Las Posadas

As a small child visiting with my grandmother in Cholula, Puebla, Christmas meant Posada. Nine nights of reenacting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. The hot wax from the little white candles we held that dripped onto our hands warmed us in the cold crisp night. It seemed to take forever to get to the house that would give the Holy Couple shelter for the night. I would be thinking about the bunuelos and champurrado instead of the spiritual significance of the ceremony. Even though my thoughts were centered on sugared pleasures when I heard

“ Entren, Santos Peregrinos ,
reciban este rincon,
no de esta pobre morada ,
si no de mi corazon”

“Enter Holy Pilgrims,
accept this dwelling;
Not of this humble house,
But of my heart .”

my own heart would fill with excitement and I would be singing at the top of my lungs. These few sentences gave me hope as a child and still give me hope as an adult. No matter if the posada was in Puebla, or East LA or Green Valley Park or in my own neighborhood with friends playing Joseph and Mary those words would illuminate me. The Prince of Peace came as a teacher, a social revolutionary, a lover. He came to the poor and down trodden of his time. He understood we are light bearers of the Divine whether we are a fisherman or a prostitute. He hoped we would open our hearts to the Divine with out limitation. I wish that for all of us in this Season of Light.

Day of Our Lady

Is she the Tonantzin ? Our precious little Earth Mother. That's what my Nana called her. She spoke to Juan Diego from Tepeyac Hill in Nahuatl

"Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear sickness nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve or be disturbed by anything!

She came to us during times of horrible genocide. My Nana believed because of her appearance she saved the Raza. She has embroidered herself on our souls no matter what we believe. I pray that she hold all of us during these times of hatred and help us to stand strong.

Angry???

It’s been a week and a few days since the election. My mental stability is better so I feel a little more capable of writing something that won’t offend most people. I admit I still have bouts of craziness and anger over what happened in our country. My soul keeps telling me that it is a golden opportunity for La Raza. My gut is still tied up in “I want to kick somebody’s ass” knots.

It is obvious that Latino voters did put up a firewall in California, Nevada and Colorado, that saved the Democratic Party from losing the Senate. Political pundits took note! Everyone on both sides is trying to figure out the strategy to get our vote for 2012. As far as I am concerned, at least in Nevada, Sen. Reid never changed his story. That was the magic. He supported the Dream Act, was against SB 1070 and for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. That was his platform from the beginning and he never wavered. Governor elects Jerry Brown personally thanked Latino voters for his victory. He knew that they had helped him immeasurably. I am reading that The Republican Party is considering their new Latino pinups Mark Rubio and Susana Martinez as Vice Presidential Candidates. I love the strategy! Supposedly we (Latinos) are so stupid that we would vote for a Latino just because they are Latino. Same strategy that Mc Cain used with Palin. Women will vote for her because she is a woman. It proved to be a bad plan.

Day of the Dead , Day of Remembrance

“Only in passing are we here on earth”
Ancient Nahuatl Poetry

A friend brought me a pot of beautiful orange marigolds about a week ago. He knows they are a favorite of mine and it was a thoughtful gift. Their smell filled my kitchen and filled me of remembrances of “Flor de Muerto” and my grandmother. Their name in Nahuatl is zempasuchil and has been associated with honoring the dead in Mexico for at least 5,000 years or longer. My grandmother said the smell helps the dead souls find their way home. When I smell them it takes me home to my grandmothers’ house in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico.

Thought for the Day on Voting: Snooze and We All Lose !

“Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand" -Bodie Thoene

Only a few weeks before the election and I have never felt so dismayed and frustrated by the political arena. I take that back, I was pretty dismayed in 1980 when Ronald Regan won the presidential election. I had been drowning my sorrows in a liberal amount of Jose Cuervo during the evening. After hearing the “landslide” results I went in my bedroom and donned a beret and came back to the party and announced I was “going underground” and promptly passed out.

Grito de Dolores- Happy 200th

Happy 200 years of Independence to Mexico. Tonight the President of Mexico stands on the balcony of the National Palace and reenacts the Grito de Dolores and rings the Bell of Independence like Father Hidalgo did 200 years ago. The Viva’s go on for a long time. When I was 7 years old I experienced this on top of my fathers shoulders crushed in a sea of people filling the Zocalo in Mexico City, shouting in unison in a response to the President. I really didn’t understand what was going on but the vibration was so intense I remember crying.

No one is sure what Hidalgo said in his Grito. There were several eyewitnesses and everyone relates the story a little differently. More than likely he just said “Viva La Virgen de Guadalupe y Viva La Independencia.” Things were getting hot and heavy and the authorities had been alerted that he was starting an uprising. More than likely he was on the run. Father Hidalgo believed in the abolition of slavery and wanted freedom for Indians, mestizos and criollos. I think that it is interesting these ideas of independence started in the Literary Club of Queretaro. Reading books can be dangerous!

The Mexican fight for Independence was a long process that involved many heroes, many interesting villains and a long period of fighting. If you aren’t familiar with this story I would suggest becoming acquainted with it. It is part of our cultural heritage and has relevancy even today. The Heroes of the Independence movement in Mexico were concerned with European domination of the Americas. So many similarities to our own story of Independence in the United States.

What is your Grito today?

We Done Did It ! The mangled words of Jan Brewer

“So much attention is paid to the aggressive sins, such as violence and cruelty and greed with all their tragic effects, that too little attention is paid to the passive sins, such as apathy and laziness, which in the long run can have a more devastating effect.” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Oh yes, it has been very quiet at True Mexican these days. We have been licking a few wounds, taking some well deserved R and R and been plotting new and interesting strategies to keep you informed, stimulated and politically active.

Truth or Dare

“Always tell the truth. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.”
Mark Twain

Arizona is waiting for an important primary election on Tuesday. I don’t know about you but I have felt a little used and abused in the old Grand Canyon State over the past several months. So much hatred, backbiting, fear and lying has been on the daily menu. It takes a lot of courage for all of us not to get discouraged and keep fighting for change. The attack that started with the passage of SB1070 gave us something real to unite against and raise our voices together in protest. With the elections looming on the horizon I kept looking for someone who would valiantly stand up and tell the truth. . What I saw instead were Democrats playing it safe waiting to see what their “voting” base reflected before speaking out on issues like SB1070. John McCain and his rhetoric I expected. I knew he would throw Latino voters under the bus quickly and expect us to forget easily. Terry Goddard really surprised me by the way he kept watching the wind and staying safe. Will he make a better Governor than Jan Brewer? Of course! I am I disappointed? Yes! I knew that Raul Grijalva would never disappoint. He is a true statesmen and a brave man.

Thought for the Day: Senora Smith Goes to Washington

Mr. Smith image courtesy of Wikimedia commons

I was raised in a family that valued the power of voting. I come from a family that values hard work and the working class. My grandfather was a miner and a union member. My grandmother tells stories of hard times during strikes and good times when there was work. She worked in the fields when she was little and was blessed to be able to work at the local movie theaters when she was a young teenager. Because she looked white and was quite stunning, they didn't force the whole theater segregation on her. I guess we all learn, at some point, how to play "the game". However, every election season leaves me feeling a little more like Jimmy Stewart's Mr. Smith. When is this "game" going to end?

Acting Alien

Kris Kobach, a controversial Kansas attorney who is the lead author of SB 1070 says in a Maricopa County Sheriff’s office training video that an officer would have “reasonable suspicion” to peg someone as an “illegal alien” if more than one of the following criteria are met.

First Selection for the True Mexican Book Club: The Four Agreements

Vivi and I thought starting a True Mexican Book Club would be a great way to get some of our readers together for discussion, fellowship and fun. We are selecting books that will enhance our knowledge and cultural experience and feature Latino authors. If you have any suggestions please let us know and we will add them to the list. The first book we have selected is the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. No, this is not some new age cult book. Don Miguel is legit. I have been pretty angry lately about all the events happening in Arizona and I picked it up again to realign my focus. I shared it with Vivi and it has helped us be less of a danger to ourselves and others.

The Legendary Art of Jesus Helguera

Growing up in East L.A. meant the New Year started with a calendar from the menudo stand in Grand Central Market or the panaderia on Brooklyn Avenue. On that calendar would be an image created by Jesus Helguera which would hold my attention for the whole year. The calendars were my first glimpses into the greatness of my Mexican culture. They portrayed beautiful men and women of ancient Mexico. With warriors, princesses, pyramids and temples, the calendar pictures took me to a time when we were not foreigners in our own land. They told me I was special.

Votes Supporting SB1070: a Starting Point for Voter Education

The elections are coming up faster than any of us would like. I hope you are feeling uneasy about what's ahead because I don't think the support against SB1070 is going to be strong enough to make the changes many Arizonans would like to see. It's all up to us to make the change we want to see. One way to start thinking about how you will vote is to look at how your senators and house members voted on SB1070. It's a pretty easy task, in this case. If they are Republican, they supported Russell Pearce and his tragic SB1070. Look at the list and see who is up for re-election. Look to see if they are running for a different office.

Happy Birthday Frida Kahlo

Happy Birthday to beautiful Frida Kahlo. I discovered her 50 plus years ago when I visited her home "Casa Azul" in Coyoacan with my father. She was my muse and inspiration from that time forward to embroider art into my life. Her portrait sits over my desk where she watches me with stern eyes pound out my novels, paint my dreams and create a "juicy" theology of life. Frida inspires us to never be afraid of who we really are even though it may makes others uncomfortable. She never apologized for being real.

Worst Racist This Week: Barry Wong

Congratulations Barry Wong. You made it! The First Person on the True Mexican “List of Who is Not Worthy of the Latino Vote in Arizona”. Warning sign number one is demonizing a racial minority and using that to power your campaign. Barry must really be in dire straights to use this technique. This is politics at its lowest and filthiest. In the AZ republic there was a great editorial about this, an Open Letter from Glen Hamer who is the CEO of the AZ Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a column by Mr. Montini. Please take time to read them. They really say it all. Barry really needs to re read the history of the Chinese Immigrant in America.

Bottoms Up !

cc photo of Flor de Jamaica courtesy of Omarsan on Flickr

Happy Summer Solstice everyone! I actually took a vacation in Cali by the ocean while my partner in crime was back here in Aztlan fighting the good fight! Well, still no update on that appropriation money for the Santa Rita Center. Never fear True Mexican will not give up on getting answers. We are just getting warmed up.

While on the beach and drinking lots of fermented blue agave, I started thinking about all the amazing plants we use in our culture and decided to do a little “Marta Sanchez” moment. We having been dealing with such intensity and before we start drilling candidates about why “Latinos” should vote for them I thought a bit of whimsy and a recipe might help.

Prove You're Worth the Latino Vote!

cc photo courtesy of Steve Rhodes on Flickr

In 1992, I helped lead a grassroots movement that proved the power of the youth vote. We proved, through Clinton's election, that grassroots organizing with youth could get a President elected. During Obama's campaign, the same strategy was used to get students voting and to try and win the Latino vote. It worked. However, with the 2010 election season running full speed, candidates seem to have forgotten how important the Latino vote is to their success. We are hoping to change that.

Are you Afraid?

It has been extremely quiet on our website after Vivi’s article on “Uncovering the Truth about the Santa Rita Center” What’s up? What’s going on? Are people having shame? Are you afraid? Well I am angry. We are getting no response from Democratic leadership. No response from Chicanos por La Causa. Vivi and I are going to take our next moves from the Zapatista playbook. Be watching for two extremely attractive women wearing brown sequined bandanas covering their faces putting up signs in your neighborhood. God forbid that you are an elected official with a big picture of Cesar Chavez covering your office walls or an agency with a mural of Cesar smiling down on you. Please respond to our request to call your US Representatives and others to complain about this. Please let us know if you get a response!

Your Stories: Papers Please, a Poem by Donald Larkin

Papers Please

Burning crosses and the canyon state
Brown eyed children and the laws of hate
There’s a bridge in Selma over deep deep waters.
Arizona, do you hate your sons and daughters?

Uncovering the Truth About the Santa Rita Center

The Santa Rita Center is where Cesar Chavez did his famous 24-day fast here in Phoenix.

In my naive mind, I thought the Santa Rita Center would be a community center with lots of pictures of Cesar Chavez and the Mexican-American political movement. Instead, I found a forgotten piece of American history with holes in the roof which let the rain pour in. I found the tiny room where Cesar fasted now holding cleaning supplies and junk. What broke my heart even more was to learn that Chicanos por la Causa (CPLC) have owned the property since 2007. How can an organization which holds a huge painting of Cesar being carted out of the Santa Rita Center after his fast, not have its renovation as one of its number one priorities? And with the looks of the center, it needs to be on the fast track to funding priority. I asked for Cesar's guidance and so began our journey.

Artist Frank Gonzales Even Turns Magazine Covers into Mexican Art

"I couldn't help myself," he said, "sorry M.I.A......well, it was going to get thrown anyway."

This is what he does with a sharpie and magazine cover. Wait until you see what he does with paint and a canvas. We'll be highlighting his work here soon. In the mean time, please visit his site and blog for his latest work. This was just too good not to pass on to the masses.

Enjoy

Beauty and the Bitch Reviews Our Cavavera Goat's Milk Soap

Here's a link to the great review. How very excited we were to get such a raving review from a site that does not give high fives very often. That chick is strict!

Calavera Goat's Milk Soap

Our goat's milk soap is hand milled with added Shea butter, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. The recipe is based on the traditional hot chocolate of the Aztecs minus the chili. While chili would add to the superb scent, it is too harsh for the skin. Besides smelling delicious, the soap does not have harsh chemicals and artificial additives.  Each calavera (skull) is about 4 ounces of soap which produces a lovely, rich lather. True Mexican makes no medical claims about this product or any of the ingredients discussed. Each 4-ounce skull is $6 including shipping.

Visit our store to order yours today.

Business Listing: Charles Dee Rice Photography

Charles Dee Rice is a professional independent photographer, based in Apache Junction, Arizona.  Focusing on theater and concert photography, Charles also covers news events around the Phoenix metro area, with a specific interest in immigration issues.  He is presently developing a multimedia project, incorporating his photography, audio and video recordings; as well as audio and video interviews with people who have been directly affected by the current events surrounding the issues of immigration in Arizona.  Through those media, he hopes to provide visibility and insight into aspects of the issues which are not presently being shown by the popular press.  To see more of his immigration project, visit cdricephotography.com/immigration.

Thought for the Day: Read SB1070

Well, I got stimulated to thoroughly read this piece of legislation after seeing old Johnny McCain grilling Janet Napolitano in a Senate hearing the other night. I know Senator McCain and stimulating in the same sentence is an oxymoron. Well Janet admitted she was not thoroughly familiar with the legislation. I just wanted to be ready when he called True Mexican and asked if Vivi and I had read the bill. Hell yes! We have read it. You really wouldn’t have to read it. If Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce was saying it was good for us, and he is the same guy who gets his picture taken with Nazi skin heads and hired the Tea Bag expert to actually write the bill, then you know its not going to be friendly for human consumption.

We Want Your Stories, Music, Videos, Artwork and Face

This site is for you. It's a site that embraces all things Mexican so we want to highlight your work, your life and your passions. We are happy to offer a free directory for any businesses that want to be listed. We also would love to have a section that features all the people who contribute to the site and to our cause. True Mexican is about people from Mexican and people who are 3rd generation Mexicans here in the states. We are the people who have married into and embraced the culture. We are the people who are looking to promote our culture, this culture in a positive light.

Please, if you feel you have something you would like to contribute then email us and let us know.

Thanks so much for all your support and please continue to spread the message.

El Vuh to Perform at the Santa Rita Center May 22nd from 11-2pm

 CC photo of Cesar Chavez mural courtesy of Salina Canizales on Flickr

El Vuh is set to perform a concert in Tucson on May 22nd, but has added another stop during the day for fans here in Phoenix. The event will take place at the historically significant Santa Rita Center which is also known as Santa Rita Hall. The community center is located at 1017 E. Hadley in South Phoenix and was listed on the Phoenix Historic Property Register in 2007 because of a man by the name of Cesar Chavez who spent many days of his famous 24-day fast in a tiny room at the Santa Rita Center. We have come far from 1972 and yet we stand on the dawn of yet another movement affecting our people.

Your Stories: How Much of a Mexican Am I?

CC photo of traditional rakhi bracelet courtesy of Über Times on Flickr

How much of a Mexican am I? If you ask the people who look at me, or who see my name, my resume, or even those who knew me as a child, they would say I am not. If you ask those who truly know me, they would say I am a Mexican at heart.

I spent a huge part of my life feeling somewhat different from the groups to which I belonged. I was the Asian-Indian, English-speaking kid in a largely French- Canadian city. I was the only male in my grad school class with 56 women. I was the straight kid who cared more about fashion and arts than sports or machines. And all the while, although the people around me tried to make me feel like I fit, I never fully felt like I belonged.

And then I was adopted.

Shame on Who?

Reading Vivi’s excellent article on racism stimulated lots of pain and shame in me. I feel our culture and our people are trying to be shamed in Arizona. Shame has really been part of our history since the earliest days of the Spanish conquest. Our mestizo ancestors were seen as a “bastard” race. That does not go a long way toward instilling pride and nurturing self-esteem! We have carried that in our generational programming for the last 500 plus years. Such programming about shame keeps us from our greatness. It keeps us back. We must reverse this or we will not be able to stand up to the Civil Rights assaults that are being thrown at us now.

Quetzalcoatl: who the hell is this and why is it important to me in 2010 ?

“One faces the future with ones past” Peal S. Buck


This is just a start of a long conversation about Quetzalcoatl. Volumes have been written about this God/hero/priest/ king of our culture. His name means the Plumed Serpent. I have been engaged for the last 50 plus years in the pursuit of what Quetzalcoatl means to me as a Mexican-American I can wager the regular “carnal” on the street would be unable to give any information about our cultural hero yet the land of Mexico is dotted with magnificent archeological sites and temples dedicated to him. The Hopi tribe is awaiting his return, the Mormons think he was Jesus and some in New Age Circles think he was a space visitor.

If Only I Could Wipe Racism from My Child's World and My Memory

When I was a little girl, I remember laying on my grandma's floor watching the news. There was a story where a group had attacked a group of Mexicans. The idea was crazy to my naive and trusting mind. Why would anyone beat someone up just because they were Mexican? I had to ask my grandmother. The conversation opened up a treasure chest of stories of racism and hate that my grandmother had endured all her life. At the time, as a five-year-old, my world spun out of control learning that people were going to hate others simply because of their culture. You see, as I stood there looking up at my grandmother, with her beautiful auburn hair and fair, porcelain-like skin, I realized it didn't even matter if we didn't look Mexican. My relationship with racism would soon grow.

True Mexican is Taking Shape

We are so excited with the number of fans following us on Facebook. We are hoping this site will become a place to come to learn about all aspects of the Mexican culture including, history, politics, food, holidays, beauty, sports, the arts and so much more. It is going to be amazing to bring so many people together to support a culture that is often presented very poorly in the media.

One of the things we would like to do is make this a true community. We would like to know if you are a Mexican-run business or if you are a business standing against SB1070. We want your stories. Tell us about your experiences being Mexican, marrying a Mexican, becoming a part of some Mexican family or simply living here in the Southwest.

Again, thank you for your support and please be patient as we get our site set up and working. Big change is coming here in the Southwest and it is going bring brighter times for our people.

Blessings
-Vivi

El Vuh Speaks Out Against SB1070

El Vuh is a Los Angeles-based hip hop group that promotes the Chicano movement through culturally-respectful lyrics that embrace their heritage. The concerts they offer, like the one in Tucson, are for all ages and I have no problem with my daughter listening to their music. In fact, it's wonderful to give her that type of exposure to her culture. How nice to have music with a decent message that our children can learn from.

I Swear I'm Mexican

That is how I have had to reply to people all of my life. My light skin and hazel eyes drawing nothing but skepticism when most people ask, "What are you?"

My Uncle Ardy, who is no longer with us,  use to laugh and call me "the Jerk" relating my dilemma to Steve Martin's character in the 80's film which had a white guy consider himself a part of black culture. When I worked in Head Start classrooms, Mexican parents would ask how I spoke Spanish so well and I would tell them that I am Mexican. In shock they would ask where I was from. I replied, "Mesa, Arizona". I went on to explain that my Nana Grandma came from Mexico in the early 1900's but my soul, "mi alma",  is Mexican.

Welcome to True Mexican

Welcome to True Mexican. I hope that True Mexican can be a bridge of peace for these difficult times in Arizona. With the passage of SB 1070 it is my hope that even negative change can foster growth. We can either kick and scream our way through this roller coaster ride or find ways to enjoy the views and things we'll learn and places we'll see. For Mexican-Americans, Mexicans, Latinos, Hispanics, Chicanos or what ever term we choose, this is an important moment in time. It is a change maker, our moment to stand and be seen. It is our moment, as a people, to stand up for our civil rights. Whether we are a day laborer, a network engineer, we can be a part of change. Whether we are 100% Mexican, half, quarter, or have even one drop of this amazing blood; we are all affected by the ignorance, hate and fear this bill has ignited. Further more, we hope to embrace all cultures who are looking for a more peaceful existence that allows every person to feel pride in who they are. I don’t think we can look away any longer.

Sold Out Inventory

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