MODERN IFIGENIA

I remember being a young adult and cramming into a van with 26 other people: this van was designed to hold only nine. Had I been wealthier, I could have gotten on a nicer and safer bus, but I was not wealthy and had to get home ASAP. I hated my country for things like that and loved America because America had nice buses, no overcrowded bus. I had been on American buses and trains while on vacation and they felt glamorous compared to what I had to get on on a regular basis. Years later, I would move to America. I would depend on public transportation to get to work, school and leisure. I lived at the border between a wealthy area and modest one, lucky enough to have been assigned to the wealthier neighborhood's school system. It turns out, PT in America was not that glamorous. The fleets were nicer, but the routes and expense couldn't get me to where I WANTED to be. They were good enough to get me to where OTHERS wanted me to be. I have since moved around and lived all ov

I didn't know I was fat until I came to the U.S. Up to that point, if clothes didn't look good on me, it was because the tailor didn't know what they were doing....after that point, my body has always been wrong for not being able to fit into clothes.

Person 1: My biggest mistake in life is not being born hot Person 2: You don't have to be born hot, you could spend enough money to become hot Person 1: My biggest mistake in life then is not being born rich enough to afford hotness

I have to admit I was hesitant to watch this movie. Beatriz at Dinner was presented as a movie about a Mexican immigrant at a dinner party where she encounters a series of microaggressions and deals powerfully with them. You would think I would be down with the powerful part of this, but I am just tired, as a professional Latina woman, I deal with these stereotypes all the time and didn't want to deal with them during my leisure. I ultimately gave in and went in order to support Latinas in leading roles. I walked into the theater in a very diverse City and I was the only attendee of color. I understood. I assumed many like me did not want to watch their lives play out on screen. I was open though and have to admit that ultimately, this is a horrible movie. First of all, I couldn't help but feel that Salma Hayek's character is your standard Hollywood Magical Negro , with the twist that this time it was a Magical Mexican. If you remember,  The Green Mile literally had a

This weekend on what would be Canada Day and later turn into the 4th of July, I went to Niagara Falls. It was my second time visiting. I have no recollection of the first time. I just know that the first time I was not a U.S. Citizen and this time I was. The first time was in the early 80's when the Canadian government welcomed immigrants with a lot of hostility, this time it was the U.S. government. Nonetheless, I spent my time enjoying these Falls, appreciating their beauty and recognizing just how the times have changed. You would think that all of this history would be overwhelming and send me into deep thought, but there was something else that caught my attention: Nigerian women! That's right! While celebrating Canada Day and U.S. Independence Day, I noticed Nigerian women and their beautiful makeup. It has sent me into a search for online Nigerian makeup tutorials. Maybe next time you see me, instead of being a soaking bum, I will look more like a Nigerian princess.