TODO Austin September 2011

Volume III, 5 | September 2011

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Austin Lyric Opera celebrates 25th anniversaryAnne Marie Melendez of Ballet Austin Peter Bay leads Austin Symphony Orchestra ArtesAméricas presents Crisol Danza Teatro

Austin City Limits (September 16-18 at Zilker Park) is no ordinary festival and this is no ordinary year, as the iconic event celebrates its 10th anniversary. ACL cranks things up with the free ACL Festival Pre Party at Republic Square Park on Thursday, September 8 from 6-10 p.m. with Austin artists Barton Hills Choir, Fresh Millions and Cowboy and Indian. Plus lots of freebies and an open-air display of the best videos from the last 10 years of ACL Music Festival by Alamo Drafthouse’s Rolling Roadshow. www.aclfestival.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dart Music International’s annual Austin Icon Awards will be presented on Friday, September 9, 7 p.m., at Austin City Limits Studio 6A on the UT campus. Four individuals who have used music to bring Austin to the world and the world to Austin will be honored, including Troy Campbell of the House of Songs, Waterloo Records’ John Kunz, Richard Linklater, film director, artistic director and founder of the Austin Film Society, and Carolyn Schwarz, Executive Director of Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Tickets at www.dartmusicinternational.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Harvest Moon Festival brings the spotlight to the Asian American Cultural Center and its 11th anniversary, Saturday, September 10. The fest features Asian and Pacific Rim cultural performances, Chinese opera, lion dances, taiko drums, martial arts demonstrations, family activities and games, resource booths and traditional Asian foods. Free. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. AACC, 11713 Jollyville Road. www.asianamericancc.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Austin Pride 2011 has something for everyone on Saturday, September 10. The festival, from noon-6 p.m. at Fiesta Gardens, 2100 Jesse E. Segovia St., features a full bill of live music including the BlueBonnets with Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go’s, over 100 LGBTQ friendly vendors, a pet parade, a volleyball tournament, games, prizes, and a kid’s area. The Austin Pride Rainbow Run 5K run starts 8 a.m. with a Pride Parade to follow at 10:30 a.m. downtown. www.austinpride.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The annual Fiesta del Grito de Independencia takes place on Thursday, September 15, 7-10 p.m., at the Emma A. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. This free family oriented celebration features Mexican and Tejano music, Folklorico dancers and cultural presentations, food vendor booths and is highlighted by a re-enactment of “El Grito,” or “call for independence,” by the Consul General of Mexico, Dr. Rosalba Ojeda. All are invited to attend this free, festive celebration. www.maccaustin.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fiestas Patrias of Austin presents the 33rd annual Diez y Seis de Septiembre fiesta on Friday-Saturday, September 16-17 at Fiesta Gardens. Commemorating Mexico’s declaration of independence, the fiesta will feature a variety of Tejano, Conjunto, Tropical and Norteno bands, ballet folklorico, traditional festival food, Mexican culinary delights, craft vendors and a children’s area with games, rides and moonwalks. www.diezyseis.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------India Fine Arts presents a carnatic concert with a twist. HeArtbeat Ensemble performs classical Indian music with its many percussive accents, enchanting instruments and reverberating rhythms on Saturday, September 24 at 6 p.m. at a location TBA (please check www.suleka.com/austin or www.austinifa.org). With Dr. ‘Ghatam’ Karthick on ghatam, konnakol, vocals, Embar Kannan on violin, Master Sathyanarayana, keyboard, Poongulam SUBRAMANIAN, mridhangam, Sundarkumar, kanjira and Arunkumar, electronic drums.

[email protected]

512.538.4115

JOSEPH P. A. VILLESCAS, Ph.D. (p. 5) is an independent consultant, writer and instructor who conducts extensive investigations on Latino and other multidimensional populations.

RAMEy KO (p. 6), an attorney residing in East Austin, helps get people involved with activism, politics, and community service.

SAIT yAVUz (p. 7) is Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Houston and works with peace institutions and is a director at the Gulen Institute.

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Lucy in Disguise1506 S. Congress• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Wahoo’s Fish Taco1722 S. Congress• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Thrice Café909 Mary St.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Flashback1805 S. 1st St. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Resistencia Books1801 S. 1st St.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Halcyon Coffee 218 W. 4th• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

El Interior1009 W. Lynn• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

South Austin Music1402 S. Lamar• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Asahi Imports6105 Burnet• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Guitar Center2525 Anderson• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Triumph Café3808 Spicewood Springs

new website coming soon

Restaurant & Bar

TUE-THU 11 AM-10 PM // FRI-SAT 9 AM-1 AM // SUN 9 AM-4 PM600 East 6th Street // 512.444.7770 // www.elsolylalunaaustin.com

We have relocated from our long time home on South Congress to Austin’s Historic Sixth Street.

Latin American Cuisine

LIvE MUSIC

MARIACHI TAMAzULA EvERy FRI at 8 PM

SAT 3 Segunda Luna 7 pm/Cumbiathon 10 pm

SAT 10 Mary Welch y Los Curanderos 8:30 pm

SUN 11 Enlaces Latinos 12 pm

SAT 17 Flying Balalaika Brothers 10 pm

SUN 18 La Gabacha-chas 12 pm

SAT 24 Clemencia’s Triotrez Quartet 8:30 pm

SUN 25 Enlaces Latinos 12 pm

SOR JUANAFESTIVAL 09

MEXICAN WOMENA TRIBUTE TO

MEXICAN AMERICANCULTURAL CENTER

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600 River St., Austin, TX 78701 • 512-974-3772 • maccaustin.org

main galleryIshmael Soto Presents a Mayan Study

Meet the Artist @ 4pm

community galleryVoces de Latinas

Celebrating the Infl uence, Contributions and Legacies of local Latinas to Austin History: A Photo Exhibit

Reception @ 2-4pm

in the zócaloThe Austin Symphony presents:

A Wind Ensemble Concert5:30pm, bring chairs & blankets

museum day at the macc

September 25, 2011 • Galleries open at noon.

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require special assistance for participation in our programs or use of our facilities please call 512-974-3772 or 711 Relay Texas.La ciudad de Austin está comprometida al Acta de Americanos Incapacitados. Si requiere asistencia para participar en nuestros programas por favor llame al teléfono número 512-974-3772 e 711 Relay Texas.

día de los muertosOctober 29, 2011

build an ofrenda (altar)We invite you to participate in our annual

Día de los Muertos celebration by creating an ofrenda (altar) in honor of your family, friends, or famous persons

who have died. Registration forms are available on our website, www.maccaustin.org or by calling 512-974-3772.

Deadline to register is October 17.

MACC

staff

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Ishmael Soto, photo courtesy of the artist

Save the Date for

Viva Las Americas!

o f f i c i a l l a u n c h p a r t y f o r

o c t o b e r 1 9 t h | 7 : 0 0 p m

Historic ACL Studio 6A on UT CampusContact: [email protected]

04 TODO Austin // september 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com

Rose Ann Reeser grew up travelling. Her father worked for Caterpillar and she often lived abroad, including Puerto Rico, Cuba and Brazil during which time Rose Ann learned to speak Spanish and Portuguese. This made for a very tight-knit family. Even though they are geographically scattered now, she stays in close touch with her mother and 3 siblings. Rose Ann moved to Texas to attend Southern Methodist University. She ultimately got her law degree from

the University of Houston and worked for many years in the Texas Attorney General’s Office doing consumer protection law. Now retired, Rose Ann enjoys gardening (except for this summer!) and the outdoors. She trained as a Master Naturalist and loves teaching youth to appreciate and enjoy nature. Rose Ann also volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Her husband, John, serves as her Helping Heart and assists on cases. She has worked with 5 youth since 2006, and her Spanish has been very helpful on cases. She says that she “wanted to do something completely different from my professional life, and not having children of my own, I felt CASA would be really rewarding work.” She knows that she cannot step in and save every child but that you do everything you can to make their lives better and give them a chance for success.

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Travis County

V O L U N T E E R S P O T L I G H THABLA AustinNEWS AND NOTES ON CURRENT AFFAIRS AND ISSUES IMPACTING OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY FROM HISPANIC ADVOCATES AND BUSINESS LEADERS OF AUSTIN

Brown and Proud!Racism is still around but so is the will to fight it. Still Brown and Proud!– HABLA post by Alicia Perez

Efforts for Unified Strategy Underway in CommunityWe (must) mobilize and get our people committed to participating in the electoral process; our numbers speak for themselves. What we need is to get more involved in voter registration and getting out the vote (GOTV), only then will we be heard. There is an effort that will be surfacing very soon which involves many Hispanic organizations whose goal is to accomplish exactly that, register and GOTV of our Hispanic community … to coalesce and have a unified strategy. However, regardless of what or who, we need to get volunteers and contributions ready to start a big effort. – HABLA post by Andrew Ramirez

Mike Martinez Leads Path down 5th Street Mexican American Heritage CorridorCouncil member Mike Martinez led and sponsored Item#67 at a council meeting in late August to approve a resolution supporting the 5th Street Mexican American Heritage Corridor. The warehouse district near 4th/5th & Guadalupe Streets were among the first Mexican-American barrios in Austin. My great grandmother & grandmother attended the original Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and school and many of my family members worked in the chili warehouses and played in Chili Park (now Republican Square Park). For many years, this was the only public place that local Mexican & Mexican-Americans were allowed to congregate in public. Lots of history. Many thanks to our local historians like Martha Cotera & Gloria Mata Pennington for keeping this history along. The 5th St. Mexican-American Heritage Corridor is long overdue! – HABLA post by Paul Saldaña

Economic Racism Alive and WellHad opportunity to converse with US Human Rights Commission Chair Castro. I am here to tell U there is hope and this Mejicano needs our support! Yes, racism is alive and well it is Economic Racism! I am a proud Mexican American who Chairs the Austin Human Rights Commission. – HABLA post by Judy Cortez

Senator Barrientos, Fred Cantu, Kathleen M. Vale and Delia Garza Appointed to Charter Revision CommitteeIt really is way past time we created a local Govt. that reflects the entire community. But it won’t happen just because the Mayor and a few council members support it; it’s going to take the people of Austin to get it done. This is a huge issue for Hispanics and equal representation. I hope you will consider being a part of the change … Vale and Garza are both strong, independent Latina Women, of which, have NEVER been elected to the Austin City Council. I think its way past time and I hope you will support them as they take on the task of making a recommendation to the Council regarding single member districts. – HABLA post by Mike Martinez

Should Austin Council Adopt District Representation?The fact that Austin professes to be progressive is misleading when you think about that SMD has been on the ballot 6 times and failed. While I believe that Ethnic/Race representation is important, I’m supportive of what will bring the Austin community together and prefer to focus on geographic representation. As a former Chief of Staff for the only Minority Mayor elected in the history of Austin (Mayor Gus Garcia) & having worked for him through most of his tenure on the City Council, the unspoken expectation among the other Council Members is that policy decisions perceived to be Black or Brown are expected to be led and addressed by the Minority Council Members. Public perception from the dais is one thing and what goes on behind closed doors is another. Austin should NO LONGER BE THE ONLY MAJOR METROPOLITAN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WITHOUT SINGLE-MEMBER-DISTRICTS. – HABLA post by Paul Saldaña

Latina to Head Girl ScoutsSan Antonian Anna Maria Chávez, CEO of the Girls Scouts of Southwest Texas, has been named chief executive of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America. She becomes the first Latina to lead the national scouting organization, which is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2012 … “I’m ecstatic and overwhelmed by this historic opportunity,” Chávez said. “I truly understand the significance of my appointment. It says anything is possible in this great country – Elaine Ayala, MySanAntonio.com -HABLA post by Kathleen M. Vale

TODO AustinVoLUmE III, NUmbEr 005

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Contributing Writers/Artists – Pratima Agrawal, Güner Arslan, mohammad Al-bedaiwi, Joseph banks, Stefanie behe, Adriana Cadena, Sirsha Chatterjee, Jennie Chen, mita Haldar, Jillian Hall, maria P. Hernandez, Paul Hernandez, Gabino Iglesias, Yadira Izquierdo, Nandini Jairam, Chaille Jolink, Jamie Jones, ryan Jordan, ramey Ko, Vandana Kumar, Callie Langford, Heather Lee, Liz Lopez, David marks, Jessica meyer, Lata Narumanchi, Cristina Parker, Kathy Pham, rebecca robinson, Paul Saldaña, marion Sanchez, Hani Saleh, Jaya Shukla, rupal Shah, Sachin Shah, Kristina Vallejo, Kuetzpalin Vasquez, Joseph P.A. Villescas, bowen Wilder, Sait Yavuz

Photographers – raul Angon, Heather banks, Jenny Fu, mark Guerra, mari Hernandez, John m. P. Knox, JoJo marion, Aimee Wenske, matt Ziehr

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TODO Austin is published by Spark Awakened Publishing. © 2011 Spark Awakened Publishing. All rights reserved. Unsolicited submissions (including, but not limited to articles, artwork, photographs) are not returned.

on the Cover: City’s Performing Arts Groups and Hispanic Austin

ArtesAméricas presents Crisol Danza Teatro[photo by Arturo Campos]

Peter Bay leads Austin Symphony Orchestra[photo by Galina Stepanova]

Anne Marie Melendez of Ballet Austin[photo by Tony Spielberg]

Austin Lyric Opera celebrates 25th anniversary [photo by Richard Brodzeller for Florentine Opera Company, Milwaukee, WI.]

Visit us at:TODOAustinonline.comwww.facebook.com/todo.austin——————————————————————————multicultural media for All of Austin——————————————————————————TODO Austin is a free, colorful print and online journal for all of Austin highlighting our multicultural heritage. our mission is to promote the concept of community in an ethnically diverse city.

Write to us with stories, submissions, etc.:[email protected] Editorial – 512.538.4115

TODO AustinP.O. Box 4142 Austin, TX 78765-4142

SPOTLIGHT: Workers Defense Project

Come celebrate the 9th anniversary of Workers Defense Project, a group which empowers low-wage workers and acts collectively for racial and economic justice in the workplace.

The organization’s annual fundraiser is Thursday September 22 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Emma S. barrientos mexican American Cultural Center, located at 600 river Street. The event will honor State Senator José rodríguez and marek brothers Construction, with food provided by El Sol Y La Luna, beverages from black Star Co-op, botticelli’s and Crown Imports, and music by Cerronato and Seu Jacinto. Tickets are $25 and include food and drink. In addition, supporters can consider sponsoring a low-wage worker who may otherwise be unable to attend. For more information and to rSVP, contact 512-391-2305. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.workersdefense.org under “Donate Now” (indicate that your donation is for the “Anniversary Event”).

Workers Defense Project advocates for low-wage Latino workers in Austin who have experienced mistreatment, unpaid wages and injury on the job. The project does this through direct services and education and strategic organizing. A few of WDPs accomplishments since its inception include: recovery of over $700,000 in unpaid wages for 7,000 workers; winning 50,000 Austin construction workers the right to paid rest breaks; and a city-wide measure that requires all workers on city-owned sites, where third-party developers are used, to be provided with an oSHA 10-hour training prior to working on the construction site.

Workers Defense Project work is important and necessary. We hope that you support them in building a better Austin for all workers.

TODO Austin // september 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com 05

Which Democratic leader does the 35th congressional district “belong” to? The longtime congressman Lloyd Doggett or the state representative-turned-congressional-candidate Joaquín Castro? Considering that both are essentially new residents to this emergent district, I do not think they innately belong to either man—they have to earn the support of their new constituents including the Latinos, Anglos, Anglo Latinos, Latino Anglos, and the racially mixed Latino/Anglo hybrids.

Each time I read articles about this congressional district, much more is said about the dual advantages/disadvantages of Doggett’s whiteness and Castro’s latinidad and very little to do with what residents in east Austin, in particular, are concerned about such as the current range of educational resources available in that part of town. What journalists, analysts, politicos and “Latino community advisors” should be discussing are the high school graduation rates, classroom resources and caliber of faculty as well as the annual income of graduates which are worlds apart between west and east Austin, and have remained as such for decades.

The peculiar race-based logic that is balkanizing this crucial central Texas campaign serves as a good example of what we can come to expect from the upcoming 2012 discussion.

Will this predominantly Latino district that meanders across Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe,

Hays and Travis counties vote for Doggett because of their awareness of his dedication to Latino constituents and Latino populations across the state? Or should we apply that commonsensical race-based belief that if a Latino voter sees a Spanish surname on the ballot they will automatically vote for that person because the stereotype holds that all Latinos are mindless robots that stick to their own kind? Despite their mestizo origins, when over 90% of Latinos racially identify as white during each decennial census are Latino voters really all that different from other white voters?

Assuming that Latinos will all vote as one bloc is presumptuous, and is an indicator that both of these incredible Democratic figures must reassess the complexities of the various Latino subpopulations that inhabit the six counties they seek to represent.

In this racially charged election, previous and future representatives will be judged according to their influence on regional Latino issues related to education, healthcare and job creation as well as their dedication to improving the quality of life for residents in Austin, Kyle, Lockhart, Maxwell, New Braunfels, San Marcos, Seguín and San Antonio. Improving educational outcomes for majority Latino school districts in these counties, and increasing access to greater economic opportunities for historically underserved urban and rural populations are issues that will definitely be prioritized regardless

of the candidates’ racial identification or age.

Congressional District 35 belongs to the residents and not the candidates regardless of how this election is being framed in recent coverage. Serving in this capacity is not going to be derived through political or cultural entitlement, it is only going to be achieved by the

individual who has the vision and dedication to unify these disparate central Texas communities as a cohesive body of voters. Once Doggett and Castro get settled in District 35 as new residents, I hope that they let go of the racial stereotypes that their campaigns have been inadvertently promoting and relate to their new constituents as fellow Texans who want the quality of life in our state to improve for the next generation.

Villescas is founder and owner of Villescas research, media & Instruction, LLC (www.villescas.org).

Small Government in America? / / / / / / / / / / By CHAILLe JOLInK

The idea of a small central government and low taxes is a great political philosophy that holds no place in our current legislative reality. The founding fathers knew this fact very well. It is why we have our constitution in place today; because the Articles of Confederation didn’t create any power to govern, to form a military, or to give authority to tax. It was simply a natural and just reaction to the iron rule of King George’s England.

History and politicians forget that it was a reaction. Our leaders had to convene at what was technically an illegal Continental Congress at the time. Only then did they write what is now the backbone of our nation—the Constitution.

What the founders did was something that no one does anymore in our political landscape—govern and compromise, for better or worse, in one room together, without press, without family, without special interests right next door, without comfort. In America, history proves that the best and most effective decisions are often the most uncomfortable and ‘taxing’ ones to make.

Governing isn’t easy. Every issue is complex in our society today, but for some reason we all want a politician who makes things simple, with either a “Yes We Can” or a “No, I’m ‘Fed-Up.’” Why is it that this what we want from our leaders? These people are supposed to solve some of our country’s greatest problems facing us today; so why is a campaign slogan supposed to be enough for us?

This message of small government and no taxes seems to be a solution for the Republican Party. Not all Republicans are mad tea partiers but, despite this fractured faction, they are at least smart with the public relations aspect of their ideological fracture. They ignore it.

In case anyone hasn’t noticed, Governor Rick Perry

really isn’t about supporting small government. From any number of things, to the Trans-Texas Corridor, to mandating vaccines to all young women in the state, he doesn’t exactly indemnify the tea party’s small government candidacy that seems to be the only way to pick up votes (or at least airtime on Fox News) these days. The luxury of Perry is that he has never been a true ideologue; he simply follows a particular current to stay on top of the tide just long enough.

Standing for small government is a contradiction in and of itself when you’re running for the highest and most powerful office in the world. Anyone else think that it’s funny that Rick Perry wanted to secede from the union, but now he wants to run the union? The contradiction is pretty undeniable.

The idea of running against Washington to get to Washington is a campaign slogan as old as time. We’re all against “The Man.” It’s just about who defines what The Man is. Is it ‘Washington’ or is it the corporate business interests?

Ron Paul is a true small government conservative who has been a Libertarian Candidate for President since the eighties. He truly believes in government reduction and his voting record proves it. In fact he is one of the most predictable voters in Congress. If a bill increases spending in any substantial way, he votes against it. He has been a small government candidate that doesn’t contradict himself, because he is willing to lose in the election. He runs for President but he also has actual solutions for the very real problems we face.

The bottom line is that small government isn’t a way to govern. Cutting redundancies in bureaucracy is a great idea, but it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue the way “FED UP” does. If we want a leader who wants to lead, we have to look for that, not a slogan that just helps a politician win an election.

/ / / / / / / N E W S T A C O P R E S E N T S

Rhetoric of the 2012 Election Will Be About Race // By JOSEPH P. A. VILLESCAS

“If you ever find yourself saying, “Someone really ought to…,” then that someone is you.”

These are the favorite words of former State Representative Glen Maxey, cofounder of AIDS Services of Austin and the first openly gay Texan elected to the state legislature. They could also be described as an Austin take on Mahatma Gandhi’s famous exhortation, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” and the spirit behind the annual Be the Change National Day of Service taking place in Austin on Saturday, October 1st.

Both statements call on each of us to take charge of the welfare and betterment of our own communities. They challenge all of us to lead, rather than hoping someone else will come along to solve our problems. They are words that acknowledge both our power and our responsibility, that recognize that we neither need nor can afford to wait for permission to act.

It was this belief in both his own ability and responsibility that inspired Vinay Bhagat to found Convio in April 1999. After volunteering for a public television pledge drive, Vinay saw an opportunity to leverage Internet technology to help nonprofit organizations cultivate better constituent relationships and raise more money, generate more volunteer hours, and develop more resources. Today, Convio is arguably the leading provider of constituent engagement solutions for nonprofit organizations and serves over 1400 clients, including 27 of the top 50 U.S.

charities. In 2010, Convio helped nonprofits raise more than $1.3 billion online, send almost 40 millions messages to legislators, and deliver over 4.3 billion email messages. As chief strategy officer, Vinay oversees corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, drives research efforts, and works with many of Convio’s largest clients.

Having answered Gandhi’s call to take change into his own hands, Vinay Bhagat seeks to inspire his fellow Austinites to do the same as the keynote speaker for this year’s Be the Change National Day of Service. Started at the University of Michigan eleven years ago, Be the Change has grown into a nationwide event. In 2010, nearly 3,500 people volunteered in fifteen cities and on over sixty college campuses. Be the Change is coordinated nationally by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a more just and inclusive society. Taking place for the third year in Austin, the Be the Change National Day of Service is organized by a diverse coalition of community groups and individuals.

This year’s Be the Change National Day of Service in Austin will kick off at 8:30 AM on Saturday, October 1st, with a celebration and Vinay Bhagat’s keynote address on the south steps of the Texas Capitol, followed by variety of service projects throughout Austin, including the Town Lake Animal Shelter, Alma de Mujer, and more. Registration is now available online at BeTheChangeAustin.org.

Austin has also been selected for the second straight year as a Core City, which will be highlighted nationally by SAALT. Last year, Austin held the largest event in the country, with over five hundred volunteers participating in over fifteen service projects. Organizers are confident that Austin’s spirit of service will enable the city to build on last year’s tremendous turnout and are aiming for over one thousand volunteers.

Vinay encourages everyone to find their own way to contribute. “I think that service is most fulfilling when you’re able to apply your unique talent or skills to a situation or need. If you are a lawyer, lending legal advice to a nonprofit is probably much more valuable to them than painting a wall.”

As a social entrepreneur, Vinay is also a big believer in corporate social responsibility. He observes, “Companies have the opportunity to engender a sense of responsibility and community with their employees. At Convio, we do this through an annual volunteer week, where employees are strongly encouraged to give a day of their time to volunteer at one of many nonprofits around the country. It’s a great way to give back and a great team building opportunity.” Events such as Be the Change provide the perfect opportunity for people to get their colleagues and their companies involved in making their community a better place to live.

Convio Founder and Social Entrepreneur Vinay bhagat

Challenges Austinites to “be the Change” By Ramey Ko


Finding the funny in plastic grocery bags, fast cars and guns.

There’s something inherently funny about culture - the everyday things we do but rarely notice. Cultural differences are what inspired German native Andreas Fabis to form The Foreign Legion, a new improv troupe in Austin performing September 11 and 14 at Coldtowne Theater.

“As a foreigner, I realized that I probably have a different view on things,” Fabis said. “Showing how things are done in other countries is at the heart of it.”

Fabis wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before, and came up with the idea to explore different cultural perspectives through improv comedy. He assembled the troupe in June and created The Foreign Legion. Each member of the troupe was born in a different country: Germany, Ukraine, Iran, China, Malaysia and Greece.

The format of each show begins with two troupe members applying for American citizenship in completely fabricated circumstances. They must research a topic that represents America, which the audience comes up with that night. Past subjects have included the National Rifle Association, organized labor and the Fourth of July.

The research leads to zany adventures. In one show, one member stole the Declaration of Independence under the National Archives where gnomes dwell. Scenes will work upon the theme, taking different angles, each building upon the other. Audience applause determines the winner.

At a recent show where the subject was NASCAR, full of

crazy driving, dead cows, murderous plots and a career NASCAR widow, the performers seemed to know the sport inside-out. It turned out it was all made up. “We made the decision to be wrong on purpose or just go with the little we know,” Fabis said. “The magic is we all accept what gets said and it becomes reality for everyone. It’s about committing to the unexpected.”

Poking fun at cultural differences can lead to sensitive territory, where the balance of comedy and “political correctness” can be precarious.

It’s a matter in personal boundaries, they said. For example, Fabis said he finds fake German accents funny while Wong said she feels uncomfortable with using Asian accents as a source of humor.

“We all have our sensitivities and we all respect that. There are things we feel strongly about and things that are open for everyone to play with it,” Fabis said. “To me, personally, I love it when other people speak fake German gibberish. I would probably not be very happy to see a lot of Nazi jokes.”

Making fun of elements from your own culture seem to be fair game, as opposed to making fun of someone else’s culture.

“I think I could portray a racist person and make it clear I’m playing a mean person. But portraying another culture, I would be very afraid I would resort to stereotypes,” Fabis said. “When it is an Asian person playing an Asian stereotype, it has a different feeling.”

Wong added that having the knowledge of one’s own culture gives you greater opportunities to find humor. “For us, we can go to a lot more places because we really know the culture. We can go to more depth,” she said.

For Wong, providing multi-dimensional Asian American characters has been a mission of hers, given the dearth of Asian American actors and roles in mainstream cinema and television. “For me, personally, it’s important to have people see us and Asian Americans in a different light. We are spontaneous and not one-dimensional,” she said.

While the shows may or may not end up enlightening audiences about aspects of American culture, in the end, it’s really all about fun and having a good laugh.

“People are open to all the crazy things we do,” Wong said.

“We want to entertain, that’s for sure,” Fabis said.

____________________________________________________________Yvonne Lim Wilson is founder and publisher of Asian Austin at www.AsianAustin.com, an online news magazine featuring news about Asian American people, organizations and events in Austin. Contact Yvonne at [email protected].

The Foreign Legion on American culture.www.the-foreign-legion.com

Alex Dobrenko, UkraineA sleepover? What the hell is the point of sleeping on another kid’s floor when you have a bed that we bought for you. Unbelievable.

Abbas Amirabadi, IranWhat do you mean the speed limit is 65? This is the speed lane, so get out of my way if you want to follow limits!

Menelaos Prokos, GreeceWhat do you mean I have to tip him? He just brought the beer from the fridge behind him and opened it for me!!

Andreas Fabis, GermanyWhy are you packing my groceries? These are MY groceries. Hands off! I know how to do this. Tsk.

Gene zhou, ChinaExcuse me, can you cook my salad a little more, it is a bit raw.

Leng Wong, MalaysiaIt’s 100 degrees out there, why isn’t anyone using an umbrella? You could get sunburned!

Asian Austin: About Town By yvonne Lim Wilson

The September 11 attacks were indeed a turning point for the people of the United States, including more than eight million muslims whose lives have been affected deeply. The recent attacks in Norway and the instant coverage by some media outlets as if it was a ‘muslim terrorist attack’ without having any clue about who did it and why showed us that the ten years since September 11 have taught us a lot, but not enough yet.

Less than one day after the incident in oslo, we learned that the Norwegian killer was not a muslim, nor middle Eastern, but a native Norwegian with right-wing extremist ideology. This showed us that terrorism did not have religion; it was indeed an expression of hate and anger wrapped up into the most convenient justification possible. This horrible incident also

showed us that we need not generalize and develop stereotypical views by associating with the killer many innocent people who belonged to the same religious denomination. In fact they had no clue that their religious beliefs could have been misinterpreted in a sense to justify mass killings of many innocent souls. This is indeed what muslims have been experiencing in the past decade.

What is to be done? The answer is as simple as ‘educate ourselves and people around us.’ We must first do some research before simply believing in the stereotypical image created in the aftermath of a horrible incident. We must research whether Islam is such a religion that those terrorists push us to believe, or is it really a peaceful religion? Towards this end we could find books and articles written by some prominent

and influential muslim scholars such as Fethullah Gulen.

Second, we can empathize with people whom we might falsely have accused by making simple generalizations. recently authorities uncovered Hutaree, a militia movement group allegedly adhering to the Christian Patriot movement, based in Adrian, michigan, with an arsenal of weapons. No one can generalize this incident and accuse our fellow Christian friends in the United States.

Third, we must ask ourselves about who could possibly be benefitting from belief in stereotypes developed after a terrorist attack. one of the main reasons behind sensational terrorist attacks is convincing people that terrorists were

extraordinarily capable of attacking them in the heart of their countries and making them uneasy so that they would live a life of fear by being constantly reminded of what has happened and what could possibly happen. A stereotypical image of muslims just serves to that end. but if people could separate innocent muslims from terrorists, fear-mongering terrorist activities would fall short of what they aimed for.

Terrorism is a crime, for sure, and we all must fight it. Terrorists should be stopped and brought to justice. but war on terrorism requires more than merely fighting it: understanding the social, economical and political reasons behind such terrorist activities, solving the problem by tackling with them, and firmly distinguishing the innocent from real criminals.

What September 11 Should Have Taught Us By Sait yavuz

08 TODO Austin // september 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com

The face of Austin’s performing arts scene—and the faces it faces—are rapidly changing.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) published a 2009 report that showed declining attendance across the country for nearly all forms of art. That trend has steadily continued since the report’s publication.

At least one contributing factor is that the traditional performing arts audience is aging more quickly than the population at large, requiring that arts institutions rethink their outreach initiatives and programming mixes to appeal to an increasingly young, diverse pool of potential patrons.

Locally, the rapidly growing Latino community represents a particularly important audience for the performing arts. Austin became a majority-minority city in 2005, with Latinos making up more than 35% of the Austin-area population. Art is an integral piece of many different Latino cultures and heritages, making Austin’s Latinos a likely and loyal fan base for accessible performances.

Making the Latino community feel welcome in the auditorium could certainly give box offices quite a boost, with Austin’s Latinos currently holding an estimated $9.4 billion in buying power. That’s a 54% increase from just five years ago, and it doesn’t appear to be declining anytime soon.

In order to accurately mirror the shifts within the community they serve, it’s crucial that Austin arts organizations capitalize on these changes. Some have longstanding initiatives to do just that, while others are developing creative new programs and projects to make sure everyone has a chance to enjoy the show and get involved behind the scenes.

A STRONG (AND GROWING) PRESENCE IN THE FINE ARTS

ArtesAméricas was founded in 2002 as a collaborative effort by the University of Texas’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) and Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS). The

program focuses specifically on Latin America, and reflects the PAC’s view that participation in the arts is a means of strengthening the local community.

“Building the audiences of the future is the most important issue facing the performing arts community today, both in Austin and elsewhere,” Director Joe Randel said.

“Including ALL members of our society and creating access to top-quality performing arts experiences is vitally important.”

While Randel acknowledges the potential financial impact of a growing Hispanic audience, he sees a greater value in community participation in the arts.

“We don’t see the growing Hispanic population, or any population for that matter, as an economic solution to the broader challenge of audience development. Greater participation in the performing arts among Hispanics is more important for its contribution to a vibrant, engaged, and inclusive community in which we can all take pride,” Randel said.

Texas Performing Arts and ArtesAméricas boast a long and colorful list of past programs as varied as the Austin population, from a wide range of genres, countries and backgrounds.

“Over the years, we’ve presented dozens of marquee names from Juanes to Mariachi Vargas to Grupo Corpo to Peru Negro to Nortec Collective to Little Joe y La Familia,” Randel said.

The Austin Lyric Opera also has a long history of reaching out to Austin’s Latinos. Their community program “La Noche de Opera” has been promoting the Opera in the Hispanic community for over 15 years.

“La Noche de Opera is a unique program and one of a very few in the country doing outreach to Hispanics,” said Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza of the Board of Trustees. “Our membership organization reaches the community through social and educational interactions related to the specific

Opera being presented.”

La Noche de Opera recently began collaborating with Casa de España, a large Opera-going group hailing from Spain who promote Spanish culture and give voice to Spaniards in Texas.

But that’s just one example.

“Opera is universal and has appeal from all nationalities. More and more Hispanics are getting involved with the opera either as singers, performers, patrons or advocates.”

Participation extends far beyond the auditorium for Hispanics in Ballet Austin, too. According to Executive Director Cookie Ruiz, the Ballet “places a high priority on the involvement of Austin’s Hispanic community, who are members of our Board of Directors, our company of world-class professional dancers at Ballet Austin, our professional staff and our 45,000 + patrons.”

The Ballet also hosts “Night of Community” for lower-income community members, which offers free tickets to the final dress rehearsal of each main season performance.

Other organizations are adding new elements into their programming to appeal to the diversifying Austin community.

“The Long Center is actively working to ramp-up culturally specific programming for Hispanic populations,” interim director Paul Beutel said. “We book a number of performances with strong cross-cultural appeal, such as ‘Blue Man Group,’ the Cirque Dreams shows and children’s performances like ‘Thomas and Friends,’ all of which have drawn significant audiences from the Hispanic communities.”

Touring performances have also included the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico and the Mariachi Sol de Mexico with Vikki Carr.

The Austin Symphony began hosting a series of free Mexican American concerts in partnership

with the Mexican American Cultural Center last year, and will continue to do so through coming seasons. They featured Mexican violinist Francisco Ladrón de Guevara in a pair of classical concerts last November, and upcoming pop concerts include Tiempo Libre and Mariachi Los Camperos.

Through concerts like these, Executive Director Anthony Corroa seeks to reshape the way symphonic music is viewed and embraced by the Hispanic community.

“We hope that our outreach through [these] program offerings will serve to embrace the Hispanic community of Austin and Central Texas,” Corroa said. “It is a process that will take nurturing and innovative ideas. We recognize the need to break down some pre-conceived barriers which tend to exist at all levels of our community relative to symphonic music. Diversity and innovation are essential in our efforts to serve the needs of this most important sector of the community.”

BUILDING A BETTER COMMUNAL EXPERIENCE

As Ruiz explains, outreach to the Austin Latino community isn’t a one-and-done affair—the multifaceted cultures and characteristics of Hispanic Austin require a genuine and intimate understanding.

“Austin’s Hispanic population is exceptionally diverse with cultural heritages ranging from Central America to South America, and from Cuba and Puerto Rico to Spain,” Ruiz said. “Some of Austin’s Hispanic individuals are non- Spanish speakers, while others are most comfortable speaking Spanish. As a result, Ballet Austin adopts a multi-pronged approach to making our programming accessible to a variety of individuals.”

The Ballet utilizes paid advertising and public relations outreach within Univision and other Spanish language media; Ballet Austin also includes Spanish translation in all program notes and hosts “Iluminación,” a free pre-curtain talk in Spanish

Studio Theater Project -- A scene from Ballet Austin’s Studio Theater

Project; Photo by Tony Spielberg


before every performance. In addition, they plan to launch a fully bilingual website in the near future.

The Long Center also takes a creative approach to working with Spanish-language media. For the past four years, they have partnered with Univision to air a telecast called ‘Premios Texas,” which honors prominent Hispanic musicians. The Center hosts a concert and award ceremony for live audiences, which are taped and then broadcast on the Univision network.

The Long Center also works to establish direct connections with culturally focused arts organizations in the community. Their smaller venue, the Rollins Studio Theatre, is open for use by several diverse Austin arts outfits, including Teatro Vivo. The theater houses performances, film screenings, meetings and a number of other functions.

Beutel notes that efforts such as these aren’t only effective for building the community, but imperative for the organization’s success.

“Obviously, drawing the Hispanic demographic to our venues is key toward a successful financial future,” Beutel said. “Any business that would ignore such a large segment of the population does so at its peril.”

Both the Opera and Symphony feel that aside from media outreach, recruiting Hispanic community members to have hands-on roles in their organizations is vital.

“We continue to seek the support of Hispanic businesses in the area and to enlist more Hispanics to serve on our Board of Directors,” Corroa said.

Rodriguez-Mendoza describes socio-economic changes among incoming Mexican residents in particular, and hopes this might lend itself to increased involvement within the Opera.

“We have seen a major shift in the new residents moving from Mexico—they are more affluent and are looking for relevant entertainment; and Opera offers that option,” she said. “No doubt that more

outreach is needed and that we need to engage the Hispanic community by asking them to serve on Boards and become financial supporters.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY

With the family unit at front-and-center of Latino culture, making performances something the whole household can enjoy is an important part of arts accessibility.

Ballet Austin leads the charge on family involvement, opening doors for young children on and off the stage.

“For 55 years, Ballet Austin has focused on young children and their families. We are pleased to have the opportunity to connect with our families through educational and family-focused programming, holiday productions, children’s classes and camps, and educational outreach programs,” Ruiz said.

Those programs include the annual Nutcracker performance, reaching 13,000 Austin-area school children annually, and overall embracing 31 Central Texas school districts and impacting over 57,000 students, teachers and other members of the community in Central Texas.

But children don’t just have the opportunity to watch ballets like the Nutcracker—they too can take the stage.

“Ballet Austin has the great joy and honor of connecting to young families with children as young as three years old that begin to train in Creative Movement and eventually in classical ballet,” Ruiz said. “By the age of seven or eight these students have the unique opportunity to audition for The Nutcracker and become a part of the state’s longest-running professional production that remains—after 49 years—Austin’s holiday tradition.”

The Butler Community School at Ballet Austin serves more than 3,000 community members and provides over 90 classes each week for the entire family.

“Some of our programming specifically focuses on

exposing participants to a wide range of diverse dance cultures including West Africa dance, Hula and Samba/Brazilian,” Ruiz said. “Ballet Austin is dedicated to encouraging healthy patterns of activity while having fun!”

While a majority of Texas Performing Arts’ programming is “suitable for children and adults alike,” a select number of performances are designed with the family in mind.

“We present a number of performances each season that specifically target families, such as The Lion King, Circus Oz and Dan Zanes,” Randel said. “We believe that one of the best ways to experience the arts is among family and friends; and therefore, we believe creating a family-friendly environment is important.”

The Long Center is proud to offer programs that captivate the kiddos, but with a range of content, it’s important that parents pick a show that’s right for the young ones.

“Nothing makes me happier than seeing an audience of families enjoying a performance like ‘Cirque Dreams’ or the Ballet Folklorico. Anything that’s bright and colorful with music and movement can fascinate even a five-year-old,” Beutel said.

“However, other performances are clearly meant for more mature young people and adult audiences. Most all of us have been at a play, concert or dance performance that has been seriously interrupted by an understandably restless and possibly screaming pre-schooler that really should be at home and not at the theatre. Parents absolutely should expose their children to the arts, but at the right ages and the right kinds of performances. We are always happy to advise parents on the suitability of any performance for children of certain ages.”

Sometimes, by nature the performance and setting just isn’t the right environment for the little ones—like the case of the Austin Symphony. So they take a different approach, bringing tailored programs to over 90,000 school children each year through school-based outreach.

“We offer such programs as ‘Building Blocks’ for elementary school children, Young People’s Concerts at the Long Center for 4th, 5th and 6th graders, High School Concerts in all the schools in Austin and Round Rock and a Young Composers’ contest,” Corroa said.

MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY

Many of Austin’s performing arts organizations recognize the ability of art in motion to connect peoples and break down cultural barriers.

“The beauty of the arts is that the onstage artistic expression of an actor, musician, or dancer has the ability to transcend language and culture, going straight to the core of our common humanity,” Randel said. “Our artists represent the diverse tapestry of cultures that make up the Americas, allowing local Hispanics of all nationalities to connect with work that speaks to their cultural heritage as well as offering a window into the diversity of Hispanic cultures for non-Hispanic audiences.”

The Ballet shares a similar, universal view of its art.

“One of the great advantages of our art form is that movement is a universal, non-verbal language,” Ruiz said. “Ballet and dance around the world are enjoyed by audiences speaking a variety of languages, from a variety of cultures. Dance seems to be understood and enjoyed as a universal language. In fact, we are told that dance is the art form most accessible to the hearing-impaired community, as the story line or meaning is conveyed without words.”

As Austin’s multicultural community continues to shift and change, the performing arts have a meaningful role to play in creating unity and understanding among our many colors and creeds. Randel accepts the challenge.

“The arts are a prominent and unmistakable element of Austin’s culture, and as such, I think they’re the perfect tool to engage new populations, by both allowing them to express their own culture through art but also in experiencing the art and culture of others.”

The Nutcracker, an Austin tradition, returns to The Long Center beginning December 3; Photo by Tony Spielberg

Cuban music group Tiempo Libre joins Austin Symphony Orchestra in October.

Classes at Ballet Austin’s Butler Community School; Photo courtesy of Ballet Austin

The ToDo ArTs LisTPresented by texas Performing arts

TexAsperformingArTs.org

Texas Performing Arts is proud to recognize Austin’s many outstanding arts organizationsMICHAEL FEINSTEIN

Long a champion of the Great American Songbook, Feinstein opens Texas Performing Arts’ 30th anniversary season on Thursday, September 8 (8 p.m. at Bass Concert Hall) by paying tribute to the ultimate interpreter of song, Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. The Sinatra Project is an evening based on Feinstein’s hit album of the same title. Backed by a 17-piece big band, Feinstein focuses on songs written for Sinatra that were never recorded during his golden years at Capitol Records. texasperformingarts.org

JIM GAFFIGAN Gaffigan has proven himself a major talent beloved to a wide range of audiences, achieving accolades and awards for his stand-up comedy, acting, and writing. His clever, quiet style has made him one of the top five most successful touring comedians in the country today and his CDs and DVDs have reached platinum sales. Gaffigan, a mainstay on late night’s Letterman and Conan and on the big screen, will appear on stage Friday, September 9, 7 p.m. at Bass Concert Hall.

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH DANCEIn celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, join Pilar Andujar, Toni Bravo, Esquina Tango and Roy Lozano’s Ballet Folklórico for performances on Saturday, September 10, 8 p.m. and Sunday, September 11 at 6 p.m. at St. Michaels’ Catholic Academy (3000 Barton Creek Blvd.), benefitting SMCA. The program also marks the debut performance of Diverse Space Youth Dance Theatre as a professional youth touring company, under the direction of Toni Bravo. $15 adults/$5 youth. www.smaca.com

THE CHERRY ORCHARD In “The Cherry Orchard,” the audience is introduced to a charming yet exasperating Russian family that does nothing to save their beloved estate. Both poignant and comical, the story is a literary feat only Anton Chekhov could compose. Showcasing a cast of student talent, accompanied by Lauren Lane from television’s “The Nanny,” and most recently, ZACH Theatre’s production of “August: Osage County,” the play will be presented from September 16-25 at the Oscar G. Brockett Theatre (300 East 23rd Street). Directed by Brant Pope and presented by the University of Texas Department of Theatre and Dance.

RAPPAHANNOCK COUNTY

This moving new music theater work commemorates the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Renowned composer Ricky Ian Gordon has composed music for 20 songs with stories and words created by celebrated librettist/lyricist Mark Stephen Campbell. Drawn from diaries, letters, and personal accounts, this fictional song cycle explores war’s impact, from secession to defeat, on a community of Virginians—black and white, rich and poor, soldiers, nurses, widows, and survivors. Wednesday-Thursday, September 21-22, 8 p.m., at McCullough Theatre (located adjacent to Bass Concert Hall).

MIKE EPPS & FRIENDS

Epps, a stand-up comedian, actor, film producer, writer, singer, and rapper who has appeared in movies such as “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,” “The Grand,” “Soul Men,” “Hancock” and co-starred with Ice Cube in 2009’s “Janky Promoters.” Epps appears on the Bass Concert Hall stage on Saturday, September 24, 8 p.m. When Epps isn’t filming, he is touring the country and performing his comedy act. He began his professional career by joining the Def Comedy Jam tour in 1995 and his comedy special, “Inappropriate Behavior,” which aired on HBO, was one of the network’s top-rated one-hour specials of the year.

RAIN - A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES As “the next best thing to seeing The Beatles!” (Associated Press), RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles’ discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. RAIN has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary foursome,

delivering a totally live, note-for-note performance in this multi-media concert that’s as infectious as it is transporting. From the early hits to later classics, this adoring tribute will take you back to a time when all you needed was love and a little help from your friends! September 20-25 at the Long Center. www.thelongcenter.org

CRISOL DANZA TEATRO

Texas Performing Arts and ArtesAméricas present the U.S. premiere of Crisol Danza Teatro of Guadalajara, Mexico on Wednesday, September 28, 8 p.m. at McCullough Theatre. Described as a perfect flow of body, motion, word, mind, spirit, voice, dance, and theatre, Crisol draws from a variety of acting and dancing techniques to create distinctly unique performances. Formed in 2009 by four women with diverse origins and proficiencies in the scenic arts, Crisol exudes authenticity by presenting the intimate truths of its characters without self-censorship or prejudices. From a spiritual and emotional angle, they explore their intimate universes, exposing their vulnerability and generating spaces of silence, of void, of no time.

BALLET AUSTIN’S MOZART PROJECT Three cutting-edge musicians join BA Artistic Director Stephen Mills as he takes Mozart to new and astonishing heights in this fresh, genre-crossing collaboration, a world premiere contemporary dance event. The musical reinterpretations of Dr. Michelle Schumann and the Austin Chamber Music Center, Graham Reynolds’ Golden Arm Trio and world-renowned DJ Spooky and Mills’ signature, contemporary movement style will deliver an once-in-a-lifetime experience. At the Long Center, Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, October 2 at 3 p.m. www.balletaustin.org

TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET WITH MIKE MARSHALL Sit back and take a musical journey through the American landscape with two-time Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet and special guest Mike Marshall, acoustic musician extraordinaire on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1, 8 p.m. at McCullough Theatre. Stops along the way include American fiddle and folk music, modern and vintage jazz, Latin American and South Indian music, the myriad folk and classical traditions of Europe, and more. Since its inception in 1985, the group has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings, redefining the state of the art.

Off Beat

I don’t bake. Not only do I leave that to people who actually know what they’re doing (like fellow TODO writer, Julia Lee), I simply don’t feel the need to bake—unless I’m making cornbread or buttermilk biscuits. But I’m from the Deep South. Those two baked goods are essential to the Southern diet. More than anything, it’s just hot outside and I don’t want to suffer the heat of my oven in addition to the blazing Texas sun. Those are my excuses for not baking.

I initially thought I’d bestow upon you, dear reader, a recipe from my beloved Grandmother. But, alas, I was unable to bring her recipe to fruition in such a way that would honor her. So, again, I leave it to the professionals. What’s the saying? If you can’t stand the heat…get out of the kitchen, right?

Luckily, I found a recipe I’d never made before that didn’t require heat or years of practice. When I learned it incorporated blueberries and whipped topping, I knew I had to give it a try. I found this recipe on the Wheatsville Co-op website, but I believe they credit allrecipes.com for these delicious No-Bake Blueberry Squares.

___________________________________________________________

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 Tbs. sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1 (8 oz.) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

3 cups frozen blueberries

In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and 3 Tbs. of sugar. Mix in the melted butter. Sprinkle evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish, and pack down into a solid crust.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract, salt and lemon juice. Fold in the whipped topping until well blended, then fold in the frozen blueberries. Spoon mixture over the crust, and spread evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Add love and enjoy.

Premios Texas 2011By Melanie Morgan

Univision recorded Premios Texas, its annual “people’s choice” music awards for Texas, live at the Long Center on Thursday, August 11. While the blatant, unapologetic commercialism of the program is off-putting to many, there’s something radically refreshing about it, too. Univision is not shy about its central mission: to entertain. While entertainment and spectacle are central to commercial media in general, English-language music and television often prioritize a sort of singer-songwriter authenticity that makes unadulterated entertainment seem dirty. Audiences like to imagine their pop icons as uniquely expressive, as presenting a deeply individual spin on the human condition, so much so that authorship often becomes more important than musicality. But in mainstream Spanish language pop, none of that matters. On the contrary, representing old styles of music, classic repertoire, or even being from a lineage of famous musicians can form the basis of a performer’s career. Expression and spectacle are key. Univision, and the Premios, are here to entertain.

At the Premios, there’s something for everybody: Pop, Banda, Norteño, Ranchera, more Ranchera, Reggaeton, Tejano, scantily clad women, scantily clad men. You want a marching band, you got it. Want to see TV stars, no problem. Univision’s got you covered.

tengo hambre

No-Bake Blueberry Squares by Heather Lee

While this strategy has been derisively called “playing to the lowest common denominator” this is too dismissive. Appealing to a wide variety of tastes at once is not easy. Univision unabashedly mixes it all together so everyone in the family will be interested for at least a few minutes of the program.

At the Premios, lip synching is a reasonable, if not preferred alternative to live performance. It’s likely that lip synching isn’t nearly as obvious on television, but at the live performance it’s hard not to notice. Musicians bounced from the wings to the center of the stage, singers and instrumentalists’ animated dancing was not

hindered by any kind of amplification hook up. A few singers blushed when they accidentally spoke into a dead mic. But from a television standpoint, this is a completely necessary practice. High quality entertainment demands a level of perfection only possible with closely-scripted and pre-recorded performance. This is not intended to diminish the musicianship of any of the performers in the program. Proving musicianship live, however, works against the ultimate goal, effective spectacle.

Univision’s got sponsorship down. Strong brand placement becomes part of the program through careful logo and product placement, but, somehow, adds to, rather than detracts from entertainment value. Chevy was clearly the largest sponsor of the event, and a twenty-foot wide Chevy logo served as a cross-section of the cat-walk extending from the stage into a pit of dancing fans. Chevy vehicles played prominent roles in two of the song and dance numbers in the program. In spite of this overwhelming visual presence, there was little talk of Chevy, in a hit-you-over-the head advertising kind of way. Very clever.

And in spite of all this mish-mash of different kinds of music, sponsors, dance numbers and other elements of spectacle, the show ultimately remains a local event, a rarity in commercial mass media. Most tickets are given away through personal networks that cement professional and community ties. Relatively unknown bands, many of them local, performed during the breaks from recording. The Premios acknowledge Texas as an important part of Univision’s national market and provide an opportunity for the local community that supports Spanish language media to get to know one another and have a good time. It’s all about the entertainment.

For the past couple of months I’ve told you a lot about the happy, shiny, cosmically synchronous side of my journey to Mexico.

But I’ma be real, because you already know—life ain’t always ponies and rainbows. In fact, that’s what makes it so rich. We wouldn’t be able to appreciate the pretty side of things without experiencing their ugly flipsides.

August 18th marked the beginning of the “Fifth Night” of our current phase of the Mayan calendar. This period is thought to be ruled by the god of darkness, Tezcatlipoca, and just about everyone I know has been dealing with a nasty tangle of issues, obstacles and general snafus. Including me.

My first couple of weeks as a transplanted Texican were marvelous. Beautiful moments of stillness, new friends, caresses of the ocean breeze and rolling waves. Affirmation, invigoration, motivation.

Beneath that, though, there were some uneasy, trembling undercurrents. I had (quite unexpectedly) fallen deeply in love before I left Austin, and the absence of my sweetheart was at times physically painful. To say that I miss him and his daughters daily is an immense understatement.

Wrapped up in the heartpangs was a growing sense of loneliness. It is at once incredibly liberating and intensely unnerving to be completely on your own in a brand new place, especially after spending your entire life in your hometown, surrounded by your closest friends and family.

I moved into a cute little beachside apartment with an amazing view—and unusually decent kitchen!— in the third week. I was elated to have my own space. I began to feel more grounded. Less transient.

But then one day I woke up, peeked in my fridge to find scraps and a couple of wrinkled jalapeños, realized the curtains had sat sadly closed for quite a while, and was surprised to see a busted-ass version of the side braid I’d woven two days earlier in the mirror.

I’d barely left the place, holed up in isolation and solitude. The personal space that had once seemed like a breath of fresh air was suddenly suffocating. I needed to get out.

I took the bus over to a frutería, or produce market, in the colonia. Across the main highway from the

coast-side of town I’m living in, the colonia is where most of the local population lives. It is the heart of Puerto Morelos.

A friend walked back through the neighborhood with me by foot, kindly sharing my load of chayote squash, papaya, chiles and other ripe picks. “There’s Pedro’s restaurant, he’s actually Swedish,” he said, pointing to the corner across the street.

“And here’s where the kids play fútbol every night until about midnight.” I looked around at children gliding by on bikes, mothers with curly ponytails and neatly-tied buns walking hand-in-hand with their waddling toddlers.

It felt more real. This is where the people were, where most of the long-timers and locals lived if they hadn’t gone out to the jungle. And, as my friend pointed out, this was the first time I’d ventured there since I’d arrived nearly a month ago.

I suddenly became hyper-conscious of being an outsider, a foreigner, and by the time we’d arrived back at my apartment I was startled and confused to feel as though I’d fallen deep down into a full-blown depression.

I was overtaken by feelings of failure, doubt, fear, discomfort and shame; attacked by inexplicable crying fits. But unlike previous spells of melancholy, it had completely taken hold, been processed, worked its way through my system and cleared the hell out in less than 48 hours.

It’s a pretty cool example of how the Mayan calendar cycles accelerate over time, actually. Intrigued by patterns I’d seen in myself and the world since studying Mayan timekeeping, I tracked back to the same point in the last wave, which mapped to July of 2007.

Studying abroad in Spain, then too I was struggling with loneliness, being treated as a social outsider by my classmates and the pain of longing for my then-boyfriend. Striking parallels. My troubles lasted about a month that time, exactly proportional to this quick recent bout, given the length of the last wave to this one.

It gave me a boost of reassurance and clarity to remember pushing through it before, recalling all of the gems that came of those experiences.

It’s also helpful to know that as lonely as we may feel sometimes, so many others in the world are experiencing the same ups and downs we grapple with in our personal lives, as we all ride the cycles and waves on our own paths.

A few days ago, a friend sent me Argentine poet Facundo Cabral’s “No estás deprimido, estás destraido” (“You are not depressed, you are distracted”), which elegantly and beautifully encapsulates some very relevant messages for what I’ve been feeling.

I’ll leave you with some of his words, and a reminder that on the other end of every trudge through mud and rainclouds, an array of breathtaking light and color awaits us.

“No estás deprimido, estás distraído, distraído de la vida que te rodea: delfines, bosques, mares, montañas, ríos.”

You are not depressed, you are distracted, distracted from the life that surrounds you: dolphins, forests, oceans, mountains, rivers.

“No es tan malo vivir solo. Yo la paso bien, decidiendo a cada instante lo que quiero

hacer, y gracias a la soledad me conozco; algo fundamental para vivir.”

It’s not so bad to live alone. I enjoy it, deciding in every instant what I want to do, and thanks to solitude I know myself; something fundamental to living.

“Haz sólo lo que amas y serás feliz, y el que hace lo que ama, está benditamente condenado al éxito, que llegará cuando deba llegar, porque lo que debe ser será, y llegará naturalmente. No hagas nada por obligación ni por compromiso, sino por amor.”

Do only what you love and you will be happy,

and that which you love is blessedly condemned

to success, which comes when it should come,

because what should be will be, and comes

naturally. Don’t do anything out of obligation nor

compromise, only for love.

“¡A vivir se ha dicho! Y ¡Menos quejas! No Crees?”

It’s time to live! With less complaints! Don’t you

think?

TODO Mexico

UpsandDownsandSoulfulSolitude Image and words By Katie Walsh

BRANDI COWLEy1611 W. 5th Street

512.473.0700 | brandicowley.com

p h o t o b y Z o e A l e x A n d e r

1412 S. Congress Avenue • Austin, Texas 78704Open Weekdays 11am-11pm; Weekends 8am-11pm www.GuerosTacoBar.com

TACO BAr

Good Times at Güero’sFor great tunes and great rita’s!Please join us for live music on our outside jardin stage, every Thursday through Sunday. ThankS To The fanS & bandS who SuPPorT uS!!!all ouTdoor ShowS are “weaTher PermiTTing”

SePTember line-up----------------------------------------------------Thu 9/1 The bob fuenTeS Show (6:30)fri 9/2 loS flameS (6:30)SaT 9/3 Ted roddY (6:30)Sun 9/4 The TeXaS TYCoonS (3:00)----------------------------------------------------Thu 9/8 The fabS (6:30)fri 9/9 loS flameS (6:30)SaT 9/10 The harmonY broTherS (6:30)Sun 9/11 Tiburon (3:00)----------------------------------------------------Thu 9/15 maTT SmiTh’S world (6:30)fri 9/16 loS flameS w/SPeCial gueST manuel “CowboY” donleY (6:30)SaT 9/17 larrY lange & hiS lonelY knighTS (6:30)Sun 9/18 miTCh webb & The SwindleS (3:00)----------------------------------------------------Thu 9/22 The banZai ProJeCT (6:30)fri 9/23 loS flameS (6:30)SaT 9/24 The liSa marShall band (6:30)Sun 9/25 ChiCken STruT (3:00)----------------------------------------------------Thu 9/29 JohnnY gimble (6:30)fri 9/30 loS flameS (6:30)

Dania Malik, Rakin Mazid, Tanjeem Mazid and Pari Wafayee welcome visitors to Islamic Center of Greater Austin open house.

Güner Arslan, former Austin Mayor Will Wynn and Yetkin Yildirim at the Institute of Interfaith Dialog’s Ramadan reception at the Capitol.

Lara Wendler, Councilman Mike Martinez, Perla Cavazos and host Paul Saldaña at HABLA mixer.

Hispanic leaders at Takoba mixer Gloria Morales, Rosie Mendoza, Blanca Garcia and Marion Sanchez.

Travis County Democrat’s Chair Andy Brown, and County Republican Party’s Rosemary Edwards.

State Rep Joaquin Castro, Eliza May and Tracy Kelly.

Ernest and Yolanda Pedraza with Andy Ramirez discuss impact of Hispanics in upcoming elections.

Austin CelebrAtes Diversity

Chronicles of Undercover Mexican Girl: Plum Writing

Food leads the WayBy Alexandra M. Landeros

After graduating from college in 1998 and moving to Austin with my then-boyfriend, we had our eating habit down to a science. Dinner consisted of three meal variations in rotation: chicken with a side of vegetables and rice, spaghetti with meatballs and a side of vegetables, and fish sticks with a side of rice and vegetables.

breakfast was generally boxed cereal (usually something of the healthy “whole wheat” variety) with 2% milk and a piece of fruit. Lunch was a sandwich (whole wheat, turkey and cheese with lettuce and tomato), chips and a piece of fruit. Everything – except for the lettuce, fruit and tomato – was frozen, bagged, or boxed. At that point in my life, I only knew to stay away from monosodium glutamate. Even then, I still ate Chinese food and flavored snacks with only a tiny bit of guilt.

From there, I evolved to buying my chicken and fish “fresh” from the meat section of grocery store and getting my vegetables from the produce section, as well as avoiding any product that had high fructose corn syrup or high sodium levels. Anything with sugar was okay, though. Sugar was “real.” Going to the grocery store and finding food products that do not contain high fructose corn syrup and monosodium glutamate was a challenge, but there were still plenty of foods that were free of these and touted themselves as “natural.” Never mind the other five to ten unidentifiable ingredients listed on the package.

Then I became a foodie and started shopping for groceries at places like Central market and Whole Foods. I’d buy organic blueberries from Chile. but wait a minute — what does organic really mean? In the U.S., there are no real standards. The standards are whatever is profitable for the large food corporations. organic is just the latest marketing term. but what about beef from happy roaming cows raised in Wisconsin? USDA grass fed standard only requires that animals have access to the outdoors during the growing season. And how much time do you think passed between the animal being slaughtered and the steak ending up on your plate?

All these questions made me increasingly curious about those hard-core regular farmers market goers. but I always thought the farmers market was only for people who could afford

it — these are people living above my income bracket. I can’t afford to eat that well. Then someone told me two things that made me willing to give it a chance.

First, you end up spending about the same at the farmers market because you are not tempted by all these packaged, unnecessary foods. You stick to the basics — meat and vegetables. Second, how can you not afford to buy food that is truly nutritious and healthy? If we don’t eat the right foods now, chances are, we’ll pay for it later at the doctor’s office, or worse yet, the hospital.

Since october of last year, I have been purchasing a majority of my food at the farmers market. I go every Saturday morning — it is almost a ritual at this point. I’ve learned to eat only food that grows locally, and only whatever is in season. This means I don’t always get to enjoy blueberries, but when I do, I truly appreciate them. I also have gotten to know the ranchers and gardeners who are putting the food on my table. They have invited me to visit their farms. I put my money directly in their hands, instead of giving them to a cashier who is making minimum wage to benefit the CEo’s large salary.

I have not gotten sick this year. I’ve lost thirteen pounds (of the twenty I had gained over the last several years). I’ve learned to eat less…and by less, I mean less than the American standard of stuffing yourself to the point of feeling bloated. I’m not a scientist, but my theory is that food that is absolutely and genuinely organically grown has more nutrients than most of the food out on the grocery stores shelves that has been modified and processed. I’ve also learned to enjoy so many new natural flavors and vegetables. Who knew sweet potato greens or miniature eggplants could be so delicious…or that they existed at all!

but of course, I am always looking for the next challenge. This past spring, we tried growing a vegetable garden that yielded very little, thanks to the early onset of summer and the drought. but as the hot months wind down and we can hopefully look forward to a wet, dry fall, we’ll try it again. one thing I do know — dogs do not like lettuce, even if it’s organic, locally and sustainably grown in your own backyard.


My loud and constant efforts toward all things pure, clean, organic and mostly vegetarian is a well-known - frequently annoying to others - facet of my daily existence.

I emphatically snub the suggestion that I take an Advil when I get a headache – I’ll attend to my acupressure points instead, thank you very much. I have the tendency to go slightly overboard with ingredient-exposing and label-reading on lotions, potions and other such necessities. I have performed minor surgery on myself with oregano oil and believe I can cure virtually anything with Vitamin C. My barefoot nature walks, once scoffed, are catching on now that I cite “science” as the main reason for doing it to all the skeptics. I aspire to be a garden gnome/forest fairy when I grow up and sometimes actually hug a tree, though quickly so no one notices. I know too many schools of alternative, holistic and organic thought, and I combine them all into one neurotic, probiotic, superfood smoothie.

But I am also still a mass consumer. A lover of wine, and lunches and dinners that someone else has cooked for me, for which I pay far too much and am never terribly satisfied. A connoisseur of specialty foods, tinctures, tonics and the like, for which someone had to travel to the far reaches of the earth to obtain. While the buying and consuming mostly locally grown foods and products has certainly been an intention of mine, it hadn’t made it to the forefront of my personal movement until recently.

I planted a few herbs and vegetables in my backyard, but my harvest really only allows me to spice up an omelet thus far. I shop the farmer’s markets, if I can make it there before they close. I attempt to go to Wheatsville as often as possible, though that extra four minutes of drive time to get there sometimes causes me to add an hour of time stopping in at the always-crowded Whole Foods since it’s closer. They know my name at Daily Juice.

I realized, however, after a recent trip to Europe where every morsel of every meal tasted fresh and simply delicious, and after the reading of a wonderful book about growing and cooking your own food, and buying as closely local for everything else, that there are so many other pieces to the “locavore” puzzle that really shouldn’t be optional for someone like me who has eco/holistic/health-conscious intentions.

The health benefits are obvious - seasonal, fresh, un-processed, un-frozen and organic is dramatically more effective at providing ultimate flavor, nutrients and minerals, and overall wellbeing and vitality through food. Yes, please.

But the true support of small, conscious farmers growing and providing produce, meats and other natural products in your area massively cuts down on fossil fuels and the profoundly-negative effects to the environment caused by transporting, and the monstrous abuse of the soil and land. It limits the excessive outflow of money into the already-full pockets of the unconscious, ill-intentioned mass producers of the world. It allows for more control and ultimately can lead to drastic economic and environmental changes, and substantially better overall health of all members of a community. Time to get loco for local.

By Blake Shanley

When I first moved to Austin I noticed that it doesn’t rain here. My first thought was, “oh, I can enjoy my whole day without having to stop because of the rain.” Right there you’ll notice that I was not aware of the terrible drought that Texas has been dealing with for the past few years. In a way, it represents how the same thing, water, can be unwanted in one place and unbelievably desired in another. Where I grew up, water is everywhere. I was born in an island in the middle of the Caribbean, and there rain can ruin your day or your plans at any moment. This is particularly true in my hometown, in which it rains everyday, so you always need an umbrella. Even with an umbrella, sometimes the rain is so heavy that it’s impossible to stay dry. On rainy months, the media talks about collapsed streets, overflown rivers and people who have lost their homes. As you can see, the situation there is a stark contrast with what we have here.

It’s because of my background that I felt relieved for the first couple of months here; it was great to be able to walk around without having to carry an umbrella. Also, I loved to

be able to have a plan for a picnic without having to worry about the rain. Then, I learned about how the drought has affected the state’s economy, the farmers, the plants and even our lives and right away I missed the tropical rain. Now I find myself trying to learn ways to use water without wasting it. If the plumbing in my house is not working properly, I report it immediately and I’ve become more conscious of the time I spend in the shower. Although I don’t want rain every day, I wouldn’t mind having to use an umbrella every now and then. Let’s hope September brings some rain our way.

By Yadira Izquierdo

Frame of Reference

Caribbean Perspective

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TODO Austin September 2011

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