Category Archives: Uncategorized

Election season predicament: desperately seeking our horse

Posted on August 15, 2016 by juanzqui7

ALMOST SIX YEARS ago, as we were approaching the mid-term elections, I spent a beautiful Saturday autumn morning watching the Howard University homecoming parade not too far from where I lived in Washington. Among the many participants were about a dozen horse … Continue reading →

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The accident, and that v-shaped scar on my mother’s forehead

Posted on August 13, 2016 by juanzqui7

IN 1951, MY sister Delfina eloped and that summer went with her husband’s family to work in Ohio. “Se la robó,” we would say about our brother-in-law Pedro: he abducted her. That’s how the running away of a young couple was … Continue reading →

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How Tommy found Kathye: Connecting a dying man to his high school sweetheart

Posted on August 12, 2016 by juanzqui7

SEVERAL DAYS AGO I woke up to a notice from WordPress, the outfit that hosts my blog, that someone had left a comment on one of my posts. Given that my blog attracts very little traffic, and that I hadn’t … Continue reading →

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Scenes from a flight: Cheese Nips, peanuts and clouds – and that woman in the bathroom.

Posted on July 26, 2016 by juanzqui7

LADIES AND GENTELMEN, the captain said, if you’ll look out your window, you’ll see that there’s a thousand miles of thunderstorms over New Mexico and Arizona. This was not long after we had left the Las Vegas airport, which has … Continue reading →

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My nightmares

Posted on July 25, 2016 by juanzqui7

LISTENING TO young Karla Ortíz addressing the DNC, talking about her fears that any day her immigrant parents might be deported, brought back some painful memories from my childhood. I had those fears. Not every day, but there were enough of … Continue reading →

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On languages, culture and civilization – and a genuine apology

Posted on July 21, 2016 by juanzqui7

THE CLAIM BY Iowa GOP Congressman Stephen King the other day that white people – or people from the United States and Western Europe – are the only ones who have made a contribution to civilization reminds me of a … Continue reading →

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Once a migrant worker …

Posted on July 20, 2016 by juanzqui7

THE GREAT López-Palomo Family Reunion is now history. I am sorry that circumstances prevented my sister Mariana, and others, from attending. The gathering was a huge success but it would have been so much better to have them there among the … Continue reading →

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A Girl of Status: youthful fantasies

Posted on July 15, 2016 by juanzqui7

ON THE FLIGHT from Phoenix to San Jose, a young slender girl with straight long brown hair, sandals and tattered jeans, sits across the aisle from me, next to her younger sister and her mother. The girl reads a little … Continue reading →

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How Juana met Juan

Posted on July 12, 2016 by juanzqui7

SHE CAME TO my table as I was draining the last deep red drops from my glass after having eaten a tuna sandwich that tasted so good following a day of very little to eat.  Buenas tardes, I said, as … Continue reading →

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Americans are perfecting the grieving game

Posted on July 12, 2016 by juanzqui7

Public displays of mourning have become our national pastime. Action to end hatred and violence? Not so much.
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