Latino

All things that have to do with my Latino/Hispanic culture.

Alimentando America – Díptica

Alimentando America – Díptica

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This is a diptych painting set I began in the fall of 2020 and finally finished in Q1 of 2022. The central characters of the pieces are focused on Latino workers that feed America from the fields to the restaurants.

In times when politics have polarized people and lives are calculated by the value they offer to a nation, my hope is to feature the beauty and dignity of the work of countless Latinos that work hard to feed us.

The farm-focused piece is especially meaningful to me because I come from a long line of farmers. It’s also because of the Bracero program that President Eisenhower did that gave my father the opportunity to come to the United States. The fields are the birth of so much of our food. They were the birth of my family’s American dream. They taught me the value of hard work, my own strength, and taught me how to dream.

I am proud to be Mexican-American and proud of the farms that raised my family. These characters aren’t my family but represent the many Latinos that were my family and my people. When I work towards big dreams and goals, I know I don’t just do it for myself, but in a special way, honor the hard work of the communities that raised me. I hope to show the dignity to these beautiful people.

 

I – Agricultores

II – Cocineros

Notable Symbols

Square Halos

The square halos are an ancient symbol of the living saints that cultures deemed worthy of respect and even reverence. The work that countless laborers do on a daily basis on everything from harvesting crops to serving plates is essential, but unfortunately is often overlooked and undervalued.

The Sun and Moon

These symbols are a common motif in Latino art that pairs and contrasts the masculine sun and feminine moon in complementary energies. The two are also used as a juxtaposition of settings from rural to urban environments.

 

Creative Latino
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Latinos and Racial Assumptions

Latinos and Racial Assumptions

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There are several national conversations about race in recent times, and there are several issues we are facing still today. read more

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Our Lady of Guadalupe – Beyond Culture and Art
Our Lady of Guadalupe - Beyond Culture and Art

Our Lady of Guadalupe – Beyond Culture and Art

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When I found a renewed interest in Mary, I resisted a devotion to our Lady of Guadalupe. This was mainly because I am a Mexican-American and it seemed too cliché. read more

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The Importance of Immigration Reform
Immigration-Reform

The Importance of Immigration Reform

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April has been a busy month of news full of a wide range of issues. Many of the issues in the United States have overshadowed the other world news that is happening. Even here in our country, the more tragic stories have overshadowed some major issues happening now in Congress to try and work at immigration reform. I do not intend to downplay the importance of the tragedies, but I want to be sure certain events do no go overlooked.

As open as I am about my faith, I really dislike talking about anything political. It probably comes from so much disillusion in the system and my inability to agree with either Democrats or Republicans. With that considered, I still feel called to promote some specific issues.

I’m not proposing a solution or attacking any one plan, but my latest post focuses on the importance of how we treat those that have come to our country. It’s easy to get caught up in talking about issues and forget that we are dealing with real families and people with their own stories.

[button-white url=”http://www.austincnm.com/index.php/2013/04/immigration-reform-is-important/#.UXqdnSs4WNJ” target=”_self” position=”left”] Read My Latest Post at AustinCNM» [/button-white]

I’m proud to be an American, and I thank God for the blessings I have received for living here. Join me in praying for our country.

 

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Sí Contamos

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Si Contamos

I am not a fan of politics, but I think this is an interesting issues happening right now at election time.

A few months back I wrote a post calling attention to the bad ethics of Spanish language media in the United States, such as the Univsion TV network. I have stopped being surprised by many of their questionable decisions, but approving the TV ad that told Latinos not to vote was more than questionable. This ad passed a line far beyond the traditional political attacks seen in today’s campaigns, it encouraged a group not to be counted. Watch the first two videos below if you have not seen the ads.

Fortunately, the ads were pulled because of Latino group’s backlash, but it still appeared strange that they allowed them in the first place. I tried to do some more research as to why this ad was even created. It seems that the group Latinos 4 Reform created this ad only to get attention. This group is led by Robert De Posada, who was a former official of the Republican National Committee and had even appeared as a political commentator on Univison in the past. It seems maybe they did know what they were doing after all, maybe.

While I can sympathize with his equal frustration with both major parties, this was a very risky move. In his latest video, shown at the end of this post, he explains that they just wanted to call attention to the situation. The group is calling for Latinos to more carefully consider who gets their vote. This actually seems like a great idea after seeing their intentions. For a few generations, many Hispanics/Latinos and Catholics have simply given their vote to the Democrats, as if it was expected for gratitude for some support back in the past.

The Democrats were the party to boast a strong support for comprehensive immigration reform within a year of Obama’s entrance to the presidency. Two years later and we seem to find ourselves in an even worse state. This issue is terribly complicated and will not be solved overnight, but it must be addressed soon. Both parties have become so wrapped up in politics, that it seems it will not be the current politicians to do anything to change it.

It is also often thought that Democrats will be more supportive of the Latino causes, but the past years have proven otherwise. For Hispanics, most of our values have been abandoned by the Democratic party, especially in the appreciation for family. The general Democratic platform to chose to support abortion puts a vast divide in between the party’s values and the values of our culture. Sure some Latino groups choose to be “pro-choice,” but that generally does not agree with our culture that has a deep rooted history with Christianity.

The most troubling part of this is that Democrats have convinced many Spanish-speaking Latinos that abortion is a personal issue and should not be considered in the political arena. I find many Spanish speakers repeating this idea as if it is a valid argument. How can the Democratic party legitimately convince people that it is a personal issue and fight so hard for “pro-choice” legislation? Regardless of any good being sought by decisions, the millions of children being killed cannot be ignored. Taking someone else’s life is not a personal decision. It is also not single issue voting, because abortion eats away at the very base of our society, family. Destroying the family destroys the world by destroying one of God’s most powerful gifts.

It is impossible to find the perfect party that fits our Christian values and that is willing to work for what the good of our people as Latinos and all Americans rather than just continue politics as usual. As tempting as it is, we cannot give up on politics. Let’s go out and vote. Check out my post Learn. Pray. Vote and this post about the Pope’s advice for more information on voting as a Catholic.

Let us take time to pray for our current politicians and for those to come.

Original Spanish Version

Original English Version

Defense of the videos

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Hablo Español, but I also speak English

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Like many Hispanics and Latinos, I have a very mixed linage from the past centuries. It’s led to an interesting blend of  physical features.  Although, there have been many situations where it has come in handy. Depending on what country I was in or which language I was speaking, strangers would feel like they could relate with me. This is great thing when you are somewhere foreign. On the other side, when I lived in Denver, I had never been asked so many times in my life whether or not I speak English. While yes, some assumed I was a Spanish speaker, some were unsure. I found this almost as offensive as I found it entertaining.

I tweeted this a while back, and I believe more than ever that it is true.

It is possible to be compassionate, but it is hard to relate if it was never a personal experience. The problem with the situation in Arizona is that it reduces the dignity of particular groups of people. Many people are often offended by far less, but when those making the decisions have not experienced it themselves, it is legalized and then labeled a security measure.

There is a lot of current discussions  on immigration and the place of Latinos in the United Sates. The obvious is that the system is broken, but like most of us, I don’t know what would be the best solution. I’m not really here to propose any solutions. I am here to remind those I can that we are not only dealing with an issue but we are dealing with real people that always deserve respect and dignity. All dialogue should never be removed of this.

I pray for our country and its leaders.

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Latino Media Today

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For the past month, the World Cup captivated so many people’s attention and had us rooting for our teams. It was very inspirational to country pride, and also to see South Africa rise and proudly represent their continent on the world’s stage. I was also happy to see that interest for soccer grew so much during the world cup. As proof of this, the Argentina/Mexico and the final game broke many records on viewership for soccer in the USA. I found it interesting that even those that did not like soccer found it important to refer to the World Cup and explain why they weren’t interested.

To get the most out of watching all of the games, my preference was always Univison over ESPN. I even Tweeted this:

ESPN finds a way to make the game boring. Univision has definitely been the best way to watch the #WorldCup
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I found this to be very true. There is much more enthusiasm and passion for the game from the Spanish speaking network. I also grew up watching a lot of Spanish programming with my family. I must admit, I do not watch as much media in Spanish these days. Originally, it was because I have just grown so accustomed to the lager selection of English programming. After the past month, I think it is more by choice.

Christians often criticize contemporary American media for being so provocative, but I must admit that it looks rather tame compared to many of the prime-time shows of Spanish media family channels (not just Univision). It is really sad. When I lived in Europe, I realized that they were well beyond most of our traditional boundaries, but I hadn’t realized how much it has degraded.

Last March, I attended a session at SXSW Conference about Latinos and internet media. One of the presenters represented a blog that openly intends to change the perception that Latinos lead conservative lifestyles (separate from all politics). I was really bothered by this mentality. I believe that our culture’s tenancy to hold our values and traditions so highly is what makes it so beautiful. It is what helps us to hold on to our culture. To me, it almost seems “un-latino” to try and promote such an ideology.

It seems as if those making the decisions for Spanish media not only assume that Latinos do not lead conservative lifestyles, but also want to continue to push the limit of acceptable decency. When Spanish speaking families want to watch programming together as a family in the evenings, they cannot avoid this material if they choose to watch TV. Slowly this has changed the acceptance of this content, and I fear that is is also affecting Latinos perspective on life and lowering their personal moral standards.

I think it is time the that the Latino community push for more regulations and limitations for Spanish based media in TV and radio. We cannot allow our values to be diminished in the name of ratings, and cannot be overlooked because the FCC does not focus is Spanish language media.

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The History of My People

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Do I look Illegal

The recent move by the governor of Arizona has many people angry with a new law that could encourage racial profiling. It’s no surprise that Latinos are upset. The majority of us here were born American or are legally living in the US. I am sometimes surprised when I realize how unaware some people are of the different factors in these different situations. When I still lived in Colorado, someone once asked a friend when their family crossed the river. I was appalled that someone would ask that.

My father came over in the 1950’s when President Eisenhower started the braceros program. It was an open invitation to come to the United States temporarily. Once he finished a few years of the program and returned to Mexico, he was able to file for a visa to return to work outside of the program. After a few attempts, he was granted the paper work to be able to legally live in the US. for long enough to gain residency. My mother and oldest sister came over after he had already set up everything legally.

I am very proud to be born here in the United States, and I am also very proud of the Mexican heritage from my family’s history. While I was blessed with a wonderful life, there are many who were brought here by their parents or spouse. There are many complexities that are often lumped together in generalized statements toward illegal immigrants. The problem comes when people begin to treat them with less respect because of assumptions they have about their history.

The law should be respected so that stealing is not condoned and the system is not manipulated. It is the job of non-profits and religious organizations to help fund those in need, rather than tax payers. We  must seek an effective immigration reform that protects our safety but never dehumanizes those that are involved. We pray that our leaders may be guided in their decisions.

I thought that American Papist also wrote a relevant article from a different perspective.

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