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Amigos,
Although I retired from my position as a journalism professor in September 2018, I have kept teaching my Hispanic American history course at Lehman College. Why? Because of the reaction I get from my students. I live for this: "After reading throughout all the chapters I wanted to come clean. Before this class I was an ignorant Latina that denied my Spanish roots from Europe. However, after reading these chapters, I realized my ignorance held me back for years from learning how truly great my Spanish ancestors were and how I need to learn more." -- Amberly Castillo
"It's extremely sad and disgusting that the black legend is still around. I feel like the world would be so different if it never existed. I wish everyone could learn what we are learning now so they can actually understand history and stop discriminating." -- Danelis Espinal
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Cantinflas: In Sadness, We SmileApril 28, 1993 -- In the movies he was Cantinflas, a poor but happy man who had the innocence of a child. In real life he was Mario Moreno, Latin America's greatest comedian and film star. When he died in Mexico last week, the whole Spanish-speaking world was saddened, thinking about all the times he made us smile.
You may have read the obituaries, noting that thousands of Mexicans gathered to mourn his death, that he made 49 movies, that he was the faithful servant of David Niven in the 1956 classic "Around the World in 80 Days," that even Charlie Chaplin considered him "the world's greatest comedian." But to Latinos, Cantinflas, 81, was much more. Americans loved John Wayne because he played a tough hero, but Latinos loved Cantinflas for a totally different reason: He played a humble peasant, a penniless jack-of-all-trades who used his wit and good nature to get out of impossible situations. Read more . . . |
Mario Moreno "Cantinflas"
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Celia Cruz: My Queen is Not Dead!July 23, 2003 – For the last few days, people have been telling me that Celia Cruz is dead, that she died of a brain tumor Wednesday at her home in Fort Lee. I refuse to believe it. Celia is immortal.
How do you die when your spirit is full of passion? How do you pass away when your love for life has inspired millions of people? How do you expire when your clarion voice is recorded in more than 70 albums? How can you possibly be forgotten when you are the epitome of class, the essence of humility, the embodiment of integrity? How do you feel sad when she was the personification of happiness? How do you weep for the departure of a woman who taught us, in one of her last hits, that "there is no need to cry, that life is a carnival and it's more beautiful to live it singing"? How do you fade away when you taught your friends the true meaning of eternal friendship? It's impossible. When you are Celia Cruz, you live forever. I should know. I'm one of the privileged people she considered a friend. I loved her! Read more . . . |
Celia Cruz
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Gallery/Sala II - COLONIAL CITIESTo my Hispanic eyes, they are among the world’s most beautiful cities. They make my camera work overtime! Everywhere you turn you want to shoot another photo. They make me proud of my Spanish heritage. Let me show you the beauty they have in common. To go to the exhibit, click on this photo:
Para mis ojos hispanos, se encuentran entre las ciudades más bellas del mundo. ¡Hacen que mi cámara funcione horas extras! Dondequiera que mires quieres tomar otra foto. Me hacen sentir orgulloso de mi herencia española. Déjame mostrarte la belleza que tienen en común. Para ir a la exhibición, haga clic en esta foto: |
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Gallery/Sala I - CROSS COUNTRYAt a time when precious Hispanic statues are being vandalized all over this country, it occurred to me that there are many Hispanic monuments that still mark a history that cannot be erased — monuments that no one would dare desecrate! “This is a Hispanic Cross county!” I told myself. "And I have the photos to prove it!” To go to the exhibit, click on this photo:
En un momento en que se están profanando preciosas estatuas hispanas en todo este país, se me ocurrió que hay muchos monumentos hispanos que aún marcan una historia que no se puede borrar, monumentos que nadie se atrevería a profanar. "¡Este es un país de Cruces Hispanas!" me dije a mí mismo. "Y yo tengo las fotos para demostrarlo! " Para ir a la exhibición, haga clic en esta foto: |
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