thisisjorge-blog

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What was supposed to be a 30-month prison sentence in a low-security facility turned into a death sentence for Jesus M. Galindo, who was being held in solitary confinement to keep him under close medical watch when he died.

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Gay marriage is great... but the gays can still get fired just for being gay. 

Alabama has no anti-discrimination laws for LGBT people, even though it ‘s now legal for gays to marry there. 

That makes Alabama the 13th state in the nation where same-sex couples can get married and get fired or evicted just for being gay.

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The U.S. government will pay the Navajo Nation $554 million to settle claims that it mismanaged funds and natural resources on the tribe’s reservation.

The lawsuit alleged that the U.S. “had breached its historical fiduciary obligations by failing to manage, invest and account for tribal...

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My latest on the Fusion Tumblr:

ThisIsFusion:

Ju Hong posted a special Valentine’s Day card to his Facebook wall with hopes President Obama will see it. Hong’s Valentine’s message for Obama? He wants the president to stop deportations. “Valentine’s Day is a special day for people to spend time with their loved ones,” Hong told Fusion. “However, in this Valentine’s Day, millions of undocumented immigrants will not have the chance to spend time with their loved ones because of our broken immigration system.” Hong was born in South Korea. He is currently working on obtaining his Master’s degree at San Francisco State University.

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Beeeeeeeep.

It seems like director Alfonso Cuarón was caught by surprise when he was named best director at the Golden Globes for “Gravity.”

So surprised that a bad word or two came out as he walked up to the microphone to accept his award.

'¡Gracias cabrón, ay güey!', the Mexican director said as he took...

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Eugenio Derbez Explains How to Pronounce Eugenio Derbez

Eugenio Derbez broke box office records last week when his film “Instructions Not Included” became the highest grossing Spanish-language film to open in North America. 

His success has led him to lots of talk-shows on English-language television and radio shows, but there’s always one problem… American TV hosts are having trouble pronouncing his name. 

Also read:

Eugenio Derbez on Success of ‘Instructions Not Included’: “I Know My People”

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Same-Sex Marriage is Great But Gays Can Still Get Fired For No Reason

By JORGE RIVAS

Wednesday’s historic Supreme Court decision ruling Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional is an enormous triumph.

But the LGBT community still has a long way to go before they reach full equality. Did you know that in 29 states gays and lesbians can get fired just because their gay?

Read More

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Rape Pervasive in Agricultural Industry (Infographic)

Scene from the PBS documentary “Rape in the Fields."

By JORGE RIVAS

For the more than half a million women who pick and handle the food we eat, sexual assault often comes comes with the job. 

Frontline partnered with Univision News to produce the documentary “Rape in the Fields" that explores how many migrant women working in America’s fields and packing plants are sexually assaulted by supervisors who exploit their immigrant status. 

Read More

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A Disney Princess I Can Get Behind

My little sister is 8-years younger than I am, and as a result... I too grew up with Ariel, Belle, Jasmine and Mulan.

"I am a Princess. I am brave sometimes. I am scared sometimes. Sometimes I am brave even when I am scared. I believe in loyalty and trust. I believe loyalty is built on trust. I try to be kind. I try to be genorous. I am kind even when others are not so generous. I am a Princess. 

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Backbends, La Canada

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Friends,

I wrote a story for Tomorrow Magazine about Radio Ambulante, a Spanish-language radio program showcasing human stories from Latin America and the United States.

Generally I don't tell people what they should do... but, you really should order one of these.

Miss your chance to get the magazine on Kickstarter? Good news! We’re taking orders for issue no. 1 of Tomorrow magazine at our new online store. The magazine is currently being printed, so we’ll be ready to ship in just a few weeks.

If you want your own copy of this 112 page brain-refresher, please be sure to order soon, since we’re going to try and mail them all at once. Don’t hesitate to tell your friends about the chance to buy this whip-smart publication via the social networks of your choice, skywriting, or just grabbing them by the lapels and shaking them.

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Bank Robbery Suspects Toss Money Out Window During High Speed PursuitChase

The LA Times describes the scene:

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Tim, La Canada

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Underwater Shyness, La Cañada

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Backbends and Sunsets, Glendale, CA.

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Ramiro Gomez’s L.A. street art gives us something to think about

By EBONY MONTENEGRO It’s Banksy’s public “guerilla” art with a touch of Diego Rivera’s social realism on the streets of Beverly Hills. With that in mind you can begin to understand artist Ramiro Gomez’s vision. In a recent interview with Jorge Rivas of Colorlines.com, the Los Angeles native spoke about his work.

Gomez creates cardboard cut-out paintings of labor workers and peppers them on the lawns and homes throughout affluent Beverly Hills. As a nanny, artist Gomez wants more than anything to spur conversation around “illegal immigrants,” and draw attention to the headlines about the Arizona and Alabama  legislatures’ immigration rulings.

To see more from Gomez, check out his blog.

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Saturdays with Abuelita Carmen and Libertad Lamarque

For years--from the time I was a kid with a 35mm point-and-shoot--my grandmother was the only one I could consistently persuade to get in front of my camera. And in the era in my life in which I thought Alexander McQueen was the most amazing man to ever to walk on earth and that I would be the next David Lachapelle, my abuelita would let me dress her up too.

But as her memory is slowly taken over with new anxious ideas it gets harder to get her in front of a camera to sit still. Until today. With the help of Libertad Lamarque.