EN:
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Visiones del desarrollo: Transformando los caminos rurales en caminos para quedarse
Preservar estos caminos rurales significa fomentar que las comunidades permanezcan arraigadas, evitando el desplazamiento y promoviendo un desarrollo autóctono...
Por Mónica López, coordinadora de la Unidad de Transportes en CAF
Visiones del desarrollo es una sección promovida por CAF -banco de desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe- que analiza los principales temas del desarrollo de la región. Los artículos que contiene se publican simultáneamente en los principales medios de América Latina.
EN:
La influencia hispana se extiende constantemente en Estados Unidos
La evolución es de un millón de nuevos ciudadanos de cultura hispana cada año: serán decisivos en la próxima campaña electoral, según el último informe de The Hispanic Council
EN:
https://www.elnacional.com/mundo/la-influencia-hispana-se-extiende-constantemente-en-estados-unidos/
Friday, April 26, 2024
CHCI POLICY BRIEF Developing the Next Generation of Latino Leaders
EN:
The Lifeblood of the American Economy: Addressing Equitable Opportunities for Latino/Hispanic Small Businesses By Elizabeth Plasencia Reynoso, CHCI-Postgraduate FellowCuidado Con El Corazón: Hispanic Heart Health and the ‘Hispanic Paradox’ By Daniela Puente, CHCI-Health Postgraduate Fellow
PFAS in Drinking Water and Implications for Latino Health By Gabriela Albavera, CHCI-Health Postgraduate Fellow
School Funding for Equity: We Have the Mechanisms but Not the Results By Genesis Santiago, CHCI-Education Postgraduate Fellow
Queer and Vulnerable: Identifying the Challenges of LGBTQ+ Youth in Foster Care By Eduardo Gutierrez CHCI-Child Welfare Postgraduate Fellow
Funding Prosperity in the Twenty-first Century: Exploring Modernization of the Community Reinvestment Act By Brian Reyes, CHCI-Finance Postgraduate Fellow
“Tan lejos de dios y tan cerca de Estados Unidos:” How U.S. Guns Drive Violence in Mexico & Abroad By Astrid Fuentes, CHCI-International Affairs Postgraduate Fellow
Equity in the Digital Age: Unpacking AI’s Consequences for the Latino Workforce By Karen Itzel Suárez Jiménez, CHCI-Law Postgraduate Fellow
COVID-19’s impact on the Latino Housing Market By Sandy Orozco, CHCI-Housing Postgraduate Fellow
Renting the American Dream By Yadira Guzman, CHCI-Housing Postgraduate Fellow
Equity in the Digital Age: Unpacking AI’s Consequences for the Latino Workforce By Karen Itzel Suárez Jiménez, CHCI-Law Postgraduate Fellow
COVID-19’s impact on the Latino Housing Market By Sandy Orozco, CHCI-Housing Postgraduate Fellow
Renting the American Dream By Yadira Guzman, CHCI-Housing Postgraduate Fellow
Renting the American Dream By Yadira Guzman CHCI-Housing Postgraduate Fellow
CHCI POLICY BRIEF Developing the Next Generation of Latino Leaders®
EN:
COVID-19’s impact on the Latino Housing Market March 2024 By Sandy Orozco, CHCI-Housing Postgraduate Fellow
CHCI POLICY BRIEF Developing the Next Generation of Latino Leaders®
Unpacking AI’s Consequences for the Latino Workforce By Karen Itzel Suárez Jiménez, CHCI-Law Postgraduate Fellow
CHCI POLICY BRIEF Developing the Next Generation of Latino Leaders®
EN:
Thursday, April 25, 2024
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Monday, April 22, 2024
¿Cuáles son las razones para que América Latina se haya convertido en un club de la pelea?
La región está atravesando una singular época de furibundos choques diplomáticos, en los que priman los liderazgos personalistas y la desinstitucionalización de las democracias....
EN:
Sunday, April 21, 2024
Articulos (6) sobre Latinoamérica y otros temas publicados en 2023 que podría ser de interés releer
EN:
Ricardo Hausmann marzo 31, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/finanzas-climaticas-dudosas/
Nouriel Roubini abril 1, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/el-bucle-de-fatalidad-que-se-avecina/
Sebastián Godínez abril 1, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/regimenes-hibridos-en-america-latina-el-salvador-y-mexico/
Infobae abril 2, 2023
El Debate abril 4, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/mundo/xi-jinping-tiende-la-mano-pero-se-prepara-para-la-guerra/
Michael Spence abril 4, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/desacople-destructivo/
Manuel Alcántara abril 5, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/el-estado-de-la-democracia-en-america-latina/
Adriana Amado abril 7 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/que-debe-saber-la-politica-sobre-el-chatgpt/
Iván Lozada abril 9, 2023
Joscha Weber,
Kathrin Wesolowski, Thomas Sparrow abril 10, 2023
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
“Tan lejos de dios y tan cerca de Estados Unidos:” How U.S. Guns Drive Violence in Mexico & Abroad March 2024 By Astrid Fuentes CHCI-International Affairs Postgraduate Fellow
CHCI POLICY BRIEF Developing the Next Generation of Latino Leaders®
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Monday, April 8, 2024
Articulos (5) sobre Latinoamérica y otros temas publicados en 2023 que podría ser de interés releer
EN:
Mohamed A. El-Erian marzo 11, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/globalizacion-fragmentada/
Joseph Stiglitz marzo 15, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/otra-quiebra-bancaria-previsible/
José Ignacio Moreno León marzo 15, 2023
Oscar Hernández Bernalette marzo 17, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/la-integracion-latinoamericana-y-la-corrupcion/
BBC Mundo marzo 18, 2023
Beatriz de Majo marzo 21, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/negro-panorama-el-de-latinoamerica/
Jorge Castañeda marzo 23, 2023
Ana Palacio marzo 24, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/reestructurar-el-banco-mundial/
Josep Borrell marzo 24, 2023
José Tomás Esteves Arria marzo 30, 2023
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Saturday, April 6, 2024
El crecimiento económico en América Latina lleva 25 años estancado, alerta experto
Un buen aprovechamiento de los recursos naturales "ayudará a las empresas locales a entrar al panorama comercial internacional" en América Latina y el Caribe....
EN:
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Friday, March 22, 2024
3% de la población en Latinoamérica y Caribe carece de acceso al agua o consume no apta
A pesar de que Latinoamérica posee 31% de fuentes de agua dulce y de que ha habido progresos en la provisión de los servicios de abastecimiento de agua, sigue existiendo una brecha entre el abastecimiento de agua gestionada de forma segura en zonas rurales....
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Articulos (4) sobre Latinoamérica y otros temas publicados en 2023 que podría ser de interés releer
EN:
Gustavo Ocando Alex/VOA febrero 27, 2023
Joseph Stiglitz febrero 28, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/quien-defiende-la-libertad/
Jean Pisani-Ferry marzo 1, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/reinventemos-la-union-europea/
Manuel Alcántara marzo 2, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/no-toda-interrupcion-presidencial-es-un-golpe-de-estado/
Laurentino Cortizo Cohén marzo 3, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/todos-deberiamos-pensar-en-el-oceano/
German Creamer marzo 3, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/reconstruir-ucrania-con-las-reservas-internacionales-rusas/
Myriam Castaneda Solares marzo 5, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/como-prevenir-crisis-humanitarias/
Carlos Malamud marzo 6, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/america-latina-frente-a-la-guerra-en-ucrania-un-ano-despues/
María Villarreal/Latinoamérica21 marzo 8, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/los-derechos-de-las-mujeres-retroceden-en-el-mundo/
María Noel Vaeza y Gema Sacristán marzo 8, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/un-esfuerzo-regional-para-reducir-la-brecha-digital-de-genero/
LatinoLand A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority By Marie Arana
About the book:
A sweeping yet personal overview of the Latino population of America, drawn from hundreds of interviews and prodigious research that emphasizes the diversity and little-known history of our largest and fastest-growing minority.
LatinoLand is an exceptional, all-encompassing overview of Hispanic America based on personal interviews, deep research, and Marie Arana’s life experience as a Latina. At present, Latinos comprise 20 percent of the US population, a number that is growing. By 2050, census reports project that one in every three Americans will claim Latino heritage.
But Latinos are not a monolith. They do not represent a single group. The largest numbers are Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Cubans. Each has a different cultural and political background. Puerto Ricans, for example, are US citizens, whereas some Mexican Americans never immigrated because the US-Mexico border shifted after the US invasion of 1848, incorporating what is now the entire southwest of the United States. Cubans came in two great waves: those escaping communism in the early years of Castro, many of whom were professionals and wealthy, and those permitted to leave in the Mariel boat lift twenty years later, representing some of the poorest Cubans, including prisoners.
As LatinoLand shows, Latinos were some of the earliest immigrants to what is now the US—some of them arriving in the 1500s. They are racially diverse—a random fusion of White, Black, Indigenous, and Asian. Once overwhelmingly Catholic, they are becoming increasingly Protestant and Evangelical. They range from domestic workers and day laborers to successful artists, corporate CEOs, and US senators. Formerly solidly Democratic, they now vote Republican in growing numbers. They are as varied culturally as any immigrants from Europe or Asia.
Marie Arana draws on her own experience as the daughter of an American mother and Peruvian father who came to the US at age nine, straddling two worlds, as many Latinos do. LatinoLand unabashedly celebrates Latino resilience and character and shows us why we must understand the fastest-growing minority in America.
About the author:
Marie Arana was born in Lima, Peru. She is the author of the memoir American Chica, a finalist for the National Book Award; two novels, Cellophane and Lima Nights; the prizewinning biography Bolivar; Silver, Sword, and Stone, a narrative history of Latin America; and The Writing Life, a collection from her well-known column for The Washington Post. She is the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress and lives in Washington, DC, and Lima, Peru.
EN:
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/LatinoLand/Marie-Arana/9781982184896
También puede verse:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDN5bAsWxgc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHtvMPVHkA4&t=31s
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Monday, March 11, 2024
Visiones del desarrollo: Acción climática y cero neto para salvar al mundo
La acción climática parte de las condiciones de diversidad biológica y servicios ecosistémicos....
Por Christian Asinelli, vicepresidente Corporativo de Programación Estratégica de CAF.
Visiones del desarrollo es una sección promovida por CAF -banco de desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe- que analiza los principales temas del desarrollo de la región. Los artículos que contiene se publican simultáneamente en los principales medios de América Latina.
EN:
https://www.elnacional.com/visiones-desarrollo/accion-climatica-y-cero-neto-para-salvar-al-mundo/
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Friday, March 8, 2024
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Articulos (3) sobre Latinoamérica y otros temas publicados en 2023 que podría ser de interés releer
EN:
Germán G. Creamer febrero 16, 2023
https://www.lapatilla.com/2023/02/16/german-g-creamer-ovnis-espias-o-guerra-comercial/
Guillermo Fernández de Soto febrero 16, 2022
Mario Vargas Llosa febrero 17, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/discurso-de-ingreso-a-la-academia-francesa/
José Gregorio Meza febrero 19, 2023
Carlos Sánchez Berzaín febrero 21, 2023
Javier Solana febrero 23,2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/la-interdependencia-en-el-mundo-de-hoy/
Cepal/Descifrado febrero 24, 2023
https://www.descifrado.com/2023/02/24/cepal-la-pobreza-se-redujo-05-en-america-latina-y-el-caribe/
Grazielle Custódio David febrero 25, 2023
Alicia Freilich febrero 26,2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/el-p8-latinoamericano/
Editorial El Nacional febrero 26, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/que-esta-pasando-en-la-region/
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Sunday, March 3, 2024
América descubre Madrid: las grandes fortunas latinas que reflotan el arte español Por Ángeles Garcoa
Los coleccionistas latinoamericanos han convertido la ciudad, bautizada ya como “nueva Miami”, en un punto de encuentro. Desde la pandemia, la salud del mercado depende de sus adquisiciones....
EN:
https://elpais.com/babelia/2024-03-01/madrid-otra-capital-de-latinoamerica.html
Saturday, March 2, 2024
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Monday, February 26, 2024
Las propuestas migratorias de Trump: deportaciones masivas y centros de detención gigantes
En sus mítines de campaña, ha adoptado una fuerte retórica antimigratoria, llegando a afirmar que los extranjeros "envenenan" la sangre de Estados Unidos
Saturday, February 24, 2024
María Corina Machado: «La explotación irregular de las zonas mineras ha incentivado dinámicas ilegales que derivan en tragedias humanas»
"Desgarrador lo sucedido en la mina Bulla Loca (...) Mi fuerza y oraciones con familias y amigos" de los fallecidos, expresó la candidata presidencial del principal bloque opositor....
La Academia de Hollywood celebra sus premios Científicos y reconoce 16 avances en el cine
Los premios Científicos y de Ingeniería (una placa) fueron otorgados a Charles Q. Robinson, Nicolas Tsingos, Christophe Chabanne, Mark Vinton y al equipo de ingenieros creadores del sistema de sonido inmersivo Dolby Atmos basado en objetos que se lanzó en 2012....
Las autoridades rusas entregan el cuerpo de Navalni a su madre
"Por delante tenemos los funerales, pero no sabemos si las autoridades van a impedir que se celebren tal y como lo desea la familia y como se lo merece Alexéi", dijo Kira Yarmish, portavoz del fallecido opositor. Prometió mantener a los seguidores del político al tanto de las noticias "conforme vayan surgiendo"....
EN: https://www.elnacional.com/mundo/las-autoridades-rusas-entregan-el-cuerpo-de-navalni-a-su-madre/
Artículos en El Nacional hoy 24 de febrero
EN:
¿La inmigración venezolana es percibida como buena o mala?
¿Reconstrucción?
¿Por qué no territorializar la paz?
Proletariado tuvimos
Los límites de la potestad sancionadora de la
administración pública
¿Inhabilitar la narcotiranía y el fraude?
Las noticias, la política y la incertidumbre de las
langostas
Rocío San Miguel: activista incansable
Son los comanditos
El guacho de Eurresta
Nina L. Khrushcheva / Project Syndicate
La solitaria muerte de Alexéi Navalni
Administración tecnologizada y conflictos de interés
Transformación y defensa de la educación
Expulsados de Venezuela los DD HH de la ONU
La CPI en Venezuela: ¿oportunidad o amenaza?
Agricultores, desafíos y soluciones
«Yo no soy bruta»
Francisco Abundis / Latinoamérica21
Elecciones mexicanas: ¡es la inseguridad, estúpido!
Todo un pueblo lloró
Bendita UNET, semilla de esperanza
1622: Conflicto por el tabaco en la Provincia de Venezuela
Indigenismo y colonialismo ortográfico: ¡na waráh!
Obreros de Hiram Abiff: La Espada Flamígera
Tal día como hoy 24 de febrero
Editorial El Nacional: El legado de Navalni
Pasan los días desde que se dio a conocer la infame noticia y es un hecho que la trágica muerte de Alexei Navalni, a manos del sistema penitenciario de su país, será un punto de inflexión en la lucha contra la corrupción y el autoritarismo no solo en Rusia. Y es que el líder de la oposición no era solo un crítico del Kremlin; era la encarnación de la valentía cívica en una nación marcada por el miedo y la represión. Su regreso en enero de 2021, a pesar de haber sido envenenado dos veces, y su inmediato arresto, no fueron actos de temeridad sino de un compromiso inquebrantable con su patria y el pueblo ruso.....
Premio Miguel Otero Silva 2024: se recibirán los trabajos periodísticos desde el 15 de marzo
De acuerdo a lo publicado en el sitio web de la Asociación de periodistas venezolanos en España, Venezuelan Press, el 16 de mayo se publicará el listado de los trabajos recibidos y se abrirá el período de evaluación por parte del jurado.....
EN: https://www.elnacional.com/mundo/convocatoria-al-premio-miguel-otero-silva-2024/
BBC Mundo: 3 claves para entender el éxito de Nvidia, la compañía cuyo valor sobrepasó al de Google y marcó un récord en la bolsa
Por primera vez la empresa estadounidense Nvidia se unió al club de Microsoft y Apple, los gigantes tecnológicos cuyo valor de mercado supera los US$2 billones....
Provea: Rocío San Miguel cumple dos semanas presa sin acceso a sus abogados
Su hija, Miranda Díaz, la visitó el domingo en los calabozos del Sebin, en Caracas, donde se encuentra recluida tras ser acusada de "traición a la patria, conspiración, terrorismo y asociación"....
«Ganaremos», dijo Zelenski por los dos años de la invasión rusa Por Julio Blanca
El mandatario ucraniano pronunció estas palabras flanqueado de la presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, y los primeros ministros de Canadá, Italia y Bélgica, Justin Trudeau, Giorgia Meloni y Alexander de Croo respectivamente, de visita en Kyev por el aniversario....
EN: https://www.elnacional.com/mundo/ganaremos-dijo-zelenski-por-los-dos-anos-de-la-invasion-rusa/
Campaña de Biden: «Al partido de Trump le importa un comino los latinos»
"Trump usó su tiempo en la presidencia para atacar y despreciar a la comunidad latina una y otra vez, ha repetido frases de dictadores y líderes autoritarios como un loro... e incluso ha dicho, en múltiples ocasiones, que los migrantes estamos envenenando la sangre del país", manifestó la directora de medios hispanos de la campaña de Biden, Maca Casado, nacida en Venezuela....
Friday, February 23, 2024
Articulos (2) sobre Latinoamérica y otros temas publicados en 2023 que podría ser de interés releer
EN:
Juan Agulló febrero 3, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/descifrando-el-sur-la-nueva-moneda-comun-suramericana/
Beatriz De Majo febrero 8, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/cuando-una-puerta-se-cierra-otra-se-abre/
Detlef Nolte febrero 8, 2023
Beatrice Rangel febrero 9, 2023
https://www.lapatilla.com/2023/02/09/beatrice-e-rangel-la-guerra-de-los-globos/
CNN febrero 9, 2023
BBC Mundo febrero 10, 2023
Francis Fukuyama febrero 11, 2023
https://www.americanpurpose.com/articles/the-new-leftist-latin-america-2/
Aline Contti:
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/el-gobierno-de-lula-y-la-integracion-latinoamericana/
Mamta Murthi febrero 15, 2023
Mark Cliffe febrero 16, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/la-complacencia-de-la-fed-ante-el-cambio-climatico/Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Monday, February 19, 2024
Texas construirá base militar en frontera con México para contener migración
El anuncio fue hecho este viernes por el gobernador Greg Abbott en la ciudad de Eagle Pass, extremo sur del país. El republicano estuvo flanqueado por soldados en un terreno de unas 32 hectáreas, donde se levantará la instalación que, a mediados de abril, ya podrá recibir a 300 soldados....
EN:
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Articulos sobre Latinoamérica y otros temas publicados en 2023 que podría ser de interés releer
EN:
Beatrice E. Rangel enero 25, 2023
https://www.lapatilla.com/2023/01/25/beatrice-e-rangel-a-proposito-del-celac/
Carlos Malamud enero 26, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/brasil-sur-mercosur-y-despues/
Anne-Marie
Slaughter / Project Syndicate enero 28, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/quien-es-parte-del-mundo-libre/
Francisco González Cruz enero 30, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/america-latina-y-el-sueno-no-encontrado/
Nelson Hernández enero 30 2023
Boris Santos Gómez Úzqueda enero 31, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/sigamos-apostando-por-el-hidrogeno-verde/
Antonio de la Cruz febrero 1, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/el-realismo-magico-de-los-gobiernos-latinoamericanos-y-caribenos/
Manuel Alcántara febrero 1, 2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/sociedades-cansadas-y-democracias-fatigadas/
EFE febrero 2, 2023
Josep Borrell febrero 3,2023
https://www.elnacional.com/opinion/hacer-posible-la-victoria-ucraniana/
Saturday, February 3, 2024
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Saturday, January 27, 2024
Preocupación en Unicef por el gran aumento de niños que no leen ni escriben en Latinoamérica
“A nosotros nos interesa mucho la cooperación internacional, acercar a los países y estar listos para que cuando los países lo necesiten podamos brindarles con asistencia técnica, hacerles llegar las experiencias más innovadoras, las experiencias de otros países en Latinoamérica y otras regiones", afirmó el Jefe regional de educación del Fondo de las Naciones Unidas....
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Festival Nacional del Libro (12), Washington D.C. Escritores de origen latino: Mel Valentine Vargas. Por Javier J. Jaspe
En Pocas Palabras. Javier J. Jaspe
Washington D.C.
“The
2023 National Book Festival was held in the nation’s capital at the Walter E.
Washington Convention Center on Saturday, August 12, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Several programs were livestreamed, and video of all talks can be viewed online
shortly after the Festival’s conclusion. Mark your calendars now for next
year’s National Book Festival, scheduled for Aug. 24, 2024.”
EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival/about-this-event/
Una lista completa de los autores que participaron en el
Festival Nacional del Libro de 2023
(FNL2023) puede verse EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival/authors/
La serie que finalizamos hoy se refiere a escritores de origen latino que participaron en el FNL2023. Su objeto no consiste en realizar un análisis de su obra, sino el de publicar material encontrado en Internet relacionado con la misma y sus autores, para lo cual nos servirá de guía el propio Website del FNL2023 en inglés: https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival/about-this-event/
Los textos de Internet se transcribirán en itálicas, en español o inglés, según sea el caso, con indicación de su fuente. Esta duodécima y última entrega se refiere la autora Mel Valentine Vargas. Veamos:
Mel Valentine Vargas
Mel is a queer Cuban-American graphic novelist and
illustrator located in Chicago. They hope to draw the kind of illustrations
that their younger self, and others like them, could have seen to feel less
alone and to feel a lot more love. Vargas illustrated the graphic novel
adaptation of Meg Medina’s “Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass,” which will
be featured at the 2023 National Book Festival.
Conferencia/Entevista
en el FNL2023
2023
National Book Festival: Drawing Yaqui Delgado with Meg Medina & Mel
Valentine Vargas
Video EN: https://www.loc.gov/events/2023-national-book-festival/schedule/item/webcast-10985/
Website de
la autora:
Biografía
en el Website de la autora:
Mel is a queer Miami born, Chicago based, Latine comic
creator and illustrator. They work largely with digital media and have a BA in
illustration from Columbia College Chicago. As a member of Columbia College
Chicago’s 2020 senior class, Mel was awarded Illustrator of the year.
Mel loves drawing minorities and art that their younger
self needed while growing up. Their work is largely inspired by LGBT, Hispanic,
and fem experiences, and is focused in graphic storytelling with themes that
help highlight minority lifestyles of all shapes and sizes. It is Mel's goal to
ensure that their illustrations help people who are not often represented feel
a little less alone and a lot more love.
When they aren’t working Mel can be found playing with
their cats, eating gyoza, or playing farming simulator games.
Mel has worked with Candlewick, Little Brown, Harper Collins, and Penguin
Random House. They have also done
editorial work with many publications including The Chicago Reader and Lions Roar Magazine.
Follow Mel to stay tuned in on their events, work, and
projects!
Instagram
@onlinevalentine
Twitter
@melvalentinev
Email
: Melvalentinev@gmail.com
Libros en
el Website de la autora:
https://www.melvalentinev.com/graphic-novels-and-books
Ilustraciones
en el Website de la autora:
https://www.melvalentinev.com/illustrations
Cómics en
el Website de la autora:
https://www.melvalentinev.com/comics
Reportajes/Entrevistas
Mel Valentine Vargas on adapting Yaqui Delgado Wants
to Kick Your Ass into a graphic novel
"I tried to keep the story as similar as possible to the
original because it was already so good. It's a timeless book, really."
Interview by Contributor
Published
on Oct. 11, 2023
Mel Valentine
Vargas’ art is evocative, endearing, and true to life. Their recent adaptation
of the Pura Belpre award-winning novel, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick
Your Ass, is just as relevant to teens
now as it was ten years ago when Meg Medina first authored it. From the
adaptation's first page, Valentine Vargas draws readers into the vulnerability
and relatability of Piddy Sanchez’s story.
Yaqui Delgado Wants
to Kick Your Ass tells the story of Piedad “Piddy” Sanchez, your normal
15-year-old. Once her mom relocates them to a new part of Queens, Piddy's had
to switch schools, move houses, and separate from her best friend. Amongst
those issues, Piddy is learning how to navigate her Latinidad, deal with the
repercussions of her absent father, and there’s just another tiny problem:
Yaqui Delgado hates her.
Can
you tell me about how you came to illustrate Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your
Ass?
Valentine
Vargas: So my agent actually reached out to me with this
opportunity from Candlewick, who originally published the original chapter book
version of this book about ten years ago. They wanted to create a graphic novel
version for the ten year anniversary because they wanted to revamp the fan base
of this book. People already loved this book so much, and they really thought
that it needed this new coat of paint…..
Image….
I always say this, I did not know that this book existed before [Candlewick] came to me with the opportunity. I think when [the novel] came out, I would have been the perfect age to pick up this book and love it. So [Candlewick] sent me over a chapter book version. I read it and I loved it, and I agreed immediately to adapt it and turn it into a graphic novel. And that's kind of how that started.
That's
awesome. I know I had never heard about it either until I decided to review it,
and I fell in love with this graphic novel version. And so now I have to go
back and read the chapter book version.
Yeah, I mean, the
chapter book is so good. It's different in a lot of ways, but I tried to keep
the story as similar as possible to the original because it was already so
good. It's a timeless book, really.
Yeah,
it definitely is. And one thing that stood out to me was how well you were able
to capture Piedad’s emotional journey throughout the book. I know cyberbullying
was certainly the main focus of her story, but she was also struggling with her
Latinidad and her relationship with her absent father. How did you go about
creating these difficult moments in Piddy’s life, but visually?
It was kind of hard
for sure, because I feel like chapter books have such an incredible way of
writing something and making it universal because they don't add enough details
to where you can kind of separate yourself from the story. So I think they add
this perfect level so that you can still see yourself within this character's
life…..
Image….
I always say
this, I did not know that this book existed before [Candlewick] came to me with
the opportunity. I think when [the novel] came out, I would have been the
perfect age to pick up this book and love it. So [Candlewick] sent me over a
chapter book version. I read it and I loved it, and I agreed immediately to
adapt it and turn it into a graphic novel. And that's kind of how that started.
That's
awesome. I know I had never heard about it either until I decided to review it,
and I fell in love with this graphic novel version. And so now I have to go
back and read the chapter book version.
Yeah, I mean, the
chapter book is so good. It's different in a lot of ways, but I tried to keep
the story as similar as possible to the original because it was already so good.
It's a timeless book, really.
Yeah,
it definitely is. And one thing that stood out to me was how well you were able
to capture Piedad’s emotional journey throughout the book. I know cyberbullying
was certainly the main focus of her story, but she was also struggling with her
Latinidad and her relationship with her absent father. How did you go about
creating these difficult moments in Piddy’s life, but visually?
It was kind of hard
for sure, because I feel like chapter books have such an incredible way of
writing something and making it universal because they don't add enough details
to where you can kind of separate yourself from the story. So I think they add
this perfect level so that you can still see yourself within this character's
life.
It's hard to transform those [moments] into comics, but I don't think it's impossible. When you really take these moments that Meg paid so much attention to and you're like, 'This is a moment where I really have to zoom in on Piddy’s face because we have to know exactly how she's feeling in this moment.'
And
these moments where I'm going to zoom in on this object because this object is
important to this part of the story. The audience can infer how these
characters are feeling. It's like a jigsaw puzzle deciding what each panel will
hold to really continue that feeling and sensation of the scene. Sometimes it's
a lot of me deciding how blank I want to make the page because I feel like
making pages mostly blank in graphic novels is such a powerful move, and it's
important sometimes to draw less…..
Images….
As
you mentioned, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass is the celebration of the
ten year anniversary of Meg Medina’s book. It feels like this graphic novel is
just as relevant, if not more so, than it was ten years ago when her novel was
first published. Why do you think that is?
Unfortunately,
bullying is still a thing. I experienced [bullying] when I was a child. I think
it's rare to come across somebody who wasn't bullied in some way or another by
their peers, let alone by other people in their lives. And then on top of that
it's struggling with your identity, which again, who hasn't gone through that,
whether you're Hispanic or not. It's struggling with your friendships and
feeling more distant from your friends who you once were super close with.
Again, who hasn't been through that. First crushes, first jobs, school, it’s
such a timeless book because it really is a culmination of so many things that
we all go through.
I always say - it’s
important in all the ways we're similar and it's important in all the ways
we're different, too, because it's great for somebody who isn't a Hispanic
teenage girl dealing with these problems to pick up this book and understand
this point of view, the same way that it is important for a Hispanic teenage
girl to pick up this book and see herself within this novel.
Yeah, the scene where Piddy is dealing with the aftermath of Yaqui Delgado fighting PIddy, then everything was posted online afterwards for the whole school to see — how does a young Latine girl recover from that? It was very impactful.
I know this graphic novel was just published, but I was researching a little bit about the novel itself. I saw instances where Meg Medina had spoken about book banning in relation to Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. I was wondering if you’ve already had instances of discussion around book banning with your graphic novel.
So the book just got
released September 5th, so I have not experienced any banning with it. I have
thought about the possibility of that happening because people really are
banning books just for showcasing minority voices. I know it can happen. I
wouldn't be surprised, unfortunately.
I’m a stereotypical
Cuban from Miami because my parents came from Cuba and I was born in Miami.
I've lived in Florida my entire life until I moved to Chicago for college. And
Florida is a leading state in book bans. I wouldn't be surprised if it got
banned in my home state.
I've seen a lot of
really, really good books get banned because they're showcasing somebody's
culture that isn't White™. There's this children's book about making dumplings
that got banned. I'm like, why?
So I haven't dealt
with that. But obviously Meg and I are very against book bans, and I would be
the first to speak out about it if it did happen. I'm outraged enough that it
happens to other people's books.
What
advice would you give to young readers of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass?
Honestly, it sounds
cheesy, but tell somebody if you're going through something. I know that's
always so hard. Because again, who hasn't been through bullying? I got bullied
in school, and I think it really is just such a relief when you're able to tell
somebody. Unfortunately, it's not always the solution, because it really
depends on who you tell.
There’s adults who
will try their hardest to help you, and there's adults who don't care,
unfortunately, for lack of a better word. It's a battle of wanting to be heard.
It’s important to tell people what it is that you're going through, whether
it's a teacher, a counselor, your parents.
I also went to the
NBF with Meg, who does the National Book Festival in Washington, and our book
talk was specifically in the kids programming. A lot of the kids asked me art
questions, which made me very emotional. The advice I was telling the kids is
to continue to do what it is that you love even though you think you're bad at
it.
They were like, 'My
art doesn't look the way I want it to look.' And I was like, that's okay. That
happens to me now. So I think it's important that if you want to do comics or
if you want to write stories: continue to do that and you'll get better. Nobody
is born being good at something like that.
I
love that. How did you get started into writing graphic novels?....
Image….
I actually didn't
know that I wanted to do this. I want to say that until I graduated high
school, I always knew that I liked to draw and write stories and create
universes or characters. I used to do costuming for a theater for seven years.
That was my major because I went to an arts magnet school.
I love the drawing
process of designing the costumes. And to this day, drawing clothes is one of
my favorite things to do for the characters. In college, I would come home from
class and all I wanted to do was draw.
And originally I was
going to college because I was getting a biology degree. And I was just like,
all I want to do is draw and read comics and something has to change in my
life, because if I'm coming home and I'm not really loving what I'm doing at school
and all I want to do is draw, obviously that's what I should be doing. So I
kind of went feral one day and just started looking up art colleges. I was
going to community college at the time, and I started looking up art colleges
that still had applications open. And I got lucky enough that Columbia College,
Chicago had their applications open. I left Florida, which I've lived in my
entire life, and moved over there, which was one of the best decisions of my
life. I've met incredible people and have really poured my heart and soul into
this career. I've moved up my entire life to go and follow this thing and I've
loved it.
I've made zines,
I've done things for newspapers, I've done other books, and have had other
opportunities with conventions. And it's all been around drawing comics. And
I've loved every second of it. It feels like what I'm meant to be doing, which
feels really good.
Here
at Popverse, we celebrate the best in TV, movies, and comics. And I was
wondering what Latine TV, movies, shows or comics are you loving right now that
you're not currently working on?
I'm sure that other
people from minority groups can relate, but sometimes I watch the media and I
don't really relate it to the minority that I am, I just watch a show.
But I watch a lot of
media that I categorized as queer because I'm queer. Survival of the Thickest
is a show on Netflix that’s really good. It's about this fat woman who just got
cheated on and she's like 30-something and she's trying to live her life. She’s
a fashion stylist. That show was so good and so funny. It's just beautiful.
Watch it.
Fanbase Press Interviews Mel Valentine
Vargas on the Upcoming Release of the Graphic Novel Adaptation, “Yaqui Delgado Wants
to Kick your Ass”
Written By Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief
Image….
The following is an interview with Mel Valentine
Vargas regarding the upcoming release of the graphic novel
adaptation, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, through
Candlewick. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon
chats with Vargas about their creative experience in bringing the award-winning
novel (originally written by Meg Medina) to the sequential art medium, what
they hope that readers may take away from the story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on
the upcoming release of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass! What are you most
excited for readers to experience with this adaptation of the award-winning YA
novel?
Mel Valentine Vargas: Thank you! Meg
Medina and I are very excited about it! I hope that having this book adapted as
a graphic novel will both satisfy fans who cherish the original while also
reaching new people who will love and see themselves in this story.
BD: The creative process of approaching an
adaptation of a prior work – especially one as well received as Yaqui Delgado Wants
to Kick Your Ass – can be a daunting experience. How would you describe
your approach to breathing new life into the story through the sequential art
medium, and what did you find to be most rewarding/challenging about the
process?
MVV: Firstly, I read my copy of the original book
twice in preparation for this graphic novel. I actually did not know this book
existed before I got presented with this project, which is crazy since I would
have LOVED to read this as a teen. My copy now is so well loved, full of
highlighter marks, notes, and color coded sticky notes.
I tried keeping the story as similar as possible to
the original while also sprinkling it with more modern takes so that it stays
relevant, though it wasn’t hard considering Meg wrote it out so perfectly
already. It’s such a relatable story that it’s not truly necessary to change
much in order to make it shine as a graphic novel.
BD: What makes Candlewick the perfect home for this
story?
MVV: Candlewick has worked with Meg Medina for
years, so I knew that there was going to be a lot of love put into this book
from the whole team. I feel honored to have been given the opportunity to work
on this with skilled people who were familiar with the original and couldn’t
wait to see this book blossom.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors
to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums.
How do you feel that Piddy’s story will connect with and impact readers?
MVV: No matter how you slice it, Piddy’s story is as
relevant as it was ten years ago. Heck, it was relevant 100 years ago. What
person hasn’t dealt with feeling different, family tension, friend drama,
crushes, or bullies? It is imperative that stories like this continue to be
told, because people need to know that they are not alone, that things will get
better, and that they will survive.
For those who perhaps do not see themselves in
Piddy, read this anyway. I would hate for people to think that because they do
not fit into all the categories that Piddy does, that they shouldn’t pick up
this book. In fact, I think it is important for us to push ourselves to read
books about those that are different from us, so that we may understand others
better.
BD: Are there any other upcoming projects on which
you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
MVV: My next full length graphic novel, Pillow Talk, written by
Stephanie Cooke and illustrated by me, will be out in 2024. Other projects are
in the works, too, so keep your eyes peeled.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to
find more information about Yaqui Delgado Wants
to Kick Your Ass and your other work?
MVV: Readers can find more of my work on my
Instagram (@Onlinevalentine), and if you have any questions or thoughts, you
can email me at Melvalentinev (at) gmail (dot)com.
I hope you all love the book as much as I loved
working on it!
Book Review: Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina, illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas
By Ileana
González Soto
EN: https://latinxinpublishing.com/blog/2023/9/20/book-review
If
you’re reading this review, you probably know just how petrifying high school
can be. Not fitting in, not feeling good enough, getting good grades, romance,
friendships, body image. High school is a lot, on top of the struggles with
family and identity that are often prevalent as you make the transition into a
young adult. Add social media and cyber-bullying into the mix and high school?
Yeah, it’s hell.
Meg Medina’s award-winning novel, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass,
is expertly transformed by Mel Valentine Vargas into a graphic novel that is
pertinent to teens of today. It takes elements that were strongest in Medina’s 2013
prose and brings them to life in a revitalizing way. We still feel the
yearning, loneliness, and vulnerability that Medina crafted for us through
Piddy Sanchez’s story, but Vargas expertly gets us to know Piddy through their
contemporary art.
Meg Medina’s award-winning novel, “Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass”, is expertly transformed by Mel Valentine Vargas into a graphic novel that is pertinent to teens of today. It takes elements that were strongest in Medina’s 2013 prose and brings them to life in a revitalizing way.
Piddy
Sanchez feels herself slipping, and she feels alone.
Her mom Clara works late, and is doing
the best she can to raise Piddy as a single mom. And despite her mom doing
everything she can for Piddy, Piddy still feels like a piece of her is missing.
Her father is no longer in the picture, choosing instead to live with a second
family in the Dominican Republic. Her best friend Mitzi is actually fitting in
at her school, and forgetting about Piddy. Her grades are falling, she's
skipping class, she’s had to move, and oh yeah, Yaqui Delgado wants to kick her
ass.
Image….
Though
the title is centered around Yaqui, we actually get to know her very little,
except that she hates Piddy for being the new girl at school. She can’t stand
the way that Piddy shakes her hips when she walks. Piddy isn’t the
stereotypical Latina, but she’s just as Latina as the rest of the girls at
school. Still, she knows she doesn’t fit in because of her accentless Spanish,
her light skin, and her adeptness in the classroom. And Yaqui blames Piddy for
talking to Alfredo, a boy that Yaqui has her eyes on.
So, after weeks of bullying, Yaqui finally
kicks Piddy’s ass. And posts the fight online for the whole school to see.
We know today just as we did back in 2013
(when Meg Medina’s prose novel was first published) about the intensity of
cyberbullying. The fact is, social media has become even more of a staple in
young teens’ lives than it was ten years ago. It is proof that young readers, young
Latine readers, need Piddy’s story now more than ever.
Yes, Piddy Sanchez is going through
it. Kids her age can suck, and the pressure to succeed and fit in threatens to
make her head explode. But, the most important thing that Piddy learns through
all of this is that she is never alone. She learned how to play piano from her
mom, how to dance and shake her hips from Lila, and how to make new friends and
try new things from her best friend Mitzi. She has friends and family who love
her and will stick up for her no matter what she is going through. With a
strong community around her, Piddy learns to stick up for herself and gathers
the strength to not give up, even when it feels like the entire world is
against her.
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