By: Oscar J. Martinez, PhD., A guest editorial Editor’s Note: Oscar J. Martínez is a retired professor who taught at UTEP and the University of Arizona. He has published numerous books on the history of Mexico, the El Paso/Ciudad Juárez area, and other parts of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. He is also a founder and a […]
Posted inEl Paso
The El Paso Political Power Rise of Paul L Foster And Alejandra de la Vega, Part 2
On September 23, 2020, El Paso Politics introduced readers to Paul L. Foster and how he rose to power in El Paso. As readers may remember, El Paso Politics is exploring the power brokers of El Paso. According to the book, Who Rules El Paso?, there are two major power brokers in El Paso: Woody […]
Posted inLatino Art
Latino Art: A Visibility Issue
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. […]
Posted inIdentity
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Arts: Will Creatives Receive the “Once-in-a-lifetime-funding?”
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 […]
Posted inEl Paso
The Strange Story of Richard Nagell, John F. Kennedy and the State National Bank of El Paso
“Bank robber, ‘Manchurian Candidate’ linked to JFK assassination probe” read the headline. The Los Angeles Free Press article describes how “a rangy man with a vertical scar on his forehead strode into the State National Bank” in El Paso and requested $100 in traveler’s checks. Before the teller could comply, Richard Case Nagell, “whipped out […]
Posted inCity
Cissy Lizarraga And Campaign Financing in El Paso
The current city representative for District 8, Cecilia “Cissy” Lizarraga, is having a fundraiser and reception on April 28. Lizarraga’s term ends on January 3, 2023. According to the latest financial reports filed on January 13, 2021, Lizarraga has $3,265.23 left in her campaign funds and an outstanding loan for $10,000. Lizarraga was first elected […]
Posted inEl Paso
Why You Should Be Worried About The Facebook Leak
A few days ago, the personal information of 533 million Facebook users was made freely available on the Internet. The Facebook data breach is from an August 2019 incident where hackers were able to scrape Facebook data about users from 106 countries. The leaked Facebook data includes member telephone numbers, their full names, locations, email […]
Posted inImmigration
What Is Going On At The Border?
Author’s note: the issue of immigration is complex and does not fit into nice little sound bites. This article is necessarily long so that the reader can gain a clearer understanding of what is going on at the southern border today. Rather than break it up into smaller articles, I have decided to publish it […]
Posted inGenealogy
PEOPLE OF COLOR – MATICES DE MI RAZA
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 […]
Posted inImmigration
How Soon America Forgets: Operation Pedro Pan And Unaccompanied Child Migrants
Today, the ongoing debate on immigration is led by images of migrant children in cages or pods with politicians on both sides either calling it a “surge,” a “crisis” or part of regular migration patterns. The Democrats are blaming the Trump administration and the Republicans are blaming Biden. However, all seem to believe that unaccompanied […]