Outis

Six theses on immigration policy by Mark Kleiman. Excellent.

This is making the rounds: La Queen Sucia: How Stupid are the US Media?!?!

Yeah, OK, I said I wouldn’t post for a week, but, this excellent story about the Americanization of my former neighborhood in Madrid came to me via the vigilant and vivacious Victoria Zumba.

Related: two Flickr photos I’d posted about the trend last year.

I am living through a historic moment.

It’s a trite statement, but “I can’t deny it, I’m not going to hide it.”

Last Wednesday, I had my last meal in Madrid at the J. Blanco tavern, within earshot of a television that was announcing the “permanent ceasefire” of the terrrorist group ETA. On Saturday, as we flew into LAX, at least half-a-million demonstrators rallied for immigrants in downtown Los Angeles.

Those are just two points of contact between my personal life and the life of my people. I should add that on Monday I also started a new job wherein I’ll be addressing young hispanics, directly and that last Saturday, I confirmed that I’m on a TSA air travel watch list.

I can’t calculate the sum of these parts, but I am reminded of a personal essay I wrote two years ago which I welcome you, my friends, to read.

It’s called “A Conversation for Californians.” I think it is aging well. But I welcome your dissenting views.

In the interest of persuading all five of you to read it, I won’t post anything to this page for a week or so.

Thanks for sharing your time with me.

On Monday’s Which Way, L.A.? (KCRW News) they discussed:

How high school students, using MySpace.com, organized today’s walk-out of 15,000 teens.

The role of spanish-language radio in organizing last Saturday’s march which yielded a turnout of at least 500,000 demonstrators — and, according to Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, the host of LA’s number one-rated radio program, not a single arrest and no trash.

Reality check.