By Roxy Heras AUSTIN, Tx. — As each day passed, I got more excited for my Quince to come. Unfortunately, due to Covid, I was unable to have the Quince I had always desired. It was exciting, overwhelming, and most of all delighting during the two days we had to plan for my Quince. Even…
Born in 1941 in Los Angeles, CA, and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Richard Valenzuela is known as a pioneer in rock music history, being the first Chicano (Mexican-American) to have merged Spanish with the rock n’ roll sound with his version of the traditional folk song “La Bamba.” A self-taught musician and singer-songwriter,…
I had the pleasure of speaking with Annette Chavez Macias, author of “Big Chicas Don’t Cry,” a novel about four Mexican-American cousins in Southern California who navigate the trials and tribulations of being a Latina woman in the United States. For reference, I was able to read “Big Chicas Don’t Cry” in October and wrote…
JCPenney’s Hope & Wonder Hispanic Heritage Month Collection kicked off with a very special event in Austin, Texas. For plenty of brands, Hispanic Heritage Month isn’t really something they advocate for or put much of an emphasis on. However, JCPenney put together a special assortment, showcasing how much they value their Hispanic consumers. The entire…
Authors and UCLA educational researchers Jean J. Ryoo and Jane Margolis are on a mission to bridge the STEM divide, emphasizing the critical need for STEM education with their YA graphic novel Power On! The project follows four friends as they advocate for the education they deserve, learning about the benefits and dangers of technology…
Classic Hollywood is filled with many epic and culturally significant films. From the silent film era to talking productions, pre-code films, film noirs and westerns, there are a wide variety of genres and subjects to watch, appreciate, and analyze. Many films featuring subjects on Latino and Hispanic culture or which required the casting of a…
Yesterday evening, AFS Cinema was aglow as cinephiles and celebrities made their way into the 27th Annual Cine Las Americas International Film Festival. The Fest kicked off with an impressive red carpet event, featuring filmmakers, musicians, and actors who were all here to celebrate a weekend of Latino and Indigenous films thrown by the non-profit,…
President Joe Biden just held a press conference announcing his Student Loan Forgiveness Plan. The plan will erase over $10,000 worth of student loan debt for Americans earning less than $125,000 annually. This amount is doubled to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. Pell Grants are usually given to undergrad students who are in deep financial…
Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter, Laufey Lín Jónsdóttir is a musical gem on a mission to introduce classical jazz to a younger audience. In the Fall of 2023, Laufey released her 2nd full-length album Bewitched. Her sophomore album is a continuation of her debut album Everything I Know About Love, released in August 2022. Compared to her debut…
