Cesar Chavez from News Taco

Check out this article from News Taco about Cesar Chavez.

“We need a leader, not a martyr!” pleads the brother of beloved labor leader César Chávez in a memorable scene from the film of the same name. The farmworker movement, largely attributed to Chávez and the United Farmworkers Union (UFW), was at a critical juncture in its development when, in 1988, the leader goes on a 36-day fast to call attention to deplorable working conditions and to emphasize the importance of non-violent tactics.

César Chávez, directed by Diego Luna, opened in major theaters on March 28th.

Click here for more for more of the article.

Dreamers: A Bloodline Part 1 Of A Trilogy Promo

Who: Cara Mía Theatre Co.

What: The Dreamers: A Bloodline, created by Cara Mia Theatre’s Artistic Ensemble, directed by David Lozano

When: May 31 (Opening Night w/ Reception at 6:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m.), June 1 – June 8. All shows begin at 8:00 pm.

Where: Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak, Dallas, Texas 75204

Tickets: Available online at www.caramiatheatre.org or by calling 214-516-0706.
Prices: $10-$25. Opening Night – Friday, May 31 (All Tickets $25, includes complimentary food and beverages).
All other dates: $12-$15; Group rates available. Call 214.516.0706 or email info@caramiatheatre.org for tickets.

TNA Show's Review of Cara Mia's Nuestra Pastorela

Cara Mia Theatre has done it again. The hosts of The TNA Show (Andres, Turo, and John Anthony) spent an evening at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas to catch their latest production, Nuestra Pastorela. What another great show!

Nuestra Pastorela is a play for the entire family. It is a whimsical twist on the traditional shepherd's journey to Bethlehem to see the Holy Family. In this version, the main characters are not only shepherds; they are clown shepherds. Cara Mia's production has the Devil devise a twisted plan for the shepherd's journey, with an updated and hilarious flaunting of his treacherous ways.  They are able to repel the devil and his power of temptation the only way clowns can: with goodness, innocence, and laughter.

I really enjoyed the mix of script and improv. The use of the audience as props and participants, guarantees a different experience every night.  The TNA Show, fully recommends this show for you and your entire family. With a refreshing perspective on this holiday classic,  Nuestra Pastorela will sure to have you wanting your very own clown nose.

Cara Mia hits another homerun with writers Jeffry Farrel and David Lozano's bilingual or trilingual, recognizing clown speech as a language , staging of a time-honored biblical adventure.

 The performances are held at the Latino Cultural Center for three weekends, Thursday through Saturday up to Dec 17th and the show starts at 7:30 pm. Also, on December 9th and 10th Cara Mia is offering free tickets for kids under 13. When you purchase tickets by calling 214-717-5297 or at the box office, just mention the code word "Pingo" for the offer. Enjoy the show!

Post by Andres, Turo, and John Anthony 

Cara Mia: Nuestra Pastorela

Our friends at Cara Mia Theatre are at it again!  They have another great production in the works for you; just in time for the holidays.  Nuestra Pastorela is "a family-friendly spin on a Mexican holiday tradition."

It will run from December 2-17 and all shows will begin at 7:30 pm at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas.  I would recommend attending December 2nd for the Special Opening Night Reception.  The Reception will begin at 6 pm and the play will begin at 7:30 pm.  Below is a description from Cara Mia's website:

"This unique and zany adaptation of the Mexican shepherd's tale features all the usual suspects. You'll see the Angel Gabriel, the shepherds traveling to Bethlehem, and the bumbling devils, depicted in the playful style of the Mexican folk tradition, plotting the shepherds' doom by tempting them with the seven mortal sins. When the shepherds don the "smallest mask in the world" (the red clown nose), chaos ensues and hilarity abounds with broad physical comedy and slapstick. You won't want to miss this one-of-a-kind production for anyone who is a child at heart!"

For tickets and more information, call 214-717-5297 or visit www.caramiatheatre.com

(Picture above from Cara Mia website)

A Hispanic Republican Could Be President

I never thought the first of the two major political parties to nominate the first Hispanic presidential candidate would be the Republican Party. Wow, this really is a shocker for me!

Click here to read a snippet on theweek.com and here for commentary from NewsTaco.com.

Did you ever think there was a chance that the Republicans would nominate a Latino before the Democrats?

The Real Focus

Our friends at NewsTaco.com posted a blog post by Dr. Henry Flores Ph.D entitled Hispanic? Latino? Mexicano? Chicano? Does it Matter?

This post brings to light a conversation that, according to Dr Flores, Latinos are having "online and in various closed door meetings." I agree with him. In fact I find myself discussing this issue quite often in both venues. I am not going to get into the "I don't like labels but I label myself this way" conversation, which usually ends with me looking for BC Powder in my wife's purse to make the sharp pain in my head go away. It seems some are looking for people to rally under one banner and trying to figure out what the banner should be.

Some of the titles suggested and used by some are Hispanic, Chicano, Mexicano, Latino, and/or Tejano. Everyone has their own preference on how to describe themselves whether it is one of these or a host of others to choose from. Each one has its own meaning and personal connotations attached to it. At the end of the conversation, I don't think people are brought closer together and ready to unify under one banner.

I would equate stopping "to find our banner to unite under one voice" to "waiting for our time"; both slogans tend to stop the progress of a movement. In my opinion, once we picked a name to call ourselves, we will alienate some portions of our coalition. If we choose the word Hispanics, some people who prefer Latinos will either drop out of the movement or start their own movement under a different banner and vice versa. I think it is detrimental to our cause to label ourselves. It benefits the movement to focus on our agenda instead.

Our banner should be our issues. We should let them figure out who and what we are and how to deal with us. I contend it does not matter what we call ourselves if we do not succeed in advancing our agenda. Always remember, the winners write the history books and we can pick a name when it is time to write.

When they want to talk about Hispanics, Latinos, Chicanos, Mexicanos, and Tejanos, we should talk about education, healthcare, comprehensive immigration, jobs, and other issues that affect our community. I honestly believe that we should not waste time or energy debating each other over what we are going to call ourselves or what uniform we are wearing, and instead use that energy to define and advance our agenda.

If we are really intent on wearing a label, let's start with this: "Voter"!

~Andres