Join us for a 5th birthday and a little more

Date: Monday, January 18, 2010 @ 7 p.m.



Featuring: Stephanie Diaz Reppen




Held at: Cafe Cedahlia, 1010 S. Western, Chicago, Il

Domingo Newsbytes

Last Sunday, we announced that we are adding a new feature to our site. A week in review of Latinas in news. If you see something in the news that is either about Latinas or impacts the Latina community send us the link to info@proyectolatina.com



Proyecto Latina has reasons to celebrate
-We kick-off our 5th year this Mon., Jan., 18th on Martin Luther King Day. Event details.
-We are happy to announce that we have received our first grant by the Fire This Time Fund.




Ericka Gutierrez co-owner of The 35th Street Cafe in McKinley Park has welcomed Proyecto Latina into her space in the past. We were thrilled to see a recent profile of her lovely establishment and how its quickly becoming a gathering place for her community in the Chicago Tribune.

More First appointments for Latinas The first two weeks of 2010 saw two more historic appointments: Carmen Milagros Ortiz becomes the first Latina to be sworn in Massachusetts and Eva Guzman becomes the first Latina to be appointed to the Texas Supreme court.

Why women need abortion rights a commentary that explores access to abortion for underage and poor women including the risky practice of self-induced abortions among Latina and immigrant women. This got us thinking about Stephanie Diaz Reppen's powerful audio essay.

Stephanie's Reprieve

Reprieve,9:12
Newly married and just starting to try for a baby, Stephanie Diaz Reppen reflects on a choice she made over ten years ago--it was the repreive of her 26th summer.

Stephanie, a Guatemalan-American writer/performer is the Proyecto Latina feature for January 2010. She will be reading an excerpt from her novel-in-progress, You Can't Call the Indians Maria Anymore. She will also premiere a new performance piece entitled Dichos, featuring the mesmerizing art of Bunraku puppetry, and starring "Abuelita." Get bio and event details here.

Front and Center: Ahora las Mujeres

Proyecto Latina, November 2009, Ivonne Canellada unveils her poetic side and Paloma Martinez-Cruz lets her musical side shine.


A couple of weeks back Francisco Aragon, director of Letras Latinas, invited a group of Latinas, "to think about the period 2000 – 2009 and write 300 words about a "poetry event" that impacted you in some special way—that is, in a positive way." Francisco explains, "I simply wanted to hear...a perspective that was missing in the Poetry Foundation roundup.

You can read my reflection, that includes the story behind the photos above, along with contributions from six other Latinas in Ahora las Mujeres, which proves we have plenty to share.

Latinas On The Move - Week In Review

Today we wanted to do a week in review of Latinas in news for you to enjoy with your Sunday morning coffee. We hope to make this a regular feature so if you see something in the news that is either about Latinas or impacts the Latina community send us the link to info@proyectolatina.com















Nancy Andrade dishes out tasty tamales and savvy business advice...check out The Chicago Tribune's full article.

















We are excited that poet Julia de Burgos is being honored by the U.S. post office with her own stamp so the next time you are mailing something out make sure you have your Burgos stamps. Check out Liternista!










We are also sad to hear of 37-year old song bird Lhasa passed away...a fitting tribute at the Canadian Globe and Mail.

The magic of the Three Kings

The magic of the the Three Kings has been a part of Liza Ann Acosta's life since she was a child. As an adult she still believes in The Three Kings and relives the magic of the holiday every January 6th by making a pilgrimage to her father's town, Juana Diaz in Puerto Rico, where a grand celebration takes place. Listen to her story below.

The magic of the Three Kings (11:50)

Dominizuelans: gearing-up to be comedy bosses

Watch out world Wendy Mateo and Lori Diaz, the masterminds of Tall Hispanic-Short Hispanic Productions, have grand plans, "Latina comedians...we want to be the boss of it and more." With roots in New York and Florida, the pair moved to Chicago and made their Windy City debut last summer as Dominizuelans, the pen name they coined when writing their show, People in the City--a production that has earned raving reviews and is up for a second run that will open on New Years eve and run through the end of February 2010.

Proyecto Latina correspondent, Ericka Sanchez, recently caught up with Wendy and Lori and talked about their work and creative process. Listen to that conversation below

Wendy & Lori 1: The path to doing what you love. (3:50)


Wendy & Lori 2: Creative Boundries: The risks of writing about friends and family...and yourself? (2:49)


Wendy & Lori 3: Smiling faces and cultural lessons (4:22)


Wendy & Lori 4: Future plans: a production company and a new play (5:05)


Interview and photo by Ericka Sanchez