history – Fake Flamenco

food, history, Indigenous Peoples, Nature, photography, The Americas

Before 1500: What Did Europeans Eat?

I guess it was turnips, wheat, barley, rye, eggs, onions and apples. Slight exaggeration perhaps, but the foods we often associate with Europe were developed elsewhere. What would Spanish and Italian food be without tomatoes? The foods the Native agricultural geniuses of the Americas shared with Europeans were worth more than any treasure. Check out […]

archeology, bilingual, En español, history, Indigenous Peoples, Nature

2500 Year Old Amazon Soil Technology

New archeological research along the Amazon River reveals the extent to which humans modified the landscape with sophisticated agricultural techniques. Such a large area is transformed as to make it invisible to the casual observer. According to scientific study using aerial LiDAR, over 1500 kilometers (900 mi) along the shores of this impressive river contain […]

bilingual, Chile, En español, history, Immigration, Spanish Culture and Language, The Americas

Who Was the Schindler of Bolivia?

A recently unearthed secret is that a tin baron in Bolivia paid for thousands of Jews’ transportation from Europe to South America during World War II. Although he saved the lives of 9000 to 22,000 Jews between 1938 and 1941, he was not generally known for his kindness. His reputation was solely as a harsh […]

history, Immigration, Mexico, photography, Spanish Culture and Language, The Americas

Day of the Dead 2022

In October, I’ve set out tombstones to honor the great men and women who passed every year (since 2004); the revolutionaries, the trailbreakers, those luminaries who changed the world. From lists of thousands, I choose a few exemplary souls. Courage, selflessness, fighting for freedom, equality and justice are qualities I admire. Emiliano Zapata gets a […]

bilingual, Chile, En español, history, Spanish Culture and Language

Stuck on Page 49

Sunday, thirteen million Chileans voted on the first new constitution since the dictatorship. The Constitutional Congress worked for a calendar year on the document. In Santiago, huge rallies filling long city streets three days before the plebiscite showed huge numbers in favor of “Apruebo,” I approve. By 8 pm on September 4, the votes were […]

bilingual, Chile, En español, history, Indigenous Peoples, Spanish Culture and Language, The Americas

New Chilean Constitution Vote Sunday September 4

For Chileans, the most important vote this year will be Sunday; to ratify or reject the new democratic Constitution. The 170+ page document carefully crafted over 12 months by the Constitutional Congress, guaranties rights to Chileans young and old, with and without resources, and to all ethnicities and genders. The Constitution specifically ensures the rights […]