Honduras in Trouble!

If you haven't already heard from the news channels, Honduras has suffered Central America's first coup in 16 years. President elect, Manuel Zelaya, was taken by soliders from his home early Sunday morning. After they apprehended him, they put him on plane to Costa Rica forcing him into exile. 

The military has taken over the presidential palace and has now placed a "new" president. This man's is named Roberto Micheletti and was president of the congress in Honduras. 

The reason for this coup: According to some, Zelaya was about to pass a referendum in which it would allow him to serve another term. According to Honduran constitution, presidents are only allow to serve one 4-year term. Zelaya's opponents feared that something similar to what Hugo Chavez has done in Venezuela was in the makings. 

The White House has made it clear that they recognize Zelaya as the president of Honduras and nobody else. 

Today in Managua, Nicaragua many Latin American leaders gather to see what were some options to reverse this coup. The option of military action by other countries was on the table. 

Stay tuned...this could get messy!

Contest for Poetry Book!

Hola Clase! I will give a copy of my poetry book: Detras del Biombo, to the first persona who can write me back con la respuesta correcta de la question!

After reading The House on Mango Street, I recommend that you read her other work. I personally am making it a promise that I will read "Caramelo" this summer. Here is my question: 

In the novel Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros, what is the name of the protagonist?

 She is also a little girl just like Esperanza in The House on Mango Street. Please give me the first and last name! Buena Suerte!

Bay Poem from Berkeley by Sandra Cisneros

Mornings I still

reach for you before

opening my eyes.

An antique habit from 

last summer when we pulled

each other into the heat of groin

and belly, slept with an arm

around the other.

The Texas sun was like that.

Like a body asleep beside you.

But when I open my eyes

to the flannel and down,

mist at the window and blue

light from the bay, I remember

where I am.

This weight

on the other side of the bed

is only books, not you. What

I said I loved more than you.

True.

Though these mornings

I wish books loved back. 

Zoot Suit Riot Info

Hola clase! Linda has provided a great link to more information on the Zoot Suit Riots of 1943 in "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula" (a.k.a Los Angeles). Check it out!

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/zoot/index.html

Gracias Linda!

Chicano Activist Reunion in Dallas

21 st CENTURY CHICANO ACTIVIST REUNION 
        AUGUST 21-23, 2009 
       DALLAS, TEJAZTLAN 

        COME ONE! COME ALL!

        CHICANO ACTIVIST AND THOSE WHO SUPPORTED THE CHICANO MOVEMENTFROM AROUND THE WORLD WILL GATHER THIS SUMMER TO CELEBRATE THE IMPACT OF THE CHICANO MOVEMENT. 

        OUR PURPOSE IN MEETING HAS SEVERAL PURPOSES: 

        * TO CELEBRATE NEARLY HALF A CENTURY LATER MANY OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE CHICANO STRUGGLES AND EVENTS SINCE THE 1960s 
        * TO REVISIT, RETELL, RELIVE EVENTS AND EPISODES OF YEARS PAST 
        TO LISTEN AND LEARN FROM EXPERTS, ONCE PARTICIPANTS, THEIR ANALYSES OF SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES OF THE CHICANO MOVEMENT 
        * TO EAT, DRINK, LAUGH, DANCE, AND BE HAPPY WITH EACH OTHER 
        * TO MEET AND GREET THOSE INTERESTED IN CARRYING FORTH THE CHICANO/MEXICANO STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY AND JUSTICE 
        * TO PASS THE TORCH OF STRUGGLE FOR CONTINUED GROUP ASCENDENCY 
        * TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PRESENT LIVES 
        * TO REMEMBER, REFLECT, AND EULOGIZE THOSE DEPARTED FROM OUR RANKS 
        * TO VIEW DOCUMENTARIES AND FILMS ABOUT THE CHICANO MOVEMENT 
        * TO SOCIALIZE AND REJOICE ABOUT OUR CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE 

WE INVITE YOU TO ATTEND. THE LAST TIME WE GATHERED WAS IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, DECEMBER 1989.  IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND PASS ON OUR WEB PAGE AND THIS LETTER TO OTHERS. IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND SEND US A VIDEO/DVD CLIP WITH NARRATIVE ABOUT YOUR ROLE IN THE CHICANO MOVEMENT SO WE CAN HEAR, SEE, LISTEN AND LEARN ABOUT YOUR EFFORTS. 

                                                POR LA CAUSA 


                                          JOSE ANGEL GUTIERREZ 
                                       FOUNDER, LA RAZA UNIDA PARTY 

Will "John" by the new "Juan"?

What's in a name? These immigrants seem to think that it's all in the name...

Thanks Joyce for the link! Check it out...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/31356213#31356213

Widows being deported

"60 minutes" just did a special this Sunday which I thought was really interesting. The U.S. government is deporting foreigners that were married to U.S. citizens. As a foreigner, if you are married to a U.S. citizen you are granted citizenship. According to these cases though, because they are not longer "married" (meaning that because of death, you are no longer legally married) they are considered "illegal aliens" and could face deportation. The unique case is that all of these unfortunate people lost their spouse's while the process of attaining their citizenship  was in process.  

 Tell me your thoughts...is this fair?

The Wondrous writing of Junot Diaz

A week before the Chicano Literature class started, I picked up a book called: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I couldn't put it down until it was completely finished. What a great novel with a unique "neo-narrative" (a term I just made up) that will surely become the newest trend in young Latino writers. 

  Diaz, does a great job of taking us on a crash course history lesson of the Dominican Republic and making sure his readers never yawn from boredom. This is straight up, in your face, just great writing. I completely recommend this novel to anyone looking for something out of the normal and still reaping the benefits of learning a few facts on Dominican history and culture! Read it!

p.s. If you still need some convincing, it probably helps that Junot Diaz won the  Pulitzer Prize for this book in 2008.