maize maze
daily dos
tue 10/13/2009
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill that allows the Golden State to recognize same-sex marriages that were performed in other states while gay marriage was legal in California. Proposition 8, which was passed last year, banned same-sex marriage in California.
on bended knee
daily dos
wed 9/2/2009
Check out photographer Brandon Riza's time-lapse video of the Station/Oak Glen/Angeles National Forest fires in California.
soft and fluffy
daily dos
tue 8/11/2009
Over 250 inmates were injured in an 11-hour riot between Latino and black gangs in the California Institution for Men in Chino, California.
fro down
daily dos
fri 7/24/2009
"Thanks, but no thanks." Banks in California are not accepting IOU's issued by the state government. California ran out of money last week when budget negotiations broke down between Democrats and Republicans.
snapshot
daily dos
wed 5/6/2009
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says it's time for his state to begin a debate about the legalization of marijuana, even if he does not support the strategy. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana.
Tejanos vs. Chicanos
versus
tue 11/4/2008
| name | Tejanos. | Chicanos. |
| epicenter | Río Grande Valley. | East L.A. |
| aka | The Lone Star State. | Aztlán. |
| historical landmark | The Alamo. | The California Missions. |
| the border | A river. | A fence. |
| homegrown politician | Henry Cisneros. Former mayor of San Antonio. | Antonio Villaraigosa. Current mayor of Los Angeles. |
| 4 out of 5 homies support | Los Dallas Cowboys. | Los Oakland Raiders. |
| hometown heroes | Lee Trevino, Jesse James Leija and Robert Quiroga. | Oscar De La Hoya, Nomar Garciaparra, Paul Rodriguez, Jr. and Anthony Muñoz. |
| rock and roller | Freddy Fender. | Ritchie Valens. |
| norteño royalty | Intocable. | Los Tigres del Norte. |
| gringos like to visit | The San Antonio River Walk. | Olvera Street (La Placita Olvera). |
| weekend getaway | Ciudad Juarez. | Tijuana. |
| Saturday breakfast | Barbacoa. | Birria. |
| tortillas? | Flour, por favor. | De maíz, please. |
| must-see movie | Selena starring Jennifer Lopez. | Born in East L.A. starring Cheech Marin. |
| hollywood heavyweight | Robert Rodriguez. | Edward James Olmos. |
| natural disasters | Tornadoes. | Earthquakes. |
| saying | Y’all. | Qiuibole? |
lean means green?
daily dos
mon 5/19/2008
California DMV clerks, wear your Che T-shirts with pride. Being a member of the Communist Party is no longer grounds for termination for California state employees.
LaLa
as seen on myspace
thu 11/22/2007
LaLa and video director Shaolin discuss their next move.
Pop singer LaLa is straight up 'hood. The leggy 26-year-old could become the West Coast's answer to Jenny from the Block on the strength of her breakthrough single Homegurlz, a remember-where-you-from ballad.
LaLa reps Van Nuys, California, where she is also known as Casey Romero aka "Sad Girl". Discovered on MySpace by local radio veteran Julio G, the Mexican-American is earning a following in the Chicano rap scene. Songs like "Sprung On a Thug," featuring chipmunk vocal samples over a Motown-influenced beat, and "Drop It," a club track that generously borrows from Debbie Deb's When I Hear Music cover all the bases, from Chicano oldies to Nuyorican freestyle.
The eldest of five sisters, Lala is putting the finishing touches on her debut album, Love and Respect, and hopes to capitalize on the buzz that "Homegurlz" has generated: "[I]t's like finally people are startin' to feel and relate to what Latinos got to say."
YS
as seen on myspace
mon 11/12/2007
For San Francisco's YS, music is a family affair. The 16-year-old R&B singer has a very special "in-house" producer: his dad, Bay Area beatmaker Swampkat.
The Nicaraguan and Samoan YS – aka, "Young Seb" which is short for Sebastian Jessop, Jr. – credits his family-oriented upbringing as the foundation of his blossoming career. He's currently the youngest artist signed to Sony/BMG Latino and, as a member of the Kompound Klick crew, is also the first such artist to release an English-only single, High School Wifey. The song, a giddy and sincere slow jam about teen love, has already topped the charts on neighboring Sacramento's KSFM. Not surprisingly, the ballad – likely the first to use a multicultural rally as a backdrop to young love – is slated to open his debut album Just Getting Started, which features a guest appearance by Frankie J and is set for release in early next year. Handsome, tattooed and sporting long braids, YS plans to support the album with a nationwide high school tour. Of course.
see: myspace.com/youngseb
Updated: March 11, 2008.
más maíz
daily dos
wed 7/11/2007
California's Department of Finance projects that Latinos will be the ethnic majority in California by the year 2042, four years later than previously expected. (via Vivir Latino)
"RiCkY" Says:
