LAS COMADRES & FRIENDS NATIONAL LATINO BOOK CLUB ANNOUNCES APRIL 2023 BOOKS OF THE MONTH

 

Keep Reading. It's one of the most marvelous adventures anyone can have.  --Lloyd Alexander

 

Las Comadres & Friends Book Club is proud to announce its April 2023 book selections. 

 

Save the date of Monday, April 24, 8pm ET, for our monthly Book Club Teleconference via zoom.   

FREE BOOK!  Register today for the Teleconference and you may win a free book.  

Register here: https://latinolit.com/join-teleconference/

 

 

 

BOOKS OF THE MONTH

 

CENIZAS: POEMS

By Cynthia Guardado

 

Cenizas offers an arresting portrait of a Salvadoran family whose lives have been shaped by the upheavals of global politics. The speaker of these poems—the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants—questions the meaning of homeland as she navigates life in the United States while remaining tethered to El Salvador by the long shadows cast by personal and public history. Cynthia Guardado’s poems give voice to the grief of family trauma, while capturing moments of beauty and tenderness. Maternal figures preside over the verses, guiding the speaker as she searches the ashes of history to tell her family’s story. The spare, narrative style of the poems are filled with depth as the family’s layers come to light.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Cynthia Guardado (she/her/hers) is a Los Angeles–born Salvadoran poet and professor. She is the author of two collections of poetry, CENIZAS and ENDEAVOR.   Learn more about Cynthia here: https://cynthiaguardado.wordpress.com/about-2/

 

 

VALLEY OF SHADOWS

By Rudy Ruiz

 

Solitario Cisneros thought his life was over long ago. He lost his wife, his family, even his country in the late 1870s when the Rio Grande shifted course, stranding the Mexican town of Olvido on the Texas side of the border. He’d made his brooding peace with retiring his gun and badge, hiding out on his ranch, and communing with horses and ghosts. But when a gruesome string of murders and kidnappings ravages the town, pushing its volatile mix of Anglo, Mexican, and Apache settlers to the brink of self-destruction, he feels reluctantly compelled to confront both life, and the much more likely possibility of death, yet again.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: RUDY RUIZ is an award-winning author. His novel, The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez, received two Gold Medals at the 2021 International Latino Book Awards. It was also a finalist for the Western Writers of America Silver Spur Award for Best Contemporary Novel. His short-story collection Seven for the Revolution captured four International Latino Book Awards, including the Mariposa Prize for Best First Book. In 2017, he garnered the Gulf Coast Prize in Fiction. A bilingual native of the US-Mexico border, he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Harvard and now resides in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife and children. Visit his website at www.RudyRuiz.com.

 

 

GOD IS JUST LIKE ME

By Karen Valentin

 

God may be hard to describe, but one young Puerto Rican girl in New York City finds examples of God's character all around her. As she goes day-by-day through the week, she talks to God about the delightful ways she and God are similar. From vivid sunrises and colorful paintings, dancing to music in the park, loud thunderstorms, and fishing on a quiet lake, the evidence that she is made in the image of God is everywhere she looks.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Karen Valentin is an award-winning American writer who is proud of her Puerto Rican heritage. She is the author of several books for children, including WHAT DID ABUELA SAY? and BLOCK PARTY. She is also the author of a young adult novel, THE SUMMER SHE CHANGED HER NAME. Karen has also published several books for adults, including a memoir, THE MOTHER GOD MADE ME TO BE, awarded Best Parenting/Family Book in 2016 by The International Latino Book Awards.  Karen is an avid traveler who speaks three languages--English, Spanish, and French.  She taught English as a second language in France after earning a bachelor of arts in English literature from Fordham University.  Learn more about her at www.karenvalentinauthor.com

 

  

Visit the Book Club website for full descriptions and author bios here:  https://latinolit.com/april-2023-cynthia-guardado-rudy-ruiz-karen-valentin/

  

REMEMBER!  Save the date of Monday, April 24, 8pm ET, for our monthly Teleconference with live interviews with  Cynthia Guardado, Rudy Ruiz and Karen Valentin.

 

Until then, Happy Reading and always Read Latino Lit!

 

STARTING A GRATITUDE JOURNAL

By Maria Ferrer

 

There is no right or wrong time to start a Gratitude Journal or just journaling. The start of a new year, a new month, even a new week is a good time to start.

 Comadres are journaling from coast to coast.  From New York to California, from Illinois to Texas.

We did a poll of how long Comadres were journaling and found that more than 65% of you have been journaling for 5 years or more.  10% just started recently, less than a year ago.

 For many, journaling brings clarity, peace, and grounding. 

 For Aida Perez (TX) journaling helps her reflect on her day, her week, her life.

 For Lucy Recio (MD) journaling helps ground and heal her.  It allows her to author her life’s story.

 For Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa (NY) journaling centers her. Puts her experiences into words, cements it in her mind and records it so she can revisit at a later date.

 Others like Julie Aponte (NY) journaling is meditative. She writes down what she is grateful for to reshift her energy and perspective in positive ways. For Lydia Galvan (TX) it  is a cognitive behavioral therapy tool.

 For Elsa Prado (IL) journaling is more spiritual.  She uses it to talk to God. Many Comadres do a Gratitude Journal specifically to list what they are grateful for and to keep track of their many blessings. For example, Comadre Leonor Mendoza (TX) journals regardless of the day she’s had for there is always something to be grateful for. Same with Mirna Merced-Reyes (MA), journaling keeps her hopeful about overcoming Life’s challenges. For Amparo Garcia-Crow (TX) it’s her mindfulness meditation practice.

For some it’s about the positive. Veronica Hawkins (TX) likes to start her day on a positive note. Julie Anna Alvarez Rivera (NY) believes you attract to your life what you focus on and she focuses on the good in her life. She has also read studies that have found gratitude journaling linked to improved mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

 For others like Silvia Patricia Solis (TX) journaling helps preserve memories. Same with Christina Guerra (TX), it helps chronicle her life.  While Hilda Rivas (TX) and Elsie Santana (CT) like to have a record of what was going on in their life so they can go back and read it.

 Journals come in all colors, sizes and shapes. Some have pretty graphics, some are metallic, some are leather bound with clouds and feathers. Their key feature is that they are blank notebooks. Journals are personal so choose one that speaks to you.  And if you can’t find a journal with a cover you like, find a photo, postcard, quote or drawing that you like and paste that to your new journal.

 And sometimes blank notebooks are best. Comadre Jacquelyn Leon (NJ) is a blank notebook kind of journaler, and Bertha Magaňa (IL) uses any blank book to record her life.  

 The Big Question is how to start. Ana Gonzalez (CT) recommends starting slow, just write for 15 or 30 minutes. 

 How often should you write in your journal? 

Again, there is no right or wrong answer.  Amy Cobb (TX) and Anna Reynoso (CA) journal as often as they can.   While others like Mona Chavez (TX) journals once a week, or like Julie Aponte (NY) who journals every other night. You choose a time at your convenience.

 How to keep the momentum of journaling going?

 Many Comadres like Hilda Rivas (TX) recommend starting with  “Today, I am grateful for….” Or “I am ….”  Lydia Galvan (TX) likes to think of something beautiful that held her in awe that day or something someone did for her. Johanna Moya Fabregas (TX) starts with listing the fun things her daughter did that day that made her happy. The top favorite way to start is by listing three things you are thankful/grateful for today. Or try:  “Today, I honor myself by ….”.

Below are some recommended books on journaling.  Good luck and Happy Journaling. #

 

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

●        THE MINDFULNESS JOURNAL by Scott & Davenport

●        THE HAPPINESS PROJECT by Gretchen Rubin

●        CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD by Neale Donald Walsch

●        FIND A QUIET CORNER: INNER PEACE: ANYTIME, ANYWHERE by Nancy O’Hara

●        BULLET JOURNALING by Ryder Caroll

●        GOOD DAYS TO START WITH GRATITUDE by Pretty Simple Press

●        WRITING FOR SELF-DISCOVERY, PERSONAL APPROACH TO CREATIVE WRITING by Mayra Schneider & John Killick

●        THE ARTIST WAY by Julia Cameron

 

**This article first appeared in the Winter/ Spring Comadres Connect Newsletter.**

 

A QUARTET OF VIEWS ON BEING AFRO LATINA

By Clara Galvano Rivera

 

Who are we? Do we, as Latinas, give ourselves labels or just accept those that are given to us? If you are a Latina, there is a good chance that you have some African blood in your DNA. It may not show up in the color of your skin, but it’s there. It isn’t difficult to figure out how we ended up with it.

 History clearly shows us that in the 15^th and 16th centuries, African slaves were brought to the Americas as part of the Spanish and Portuguese slave trade. Records also show that the Caribbean and South America received 95 percent of the enslaved Africans, with only 5 percent going to North America.

As an example, the Harlem Newspapers Corporation recently wanted to delve into how Blacks made it to New York City and it was the Dutch India Company, in competition with Spain and the Portuguese, that brought Africans to “New Amsterdam.”  (Tracing Our 'Routes': A Brief Historical Timeline of Blacks in New York available at:  https://www.harlemcommunitynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Harlem-Feb-9.pdf )

The Africans and those already living on Manhattan Island -- the Dutch, Native Americans, British – did what our ancestors did in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere -- they interbred.  An interesting tidbit, the Shinnecock Tribe of Long Island have many Black members, and many are the product of African slaves and Native Americans producing offspring in colonial times.

Afro Latinidad is a very extensive and touchy subject for many! Since there are many ways that one can identify oneself– I asked four Comadres to share with me, how they experience being Afro Latina. 

Raesha Cartagena was a panelist during the recent “Celebrating Our Afro Latina Identity” event. This was a joint celebration hosted by Las Comadres Para Las Americas and Latinx in Publishing during Black History Month! Raesha Cartagena is President of the Puerto Rican Institute for the Development of the Arts (www.prida.org). Their mission is to promote and provide support for Puerto Rican artists.  She is also Manager of Foundation and Corporate Relations for Blythedale Children’s Hospital. 

Cartagena was raised by her father, a black Puerto Rican, and her mother, a much lighter-skinned Puerto Rican.  As a result, she grew up with a skin tone that was neither black nor white and she thought about this quite a bit until one day, she saw a cinnamon bagel and Eureka! She noticed that her skin tone was very close to the bagel’s color! She excitedly ran to her mother and said, “Mom, I know what I am, I am cinnamon!!” To this day, her mother will tease Raesha, and ask her, “Are you Cinnamon?”  Cartagena has always been proud of her Taino and African Caribbean roots. “I didn’t feel the sense of colors until I went to college. There was no in between. You don’t look the same so where do you fit in? It took me a long time to feel comfortable in my own skin. But I understood who I was because I was raised by Puerto Ricans of all colors.”

One Comadre, who requested to remain anonymous, shared the following: “One of the lows of being Afro Latina can be the sense of not belonging squarely to any of the communities with which you identify. The joy can be in finding creative ways to create and cultivate communities that are more inclusive. In 2023 the plan is for more self-care and giving oneself grace amongst a sea of challenges.”

 

Another Comadre, Dahlma Llanos Figueroa, who was in Puerto Rico on a book signing tour for her novel, A WOMAN OF ENDURANCE, took the time to share her thoughts. As background, her novel is set in a nineteenth-century Puerto Rican plantation, and follows Pola, a deeply spiritual African woman who is captured and later sold for the purpose of breeding future slaves.  Female slaves were brought to the Caribbean islands, Central and South America by the thousands and that history is central to today’s Afro Latinas’ heritage. Here are Llanos Figueroa’s words on the subject:    

“I celebrate my Afro-Latinidad every time I look in the mirror to apply make-up or wrap my head in a colorful scarf or twist my hair or pick out my coily locks. I celebrate it every time I dance bomba and plena, every time I let a salsa tune make my hips sway to the music. I celebrate it by collecting the literature and artwork of our people. I celebrate it when I research the history of where we came from and how we survived when we got here. I celebrate it when I sit to meditate and ask for the guidance and blessings of my ancestors. I especially celebrate it when I sit down to write the stories that have been silenced or erased.”

Alyssa Reynoso Morris rounds out the quartet of Comadres who shared about being an Afro Latina.  She has two new books coming out PLATANOS ARE LOVE (April 11), a children book, and THE BRONX IS MY HOME (October 24) Here are her reflections:

 “Yo soy Afro-Latinx because I acknowledge my African roots. Growing up I never questioned my Latinidad because I knew I was Dominican and Puerto Rican. I spoke Spanish and was immersed in the culture. Pero, I had racist tías that told me I had ‘pelo malo’ and to stay out of the sun so I don't get blacker like ‘carbón’. They told me I better marry a white man to ‘blanquear la raza’. These moments of aggression, hatred, and oppression taught me at a young age again that I was different.” 

 She continues, “Then I had the privilege to study abroad in Tanzania located in East Africa. It was one of the first times in my life in which I felt like I belonged and, also felt beautiful. This experience coupled with my knowledge of the transatlantic slave trade helped me claim my blackness with pride. Once I declared that I was Afro-Latinx I felt empowered. Now I love my hair. Now I bask in the sun and I'm grateful for my melanated skin that protects me from getting burned. Now I know that I am beyond over simplistic boxes. Yo soy Afro-Latinx. I am Black. I am Dominican. I am Puerto Rican. I am Taino. I am American. I am Queer. I am a beautifully complicated and intersectional individual”. 

  

Thank you to the Comadres who came forth to speak their truths about being Afro Latinas! While this is just a sampling of the myriad and sometimes complicated issues surrounding Afro Latina identity, the hope is we reflect and keep the conversation going as we honor our heritage and the ancestors who came before us.#

 

Clara Galvano Rivera is a freelance writer who has interviewed business leaders, celebrities, sports figures, etc. Visit her on LinkedIn @claragalvanorivera.

**This article first appeared in the Winter/ Spring 2023 Comadres Connect Newsletter.**

LATINAS MAKING HERSTORY & BECOMING AGENTS OF CHANGE

 

by Rosa Beato

 

For Women’s History Month, we want to highlight Comadres in Public Service.  There is a long list of Comadres in Public Service like Moraima Gutierrez who was promoted to Connecticut Deputy District Director or Yolanda Gonzalez-Taylor who serves as a criminal court judge for New York State or Glendy Zavala who just retired with 28 years of service to the State of Texas. All Latina Leaders willing to step up and represent.

 “Civil Servant leadership and civic engagement training encourage people to become agents of change in their communities,” said Las Comadres National / International Founder, Dr. Nora de Hoyos Comstock. “It also teaches about protecting our democracy while learning the resources and skills to identify the issues they want to effectively address. The goal is to empower and increase the number of Latina leaders to represent our voice and to enhance the overall quality and quantity of Latina political leadership. Education and training are critical to be prepared to hit the road running because public office and political processes wait on no one!”

 We had conversations with two Comadres who have run for Public Office about what inspired them to run. 

Meet Julia Mejia and Tania Solé.

  

A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH JULIA MEJIA, BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR AT-LARGE

 

How did you get into office?

JULIA:  I got into office by winning by one vote. One vote made all the difference! I organized my community and helped people understand the power of their voice and their vote. I spent time in barbershops, hair salons, laundromats---all spaces where people gathered. Try to inspire as many people as possible that our vote matters and that our voice makes a difference. One vote later, here I am in the elected office.

 What spiked that love to serve the community?

JULIA:  I have been fighting for my community since I was about 9 years old. I was the official translator for my entire family. I was that kid that would go to the welfare office, doctor’s appointment because people knew they were going to get what they were looking for and fighting for. I’ve been fighting ever since. I knew what it was like to grow up without having anything and not having representation. For me it was important to understand that I can make a difference in my community. I felt like that life of service has carried me this far and continues to guide me in every decision that I make. That love to serve the community, the love of my people, that drives me. Porque ya tu sabes, el calor, el amor latino es una cosa tremenda that compelled me to fight my way to where I’m at today.

 Why did you run?

JULIA:  I ran for office because I was tired of elected officials asking me for my vote and then I didn’t see them anymore. It felt like a very transactional relationship. When congresswoman Ayanna Presley ran for Congress and won, I decided if she can do it, I can too. One vote win later, I became the first Afro-Latina to ever be elected to the city council at-large. At Large, city wide, which means I represent all 700,000 Boston city residents. That’s a big deal because right now I’m the only Latinx representation across the city. There’s a lot of work for us to do to make sure we continue amplifying our voices.

What are your thoughts about all these women running for office?

JULIA:  I think it’s incredibly inspiring. Women belong in all spaces and places. When women run for office, we change the conversation. We create space for us to be vulnerable, to challenge the status quo, to show up in our true authentic self. When we do that, we can pass laws, promote policies and protocols and procedures that impact the lives of those we serve. There’s a lot of single moms in the city of Boston who understand what it is like to juggle 2 or 3 jobs. These women are in the position of power who are raising children by themselves.

I think it is incredibly great and more women should run for office.

 Who is your role model?

JULIA:  My mother, Mirta Peña. She came to this country and learned how to navigate the system to support us. Everything I am, I owe to her.

A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE WITH ENVIRONMENTALIST TANIA SOLÉ

Why did you run for office?

TANIA:  In 2015, I tried to recruit several people to run for State Assembly, but they all declined either because they feared the process or had concerns about the disclosures necessary to run. Finally, I said to myself I cannot ask people to do something I am not willing to do, so I decided to run.

 What impacts did you make as a State Assembly Candidate that you felt made a difference?

TANIA:  The first time I ran, in 2015 pre-Trump, I ran for City Council member of Redwood City. I was inspired to run for Assembly to address three issues: affordable housing, sustainability, and universal health care.  The second time I ran, in 2022 post Trump, I ran for D21 State Assembly member as a Green candidate opposing displacement and gentrification.

 Would you run again and if so, why?  

TANIA:  Probably not. The reality is that local politics has become very time intensive and yet is generally essentially a volunteer position, as in the case of running for Redwood City, City Council.  While City Council members do get paid a small, nominal monthly stipend, given the hours the position takes to be truly effective, most Council members end up far below minimum wage and even paying out of pocket for some ongoing expenses.  Nonetheless, this is generally the entry level position required to then run for state or federal positions. Once you move into state or federal positions, these positions are properly compensated; however, the reality of costly campaigns means that candidates must be strong fundraisers to even begin to be heard.  

Seven years ago, you were trying to recruit people to run for office and when they didn’t you did.  Since then, lots of Latinas/os have started running for office. What advice would you give these new candidates?

TANIA:  Don’t be afraid of losing. First of all, if you have a real agenda and communicate it, your message will receive a lot more awareness and can make a substantial difference, even if you lose. Second, you can always run again. In fact, most successful politicians run several times before they win. And lastly, do not be intimidated by the endorsement process as the reality is that endorsements are more about endorsing your likelihood of winning rather than endorsing your platform.

 Who is your role model?

TANIA:  You don’t need a role model or a mentor. You can be your own role model.#

NOTE:  Tania has been featured and written about her experiences in running.  Read them here: https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/former-redwood-city-council-candidate-seeks-assembly-seat/article_8d23bf10-af14-11ec-bdd9-e7d55052ac40.html  and  https://www.gp.org/the_us_needs_a_strong_independent_third_party.

**This article was published in the Winter / Spring 2023 Comadres Connect Newsletter.**

LAS COMADRES CELEBRATES ITS MEMBERS ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF FEBRUARY 2023

 

 

COMADRES!  We celebrate You!

 

   

   "Success is a slow process, and quitting does not speed it up."  -- Jeffrey Fry

  

Cecilia Aragon (Seattle, WA) Her book, FLYING FREE, was named the 2023 "One Book One City" selection for Sierra Madre, CA on February 11.

 

Andrea Arroyo (New York, NY)  Her webinar "El Arte Como Solidaridad, El Activismo Desde La Práctica Artística" was successfully presented by Teología Feminista. The video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaWzTaCKETA

 

Larissa Yvette Davila (Austin, TX) started her Master of Business Administration at UT Austin, McCombs School of Business.

 

Dalilah Garcia (Brownsville, TX) served as the FemCity Brownsville President. They celebrated 5 years on February 2023! FemCity is a woman empowerment organization. Learn more about them at www.FemCityBrownsville.com.

 

Moraima Gutierrez (Hartford, CT) was promoted to CT Deputy District Director on February 13.

 

Beatriz Mendoza (Miami, FL) was the Featured Author at Broward County’s Library System annual event, ArtLit 2023.

 

Liana Mendoza (Austin, TX) passed her practical exam and became a licensed esthetician on December 22, 2022.

 

Ana Parra Vivas (Humble, TX) is proud to announce that her recent book, I TRUST MY INNER VOICE, became an Amazon USA and International Best Seller just after a couple of hours of its launch. Women are loving its content and they are sharing with others. It became such a success that corporations want her to speak about the main principles of the book. She is so grateful!  You can learn more about the book or download free tools to help you to achieve balance in your life from her website at https://anaparravivas.com/.

 

Nimia M Ramos Beauchamp (Bayamon, PR) is on the Board of APYArte, an organization that offers products and services that will help individuals lead a holistic and healthier lifestyle.  Through much hard work, Nimia is pleased to announce that APYArte, Inc. is now a 501(c)3 corporation as of January 30, 2023.  Visit them at www.APYArte.com.

 

Zoraida Scirecalabrisotto (Brooklyn, NY) completed her Associate Degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling from CUNY.

 

Jennese Torres (Philadelphia, PA) bought her first home, and she is loving it!

 

Glendy Zavala (San Antonio TX) has retired with 28 years of service to the State of Texas on January 31^st, and started a new job on February 2nd. She feels so blessed.

  Congratulations to all!

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NOTE:  these listings are for congratulatory purposes only. We are not endorsing any products, services, or candidates for public office.