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Gracias for being a Freak with Me

12:50 pm By Maegan La Mala · Events|language|literature|New York City · Comments Off

29 Jan 2009

I’m running a little slow today because I’m tired and yes, a little hungover, pero it was all worth it. Last night’s HISPANIC PANIC! reading at Nowhere,NYC hosted by Charlie Vazquez, was the most fun I have had in a long time.

I read two older poems and a new poema en tres partes called @ndo aka Twitterputeando/Fucking Statehood. Charlie Vazquez read a story about juegos/jugos de pelotas. Charles Rice-Gonzalez, Executive Director of BAAD!, read from his forthcoming novel Chulito, and Karen Jaime spit poetic love to Dominican Yols, drag kings and hope. We were quite a mix as was the audience that came through and had nothing but love.

Plus I met some wonderful new amigos, drank wine, and danced to Cuban music.

I think I’m going to try and make these readings regularly and so should you. The next one is in February, which is billed GENDER PANIC! and March (GIRL PANIC!), which will feature female erotica writers.

Just tell them Patty Peña sent you.

Martes Morning Musica : Dan Zanes ¡Nueva York!

10:32 am By Maegan La Mala · children|language|Music · Comments Off

27 Jan 2009

I hate so called “children’s music”. Most of it is cheesy ass crap and I’m of the philosophy that if mami can’t stand to hear it, my kids won’t listen to it either. I especially dislike Spanish language music, usually sung in a saccharine voice and with a bad accent. Enter Dan Zanes and his latest cd ¡Nueva York! Now, Dan Zane’s Spanish accent leaves much to be desired pero the collaborations on this cd featuring some classic canciones that mami loves, even nursery songs, makes the constant requests by my toddler to replay this cd over and over and over again a ok.

From Dan Zanes site:

“This CD is the sound of my band and I working with our Latino friends here in Nueva York. While the conversations about who should and shouldn’t live here in the USA rages on, we’re having a 21st century party celebrating some of the amazing culture that’s come here from various parts of Latin America. The spirit of collaboration and friendship has made this for me the most emotional and exciting of the Dan Zanes and Friends CDs.

And who are some of the amigos on the cd?

Not English Only in Nashville

9:02 am By Maegan La Mala · Bilingualism|language · Comments Off

23 Jan 2009

Voters in Nashville made it clear that they do not speak English only. Yesterday a measure to make English the official language of all government business failed to pass. 57 percent of voters rejected the proposal. That is not a small margin. Seems that most voters agree with Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, who called the measure mean spirited.

Via / ABC News

Oklahoma Tries to go English Only

12:34 pm By Maegan La Mala · Bilingualism|Immigration|language|midwest · 3 Comments

15 Jan 2009

While so much of the U.S. is focusing on the change that a new presidential administration is supposed to bring, Oklahoma lawmakers are trying something old and tired: to pass English only legislation.

Three members of the Oklahoma House and a state senator said Wednesday they will attempt to send a proposed constitutional amendment to Oklahoma voters that would make English the state’s official language.

They say it would save taxpayer money by not requiring the state to print documents, such as driver’s license tests, in foreign languages. They also say it would help legal immigrants assimilate into American society.

That’s right. They are actually trying to help immigrants, only the legal ones.

Gracias Oklahoma.

Via / Hispanic Tips, KJRH

For a Growing Number of Latinos It’s Not Spanish Only

1:29 pm By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|language · 2 Comments

9 Dec 2008

One of the ways that nativists in the U.S. spread fear about immigration and Latinos is buy talking up the point of the loss of English and other so-called cultural markers that allegedly make the country what it is. More and more however, this myth is being countered demonstrating that the anti-immigrant movement has less to do with “national pride” and more to do with racism.

More Spanish speakers are speaking English very well despite a steady influx of immigrants this decade — a sign that they are blending in at least linguistically, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Census data released Tuesday.

The drop in the percentage who struggle with English is most noticeable in some of the largest counties and cities that have attracted immigrants for decades.

So once we speak “your language”, we’ll be more acceptable right? We’ll fit in more and won’t seem so “other”, verdad? Latinos, like myself, who have always spoken English know that this goes way beyond language.

Via / Hispanic Tips and USA Today

Barack Obama in Espanish

6:37 pm By Maegan La Mala · language|US Presidential Race 2008 · Comments Off

24 Oct 2008

Barack Obama released an ad with him looking straight at you, Spanish speaking Latinos, and he’s speaking in your language, Spanish. Apparently this as is supposed to appeal to our emotional side, and while his pronunciation isn’t too bad, the ad has as much emotion as a rock.

Via / Politico

Two Spanish Language Newspapers Endorse Obama

8:27 am By Maegan La Mala · language|Newspapers|US Presidential Race 2008 · 3 Comments

21 Oct 2008

With two weeks before elections day, the focus on key voting blocs intensifies, and Latino voters represent part of that. Much of the attention to the Latino vote and Latino issues (because we don’t want the same things that other voters want like a better economy, health care, apparently)is happening in Spanish and through the Spanish language media (because apparently we all speak Spanish).

Los Angeles’ La Opinión and New York’s El Diario/La Prensa, two of the nation’s oldest Spanish-language dailies, made public their endorsements of the Democratic candidate on Friday.

Obama Ad Attacks McCain for Turning His Back on Immigration Reform

3:06 pm By Maegan La Mala · Colorado|Immigration|language|US Presidential Race 2008 · 3 Comments

8 Oct 2008

While in English language debates, Obama will not mention the word immigration, his campaign has no problem dropping the word in Spanish language ads (apparently English speaking Latinos don’t care or aren’t interested in immigration?).

The following Spanish-language ad starts to air today in Colorado.

Via / Hispanic Tips y The Colorado Independent

Accent on the Fake : Palin’s Folkiness Vs. Realness and Race

7 Oct 2008

Is the way Sarah Palin speaks related to her upbringing? Her class? her education? Her race? Is it cute? Does it appeal to you or or your neighbor? Does it make you feel like she is like you?

Shameless Self- Promotion : Maegan la Mala Spits Poetry Tonite in Queens, NYC

29 Sep 2008

If my posts have taken on a poetic quality, you will please be excusing la Mala. Here in NYC we are in the middle of the 5to Encuentro de Poesia “Poetas en Nueva York

Tonight at the Centro Humanista de la Culturas, 76-11 37ave Jackson Heights,Queens, NYC at 6pm, I am honored and blessed to be a part of the Noche de mujeres, sharing the stage and spitting palabras with

-Irma Galido
-Claudia Barragán
-Daniel Reyes y Nilko Andreas

Come through if you can.

Friend the event on Facebook.

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jose luis: when the rally is going to be held in SAn Diego..if there is on??? [...]

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