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A Favorite Latina on the Web Needs Our Support

4 Nov 2009

I’m really honored that Guanabee named yours truly one of their favorite Latinas on the web.

Some deal explicitly with Latino issues, some don’t. Some are funny, some are creative, some are activists, all are uniquely amazing, inspiring women who, we think, are some of the best at what they do.

I am especially honored by some of my company on the list, including dear mami amiga, Noemi Martinez of Hermana Resist. As a single mami media maker, I appreciate what Noemi does and understand the struggle it is to express yourself in a given medium with no source of funding and with kids yelling, learning, laughing and getting sick as your background soundtrack. Which is why I am asking you to help my mami hermana.

The Annual I Hate Columbus Day Post

9:30 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Marketing| VivirLatino| history · 1 Comment

12 Oct 2009

The irony isn’t lost on me. Colombus Day, aka Dia de la Raza, aka Dia de Hispanidad, is the anniversary of VivirLatino’s launching so happy four year anniversary to us and to you all of our loyal readers who have been with us through transitions and shifts. I am proud of the site we are becoming. That said, I don’t know if I am getting old or if it has to do with fatigue that I feel from every damn year having to send a note to my older daughter’s teacher about how fucked up their history classes are (although this year has been different), pero I find my tolerance level lowered in terms of my reaction to the holiday.

Let’s just look at the way Columbus Day is marketed by big retailers who make the day about “discovering” great bargains.

I couldn’t find a version the Macy’s commercial that has been running on TV for the past few days but the picture above is related. Just like in the picture, in the TV ad, fairly “white looking” people, including a child, wear “explorer” hats made of newspaper and using old fashioned telescopes to conquer stores.

In my email inbox on Friday, office supply retailer Staples invited me to “Save like it’s 1492″ . Does that mean I just can take over the whole store?

This morning on my local Fox station (surprise) they announced that to celebrate the opening the Rockefeller Center today, there is someone dressed as Columbus handing out Italian flag cookies or some shit like that. I still want to know why so many in the Italian community look to Columbus or choose this day to celebrate their pride?

I’m gonna be on the look out for more Columbus Day marketing. In the meantime hop over here and read an old Columbus Day poem by yours truly.

VivirLatino’s la Mala Reading Tonite at Bluestockings NYC

8:07 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Events| Lo Que Hay| Media| New York City| VivirLatino · 1 Comment

18 Sep 2009

If you’re in the Lower East Side of NYC tonite, stop in at Bluestockings where I’ll be reading a poetic history of my life in the mami’hood as part of the Mama Storytelling Salon. Other Mama’s who will be reading tonite are Jennifer Silverman, Kerry Cohen, & Vikki Law. The reading is set to jump off at 7pm.

Have You Contributed to Our 30 Days of Latino Heritage Site Yet?

17 Sep 2009

Don’t forget you can send in your links, images, quotes and videos regarding Latino heritage here.

There will be more videos coming soon pero trying to make videos with a toddler is no easy task. Thanks for your patience and understanding.

xoxo
Mala

A Reminder : Nasty Comments will be Deleted

8:31 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Internet| VivirLatino · Comments Off

16 Sep 2009

If your idea of disagreeing with a post is insulting or name calling, your comments will be deleted. And yes obviously it’s a subjective call, pero that’s the joy in this being my blog

30 Days of Latino Heritage : An Introduction

15 Sep 2009

30 Days of Latino Heritage : Introduction from VivirLatino on Vimeo.

An introduction to the 30 Days of Latino Heritage Series on VivirLatino.com featured Maegan “la Mamita Mala” Ortiz.

VivirLatino Familia Grows Just in Time for Latino Heritage Month

6:02 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Arts| Movies| Music| VivirLatino · 1 Comment

15 Sep 2009

bianca You know us Latino families and how we just keep multiplying. In honor of ~~Hispanic~~ er Latino Heritage Month (mas on that later), I would like to an announce an addition to the VivirLatino familia.

Please manda saludos and show some love to Ms. Bianca Laureano.

Bianca I. Laureano is the daughter of an artist and educator. As a first generation Puerto Rican sexologist living in NYC, she was raised in the Washington, DC area in an activist environment and is a product of the public school system. In the field of sexuality for over a decade, Bianca has worked with and taught youth of Color, working class communities, national and international organizations advocating sex-positive social justice agendas. She has presented both locally and internationally on various topics concerning activism, Latino sexual health, feminisms, youth and hip-hop culture, Latinos and race, curriculum development, and teaching popular culture.

Bianca is an instructor with CUNY and a freelance writer with Amplify Your Voice as the Media Justice columnist. She hosts the website LatinoSexuality.com and identifies as a LatiNegra, activist, sex-positive, pro-choice femme. Find out more about Bianca by visiting her website www.BiancaLaureano.com

Bianca is joining VivirLatino as our new music and film editor and will be doing reviews for us starting este mes. We look forward to her voice and perspective.

Netroots Nation : Invisibility and Identity in Progressive Spaces Part 1

15 Aug 2009

I have been hesitant in many ways to write about Netroots Nation 09. As always, I am grateful to have the opportunity to come to these spaces, even if it ends up being an isolating experience. Trust me, NN09 is not like the Allied Media Conference, where while yes I faced challenges, as an activist rwoc blogger I didn’t feel so completely alone, so compelled to render myself invisible and confront that invisibility all at the same time. That has been my experience here at NN09.

I won’t get into the more personal ways I have been marginalized and forced to make myself invisible. I will write about that over at Mamita Mala, pero I want to write about how in these so called progressive spaces, women of color, specifically radical women of color who dare to question the way feminism is framed and the way struggles done in our name are framed, are forced to make a statement by their absence.

It’s been a long time, pero la Mala is back

22 Jul 2009

Peeps may have noticed my absence over the last week. While I wasn’t blogging, I was hard at work meeting with other radical media makers, including our own la Macha in Detroit which housed the Allied Media Conference and the Women’s Equity Media Summit.

This was my second year attending the AMC and I consciously entered the experience with the intent of using it as an opportunity to examine my work here and in other spaces as a radical woman of color media maker. I was blessed with amazing experiences and sharing space with other radical women of color media makers who inspire me and teach me. I also left with a head full of ideas and projects that will be sustained with the help of some of the same women who busted ass making sure that I was housed, fed, and loved.

I will resume regular posting, some which will include deconstructing some of the experiences I have had over the last week so stay tuned and gracias for reading and supporting the important work we do here at VivirLatino.

Mala’s on the Road : To Detroit for Women’s Media Equity Collaborative Summit and the Allied Media Conference

6:21 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Allied Media Conference| Detriot| Media| VivirLatino| media justice · Comments Off

15 Jul 2009

WMECmphSUM2
While all of you are reading this, I’m on the road again, this time returning to Detroit for a busy few days that I hope will recenter me and the work that I do.

Thursday I will be at the Women’s Media Equity Collaborative Summit.

A day long session of exchange in a nourishing environment
++ to build a strong women centered media movement
++ that broadens outreach, evolves programs and is sustainable

* In Detroit a new women’s media strategy will evolve. POLICY in action!
* Emphasis on attendees from groups led by women of color, low income women, queer women, the disabled and moms – focus for scholarship assistance
* “Being there” is vital for long term sustainability of women led media

Critical initiatives to explore and build:
* Create Trust & Relationships across race/class/geography/media-genre borders
* Share Field Developments and discuss the results of the survey
* Build For The Future, embrace new digital paradigm along with political/economic shifts
* Envision a New Fund that is sustainable and responsive to critical field needs
* Advocate Gender Justice amidst independent media and the larger public sphere

From Friday, I will be at the Allied Media Conference

The Allied Media Conference is the central project of the Allied Media Projects (AMP) network, which emerges out of ten years of organic relationship-building. Since the first conference (then the Midwest Zine Conference) in 1999, people have been compelled by the concept of do-it-yourself media. Later, as the Underground Publishing Conference, the emphasis was on building a movement of alternative media makers. With the shift towards Allied Media, the AMC has attracted more and more people who are interested in using participatory media as a strategy for social justice organizing.