Author: Joe Barrera
-
Memorial Day is for remembering the fallen | Joe Barrera
As we have heard many times, on Veterans’ Day, November 11, we honor the present and former soldiers who are still with us. On Memorial Day, we honor those who have departed this world and gone on to greater glories. I find myself wishing that my fellow citizens would slow down a bit on Memorial Day…
-
The War on Drugs — a trillion-dollar failure
In 1971 President Nixon declared war on drugs. This was the time of the counterculture with millions of young Americans turning to marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs to feel the “high” that so many wanted to feel. Soldiers returning from Vietnam, where many had sampled the potent dope known as Cambodian Red, created higher demand…
-
COLUMN: Christmas time past and present | Joe Barrera
In the nostalgia time that comes at the end of December every year I remember my past life and what that past means for me now. In this.town full of military veterans I think a lot about my Army life, the combat I saw in the Vietnam War, the long twisting road I have walked since…
-
There’s nothing ‘woke’ about Hispanic Heritage Month | Joe Barrera
We have just finished observing Hispanic Heritage Month. I’m looking forward to next year’s. It was a good observance, as it always is. Everybody had a good time. We forgot about the price of eggs, stopped worrying about tariffs, the government shutdown, and of course, boats blown out of the water. Hispanic Heritage Month is…
-
COLUMN: Do we all experience PTSD?
The explosions wake me up at night. I’m back in the war. I almost roll off the bed to lie on the floor. The enemy is at it again. Mortar rounds. Then a shriek, a blast as the 75mm recoilless rifle round lands close. I’m caught in the open, in between waking and dreaming. It…
-
COLUMN: Remembering Cesar Chavez — iconic organizer
March 31 is the birthday of Cesario Estrada Chavez, the Chicano labor union organizer who gained fame in the 1960s and ’70’s for his achievements in the farm fields of California and the five-year-long grape boycott. After service in the Navy, Cesar, with Dolores Huerta and other activists, created the United Farm Workers, the UFW,…
-
COLUMN: No need to fear DEI — it’s really a part of the American story
I teach American Ethnic Studies, an academic discipline which gave rise to the current bugaboo, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. DEI unfortunately is grossly misunderstood. Those three letters are enough to scare lots of people. Because it’s perceived as un-American and dangerous, the Donald Trump administration has banned DEI. The ban has made Trump even more…
-
COLUMN: What do we learn from a cross-cultural experience?
It’s time to accept that we are hopelessly multicultural. Too many powerful streams are flowing into the American ocean, each one bringing its own flavors into the cosmic mix. In spite of hostility to multiculturalism and the fear that accompanies it, we must be honest and admit that we enjoy drinking heady draughts out of…
-
COLUM: Cinco de Mayo embodies diversity, equity and inclusion
Another year has flown by and here we are again, celebrating the Mexican victory over the invading French army on May 5, 1862. Cinco de Mayo has devolved into a big party with Mexicans, Chicanos, Latinos and our Anglo friends staging alcoholic salutes to the memory of the valiant ragtag Mexican army that defeated some…
-
COLUMN: December is a special time for celebration
December is the time for many Mexican celebrations. Some may dismiss Mexican events as irrelevant north of the border. But the influence of 60 million U.S. Latinos, of whom 50 million are of Mexican origin, makes everything relevant. Latinos persistently retain our customs and traditions. And we want to share them with our friends and…