Here is an op-ed piece I had hoped to publish a couple of months back when the “Benjamin Cardozo is Hispanic” craze really started. Before I’d even heard Sonia Sotomayor was picked as the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice nominee, I received an email from Jewish friends saying she was not. According to them, Benjamin… Continue reading Benjamin Cardozo is not Hispanic
Someone forwarded me the new trailer for Chris Rock’s “Good Hair” film which debuts in October. For the documentary, Rock takes us behind-the-scenes into the African-American hair industry. But this story will definitely appeal to Hispanic women like myself who grew up being told they had “pelo malo” (bad hair) that was only “good hair”… Continue reading Good Hair, Bad Hair.
Scrambling for movies to watch this summer, someone suggested “Adio Kerida”. The documentary, produced and directed by anthropologist Ruth Behar, is about the search for identity and memory among Sephardic Jews with roots in Cuba. Cuba as you know is just a hop, skip and a jump from my parents’ native Dominican Republic. Cuban food… Continue reading Adios Querida? No, Adio Kerida
Yeah, it’s the kosher and uncircumcised version of “Bagels and Locks” at Chabad.org, my mini-memoir on my love/hate relationship with my hair. Even if you’ve read alternative versions at shorter lengths, you’ll get a kick out of this one.
As usual, my Ladino is great, my Hebrew is not. Do you think Ladino will make a comeback? Let’s hope so. Watch these kiddies singing this beautiful Ladino folk song. Check out the lyrics below. Durme, durme hijiko de madre,Durme, durme s’in ansio y dolor;Sienti joya palavrikas de tu madre.Las palavras di Shema YisraelDurme, durme… Continue reading Ladino Rocks!
OMG, I’m, like, 29. That’s like almost 30! Here is the song my family sings along with “Happy Birthday” or rather “Feliz Cumpleaños.” It’s called “Estas son las Mañanitas.” Las Mañanitas Lyrics: Estas son las mañanitas, que cantaba el Rey David,Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti,Despierta, mi bien, despierta,… Continue reading Happy Birthday to me!
Can I tell you how much I love Junot Diaz? I never would have thought a book about a Dominican-American geek (“The Brief & Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”) win the Pulitzer Prize. It wasn’t even until college that I knew there were Hispanic American authors writing stories that felt like they could have been… Continue reading My Favorite Dominican (After my little sisters, of course)
“So what do you do?” “I’m a freelance writer. I also keep a blog called ‘Memoirs of a Jewminicana.’” “A Jew-what?” “Jewminicana. A Jewish American Dominican.” “Oh.” Confused face. “So your father is Dominican and your mother is….” Trailing off uncomfortably. Eye roll. “Dominican.” Shocked face. “Oh. So, you…” Trailing off uncomfortably again. “Converted.” Silence.
http://www.hulu.com/embed/ecsrg_rGdP7psJkobtukZA by the letters S, A and P. (Get it?) Conan O’Brien is trying to embrace his Latino viewers out here in Los Angeles. Sure, there are stereotypes (sexy Latina) but it seems like Conan has been doing his telenovela (Spanish soap opera) homework!
Over at Zinc Plate Press, I was asked this question and for a second, I didn’t have an answer until finally, it poured out of me. Usually, people are trying to find out what strengths from Judaism, I’m bringing to my Latino side, not the other way around. For the answer to this question, mosey… Continue reading What strengths from your Latino background have you brought to Judaism?
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 