Tag: David Magallanes

Bilingual commentary — How My Generation Learned Classical Music: The Cartoons

by Community Contributor • November 10, 2023 • Comments Off

Those of us who grew up in the 1950s received a classical music education not available to later generations. We learned about a wide range of classical music—but not by attending prestigious schools or institutions for rich kids. All we had to do was sit at home and watch the cartoons of that time on our TVs. Those television sets displayed black-and-white images on hopelessly small screens.

Listening to some of that music now as adults conjures images of archetypal cartoon characters in our heads. Hearing some of the music by Strauss, Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Rossini, Schubert, Smetana, von Suppé, and a host of other composers instantaneously recalls visions that we will forever associate with iconic pieces composed by these artistic giants.

Bilingual commentary — National Greasy Foods Day: A Warning or a Celebration?

by Community Contributor • November 3, 2023 • Comments Off

Last week I noticed that October 25 was National Greasy Foods Day. Initially, I didn’t know if this was a joke or a celebration.

As it turns out, this day is deemed worthy of a “limited celebration.” This culinary observance is meant to celebrate greasy foods, which we all love, but only as a “special treat” of which we should partake only occasionally.

There are many good reasons to emphasize the “occasional” nature of this kind of food that, unfortunately, many of us tend to crave.

Bilingual commentary — Why Study History?

by Community Contributor • October 26, 2023 • Comments Off

During my elementary and high school years, my history teachers were passionate about imparting their knowledge and perspectives. One of my problems at the time was that I did not appreciate their wisdom and incisive insights into the forces that shape our world.

Looking back, I wish I could have allowed them to fill the vessel that should have been receptive and overflowing. Like most young people, I would venture to say, I did not see the point in learning about a world that, I thought, “no longer exists.”

But the world of the past is still very much in our midst, just as our ancestors have had a powerful hand in shaping who we are today.

Bilingual commentary — Humorous Yet Dangerous Confusion on the 101

by Community Contributor • October 19, 2023 • Comments Off

We in Ventura County have some interesting challenges along the main artery of transportation in our region—Highway 101. Some of these challenges would be hilarious if they were not also dangerous. And what might be humorous for the locals could be dangerously confusing for drivers from outside our area.

A cousin who lives in Los Angeles was driving north toward Santa Barbara along the 101 last week. North of Ventura he came upon the road construction that we here are all too familiar with. We know that as we approach “the split,” we commit to a single lane, bearing either to the left or right, and continue heading north. Simple, right?

But for out-of-towners, the choice is unexpected and confusing. Most of these drivers, including my cousin from a town as large as Los Angeles, have never in their driving lives encountered such an unusual split on a highway as wide as the 101.

Bilingual commentary — Are STEM Degrees Falling Off Their Pedestal?

by Community Contributor • October 12, 2023 • Comments Off

When I was starting my higher technical education, I was studying “vacuum tubes.” These might as well be classified now as archaeological artifacts that young people can view in museums. Vacuum tubes were ubiquitous in the primitive computers of that time. They were also visible in everyday, household life—in radios, televisions, and guitar amplifiers.

Bilingual commentary — The High Price of Illiteracy

by Community Contributor • October 6, 2023 • Comments Off

I was recently listening to a radio program discussing illiteracy and poverty in our country. These two intractable problems in our society are inextricably linked to each other. They also explain a lot of the darker forces that are shaping our future—and that of our children.

As I searched the Internet for some insight into the aforementioned forces, I came across a few uncomfortable propositions. I was reluctant to accept them. But I had to admit to myself that there were good reasons to at least entertain the possibility that these propositions contained some truth.

Bilingual commentary — A Pulsating Anger

by Community Contributor • September 29, 2023 • Comments Off

This article, in its original form, was first published in Amigos805 on September 1, 2015. It is as relevant today as it was eight years ago.

On those difficult days that we all have, we can feel that “something” in the air as we drive our cars through traffic, walk along the street or the corridors of the office building, read editorial columns or letters to the editor, or as we take a daring plunge into online comments about any news item.

That “something” is unmistakable. It’s that suffocating, toxic, deadly anger that lingers and permeates all levels of our society. From impoverished neighborhoods to elegant offices, from busy highways to quiet campuses, from our homes to boisterous marketplaces and busy factories, the anger simmers. It too often explodes in this most abundant nation on the planet. But that “abundance” is material; our national soul is crying for some semblance of healing, but that healing is elusive.

Bilingual commentary — Oppenheimer and Prometheus

by Community Contributor • September 22, 2023 • Comments Off

My eldest grandson recently invited me to watch the blockbuster film, Oppenheimer, with him. He told me that he preferred watching it with me rather than with peers. This grandson knew that I had lived through the Cold War between the U.S. and the now-defunct Soviet Union. He understands that I have a perspective that his friends can’t possibly possess. I felt honored.

Bilingual commentary — The Epidemic of Male Loneliness

by Community Contributor • September 8, 2023 • Comments Off

I have often thought about the burdens that girls and women have—burdens that are unique to them. It is often difficult, if not impossible, for men to comprehend the joys and traumas of childbirth, the stress of dealing with the menstrual cycle, the health issues that men will never have to consider for themselves.

I also sympathize with women’s constant need to protect themselves—from men. Certainly, female-on-male abuse and violence exist, but male-on-female brutality and assault is several orders of magnitude greater.

Women have one huge advantage over men that induces a secret jealousy in men: the ability to form deep and meaningful relationships with other women.

Bilingual commentary — The Connection Between the Tooth Fairy and the Little Mouse

by Community Contributor • September 1, 2023 • Comments Off

How could we have gone through those early stages of losing our baby teeth without the help of the famed tooth fairy?

We all have a preconceived image of this ethereal creature, which has been solidified by Disney’s introduction of fairy creatures into our lives. We in the U.S. got our first glimpse of the tooth fairy in 1908, when the Chicago Daily Tribune published an article about this beloved creature. The myth was rebooted in 1927 when Esther Watkins Arnold published the book, “The Tooth Fairy: Three-Act Playlet for Children.”

Bilingual commentary — Trying to Grasp Infinity…and Beyond!

by Community Contributor • August 25, 2023 • Comments Off

“Infinity” means, quite literally, “without end.” Since humans could reflect, they have pondered infinity. Very likely, the first inklings of infinity occurred as the earliest humans contemplated the night sky replete with what seemed to be an infinite number of stars.

Having taught college math, I often talked with my students about “infinity,” but in a mathematical sense. For instance, we discussed infinite iterations, infinite limits, an infinite number of classes of numbers, the infinite number line, infinitesimal differences, infinitely large numbers, infinitely small numbers, the infinite decimal nature of constants such as “pi.”

Bilingual report — American Checkmate, 2024

by Community Contributor • August 18, 2023 • Comments Off

In chess, “checkmate” occurs when the “king” on the board is threatened with capture and has no way out. At that point, the game is, for all intents and purposes, over.

We in the United States are being checkmated by Donald Trump, the current GOP frontrunner for the presidential primary nomination. Rather than a checkmate of the king, the very foundation of our country is being threatened. Increasingly, it appears that there is no way out of the upcoming fraught battle for the very soul of the nation.

Bilingual commentary — Chicano English

by Community Contributor • August 11, 2023 • Comments Off

Throughout the United States, speakers of English use many different variations of Standard English. For example, the English spoken by the Creoles of Louisiana is quite different from the English spoken by Mexican Americans in Los Angeles, the elites in Boston, and residents of the Bronx in New York.

All of us have heard, or used, Black English. It is distinct in its pronunciation and grammar, differing somewhat from the Standard English that is taught in our schools. This variant of English used to be called, somewhat condescendingly, “Nonstandard Negro English.”

In the 1970s, Black scholars decided to rebrand this form of English as “Ebonics” (Ebony + Phonics). It was an attempt to normalize and respect the English spoken by the majority of African American students in the Oakland, California area. The school board made the decision to account for this background in the students that they served while teaching them Standard English in the classrooms.

Bilingual commentary — The Birth of Mexican Spanish

by Community Contributor • August 4, 2023 • Comments Off

In 2021, we recognized, or mourned (I won’t say “celebrated”), the 500th anniversary of the Conquest of Mexico. On August 13, 1521, Tenochtitlán fell into the hands of the Spanish conquerors led by Hernán Cortés.

It was the beginning of the end for Indigenous Mexico. It was also the birth of modern Mexico, along with a unifying European language. The conquerors also introduced a new religion that was forced to shape itself around the contours of indigenous beliefs.

One would hope that when a student chooses to study the Spanish language, it would mean that the learner will become conversant with native speakers of Spanish. The problem is that “native speakers” of Spanish include both European Spaniards and Latin Americans, whose Spanish is similar but at the same time demonstrate distinctive differences.

Bilingual commentary — Writing as a Barrier for Students

by Community Contributor • July 28, 2023 • Comments Off

Editor’s note: Amigos805 welcomes local guest columns, letters to the editor and other submissions from our readers. All opinions expressed in submitted material are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of Amigos805. By David Magallanes •…

Bilingual commentary — Why Don’t We Follow the Rules?

by Community Contributor • July 21, 2023 • Comments Off

Why are so many of us reluctant to follow “the rules.” As it turns out, there is a whole slew of reasons why we just can’t “behave.” But why would we want to, anyway?

There are reasons that rules exist in society. There may be some rules that are unnecessary, coercive, or frivolous. But for the most part, in our country, at least, rules permeate our lives to protect us and others. They also make life better for all of us.

Bilingual commentary — Is Teaching Conventional English and Math “White Supremacy”?

by Community Contributor • July 14, 2023 • Comments Off

A California high school English teacher, Marta Shaffer, has declared that teaching proper English grammar in our classrooms sustains white supremacy in our education system.

Either Ms. Shaffer has a point, or she is someone who searches tirelessly for supremacist underpinnings where there may be none—or at least not to the extent that she perceives.

Bilingual commentary — The Upsides and Downsides of Being Rich

by Community Contributor • June 23, 2023 • Comments Off

Mae West, the renowned and controversial actress whose career spanned several decades over the 20th century, was spectacularly successful. She used her considerable affluence to invest wisely in San Fernando Valley real estate. By all measures, she was a wealthy woman.

She was not born wealthy, however. Her mother, who had worked as a corset model, was a German immigrant. Her father was a “prizefighter.”

One of Ms. West’s most famous quotes is: “I’ve been rich, and I’ve been poor. Believe me, rich is better.”

Bilingual commentary — Are We Setting Up College Students for Failure?

by Community Contributor • June 16, 2023 • Comments Off

I taught college mathematics for over 40 years at a local community college. During that time, I witnessed how poorly prepared most incoming students were for college mathematics. In fact, the vast majority required some level of “remediation.”

“Remediating” students meant that they may have had to begin their college math journey as far down as “Basic Mathematics.” This lowest level college class taught them (or reviewed for them) how to add, subtract, multiply, divide, handle fractions and decimals, and deal with some elementary geometric concepts (circles, squares, rectangles, etc.).

Bilingual commentary — The Pros and Cons of Owning a Dog

by Community Contributor • June 9, 2023 • Comments Off

People often seek the company of a pet. Their reasons for doing so vary as much as their personalities.

Deciding whether to take on the responsibilities of owning a dog can be fraught with conflicting needs. For example, you may anxiously anticipate the joys of having a furry companion but end up loathing the many inevitable inconveniences that this entails.

Let’s first ponder some of the advantages of owning a dog.

Bilingual commentary — Google Maps: AI for Our Daily Lives

by Community Contributor • May 26, 2023 • Comments Off

Artificial intelligence (AI) may have burst upon the scene just last November, but it has been a part of our lives for at least several years. We may not have called it “artificial intelligence,” but many of us have been using it for years for our mundane tasks.

Google Maps is one clear long-running example of AI in some of our lives. It became available to us in 2005, not quite 20 years ago. The younger generations may feel particularly adept at using many of the more esoteric features of this app. But those of us of the boomer persuasion might have used Google Maps long ago simply as a digital version of the old Thomas Bros. paper map books that were sold in grocery stores and bookstores before the era of Google Maps.

Bilingual commentary — Are Latinos “White”?

by Community Contributor • May 19, 2023 • Comments Off

I had a moment of angst three years ago as I filled out the 2020 U.S. Census form. I froze in my tracks, just as I had with employment forms in the past, when I saw a question asking me to denote my race. I am thoroughly aware that much of the U.S. population, especially in the more conservative states, would not consider me “white.”

Their assessment is based solely on my appearance. I’m not particularly dark, but neither am I of “fair skin.”

In light of recent developments in our country, I am now less willing to declare myself as of the “white” race on any form inquiring about my ancestral background. However, in the following Census question inquiring about my ethnicity (as opposed to “race”), selecting “Hispanic or Latino” was an obvious choice.

Bilingual commentary — The Attacks on Jill Biden Are Attacks on Women

by Community Contributor • May 12, 2023 • Comments Off

For MAGA conservatives, women are fair game. Members of the extreme right wing of the conservative movement can pursue and verbally attack women with impunity. In fact, it raises their profile as they become heroes within their authoritarian, paternalistic tribes.

This was demonstrated recently when right-wing TV host John Fredericks lambasted First Lady Jill Biden on several fronts.

Bilingual commentary — Israel and the U.S.: A Tale of Two Countries

by Community Contributor • May 5, 2023 • Comments Off

As I read an article this past week about the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel, I found myself wondering, for a few moments, whether I was actually reading about Israel or the United States.

Israel has been contending with a hyper-religious, ultra-Orthodox contingent in its government that is very influential regarding national policies. Since December of last year, Israel’s government has taken a hard turn to the right, guided by ultraconservative, extremist lawmakers who have strong authoritarian tendencies and who have no intention of negotiating with the Palestinians regarding their statehood. The history of the Palestinian territories has been fraught with dizzying complexity since 1916, around the time of World War I.

Bilingual commentary — The Branches on the Family Tree

by Community Contributor • April 28, 2023 • Comments Off

I recently decided to construct a family tree—as if I didn’t have enough to do already. At this stage of my life, I might have a subconscious desire to leave something valuable behind for my daughter, my grandsons, and their descendants. It’s also important for me, though, as I seem to have lost track of many of my first cousins (there are over 50 of them). The complex web of their children and grandchildren has become a complete fog for me. But now I want to come to terms with the myriad descendants that originated with my four grandparents, all immigrants from Mexico.

Bilingual commentary — You Call This Customer Service?

by Community Contributor • April 21, 2023 • Comments Off

In my last article, I wrote a semifictional account about my horrendously frustrating experience with a bank “chatbot” on a phone call. What starts off as an artificial, yet hopeful, conversation with a robot too often devolves into a maddening experience. Our blood pressure quickly rises, our fury grows precipitously, and for possibly the first time in our lives we just want to “shoot something,” even if we’ve never picked up a gun in our lives.

Bilingual commentary — The Decline of the Humanities

by Community Contributor • March 31, 2023 • Comments Off

A Fox News article I came across seemed to gleefully announce the virtual demise of the study of the humanities. The “humanities” consists of areas of study such as philosophy, religion, languages, music, the fine and performing arts, history, and cultural studies. This latter category could include disciplines such as Black and Chicano history, or Pacific American, Indigenous, and LGBTQ studies. Many conservatives view these majors as “dangerously woke,” “unnecessary,” or “disadvantageous.” Some on the extreme right of the political spectrum view these fields of study as threats to their ideology.

Bilingual commentary — The Acceptance of Death

by Community Contributor • March 24, 2023 • Comments Off

We live in a natural world that exposes us, along with all other creatures and plant life, to the natural cycles of birth, life, and death. In nature, we see a form of recycling that transmutes death into renewed birth and life, only to die and begin the cycle again, over and over. As one example, we might consider the leaves of the trees that die, fall to the ground, break down, enrich the soil, which in turn gives new life to the trees and other living forms.

Whereas animals appear to accept death on its own terms, we humans struggle with this acceptance of the end of life.

Bilingual commentary — What To Do When Life Has “Stagnated”

by Community Contributor • March 17, 2023 • Comments Off

There may be times when we feel that our lives are “clicking along,” “firing on all eight cylinders,” or simply filled with opportunity and promise.

But then there are those other, inevitable periods during which we may feel that our lives have become stagnant. It is at these times that we find ourselves in circumstances that invite us to take advantage of this stagnation. We are forced to examine our lives and decide what to do to change the situation—if we so desire (we may not feel inclined to do so).

Let’s take a moment to examine the word “stagnant.” It is derived from the Latin word “stagnum,” which, according to Merriam-Webster, refers to “a pool of water without an outlet.” This description might be exactly what our life feels like when we sense a certain stagnation of our vitality. In other words, it might feel as if mosquitoes could breed in our souls. When stagnation enters our lives, it can induce a wide range of sentiments in us: anxiety, anger, hopelessness, boredom, introspection, hope, contentment.

Bilingual commentary — The Creation of a World Language

by Community Contributor • March 10, 2023 • Comments Off

Last week I wrote about the English language as a de facto universal language. No matter where Americans travel, we expect that someone—if not everyone—speaks English.

This might explain why Americans are so stubbornly monolingual: Why learn a new language if the whole world speaks English?

Of course, the whole world does not speak English. When I was visiting France some years ago, most of the people I met spoke very little to no English. I was fortunate to have studied the French language before going.

I recall being in a marketplace in Oaxaca, Mexico, where it seemed that no one was speaking Spanish, let alone English. What I heard the people around me speaking was probably a mix of Mixtec, Zapotec, and other indigenous languages. I noticed a young American couple who stood out like a sore thumb and who appeared to be flustered. In desperation, the man exclaimed, “Does anyone here speak English?

Bilingual commentary — Should English Be the Lingua Franca?

by Community Contributor • March 3, 2023 • Comments Off

I can’t help but notice that many of the world leaders speak English, to one degree or another. Every day, throughout the day, I read and otherwise consume the news. I always want to know what’s going on locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Usually, the news I ingest is written, but I also watch news videos featuring news hosts and interesting personalities.

A few weeks ago, we saw Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaking to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress in imperfect but easily understood English. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister (again), has likewise spoken before members of Congress. His English is flawless. But this is not surprising once we learn that he was raised in both Israel and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Furthermore, he obtained university degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and attended Harvard University.

Bilingual commentary — Who Do You Think You Are?

by Community Contributor • February 24, 2023 • Comments Off

“Who Do You Think You Are, the Queen of Sheba?” We might hear these words directed at a woman who is perceived to be too demanding, too arrogant, too “privileged.” But how many of us know who this “Queen of Sheba” is?

As it turns out, we really don’t know exactly who she was or where she came from. But we have some ideas, thanks to several ancient texts.

Bilingual commentary — Artificial Intelligence and Robots: Advising Our Children

by Community Contributor • February 17, 2023 • Comments Off

I wrote recently about the rising influence of artificial intelligence (AI). This revolutionary advancement is no longer something far off in the distant future. Nor is it a nascent technology that is just now making an appearance. It has been creeping into our lives for decades.

Closely related to the field of AI is the science of robots, which are likewise invading our lives. For example, we are dependent on ATMs, installed at our banks and scattered around our cities. The check-in kiosks at medical offices and airports have replaced myriad jobs.

We order meals from some of our restaurant tables using digital devices. In more technologically advanced restaurants, robots are beginning to deliver those meals to our tables.

Bilingual commentary — Is the Pandemic “Over”?

by Community Contributor • February 10, 2023 • Comments Off

For many people there never was a pandemic. They have carried on with their lives wondering what all the fuss was about. After all, wasn’t COVID-19 simply a hoax foisted on us by the liberals? If those who claimed this had the misfortune of becoming infected with the virus after not being vaccinated, they often demanded that ivermectin be administered to them. After all, that’s what their “research” or a talk show host told them was the appropriate response. Health professionals beg to differ and usually refuse the request for ivermectin.

For those at the other extreme, the pandemic continues in full swing. They continue to social distance, wear masks, avoid crowds, and pretty much isolate themselves as much as possible.

Bilingual commentary — George Santos for President

by Community Contributor • February 3, 2023 • Comments Off

Most of us are aware of the story of George Santos, a Republican U.S. House of Representatives Congressman elected in November 2022. Actually, we think his name is George Santos. He has “embellished” his past so thoroughly, we may not ever know who, exactly, he really is.

“Embellished” is a polite euphemism. Apparently, Mr. Santos has lied profoundly to the American people, particularly to those who elected him based on his stated views and history. The story of his life that he provided was, as it turns out, a complete fabrication.

Bilingual commentary — Will Artificial Intelligence Doom Us?

by Community Contributor • January 20, 2023 • Comments Off

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the quintessential double-edged sword. It has the ability to rescue humanity from some of its most intractable problems. On the other hand, if we are not careful, it could end up subjecting us to its whims, ravaging societies, and, ultimately, destroying us.

Some scientists and social engineers are giddy with the possibilities of AI. They see it as a means toward achieving things such as advances in medicine, more effective education, better tools for fighting climate change, and stronger and more durable materials. Employers are salivating with the potential of AI to help them trim costs—enormously, in some cases.

Bilingual commentary — The Closure of Camarillo State Hospital

by Community Contributor • January 11, 2023 • Comments Off

Bilingual commentary — And We Think We Have Problems…

by Community Contributor • January 6, 2023 • Comments Off

When all four of my grandparents escaped the violence in Mexico and arrived in the U.S. in 1923, they couldn’t stop feeling gratitude for the sense of safety that they were experiencing. Despite the prejudice and spiteful attitudes of some of the people around them in Los Angeles, they felt at peace. For them, any societal problems in the city were relatively minor compared to what they had experienced at the hands of the revolutionaries in Mexico.

And yes, of course, we had, and still have, problems in our society. Lots of them.

But sometimes we have to place things in perspective.

Bilingual commentary — Dancing on the Pyramid

by Community Contributor • December 16, 2022 • Comments Off

“Dance like no one is watching,” they tell us. These words are meant to encourage those of us at the next wedding party who might feel a bit inhibited about showing off whatever “dance skills” we may (or may not) possess.

One female Spanish tourist in Mexico thought she would test that motivational phrase last month at a famous archaeological site. She did dance as if no one was watching. The problem was that there were plenty of people watching her from the base of the pyramid at the site. But, unlike at your typical wedding party, the Mexicans who witnessed this sacrilege were quite angry and vitriolic about her “moves.”

Bilingual commentary — Restroom Blues on Our Public Transportation

by Community Contributor • December 9, 2022 • Comments Off

The past few months, I took it upon myself to become “greener.” I wanted to experience and learn about the public transportation system in our Ventura County region. The system we have is quite good. However, of course, it does not afford the innumerable and frequent options available in the massive systems of metropolises such as Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City, or Tokyo.

One of the great deficiencies of our bus system that I discovered is the lamentable lack of restrooms for passengers and for the bus drivers themselves. The transportation authorities seem to think that we don’t need them. Or possibly they think that our bladders are larger than they are. In any case, passengers are left to “make do,” so to speak, with whatever restroom facilities they can find and access.

Bilingual commentary — The Power of Baby Steps in Our Lives

by Community Contributor • December 1, 2022 • Comments Off

Initially, I was going to title this article “Decluttering Our Lives, Part II.” But I changed my mind and decided to use a more intriguing title.

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Herculean task of decluttering my life. I came to a point where I felt a need to rid my life of all the unnecessary “things” that no longer contributed anything to my plans or goals at this stage of my life. I promised to share some of my insights into actually accomplishing this. Of course, not everyone will want to declutter their lives the way that I do. But many of us want to do something to alleviate the “mess” that we find ourselves in. We just have to choose our own path that will take us to DeclutterLand.

Bilingual commentary — The Decision To Become a Doctor

by Community Contributor • November 11, 2022 • Comments Off

A considerable number of children of immigrants decide to “do their family proud.” They decide to commit to studying medicine to become a doctor or dentist. Some of them are first-generation college students who become first-generation professionals.

Although their ambition and successes are admirable, the backgrounds of immigrants’ children may not thoroughly prepare them for the financial jolts they will receive along the way as medical professionals. It is entirely possible that no one in their family ever sat down with them and talked about that traditionally taboo topic: money. It is entirely conceivable that no one talked with them about financial planning because the parents and other relatives themselves had little money with which to plan much of anything.

Bilingual commentary — The Power of “La Bamba”

by Community Contributor • October 21, 2022 • Comments Off

Many of us of Latino/Chicano heritage grew up listening to rock ‘n’ roll radio in the late 1950s. We were delighted, along with the rest of the country, when the song “La Bamba” hit the airwaves. The singer with the euphonic, captivating voice was Richard Valenzuela, but the world knew him as Ritchie Valens.

Ritchie, a child of Mexican immigrants, was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles. He grew up listening to mariachi and Mexican folk music, along with “jump blues” (a precursor to rock ‘n’ roll) and the rhythm and blues associated with the African American community. He accomplished an enormous feat during his transitory journey through our musical landscape. He blended purely traditional Mexican music with the iconic American rock music whose star was rising just as Ritchie was growing into what appeared to be a promising career.

Bilingual commentary — The Language Police

by Community Contributor • October 13, 2022 • Comments Off

Quebec is the largest province of Canada (a “province” is equivalent to one of our states). The area of this huge territory could swallow up roughly a third of the United States. Quebec, in its earliest incarnation, was a part of New France. This even larger mass of land, claimed by France in the mid-1500s, extended from the cold north, approaching Greenland, down to what eventually became the state of Louisiana. Needless to say, the earliest settlers of Quebec spoke French.

Following a long war, Quebec became a British colony where, of course, the English language was imposed. However, in an effort to discourage the people of Quebec from supporting what would become the American Revolution, the government accommodated the “Québécois” by allowing them to retain their French language. Quebec has been engaged in tussles between English- and French-speaking Canadians ever since.

Bilingual commentary — The Specter of Nuclear War

by Community Contributor • October 7, 2022 • Comments Off

Those of us who were in grade school in the 1950s and early 60s will never forget the “duck and cover” drills we used to have in our classrooms. This was a Civil Defense exercise that put the fear of nuclear war into our little heads. At least once a month, as best I recall, we would hear the sirens wailing at 10 a.m. on a Friday. We knew what to do: kneel and drop, face down, below our desk—that mighty protector of our young lives—and cover our necks and heads with our arms and hands as much as possible.

The Soviet Union became a nuclear power in 1949, and suddenly we had a threatening nuclear rival. The Cold War that followed World War II was replete with the rattles of sabers and ominous words, not too unlike what we are hearing today from the leaders of Russia, the remnant of the Soviet Union.

Bilingual commentary — The World’s Safest Cities

by Community Contributor • September 30, 2022 • Comments Off

I feel fortunate that as I walk around parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, I am generally not too concerned about my personal safety.

Well, maybe just a little. I have to admit that I’ve encountered a fair number of angry people on the streets and – I’ll have to say – a substantial number of individuals with obvious mental health deficiencies.

I won’t delve here into the myriad factors that I believe foster this discontent and madness in our midst. But it makes me yearn for a place that allows me to walk, especially at night, with a sense of confidence in my fellow citizens.

Bilingual commentary — The Flaw in Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot”

by Community Contributor • September 23, 2022 • Comments Off

Laudably, President Joe Biden has reignited the “Cancer Moonshot” that he had previously launched in 2016 when he was vice president. There is now renewed energy, new leadership, and more advanced medical experience, knowledge, and technology. The goal is now more focused: to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years.

The initiative was termed a “moonshot” to evoke the historic call by the late President John F. Kennedy to land a man on the moon within a decade. So far in our history, nothing compares with the boldness, wisdom, and foresight of that vow to take the “giant leap for mankind.” Nonetheless, a spirited call to take on the current, daunting epidemic of cancer in the United States and save American lives is certainly a necessary step in the right direction.

Bilingual commentary — The Angry Sun

by Community Contributor • September 16, 2022 • Comments Off

As we know all too well, Californians have been suffering recently with the “heat domes” that seem to enjoy settling, for days at a time, over our region in the Southwest. The resulting inferno bakes us, unmercifully, in a sweltering heat. The suffering we experience forces us to admit that yes, despite those who rant and confuse climate with weather, we are in fact facing a potential collapse of earth’s climate systems.

And yet many of us here in Ventura County live relatively close to the beach. We along the coast, at least, are consistently among the cooler spots in this entire corner of the country—if not the entire country (except for Alaska—usually). We are indeed fortunate when we compare our climate to that of California’s Central Valley, for example.

Still, we suffer, though our suffering is relative. We can’t help but feel that we’ve angered the sun when in fact we’ve angered the earth.

Bilingual commentary — Lessons from the Black Death of the Middle Ages

by Community Contributor • September 1, 2022 • Comments Off

Many Americans who are “done” with the pandemic and its devastation are ready to “move on” and “get back to a normal life.” Would that we could actually do this.

The pandemic may in fact be in the rear-view mirror. The problem is that we just don’t know if it is in retreat as we go on with our lives. We don’t want to think about it anymore. Unfortunately, it may be in that rear-view mirror because it is catching up to us, once again, from behind. This is the kind of thing that happened in the Middle Ages in Europe starting in the 14th century.

The Bubonic Plague, also known as the “Black Death,” caused massive devastation in Western Europe and surrounding regions. We in the modern age, armed with vaccines and highly effective treatments, do not expect to ever face such horrors. Still, we have lost over a million Americans to COVID-19 and continue to lose several hundred American lives each day.

Bilingual commentary — Lessons From Carmen Ramirez

by Community Contributor • August 26, 2022 • Comments Off

The news of Carmen’s demise was stunning, not too unlike when the shocking deaths of President Kennedy, Princess Diana, and Beatles icon John Lennon were announced. Carmen was a politician who was widely admired. She could be trusted, believed, and embraced as a friend.

By now, we all know the sad circumstances of her death. She was doing the kind of thing that so many of us do on a pleasant summer evening. She was walking to a concert that once again was enlivening downtown Oxnard after a pandemic pause. Unanimously elected to be the first Latina chair of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors earlier this year, she likely had plans in her head for improving the lives of county residents as she took that fateful step into the crosswalk.

Bilingual commentary — We Used to Travel—Now We Zoom

by Community Contributor • August 18, 2022 • Comments Off

My three siblings and I grew up in Los Angeles next door to five cousins. But we are not your everyday cousins. We’re “special.” You see, we are “double cousins.” A bit of explanation is in order.

One of my mother’s sisters is their mother, and one of my father’s brothers is their father. To make this simpler, two sisters from the Rivas family married two brothers from the Magallanes family. We cousins all share the same four grandparents.

We cousins all played together and visited with each other daily. We shared our interests and some of our sorrows. Our parents are gone, and we are all now in our “golden years.” All nine of us today are well and thriving, to one degree or another. Having been raised by parents from the same families means that we understand each other like no one else in the whole world understands us.

Bilingual commentary — Sex Education: U.S. vs. Europe

by Community Contributor • August 12, 2022 • Comments Off

Nearly 20 years ago, I was on a pilgrimage. I went to France to trace some of the steps my father had taken during World War II. He went through this war-torn country before entering Germany and then Belgium to deal with the Nazis.

While in Paris, I visited several art museums. I will forever remember a sight that I will never see in an American art museum.

Bilingual commentary — Falling Down

by Community Contributor • August 5, 2022 • Comments Off

“Fall out!” the sergeant screamed at us. I didn’t know what he meant and feared that I was obligated to take that command literally.

It was September of 1967 at a military base near San Antonio, Texas. We were kept up all night to be processed into the military and were given our ill-fitting uniforms. We were “compassionately” granted two hours of sleep and then marched off for a hasty breakfast before a full day of intense training.

Bilingual commentary — Our Aversion to Science

by Community Contributor • July 29, 2022 • Comments Off

Throughout the history of the world, there have been challenges to classical science.

It took a couple of centuries for people to embrace Isaac Newton’s heliocentric model, developed in the 16th century, establishing that the sun – and not the earth – was the center of the universe. That the earth was displaced from the center of the universe clashed with the belief that we were “exceptional.” Galileo had proposed this very idea nearly a century earlier, but he recanted when his life was threatened by the Catholic Church.

Bilingual commentary — Continuation of Attacks on Public Education

by Community Contributor • July 22, 2022 • Comments Off

As our country tilts menacingly toward a theocratic autocracy, the attacks on our public education system are becoming relentless. In some states, there is a determined effort to infiltrate school boards and administrative posts with supporters of an ultra-conservative, right-wing ideology. A traditionally conservative philosophy in our schools’ governance might be something society could tolerate and even negotiate, but this is different.

In certain states (not so much here in California), there is a troubling Christian nationalist facet of this movement that seems to be working to undermine traditional public education. Curricula and books in public schools are being unmercifully scrutinized. Anything that smacks of “wokeness” is discarded and replaced with a “patriotic” form of education. “Wokeness” is a euphemism for “liberal education,” and “patriotism” is a nefarious euphemism for censorship and distortions of history and science that are destined to warp our students’ understanding of the world and their place in it.

Bilingual commentary — When Facts Don’t Matter

by Community Contributor • July 15, 2022 • Comments Off

For the past two and a half years, I have tried every way imaginable to understand how election deniers think. Of course, I’m referring to those who are convinced, or have convinced themselves, that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. Why do they so stubbornly refuse to accept Trump’s defeat despite the unambiguous evidence proving that he did indeed lose?

Before we attempt to answer that question, here are several noteworthy facts:

Bilingual commentary — The Erosion of Our Democracy

by Community Contributor • July 8, 2022 • Comments Off

For some time now, I’ve written here about the difficulties faced by young people today in comparison with those faced by the baby boomers. The boomer generation grew up in relatively prosperous times after the Second World War. In retrospect, we may have had contentious issues to deal with, such as the lack of racial equality (once again a burning issue), but our democracy seemed secure. Transitions of power at the highest level of our government always seemed to take place seamlessly.

Bilingual commentary — Who Is a “Heritage Speaker” of Spanish?

by Community Contributor • June 30, 2022 • Comments Off

Among people of Mexican heritage, there exists a wide variety of cultural backgrounds that determine their place in the social order. Some of them arrived in the U.S. as adults – possibly seeking work or other opportunities. Others arrived as children, brought into the country by adults who arrived without the proper documents. Some of these children who qualified for the politically controversial DACA program are now young adults (known as “Dreamers”) living in a maddeningly indeterminate state of limbo. And of course, there is a portion of us of Mexican heritage who have the blessings and privileges of having been born here, enjoying all the benefits of U.S. citizenship. Our parents or more distant ancestors made the trek to “el otro lado” (“the other side”) before we were even born.

Which brings us to the Spanish language. Many Anglos assume that if we have a Spanish surname, then either we speak Spanish or should speak Spanish.

Bilingual commentary — When Mexican American Children Were “Indians”

by Community Contributor • June 24, 2022 • Comments Off

Aliso Elementary School in Carpinteria is a “California Distinguished School,” according to its website. It proudly proclaims itself the “Home of the Lions” and appears to be a school enthusiastically dedicated to “STEAM” – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.

I occasionally saunter past the school grounds when I explore Carpinteria on my walking expeditions. Aliso is an unassuming school with nicely maintained lawns, trees, and plants on the premises. Signs on windows and doors of the school tell me that Aliso welcomes students from all strata of society with open arms and is unabashedly determined to give them, from kindergarten through fifth grade, a high-quality education. Aliso’s stated mission is to help students reach their full potential.

However, there is no “History” tab on the website, and that may be just as well. Like many schools in California and throughout the country, Aliso’s early history is a bit “murky.” Nonetheless, that history does not appear to hinder the fine job that this acclaimed school has been doing throughout the latter half of the 20th century and up to the present day.

Bilingual commentary — Our Misdirected Anger

by Community Contributor • June 17, 2022 • Comments Off

On top of the ongoing, seemingly never-ending pandemic, we have several epidemics taking place in our country: opioids, guns, voter apathy…

Over and above these scourges, we now have inflation, soaring gas prices, supply chain disruptions, and political unrest that threatens the foundations of our democracy, which until last year we had taken for granted.

As a result, many of us are angry. We’re angry at Big Pharma, the gun manufacturers, the “liberals” who allegedly want to rip people’s guns out of their hands.

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