Getting Hitched
My family members and me at my big fat Jewish Dominican wedding. My latest piece, My Big Fat Jewish Dominican Jewish Wedding, just hit Interfaithfamily.com.
Category: Hispanics/Latinos
Silence, A Response
Remodeling the world. Some bad book I was reading was making fun of suburbanites and how much time they spend talking about remodeling their homes. I found this curious because I had yet to walk into such a conversation out here in Los Angeles. And then it happened. During one Sukkot meal, I happened upon… Continue reading Silence, A Response
Hispanics at Risk
My great-grandmother recently celebrated her 96th birthday. My grandmother just started collecting social security. So as you can imagine, there has been a pretty good run of good health in my family. No history of cancer. No history of Alzheimer’s. Just a bad case of high cholesterol and high blood pressure. My husband, however, has… Continue reading Hispanics at Risk
I’m more Latino than you
Someone asked me if I feel more comfortable talking in English or talking in Spanish. I told them English. They responded, “I feel more comfortable talking in Spanish. I guess I’m more Latino than you.” Sigh. Now, I know how poor Jessica Alba feels. Her family didn’t pass on the language according to her interview… Continue reading I’m more Latino than you
I’m not white, I’m Jewish
“I’m Not White, I’m Jewish” is the name of the song featured in the YouTube video above. The rap song has clear sociological issues. As the performing artist strums along to his guitar, the camera pans around the room of Jewish preteens. And every face in the room? White, of course. But hey, as the… Continue reading I’m not white, I’m Jewish
On Dominicanness
Junot Diaz was quoted as saying he had to suppress his Dominicanness. Of course, he points out in a piece in Dominican Today that this quote was taken grossly out of context. Who would want to suppress their Dominicanness, in fact? (Not me. And certainly not Junot, who’s stellar Oscar Wao novel is a tribute… Continue reading On Dominicanness
Hispanic Heritage Month Post #3: The Authors
I didn’t discover Hispanic authors until I was in college. Until then, I thought the only people that wrote were white with the exception of a few black ones. When I uncovered my brethren were writing, I launched myself head first into their writing. The heavy hittersFor a while, I was addicted to Oscar Hijuelos.… Continue reading Hispanic Heritage Month Post #3: The Authors
Chabad Goes to Harlem
Rabbi Shaya Gansbourg with his children,Rashi (l.) and Yossel at the Chabad of Harlem, a synagogue and community center at 437 Manhattan Ave. When I decided to convert, I was living in Harlem. There wasn’t much of a Jewish life to be had. I could walk 40 blocks (and I sometimes did) to my synagogue… Continue reading Chabad Goes to Harlem
Friends of Other Races?
This month’s issue of Glamour magazine poses an interesting question: “Do you have friends of other races?” And then, more poignantly, do you have CLOSE friends of other races? I don’t want to offend my white friends. But I might. Here me out, though. I have always been someone who has had friends of other… Continue reading Friends of Other Races?
Reading for pleasure…
It’s gotten harder to read when reading is work. I read my magazines for pleasure but also to think of new ideas to pitch to them. I read memoirs for pleasure but also to help me figure out how to write mine. I read books about writing because I love to write but again, it’s… Continue reading Reading for pleasure…
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 