Elenamary

I am constantly shocked by the changes in my city and state. The change has been tremendous from the time back when my family got excited that Meijer grocery was selling chili peppers to today when I saw it. I stopped at a gas station on my way to work this morning, a gas station near the OSU campus. I say this because most Mexicanos in Columbus live on the West side of the city. So, there I was at a gas station in central Columbus and right by the cashier (not buried away in an “ethnic section”) was my favorite junk food, Sabritones! According to their website “a puffed wheat snack from Mexico that combines the authentic flavors of spicy chili with tangy lime”. At first I could never get Sabritones in Columbus. Then I could only get them at the Mexican grocery store. And now? Now they are at my gas station next to the mints. I am amazed. You Xicanos in Cali, and Chicago and in the Valley just don’t get it; This is amazing!

You make me feel ashamed of being an American, A Mexican-American, the daughter of an immigrant, of being a human like you.

Sadly, I didn’t realize until 2003, after reading the Texas Clemency Memos article in Atlantic Montly, just how bad you could be.

You have had no regard for basic human rights let alone civil rights.  May you repent for all the harm of you have done and all the ill that will continue because of you.

Goodbye and good riddance, Alberto Gonzales.

i regret my previous post.  i at first was going to take it down.  but i guess the point of a personal blog (for me) is to watch how i evolve…and damn i hope i evolve from that previous post.  i regret it deeply, and apologize.  it was cruel and shallow.

love to the world,

elenamary

I am enjoying a smidgen of Schadenfreude and while I do feel a bit guilty the pleasure outweighs the guilt.

I used to get malicious messages posted to different online accounts I had.   Usually the insults were about my physical appearance.  I was never able to imagine who had so much anger towards me.  Recently, it was all clarified.   I was having an enjoyable conversation with an ex-boyfriend, when for some reason I mentioned the online attacks.  He then explained they were from his ex-wife.  I didn’t understand, was he sure they were from his ex-wife?  But they were sent while the two of them were happily married, why would she do that?  Was she jealous of me?  Why?

She was jealous.  For some reason, I guess she thought, he still felt something for me and it bothered her.  Despite the fact that he and I hadn’t spoken in years.  But now, that I know it was her, I am feeling some Schadenfreude.  Her marriage to him failed.  And although we never spoke during their courtship, marriage or divorce, it is I who still talks to him.  I have a wonderful friendship with him, better than we had when we were dating.  Despite her craziness and venomous ways, I am the one who talks to the man she loves…

Aren’t I an awful person?

Today I finished ¡Yo! by Julia Alvarez. I was first introduced to her by my Latino Studies professor Dr. Ellen Gil-Gomez. She was one of those professors who will never really know how much of an influence she had on me. Back to ¡Yo!. When I first began to read it, the story reminded me of my sister. The book begins with a sister criticizing her sister, author, Yolanda. The family is upset with Yolanda for publishing the families personal stories.

My sister wrote about my parents relationship and how it influenced her life as a girl and then woman of “mixed” ethnicity. I was the one that proudly called my father and told him to head to a local bookstore and read the book. He called me a few hours after he read it. His voice was steady when he called, it was an angry steady. I could picture his face a deep red, the veins in his nick throbbing, and a bit of foam forming in between the corners of his lips. He asked me in deep monotone if I had sent him to read it order to hurt him. I thought for just a moment, and pictured him gritting his teeth, and honestly it did please me to think I had hurt him but instead I lied “No, I didn’t want to hurt you” which flowed almost as smoothly as the truth that followed “I am proud of Cristina. The truth is she thanks you for her feminism. She thanks you for encouraging us to learn and question”.

Thus, at first while reading, ¡Yo!, I thought of my sister, and she reminded me so much of the author. My sister tall(er) and slender, Latina, never happy in one place, able to express the vitality of her soul to anyone in a short story, while I could write for the rest of my life, and never write anything close to as beautiful. However, as ¡Yo! continued I began to think of myself.

I often think and sate that I don’t censor myself on my blog. I asked my mother to read my blog and she has refused, saying I should have some privacy and that she doesn’t want to influence what or how I write. I told my mom, that her reading my blog wouldn’t change my blogging. I asked a man I am smitten with to read my blog and he has. I now regret asking him too. I find I am censoring myself, now that I know he is reading. I mean he could’ve been reading it before.   My blog is easy enough to find since it is is linked on my myspace, and googable by real name. Do guys google ladies before their first date? I know I do it. Fuck, I don’t just Google them I do background checks…for real.

Anyway back to censoring, I realize I do censor despite my arguing for years that I don’t. Not only do I censor I refuse to admit the truth to myself. I don’t blog about my fear of STD’s, about my fear of never having children, about my fear of not being smart enough for standardized tests, my fear of failing chemistry, my fear of failing at life. I don’t write about them because one I hate admitting them out loud and two I don’t want some people to know my weaknesses and insecurities; despite the fact we all have weaknesses and insecurities.

All you bloggers, all you writers, all you family members of bloggers and writers, go read ¡Yo! by Julia Alvarez, and ask yourself, could you step back and be as honest as she is about the writer in your life or yourself?

C/S

Year-round Schools Don’t Boost Learning, Study Finds
Science Daily (press release) - USA

A sociologist at Ohio State University found that, over a full year, math and reading test scores improved about the same amount for children in year-round schools as they did for students whose schools followed a traditional nine-month calendar.
Children attending year-round schools were mostly Hispanic and tended to be somewhat poorer than average, but their poverty was moderate rather than severe. Year-round schools also tended to have problems with overcrowding.

Hispanic numbers grow in southeast Ohio
Zanesville Times Recorder - Zanesville,OH,USA

While their overall numbers remain small — less than 1 percent of the total population– there has been an explosion of growth in the number of Hispanics in southeastern Ohio. The Hispanic population in Muskingum County has grown 15.4 percent since the 2000 Census. The increase in Perry County is 27.6 percent.

(My brother was born in Muskingum County in 1983, my sister was born in Perry County in 1982.
My mom ran into the doctor who delivered my sister and he remembered my mother because he hadn’t ever had a latino patient before or heard of a latina patient given birth in the area. He said he went 10 years after my sister’s birth before he had another Latina patient)

Fulton County clinic assists working poor
Toledo Blade - Toledo,OH,USA

A couple of more free clinics are being considered for Defiance, including one aimed at the Hispanic population, and the trend is likely to continue…

Racial makeup changes in Ohio
Akron Beacon Journal - Akron,OH,USA

The non-Hispanic white population was down in 43 counties a statewide decrease of 47,256 since 2000.
Across Ohio, the number of Hispanic residents grew by 50,627 up 23 percent since 2000.
Rural Wayne County saw the fastest Hispanic growth in the area a 40 percent increase since 2000.

Ummmm anyone wanna tell the Akron Beacon Journal that “hispanic” is an ethnicity not a race?
I am going to have me some babies, and they are going to be White-Blatinos…go ahead and figure that one out.
Also, I wonder what is going on Wayne county if it is really a change or if things are just now being documented. I worked as a union organizer for farm labor in Wayne County and during the summers it was quite easy to come across migrant camps with a few hundered workers, and those were just the ones that were unionized…

County population declines 3 percent
Cincinnati Post - OH,USA

Hamilton County’s total population dropped 3 percent in the past six years while its Hispanic community climbed 40 percent, according to US Census Bureau …

What POC would want to live in Cincinnati?


Banking on a change
Columbus Dispatch - Columbus,OH,USA

Banks are busy translating brochures into Spanish and working with community groups to draw members of central Ohio’s fast-growing Latino population into the financial mainstream.

Hire me, I’ll show you how to recruit and get people to stick with it. For example, if you explain to them the importance/requirements of having a debit/credit card to get cars back across the border when returning to Mexico, then they will be interested, you’ve got to convince people why they need it, and trust me they do—they just don’t know it.

I am hooked on the site Last.fm. Last.fm tracks the music you and your friends listen to and then recommends new music, both indie and mainstream (which you can adjust to give you more of one than the other).

Their about page states:

You can use Last.fm to listen to music, find out about artists you may like, other people with similar music taste, gigs in your local area, charts and quilts for your personal site, as well as much more.

It has a lot of cool features available in its free mode, and of course, like the good AmeriKan that I am, I am a free rider. One of the features is that it tells you your music compatibility with your friends. Supposedly, my most compatibly buddy is Gustavo whom only has a “medium” music compatibility with me.

It appears though, that with all of my buddies there is at least some music we can agree on. Which means if we ever go on a long car trip, we will get along just fine.

Anyone want to guess what seems to be the most agreed on “good music” despite our wide array of music tastes? It is Café Tacuba! Who’d thunk!?

Below is my compatibility with some bloggers, mostly blogueros of blogtitlan.

Abogado (Abogado’s blog)
Low; artists in common: Atmosphere, The Specials, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, and Bob Marley

Alsoevso (E’s blog)
Very Low; artists in common: Maná, Nina Simone, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, and Carlos Vives

CindyLu (CindyLu’s blog Loteria Chicana)

Low; artists in common: Café Tacuba, Maná, Los Tigres del Norte, Billie Holiday, and The Cure

El Mas Chingon

Very Low; artists in common: Café Tacuba, Control Machete, Molotov, Aterciopelados, and Plastilina Mosh

El Mono Enano (Pocho Abogado)
Very Low; artists in common: Against Me!, The Specials, NOFX, The Cure, and Crass

Espelina
Very Low; artists in common: Cafe’ Tacuba, Air, Depeche Mode, Pixies and Bebel Gilberto

GRD (Gustavo’s Blog)
Medium; artists in common: Maná, Café Tacuba, Molotov, Los Tigres del Norte and Ozomatli

Headphonist (Potatoes and Nicotine) Low; artists in common: Café Tacuba, Molotov, Maná, Aesop Rock, and Plastilina Mosh

JenWoodardsF (Latin-Know: The Latino Marketing Report)

Very Low; artists in common: Elis Regina, Nina Simone, Café Tacuba, Juan Gabriel, and Pavement

MamitaMala (Mamita Mala Blog)

Low; artists in common: Bebel Gilberto, Molotov, Alejandro Fernandez, Lila Downs, and Los Panchos

MsAbcMom (MsAbcMom blog)

Very Low; artists in common: Alejandro Fernandez, Luis Miguel, Carlos Vives, Celia Cruz, and Ella Fitzgerald

Myke115 (obiterdictum)

Very Low; artists in common: Santana, Van Morrison, Barenaked Ladies, OutKast, and Fleetwood Mac

Oso (El Oso, El Moreno, and El Abogado)

Low; artists in common: Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Maná, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison

Rolandog (Pervasive Smothering)

Very Low; artists in common: Molotov, Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds Five, Control Machete and Stevie Wonder

Seyd (Seyd’s Blog)
Very Low; artists in common: Lila Downs, Nina Simone, Carlos Vives, Tigres del Norte, and Celia Cruz

TortillaS (Tortilla Sandwich)
Very Low; artists in common: Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Carlos Vives, Ozomatli, and Juan Luis Guerra

Xoloitzquintle (Xoloitzquintle’s Blog)

Very Low; artists in common: Johnny Cash, Café Tacuba, Maná, Moltov, and Franz Ferdinand

Zemph (Frantic.org)
Very Low; artists in common: The Shins, Johnny Cash, The New Pornographers, Wolf Parade and Spoon

Tony Snow saying he is leaving The White House for financial reasons is some BS.

You want to be a real patriot? You believe that you are serving your country in The White House? Then finances should not be a reason for you to resign. I don’t care that you have three college aged children. You know what the rest of us do when we need to go to college? If we are lucky we get some scholarships, but more likely we either go into debt or we don’t go to college.

Truth is you aren’t really doing your American duty. Truth is you don’t really have financial struggles. Truth is you are selfish…just admit it…I won’t judge you anymore than I already do.

I have as much empathy for Snow’s financial situation as I do for Joe Biden. When asked if he would be willing to be paid minimum wage as President, Joe Biden said no:

COOPER: ….

Senator Biden?

BIDEN: I don’t have Barack Obama money either.

(LAUGHTER)

My net worth is $70,000 to $150,000. That’s what happens you get elected at 29. I couldn’t afford to stay in the Congress for the minimum wage. But if I get a second job, I’d do it.

(LAUGHTER)

Excuse me? Net worth is minimally 70,000? Cry me a river. I guess I should have sympathy because you were elected at a young age? Well at least you didn’t call Barack Obama articulate and clean, again. Which by the way, I would’ve salvaged myself by saying “clean of political bull shit like someone who has been in politics since a young age” but hey what do I know I am just a voter in Ohio.

Dear Phone Company,

I really didn’t need a land line but gone one because your company required it in order for me to have internet service at my home.   When I asked if you could please not publish my phone number you told me that would be an extra charge of $2 a month.  It seemed like a consistent waste of money and so I declined….what a mistake that was.

My roommates and I all have cell phones, none of us use, nor do we even know the number of the home phone and yet it rings all the time.  It rings with people selling stuff.  Make it stop!  They know my name, they only call for me.  Is it because my number is published?  What bull.

Why is it I have to pay you $2 a month not to do something?

Sincerely,

Elenamary

OMG! Latinos are the work force for nurseries!!! I am glad we found that out. I guess the reason that it is big news is because the number of migrants in Central Ohio, or big cities in Columbus has increased in the last few years.

More Latinos are working at nurseries
Columbus Dispatch - Columbus,OH,USA
Foreign-born Latinos now comprise nearly three-quarters of Ohio’s nursery-industry work force, with most workers earning less than $10 an hour, according to a new survey by Ohio State University.

Hispanic Business Expo Sept. 27
Detroit Free Press - United States
David Boyle, president of the Michigan/Ohio region for National City Bank, will be the corporate chairman for this year’s event. … The Hispanic Business Alliance will hold its fifth annual Hispanic Business Alliance Expo and Economic Summit Sept. 27-28

Speaker is selected for Hispanic heritage event
Youngstown Vindicator - Youngstown,OH,USA
He is director of Ohio’s Department of Public Safety.
YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University alumnus Henry Guzmán will be the keynote speaker during the Hispanic Heritage Conference on Sept. 21 at YSU.

Union to fight immigration proposal
Cincinnati Enquirer - Cincinnati,OH,USA
A union, a civil rights group and a Latino group have set a news conference for 3 p.m. today to discuss concerns about State Rep. Courtney Combs’ bill. Combs, who hails from Butler County, has the support of Rick Jones, county sheriff, and fellow lawmaker from Butler County, Ohio Sen. Gary Cates.  The bill would, among other things, authorize local police to act as immigration enforcement officers.