The event was opened by CLLAS Associate Director Ethriam Cash Brammer, who acknowledged WSU’s Dr. Joseph Dunbar (Associate Vice-President for Research and Assistant Dean of the Graduate School) and Dr. Robert L. Thomas (Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), before speaking about the importance of education for Latinos.

According to projections, they will be the largest ethnic group by 2050.  This is even more important because of Latinos’ relatively low graduation rates: 62.9% high school graduation rate compared to 87.1% overall, 13.9% college graduation compared to 30% and 3.8% for graduate school compared to 10.7%.

He was followed by a morning keynote address delivered by Dr. Sheila Contreras, Director of MSU’s Chicano/Latino Studies Program.  She shared her observations, as an urban resident (Lansing), especially about urban revival vs. urban replacement.  In the process of neighborhoods changing, there are issues, such as leadership passing the torch to the younger generation and balancing the need to bring in newer businesses while maintaining neighborhoods’ essential character.

Afterward, I sat in on the academic panel entitled Urban Dilemma: Youth Development and The Economy.  It had presentations by UC-Berkeley PhD candidate Teresa Gonzales entitled “Urban Safari: Tourism as Local Economic Development,” where she discussed the possibility of tourism, as a way of showing what is distinctive about cultures rather than reinforcing stereotypes.  Albion College student, Sandy Nahra, in “Marketing to Second-Generation Latinos in the US: How Culture Impacts Perceptions,” discussed how, in attempting to market to second-generation Latinos, marketers end up relying on stereotypes or references that don’t really connect with a segment that doesn’t necessarily identify with their family’s original culture(s).

In the afternoon, I attended the community panel entitled Visual, Literary and Performing Arts, which featured Inga Wilson, artistic director of Planet Ant Theater, as well as YArts arts Program Coordinator at the Boll Family YMCA.  She was accompanied by Ozzie Rivera, Founder of the musical group (BombaRica) and Community Schools Coordinator with Southwest Solutions.  Both Wilson and Rivera discussed some of the challenges that artists can face in pursuing the arts as a career and addressed the perception that there are no jobs.

“There are plenty of jobs, but there is no one gig.  It’s a juggling act,” said Wilson, in explaining how many artists earn a living, while pursuing their work.

Rivera spoke about the artists that he remembered growing up―many of them played at night, after working a full-time job.  Many became educators, as it presented them an opportunity to work with their art, while sharing artistic and cultural traditions with the next generation.

I concluded by participating the professional development panel Research and Writing―Exploring Careers in Social Sciences & Humanities along with Anwar Najor-Durack (Director of Field Education―WSU School of Social Work), Tamara Bray (WSU Professor of Anthopology) and John P. Leary (WSU Assistant Professor of English).

During the panel, Najor-Durack, Bray and Leary answered a variety of questions regarding topics as deciding on a field of study, picking the appropriate school and suggestions on getting into graduate school.  I spoke about some of the practical work-related things that students would need to know for their post-graduation work life.

In the end, CLLAS did a great job of bring panels together to discussing the challenges that Latin-American communities face, as well as bringing attention to the opportunities that exist.  In addition, they stayed to their roots of showcasing the students, who will be the next generation of leaders following in the footsteps of past CLLAS graduates.

“The Hispanic community remains the fastest growing of our population,” said Denise Dalrymple.  “With the community’s rapid growth and influence here in Southeastern Michigan and the great leadership development opportunities Girl Scouts offers, it just makes sense for GSSEM to engage at the local level.”

Dalrymple said that with the merging of several area Girl Scout councils nearly three years ago, GSSEM wants to restore relationships within the Hispanic community, previously maintained by the former Metro Detroit Girl Scouts Council.

“More than 40% of Michigan’s Hispanic population resides in Southeastern Michigan, and the population is expected to increase.  This local initiative is in keeping with the Girl Scout mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.  That means every girl who wants to be a Girl Scout.”

GSSEM kicks off its initiative by recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month, which includes an outdoor campaign with billboards located in Pontiac and Southwest Detroit.  The Council is also encouraging current Girl Scouts to earn the Delores Huerta patch.  The patch honors the Latina civil rights leader and any Girl Scout is eligible to earn the patch.

“We offer a girl-centered, girl-led leadership experience, and Hispanic girls will benefit greatly from becoming Girl Scouts,” said Gabriela Ramirez Darris, GSSEM Hispanic Initiative Coordinator.  “Girls have opportunities to learn about themselves, build and maintain relationships that are important to their futures, and take action to make a difference in their community.”

The local Council has built strong relationships within the Hispanic community.  GSSEM has established partnerships with Hispanic community serving organizations including LASED, Vista Nuevas, and El Centro Multicultural-La Familia in Pontiac to spread the word about Girl Scouting and to recruit Hispanic girl and adult members.

“Girl Scout programs enhance self-esteem, build leadership skills and the sense of community.  Our girls are empowered to take active roles in improving the environment,” said Teresa Penman, Social Services Specialist at Vista Nuevas Headstart.

“Many of our Latino families are isolated and being a part of this organization creates a sense of family in a large community.  By partnering with Girl Scouts, we can provide to our families, particularly to our Latino moms, experiences that they ordinarily would not discover, if not given the opportunity to become leaders,” she said.

GSSEM also has available recruitment and promotional brochures, flyers and other promotional items, and training materials for volunteers available in Spanish.

AMIGAS: A Leadership Experience for Girls is the local initiative facilitated by Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan to engage the region’s Hispanic population.  Its purpose is to broaden participation in Girl Scouting and to encourage Hispanic girls to participate in the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.  Girl Scouts is open to any girl in grades kindergarten through 12.  Its mission is to build girls of courage, character and confidence who make the world a better place.

To join Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, or get more information on program offerings or volunteering, visit www.gssem.org.

Also, like GSSEM on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/gssem, or follow on Twitter @GSSEM.

The Great Lakes Division (GLD) of the American Cancer Society, the Mexican Consulate in Detroit and 14 other collaborative partners, including health clinics, faith-based organizations and schools, will identify and train 15 culturally competent health educators on the Promotoras de Salud model.

Promotoras de Salud volunteers will provide leadership, health education and referrals for screening opportunities to over 400 women in Southwest Detroit.  The volunteers will be vital to increasing breast cancer awareness, promoting behavior change, and empowering and promoting healthy habits.  In addition to information dissemination, the GLD, the Mexican Consulate, and other collaborative partners will establish a system where women will be given a referral to the Breast Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) or other sources of free or fee-reduced programs to receive screening opportunities within the Southwest Detroit.

In addition, 28 other communities across the country will each benefit from $30,000 grants to support existing community health programs; and three communities will each receive $300,000 to increase access to breast cancer screening for African-American women through trained community health advisors.

In total, the program will provide over $1.7 million in cancer prevention funding throughout the U.S.

“We are honored to be selected by Walmart for Promotoras de Salud funding,” said Mitzi Cardona.  “This initiative will allow for better education, information dissemination and will enable us to save countless lives as we strive to spread the message that early detection is imperative to better survival outcomes.”

According to the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures (2011), disparities predominantly arise from inequities in work, wealth, income, education, housing, and overall standard of living, as well as social barriers to high-quality cancer prevention, early detection and treatment services.  Additionally, persons with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to engage in behaviors that increase cancer risk such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, and poor diet due to environmental or community barriers to opportunities for physical activity and access to fruits and vegetables.

Author: Gabriella Muñoz
Image: Renée Rodríguez

I recently ate at one of my favorite cheap eat spots in the city and decided to share it with all of you: Bucharest Grill.  If you have never been there you need to go! My mouth waters as I even write about it.

The restaurant is located on Park Ave right next door to the Park Bar in Detroit’s Foxtown.  For those not familiar with the area it is near the Fox Theatre and down the street from The Fillmore Detroit.

The restaurant is well known with locals, as being the place to go for shawarma sandwiches outside of Dearborn.  They have both beef and chicken—even a vegetarian one. The sandwiches are stuffed with veggies and garlic.

My personal favorite is the chicken shawarma.  The chicken isn’t dry and overcooked.  Also, it is perfectly seasoned and not overpowering.  I always get mine with an extra side of garlic because I love garlic that much.  The sandwich is absolutely delicious.  They are served wrapped in foil and look like a big burrito, when they come out.  I must say they also have some great curly fries there!

This place does a lot of carry out, but if you want to sit you can grab a table and sit in the Park Bar.  Restaurant staff will bring your food to you.  You can even grab an adult beverage from the bar, or get water or pop, when you order your food.

Bucharest Grill serves more then just sandwiches.  Their food ranges from hot dogs and burgers to Middle Eastern and traditional Romanian dishes.

Do yourself a favor and check out this place if you haven’t yet. You will not be sorry!

Author: José A. Rodríguez
Image: Paula Anderanin

One of my favorite channels for the past year or so has been SíTV, which has been recently renamed nuvoTV. This is a cable channel that has some great content that is primarily in English and aimed at a bicultural Latino audience.

One of the top shows that they have is Pastport. In its latest episode (Pastport: Puerto Rico), actress, Alanna Ubach, went to Puerto Rico with her Swedish boyfriend, Pelle, to reconnect with the San Juan that raised her father and reconnect with her lost Latino culture. Throughout the episode, she works to reconcile her relationship with Pelle’s workaholic nature that reminded her so much of her deceased father, Rodolfo.

I can’t say much more without giving away what happens. I have seen other episodes such as the Argentina one, where actor, Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911), returns to his parents’ homeland, so that he could reconnect with his roots to pass them down to his child. At time that this episode was filmed, he and his wife were expecting their first child and his first at 48 years old. I have, also, seen the Colombia one, where actress, Paula Garces, who returns to Colombia, where she reunites with her estranged father and auditions for a Colombian telenovela.

I really like this show because I feel that it really depicts the journey of Latinos raised here like Wilmer Valderrama. No matter how Latinos came to be here in the US, at some point, their connection with their culture becomes looser and weaker. Only, I feel, when they return to the countries of their roots, do those ties strengthen in a way that is not otherwise possible. I can speak from experience.

In the case of Ubach’s trip to Puerto Rico, I saw what she went through when she danced to the music, ate the food and visited the places that were important to her father. By accident, on her first night in San Juan, she ended up running into some of the Fania All Stars. The idea of returning is something that I could only compare to a pilgrimage―something by those that is only understood by those that have gone through it.

From time to time, new episodes pop up. I highly recommend that you check it out. It’s really fascinating to see how Latinos living here “become more Latino,” when they go back. The accent starts to resurface. The hips start moving. The stories about the past are retold. More than anything, we see the stories of what these people have gone through. This show is not only a pastport. It is a glimpse into the future.

Author: Gabriella Muñoz
Image: Gabriella Muñoz

Food trucks are the latest craze to be sweeping cities across the United States. Detroit is no exception—with the first city-sanctioned food truck opening this summer: El Guapo.

Now, some of you might be wondering how it is possible for El Guapo to be the first food truck in Detroit, when many of us know that Southwest Detroit is filled with taco trucks and has been for years. It is the city’s first “recognized” food truck because it worked with the city for months to get the proper permits and license. Until El Guapo came along, the city did not have a permit process for food trucks in place.

Since the recent opening of El Guapo, it has been the talk of the town. I, finally, decided to try it and see what the hype was all about. I needed to see if it could even come close to comparing to my beloved taco truck off of Springwells I often frequent. I grabbed a couple of friends and we headed downtown for lunch.

As we approached the truck, it held great promise. It was sparkling clean and has a menu consisting of tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, side dishes, cupcakes and beverages. My friends and I ordered a few items to share that included: the burrito de asada, burrito de pollo, burrito bowl (burrito without tortilla), green chile queso & chips, and an order of arroz and frijoles. We all had Faygos to drink.

As I took my first bites of burrito, I knew this food truck would not stand a chance next to my taco trucks. It was mediocre. The steak was okay, but the rice and beans inside of it reminded me of Lipton’s instant rice and bean mixtures. The burrito de pollo tasted just like the asada one only it was chicken. The queso and chips was the item we all agreed on that we liked the most. The melted cheese had a really good flavor and the chips were pretty decent. The burrito bowl that we shared wasn’t anything to write home about.

I think the idea of El Guapo food truck is a great one. I give the owners a lot of credit for making it happen and, hopefully, opening doors for other food trucks to come downtown. I, also, like how El Guapo uses fresh, local food and partners with other Michigan businesses such as Faygo and Pink Elephant Cupcakes.

El Guapo sits on the corner of Monroe & Randolph streets in downtown Detroit. It is located between Campus Martius and Greektown.

I would give this food truck 3 out of 5 stars. It is not a place I would crave like I do some of the other restaurants around town. If you want authentic Mexican food, stick to places you already love. However, if you’re looking for tacos and burritos in Downtown, then, this might be your spot.

When I was a kid, I used to think that my dad was cheap because he would always try to fix things around the house. Buying something new “just because” wasn’t in his vocabulary. This contemporary idea of upgrading just wasn’t in his mindset. Rather than “upgrading,” he would fix something, run it into the ground and, then, buy a newer version. I can’t tell you how long it took us to get a TV with a remote control.

As I’ve grown older, this sort of frugal mindset is something that my dad has passed down via osmosis to me. Maybe it’s just that these silent lessons on frugality, finally, made sense to me. When you’re in an immigrant family, where the parents are working their asses off to provide for their kids and watch each penny to give them better opportunities, you don’t even think of throwing something away that is still usable.

I saw this on a larger scale. My dad worked around 40 years for one of the Big Three. I remember that he would bring home things like towels that were thrown away. He would rather we use them than get thrown away. Just recently, I found out that a set of tough scissors able to cut through dryer pipe were ones that he picked up at work. They were too beat up and their previous owner was going to throw them away. My dad ended up using them and, now, another set of hands is using them.

On a professional and on a personal level, I hate the idea of waste. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not perfect. However, I’ve set it as an ideal to thoroughly use what I have. When my clothes are no longer something that I can use, I give them away. A few months ago, I bought a new computer mouse and gave my oldest one to a co-worker. Why? I didn’t need it any longer.

We are living in challenging times, when the Big Three almost didn’t make it and we’re looking at the chance of our federal government shutting down. If we can’t practice what we expect our high-level business owners and politicians to do, then I don’t know how we’ll revitalize our great country that truly is the land of opportunity and plenty. Nobody ever said that having plenty is an excuse to waste it.

Author: José A. Rodríguez

It seems the television networks are focused on “little” because they feel society has a grand interest regarding little people. The good thing about the shows is that they portray very normal lives. Yes, little people are just like the rest of us. They are people, smaller than average, but people just the same (pretty much the slogan of Little People, Big World).

I am positive that the stars of these shows accepted the cameras, as an attempt to bring awareness. They chose to advocate for little people. Little people face many challenges in a normal size world. Things we take for granted prove difficult for them. Reaching the top kitchen cabinet takes extra time. Driving a car calls for special vehicle modifications. Clothing is an issue. While they take these things in stride, they wish to be treated with respect and dignity. They’re short. That’s it.

Many little people face health challenges that others fail to realize. Bone problems affect walking and, often, cause pain. Headaches due to skeletal issues are torturous. Back pain is another problem.

While I find it a bit insensitive that so many little people shows are currently flooding the television networks, I, also, find it enlightening to know that some awareness is, finally, being brought to the surface. People are people no matter how big or small. Should they make a show about my big feet? I think not. However, I am glad that little people are confident enough to take a stand and show others that life is always good, regardless of size.

“A great man is always willing to be little.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Author: Rhonda Gutierrez

Sadness

• Brothers & Sisters: This was a show that really grew on me.  While the writing has been uneven and, truthfully, some of the recent seasons were lackluster, I really enjoyed the Nora/Brody, as well as the adventures of Scotty/Kevin becoming fathers.  This season also saw Sarah finally marrying Luc and Justin reuniting with his former flame, Tyler.  Nonetheless, with the Sarah/Luc wedding, it made for a satisfactory end to the show.
• Detroit 1-8-7: This, in my opinion, was one of the best shows on TV.  It started off very rocky (much of the Facebook criteria centered on incorrect cultural references, etc.), I felt that it became very interesting, as the characters began to develop.  Unfortunately, in light of the MI film/movie being in jeopardy, its finalized cancellation really wasn’t much of a surprise.  If you see no other episode, do yourself a favor and watch the season/series finale to see what ended up happening to Fitch.
• The Event: I was very surprised that I liked this show because I was never into Lost, which is the only show that I could remotely compare it to.  I do this only because this show was densely detailed.  It really grew on me. It will make my Monday nights a little more empty.
• Lie To Me: I really found this show extremely interesting, as it is loosely based on the work of body language study pioneer, Dr. Paul Ekman through Dr. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth).  The show started off extremely interesting with the emphasis being on how certain “microexpressions” were tied to contemporary examples.  With time, I felt that the storylines meandered.  Truthfully, I quit watching it long ago.  I wouldn’t mind getting the first few seasons on DVD.  Oddly enough, Jennifer Beals, who played Lightman’s wife, ended up on another FOX series, The Chicago Code, which has also been cancelled.
• Smallville: I’m slightly saddened by this show’s end.  However, it’s been on for 10 seasons.  As the show explored Clark Kent’s youth in Smallville and his eventual assumption of the Superman mantle, I found myself tuning in and out throughout its run.  As a matter of fact, I have the series finale DVR’ed and have yet to watch it.  Don’t ruin it for me.

Relief

• Mr. Sunshine: I have no idea what the creators were smoking, when they thought that this show was a good idea.  Not even Matthew Perry’s dry wit could bring any sunshine to this disaster of a show.  Hell, I don’t even think that the songwriter that wrote its theme song was even trying.
• The Paul Reiser Show: Somebody forgot to invite Helen Hunt.

As the story said, business is business.  What I just don’t get is why the networks insist on pumping out TV shows without really giving them a chance to survive.  Even with my DVR and my busy schedule, it’s hard to keep up with my shows.  I suppose that it’s just a sign of the times.

Author: José A. Rodríguez