que viva-september 2013

Indiana’s Premier Bilingual Magazine SEPTEMBER 2013

8

Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago, White Sox Rising Star Pitchers

Chicago White Sox andMajor League Baseball

Indiana is “Best in the MIdwest” for BusinessGovernor Mike Pence - Page 6

Que Viva! CelebratesHispanic Heritage Month

MIrror for hard work, teamwork and democracy

International Award bestowed upon nation’s longest serving Latino Judge and East Chicago, IN native:Hon. Lorenzo Arredondo - Page 28

SEPTEMBER 2013

Hispanic Heritage Month aims to recognize the contributions made by the Hispanic and Latino community to the United States and celebrate the community’s heritage and culture. The diversity of personal backgrounds and experiences in this edition showcases the richness and variety of our community. The Hispanic community has a multitude of facets that continues to impress and fascinate those of us in the business of “telling our story”. Que Viva! presents to you cover-age of many leaders in our community in this “Special Edition”.

We received permission from PBS to reproduce a very moving piece from our friend and nationally acclaimed author, Raul Ramos y Sanchez. He relates his personal account of visiting Cuba, his homeland, after over a half century in exile in the United States. His rendition of the experience will undoubtedly shed fresh light to many and will help explain the strength and impact of his novels.

We also make an attempt to bring to life the perspectives of two young men who happen to have fulfilled their dream of playing Major League Baseball. Who better to seek than our very own White Sox. Hector Santiago shares his story of growing up in Newark, NJ and overcoming the odds that both baseball and life presented. Jose Quintana, from Arjona, Colombia relates that from the tender age of 17 he was tapped on the shoulder to join the MLB. The story links their common, yet different, backgrounds that would eventually lead them to the same organization and to one common dream that is so similar to a multitude of young boys and men.

In our latest edition we reviewed a book that honored the memory of Mrs. Maria Arredondo for having given the gift of life to the most number of public servants in the history of the State of Indiana and ultimately earned her Indiana’s “Sagamore of the Wabash” award. The timing for such review was perfect as we proudly applaud the Honor-able Lorenzo Arredondo and congratulate him on receipt of Mexico’s highest award to a non-Mexican Citizen for fostering the well being of Mexican Citizens living abroad. On September 3rd, Judge Lorenzo Arredondo received Mexico’s” Ohtli Award” in Denver, CO.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month also means honoring the strong relationships we as community leaders have forged with our State and National Leaders. In this edition we highlight the initiatives that Indiana’s Governor Pence is continuing to promote both at the State and International level. Ultimately, economic success and the appropriate infrastructure to support it will benefit all communities.

Pragmatic thinking and efficiency have been at the forefront of Attorney Roy Dominguez approach to life. He contributed a thought provoking and incisive piece bringing to light why some issues simply take care of themselves. His perspective brings to light how Adam Smith’s conceived “Invisible Hand” metaphor relates to the self regulat-ing marketplace behaviors that at times negate the need for legislation.

We celebrate a special month with you, our readers and friends. We thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts with us.

Que Viva! Magazine [email protected]/quevivaindiana

Que Viva! , LLC219-973-5488 / www.QueVivaIndiana.com The Que Viva! Team in Coordination with:

Guest Columnist Daniel O. (Danny) Lopez

Guest Columnist Jerry Davich

Guest Columnist Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Health Segment Contributor David Carrillo

SCIENCE CONTRIBUTOR Dr. David L. Cedeño

Art and Layout Director Domi Edwards

COVER & Feature story photos 2013 Chicago White Sox/Ron Vesely

Sales/Ventas

[email protected]

Editorial & Submissions/Editorial y Presentaciones

[email protected]

Indiana’s Premier Bilingual Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2013

3Que Viva! Editorial

5Guest ColumnIndiana’s “Second Chance Law” - Jamal Smith

6Business SectionIndiana’s Great Story told by Governor Pence - Que Viva! Magazine Staff

14Legal Section/Cosas LegalesWhy “Only English Laws” are Unnecessary Legislation - Attorney Roy Dominguez

16Entrepreneurial SectionHow to teach your business to market itself - Michael Sobus, Ph.D.

27Community SectionJudge Arredondo receives Mexico’s Ohtli Award - Que Viva! Magazine Staff

32Culture SectionA Return to Cuba Thaws Cold War Fears - Author Raul Ramos y Sanchez

35On Becoming a FatherAlexis C. Madrigal

37Education SectionBack-to-School Bus Tour Heads to Border - Cameron Brenchley

19 feature articleWhite Sox Baseball - Two Rising Pitching Stars - Que Viva! Magazine Staff

Jamal L. Smith is the Executive Director for the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC).

19 feature articleWhite Sox Baseball - Two Rising Pitching Stars - Que Viva! Magazine Staff

Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed into law legislation last month that allows people arrested or con-victed of certain crimes to have those records expunged. The new law, House Enrolled Act 1482, went into effect on July 1, 2013 and provides a second chance to those convicted of certain nonviolent felony or misdemeanor charges in the state.

Under the new law, which is a revision of the “Second Chance Law” enacted by the 2012 Legislative Session, individuals who are convicted of misdemeanors or class D felonies can request to have their criminal records expunged (not just sealed) after five years (or eight years in the case of a class D felony).

Such a petition requires the individual to:

• Not have been charged with or committed other crimes

• Successfully complete their sen-tence

• Not have a pending or existing driver’s license suspension

• Pay a licensing fee

Those convicted of sexual and violent crimes, such as murder and manslaughter, are not eligible to have their records expunged. The release of expunged criminal records, other than law enforcement officials acting in their official capacity, is prohibited without a court order.

For Employers

A violation of the statue’s anti-discrimination provision under HEA 1482 is defined as a Class C infraction. For this reason, Indiana employers are encouraged to review their non-dis-crimination policies and employment applications to determine whether revisions are necessary to ensure compliance with the new law. For this reason, companies are urged to consult an employment law attorney for the appropriate language to place on an employment application.

It is critically important for Indiana employers to execute this change as soon as possible since the law is already in effect. If your organization employs individuals in Indiana, as well as other states that do not require the new ap-plication language, you may want to create multiple external employment applications.

For Ex-Offenders

If the person meets the statutory requirements, the court shall grant the petition for misdemeanor and D felony convictions. The law also allows for a person who was convinced of a more serious felony to petition the court. The law also allows for a person who was convicted of a more serious felony to petition the court. However, the decision to expunge more serious felonies is at the discretion of the court.

While you can complete a petition and file it on your own, lawmakers encourage individuals to seek legal advice, if not hire legal counsel, before filing. The reason for this recommen-dation is the strict guidelines involved

in properly filling out these petitions. Failure to fill out the petition properly can cause it to be tossed out of court. A petitioner may have to wait for at least three years before filing again. If the petitioner has multiple charges or arrests, not including each offense in the petition can cause it to be denied forever for expungement. Also impor-tant to note is that records can only be expunged once in a person’s lifetime.

Now while we at the Indiana Civil Rights Commission have no enforce-ment or direct oversight of this law, I did find it necessary to provide some clarification as it will likely affect a number of folks we work with.

This law provides ex-offenders a greater opportunity to find employ-ment. Multiple studies have found, and countless individuals statewide can attest, that having a criminal record severely limits getting a job. If an individual has demonstrated they have learned from their mistakes and gone through the necessary process (and waiting period) this law can truly provide a “second chance”.

As always, we are here to help. If you feel you have been the victim of discrimination call us at the Indiana Civil Rights Commission at (317) 232-2600 or visit: www.in.gov. If you or your organization would like training on the state’s civil rights laws please also feel free to contact us.

Examining Indiana’s Second Chance Lawby Jamal Smith, Indiana Civil Rights Commission

Governor Pence made a stop in Northwest Indiana and delivered some remarks at a recent Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors® (GNIAR) Annual Meeting in Merrillville, IN.

Prior to his stop in Merrillville he was in Michigan City, to honor the men and women who saved six year old Nathan Woessner from Sterling, IL on July 12, 2013 after being swallowed up by an eleven foot deep sand crater while at the beach. A total of 139 Hoosiers collectively dug for close to four hours to save Nathan. The boy’s father said to the Governor during the Michigan City celebration,

“This was everybody’s miracle.” When Nathan was pulled out from the sand he was taking a mere four breaths per minute and his body temperature was in the 80˚F range.

A continued path toward Indiana’s prosperity:

Pence continues on his path to tell the great news about Indiana. The State had the sixth highest manufacturing output in 2012 with $84.15 billion.

Indiana has added manufacturing jobs at one of the fastest rates in the nation over the past several years, with year-over-year growth in manufacturing at or above 3.7% at the end of each of the past three years. Some of this growth came from companies like Honda expanding their factories and adding thousands of jobs, which made headlines in 2011.

Recently, Chief Executive Magazine rated Indiana the “most business friendly State in the Midwest” and the 5th best in the United States. Indiana’s low tax policies have made it very attractive for companies to do business in Indiana and new enterprises to be established or to relocate to Indiana.

“A strong financial balance sheet rooted on fiscal integrity is the foundation to our economy”, said Pence “we have $2 billion in reserves and an expected surplus of $100 million per month over the next three years”.

Pence has focused heavily in reducing the cost of government by cutting red tape and by lowering taxes for families. His 5% tax cut across the board added up to $440 million in tax relief. The death tax is gone and when all is fully implemented Pence stated Indiana will be the lowest tax State in the country.

Given that a sound strategy requires a supporting infrastructure, he further added that $800 million will be spent on roads and bridges in addition to $200 million available for local governments to use for these same purposes.

The Governor recognizes there are challenges as it relates to the workforce and is why he continues to place significant effort in promoting for our youth to continue their education. The reality in Indiana is that there is still a disparity between what employers need and what a significant portion of the workforce can fulfill.

With this in mind his administration has formed Regional Work Councils in which employers will have the ability to contribute toward curriculum design and the schools can better prepare students toward career readiness

-- whether the trades or higher education. The benefit to the students is the ever important ability to uproot themselves on the basis of economic success and freedom.

Governor Pence tells IndIana’s Great story here and abroadQue viva! Indiana staff

Governor Mike Pence and First Lady Karen greet Tochigi Governor Tomikazu Fukuda and commemorate the 14-year sister-state relationship.

The regional work councils create a good mix between the schools and industry which will help the state create more jobs. His focus is to make this initiative a priority for every high school in the State of Indiana.

On the International front:

In his role as international ambassador for the State of Indiana, he was readying himself for a trip to Japan to visit Tochigi Governor Tomikazu Fukuda to continue to nurture the relationship with Japan. Indiana has almost 15 sister-city relationships with Japan, including a sister State-Prefecture relationship with the Prefecture of Tochigi. Provinces were converted into Prefectures in the 1870’s. The Governor highlighted the fact that there are 45,000 Hoosiers working for Japanese companies as part of daily life. He looks to further expand this relationship with Japan for the benefit of each country.

Gift giving is an important protocol when visiting

Japan and First Lady Karen Pence, brought coal mining hats from the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis to school children who participated in an art exchange program. Other gifts included a watercolor of the Statehouse painted by the First Lady herself and a scale model of the 2013 Dallara IndyCar with “A State That Works” detailing. This gift giving ritual included company executives and

government officials which helped explain queries and to share Indiana’s story.

Closing remarks and a challenge for Hoosiers:

The Governor closed off his presentation by challenging everyone to look for one person or one firm interested in looking at Indiana as a home for their new or existing business. He suggested they contact the Indiana Economic Development Council and reassured someone would be in contact with them quickly. That website is www.iedc.in.gov

Governor Mike Pence and First Lady Karen greet Tochigi Governor Tomikazu Fukuda and commemorate the 14-year sister-state relationship.

El Gobernador Pence visito el noroeste de Indiana e hizo algunas declaraciones durante la reunión anual de la Asociación de Compañías de Bienes Raíces del noroeste de Indiana

(GNIAR ) en Merrillville , IN.

Antes de su visita a Merrillville estuvo en Michigan City para darle honor a aquellos quien le salvaron la vida el reciente 12 de julio al niño Nathan Woessner de seis años de edad quien radica en Sterling, IL. Mientras el niño caminaba por la playa fue tragado por un cráter de arena con una profundidad de once pies. Un total de 139 Hoosiers excavaron por casi cuatro horas para salvar a Nathan . El padre del niño compartió con el Gobernador durante la celebración en Michi-gan City, “Este fue un milagro para todo mundo. “ Al ser extraído de la arena, Nathan tomaba sólo cuatro respiros por minuto y su cuerpo llegaría a una temperatura hipotérmica alrededor de 80 ˚ F .

Un camino hacia la prosperidad continua de Indiana :

El Gobernado sigue contando las buenas noticias acerca del estado de Indiana con gran entusiasmo. El Estado logro el sexto puesto a nivel nacional con respecto a la producción manufacturera en 2012 con $ 84.15 mil millones.

Indiana ha añadido puestos de trabajo en la industria manufacturera a uno de los niveles mas rápidos a nivel nacional en los últimos años. El creci-miento año a año en esta industria es igual o superior a 3.7 % al cierre de cada uno de los últimos tres años. Parte de esta crecimiento ha sido debido a compañías como Honda

la cual amplió sus fábricas y genero empleo para miles de

personas, todo lo cual fue noticia en 2011.

Recientemente, la revista Chief Executive clasifico a Indiana como el “Estado más atractivo para el negocio en el Medio Oeste “, y el quinto mejor en los Estados Unidos.

el Gobernador Pence comParte lobueno de IndIana aQuí y en el exterIorPor el Personal de Que viva !

¡QUE VIVA! | september 20138

Las políticas de bajos impuestos de Indiana ha logrado crear que las empresas nuevas o ya establecidas puedan crear raíces en Indiana.

“ Un sólido balance financiero anclado en la integridad fiscal es la base de nuestra economía”, dijo Pence “ tenemos $ 2 mil millones en reservas y se pronostica una cifra positiva de $100 millones por mes durante los próximos tres años. “

Pence se ha enfocado fuertemente hacia la reducción de los costos del gobierno al reducir la burocracia y a la

vez ha reducido los impuestos para las familias. La reducción de un 5% de impuestos en todos los ámbitos sumó a $ 440 mil-lones en impuestos recaudados del público . El impuesto de la muerte se ha eliminado y cuándo todas estas iniciativas hacia la reducción de impuestos apliquen totalmente, las tasas de impuestos en el Estado de Indiana serán las más bajas del país.

Dado que una buena estrate-gia requiere de una infraestruc-tura que la apoye, el gobernador agregó que más de $ 800 mil-lones se invertirán en carreteras y puentes. También otros $200 millones de dólares estarán disponibles para los gobiernos locales para utilizar hacia estos mismos fines .

El Gobernador reconoce que hay retos con respecto a la fuerza de trabajo y por eso continua impulsando un esfuerzo signifi-cativo tratando de incentivar a los jóvenes a que continúen con su educación. La realidad en Indiana es que hay todavía un desbalance entro lo que lo que los empleadores requieren y lo que una gran parte de la fuerza de trabajo puede cumplir .

Con esto en mente, su ad-ministración ha formado “Re-

gional Work Councils” (comités regionales de trabajo) que permiten que las empresas tengan un voto hacia el diseño curricular para que las escuelas sean más eficaces para preparar a los estudiantes, ya sea hacia los estudios

superiores o hacia carreras técnicas. El beneficio para los estudiantes es que cada vez podrán obtener mayor capacidad para llegar al éxito económico hacia una libertad financiera. Los “Regional Work Councils” se esmeran por crear un buen enlace como intermediarios entre la industria y las escuelas para que así la creación de empleos sea aun más amplia a través del Estado. El objetivo del gobernador es que esta iniciativa sea prioridad para todas las escuelas secundarias en el estado de Indiana.

En el ámbito internacional :

En su papel como embajador internacional para el estado de Indiana, Pence se preparaba para viajar al Japón para visitar al gobernador Tomikazu Fukuda de la Prefectura de Tochigi para seguir avanzando la relación con Japón.

El estado de Indiana cuenta con cerca de 15 relaciones de ciudades hermanas con Japón , incluyendo una relación de hermana - Estado y Prefectura de Tochigi. Las provincias se convirtieron en las prefecturas en la década de 1870 . El Gobernador reconoce que hay alrededor de 45,000 Hoosiers empleados por empresas japonesas. El gobernador tiene como objetivo el poder ampliar esta relación con Japón para el beneficio de cada país .

El brindar regalos es un protocolo significativo al visitar al Japón y la primera dama Karen Pence, le presentaría cascos de minería del carbón del Museo de los Niños de Indianápolis a los niños quienes habían participado en un programa de intercambio de arte años . Otros regalos incluirían una acuarela del capitolio pintado por la misma primera dama,. También se regalaría un modelo de un carro de carreras a escala, el Dallara IndyCar 2013 con la etiqueta “Un Estado que funciona “. Este ritual con respecto a los regalos se compartirían con ejecutivos del sector privado y público. Tales interacciones permitirían el poder compartir las historia de Indiana.

Palabras de clausura y un reto para los Hoosiers :

Al cerrar sus comentarios en la reunión en Merrillville, el gobernador presento un reto a todos. Le invito a cada uno de los miembros de la audiencia a que compartiera con empresarios nuevos o existentes a que consideren el estado de Indiana como base firme para establecerse o para mudar su negocio. Recomendó que se pongan en contacto con la oficina del Consejo de Desarrollo Económico de Indiana y aseguró que alguien se pondría en contacto con ellos rápidamente. Ese sitio web es www.iedc.in.gov

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First, let me encourage every-one to enjoy and celebrate Na-tional Hispanic Heritage Month. As Americans, we can respect and honor our fellow neighbors’ family heritage. The diversity of our citizenry has made us all a stronger nation. As I see it, we are God’s children.

Let’s review the “English Only” laws passed by several States and its overall effective-ness. In my opinion, such leg-islation is intended to inflame a political basis and is used for political purposes. Such legis-lation has not produced - new jobs, business investments nor reinvigorated the economy and certainly has not lowered taxes.

After all, many proponents want to ensure that foreigners don’t dominate the U.S. with speech other than English. Well,

our country has always had as its language as English. Never, never, has our country operated under any other language nor will it change.

Let’s consider those languages

that were of historical concern;

A) Native AmericansB) FrenchC) SpanishD) German

For various reasons, some felt that the above languages might replace the English language. Well, we all know its nonsense. However, the recent trend is to prevent the dissemination of government services in Spanish. Why, it is intended to procure political kudos and in other in-stances to associate such legisla-tion with the immigration issues.

As we all know, you can use your IPad, computer, smart phone and translate any language instantaneously. No problem, in fact many electronic devices may have voice translation, thus no legal or cost impediments. In most of the States that have enacted such laws it’s more of a formality than a substance. There are no “English Only Police” and thus far no arrests. Such legisla-tion doesn’t affect public safety nor individual due process rights.

Lastly, many proponents have subsided their fervor because of the recent political voting power by the Hispanic Community. Many candidates or governmen-tal leaders know such legislation only inflames the Latino Vote. Many State assemblies are un-interested in passing such laws because it is - Unnecessary!!

Roy Dominguez

Things Legal/Cosas Legales

Attorney at Law

Why “English Only Laws” are the unnecessary

legislation!

Attorney Roy Dominguez has a law practice in Merrillville, IN and is former Lake County, IN Sheriff.

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Wouldn’t it be great if our business would just market itself. No need for ads, flyers, promotions and websites, great referrals coming in regularly would do the trick just fine. But the reality often is quite different.Just yesterday I heard it again as I was interviewing the owner of a financial services firm. Referrals while critical to their business growth seem to come far too seldom. As an owner, you are left wondering why.And it is not because they don’t ask for referrals. As part of their customer service process each member of his team asks their clients to provide a referral.Lack of a continuing stream of strong referrals is a common problem for small business. However, in a recent survey of 800 small business owners more than 80% identified referrals as a highly effec-tive marketing tactic far outpacing the second place tactic, websites, by 30%.So it seems that we realize referrals are effective in growing our small busi-ness, but we are not getting nearly enough of them. No doubt merely asking for a referral just doesn’t cut it.Tony Hsieh founder of Zappos.com provided this perspective on obtaining referrals, “ For Zappos, part of delivering a great customer experience means developing personal and emotional connections, both with employees and customers. These are the types of connections people talk about with their friends and family.”In Delivering Happiness, Tony elaborates on the ways that his online shoe

company focused on delivering small surprising extras that made all the differ-ence in building personal and emotional connections with Zappos’ customers. Providing these unexpected extras is critical to building the WOW factor that people will talk about and share with their friends.What is the likely motivation of why your customers will refer others to your business? Nothing is more deflating than to learn that someone you referred had a terrible experience.In order to actually trigger a referral your customer will need to be comfortable

that you can and will deliver that same WOW experience to the person they refer to you. Your commitment to providing that WOW experience and a System in place to do so goes a long way to building the trust in your business that will motivate them to share it with their friends.Simply they will refer your business because of their WOW customer experience with you and the trust that has been developed that you will deliver a similar experience to their friend as well.

Now to get a constant stream of referrals from your customers you need also to keep on the top of their mind and remind them to refer. The best way to keep on the top of their mind is to share regularly the new initiatives that you are introducing to further build that WOW factor.

How to TeachYour Business

to Market ItselfBy Michael Sobus | Published: may 30, 2012

Dr. Michael Sobus is president of his own consulting company Next Level Business Development. For more ideas on referral generation and to get individual help visit

http://nextlevelbizdv.com/contact-us/¡QUE VIVA! | september 201316

Determination, Courage and TalentSantiago

and

Our celebration of Hispanic Heri-tage Month in sports brings us two professional baseball players. Hector Santiago and Jose Quintana. Both share Hispanic roots yet they come from worlds apart to converge in one world class city playing in the Major Leagues for the Chicago White Sox.

They are both early in their major league career and both equally as am-bitious. Hector Santiago was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. Quintana is from Arjona, Colombia not far from the major city of Barranquilla on the Caribbean Coast.

Both are left handed starting pitch-ers and have worked very closely with pitching coach Don Cooper who is

considered to be among the best in the business.

We relay their individual stories here based on the opportunity to speak with each separately.

By the time Hector was a sopho-more in high school he had his eyes set on the MLB and literally had a ball and a glove in his hand every free moment.

“I knew by that age that I wanted to be the best and I worked very hard at it” said Santiago “I ate, slept and breathed baseball every day and ended up being drafted right out of high school”.

Santiago decided against joining the MLB right out of high school opting to attend Okaloosa Community

College, now Northwest Florida State College, on a full four-year scholarship.

“The grades I had earned throughout high school were strong and I knew, from a career standpoint, that it was best to join the MLB from a college versus right out of high school” San-tiago smiled “I think this was one of the best decisions I made, to focus on my grades in high school and to wait to be drafted from college”

His performance in the field has been strong with an ERA of 3.44 though the end of August 2013. He has a variety of pitches including his most common, a four-seam fastball ranging in speed from 91–96 mph. His off-speed pitches include a curveball, a slider, a changeup, an occasional

Quintana

2013 Chicago White Sox/Ron Vesely

Determination, Courage and TalentSantiago

andQuintanacutter and sinker. He is also one of the few pitchers in recent years to throw a screwball. Lefties tend to only see fastballs and curveballs, while right-handers see mostly fastballs, changeups, and screwballs.[1]

This is his second season in the majors, and his command on the mound is strong. When comparing and contrasting the majors versus the minors he says it is night and day. “In the majors, each and every pitch has to be placed strategically because every one of the nine hitters you face has the ability to knock it out of the park” says Santiago “there is no time to even think about relaxing on that mound” His whole mantra is to maintain a focus and minimize mental mistakes

on the mound.

He credits his work ethic and focus in doing the right things to his having made it to the majors. By the same token, he stays grounded and fervently believes in giving back to the com-munity. He is involved sponsoring inner city teams in Chicago. There was a young woman who had lost her books, laptop and other supplies during the tornado that ripped through Moore, OK and Santiago stepped in to help so as to avoid her having to drop out of college. While at Spring training in Puerto Rico earlier this year when he heard of the shootings at Sandy Hook, he boarded a plane and graciously spent a few days helping and providing much needed support

for the kids and families. The people there embraced the genuine nature of his approach.

He recalls playing baseball from the ages of 12-15 and at times lack of resources such as umpires and uniforms were common. Some of the memories etched in his mind are wearing Hanes T-Shirts with “written” numbers. These challenges would not deter his indomitable spirit toward success. These experiences have kept him attuned to people and his willing-ness to help his fellow man is second nature. One of his long term goals is to start a foundation hoping to donate a baseball facility to the North Ward community of Newark, NJ where he grew up in order to help kids achieve

Que Viva! Magazine Staff

¡QUE VIVA! | september 2013 19

their dreams in spite of the difficult odds.

Jose Quintana, a leftie as well, was drafted by the New York Mets as a free agent at the age of 17. After he was released by the Mets he joined the New York Yankees as a free agent as well and spent 4 years there. During the 2011-2012 offseason he signed with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent and was assigned to the AA Birmingham Barons. On May 24, 2012 Quintana was promoted to AAA and due to a John Danks injury, Quintana would not play in the AAA as he was promoted to the Chicago White Sox on May 25, 2012. That same day he would achieve his first major league victory over the Cleveland Indians with a score of 9-3.

Quintana was born in Arjona, Co-lombia and at a very young age was brought to the coastal metropolis of Barranquilla, Colombia. He feels right at home in a global city like Chicago due to the variety of authentic worldly cuisines which is consistent with his native Barranquilla. He maintains a home in Barranquilla today.

The work Quintana has done with White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper has allowed him to learn a lot and this has permitted him to build a great professional and personal rapport. His performance has been stellar in Chicago and recognizes that there is great synergy derived between talent combined with the tools and profes-sional training. We later learned that Don Cooper is fluent in Spanish and it facilitates communication with players toward achieving success. “Don Cooper has been a great man, he has taught me quite a bit” said Quintana,

“he has shown a high degree of care

and shared a lot of his understand-ing of the game with me” Quintana shared that Cooper is well attuned to the transition players like him make to a new culture and expressed a lot of gratitude toward him.

Quintana’s numbers show that he is a consistent pitcher, even in short outings. The fact that he is only 24 years old and has produced so much in terms of strike outs speaks to the potential that he has toward achiev-ing great things in the majors. One example was on May 21, 2013 against the Red Sox. He was throwing a stellar game -- a no hitter into the seventh inning. On his 98th pitch, David Ortiz (Big Papi) hit a blooper into the outfield which was followed by two additional singles which wrapped up the the game for Quintana. During a more recent game on September 11, 2013, Quintana struck out six Detroit Tigers over seven innings and exited the game with an impressive 3.03 ERA over the prior five games.

Talent, determination and raw courage abounds with both of these professional players. The odds of playing for Major League Baseball are ever so slim for anyone, whether born in the US or anywhere else.

In spite of such odds, the dream stayed alive and well in both Santiago and Quintana. Now in their early to mid-twenties, both have overcome their individual challenges to make it to the big leagues and they are commended and applauded as they continue on their career. Each has traveled their individual pathway and have been gracious enough to share their thoughts with us.

It has been suggested by people who have studied baseball, that the sport is a sort of mirror by which values, power, politics, fashion, class, economics, and race may be viewed in microcosm. Others have described the sport as a force for passing along such essential values as hard work, social mobility, democracy, and teamwork.

Baseball is, in a sense, an instru-ment borne from a meritocratic system whereby those who perform are rewarded. Performance is nur-tured through coaching, tools, and a keen eye for talent. The probability of making it to the majors, as slim as it is, still represents every aspect of the American dream. The positive can-do attitude that “if there is a will there is a way”.

The structure that was built in the 19th century, enshrined in Coo-perstown and revered throughout the nation continues to bring a sparkle in young boy’s eyes. That sparkle is the nectar that is difficult to define and even more difficult to describe. That nectar can only be lived by experienc-ing the crack of the bat, or the cheer of the crowd every October on those crisp autumn evenings when the best in the world come out to compete.

We salute the Chicago White Sox for their spirit of diversity and inclu-sion, and congratulate Jose Quintana and Hector Santiago wishing them endless success and fortune.

(1) “Brooks Baseball · Home of the PitchFX Tool - Player Card: Hector Santiago”. Brooks Baseball. Retrieved 19 June 2012.


Nuestra celebración del Mes de la Herencia Hispana en el ambito deportivo nos lleva a dos jugadores profesionales del béisbol . Héctor Santiago y José Quintana . Ambos comparten raíces hispanas, provi-enen de mundos distantes y diferentes

entre si,mas sin embargo encontrados en una ciudad de clase mundial al jugar para las Grandes Ligas con los Medias Blancas de Chicago.

Ambos están al principio de su carrera

en las ligas mayores y los comparten una gran ambición hacia el éxito. Héctor San-tiago nació y se crió en Newark, Nueva Jersey. Quintana es de Arjona, Colombia no muy lejos de la gran ciudad de Bar-ranquilla , en la costa del Caribe .

Por el Personal de ¡Que vIva! IndIana

Determinación, Talento y ValorSantiago y Quintana


Ambos son lanzadores abridores zurdos y han trabajado muy de cerca con el coach de lanzar Don Cooper a quien se le reconoce como el mejor de los mejores en el beisbol profesional.

Resaltamos aquí sus antecedentes individuales ya que tuvimos el honor y la oportunidad de conversar con cada uno de ellos individualmente.

Cuando Héctor estaba en su segundo año de la escuela secundaria tenía sus ojos puestos en la MLB y, literalmente, tenía una pelota y un guante en la mano cada momento libre . “Yo sabía a esa edad que yo quería ser el mejor y me he desalmado para lograrlo “, dijo Santiago “ yo comía, dormía y respiraba béisbol todos los días y en base a eso el MLB ofreció reclutarme directamente al terminar la secundaria”

Santiago decidió no unirse a la MLB después de terminar la escuela secundaria y opto por integrarse a Okaloosa Com-munity College, ahora Northwest Florida State College, con una beca completa de cuatro años . “ Las calificaciones que yo logre en la secundaria fueron suficiente-mente fuertes y supe , desde un punto de

vista profesional, que seria mejor unirme a la MLB de la universidad en vez de la secundaria “ Santiago sonrió al comentar,

“Creo que esta fue una de las mejores de-cisiones he hecho , el enfocarme en mis estudios y luego ser reclutado desde la universidad “

Su actuación en el campo ha sido fuerte, con una efectividad de 3.44 hasta el final de agosto de 2013. Él tiene una gran variedad en su lanzamiento, incluyendo el más común , una bola rápida de cuatro costuras que van en la velocidad de 91 a 96 mph . Sus lanzamientos aparte de la bola rápida incluyen la curva , un control deslizante , un “change up”, un cortador de vez en cuando y el plomo . También es uno de los pocos lanzadores en los últimos años para lanzar el “screwball”. Los zurdos tienden a ver sólo rectas y bolas curvas , mientras que los diestros ven más rectas , “changeups” y “screwballs” . [ 1 ]

Esta es su segunda temporada en las Grandes Ligas , y su dominio en la loma es fuerte. Al comparar y contrastar las grandes ligas con las ligas menores, dice el que es tan diferente como de la noche a la mañana. “En las grandes ligas, cada pelota requiere una colocación estratégica,

porque cada uno de esos nueve bateadores que se enfrentan tienen la capacidad de botarla fuera del parque”, dice Santiago “ no se puede ni pensar en relajarse en la loma” su mantra es el mantener un enfoque y minimizar los errores mentales en al pichear desde la loma .

Él acredita su ética de trabajo y su enfoque como la base que le permitieron llegar a las Grandes Ligas. Son estos atribu-tos que lo mantienen con los pies bien puestos sobre la tierra y creer ferviente-mente en ayudar a la comunidad. El está bien involucrado en patrocinar equipos de áreas urbanas dentro de la ciudad de Chicago. Un ejemplo que habla de su entrega a su comunidad fue cuando,una mujer joven que había perdido sus libros, laptop y otros equipos durante el tornado que arrasó Moore , OK. Santiago desin-teresadamente intervino para ayudarla a fin de evitar que tuviera que abandonar la universidad .

En pleno entrenamiento de primavera en Puerto Rico a principios de este año al enterarse de los tiroteos en Sandy Hook, abordó un avión y gentilmente pasó unos días ayudando y proporcionando todo el apoyo necesario para los niños y las familias. La gente de allí aprecio y valoro su forma gentil y generosa de ser.


Al recordar sus experiencias del béisbol entre las edades de 12 a 15 años, cuenta que a veces la falta de recursos financieros para ocupar árbitros o adquirir uniformes era común. Tiene grabado en su mente las veces que tenian que vestir camiseta Hanes con los números “escritos con plumón “.

Estos retos no impedieronn que su espíritu indomable lograra el éxito y tales experiencias lo han mantenido en sintonía con la gente y su voluntad de ayudar a sus semejantes sin tener que pensarlo. Uno de sus sueños a largo plazo es el crear una fundación con la esperanza de donar un centro de béisbol a la comunidad “North Ward” para que los niños puedan lograr sus sueños a pesar de sus dificiles circun-stancias..

José Quintana, también un zurdo , fue seleccionado por los Mets de Nueva York como agente libre a la edad de 17 años. Después de ser liberado por los Mets se unió a los Yankees de Nueva York como agente libre también y jugó con ellos por

4 años . Durante la temporada 2011-2012 firmó con los Medias Blancas de Chicago como agente libre y fue asignado a los Birmingham Barons AA. El 24 de mayo del 2012 Quintana fue ascendido a AAA y debido a una lesión de John Danks , Quintana no jugaría en la AAA ya que fue ascendido a los Medias Blancas de Chicago el 25 de mayo de 2012. Ese mismo día lograria su primera victoria en las grandes ligas contra los Indios de Cleveland con un marcador de 9-3.

Quintana nació en Arjona, Colombia y a muy temprana edad fue llevado a la metrópolis de Barranquilla , Colombia . El dice que se siente como estar en casa en una gran ciudad como Chicago debido en gran parte a la variedad de los platillos auténticos que sirven del todo el mundo y entre ellos los de su ciudad natal de Barranquilla que, asombrosamente, los hacen muy parecidos. Hoy en dia, aun mantiene una casa en Barranquilla.

Quintana reconoce que ha aprendido

mucho del coach de lanzamiento de los Medias Blancas, Don Cooper. La relacion profesional y personal de ambos le ha permitido desempeñar unas actuaciones estelares con los Media Blancas. Quintana tambien reconoce que existe una gran sinergia entre la instrucción y las her-ramientas para un desarrollo y formación profesional. Mas tarde, nos pudimos dar cuenta que Don Cooper hablaba muy bien el español el cual ha facilitado la comunicación con los jugadores hacia el logro de sus éxitos. “ Don Cooper es un gran hombre , me ha enseñado bastante”, dijo Quintana, “ el ha sido muy atento y me ha agarrado mucho cariño. Ha compartido mucho conmigo acerca de variadas situa-ciones que se presentan en el juego por lo cual estoy muy agradecido” Quintana compartió que Cooper convive muy bien con los jugadores; una importante, el como hacer la transición hacia a un pais nuevo.

Los números de Quintana muestran que él es un lanzador consistente, incluso en salidas cortas . El hecho de tiene aun solo 24 años y ha producido tanto en


términos de ponches habla del potencial que tiene por lograr un enorme éxito en las grandes ligas . Un ejemplo fue el 21 de mayo 2013 contra los Medias Rojas . Él estaba lanzando un juego estelar - un juego sin hits hasta la séptima entrada . Al lanzar la pelota numero 98 de su juego, David Ortiz (El Big Papi ) alcanzó un pequeño golpe hacia el jardín al que le siguieron otros dos sencillos adiciona-les para terminarle el juego a Quintana . Durante un partido más reciente el 11 de septiembre de 2013, Quintana ponchó a seis Tigres de Detroit durante una salida de siete entradas y salió del partido con un impresionante 3.03 ERA en los cinco partidos anteriores.

El talento , la determinación y el valor, profundamente, abundan en estos dos jugadores profesionales. Si aun es bien cierto que la probabilidad de llegar a las Ligas Mayores del Béisbol es sumamente baja para cualquier jugador de ste pais, mas aun lo es para los jugadores venidos del extranjero.

A pesar de un sin fin de dificultades, los sueños de Santiago y Quintana jamás se derrumbaron. Ahora, a una edad de veinte y pico de años, ambos han superado los retos necesarios para llegar a las grandes ligas y mientras continúan en el avance de su carrera se les da gran aplauso y elogio. A peaser que cada uno de ellos estan aun es su recorrido por acabar su temporada, han tenido la amabilidad de compartir sus opiniones y emociones con nosotros .

Se ha sugerido por aquellos que han estudiado el béisbol a nivel de profun-

didad, que el deporte es una especie de espejo por el cual los valores , el poder , la política, la moda , la clase economica y las relaciones entre las razas se ven a nivel de microcosmos. Otros han descrito este deporte como una avenida por la cual se comunican los valores esenciales como el trabajo arduo , la movilidad social , la

democracia y el trabajo en equipo .

El béisbol es , en cierto sentido, un instrumento anclado a un sistema meri-tocrático mediante el cual, aquellos que logran resultados son recompensados . El rendimiento se nutre a través de buena consejeria de los coaches, herramientas para capacitacion y la habilidad de recon-ocer talento. La probabilidad de llegar a las Grandes Ligas, aunque bien mínima, todavía representa todos los aspectos del sueño americano . Ese sueño se basa en una actitud positiva hacia el progreso tal como “la fuerte voluntad abrirá el camino” .

La estructura que fue construida en el siglo 19 , elogiada y venerada en Cooper-stown y celebrada en todo el país sigue aun aportando ese subito brillo en la mirada de muchos muchachos jóvenes . Esa chispa es el néctar que es difícil de definir y aún más difícil de describir. Ese néctar sólo puede ser vivido al oír el golpe del bate o de la porra de las multitudes cada mes de octubre en aquellas noches frescas de otoño cuando los mejores equipos del mundo compiten hacia el camino a la serie mundial.

Felicitamos enormente a los Medias Blancas de Chicago por su espíritu con-tinuo hacia la diversidad e inclusión. Igualmente, felicitamos a José Quintana y a Héctor Santiago deseándoles grandes éxitos, fortuna y mucha salud.

(1) “Brooks Baseball · Home of the PitchFX Tool - Player Card: Hector San-tiago”. Brooks Baseball. Retrieved 19 June 2012.

2013 Chicago W

hite Sox/Ron V

esely


two natIons melded wIthIn one IndIvIdual:

the hon. lorenzo arredondoQue Viva! Magazine Staff

(l-r) Javier Maupome, Judge Lorenzo Arredondo and Francisco de la Torre hold up the Ohtli Award Certificate

The Hon. Lorenzo Arredondo was awarded the Prestigious Ohtli Award from the Mexican Government. The Ohtli award is presented by Mexico’s Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exteriob (“Program for Mexican Communities Abroad”), and is the highest award bestowed by the Mexican government to a non-Mexican Citizen. The award was presented on Septem-ber 3, 2013 in Denver, Colorado.

Ohtli is a Nahuatl word, the language of the Aztecs, signifying “path”, and “those who open pathways”.

Judge Arredondo has clearly created path-ways on many fronts. His name is widely recognized for removing language barriers for non-English speaking individuals to have a clear understanding of judicial matters in the courts. As a result of his passionate attention to this

matter, Judge Arredondo has been instrumental in the creation of certified court interpreters. His service to Latino communities has led to numerous speaking engagements across the country including the White House where he has discussed issues vital to Latinos and the legal profession.

During his time as Lake County, IN Circuit Judge, Lorenzo Arredondo observed the distress families were going through during difficult times. This led to the creation of the Family Division of the Lake Circuit Court, the Do-mestic Relations Counseling Bureau and the “Children’s Room”. The “Children’s Room”, allows children to be dropped off in a safe, stress-free and fun environment while parents are attending any of the many courts in the government center in Crown Point, Indiana. He continuously supported and provided input for child support, parenting guidelines, and jury reform.

Judge Arredondo’s distinguished career also

included service on the faculty of the National Judicial College, The Indiana Trial Advocacy College and the Board and Executive Committee of the American Judicature Society. He served on the Board of Indiana Judges Association and Judicial Conference and co-founded the Calumet Inns of Courts.

Arredondo is the recipient of the National Hispanic Bar Association’s highest recognition, the prestigious Lincoln-Juarez award. This award has been bestowed only six times in the forty one year history of the association. He was awarded the Indiana Judges Association award for excellence in public information and education. He is the recipient of two Indiana State Bar Association presidential citations, the prestigious Rabb Emison award in recognition of the significant contribution made in advanc-ing opportunities for minority lawyers in legal employment and the legal profession. He also received the first Latino Affairs Committee Trailblazer/Abriendo Caminos Award.


Upon his retirement from the bench at the end of 2010, the Lake Superior Courthouse Room Two in East Chicago was re-named the “Judge Lorenzo Ar-redondo Justice Center” in his honor.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels awarded him with the “Sagamore of the Wabash” for his ac-complishments, services and contributions to the Hoosier Heritage. Judge Arredondo’s mother, Maria was a recipient of the same venerable award in 1990.

Judge Arredondo continues making daily

contributions toward society. He is pres-ently implementing educational programs for students/scouts at the Justice Center high-lighting civic education, The Judiciary, and Law, featuring: Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s “Icivics” video lessons and games, guest speakers, trial/oral argument observations, student/scouts mock trials and National High School Mock Trial com-petitions, and Indiana State Bar Association’s I.K.E. mock elections program.

On May 17, 2012, the East Chicago Public Library conducted a dedi-

Francisco de la Torre ( r ) presents the Ohtli Award Medal to Judge Lorenzo Arredondo ( l ) .

(l-r) Adrian Garcia, Deputy Council General, Javier Maupome, Council for Legal Affairs, Judge Lorenzo Arredondo, Francisco de la Torre, Director Ejecutivo de Mexicanos en el Exterior, stand on stage behind a display of awarded Diploma, lapel pin, and Ohtli medal. Ohtli is a word that means “road traveled”, and the Ohtli Award is given to those professionals that have opened the path for others. Issued by the government and President of Mexico to a distinguished non-resident of Mexico.


cation ceremony with an official ribbon cutting for the newly created Judge Lorenzo Arredondo Study Room. Located in its Main Branch, the study room displays Judge Arredondo’s life and career photos as well as a number of his certificates and awards. The Reference Desk has a catalog of his judicial work available for viewing as well.

For three decades Lake County Circuit

Judge Lorenzo Arredondo served the citizens of Indiana as a member of the judiciary. He was the longest serving elected Latino State trial judge in the United States when he retired from the bench on December 31, 2010. The Ohtli award is a fitting tribute to a man who has accomplished so much and has continued to build upon the legacy laid by a young couple, Maria and Miguel Arredondo, who in 1923 immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico.

( l-r ) Peter Reyes, past President HNBA, Andres Garcia, Deputy Council General, Francisco de la Torre, Director Ejecutivo de Mexicanos en el Exterior, Judge Lorenzo Arredondo, Javier Maupome, Council for Legal Affairs, Cynthia Mares, President Elect HNBA, Miguel Pozo, President HNBA stand together at the HNBA convention in Denver Colorado on September 5, 2013.

At the heart of almost every Cu-ban-American family is a tragedy. Most of us were torn apart from loved ones by the passions of ideology. In some cases, this included fear of reprisals and imprisonment. Many also lost personal property. Wounds like these do not heal easily. So my first visit to Cuba after 52 years in exile began with heavy apprehensions.

From the airliner’s window, my first glimpse of the Cuban coastline was a smudge of white in a bluish haze. Emerging from the clouds, a familiar sight came into view: Havana’s cluster of pale towers hugging the sea around the city’s pocket bay. From the air, it seemed little had changed since I’d last left my homeland as an eleven-year-old in 1961.

As the plane taxied to the terminal, a few fading signs on the buildings extolled the virtues of the socialist revolution. That seemed familiar as well. I’d left Havana with Cold War tensions near the breaking point between the U.S. and Cuba. In the previous 18 months the Bay of Pigs invasion and numerous bombings had

rocked the island. Now, I was return-ing to a place where my most vivid memories included a wary militiaman in fatigues sitting at the street corner near our house, a Czech machine gun in his lap.

I’d been assured that the Cold War enmity and fear I remembered was in the past. Nonetheless, I was still leery about what kind of reception Cubans like me, who had left the island long ago, would receive from their country-men. The answer came as I stepped outside the special terminal for charter flights from the U.S. carrying returning Cuban nationals.

Behind a waist-high fence stood a crowd five and six deep, faces turned like sunflowers toward the passengers

emerging from the terminal. I suddenly knew what a movie star must feel on the red carpet. The longing and excite-ment in those faces was electrifying. From that moment on, I knew I was back home.

Riding through Havana in a small Russian sedan for the first time in five decades, my attention was divided. I wanted to catch up on years of family news with my cousin and her nearly-middle-aged-son I’d just met for the first time. But passing by outside the car were sights that loomed large in my memory: the flying-saucer dome of the Ciudad Deportiva stadium; the grater-like spire of the Jose Marti Monument above the roof of a taxi; the flat-roofed pastel-colored buildings nestled among the palms and majagua trees.

A Return to Cuba Thaws Cold War Fears by Raul Ramos y Sanchez August 25, 2013

photo by www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_nouhailler

For the next seven days, I met with aunts, uncles and cousins I’d last seen as a child, along with an even bigger group: their descendants, born since I’d left Cuba. Even the youngest among them knew the story of my mother

and me, the aunt who had divorced her husband and left with her son for the U.S. long ago. This family lore was kept alive on both sides of the Florida Straits. My mother had told her three children – two of whom had been born in the U.S. – a wealth of stories about her relatives in Cuba. These family traditions converged in a series of emotional reunions filled with hugs, laughter, tears, singing and dancing.

Sadly, my mother never made it back to her homeland. She passed away quietly two months before our trip. True to her resolute spirit, we perse-vered and celebrated her life among the family who never forgot her.

After a few days on the island, my Midwestern, German-Irish wife became a Cuban. Captivated by my family – and they by her – my wife caught the Cuban vibe of uninhibited expression. At our gatherings, she began enthusiastically addressing the entire family (usually at least 20 people) in her skimpy Spanish, something she rarely did with her own family back home. In true Cuban fashion, my wife even invented a word in Spanish for the many large and lively family get-togethers we were attending. “Are you ready for another day of familia-son?” she asked me with a smile our fourth morning on the island. (Cubans often add “son” to a word, giving it the same hyperbolic context as adding the prefix

“uber” in English.)

Along with our family gatherings, we found a warm reception among many other Cubans in public places as well. There are shortages of all kinds on the island. But humor and verve are in overwhelming supply. Many of Havana’s residents will charm you with an exuberance that transcends the city’s worn and grimy buildings. Moreover, unlike many urban areas in the U.S. and Latin America, tourists and locals casually walk the streets of Havana day and night.

A wise person once observed that anything you can say about a nation is true. Cuba is a complex place and my impressions of the island are limited and subjective. There are other Cuban

exiles who still harbor feelings too powerful to visit Cuba until there is a regime change on the island. They have my sympathy and compassion. All the same, Cuba is changing.

The Soviet Union is no more. The Berlin Wall has fallen. The U.S. now trades with former enemies China and Vietnam. But the U.S. ostracism of Cuba endures, a Cold War relic as anachronistic as the 1950’s U.S. cars that famously cruise Havana’s streets.

Ironically, Cuba’s diplomatic ban-ishment is primarily sustained by the island’s own exiles in the United States. Should we continue the embargo that has failed to topple the Castro regime for over 50 years? Or is there another path for Cuba to emerge from its po-litical and economic woes without turmoil and bloodshed? I don’t have the answer. But a visit to the island may be the first step for my landsmen. My trip to Cuba left me with a glimmer of hope for the future. Our culture’s reverence for family may ultimately transcend politics and help us forge a better nation. Perhaps the time has come for warmth of family to thaw the Cold War.

A Return to Cuba Thaws Cold War Fears

Raul Ramos y Sanchez is the award-winning author of the novels AMERICA LIBRE, HOUSE DIVIDED and PANCHO LAND. He is also host and editor of MyImmigrationStory.com. For more information visit www.RaulRamos.com.

This article was originally published on the blog for LATINO AMERICANS, a PBS documentary series produced by WETA in Washington DC.

http://www.pbs.org/latino-americans/en/blog

photo by www.flickr.com/photos/patrick_nouhailler

On Becoming a FatherThe birth of a child is also the birth of a parent.

by ALEXIS C. MADRIGAL Sep 6 2013

At 11:02pm, on Thursday, August 29, my son entered the world, taking his first breaths calmly in my wife’s arms.

Since then, I’ve avoided writing about him. For one, I have not wanted to process this experience in real-time. Everything’s always changing, like the little micro expressions that canter across his face and then disappear the second I bring my camera to the ready, and I just don’t know anything yet about being a dad.

Friends of ours who had a baby two weeks before we did refer to their own “birth” as parents when their little boy came into being. That’s how I feel, like a newborn, unsure when to eat, in-and-out of the dream world, and as likely to provide a coherent answer about fatherhood as my little boy is when we ask, “Why are you the most beautiful thing on Earth?”

That’s how I feel, like a newborn, unsure when to eat, in-and-out of the dream world ...

But I have thought a lot about him in time and in space, the way he came to be precisely where he is.

A couple days after we found out my wife was pregnant, I took a 20-mile hike up in the Oakland hills, thinking. Near the top of the ridge, I was struck by a rock outcropping that I’ve returned to again

and again in my mind as I stare at his perfect little ears. Thin plates of sedimentary rock stack vertically, like books. What was once ground is now wall, and time reads from right to left. Atop the rocks, where new soil has become fresh ground, massive eucalyptus trees have gained purchase, and their roots wind down through the rock, split-ting it, and holding it together. Down at the base, I see myself from the perspective of the rocks: biology on this teensy-tiny human time scale, large in self-importance, small in duration. To the rocks, I’m a barely-there ghost in a long-exposure photograph. And yet, the asphalt I’m running on marks a more permanent humanity. I remember that at our wedding, a friend explained that Jews bless the wine and not the grapes because it represents not just that which was created, but also what we’ve done with it.

On that walk, the sun had just come up, and that was another kind of time, eternal in its circles. And all I could think was that some time in August or September, we’d be holding our child, our contribution to the deeper levels of human time.

It was not an easy moment to Tweet, and the light was not right to capture the rocks with my camera. And the blessing really was something that all my life had prepared me to make with my mind, anyway, the creation of these rocks and this light acting as the substrate for the flashes of neurons, as they drove down into what this simple geology could mean.

So it is when I look at him. Of course I could go on forever about his toes and his emergent eyelashes. His triumphant feeding and the whimpers of his dreams. That’s the right of every parent, obviously, and if I run into you in person, I will make no excuses for being madly in love.

But I also think about his native American and Mexican ancestors, who came over aided by a cold climate and prodded by necessity. I think of his English great-great-great-great grandparents who rode the boats over from Europe and never went home. I think of his Jewish great grandparents, who left all they knew in Vienna and Russia for uncertain but hopeful lives in New York and Detroit. I think of his grandfather, a Mexican emigre, and his Jewish grandparents who settled in Colorado. He is a child of the globe, a member of La Raza Cósmica, a Westerner, a Jew, a Mexican, a Californian: an American.

And he’s perfect, perfect, perfect. Perfect. I love him so much.

I won’t be writing much in this space over the next two months. I’ll be bonding with him, and playing devoted and plucky sidekick to my superhero wife. Eight days in, fatherhood is the most epic thing I’ve ever experienced. As my friend Tim said, “It may be common as air, birds, flowing water, and the shade of tall trees, but it is a majestic and glorious thing to be a father of sons.”


With four bus tours under his belt and hundreds of school visits, one thing Secretary Arne Duncan is sure of, is that there is no lack of inspiration in America’s schools. Yesterday’s stops on Duncan’s Strong Start, Bright Future Back-to-School Bus Tour through the Southwest took the Secretary right to the border.

El Paso

The day got a bright start just miles from the U.S./Mexico border at the El Paso Transmountain Early College High School (TECHS), in El Paso, Texas. There isn’t a lack of inspiration at this school that participates in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), and has teamed up with El Paso Community College to allow students to take courses and receive an Associate degree before they graduate high school.

Following a classroom visit where Duncan got a hands-on science lesson from students, Duncan participated in a STEM town hall to talk about the school’s successes. Duncan sought answers from the group on how to make STEM more hands-on and listened to emotional stories of hope from the school’s students who are now on their way to college and careers, armed with the power of a quality education.

Dr. Diana Natalicio, president of the University of Texas-El Paso said during the town hall that it takes an entire community to prevent barriers to student progress, and we saw that in action at TECHS.

Columbus

With our stop in Texas complete, the back-to-school bus headed west with a stop at Columbus Elementary in Columbus, N.M. This rural school not far from the U.S./Mexico border, has a very unique student body. Seventy-five percent of

its students live in Mexico and cross the border each day for school. All are U.S. citizens and many rise as early as 4:30a.m. in order to make it to the border in time to present their laminated birth certificate before boarding a bus for Columbus.

Secretary Duncan participated in a discussion with the principal and teachers, listening to the challenges faced by the faculty. Teachers told stories of students who had never read a book or used indoor plumbing, and explained how difficult it is to coordinate with parents who are unable to visit their child’s school for parent-teacher conferences.

Following the discussion, Duncan altered his agenda and boarded one of the final buses to leave Columbus for the border. During the short drive, Duncan sat with two students, talking about their schoolwork and taking at look at one stu-dent’s recent poster project. Day two of the tour ended as we watched the students walk back across the border into Mexico. Columbus Principal Armando Chavez said that each day they send them back hoping

that a parent is there to greet them on the other side.

Day three of the tour takes the bus to Tucson and Tempe, AZ.

Secretary Arne Duncan makes time for an unscheduled bus ride in Columbus, NM. Official Department of Education photo by Joshua Hoover.

Back-to-School Bus Tour Heads to the Borderby Cameron Brenchley Posted on September 11, 2013


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For more information or to �le a complaint call 1-800-628-2909 or visit in.gov/icrc.

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judge lorenzo arredondo

wabash award

communitys heritage

maria arredondo