I hope this story of young Ariana will inspire everyone to help their young cousins, granddaughters, nieces and grandnieces to develop their talents and watch their potential grow. Watching a young woman learn new skills and develop her talents yields immense returns: pleasure, joy and lessons for a distant future. I had that opportunity several […]
Even when we are feeling depressed or when we get angry at others, there are those who inspire and encourage us. My beautiful sister-in-law, Cindy, is one of those people. As a dutiful daughter-in-law, she has taken on the care of my 96, soon-to-be 97, year-old mother on and […]
Money is a strange thing. Some have it and don’t think about it. The rest of us scrabble for every dime. I am attending my second year as a Board Member for an organization that shall remain nameless. It’s been an eye-opener. Our organization has representatives from all over the state. Several of the new […]
Last October I spoke at a Hispanic Genealogy Conference in Laredo. By chance, Juan Marinez, a resident of East Lansing, Michigan, also attended the conference. He heard me talk about the importance of Hispanic women and immediately thought of the Dia de las Mujeres program held annually by Michigan State University. He convinced the coordinator […]
Yesterday afternoon, just as I was walking into the Scholarship Banquet for our History students here at Sam Houston State University, I received the distressing but expected news that my dear friend and one-time colleague, Dr. Richard H. Payne, had passed away. We all leave different legacies behind us when we depart this earth, as […]
I am thankful to be able to report that passionate, dedicated teachers abound across the state of Texas, and without doubt, the nation as well. And thank goodness for that. In the face of low salaries, inadequate funding and a society and government that has little interest in education, there are still teachers who are […]
A conference just for #Hispanicwomen ? In Michigan? Not Texas or California or New Mexico? Inspiring and, to my mind, wonderful! Hispanics are a growing force in the United States. It is not surprising that universities around the country are taking an interest in their Hispanic populations. Although there is still a significant drop-out […]
The massive statue of Sam Houston on Interstate 45 just south of Huntsville is known by everyone who drives by. His sculptor deserves to be better known. The joy of living in a small town is that even the most famous artists-in-residence are as pleasant and approachable as your favorite uncle. David Adickes, the […]
City folk and country folk are two entirely different kinds of people. We live out in the woods, seven miles north of the small town of Huntsville, population 30,000+ depending on whether you count the college students and the criminals. This is, after all, the prison capital of Texas where we have more prison units […]
Saturday’s Gálvez Symposium was a tremendous learning experience. Dr. Moramay Lopez-Alonso and Dr. Gonzalo Quintero Saravia both emphasized the impact of the Enlightenment on Bernardo de Gálvez and the people of the time. As Viceroy of New Spain, Bernardo de Gálvez was considered by the Creole elite of the city to be a threat to […]