While everyone worries about the challenges Ariel’s pregnancy presents for the family, Lee has finally lined up his perfect dream job. Pilar is taken away by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, apparently turned in by Victoria’s husband Jack. Things go from bad to horrible when Lee’s dream job interview becomes a nightmare.
(more…)We are a nation of immigrants. In 1990, the U.S. Census asked one out of six households what their ancestry or ethnic origin was. Here’s what they said: German: 15.2 percent, Irish: 10.8 percent, African-American: 8.8 percent, English: 8.7 percent, Mexican: 6.5 percent, Italian: 5.6 percent. Although many of us have an abuela or nonna who came to the United States as an immigrant, in general most of us know very little about the current immigration policy in the U.S. and the impact immigrants have in our society.
(more…)In an attempt to protect Ariel from her abusive mother, the Valenzuela’s take in another houseguest. But that doesn’t stop Ariel’s mother from challenging Alma, which escalates into a physical confrontation in full view of the neighbors.
(more…)You may have heard about Jose Antonio Vargas, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who revealed to the world that he is an undocumented immigrant. When he was 12, his mother sent him to live in the U.S. with his grandparents so he could have a better life. From an early age his hope was that by working hard, making a positive contribution and loving his country he would be able to get U.S. citizenship and be recognized as an “American.”
(more…)Alma discovers the truth about the chocolate chip cookies and confronts Lee about lying. All of it suddenly seems fairly trivial when Lee and Alma discover that Paul’s fifteen-year-old friend Ariel is pregnant. But none of it compares with what they feel when Paul hits his parents with a revelation of his own.
(more…)When Lee helps beautiful new neighbor Victoria with a loose battery cable, more gets started than just her car. A gift of chocolate chip cookies sets off a chain of guilt, deception, lies, jealousy and hypocrisy, while Ariel reveals to Paul the many issues she’s facing with her family.
(more…)Helping me be fluent in two languages is one of the greatest gifts that my motherever gave me. After we moved to the U.S. from Mexico, she kept speaking to me only in Spanish. Being bilingual allowed me to continue to have a connection with my family, ancestors and culture. It has given me access to job opportunities as a writer, translator and community educator. It allows me to travel and to be able to communicate with over 3 million people whose first language is Spanish (SIL). Latino immigrants and language:
(more…)The Valenzuelas learn some hard lessons about the problems alcoholism has always created for their family. Lee, Alma, Memo and Pilar return to find an unconscious Jennifer in the hands of the boys she invited over. Lee and Alma are furious with Lucia for getting drunk, passing out and leaving the children unprotected.
(more…)Although the Latino population grew by 43 percent in the last decade, for the first time since the 1970’s the name “José” did not make the list of the 50 most popular baby names for 2010 compiled by the Social Security Administration. Other names losing in popularity include Guillermo, Juan, Juanita and Angelica. What’s making Latinos choose nontraditional names for our children? Take my own story as an example.
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