TODO Austin July 2011

Volume III, 3 | July 2011

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Imagine learning Afro-Caribbean folkloric dance/movement styles with a shake of old school Afro-American funk, carried in the powerful rhythms of the African Diaspora. Get in shape, have fun, and feel good at Afro Fusion Dance throughout July (Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at the Carver Museum and Cultural Center (1165 Angelina Street). Led by Novuyo Masakhane, a multi-disciplinary artist experienced in teaching and performing African-American sacred and secular dance, all ages and skill levels welcome; co-ed. Call 974-4926 or see www.carvermuseum.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join some of Austin’s finest at Threadgill’s World Headquarters (301 E. Riverside) on Saturday, July 9 from 3-10 p.m. to help raise money for Artly Snuff, a beloved local icon aka John Fox (aka Roy Rodan aka Eddy) who faces ongoing expenses brought about by a car accident. Donation of $20 with music by Extreme Heat, The Freddie Steady 5, Cornell Hurd, Rick Broussards’ Two Hoots and a Holler, The Uranium Savages and Larry Lange and His Lonely Knights. Plus silent auction and emcees Kerry Awn and Sonny Carl Davis. www.threadgills.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------July means all-girl banked-track roller derby in Austin. Saturday, July 9, TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls features Putas Del Fuego (Cholas with a taste for blood and tequila) vs. Rhinestone Cowgirls (Texas fillies offering country-fried violence ) and Saturday, July 23, sees Hellcats (‘50s-style vixens who love hotrods and switchblades) vs. Cherry Bombs (ruthless Rock ‘n’ Roll misfits run amuck) at Palmer Auditorium (doors 6 p.m.). www.txrd.com. On Saturday, July 16, Texas Rollergirls holds Bout 6 with the Texecutioners vs. Denver Roller Dolls at Austin Convention Center. Doors at 5:15 p.m. with music by Ringo Deathstarr. www.texasrollergirls.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rap royalty takes a bow at Cedar Park Center in July. Wiz Khalifa brings his Rolling Papers World Tour with special guests Big Sean and Chevy Woods in on Sunday, July 3, 8 p.m. Khalifa is best known for his Atlantic debut number 1 hit, “Black and Yellow.” Kid Cudi presents The Cud Life Tour with guest Chip Tha Ripper Saturday, July 16 at 8 p.m. In 2009, Cudi’s single “Day ‘n’ Nite” reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. www.cedarparkcenter.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------France officially recognized the Republic of Texas as an independent nation in 1839, declaring the two countries to be allies. Alliance Francaise d’Austin presents the 16th annual Bastille Day Party at the French Legation Museum (802 San Marcos St.) on Sunday, July 17. Doors open at 7 p.m. for food, dancing, silent and live auctions, pétanque and other games, fun and music by Ava Arenella, Kalu James, Courtney Sanchez & Sway. Advance tickets $8; $10 at door. Children 12 and under free. www.afaustin.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (600 River St.) continues Cine de Oro Tuesday, July 26 with the 1949 flick Doña Diabla starring María Félix, the greatest diva in the history of Mexican cinema. Known for her bold, charismatic, and larger-than life persona both on and off the movie set, Félix refused the small parts offered her by American directors but made her mark elsewhere. Screening for seniors at 9:30 a.m.; 7 p.m. for the general public. Free. Spanish without English subtitles. maacaustin.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Join the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on Sunday, July 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and pay tribute to the former First Lady for her work for our nation’s treasured environment. The center honors her close to the date, July 26, 1968, when President Johnson presented her with 50 pens he used to sign environmental bills inspired by her work. Because of her, we have more wildflowers along highways and fewer billboards and junkyards as a result of “Lady Bird’s Bill,” or The Highway Beautification Act of 1965. Free admission. www.wildflower.org/tributeday

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512.538.4115

CHAILLE JOLINKwas born and raised in Austin. She substitute teaches high school government and U.S. History and loves writing about politics and government (pg 5).

CRISTINA PARKER (pg 8) is media coordinator of Border Network for Human Rights.

MELANIE MORGAN (pg 12) has a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from UT and works as P.R./Membership Director at Mexic-Arte Museum. She writes about Latin music, media and recording.

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Blue Dahlia Bistro 1115 E. 11th• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Juan in a Million 2300 E. Cesar Chavez• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

ESB Mexican American Cultural Ctr. 600 River• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Opal Devine’s 700 W. 6th• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Saxon Pub 1320 S. Lamar• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Well People 215 S. Lamar• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Terra Toys 2438 Anderson

new website coming soon

a multimedia group exhibitionexamining inheritance & legacy presented by the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center and curated by Los Outsiders

June 24 – August 27, 2011

Opening reception:June 24, 7-9pmMain Gallery

Carlos Donjuan. “You My Sensation,” 2010.

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WED 27 Avenue East: Macedonian & Turkish Music

SAT 30 100% Ache Cubano 10 pm

04 TODO Austin // JULY 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com

Marissa Marquez has always been a big believer in giving back to her community, so much so that during her undergraduate studies at Baylor University the Hispanic Student Association created a service award named after her. After Baylor, Marissa studied law at the University of Texas and served as an attorney ad litem for abused and neglected children in the law school’s Children’s Rights Clinic. This involvement with children in the court system,

along with a legal internship at Texas CASA, pushed Marissa to become a CASA volunteer. Marissa says that a lot of her understanding for the children she works with at CASA comes from her large family background and being raised by her grandmother who taught her Spanish. Her passion for CASA is so strong that during her legal internship at Texas CASA, she helped with getting a CASA program started in her hometown of Laredo. When not volunteering, Marissa works as an attorney for the Texas Workforce Commission, plays volleyball and Ultimate Frisbee, and enjoys Zumba classes.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Travis County

V O L U N T E E R S P O T L I G H THABLA AustinNEWS AND NOTES ON CURRENT AFFAIRS AND ISSUES IMPACTING OUR LOCAL HISPANIC COMMUNITY.

A Face in the Crowd: Who is the 21st Century Student? Hispanics will account for 95 percent of the teen population growth in the United States through 2020, according to research from Spanish-language media giant Univision. In addition, the 2010 U.S. Census counted more than 50 million Latinos or Hispanics living in the U.S., representing 16 percent of the population. – theatlantic.com (post by Paul Saldaña)

ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities The American Bar Association Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities held a regional hearing on June 29 at Austin City Hall. The Commission, created by ABA President Stephen Zack, seeks to analyze and devise solutions regarding the key legal issues affecting the Latino community and ways Latinos can fulfill their responsibilities to our country. As part of its efforts, the Commission is holding regional hearings across the country to receive testimony, comments and recommendations. The Commission’s members include Professor Norma Cantu of the University of Texas at Austin.– HABLA post by John Vasquez

Latino Turnout to Hit Record Number in Election 2012 Latinos will turnout in record numbers in the next Presidential election, with at least 12.2 million casting ballots, according to projections released June 23 by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund. This analysis also reveals that Latinos will account for a significant share of the electorate in several states.

According to NALEO Educational Fund Executive Director Arturo Vargas, “Latinos continue to reshape the nation’s political map, and the Latino electorate will play a decisive role in Election 2012.” The NALEO Educational Fund projects that the Latino vote will increase 26% from 2008, and Latinos will account for at least 8.7% of the country’s voters. California, Florida and Illinois are likely to see the greatest percentage increase in turnout since 2008. In three states – California, New Mexico, and Texas – at least one in five voters will be Latino. – PRNewswire-USNewswire (HABLA post by Yvette Quintanilla)

The New American Reality You’ve probably read the headlines: “New census milestone: Hispanics reach 50 million;” “U.S. Hispanic population tops 50 million;” and one of our favorites,”Los USA – Latino Populations Grow Faster with Wider Spread.” The U.S. Census numbers have confirmed that the Hispanic population has reached an important milestone, the 50 million mark. We are waking up to a new reality, a new face of America. Univision’s New American Reality video speaks to the unique experience of being Latino in America today. – Univision (HABLA post by Paul Saldaña)

Janis Guerrero Thompson Scholarship Fund Dr. Janis Guerrero Thompson passed away recently. In her honor, contributions can be made to the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium for her namesake scholarship fund at www.hispanicscholar.org . Janis has devoted a lifetime to the education of children and, particularly, to opening doors of opportunity for students who face challenges while working to realize their dreams. You can give online or by check. Mail checks to: HSC, 1107 S. 8th St., Austin, TX 78704 – HABLA posts by Celia Israel and Laura Duran

Latinos Lag in College Completion, Report Says Only 16 percent of Latino adults have an associate’s degree or higher — compared to 33 percent of the total working-aged population in Texas, according to a report by Excelencia in Education, a Washington D.C-based non-profit organization focused on boosting Latino success in higher education. The national average is 38 percent.

The gloomy statistics were unveiled at a press conference in San Antonio on June 22 attended by state Rep. Joaquin Castro and representatives of higher education organizations. “While some in Austin hope to slash education in the name of so-called fiscal responsibility,” Castro said in a statement, “the partners assembled here all understand that our future economic success depends on investing in education and finding new ways for all Texans to succeed beyond high school.” As part of its effort to bolster higher education success by 2015, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has made increasing attainment among Hispanics a priority. – Reeve Hamilton, Texas Tribune (HABLA post by Laura Duran)

In Retirement, Robert Martinez Says He’ll Stay Engaged Robert Martinez, a longtime civil engineer and community leader with his hands in education, youth mentoring and volunteerism, is known to get a lot of things done early in the morning, networking over breakfast tacos. Martinez invites people he thinks can help with his passions, none greater than helping young students achieve. So it was fitting Wednesday night (June 15) when Martinez, closing a 55-year engineering career with a retirement fiesta at Nuevo Leon restaurant, told hundreds of his friends: “Remember, I’ll always be available for breakfast tacos.” – read Juan Castillo’s story at statesman.com in Somos Austin blog

TODO AustinVOLUME III, NUMBER 003

Publisher/EditorGavin Lance Garcia

[email protected]

Art Director – Dave McClintonwww.dmdesigninc.com

Executive Editor – Erica Stall Wiggins

Web Master – Matt Rifemman-creative.com

Senior EditorsHarmony Eichsteadt, Katie Walsh

Associate Editors – Michu Benaim, Lope Gutiérrez-Ruiz, Sonia Kotecha, Alexandra M. Landeros, Julia Lee, Esther Reyes, Blake Shanley, Yvonne Lim Wilson

Contributing Writers/Artists – Mohammad Al-Bedaiwi, Joseph Banks, Stefanie Behe, Adriana Cadena, Deborah Alys Carter, Sirsha Chatterjee, Jennie Chen, Mita Haldar, Jillian Hall, Maria P. Hernandez, Paul Hernandez, Gabino Iglesias, Yadira Izquierdo, Nandini Jairam, Chaille Jolink, Jamie Jones, Vandana Kumar, Callie Langford, Heather Lee, Liz Lopez, Otis Lopez, David Marks, Jessica Meyer, Melanie Morgan, Lata Narumanchi, Cristina Parker, Kathy Pham, Rebecca Robinson, Paul Saldaña, Marion Sanchez, Jaya Shukla, Rupal Shah, Kristina Vallejo, Kuetzpalin Vasquez, Bowen Wilder, Lisa Wood

Photographers – Raul Angon, Heather Banks, Jenny Fu, Mark Guerra, Mari Hernandez, John M. P. Knox, JoJo Marion, Aimee Wenske, Matt Ziehr

Advertising — Contact [email protected]

TODO Austin is published by Spark Awakened Publishing. © 2011 Spark Awakened Publishing. All rights reserved. Unsolicited submissions (including, but not limited to articles, artwork, photographs) are not returned.

ON THE COVER:photo by Otis Lopez

Visit us at:

TODOAustinOnline.comwww.facebook.com/todo.austin——————————————————————————Multicultural Media for All of Austin——————————————————————————TODO Austin is a free, colorful print and online journal for all of Austin highlighting our multicultural heritage. Our mission is to promote the concept of community in an ethnically diverse city.

WRITE TO USwith stories, submissions, etc.:[email protected] Editorial – 512.538.4115

TODO AustinP.O. Box 4142Austin, TX 78765-4142

The Austin Tejano Music Coalition (ATMC) will host “CANTA - the 1st Annual Tejano Idol Competition” this fall. The singing contest was initiated to highlight Tejano music as a genre of music performed and heard not only in Austin, the “Live Music Capitol of the World,” but other cities across the state. The contest will showcase known and unknown talent on the web with participants from across the state, with the finals held on October 16 at H&H Ballroom in Austin.

The next monthly roaming site for eight contestants to audition will be July 19 from 6-7 p.m., prior to the Hillside Summer Concert at the Oswaldo A.B. Cantu Pan Am Recreation Center, 2100 E 3rd St. in East Austin. Contestants must sign up prior to the audition by email by writing to Aggie Sanchez at [email protected], using “Hillside Contestant Sign Up” in the subject line. A second audition will be held on July 31 at Los Lomas Restaurant, 730 W. Stassney Lane, Ste 130. In the event a location change occurs, the updated information will be posted on the ATMC website. A $25 entry fee can be submitted on-line via Pay Pal and YouTube, or onsite at the audition location where the auditions are also filmed.

Interested Texas residents can submit their auditions to austintejanomusic.org and the public will comment and vote for their favorite entry. There is no age limit to enter, but there is a requirement to audition with a Tejano song. Contestants can mail in their DVD/CD audition to the ATMC mailing address listed above. The ATMC CANTA committee will select 20 finalists to perform at the four- hour final show in October and three winners will receive a cash prize. The music production will feature celebrity judges to be announced in the near future. This fundraiser for ATMC will support the organization’s goal to provide music scholarships.

For more information about the contest, contact Aggie Sanchez, Chair, 2011 “CANTA’ Tejano Idol Competition and ATMC board member at (512) 912-6925 or via email with CANTA in subject line to [email protected].

Tejano Music Coalition to Hold First CANTA Contest

By Liz López

So, maybe you’ve heard a few varying stories or

controversies about Governor Rick Perry but you

really don’t know too much else about our governor.

So who is the real Perry?

As someone who has worked in and around the Texas

political scene for almost ten years, it

’s hard for me to

begin to talk about Perry without talking about George

W. Bush.

“Not that guy, again.” Well, the truth is th

at Perry would

not be in power today if it were not for W. Perry

became governor on December 21, 2000; right after

former Texas Gov. Bush was elected president the first

time. Perry is now the longest se

rving governor in the

state’s history (due to no term limits for the office) and

has at least four more years ahead in the office, having

just been re-elected in November.

So, Rick Perry has been the Governor of Texas for a

whole decade and counting. His ris

e to power was

inconspicuous, but his leadership has been, well, not

so inconspicuous. From the outset, he rustled a few

feathers in the Texas Legislature in 2001. He vetoed

a record number of bills that he was never vocally

opposed to without working with any of the legislators

on the particular bills he vetoed. This w

as unusual

order of business as Gov. Bush—although he was a

divisive president—was, ironically, the opposite kind of

governor. Under Bush’s Texas tenure, the legislature

had a “golden era” of cooperation with one another

and with the governor. That all changed when Bush

left and Perry took over.

At first, Perry seemed like he was going to be a very

quiet and a hands-off type of governor, not unlike

Reagan was as a president, but the funny thing is you

can really mess up a lot when you don’t pay attention

to those devilish details.

Perry is so wary of details th

at during the last election

he refused to meet with political reporters all over

the state, refused to debate any other candidate,

and refused to meet with any papers’ editorial board,

which is usually considered a must fo

r a candidate as

it leads to

endorsements. The only major paper in

the state ending up in support of Perry was the Waco

Tribune-Herald.

So basically, while avoiding the media directly, Perry

at the same time nurtured his political im

age. What

could go wrong with a guy in office who seemingly

just keeps to himself and is n

ot burdened with small

details? Well, a lot. For starters, h

e could get elected

president while leaving his state in shambles.

Within the past decade, he’s led Texas into the biggest

budget shortfall in its history, 27 billion dollars. T

exas

is ranked first in

the states in the number of uninsured

children, fourth in child poverty (which is at a rate of

25%), and fourth in the percentage of residents that

live below the poverty line. Texas has the highest

proportion and number of people making minimum

wage, and the highest proportion of people with no

health insurance (25%). Oh, and he also wants to

do

away with Medicaid and Medicare.

It’s hard for me to discuss Rick Perry without becoming

overwhelmed at the sheer amount of failed policies

and practices solely driven by his m

isguided political

tactics.

After all of this, I hope the question is n

ow not what

does Rick Perry stand for, but is Rick Perry someone

who cares about Texas and all Texans?

Let’s Talk About It

GOV. PERRY:

The Lord

of the Right-Wings

By Chaille Jolink

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Community members are calling on lawmakers to support a Congressional resolution that formally acknowledges and expresses regret for the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. The resolution was introduced by U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Judy Biggert (R-IL), and Mike Coffman (R-CO), along with Senators Feinstein (D-CA) and Brown (R-MA) on May 26.

“The Chinese Exclusion Laws involved legislation Congress passed between 1879 and 1904 that explicitly discriminated against persons of Chinese descent based on race. The laws imposed increasingly severe restrictions on immigration and naturalization. Congress repealed the laws as a wartime measure in 1943, without any express acknowledgement that the laws violated fundamental civil rights,” according to the 1882 Project (www.1882project.org).

“These laws engendered hatred, bigotry and prejudice in the minds of Americans towards Chinese. Many were brutally murdered, and even more were abused, harassed and detained,” said Rep. Chu in a press release. “It is long overdue that Congress officially acknowledges these ugly laws, and expresses the sincere regret that Chinese Americans deserve. The last generation of settlers impacted by this legislation are leaving us, giving Congress a short window to make amends to those who were directly affected.”

Local community activist Amy Wong Mok of the Asian

By Yvonne Lim Wilson

Asian Austin: About TownAmerican Cultural Center said this public apology is not just about the Chinese. It’s about admitting a mistake that involves all immigrant populations to the United States.

“If we don’t see exclusion in its full context, eventually, when it’s you then you won’t have anyone to defend you,” she said. “A strength of the American spirit is to admit mistakes so that we can move on.”

In other discrimination news, UT Austin professors from the Center for Asian American Studies are blasting the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Austin’s production of “The Mikado,” which played in June. In an open letter to media outlets, doctors Madeline Hsu, Julia Lee, Nhi Lieu, Naomi Paik, Sharmila Rudrappa, Snehal Shingavi and Eric Tang are calling out the “yellow face” practice used in the comic opera and compare it to blackface minstrelsy that is now considered unacceptable.

The authors of the letter point out that other productions of “The Mikado” have found ways to provide historical context for the racist elements, or even subverting and challenging the yellow face practice. The authors of the letter contend that it is important to call out racist practices, which impact everyday life.

“Some of us have children, and on the occasion that one of them is taunted by another child who performs “chinky-eyes,” while other kids erupt in laughter, we are painfully aware that nobody is laughing at the foolishness of the perpetrator. They are laughing at our child’s expense,” they wrote.

But there are plenty of positive representations of Asian Americans in the arts, and one hugely successful one was the fourth annual Austin Asian Occasion (AAO). The event

Good Times at Güero’sFor great tunes and great rita’s!Please join us for live music on our outside jardin stage, every Thursday through Sunday. THANKS TO THE FANS & BANDS WHO SUPPORT US!!!ALL OUTDOOR SHOWS ARE “WEATHER PERMITTING”

JULY Line-up----------------------------------------------------FRI 7/1 LOS FLAMES (6:30)SAT 7/2 HARRY BODINE (6:30)SUN 7/3 THE TEXAS TYCOONS (3:00)----------------------------------------------------THU 7/7 THE BOB FUENTES SHOW (6:30)FRI 7/8 LOS FLAMES (6:30)SAT 7/9 TRENT TURNER (6:30)SUN 7/10 BLUE MIST (3:00)----------------------------------------------------THU 7/14 THE FABS (6:30)FRI 7/15 PONTY BONE & THE SQUEEZE TONES (6:30)SAT 7/16 LOS FLAMES (6:30)SUN 7/17 MITCH WEBB & THE SWINDLE (3:00)----------------------------------------------------THU 7/21 MATT SMITH’S WORLD (6:30)FRI 7/22 LOS FLAMES (6:30)SAT 7/23 MICHAEL MILLIGAN & THE ALTAR BOYZ (6:30)SUN 7/24 CALLE SEIS (6:30)----------------------------------------------------THU 7/28 JOHNNY GIMBLE (6:30)FRI 7/29 LOS FLAMES (6:30)SAT 7/30 NATALIE ZOE (6:30)SUN 7/31 CHICKEN STRUT (3:00)

took place on May 28 at the Long Center to celebrate Asian American Heritage Month.

The production was a result of the efforts of Amy Wong Mok of the Asian American Cultural Center, dedicated volunteers, local artists and teachers as well as sponsors and underwriters. The show featured a brilliant performance by the Super Orient Courser from Mongolia, China, as well as “electrifying performances” by Benjamin Laude and Charles Yang.

The Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China and the Culture Division of the Office of the Consulate General of the PRC in Houston also supported the event. Proceeds from the event historically benefit local charity, and this year the funds were given to KLRU.

“Both organizations aim to educate, entertain and inspire and together we have achieved and exceeded our goal for this event,” Mok wrote in an email. “We are looking forward to the fifth AAO, on the last Saturday of May next year.”

Mok also recounted a comment from a volunteer usher at the Long Center, which she says “says it all:”

“This is such a great event,” the volunteer said. “It is more than the fantastic performances but the informality of it. We can feel that every one had a good time, both the performers and the audience.”

Yvonne Lim Wilson is founder and publisher of Asian Austin at www.AsianAustin.com, an online news magazine featuring news about Asian American people, organizations and events in Austin. Contact Yvonne at [email protected].

TODO Austin // JULY 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com 07

By Erica Stall Wiggins

Sarah Rafael García’s writing career started with a blank composition book, handed to her by a social worker at the age of 13. Already a troubled teen, García had recently lost her father. The social worker said to her, “There’s nothing I can say to you right now to make a difference, so I’m just going to give you this book, and hopefully you’ll write in it, and one day you’ll be able to talk to someone.”

That composition book opened new doors for García, who said writing became “like therapy.” Now a published author working on her second book, García is the founder of Barrio Writers, a program she created to “empower teens through creative writing, cultural arts and higher education.” The free writing workshops for youth have found a second home in Austin this summer, after two successful years in Southern California.

Born in Brownsville, Texas to immigrants from Mexico, García was raised in Orange County. Her first book, “Las Niñas: a Collection of Childhood Memories,” published in 2008, addressed many of the issues she experienced as a Mexican American youth there, namely, her status as an English language learner and the myriad prejudices that came with that label.

It was in Southern California, in 2009, while she was touring schools promoting her book, that she first had the idea for the workshops. From her previous social work and the reactions of the students to her visits, she realized that the book she’d written wasn’t going to change kids’ lives. What she really wanted to do was give a voice to the youth that she could relate to so well, to break apart the stereotypes of at-risk neighborhoods and kids, and to rebel against the practice of herding at-risk students into GED programs versus a path to higher education. These were issues that she knew about, and she

was ready to share. Within a few months, she had started Barrio Writers in Santa Ana.

By building relationships with community youth organizations, working with schools and canvassing neighborhoods to recruit youth, she built a strong program that is still gathering steam in Santa Ana. Guest speakers augment the workshops, which cover a myriad of writing forms, from poetry to college entrance essays. “The whole point for me in teaching writing is not only to develop skills [for the students] to go on to higher education, but it’s also to expose the kids to the different cultural arts, so they have a reason to continue,” García said of her high expectations for the students.

“I give the kids a space to have their own opinions and their own voice,” said García of the workshops. Everything they share is “fiction,” and the students are given positive feedback as well as something they can improve on. García only asks that stories about drugs, violence and sex are life lessons, not glorifications. She also aims to have older students tied to a college or university in some capacity, thereby serving as positive role models.

García’s first writing teacher in college, Lisa Alvarez, inspired the textbook for the workshops, entitled “Visions Across the Americas.” A college-level composition book, García describes it as a wonderful introduction to creative writing, with essays by Amy Tan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Woody Allen, and Richard Rodriguez to name a few. And she loves to be able to share with the students, “We’re all learning here from a college level book.”

The summer program culminates in opportunities to participate in panel presentations and public speaking, building confidence and giving the students, in García’s words, “a voice to be able to ask for what they need and empower others to do the same.” Finally, an anthology of the summer’s best work is published, in the format of a textbook, to be shared in classrooms across the country, complete with study questions and writer’s bios.

García’s work is making the kind of difference she had envisioned. The 20 students from the first year in Santa Ana are a close-knit group, and many of them are either going on to college or already graduating and giving back to their communities. One such student, at the tender age of 21 and a recent college graduate, has even begun a spin-off program, the Barrio Actor’s Guild, now going on its second year.

The depth to which García cares about her students is palpable. She receives Mother’s Day messages from them, and hardly a day goes by that she doesn’t receive a text, a call, or a message from a program graduate. “They’re trying to live life according to their passion, not their struggles,” she declared proudly about two former students who have since married and are having a baby, to which she will play the role of Godmother. She has every reason to be proud. A glance at the Barrio Writers Facebook page shows that another student has been accepted to college, this one to the prestigious University of California at Berkeley. And for those who didn’t get that acceptance letter, they’re “not giving up when they get rejected from the first one, because they have a group of kids that are going through the same thing.”

After years of living in Southern California, the pull of family finally brought García back to Texas; and with her the opportunity for Austin youth to participate in the Barrio Writers Austin program. In just two months, she has pulled considerable resources from the community to support her program, and has already made connections with youth organizations and schools. Now she just needs students.

As she builds the Barrio Writers program in Austin, García is also working on her second book, a travel memoir which will incorporate her experiences shedding stereotypes of all kinds. She is also applying to graduate schools, with the intention of eventually affecting change at a curriculum level in public schools. “I don’t think the issue is teachers, I think it’s the books that they have to work with,” she stated of the education system.

“A lot of kids sit on the fence, and it’s just a matter of falling to one side or the other,” acknowledged García soberly. Through her work with Barrio Writers and the community building and resource sharing she is committed to, it seems

likely that the youth she is able to affect will end up on the empowered side of that fence.

The free, 10-week Barrio Writers summer program for youth aged 13-21 is just getting off the ground in Austin this summer and will run through August 27. They meet at Space 12, a community space that builds bridges to the arts, at 3121 E. 12th Street at noon on Saturdays. For more information, visit www.barriowriters.org.

“Kids are given labels;

you can do your due

diligence, and be a good

student, and still not be

given the opportunity to

go to college.”

“How great it would have

been to hear someone

with my story when I was

growing up.”

Upcoming Barrio Writers Events:

Fundraiser for Barrio Writers at Hope Farmer’s Market

414 Waller Street, Sunday, July 24FROM 10 AM – 2 PM

www.hopefarmersmarket.org

Sarah Rafael García presents at the e4 Youth Summit

August 13, 2011http://e4youth.com/agenda/


As the sun set on the special session of the 82nd Texas Legislature, the bills that would have banned nonexistent “sanctuary cities” and institutionalized the failing federal Secure Communities (S-Comm) program died in committee. “Texas was fortunate that SB 9 and similar legislation did not pass,” said Luis Figueroa, Legislative Staff Attorney of the Mexican American Legal and Education Fund (MALDEF) and member of the Texas Residents United for a Stronger Texas (TRUST) Coalition. “SB 9 would have undermined community relations with local law enforcement, hurt our economy, and resulted in widespread fear in the community.”

Dealing with “sanctuary cities” was one of Gov. Rick Perry’s emergency items and was represented in just one of over 80 anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic bills proposed at the beginning of the regular session. Throughout the regular and special session, legislators debated the merit of bills that would allow local law enforcement officers to ask about detainees’ immigration status. The problem with the bills was that anyone who was the subject of a traffic stop could

have been detained at almost any time. That would include victims and witnesses to crime. Perry resurrected this dangerous proposal in the special session, but “sanctuary cities” and S-Comm didn’t make it to his desk. It’s no small victory for Texas communities that lawmakers were unable to pass a single anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic proposal this year.

THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT.

It was through the hard work, consistent advocacy and intense efforts of a statewide organization of human rights activists led by the Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance (RITA) and TRUST—coupled with workers, students, families, social justice advocates and other groups—that people inside and outside the Capitol received the message that Texas would not follow Arizona’s lead and that the Texas people could do better on the divisive immigration issue.

“At the core of this struggle were organized communities across the state who traveled to Austin for key mobilizations, made legislative

visits to representatives in Austin and in their districts, called their legislators to voice their concerns, and waited long hours and to give testimony at hearings,” said Adriana Cadena, Coordinator of RITA. “The active participation of law enforcement executives, faith communities from various denominations, and the business community was also critical in conveying the impact of state-based immigration proposals to lawmakers.”

There is no doubt that the victory over xenophobia belongs to the thousands who made it happen over the course of the last year. “Without a doubt, the defeat of the anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic agenda in Texas was an unprecedented victory that belongs mostly to organized communities across the state, in particular to those involved with RITA,” said Fernando Garcia, Executive Director of the Border Network for Human Rights in El Paso, Texas, and a founding member of RITA.

RITA was convinced that in the end, lawmakers would have to listen to the concerns of Texans. The bills could have

easily been forced through the special session, but Texas lawmakers stopped short of adopting misguided legislation. The fact that the failure of “sanctuary cities” bills occurred was a victory that will benefit all Texans, stated RITA. Taxpayers will be spared an unfunded mandate. Police will be able to do their important work without misguided political interference. Business will continue to prosper. Neighborhoods across the state will reap the benefits of public safety and strong families. And communities will be secure in the knowledge that this year’s battle forged a broad coalition that will be ready to stand up against any future threats to Texas’ safety, values and economy.

Although Arizona-style legislation never made it to the Governor’s desk, an imprudent driver’s license provision was eventually added to SB 1, the budget bill.

Provisions in the bill are confusing and will negatively impact every Texan, not just immigrants.

Supporters said the provisions would keep ID’s away from undocumented immigrants while

A Victory For All TexansBy Cristina Parker


HUMAN RIGHTS PREVAIL ASEVERY ANTI-IMMIGRANT BILL FAILS

IN 82ND TEXAS LEGISLATUREcritics say the provision will actually impact any and all immigrants and leave them no choice but to drive without licenses. These provisions could make it more complicated and time-consuming for every Texan seeking a driver’s license or state ID.

“The license provisions in SB 1 are unfortunate because they put Department of Public Safety clerks in the position of determining an applicant’s immigration status and how long that status is valid,” said Figueroa. “This is an impossible task that will result in many mistakes and will make it harder for all Texans to get a driver license. Citizens needing a license to vote now may get wrongly denied. Immigrants needing a license to get affordable auto insurance may be denied. It’s going to lead to a lot of headaches for Texas residents and DPS officials.”

The restrictions were intended to target immigrants, but will end up hurting every Texan. So although the driver’s license restrictions are unfortunate, they merely codify what DPS was already doing.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

This huge victory over anti-immigrant bills will likely attract plenty of attention. Human rights activists in other states will want to know how Texans were able to beat back Arizona-style legislation. Anti-immigrant groups, including Tea Party activists, will want to know why a supermajority of Republicans were unable to pass a single harsh, anti-immigrant bill.

But this much is clear; there is a lot of work to do ahead in Texas and across the country.

The fact is that the failure of the federal government to pass comprehensive immigration reform is the source of bad immigration policy at the state level. Unfortunately, until comprehensive immigration reform is a reality, the trend started in Arizona will only continue. We all know that our immigration system is broken. Our country needs and deserves a real, rational solution for the millions of hard-working, undocumented families who call America home. What’s worse is that misguided proposals like the so-called “sanctuary cities”

bills in Texas are largely driven by the political ambitions of a few at the cost of dividing communities and putting the safety of every Texan at risk.

That’s why it is imperative for civil and human rights advocates to capitalize on the momentum created in Texas to increase community organizing and to deter future attempts to bring the divisive, anti-immigrant agenda to our great, multicultural state. The vision for RITA’s statewide movement is a proactive, community-oriented policy platform. Getting out the vote is a crucial part of that.

Comprehensive immigration reform is only a part of that community agenda. But what does CIR look like? CIR would fix our dysfunctional system by recognizing the rights, dignity and contribution of immigrant families living and working in the U.S., and would create a mechanism to unify families that have been separated. Changing our dysfunctional and militarized border enforcement policies is also a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Under President Obama the militarization of

our southern border has escalated and the

persecution of immigrant families through

287(g) and S-Comm programs has been

consolidated. Most disturbing, the deportation

of immigrant workers has reached record

numbers under Obama and the future of the

immigrant students known as DREAMers are

at risk.

That’s why Texan immigrants’ rights advocates

are joining the call for Obama to use his

executive power to give relief to families,

workers and students by stopping their

deportation proceedings until federal CIR is

passed.

Texas has turned the tide. The win over

Arizona-style legislation in our state means

that Texan activists are in a unique position to

lead the call for federal reform. RITA proved

that Texas could do better and now it’s up to

every Texan to show the rest of the U.S. that

our nation can do better on immigration, too.

Esther Reyes also contributed to this story.

A Victory For All Texans

SANTIAGO

FORERO

10 TODO Austin // JULY 2011 / / TODOaustinonline.com

TODO x GOPHER PROJECTS

“When I began my

masters at U.T.

everything changed”

SANTIAGO FORERO

Santiago Forero is a Colombian photographer whose move to Austin proved revelatory. His critically acclaimed self-portraits explore how images shape popular culture using his own body – Forero is a little person - as a critical vantage point. His work has earned him spots in AMoA’s 2011 15 to Watch exhibition, and Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow, which is currently showing at the MACC.

How did your relationship with photography begin? Any particular memories you would like to share? I can't say that I knew I was going to be a photographer when I was three years old, as most photographers do. What I can say is that when I was thirteen I was invited to a friend's party, and I spotted a bulletin board in her brother’s room featuring tons of pictures where he posed with Colombian celebrities, soap opera stars, soccer players and so on. I found out that he always carried a point and shoot camera and when the opportunity arose, he photographed himself with a celeb-

rity. I thought that was pretty cool, so I asked my parents for a camera for Christmas, and I never used it. Six years later I enrolled in Art School, where they taught me photography.

What aesthetic trends / institutions / people influence your current work? I’m probably mostly influenced by contem-porary artists who are about the same age as I am, and are not famous yet (but they will be in the future). I admire Mike Osborne's work, the colors in his images and how weird most scenarios look. It impressed me when I arrived in Austin, because it was unlike anything I’d seen before. Dave Woody, who, like Osborne and myself, was also a graduate student at UT, has some really powerful work too.

There is a clear di�erence between your previous work as a photojournalist in Colombia and your current work as an artist in Austin. What propelled this change? Photography is learned in stages. First you learn the technical aspects of taking photos. Then you begin to photograph everything until you know that you can take a picture. That stage takes a long time. Then you choose what to photograph. When I was working as a photojournalist in Colombia I was still choosing what to photograph. I was doing editorial work because was a way to get paid for my photographic work. However, for me, the most decisive stage is when you think about what to do with photography. When I began my masters at U.T. everything changed.

I didn’t have to worry about getting paid, so I had the opportunity to experiment. The change was probably noticeable; a friend noted that I began to do whatever I wanted to do.

You recently ventured into making video-art. How would you describe the experience?I attempted to make video-art when I was an undergraduate, with results I wasn’t proud of. I decided to try my hand at video again recently since I’m now conscious of what I’m doing, and more responsible and disciplined. I’m happy with the results, which have benefited from my training as a photogra-pher. However, video has more components; you have a timeline and sound to work with. Also, editing video is much more entertaining and fun than editing photos. Probably the most di�cult part of making video art is not giving into narrative, which I’m guilty of.

Tell us about the image that you chose for this issue. What is the story behind it? Why did you choose this image in particular? This photo is a self-portrait I took while I was an artist-in-residence at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. It was the second time I had studio space to myself and I didn't know what to do with it. I was also struggling to make work without any direc-tives. That day in particular was really unpro

ductive and that was the only image I produced. Actually that was the only self-portrait I took in the entire residency. I think that this image sums up my inability to work in a studio by myself.

The Gopher Projects promote global arts-based dialogue across cultures by providing inclusive and high-quality platforms for emerging talents in the visual arts, literature and journalism. Run by Austin-dwellers Michu Benaim and Lope Gutiérrez Ruiz, the Projects include the publication of Gopher Illustrated, an internationally renowned magazine, and a series of events in collaboration with Austin-based artists and projects, including this monthly column in TODO Austin.

The Gopher Illustrated Vol. 2 is now available at Austin’s best independent stores and online! For more information visit gopherillustrated.org


THE TODO ARTS LISTPRESENTED BY TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS

TEXASPERFORMINGARTS.ORG

Texas Performing Arts is proud to recognize Austin’s many outstanding arts organizationsPAN AMERICAN HILLSIDE STAGE CONCERTSThe Eastside perennial is back, a free outdoor event that’s fun for the whole family. Some of Latino music’s top acts take the stage every summer, from Grammy award winner Ruben Ramos to AT Boyz, Pride & Joy and more. Every Tuesday from July 5 to August 2 at the A.B. Cantu Pan Am Recreation Center Hillside Outdoor Theater. Bring lawn chairs, blankets and canned drinks but no glass containers. There is limited parking so come early and carpool if possible. Check www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/panam for this year’s list of performers.

ZACH THEATRE’S HAIRSPRAY

The GLBT community knows a thing or two about equality, and Tracy Turnblad wouldn’t even think about stopping the beat for what is sure to be a sell-out crowd when Austin’s gay and lesbian family gets together before the Thursday, July 7 performance of Hairspray. A catered pre-show reception is at 6:45 p.m. before the 8 p.m. performance of this oh-so fun new musical inspired by the John Waters film. Directed by ZACH Artistic Director Dave Steakley with musical direction by Allen Robertson and choreography by Robin Lewis, the soultastic, hair hoppin’, dance-til-you-drop musical runs on the Kleberg Stage through August 28 (1510 Toomey Rd.). www.zachtheatre.org

BULLOCK MUSEUM’S MUSIC UNDER THE STARThe Bob Bullock Museum’s popular free concert series is back for its eighth season and families are invited to come out to enjoy five fabulous Fridays (6-9 p.m.) in July. Guests may bring chairs and blankets to place on the Lone Star Plaza under the 35-foot-tall bronze star and hear: July 1 - The Invincible Czars; July 8 – White Ghost Shivers; July 15 – Del Castillo; July 22 – Nash Hernandez Orchestra; and July 29 – Cindy Cashdollar and the Kings of Swing. Between music sets, guests are invited to explore the three floors of main exhibits free each evening from 6-9 p.m. Free event parking is available in the Museum’s underground garage on the corner of 18th St. and Congress Ave. www.thestoryoftexas.com

VIVA MEXICO! LAGUNA AND GEDIGANConsidered by international critics to be one of the most important guitarists in a country filled with guitarists, Juan

Carlos Laguna is widely known for his apasionato performances, virtuoso technique and extraordinary interpretation of the classics. International flute sensation, Marianne Gedigian, joins Maestro Laguna for Astor Piazzolla’s famous and impassioned four-movement “History of the Tango.” Saturday, July 30 at Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (600 River St.) with shows at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and a Mexican cuisine reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. www.austinclassical guitar.org

AUSTIN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

The traditions and diversity of chamber music are highlighted this month around Austin as the ACMC hosts its annual festival from July 8-23. Eight major concerts are spotlighted in various locations (Bates Recital Hall, Continental Club, First Unitarian Church, ESBMACC), with the Miro String Quartet, Anonymous 4, Vienna Piano Trio, Kneebody, Bandini-Chiacchiaretta Duo, Chiara String Quartet, Celebrate Michael York, and Tokyo String Quartet, and numerous free community concerts and presentations abound as well. Full festival packages available, w/ discounts for 3 & 4 date series. austinchambermusic.org

FOOTLOOSE – ZILKER SUMMER MUSICALThis rite of summer is in its 53rd incarnation and every Thursday-Sunday from July 8-August 13 (curtain at 8:30 p.m./dusk), magic descends on the Zilker Hillside Theater stage (across from Barton Springs Pool). “Footloose,” this year’s offering, is a heartfelt story centered on a father’s longing for the son he lost, a young man aching for the father who walked out on him, and the wisdom of listening to young people with a warm heart and an open mind. Free performance. $3 parking in nearby lots. zilker.org

TANGO! ARGENTINE CLASSICAL GUITAR

Since 2002, Giampaolo Bandini and Cesare Chiacchiaretta have performed Argentina’s alluring music through the magic of its most representative instruments: Guitar and Bandoneon (the accordion-like instrument preferred by the great Tanguero, Astor Piazzolla). Their Saturday, July 16 performance at Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (600 River St.) marks their U.S. debut. Argentine cuisine reception by La Sombra from 5:30-7:30 p.m. with two shows at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In collaboration with the Austin Chamber Music Center. www.austinclassical guitar.org

HARTMAN CONCERTS IN THE PARK SERIESSunday evenings in July (and through August 28) bring the Austin Symphony Concerts in the Park series to the plaza of the Long Center City Terrace. In its ninth summer season, the free concerts feature a different ensemble of the Austin Symphony beginning at 7:30 p.m., performing music from jazz and light classical to pops selections and film scores. July program has July 10 – Strings; July 17 – Brass; July 24 – Woodwinds; and July 31 – Big Band. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner and blanket. www.austinsymphony.org

BOB DYLAN WATCHING THE RIVER FLOW

Professor Christopher Ricks, arguably the most distinguished literary critic of our time, said it best in claiming Dylan the greatest living user of the English language. The artist of the age makes his third straight summer stop in the area on Sunday, July 24, at New Braunfels’ Whitewater Amphitheater. The theater asserts it’s the only venue bordered on two sides by a year-round creek with one of the most scenic backdrops of any stage in Texas. Doors at 7 p.m. with opening act, the legendary Leon Russell. Buy tickets at www.whitewaterrocks.com

Off Beat

I moved to Austin five years ago from Washington DC. I loaded up my run-down 1994 Saturn with everything it would hold, including a futon strapped to the top, and drove three days across the Appalachian Mountains—a bad idea in a car that run down, chugging up mountains at 25 mph—across the Mississippi and into Texas. I had never visited Austin before. As I flipped the page of my Rand McNally Road Atlas from Arkansas to Texas—this seems retro now but five years ago no one had a smart phone—I gasped in disbelief: Austin was less than half the size of Dallas or Houston. I was heading to a small town.

I was so excited when I accepted the Graduate Assistantship to study ethnomusicology at U.T. and work on the Latin American Music Review that I hadn’t thought to learn much about Austin. I’d only heard good things from people I knew who’d visited, and I assumed that any big city would have more or less the same to offer. For the first year I struggled with the city’s motto / tourist slogan: “Austin, the live music capital of the world.” Sure, there was plenty of live music, as long as you like indie and blues rock. Not what I was used to in DC. And just because there’s a lot of music, that doesn’t always mean it’s good music.

Thankfully, it turns out that my first impressions about Austin were wrong. While there’s generic blues rock on every corner to be sure, there’s also an interesting and diverse music scene that tourists and newcomers aren’t likely to discover. That’s what I want to talk about in this column, the non-blues, non-rock music that is usually totally left out of Austin’s public persona. And as for Austin being a small town, that’s become one of my favorite things about living here. It’s rare to go out and not bump into someone you know, whether your running to the H.E.B. or going to see some live music. I like that a lot. After five years, I’m happy to be here, and I don’t plan on leaving any time soon.

I finished my degree at U.T. this May. Having a Ph.D. has several disadvantages. First, anytime I do something clumsy or stupid, someone is sure to remind me that I’m not as smart as the degree implies. Second, as an ethnomusicologist, people assume I know everything about music, or pretty well near it. I promise you, you know way more about your favorite band than I do. So what do I know? I know how to play the accordion, more or less. But as much as I love my Tejano and Norteño accordion greats, along with some Brazilian ones too, I don’t know the trivia—where they were born, who played bass on the second album before the lead singer broke up with his third wife, and so on. What I love about my diatonic button accordion is how little sense it makes when you play a major scale, on the contrary, and how much sense it makes when you play a classic ranchera melody in thirds. The music and the instrument are co-dependent—it’s beautiful. Also, I know how to write about music.

When I listen to music, I like to listen to live music. I like to figure out how it works, which parts come from where and how they fit together. And my favorite way to figure all this out is by dancing. So in this column, I plan to feature local, live Latin musicians and venues, mostly, with a little out-of-town and non-Latin stuff sprinkled in. I’ll also focus on music you can dance to. I don’t like the term “Latin” but it’s convenient in talking about the truly diverse body of music from Latin America and from descendents of Latin Americans that I want to cover. For whatever reason, Latin American musicians have been some of the most adventurous in picking and choosing from music styles the world over and combining them in really interesting, intelligent, and danceable ways. I hope you enjoy the column and come back for more, and I hope to see you out and about soon!

By Melanie Morgan

CITY THEATRE’S 4th ANNUAL ‘SUMMER ACTS!’

The City Theatre is one of Austin’s hubs of entertainment, art and performance and its summer festival, which runs from July 7-17, has grown to involve six companies performing thirty-six shows in eleven days. A world class performing arts venue established in 2006 for Austin directors, designers and performers, Summer Acts! promises to be a singular annual experience with new works, original musicals, theatre on the edge, award-winning dramas and original comedy projects. All shows will be staged at City Theatre, 3823 Airport Blvd., Suite D, on the east corner of Airport Blvd. and 38th Street. Find the complete list of participating shows, schedules, and ticket prices at www.citytheatreaustin.org.

Participating Companies and Performance Schedule:

“Chanteuse” - Austin Civic Players Two young women, Johanna and Darcy, audition as folk singers in Greenwich Village, 1959. They meet up with Sidney Feldman, a former blacklisted comic. Through music and song, Chanteuse follows their careers and relationships as they learn what it means to be artists. FR8@9,

SA9@4,SU10@2, FR15@9, SA16@10, SU17@6

“Captured Rainbow”- RpT Productions Outwardly successful business man and head of his own international consulting firm, RpT wishes for something more. As a frustrated composer, and sometimes performer, he writes songs about the people he meets, his life experiences, loves and losses, and explores his own sense of being through his songs. After all these years, he still dreams of being able to make a living with his music. TH7@9, SA9@10, SU10@4, MO11@9, FR15@7, SA16@4

“Everybody Dies on Burleson Street” - Alex Garza This original solo adaption written by Alex Garza takes the form of an a cappella rock musical and tells the story of six very different people and how their lives intertwine and spiral downward in a bar on a Corpus Christi beach. SA9@8, SU10@12, MO11@7, WE13@9, SA16@6, SU17@2

“Tea in Tripoli” - Austin Phoenix Productions/Bernadette Nason Between the Mediterranean and the Sahara, in a land of sun-drenched beaches, swaying palms and crumbling Italian villas, lived a naïve Englishwoman. In an unusual blend of storytelling and stand up, actress/storyteller Bernadette Nason shares life in Libya, circa 1984: from home-made booze and crazy expatriates to confrontations with the Morality Police. TH7@7, SU10@8, TU12@7, TH14@9, SA16@8, SU17@12

“I Saw Fire: The Story of Cowboy Chris” - Freddy Carnes Productions This is a Texas Tall Tale in the vein of “Pecos Bill,” where a young Cowboy Chris loses his pa and sister in a fire and is raised by wolves. He soon meets up with his best friend, his horse Old Paint, and after an exciting and entertaining journey, he is reunited with the family he loves. SA9@12, SA9@2, TH14@7, SA16@12, SA16@2, SU17@8

“A Christmas Without Pawning or Plasma” - No Grey Productions It’s Christmas for a poor college couple living in a garage apartment. They are jobless and live off of student loan refunds and credit cards. Although they have bought presents for their family, they find themselves using or selling their gifts. FR8@7, SA9@6, SU10@6, TU12@9, WE13@7, SU17@4


Tengo Hambre

Now that the 100-degree weather has arrived in Austin, and will stay here for some time, iced tea is essential to daily life. Like iced water, iced tea keeps you cool on these burning days and, like air conditioning, it’s almost impossible to comprehend how people ever got along without it.

If you’re older than 30, and grew up in the US, you probably remember the days when iced tea – or hot tea for that matter – meant “Lipton” tea. In the late 19th century, Lipton tea came to America from Scotland, with its orange pekoe, a medium grade black tea and quickly dominated the market. Although Lipton now sells different varieties of tea, Lipton’s traditional tea is still the flavor of summer iced.

But that’s changing. Now the choices for the “house wine of the south” extend far beyond sweetened and unsweetened. From iced Lipton tea with a squeeze of lemon to fermented Kumbacha, the world of tea is exploding with flavor over ice.

So what other kinds of tea make a good iced tea? “We recommend almost all of our teas for hot or iced tea,” says Jonathan Sims, owner of Tea Embassy.

Tea Embassy offers over 200 varieties of specialty, premium teas. Whether through daily tastings in their storefront or the information-packed website, Sims and his “Tea Ambassadors” are on a diplomatic mission to educate Austinites about the world of tea, including iced teas. Although Team Embassy doesn’t have food service or iced tea in the storefront, they do offer daily tastings at the store where customers can learn more about teas and find their favorite flavors.

Tea Embassy also has a wealth of information about tea on its website, www.teaembassy.com. It’s fascinating to learn about the processes, varieties and regions that make each tea unique. (By the way, did you know that all tea comes from the same plant, camellia sinensis?) The differences among teas

come from how they’re processed. And what most people call “herbal teas,” those caffeine free infusions of ginger or chamomile? Not technically “tea.” The website includes a blog with tips and suggestions from the tea ambassadors, and instructional videos, including “How to Make Iced Tea.”

Not only do the ambassadors want to educate you about how to make iced tea, but they have developed tea blends to suit the Austin palate. Clarksville Cordial is an organic Indian black tea that is spiced with ginger, orange and peach. If you’re looking for something without caffeine, Austin Ambrosia is a fruity herbal tea that is a “blend of blueberries, cherries,

organic honey bush, organic hibiscus, organic schizandra berries, orange peel, cranberries and rosehips.” There’s a lot going on there, but it allows for a depth of flavor, instead of just hitting one note. In addition, Sims noted that his two kids, ages three and one, love the Blueberry Rooibos, sweetened with a little honey.

Although the website is informative or even inspirational, try to visit the Tea Embassy storefront located in the historic Campbell-Miller house in downtown Austin for a tasting. There’s nothing like sampling for yourself to discover what flavors move you. Oh yeah. Then put it over ice!

The House Wine of the South Has New FlavorBy Julia Lee

By Otis Lopez

Photo Jonathan Sims


AUSTINCELEBRATES

DIVERSITYiACT’s Simone Talma Flowers and her helpers at

World Refugee Day at the Bullock History Museum

Burma’s Michael Thang, Sam Then,Hung Len and Ram Chung at WRD

AMALA’s Ryan Jordan and Linda Freiheit with Global Youth leaders at WRD

Francois Sobekela, Lea Moutonga and family, refugees from the Congo, at WRD

Lubna Zeidan and Julia Maffei of iACT helped coordinate World Refugee Day

Burmese dancers entertained Austin residents and refugees

Attendance was up at the Juneteenth parade, where candy flowed. Mari Hernandez photo

Gopher Illustrated’s Michu Benaim and Lope Gutiérrez-Ruiz with Champion Gallery’s Sonia Dutton

Scholar-authors Harmony Eichsteadt, Melanie Morgan and Sidra Lawrence at Champion Gallery

Paul Del Bosque, Lacey Richter and Julia Lee at Gopher Illustrated party

The World of Undercover Mexican Girl Through Words | PLUM WRITINGBy Alexandra M. Landeros

To Bag or Not to Bag

For being such a progressive, liberal, and environmentally friendly city, I am surprised how few people in Austin take reusable shopping bags to the grocery store. Even at the farmers market, where shoppers don’t have a choice but to carry reusable bags (or baskets), they still wind up putting their vegetables in plastic produce bags. And if you have any Latin American blood in you – you, especially, have no excuse. Our forefathers and foremothers from the homeland have been ecologically conscious since the “mercados” first existed.

I’ve been using canvas bags to carry my groceries for the past four or five years. It’s a no-brainer. All you have to do is make it a habit to take them with you every time you go to the store, or stash a few in your car, just in case you forget. Even though I’ve managed to keep the larger, handled plastic bags at bay, the smaller produce bags – as well as the infamous Ziploc bags – still accumulate by the mounds at home.

Items like bananas and potatoes never get a plastic bag. Nature gave them their own built-in features to make transportation easy. But what about green beans? Or a pound of granola from the bulk bins? You can’t just throw those into your shopping basket, so you’re forced to take yet another produce bag off the roll.

After watching the documentary Bag It, released in 2010, it’s been at the front of my mind to buy the reusable mesh or light cotton produce bags to carry loose vegetables or bulk items such as rice, beans, and nuts. It turns out I can buy them locally at Eco-Wise on South Congress, an “Austin resource for non-toxic, recycled, alternative, earth and eco friendly, natural supplies for building and life.” If there isn’t a place near you, you can always find them online at www.ecobags.com or www.reuseit.com, or support the Bag It documentary project by purchasing them at www.bagitmovie.com.

In the meantime, you can do what I did. Rinse them out, hang them to dry, and give them a prolonged life before they inevitably wind up at the dump, and finally, in our oceans. Or instead of throwing them away, you have the following recycling options (via the City of Austin website):

• Many Austin retail grocers such as Central Market, H.E.B., Randalls, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods collect and recycle plastic bags. Look for the specially marked containers at these stores.

• Cycled Plastics in Austin is a public drop-off for plastic, including dry cleaner bags, newspaper sleeves and plastic bags that have had no food contact and have no labels or stickers on them. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 10200 McKalla Place.

• Many schools in Austin have organized plastic bag recycling projects. Check with a nearby school to see if you can drop off and support their efforts.

If you’re a creative type, you can make your own recycled plastic craft projects such as a throw rug, a beach bag, or a raincoat. The other day, I saw a man carrying a crocheted sack for his groceries at the farmers market – it was made out of plastic bags. Or maybe something a bit more artistic? Find inspiration by checking out the work of Austin-based artist, Virginia Fleck, who has been working exclusively with recycled plastic bags since 2002, creating site specific ecologically conscious art works. Recycling plastic is good, but re-using is even better.

And if possible, avoid plastic altogether. On top of being a threat to the environment, scientists are finding out that the chemicals used in making plastic are also threatening to our health. When in doubt about whether or not to use plastic, just think – what would my grandparents have done in their youth?


A box is four walls with a floor and a ceiling. You can flip it onto its different sides, mildly changing the orientation of the boundaries and temporarily blurring the definition of the sides, but a box it remains. There is symmetry and definition. There is absolute truth inside that box. There are infallible limits to the distance that can be traveled within those walls.

What happens when any one of the six barriers is removed? There is no longer anything holding the contents in. The memory of the previous paths taken would potentially direct the contents to continue on with its original flow out of habit, but there is now an option to escape. If the contents actually found their way over to the newly opened doorway and out, the patterning would be broken and the absolute truth no more. The contents in effect would no longer be “contents.” They would be free radicals spilling out and about, free to encompass, envelope and cover any surface and shape. Limitless, boundless and free. Radical…

You know where I’m heading with this.

Living or thinking outside of the box indicates an understanding and acceptance of what is actually inside the box. Inside the box there are clear paths and boundaries, limited options and experiences. Inside the box is a definition of what it means to be contents living within a specific set of walls. We are predisposed to desire a certain set of guidelines to follow, and it certainly makes for

a easier decision-making when your choices appear limited and restricted. Surely there is magic that can be made within those walls.

But no matter how much we may convince ourselves we are comfortable, we all can feel there is something outside those walls that may be better suited to provide or shed light on the seemingly missing pieces.

Without the clear definition of a certain system or set of walls, perhaps we wouldn’t actually be able to appreciate the wide open space that awaits outside. But without the removal of at least one of the walls, we are destined to just repeat the same patterns, calculate the same equations and arrive at the same conclusions.

There is a monstrous, wondrous, endless wealth of other conclusions to be made outside those walls and that great abyss is there for us to explore as needed and as desired. Let’s blow out some friggin’ walls!

By Blake Shanley

Caribbean PerspectiveMy new obsession is tap water. After watching the documentary “Tapped,” my life has changed. The documentary taught me all about the atrocities that the bottled water industry has been perpetrating across the U.S.

Living in a state like Texas, where water is such an important topic, why would you promote an industry that’s part of the problem? The bottled water industry is not only altering the water supplies, it’s also taking an important role in generating trash. Let me give you an example. If you drink 4 bottles of water per day and you don’t recycle them, you are responsible for 28 plastic bottles of garbage each week. Now, multiple those four bottles by 365 days in a year and you will be contributing 1,460 plastic bottles annually to our landfills. After acknowledging this, I started paying more attention to people’s behavior. I’m taking a summer class and I’m glad to report that I have been seeing more reusable bottles than disposable ones. Sadly, I can’t say the same about people in supermarkets or restaurants.

There is no doubt in my mind that Austin is an eco-conscious city, but we still have a lot to do in order to change our habits. I’ve made some personal changes. First, I have a pitcher with a water filter, so I’ve stopped buying bottled water. Also, because of my concerns about Bisphenol-A (BPA), which according

to the Food and Drug Administration “is a chemical used in certain food contact materials” that can adversely affect our health, I have bought a reusable bottle that’s BPA free. Last but not least, I made a habit of filling up my bottle before leaving the house even when I’m just going to the grocery store. Of course, sometimes I run out of water because I drink a lot and those are the times when I think: “Oh, let me buy a bottle. I mean it’s just one.” But I never do it. What do I do instead? I find a water fountain and refill my bottle. Now my husband is doing it as well. These are simple things that we can do to stay hydrated while simultaneously taking good care of our planet. I hope you join me.

Remember to follow me on twitter@yadiraizquierdo or go to:http://ireallyreallymeanit.blogspot.com.

By Yadira Izquierdo

Frame of Reference

C A S A O F T R AV I S C O U N T Y, I N C .

A child’s future depends on a voice

from your community.

Use your voice. Become a CASA volunteer.

www.casatravis.org512.459.2272

TODO Austin July 2011

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Transcript of TODO Austin July 2011