Wednesday, May 27, 2009

June Pride @ Proyecto Latina: Featuring Edith Bucio

What do riots, marches, and good old fashioned chisme have in common? This month's Proyecto Latina! Join us as we partner with the Chicago Dyke March to celebrate Pride Month, the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and a Latina community with room for all! Our June feature is the writer and dancer Edith Bucio, and our open mic puts a special emphasis on fighting back when you're being kept down (a la Stonewall Riots*).















Join us Monday, June 15th @ 7 p.m.
Held @ Radio Arte, 1401 W. 18th St.

Edith Bucio
received her B.A. degree in Fiction from Columbia College. Her poetry and prose depict a world that is very similar to what she herself has lived as an indigenous identified brown-queer-woman. She is currently NOT working on her first novel, to which you should pull both her ears for. But she is doing good work as a core member of Chicago Dyke March Collective, and the Mexcia dance group, Nahualli.

Proyecto Latina Provides a platform to showcase work by Latina writers, poets and performers. In it's fourth year, the reading series takes place the third Monday of every month, it includes a feature, an open mic and a a chisme box!

Chicago Dyke March Collective is a grassroots mobilization and celebration of dyke, queer, and transgender resilience. It is an anti-racist, anti-violent, volunteer-led, grassroots effort with a goal to bridge together communities across race, class, age, size, sex, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, culture, immigrant status, spirituality, and ability.

*Que es stonewall? The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against consistent police repression and a raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. They are frequently cited as the first instance in American history when gays and lesbians fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted homosexuals, and they have become the defining event that marked the start of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. It is also important to note the transgender community fought fiercely and Silvia Rivera, a Puerto Rican transgender woman is said to have thrown the first stone at the police.

Zulema Ortiz: a new brand of All American patriotism



















Proyecto Latina interviews Zulema Ortiz, the 2009 Young Visionary award recipient for the 2009 Sor Juana Achievement award. A 20 year-old college-student, Zulema patriotically refers to the only country she ever remembers living in as,“the land of opportunity, where anything is possible.” That's the attitude that Zulema adopted although she lacked the nine essential digits of a social security number, and found creative ways to finance college and pursue a higher education. She's paving the way towards her dreams and with confidence declares that, "the Dream Act will be passed."

Part I: Zulema Ortiz, 5:57






Part II: Zulema Ortiz, 5:26






Part III: Zulema Ortiz, 7:41






Links and resources:
Latinos Progresando
Big Picture High School, Back of the Yards, Chicago
Close Up
The Road Less Traveled
The Dream Act

Interview by Irasema Gonzalez

Monday, May 18, 2009

Josefina Lopez: Renaissance Latina says, create your opportunities and own your stories













"Never wait for anyone to give you an opportunity, make it happen for yourself ..."
--Josefina Lopez











During a recent visit to the windy city Josefina Lopez, author of Real Women Have Curves, and most recently the novel Hungry woman in Paris sits down to talk to Proyecto Latina co-producer Diana Pando.

Josefina Lopez talks to us about the decision to move to Paris, her latest novel and other upcoming projects. Josefina also advises Latinas on creating their own opportunities, handling rejection and ownership of our own stories.


Part I: Josefina Lopez, 6:06






Part II: Josefina Lopez, 6:08






Part III: Josefina Lopez, 5:18






More information on Josefina and her projects at josefinalopez.com

Interview by Diana Pando

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Alla-licious, Latino indie/rock never sounded so good














Proyecto Latina is a big fan of the Chicago based group Alla. And if you are familiar with their music and you ever tune into our Sunday afternoon show you will know that our show intro features a snippet of one of Alla's songs from their first CD Es Tiempo.

Proyecto Latina's music director, Yolanda Cardenas sat down with Alla earlier this month to talk about their music and uncovered some interesting stuff about the intensity and drive that moves them. The Mexican-American band and it’s unconventional and sophisticated sound is formed by: Lupe Martinez (vocalist/guitarist) and the Ledezma brothers, Jorge (producer/guitarist) and Angel (drums). Allá's debut album” Es Tiempo “ was produced by Jorge Ledezma over a four-year period, using no less than 8 studios. Most recently they released Digs, a new mini-album where the band pays tribute to a diverse list of artist and songs that helped bring their unique musical vision into focus.

Catch Alla with us this Saturday, May 16th, they will be performing an acoustic set at the National Museum of Mexican Art as part of the Sor Juana festival and the Letras, Palabras y Cantos event. Details below.


Part I: Alla, 5:56






Part II: Alla, 16:04






Part III: Alla, 12:39






Interview by Yolanda Cardenas













Discover Alla's sound here.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Dolores Huerta: Be full of yourself and take the credit for your work









This past March Dolores Huerta received the 2009 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Award for a Pioneer in Women’s Rights at the Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Awards. Dolores Huerta's life story revolves around activism, compassion and leadership. She is a leading advocate for the human rights of workers, immigrants and women. Proyecto Latina Co-producer, Diana Pando had the opportunity to speak to Dolores and she emerged from her interview with one very important message for young Latinas everwhere. Its regarding the si se puede slogan Dolores coined and a picture she didn't take: make sure you take credit for your accomplishments or someone else will do it .


Part I: Dolores Huerta, 5:56






Part II: Dolores Huerta, 9:54






Interview by Diana Pando

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Its still poetry month @ Proyecto Latina w/ Johanny Vázquez Paz


















We're taking poetic celebrations beyond poetry month and well into May when Proyecto Latina welcomes Chicago poet Johanny Vázquez Paz as our next feature. Spring is in the air and we are excited to have Johanny sharing her humor, wit, and work with us. Join us Monday, May 18th @ 7 p.m. Held at Radio Arte, 1401 W. 18th St. Free. As always open mic and chisme box will be ready for contributors.

Johanny Vázquez Paz was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She holds a Master of Arts in Hispanic Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Indiana State University. Her book Poemas callejeros / Streetwise Poems was recently published by Mayapple Press (Michigan, 2007). She co-edited the anthology Between the Heart and the Land / Entre el corazón y la tierra: Latina Poets in the Midwest (MARCH/Abrazo Press, 2001) and was included in the compilation Poetas sin tregua (Spain, 2006) of Puerto Rican poets from the 80's generation. Some of her poems appeared in the anthology Más allá de las fronteras (Ediciones Nuevo Espacio, New Jersey, 2004), and she was published in the collection Carpetas de Luz after winning the Voces Selectas 2000 poetry contest of Luz Bilingual Publishing. Johanny has been published in the literary magazines VOCES Journal (Univ. of California), El Centro Journal of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Hunter College, N.Y.), Beyond Borders (De Paul Univ.) and Yagrumal (Puerto Rico), among others. She has also participated in many poetry readings at universities in the Midwest, and is currently the emcee of the Guild Complex Bilingual Series’ Palabra Pura. She currently teaches Spanish at Harold Washington College in Chicago, IL The author invites everyone to her blog Tinta Derramada.

Radio: May Schedule & April Recap

Tune in on Sundays at 6 p.m. to the Proyecto Latina hour at Radio Arte, 90.5 FM. You can also listen online here, and all our interviews are archived at proyectolatina.org--look for the interview archive link on the right hand column of this page.

Our May schedule includes interviews with:
  • Dolores Huerta
  • Alla, Chicago's very own Chicano trio that includes Lupe Martinez on vocals and guitar.
  • Zulema Ortiz, Young Visionary for Sor Juana
  • Johanny Vazquez Paz, Chicago poet and Proyecto Latina feature for May.
  • Josefina Lopez, author of Hungry Woman in Paris and Real Women Have Curves.
  • Footage from the Celebrating Latina Creativity in Chicago panel at DePaul, that includes presentations by: Bibiana Suarez, Irasema Gonzalez, Tanya Saracho, and Coya Paz.
April 2009 was a busy and exciting month for us, in case you missed any of it: