The City of Los Angeles was founded in 1781 by the Mexican provincial governor, Filipe de Neve. In September of that year, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels) came into being, and the pueblo became the capital of the Mexican province, Alta California. It was the last place to surrender to the invading United States army in 1847. Since those days LA has had many majors, with Antonio Villaraigosa being the latest. He will become the city’s 41st mayor come July. His knockout win on election day made him the first mayor of Mexican decent to hold that office in over a century. The last was Cristobal Aguilar, a two term mayor first elected in 1866 when the population of LA was less than 6,000. Aguilar’s most notable act in office was the defense of the city’s water rights. The city council had proposed to sell those rights to the highest bidder in order to raise revenues, but Aguilar vetoed the proposal. Villaraigosa’s big win is the buzz all across the nation, and many see it as an omen for the future. The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national advocacy organization for Latinos in the U.S., hailed the victory of Villaraigosa, saying that “Villaraigosa’s election marks an historic moment for Latinos throughout the nation, who join with the entire Los Angeles community in celebrating the long-awaited return of a Latino mayor to the city with the largest Latino population in the country.”

In one of many post-victory speeches, Villaraigosa said that he was proud to be of Mexican American heritage, but that he would be the mayor for all of LA’s people. With the deep divisions and problems facing LA, that will be no small accomplishment. The victory party’s will soon be over, and the new mayor will have to deliver the goods. We congratulate Villaraigosa for his triumph at the polls, and we sincerely hope that he will govern the city in the interests of its people - and that’s the crucial point. His predecessor, Cristobal Aguilar, fought those with deep pockets who coveted LA’s water, and we hope that Villaraigosa will follow in Aguilar’s footsteps when it comes to protecting the people’s rights and well-being. All politicians must be held accountable to the people - and our trust, allegiance and faith is ultimately with the masses. (posted by M.J. Valenzuela.)

[ On May 14th, 2005, the xenophobic "Save Our State" (SOS) organization kept their word to hold a protest in Baldwin Park California demanding the destruction of a public monument they find “seditious”. No more than 50 of the reactionaries gathered near the sculpture designed by Chicana artist Judy Baca, and they were confronted by around 500 to 800 angry counter-protestors. Those opposed to SOS made it clear that they would not tolerate racist attacks against the Chicano/Latino/Immigrant community, and that they would defend the monument created by artist Judy Baca. Dozens of riot police kept the two sides apart, and eventually the police asked SOS to stop their protest and leave the area (they were escorted to their cars by armed officers). The hundreds of counter-protestors took this as a defeat for the racist SOS group and a victory for those defending human rights and artistic expression. In the following article, Xispas staff writer Gina Ruiz shares with us some of her thoughts on the continuing controversy]

SOS (Save Our State) a racist group who support the Minutemen vigilantes in Arizona are calling for the destruction and removal of Judy Baca’s simply beautiful artwork, Danzas Indigenas. A counter-protest took place on Saturday, May 14, 2005. I was not able to attend due to a family funeral but I was there in sprit. The thing that bothered me the most when I went to the SOS site to see for myself what they were trying to do was the fact that one of their members called Gloria Anzaldua “a dead lesbian”. That statement kept me up well into the early morning hours just pacing and fuming with rage. How dare they? Just the fact that this group can say that is a clear indication of their profound racism. They aren’t just targeting Mexicans, or the “browning” of the state. That comment says to me that they are racists and bigots plain and simple. They are against women, they are against people of color, they are against anything foreign or “strange”, they are against anyone who isn’t a white American male. They even comment that we, the Xicanos, shouldn’t call ourselves Indians because we come from a “mongoloid” race.

Gloria Evangelina Anzaldua was a woman, a scholar, a poet, an activist, a Xicana, a role model, a teacher and yes she was what she called herself, “chicana dyke-feminist, tejana patlache poet, writer, and cultural theorist”. She was much more than that to so many women, children and men. She inspired and continues to inspire through her writing. She held numerous awards for her groundbreaking literature, Literary Journal named Borderlands one of the 38 Best Books of 1987. She taught first in bi-lingual elementary classroom then on to work with the handicapped and finally to teach in universities where she taught Feminism, Chicano Studies and Creative Writing. She opened doors not just for women of color, but also for women. She transcended color lines and to have her be defined by the very thing that she spent her life fighting; racism and bigotry - infuriates me.

The statement also leaves one thing very, very clear to me and that is that this organization, Save Our State, isn’t interested in “saving” anything. They are the new breed of KKK hiding under the guise of a protective organization. Think the wolf in sheep’s clothing. They are simply promoting a racist agenda and this is something we simply cannot tolerate. They state that if the City of Baldwin Park doesn’t destroy a piece of artwork with poetry by Gloria Anzaldua, they will take steps to destroy it themselves. How? How will they destroy it? This is the kind of mentality that promotes terrorism and fear. How can any person, after the events of September 11th, have these kinds of thoughts? What is wrong with them? Destruction of ART? Destruction of POETRY? Calling the exercise of FREE SPEECH seditious? Will they burn books next? Will they march through the streets in full Nazi gear? Do they want us, the Xicanos, to be rounded up into death camps? Hermanos y Hermanas… mobilize - vocalize - get out there and educate against this kind of terrorism, this racist mentality that has to stop. All those who wish to co-exist in harmony and peace are threatened by this horrific and dangerous ideology. I leave you with this quote from the great lady herself who is very much missed by the world she touched so amazingly with her writing and shy smile.

“And if going home is denied me, then I will have to stand and claim my space, making a new culture… una cultura mestiza…. with my own lumber, my own bricks and mortar and my own feminist architecture.” - Gloria Anzaldua, Borderlands/La Frontera

The anti-immigrant group Save Our State (SOS) is calling for the destruction of Danza Indigenas, a public artwork the conservative group opposes because… in their words, it promotes the return of “the Southwestern US to Mexico.” SOS, which supports the Minutemen vigilante group in Arizona, have posted on their website that “Californians are tired of watching their communities turn into Third World cesspools as a result of a massive invasion of illegal aliens.” The ultra-nationalistic organization has been attacking Danza Indigenas (which was commissioned by the MTA and designed by Chicana artist, Judy Baca), because the public artwork has sandblasted upon its surface the statements “It was better before they came”, and “This land was Mexican once, was Indian always and is, and will be again” - a quote from Chicana author and feminist, Gloria Anzaldúa. SOS sees the quotes as evidence of a nefarious brown plot to take over Califas and turn it over to the Mexican government… so they are demanding of the Baldwin city government that the “offensive and seditious” words be removed from Baca’s artwork before the American Independence weekend… or they’ll “take further steps” to insure removal. SOS has called for a protest at the monument on Saturday May 14th, 2005, at which they will further press their demands for the artworks destruction, as well as the purging of Califas of all “illegals.” A counter protest has been called by those wanting to defend indigenous culture, immigrant workers rights, and an artist’s right to free expression. Counter protestors are also condemning the racism and xenophobia of SOS and its followers. The defenders of Danza Indigenas include the organizations, MECHA, Southern California Human Rights Network, and the International Action Center. Artist Judy Baca will also attend the counter-protest to defend her artwork. The protest in support of Danza Indigenas will take place at the monument on Saturday May 14th, from noon until 2 pm, at the Metrolink Station, 3875 Downing Ave., Baldwin Park, California 91706. (Map)

On April 29th, 2005, performance artist and writer, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, staged an interactive live performance/installation work at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Titled Panetnica: A pavilion of X-treme Identities, the work was a collaboration between Gómez-Peña and La Pocha Nostra - Colombian dancer, Michelle Cebal, and Mexico City performance artist, Violeta Luna. In a press release, Gómez-Peña said the trio would create “living dioramas depicting California’s current obsessions about race. The performance artists will occupy a gallery space throughout the piece, interacting with audience members, and constructing tableaux vivants of ‘interracial couples’ with audience members.” Gómez-Peña and La Pocha Nostra apparently delivered what they promised, delighting or repulsing hundreds of people who wandered into LACMA’s Anderson Building, where the performance took place from 6 to 10:00 pm.

I was not able to be present at the performance, but my associate, Chicana photographer and new media artist, Sandra de la Loza, attended and described it as a “happening” where audience members were encouraged to become part of the performance. Loza, who took the photos that accompany this article, made clear to me that the evening was an extraordinary night of high energy political/cultural performance, where the lines between artists and audience were completely blurred. Issues of national and racial identity, imperialism and sexuality became focal points in the performance, and LACMA was transformed into a world stage where Zapatistas, Aztec warriors, and barrio gang bangers mixed it up with shamanic draq queens, apocalyptic home girls, and a demented heroin shooting Frida Kahlo. After exposure to the mind-bending and stupefying mutations offered by Gómez-Peña and company, I’m sure those leaving the happening became confused when they suddenly realized the streets of Los Angeles and its denizens were just an extension of the performance. But then, that’s the purpose of art… to lift the veil that blinds us. (posted by Mark Vallen.)

[ This article orignally appeared on Mark Vallen's web log: www.art-for-a-change.com/blog ]

Miguel Contreras, head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, died of a heart attack on Friday, May 6th, 2005 - he was 52. A farm worker’s son who started working in the fields at age 5, Contreras began his involvement in politics at age 17 by joining the United Farm Worker’s Boycott Grapes campaign. He handed out leaflets in support of the boycott at grocery stores, and eventually was appointed a strike captain. Cesar Chavez sent him to Toronto Canada to act as a representative of the UFW. In recalling his work with Chavez, Contreras said ”Mexican farm workers were seen as nothing more than agricultural implements, to be used and discarded like you would discard an old shovel or an old hoe. He gave us a feeling of real self-worth and a feeling of breaking away those imaginary shackles you had to the grower and standing up for yourself.” Contreras was working with labor unions in Salinas and San Francisco when the international Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union recruited him as a national organizer, bringing him to LA in the late 1980s. In 1996 he became the head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, an association made up of 345 local unions with a membership of 800,000 workers. Contreras is widely credited with helping to make LA a union city, he not only energized the labor movement, he opened its ranks to more Latino and immigrant workers. In 2000 he became a leader in the Great Janitor’s Strike of LA, where tens of thousands of poor and immigrant janitorial workers went on strike against super wealthy building owners. The work stoppage not only had mass support in LA, it also became the model for labor organizations in the US and eventually ended in victory for the janitor’s union.

Contreras was highly regarded across the political spectrum, and messages of condolence have poured in from all quarters. The LA branch of the Committee In Solidarity With The People of El Salvador (CISPES), made the following comment on the day of Contreras’ passing: “The progressive movement, the labor movement and working people everywhere are in a state of shock over the passing of Miguel Contreras, leader of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Miguel died today of a heart attack. We express to his family and to all of the many friends and co-workers of Miguel our deepest sympathy. Labor and working families - and all of us - have lost a real companero and a fighter for social and economic justice… Miguel Contreras, Presente!” Contreras is survived by his wife, Maria Elena Durazo, leader of Unite Here - Local 11, the large hotel and restaurant union, and their two sons, Michael and Mario.

For Angelinos the world famous Olvera Street is always the place to be on festival days. This year El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument sponsors an ongoing Cinco de Mayo celebration that runs every day from May 6 to the 8th. The festivities include cultural presentations, danza, plenty of delicious foods, live entertainment that includes traditional folklorico and mariachi, piñata breaking, workshops and so much more. The fun starts at 10 am and goes on until 10 pm. Weekends are especially crowded and flamboyant… a photographer’s paradise. If you need more event information, call 213-625-5045, otherwise… just show up with a Mexican flag and enjoy yourself.

Things actually get started on May 5th at Conchita Souza’s historic Casa de Souza on Olvera Street with a reading of Aztec poetry. Nezahualcoyotl was one of the Aztec empire’s greatest leaders. Widely renown as a poet, philosopher, and a patron of the arts, he designed a code of law based on the division of powers. Called the council of music, he created departments of culture, justice, finance, and war. This enlightened Aztec poet king is remembered in a poetry reading called A Night In The Shadow of Nezahualcoyotl. Enrique Castillo (star of American Family), will read excerpts from The Masks of Quetzalcoatl by William Douglas Lansford. The book is a bilingual collection of “flor y canto” poetry, mixing English with a slightly modified Nahua (Aztec tradition) style to make the poems more akin to the modern eye and ear. Mr. Lansford says, “I wrote these poems because I love the Nahuatl language and its artistry. These verses are my attempt to marry the Nahua love of metaphor and contradiction with the complexities that define our own society.” Admission to the event is free, but there is a two-beverage minimum. Seating is limited so please call 310-464-5290 for further information. It all takes place on Cinco de Mayo/May 5th at 7:30 pm. Casa de Souza is located at 634 N. Main St. Los Angeles, CA 90012-1822.

And while you’re at Olvera Street, don’t forget to visit the Día De Los Muertos Altar dedicated to all the casualties of war in Iraq. Originally constructed for 2004’s Day of the Dead festivities, the alter has since added 512 more names of slain US troops. The alter also represents the estimated 100,000 Iraqis who have been killed since the war started. Respect and honor the memories of all those who have died. Bring flowers and your prayers of peace.

In 1862 Mexicans defeated the mighty French occupation army of Napoleon at the Battle of Puebla on the fifth of May - now popularly known as Cinco de Mayo. A year earlier President Benito Juárez had stopped payments on Mexico’s foreign debt, and Napoleon responded by invading Mexico. He sent his formidable army not only to guarantee continued debt payments, but also to crush Mexico and make it part of the French imperial empire. Juárez sent the army to confront the French at Puebla, and commanding the badly equipped Mexican soldiers was General Ignacio Zaragosa. The rag tag and ill-equipped army of 5,000 Mestizo and Zapotec Indians then proceeded to defeat the better equipped and highly trained French force of 8,000. The mightiest army in the world was trounced by Mexican peasants - a lesson that should not be lost in today’s present circumstances. General Ignacio Zaragosa was born in Texas when it was still part of Mexico, and so quite a number of people today regard him as the first Xicano hero.

The Battle of Puebla was not the final decisive clash that would eventually expel the invaders, in fact the Mexican army was eventually defeated. One year after Puebla, the French army remobilized and counterattacked, seizing Mexico city and installing Emperor Maximilian of Hapsburg, who would rule Mexico for the next four years. Ultimately, troops loyal to President Juárez regained power and the French puppet Maximilian was executed. However, the “Batalla de Puebla” marked the beginning of the end for French colonialism in Mexico and the rise of Mexican national unity and patriotism. As Xicanos and Mexicanos celebrate this significant day with folkloric dance, mariachi music, parades, and other festivities… let us remember that at its core Cinco de Mayo represents the victory of the people over colonialism and imperialism. ¡Viva México! ¡Viva Juárez! ¡Viva el 5 de mayo!

On April 30th, 2005, thousands of people marched in a Los Angeles May Day celebration organized by MIWON (Multi-Ethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network). The worker’s march and rally was one of the largest May Day events in the United States, and the majority of those who participated were Latinos. A variety of organizations and groups were involved, including labor unions and student groups. LA’s diversity was well represented by the presence of Chicano, Mexicano, Korean, and Filipino workers. Hundreds of union members from Justice For Janitors/SEIU Local 1877 were involved, representing immigrant workers from El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America. Many dozens of demonstrators marched with the flag of the United Farm Workers, honoring those who toil in California’s agricultural fields. The thousands marched along Broadway, a downtown LA street that is a center for immigrant life and work, and popular chants were raised against the Iraq war, cuts in social services, and attacks upon immigrant workers. It was a huge and militant march that indicates a revitalization of the labor movement in the US, thanks to the organization and political militancy of immigrant workers. Click here to see more photos from LA’s May Day parade.

International Workers Day, or May Day, began in the US as part of the struggle demanding an eight-hour workday and better working conditions. In 1886 labor unions pushed for an eight-hour day by calling for a general strike on May 1st, in Chicago. Working conditions were miserable, with most laborers toiling for 6 days a week, twelve hours a day, without breaks or benefits of any kind. At a mass demonstration for the eight-hour day at Chicago’s Haymarket Square, someone set off a bomb that killed several policemen. Afterwards, officials arrested eight men and charged them with murdering the police officers. Three of the labor leaders were eventually hanged. The executions and the repression of the labor movement in Chicago set off protests and demonstrations around the world. In 1889, the International Socialist Congress meeting in Paris, France, declared May 1st as International Workers Day, and since that time workers all over the world have rallied on May Day.

[ Here's a timely opinion piece from Column of the Americas, written by friends Roberto Rodriguez and Patrisia Gonzales. In his editorial titled Viva Cinco de Mayo: An Open letter to the Beer Industry, Roberto takes the alcohol industry to task for targeting la raza. Let's be clear - Cinco de Mayo is not just an excuse to party, it's a celebration of one of the world's great anti-colonial struggles. It was, and remains, a profound defeat for imperialism ]

It’s Cinco de Mayo once again… or as many have coined it: Drinko de Mayo month. For the past several years, it’s become fashionable to bemoan the linkage between liquor and this historic occasion… which coincidentally, celebrates the repelling of French imperialist forces by largely Mexican indigenous forces. (That’s what the Viva is for). This is why we should all be thanking you for permitting us to stage these huge celebrations nationwide. At a time when anti-immigrant feelings are being stirred up by the likes of Lou Dobbs on CNN, Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger and the militias/vigilantes on the border, etc. - it’s a relief to know that an entire industry wholeheartedly contributes to the celebration of the much-maligned Mexican culture. (It is so maligned, many would rather now call it Spanish or Hispanic). Gracias.

What do these anti-immigrants fear? Terrorists or the browning or contamination of the nation? Do they actually believe that the complete walling of the southern border is going to solve the nation’s problems or that it will take their fear away? That’s why we thank you. While it’s true that of late, many of the celebrations or the celebrants, have not been emphasizing the anti-imperialist nature of Cinco de Mayo, deep down, people know that it’s a victory of the underdog. It’s difficult not to laugh about this, but before the U.S. public began clamoring for “freedom fries” (rather than French fries) Mexicans had been rebelling against the French and its imperial culture since May 5, 1860. But just as Mexicans no longer revere all things French, all things French are no longer despised. All cultures, as long as they’re not imposed, have a beauty to them.

But back to the central point. This is about your laudatory role in promoting Cinco de Mayo. Supporting the victory of a rag-tag army gives inspiration to peoples worldwide. It also sets an example for other corporations: they too can celebrate and support other noble, and perhaps unpopular, causes. But to be sure, today, most people are not concerned with long-ago wars, but rather, about current injustices that need to be righted. As an industry, you may not agree, but throughout the country, many Cinco de Mayo celebrants will utilize the occasion to denounce the current war in Iraq - one that was undeniably trumped up and which sees soldiers and innocent civilians die on a daily basis. Without this platform, people would be reduced to simply complaining about the war via e-mail. This way, it allows people to throw gritos or shout-outs against the war. Others will use this event to denounce torture worldwide and other unjust wars (Colombia, Sudan, etc.) and the decimation of our environment and the continued contamination and theft of indigenous lands and water.

Yet, beyond that, the reason we wanted to additionally thank you is because Cinco de Mayo allows us to bring up other injustices that are devastating our communities today… such as alcoholism and all its attendant problems. This disease plagues virtually all communities of color - all poor communities — especially women who suffer from alcohol-induced rape and violence, children who suffer as a result of broken homes, and the many men that either are imprisoned or die young. American Indian, African American, and of course, Mexican, Central and South American communities are especially hit hard. This is why you need to be thanked… because every year, this celebration allows many of us to highlight this travesty. Sure, it sounds tongue-in-cheek, but it’s reality. Here’s an idea. What about a $3 billion fund - raised by your industry (but not primarily through alcohol sales) — to go towards alcohol education and recovery and treatment programs for these afflicted communities? It’s undeniable that your industry has contributed to the celebration of cultures that were previously shunted and demeaned. Yet, this gusto has also undeniably contributed to this rampant alcoholism. Do you not feel any responsibility? How about now getting behind fixing these communities? No doubt you could get other corporations on board so that these communities can truly celebrate in good health a culture of life. (Corporate contributions for college scholarships, based on alcohol sales don’t count). If you truly want to help us celebrate our cultures, cut your alcohol advertisement budgets, especially those directed at our communities. In this way — to quote a beautiful friend of ours, Raquel Salinas - a rape and alcohol abuse survivor - it will allow us to throw a grito for life. Ajua!

© Column of the Americas 2005 The writers can be reached at: XColumn@aol.com

[ Xispas staff writer Gina Ruiz attended the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on the UCLA campus, and she’s filed a report with photographs on the celebrations. Here’s what she wrote]

At the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2005 business was booming in spite of it being held during Passover weekend and the threat of rain. It was good to see so many people there again this year. I spent some time at the booth of Libreria Martinez Books and Art Gallery owned by Macarthur Fellowship winner Ruben Martinez, the barber turned bookseller that has done so much for our community. Mr. Martinez is also co-founder of the Latino Book Festival. Present at the booth for signings this Saturday were Xispas founder, Luis Rodriguez (Music of the Mill, Always Running, The Republic East L.A.), Alvaro Vargas Llosa (Guide to the Perfect Latin American Idiot, Liberty For Latin America: How To Undo Five Hundred Years Of State Oppression, The Madness of Things Peruvian, Democracy Under Siege), son of the renowned and beloved Mario Vargas Llosa (A Fish in the Water, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, The Feast of the Goat, In Praise of the Stepmother, etc), Benjamin Alire Saenz (Flowers for the Broken, Carry Me Like Water, In Perfect Light, Sammy and Juliana In Hollywood, The House of Forgetting, Vatos, Calendar of Dust, Dark and Perfect Angels), Alfredo Estrada (Welcome to Havana, Senor Hemingway), and Mary Castillo (Hot Tamara, Friday Night Chicas: Sexy Stories from La Noche).

Sunday’s roster for Libreria Martinez’ booth was no less impressive, boasting Yxta Maya Murray (The Queen Jade : A Novel, La Conquista, Locas, What It Takes to Get to Vegas), Victor Villasenor (Burro Genius, The Thirteen Senses, Rain of Gold, Macho, The People Versus Juan Corona, Walking Stars), Mayte Prida (A Difficult Journey: My Battle With Cancer), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hector Tobar (Translation Nation, The Tattoed Soldier), Alfredo Estrada once more, and Carolina Garcia-Aguilera (Luck of the Draw, Havana Heat, Bitter Sugar, Bloody Shame, Bloody Waters, One Hot Summer).

I spoke for a few minutes with Mr. Martinez, who was, as always helpful and kind - lighting the booth with his smile and gracious demeanor. Muy caballero, el Senor Martinez who stopped in his busy booth to answer questions, give advice on what to buy and talk to me a little about his plans for the MacArthur Fellowship grant. I was extremely excited to learn that he plans on opening Libreria Martinez del Barrio here in my neck of my woods, East L.A., and another Libreria Martinez in the Logan Heights area of San Diego. I’ll be heading out to both the minute I hear they’re opening. I congratulated Mr. Martinez on his grant and he stated, “It’s the community’s grant. It belongs to them.” Luis Rodriguez looked like he was having a great time, in his element and doing brisk business signing his long awaited first novel, The Music of the Mill and chatting away with his many fans and fellow authors. I was also lucky enough to have a quick second to speak with Benjamin Alire Saenz who has written a most remarkable novel that I would encourage everyone to read In Perfect Light (publication date: August 2005), which I have recently reviewed for Xispas. I’ve always been a fan of his and this novel exceeded my expectations. Mr. Saenz was gracious enough to sign my advance reader copy of it and I felt honored. Mary Castillo was also busy signing as was the dapper Alvaro Vargas Llosa.

While at the Libreria Martinez booth, I ran into Bobby Byrd, co-publisher and founder of Cinco Puntos Press. Cinco Puntos Press is an independent, literary press that specializes in publishing the literature (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and books for kids) from the U.S./Mexico border, Mexico and the American Southwest. They have recently published Mr. Saenz’ book, Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood. He was kind enough to direct me to his booth after chatting a bit about Mr. Saenz’s books. I had a great time at the booth and spent far too much money buying up some of their amazing books by great authors like Luis Alberto Urrea. Sorry DWP. After Cinco Puntos, my granddaughter Jasmine and I headed over to see Danza Azteca Xochipilli and they were as always, stunning and sinuous. As a danzante, it’s odd for me to be a spectator and I always marvel at how beautiful the dancers are, the costumes, the headdresses and the amazing sound of the drums. Every time I see it, I want to get up there and dance with them and I would have if we had packed our trajes.

I stopped for a bit at Maria Amparo Escandon’s (Esperanza’s Box of Saints) booth where she had a little Santitos altar set up. She too, like most of the authors you meet at the Festival was sweet and generous with her time. She took a few minutes to talk to my friend Elodia’s daughter Ariana about her new book Gonzalez & Daughter Trucking Co. Ari asked her what the book was about as she wanted to buy it for her dad for Father’s Day (their last name is Gonzales). Ms. Escandon said in her lovely, accented English, “well it’s the story of a father and daughter who are truckers. They live in their truck and they keep everything in it. They read a lot but have no space to keep the books in the truck so, they throw them out the window when they are finished with them.” She charmed us all and needless to say, Ari bought her signed book and I bought one too. Everywhere I went, people were buying books, telling stories, meeting authors and finding friends. One couple I was speaking with said that they met at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books five years ago and were now very happily married and never miss it. I attended this year with my son Bobby and his wife, Marissa my friend Elodia and her children Ari and Max and my two-year-old granddaughter Jasmine Coatlcitlamina. We all had a wonderful time and there was something for each and every one of us. It was good to see that so many Xicano and Latino authors were there but we need to see more, we need more writers and more readers and attendees of Festivals like these that promote literacy. It beats the heck out of Disneyland.