I have broken my promise to be a contributor to this site and write essays on issues of importance to our community, our state, and our country. Mea Culpa – my bad. As I get closer in my quest to shed most of my community activities and get closer to full retirement, I now find… Read More Where is my country? I cannot find it!

View this email in your browser The U.S. Latinx Art Forum announces CHISPA: Mini Virtual Studio Visits with Latinx Artists June 29, 2021 The U.S. Latinx Art Forum (USLAF) announces the second of three programs under the umbrella of the Ford Foundation-funded Mazorca Initiative, which provides support to artists impacted by both the Covid-19 pandemic… Read More The U.S. Latinx Art Forum announces CHISPA: Mini Virtual Studio Visits with Latinx Artists June 29, 2021

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued the following statement after Texas Governor Greg Abbott warned late Monday in a televised interview that Democratic legislators who left the state “will be arrested” when they return. Sixty-seven lawmakers broke quorum during the Texas special session called by Governor Abbott. They oppose plans by the… Read More LULAC Warns Texas Governor Will Face Battles Ahead In Voter Fight Nation’s Largest and Oldest Latino Civil Rights Organization Fires Back at Threats that Opposition Lawmakers Will Be Arrested Washington, DC

By Sergio Troncoso We at the Texas Institute of Letters—the Officers, Council Members, and ex-Presidents—stand with TIL Member Bryan Burrough, and co-authors Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford, of Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth, who decry the cancellation of their book event at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in… Read More Texas Shouldn’t Cancel Debate About Its History

Celia Álvarez Muñoz received her MFA from the North Texas State University (University of North Texas) in Denton, Texas. Adriana Corral received her BFA from the University of Texas at El Paso in 2008 and an MFA at UT Austin in 2013. Vick Quezada holds a BA from the University of Texas at El Paso… Read More ANNOUNCING THE LATINX ARTIST FELLOWSHIP! THREE EL PASOANS MAKE THE CUT!

By Miguel Juarez At the El Paso City Council meeting on June 22, 2021 Mayor Oscar Leeser asked city staff to come up with a plan on the reopening of the senior centers.  Instead of coming up with a plan, two city representatives submitted an Opinion Editorial which was published in the El Paso Times… Read More Do We Need a “Senior Lives Matter Movement” for the the Full Reopening of El Paso’s Senior Citizen Centers?

By Miguel Juárez At the El Paso City Council Meeting on Tuesday, June 22, 2021, twelve people signed up to speak for the Call to the Public and nine of those speakers were senior citizens who asked the Council to reopen their Senior Centers for more than once a week and more than three hours… Read More El Paso Seniors Citizens ask for Reopening of Their Senior Centers at City Council Meeting, Mayor Oscar Leeser asks Staff for a Game Plan

By Miguel Juárez Continuing with our series and in celebration of Pride Month we are focusing on LGBTQ Artists and their Allies.  Due to the pandemic, working-class creatives work was also affected, today we are focusing on the art La Mueka and we asked her the questions as we did for two previous artists we… Read More EndoMuekaNisms means “Indoor Mechanisms,” Artist La Mueka

By Maria R. Perez, MSSW Genealogy is an ancient study of family descent and history. With the advent of technology and science, research within genealogy has become both a complex, yet simple process that depends on archived and historical records, including genetic analysis to demonstrate kinship. Other useful resources include family stories and photographs, as… Read More Yearning for Familia with Layers of Uncertainties

By Miguel Juárez José Montoya is one of the most prolific artists in El Paso.  Last year, El Paso News featured him and his work in our our coverage during Pride month. That month, we broke the record for publishing the most articles in celebration of Pride month, surpassing ALL local El Paso-based media outlets. … Read More Artist José Montoya: Celebrating Pride Everyday

by Miguel Juarez In June 2020 El Paso News celebrated Pride month by focusing on local LGBTQ artists. We published ten articles devoted to Pride last year. This year, we will continue to explore how creatives dealt with the pandemic and how they and their art making was affected? To gauge how artists fared during… Read More Artist Marcos Rey’s Spiritual Work

With David Marcus, CPA and Jim Darnell, Criminal Attorney  The intriguing new book exposes the corrupt (former) Governor of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico that involves the Mexican Federal government, the Mexican consulate in El Paso, the US State Department in Washington and the FBI along with President Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the… Read More Meet the author of “Duarte, the Corrupter: Testimonials of a Business Leader in Mexico” local businessman Carlos Chavira 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Empowerment Congress of Dona Ana County  Contact Bernice Barrientos, 575-312-7826  May 4, 2021   DescolonizARTE Youth Art Showcase & Mural Reveal in Chaparral, NM  Chaparral, New Mexico: The Empowerment Congress announced today the completion of the spring 2021  DescolonizARTE workshops in art and social justice with colonia youth from Chaparral and Anthony, NM.… Read More DescolonizARTE Youth Art Showcase & Mural Reveal in Chaparral, NM 

By Ricardo Romo, PhD When Joe Lopez was growing up, the most popular Spanish language movie theaters located on the western edge of downtown, just west of the San Pedro Creek, featured the latest Mexican films and stars. These cultural architectural landmarks included the Zaragoza, El Nacional, and the Alameda theaters. The Alameda, with its… Read More Joe Lopez Keeps Latino Cultural Heritage Visible

By Ricardo Romo, PhD For border artists, many who incorporate imagery related to immigration, there has never been a more urgent time for artistic expression than now. El Paso has been one of the busiest immigration centers on the 2,000 mile international border as thousands of refugees arrive daily at this West Texas border station.… Read More Latino Art: A Visibility Issue

By Miguel Juárez, PhD On March 11, 2021, the third major pandemic aid law titled the “American Rescue Plan,” was signed into law by President Joe Biden.  This pandemic aid law aims to be different.  It hopes to have “more accountability, eligibility and reporting requirements than previous aid packages.”  The first pandemic aid law, the… Read More The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Arts: Will Creatives Receive the “Once-in-a-lifetime-funding?”

By Maria R Perez, MSSW I recently tuned in to the PBS program Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (S7E6 Country Roots). In this episode Dr. Gates had researched the ancestral histories of singers, Rosanne Cash and Clint Black. I enjoy this program for the authenticity it portrays. I’ve enjoyed other productions by… Read More PEOPLE OF COLOR – MATICES DE MI RAZA

The 23rd Day 0f the 3rd month, in the second year of the C-19 era. Dateline El Paso Texas … Home of the Amigo Man! H. W. “Bill” Sparks The world was already awake and a half-step ahead of me when I awoke this morning. The air outside was crisp and the skies were clear… Read More Dateline El Paso Texas … Home of the Amigo Man!

By Eva Ross 1889   Nelly Bly visits El Paso and Mexico writes pamphlet Six Months in Mexico. 1892   Sisters of St.Vicent de Paul purchase land for Hotel Dieu Hospital in El Paso, TX. 1894   Mary I. Stanton establishes first children’s library in the U.S in El Paso, TX.       1909    YWCA opened in… Read More El Paso Women’s History Timeline, One Version, March 1, 2021

SEEDS for Change, in collaboration with Mount Allison University and Framingham State University, are pleased to host las Krudxs Cubensi, as part of the Learning Without Border Initiative. Please share it among interested parties. Topic: Maternizando lo patriarcado (event in Spanish) Date: Thursday, February 25th, 2021 Time: 2:30pm (Atlantic Time, Canada) Registration is required:  https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUuc-6orjMiHtd8C1YRVf5LaR38oxVzYBhh About Las… Read More SEEDS for Change: Learning Without Borders

The WILL Empower Apprenticeship Program is a paid opportunity for recent college graduates and rank-and-file activists to explore what it’s like to work for the labor and workers’ justice movement, and to gain the skills and knowledge needed to begin making a difference.  The Apprenticeship Program allows movement organizations to invest in the next generation… Read More WILL Empower is now recruiting the next generation of activists and apprenticeship host sites in preparation for its Fall 2021 class of apprentices

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Office of Public Affairs DHS Announces Process to Address Individuals in Mexico with Active MPP Cases WASHINGTON – Building on a series of Executive Orders last week, the Biden Administration is announcing another step in our phased strategy to reform the nation’s immigration system. Beginning on February 19, the Department… Read More DHS Announces Process to Address Individuals in Mexico with Active MPP Cases

By Marshall Carter-Tripp We are currently being urged to ask for curbside delivery of a book, to show our interest and support for the libraries. Let’s consider what this might mean.  People with inadequate access to the internet, in many poor neighborhoods of El Paso, are unable to locate books and order them.  And if… Read More Curbside service is NOT “re-opening the libraries!”

By Vona Van Cleef I am writing, once again, about what seems to be the City’s policy of cutting corners on El Paso’s cultural amenities and educational opportunities. For what? Spray parks? This seems a bit frivolous, doesn’t it, when libraries and museums are closed for want of funds? The latest assault on culture and… Read More To Whomever It May Concern, and I hope it concerns you all!

CHAMIZAL PARENTS HIGHLY CONCERNED EPISD DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO OPEN SAFE SCHOOLS Douglass parents will hold a Press Conference Friday January 29, 2021 at 1pm via Zoom, to Demand Safe Schools! Children have returned to school in Douglas without a good health plan and this puts our entire community at risk. They are not… Read More FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RELEASED January 27, 2021 SAN MARCOS, TX – Award-winning author Sergio Troncoso, a son of Mexican immigrants who is now regarded as a major American writer from the American Southwest, has donated his literary papers to the Wittliff Collections. Born and raised in the El Paso neighborhood of Ysleta, Troncoso is a novelist, essayist, and… Read More Sergio Troncoso Donates his Archive to The Wittliff

U.S. and Mexico Must Work Jointly to Restore Asylum Access and Center Human Rights, Safety in Migration Policies January 26, 2021 WOLA condemns and expresses its profound sorrow at the discovery of 19 murder victims in a burned truck in the northern Mexican border state of Tamaulipas on January 22. The victims are believed to be Guatemalan migrants, based… Read More WOLA Statement – Reported Massacre of 19 People Underscores Dangers Faced by Migrants in Mexico

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Says Help for 11-Million Immigrants and Other Executive Actions Long Overdue WASHINGTON, D.C. — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has issued the following statement on President Biden’s executive actions proposing new laws that will give undocumented immigrants the chance to become citizens and create… Read More LULAC Welcomes President Biden’s Immigration Plan

By Rosemary Neil Tomorrow I will mail my check in payment for my property taxes.  With that in mind, I would like to know the timeline for the restoration of library services, which I consider essential for a well-managed city. Quality of life services were gutted by our city to address revenue shortfalls.  Ten months… Read More Furloughed City Employees Deserve to Know When They can Return to Work

By Marsha Labodda Dear Mayor Leeser, I want to express my condolences to you losing your mother and brother to Covid. It’s unfortunate that we are losing so many before their time. The distribution of vaccines has been a mess! So disorganized! Now, I read that Tracy Jerome is in charge of the vaccines due… Read More 400 Furloughed City Employees Amid a Budget Surplus – When Are They Going Back to Work?

This letter was sent to Mayor Oscar Leeser and our eight El Paso City Council Representatives By Gretchen Trominski We, supporters and volunteers of the eight active Friends of the El Paso Public Library groups on behalf of the furloughed employees of the city’s Library Department, are seeking your  action. As the city continues to… Read More We Need to Reopen Our Libraries: A Detailed and Comprehensive Plan for Reopening the Libraries is Needed

Little miracles Hoping for succor, promises pinned to purple velvet. Arms, hands,legs, and backs dangle from ribbon, unblinking eyes tied to statues,a show and tell for saints and God. Candles smoulder. Candles turned upside down until what was lostis found, wagers made with the Paduan, pleas to restore tranquility,if not possessions mislaid or love stolen.… Read More Little Miracles: Poem by Donna Snyder

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Applauds Biden-Harris Road Map as Fulfilling Moral Obligation WASHINGTON, D.C. — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has issued the following statement on President-elect Joe Biden’s release of a detailed plan his administration intends to start immediately after his inauguration to deal with the impact… Read More LULAC Supports $1.9 Trillion Recovery Plan By President-Elect

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Says a Return to Border Wall Affirms the Worst Traits of His Failure WASHINGTON, D.C. — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) has issued the following statement ahead of one of President Trump’s final acts in office. On Tuesday, Trump plans to return to the… Read More LULAC Condemns Trump Ending His Presidency At Wall Of Shame

By Charles Chase I met Juan in the Fall of 1991.  Him out and about from his station of the first-floor desk of UTEP’s main library.  From there, the Palmore, his residence, came quickly and, as I told Debbie Nathan, his apartment centered the whole of Sunset Heights, or that space between the school’s Tibetan… Read More Juan and Julián

Wait List is over 80,000 people! Dear El Paso resident: If you are receiving this email, you have pre-registered with the City of El Paso to receive the COVID-19 vaccine! Thank you for pre-registering and playing an active role in protecting yourself and your loved ones against COVID-19. This is the first of a series… Read More It’s Not an Apology, but an FYI: If You Signed Up for the Vaccine at El Paso Strong

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Joins in Demand for Impeachment Or Removal of President WASHINGTON, D.C. — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and a coalition of other leading civil rights and social justice legacy organizations today issued an historic call to action by Congress to remove President Trump from… Read More LULAC And Coalition Call For Action On Trump Complicity

The El Paso City Attorney and the Executive Director of the Downtown Management District (DMD) want the Texas Historical Commission to remove Duranguito from the National Register of Historic Places which would endanger the Downtown National Historic District. City Attorney Karla Nieman, at the direction of five members of City Council, and Joe Gudenrath, Executive… Read More Keep 13 Duranguito Properties That Are Eligible for Inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and Save the Downtown National Historic District!

By Dr. E. Carrizal-Dukes Juan Sandoval and I were members of the Accessions Committee at the El Paso Museum of Art from about 2017 to 2018 with curator Dr. Patrick Shaw Cable. After one meeting in February 2018, he asked me if I had a car and if I wanted to go to a party.… Read More In Memory of Juan Sandoval (a.k.a. juanoaxaca)

By Maria R Perez, MSSW Many are unaware that Mexico and Ireland share an extensive history. There is a current rise of interest in genealogy and personal ethnic story. Thus, after submitting their DNA for testing many individuals of Mexican decent are bewildered to discover that they have Irish DNA, and potentially searchable Irish ancestors.… Read More Compatriots: Children of Ireland & Mexico

By Dennis Bixler-Márquez, Ph.D. I knew Juan Sandoval from his arrival to UTEP in the early eighties and was surprised that he hailed from a southern Colorado community that I knew well due to having researched it in the late seventies.  We established a friendship that continued with the sharing of news from that region.… Read More The Late Juan Sandoval Was a Walking Example of the University’s Civic Engagement Approach to Our Community

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Tells President Trump to Cease and Desist His Defiance of Defeat WASHINGTON, D.C. — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) issued the following statement Wednesday amid scenes of thousands of protestors rushing Capitol Hill and disrupting certification of the November 3rd election of Joe Biden… Read More LULAC Denounces Insurrection In Washington, DC By Riot Mobs

By Sol Maria Lopez, MLIS Recuerdo bien a Juan Sandoval II. Trabajé con el entre el 2011 al 2016 en la biblioteca de UTEP.Nuestros caminos no cruzaron con demasiada frecuencia debido a que él estaba en los servicios de referencia e instrucción y yo en servicios técnicos. Sin embargo, lo recuerdo claramente cuando durante mis… Read More Juan Sandoval Me Inspiró

Elvira and Ronnie Dukes are the creative force behind DUKEScomics.com, an independent comic book and graphic novel publisher. Elvira is the writer. Ronnie is the artist/illustrator. This is a link to our website:  https://dukescomics.com/about/Elvira and Ronnie were friends of Juan Sandoval. Dr. Elvira Carrizal-Dukes is an Assistant Professor of Practice for Chicana/o Studies at UTEP.… Read More Juan Sandoval II by Ronnie Dukes of DUKEScomics.com.

By Kathy Staudt, his colleague and friend Juan and I have been friends for a LONG time.  I love libraries and books; so did Juan.  We would visit inside the library or on the sidewalk, a short walk between the UTEP Library and Benedict Hall, the location of my political science office.  Sometimes we would… Read More Remembering Juan Sandoval

By Estela Reyes-López When I learned that our community had lost Juan Sandoval I felt lament for his family and those he loved. Truth be told, I lamented for myself as well. It seemed like Juan and I were forever hoping and planning a get together that never quite seemed to get past notes on… Read More I Remember Juan Sandoval II for His Sense of Dignity

By Katherine Brennand                                                                                                                                          We are all special. I realize that. However, being memorable is possibly more significant. Juan Sandoval was, is, and will be memorable for a long time to come.  He will be remembered for many qualities…..for his intelligence and his sensitivity, for his “eye” for art, and for the spark and mischievous… Read More For Juan Sandoval

By Víctor M. Macías-González I first met Juan Sandoval in the Fall of 1982, about a year after Juan had settled in El Paso to work at the UT-El Paso Library.  I was in the seventh grade, enrolled in the El Paso Independent School District’s Gifted and Talented Program.  Each participant conducted a research project… Read More Remembering Juan Antonio Sandoval, Jr. (1946-2021)

By Miguel Juarez (Updated January 5, 2021, 11:44 a.m.) Juan Sandoval II passed away in his home this morning at 5:00 a.m.  Sandoval was born in Monte Vista, Colorado on January 7, 1946 and he would have celebrated his 75th birthday next Thursday. He was a former Special Collections Librarian and Art Bibliographer at the… Read More Art Collector and Former UTEP Librarian Juan Sandoval II Passes Away (January 7, 1946 – January 3, 2021)

STATEMENT on EPISD SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH December 30, 2020 The children of the Chamizal have directly experienced the negative consequences of previous superintendents’ decisions in Barrio Chamizal. As the highest populated Spanish speaking, immigrant neighborhoods in the city, our school district has a responsibility to ensure the path to success is accessible to children in our… Read More

By J.M. In August 2019, I read an article that the Border West Expressway (BWE), which runs along the Rio Grande, was recognized as one of the best designed and structured highways. Obviously, they did not ask the people who actually use it like the drivers who have had to figure out how to drive… Read More Opinion Editorial: The Hotel California Highway

According to a video titled “Crosno’s Radio Reminiscences,” in 1955, Steve Crosno got his start at KGRT in Las Cruces doing commercials.  Eventually he was given his own show at the ripe age of 16-years-old, on his birthday on August 6, 1956.  Crosno was subsequently hired at KELP which “was one of the top 40… Read More “Cruising with Crosno,” The Lost Tapes

The team at the El Paso News wants to take this opportunity to wish each of you Happy Holidays! May you all be safe.

By Roberto José Andrade Franco On the Thursday before Thanksgiving, my cousin died. He tested positive for COVID-19 and got admitted to the hospital a few days before then. “You guys used to be close,” my wife said after my mother told me of his hospitalization. “You should call him.” A day later, my mother… Read More Humberto Rosales

By Miguel Juárez It’s time to “Break up with Covid-19” is a message that that is driving an organic, locally hatched campaign to stop the chain of COVID-19 in our community.  The campaign includes an opportunity for individuals to sign a pledge on change.org and learn about resources in our community related to COVID-19 via… Read More Let’s Breakup COVID-19 in El Paso, Texas—Take the Pledge

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Calls Firings and Suspensions for Misconduct a Step Forward Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) calls today’s announcement of disciplinary actions by the U.S. Army significant and important progress towards justice as well as lasting change within the military branch that Pvt.… Read More LULAC: Army’s Actions At Ft. Hood Affirm Vanessa Guillen’s Life

Nation’s Oldest and Largest Latino Civil Rights Organization Says Efforts Against President-Elect Biden Outside His Bounds Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Wednesday denounced a request by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asking the U.S. Supreme Court for permission to sue several battleground states Democrat Joe Biden won which added… Read More LULAC: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Needs To Resign

My Brown skin means fighting to be heard. My Brown skin means fighting to be seen. My Brown skin means fighting to be known. Do you hear the screams and cries of my Brown skin in cages? Or are they drowned out by the color of our faces? Did I do something wrong? Why are… Read More To Exist

By Dr. Miguel Juarez Before El Paso’s highways were built, public transportation was vital to the neighborhoods along Alameda in El Paso, Texas. The Interurban Streetcar to Ysleta was a method of transportation for the middle class and for citizens who did not have automobiles and who could afford the fare. When it was built… Read More Remembering The Interurban to Ysleta

By Mark Pumphrey, Updated 11/28/2020 The El Paso Public Library’s Main Library in Downtown El Paso needs to be treated as a part of downtown development, but unfortunately it is not.  In this article, I will tell you that many of its problems concern its parking and the space around it.  I am concerned about… Read More Opinion Editorial: The City of El Paso, the El Paso Public Library’s Main Library Downtown, and the Dilemma of Inadequate Parking in the Downtown Arts District where the Main Library is Located

Since March the beginning of Covid 19 and how the city has handled this interesting situation currently it would appear that neither left nor right hand or foot knows what the hell they are doing. We have been witness to how utterly incapable every level of government has been throughout this crisis. From our congressional… Read More El Paso and C19

El Paso, Texas, November 17, 2020: We are pleased to announce our project to restore Sacred Heart Church in the Segundo Barrio, along with the adjoining ex-Sacred Heart School building and the building housing the Jesuit residence and parish offices. We will hold a press conference this Thursday, November 19 at 11:00am at the Father… Read More NEWS RELEASE, RESTORATION OF SACRED HEART CHURCH IN THE SEGUNDO BARRIO PRESS CONFERENCE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19 AT 11:00AM

By Maria R. Perez, MSSW As the month of November has begun, so have many family traditions. Most of these traditions call for families to get together. We gather as family and friends for Dia de Muertos, Diwali, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and not to mention Black Friday Sales! Plus, we also gather for whatever… Read More Traditions and Holidays While Experiencing Quarantine

By Mark Pumphrey, November 7, 2020 For most of my childhood years, I was a complete television child. I would come home from school, flip on the television, and watch one show after another until the time I went to bed at night, stopping only when my mother made me get up off of the… Read More The Effect of Writing on Popular Culture

Editor’s note:El Paso News has joined forces with El Paso Politics – which makes for a stronger and agile news source. El Paso Politics is published by Martin Paredes, who has over 20 years of knowledge and experience of El Paso politics to include its social, cultural and historical contexts. To his credit, Martin broke… Read More The El Paso Political Civil War of 2020

By Miguel Juarez Similar to Willie Varela’s style of experimentation in film, like his e-mail article “Remembering Stan Brakhage: An E-mail Conversation between Steve Anker and Willie Varela,” that he co-authored with him in Spring/Summer 2005 issue of the Journal of Film and Video, I invited Varela’s long time friend Robb Chávez to be part… Read More An Invisible Man in American Society | Interview with Artist and Filmmaker Willie Varela with Robb Chávez

Press Release Link: Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrc-yurzosEtFw-rOod13_fDgSIHDstZvM For Immediate Release, Date: October 24, 2020 Contact: Raymundo Eli Rojas, rayrojas@rayrojaslaw.com The El Paso Chicano(a) History and Preservation Project will mark the 50th Anniversary of the filing of the landmark school segregation case Alvarado et. al vs. El Paso Independent School District[1]. The milestone will be observed on Oct.… Read More 50th Anniversary of the filing of the landmark school segregation case Alvarado et. al vs. El Paso Independent School District

By Miguel Juárez On April 1, 2016 in Chucopedia, a Facebook page, someone posted an announcement of the reopening of San Jacinto Plaza in El Paso, Texas.  Social media abounded whether it was a hoax or not, yet one thing is for sure, the redesign was a process of community involvement from 2008 to 2011… Read More How We Kept Los Lagartos at La Plaza de Los Lagartos

By Maria R. Perez, MSSW In our culturally diverse community, we cannot discuss familia and ancestors without bringing up November 2nd – Dia de Los Muertos. In and of itself, the celebration of this date is a hodge-podge of ancient and modern traditional bits and pieces from around the world. Yet, to Mexicans, it is… Read More Día De Muertos – Whether Familia or Vecinos, All are Ancestors

Little Birds is a series of vignettes and reflections on border crossings and emancipation.Written by María Elena Gaitán Musician, storyteller, performance artist, translator and mother, East L.A. born María Elena Gaitán is a citizen of the world and a lifetime social justice activist with ancestral roots in Del Río Texas and Monterrey Nuevo León.  Thief of Birds (stealing… Read More Thief of Birds

Little Birds is a series of vignettes and reflections on border crossings and emancipation. Written by María Elena Gaitán. Musician, storyteller, performance artist, translator and mother, East L.A. born María Elena Gaitán is a citizen of the world and a lifetime social justice activist with ancestral roots in Del Río Texas and Monterrey Nuevo León.  El Pajarito (the… Read More Little Birds

The University Medical Center of El Paso (UMC) has a strong economic outlook despite the pandemic, according to a recent Fitch Ratings analysis posted on October 8. Fitch updated the Series 2013 and 2017 UMC bonds from “stable” to “positive”. The bonds are paid for by El Paso taxpayers in the form of property taxes… Read More University Medical Center of El Paso Economic Outlook

The news media is under fire across the nation. Some call it propaganda outlets while others label it “fake news”. Journalists decry the erosion of their jobs because of the internet. While “fake news” has become the term most often used about the news media when complaining about it, for El Paso it is not… Read More The News Is Dead in El Paso

The Beth El Bible Church, located at 6440 Montana Ave., El Paso, Texas 79925 is hosting a Pumpkin Patch in their parking lot from October 4th to 31st. Information: http://www.bethelbible.org or 915-772-4330. Their hours of operation are: Tuesdays – Thursdays from 1 to 7 PM and Friday – Sunday from 12 to 8 PM Schedule… Read More Pumpkin Patch in Central El Paso at Beth El Bible Church October 4th to 31st

The Border Art Residency has a new home — and is accepting applications for the first artist residency in that new home. After a long run in La Union, NM, the 2021 Border Art Residency will be from January 15 through May 31 in a living and studio space at 801 N. Piedras in the… Read More The El Paso Community Foundation Announces The Border Art Residency Returns, Application Now Open

By Vona Van Cleef, Retired EPISD school librarian and treasurer, Friends of the Library, Main When the COVID-19 pandemic hit El Paso in March, the City closed the libraries. In early May, 137 of the library system’s 156 employees (88%) were furloughed or terminated. That number amounts to 30% of the total 450 City employees… Read More Restore Our Libraries With More Vigor

El Paso Politics recently reported, that El Paso immigration judges are among the worst in the nation for asylum seekers. Various news outlets are reporting that justice department officials drove the immigration policy of separating children from their parents as part of the Trump Administration surge to control the border. The New York Times states… Read More El Paso Was Pilot Program For Child Separations

The COVID-19 Pandemic is hurting libraries and library workers.  Cities are responding by furloughing workers which will have long-lasting effects on our communities.  Friends of the Library groups in El Paso have joined together to show solidarity in support of libraries and library workers. This series will feature voices from community members who believe Libraries are… Read More Reopen El Paso Public Libraries

El Paso, TX – On Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 5:30 p.m. local educators, school staff, unions and community organizations will lead a caravan and teach-in to advocate for an adequate COVID-19 safety plan at the YISD Administrative Offices, located at 9600 Sims Drive. The local action is in unity and solidarity with the nation-wide effort Demand… Read More FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Protect Teachers, Students & Families, Reopen Schools SAFELY for the Community

By Isela Acihuatl Laca The initial Calaveras appeared and were published in 1879, for those that may be uncertain of what a literary Calavera may be.  The newspaper El Socialista de Guadalajara published the first Calaveras that, during those times, were frequently censored because they were perceived as a means to express political and social… Read More Calavera Time!

If the debacle of Tuesday’s presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump isn’t enough to convince you that America is severely politically divided, then there is nothing that will get you to go vote. But if you are now convinced that you need to cast a vote on November 3, then next week has… Read More Register To Vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE El Paso, TX – On Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. local educators, school staff, unions and community organizations will lead a caravan and teach-in to advocate for an adequate COVID-19 safety plan at the EPISD Administrative Offices, located at 6531 Boeing. The local action is in unity and solidarity with… Read More Reopening Schools Safely for the Community

There are growing protests across America demanding that police departments be defunded. Other protestors are demanding that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) be abolished. Protestors in Portland protested outside the ICE building recently. ICE has drawn attention in recent years as the Trump Administration has intensified efforts to close the borders to immigrants. U.S.… Read More The Culture of Racism At El Paso Based Border Patrol & BORTAC

As the numbers of COVID cases in El Paso continue to decline more and more, activities are beginning to be allowed with various restrictions for safety.  Our churches have resumed services, some schools are having in person classes, football games are being played, and restaurants have certainly started to see more customers.  Libraries across Texas and the… Read More We need your help…

By Donna Snyder, Artwork Courtesy of Alfonso Valenzuela The claims by ICE detainees of trauma by hysterectomies[i] without informed consent is horrifying but sadly not shocking. Throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries, unethical physicians and governmental agencies have conditioned health care or other benefits on acceptance of sterilization, have performed these surgeries during… Read More Collecting Uteruses—the American Way

It showed up on my Apple news feed innocently enough and I almost skipped the article. I almost skipped it because it was from The Kansas City Star, a newspaper I wasn’t familiar with and I was afraid it was just clickbait. But the headline, As a Black US diplomat in Mexico, I was constantly… Read More U.S. Diplomat Describes What I Felt Crossing The U.S.-Mexico Border In El Paso For Years

By Xavier Miranda, EPISD Teacher, EPAFT member, DSA member, El Paso Grassroots Chief Academics Officer Tamekia Brown of EPISD, will host a live chat, specifically for EPISD Teachers and answer questions about the return to school. It is scheduled for Friday, September 25, 2020 from 4 PM to 4:30 PM. Considering that the County of… Read More EPISD Teachers Live Chat, Friday, September 25, 2020 from 4 PM to 4:30 PM.

El Paso, TX-  On Monday, September 21, 2020 Sunrise El Paso and local climate action advocacy groups invite the press and public to a COVID-safe demonstration to oppose the proposed “Newman 6” 228 MW fracked-gas plant in El Paso at 5:30 pm at San Jacinto Plaza, 114 W Mills Ave, El Paso, TX 79901. Speakers… Read More FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

By Maria R. Perez, MSSW As our society—our world—continues to struggle with issues of human rights and equality, the DNA and ancestry markets are booming. Somewhat of an irony, I dare say. Now more than ever, we see advertisements for DNA kits; TV shows depicting ancestral roots of celebrities; documentaries on stolen babies; the reunion… Read More Your DNA – To Test or Not to Test

By Martin Paredes, Special to the El Paso News. The Thin Blue Line was a 1952 television show about the Los Angeles Police Department. It was conceived and produced by William H. Parker, the then Los Angeles police chief. The show, which lasted for a short time, was a question and answer show about policing.… Read More The Racist History Of The Thin Blue Line

PARA LA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATAALTO A LA PERSECUCION POLITICA DE SUSANA PRIETO TERRAZAS. ¡DEFENDER DERECHOS LABORALES NO ES DELITO!  EL PASO, TX- Obreros viviendo en Estados Unidos, apoyenos en la protesta en contra de los narcogobernadores Francisco Javier Garcia Cabeza DeVaca y Javier Corral Jurado este jueves 17 de septiembre a las 10 AM en en Consulado… Read More Press Release – Against the Persecution of Attorney Susana Prieto Terrazas

By Miguel Juárez, PhD In his cooking show promo, Chef Raul Gonzalez, who is better known by his clientele as Chef Rulis states: Welcome to the Chuco Cooking Show. You’re invited to go on a culinary journey covering 600 years of regional cuisine. You’ll hear stories about the cultures that settled these lands and we’ll… Read More The Chuco Cooking Show featuring Chef Rulis from Ruli’s International Kitchen

By María Eugenia Trillo, Ph.D. Community, barrio, neighborhood, hood, Second Ward, South Side, El Segundo.  Each of these terms evokes a different image and feeling. Río Linda is a diaspora community, one of three unique communities that were forced to uproot themselves and disperse in more than five thousand pieces to the four winds.  September… Read More Río Linda…a community of the Chamizal – forever

By Jeryl Marcus For the first time in its long history, the physical Burning Man was cancelled in response to the health concerns related to large gatherings. Personally, this meant that after ten consecutive years David and I would not pack our motor home with camping supplies, costumes and gifts and travel 3,000 miles in… Read More Burning Man 2020 Ups the Ante for Virtual Reality Technology

In response to the Covid-19 emergency and because Congress has beenunable to pass new legislation to help the economy, Donald Trump issuedseveral executive orders on August 8. One of them was the Payroll TaxDeferral Holiday. The so-called payroll tax holiday memorandum reducesthe amount of taxes withheld on employee paychecks from September 1through the end of… Read More Payroll Tax Holiday – What It Means To You and Your Company

Over the past two years since Congressperson Veronica Escobar was voted into the seat there’s been a bit of neglect on her part with regard to Veterans Issues in El Paso. El Paso has about 45,000 Veterans that have served our country during Peace and during conflict. We have taken the oath to protect these… Read More VERO & THE VETERANS

By Maria R. Perez, MSSW Recently, the topics of unknown ancestors, lost family members and estranged families have been highlighted by various television programs. These TV shows feature many factors causing family separations, one of which is infant abduction. When this takes place in the healthcare facility where the baby is born, a cruel abuse… Read More Losing an Infant, Yet Not Losing Hope