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Diario de Oaxaca: A Sketchbook Journal of Two Years in Mexico
Ostensibly about the recent political strife in the Mexican state, Diario de Oaxaca will likely be far better known for its gorgeous visuals and packaging as a diary, complete with ribbon bookmark. The book, with bilingual versions of the story under the same cover, tells the story of artist Peter Kuper’s life in the community there. However, this book is much more than that.
Continue reading...Dangerous Curves: Latina Bodies in the Media
18. July 2010
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I have occasional conversations with associates about the unusual political and cultural space occupied by Latinos, and the challenges young Latinas in particular face. Often sexualized and objectified by mainstream white culture as exotic succubi, Latinas further occupy a racialized place of privilege that Black women are not permitted.
Continue reading...The Fire and the Word: A History of the Zapatista Movement
27. December 2009
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This richly illustrated and designed volume, featuring indigenous art and photographs on nearly every page and unprecedented interviews with members of the early villages, is a result of the seven years Mexican journalist Gloria Muñoz Ramírez’ spent with the Zapatistas in Southern Chiapas.
Continue reading...Death Squads or Self-Defense Forces? How Paramilitary Groups Emerge and Challenge Democracy in Latin America
29. November 2009
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The Georgia-based School of the Americas has been the convergence point for many years for activists concerned about the United States' impact on Latin American policy.
Continue reading...Working From Within: Chicana and Chicano Activist Educators in Whitestream Schools
27. November 2009
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A peculiar tension has always existed between activist educators working in public and higher education. Maybe it is the contradiction of cultivating consciousness of youth while being on the payroll of institutions (and certainly the state) that seldom believe in such politically minded pursuits.
Continue reading...Ringside Seat to a Revolution: An Underground Cultural History of El Paso and Juárez: 1893-1923
16. October 2009
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Born and raised in El Paso, Texas, a dominant image that sticks out in my mind is a view from Interstate-10, a common route for commuters. Whether heading east- or west-bound, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is, at one point, visible from the freeway, and if one takes a second look, an interesting juxtaposition presents itself:
Continue reading...Beyond Elections: Redefining Democracy in the Americas
20. September 2009
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Beyond Elections takes on a huge topic – the future of democracy in the Americas. The documentary by Sílvia Leindecker and Michael Fox ably traverses the complexities of this broad question, relying predominantly on the voices of the people to explore how we define democracy, its nature and limitations in the Americas and efforts to expand it.
Continue reading...Venezuela: Revolution from the Inside Out
20. June 2009
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In the US mainstream, Hugo Chavez is generally seen as a "communist" (a la North Korea, Cuba, or China), tyrant, or both-often vilified by US news media and politicians. Further, the Chavez administration is often painted as illegitimate, particularly in comparison to those elected in dominant Western "democratic" models-such as the US or much of the EU. However, Venezuela: Revolution from the Inside Out provides a more nuanced perspective on Venezuela and a thorough investigation of modern socialism as now manifested in Central and South America.
Continue reading...Teaching Rebellion: Stories from the Grassroots Mobilization in Oaxaca
19. June 2009
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Teaching Rebellion: Stories from the Grassroots Mobilization in Oaxaca reflects the spirit of the historical teachers' struggle in Oaxaca, Mexico in the spring of 2006, which is rooted in the principal of radical (direct) democracy and social justice. The narratives assembled in this book are the voices of political implications of theory drawn from the experimental frameworks within this community struggle for "living wage, infrastructure repair, free school books and social services for poor students" (p.25).
Continue reading...Protest Graffiti Mexico: Oaxaca
19. May 2009
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Organizers often forget the importance of the imagination. Though cadre may be able to articulate points in Capital, it's the masses who dream for brighter futures for their children that provide the numbers movements need to succeed. And when things look difficult, the imagination helps keep participants focused. One example of this observation was the protest effort in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Continue reading...We Shall Not Be Moved: Posters and the Fight Against Displacement in L.A.’s Figueroa Corridor
28. April 2009
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Gentrification is one of those great battles the working class continues fight on a regular basis. Not that it has much of a choice. Urban desirability and the quest for community in cities across the United States have turned many a block into "neighborhoods in transition," condominium war zones where the enemy combatants are the less well-to-do.
Continue reading...Become A Friend
18. July 2010
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