A Letter to the "Alt-right"

/
A Letter to the "Alt-right"

I’m still learning what all these terms and labels for ‘white supremacist,’ ‘white nationalist’ and the ‘Alt Right’ mean. After some searching online, I found a podcast called, In The Thick, where politics are talked about from a People of Color perspective. This is a big deal since mainstream media on television and the internet are all too often white washed perspectives that either glorify stories or condone actions that ought to be re-evaluated and criticized.

Read More

Abuelita y Su Gorrita de “Pins”

/
Abuelita y Su Gorrita de “Pins”

I have pondered over writing a blog for many years. My writing skills have never been great and the thought of writing a blog simply scared me. The idea for this blog came up as I was sitting in my office looking at my rendition of Abuelita’s famous “pin” hat.  For many years Ramonita Bartolomei Alicea, also known as, Abuelita, would carry around a Panama-style straw hat.  Completely covering this hat were pins ranging from places such as the Vatican City or Mexico and you couldn’t forget the pin that started it all - the Puerto Rican flag pin.  

Read More

Family Traditions - As Told by VFig

/
Family Traditions - As Told by VFig

Tradition. Tradición. It's what keeps my culture- any culture- alive. Identifying myself as a "family girl," there's nothing that makes me happier than participating in the Figueroa traditions. Like most Puerto Ricans, we find any reason to party (and drink!). We held one of our many Figueroa traditions this past Father's Day. My Chicago-raised parents moved into their first home together in the northwestern suburbs 23 years ago on Father's Day weekend. In their mind, or rather, my father's mind, why not kill two birds with one stone and celebrate Father's Day and have a house warming?!

Read More

La Verdad Podcast Turns 1!!

/
La Verdad Podcast Turns 1!!

Familia, the past year has been full of ups and downs. We initially started La Verdad Podcast as a way to share interesting stories and better connect with our audience. The result after one year has been much more than what we could have imagined. Episodes were released with our friends as the only audience and then a lot of you started finding us on your own. Some through word of mouth. Others through recommendations from listeners. The main point is that our community started growing.

Read More

Halloween Racism and Harassment at Michigan State University

/
Halloween Racism and Harassment at Michigan State University

Black and Brown students across the nation deal with passive and overt discrimination by their classmates or professors year after year. Halloween tends to be one of those occasions where it comes to the forefront and 2016 is no different. Angel Treviño, a student liaison to Michigan State University's Board of Trustees and a leader of Latino-based fraternity Phi Iota Alpha, is no stranger to challenges faced by students. Unfortunately, the Mexican-American student had to confront this in person on the first night of 2016's Halloween weekend.

Read More