That Really Doesn't Grind My Gears...Latino Museum

Looks like the National Museum of the American Latino is continuing its support for existence! The 23-member National Museum of the American Latino Commission was tasked by Congress to provide a report on the creation of a potential Museum of the American Latino, which would focus on American Latino art, history and culture. E-mails have been sent for OUR support. So what would you want to see at the museum?

That Really Grinds My Gears...Canceling Shows

I don't understand how you can cancel a show without even giving an ending. Apparently a week ago our good friends at NBC deciding to pull the plug on Heroes. There have been many hard-core fans wishing to save the cheerleader and although viewers have gone down, couldn't they have come up with a better plot? Writers? Campaign? Don't leave us out in the open. I say bring them back for one more season or give us a 4-week end of series. You know the kind that "V" did on ABC.

I say good day to you NBC.

Try Our Cuisine

If you know me, I love to eat. Although I love eating simple, sometimes new and exotic restaurant do catch my attention. I mean living in a big city and working in the city, you have to be able to try new things. And when going to New York City, your appetite should be ready...especially next weekend.

The Gourmet Latino Festival, the ground-breaking socially conscious celebration of Latin culture and culinary traditions, will premiere in New York City on June 4-12, 2010. The multi-day festival is expected to attract 1,500 food, wine and cocktail enthusiasts from the general public. Chefs,mixologists, wine experts and authors will all be showcasing regional cuisines, wines, spirits, beers, cocktails, gourmet coffees and cultural traditions of countries such as Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay, among others. Act now because I'm sure tickets are going fact and the event list looks amazing.

Tito in Concert

So I'm on a role with concerts as of lately. For Mother's Day, I attended a concert with Leo Dan, Charlie Zaa and more "bolero" artists. And now for Memorial Day weekend, I'm going to a Tito El Bambino concert in Atlantic City, NJ! People always seem to complain about never winning things but I won these tickets thanks to a contest on holaciudad.com.

Since 2006, Tito El Bambino has had four successful albums. Tito is one of those reggaeton artists you can listen to on the regular. His blend of merengue and salsa make the music different from everyone else. Definitely looking forward to this concert and from what the venue looks like, it's going to be a great night. And there's still time to purchase tickets; they are around $50 which is good!

Again, the concert is this Sunday, May 30th at 8 p.m.

Su Ropa, Our Message

I'm a big fan of funny t-shirts, especially when they are in español. Today I cam across a new site called Surropa.com. At Surropa you can find an assortment of fashion apparel from top Latin American brands and designers. All their t-shirts, hoodies, art and trendsetting products are all inspired by Latin American style and culture.

A lot of the shirts have strong messaging behind them including the one pictured above. Surropa unveiled the new t-shirts last month expressing people’s opinions about immigration in the wake of the passing of Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070. Fans and customers submitted ideas on Surropa’s Facebook page from April 23 to April 30. Surropa chose a total of three winners, and the tees were designed and produced in less than a week by SOBO, Surropa’s original line.

All apparel is reasonably priced and for those wishing to go lower, there's a sale section with shirts as low as $5. So, buy buy buy!

Southwest Air Loves Latinos

A few weeks ago, the Hispanic PR Blog hosted the Hispanic PR & Social Marketing Conference in Dallas, TX. In their video below, Olga Romero, Southwest Air's bilingual communications specialist, talks about the company's participation in the conference, its outreach to the Hispanic community and how airline merges have affected its communications. Southwest also recently opened up their doors at Panama City Beach, FL. It's a matter of time before I hear doors open in Puerto Rico. :)

Pura Vida!

Need happiness in your life? Well travel (or stay) in Costa Rica which was just named the world's most joyful country in the world. There are many reasons why Costa Rica could have received this amazing recognition but isn't it obvious? Latino/Hispanic culture thrives on natural and family values. Even Costa Rica's tourism campaign says it all: No Artificial Ingredients. I unfortunately have not checked off Costa Rica on my list of places to go but considering all the media attention, I will have to consider it soon.

Donde estan mi Costa Ricans!? How about all my friends whom have visited? What say you about your journeys throughout this Central American country?

Pitbull Raps En Español

Our favorite Miami-Cuban, Pitbull, is back with a new album and it's all en español. According to this music post, "Armando is Pitbull’s real name, hence the title. No further information is available except that above is the tentative “official” album cover for the release." The other mysterious figure in the clouds is Pitbull's father who passed away in 2006.

Pitbull currently has 4 albums under his plate but has been in the industry since 1997. his music has been great so far so let's hope this all Spanish album will keep us going all night long. I wonder if the entire album is going to be hip-hop or will there be other music types. Imagine Pitbull singing to a balada with Olga Tañón? Random I know.

If You Don't Like It, Don't Use It

Every now and then I hear comments about how Twitter is stupid, pointless and for people to be in your business. What I don't understand is why they keep complaining about it? Sure there are some Twitter users who sit there and post ridiculous things about what they're doing but there are those out there using it correctly.

Twitter isn't about how many followers you have, it's about conversations. Nowadays it's easier to meet people virtually than in person. Apparently there's even an influential scale but who's really counting? People also always ask the question, "How do you find time?" Tweeting really only takes 30 seconds; unless you have a huge social media campaign. If you have time to e-mail and text, then you have time to tweet.

Heroes of Character

I'm a huge fan of free stuff, especially when it's inspirational; not like the kind you get at festivals. And now with organizations launching Facebook pages out the wazoo, they are looking for ways to get more fans and just give out free stuff. Luckily the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia is doing just that!

Coinciding with the launch of their new exhibit "Heroes of Character", the NLM launched a new Facebook page. But you just can't launch a page and that's it; the NLM is giving out posters to the first 1000 fans. The posters are 10x24 and feature five legendary leaders including Cesar Chavez, Susan B. Anthony, Mother Teresa, Robert Celemente and Yao Ming. The exhibit includes four state-of-the-art interactive adventures which challenge visitors to make heroic decisions.

The National Liberty Museum is located at 321 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA and is open 7 days a week Memorial Day through Labor Day. They're closed on Mondays the remainder of the year. Call 215-925-2800 for schedule on all holidays, as these are subject to change.

That Really Grinds My Gears...Decisions

Okay so doesn't it suck when you want to make a decision and you know it's the RIGHT one but it's not the one you wanna choose? I tell you life has taken me through such an amazing journey I sometimes look back and wonder, "WOW!?" I'm actually glad I made some decisions but at the same time I wonder, "What if I took the other road?"

Sometimes I wish my family would've made different decisions but who's to question family right? Either way, I hope to make mi madre y padre proud. Remember to tell yourself that everything happens for a reason...it's true after-all. You may question yourself but you have to look to look at things differently. Decisions! <--You may hate them but you'll see the reason behind them sooner or later

Surprise Surprise. They're Latino!

A while ago I wrote a post on BeingLatino about Latino actors getting a little more Latino. There were some people who commented, "Why should they play Latino characters? They should play mainstream characters." Well I'm sure there are a lot, but then you get those people who complain, "They're not Latino, they don't claim it."

I just came across this Latina Magazine post about stars you never knew were Latino! We're talking 7th Heaven, Beverly Hills 90210, Glee, Gossip Girl and yes even the girl on Parks & Recreation. So are we now satisfied with the diverse casting in TV shows and movies? I'm pretty sure the answer is no. Hell I didn't know these people were Latino but then again some of them were "half" Latino, whatever that means. This brings up another topic, how children grow up and whether or not their Latino mom and/or dad raises them a certain way. You just can't win these days.

Tweets on an "egh" Day

What would we do without Twitter? There's so much frustration we have built up inside us that sometimes tweeting can get a little over the top. Sometimes we tweet the most random things. Let's take a look at today's tweets of the day.

Exposure at non-Greek functions is always great

Ugh Oh. This whole Arizona issue is even changing sports!

I wonder how many times a day people tweet about food?

June 27th will be here before you know it!

Presidents Unite

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Today #Latism peeps went crazy when President Obama and visiting Mexican president Felipe Calderon met at the White House. Obama says, “I want everyone, American and Mexican, to know my administration is taking a very close look at the Arizona law." While everyone is fighting over their rights, it seems to point to the questions, "Who exactly says who can do what and why?" Do we have to way back to pilgrims? Because the last time I checked, the United States of America was founded by people from Europe...immigrants. Sure enough things have changed but god help us if we ever have "visitors".

Whether his administration gives us a full report on the law soon is now up in the air. If they come back with the answer we don't want I think millions of people will be very angry. Arizona is already losing $$, pretty soon they'll be loosing citizens.

Do Any of Us Look Illegal?

Well do we? So the campaign to fight SB1070 continues. EKG Films in association with AfroTaino Productions has produced a powerful video which asks, "Do I look illegal?"Only time will tell what our future will be.

Alamar: Preview

Mayan roots, Italian mother. City life, simple life. Which would you choose? Well in Alamar, a couple decides to split up— dad is Mexican and likes a simple life in the jungle, mom is Italian and wants to return home with their 5-year-old son, Natan. The mom would most likely win this battle but before he goes, Natan's father decides to take him on a trip to teach him about his Mayan roots.

I can see the son not wanting to go back to Italy at the end of the film but who knows. Maybe they'll live happily ever after?

Who is Mockus?

Because the United States is blind to Colombian news, I just found out about Antanus Mockus. Mockus is a Colombian presidential candidate and has won 38 percent of intended votes while former defense minister Santos took 34 percent, according to the poll by Centro Nacional de Consultoria released late Thursday night. If Mockus wins, he will follow up one of the most well respected presidents of Colombia's history...Alvaro Uribe.

Uribe will leave behind major improvements in security, continuous social programs and sustained economic growth. His popularity levels among Colombians have been affected by ongoing events, such as the para-politics scandal and the government's various military operations. Will Mockus bring the same? Well if people in Paris believe in him, then I think he's the way to go.

It's a Union Tie!

Yep, last week the Philadelphia Union made (history) when they tied at the 94th minute against FC Dallas. The stadium was packed with 25k+ Union fans on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Yes their record is not what you would want it to be but look at the bright side, Philly has a team and a fan base. Although I did think to myself, "Where are the Latinos?" Alas, the show must move on!

Not only is it the inaugural MLS season, but players have to deal with playing eight of their first twelve games on the road. However, after some thorough traveling, the Union will be able to play 13 out of their last 20 home games at the new PPL Park in Chester, PA. The inaugural match against the Seattle Sounders is on Sunday, June 27th. See you there.

Art March Tomorrow

Don't forget about tomorrow's "Ni Una Mas" ARTMARCH. ARTMARCH will begin at 3pm in the 33rd Street Armory for political rally featuring concerned political figures and celebrities. Hundreds of participants, including 700 young women from Drexel University dressed in the iconic pink color of the victims memorial crosses in Juarez, will move through the streets of Philadelphia, finally arriving at the the Ni Una Mas art exhibit at 3401 Filbert Street on Drexel¹s campus. NI UNA MAS intends to set a new standard for the effective convergence of aesthetic experience and political activism.

That Really Doesn't Grind My Gears...The Weekend

This weekend is bound to be a good one. Why you ask? Well sure we can always go out at night but when you do activities you don't normally do throughout the day, then it's great! Exploring something different is always interested. Tonight I have my LPI mixer and tomorrow I'm going to Drexel University's ArtMarch (Ni Una Mas) followed by my first Philadelphia Union game!

Live tweets, photos, video and more will be in effect. Enjoy your weekend!

That Really Grinds My Gears...Arizona

First Arizona enacts a strict immigration law and now all "ethnic" related classes are banned in Arizona. Don't you think there's something wrong with this country? Seriously, this is leading to some sort of mini-genocide. Luckily there is a large boycott against business in the state. In fact, Arizona is in jeopardy of losing up to $90 million in hotel and convention revenue.

So what is really going on? Is it a coincidence this is in the middle of the 2010 Census? Is it a coincidence this is happening during our nation's first minority president's term? I smell a hidden agenda and if this continues, I'm afraid of what the future looks like.

World Cup Coverage on Univision

We are now less than one month away before the World Cup 2010 begins in South Africa. This is a time where families, dads, sons, brothers, etc. come together to bet on their best team, drink some cerbeza and fight over the plays. Now you can do all that and stay on top of what's going to happen on Univision's new World Cup site, UnivisionFutbol.com.

In addition, Univision launched an enhanced Deportes site. These new properties are kicking off with nonstop coverage of the World Cup including live online streaming of all 64 games. You can also visit the new site on your mobile phone! For those extreme fanatics, here are some more features:

• A Univision Fútbol App for the iPhone and iTouch where can catch all the latest news about your favorite teams.
• The site is very interactive and allows you to connect with other futbol fanatics with the latest futbol news.
• The best part, streaming the games is free!

So when June 11th hits our calendar, be sure to root for your favorite team and sit back and watch some of the greatest sports television in the world. This is bound to be one for the books.

Tweets on a "Why is it Cold" Day

Okay so we in the northeast have come to the conclusion that it's the end of the world. Why? Well it's the middle of May and it's raining and 40 degrees. But nonetheless, we still find time to Tweet and get through with life. Here are today's tweets of the day.

This oil spill is just an addition to everything happening in the world. *sigh*

The Hispanic PR & Social Media Marketing Conference is on and people are tweeting.

When a business/organization wants info, they'll demand it in any way.

Let the games being. The Amazing Race is on!

Hispanic, Latino or Just American?

I recently read a tweet which is asking whether you are Latino or Hispanic. This long-time questions plagues organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs and everyone in-between. So which one are you? According to the Census that doesn't even matter. First let's set some things straight.

Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to the ancient Hispania. During the modern era, it took on a more limited meaning, relating to the contemporary nation of Spain. And there's a handful of people which don't like that we're being coined one culture. However, due to the popular use of "Latino" in the western portion of the United States, the government adopted this term as well in 1997, and it was used in the 2000 census. And according to a Wikipedia quote, "Neither term refers to race, as a person of Latino or Hispanic origin can be of any race."

Just recently, there was an Associate Press article which asked where are our Latino leaders. The writer quoted me with, ""When you're in Colombia, you're a Colombian. When you're in Puerto Rico, you're a Puerto Rican. When you're in the U.S., you're a Latino or Hispanic." And it's true. No one in Colombia would tell you they are Hispanic/Latino. People who call themselves Latino or Hispanic should look at the region they live in. East coast? West coast? Southern Florida? I'm sure everyone looks at this issue differently.

Las 5 Mentiras or Truths

As I read these 5 lies I asked myself, "Did I ever hear this growing up?" Sure enough I did and even today I use/see these things happenings. These could be stereotypes but then again these could also be truth facts haha.

For some odd reason, my mom loved being super early to family gatherings and it was my dad wanting to be the first family out! To add to this, he always said, "Okay so you say bye first, then your brother, then your mother." Notice anything wrong? I can go on and on about the other 4 but I rather not.

Do the rest of my parces find this hilarious and true?

Hola Mexico. Hola USA.

Guess who's coming on tour? No not (insert musician). The Hola Mexico Film Festival (HMFF) is the largest tribute to Mexican film in the world and will again showcase the creativity, ingenuity and charm of Mexican cinema in six of the nation’s most influential cities: Miami, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Washington D.C. I wonder how they decided who was an influential city and who wasn't. Did they not know Philly is the second largest Hispanic market in the northeast USA? Egh I wouldn't mind a trip to DC or NYC though.

In case you didn't know, 2010 marks Mexico’s 200 years of independence and 100th anniversary of their Revolution. If you want to celebrate big then this seems like a great opportunity for everyone. Tickets range from $8 - $14 but if you want to take the extra mile, get the VIP package for $40. The films include short films, documentaries, feature films and my favorite, sexy comedies.

And don't forget to follow them on Twitter, but don't live Tweet a movie. It's just rude.

Congrats BeingLatino

One-year ago the man named Lance Rios developed an idea that would soon turn into 30k+ fans, celebrity endorsements, press clippings and more. This idea known as BeingLatino has expanded globally and has made Latinos say, "I am happy BeingLatino."

So what is BeingLatino? It's a communication platform designed to educate
and connect all peoples across the global Latino spectrum. Start a convo, upload a photo, blog, vlog, or just comment on the page; whichever you choose, just remember this was and still is a way of uniting Latinos across the globe.

Congrats again.

Help Refresh North Philadelphia

For 16 years, the Ayuda Community Center has been working with families in North Philadelphia. Now the Pepsi Refresh Project giving away millions of dollars to fund great ideas. Have an idea? If so they're looking for people, businesses and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact in the community. For now, you can help the Ayuda Community Center on these three projects:

• Recreate Bridge Mural: Work with local youth to redesign and paint over the existing mural which was painted in 2005 and has since been heavily damaged with graffiti.
• Repair Garden Mural: Repair and reinstall a mural painted in 2008 by Ayuda in collaboration with Hunting Park Community Garden that suffered wind damage this past winter.
• Create "Joy in the City" Mural: Create a new mosaic mural on a public exterior wall in collaboration with a local church using original tiles created by our neighbors depicting images of joy.

Defend Yourself with the Gringo Mask

Okay so there is a massive social media push against what's going on in Arizona, but are we taking it a bit far? This is obvious push from a certain Hispanic advertising agency but I completely forgot their name; I believe they are based in Miami, FL. According to the GringoMask website, the objective of this action is to dignify and support the Hispanic community, with the firm intention of taking it to the street and confronting Arizona’s statute SB 1070.

The idea is to print out a picture of a Caucasian man and/or woman and start wearing it around town. Would you print, cut and wear this mask? I understand the political significance but somehow I think this is a bit much.

Let Your Voice be Heard

Yes Arizona and possibly PA suck right now. Not everyone is a politician so you're also asking yourself, "What can I do?" Well if you're reading this blog then hopefully you're into social media. You can do one of the following:

• Change your Facebook picture to say, "Do I look illegal?"
• Join one of the many conversations on Twitter through #Latism or #Latino2
• Grab our Twibbon, add it to your Twitter and Facebook accounts. To add it, go tohttp://twibbon.com/join/I-AM-LATINO2 - Follow the instructions and voilá!

So join the movement and let your voice be heard. Why? Well because if things get any worse then we're screwed. Hopefully no incidents happen because if something were to happen to me, a friend or family member...there would be hell to pay. Remember, Old Navaja?

That Really Grinds My Gears...Being Latino

Is it me or is Being Latino in a predominately "Caucasian" area a little difficult to bear? I remember my freshman year of college people were surprised I spoke Spanish...imagine that. Like I told myself earlier today, "Just because I'm being Latino does not mean I can turn french fries into tostones." What exactly does that mean? Well take it how it is but I know what it means to me.

Be who you are but don't let "them" take advantage of it.

Tweets on a Mexican Celebration

So yes today was Cinco de Mayo but honestly why were we celebrating it? Did you know Mexicans in the U.S. don't really celebrate the holiday? Either way, here are today's Tweets of the day. Funny how they are all Gamma hermanos.

Team iPhone? Team Blackberry? Team Android? So many choices.

Announcement! Glad hermanos are doing their thing.

Well then lol.

Support!

Cinco de Mayo?

So every year "Americans" get together to celebrate Cinco de Mayo but I dare someone answer this questions: What exactly happened on Cinco de Mayo? Fun fact: Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In no way does Cinco de Mayo = Independence Day...that's in September.

But for some reason every year Americans get together to drink. Restaurants nation wide get together to think of ways they can take advantage to make some money. That's okay in my book, but I think you should also tell the people what is right. So how did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Still Looking for a Job?

Look no further because on May 10th, 2010 the Latino Professional Network and Al Dia news are hosting their annual Latino Job Fair. This is the place to launch/change careers in Philadelphia and for recruiters to hire Latino talent. The job fair will be at the convention center from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. so bring your resumes, dress professional and get ready to use those bilingual skills.

Recuirters include McDonalds Corporation, Al Dia News, AFLAC, Community College of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Coca Cola Bottling Corporation and more. Also, take the opportunity to network some more with these employers during the LPN Post Job Fair Summer Special event May 11.

For more info visit lpnetwork.net.

Latinize Lilith Fair!

From 1997 through 1999, Lilith Fair was one of the highest grossing touring festivals in the world, with over 1.5 million fans in attendance and raising over $10 million dollars for national and local charities. Now you have a chance to vote a Latina to perform at this great event. With any movement, Twitter is going strong to vote Carmen Milagro into the mix.

Although I haven't heard of her, Carmen sounds like the right person for Lilith Fair. Milagro writes and sings songs that are Spanish-inspired and steeped in World sounds from the Romanian Gypsy vibe of Kisses and Caresses to the Latin Rock driven tribute to Coretta Scott King and Dolore Huerta song called Living Legend. People are hoping Milagros performs at the Shoreline Ampitheatre on July 5th, 2010.

ERROR-ZONA

Everyday I think the new immigration law in Arizona is causing more and more controversy throughout the country. There was a recent article which stated that the National Socialist Movement is passing out fliers for an event to coincide with Cinco de Mayo. These fliers are asking everyone to report illegal immigrants to DHS and ICE.

So what can we do? In addition to immigration rallies and calling political figures, there is a growing online movement against it. Now only are Facebook profiles changing to add "Do I look Illegal" but BeingLatino and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts have teamed up to present Error-Zona. The online movement hopes to spread the message to over 1,000,000 baseball fans and for the MLB to move the 2011 AllStar game out of Arizona.

Are you speaking your voice?

Art Controversy

I am a huge fan of murals, especially in Philadelphia. Philly is home to over 3,000 murals and is now known as the mural capital of the country. A lot of time and money goes into each project and they each tell a story. Just recently in NYC, a mural by Sofia Maldonado was put on view on 42nd Street, between Broadway and 8th Ave.

As you can see from the picture above, it makes a bold statement. Entitled "Women Fighting to Get Ahead", you probably wonder to yourself, "Um this is stereotyping Latinas and African-american women." Is it really though? Yes there are a lot of professional women in the world who we look up to but there are also other women who have to struggle to survive. Is this what Sofia was going for? Nope. According to a NY Daily news article, "This mural represented a specific group," she added, referring to women in pop culture who, she said, are rarely represented in the fine arts.