Virtual Museum is there as a beautiful Monarch butterfly completes its annual migration to the Sierra Madre in Mexico.
In the Corn vs Flour World Series, we’re down with Los Doyers! (toon)
Video: ‘Amarillo’ explores the history, future of (yes, we have no) bananas
Amarillo by Ana Pérez López considers the banana, a fruit that has been part of our cultural history for centuries and is now threatened by extinction through monocropping and a looming epidemic. López is an MFA candidate at CalArts.
Freaky Frightful Friday #FFF: The Chaneque (toon)
Mexico has its share of stories about the little people known as chaneque (Nahuatl) and alux (Maya).
Their appearance varies; sometimes they look like children, other times they have animal-like or deformed extremities, or are reported wearing traditional garb native to the area.
Pork People Present: A Puerto Rican’s Michoacan-style carnitas
The National Pork Board wants you to eat more of “the other white meat” and got Puerto Rico-born, Miami-based, Asian-gastropub-owning chef José Mendín to share how he makes Michoacan-style pork carnitas. We’re surprised by his use of condensed milk in the recipe, but that shows why we’re not a five-time James Beard Award nominee and he is!
Asian Mex food chain partners with Google for burritos by drone (video)
Oz-based taqueria chain Guzman y Gomez sells Mexican food on the other side of the world. Project Wing, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), is working on local delivery drone copters. It was a match made in heaven. Read more at Guzman y Gomez’ website.
Before America went crazy, Uncle Sam welcomed immigrants (audio)
Before World War II, the American government cranked up the propaganda machine to WELCOME immigrants with a Sunday afternoon radio program from the INS called I’m An American. Sara Laskow reports for NPR’s All Things Considered.
Here’s the show with immigration posterboy and refugee from the Nazis Albert Einstein:
Mas…Before America went crazy, Uncle Sam welcomed immigrants (audio)
N.J. teacher says ‘Speak American’; Students say: ‘Adios!’ (video)
Students walked out of class after an ignorant high school teacher in New Jersey told a Latina student to “speak American” last week.
Schoolhouse Mock! Music Video: I am a slave, yes I’m only a slave
From the The Roots and crew at black-ish, this Schoolhouse Rock! inspired video celebrates our proud Southern Confederate Heritage through the eyes of a slave.
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Mas…Schoolhouse Mock! Music Video: I am a slave, yes I’m only a slave











