Here we have the latest in the world’s dumbest employers series.

This event is so awful that it doesn’t even need my witty repartee to set the stage, the title says it all…

By MELANIE DABOVICH, Associated Press Writer; “Hotel Owner tells Hispanic workers to change names“; Mon Oct 26, 8:57 am ET

TAOS, N.M. – Larry Whitten (seen in picture to the left) marched into this northern New Mexico town in late July on a mission: resurrect a failing hotel.

The tough-talking former Marine immediately laid down some new rules. Among them, he forbade the Hispanic workers at the run-down, Southwestern adobe-style hotel from speaking Spanish in his presence (he thought they’d be talking about him), and ordered some to Anglicize their names.

No more Martin (Mahr-TEEN). It was plain-old Martin. No more Marcos. Now it would be Mark.

Whitten’s management style had worked for him as he’s turned around other distressed hotels he bought in recent years across the country.

The 63-year-old Texan, however, wasn’t prepared for what followed.

His rules and his firing of several Hispanic employees angered his employees and many in this liberal enclave of 5,000 residents at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, where the most alternative of lifestyles can find a home and where Spanish language, culture and traditions have a long and revered history.

“I came into this landmine of Anglos versus Spanish versus Mexicans versus Indians versus everybody up here. I’m just doing what I’ve always done,” he says.

*****

Then Whitten told some employees he was changing their Spanish first names. Whitten says it’s a routine practice at his hotels to change first names of employees who work the front desk phones or deal directly with guests if their names are difficult to understand or pronounce.

“It has nothing to do with racism. I’m not doing it for any reason other than for the satisfaction of my guests, because people calling from all over America don’t know the Spanish accents or the Spanish culture or Spanish anything,” Whitten says.

Martin Gutierrez, another fired employee, says he felt disrespected when he was told to use the unaccented Martin as his name. He says he told Whitten that Spanish was spoken in New Mexico before English. “He told me he didn’t care what I thought because this was his business,” Gutierrez says.

“I don’t have to change my name and language or heritage,” he says. “I’m professional the way I am.”

After the firings, the New Mexico chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, a national civil rights group, sent Whitten a letter, raising concerns about treatment of Hispanic workers. Whitten says he sent them a letter and posted messages on the hotel marquee, alleging that the group referred to him with a racial slur. LULAC denied the charge.

The messages and comments he made in interviews with local media, including referring to townsfolk as “mountain people” and “potheads who escaped society,” further enflamed tensions.

******

Whitten grew subdued as a two-hour interview with The Associated Press progressed. He said he was sorry for the misunderstanding and insisted he has never been against any culture.

“What kind of fool or idiot or poor businessman would I be to orchestrate this whole crazy thing that’s costed me a lot of time, money and aggravation?” Whitten said.

Whitten should have dealt with the situation differently, especially in a majority Hispanic town, said 71-year-old Taos artist Ken O’Neil, while sipping his afternoon coffee on the town’s historic plaza.

“To make demands like he did just seems over the top,” he says. “Nobody won here. It’s not always about winning. Sometimes, it’s about what you learn.”

Southern Arizona has a strong cultural influence by the Mexican American population. One of their traditions is Folklorico dancing, which draws from the Spanish Flaminco dance tradition, but has less emphasis on heel tapping and more of a relaxed earthy feel to it. Here is my 2005 interpretation of the colorful skirt of a dancer in action.

Ren Oakenfull www.flckr.com

I read. A lot. Right now I’m reading three books, blogs, twitter, facebook, emails, texts. I have a hunger to learn all that I can. I believe there is wisdom in books. I’m married to a reader and my four kids are readers. We read.

So why did it bother so much when a person in our church said, “You know us Hispanics, we don’t read.” It bothered me on levels I guess. One, is that there is still prejudice in our country. While we may have a half African American president, there are still times like last week when I went into a store whose sales clerks didn’t greet me but greeted the other woman who came in and asked her if she needed help finding anything. Funny how the same clerk looked shocked when I was checking out came and asked, “Was anyone helping you?”, and I replied, “No, everyone was too busy to even greet me, knowing that I was the only person in the store at the time.” It’s not lost on me that these things still happen. So when ignorant blanket statements about Hispanics are made by Hispanics themselves it makes me angry on a certain level.

Two, if in fact we are called to be followers of Christ but profess not to read, then our knowledge of him is limited and based on what we’ve heard rather than what we know. This is a dangerous place to be because you can be fooled into thinking anything. If you don’t know your rights in the kingdom then you can’t exercise them. It becomes a never-ending circle of ignorance.

Three, it excuses you to remain ignorant and on a level lower than you were intended to live. This is not kingdom living. This is merely existence on the planet. Reading is a gift that many were not given. There are people who would love to know how to read. You are throwing the gift of reading away as a casual thing. Reading can change your life.

So let’s stop bragging about how we hate to read and begin to access the gift of reading and get out of the self-imposed pit of ignorance.

I’ve read with interest a blog recently about women and infidelity. This blog coming on the heels of an article in Latina Magazine which said that 68% of college aged women cheat on their mate versus 75% of college aged men who cheat, it made for some interesting observations.

The article in Latina quoted Gary Lewandowski Jr. Ph.D who has done extensive research on infidelity. He says women tend to cheat due to dissatisfaction in their relationship. They also tend to cheat early in their marriage, the longer they’ve been married the less likely they are to cheat. When Latina did their own study on 500 readers 69% of them have cheated. Infidelity is not just a male issue anymore, if it ever was, and it seems that the numbers are staggeringly increasing.

My own personal thought on this is to look at the age we are discussing. Women in the college age group who are still finding their own identity. It makes sense to me that they would be the ones most likely to cheat as they would have more personal dissatisfaction in their relationship because they have more dissatisfaction with their life in general. These are not the women of 30 years ago who were prepared for marriage at 18. These women have been brought up with a vastly different perspective to their life. They were not brought up to go to college to find their husband as in generations past. Instead, they were brought up to find themselves. This is not a bad thing, don’t misunderstand, I like this, but mix this prematurely in a marriage and we can see where there can be issues.

What is interesting about infidelity is that once it happens the first time, it becomes easier to do it again. Lines get crossed and whether we like to admit it or not, we become desensitized to the idea. Statistically we find women who cheat live to cheat again. It becomes a vicious cycle of looking for that thrill that you can’t find in a long-term relationship. Mix this with the fact that one in five people have genital herpes and the fastest growing number of HIV/AIDS patients are Hispanics and African American women and we have a lot more issues than a broken heart. The idea that it won’t happen to me, keeps these diseases spreading.

So what is the remedy? We can’t say it’s church because even those in church cheat. We can’t say it’s God because those in church should know God and still it happens. Pastor Doug has told me over and over that those who cheat or find themselves on the brink of cheating are open to the possibility of it. I believe the real answers lie in the questions that are never asked.

What exactly are you looking for in a relationship?

How do you react when the going gets rough?

Are you run by your emotions?

Can you set clear boundaries for yourself?

Are you ready for a committed relationship?

I do the pre-marital counseling in our church. When I ask these questions, often I get the blank stares and the ‘I don’t know’ answers and only because they have never really thought of why they want to get married or if they are ready for marriage. They tend to look at the questions through the rose colored glasses of love rather than the honesty of reality that will smack them in the face quite quickly.

Then, there needs to be a clear understanding of the vows taken. What is a covenant and who did I make that covenant with? You see, that covenant although primarily with your spouse and God affects many others. Children, parents and other family members are affected by these decisions as well. When a covenant is broken those people are also indirectly affected by your decision. Sin may be personal but it is never private it affects many, even the people on the sidelines watching this all go down.

The cost of infidelity is not just the demise of a relationship, it’s the cost of a piece of a soul, the cost of those who look at the damage, the cost to your health and the opening of doors that don’t easily get closed once they are opened. Even when the relationship is saved, there is something that has been chipped away from it. We must learn to consider the cost of our actions.

Luke 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it– 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 

By George Zwierko

A statement I read on a friend’s Facebook profile recently inspired me to write this blog entry. “Uno es demasiado gringo para ser Latino, y demasiado Latino para ser gringo, y por tanto no se te recibe fácil en ninguno de los dos ámbitos.” Loosely translated, “there are those who are too White to be Latin and those too Latin to be White. Eventually, these people find it difficult to connect with either group.” While my friend was obviously referring to the societal quandaries that plague many people. It made me reflect on my personal struggle to find my own cultural fingerprint.

Growing up in a Spanish neighborhood in the Bronx to a Puerto Rican mother the answer was simple; I considered myself to be Puerto Rican. Unknowingly, I gravitated toward the dominant culture within our home and social surroundings. Not that I was trying to deny my Father’s European roots, I just wasn’t exposed to the traditions or customs of his culture. Raised on arroz con gandules and la música de mi gente, speaking Spanglish and proudly waving mi bandera at the Puerto Rican Day Parade – I felt undeniably Puerto Rican. Yet, my own insecurities of not having the physical appearance of a Latino kept me from truly embracing the attributes of being Latino. No matter how hard I tried I felt unaccepted by “my” people.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve found ways to strengthen my connection with my Latin side. I’ve also learned to respect and appreciate my Father’s heritage. More importantly, I now know what makes me Latino, and it has nothing to do with looking Latino ­– me siento Latino.

Cisnernos, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. New York: Knopf, 1985.

The daughter of Mexican Immigrants and a student in the Chicago public schools, Esperanza describes what it is like to live a life between two cultures.

Book Talk: Esperanza describes life as a first generation Mexican-American girl growing up in the inner city. Though she is deeply attached to her community,  she imagines a better life for herself. Many of her friends also long for lives with more autonomy and better socio-economic circumstances. Some, however, miss the mark.  Here, she discusses her friend, Sally:

Sally got married like we know she would, young and not ready but married just the same. She met a marshmallow salesman at a school bazaar, and she married him in another state where it’s legal to get married before eighth grade. She has her husband and her house now, her pillow cases and her plates. She says she is in love, but I think she did it to escape.

Written with the precision and grace of a poet, The House on Mango Street will inspire you to consider the power of your own voice.

Awards:

Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, 1985

image: powells.com

Quinceanera (2006)
Written & Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland
Starring: Emily Rios, Jesse Garcia and Chalo Gonzalez

Prejudice is an ugly but powerful force and one which we all must strive to overcome. Here we’re confronted with a movie which examines the lives of a couple Hispanics living in Echo Park, written and directed by two white guys gentrifying the neighborhood. That simple knowledge colors every aspect of the viewing experience, provoking a critical thread through ninety minutes most movies would escape. In the wake I’m left pondering whether the movie succeeds as a simple story about normal people or as a cunning example of how to bleach out a community in order to find common ground.

If you’ve ever walked through the Mission and stumbled across a group of kids dressed as if they were getting married, it’s probably a Quinceanera, a fusion of religious and social customs, similar to the Jewish Bar Mitzvah, proudly celebrated when a girl turns fifteen. Magdalena (Emily Rios) is steadily approaching this special day with a mixture of embarrassment and hope. Her cousin had a Hummer Limo and extravagant party but she is facing the prospect of an altered dress and whatever her humble preacher/security-guard father can afford. These petty questions and days of gossiping with friends or grappling with her first boyfriend are about to suddenly end, with the coming-of-age ceremony looks less like a party and more a bleak reality.

She’s pregnant, but she’s a virgin. No one, least of all her staunchly religious father, can believe these incredible claims so after a screaming fight she slips out to seek refuge with her Great-Uncle Thomas (Chalo Gonzalez) who is already harboring Magdalena’s outcast cousin, Carlos (Jesse Garcia), in his small home. Dreams of Hummer Limos take a back seat to more pressing concerns, like convincing her boyfriend that he needs to tell his mother about their child, and getting accustomed to the looks and whispers following her around school.

Hidden within this skeleton are an array of organs all pumping away, but the interconnecting tissue isn’t getting the blood it needs. Too many stories stretch in too many directions with no clear focus– Magdalena provides the common thread for diversions into Carlos’ story, which begins to intersect with the landlords and by proxy the entire intrusion of upper class whites moving into a traditionally Hispanic district. The clash of traditional values and modern mores is attempted but most contemporary fathers would be enraged by their fourteen year old daughter becoming pregnant; the clash of upper and lower class is insinuated weakly, mostly buried by a plot diversion that comes as a well handled twist and ends up going nowhere. If this was an anthropological examination of Hispanic culture in Los Angeles we are lead to believe that they’re the same as everyone else except for some culinary flair and tourist video of street vendors and dollar store Mexican paraphernalia. The same movie could have been made about whites living in Anytown, U.S.A., or any majority culture in their majority region– the characters are essentially blank slates and every overture to authenticate this particular experience as belonging to any ethnic group or place feels painted on. Herein lies the question– why did two white guys make a movie about Hispanics in Echo Park?

Regardless of whatever the intentions behind the movie’s genesis, there’s a lot of talent to be found in the cast. Emily Rios exudes a determination and maturity which belies her age. The emotional turmoil demanded for the character of Magdalena finds free expression without hysterics or over-acting. Jesse Garcia tackles the most difficult role with ease, fleshing out the surprisingly complex Carlos without resorting to stereotypes, playing extremes without losing the character’s foundation. Chalo Gonzales is a delight to watch, able to carry his scenes with twinkling eyes and compassionate understanding that hardly requires dialog. As would be expected the rest of the younger actors are a mixed bag of talent ranging from capable to horrible with the adults more adept at fulfilling their parts.

If the storylines seem distracted the actual script suffers an unfortunate clarity. There’s some truly atrocious dialog, particularly between Magdalena and her conflicted boyfriend. Overall there script plays it straight with no snappy one-liners and no dramatic soliloquies, erring on the side of function over flash. Similarly the production is no-nonsense, although there’s a tendency to senselessly go hand-held which only adds to the tacked-on “National Geographic examines Mexicans” feeling I’m having a hard time shaking. And calling the main character Magdalena (as in Mary Magdalene) is a little too cute, isn’t it?

After a successful Sundance premiere Sony picked up the movie for distribution. The DVD has a clean anamorphic print and a rocking Dolby surround mix. Netflix? You betcha!

A rash of disappearing children leads a police detective towards a supernatural solution.

In a interview with the nut cases over at Fox, Eva Mendes Broke out her knowledge on them, Very impressive

“I think as women, we’re sometimes told not to ask for certain things, or to constantly put others before ourselves. These are nice characteristics but I think that women should learn to ask for what they want in all areas of their lives more than they currently do,” she explained.

“I want to encourage the world to inject more pleasure into their lives and I think especially at this time in the world where it’s all doom and gloom it’s a fantastic time to talk about pleasure and work out how to get more pleasure into our lives.”

I am sure many women out there thanks you Eva. No wonder you’re successful,

Angela’s digital illustration “Mother and Child” was awarded first place in The Trinidad Sanchez
Jr. Poetry and Art Festival. The piece was on display during the second annual festival held at Northwest Vista College. The festival featured the poetry of Levi Romero and Norma Cantu. Trinidad’s wife Regina Chavez y Sanchez was also present to honor the work of her late husband Trinidad Sanchez Jr.

"Mother and Child"

A print of “Mother and Child” was signed by Angela and donated to Northwest Vista College.

Time changes everything. Or how you view time changes everything.  Differences in cultural concepts of time are ALWAYS brought up by a frustrated manager or employee during cross cultural training sessions. I am amazed at how little attention is paid to understanding the concept of time in the workplace, given its profound impact on productivity, employee and customer relations, and worker satisfaction.

Ideas about time range widely:

·        Time is a scare resource.  Manage it carefully!

·        Time is abundant.  Relax!

·        Time is best spent concentrating on one activity, conversation, project, etc., at a time

·        Time is best spent concentrate simultaneously on multiple activities, conversations, projects, etc., at a time.

·        Use time to learn from the past.  The present is essentially a continuation or a repetition of past occurrences.

·        Use time to focus on “here and now” and short-term benefits.

·        Use time to plan for long-term benefits.  Promote a far-reaching vision.

These differences can wreak havoc on the workplace.

I worked with one American company that was having problems with time management of their plant in Mexico, which supplied the raw materials for their factory in the US. “They always miss deadlines, and never at least give us the heads up that they may be late!” “They work so slowly!” “It’s impossible to coordinate with them, because they just don’t stick to our schedule!”

When I asked how they were presently dealing with the situation, the manager said they had sent a team down to Mexico to train the employees on what was expected and managing their time better.

The company did not leave anyone American onsite to oversee production schedules. The problem returned as soon as we left, was their response. Well of course everything went back to Mexican style! Why wouldn’t it? Could you imagine a person from a different culture coming into your workplace and telling you to behave in a manner completely different from your culture? How long would you keep that up, especially if no one from the target culture was on site? Wouldn’t you and your coworkers slip back into your natural way of acting and communicating?

Helping employees understand cultural differences requires constant communication. There is no instant solution. Working successfully across cultures takes time.

Read here  about ways to get employees on the same page about time expectations.

The “Boogie Down” Bronx is well-known for producing latin superstars such as Fat Joe and Jennifer Lopez.

We bring to you the latest product of the BX, Sophia Rosado. If you have that nagging feeling that you’ve seen her somewhere before, it was probably while watching an episode of your favorite BET program. Sophia has made appearances on 106 & Park, Rip The Runway, and in several music videos including Maino and Nore’s My Life Is A Movie, Cheri Dennis’ I Love You, and Juelz Santana’s Whistle… to name a few. No stranger to the limelight, this alluring siren makes a living partying with the stars! Delve into one model’s life in the flashing lights as we explore Sophia Rosado’s thirst for the glamour life.

What is it about the BX that gave you star quality?

Yes you are right about the Bronx being well known for producing Latin superstars. I guess it goes back to our Latin roots. Music is a very important part of the Hispanic culture. It is used as a way to express feelings about love, sadness, and happiness. I think my star quality comes from my uncle who was a TBB, one of The Bronx Boys, and my father who was a musician. As a child I loved when he played the congas. I remember dancing to his music and even pretending that I was a superstar using my hairbrush as the microphone [laughs]. It was early in my life that I developed a passion for music and dancing. Also, I’ve always looked up to Jennifer Lopez; and, in fact, some have compared me to her and the late Selena.

What is the one characteristic you possess that screams “I’m from the Bronx!”?

The one characteristic that screams “I’m from the Bronx!” is attitude! Not in a bad way, but in a way that describes self-confidence.

Since your Grandmother first inspired you to model, you have achieved quite a few major credits including features in Straight Stuntin, ASIS, The Source, and Don Diva and various videos with the latest being LL Cool J’s Baby. Would you say that modeling has changed you as a person? Would others?

No. Modeling has not changed me as a person. I continue to be the same down to earth person that I have always been. If any change has been made, I can say that it has been in the area of having gained experience. I’m so proud of how far I’ve come in this industry; however, my friends that I thought were my best friends started acting differently around me.

Working with BET’s 106 & Park, you have the opportunity to rub noses with many high profile entertainers. What is it like partying with the Stars?

While I’m rubbing noses with the stars, I feel like in a dream state [laughs]! At the same time, it’s so exciting to be up close partying with them and taking pictures. In the beginning when I was invited to Ne-Yo’s album release party, I was thinking “Wow! How great is that … I’m VIP baby!” [Laughs] But now I’m used to it.


[Laughs]You have admitted to watching America’s Next Top Model and using Tyra Banks criticisms of the contestants to improve your own “Game” What are some criticisms you or others have about yourself and how are you working to improve them?

Well, before I didn’t know how to handle criticisms because if you model or want to become a model, you will believe or think everything you do is right; and who cares what other say about you. When taking photos, I’ve always had a fierce look, but never smiled in any of my photos. Going to casting calls and having directors review my photos was nerve wrecking. I remember him saying that I need to smile more and I took that as a compliment and him helping me out.

In the beginning of your career, you were under the impression that modeling would be easy… simply a task of strutting your stuff on the runway and playing “Eye Candy” in front of the camera. Now that you are more experienced, has your outlook changed at all?

Yes it has. I have learned that it is a very competitive industry. Aside of having the right looks, you also have to be very determined to get what you want; and it helps to know the right people.

You share with Latina entertainer Shakira, a very unique skill: the art of belly dancing. How did you acquire this ability and has it helped you in your modeling career at all?

I love everything about Shakira and to be honest after watching her video for Whatever, Whenever made me want to practice even more. [Laughs] In that video she belly dances a lot. I love the way her body flows with the music as she belly dances. I would watch it over and over again! [Laughs] To me, the way that belly dancing has helped in my modeling career is that it helps maintain my waistline. I use it as an exercise and also for entertainment.

You have said that you have more to offer the industry than your looks. Explain.

Yes, aside of my looks, I’m a comedian. I know you would have never guess that, but it’s true. I love to goof around and make people laugh. I’m very good at impersonations. I always entertain my family while imitating many stars like Cher, Britney Spear, Michael Jackson, and more

It’s not uncommon for video vixens to have been propositioned for sex when auditioning for music videos. Have you ever been pressured to succumb to sexual favors in exchange for work?

Wow, that is a very good question. I believe there is a lot of models including myself that have been in situations like that. Since being in the industry for three yrs, I’ve come across models, manager/ directors, and rap artists who thought I would go home with them after auditioning or like you said would pressure me to succumb to sexual favors in exchange for work. I remember going to this G-Unit casting call for a music video. I was on a line waiting for the other models to get in the room, I noticed these guys in the hallway looking at the models and talking to his boys. Then one of the guys called me over and said, “Where you from?”, “How long you been modeling?”, and “Do you have a boyfriend?”. I felt very uncomfortable talking to him. Then he said, “Do you want to come with me with the G-Unit crew to a Hotel in Connecticut?” He mentioned if I went, I would be main girl in the video. Years ago, I read Melyssa Ford’s interview in Vibe and she also mentioned her experiences as a video vixen and what she went through. I never thought that someday I would be in that situation. To me, it’s like a trade off to models that I know who are very successful, but for the wrong reasons… Models who want the fame so bad that they would have sex with their agents just to be well known in the industry and gain exposure as video and magazine models and what not. I have a lot of respect for myself, and will not tolerate that from any kind of work.

As your success heightens and you begin to gain notoriety and a fan base, you will undoubtedly attract a wide following of haters as well. What do you do with the negativity sent your way?

You know, I can’t control what people think of me; but the unfortunate fact of the matter is that as you progress and grow in your professional life, your spiritual life and in your personal life, there are going to be people in this world that start to dislike you for what you have accomplished. It’s sad, really. The only thing that I can do is ignore it and focus on my own life. Paying attention to what a few unfortunate individuals think or say about me only gives them energy.

Throughout high school, your dream was to be a fashion designer. Has this goal changed any today?

No. I still dream about being a fashion designer. I just have not had much time to pursue it lately. However, I’m thinking about taking some time to work on some ideas that I have in mind

Your five year goal is to be married and living in a big home with a beautiful family. Have you already found the special someone you want to spend the rest of your life yet?

Sadly, no! [Laughs] I have not found that special someone that I would want to spend the rest of my life with yet. I grew up in a religious home and I believe that God has already selected my soul mate who is out there somewhere and whom I will meet when destiny puts him in my path.

Even if you aren’t currently looking, what type of individual would you like to find if you were?

The type of individual that I would like to find must respect me as a woman. I will not tolerate any man trying to mold me into what he wants. I’m a very independent woman and do not like anyone trying to control me.

Beyonce has re-ignited the “Diva” crave and you, yourself, are a self-proclaimed “Diva”. Before we “rap” up, give us your definition of the word “Diva” and how you fit the description.

My definition of a Diva is a woman who is independent, takes care of herself, and does not let anything bother her. It is a woman who goes after what she wants and gets it, even if it means trying many times over. That is my definition of a “Diva” and the reason why I consider myself one.

Growing up in El Paso I was exposed to mi cultura everywhere, en mi casa, con mis primos, in our neighborhood & even in school.  It was great to go listen to mariachis at the restaurant,  eat menudo at the Village Inn, check out Los Matachines by the puente, or even checking out the Viva El Paso show.  Now that I live in Austin, I really miss that & want mas sabores de mi cultura in my city.  Don’t get me wrong, we do have some activities that showcase Latino culture & all it’s beauty pero necesitamos mas!  If you feel the same way I do, then I encourage you to attend the next Hispanic Quality of Life community forum.  The focus will be on cultural arts & history de nuestra gente!  If you love Frida’s paintings, Selena’s cumbias, Cesar Chavez’s ganas, & embrace nuestra cultura then make your voice count & attend Tuesday’s forum!  I’ll be there & hope to see familiar faces & even new ones!

Adelante!

Mando

Mando & Ixchel getting their Cultura on!

Hispanic Quality of Life Cultural Arts Forum

(en español)

For more information on the Hispanic Quality of Life Initiative, visit www.AustinHispanicQualityOfLife.com or call (512) 974-2344.
Adelánte Solutions at (512) 637-0877.

A while back I came across this article in MSN Money regarding Wal-Mart wanting to set up Spanish speaking stores in Texas and Arizona, U.S. states mind you.

Retail giant Wal-Mart (WMT) will open its first Hispanic-focused supermarkets this summer in Arizona and Texas. The stores will feature Spanish speaking staff and new layouts, products, and signage that will be “relevant to local Hispanic customers.”

The stores, dubbed Supermercado de Walmart, will appear in converted Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market stores in Phoenix and Houston. Separately, the company also plans on converting a Sam’s Club warehouse into a Hispanic-themed Más Club.

Some of my thoughts on this are just as you may have predicted, yet some of my thoughts may actually surprise you.  For one,  we are living in the United States.  Yes this is a country of immigrants.  Yet, I believe there should be a balance of  embracing your ancestral culture, while at the same time assimilating into the culture in which you live.  Wal-Mart is a nationwide store.  This is a nation of many cultures coming together to form one larger culture of English speaking, greasy hamburger eating, peoples.  Do I believe there should be one homogenized culture of everyone being the same?  NO.  I do believe that a store such as Wal-Mart should basically be the same through-out the country.  And do some tweaking to each individual store, depending upon the local.  But not an outright Hispanic Wal-Mart in states that have large Hispanic populations.  Why not a Middle Eastern Wal-Mart in the Detroit area?  How ’bout an Italian Wal-Mart in NYC.  Then next door, a Jewish Wal-Mart.  How ’bout a Czech Wal-Mart in Chicago?  How ’bout a German Wal-Mart in Wisconsin?  Amish Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania?  See how ridiculus this is?  Let’s just continue to have American Wal-Marts for American people.

Now for the surprise thought.  As I have mentioned before, I used to live in Corpus Christi, Texas.  There is a huge Hispanic population there.  Many a neighborhood will have little stores that specialize in something, Hispanic related.  One store can be a Mexican butcher.  Another store can be fruits, vegetables and snacks from Mexico.  And who can forget the little curio stores.  The best way to describe a curio store is it’s a combination religious and superstition store.  They have many crucifixes, saint candles, rosary beads.  While also potions, notions, charms, candles and other such to help one find luck, love, money, etc.  Some Mexican stores sell dry goods, such as blankets, toys, clothing, jewelry and things that tourists who don’t want to venture into Mexico can buy.  Actually, when one thinks about it.  There already is a Hispanic Wal-Mart.  That is the flea market.  All the store types I mentioned and more are at the flea market.  The one in Corpus also has 2 bars, a cafeteria that serves Mexican food, even a tattoo parlor or two.  Let’s see Hispanic Wal-Mart do that!  Being the capitalist conservative that I am, I would never in my wildest dreams want to see these neighborhoods and stores “Americanized.”  These are businesses in which the people have realized the market niche for tourists and fellow Hispanics.  And God Bless ‘em.  That is what makes Corpus Christi different from say Grand Rapids, Michigan in which some people still embrace their Dutch heritage, yet go with the flow and be American.  Wouldn’t life be boring if every city and town were just like the next?  So, my feeling is that a commercialized Hispanic Wal-Mart would water down above said culture.

Although I guess it would be better than yuppifying Wal-Mart…

Now that the sales boost from penny-pinching consumersis peaking, it’s nice to see the company ramping up capital investment plans in search of new sources of growth. Prior to the recession, the company was focused on revamping existing locations with sushi bars and faux-wood floors. Besides the multi-cultural efforts, Wal-Mart is pushing forward on its Marketside convenience store concept.

Don’t even get me started on “…the company was focused on revamping existing locations with sushi bars and faux-wood floors.”  Wal-Mart is supposed to be down home, comfy, cozy and bargainy.  I don’t want to feel like I am at yuppy world when I go to Wal-Mart.  Give me linoleum floors, bright fluorescent lighting and cheap doo-dads.  That’s what I don’t like about Target.  It just feels yuppyish.  It smells funny too, like Liberals, or something.

Healthcare providers face multiple challenges when working with patients from different cultures. Unlike managers and employees who work with diverse coworkers and customers, healthcare providers interpretations and decisions impact the patient’s life and future.

I enjoy delivering culture training to healthcare workers. They usually “get it” and understand the importance the role culture plays in their interactions, as well as the idea that culture is more than  just ethnicity.

Still, I often hear the frustration healthcare workers encounter when providing services to members of other cultures. Even though they have the best intentions, they often don’t know how to address these differences.

Examples include:

1. Only immediate family were allowed to visit a patient in the hospital. About 12 members of an extended Hispanic family showed up, wanting to see the patient. When the provider said, “only immediate family” the response was, “We are immediate family!”  To them, the idea that a cousin or aunt is any less immediate was ridiculous.

2. A woman from Jordan was in consultation with a physician, her elder brother by her side. Before she would make any decisions or offer any responses, she would look at her brother, have a quick conversation in Arabic, and then the brother would provide the answer. The physician thought she could build a better relationship with the patient without the brother in the room. When she asked him to leave, the patient panicked and started to cry.

3.  An Hispanic patient brought her 3 children with her for her MRI, even though the healtchare provider explained that the testing would take about 1 hour, and the children could not be left unattended in the waiting room.

4. During intake at a psychiatric hospital, an Asian woman refuses to make eye contact with the healthcare provider. The provider isn’t sure if it’s cultural or related to a mental illness.

One workshop participant told a story that showed the importance of active listening, clarifying, summarizing and probing for more information. She said she was offering bereavement counseling for a Haitian woman who had just lost her 3-year-old daughter. In discussion, it came up that the woman did not attend her child’s funeral with the rest of the family. At first, the counselor was shocked at what she initially saw as a horrible thing for a parent to do. Without judging the Haitian woman, she engaged her in further discussion, only to learn that she was pregnant, and didn’t want to risk the life of her new baby by going into a cemetery. She was, by her cultural standard, being a caring and protective mother. A fact that only came out because the provider took the time to learn more.

 What cross cultural issues have you encountered in the healthcare system?

also….read the CAL Learning March newsletter for tips on how to become a more culturally competent healthcare provider.

The Sweetie had to move his car by 11 a.m. for street cleaning yesterday, so we decided to have a jaunt uptown rather than do the NYC dance of double parking for 1 1/2 hours.  The immediate impetus was my interest in seeing the photos of Zoe Leonard at Dia at the Hispanic Society of America on Audubon Terrace.  Luckily, I grabbed my 35-year-old AIA Guide to New York City at the last minute.

We parked at 155th Street and Amsterdam and I knew from reading the guide on the way uptown that the huge, old gated cemetery before us was Trinity.  It turns out that  J.J. Audubon, the naturalist responsible for all of those magnificent bird paintings, is buried there.  He lived near the river on 155th, a fact that also explains why the Hispanic Society is located on a place called Audubon Terrace.  This was all very unexpected and exciting information for a bird-watcher like myself.

We breezed through Zoe Leonard’s photos because the fabled El Cid was luring us onto the Terrace, and from that moment forward we felt as if we were in Spain.

Here are some of the things we saw on the Terrace:

And inside:

The Hispanic Society of America houses the great collection of the
American scholar and philantropist Archer Milton Huntington who became
so fascinated with Spanish culture that he collected paintings by Goya,
El Greco, and other great painters, prints, glassware and ceramics,
textiles, furniture, sculpture, manuscripts, and books–all related to
Spain and Hispanic culture.  He founded the Society in 1904 and would
be very sad to know that hardly anyone ever spends time there.

Let me tell you, if you don’t have enough frequent flier miles to get you to
Spain–or even if you do–take the A train up to the Hispanic Society.  You will certainly have a buen viaje and you won’t have to go through security.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that my husband is Dominican. I’m very familiar with Hispanic culture, although understanding it doesn’t always make it easier to put up with things that really go against my American ways.

 The whole time thing makes me nuts. For Americans, the event controls the time. Events have a starting time and and ending time, and often these are scheduled in advance.  For Hispanics, time controls the event.  Yes, I know the dinner invitation said 7:30, but my wife always takes forever getting ready, and then a good friend called whom I haven’t spoken to in a while, then I felt like taking a nap, and that’s why I’m here at 10:15. Oh, and by the way, I brought my cousin, his son and a friend they had visiting from back home.

At first, I used to get angry. What’s so hard about being here on time? Why can’t you at least give me the heads up that you want to bring extra people? To be fair though, I’m sure my Dominican friends and family thought I was insane when I said my daughter’s birthday party was from 1:30-3:00 (she was 5).

So now I just enjoy the role of Gringa Fria when it suits me. I’m THE AMERICAN WIFE. If you don’t confirm with at least 24 hours notice, I’m counting you out. If I’m expecting 6, I cook for 6. Even if 11 show up. You can share. 

Maybe that’s why our house isn’t the most popular place for Dominican get togethers….

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend Success starts here…an evening with Edward James Olmos presentd by Farmers Insurance.  Of course, I was super excited to see 5 heroes in 1: Jamie Escalante (Stand & Deliver), Santana (American Me), Lt. Martin Castillo (Miami Vice), El Pachuco (Zoot Suit) & Admiral Adama (Battlestar Galactica)!  I scored the free tix from my involvement with YHPAA.  I guess volunteering does pay off!?!

Anyway, it was great to see “Eddie” again (he spoke at my elementary school en El Chuco). Besides pimping Farmer’s Insurance (which is probably paying him for his speaking engagements), he totally represented! His passion for La Raza, kids & community came out in his message.  I was totally inspired & motivated to do even more community work!

What about you? What are your impressions of Edward James Olmos? Are you an Admiral Adama or an old school Jaime Escalante fan?

I was also able to capture some video clips of the conversation on my borrowed Flip camera.  So here’s the raw footage….

Edward James Olmos reflects on the Americanos Project & Cultura in the U.S.

Edward James Olmos discusses the importance of giving back to communities & the real struggles of kids.

Edward James Olmos discusses Battlestar Galactica.

Btw, I’m also cross-posting in the Hispanics in Austin blog.

@elmundodemando