A “Mestiza” Holiday Celebration

by Silvia Uribe

Being from Spanish descent, but born and raised in Mexico, I got the best of both worlds. On Christmas and New Year Eves we usually had a parade of Spanish and Mexican dishes. I could describe it as a "mestiza" season, if you know what I mean. My parents used to invite my aunts and uncles or "t’os" (my parents' close friends were considered my t’os as well) and their children, my "primos", between ten to twenty altogether. Everybody would sit in the living and dining areas, (in Latin America, when someone comes to one's home, he or she is immediately offered a seat; stand up gatherings are not common) forming quite animated chatting groups.

[The word "loud" does not properly describe our gatherings to their full extent. Everyone talking at the same time (the American rule of not interrupting, seems either unknown or irrelevant to my family), we use our hands to emphasize our words, and every now and then we role play whatever we're describing. The two cultures put together are quite a boisterous combination. However, the most outstanding characteristic, which I love, is that my family never refrains from laughing out loud, and at once. Whenever we gather at a public place, such as a restaurant, people would find us by following the outbursts of laughter, just as you would follow the hints to the end of a scavenger's hunt.]

On my Spanish traditional Christmas Eve, as we talked and laughed, finger food (asparagus dipped in a "secret" dip recipe, "jam—n serrano" (prosciutto), and cashews among other things) and chilled apple cider made their rounds. We had to watch ourselves in order to avoid reaching out as many times as we wanted, since the enticing smells of a full dinner were promising. Growing up, dinner meant 5 different homemade dishes, each served on its own plate (boy, am I glad I've simplified things!): a salad, a cream of "something", bacalao (cod fish), turkey with stuffing and mashed potatoes, and "flan" with golden brown caramel dripping from all its sides. After dinner, adults stayed at the table drinking coffee, and cognac, and talking politics, while children were taken to the bedrooms to sleep. Before leaving, every family would take their child with them, and some food to go.

One of my fondest memories is getting up the next morning to go find what "El Ni–o Dios" (baby Jesus) had left for us under the tree. Since it was pitch dark and I didn't know the time, I was always afraid that I would scare him away, interrupting the year long awaited delivery of presents. (Thank God he was always prompt, and my early bird bare little foot steps never crossed with his!)

As for my Mexican traditional Christmas day, one of my aunts on my mom's side of the family would have us for the "recalentado" (leftovers.) It was always a happy day. I got to eat "romeritos" with "mole" and tamales, yum! I got to see my other "primos" and we all got to play, and brag a little about the presents we got. Interestingly enough, neither one of my families exchanged presents, and my friends' families didn't either. I guess the gift buying frenzy was not the focus of Christmas in my childhood days (I kept the "present-less" tradition in my own family until my children started feeling depraved of the exchange fun, a few years after we came to live in Santa Barabara.)

The New Year was almost an "instant repetition" of Christmas Eve, except for the midnight bells and the grapes. We had dinner at home at 10 p.m. just in time to finish before 12 midnight. With each bell stroke, we ate one grape at a time. It was (and still is) a challenge to stuff more grapes in our mouths after the fifth one, but we had to keep going, no matter the giggling, the inflated cheeks, or the dripping through the corners of our mouths, otherwise our wishes for the New Year would not come true, they said. Once we managed to choke the grapes down, we raised our glasses and wished the best to everyone. The hugs and the games followed (throwing rice over our head for abundance, coming in and out of the house with suitcases to ensure copious traveling during the year, and using a broom to sweep the bad luck out the door) the music, the laughter and some tears here and there. We were determined to follow through on our resolutions, but the determination only lasted a couple of weeks. I guess things have not changed much in this regard! This was almost the end of the parties, except for Epiphany or "La Rosca de Reyes" on Jan 5th (which I will explain in due time.)

Many of us have similar memories in our hearts about celebrations and other life experiences. Here's a toast for the things we have in common, and may we use them to promote peace, and understanding in 2008.

Happy Holidays, and a great New Year to you!

Silvia Uribe is a freelance writer with a Latino perspective.

Cross-posted at Edhat.com

This Latina Wonders…

By Silvia Uribe.

As I was channel surfing in an impossible task of finding something interesting on TV, I saw an advertisement for the upcoming show “Celebrity Rehab”, in which we will all have the dubious pleasure of watching some “famous” people (although I’m not sure who all of them are) going through the pain and suffering of getting rid of their addictions. I also learned that some of them, not having the strength to refrain themselves from being doped, will be using “on the air”. Of course, the show will air during prime time.

I WANT TO PUKE! The simple idea seems to me not only depressing, but also immoral. I wonder what kind of society have we become that we allow the media to not only show this kind of human misery to our kids, but also to profit from it?

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I can’t stop wondering about the wall that is being built on our southern border. “Protective” walls are actually not a new idea. The idea has been put into practice a few times in the past. The oldest and most famous being, the wall of China built in 221 B.C. This magnificent wall (with over 4,000 miles) protected the newly formed empire from their enemies. If we think about it, we’ll see that it also isolated China from progress, at a huge cost to its people. More recently, the Berlin Wall (96 miles) was built in 1961 and it caused the same isolation and lack of progress, for that matter. Walls have been, slowly but surely, either physically or symbolically torn down.

Today, countries are coming together. Political, commercial, and financial ties are being promoted all over the world. Many believe that globalization is well on its way. Building a wall now seems not only a decrepit measure, but also a perilous one, considering past results. I wonder… the U.S. didn’t get the memo?

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It is hard to understand why, at this point in time, democrats are seriously thinking about Barrack Obama as a potential presidential candidate. Today our internal affairs are less than stable, and as soon as Bush leaves office, our country will have to face major problems such as financial (billions of dollars in debt), political (due to the present administration’s mistakes, cover-ups, and concessions), and social (immigration, health care, social security, just to name a few). Our nation’s international relations with several countries are tense, to say the least (especially with the Arab world), and our image in the rest of the globe is not even close to a decorous one.

Sure, Obama is nice, likable, and smart person. I was impressed with him when I saw him at the Democratic State Convention in San Diego. He is an awesome public speaker, and his campaign PR is amazing, but is this enough? Of course not! The cold fact is that he is not ripe enough. There is no way around it; he lacks the experience needed to lead this country, especially in light of the aforementioned difficulties. Just because Oprah supports his campaign (as she does books and other trivial items) doesn’t mean that we need to stop utilizing our analytical capacities. I wonder, how reality blind, and celebrity feverish can we afford to be at this juncture?

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This is a follow up to a previous article I wrote about DL’s for all Drivers. A few of my good Republican friends, always concerned about keeping me well informed, went out of their way to send me the articles about how, due to “public pressure”, the New York governor decided to back down on his decision to issue Drivers Licenses to undocumented immigrants. I can’t avoid wondering whether the pressure came from those citizens who don’t bother to vote? or from those who don’t know the REAL issues that our country faces? Or, could it be pure political pressure at its best, instead?

At some point it will have to happen, the question is how long is it going to take, and at what social price?

Silvia Uribe is a freelance writer with a Latino perspective.

Cross-posted at Edhat.com

Everything Needs To Be Perfect In Paradise!

by By Silvia Uribe

We, Santa Barbarans, have an attitude problem. Yes, we all do! Locals, implanted, Caucasian, Latino, old, young, Asian, and African American…we have collectively convinced each other and ourselves that we are not only deserving but entitled to all good things that life has to offer. Climate MUST be perfect! Anything over or below 70 degrees we perceive to be a personal attack; our news broadcast have a "storm watch" every time there's a drizzle, and a "wind advisory" when we can barely feel the wind blowing. We also have so many not for profit organizations that not even the most knowledgeable community members can agree on whether there are 500 or upward to 700. Our every possible need has been anticipated, and people are ready to help us at any given moment. We have glorious vistas that we take for granted, and many of us hardly ever get out to enjoy the beach, mountains, creeks, and sunsets, that people can only dream about in other places.

To prove my point, I have the perfect example. Not too long ago, I was speaking with an acquaintance who was complaining about how the ash from the recent fires made it impossible for her to go out to exercise those days, and how the hot climate due to the so called "inversion", made it difficult to keep her armpits dry (yuck!). As she was complaining about her perceived "problems", I was wondering, how self-absorbed can we get. If she had only thought about the 500,000 plus people who were displaced, according to the news, and who-knows-how many who had lost their homes, their pets, and all their possessions, she would have not dared complain.

When in fact there is a stronger breeze, we wear thick coats and gloves, and many people prefer to stay inside their homes. How can I say this? The fact that the breeze may blow stronger than usual, does not necessarily mean that it is colder. Distance is another complaint. If we have to travel more than 5 miles, we think that our destination is far, and thus we take into consideration the wear-and-tear of our cars, not to mention the gas expense. Planning a trip from Santa Barbara to Goleta, or vice versa? Forget it, too far! I ask myself, do we really need to have everything at our fingertips? Having lived in a big city, where a 1-hour trip is considered a fast and easy one, I am not able yet to echo that complaint. This brings me to the amount of traffic in Santa Barbara. When there are more than five cars waiting to go at any given stop light, we consider it heavy traffic! Oh, and yes, we are livid about bad drivers, as well. You know, people who do the California stop, who honk the horn, who do not respect the four way stop, who forget to use their blinkers, and cut in front of other cars; and about pedestrians, who don't know where to cross the streets. I've heard locals complain about (so many) tourists, about the downtown bar area (too much noise), and about Fiesta. (Ah, the horror! Too many drunk people, tourists, and noise combined. "Let's kill it!" some say, or at least, "Let's get out of town!").

Everything needs to be perfect in paradise!

The fact of the matter is that in order to be so, paradise needs to have a little bit of everything to please everyone. For instance, when I came to live here with my family (imported directly from one of the most populated cities in the world), I felt I needed to see more people than the too few neighbors visible on the streets in the Samarkand area, where we used to live. It felt too lonely for me and a little eerie too. That's how I started our tradition of going to State Street to sit outside the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to have coffee, people-watch, and talk to different people (a mosaic artist, a landlord, a county employee, a commercial writer, a parts technician, and a nurse), whom after ten plus years, we consider family.

So yes, we Santa Barbarans (born here or by adoption) might have an attitude problem. But who can blame us? Even the rich and famous, who could live anywhere, have joined us for the ride. In the end we're here all together; we are happy; we learn; and we are culturally richer because of each other.

There is no doubt. We live in Paradise!

Silvia Uribe is a freelance writer with a Latino perspective.

Cross-posted at Edhat.com

It Had To Be The Big Apple!

by By Silvia Uribe

A few days ago I went to bed with the appeasing notion that it is not only mine and a few other voices anymore. It’s now two cities in the US which seem to have come to the same conclusion. Recently, the cosmopolitan, advanced, diverse, New York City finally approved the issuance of Driver Licenses to undocumented immigrants. This is the kind of attitude and vision that sets the Big Apple apart from most other cities.

The way I see it, this is something that needs to happen everywhere and soon. Why? Let’s analyze it. First and foremost we need to clearly understand that having a driver’s license only means that one knows how to drive, that we are in reality, the person we claim to be, and it also provides our DOB plus our permanent residence address. That’s all! It does not mean absolutely anything more than that. As we know, a driver’s license, along with the title of the car, also gives us the opportunity to get car insurance (which is mandatory in the State of California.)

So far, so good I hope. We’re just talking about the facts of an identification document which confirms that we know how to operate a vehicle. Great!

Now, let’s pretend that we are peacefully driving on the beautiful Santa Barbara streets, and we have an accident; our vehicle is totaled and we end up going to the ER with (let’s not be dramatic) minor injuries. A few days later, when we look at the police report we are faced with several unsettling facts like the other car did not have insurance, the driver did not have a DL and that he or she possibly, gave a fake name. How do you like this case scenario? Maybe it has happened to you, and you know exactly how it feels. If not, I’m sure just thinking about it gives you the chills as it does to me. This is only one reason why every driver should have a license.

It seems like there’s no logical argument against it. It is what better protects everyone, and this is precisely the main responsibility that the government has. But there’s still opposition. Some argue that undocumented immigrants should not be able to obtain any legal document. Ok, this is like the pink elephant in the middle of the room! Not because they don’t have a DL they’re not going to drive, hello! What will continue to happen is that a number of people will still be unidentified, and unaccounted for. It seems like some sort of political agenda is cashing in on the fear that some already have of those undocumented. But even if it was true that undocumented immigrants are to be feared (forget altogether the wrongfulness of stereotyping), wouldn’t we really want to know who they are in order to be able to catch them as soon as they “make their first unlawful move”?

The reality is that the vast majority of documented and undocumented immigrants are here to work hard, which is not only beneficial to them and their families, but also to our country which has historically greatly profited from their labor. And yes, there are other practical reasons why they should have a DL. Without a legal ID people cannot only drive freely on our roads, but they cannot open a bank account, cash a check at a bank, or start a credit history. I have the distinct feeling that this injustice is not what our founding fathers had in mind when they chose to have the “liberty and justice for all” declaration in our Pledge of Allegiance.

Anyway, I will rest this political battle for now with the hope that one by one other cities in the U.S. (including our beautiful Santa Barbara) will soon come to reason, and give the green light to DL’s for ALL drivers.

In the meantime, I wish you ¡Buena suerte y hasta la próxima!

Silvia Uribe is a freelance writer with a Latino perspective.

Cross-posted at Edhat.com