Afrolatino: The Untaught Story

Alicia Santos was born and raised in Brooklyn.. Both of her parents are proud Dominicans and the mix of cultures led Santos to become confused about who she was and where she fit in.

By Laurann Julia Faye Robinson 26 April 2010 Read Article

In 50 Seconds, Get Personal With Director Jose Luis Baca

Get to know him fast! Jose Luis Baca, of Ballet Folklorico Tapatio, has been with the group since it started 12 years ago and has been dancing for the last 19 years of his life. In an audio interview, Baca talks about the energy he feels on stage, the hectic environment and his experience the last three years as the director of the group.

By Nicky Hamila 26 April 2010 Read Article

Let's Tango

“Salsa dance can make you feel hot, but tango makes you beautiful.”  Ron Terrazas, once an economics major at Harvard University, teaches the art of Argentine tango at the Hotel Arizona in Tucson.

By Bridget Miller 26 April 2010 Read Article

Puro Tapatio

Ballet Folklorico is a type of dance that's admired by all- especially in Tucson. In March, PuroTapatio or "Ballet Folklórico Tapatío" took their dancers to the Tucson Convention Center and performed a spectacular show. Check out these colorful photographs from their performance.

By Jocelyn Bresnick 25 April 2010 Read Article

Art of Basket Weaving

Her hands move gracefully over a small woven circle.  This small circle is in the first stages of becoming a work of art created by basket weaver Michelle Ramon.

By Allana Erickson 23 April 2010 Read Article

Live Coverage of Casa Vicente's Tango Dancing!

Casa Vicente, a family-owned restaurant located in downtown Tucson, is open for lunch and dinner. Their menu features lunch, dinner, dessert and cocktails, wine and tapas.

On Tuesdays, the restaurant features a Spanish classical pianist and other guest artists from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00p.m. Check out their events web page for other special events during other nights of the week.

The Tango dancing is a Tucson favorite, so stay tuned!

By Jocelyn Bresnick 20 April 2010

Boots Galore

Everyone knows their shoe size. Some might even remember as a kid stepping on that silver metal foot to get a measurement. Few, however, have experienced getting their shoe custom-made to fit perfectly on each foot.

By Jacquelyn Valerie Smith 19 April 2010 Read Article

Carving a Niche in the Asian Food Scene

A pyramid of 20-pound burlap sacks full of basmati and white rice grace the front of the store and the produce section is filled with fruits and vegetables commonly seen on the Food Network, but rarely at Safeway. There is an entire aisle devoted to packaged tea and another solely to soy sauce. Grantstone Supermarket, 8 W. Grant Road, is one of the largest Asian supermarkets in Tucson and visiting it is like wandering San Francisco’s Chinatown.

By Samantha Easter 14 April 2010 Read Article

Tango Class Live Blog

Welcome to Tango class at The Hotel Arizona! Christina Stymfal and Bridget Miller are covering the class live at The Hotel Arizona at 181 W. Broadway Blvd. at 7:15 p.m. for a night of dancing. This class welcomes beginners as well as experienced dancers, who want to experience and learn the close-embrace tango.

The event is sponsored by Ron Terrazas, who also hosts the assisted practica and milonga, a social dance event.

Click here for more information.

By Christina Stymfal and Bridget Miller 12 April 2010

Pablo Peregrina CD Release

Lauren Adams is covering the release of Pablo Peregrina's CD "Traveling Soles"  at the YWCA in Tucson, Ariz. Peregrina will  perform songs from his CD and there will also be performances by the ZUZI dancers alongside him. A visual installation by artist Debbi McCullough, whose art is made up of trash left behind in the desert by migrants, will also be on display.

By Lauren Adams 09 April 2010

Afrolatino: The Untaught Story

Join Border Beat reporter Laurann Robinson live blogging from the "Afrolatino: The Untaught Story" lecture in the University of Arizona's Intergrated Learning Center, room 120.

"Afrolatinos 'the Untatught Story' is a documentary television series independently produced by Creador Pictures, LLC.," according to the lecture's Facebook page. "Most importantly the documentary discusses social issues such as the lack of political and/or economic power to racism, expoiltation, exclusion, interracial marriages, etc. that affect Afro-descendants in Latin America."

Writer and co-producer Alicia Santos is speaking and showing documentary clips during the lecture.

By Laurann Julia Faye Robinson 07 April 2010 Read Article

Bridge Between Two Cultures

Gil Sperry wrote the book, Mariachi for Gringos, not to be condescending but inspiring. In the late 1970s, Sperry and his wife took a vacation to Mexico where the two discovered mariachi music and where one of the canciones became their song.

By Amanda Portillo 06 April 2010 Read Article

Live blog: Award-winning Chicano cartoonist, Lalo Alcaraz comes to UA

Join reporters Marcy Jones and Jackie Smith as they live blog a talk and show by
Lalo Alcaraz, an award-winning Chicano cartoonist. He will be at the University
of Arizona later today. His talk will take place in the César E. Chávez Building, room 205, between 4pm and 6pm,  live coverage will begin at 4! This event is sponsored by the Social Justice Education Project.

For more information on Lalo Alcaraz, please visit his website.

By Marcy Christine Jones 02 April 2010 Read Article

Local Filmmaker - Ben Lopez

Local filmmaker Ben Lopez is preparing to release his third feature film, Sexo en Parisio. Lopez first got interested in film while attending Catalina Magnet High School and continues his dream, shooting films locally in Tucson and Northern Mexico.

By Whitney Misenhimer 28 March 2010 Read Article

Author Finds Her Roots at the Border

This year’s Tucson Festival of Books welcomed more than 70,000 people throughout the two-day event. Border Beat went to the Mexican-American cultural identity panel where three journalist/authors spoke.

By Amanda Portillo and Matilde Cantero 27 March 2010 Read Article

Taco Garage Opens its Doors

Love fast cars, sleek motorcycles and cheap tacos? Sir Vezas’s Taco Garage may be just what you’re looking for.

From the same family that has owned and operated El Charro Café since its opening in 1922, Sir Veza’s Taco Garage is the newest addition to the family business.

By Laurann Robinson 24 March 2010 Read Article

Live Blog: Tucson Cine Mexico 2010 Film Festival Opening Night

Border Beat reporter Whitney Misenhimer covered the Tucson Cine Mexico 2010 Film Festival Opening Night Party at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 North Main Avenue. The weekend long film festival was kicked off March 4 at 8:30 p.m.

By Whitney Misenhimer 03 March 2010 Read Article

Tucson Cine Mexico 2010 Film Festival

This week the Hanson Film Institute and the Consulado de Mexico en Tucson will present Tucson Cine Mexico, March 4-7. The festival launched last year. 

“The whole point (of the festival) is to showcase the best in Mexican cinema,” said VickyWestover, The University of Arizona’s Hanson Film Institute program director . 

By Amanda Portillo 01 March 2010 Read Article

43rd Annual O'Odham Tash Festival

Casa Grande hosted its 43rd Annual O’Odham Tash Indian Days festival. O’Odham Tash, “the gathering of people,” brought tribes from around the country and Canada to participate in the four-day festival.

By Allana Erickson 24 February 2010 Read Article

Nahui Ollin:Traditional Aztec Dancers

The Salinas family, from Mexico City, travels and performs the traditional dances of the Aztecs under the group name Nahui Ollin. They came to Tucson to perform at the American Indian Art Exposition annually held at the Flamingo Hotel, 1300 N. Stone Ave.

By Josh Schaa 18 February 2010 Read Article