Top Chef’s Katsuji Tanabe makes guacamole at his Chicago place BARRIO (video)

The Barrio Nostalgia of ‘Veteranas and Rucas’ on Instagram


The internet is so much about what to look at.

For me, that’s weird. You see the bulk of the first part of my life was bound up with reading—which is all about looking at things, reading words, but has little to do with seeing, with reading pictures.

It is true that as a kid, I was all about reading while seeing, with Richie Rich, Mad Magazine, Vampirella, Batman, Eerie, and Plop! infecting the technicolor corridors of my imagination.

But after that came college and graduate school with a major in literature—so novels took over (that and critical theory), so words came to dominate the scene of my life.

Mas…The Barrio Nostalgia of ‘Veteranas and Rucas’ on Instagram

‘Highland Park’: Binge-watch all the episodes right here! (NSFW videos)


Have you been watching Highland Park on the YouTube? We’ve got all the episodes right here for your binge-watching convenience. You can start with this trailer (above), or dive right in (below). [NSFW. Adult situations, language.]

In Episode 1, Los Angeles locals Juanita and Diego had a holy vision in Highland Park. Who knew Tonantzin, Aztec mother goddess, had a cousin named Concepción?

Mas…‘Highland Park’: Binge-watch all the episodes right here! (NSFW videos)

The reason Trump wants to build a wall? To keep America white


Emilio is a childhood friend of mine who we appropriately call Malo (mean).

Usually, Malo and I converse about old times; friends we have lost and experiences we shared growing up. So it surprised me the other day when he asked me, “Poule, why does Donald Trump want to build a pinche (damn) wall?”.

I gave him a short shrift answer that it was his solution to end unlawful border crossing.

Malo replied indignantly, either to my casual and shallow observation, or to Trump’s callousness:

I don’t have any fancy letters after my last name, Poule, but chale (no), that’s not the real reason he is trying to separate us from Mexico. Trump knows this country is changing in color, culture, and influence and he wants to stop it.

Mas…The reason Trump wants to build a wall? To keep America white

Hey, Trump! Come down to my barrio and say that again

trumpanzeeOn the first day of class, I always inform my university students that I hold two PhDs — one from a premier research institution, UC Berkeley, and the other from one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country, East Los Angeles’ Ramona Gardens housing project or Big Hazard projects (named after the notorious gang).

While I’ve relied on my research and analytic skills to criticize Donald Trump, as the Republican presidential nominee, I’ve also depended on my street smarts to deconstruct his extremist politics and erratic behavior. While political foes, pundits, cable news anchors and journalists are bewildered by Trump, I grew up with his type: Wannabe tough guy, bully and hustler. To deal with Trump, we must view him through these typologies, among others, such as xenophobe, racist, money-grubber and liar.

Mas…Hey, Trump! Come down to my barrio and say that again