When my husband and I visited Puerto Rico in late February nearly everyone we spoke to wanted to talk about the island’s potentially pivotal role in determining the next Democratic nominee for President. Puerto Rico’s primary will be held this Sunday, and according to news reports from the island, the excitement has only mounted since [...]
I was amused by Leticia Salais’ piece on “Saying ‘Adiós’ to Spanglish” in Newsweek (December 17, 2007), in part because it reflects how little so many people know about language and its centrality in human intercourse and development. I was also saddened by the article because it tells us much about dysphoria (alienation) and its [...]
These three little words bring up different feelings in me. Border makes me think about being imprisoned, marginalized, and disenfranchised. Frontera reminds me of the frontier untamed, not cultured, and uncouth. El otro lado, as we always called Nuevo Laredo, was connecting with family, and a continuation of my world. I use all three words [...]
After years of devoting my attention to the study of Latinos in the United States, there’s a single Spanish word that keeps coming to my mind: encuentro. At various levels, from politics to music, from cuisine to sports, Hispanic culture in general is the result of a series of serendipitous encounters that have taken place [...]
Welcome to "En mi opinión," a blog hosted by Ilan Stavans, Advisory Editor of The Latino American Experience, a full-text reference tool exploring the history and culture of U.S. Latinos.
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