The Accidental Creation of a Fast Food Icon: The Whopper Jr.
In a surprising turn of events this past year, a catchy Burger King jingle, “Whopper Whopper,” became an instant hit for the fast-food giant. And it quickly became viral online. The jingle has amassed an impressive 9+ million streams on Spotify and has inspired various remixes, including a special one created for the 2023 Video […]
United in Purpose: MLK and Chavez’s Enduring Legacies
When it comes to American civil rights, the towering figures of Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez stand strong. Their legacies are interwoven, though their shared struggles. At first glance, their paths might seem divergent, rooted in distinct forms of activism. However, beneath the surface, their causes converged in many ways. And so did […]
Día de los Reyes: A Tale of Wise Kings and Timeless Traditions
Pictured here: The Three Kings’ Parade in Madrid. “After traveling from afar, the procession of their Majesties Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar has toured the city center, preceded by ‘The Christmas Star,’ a float carrying over 6,000 wishes written on paper stars by the citizens, creating a collective galaxy of desires for the present and the future.”
The Fortunate Flavor of New Year’s Lentils
Looking for some New Year’s luck and prosperity? Then it’s time to rev up your crockpot or slow cooker! You see, around Latin America, like in Chile and Mexico, it’s a tradition to eat lentil soup on New Year’s Day. The lentils are believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year. But […]
Charmed Underwear: The Odd Latin American NYE Tradition
As the countdown to New Year’s Eve commences, Latin American traditions and superstitions take center stage. One unique practice that stands out every year is the choice of colored underwear, believed to usher in a year of luck, prosperity, and/or romance. It depends on the color underwear you, well, wear. “In South America in particular, […]
The Cuban Missile Crisis and A Song
Featured image: Map of Northern America showing the full range of the nuclear missiles under construction in Cuba, used during the secret meetings on the Cuban crisis, courtesy of The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.
Pancho Claus: The Tex-Mex Santa with a Lowrider
Imagine Santa’s cousin dressed in a zoot suit, cruising through the Lone Star state in a lowrider sleigh – all the way from the South Pole.
Examining Lladro: The 70th Anniversary of the Porcelain Empire
Entrada a la fàbrica de Lladró.
Frida Kahlo Way: Honoring Legacy and Reshaping History
Five years ago, amidst the announcment of the Diego Rivera Theatre at City College of San Francisco, another significant moment unfurled. A new street sign, Frida Kahlo Way, was unveiled. City dignitaries, students, and faculty gathered in jubilant celebration, with the Diego Rivera “Pan American Unity” mural as a backdrop, on December 7, 2018, to […]
How Miami Became America’s Most Latino City
It’s a city where Materva, a Cuban soda, lines the shelves of local Publix stores; where Puerto Rican pan sobao is a daily bakery staple; and where Nicaraguan steakhouses are more popular than traditional diners. Bienvenido to the 305. A city in the United States where English hasn’t been the dominant language for decades. Where […]
Kahlo’s Surreal ‘Thanksgiving’ Portrait: An Homage to a Gardener
Fans of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo know about her self portraits, her tumultuous marriage to fellow artist Diego Rivera, and her many health problems stemming from a bus accident in her teen years. But how many know about her love of gardening? To be more specific: her love of horticulture? This holiday week led us […]
‘Real Women Have Curves: The Musical’ Set to Enchant Audiences
This holiday season, fans of the 2002 film Real Women Have Curves, starring a then-unknown America Ferrera, have a new reason to celebrate. The American Repertory Theater, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is gearing up for the world premiere of Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, “a new musical about life’s unexpected curves.” Spearheaded by Tony Award-winning […]