In his new book, Ernesto Caravantes, author of the controversial book “Clipping Their Own Wings: The Incompatibility Between Latino Culture and American Education,” insists that Hispanics need to start putting education first. But is it really a part of Hispanic culture not to value education or is it a Hispanic American cultural problem? My family… Continue reading Is Latino culture putting a low emphasis on education?
Ug, I was reading through the section of my New York magazine that lists all the charities that are now going underfunded. Boy, was it depressing. It reminded me that a fellow blogger asked me to blog about a family in need. Unlike those lists of charities, this adds a face to the name. Check… Continue reading Charity
Students leaving Brooklyn Tech last month after taking the morning admissions exam for the eight specialized high schools, considered the city’s best. Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times I grew up in a predominately Dominican neighborhood, Washington Heights, where being smart and doing well on homework and tests was looked down upon as “acting white.” Given… Continue reading Elite NYC Public Schools, Mostly White and Asian
A not so young, suntanned Berlusconi. Excuse me, why are we still hearing about Sarah Palin now that the election’s over? That’s because, of course, the election is not over. I fear it will never be over. Obama is everywhere now, just as he was weeks up to the election. Given that there’s not much… Continue reading Young, Handsome and Suntanned
The rainy, foggy weather in New York has got my fibromyalgia frazzled. It keeps spiraling between making me utterly exhausted to shooting pains from my fingertips to my toes. So, of course, I’ve totally overscheduled myself. I’ve signed up to do everything knowing full well that I might have to cancel at the last minute.… Continue reading Weathering the Blues
From the NY Times article, Brooklyn Woman is Questioned in the Death of her Daughter, 11: “The mother of an 11-year-old girl who arrived in New York from Mexico last month used a mop handle to beat her on Thursday — a thrashing so severe it left the girl listless, vomiting and confined to bed,… Continue reading Gratitude
Squeezing writing into Chol Hamoed Sukkot takes a kind of discipline that I apparently have not mastered. I’m squirreling away at trying to come up for a title for my book. And no, it’s not finished. But the publisher wants a title. Between my catchy ones and his “textbook” ones, we have yet to find… Continue reading Getting religious
Habichuelas con dulce sold in Washington Heights Robert Capin for the New York Times The hardest part about keeping kosher hasn’t been having separate dishes and utensils and pots for everything. It hasn’t been giving up tasty treats like eel and octopus either. Yum. The worst part of keeping kosher is the utter lack of… Continue reading Hispanic Heritage Month Post #2: Dominican food!
I spent Sunday reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer. And when I say I spent Sunday reading it, I mean that I spent ALL DAY at the dining room table turning pages as I propped the book up on my stylish Book Chair. The book debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller… Continue reading Priorities
“Y-Love” aka Yitz Jordan performs in New York. The New York Daily News featured Modern Orthodox rapper/Jewish convert, Y-Love in “Tale of tragedy and triumph for struggling Hasidic rap star.” The article presents an interesting portrait of the Orthodox Jewish convert. A quote from a rabbi cites that hip-hop is harmful and that “music of… Continue reading Hip-Hop is Harmful?
Memoirs of a Jewminicana 