Latino Threat Narrative

Bilingual Progress

I was recently invited to give the keynote graduation address for the Language Academy, a K-thru-8th grade language magnet school that is at the forefront of multi-lingual pedagogy here in California; the focus of my talk was a huge abrazo to all the children and parents of the school for their dedication to multi-lingual education in the face of a neo-fascist wave of monolingual madness.

Here's a story, from Tejas, that shows that progress is back on the march on all fronts. Good news for a change!

LA Times on Clash of the Pochos and LACMA

Two cool pieces that throb with XicanOSMOTIC tumescence and humidity!

Literary Debts Paid: A Tale of the Hold Steady and John Berryman

A break from the stereotypes for music, a poet, a rock band, and a high school. I ran across this video of The Hold Steady performing 'Stuck between Stations.'  What's special is that it was their first public performance of the song and it was played live before an audience of high school students in a gymnasium.  The first video here is the school performance--Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn starts his intro about a minute or so into the video.  It's pretty moving and reveals the literary foundation (John Berryman) of this very powerful rock band.

The Hold Steady at Littleton High School


Here's the finished video of the song:

STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS - The Hold Steady

There are nights when I think Sal Paradise was right.
Boys and Girls in America have such a sad time together.
Sucking off each other at the demonstrations
Making sure their makeup’s straight
Crushing one another with colossal expectations.
Dependent, undisciplined, and sleeping late.

She was a really cool kisser and she wasn’t all that strict of a Christian.
She was a damn good dancer but she wasn’t all that great of a girlfriend.
She likes the warm feeling but she’s tired of all the dehydration.
Most nights are crystal clear
But tonight it’s like it’s stuck between stations
On the radio.

The devil and John Berryman
Took a walk together.
They ended up on Washington
Talking to the river.
He said “I’ve surrounded myself with doctors
And deep thinkers.
But big heads with soft bodies
Make for lousy lovers.”
There was that night that we thought John Berryman could fly.
But he didn’t
So he died.
She said “You’re pretty good with words
But words won’t save your life.”
And they didn’t.
So he died.

He was drunk and exhausted but he was critically acclaimed and respected.
He loved the Golden Gophers but he hated all the drawn out winters.
He likes the warm feeling but he’s tired of all the dehydration
Most nights were kind of fuzzy
But that last night he had total retention.

These Twin Cities kisses
Sound like clicks and hisses.
We all tumbled down and
Drowned in the Mississippi River.

We drink
We dry up
Then we crumble to dust.

we get wet
we corrode
and now were covered up in rust

Gracias Gracias!

I just found out that Tex[t]-Mex was a September 2007 selection for Civilrights.org! Gracias to all responsible for this selection!

BORDERING on Genius! Thomas Allen...

Josh Kun Versus Tijuana Fashion Edicts

I just stumbled upon this cool old post from the shills at UCR regarding their former (he's at USC now) prof's sartorial edicts with regard to Tijuana sales folks.... cool read! What's especially moving is the symphony of semiotic play afoot in the phenomena Josh Kun exposes--in a kind of Jean Baudrillardian wet dream, the eclectic and colorful mayor of Tijuana colludes with his street vendors in a kind of cacophony of "Mexican" costuming. Simulacras of "Mexicans" dressing as "Mexicans" to shill pirated facsimiles of Bart Simpson, Calvin and Hobbes et al.

You can hear Kun's take on things from NPR; click the image below!

Another Reason to LOVE John McCain!

Fall 2008 Class Now On Tap

I have just updated the website for my fall 2008 class at SDSU. Now that I am the chair of the department, it gets harder and harder for me to make the time to teach my regular classes.

The irony? Now, more than ever, I NEED to be teaching to survive the trials that being a quasi-administrator throws in my lap on a daily basis. The joke about English departments is that organizing Lit professors is like herding cats! My update? It's like juggling cats on fire!

In any event, here's my Fall 2008 class--let me know what you think!

Animation

a cool video from "Look Mexico."


Look Mexico "You Come Into My House, While I Sleep?" from Look Mexico on Vimeo.

Oso versus Pooh! Bear versus Bimbo! @ borderlore

Daniel Hernandez on LA RAZA!!!

XicanOSMOSIS: Teatro Style in the City of Angels!

Hit the image above for more info or read the press release that just hit the net:

From: "CASA 0101"
Subject: Have you gotten your daily dose of...
Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:01:53 -0700

This August.....

An event TWO YEARS in the making...

The ULTIMATE battle of GOOD vs. EVIL...

Written by
Anthony Aguilar

Directed by
Alejandra Cisneros

Get ready boys and girls for another thrilling episode of El Verde!



Born as an alien from the not so far away world of Mexico and raised in the good old U.S. of A, all Arturo ever wanted was to live an ordinary life. But after a freak elote accident, Arturo became... El Verde!!!

Join us as we bring you the ORIGINS OF EL VERDE! Yes, we're going back, way back, to see how it all began. See an ordinary Arturo become the extraordinary hero he is today. Watch him as he battles the evil La Quinceañera and her ultimate plot to destroy the world.

If you've never been to an El Verde show before,
be sure not to miss this one.

TWO WEEKENDS ONLY!!!

Aug. 1-10, 2008
Fri. + Sat. 8pm
Sundays 7pm
Tickets are only $10


for RESERVATIONS:
mailto:tickets@casa0101.org
http://www.casa0101.org
323 263 7684

reservations STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!!!


? Who will you choose ?
Make your choice and
wear your colors to the show...
VOTE AT: http://www.myspace.com/elverdeshow


Casa 0101
2009 East First Street
L.A. CA 90033
casa 0101 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

El Vez Sighting!

Just one of the cool polaroids to be found at the day19 project! Thanks again to the one and only Michael Wyatt "Coke Can" Harper!

More XicanOSMOSIS from the The New York Times

Archive of Visually Provocative Artifacts of Mexico

Click here for more from the servers at the New York Public Library--kudos the M.W. Harper for the link!

Tex[t]-Mex Galleryblog and the Obscene Machine Blog Converge...

It had to happen eventually, the fusing of my twin obsessions: ersatz subjectivities and Mexican facsimiles, aka stereotypes. In honor of the impending release of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, a CGI wetdream of a cinematic artifact that promises to re-inculcate cross the Americas EVERY stereotypes of Mexico and Mexicans ever to be uttered, I present to you a modern marvel--a Chihuahua mannequin!



Holy Pinocchio Batsman!