escalona
Alejandro Escalona biography
Alejandro Escalona is the former editor of Hoy Chicago, the Tribune Company's Spanish- language daily, as well as ¡Exito!, a weekly publication of the Chicago …Read More
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Invitation from Beyonce and the Obamas has an asterisk
Dear Beyonce, I must admit I got a jolt seeing your email drop in my inbox. I usually receive emails from local politicos and community organizers as well as a couple of readers who call me nasty things. Once in a while I get an …Read More
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CTU should return to classrooms during negotiations
Marcela Martinez, a teacher at Seward Academy in the Back of the Yards neighborhood for 15 years, was at Monday’s rally in front of City Hall in support of the teachers strike. Martinez wore the red Chicago Teachers Union T-shirt and held a sign in …Read More
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The war on drugs isn’t working
When family members of the victims of the drug violence in Mexico marched Monday in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, the human cost of drug trafficking became painfully evident. Alfonso Moreno held up a sign with a photo of his son Alejandro, a computer engineer, who …Read More
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Alienating Latinos could cost Romney the election
Mitt Romney and the Republican Party have done everything in their power to alienate Latinos, blacks and women. The Republicans run the risk of losing the presidential election because they have become a party of extremists with no tolerance for a more diverse mainstream America. …
Son goes to college — bittersweet, but time of pride
I am going to miss you so much, Daniel. You don’t know it, but I began crying about a week ago just counting the days until we say goodbye, as you start your college life at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. For many parents, …
Mexicans abroad vote for reform
For six weeks, Mexico has been immersed in a dramatic legal probe to determine whether its July 1 presidential election was valid. Thousands of Mexicans have poured into the streets to protest an alleged massive electoral fraud that allowed Enrique Pena Nieto, the candidate of …
Young ‘Dreamers’ get chance to come out of the shadows
Undocumented youths known as “Dreamers” have come to a crucial moment in their decadelong efforts to be recognized for what they truly are: Americans. On Aug. 15, thousands of Dreamers are expected to begin the application process that will allow them to obtain a work …
Little Village neighbors plan Peace March
Last April, soon after the horrific murder of 6-year old Aliyah Shell, Eloisa Chavez and a small group of her Little Village neighbors decided to promote peace there. They created the White Ribbon Project to organize anti-violence activities while encouraging residents to be more involved …
Yes, evil kills, but guns kill more
For most of us, I suppose, evil came to mind immediately when we learn of the mass murder at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. That’s the word both President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney used. “Such violence, such evil, is senseless,” Obama said. The …
Become a citizen — and you can vote
I always have fond thoughts of Bastille Day, July 14, because it was on that date 30 years ago that I came to live in Chicago. That evening, my then girlfriend and I had gone to dinner at a Greek restaurant on Halsted Street and …
Hiring your folks, Joe, is never good
It’s time for Cook County assessor Joseph Berrios to do the right thing: fire his son and sister. Berrios won’t, but should, acknowledge that a public servant should not engage in such blatant nepotism. And it really shouldn’t come down to Cook County Board President …
Return to Mexican past is bad for U.S.
On Sunday, Mexicans will go to the polls to elect a new president and Congress. The election is critical to Mexico’s future, but important as well to the United States. Thousands of jobs in Illinois and across the country, for one, depend on political stability …
Emanuel’s immigrant vision good for all
Mayor Rahm Emanuel seems not to waste any opportunity to remind us that he wants Chicago to become “the most immigrant-friendly city in the world.” Notice that Emanuel says in the whole world — not just in the United States. He is even learning to …
Mexican narcotics a problem for Chicago
Everybody has long known that Chicago has a gang problem, but we’re just beginning to understand that we have a perfect storm brewing of street gangs with ties to the Mexican narcos. Just last week, the Chicago Police and federal agents announced more than a …
Places where Chicagoans can catch Euro Cup soccer
Forget for a while the economic crisis in Europe. It is soccer time there, and the best place to watch the month-long Euro Cup is right here in Chicago. Chicago is a city of immigrants who love soccer. Germans, Poles, Irish, Ukrainians, British, Greeks and …
My son stands tall in his wheelchair
I remember your proud smile: an immensely happy 11-year old boy enjoying the Home Run Derby during the All Star Game in Detriot. You wore the orange jersey of the National League and a Cubs hat. Sponsored by the Make a Wish Foundation, you and …
Carlos Fuentes embraced Chicago
Internationally acclaimed Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes loved The Drake. Every time he came to Chicago, Fuentes always stayed at the legendary hotel. In 1999, I met Fuentes for an interview there, where he came to a meeting room elegantly dressed. We talked briefly about Chicago’s …
English-speaking Latinos in spotlight
As a member of the Spanish-language media for years, I am familiar with the occasional demand to “speak English.” Well, in fact, the fastest-growing segment of the Latino population is doing precisely that. Media businesses are deploying the all-American strategy of reaching out to an …
A great museum grows in Pilsen
I still remember the flier announcing the creation of a museum dedicated to Mexican art in Chicago 30 years ago. But I never imagined that the museum promoted in the leaflet, with a P.O. box instead of an actual address, would become the prestigious National …
