Quick Blog

What a weekend! Its still not over because I'm headed to Philly Pride. Started in NYC Friday night, woke up early for a community service, now I'm home about to chill with some awesome people. I realized that I need to learn to really enjoy the moments with my friends. This weekend many were had and I don't want to forget them. Pics to come!

Welcome to the Xone

Its official, I will be one of the 2 Stroll Deans for Greekster's SILK & SMOOTH Competition this year at La Boom nightclub. Kind of excited to see the show and pass judgment on all the new strollers in the Zone. Can't reveal too many details, but TRUST its a sight you're going to want to see! Did I mention Keith the LUL will be my co-Dean?? See you there!

Dassit!

If you're a member of the Latino Greek World, you know that around this time every year your organization's best strollers disappear to train harder than Paciquao for a championship fight. These beloved members re-emerge mid-June to give their all for the annual Silk (& Smooth) Stroll Show. There's been much controversy the past couple of years about the judging of the show, whether or not teams actually adhered to the rules, and frankly some people are just tired of seeing the same teams win... or lose. However, this year Silk, on June 12th in Queens, NY, has up'd the antee. This year Silk has Maurica.

The phenomenon that is Maurica Rodriguez began as a video posted on Facebook walls that quickly went viral, and captured the hearts of the Latino Greek community. The character is the creation of Yannis Pappas, a NY native and a [literally] Greek stand-up comedian. The way he's captured the idiosyncrasies of a Latina transgendered woman from the Lower East Side is hilariously accurate. Now Maurica will bring her "classiness" to the Silk stage by co-hosting the show with Mr. Greekstand himself, everyone's favorite Upsilon, Raul Martinez. How much better can the show get? Well, there's going to be a Stroll Zone for neos, and those who still claim to be, new teams from all over the country, and the bar will be serving drinks ALL NIGHT. Tickets are on sale now for $10.82, I suggest you grab one fast before the show is completely sold out. If you want to make a night of it VIP packages are available for very reasonable prices. The show will no doubt have the audience saying WEPA all night long!

Rebuttal

I haven't written in a while, so what better way to come back than with a bang! For those that are not aware, there's been much hoopla over the Dream Act recently especially with Pres. Obama's address in Texas this past week. In addition, there have been various demonstrations on college campuses nationwide including at the University of Indiana-Bloomington, where a group known as the Indiana 5 made headlines in the Latino Greek world due to the fact that 2 of the 5 members are brothers of Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity. Not that I expect all LGLO members to be supportive of the actions of the members, or the bill in general, as everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, but one reaction really stirred me.

It was written by a member of an LGLO sorority, and while she does not mince her words about her personal views on the Dream Act, she does it at the expense of another organization. I embrace the fact that I can live in a country where there are a myriad of views and opinions, however, pushing your agenda by trivializing another group of people completely contradicts to the mission of your argument.

Now, if you are like most people reading this, you can’t criticize them, you’re white. However, according to some unwritten rule I can because I’m half-Hispanic, and I will tell you how just like a myriad of other culturally based greek organizations, they are a hotbed for far left activism and anti-American rhetoric. How do I know? I was the chapter president of a sorority just like it.

 "Anti-American rhetoric" and "far left activism" are part of LUL's agenda? I don't believe so. Yes, like many other LGLOs thier organization was created from a political stance of equality not race supremacy. We were all taught that the United States were founded by groups of people who wanted to free themselves from unjust situations (ie. the Mayflower Compact), and in recent times, we've had groups like the (original) Black Panthers, the Young Lords Party, Freedom Riders, UNIA, NAACP, La Raza, Young Patriots Party, the Yippies, etc.. that have continued the "radical" tradition. These groups were targeted and deemed domestic terroritsts due to their "leftists" views, and yet they are the same groups that gave minority/immigrant children a fair shot at a decent education, access to school breakfast and lunch programs, housing equality, and voter rights. These set the stage for allowing the children (and in some case parents) access to the "American Dream", further that, the opportunity to create LGLOs, to which the writer of these excerpts is a current member.

I will give it to LUL – their strategy is smart. Their chapters are like little liberal activist cells. They tap into the “cool” part of college by being greek and participating in traditional cultural events like stepping, strolling, and really neat jackets with numbers and line names. The insidious underbelly of it all is the radical agenda they unapologetically promote to their members and to the Latino community at large.

 As a member of a LGLO my organization, on a national level, is a neutral body. The actions of one sister or chapter DO NOT reflect the opinions or beliefs of the entire organization, and I am sure any member of LUL or any other LGLO will tell you the same. Her rhetoric here is very inflammatory, used no doubt to drum up fear and demean an organization based on the views of a specific chapter/region. Who are we to judge their fight? At least they're taking a cue from their founders and protesting against what they feel is an injustice.

I wonder – do you think such student organizations get school funding? Where I went to school the LUL chapter had access to funds from the school through various means and methods. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t want my money going to such an organization. They may hold constructive events like tutoring and clothing drives once in a while – but it is impossible to overlook their political motives. [...] This has a huge impact. Among the Latino/a community and youth in general, America is a joke. To such well ordered organizations, assimilation is cultural betrayal. Instead, they teach our youth to rebel against the United States while simultaneously demanding funding and entitlements. Of course, they couple this with sneering anti-white rhetoric if white Americans don’t immediately kowtow to wildly unrealistic demands.

 Those school funds are now available to groups like LUL because many of our founders demanded an end to the sociological injustice. Fourty to thirty years ago there was NO funding for ethnic groups, let alone student aid of minority/immigrant students. As we speak many middle and high schools, and colleges and universities are electing to rid their system of ethnic studies, stripping American children the opportunity to learn the truth about their heritage and their country; to me that's un-American. If supporting ethnic diversity is a "waste of school funding" I would hate to know what her views are on schools that use student funds to pay star athletes' way through college, or athletic coache's six figure salaries, or pedophile faculty member to "teach" children in America's broken education system.

I agree that most of America's children are lost and feel a sense of entitlement, but bills like the Dream Act are not the enemy. The enemy is lack of cultural pride, the lack of access to equality, and the dangerous inflammatory rhetoric described in these excerpts. I believe everyone's road to greatness and equal opportunity is their own to tow, but to deny people "the pursuit of happiness" is wrong. The nations of the Americas were founded on rebellion; by those who realized a flawed system and demaded change, much like the foundation of LGLOs like LUL. What you call leftists, radical, etc... I call the spirit of the American dream.
I believe this person would have had a better chance at making a valid point, or creating a dialogue about the bill and systemic immigration reform, but using LUL as a pawn to make an example out of what she deems as leftist ideology because it doesn't fall in line with her definition of what it is to be American was a bad move.

My personal views about the Dream Act are not what's on trial here, but the blatantly putting another down to build yourself up is the exact "crabs in a barrel" mentality that keep us, children of the diaspora, continually separated, inflicting each other with self deprecating remarks.

The views expressed in this post are mine and in no way reflect that of my particular organization. I am always up for a stimulating political debate so feel free to comment! I leave you with my favorite MLK quote:

"An injustice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere"

Queens Stroll for a cause

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the 6th Annual Gamma Stroll Show. I've attended each show since its inception, and performed the first three years on behalf of Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc. Every year the brothers of Gamma Phi Sigma Hermanos Unidos Fraternity, Inc plan a great show that runs smoothly and starts "on time", which is a feat if you've ever been to a Greek event.

This year's show wasn't about fierce competition, but about raising awarness and celebrating a young life that was taken far too soon. Ramon 'Guatu' Baez passed away this summer from a rare form of cancer. His brothers dedicated the show to him, and raised funds for the American Cancer Society. Ramon loved to dance and stroll, he always performed with pride and determination, and always with a smile. His presence was felt with Chi Iota Pi exhibited a stroll in his honor, adding elements of Ramon's favorite dance; salsa.

Chi Upsilon Sigma won the show, thanks in part to theme creativity an tight execution. $500 will be donated to the I Have A Dream Foundation (our national philanthropy), and we retain bragging rights for another year.

Sprite Step Off

Whew! What a weekend! Packed with so many things to be proud of and hopefully for, especially with my organization. Supporting schools, raising money and walking for AIDS Research and hopefully a cure, AND placing 2nd in the Regional Semi-Finals for the Sprite Step Off in South Carolina! This excerpt is from out official Press Release:

New York, NY (10/16/09) --- Corazones Unidos Siempre, Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc. (CUS) would like to congratulate Odette Fuentes, Vanessa Pabon Garcia and Talia Yanowitz for winning second place at Sprite Step Off Regional Semi-Finals competition this past weekend at the University of South Carolina.  The women have not only secured a spot in the Regional Finals on November 14, 2009, but also won $6,000 in scholarships! These three dedicated women continue to be the only team from a Latino Greek organization to compete in the largely Divine Nine competition. First place winners were Sigma Gamma Rho and third place winners were Alpha Kappa Alpha.

A Latin organization beat out other Step Teams considered to be bigger and better because of the roots and emphasis they have on the genre of Stepping. This win was not only HUGE for my organization, but for NALFO (National Association of Fraternal Organizations) as well. Latino Greek Letter Organizations are relative newcomers tot he Greek system, let alone the coveted world of Stepping and Strolling. My organization takes pride in being the FIRST Latin organization to embrace these forms of expression as part of our heritage, and Greek Life culture. Five years ago we revolutionized the Stroll game, and now...we're letting other Greeks know WE STEP TOO! We have and will continue the traditions we hold dear to us and continue to progress. See you in North Carolina!