Chapultepec, Chicanos, Lowriders In Japan
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CHAPULTEPEC: MEXICO VS THE UNITED STATES
There are more than one hundred castles in the Americas. Virtually all of them were built between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries as recreational homes, amusement parks, or tourist destinations, in republics that had long ago severed their ties with monarchies.
Only one can be called a true historic castle, the Castle of Chapultepec in Mexico City, where monarchs—and a princess—once lived.
The home of Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg, the last European monarch in the Americas (1864-1867), attracts millions of tourists every year, eager to absorb the romantic atmosphere of the legendary alcazar, in whose corridors Empress Carlota once walked.
LOWRIDER MAGAZINE THROWS MASSIVE SHOW IN JAPAN
This past weekend, Lowrider Magazine held a massive show in Japan that featured 500+ lowriders and a music performance by Chicano rap pioneer Kid Frost.
Over the decades, lowriding has found a dedicated following in Japan. The trend began in the 1980s, when Japanese enthusiasts started importing American lowriders (Japanese lowriders often combine classic American style with Japanese design).
Today Japan’s lowriding scene is the second largest in the world, only behind the United States, with numerous car clubs and specialty shops.
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NEW YORK CITY TO IMPLEMENT LATINO STUDIES PROGRAM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A coalition of organizations has announced the launch of a groundbreaking initiative aimed at creating and implementing a Latino Studies Curriculum for public school students in New York City.
The initiative will kick off a three-year collaborative effort to develop a framework that will highlight the rich history, culture, and identities of various Latino communities.
The curriculum will be integrated into the city's existing programs, allowing teachers to weave lessons on underrepresented Latino history and culture into their classrooms.
STUDY: MEXICAN AMERICAN WOMEN MORE AT-RISK AFTER STROKE
Women who have had a stroke may be less likely than men to follow prescribed medications to prevent a second stroke, with Mexican American women showing the highest rates of nonadherence, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
The study, which analyzed data from over 1,300 adults aged 45 and older, focused on individuals who experienced a first ischemic stroke between 2008 and 2019.
WHAT IS A CHICANO? CHICANO VS. LATINO
The late Chicano journalist Ruben Salazar once said, “a Chicano is a Mexican-American with a non-Anglo image of himself.”
Salazar wasn’t wrong. However, understanding the different subcultures within the larger umbrella of Chicano culture is equally important.
To be more specific, a Chicano is a Mexican American who identifies with either one of the social or political aspects of Chicano culture—or both.
HISTORY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MEXICAN BORDER
In the beginning, it was a vague idea, the approximate and inhospitable edge of the Spanish Empire and the beginning of no man’s land.
At the end of the 18th century, the primitive United States of America was far from the nation that would soon become Mexico. Even more “recently,” in the middle of the 19th century, the border between Mexico and the States was only a line drawn on a piece of paper, a porous boundary with no man-made barriers.
Mexico was officially born at the end of 1821. So for two centuries now, along two thousand miles, Mexicans and Americans have had a bittersweet neighborhood.
AMERICAN HOMEBOY - NOW ON DVD AND BLU-RAY!
The hit movie AMERICAN HOMEBOY is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray!