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Latinitas ~ Latina Leaders Panel
June 2015 At the El Paso Library, downtown, we had an eye-opening, very real conversation with young women of all ages and various paths. "Why do we need books in our classrooms and our homes that have young women role models that look like we do, that come from where we live, speak our language and share our culture?" Positive self identity is the most important gift we can give instill in our girls. Let's do this with great libros! |
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Speaking at the Hispanic Women's Network of Texas ~ El Paso
The Importance of Cultural & Historical Literacy
March 4th, 2015
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Discussing Carmelita Torres and the Bath Riots of 1917. The question remains the same - Why isn't she in our text books? This is the first I've heard!!!
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Black Women's Lives Matter
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El Paso, TX, Jan. 16, 2015- The Black Women's Lives Matter: FREE MARISSA NOW Caravan arrived in El Paso, presenting skits and songs during a Free Marissa Now! teach-in at Cafe Mayapan. Local organizers included La Mujer Obrera, UTEP African American Studies Program, Equal Voice Network, Ethnic Studies Now Coalition, and community members welcomed the Black Women’s Lives Matter caravan and participated in a teach-in about Marissa and her case. Marissa Alexander, a Black woman and mother who was outrageously & unjustly arrested, prosecuted, and incarcerated when she fired a warning shot - injuring no one - in her attempt to defend herself against a violent abuser, is once again in jail. |
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At the Teach-in we gave the background and status of her case and also review the context within which Marissa’s case exists including the legacy of racism as it intersects with sexism and the development of the prison industrial complex.
In a New York Times op-ed piece titled “Standing Our Ground”, Charles M. Blow questions the validity of the law, which was initially proposed as a law to protect women, stating:
“Florida passed the first Stand Your Ground law in 2005. The N.R.A. and other advocates pushed the laws in part as protection for women, those who were victims of domestic violence and those who might be victimized away from home. Yet, when The Tampa Bay Times looked at 235 cases in Florida, spanning 2005 to 2013, in which Stand Your Ground was invoked and found that only 33 of them were domestic disputes or arguments, and that in most of those cases men invoked the law, not women. In fact, after Marissa Alexander, a battered Jacksonville wife, fired a warning shot at her abusive husband (to make him get out of the house, she said), her Stand Your Ground motion was denied. She is now facing a 20-year sentence. Something is wrong here.
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Holiday Family Library Days, December 2014
Huge thanks to Barnes & Noble at the Fountains, the Social Justice in Education Task Force, Lincoln Park Conservation Committee, Familias Unidas, La Mujer Obrera, Cafe Mayapan, EPISD Teacher and Counselors, and the El Paso community for their generosity, support and participation in this year's Holiday of Libros. Tu Libro was able to provide family libraries to over 100 families. |
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100 Thousand Poets & Artists for Change ~ hosted by Tu Libro at Cafe Mayapan (27 Sep 2014)
Our El Paso community came out to hear amazing authors, poets, performers and community groups share precious knowledge and work for serious educational, social, environmental and political change. |
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"Brunch, Book Talk & Signing with Sergio Troncoso"
13 Sep 2014 Tu Libro hosted an amazing story telling session with multiple award winning author Sergio Troncoso. Chatting about his fist published book of short stories (my favorite, "Punching Chickens") to the revised and newly release, "The Nature of Truth," Sergio captivated the audience with stories from home and describing what Chicano writing is, can and should be. You can view several chapters from his books, listen to his book talks and review teaching materials on his website, www.SergioTroncoso.com |
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"An Evening of Frida Kahlo"
9 May 2014
You can also view "Frida Kahlo" The Documentary by clicking on the link below
Watch an award-winning documentary from 1983 which provides a stirring look at the life and times of Mexico’s most famous woman painter, Frida Kahlo. Although the film is old, with simple editing techniques, it eloquently portrays the artist’s life in the famous “Blue House” outside of Mexico City that she shared with her husband, the famous muralist and painter Diego Rivera. A near fatal bus accident, years of traumatic surgery, and endless heartache left Frida Kahlo devastated, relentlessly transferring her physical and emotional pain to the canvas.
Go to "Lessons" for more information and documentaries of Frida
9 May 2014
You can also view "Frida Kahlo" The Documentary by clicking on the link below
Watch an award-winning documentary from 1983 which provides a stirring look at the life and times of Mexico’s most famous woman painter, Frida Kahlo. Although the film is old, with simple editing techniques, it eloquently portrays the artist’s life in the famous “Blue House” outside of Mexico City that she shared with her husband, the famous muralist and painter Diego Rivera. A near fatal bus accident, years of traumatic surgery, and endless heartache left Frida Kahlo devastated, relentlessly transferring her physical and emotional pain to the canvas.
Go to "Lessons" for more information and documentaries of Frida
2nd Annual Chuco Libro Night
25 April 2014
Tu Libro joined forces with Café Mayapan in celebrating the recent Texas State Board of Education’s (SBOE) historic implementation of Mexican American, Native American, African American and Asian American Studies courses in the Texas public education system. The SBOE monumental vote, 12-2, is due to the efforts of civil rights advocacy organizations to include ‘Tu Libro’ and ‘Librotraficante’, who began organizing after the SBOE eliminated Mexican American leaders like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta from the Texas Curriculum in 2009.
Local school districts, to include Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) and El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), and Houston Independent School District, the largest district in Texas, set precedence and voted to implement Mexican American Studies earlier this year. Studies prove that the implementation of a Mexican American Studies program has resounding effects, to include producing 98% Hispanic high school graduation rates. The implementation of these courses is crucial to the Mexican American/ Indigenous population which demographically is over 51% of Texas public school students, and leads the nation in producing high school drop-outs.
Please join us on Friday, April 25th @ 6pm @ Café Mayapan, 2000 Texas Ave for ‘Chuco Libro Night’, an evening of ‘Palabra, Poesia y Musica’ with Danza Azteca Omecoatl, Los Traques, David Dorado Romo, Elsa y Julio Noboa, Viva Flores, Celia Aguilar, Xicanitas del Chuco. Suggested donations of books or $10 entry free. All proceeds benefit the organizations efforts to provide cultural literature to children.
El Paso is currently listed at the 4th Least Literate City in the Nation, according to TIME Magazine, which leads to “lower levels of business formation, lower levels of good jobs, (and) lower salaries”. Tu Libro affirms that “Knowledge is Power” and by providing culturally relevant literature to our youth, we are providing an avenue for growth, success and change.
Georgina Perez, founder of ‘Tu Libro,' has been advocating for the implementation of Mexican American Studies as a solution to combat the high drop-out rate and low literacy rate in our community. Perez states, “Our students need to know they are valued as human beings. When they learn about historical figures such as Cesar Chavez, they see a piece of themselves within a united history and struggle. It reorients their education from a perspective of active participation, as opposed to colonization. A pedagogy which honors them, their families, beliefs, culture and customs will not only allow them to be active learners, but will also provide them with the opportunity be engaged in their communities.” Young people who receive their high school diplomas earn about $630,000 more during their lives than those without diplomas or GEDs, according to a National Council of La Raza report released earlier this year.
25 April 2014
Tu Libro joined forces with Café Mayapan in celebrating the recent Texas State Board of Education’s (SBOE) historic implementation of Mexican American, Native American, African American and Asian American Studies courses in the Texas public education system. The SBOE monumental vote, 12-2, is due to the efforts of civil rights advocacy organizations to include ‘Tu Libro’ and ‘Librotraficante’, who began organizing after the SBOE eliminated Mexican American leaders like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta from the Texas Curriculum in 2009.
Local school districts, to include Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) and El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), and Houston Independent School District, the largest district in Texas, set precedence and voted to implement Mexican American Studies earlier this year. Studies prove that the implementation of a Mexican American Studies program has resounding effects, to include producing 98% Hispanic high school graduation rates. The implementation of these courses is crucial to the Mexican American/ Indigenous population which demographically is over 51% of Texas public school students, and leads the nation in producing high school drop-outs.
Please join us on Friday, April 25th @ 6pm @ Café Mayapan, 2000 Texas Ave for ‘Chuco Libro Night’, an evening of ‘Palabra, Poesia y Musica’ with Danza Azteca Omecoatl, Los Traques, David Dorado Romo, Elsa y Julio Noboa, Viva Flores, Celia Aguilar, Xicanitas del Chuco. Suggested donations of books or $10 entry free. All proceeds benefit the organizations efforts to provide cultural literature to children.
El Paso is currently listed at the 4th Least Literate City in the Nation, according to TIME Magazine, which leads to “lower levels of business formation, lower levels of good jobs, (and) lower salaries”. Tu Libro affirms that “Knowledge is Power” and by providing culturally relevant literature to our youth, we are providing an avenue for growth, success and change.
Georgina Perez, founder of ‘Tu Libro,' has been advocating for the implementation of Mexican American Studies as a solution to combat the high drop-out rate and low literacy rate in our community. Perez states, “Our students need to know they are valued as human beings. When they learn about historical figures such as Cesar Chavez, they see a piece of themselves within a united history and struggle. It reorients their education from a perspective of active participation, as opposed to colonization. A pedagogy which honors them, their families, beliefs, culture and customs will not only allow them to be active learners, but will also provide them with the opportunity be engaged in their communities.” Young people who receive their high school diplomas earn about $630,000 more during their lives than those without diplomas or GEDs, according to a National Council of La Raza report released earlier this year.
Sembra Letras - Cosecha Libertad
18 March 2014
Centro Sin Fronteras Farmworkers Center, a local non-profit providing assistance to farmworkers to empower themselves, will open the Border Agricultural Workers Library, “Sembra Letras – Cosecha Libertad” on March 31st, Cesar Chavez Day.
According to Centro Sin Fronteras, there are about 14,000 farmworkers in our tri-state region. Farmworkers earn approximately $6,000-$7,000/year. Centro Sin Fronteras provides farmworkers with shelter, health care, food, GED & English courses, and family recreational activities, alongside their organizing efforts to address farming conditions, food regulations, pesticides, health care and worker’s rights.
“Most people are not aware of the hard labor and human suffering that lies behind the fruits, vegetables and meat they serve on their tables. It's only right that we honor these workers any chance we get." Carlos Marentes, founder of Centro Sin Fronteras.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, farmworkers suffer from higher rates of toxic chemical injuries and skin disorders than any other workers in the country. The children of migrant farmworkers, also, have higher rates of pesticide exposure than the general public.
Each year, there are an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 cases of physician-diagnosed pesticide poisoning among U.S. farmworkers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Farmworkers are not covered by workers’ compensation laws in many states. They are not entitled to overtime pay under federal law. On smaller farms and in short harvest seasons, they are not entitled to the federal minimum wage. They are excluded from many state health and safety laws. Because of special exemptions for agriculture, children as young as 10 may work in the fields. (Southern Poverty Law Center, “Injustice on Our Plates”- http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/publications/injustice-on-our-plates)
“Farworkers provide our families with nutrition and sustenance on a daily basis. While they are essential to our survival, farmworkers are greatly neglected by society as a whole. Our community is committed to providing services which empower our farmworkers and provide them and their families with well-deserved dignity and justice.” Georgina C. Perez, founder of Tu Libro.
18 March 2014
Centro Sin Fronteras Farmworkers Center, a local non-profit providing assistance to farmworkers to empower themselves, will open the Border Agricultural Workers Library, “Sembra Letras – Cosecha Libertad” on March 31st, Cesar Chavez Day.
According to Centro Sin Fronteras, there are about 14,000 farmworkers in our tri-state region. Farmworkers earn approximately $6,000-$7,000/year. Centro Sin Fronteras provides farmworkers with shelter, health care, food, GED & English courses, and family recreational activities, alongside their organizing efforts to address farming conditions, food regulations, pesticides, health care and worker’s rights.
“Most people are not aware of the hard labor and human suffering that lies behind the fruits, vegetables and meat they serve on their tables. It's only right that we honor these workers any chance we get." Carlos Marentes, founder of Centro Sin Fronteras.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, farmworkers suffer from higher rates of toxic chemical injuries and skin disorders than any other workers in the country. The children of migrant farmworkers, also, have higher rates of pesticide exposure than the general public.
Each year, there are an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 cases of physician-diagnosed pesticide poisoning among U.S. farmworkers, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Farmworkers are not covered by workers’ compensation laws in many states. They are not entitled to overtime pay under federal law. On smaller farms and in short harvest seasons, they are not entitled to the federal minimum wage. They are excluded from many state health and safety laws. Because of special exemptions for agriculture, children as young as 10 may work in the fields. (Southern Poverty Law Center, “Injustice on Our Plates”- http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/publications/injustice-on-our-plates)
“Farworkers provide our families with nutrition and sustenance on a daily basis. While they are essential to our survival, farmworkers are greatly neglected by society as a whole. Our community is committed to providing services which empower our farmworkers and provide them and their families with well-deserved dignity and justice.” Georgina C. Perez, founder of Tu Libro.
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Building Community in Our Schools
22 February 2014 The El Paso Teacher’s Association, Tu Libro and XITO (Xican@ Institute For Teaching and Organizing) conducted Community Empowerment Workshops at Bowie High School on Saturday, February 22nd. Using the pedagogical model of the renowned Mexican American Studies Program, this workshop offers educators the tools for engaging Chican@/Latin@ students using culturally responsive curriculum. Participants will receive training from MAS teachers highlighting the techniques that raised Chican@/Latin@ student’s test scores, graduation rates and entrance into college. |
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Dual Language Reading Circles
8 February 2014
Effective reading goes beyond finding out what is written on a page. It is indeed a dialogue between reader and text in which the reader contributes as much as the text.
Reading is more than a source of information and entertainment. It is an empowering act. Reading provides the opportunity of understanding self and others.
Reading should be a source of courage, dignity, kindness, generosity and hope to act as a more capable protagonist of one's own life.
Dinner, Documentary & Discussion
31 January 2014
Harvest of Empire
Discussion Revealing the Untold Story of Latinos in America, the Political & Social Roots that have Driven Millions to Migrate to the US
Panelists: Lorena Andrade, La Mujer Obrera &
Carlos Marentes, Border Agricultural Workers
31 January 2014
Harvest of Empire
Discussion Revealing the Untold Story of Latinos in America, the Political & Social Roots that have Driven Millions to Migrate to the US
Panelists: Lorena Andrade, La Mujer Obrera &
Carlos Marentes, Border Agricultural Workers
Rise Up & Reclaim Your Education
24 & 25 January 2014
Our Empowerment Workshops were an Amazing Experience! Thanks so much to all involved in organizing, presenting and community dialogue.
24 & 25 January 2014
Our Empowerment Workshops were an Amazing Experience! Thanks so much to all involved in organizing, presenting and community dialogue.
Students on the air, "Border Talk" with Norma Chavez
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Students meet author, Sergio Troncoso,
at The Bookery
21 December 2013
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Students meet author, Sergio Troncoso,
at The Bookery
21 December 2013
A world of gratitude and respect to everyone in the El Paso community - near and far - who donated to this beautiful event.
14 December 2013
14 December 2013
Mexico's Third Gender
& LGBTQIA Life on the Border
La Mujer Obrera and Tu Libro hosted "Mexico's Third Gender & LGBTQIA Life on the Border" - November 8th, 2013.
The evening included traditional ceremonial dance with Danza Omecoatl, a screening of "Mexico's Third Gender," and a panel discussion featuring Antonio Eliaz, Frank Perez and Virgil Esquivel (local community organizers and LBBTQ advocates). The discussion was moderated by Sam Maria Andazola.
Watch the filmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bhp7i7WNcM
& LGBTQIA Life on the Border
La Mujer Obrera and Tu Libro hosted "Mexico's Third Gender & LGBTQIA Life on the Border" - November 8th, 2013.
The evening included traditional ceremonial dance with Danza Omecoatl, a screening of "Mexico's Third Gender," and a panel discussion featuring Antonio Eliaz, Frank Perez and Virgil Esquivel (local community organizers and LBBTQ advocates). The discussion was moderated by Sam Maria Andazola.
Watch the filmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bhp7i7WNcM
An evening with Dolores huerta, 16 Oct 2013
"Education is important! Our children shouldn't have to wait until college to learn about their culture and the important contributions made by Mexican Americans. I want to thank the Underground Librarians for their hard work, spreading the knowledge and making sure our children know the truth." ~Dolores Huerta
In addition to meeting my role model, Dolores mentions the Underground Librarians (Librotraficantes) in her keynote speech! What an honor!!!
Celebrating Xicana/o Pride, 11 Oct 2013
Tremendous "THANKS" to all of the poets and performers at Xicana/o Pride Celebration at Cafe Mayapan!!!
