*First off, I don’t know where Quartz gets off on pronouncing something “official.” Second, they base their pronouncement on the fact that Kaine “competed with a number of ethnic Latino frontrunners” and speaks adequate Spanish on the stump. And third, it’s kinda ridiculous. I’m sure you all can come up with a worthy list of better “Latino point persons.” No disrespect towards Kaine, but Quartz lost all clues. VL
Hillary Clinton’s running mate, Virginia senator Tim Kaine, took the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia tonight (July 27), and his message was simple: “Somos américanos todos.”
Kaine broke into rapid-fire Spanish, showcasing his fluency while relaying the lessons he learned as a teacher with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras.
It caps off a week of Latino outreach for the Virginia senator, who competed with a number of ethnic Latino frontrunners for the role of Hillary Clinton’s running mate . . . READ MORE
In this bilingual collection of short vignettes, García remembers her family’s life as migrant workers in the 1970s. Every year, they packed their red, Ford pick-up and left McAllen, Texas. The children’s excitement soon waned during the long drive through Texas, but grew as they passed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and skyscrapers in Chicago. Finally, they arrived at their destination: the Ponderosa in Coloma, Michigan.
The family worked year in and year out for the same patrón, who allowed them to live in a house they called the Ponderosa, named for the big house in the TV show Bonanza. It was surrounded by fields full of fruits: an apple orchard lay to the east; a peach orchard was on the other side. There were strawberry patches, cherry trees and a grape vineyard.
García’s family worked long, back-breaking hours for a pittance, but they were together and their love for each other pulled them through. García was nine when her father found a full-time job in McAllen and their migrant life came to an end. “We missed the adventure of travel and sightseeing, but we didn’t miss the hard, back-breaking work.” Staying in one place allowed the kids to focus on school, ensuring that they never had to do that back-breaking work again. This is a heartfelt recollection of the life of migrant workers.
By Jake Flanagin, Quartz
