Latino in America: Toss out the dream & Embrace the Stereotype?

Oh CNN, you tricky bastards. I tuned in last night, like many other Hispanics, to what we thought was going to be a positive, inspiring, empowering documentary of Latino's in America. & to our dismay & disappointment, it turned out to be 2hrs of emphasizing negative stereotypes & damaging to our culture.

Where do I begin......focusing on not 1, but TWO young Latina's who got pregnant in H.S.? How about the NYC family who lives in ATL, & their children have no sense of identity b/c they're not surrounded by latino's? Or the torn catholic community in Texas who can't get it together & just have bilingual services? But wait.....thankfully they had Lorena Garcia, popular bilingual chef, to salvage the show. Not to mention brief outtakes from Eva Longoria & Geroge Lopez.

I will admit, I was unfamiliar with CNN & its ongoing support with lovely Lou Dobbs & his anti-latino , "Mexico is our enemy"campaign. So, needless to say after reading some articles, this documentary was a sad attempt to gather a latino audience & perhaps make amends?
......really CNN

The truth is, not all Latino's/Hispanics have had the same experience coming to and living in America. This documentary should focus more on overcoming the hardships, success stories, achievements of our people. Not focus on how America already sees us. It is no secret about teenage pregnancy in Latino families, no cover-up on how poverty plagues us, no obliviousness to discrimination to us & our culture. This is reality, we know, America knows.
But where's the segment on young latino's who finished school, got a Masters, PhD even. The ones who didnt get pregnant, who didnt grow up in the projects. Whose parents are successful, bilinguil & who remind their children of their identity & their culture & what it is to NOT BE THE STEREOTYPE. Where is the part where about Latino contributions to America rather than us being a burden. Where is the minority WITHIN the minority!?!

Another example, they MENTION Eva Longoria & all they could say was her winning an ALMA award & that she hosted this year. Are you kidding me?! Eva started Eva's Heroes, a charity that helps disabled children AND shes the national spokesperson for PADRES, Contra La Cancer. Thats only scratching the surface of her charity work & achievements, and all they could say that she won an award?! & what about the ALMA awards, are they going to even mention the National Council of La Raza?!
Doubt it right.....because that group didn't grow up in the slums, they're educated & speak english & dont have 10 kids, right!

Shame on you CNN, shame on us for expecting anything positive from such a biased network. If anything, I learned that I am not THAT latina in america.

I am a 2nd generation college graduate
I did not come from a broken home
I speak both english & spanish
I was never a teenage mother
I have career 


I AM LATINA

Twinkle, twinkle, little bat!

*dances*

• almost my birthday, looking 4ward to Sunday & heading out to medieval times with my hearts. it's going to be so disgustingly cheesy, i love it! lol
• more gamer-friend encounters come Halloween weekend. very xcited.
  
• Rihanna's new single is some powerful shit.
  
• CANNOT WAIT to see Robin Williams in November!!! literally, heart jumping out my chest!
• Russel Brand & Katy Perry are an item *swoon*

birthday list.....hmmm

• air purifier! (yea....i'm a sick geek >.<)
• WoW game-cards (cuz I am a geek like that, ^_^)
• can never go wrong with earrings!
• Hershey!!
• anything comic related (phoenix, catwoman,poison ivy, harley quinn,etc)
• penguins!
  
• Alice in Wonderland

Warrior Woman

In my wildest dreams I never thought
I would be the person I have become
Just the quiet little mouse I used to be
Now become a warrior woman fighting
For what she thinks is hers by right
The chance to live each day in peace
Serene and wise maybe I would be
But first comes the battleground
Long ago I was so scared of life
Now I grab it by the throat tightly
And face all it brings me head on
I'm not afraid of anything anymore
Not even time itself can phase me
The new day brings its challenges
I smile and take a step with hope
Nothing more will ever beat me
*Fiona Davidson*

• sometimes you have look deep inside yourself, to be the strength for others
• I am a "split down the middle" of my parents
  

Feeling Yummier.....

oh happy happy happy face!

Yesterday ended rather well, considering the emo-trip I had for the majority of the day. Met up with MaMa, for some "fat-girl, no thinking" time ^_^
We tried to shop at H&M, but with the random winter/tropical storm that hit, it was a rather unsuccessful attempt,lol. What i did learn was that short people & low-waisted coats do not making a happy marriage. what you look like is something close to a stumpy munchkin trying to look fashionable. Needless to say, the hunt for a new wool coat continues.

The cold air was unbearable. I seriously need to remind myself that I'm asthmatic!! walking in the city yesterday was like being on a roller-coaster ride, every time I tried to breath, my chest would lock up. *sigh* So we made the very good decision to hit up Benihana's!!!! Totally near by & a change from our usually pilgrimage to Outback!! lol Pricy, but well worth it, imo.

So an observation was made. People are unbelievably oblivious to their surroundings. As me & mel sat contently in our corner seating, our dinner party (for those that are unfamiliar, Benihana will have you share a "dinner table" with others, considering the size or you party. Its hibachi, so it works out better that way) So as the Spaniard mother with 2 daughters went catty on one another, the 2 "bff's" that sat across from us, were chatting up a storm. I mean, THEY WOULD NOT STOP!!!! and at an audible level at that! So while these characters kept us entertained, me & mel ate our food & drank our sake.

• my bday care-package got to my friend in time for his bday, yaye Post Office!
• i keep missing Flash Forward & Fringe *grrrrr* i need DVR
  
• 10 days till my bday
• wont be spending Halloween in NYC this year, after last years catastrophe, I rather just spend it with my cousin (who loves the xmas -like holiday just as much as me) From what I've been hearing, the parade is on the borderline of not even happening, no budget & artists needing to save their own money. THAT, & the fact that low-lifes & hoodlums have found their way into our little festivities, increasing police presence . I just rather not deal with it.
• donuts & coffee always brighten anyone's morning
  

.....Tired

ever feel like your emotions are pulling you all sorts of ways. It's draining, it's stressful......it's tiring.

• age is becoming more & more apparent. not b/c of my upcoming birthday, but b/c the family members I grew up with are getting much older & life is taking a toll on them. We all have family members we "hear" about, or that "cousin" from that side of the family, you know Juan Doe's 2nd son. But when it's the immediate people, the people you genuinely know, you worry.....you hope for the best even if deep down you know it may not work out that way.
• sanctuary, i need it. my own personal space. my own fortress of solitude.
• being a "good person" isnt as rewarding as one might think. & its really starting to annoy the hell out of me
• i need to occupy my time with something other than WoW, something productive.
  
• i think im allergic to apples.....how messed up is that!!!

*sigh*

Dear Younger Me,

Blogger whore, Perez Hilton, did this for a magazine & I think its a fantabulous idea. So here it goes:

Dear Little Me,
*-Being a teenager IS as hard as it seems.- You'll feel awkward & be a follower & desperately want to fit in. Take a step back from everything & breathe. It's ok to not be like everyone else. It's ok to not be in the "cool kid club". You'll surround yourself with tons of people, but will come out with handful of real friends. You'll learn people are different, people grow up & people change. That's life, you'll change too hun! You'll learn that it's way cooler to be an individual & unique than being a groupie AND you'll meet alot more interesting people along the way too!

*-It sucks being sick!- It sucks always being in the doctors/hospitals/ER's, etc! I'm sorry but this is a little trait that will never let up. But what you'll learn is that no matter how fragile you are, you will always be strong enough to deal with it. Do your damn school-work & study hard! The better the education, the better the job , the better the insurance!!! ^_^

*-Racism & discrimination- will always be around. The worst is when its from your own culture. Being a light-skinned puerto rican will have its trials & tribulations. You can not change peoples ignorance, you can only attempt to broaden their mind. Do not feel bad b/c you do not sound like Rosie Perez or look like J.Lo. But know this much, be proud of where your family comes from. I know salsa in the morning annoys you and your father trying to teach you spanish will be like nails on chalkboard. But believe it or not, you will fall in love with Hector Lavoe & Frankie Ruiz! You will jump to the dance floor at the mere hint of an old salsa song! And you will eventually master Spanglish like the linguist you truly are!! You will look at your parents & appreciate the struggle they went through so you & your brother didn't have to. You will strive to not be the stereotype! "soy boricua pa que lo sepa"!

* -You will always be a kid at heart!!! Rock on with your cartoon & comic fascination! No, there isn't anything wrong with playing video games! This will ALWAYS be your thing, this will make you happy when you're down & out. Knowing the facts about the Hulk, X-Men, Spiderman, even Dr.Strange & all the rest, will hold so much more value to you rather then knowing the name of the latest club/lounge/party. Let's face it, you will be the cool guys-girl who knows her DC/Marvel trivia, who can hold her own on a Hulk VS SuperMan debate, & make a dude work for his in a Street Fighter throw down. You will graduate to PC gaming & forever be tied to World of Warcraft. Dont worry, there's a whole world of geeks out there, waiting to meet you <3 class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">shouldn't hurt.........no matter what you may feel or what they may say, don't ever let anyone put their hands on you or belittle you or worse! love yourself 1st, put yourself 1st, you're all you have in the end<3 class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">frolicking around a PC game. These will be the ones you call your sanity's & hearts. They will be by your side through the best and worst of times. they will love you when your weak & vulnerable. they will make sense of your craziness. they smack you in the head when you act up ^_^

*-the world- you will bear witness to events that will 4ever mark your brain & your heart. You will have your own "Pearl harbor". You will see what hateful people will do to make a point, the pain that they will inflict on others & feel justified. You will walk 9 miles home one day and even though, you & thousands of others are terrified, you all know you must go on. Through the dust & tears, you'll see a nation unite & a city rise above the rubble. On those days, NYC will brand your heart.

Remember to breathe
-Me-