Precious Moments #7 - Beach diving

As we approach the last day in Hawaii we definitely had to go to the beach. In addition to dangerous and dramatic waves, we were also able to cliff dive (maybe) 40 feet. Amazing right? See you tomorrow in Los Angeles.

Precious Moments #6 - Parasailing

When in Hawaii, do something adventurous right? While I wish I could sky dive I think I have to lead up to that. We decided to go parasailing and it was the right choice. Although the boat ride there was a little queezy, we made it fun!

Precious Moments #5 - Reflecting on Pearl Harbor

After a long day of history we sat down at some diner-like restaurant to reflect. While people made fun of me and Jackie while ordering sandwiches with rice and french fries, we recorded our thoughts.

Precious Moments #4 - Pearl Harbor (video)

As I finish touring the Pearl Harbor memorial site you can't help but reflect. It's one of those places everyone (young and old) should come visit and learn. It's a site of reflection and remembrance.

Precious Moments #3 - At the Cozy Cottage (video)

Precious Moment #2 - On the plane (video)

Precious Moments #1 - Landed

While we wait for people to get off the plane I must admit this is by far the coolest trip ever. Five days Hawaii and five days Los Angeles...can't get any better right? With warm weather, clear water and some liquor, the next few days will be amazing. Stay tuned for more photos! We're also using the hashtag #preciousmoments on Twitter. See you soon.

Guess who's celebrating 32 years?

There comes a time when you really appreciate your organization...that would be banquet time. A few days Gamma Phi Sigma "Hermanos Unidos" Fraternity, Inc. celebrated 20 years in existence and it brought back that little light of fire in me. Anyways...enough about me. In June 2012 Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc. (CUS) will be celebrating 32 years. It is the first time that a national convention and leadership conference will be held in the nation’s capital. This year’s theme is “We The People: Believe It and Achieve It!” Our theme reflects Chi Upsilon Sigma’s efforts to nationally educate the men, women and children in our communities on the issues and challenges that our society faces everyday.

The conference portion of the anniversary includes workshops and guests speakers. Some of the awesome people attending include award-winning social media consultant, blogger, and journalist, Lena L. West as well as college-friendly and Latino-Greek extraordinaire Jesus Diaz, Jr. I'll actually be attending the banquet portion of the conference since it's open to the public. While I won't say who is "making" me attend I will shout-out the sisters of Mu/Gamma - Spring 2004...you guys are pretty cool ;).

Interested in supporting CUS? While the banquet portion is a hefty $160 you can also place program book ads. Visit cusnationalevents.com for more information.


Chi Upsilon Sigma 2012 Convention - “We The People: Believe It and Achieve It!”
June 14, 2012 through June 17, 2012
The Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill
525 New Jersey Avenue NW
Washington DC 20001
Phone: 202-628-2100 or 800-321-3010

Concert alert: Marc Anthony, Chayanne, and Marco Antonio

What happens when you put Marc Anthony, Chayanne, and Marco Antonio in one concert venue? You get an awesome tour called Gigant3s. According to Latina.com, "The GIGANT3S tour will begin in Miami on August 3 and will end in Vegas on September 14. Tickets go on sale April 26 and will be available on ticketmaster.com." Although I'm unaware of how many cities they'll be touring, I know one of their stops will be in Atlantic City, NJ. So you know what that means right? I will be in attendance. Stay tuned because I may have an opportunity for you to win tickets. Would you pay good money to watch this trio?

Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia 2012 Winners

The Knight Arts Challenge officially announced the 35 ideas which will receive $2.76 million to support their organizational ideas. Now in its second year, the community-wide challenge funds the best ideas for engaging and enriching Philadelphia through the arts. Emerging from more than 1,260 submissions, the 2012 winners represent a wide range of Philadelphia’s creative thinkers. Always a great cause to fund arts organizations in Philadelphia, the awards will either engage new audiences and keep art alive in our city.

This year's winners include:

• Late-Night Museum Happenings Encourage New Audiences
  Project: Midnight Madness
  Recipient: Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
  Award: $350,000 - To engage younger audiences in the visual arts through a series of simultaneous late-night happenings at three of Philadelphia’s premier art museums
  
• “Pop-Up” Performances Bring Latin Jazz to Philly Neighborhoods Project: AMLA Flash Jazz Mobile
  Recipient: Artists and Musicians of Latin America
  Award: $35,000 - To cultivate new audiences for Latin jazz by presenting “pop-up” performances by local artists using a portable stage

For a full list of winners visit knightarts.org.

Hustling on Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars

Photo courtesy phillychitchat.com.

Yes after 10 long weeks the Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars is finally over. And although my hustle to "Moves Like Jagger" did not win, I was very happy to support BrownStonePR and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter. For the first time ever I wasn't nervous performing in front of hundreds of people. Dan Gross put it oh so lightly in his column, "Councilwoman Marian B. Tasco DROP-ped it like it’s hot and charmed the crowd and judges during her cha-cha to win Sunday’s Dancing with the Philadelphia Stars event at the Crystal Tea Room." Although I'm a bit disappointed my Philly Latino community did not attend, I had fun hearing cheers from a crowd who had no clue who I was. Congrats to the councilwoman and the rest of the participants.

Special shout outs to:

• Megan Smith - You sure do put on good events ;). Thanks for putting up with all our personalities. Your costume idea was a hit with everyone.
• Kate from the Society Hill Dance Academy (SHDA) - My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
• Collen from the SHDA - We rehearsed for two days and in the end the routine went flawless. Smile more? I was smiling the whole time! Forget what the judges said lol.

NALAC announces keynote speaker for conference

The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures is proud to welcome Maria Hinojosa as keynote speaker for 2012 NALAC National Conference in Philadelphia: “Seizing the Moment Now”. For 25 years, Maria Hinojosa has helped tell America’s untold stories and brought to light unsung heroes in America and abroad. In April 2010, Hinojosa launched The Futuro Media Group with the mission to produce multi-platform, community-based journalism that respects and celebrates the cultural richness of the American Experience. She is the first Latina to anchor a Frontline report. “Lost in Detention” about deportation and immigration detention aired in October 2011 and sparked public engagement and conversation from Capitol Hill to mainstream media to the Spanish language media. Hinojosa interviewed dozens of notable Latinos for Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ "The Latino List" which premiered on HBO in October 2011.

The 2012 NALAC National Conference will take place at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel from October 17 - 21, 2012. For more information visit nalac.org. Pre-registration will begin in May 2012.

Hispanicize in 6 minutes

So this is what I missed at Hispanicize in Miami? From the Being Latino team to conference organizers, take a closer look at what some of the awesome people had to say about this year's conference.

Healthier lives through the art of stepping

Jessica Saul, Art of Stepping, teaches event attendees the art of stepping

Let's get this out the way: stepping and strolling is for everyone. There's a small stigma out there within the Greek-lettered organizations that other people shouldn't be able to step or stroll. However, after meeting Jessica "Remo" Saul, I found a new found respect to anyone that is able to use this style of dance to enrich their lives. Remo's company Art of Stepping (AOS) was born in 2005 when an after school provider approached her to work five schools for nine months in New Jersey. The provider attended one of her showcases and was really impressed by how she presented herself and how much the kids participated. Today, AOS has expanded to several states (not just in the East Coast) as well as performed for national brands including Nickelodean, Telemundo, among others. 

Remo recently took two of her steppers to Telemundo Philadelphia's Dia del Niño event at the Please Touch Museum. It was the second time the AOS team visited Philadelphia. At the museum, Remo and her team performed for the children in attendance as well as taught them two separate steps. Without hesitation the group of kids ran across the main hall of the museum to learn more about this rare form of exercise and dance. Many of the boys and girls were very enthusiastic about running around the lobby and exercising. Remo's company teaches children of all ages how to live healthier lives through the art of stepping.

"We are fighting a tough battle," commented Remo. "I believe needs to start with the food companies "Making the products we use day to day a bit healthier so when we pick them up to use in our traditional foods we are using healthy options." And it's true. First Lady Michelle Obama launched her Let's Move! campaign to fight childhood obesity. According to the campaign, over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese.

In 2012, Remo and Art of Stepping received President Obama's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition - Community Leadership award. The award is given out annually to no more than fifty (50) individuals who improve the lives of individuals within his/her community by providing or enhancing opportunities to engage in sports, physical activities, fitness, or nutrition-related programs.

Remo at Nickelodean's
8th Annual Worldwide
Day of Play

"To see my kids from across the country love it so much, that they to want to do this full time, just resonates so much in my heart," Remo said. "It gives me the fuel to make my company a success so they too can live their dreams." Remo's colleagues have the up-most respect for her business. Nino San Andres who is a part of AOS's New York Dance Team enjoys working with Remo on a professional level. "Don't know anyone that has transformed a simple hobby into something extraordinary like AOS," he commented.

The future will bring many more opportunities for Remo and AOS. As more and more schools and organizations become aware of her programs, AOS will soon be a nationally recognized brand. Parents of all children should take more notice of their child's diet. Start early and don't just feed them vegetables, but get them involved in after-school programming. Let's join AOS and fight against childhood obesity.

Event: ALDIA News Media 11th Annual Career Fair

With people complaining about jobs, what better time to host a career fair right? Well on Tuesday, May 29th, 2012 Al Dia is hosting their 11th Annual Career Fair. Al Dia's goal is to connect qualified, emerging professionals with premier companies maintaining headquarters or satellites in Philadelphia. These companies are searching for educated candidates of all professional backgrounds. Both internship and career opportunities will be displayed. Bilingual capabilities for this fair are encouraged, but not required. So what are the odds of landing a job at a career fair? You'd be surprised. I actually attended one of the job fairs a couple of years ago and there are great companies present. I didn't see anything that attracted me but I was surprised to see so many career opportunities. Best of luck to all you job seekers!

Date Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Location PA Convention Center, 12th & Arch Sts, Phila., PA 19107
Hours 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Set Up 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Wrap Up 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Reflection: It's been one year since

It was one year ago when I started mi trabajo at WWSI Telemundo Philadelphia. And at the same time (to make things interesting) I was going through some pretty major personal...let's just say it was personal. This job was my next step in career and it has been amazing. I've met a lot more people along the way and honestly started understanding the way things work. By that I mean how the Latino community works in Philly and those "key" players you need to know. Granted I treat everyone the same but sometimes knowing the right people gets you to a goal much quicker.

In the past year I've successfully planned and executed three major signature events including a local upfront, La Feria de la Familia and Dia del Nino. People sometimes assume planning an event is easy but when you're the sole representative, it's not. I've expanded on our media partnerships and increased our social media presence dramatically. Working at a Spanish-language television station has its pros and cons but it has definitely gotten me closer to that goal. I did study journalism at Temple University and although my job isn't fully journalism, it sure has some involvement.

Now as the next year rolls through I start another journey at Saint Joseph's University. Getting my master's degree won't be easy but I know it will be worth it. Juggling part-time school and full-time work (among other things) will be exciting right? I thank everyone for their support and those who have given me advice about grad school. In fact, thank you to those who have been there this past year because it hasn't been easy. I've learned some things and grown. Now...just keep moving forward.

Educating our community on touchy subjects

The more I become aware of different programs throughout the city of Philadelphia, the more I wish these things existed while I was a kid. Maybe I was unaware because certain programs weren't meant for me. Nonetheless, I'm glad to see Latino non-profits engaged with the community on a variety of levels. Whether it's health, social justice, immigration or education, it's important to inform our people about life. Sometimes these subjects can be a bit touchy as well. They aren't discusses in our homes but there are organizations that are willing to do this job.

Concilio has a variety of health programs which teaches kids and adults how to live healthier lives. It's teen pregnancy prevention team recently started three new schools last month: Stetson Middle School, Pan American Academy Charter School, and Kearny Public School, as well as Concilio's Foster Care Program to promote abstinence and healthy decision-making among 6th and 7th graders. Using the well-evidenced medically accurate PHAT curriculum by University of Pennsylvania's Dr. Loretta Sweet Jemmott, children are learning how to stay on track for healthy adolescence.

For more information on El Concilio, visit elconcilio.net or call 215-627-3100.

Día del Niño a hit in the community

Anytime I get done a major work event a sigh of relief sort of hits me. Last Saturday, April 14 I successfully executed my first (full) Día del Niño event at the Please Touch Museum. This year I took a chance and contracted different entertainment and added some new elements. I always think that you can plan as much as possible, but it's not until the day of when you really start working.

With over 3,500 attendees, children, parents and families enjoyed a variety of kid-friendly activities and museum exhibitions throughout the day. The City of Philadelphia recognized the event with a citation which honored Telemundo Philadelphia and the Please Touch Museum for their commitment to serving the Latino community in the Delaware Valley. The citation was presented by Maria Quiñonez-Sanchez, City Councilwoman.

Some of the favorite activities included the Philadelphia Eagles' cheerleaders along with their mascot Swoop, a step workshop by Art of Stepping and more. There were numerous giveaways including Please Touch Museum passes, tickets to the Explosion Salsera concert in Atlantic City, NJ as well as a bunkbed. It was great seeing so many kids (and parents) with a smile on their face. Here's to many more DDNs!

Lampanelli calls Mendoza a spic

Race is the easiest way to make fun of someone. You name one stereotype and people start laughing. However, when you're on a national reality TV show not meant for comedy, things can go way wrong. A recent Latino Rebels post stated Celebrity Apprentice's Lisa Lampanelli’s racial slur joke got slammed by Venezuela’s Dayana Mendoza. So what exactly did she say? "I actually would love to see [Dayana] giving birth. She’s a spic. She’s going to do it fucking soon, anyway. She’ll be knocked up before the end of the week.” I'm sorry what? Implying that Hispanics (in this case Venezuelans) give birth to lots of kids and calling her a spic. If you don't see anything wrong with this then you must be blind.

Yes Lampanelli is a comedian, but that crosses so many lines. There have been countless comedians whom have been targeted for using racial slurs: George Lopez, Kramer, Andy Dick, Chris Rock, etc. If you haven't learned from these mistakes then you 're just dumb. Lampanelli is one of the strongest characters on the program and doesn't keep quiet. We'll see how this ends up. P.S. Thanks to Twitter, we're all able to see how people really feel lol.

La musica: Reggaeton joins forces with J. Lo

Just a little something to get your weekend started. J. Lo and Wisin & Yandel? Sure why not. Not a fan of the song but I'm sure clubs will overplay it so we can get rid of it.

Rita Moreno's America

Just coming back from the Kimmel Center's first of many ¡VOZ! Congreso series, I feel a lot of inspiration. ¡VOZ! Congreso at the Kimmel Center is an intimate conversation with some of the brightest Latino celebrity intellectuals of our time.The  first of many to come brought legendary actress and vocalist Rita Moreno. We learned about Rita's up-bringing as well as the start of her career.  She's a clearly astounding storyteller who knows how to capture audiences and throw finishing lines. Rita is also not afraid of speaking her mind without a condescending tone. She clearly knew the audience was a mix of white, black and Hispanics; and with racism clearly engulfed in her life, she let it be known her life career was not easy.

Rita is the only Hispanic and one of the few performers who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, and was the second Puerto Rican to win an Academy Award. When asked about what Latino actors/actresses she admired, it was difficult to answer. She had admiration for several actors, but could only name a few Latinas. "Jennifer Lopez is more of a performer," Rita said. And it's true. Latinos are not cast in any roles that are not stereotypical. Imagine that.

Who would you love to see in the ¡VOZ! Congreso series?

Event: Explosion Salsera in Atlantic City

Need something to do Mother's Day weekend? Then bring your mom to Atlantic City for what might possibly be one of the biggest Latino concerts of the season. Explosion Salsera will take place on Saturday, May 12 at the Trump Taj Mahal. Musical performances will include Tito Nieves, Charlie Cruz, Jose Alberto "El Canario", Ismael Miranda, Paquito Guzman and more! Talk about an old school salsa line-up. For those interested in scoring tickets you can visit holaciudad.com and enter to win!

Think your chances of winning are bad? Well then visit  ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-736-1420.

Explosion Salsera
Trump Taj Mahal - Venue: Mark G. Etess Arena
Showtime: 8pm, Doors Open: 7pm
Ticket Prices: $98, $78 & $58
Note: $2.00 facility fee on all tickets.

El Cafeito is back!

Remember when El Cafeito closed down exactly one year ago? I'm not going to lie but the surrounding community was devastated. Some people weren't sure why but others say it was because the owner of the building sold the property. It was disappointing because El Cafeito was one of the few decent establishments in the area. Traditional Puerto Rican breakfast and lunch mixed with some interesting mixes is sure to bring out a good mix of people.

A Facebook post by Charlotte Sahadeo says, "This is just the beginning of my dream business of Adorno's Boricua! I want to share with all easy and traditional Latino flavors for all. My vision is to incorporate the Latino culture in unconventional ways!" When I ate there today, the chef recommended the delicious black bean soup (pictured above) and wow...delicious. Hopefully the new Cafeito lives up to the old one.

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 7AM-5PM, Friday 7:00 AM-7:00PM
Saturday and Sunday 8:00AM-4:00PM (Hours due to change upon seasons!)
Free Wi-Fi Café
Available for Catering and Take-out
1700 North 3rd Philadelphia, PA 19122
(267) 319-1218

Opinion on bullying

With the release of the new film Bully I can't help but think about my days in high school. I saw lots of bullying in my small high school in Plainfield but didn't really pay it any attention. Of course the bullying happened because people were different. Although the school was predominately African-American, most bullying occurred not because of "race" but because of other reasons: sexual preference, clothing worn, etc. Yes I was made fun of at times but it was never a big thing. High school is that time in your life when social norms are introduced and society puts you in a box.

I recently also red an article in NBC Latino about two Puerto Rican students being bullied in a Connecticut high school. Then it hit me. Do most bullying incidents occur when the school is predominately white? I know this accusation may sound horrible at first but it could be true. Regardless of whether or not race is involved, bullying is a serious issue. These hurtful words can damage a child's mind and the future consequences might not be reversible. Words are hurtful; it's that simple.

Glee is a great program which portrayed bullying at a small and large scale. In various episodes, Glee touched on certain character's sexual orientation (men and women). Some were strong enough to move on with life and some were not. Suicide is probably the last thing on anyone's mind but it's possible. There's also a fine line of bullying and being made fun of. However, there are still hurtful words being used. Remember, being different is cool :). Don't let society tell you where you need to be; you make your own decisions in life.

Sofia Vergara tries to win over SNL fans

So I was excited to hear that Sofia Vergara was going to host Saturday Night Live last weekend. However, she wasn't that great. Vergara who plays a phenomenal charater on ABC's Modern Family was not able to capture that same humor live. Although it was pretty obvious the stereotypical segments were going to happen, they fell at deaf ears.

Al Dia's publisher made these remarks, "The truth is that the rest of us are sick and tired of being portrayed in American TV and movies, over and over again...It is an industry with few Latinos at the top and, consequently, callous to our concern for a more accurate representation of who we truly are." I would like to argue that we don't know whether these skits were Sofia's idea or they were just given to her. We also don't know if Sofia even gave 100% consent to the skits...she could have argued. But remember, the average American will do anything for money.

Do you believe Sofia's skits were justifiable? Remember, this is a comedy show. You can't really take any of these segments seriously, especially when they make fun of EVERYONE regardless of who's hosting. If you think about it, there's a 50/50 split between Latinos and whether or not they liked the segments. Everyone else most likely just found the show hilarious. SNL = comedy program. Not news.

Are you Hispanic, Latino or American?

That's the question that always seems to come up. Latinos living in the United States at times struggle with identity issues...I know I do. Why? Because society tends to put you in a box a.k.a. the Census. Depending on what part of the country you live, you're also categorized into other cultures. Live in Florida? You're all Cuba. Live in Philadelphia? You're all Puerto Rican. Live in Texas? You're all Mexican.

A recent Pew Hispanic Survey says, "A majority [of Hispanics] (51%) say they most often identify themselves by their family’s country of origin; just 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label." What's more interesting is that Hispanic is preferred over Latino. In Philadelphia, I've heard a good number of colleagues/friends prefer Latino since it embraces all cultures. Things are quickly changing. The older generation of Latinos versus the new-aged Latino is a battle that will go on for a while.

My favorite results from the survey find that 38% of all respondents are Spanish dominant, 38% are bilingual and 24% are English dominant. Among U.S.-born Hispanics, more than half (51%) are English dominant. Cue brand new English-language media geared towards the new-age American Latino. Our culture is changing. And although I do not want our language to be forgotten, I do want America to embrace this new trend. The new-age Latino is different.

Minority journalists keep losing jobs

Sometimes I ask myself whether or not it was a good decision to study journalism. Although I don't directly work in the field, that questions bothers me a little too much. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) recently reported, "The number of Hispanic journalists working at U.S.dailies went from 1,889 to 1,650, a 0.47 percent decrease (4.54 to 4.07 percent). The total loss of minority newsroom positions is at 5.7 percent." These numbers come from the most recent American Society of Newspaper Editors’ annual newsroom census. NAHJ's mission is to increase the percentage of Latinos working in our nation’s newsrooms and to improve news coverage of the Latino community. Talk about a tough job right?

And it's not just Latino journalists. The same report that covered Latino journalists stated that the number of African American journalists declined for the fourth consecutive year. African Americans in the newsroom workforce fell from 4.68 percent in 2011 to 4.65 percent. The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) reported, "Since 2002, African American journalists have lost newsroom 993 jobs – more than any other group of minorities, including Hispanic, Asian and Native American.
"

 There have been numerous pushes by both parties to adopt a hiring policy that requires at least one candidate of color among the top three candidates under consideration to fill newsroom openings. Is this really happening? And even if this "candidate of color" becomes a top three candidate, it doesn't necessarily mean they will get the job. I wish I could speak on behalf of journalists everywhere but unfortunately it's not what I do full-time. Minorities need to represented in front of and behind the cameras.

Tucson's Mexican-American Studies Ban in a nutshell

Ever wonder why the Mexican-American Studies program was banned in Arizona? Well the Daily Show decided to pay the Arizona school board a visit and demand answers. Although the interview (below) are hilarious, it raises the issue of how people think. The mentality that "you people are going to damage the U.S." is unacceptable.

Enjoy!

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

William Levy salsas away for a possible win

So last night during Dancing with the Star's our Latino heart-throb William Levy went with the cha cha and salsa. And amazing right? Dancing to Celia Cruz's "La Vida es un Carnaval," Levy sure did the Latino community good by showcasing our culture. The best part was that it wasn't stereotypical. Not one moment did I think, "Egh he's Latino so he'll just do this with no trouble." America will not put him in a box because he will surely do well in each challenge. Sure the stereotype is that Latinos are great dancers, but that's not necessarily true. Either way, I hope Levy represents Cuba and are culture to the max.

Our 100 Most Influential People

It's time for Time Magazine's 100 Influential Leader's list. The list will include leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes we the people believe have committed to our worlds's best interests. So should there be any Latinos on the list? Well according to Being Latino there should be. In a recent post, BL added Chef Jose Andres, Shakira, Marco Rubio and Juan Manuel Santos to the list. Surprisingly these are the only Latinos on Time Magazine's proposed list. Should there be more? Can we even name a Latino leader which has made a difference? I honestly don't believe we give our local leaders enough credit. Sure this list isn't about local, but if you think about it, how many of us think locally vs. nationally?

Official voting ends this Friday, April 6. The complete TIME 100 list will be chosen by their editors and revealed on TIME.com on Tuesday, April 17.

Philadephia's Latin American Film Festival?

Wow. Philadelphia has it's own Latin American Film Festival? Didn't know this until about a couple of days ago. I can't find any information about all the films nor who is presenting the festival. However, the International House Philadelphia is hosting a reception and film screening of Found Memories/Historias que so existem quando lembradas. The film brings a photographer into a small town in Brazil to capture those untold stories. These stories are what a lot of artists look for in a great story. In fact, it's what I like about this crazy world. Some people find themselves in fast-paced cities like New York City and Philadelphia yet forget there are small (unknown) towns in the world. These small towns are filled with intelligent and creative human beings but have not found a way to escape; some don't event want to leave. I hope other venues open their doors to these films. And I don't mean your traditional Latino venues; these films should be presented everywhere.

If anyone has any more information about the film festival please feel free to e-mail me. 

7:00pm Reception
8:00pm Film Screening and Discussion
10:00-Midnight After Party with Food and Live Music
Admission includes reception, screening, and after party.
For more information or to purchase your ticket: http://ihousephilly.org/events/foundmemories/