I hope your navidad was filled with peace, joy, health and prosperity.  May showers of blessings fill your lives and energize your quest for knowledge. 

IT’S 2008, LET THE LEARNING BEGIN!

Below See New Year’s Artwork by Famous Spanish Painter Pablo Picasso

Español I y II:  Today was test day.  Spanish I took a test on Capitulo Uno-Segundo Paso Vocabulary, and Spanish II took a test on Capitulo Uno-Segundo Paso irregular verbs and the simple future tense.  After the exams we watched “Bailando con las estrellas” to see the performances of the mambo dances. (We also watched a tango performed by Latin dance champions/professionals ).  To learn more about the mambo click on the links below:

History of the Mambo

Learn to Dance the Mambo (Step Patterns and Illustrations)

Film Producer David Mendez plans on telling the story of Mexican immigrants traveling to and settling in Logan County, West Virginia in the film “700 Hill.”  The film will tell the story of his great grandfather Sebastian Mendez, originally from Mexico,  and his grandmother Nancy Mendez, a Southern Appalachian woman.  The film will tell the stories of their lives at Omar, WV. living in the coal camp houses on 700 Hill.  For a more indepth look at the movie  check out the links below:

Charleston Gazette Article “700 Hill”

“700 Hill” Monterrey Pictures Offical Site

“700 Hill” Blog Site:  for those who remember 700 Hill and would like to share stories…

When my grandparents Rafael and Delfina Rios Santos moved to Omar, West Virginia they too moved to 700 Hill along with a few other Mexican families who had traveled here to work in the southern coalfields.  My Aunt Chana and I were talking about the treatment of Mexican Americans in the 1940’s in Logan and she remembered my grandfather saying, “I will never return to Texas.”  My non-english speaking grandparents lived in Texas before venturing to WV.  Apparently, the people of WV were much kinder than other places they had lived before…Here they could go into restaurants and bars, and seek medical attention from the doctor that everyone else saw…  In Texas, this was not the case.  In Texas, my grandparents suffered because of their skin and language.  Of course, I am sure they encountered the strings of resentment and hatred which still painfully dangled after the Alamo . My father remembers fighting after school everyday due to racial and cultural slurs, but over all the people of Logan were generous and good…I guess because there were so many other immigrants;  Italians, Hungarians, Greeks, and others flooding into this area for the mining opportunities…Anyway, My Abuelito and Abuela died in these mountains full of years.  I have been blessed to have received the heritage my family has passed down, not only the Mexican customs and language, but also the sacredness and refuge that these mountains possess. Below are pictures from my personal family collection of my Grandfather and Father on 700 Hill and a few mining pictures from the Omar Mining Company:

 Mi abuelo y mi papi…

 Mi abuelo, Rafael Santos…

 Mi papi…

 700 Hill

 Omar Mining Company

 Omar Mining Company
 

Premieres: Tuesday, September 25th at 10:00 p.m. EST
Network: CBS
Starring: Jimmy Smits, Hector Elizondo, Rita Moreno, Miguel Trevino, Etc…

“CBS has decided to bring in a new epic drama called Cane, which is  about the rivalry of two multi-generational Latin American families as they struggle with ruthless tension while passing down the business to the next generation. Set in South Florida, Cane highlights the external and internal power struggles of the Duques family and the Samuels family, as they manage their successful rum and sugar business. Infused with family allegiances, acrimonious conflicts over lust, love and power over the family fortune, the series also attempts to remain focused on the true Cuban-American lifestyle. ” (Source:  The Futon Critic)

Tomé esta foto a la casa de mi madre en Kentucky en una tarde muy caliente y húmeda del verano.  Mi hermana se llama Julianna.