border

A young family, divided by the border, lives ‘Through the Wall’ (video)

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Undocumented immigrants Abril, brought to the U.S. as a child, and her 2-year-old boy Julián live near San Diego. Julián’s father Uriel was stopped by police for a minor traffic ticket and deported to Tijuana. In order to see each other, Uriel, Abril and Julián must cross difficult terrain to reach the border to spend time together the only way they can — Through the Wall. [Video by Tim Nackashi.]

A professor visits migrants at the border near Nogales, Mexico

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border_immersion_morenoBy the time the two young women walked into the shelter, the other migrants were mostly finished with their meals. They stood out as two women among dozens of recently deported men enjoying a meal before continuing on their way. I did what I had been doing all that January morning: I served them each a glass of hot chocolate and a plate of food.

We were volunteering at the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) in Nogales, Mexico, as part of the Center for Social Concerns’ Border Immersion Faculty Seminar. For several years, Notre Dame students have participated in this seminar, but this was the first time it was being offered to faculty and staff as well. As a professor of U.S. Latino literature who studies and teaches about the border, this was an opportunity for me to experience the border in a different way.

Mas…A professor visits migrants at the border near Nogales, Mexico

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El Vez live at the Tiki Oasis: He’s going to ‘Aztlan’ (videos, toon)

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The Tiki Oasis, San Diego, Califas 2014: El Vez is going to Aztlan — that’s where he wants to be. “The Mexican Elvis” (real name Robert Lopez) is from Chula Vista, Califas, so he’s already there. POCHO world headquarters — in East Los — tambien!

Here’s the studio version, from his album Gracias Land:

Mas…El Vez live at the Tiki Oasis: He’s going to ‘Aztlan’ (videos, toon)

Mex Ex-Prez Vicente Fox: I have Trump-Induced Tourette’s Syndrome

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vicentefoxfinger(PNS reporting from MEXICO CITY) Former Mexican President Vicente Fox announced Monday that he has a rare disorder known as “Trump Induced Tourette’s Syndrome,” or TITS, in which every time he hears the name or sees an image of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, he involuntarily screams vulgarities and suffers mild convulsions.

“The condition was originally diagnosed by doctors as just visceral hatred for a bigoted, sexist, fascist, moron,” Fox said this morning at a Mexico City press conference. “But the more his popularity surged and the more I heard the name Trump, the more I cursed that mutha fu¢kn hate-mongering piece of baboon $h!t.”

Mas…Mex Ex-Prez Vicente Fox: I have Trump-Induced Tourette’s Syndrome

Latino USA: Trump is good for business – the piñata business (audio)

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trumppinatas“Jennifer De Benito could have had any piñata she wanted for her 14th birthday party. She chose a piñata of Donald Trump. The three-foot-tall piñatas depict Trump in a business suit with his infamous blonde hair and they’re flying off the shelves on both sides of the U.S.–Mexico border,” writes Samantha Clark.

“It all started last summer when Trump said Mexico was “bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists.”

“Jesús Márquez makes piñatas in Watsonville, a small farming town on the central coast of California. Márquez is from Mexico and says that although Trump’s comments are racist, they have been good for business.”

Maria Hinojosa of NPR’s Latino USA reports:

Mas…Latino USA: Trump is good for business – the piñata business (audio)

Vanessa Del Fierro is a coyote on a ‘Mexican Train’ (music video)

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vanessahatSan Antonio sensation Vanessa Del Fierro is the alt.mariachi chingona behind Las Coronelas, whose mega-viral David Bowie cover almost blew up POCHO’s servers this week.

Vanessa also stars as an immigrant-smuggling coyote in a new video for her original composition Mexican Train. It’s a love song; too bad she’s in love with the wrong vato. Extra firme oldies points for the doo-wop backup girls, the triplets feel, and the tubular bells:

Mas…Vanessa Del Fierro is a coyote on a ‘Mexican Train’ (music video)

Lalo Alcaraz: My Excellent Texalent ‘Bordertown’ Adventure (photos)

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crackerbarrelmcallen(TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 2015 – TEXAS, USA) I’m “on tour” in South Texas, down along the border, screening episodes of the animated series Bordertown, which debuts next year on FOX.

It’s exotic! The indigenous cuisine served ^^^ at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, in McAllen, is like nothing I’ve previously encountered – it’s “quirky.” And I was surrounded by crackers; barrels not so much.

Mas…Lalo Alcaraz: My Excellent Texalent ‘Bordertown’ Adventure (photos)

Amazeballs! Golf ball-sized hail pounds border town Juarez (video)

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“First time I see something like this in my town,” LiveLeak member MoparFreak writes.

“Broke a lot of windshields and caused damage to houses and businesses; only happened in a part of the city. It’s not a regular event. A lot of people panicked about this. First upload. I recorded this myself at work. Had mi car inside the shop I was lucky. For those who don’t know Juarez is on the Mexico border with El Paso, TX.”

Lalo Alcaraz: My Big Fat Mexican Detroit Weekend (photos)

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detroitfI spent several days in Detroit this weekend with the UNITY Diversity in Journalism group, bringing our perspective as journalists of color to two vibrant local communities.

We had a panel at the gorgeous Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, and discussed the situation of Arab American media portrayals from our varied panelists.

At the end of this fruitful panel, I brought up how my last name Alcaraz, has Arabic language roots, and how I looked it up online to translate it. I was hopping it meant, Great Warrior, or Smart Guy, but instead it came up as “The Cherry.”

Mas…Lalo Alcaraz: My Big Fat Mexican Detroit Weekend (photos)

Clip y Save: Fall screenings of ‘Bordertown,’ maybe near you *UPDATED

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bordertownIf you follow POCHO Jefe-in-Chief Lalo Alcaraz and me, POCHO Associate Naranjero Gustavo Arellano, you know that we’ve been shamelessly promoting the upcoming FOX animated cartoon, Bordertown.

In case you’re just some random Googler who stumbled across this page, here’s the synopsis: BORDERTOWN satirizes life on the U.S.-Mexico border — la migra, changing demographics, religion, the drug war, and so much more.

Yeah, part of it is shameless self-promotion — I’m a consultant, while Lalo is a staff writer. But we’re doing it because we truly do believe this series is the Great Brown Hope: the network program that will finally show raza in all our hilarious, proud, chingón glory and that will become a ratings smash that’ll allow the beginning of #televisionreconquista.

Mas…Clip y Save: Fall screenings of ‘Bordertown,’ maybe near you *UPDATED

Based on a true story: The adventures of ‘El Coyote’ [NSFW]

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coyotetopEvery day, twice a day, Monday through Friday for six months, the coyote (or human smuggler) concealed and transported migrants across the border from Mexico to Los Estados Unidos. El Coyote — based on a true story — has some NSFW words in Spanish and English. There’s lots more about filmmaker Javier Barboza and the making of this stop-motion and animated video at Barboza’s website.

Mas…Based on a true story: The adventures of ‘El Coyote’ [NSFW]