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Journal of the American Latino Dream
22
Volume 8
{August 2012}
Issue 12
The Fall Arts Preview
A cornucopia of artistic events and cultural adventures
25
Listening to the world
MIM director, Bill DeWalt, talks about the museum’s goals
42
7 8
From the editor It’s back to school season
¿Será posible?
Can Kyrsten Sinema “pass” for Latina?; hivebound bees resist afflictions of old age
12 LP journal AZ Latino Republicans back Matt Salmon;
childcare issues neglected by AZ lawmakers; Lilia Alvarez wants to shake up Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
14 Cool Vibe cocktail confections with coffee liqueur;
September showings of Latino films at PAM; converting your old heels to fashionable new heights (on the cheap); Franco’s new film score; rediscovery of Sixto “the Sugar Man” Rodriguez
15
Latina still standing
Entertainer, Angie Gomez, keeps show going on
21 Ronstadt Rincón del arte 39 Everything Education Generations latin-ize patriotic songs you always wanted to know about 27 ASU’s Movin’ up Learning Sciences Institute has new 31 33
homework, but didn’t think to ask: why, when, how much and whether to help; information about electronic study aids and Internet safety
assistant director; Roman new board chairman for AZ Society of CPAs; Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs honors Mary Rose Wilcox
43 Health Back-to-school advice for keeping kids healthy
Entrepreneur
46 Time out Nick Montoya – devotee of “ageless yoga”
Events coordinator, Tracy Machajewski, offers clients good deals and a great view
49 P.S.
Briefcase
Phoenix economic outlook – could be worse; U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey subject of controversy; iPhone’s fifth birthday;
37 Those who serve Adam Tellez, a family tradition of police work
Only you can interpret your dreams
50 My perspective ... on why the arts matter in Arizona, from the
executive director of AZ Commission on the Arts, Bob Booker
Coming in September: The anniversary issue latinopm.com
¡ August 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
5
dbacks com/tickets
losdbacks com/boletos presentado por
¡! from the executive editor
August 2012 Publisher/CEO Ricardo Torres Executive Editor/COO Cecilia Rosales, Ph.D. Copy Editor Virginia Betz Art Director Jorge Quintero Contributing Writers Catherine Anaya, Diana Bejarano, Robert Booker, Erica Cardenas, Dan Cortez, Bill DeWalt, Ruben Hernandez, Jonathan Higuera, Nick Montoya, Robrt L. Pela, Stella Pope Duarte Director of Sales and Marketing Carlos Jose Cuervo Advertising Account Executives Grace Alvarez and Barry Farber Webmaster QBCS Inc.
Contact Us
www.latinopm.com P.O. Box 2213 Litchfield Park, AZ 85340 602-277-0130 Advertising: sales@latinopm.com Editorial: editor@latinopm.com Design: art@latinopm.com
Subscriptions
For home or office delivery, please send your name, address, phone number, and a check for $24 to Latino Perspectives Magazine at the address above. Subscriptions also available for credit-card purchase by calling 602-277-0130. Visit latinopm.com/digital for a free digital subscription. Latino Perspectives Magazine is published 12 times a year and is selectively distributed throughout Arizona. The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted by Latino Perspectives Media, LLC, all rights reserved, and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher.
Back-to-school season brings opportunities for all By Cecilia Rosales, Ph.D.
The fall equinox is still a month away, but with school back in session,
the autumn season is unofficially here. Never mind we are still wearing shorts and T-shirts! Commuters may dread the traffic associated with the start of the academic year, but retailers nationwide eagerly anticipate shoppers rushing through their doors looking for the latest back-to-school trends and necessities. This time last year, according to the Census Bureau, the country spent $7.7 billion at family clothing stores. A nice economic boost! While kids may revel in the latest fads, being truly ready to return to the classroom takes much more than that a trendy outfit. As Robrt Pela writes in the Health feature, ABCs of health care, going back to school healthfully is easy – and necessary. This is especially true if we want kids to thrive throughout the academic year. In this month’s Education department, Erica Cardenas shares a short history of homework, along with tips for parents and guardians to foster academic success at home. If you have a school-aged kid at home, these two pieces are a must read, even if you’ve got all your ducks in a row. If you are among those who think you think you are too old to learn something new, or teach an old dog new tricks, Nick Montoya has a message for you. The Arizona native and former Fortune 500 executive was living the high life as an over-achiever until one day, suddenly, he couldn’t get out of bed. His doctors referred to him as a walking time bomb – stress, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, migraines, fatigue and unbearable back pain. Inspired by his daughters, and determined to live a better and healthier life, Mr. Montoya left the corporate world and transformed his life, his body and his career through yoga. It’s a fabulous true story. Read his piece in Time Out. Make sure to peruse our Fall Arts Preview, where Ruben Hernandez highlights some notable offerings from arts and culture organizations in the Phoenix metropolitan area. P.S. Next month, we’ll be celebrating Latino Perspectives Magazine’s 8th anniversary. Please join us for a fiesta! See the inside back cover for details. If you prefer to get your e-vite via email, go to latinopm.com/digital and subscribe gratis to receive invitations to our events and get the magazine delivered monthly to your inbox. Cheers to fall!
Editorial mission statement
Latino Perspectives creates community, cultivates c u lt ural pr ide and provokes, challenges and connec ts L at inos who are def ining, pursuing, and ac h iev i n g t he A me r ic a n L at i no D re a m .
Your thoughts? Tell us what you think. Send your thoughts to editor@latinopm.com
Latino Perspectives welcomes feedback from readers regarding published stories or topics of interest. Please include your name and phone number. Mail letters to Editor, Latino Perspectives, P.O. Box 2213 Litchfield Park, Az. 85340. Or, email letters to editor@latinopm.com. latinopm.com
¡ August 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
7
¡! ¿Será posible?
Sinema verité By Robrt Pela
Because Arizona has apparently run
out of ways to embarrass itself, our fair state has now taken to publicly mistaking blonde-haired, porcelain-skinned political candidates for Latinas. No, really. Former state Senator, Kyrsten Sinema, who is now a Democratic candidate for the U.S. House in Arizona’s Ninth Congressional District, was recently identified as “Latina” in a directory published by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). At NALEO’s annual conference this year in Orlando, the former advocate for Green Party presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, was listed in the nonprofit’s Directory of Latino Elected Officials on the same page as Arizona Latinos like Congressman Ed Pastor and state Senator Steve Gallardo, and included in a PowerPoint presentation section
Fear sets in.
Cancer diagnosis.
titled, “Latinos in Non-Majority Latino Districts.” Sinema didn’t attend the June NALEO conference, which culminated in a pair of public addresses given by President Obama and by presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, and she’s laying low about the whole Latina snafu. Her campaign headquarters has released statements to the effect that they don’t know how this error occurred, and that it’s not their problem, it’s NALEO’s. Needless to say, no one at NALEO is talking. Their press flacks claim that neither Sinema or her campaign team would have identified the former senator as Latina, but are quick to point out that NALEO membership is open to people of all ethnicities. But the directory is plainly about Latino public servants and elected officials,
and membership in the nonprofit policy organization doesn’t Kyrsten Sinema come with a random listing in a directory of Latinos. It’s likely that Sinema’s political opponents and adversaries will make much of this, perhaps placing the blame on Sinema, and implying that she is trying to garner votes from constituents who will vote for anyone listed in a Latino-specific directory. It’s an implausible argument, one that’s easily refuted by the giant signs all over town featuring a comely shot of Sinema, whose fair complexion and bleachedblonde bob hardly scream “chica!” But this is Arizona and – at least where politics are concerned – anything is possible.
Your treatment team collaborates on your case.
You meet your personal cancer navigator.
¡! ¿Será posible?
Here’s some good news for those of
us trying to stall the aging process: Scientists at Arizona State University have recently discovered that geriatric honey bees have reversed their own brain aging by taking on hive-related chores typically given to young bees. What does it mean for those of us who happen not to be yellow-and-black-striped insects? Mostly that staying home is good for us, and that doing more, not less, work when we’re old can slow the progress of agerelated dementia. The ASU scientists haven’t weighed in on where we’re going to find the energy at the age of 85 to mow our own lawns or scrub the kitchen floor, but they do know this: tricking old bees into doing social tasks inside a beehive causes changes in the molecular structure of their brains. The study, published in the scientific journal, Experimental Gerontology, counters most current research on human age-
related dementias, which focus on potential new drug treatments. The team from ASU’s School of Life Sciences worked in tandem with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences to discover that the bees that stayed hive-bound remained mentally competent for as long as they were observed. Conversely, bees who went out into the world each day to gather food, pollinate flowers and frighten people tended to live only about two weeks. These movers and shakers showed lower brain function than the stay-at-home drones, which remained vital and teenaged-acting for the duration of each study. Apparently, the stay-at-home parents have the upper edge on those racing into the workforce each day. The ASU team discovered that, after 10 days, about half the older bees caring for the hive’s babies had significantly improved their ability to learn new things. What’s more, the researchers discovered a change in proteins in the bees’
Photo courtesy of ASU
The incredible lightness of bee-ing
brains, most notably, in a protein also found in humans that can help protect against dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease, as well as other human-brain proteins that protect brain tissue from cell-level stress. If the good news is that maintaining an active life can stave off dementias in old people, the bad news is that researchers estimate that it will take more than 30 years to turn all this research into a drug that could help people maintain the same healthy brain function without having to babysit their great-grandchildren a couple hours a day. Bummer.
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Conversation starters from the world around us
12 LP Journal
Salmon’s high-profile endorsements; Alvarez vies for District 3 seat; Children’s Action Alliance study
17 Anaya says
Face up to the realities of a distorted body image
18 Pocho Keen
Latinos & Internet addiction
i say... Hollywood never gave her the lead role, but in our hearts she will be remembered as our leading lady. She will be deeply missed by all of us.
Alex Nogales, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, on Lupe Ontiveros’ death
Photo courtesy of the artist
We need for the Latino community to stop the bullsh** and understand that the Latin community in America needs them to wake up and actually engage.
page
14
Wilmer Valderrama, actor and co-founder of Voto Latino, on the importance of mobilizing the Latino electorate
Composer and percussionist, Germaine Franco, supplied the soundtrack for award-winning film, Margarita
latinopm.com
¡ August 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
11
¡!
LP journal
Family guy, Matt Salmon, stands up for conservative principles and Arizona’s Latino Replublicans approve
Up, Up with Salmon It’s official. Former Congressman and Fifth Congressional District candidate, Matt Salmon, has snagged an endorsement from the Arizona Latino Republican Association (ALRA), a statewide organization that pitches conservative ideals and principles to Arizona’s Latino community. The endorsement is a first for ALRA, which broke with its standard practice of not endorsing candidates running in primary elections. But, the ALRA executive board voted to change course and endorse Salmon after board members convinced the organization that Salmon’s record is a dead match with ALRA’s defining conservative platform and objectives. “We’re pleased to endorse Matt Salmon,” says ALRA president, Rey Torres. “He has a proven track record of making courageous decisions in defense of our mutually held, conservative ideals. As economic and strategic threats loom over our state and our country, we need leaders like him in Washington, now more than ever. Matt is a man of great integrity and principle, which is why ALRA is pleased to support him.” A proud conservative, Salmon, who was first elected to Congress in 1994 and served until 2000, was rated in the 12
Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ August 2012!
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top five among all 535 members of the House and Senate by Citizen’s Against Government Waste for all six years he was in office. And conservative voters love that he is a lifetime member of the NRA and a proponent of the National Right to Life Movement. Salmon seems pleased with his inaugural endorsement from ALRA. “I am very humbled to receive the support of the Arizona Latino Republican Association,” he is quoted as saying in a recent press release. “ALRA is one the strongest and most influential Republican organizations in Arizona, and their mission to advance conservative principles in the Latino community will be instrumental to Republicans’ success in November. I share their belief in limited and smaller government and a free-market economy, and, I look forward to working with them to spread our conservative message throughout Arizona.” The ALRA will, no doubt, be there to back Salmon’s “conservative message.” The organization has recently taken a larger role in the electoral process, and is putting its might behind several Republican candidates across the state, employing old-time, grassroots campaigning: phone banking, neighborhood walks and personal
appearances at fundraising events. ALRA will certainly use its weekly radio show on KKNT 960AM, which typically hosts Republican candidates from all over Arizona to promote current public policy issues, to advance Salmon’s campaign. ALRA’s endorsement isn’t Salmon’s first. In recent months, the former congressman has scored official support from fourteen Arizona state senators and fifteen Arizona state representatives, as well as from Arizona congressmen, Trent Franks and David Schweikert, former Arizona congressman, John Shadegg, and – perhaps, most controversially – from Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. From out in the world, Salmon has been given a thumbs-up from South Dakota Senator John Thune, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey, Utah Senator Mike Lee, Congressman Darrell Issa and former Florida governor (and presidential brother), Jeb Bush.
Lilia of the Valley Lilia Alvarez has announced that she is running for Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in District 3. She is off to a good start, endorsement-wise. The Honorable
LP journal Martin Quezada (the state representative in District 13) has already begun publicly promoting Alvarez’s candidacy. Quezada’s endorsement might well be trumped by Alvarez’s public trashing of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an unpopular pastime among conservative voters. Alvarez, a law student and activist, is among Arpaio’s most vocal critics; she has also turned her political guns on the County Board of Supervisors, which she hopes to shake up if she is elected. Wags suggest that that’s a pretty big “if.” Alvarez is running against longtime incumbent, Andy Kunasek, a Paradise Valley Republican who has served on the Board since 1997. Still, Alvarez does have a high profile among local Democrats. She co-founded Citizens for a Better Arizona, the organization responsible for the recall of Russell Pearce, and served as the group’s director of fundraising. “Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox has been the lone Latina on the County Board for 20 years,” Alvarez says in a recent press release. “I say it’s time we change that, and fight for our dignity at the table.” In a message posted to her campaign website, alvarez2012.com, Alvarez gripes
Lilia Alvarez
that the Board has been dominated by male Republicans for an entire generation. “I think it’s time to change that sad statistic, don’t you?” she writes.
Attention politicians: Kids need you The news about the welfare of Arizona children is just in, and not all of it is good. According to a new study commissioned by the Children’s Action Alliance (CAA), an independent organization that works on behalf of Arizona kids in the greater community, wide variations in conditions exist for kids in different parts of the state. The study, which is broken down by each of Arizona’s 30 newly drawn legislative districts, shows that the percentage of children living in poverty varies from only six percent in Legislative District 23 (North Scottsdale and Fountain Hills) to 40 percent in District 30 (West Phoenix and parts of Glendale). CAA, which works from the state capitol to improve children’s health, education, and security through information and action, used recent U.S. Census data, along with AIMS reading scores, as the foundation for the study, which the organization says should stand as a call for help from government officials.
¡!
“Arizona families need elected leaders who are accountable and work for them,” says Dana Wolfe Naimark, CAA president and CEO. “The fact sheets [in our study] give both voters and candidates a good look at assets and needs for children, so they can focus on the campaign issues that matter most for children’s success.” Despite the rather wide variation in well-being that is documented for the different districts, statistics show that Arizona kids face many common challenges. Among these is the fact that, in every legislative district documented, more than half of the children have both parents in the labor force. “Therefore, the need for quality, affordable childcare shouts out from the fact sheets,” Naimark says. Even the wealthiest legislative districts include schools with low passing rates on the third grade AIMS reading test, according to the study’s fact sheets. “Campaign promises and platforms mean a lot more when they are based on local conditions and priorities,” Naimark insists. “This information gives candidates the chance to go beyond kissing babies in photo ops to supporting real strategies that improve children’s health, education and security.” CAA’s new “kids-need-help fact sheets” can be viewed at azchildren.org. latinopm.com
¡ August 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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¡!
vibe
Espresso with piquete
Dress your soles
If you’ve been wishing the neighborhood barista
French designer, Christian Louboutin, may have
could spike your java, or if you’re tired of offering lame coffee drinks at your soirées, you may want to check out Kahlúa’s new pre-mixed cocktails. The coffee liqueur concoction promises the artisanal taste of iced dark coffee, made out of 100 percent Arabica coffee beans from Veracruz, Mexico, and only 150 calories per 200 ml can. The “grab and go” drink ($9.99 for a four pack) is available in three flavors: iced espresso, iced mocha and iced coffee with cinnamon spice. ¡Salud!
popularized the pricey and coveted, red, high-heeled shoe sole, but, fortunately for the masses, he doesn’t have a monopoly over the sole beautification business. For the señoras and señoritas unwilling to dish out at least a thousand for a pair of pretty-soled designer heels, Arc Tags® are a good “plan B.” Think of Arc Tags® as interchangeable stickers to dress up your soles. They are made of a water-resistant, heavy-duty material with a strong adhesive backing. If you are the crafty type, all you have to do is trim along the sole outline on the back (designed to fit most high heeled shoes), peel and stick! The D.I.Y. tag kits sell for under $25 and come in many colors with lots of patterns to choose from. Check them out at archtags.com.
Get more Vibe at latinopm.com
Germaine Franco is one of a handful of Latino film
Nicola Correia-Damude plays the role of Margarita
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Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ August 2012!
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score composers making it big in Hollywood. The El Paso native has contributed to musical scores, such as the Angry Birds Rio samba, The Lorax, Happy Feet 2, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. Her latest project is the soundtrack for the Canadian film, Margarita. This family drama won Audience Awards for Best Feature at the Women’s International Film Festival in France and at the Inside Out Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. Directed by Dominique Cardona and Laurie Colbert, Margarita follows the travails of a gay, undocumented nanny living in Canada, and explores social injustices related to race, class, sexual orientation and geopolitics. Listen to the soundtrack at germainefranco.com (you’ll love the synesthesia and nostalgia evoked by the track, Smells like Mexico); for more on the film, visit margaritathefilm.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF (Clockwise From top left): Kahlúa, ArchTags, Margarita the movie
Franco provides score for Margarita
vibe
Latina still standing
¡!
Cancer picked the wrong diva By Diana Bejarano
For six months, she woke up every day Reportero gets a showing at PAM this September
Cine Latino at Phoenix Art Museum This September, the Phoenix Art
Museum will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Cine Latino, a selection of the latest films from Mexico, Spain, Central and South America. The series is sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Museum’s Latin American Art Alliance. Cine Latino includes critically acclaimed dramas, comedies, documentaries and short films. All screenings take place at Whiteman Hall. Tickets (unless otherwise noted) are $7 for members and students, $10 for nonmembers, and are available at the Museum. September 1, 1:00 p.m., Short films from Mexico, Spain and Latin America. September 2, 1:00 p.m., La Mirada Invisible (Argentina). September 5, 7:00 p.m., Reportero (U.S.). Free screening. Produced in part by the Sundance Documentary Institute and Latino Public Broadcasting; official selection of over 20 film festivals including the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. September 7, 7:00 p.m., Juan of the Dead (Spain, Cuba). An instant cult-classic and official selection of over 20 festivals including, Toronto, LA Film Fest and Fantastic Fest. September 9, 1:00 p.m., Chico & Rita (Spain). Nominated at the 2012 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature. Septembet 16, 1:00 p.m., Found Memories (Argentina, Brazil) September 30, 1:00 p.m., Las Acacias (Argentina). For more information, visit phxart.org.
and rallied the strength to get through chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Then, she went to work as a DJ, “The MidDay Diva,” on local radio station Mega 104.3. Most of her loyal listeners didn’t know that she was undergoing cancer treatments; she continued to keep them singing and dancing all day to the old school tunes like those of Earth, Wind and Fire, Michael Jackson and Carlos Santana. One day a week, Angie Gomez would undergo a five-hour chemotherapy session and, then, every day for a month, she had to attend radiation sessions. She did all of this while still being on the air and performing four or five nights per week with the local Latino R&B band, Power Drive. This is what Angie Gomez’ life was like after being diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma three days before Christmas in December of 2009. All of a sudden she was under attack and found herself in the middle of the greatest battle of her life, fighting against cancer. As if that weren’t enough to deal with, she and her boyfriend of four years ended their relationship in the midst of her first round of chemotherapy treatments. She was tired. She was hurt. She was scared. But, at least she had her mother to lean on; her rock, she said. Her strong mother helped her through; her mother went to every chemotherapy and radiation session with Angie. She said her mom had always taught her to be a fighter and a strong woman. She held on to the idea that, with her mother’s strength and God on her side, she should be able to get through anything. I saw this Latina Still Standing fight this monster with grace and dignity
and a strong resolve. The following year, Angie lost her grandmother, with whom she had a close bond. This past March, she unexpectedly lost her mother, her rock. Angie beat cancer. She didn’t let it beat her down and she has now been in remission for two years. She continues to pursue her life-long dream of entertaining and inspiring people in the Valley of the Sun and in her hometown of Superior, Arizona. She is now working on writing and recording her own music, as well as creating a personal line of jewelry, both to be released in the near future. In her quest to further inspire and motivate other women, Angie will be holding her first annual Free Women’s Expo conference on September 8 at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino. The conference will include several motivational speakers, Zumba® demonstrations, several vendors and a fashion show. She is hoping to continue to motivate and empower other women to keep standing! (I will share more details as they become available.) Diana Bejarano’s professional background includes more than 15 years of marketing and communication experience. She was named in “40 under 40” by the Phoenix Business Journal (2005) and the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (2007). She is also a Hispanic Leadership Institute graduate (2007). She is an Arizona native and a graduate of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Reach her at latinastillstanding@yahoo.com or latinastillstanding.blogspot.com
latinopm.com
¡ August 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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There’s nothing I love more than taking my the ballgame. When a All family of my out big to plans were put on hold medical exam revealed lifestyle when I thought I had athat badmy cold and had aged my heart by an extra 10 years, it turned out to be heart failure. I was determined to get that time back. After a heart transplant, I feel lucky to But I needed help to change my life. be here. Mywas answer Mayo Clinic. My answer Mayowas Clinic. Adam Janusz Derrick Hall, Paradise Valley, Arizona
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vibe
¡!
Anaya says
Mirror, mirror: Photo by Hal Wilson, Courtedy of Sony Pictures Classics
When is vanity pathology? By Catherine Anaya
I was in 8th grade when I went on my
Chicano singer-songwriter, Sixto Rodriguez, subject of acclaimed documentary, Searching for Sugar Man
The amazing story of Sixto Rodriguez Imagine waking up one day and
realizing you are famous, really famous, in another part of the world – like South Africa, for example. Believe or not, it happened to Sixto Rodriguez. If you are a bit skeptical, you’ve got to watch the biopic, Searching for Sugar Man. Directed by Malik Bendjelloul, the film premiered this past July in New York and the wide release is scheduled for August 2012. It has been very well received by the critics; it’s an official selection of the Sundance, Tribeca and South by Southwest Film Festivals. The film tells the story of Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, a Mexican American folk singer-songwriter, born in Detroit in the early 1940s. He was discovered in a neighborhood bar in the late sixties and, for a while, was thought of as a Chicano Bob Dylan. He recorded an album in Detroit, Cold Fact, in 1969 and another one in London in 1970; neither production fared well in the U.S. However, a bootlegged copy of Cold Fact traveled the continent and became a huge hit in South Africa.
first “diet.” I was obsessed with Brooke Shields at the time, and wanting desperately to be statuesque and rail-thin like her. Since I couldn’t control my lack of height, I went after what I could control – my weight. That first attempt at food deprivation at age 12 led to years of “yo-yo dieting” that got worse after my freshman year of high school when a classmate told me my hips “looked big” in the jeans I was wearing. They were a size 2! But what I saw in the mirror from that point on was usually about five sizes bigger. That warped perception is what experts call a negative, or distorted, body image, which I admittedly sometimes struggle with even today. So, it was no surprise to me when new data came out last month showing that 80 percent of all 10-year-old girls have been on at least one diet. Research from the National Eating Disorders Association shows 40 to 60 percent of kids between 6 and 12 years old are concerned about their weight or becoming “too fat,” and that 70 percent would prefer to be thinner. As the mother of a teenage girl, this kind of research concerns me. I’ve long worried about her perception of herself. I want her to have a healthy body image and a healthy relationship with food. That’s one reason why I went on record a few years back in the local newspaper – even appearing on CNN – to discuss my history of anorexia and what’s known as “exercise bulimia.” It wasn’t until I started incorporating weight lifting into my exercise regimen that
I understood the difference between being thin and weak and being lean and strong. Contrary to what some might think, television has played no role in any negative body image I’ve had. But, I do think that some of the magazines I used to read, such as Seventeen and Teen – with their waif-like and perfectly proportioned models – probably did. The president of the National Eating Disorders Association says manipulated images contribute to eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem among girls as young as 8 years old. That’s why I’m encouraged by the promise that Seventeen magazine’s top editor has made to always feature healthy girls and models regardless of clothing size. When my daughter reads that magazine, I’m confident that it is more for the beauty and fashion tips than any perceived body standard. Experts believe that parents need to take a more proactive role in a child’s perception of themselves by encouraging them to have healthy relationships with food. I’m very mindful of how I treat and talk about food in front of the kids. On the rare occasion when I slip and wonder out loud if I look fat, my daughter will pounce on my poor choice of words. In our house, d-i-e-t is a four letter word. Catherine Anaya anchors CBS 5 News weeknights at 5, 5:30, 6 & 10pm. She is a mother of two, marathon runner and motivational speaker. Reach her at catherine.anaya@cbs5az.com, connect with her on Facebook, twitter and at CatherineAnaya.com.
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Pocho keen ¡! vibe
Like peachy keen, pero different
Getting off Facebook There comes a time when all good
things must come to an end, when we must divorce ourselves from the things we love, or think we love. Such is the case with me and my love affair (read: obsession) with Facebook. It’s not you, Mark Zuckerberg, and your evil empire. It’s me. The moment of clarity came when a friend (a real one, actually) posted an article on Facebook, of all places, that suggested humans are becoming addicted to the Internet and all of its wonderful offerings, like YouTube, Gawker and, the granddaddy of them all, Facebook. How else do you explain the incessant postings of children (cute and not-so-cute), or cats in memes (if you don’t know what that means, consider yourself lucky)? I call it the “post-and-wait syndrome,” when you post something and then, for the next few hours, constantly check in to see if anyone liked how cute your kid looks holding a spoon, or your rant against Joe Arpaio. I have been guilty of doing the kid thing for sure, and I realize that I post these photos fully expecting a response. I might as well just go to the nearest mall, hold my kid up over my head and shout, “Hey! Who likes my kid? Isn’t he cute?” What does this have to do with Latinos? Well, as with diabetes, we are more prone to become obsessed with Al Gore’s invention than non-Latinos. Our Internet usage rates are growing faster than that of the general population, and,
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according to Nielsen, Latinos watch 68 percent more online videos. Marketers are paying attention to this. On YouTube, you can learn how to filet fish on MiTú, a Latino lifestyle network that offers tips on health, beauty and food, as well as featuring stories about family, home and “pop cultura.” Yes, pop cultura, because nothing says pop culture to a hip Latino like “pop cultura.” So, watch out! They’re coming after people who are already susceptible to Internet addiction. The Internet is like alcohol, something that could lead to an enjoyable experience, but also to an addiction and the problems associated with that. I came to this analogy (no analogy is ever a good one, but I like this one) when, after reading the aforementioned article, I decided to go “dark.” That’s a term my friend likes to use when he’s stays out of the public eye. The experience was easier than I thought and, when I did check my Facebook newsfeed a few days later, I could see the forest through the trees. It was like when you quit drinking for a month and realize how dumb your friends can be when they’re drunk. I was hopped up on notification alerts! When I would meet someone and they would say they weren’t on Facebook, I would whisper under my breath, “Ay, que muy muy.” How could this person not want to be my friend some place other than right in front of me? I don’t think they’re trying to be holier-than-thou, maybe they just don’t see the worth in it. Lucky bastards.
Rodriguez’s lyrics resonated with disenfranchised youth who lived under the repression of the South African apartheid regime. His music was banned, becoming even more appealing to progressive audiences, and, while it never made it to the radio, his songs were played in bars as energetic and socially aware youth sang to its poetic lyrics. Known as Rodriguez (a.k.a. Rod Riguez and Jesus Rodriguez), in the late 1980s he was presumed dead by his fans; an urban legend (erroneously) had it that he had set himself ablaze, while on stage! Searching for Sugar Man explains how the musician was eventually found and “re-discovered” by two South African fans. The self-described músico-político, now in his seventies, is still rocking n’ rolling. Tune in to CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman on August 13 to watch Rodriguez perform, and judge for yourself. Searching for Sugar Man screens at Scottsdale’s Camel View Plaza 5 on August 24, and at Tucson’s Country Oro Valley Marketplace on September 14, 2012. You can watch a trailer, listen to the soundtrack (now available on iTunes) and learn more about Rodriguez and the filmmaker at sonyclassics.com/ searchingforsugarman. ¡Bravo, Señor Rodriguez!
Rodriguez’ became a rock ‘n roll legend without being aware of it; now, in his seventies, he’s living the dream
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MUSIC
THEATER
Located in the Musical Instrument Museum
rincón del arte
As American as apple pie and Canciones de mi Padre
¡!
Ronstadt Generations and MALDEF release America, Our Home By LPM
Ronstadt Generations, entitled America, Our Home, is out. The album is a collection of patriotic songs interpreted in bolero, cumbia, and son jarocho styles – a distinctive, made-in-Arizona sabor Latino – including such classics as America the Beautiful, The Star-Spangled Banner and This Land is Your Land. Ronstadt Generations is comprised of Michael J. Ronstadt and his two sons, Michael G. and Petie. The trio has performed with a variety of artists, such as Los Lobos, Muriel Anderson and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, among others. The talented Michael J. is perhaps best known as the brother of the legendary Linda Ronstadt, whose album, Canciones de mi Padre, made U.S. record history as the biggest selling non-English language album. For America, Our Home, Michael senior assembled a cadre of musicians and, in just four days, the songs were To learn more arranged and recorded in Tucson, Arizona, at Jim Brady about the group, visit ronstadtgenerations.com Recording Studios. Francisco Gonzales, master harpist, former musical director of Teatro Campesino and cofounder of Los Lobos, played a key role in arranging the songs. The national non-profit, the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF), supported the production, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit its endeavors. Besides sharing an appreciation for patriotic songs and Hispanic heritage, MALDEF vice-president, David Damian Figueroa, Ronstadt Generations with David Damian Figueroa and Mary Lou Fulton collaborated on the project as a featured vocalist and The sentiment is also shared by Mary Lou Fulton, also executive producer, along with Michael J. Ronstadt and a featured vocalist. “My mom is a Mexican immigrant Mary Lou Fulton. and is the most patriotic person I know. Her closet is Figueroa, raised in Yuma, Arizona, exemplifies the filled with T-shirts, tote bags and other gear bearing the deep-seated love for the motherland expressed by the American flag. She didn’t speak a word of English when tracks on the album. “I was a Mexican American kid raised she immigrated, but she went on to become an American in a border town to believe that the American dream citizen, earn three college degrees, raise two kids, work as a was attainable for all who were willing to work hard for school teacher for 30 years, and teach her students to have it. My dad served in the military. Three of my most valued possessions are his dog tags, his election official pin and the pride in our country. American flag that draped his coffin,” he stated. America, Our Home is available on iTunes; check it out.
Photo by John Sepp courtesy of the artists
The latest release of the Tucson-based folk band,
Help us highlight the local arts Send information to editor@latinopm.com.
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Fall arts
Preview “Art washes away from the soul the dust of
everyday life,”
was a famous observation of Pablo Picasso, the Spanish maestro of the visual arts. Noted artists throughout history have attested that the arts possess incredible power to inspire and to instill a sense of beauty and unity in the beholders. If wars and politics reveal the dark side of mankind, the arts cast angelic light on its best aspects. For these reasons, each fall Valley art aficionados dutifully await the dramatic unveiling of the arts season’s new offerings at our metropolitan area’s leading art institutions, as well as those organized by smaller, but no less imaginative, cultural organizations. By Ruben Hernandez As Arizona’s fierce summer ends, our cornucopia overflows with artistic events and cultural adventures to lure you out to experience the cooler breezes and softer sunlight of another entertaining fall arts schedule. So, as the 2012-2013 season’s curtain rises to welcoming applause on the multiple stages and arts venues en el Valle de Sol, Latino Perspectives shares with its readers a comprehensive guide to visual arts exhibitions, music, opera, theater, dance and festivals. So let the shows go on and on and on ...
The visual arts
Ana Mendieta (Cuba, 1948-1985), Untitled (Silueta Series, Mexico), 1976. Color print from 35 mm slide, 28” x 21”. Collection of Diane and Bruce Halle, Phoenix, AZ
“They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn’t. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” —Frida Kahlo Phoenix Art Museum, the Heard Museum, the Mesa Arts Center and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Arts (SM0CA), again offer a dazzling and thought-provoking array of exhibitions, events, films and lectures by a variety of artists and art experts. This coming season is further evidence of their aspirations to be community-gathering spaces that satisfy the aesthetic and cultural needs of area residents of all ages. The Phoenix Art Museum executes a diverse schedule of events that offer something for everyone. From August 4 through December 2, The Politics of Place: Latin American Photography, Past & Present is center stage at the Orme Einar and Jamex de la Torre, Eastern Medicine, 2008; blown glass, mixed media Lewis Gallery. Drawn primarily from 22
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Arizona collections, the works range in technique and style and include a video work and slide show. The exhibition will feature the work of major artists from across Latin America, including Alfredo Jaar (Chile), Marta María Pérez Bravo (Cuba), Luis Molina-Pantin (Venezuela), Pablo Ortiz Monasterio and the late Lola Álvarez Bravo (Mexico), the late Ana Mendieta (CubaUSA), and Rivane Neuenschwander (Brazil). The selected pieces “reflect distinctly national realities, cultural idiosyncrasies and subtle political undertones.” The show that runs until September 23 at the Norton Photography Gallery, Stephen Marc: Passage on the Underground Railroad, travels the pathways of America’s dark past. Marc,
Music
Opera
“What love is to man, music is to the arts and to mankind.”
“Opera is a planet where the muses work together, join hands and celebrate all the arts.” —Franco Zeffirelli
—Carl Maria von Weber, German composer and musician
Photo by Dario Acosta
This is Michael Christie’s final season as the Phoenix Symphony’s music director, and the Symphony has planned an eclectic roster of themed musical programs and guest conductors. From September 28–30, the Symphony presents Wicked Divas, a concert featuring Broadway stars Alli Mauzey and Nicole Parker, who starred in the cast of Wicked. These two songbirds dish Tito Muñoz up hits from famous musicals, movies and operas. On October 10, Christie conducts the audience-pleasing Four Seasons by Vivaldi. On October 18, 19 and 20, Tito Muñoz, from the new generation of great conductors, will lead the Phoenix Symphony through a program of Ravel’s piano concerti. And, on November 25, Christie conducts Carmina Burana, Carl Orff’s 1937 musical and vocal extravaganza. Take a trip around the musical world at the Mesa Arts Center. On September 28, the Earth Sounds concert will feature R. Carlos Nakai, Shinetsog Dorinyam, Munkh-Edrene Chuluunbat and Steven Kent. This ensemble produces an utterly unique blend of Mongolian, Native American and Australian aboriginal instruments and vocals. On September 29, award-winning Pat Metheny debuts a new musical project with his Unity Band that includes some of contemporary music’s most talented musicians. On October 27, Ballet folklórico de México de Amalia Hernandez visits the Valley. This troupe of 76 dancers has choreographed 40 different dances.
Arizona Opera opens another season of grand opera with a strong fall/winter schedule of favorites. From October 12–14, Lucia di Lammermoor takes the stage at Symphony Hall; from November 16–18, it’s Roméo et Juliette; from January 25–27, it’s tragedy to the nth degree with Tosca. Phoenix Opera continues to take grand opera to the community via public performances by its classy singers in restaurants and private arts venues, and with the occasional gala at the Orpheum Theatre. On September 7, Los Tres Tenores will perform at Paradise Valley Community College; Juan Huerta, Francisco Renteria, and Guillermo Ontiveros provide an unforgettable night of musical delight.
Arizona Opera presents Roméo et Juliette
a photographer and digital artist, followed the Underground Railroad (the route that slaves seeking freedom took to escape from their owners) and created a narrative thread using digital documentary montages. The result is both striking and stark. Award-winning films are another aspect of the visual arts program at the Phoenix Art Museum. On August 3, City of God is being Pablo Ortiz Monasterio (Mexico, 1953), Volando bajo (Flying Low), shown in conjunction with the Politics of 1996. Gelatin silver print, 16” x 20”. The Judy and Sidney Zuber Collection of Latin American Photography. Place show. This shocking, R-rated, violent movie is set in a housing project in Rio de Jaal, historical and contemporary expressions neiro. On August 19, I’m Carolyn Parker porof Native American art. Continuing through trays the devastation wrought on the people December 31 is Attitudes of Prayer featuring and the urban landscape of New Orleans by the work of Creek sculptor, Retha Walden Hurricane Katrina. On August 26, My Tehran Gambaro, in which she explores the potency for Sale describes the struggles of a terminally of contemplation and meditation. The exhibit, ill actress seeking political asylum from unBeyond Geronimo: The Apache Experience, caring government officials. It’s set against a which examines the celebrity cast upon this backdrop of Tehran’s thriving arts culture. All famous warrior by the media, continues movies start at 1:00 p.m. through January 20. The Heard Museum’s line-up of 12 exhibiThe Mesa Art Center’s fall art exhibitions tion galleries features looks into the tradition- include some edgy, innovative collections.
From September 14 – November 25, El Melting Pot features the art of the Mexican American de la Torre brothers. These hermanos use humor to comment on what racial diversity means in U.S. society. From September 14 – January 6, Fire & Sand celebrates 50 years of the U.S. Studio Glass Movement and its representative artists. From September 14 – January 6, Decidedly Digital features the stunning sculptures of Tim Tate, who merges electronic media devices with traditional blown and cast glass elements. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is currently showcasing two thoughtprovoking shows that can be seen up to September 9. One is Peter Sarkisian: Video Works, 1996-2008, in which the artist employs a combination of film and sculpture to challenge viewers’ perceptions. The second is Significant Forms: Sculpture from the Permanent Collection, which features works from the SMoCA collections, from small to large, conservative to radical. latinopm.com
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Theater
Dance
“The actor creates with his own flesh and blood all those things which the arts try in some way to describe.”
“Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.”
Actors Theater, one of Arizona’s outstanding theater organizations, dramatizes the tech genius and obsessions of Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, and how his personal traits have impacted our everyday lives in The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, which premieres at the Herberger Theatre’s Stage West on September 21 and runs through October 7. Opus, a humorous depiction of life at the top among the classical music elite, will run from November 2–18. It depicts the consequences of the firing of a musical genius in a string quartet as the remaining group members “vet” candidates to replace him. From October 11–28, the Arizona Theatre Company debuts Next to Normal, an emotionally powerful musical portrayal of how one family copes with crisis. This play comes to Arizona following its long Broadway run.
Festivals
—Havelock Ellis
Ballet Arizona with Artistic Director Ib Anderson continues to lead the way for dance in Arizona. The fall/winter schedule includes: Giselle with the Phoenix Symphony at Symphony Hall, November 1–4; the ever-popular, innovative production of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, December 7–24; Romeo and Juliet, February 24–March 17; Director’s Choice, March 28–31; all at the Orpheum Theatre. The All Balanchine program is performed May 2–5 at Symphony Hall.
Photo by Rosalie O’Connor
—Lee Strasberg
Natalia Magnicaballi and Ross Clarke, Ballet Arizona’s Giselle
“America was indebted to immigration for her settlement and prosperity. That part of America, which has encouraged them most, had advanced most rapidly in population, agriculture and the arts.” —James Madison
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Museum (MIM) and the Mesa Arts Center. On October 27, the Symphony presents a Latino-flavored, mixed production of music and the dancing of the Ballet folklórico Ollin Yoliztli. On November 3 and 4, the MIM commemorates Día de Los Muertos with the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix. Music, dance and exhibits in the Latin America gallery will be featured in the MIM’s celebration. On October 27 and 28, the Mesa Arts Center hosts a community festival with music, dance, food booths, a mercado and Day of the Dead altars.
Photo courtesy of Xico Inc.
The smaller arts and culture organizations keep Valley offerings local, unique and diverse. In no festival is this more evident than in our area’s Día de los Muertos’ celebrations of life. This fall, several small and large organizations will stage Day of the Dead events. Xico Inc., an organization that staged the original Day of the Dead festivals in Mesa, continues that tradition with its 33rd annual festival in downtown Chandler. The Xico Inc. festivities include storytelling, children’s activities, folk arts and crafts, and an El Catrín/La Catrina look-alike contest. The Cultural Coalition’s Día de los Muertos event will be held October 28 at Margaret Hance Park in Phoenix. This event features dance, ethnic food, original Day of the Dead artwork by Zarco Guerrero, and is presented by CALA (Celebración Artística de las Américas). The Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center, Arizona’s only Latino arts center, will hold its first Day of the Dead event and art exhibit November 2–4 at its downtown Phoenix location. The Center is throwing a festive block party, and will block off Adams street for activities and a mercado. Larger institutions offering events for the popular Mexican holiday include the Phoenix Symphony, the Musical Instrument
Dia de los Muertos festival by Xico Inc.
Mi museo es tu museo By Bill DeWalt, Ph.D., Founding Director and President of the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM)
the many years of living and working in Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, Argentina and shorter periods spent in many other countries of Latin America. Again and again in those countries, I would be welcomed into peoples’ homes with the effusive greeting of “Mi casa es tu casa.” The expression put me at ease and made me feel that in that house, warmth, generosity and understanding could be experienced. That openness and attitude was probably one of the biggest influences in my life. When I began graduate school at the University of Connecticut, I had the opportunity to spend a summer learning Spanish and beginning research in a small town in the central highlands of Mexico. I fell in love – the beauty of the mountains, the bustle and variety of products spread out on market day, waking up to mariachis singing Las Mañanitas at my door, the religious celebrations that spilled out of the churches into the streets, and being welcomed into the houses of the rich and the poor. I went on to earn a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology and taught for many years at the University of Kentucky and the University of Pittsburgh, writing many research articles and several books. At the University of Pittsburgh, I was Distinguished Service Professor of Public and International Affairs and Director of the renowned Center for Latin American Studies. In the latter position, I was able to travel extensively, establishing academic and research exchanges with institutions throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. I still have fond memories of the musical “soundtrack” that accompanied all of my travels as a teacher, researcher and administrator. In the Mexican town where I Iived for one year in the 1970s, the sounds were the aforementioned mariachi music, the bands that marched through the streets, the violin and drum that accompanied religious processions in the indigenous villages, social protest music, like Inti Illimani’s Venceremos on the radio, and the jukebox in the only restaurant in town, that wore out the 45 rpm of Elton John’s Crocodile Rock. In Honduras in the 1980s, I began hearing the marimbas in the villages, the sounds of the Caribbean on the radio, Creedence Clearwater Revival on the ubiquitous jukeboxes, and George Benson on my cassette tapes. A summer studying Portuguese introduced me to what is still most frequently on my CD player – Brazilian tunes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil, Chico Buarque, and the beautiful voices of Nara Leão, Astrid Gilberto, Bebel Gilberto,
Photos courtesy of MIM
One of the joys of my professional career has been
I am AZ music exhibition features Lalo Guerrero, “creator of Chicano music,” and Victor Velez, salsero of the1970’s
Leila Pinheiro, and so many more. My years in Ecuador in the 1990s introduced me to panpipes and folk songs like El Condor Pasa (that, of course, I had heard from Paul Simon many years before), the Caribbean rhythms like Juan Luis Guerra’s Bachata Rosa, and Lionel Richie and the Commodores were impossible to escape in the restaurants and radio stations in cities. Shorter periods in Cuba and Argentina added the many artists of the Buena Vista Social Club, santería rhythms, and tangos of people like Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla. In 2001, my restlessness with academic life led me to become the director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. During the six years I spent in that position, I was able to raise a substantial amount of money to undertake major construction and renovation projects that transformed the museum’s world-class collection of dinosaurs into a major attraction along with a new traveling exhibit gallery and overhaul of the hall of gems and minerals. The soundtrack of those years incorporated more of the jazz that I had learned to love as an undergraduate and began rediscovering – Miles Davis (always!), John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Stan Getz and Herbie Mann. Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, the great jazz venue in Pittsburgh, drew me to concerts featuring the live music of the jazz greats that had by then completely integrated Latin American influences. Paquito d’Rivera, Ivan Lins, Eliane Elias and others were added to my playlists. latinopm.com
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In early 2007, I was offered the opportunity of a lifetime to become the founding president and director of the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix. Five years ago, my wife Sylvia and I moved to Phoenix to begin pulling together all of the pieces that have become MIM. Among the appealing dimensions for me, personally, were the opportunities to again live in a location with a significant Hispanic population and to build a monument to music as a common language among all peoples. The museum exists because of the vision and the personal philanthropy of Bob Ulrich, former CEO and chairman of the board of Target Corporation. With Bob, we established several guiding principles to help form MIM. From the beginning, MIM was designed to represent the musical instruments of every country in the world. In addition, we wanted to make the musical instruments come alive – and we do that through the marvelous technology that allows guests to see and listen to the musical instruments and music of each country through wireless headphones and flat-screen monitors. Guests can also, literally, “listen to the world,” in our acoustically superb concert venue. Most importantly, we aspired to make MIM an enjoyable, warm, tasteful, welcoming environment. To adapt the old expression, we wanted our guests to feel that nuestro museo es su museo. What is perhaps most satisfying to me about MIM is that it continues my previous work and experience as a cultural anthropologist. My teaching and research, at the most basic level, has been about getting
people to understand one another better. Cultures are powerful and those who have spent their lives immersed in one set of beliefs and traditions often have great difficulty understanding those who have learned other beliefs and customs. It gives me great pleasure that those who visit MIM take away from the experience something both simple and profound: an understanding that humans, at all times and in all places, have felt the need to express themselves through creating music and musical instruments. Despite all of the elements that divide us – race, ethnicity, politics, religion, background – there is something that unites us all: music as the language of the soul. At MIM, the soundtrack of my life has been enhanced and expanded through overseeing the creation of a collection that now numbers more than 10,000 instruments, with accompanying audio and video, representing more than 200 nations and major territories that exist in the world. In the MIM Music Theater, the guests and I have had the privilege to experience great performers whose music has enriched my life. The great Cuban reed player, Paquito d’Rivera; American classical violinist, Joshua Bell; the incredible Canadian vocalist, K.D. Lang; Brazilian singer, CéU; amazing Israeli guitarist and singer, David Broza; Portuguese fado singer, Ana Moura; fabulous jazz artists Ramsey Lewis, Ahmad Jamal and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band; classical pianists, Jeremy Denk and Alpin Hong; the sensational Italian ensemble, Interpreti Veneziani; and Native American flutist, R. Carlos Nakai, are just a few of the
Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) director, Bill DeWalt, has first-hand experiemce of many cultures
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performers who have graced our stage. In the next few months, I am looking forward to hearing the iconic folk singer, Judy Collins, whose folk songs were such an important part of my college years; the great Chilean group, Inti Illimani, whose protest songs still resonate; the sultry sounds of Brazilian, Luísa Maita, whose music embodies the modern spirit of Brazil; the cutting-edge, indie rock band from Oregon, Y La Bamba; and one of America’s finest vocalists and songwriters, Shawn Colvin. While MIM is increasingly recognized as an international destination, it is virtually impossible to describe to anyone the experience that awaits them. Guests must see and, especially, hear it for themselves. Those who have visited, whether they are professional musicians or just appreciative listeners like me, want to return again and again to their casa, where they are welcomed to the unique opportunity to discover and expand the soundtracks of their own lives. Nuestro museo es su museo. ¡Bienvenido!
Arpa grande (frame harp), San Diego de Ishua, Department of Ayacucho, Peru, late 20th C., wood; initiated instrument acquired from Los Danzaq de Ayacucho, Peru’s renowned “Scissors’ Dance group”
31 Entrepreneur Venue with a view: unique setting for catered events in Gold Canyon, AZ
33 Briefcase
Phoenix Metro area sees a little light at end of recession tunnel; U.S. Census survey deemed intrusive; nationally, college attendance up but income down for U.S. Latinos
Movin’ Up Escontrías promoted
Photo Courtesy of Gabriel Esscontrías
Gabriel Escontrías, Jr., has been promoted to the post of assistant director of the Learning Sciences Institute (LSI) at Arizona State University, where he most recently served as Administrative Services Manager. The Institute fosters collaboration among learning researchers, educators, policymakers and educational entrepreneurs, and to provide support for investigators who conduct externally-funded research on learning, the conditions and behaviors that influence it, and innovations that can maximize it.
Gabriel Escontrías, Jr., new assistant director of ASU’s Learning Sciences Institute
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¡!
movin’ up
Additionally, this past July, Escontrías was elected as president of the LGBT Devils’ Pride Chapter of the ASU Alumni Association. The group is dedicated to promoting respect, inclusiveness, diversity and equality. Gabriel holds a doctoral degree in higher and post-secondary education, and serves as the academic advisor to his fraternity, Tau Psi Omega, and as an Obama Scholar Mentor.
of the board of directors of the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants (AZSCPA). The organization is the largest professional group operating specifically for CPAs in Arizona working in business and industry, public practice, government, nonprofit and education. Roman is founder and managing principal of AXIOM Financial Advisory Group, LLC, a Scottsdale-based wealth management firm.
Terri Cruz honored by CPLC
Susanna Martinez
Martinez joins Wade & Nysather Susanna Martinez recently joined the Glendale location of Wade & Nysather, P.C., a personal injury law firm. She joins the company as an assistant attorney and will focus on helping bilingual clients and handling injury and auto accident cases. Susanna graduated from the University of Texas and earned her law degree from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law.
Roman at the helm of AZSCPA Armando G. Roman has assumed the role of chairman
U.S. Representative, Ed Pastor, joined the leadership of Chicanos por la Causa (CPLC) in recognizing the work of Terri Cruz who, for over four decades, has advocated and worked tirelessly for families in need in the State of Arizona. This past March, in commemoration of National Women’s History Month, Latino Perspectives Magazine and the Raul H. Castro Institute paid tribute to Cruz as a 2012 Trailblazer.
Maricopa County Library District (MCLD). The Casa Grande native is charged with supporting current library activities, attracting and retaining adult customers, engaging patrons to access content on the library’s website more frequently, and converting non-users into regular library users. Apodaca obtained his Master’s of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Arizona. Prior to this new position, he served as a library paraprofessional at the County’s Queen Creek Branch Library.
AZAN recognizes advocates Lydia Guzman of the nonprofit immigrant advocacy group, Respect-Respeto, and Kathy and David Schwartz are being recognized by the Arizona Advocacy Network (AZAN) for their dedication to our communities and for their commitment to reclaiming government for the people. The nonprofit’s mission is to secure electoral justice, political rights and full civic participation, especially for underrepresented and marginalized constituencies.
ASU Prep selects Mendoza
Antonio “Tony” Apodaca
MCLD hires Tony Apodaca Antonio “Tony” Apodaca has been hired as the new adult services manager at the
Claudia Mendoza has been named principal of ASU Preparatory K-4 Elementary School at the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus. Mendoza previously worked as the executive coordinator for access ASU in the Office
Movin’ Up Know someone who has been promoted, elected or honored? Send us the news of their achievements! Email movinup@latinopm.com 28
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of Educational Outreach and Student Services, where she was responsible for fostering relationships with K-12 schools and administrators. Her professional background includes ten years of experience in the field of public education as a kindergarten and first-grade teacher and as English language learner and language arts coach.
Mary Rose Wilcox
Wilcox receives Ohtli award Maricopa County Supervisor, Mary Rose Wilcox, was presented with the Premio Ohtli by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Institute for Mexican Communities Abroad. Ohtli is a Nahuatl word that can be translated as “road” or “path.” The award is presented to individuals who have contributed to improving the lives of members of the Mexican community living abroad. Supervisor Wilcox, a board member of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), received the award during a ceremony at NALEO’s 29th annual conference in Orlando, Florida.
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Mountain vistas add “wow” to catered events Tracy Machajewski, owner, The Views at Superstition Founded: May 2009
Photos courtesy of Tracy Machajewski
Elevator pitch: I own an amazing 6,000-square-foot, Tuscan-style, events’ venue that boasts the most breathtaking views of the Superstition Mountains in beautiful Gold Canyon, Arizona. We provide everything from chairs, tables and linens to full service catering, entertainment, bar, flowers, cake, ceremonies and more! Customer service is a priority and our attention to detail is exceptional! We can handle up to 200 guests for weddings, corporate events, quinceañeras, theme parties and anniversaries – any type of celebration, really. Professional background: Degree in Travel and Tourism; member of the Association of Bridal Consultants and the Wedding and Event Network. Career highlights: Being in business for over The View’s spacious dining room accommodates up to 200 guests three years and only getting rave reviews from my clients. I am very proud to know that we are doing an exceptional job in making special memories for our clients. Most challenging aspect of being a small business owner: My location Next business goal: To open a second location in another part of the Valley or, possibly, in California (near the beach!). Best business advice you have received: Work smarter not harder – I hire pros to do what they do best, which allows me to do what I do best.
Important business milestone: Opening my business at the peak of the recession and successfully building clientele from year to year. Adjustments made to survive the slow economy? Offering discounts and working with my clients to offer the best service while staying within their budget.
The vast desert landscape envelops the patio
If you could do it all over again, what you would do differently? I would have designed and opened my venue in a more central location.
Website:
Tracy Machajewski
theviewsatsuperstition.com
Suggest an entrepreneur Send your information to editor@latinopm.com.
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¡!
:
Phoenix economy perks up By Jonathan Higuera
Amid a tenuous national economic recovery,
slowed by shaky job growth and softening GDP, Metro Phoenix’s economy had a better go of it during the first quarter of 2012 than most other cities across the U.S., according to a report released by the Brooking Institute in June. The report, which examined the economic performance of the 100 largest cities and metro areas in the nation, ranked Metro Phoenix as the fifth strongest economy in the nation, largely attributable to a recovering housing market. Phoenix ranked second in the nation for housing prices, even though the report indicated that prices fell 0.9 percent in the most recent quarter. This was, however, lower than the national average, which saw housing values drop 2.1 percent during that same period. Several Mountain West cities outperformed national averages. For example, Denver had 1.3 percent job growth and Las Vegas led the nation in rising economic output (GDP) at 1.6 percent. However, it was an uneven performance among Mountain West cities. Albuquerque, Tucson and Colorado Springs did not perform well, languishing near the bottom in several categories. Specifically, Phoenix ranked 20th among the 100 top metros for its unemployment rate, which fell slightly to 7.6 percent in the first quarter. The Phoenix area ranked poorly for gross metropolitan output in the first quarter, placing 90th in the nation.
Perhaps its best to view the local economy in the context of a tepid national recovery. Considering where we were two years ago, the positive direction is a welcome relief.
Happy Birthday, iPhone Those of us who grew up without
cell phones, TV-on-demand, computers, iPads, and the like, may get nostalgic from time to time about the good old days. But, let’s face it, life without a smartphone and the Internet would be a lot more inconvenient, especially from a business perspective. So, with that in mind, we doff our hats and salute the iPhone, which celebrated its fifth birthday in June.
Over the past five years, the iPhone has quickly moved to a position of dominance in the smartphone market. When the iPhone was first introduced, Nokia had 50 percent of the market for cell phones and BlackBerry maker, Research in Motion, was in second place with 10 percent of the market. Today, Apple accounts for 73 percent of the global profits from handsets, with Samsung and everyone else battling for what’s left.
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AMERICAN FAMILY INSURANCE expect more for my hard work and determination.
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How low can you go Phoenix may have taken it on the chin during the housing crash and
subsequent recession but one need look no further than Stockton, California, to get an idea of how bad it could have been. In June, Stockton became the largest city ever to file for bankruptcy in U.S. history. Critics charge that the bankruptcy was the result of years of fiscal mismanagement and a housing market crash that left its coffers dry, unable to pay its workers, pensioners and bondholders. The filing by the city of 300,000 people followed three months of confidential talks with its creditors aimed at averting bankruptcy. The Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, a rare event for U.S. municipal debt issuers, was left as the only option to close a deficit of $26 million in Stockton’s budget for the new fiscal year, according to city officials. Stockton’s list of major unsecured creditors included the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, which manages Stockton’s pension plan. The retirement system has a $147.5 million claim for unfunded pension costs. Other top creditors include investors holding $124.3 million of Stockton’s pension obligation bonds, $40.4 million of the city’s variable rate demand obligations, $35.1 million of the city’s public facilities fees bonds and $31.6 million of the city’s parking garage debt. Stockton becomes the nation’s most populous city to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy. But Jefferson County, Alabama, remains the biggest municipal bankruptcy in terms of debt outstanding, as it had a debt load exceeding $4 billion when it filed in 2011. Stockton has about $700 million in bond debt. “We are extremely disappointed that we have been unable to avoid bankruptcy,” Mayor Ann Johnston said in a statement. “This is what we must do to get our fiscal house in order and protect the safety and welfare of our citizens.”
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American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries American Family Insurance Company Home Office – Madison, WI 53783 © 2011 005349— 8/11
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Hispanic wealth Relying largely on data from the
American Community Survey, the Pew Hispanic Center has released a study examining economic, demographic and educational characteristics of the U.S. Hispanic population from 2000 to 2010. It found that while Hispanics have made gains in educational attainment, they’ve lost ground in their economic status. The study broke down their findings by 10 Hispanic subgroups, of which “Mexican origin” made up 65 percent of the total number. Among all Hispanics 25 years and older, the share with a college degree increased from 10 percent in 2000 to 13 percent in 2010. However, Hispanics had lower median household incomes in 2010 than in 2000 (adjusted to 2010 dollars). Overall, median household income among
Hispanics fell from $43,100 in 2000 to $40,000 in 2010 – a decrease of 7 percent. Among all U.S. households, median household income (in 2010 dollars) fell from $54,200 in 2000 to $49,800 in 2010 – a drop of $4,400, or 8 percent. The share of Latinos living in poverty increased two percentage points, from 23 percent in 2000 to 25 percent in 2010. Among all people living in households in the U.S., the poverty rate increased by three percentage points over the same period. Hispanics are the nation’s largest minority group, representing 16.4 percent of the U.S. population. By comparison, non-Hispanic blacks, who are the nation’s second largest minority group, represent 12.3 percent of the nation’s population and non-Hispanic Asians rank third at 4.7 percent.
briefcase
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American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is the Census Bureau’s annual
study of U.S. socioeconomic conditions. Data from the 21-page questionnaire are used to help the government best determine how to distribute federal assistance dollars, including Medicaid benefits and federal grants to states and communities. The data provided by the ACS help determine how more than $400 billion in federal and state funds are spent annually. Businesses also rely heavily on the ACS results to decide such things as where to build new stores or whether to hire new employees, as well as get valuable insights on consumer spending habits. Each year, about 3 million households are randomly selected to fill out the survey and those chosen are legally required to do so under the penalty of law. That requirement is partly the reason why the House of Representatives in Congress voted to eliminate the ACS in May. They believe it is intrusive, an example of government overreach and a cost burden. “This is a program that intrudes on people’s lives, just like the Environmental Protection Agency or the bank regulators,” said Daniel Webster, a first-term Republican congressman from Florida who sponsored the relevant legislation. Some private companies and industry groups, including the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Retail Federation and the National Association of Home Builders, are fighting back. Retailer, Target, recently released a video explaining how it used these census data to determine where to locate new stores. Economic development organizations and other business groups say they use the numbers to figure out where to find potential workers. Some observers believe that the Republican in the House who led the charge to eliminate the ACS may hope that, when the Senate and House bills go to a conference committee, a final compromise will keep the survey, but make participation in it voluntary. Even that would hinder the effectiveness of the survey, say those who want the ACS kept in place as is. If it were made voluntary, experts say, the Census would have to spend significantly more money on follow-up phone calls and in-person visits to get enough households to answer. And, with Congress planning to cut the census budget, it would make such followups prohibitively expensive. “Census data is really the only source of information that can give us neighborhoodlevel data,” said Joan Naymark, Target’s director of market analytics and planning, in a video exploring how the company uses ACS data.
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Ask the pros...
Jim Holbrook
APS Program Manager Headquarters 400 N. 5th Street Phoenix, AZ 85004 Office: (602) 371-3636 aps.com
Q:
When should an air conditioning unit be repaired versus replaced?
A:
More than 100,000 homes in Arizona’s desert climate have older heat pumps and air conditioners, averaging 11 to 15 years in age. This is generally when cooling units begin to break down. When faced with a major repair of an older unit, a homeowner should consider replacing it rather than repairing it. Homeowners are eligible for a $270 from APS if a Participating Contractor replaces an AC system with a new, energy-efficient one, installed to the APS Quality Installation standards. For more information visit aps.com/ac or call the APS Energy Answer Line at 602.371.3636.
Send us your briefcase items
Have a business story idea? Email us at editor@latinopm.com.
The suggestions and opinions of the advertisers on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of Latino Perspectives Magazine
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Police work: A family affair
Adam M. Tellez, crime prevention specialist and crises negotiator, Goodyear Police Department
Career highlights: Received the Department’s highest honor, the Medal of Valor, for saving the lives of two citizens still in their home while it was engulfed in flames. Inherent dangers you face:
Personal injury and/or death when dealing with person(s) of unknown history and background – whether they are fugitives from justice or wanted for some yet undetected, heinous crime. There is constant danger of being struck by an impaired driver while investigating vehicular accidents or issuing traffic citations.
Proudest moment: Along with the birth of my two sons, the day I graduated from the police academy. Having struggled with physical challenges most of my life, I faced huge obstacles during the rigorous training of the modern police academy. The encouragement, love and support of my family helped me to overcome those challenges. At my graduation, the family and friends who supported me clapped and cheered with pride when I received my badge on stage. It was a tremendously emotional experience that I will never forget. Funny anecdote: One night early on in my career, my partner and I were dispatched to check on a home burglary in a remote area. We approached the scene cautiously looking for movement or signs of forced entry. At the back of the home, we discovered a door swinging open in the wind. We then believed that there might actually be a burglar still inside. After quietly searching the entire first floor, we switched our focus to the basement. The house was pitch black, and the wind outside was blowing hard. Slowly, I commenced my descent down the stairs with my partner close behind. At the bottom, we stood shoulder to shoulder and scanned the large room with our flashlights. Just
then, a strong gust of wind slammed the door above us shut. We braced ourselves for what might come next. I re-positioned my flashlight and noticed that I was faceto-face with a very large gray wolf, its fangs displayed in a terrifying manner. The homeowner obviously had the animal stuffed and mounted as a hunting trophy. I was less than a second from pulling the trigger and dispatching the beast when I realized what it was. My partner laughing hysterically, said between gasps for air, “Don’t worry, Tellez, I don’t think it’ll bite you.”
Photo courtesy of Goodyear Police Department
Years of service: 11 years with Goodyear; 5 years with Maricopa County
Why did you decide to pursue this career? Being the last child of an extremely large family, I had the benefit of listening to all of the exciting stories of my older siblings who were already into their law enforcement careers. I knew that I wanted to follow in their footsteps and become a police officer as well. The excitement of chasing and capturing fleeing offenders seemed very rewarding and thrilling, as well as the enjoyment and relief from reuniting a lost child with his mother.
Next professional goal:
Becoming a supervisor within my department. As a supervisor I would encourage my subordinates to adopt my philosophy of positive contacts and interactions with our youth.
Final word: Many good friends in my law enforcement family were taken away before their time, but I know that none of them would have any regrets for doing the job that they loved. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
Nominate a candidate
Help us acknowledge those who serve. Men and women currently in the military or a first responder. Send your info to editor@latinopm.com. latinopm.com
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AZHCC 2012 sYMPosIuM MAY 4-5
RESOLANA EXPLORE YOUR GIVING NATURE
Thoughtful, engaging dialogue with a purpose. find out more. become part of the discovery. Tony Banegas, MPA | Philanthropic Advisor tbanegas@azfoundation.org | 602.682.2024
You make a difference in your community. celebrate.maricopa.edu
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A brief history of homework: Why and how parents should get involved By Erica Cardenas
Did you know that, in the early 20th century, the
mind was viewed as a muscle that could be strengthened through mental exercise? And, since exercise could be done at home, homework was viewed favorably. It was during the 1940s that schools began shifting their emphasis from memorization to problem solving. Homework fell out of favor because it was closely associated with the repetition of material. In the 1950s, Americans worried that education lacked rigor and left children unprepared for the new technologies, such as electronics. Homework, it was believed, could speed up learning. Fast forward to the 1960s, when educators and parents became concerned that homework was crowding out social experience, outdoor recreation and creative activities. Two decades later, in the 1980s, homework again came back into favor as it came to be viewed as one way to stem a rising tide of mediocrity in American education. The push for more homework continued into the 1990s, fueled by rising academic standards. And, so, with this brief history behind us, the next question is: “Homework – to do, or not to do?” According to the U.S. Department of Education’s online guide,“Homework Tips for Parents,” homework can have many benefits for young children. The guide suggests that homework can improve remembering and understanding of school work and can help students develop study skills that will be of value even after they leave school. It can teach them that learning takes place anywhere, not just in the classroom. Also, according to the guide, homework can foster positive character traits, such as independence and responsibility. However, if not properly assigned and monitored, homework might also have negative effects on children. Educators and parents worry that students will grow bored if they are required to spend too much time on schoolwork, and can prevent children from taking part in leisure-time and community activities that also teach
important life skills. Homework can lead to undesirable character traits if it promotes cheating, either through the copying of assignments or getting help with homework that goes beyond tutoring. The guide goes on to suggest that it remains the job of parents and educators to maximize the benefits of homework and minimize the costs. Más homework? What about the quantity of homework a student should receive? Experts agree that the amount of homework should depend on the age and skills of the student. Many national groups of teachers and parents, including the National latinopm.com
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Sure thing. Life has no guarantees, but in business I knew exactly what I wanted. A company that gave me the start-up help I needed, freedom to make my own decisions … plus the chance to earn a great living. With so many unknowns in life, my career isn’t one of them. That’s for sure.
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To learn more, join State Farm and the Arizona Diamondbacks as Chase Field hosts an Agency Career Seminar on Saturday, September 15th at 3:00 p.m. Afterwards, stick around for networking, food, and the game! For more info or to RSVP, contact Chris Cruz at (602)319-7508 or chris.cruz.gukv@statefarm.com.
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Parent Teacher Association (PTA), suggest that homework for children in kindergarten through second grade is most effective when it does not exceed 10-20 minutes each day. In the third through sixth grades, children can benefit from 30-60 minutes of homework per day. Junior high and high school students can benefit from more time on homework, and the amount may vary from night to night. Experts also agree that reading at home is especially important for young children. High-interest reading assignments might push the time on homework a bit beyond the suggested homework minutes. These recommendations are consistent with the conclusions reached by many studies that examined the effectiveness of homework. For young children, research shows that shorter and more frequent assignments may be more effective than longer but fewer assignments. This is because young children have short attention spans and need to feel that they have successfully completed a task. Homework and parental involvement According the U.S. Department of Education, research also shows that parent involvement can have either a positive or negative effect on the value of homework.
Parent involvement can be used to speed up a child’s learning, as well as enhance parents’ appreciation of education. It can give them an opportunity to express positive attitudes about the value of success in school. However, parental involvement might also interfere with learning. For example, parents can confuse children if the teaching techniques they use differ from those used in the classroom. Parental involvement can turn into parental interference if parents complete tasks that the child is capable of completing alone. Given these possibilities, the potentially most important outcome of mothers’ and fathers’ involvement with their children’s homework is that communication between the school and family can improve. Research shows that, if a child is having difficulty with homework, parents should become involved by paying close attention. They should expect more requests from teachers for their help. If a child is doing well in school, parents should consider shifting their efforts to providing support for their child’s own choices about how to do homework. For more homework tips, and to download the complete “Homework Tips for Parents” guide, as well as “Reading Tips for Parents,” visit the Department of Education’s website at ed.gov.
Internet safety education How safe is your child online? Many helpful resources are available at
no cost through websites, school curricula or law enforcement agencies to teach kids and parents about Internet safety. Attorney General Tom Horne continues to ensure aggressive prosecution of Internet crimes against children, and his office has teamed up with the NetSmartz Workshop® and the Arizona Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs to provide Internet safety education to Arizona children. Information on Internet safety, including this guide, a DVD and Internet safety tips are available on the Arizona Attorney General’s website at azag.gov. Youth who successfully complete the NetSmartz Internet Safety Quiz on the Attorney General’s Kids Page will get an official “Web License.”
Head of the Class Help prepare your child for the new school year with a free educational
online tool that provides over 10,000 learning activities for all core subjects. “Head of the Class” provides parents and teachers with curriculum-based instruction to pre-K through fifth-grade learners with thousands of activities covering math, reading, science, history, geography, writing and much more. To access the program, visit headoftheclass.com
G O FA R , CL OSE T O H O M E .
Library initiates Nook borrowing program ®
Increase the size of a book’s text
with a touch of your finger or carry eight books at once that all fit nicely in a backpack or purse. These are just a few of the benefits of using a digital e-book reader, and the Glendale libraries are now offering patrons the opportunity to have this digital experience through a new Nook® borrowing program. Glendale’s libraries now have 30 Nooks pre-loaded with e-books that have titles for youth, teen and adults. Also preloaded are two books in Spanish. With this program, users have a way to try out e-readers and e-books before actually purchasing one of their own. Each of Glendale’s three libraries will have 10 Nooks available. The Nook is Barnes and Nobles’ brand of mobile electronic reading device that is very lightweight and has a good reading screen, as well as a long battery life. Patrons interested in borrowing one of the e-readers will need to be a Glendale Public Library cardholder in good standing, at least 18 years old, and able to provide current photo identification at checkout. The Nooks may be borrowed for four weeks with no renewal option. “In today’s technology-savvy world, digital literacy is a crucial skill for citizens of all ages and backgrounds,” said Chief Librarian, Cheryl Kennedy. “We are devoted to increasing access to
information and recreational reading in all formats.” The Nooks come pre-loaded so that library users can have the best experience with the e-books and e-readers. Titles on the pre-loaded Nooks include Giver by Lois Lowry and Lightening Thief by Rick Riorda for children, and The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer for teens. Among the 25 classic books and novels available are Anne of Green Gables and Pride and Prejudice.
Register Now!
Fo l l ow us on www.phoenixcollege.edu
Have an education story idea? Send your information to editor@latinopm.com.
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ABCs of health care Going back to school healthfully is easy – and necessary By Robrt L. Pela
You’ve bought your kid a brand new back-toschool wardrobe; set him up with a box of newly sharpened pencils, a stack of writing tablets and a swell backpack. He’s got his class schedule, met his new teacher, and signed up for the kickball team. He’s all ready for another semester. Or is he? You may have overlooked a couple of things, like updated immunizations, notes for the school nurse (and the homeroom teacher) about your child’s daily medication schedule (if he has one), a new vision test, and, maybe, a quick parent-child meeting to discuss proper eating and hygiene while he’s away from home. These are the often-ignored details that can make or break a school year. As summer winds to a close, we’re all weary from the heat and overwhelmed with getting our kids’ noses back to the educational grindstone. But don’t let your son or daughter get sent home from his first day back at school because he doesn’t have a current immunization record, says Dr. Sara Peña, M.D., a family practice physician at St. Joseph’s Medical Center. “State law requires that children file their immunization records with the school,” Peña reports, “as well as updates on immunizations. Some parents request an exception to this rule, for religious or cultural purposes, but that requires a note from a practicing family physician.” A quick trip to the American Academy of Pediatrics website (at aap.org) will provide you with a quick checklist of which vaccinations your child needs, and at what age, before he can attend public or private school. Your child’s school should offer similar guidelines, as well; if they don’t, phone your general practitioner for advice on which shots are needed for kids heading back to school. Peña also likes to remind parents that an annual vision test is a recommended for students of all ages. “A child who cannot see well, cannot see the assignments
that he (or she) is responsible for completing,” she says. Quite a number of students with chronic headaches are, according to Peña, simply kids with headache-inducing impaired vision. “They need a pair of eyeglasses to help them see.” latinopm.com
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A basic eye test by your pediatrician is a good place to start, she says, especially if your child’s school doesn’t offer an annual visit from an optometrist. “If there are problems, a trip to an eye specialist is in order, and,” she adds, “keep in mind that children, especially younger ones, don’t necessarily know that their vision is impaired, because they think they’re seeing what everyone is seeing.” Is your child allergic to tomatoes, chalk dust, pollen? Make sure that both his homeroom teacher and the school nurse know about this. Likewise, notify the school if the child is taking any medications, even if they are meds he only takes at home. Ditto for any al-
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It’s nice to share, but … We all want Johnny and Janie to understand the importance of sharing, but shared pencils, pens, crayons and gaming devices can also mean sharing germs. Teach your kids that, if their classmates are sick, it is okay to keep a polite distance. Sharing food and drinks with school friends isn’t a wise choice, either. If they must, kids can tear off a bite of sandwich that hasn’t been bitten into by their friend, and can take a swig of a pal’s orange juice by first pouring it into a disposable cup.
Play hooky Keep your kids at home when they’re not well. Make sure that the school nurse knows their symptoms; he or she may have some news about any trends in illness that are making the rounds.
Visit your doctor An annual physical is a good idea, and a onceover by vision and hearing specialists every couple of years can’t hurt, either. Your general practitioner will keep an eye open for current health issues and can manage your child’s immunizations, as well.
lergies to medicines; if your child can’t tolerate ibuprofen, you don’t want the school nurse handing him a Tylenol® for that sprained ankle. And, if your youngster does take a medication during the day, make sure it’s administered by an adult at school, and that you deliver it in its original prescription bottle, and not in an envelope or other unmarked container. While you are making lists, be sure to include any ongoing ailments or physical challenges that your son or daughter might be dealing with. It is appropriate, and certainly useful, to send a note to the proper school authorities about any recent, at-home trauma that your child
might be dealing with, such as the death of a relative or a divorce. Children sometimes take these things harder than we realize, and can “act out” while in class. Finally, make sure that the school has your most up-to-date contact information: home telephone and cell phone numbers; email addresses; and physical addresses. Also include back-up telephone numbers of family members or friends who can come to your child’s aid if you are not available in a medical crisis. “You’ll sleep a lot better if you’ve taken all these simple precautions,” Peña says. “What’s more, your child will enjoy a more productive school year once these simple, once-a-year tasks are complete.”
Get handy If children can learn their multiplication tables, they can also learn to keep their hands clean and free of germs. The best way to prevent flu and colds in any season is to wash one’s hands before eating, after visiting the restroom and as soon as they get home from school. Just like reciting the alphabet, there is a correct way to wash hands, and mom or dad can teach this valuable lesson before the first day of school. A good back-to-school gift is a package of hand-sanitizing wipes tucked into a grade-schooler’s backpack.
Germ patrol The best way to ace a spelling test is to study, and the best way to spread germs is with an ill-placed cough or sneeze. Teach kids how to cover their mouths when coughing, or to cough into a bent elbow, and to carry a disposable tissue to sneeze into.
Get involved Worried that your kid isn’t using hand sanitizer after petting the class hamster? Donate a tub of sanitizer (or, if the classroom has a sink, a cake of soap) to the teacher. Fearful that the classroom isn’t clean enough? Offer to help out on a volunteer cleaning crew.
Think outside the mailbox.
LPM, sent to your Inbox. For seven years, LPM has been the only Arizona magazine focused on the local Latino community. Sign up for the free digital edition: www.latinopm.com/digital
Start with a strong foundation Kids are less likely to get sick if they are healthy to begin with. A well-balanced diet is a must, and plenty of exercise will keep them in tip-top shape as well. A good night’s sleep will keep them on their toes, and can reduce stress, a real immunity-squelcher, besides.
latinopm.com
¡ August 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
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Yoga: My path to a lifestyle transformation By Nick Montoya
I returned to Arizona a year ago and the question I
No one, not even my three daughters, knew the gravity of these health issues, as I held to my Hispanic/Latino perception of machismo – that I am a strong man and can handle anything. I should be able to handle a divorce from a 24-year marriage, and able to handle being solely responsible for the care and welfare of my three daughters, and able to handle my job as a senior manager at Intel Corporation, where I had enjoyed a successful career for 27 years, and able to handle the publication of a book I wrote, and able to handle the care of our horses, and able to handle leadership positions within several Hispanic-based, community organizations in Sacramento. I did handle everything, some say perfectly. However, underneath, my health was crumbling. The time bomb was going to explode at any time. When I woke up that morning in early 2009 and could not walk, I soon found myself under the care of the Chief of Staff of Pain Management at University of California-Davis Medical
Photos courtesy of the author
got asked most often was, “What happened to you? You look a lot younger.” The short answer was, “Yoga.” After a little more conversation, they understood that my life underwent a major transformation and I was now the happiest and healthiest I had ever been. By the end of the conversation they would say, “I need that in my life. Can you help me?” In February of 2009, I woke up one morning and could not walk. The back and leg pain that I had been dealing with for a few years suddenly got worse. Laying there, I reflected on how my health had gotten to where it was. It was a gradual decline over the years and the medicine cabinet full of prescribed medications was the result of treating the symptoms and not the source. My doctor referred to me as a “walking time bomb.” My total cholesterol level was 230 and my blood pressure was 180/98. Migraines or unbearable headaches were an everyday occurrence. I had no energy and felt the weight of the world upon me.
Nick Montoya, wild thing pose in Bodega Bay, California
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Latino Perspectives Magazine
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Center. The diagnosis was “extrusions in L4/L5.” The doctor suggested that I try a series of steroid epidurals first to see if those would “loosen things up.” My eldest daughter, Giana, 23 years old at the time, drove me to the hospital for the first surgical procedure. On the way home, she pulled over to the side of the road, turned the engine off and stated that she would not drive one inch further until I promised her I would go to a yoga class. Giana had been practicing yoga for a couple of years and had been bugging me to give it a try. I had refused, thinking that yoga was for sissies. I did promise, and fulfilled the commitment a few days later when the epidural seemed to take effect. That first yoga class was mind-blowing, one of the most physically and mentally challenging things I had ever experienced. I sweated more than I had ever sweated in my life, and it was not a hot yoga class. As I was walking to my car, I realized I felt better than I had in a long time. I went back for more. I kept feeling better and had lots more energy. Within six months, I lost 50 pounds and was able to get off all medication. My total cholesterol level dropped to a healthy level of 152. I no longer got migraines, and headaches were at a minimum. My back and leg pain were greatly reduced and no longer inhibited activity. It was not necessary to return for the remaining two steroid epidurals. My doctors were amazed. I wanted to learn more about this ancient practice and my philosophy of accelerated learning is: if you want to learn something, learn how to teach it. So I enrolled in a 250-hour teacher training program and, within one year from taking my first yoga class ever, I began teaching five classes per week. I soon found myself to be a role model and inspiration for other
middle-aged people that needed to improve their health. I was also able to integrate life experiences, concepts from my book and years of leadership training into step-by-step programs to help people in their transformation to a healthier lifestyle. Once I started teaching yoga, I found myself at another crossroads: Do I finish my career in the corporate world, or do I make a significant change and become a full-time yoga teacher? After a lot of reflection, prayer and meditation, I decided to leave the corporate world and become a world-class yoga teacher, adopting a new mission for my life: help people get healthy. My first stop was my home state of Arizona to spend time with my parents and to see what I could do to help my Mom feel better. She was managing several chronic pain issues and her health was continuing to decline, despite a cabinet full of prescribed medications. After four months of practicing yoga breathing techniques, the doctor took her off oxygen. Through a daily chair yoga routine, she lost weight, increased her strength and was able to reduce daily medications from ten to three. My Dad takes my power classes and, at 83 years old, is stronger than most students half his age. There are now three generations of Montoyas practicing yoga. Besides my parents, all three daughters practice. The eldest daughter has gone on to become a teacher herself and has combined yoga and Latin dancing into a program, based in Florida, called Shiva Latina. As I get older, I am actually getting stronger, more flexible, more balanced, more focused and have more energy. I am “aging less” and, through my teaching, helping others to achieve their own sense of ageless health. Hey, if I can do it, anyone can!
Ageless Yoga with Nick Montoya Today, I teach ten yoga classes per week at the Blissful Yoga Studios based in Scottsdale, Arizona. I conduct lifestyle transformation workshops and retreats, guest-teach in any city I visit, and am the teacher featured in a new unique four-DVD, eight-week program for beginners, called Ageless Yoga with Nick Montoya. Thousands of people are now doing “Ageless” and producers are looking to turn this into the “P90X phenomenon” for people 40-plus. The next Ageless Yoga Retreat is Sept 20-23, 2012, and it’s special to me, because I’ll be returning to my northern Arizona roots. I left the White Mountains as a college-bound 18-year-old and, through the years, earned a reputation as a successful corporate executive for a Fortune 100 company, only to return some 35 years later as a yoga teacher with a passion and mission for helping people get healthy – my most rewarding work yet. “Ageless” has become a term associated with me. It is not only the name of my yoga programs, it also reflects my physical and mental outlook on life.
Nick Montoya, warrior pose
To learn more about Nick Montoya, The Ageless Program, and his teaching and retreat schedule, visit vayuproductions.com. latinopm.com
¡ August 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
47
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CTCA_LatinoPers.indd 1 Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ August 2012!
5/21/12 3:24 PM latinopm.com
P.S.
Stella Pope Duarte
Dreams can heal By Stella Pope Duarte
Dreams are unseen, yet they can
bring messages that are as real to us as if someone were standing there in person telling us what to do next. Dreams are part of the language of your own soul. When the question of language comes up at workshops, I often tell people, “It doesn’t matter what languages you speak, as long as you understand the language of your own soul.” In a dream, a person might see a tree, or a huge snowstorm, or a half-empty glass of water. What does it mean? Here is where each dreamer must ask questions of the dream, and search for a personal meaning that will most likely have nothing to do with any other person. Currently, my newest book, Writing through Revelations, Visions and Dreams, will soon be downloadable as an e-book, and will also be available in print. In the book, I discuss at length the magical messages sent by the invisible world and how their power can reach us in our daily lives. Every August, I recall three dynamic dreams that are related to some of the most important people in my life: my
father, my mother and my beloved sister, Rosie, who all died in the month of August. Dreams can heal; they can bring prophetic messages that will change your life and make all things new again. The dream about my Dad in 1995 led me to an elegant, salmon-colored, spiral staircase that climbed into the heavens. My father’s words, “It’s right there what you have to do next, m’ija; it’s right in front of you,” led me to the writing world. This dream also healed me of a sense of loss of self, and restored my purpose for living. In August, 1994, after Mom’s death, I experienced one recurring thought: “I don’t know how to live without my mother.” I actually got physically sick as I mourned my Mom. Then, one night, a dream came to my rescue. I saw Mom coming into a room with my oldest sister, Linda, and heard this booming message: “You’re next!” Immediately I said, “I can’t be next; I’m one of the babies of the family!” I awoke with that terrifying message in my mind and was confused until the dream revealed the truth: That’s how you live without your mother – as if you’re next! Live life to the fullest, loving others and receiving love. Live as if you’re next!
In August, 2002, when I lost my sis, Rosie, my heart was broken almost beyond repair. She had been my soul friend, my second mother, and now she was gone. The recurring thought about my sister’s death was: “I can’t replace her.” One night, after months of depression, I dreamed that I was at the gym working out and saw my sister. We talked for a bit, and, then, I went out of the gym to discover that my car had been stolen. I said to myself in the dream, “I’m going to have to call my insurance company and they’ll have to get me a replacement car or give me money for the loss.” I awoke from the dream thinking I had to call my insurance company, but soon the dream’s revelation reached my conscious mind: You don’t need a replacement for your sister, because she’s still there; it’s you who has to get used to the new relationship. Instantly, I felt as if tons of bricks had been taken off my shoulders and I was able to “return to life” again. She was still there! Dreams speak to us from deep within, and, if we search for their meaning, they can heal our deepest wounds.
Stella Pope Duarte was born and raised in South Phoenix. She began her awardwinning career in 1995 after she had a dream in which her deceased father told her that her destiny was to become a writer. Contact her at stellapopeduarte.com. latinopm.com
¡ August 2012!
Latino Perspectives Magazine
49
¡!
my perspective on: why the arts matter in Arizona
The role of art in:
Cultural understanding, comprehensive education, economics, community building and social change
More perspectives
Send us your perspective on whatever moves you. Email editor@latinopm.com.
By Robert Booker
50
The arts bridge different cultures and generations. The arts can embody the values of the cultures of all our communities; they encompass the human spirit: how we celebrate, share traditions, what it means to be family, and how we mourn. The arts dramatically improve students’ educational experience and potential for success. The arts are serious academic subjects that teach analysis, experimentation, self-esteem, teamwork and problem solving. The arts help students reach their goals, keep kids in school and prepare them for the jobs of the future. Our kids need to know that Louis Armstrong was not the first man on the moon and that Celia Cruz is not Tom’s sister. The arts have a significant economic impact on communities large and small. A mayor knows that when the local theater is open on Main Street, the nearby restaurants are full. Arts festivals bring tourists who spend money in our communities. A national study released in June by Americans for the Arts reports that arts and culture nonprofits are a $135 billion industry in America, generating 4.1 million full-time equivalent jobs and $22.3 billion in government tax revenues. In Arizona, the nonprofit industry has an impact of over $500 million dollars. The arts lift up our basic human needs and values, our culture and our traditions. Right after the 9/11 attacks, members of Congress gathered on the steps of the Capitol, not to argue and debate, but to sing. The arts are our vehicle for collective celebration and togetherness. The arts are a powerful tool in a civil, respectful, innovative, creative and economically productive country. The arts take the lead in facing the tough issues head on. From Picasso’s painting, Guernica, to the poems of our own Alberto Rios, the arts are not shy, quiet or reserved. Mexican printmakers took on the atrocities of World War II through their work, way before artists from any other country stepped forward. Artists showed the effects of the Great Depression through artistry and then went on to rebuild the country as workers in the WPA’s Federal Art Project. Artists were part of the Civil Rights Movement with 8 millimeter cameras, typewriters and voices. Artists marched along and documented the
Latino Perspectives Magazine
¡ August 2012!
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Farmworkers’ Movement through photography and stories. Artists helped America understand the AIDS pandemic though personal stories, quilts and images that spoke the truth that “silence equals death.” America is a country founded on the principle that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; and that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As artists, we understand those words and we can work together to ensure that they are made true in every state in America. But, for our Arizona, I want … mayors to be as proud of community art centers and museums as they are of banks, hospitals and malls. … legislators and congressional leaders to know that public funding for the arts is a responsible action for increasing economic development. … elected officials to lead our cities to a bright future of inclusion, respect, diversity and creativity. … parents to understand that taking their kids to music classes and dance lessons is as important as taking them to soccer fields and swimming pools. … neighbors to be proud of the fact that living next door to them is a painter, actor, musician, poet or dancer. Finally, I want all Arizonans to be recognized for their hard work, their contributions to our communities and their dedication to traditions, new and old, that make Arizona a place where we all want to live. Let us celebrate our Arizona with visual arts, music, storytelling, dance, theatre and writing in our homes, schools, churches, community centers and arts centers throughout the state. Bob Booker is the executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, whose mission is to imagine an Arizona where everyone can participate in and experience the arts. He joined the agency in January of 2006, and was previously the executive director of the Minnesota State Arts Board. He was appointed as co-chair of the Arts and Culture Committee of the Arizona-Mexico Commission by Governor Napolitano. Booker serves on the Governor’s Centennial Commission and Foundation, the board of the National Association of Grantmakers in the Arts, and as a trustee of the Western States Arts Federation.
th i Ann
ion
ve rsary t Celebra
September 7, 2012 Presented by
A party you don’t want to miss. Right after Valle del Sol’s Profiles of Success Live music, appetizers and no host bar
ALAC (Arizona Latino Arts & Cultural Center) 147 East Adams St., Phoenix From 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Click here to RSVP Also sponsored by
August 4 - December 2, 2012 | Orme Lewis Gallery 1625 North Central Avenue / Phoenix, Arizona 85004 / (602) 257-1880 / PhxArt.org Marta María Pérez Bravo (Cuba 1959), No zozobra la barca de su vida (The Lifeboat Does Not Capsize), 1995. Gelatin Silver Print, 17” x 12”. The Judy and Sidney Zuber Collection of Latin American Photography.