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The Oaxacan Chileans, popular music with South American origins

Although the Chilean Oaxacan songs emerge from the traditional music of the Andean country, here they mixed with the music of the Costa Chica creating a new genre

Shared from/by Mexico Desconocido

There is no mystery as to their origin, the Oaxacan Chilenas, as their name indicates, come from the so-called Chilean cueca; a musical and dance genre from the Andean country, in turn a product of multiple influences: zambra and Spanish fandango mixed with African American and Peruvian rhythms.

However, how did these rhythmic melodies and their dances so full of life come to our country?

The Oaxacan Chileans and the 19th century

According to some historians, both the music and the dance that would be known as Oaxacan Chileans arrived in 1821 at the port of Acapulco, on a ship of the Chilean Navy, sent by the government of that country to support the insurgents in the fight. for the Independence of Mexico.

However, their arrival coincided with the triumph of the independence movement and Chilean sailors gladly joined the party spirit that predominated in the streets, playing their string instruments and dancing the Chilean cuecas on the beaches, with handkerchiefs in one hand.

Consequently, the happy rhythm of the melodies conquered the people of Acapulque, who mixed it with the traditional music of the region and little by little the Chilean music spread to other areas, especially to the state of Oaxaca.

Dancing to the rhythm of southern music

Currently, Chilean is the representative musical genre of the Costa Chica, a region located between Acapulco and the central coast of Oaxaca. Likewise, it is common for meetings of Chilean musicians to be organized to compose, play and sing this musical genre.

As for the Chilean dance, it involves a lot of tapping, sensual movements and clothing that consists, for the woman, of a wide satin skirt adorned with lace and ribbons; white blouse and beaded figures; as well as a handkerchief hung around the waist or in the hand to wave during the dance.

For their part, the men wear pants and a long white blanket shirt, a palm hat, and two bandanas, one around the neck and the other in the hand, also to wave while they dance.

Finally, the cultural relevance of Oaxacan Chilean women is evident in the Guelaguetza festival, as they represent the region with great pride.

The emblematic music of the southern states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, Chilean music, flourishes in one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Mexico.

A broad collection of subgenres, in both traditional and contemporary hybrid styles, serve populations that are geographically and culturally distinct. This article examines the discourse and rhetorical strategies underlying the stories that tell the origin of Chilena and the efforts to include it in the family of regional sounds of Mexico.

The musical and social aspects of the construction of the genre are related to historical and contemporary narratives that deal with issues of miscegenation, race, regionalism and nation.

During the 19th century, South American music and dance genres, such as cueca, spread along the Pacific coast from Chile and Peru to Mexico and as far north as California. Some forms took root in these coastal areas, combining with native peoples and acquiring distinctive local characteristics.

On the Costa Chica of the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, in southern Mexico, in honor of the South American origins of the music, a new form became known generically as Chilean. As evidenced in historical and contemporary discourse, like other genres after independence, cueca and chilena contributed to fusing national and regional imaginaries. Just as the cueca was ordained the official musical and dance genre of Chile, the chilena became the emblematic performing genre of the Costa Chica.

CA approves signature gathering for ballot initiative on voter ID

by Suzanne Potter

California News Service

Backers of a proposed ballot initiative to require government ID to vote have just gotten state approval to start gathering signatures.

A group called Reform California, run by conservative radio host Carl DeMaio, is sponsoring the initiative but did not respond to requests for comment. Its website cites concerns about voter fraud.

Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director at California Common Cause, said cases of voter impersonation are infinitesimal – and voter ID requirements hurt the approximately 10 percent of Californians who don’t have a driver’s license or state ID card.

“You would be solving a ‘problem’ that doesn’t really exist,” said Stein. “So you’re not gaining much. But you are putting barriers in front of young voters, older voters, voters with disabilities and low-income voters. The tradeoffs are not worth it.”

The proposal would also add requirements around maintenance of voter rolls – verification of ballot signatures and audits of the election process.

California already has extensive security measures in place to match voters’ addresses and signatures with those on file, and noncitizens cannot vote.

Stein said a bill on voter ID is introduced in almost every legislative session.

“It never goes anywhere, and because it’s bad policy, and not good for voters,” said Stein. “And I think the proponents are sick of losing in the Legislature and have decided to take this to the ballot.”

Voters have put Democrats in control of California’s executive and legislative branches.

The Reform California website states that so-called “election integrity” measures are necessary to achieve backers’ long-term goal to retake power at the state level.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

During Health Literacy Month, protect yourself from big hospital bills

October is Health Literacy Month and advocates are speaking out against big hospital bills.

Studies show about two-thirds of bankruptcies in the U.S. are tied to medical debt.

Jim Manley, board member of Consumers for Quality Care, noted nonprofit hospitals are required to have financial assistance programs, and cannot take extraordinary collection actions on unpaid medical bills without first attempting to determine a patient’s eligibility for financial assistance.

“Despite these regulations, only 42 percent of hospitals have actually informed patients when they could be eligible for charity care, and 45 percent of nonprofit hospitals routinely send medical bills to patients who qualify for charity care,” Manley reported. “That’s not only against the law, it’s wrong.”

Patients are advised to call the hospital before any planned visits and find out if they qualify for a break on the cost, and check with other local hospitals to compare prices.

A 2021 study found hospital prices varied by nearly 300 percent between the highest and lowest prices for standard outpatient services. Federal rules require hospitals to publish the price of medical services but fewer than one-quarter of hospitals were complying as of last February.

Lawmakers have passed measures to prohibit surprise out-of-network bills from hospitals and ambulance companies. California’s new Office of Healthcare Affordability will be in full operation by 2026.

Rachel Linn Gish, communications director for the group Health Access California, said the agency will set cost growth targets across the health industry.

“Hospitals, providers and insurance companies, they will all have to agree to have their prices not exceed certain benchmarks,” Gish pointed out. “And if they do, then there are enforcement procedures that the state can take on the back end.”

Advocates also warn of the pitfalls of medical credit cards, which may carry a low initial interest rate but shoot up to 25 percent interest later on.

 

 

Kaiser unions went on strike twice in 12 months. They could return to strike in the first week of November

Empleados de Kaiser Permanente en huelga el 4 de octubre de 2023. Los trabajadores realizaron una manifestación frente a la ubicación de Kaiser Permanente en el sur de Sacramento exigiendo salarios más altos y más personal. Kaiser Permanente employees on strike on Oct. 4, 2023. The workers held a demonstration in front of the Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento location demanding higher wages and more staffing. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

by Kristen Hwang, CalMatters

Health care workers fed up with low pay, burnout and understaffing walked out on Kaiser Permanente twice in 12 months, disrupting care and compelling the health giant to hire thousands of temporary workers.

The company’s blue collar unions put Kaiser on notice two weeks ago that they were preparing to walk out again in the first week of November, raising the stakes as negotiations continued.

Faced with that threat, Kaiser Permanente late last week announced what the Biden administration called a “historic” contract with the union coalition representing its lowest-paid workers, promising steep raises over the next four years.

It was the latest in a string of scorching labor wins in California this year.

In fact, unions did so well in the Capitol that the Kaiser contract wasn’t even the biggest labor victory for health care workers at the end of last week. That designation went to the law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed instituting a new minimum wage for health workers and gradually raising the floor to $25 an hour over a decade.

Kaiser workers will achieve that milestone faster under the contract the health care giant announced Friday, which raises pay for some 68,000 California workers by 21% through 2027.

Kaiser Vice President and Chief of Human Resources Greg Holmes said the terms of the deal help the organization maintain its reputation as “one of the best places to work in health care.” The company plays an outsize role in California health care, where it serves more than 9 million patients.

“We believe this new contract will actually help us continue to have some of the best employees … and with those employees we’ll be able to deliver on our mission of providing high quality, affordable and accessible health care to our members,” Holmes said.

But that optimism for Kaiser’s workforce didn’t come easily.

Less than a week before reaching a deal, more than 75,000 Kaiser workers in four states staged a three-day strike, protesting acute staffing shortages and accusing Kaiser of engaging in unfair labor practices. The short but disruptive strike led to patient appointment cancellations across the country and required Kaiser to hire thousands of temporary workers. Labor leaders said it was the largest health care worker strike in U.S. history.

Just 12 months ago, a strike by mental health workers similarly disrupted the company. Thousands of therapists and other mental health clinicians at Kaiser’s Northern California facilities walked out for 10 weeks, protesting high case volumes, months-long delays in patient care and widespread burnout.

The prolonged strike resulted in reduced caseloads, additional guaranteed time with patients, and a commitment from Kaiser to hire more therapists, but not before the state opened an investigation into the health care giant’s practices. That investigation concluded last week with a $200 million settlement, including a $50 million fine from the state.

U.S. labor secretary mediated contract talks

Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su, who mediated the final tense negotiations last week between Kaiser and its blue-collar unions, said the latest agreement was a testament to labor’s power.

“Collective bargaining works. It may not always look pretty, but unions have throughout our nation’s history built the middle class,” Su said during a press briefing Friday. “And it’s through agreements like this one. President Biden and I support workers’ right to organize.”

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris praised the recent Kaiser deal, too, in a message on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “The President and I strongly believe in the collective bargaining process, and we know that when unions are strong, our nation is strong,” Harris said.

Kaiser’s union coalition represents more than 85,000 workers in six states and Washington, D.C., but the coalition’s largest footprint is in California. About 90% of Kaiser’s workforce is in California, where it operates more than 500 health facilities and three dozen hospitals.

Dave Reagan, president of SEIU-United Health Workers West, the largest of the coalition unions, said the deal helps reestablish Kaiser as an industry leader for patients and workers.

“Although it’s been bumpy, and we’ve obviously had our challenges, there is a commitment on the part of the unions that comprise the coalition to genuinely say to Kaiser, we want to rebuild the partnership,” Reagan said.

‘Stability’ at Kaiser Permanente 

Before the statewide minimum wage deal was announced, Steve Shields, Kaiser’s senior vice president of national labor relations, said Kaiser executives decided bumping California wages to $25 was the “right thing to do” especially for employees on the lowest end of the wage scale.

“Irregardless of the legislation, internally we looked at this and said this makes sense,” Shields said.

Union leaders say the salary increases and other commitments from Kaiser will create “long-term stability” for a workforce that has struggled with high turnover from the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to increased inflation. Hundreds of thousands of health workers have left the profession since 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“We have reached a tentative agreement that unquestionably allows this workforce to not just keep up with but exceed the cost of living that people are struggling with across the country,” Reagan said. “People under this tentative agreement can rightfully expect to make real economic progress in real terms.”

Kaiser representatives did not answer questions about how much its labor agreement is estimated to cost, although they did say that it will not lead to cost increases for Kaiser patients. According to the mental health investigation, Kaiser reported a net revenue exceeding $91.3 billion in 2022.

“It’s not our intention that this agreement will have any impact on rates. We have an obligation to members that we are delivering affordable health care. This agreement alone would not translate into changes in rates,” Shields said.

 

 

 

Government of Nicaragua declares yellow alert for the entire country

by El Reportero wire services

According to a bulletin from the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter), the atmospheric phenomenon is located 540 kilometers west of Managua and is almost stationary.

A slow movement towards the East-Northeast is forecast, with maximum winds of 85 kilometers per hour, with the possibility of increasing its intensity in the next 36 hours.

According to the report, the Pacific region and the center and west will continue with intermittent rains due to the slow movement of the system, which could saturate the soils and cause flooding, flash floods, strong waves in the coastal area and landslides. in the volcanic mountain range.

The authorities of the National System for the Prevention, Mitigation and Attention of Disasters (Sinapred) asked to ensure the early warning and activation mechanisms of the communities in critical points due to storm surges, strong winds, floods and landslides to ensure the lives of the communities. people.

Through a statement, they recommended activating appropriate communication mechanisms in the communities in order to maintain a continuous flow of information about the progress of their self-protection measures.

Likewise, they requested to prepare the conditions of shelter and protection sites for people and families who require timely care during the transit of the meteorological phenomenon.

In addition, they highlighted the importance of reviewing the availability of resources and institutional means that allow providing timely care to people, families and communities affected by the different components of the tropical storm.

Sinapred called on the Nicaraguan population to remain calm and pay attention to the information.

The yellow alert is the second of three prevention and care measures applied by the Nicaraguan authorities in the event of the possible entry of a tropical cyclone into the national territory.

Guatemala foresees the arrival of 70 thousand cruise passengers in the 2023-2024 season

The latest projections of the entity, for September-July of next year, indicated the arrival of 33 vessels through the Pacific, whose passengers will have the opportunity to explore different destinations.

On this side, La Antigua Guatemala, department of Sacatepéquez, stands out; Lake Atitlán, Sololá; coffee and macadamia farms on the South Coast; the Auto Safari Chapín, Santa Rosa; and Pacaya Volcano, Escuintla; as well as the Iximché archaeological site, Chimaltenango.

13 ships are waiting on the Atlantic, whose tourists could visit Las Escobas, Cerro San Gil, Amatique Bay, the Ak’ Tenamit community, around the Dulce River Livingston, Río Dulce, Castillo de San Felipe and Quiriguá Archaeological Park, in Izabal, apart from Tikal, in Petén. Days ago, Inguat held a protocol event at the terminal known as “Marina Pez Vela” in Puerto Quetzal, Escuintla, to officially inaugurate the season.

Statistics from its Market Research and Analysis area showed that at the end of last July, a total of 45,544 cruise passengers arrived, with average expenses of $209.80 per day per person.

On that occasion, 65 boats docked on both coasts, which contributed 2.3 million dollars to the country’s economy, with the purchase of tourist packages, crafts, fabrics, textiles, clothing, jewelry, food and drinks.

This sector promotes local economic development and those who disembark generate a direct source of income for the value chain, especially for organized communities.

Inguat seeks to end 2023 with 2.3 million foreign visitors and income of 1,231 million dollars, a figure close to that achieved in 2019, something that points downwards due to the current protests and other factors.

The beauties of Guatemala attracted 1,844,739 tourists last year, a recovery of 72 percent after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to official data.

 

Hurricane Otis death toll rises to 45, with 47 more people missing

by Mexico News Daily

The official Hurricane Otis death toll stood at 45 on Monday morning, with an additional 47 people missing five days after the powerful Category 5 hurricane slammed into the Pacific coast at Acapulco, Guerrero.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado announced the figures at President López Obrador’s Monday morning press conference, saying that they came from the state Attorney General’s Office.

“We have the regrettable deaths of 45 people and there are 47 people unaccounted for. This is the preliminary report we have so far,” she said.

The number of confirmed deaths is three fewer than the 48 announced by national Civil Protection authorities on Sunday. The National Civil Protection Coordination reported 43 deaths in Acapulco and five in the neighboring municipality of Coyuca de Benítez.

Guerrero Attorney General Sandra Luz Valdovinos Salmerón explained that the new figure refers to the number of bodies in state-run morgues. She said that three foreigners are among the dead.

A United States woman, a British woman and a Canadian man, all of whom lived in Acapulco, were killed, Valdovinos said.

She said that the body of the U.S. woman has been given to her family, adding that “we’re already working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hand over these two [other] bodies to their families.”

It appears inevitable that the death toll will rise significantly in the coming days as more bodies are recovered and officially counted.

James Frederick, a journalist who reported from Acapulco for NPR, said on the X social media site on Saturday that authorities told him that “50 bodies had been found Friday alone,” while the newspaper Reforma reported that 20 crew members of a single yacht all died.

Navy Minister Rafael Ojeda said Monday that Otis – which had maximum winds speeds of about 270 km/h when it made landfall – sank at least 29 boats off the Guerrero coast.

Reuters reported that “dozens of pieces of broken boats dotted the [Acapulco] bay on Sunday, with smashed yachts and dinghies piled up on the shore.”

Alejandro Cortéz told the news agency that he abandoned his yacht when he saw the speed of Hurricane Otis intensifying.

“We ran, we jumped down, and we left the ship all alone,” said the 66-year-old captain, who spoke of seven-meter-high waves.

“And that’s why I’m sitting here now. God gave me that decision,” Cortéz told as he pointed to the sky. He said that some of his fellow workers had shown up alive but others are still missing. “There are many people that still haven’t been found,” he said.

Some 17,000 military and National Guard personnel have been deployed to Acapulco and other affected areas of Guerrero, where they are assisting the cleanup efforts, patrolling the streets and distributing food, water and other humanitarian aid to residents.

NPR reported Friday that in different parts of Acapulco it “saw a large presence of Mexico’s military clearing roads of trees, power lines and mud as well as the country’s national power company attempting to repair downed lines.”

“But NPR did not see any aid in the form of food, water or medical care,” the report added.

Many Acapulco residents complained during the first days after the hurricane hit that they hadn’t received any assistance from authorities, and a large number resorted to looting supermarkets and stores.

In addition, motorists have been attacked and robbed, homes have been pillaged and humanitarian aid has been stolen, according to Reforma.

The National Guard said in a statement on Friday that it was working with all three levels of government to “implement actions for the reestablishment of public order in the port of Acapulco and in other municipalities of Guerrero affected by the impact of Hurricane Otis.”

The military is now in control of gas stations in Acapulco, where theft was also reported.

Governor Salgado said Monday that 30 brigades are searching in Acapulco and Coyuca de Benítez for people reported as missing. She said that 152 such people had been found and were now in contact with their families. Two Swedish nationals are among those who have been located, Salgado said.

The governor also said that cleanup work – which she described as a “titanic task” – is moving ahead quickly.

“The majority of avenues and the [Autopista del Sol] highway are now passable,” she said.

In Acapulco, Otis caused major damage to hotels, stores, restaurants, shopping centers, apartment buildings and houses, toppled electricity transmission towers, destroyed cars and boats and provoked widespread flooding. A United States-based research company estimated the damage at around US $15 billion. Salgado cited the same figure on Monday.

Ojeda said Monday morning that there were no tourists left to be evacuated from Acapulco and nearby areas, but humanitarian flights out of the resort city operated by Aeroméxico, Volaris and Viva Aerobus look set to continue in coming days. The airlines began transporting tourists to Mexico City on Friday, two days after the airport was closed in the wake of damage to the terminal building and control tower caused by Otis.

Deputy Transport Minister Rogelio Jiménez Pons told the El Financiero newspaper that airlines are planning for at least 40 humanitarian flights to evacuate between 3,000 and 5,000 people.

Basic services such as electricity and water supply have not yet been fully reestablished in Acapulco, but power is expected to be back on by Tuesday. The Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry estimates that it will take at least five years to fully rebuild the city.

The federal government said Sunday that almost 274,000 homes in Guerrero had been damaged by Otis. That figure is about 20% higher than the total number of houses counted in Acapulco in 2020. Hundreds of hotels and apartment buildings also sustained damage.

In a video message on Sunday, López Obrador pledged that “we’re going to get Acapulco back on its feet, starting with its people.”

He repeated that message at his morning press conference on Monday.

“Yesterday, I flew over Acapulco and we visited the supply centers. We’re making a lot of progress, we’re going to get Acapulco and its people back on their feet. We’re working on that,” the president said.

With reports from Reforma, Sin Embargo, Infobae, Milenio, El Financiero and Reuters.

5 Tips to get ahead of holiday debt

Sponsored content by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The holiday season is fast approaching, and most people find themselves spending a little – or a lot – more than usual during these festive final months of the year.

Americans spend more than $1,450 each year on holiday-related purchases – from gifts and travel to decorations and entertainment. These costs layered into your monthly expenses can significantly strain your budget.

You don’t have to break the bank to celebrate the season. Smart planning can get you ahead of the holidays and leave you with funds for merrymaking the way you want. Consider these five tips to minimize holiday debt.

Save, save, save 
While solid advice for any time of year, it can take on more importance during the holidays. One way to save is to set up a separate savings account for holiday expenses. Start saving at the beginning of the year, and vow not to withdraw any money until it’s time for holiday shopping.

Make your holiday plans now

Set guidelines for your holiday spending. Make a list of your expected holiday expenses and estimate the costs to see if they fit into your overall budget. Adjust your list as needed.

Build a holiday budget—then stick to it
Once you’ve made your list, commit to staying within your budget. With so much pressure surrounding gift-giving, it’s easy to spend more than you planned. Shop online to ensure you’re getting the best deal, or search for coupons and deals to help lower costs. Get family and friends on board with your plans by suggesting a gift swap instead of buying gifts for everyone; opt for handmade gifts or even pitch in for a group gift. If you’re hosting a holiday dinner, shop in bulk for food items.

Scope out major deal days
In addition to the deal-hunting tips above, take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Look up retailers’ deals ahead of time to see if you find goods and services you planned to purchase anyway at lower prices. Many retailers start big holiday sales as soon as Nov. 1, so do some homework now on the gifts you have your eye on so you can spot and take advantage of online and in-person deals before the holiday rush.

Pick up a short-term gig
Even the best-laid budget plans can still fall short of your available funds. If your schedule allows it, take on a temporary job to bring in some extra income. Many retail or dining establishments need additional workers to handle the holiday rush, and demand often increases for ride-booking and delivery services as well. Or take up a side hustle selling crafts for example.

These are just a few ways to help you get a handle on holiday debt, but there’s so much more that savvy consumers can do to save. See if your credit cards have special offers at your favorite stores or for your favorite purchases, and look for special cash back deals. Be flexible and keep an open mind in general – if you can’t get a good deal on the gifts you originally planned to buy, see if any of the special offers you qualify for might be good substitutes.

The bottom line

Putting financial parameters in place can help you feel more confident and less stressed about your holiday spending. Have fun with your planning, saving and budgeting – it’s a great way to get into the holiday spirit early.

To learn more about budgeting, visit chase.com/financialgoals.

Is it OK for foreigners to paint their faces on Día de Muertos?

Para usar el maquillaje con respeto y evitar ser acusado de apropiación cultural, recomendaría a la gente que no lo use como parte de un disfraz de Halloween. (Canva)

by Mexico News Daily writer Gabriela Solís

In a world where being politically correct is increasingly important, some foreigners have wondered if it’s okay paint their faces on Day of the Dead, fearing it might come across as inappropriate or, worse, as cultural appropriation.

As a Mexican expat living in Dubai, I empathize with the sentiment of not wanting to act disrespectfully when it comes to joining foreign traditions (like when I get to wear the traditional clothing Muslim women wear to enter a mosque but fear I might not wear it properly). So today, I want to share my perspective on foreigners using skull makeup on Day of the Dead – and ways to avoid being disrespectful to true observers – as we discuss the true meaning of the holiday and its original traditions.

Day of the Dead and its traditions 

Day of the Dead or Día de Muertos (not Día de los Muertos), follows the pre-Columbian Indigenous belief that the dead temporarily return to Earth between Nov. 1 and 2.

While the origin of the holiday can be traced back to the Mexica (Aztec), Totonaca, Purépecha and Maya civilizations, the festivity we celebrate today is a syncretism of Indigenous beliefs and Christian tradition.

Families and communities gather to celebrate, go to church, and set up “altares de muertos” at home or at graveyards honoring their deceased loved ones. These altars are decorated with traditional items like “calaveras de azúcar” (sugar skulls), cempasúchil flowers – a native variety of Marigolds – candles, photos of the dead and their favorite foods.

While each region in Mexico celebrates Day of the Dead slightly differently, depending on how influential Christianity was in the region, the holiday’s essence remains the same – it is an intimate time spent with family, to honor and remember those who have passed away.

How Day of the Dead became a global trend

The story of how Day of the Dead became a global phenomenon actually lies with two recent movies.

In the opening scene of 2015’s “Spectre”, James Bond is seen chasing a villain through a crowded Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City’s Historic Center, which features enormous skulls and people adorned in colorful makeup.

The parade, which had never actually taken place, has now become a tradition in Mexico City, attracting thousands of visitors every year, with both foreigners and Mexicans alike coming to admire the festivities.

When Disney released “Coco” in 2017, the hype for the holiday and the practice of face painting grew even more. In Mexico, children started attending Day of the Dead parades at school with their faces painted, while adults would wear skull makeup to parties.

La Catrina, the inspiration behind the Day of the Dead makeup

While movies played a big part in boosting this practice, our culture has been familiar with friendly images of skulls for quite some time – since around the time of the Mexican Revolution in 1910.

Back then, Porfirio Díaz had ruled Mexico for 30 years, modernizing the nation throughout his tenure. His obsession with all things French led illustrator José Guadalupe Posada to sketch “La Calavera Garbancera”, a satirical cartoon of a woman’s skull wearing a flamboyant bonnet with flowers.

“Garbancero” (which derives from the word garbanzo or chickpea) was a common word used to describe those members of the Mexican high society who shared Diaz’s vision and led a European-inspired lifestyle.

“Those who today are powdered [with makeup] ‘garbanceros’, will end up as deformed skulls,” was the caption that accompanied Posada’s cartoon when it was first published in a Mexican newspaper in 1913

Such was the resonance of Posada’s sketch, that the comical skull, later dubbed as “La Catrina” (in reference to an upper-class woman) by Diego Rivera became the iconic Mexican image of death.

The sketch later merged with the colorful sugar skulls we use in the altars and inspired the same skull makeup we see many people wearing on Day of the Dead.

So, is it OK for foreigners to paint their faces on Day of the Dead?

Posada’s message behind La Catrina is universal – we are all equal in death. It doesn’t matter where we come from, if we’re poor, rich, powerful, or influential – sooner or later, we will all share the same fate. For that reason, I think that anyone, be it Mexican or foreign, can paint their faces as a skull.

But it must be done with respect, because while La Catrina is not an original part of Day of the Dead, it is deeply rooted in our culture and serves as an icon of national identity. Seeing it as a “trend” can make our important traditions feel less appreciated and respected.

How to use the makeup respectfully

To use the makeup respectfully and avoid being accused of cultural appropriation, I would advise people not to wear it as part of a Halloween costume or alongside Halloween elements such as spider webs or pumpkins. I would especially advise visitors not to enter a church or cemetery with their face painted as it can be extremely disrespectful to locals – these places are not tourist attractions but sites of worship for families who have lost someone.

Aside from these scenarios, I do encourage you to paint your face and learn and engage with our beautiful holiday. Day of the Dead is more than just a fiesta vibe and skull makeup – it is a time when families get together to remember their loved ones through ancient rituals and traditions.

Find a Day of the Dead event in your city (preferably hosted by Mexicans), or ask your Mexican friends how they celebrate and if you can take part. We love to share our culture and always feel honored when foreigners show an interest and want to participate.

I can assure you that most Mexicans – if not all of us – will be more than happy to include you in our Day of the Dead celebrations.

Bashing Republicans for ‘rights regression,’ Newsom sidesteps protections for marginalized Californians

by Alexei Koseff

CalMaters

Nearly two decades ago, Gavin Newsom catapulted onto the national political stage when, as mayor of San Francisco, he began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It was an act of defiance, far ahead of public opinion at the time, and so controversial that some of his fellow Democrats blamed him for costing the party the presidential election later that year.

But for Newsom, who said he was driven by a “moral obligation,” it eventually became a political calling card — validation for progressive voters of his fearless leadership and forward thinking that would be proven right by history.

Now the second-term governor is himself burdened by presidential ambitions — if not his own, then those of just about every pundit compiling a list of future Democratic contenders — and maneuvering more cautiously than he once did.

Even as he regularly rips Republicans across the country for stripping back the rights of Americans, Newsom declined several times in recent weeks to extend new protections to marginalized groups, delivering stinging legislative defeats to allies on some of the year’s most contentious issues.

Following a month-long hunger strike by supporters outside a Capitol office building, Newsom vetoed a measure that would have made California the first state in the country to outlaw caste discrimination. His rejection last month of a bill requiring judges to consider a parent’s affirmation of their child’s gender identity in custody disputes generated such an intense outcry that the governor’s office rushed out a package of new laws supporting LGBTQ rights the next day.

Assemblymember Lori Wilson, the Suisun City Democrat who carried the custody measure, Assembly Bill 957, said California is so often at the forefront of national debates that it “can be a shock to the system” when the state forgoes that leadership position.

“We are so used to, and sometimes take for granted, how often we get to be in the lead on these issues,” she said.

Entering the national stage

The “rights regression” has become one of Newsom’s regular talking points. At public events, he decries conservative efforts to roll back protections for abortion, voting access, LGBTQ people and more.

It came up at a signing ceremony last month for new gun safety laws, where the governor warned there was only so much the state could do under an assault of hostile court decisions. When he appointed Laphonza Butler, an openly lesbian Black woman, to succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein earlier this month, he praised Butler as “uniquely positioned” to stand up to “this cultural purge that’s going on in this country.”

“That’s for a national stage,” where Newsom is trying to cement his place by rebranding himself as a leading defender of these rights cherished by liberal voters, said David McCuan, a political science professor at Sonoma State University.

Despite his frequent protests that he has no interest in the presidency, the increasingly national lens through which Newsom approaches his job has made it impossible not to view his actions as a potential positioning for a future campaign. The governor went on a “red state tour” earlier this year to promote Democrats in conservative communities and is preparing to debate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, next month on Fox News.

Lawmakers and advocates are often reluctant to discuss Newsom’s intentions on the record, including several who declined to comment for this story. But the speculation has become pervasive in political circles, a nearly automatic framing for analyzing the governor’s decisions, especially on the most contentious matters.

Anthony York, a spokesperson for Newsom, said every piece of legislation is evaluated on its merits and the governor takes that process seriously. The caste discrimination and custody measures were vetoed because of specific policy concerns, he said, and do not represent any broader retreat by Newsom from his defense of civil rights.

“You have to take the bills individually,” York said. “I would argue that California continues to be a leader on protecting and expanding rights.”

Newsom signed 890 bills this year — 85% of the 1,046 measures that made it to his desk — including many that advanced liberal priorities such as abortion access, gun control and environmental protections. Some are bold new policies unique in the country, such as a requirement for large companies to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and a ban on certain chemicals commonly used in sweets.

Yet the proposals that the governor rejects can seem more instructive about just how far he believes the country is ready for a mainstream politician to wade into unsettled and controversial issues, such as drug use. Newsom, who once led the charge for California to legalize recreational cannabis, raised some eyebrows by vetoing a bill to decriminalize magic mushrooms and other plant-based psychedelics, something voters in Oregon and Colorado have already done.

Newsom and his team “are being very cautious about not leading public opinion and getting away from the median voter,” which occasionally belies his fiery rhetoric about rights regression, McCuan said. “The danger is that it positions him as a hollow vessel.”

Navigating a South Asian schism

Activists who pushed for Senate Bill 403, which would have added caste to the list of categories in the state’s housing, education and employment discrimination laws, also wonder whether Newsom’s national ambitions derailed the measure.

The governor vetoed the bill earlier this month, calling it “unnecessary” because “discrimination based on caste is already prohibited” under existing civil rights protections — echoing a point made by some Republican opponents.

American awareness of caste — a centuries-old social hierarchy system, especially prevalent in South Asian countries such as India, where one’s employment and education opportunities are determined by birth — has been rising in recent years. A 2020 state lawsuit alleging workplace discrimination at the San Jose-based tech company Cisco against an employee of Dalit ancestry, the lowest-ranking caste, garnered national headlines. This year, Seattle and Fresno became the first two cities to ban caste discrimination.

Though SB 403 passed overwhelmingly in the Legislature and was endorsed by the California Democratic Party, it also received among the most visible opposition of the legislative session, at committee hearings and through an aggressive online campaign. This was led by South Asian groups affiliated with the Hindu nationalist movement, who argued the proposal unfairly targeted Hindus because caste is part of their religion.

“This was contentious within the South Asian community,” said Ria Chakrabarty, policy director for Hindus for Human Rights, which supported the bill.

She noted that many of the opponents, who are generally upper-caste, hold powerful positions in Silicon Valley and have more money and political access than the lower-caste supporters, who are more recent immigrants to this country. Newsom might have worried that signing the bill could put a potential fundraising pool at risk, she said.

One major Democratic bundler, Ajay Jain Bhutoria, posted online after the veto about a meeting with Newsom at a Democratic National Committee donor event in Chicago last month and thanked the governor for “listening to my recommendation to veto SB403.” Bhutoria did not respond to an interview request.

York said Newsom met with many people on both sides of the issue and no one meeting swayed his mind. The governor did not want to go down the road of explicitly stating protections that are already available under existing law, he said.

“He wrestled with the issue and we had a lot of discussions about this as a staff,” York said. “He vetoes all kinds of bills that he deems unnecessary or duplicative.”

But advocates believe that Newsom did not understand the depth of the caste problem in the United States, and why a specific new protection is necessary, because he did not hear from lower-caste people.

“If he has ambitions to run for president, he should have taken sides with the exploited,” said Karthikeyan Shanmugam, secretary of Ambedkar King Study Circle, a Bay Area group that campaigns for the end of caste oppression.

Through a representative, Sen. Aisha Wahab, the Fremont Democrat who carried the bill, declined an interview request and reiterated her initial statement about the veto, which seemed to flip Newsom’s rhetoric back at him.

“I believe our laws need to be more explicit especially in times when we see civil rights being eroded across the country,” she said. “We cannot take anything for granted.”

Why ageism prevails and how to stop it

Age isn’t everything when it comes to human health and ability, yet it often dominates conversations about these to the detriment of older adults

by Selen Ozturk

Oct 9, 2023 – Age isn’t everything when it comes to human health and ability, yet it often dominates conversations about these to the detriment of older adults.

In a Friday, Oct. 6 EMS briefing, aging experts discussed why ageism — discrimination on the basis of older age — prevails in the way we view older adults, and how to overcome it.

How we talk about aging determines much of how we experience it, said Dr. Louise Aronson, a geriatrics professor at UC San Francisco. “We were about the same age as a species for a really long time, and though now we’re a whole lot older, some things haven’t changed. Old age still ends in death.”

As far back as 10,000 B.C. until as recently as 1820 A.D., the global life expectancy was 20 to 30 years; in 2019, it was over 73.

The COVID-19 pandemic “showed us how age matters,” she added, as older adults had disproportionately greater risks and fatalities. U.S. adults 65 and over made up over 75 percent of COVID-related deaths as of September 2023, according to the CDC.

The health system’s very definition of older adults as anyone 65 or older, however, prevents practitioners from meeting these adults’ individual needs.

For example, “We give vaccines based on people’s biology and social behaviors, so there are 17 subcategories for children, three for adults between the ages of 19 and 64,” Aronson said. “But everybody aged 65 and up is lumped into a single category, even though a child would instantly see the physical and assume the differences between a 64 year old and 104 year old. This distinction is not based on scientific evidence about our lives.”

Nevertheless, “age isn’t everything,” Aronson said. Ethnic differences also compounded these risks, with Black Americans aged 75 to 84 having a nearly 900-fold difference, Latinos well over a 500-fold difference, Native Americans a 200-fold difference, and AAPI a 150-fold difference over non-Hispanic whites in the first six months of the pandemic.

This way of viewing age in terms of vulnerability to death has particular implications for ageism in the U.S., where life expectancy has declined to 76.4 years — the shortest in two decades.

However, life expectancy, too, is disproportionately divided among racial and economic lines. Even before the pandemic, for example, 56 of the 500 largest U.S. cities had life expectancy gaps up to 30 years between neighborhoods a few miles apart.

“That isn’t about biology,” said Aronson. “That’s about social choices, and where we put our money, our values and our priorities … I would like to see a world in which you may be “over the hill,” but the entire range of the hill has value … ‘anti-aging’ terminology is not helpful. The only way not to age is to die.”

Cheryl Brown, Chair of the Executive Committee for the California Commission on Aging (CCOA), said that behavioral health, caregiver training, and housing access are key to addressing ageism.

Such policies prioritizing equity for older adults are key given that by 2030, California will be home to 10.8 million older adults — comprising one-quarter of the state’s population, and nearly twice as many as in 2010.

The trend is similar nationwide: by 2030, U.S. adults 65 and over are projected to increase by nearly 18 million from 2020, comprising one in every five Americans and outnumbering children for the first time.

Brown urged efforts in other states and nationwide similar to the California Master Plan for Aging, a 10-year blueprint developed by CCOA in 2021 and aimed at supporting older adults socially, economically, and healthwise.

Ageism and Alzheimer’s 

Relating ageism to Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Barry Reisberg — psychiatry professor at NYU and adjunct aging professor at McGill University — said the point at which older adults can no longer participate socially and in the workforce is later than many may think.

This point is measured clinically by the Global Deterioration Scale, which identifies the 7 stages of Alzheimer’s.

Reisberg, who developed the scale, said stage one precedes any detectable impairment of memory. In stage two, the adult “would not remember things, like names or where they place things, as well as they could five or 10 years previously”; this lasts a mean of 15 years.

In stage three, this symptom advances to “a decrease in job functioning” — e.g. organizational or travel skills — which lasts about seven years in otherwise healthy adults. Many people can go on working into this third stage and the fourth — which entails more forgetfulness of recent events — depending upon the job at hand, he emphasized.

In the fifth and sixth stages — which entail the need for help with daily activities and a greater inability to recall names — the key is to help older adults “be all that they can be as long as they can,” said Reisberg. In the seventh and final stage, which normally lasts one to two years, communication is impaired and help is needed with all daily activities, like bathing and dressing.

One way to both combat ageism and support older adults — especially in the case of health problems like Alzheimer’s — is optimizing aging through intergenerational activities” and communication, suggested Brown, wherein older adults could learn from innovations of youth and youth could learn from the experience of older adults.

Optimizing aging is not mutually exclusive but inclusive with recognizing aging, added Aronson. “Does old age come with an increased risk of illness and death? Absolutely it does,” but “age alone cannot predict which category the person is in …  There are some teenagers with really good judgment, who could drive perfectly well at 14 and there are others who shouldn’t be driving at 25.”

“We need different sorts of measures than age,” she continued, “so everyone over a certain age doesn’t feel completely a part of this society … (and) won’t miss out when they could have added to it more fully.”

Hurricane Otis is strongest ever to hit Mexico’s Pacific coast

by the El Reportero‘s wire services

Hurricane Otis made landfall near Acapulco as a powerful Category 5 storm early Wednesday, bringing extremely strong winds and heavy rain to the Pacific coast resort city and surrounding areas.

The storm was stronger than Hurricane Pauline, which claimed hundreds of lives in Guerrero and Oaxaca in 1997.

Otis, which strengthened very quickly into a major hurricane after being upgraded from tropical storm status on Tuesday morning, flooded homes and roads, toppled trees and caused significant damage to buildings in Acapulco, but no deaths had been reported as of 11 a.m. Wednesday.

“The hurricane hit Guerrero very hard,” President López Obrador said at his Wednesday morning press conference, noting that Acapulco, Coyuca de Benítez, Benito Juárez and Técpan de Galeana were among the municipalities most affected.

He said that no deaths had been reported, but acknowledged that communication “had been completely lost” in the area, where electricity, telephone and internet services were cut off.

The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that satellite imagery showed that Otis made landfall near Acapulco at about 12:25 a.m. Mexico City time.

“The maximum sustained winds are estimated to be 165 mph (270 km/h),” the agency said a short time after the hurricane hit.

At 9 a.m., Otis was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum winds of 130 km/h, according to the NHC. It was located 160 km north-northwest of Acapulco near Ciudad Altamirano.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1717206856441962765

The powerful winds brought by the hurricane shattered windows and sent objects flying through the air in Acapulco, according to a report by Aristegui Noticias. The newspaper Reforma reported that hotels were among the buildings damaged, while the Associated Press said that “downed trees, persistent rain and flooding made it difficult to move” in coastal areas of Guerrero.

A photograph showed that the Galerías Diana shopping center in Acapulco sustained major damage.

Dozens of vehicles were stranded in floodwaters on major roads that run through Acapulco, including the seafront Miguel Alemán Avenue, according to Reforma, while the Autopista del Sol highway was closed near the La Venta tollgate due to a landslide.

Videos posted to social media showed wind howling through buildings in Acapulco, including an IMSS public hospital.

Guerrero Civil Protection Minister Roberto Arroyo Matus said early Tuesday that authorities hadn’t been able to establish contact with regional Civil Protection officials. There are dozens of small towns along and near the Guerrero coast where significant damage likely occurred.

Shelters were set up in numerous towns in Guerrero and authorities had warned residents to take measures to protect themselves. However, the rapid strengthening of the hurricane likely caught many people by surprise.

The New York Times reported that “forecasters were alarmed by the speed of Otis’s intensification.”

“… Just how much devastation it will wreak, experts say, will depend both on the storm’s force and the rapidness of emergency response,” the Times said.

The National Meteorological Service (SMN) said Wednesday morning that Otis would cause “extraordinary” rain of over 250 mm in Guerrero as well as “intense” precipitation of 75-150 mm in Michoacán and southwest México state. Heavy rain is forecast for Morelos and parts of Puebla and Oaxaca.

Meanwhile, the Federal Electricity Commission said on the X social media site that power went off for over 504,000 customers, but service had been reestablished for just under 203,000.

Guerrero Governor Evelyn Salgado said on X that authorities were working to reestablish telephone service as soon as possible in areas where it was cut, including Acapulco and Chilpancingo, the state capital.

“From the first hours of the morning, we’ve met with representatives of the three levels of government to evaluate the damage caused by the impact of Hurricane Otis,” she said, adding that assistance was already being provided to those who need it.

With reports from Reforma, Aristegui Noticias, AP and El Universal 

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