Mark Sanchez makes history - we're proud of him -

Here's a look way back to what his Mexican-American roots mean to him - from ESPN back when he played for USC . Here's a great story by Jorge Arangure Jr. Pic by Gregg Segal¡
Viva Sanchez! Just click on the pic to go to ESPN.com

Narcocorrido, good writing, and a story you need to know

Lawrence Downes tells at atmospheric tale and nails the story as he gets to the heart of Mexican Los Angeles via the narcocorrido, the “rap of modern Mexico,” as it moves through this sprawling, multilayered city. J. Emilio Flores took the pic for the NY Times. Click HERE for the story.

Final Frontier My Friends

I got a wonderful email from Ruth Livier (Star/Creator/Co-Writer of Ylse) telling me about a great and grand story that I've never heard on the news anywhere. Which is a shame since these are the kinds of stories we need to be telling. This August there will be Two Latino astronauts going on the space mission, Jose Hernandez - a Mexican National from Michoacan, who studied at UC Santa Barbara and Daniel Olivas - From El Paso, TX. from the US born of Mexican parents. Jose's astronaut bio is here, and Daniel's wiki page is here. Now these, mis amigos are role models. And as Ruth wrote to me, "This is the talent our community develops:))". Amen Ruth.

Mexican Chicago, Population: 800,000

The NY Times Jeff Bailey has the story here. Gorgeous Pic by Sally Ryan for the Times. There's a photo slide show as well.

My Heros Have Always Been...

Brooklyn Based/Mexico City born artist Dulce Pinzon's work in The Real Story of the Superheros is best explained in her artist's statement, an excerpt from which is below:

The Mexican immigrant worker in New York is a perfect example of the hero who has gone unnoticed. It is common for a Mexican worker in New York to work extraordinary hours in extreme conditions for very low wages which are saved at great cost and sacrifice and sent to families and communities in Mexico who rely on them to survive.

The Mexican economy has quietly become dependent on the money sent from workers in the US. Conversely, the US economy has quietly become dependent on the labor of Mexican immigrants. Along with the depth of their sacrifice, it is the quietness of this dependence which makes Mexican immigrant workers a subject of interest.

The principal objective of this series is to pay homage to these brave and determined men and women that somehow manage, without the help of any supernatural power, to withstand extreme conditions of labor in order to help their families and communities survive and prosper.