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The memory of Zeke Montes lives on

by Nikoleta Morales
in Community
— 11:40 AM

The Hispanic world of journalism and publications lost a legendary man, husband, father, colleague and a friend – Ezequiel “Zeke” Montes (1948-2013). Zeke passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 29. He was the founder and CEO of the successful Spanish language TV guide “Tele Guía,” as well as the current president of the National Association of Hispanic Publications (NAHP).

Zeke was well-known for his involvement with the NAHP. He served as a president of the NAHP for six terms. He was elected as the second NAHP president in 1986 and served three terms early in the NAHP history when board members were elected to one year terms (1986-1989). Zeke’s accomplishments from this period include the NAHP joining HACR and other key national organizations, the growth of the NAHP Group Buy program, the start of the José Martí Awards, the NAHP’s first scholarships, and the first convention in Mexico.

“He was in the final year of his final two year term (2011-2013) when we lost him. While others have devoted meaningful time to the NAHP and the development of Hispanic print – Zeke devoted his life,” said Kirk Whisler, president of the Latino print network, one of the original founders of NAHP, as well as one of Zeke’s closest friends. “Everyone remembers him as such a positive, energetic, happy person. He was so full of joy. So committed to seeing the entire Latino community get treated with the respect that it deserves.”

Jose Luis Garza, the current vice-president of the NAHP, who had known Zeke for 19 years, said that the NAHP was “an extension of his [Zeke’s] family.” “I called him hermanito,” said Garza. “I will remember him as a great Hispanic leader, a good friend but also an exemplary citizen.”

“I will always remember Zeke when we first started talking about creating a national organization,” said Mila Tellez, founder of Extra publication. “He was dynamic, creative, and energized all of us. The result was the NAHP.”
Clara Padilla Andrews, the immediate past president of the NAHP, remembers Zeke as a compassionate and loving family man who was able to balance both his career and family life. “He was a very strong conservative lead in the industry and he was also a very strong family man. He loved his family. He talked about his wife and children all the time,” said Andrews. “One of the things that impressed me, he was always looking for a nice gift for his wife. So unique to see and observe that. He loved his wife. “

“Zeke was never happier than when he was surrounded by family and friends. Zeke was so proud of each and every grandchild. Logan, Lucas and Kayla, to active and boundary testing teenagers, Christopher and Aaron, to wonderful young ladies Amanda, Brittney, Ashley, and Nicolete,” said Whisler. “Zeke was also extremely happy that his children Patricia, Christina, and Steve are all now working and managing the publications. It truly was his dream to have them carry on with the efforts he and Rose started nearly 30 years ago.”

“Zeke was truly a we person, not a me person,” said Whisler. “Zeke had the rare quality of making everyone he meets feel important – from waitresses and the readers of Tele Guía to corporate CEOs and presidents, and he met at least 15 presidents of the United States, Mexico, or another Latin American country. I feel like I’ve lost my right arm with the loss of my best friend.”

In addition to his involvement with the NAHP, Zeke was on other national boards like the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR).

A bilingual website has been created to share the remembrances of Zeke Montes at http://www.ilasting.com/zekemontes.php. The NAHP has also set up a fund in his memory. For more information go to www.NAHP.org.n

Celebrity Chef Chavez believes in healthy eating

by Nikoleta Morales
in Cuisine · Current Events
— 10:11 AM

Chef Aquiles Chavez is a celebrity chef who has amazed Mexico and the US with his unique cooking style. He sat down with EXTRA to open up a bit about his passion for cooking, his family, his restaurant “La Fisheria” and his future plans.

EXTRA: When did you start cooking? Chef Chavez: Professionally I started when I was 16. I started at a restaurant as a dish washer working 48 hours a week, eight hours a day. After these eight hours, I spent five more hours with the chef at the restaurant. I remember the time in the kitchen with my mom. I have been in the business for 20 years.
What is your secret to cooking? What makes a meal great?
It’s not the secret just to cooking but also the secret to life – passion, creativity and “mise en place” (a French word, which means “everything in place”).

Tell me about your three cooking shows on Utilisima channel

My first show is “El Toque de Aquiles.” It’s a cooking show about me cooking, teaching housewives quick recipes. It is a very honest and easy show. I have a road trip show – “Aquilisimo.” In the show we travel around Mexico eating and meeting people. I love the show – it’s about finding small places, street restaurants. It’s not a program where you have to be rich to go eat. We talk about the history of the places, the foods, the cooks and the customers. The third show is called “Aquiles en Houston” and it’s about me leaving Mexico to come live in the US. We show all the things that happen when somebody moves to another country. When we moved to the US we opened “La Fisheria.” We take the most popular dishes and we change the ingredients, like instead of pork we use octopus. One of my favorite dishes is carnitas de pulpo. I love to cook octopus.

Do you have other favorite dishes to cook?

I focus mainly on Mexican cuisine. But I love to eat anything – brains, eyes, liver, eyeballs. I love to eat.
Most people look at food as a good and a bad thing. As a chef what is your outlook on food?
I always say bad food and bad ingredients don’t exist. What exist are awful habits. The problem is not what you eat; it is the quantities of food you eat.

What are some healthy ingredients?

I love avocado. It’s my favorite ingredient. The Mexican avocados are the best avocados in the world. You can substitute bread with butter with bread with avocado and honey. It’s a wonderful and healthy breakfast.

What are your future goals?

My goal is to be happy. I would like to make people happier.
What is your message to young inspiring chefs and people that look up to you?
To cook with passion, “mise en place” and love. I spent almost three years of my life as a dishwasher working 12-16 hours a day. I got this working and doing the right things.

Diane Kahlo commemorates the missing women of Cd. Juárez

by Deysi Cuevas
in Current Events · Photography
— 02:21 PM

Photo by Aasia Mohammad

On Saturday, January 5, the Calles y Sueños Gallery at 1900 S. Carpenter Rd. held an opening reception for Diane Kahlo’s exhibit, “Wall of Memories: the Disappeared Women of Juárez.” Kahlo’s exhibit consists of over 100 painted portraits of girls and young women, as young as 7 years old, who died in Juárez, Mexico. Kahlo states part of the reason she created this exhibit is because she wanted more people to know about the atrocities occurring in Mexico and other parts of Latin America.
“If we look back in history all the people that get painted are the rich. I wanted to do an exhibit on the poor, the ones that people don’t usually talk about,” said Kahlo who is a single mom and “can relate to the parents of the missing girls.” She said that she did an extensive research to gather the pictures of the missing girls. She researched online and also contacted a Mexican organization in Ciudad Juárez that works to protect women against violence, created by the parents of the missing girls, called Casa Amiga. “They sent me 12 of the photos,” said Kahlo. “My fantasy would be to donate all of these portraits to Casa Amiga for the families of the missing girls.”
Kahlo made each frame and stamped each girl’s name and painted them with a purple hue. If she could not find a photo of a victim, the girl was then represented with a tiny figurine like the “Virgen de Guadalupe,” a small bird or a heart.
Since 1993, over 1,000 young women have disappeared in Juárez, Mexico. Of those missing, more than 700 bodies have been found tortured, dismembered and sexually violated and discarded in shallow graves in desert sites that have now come to be known as “the Labyrinth of Silence.” Many women work in assembly plants called “maquiladoras.” They live in small, disadvantaged towns in the outskirts of the city and disappeared while traveling to and from work, where they have to travel in unsafe conditions, usually without streetlights and supervision.
Little is known about the perpetrators or their motives but many experts speculate that it has a lot to do with Mexico’s dysfunctional justice system and high level of impunity, as well as the lack of employment opportunities for men, which have altered traditional gender dynamics and created a conflict between the sexes.
“It’s right on our border and yet it’s not known about … people in Chicago know about it because of a beautiful exhibit at the National Museum of Mexican Art two years ago. Latinas know about it but the general population doesn’t know that right across the border there are hundreds and thousands of young women that [have gone] missing and their violated bodies are found and I think that really touched me,” said Kahlo.
Aside from the numerous portraits, there is an installation of decorated skulls that symbolizes “las desaparecidas,” the “unknown girls” whose bodies have been found but not identified. On another wall, black curtains are displayed with pink crosses in front of them, which signify many of the places where the girls’ bodies were dumped or buried. Below the curtains, there is a coffin, embroidered with thousands of colored beans.
Kahlo, who grew up in El Paso, Texas, has also researched several topics like border issues and immigration. “It just becomes kind of a metaphor for something bigger for global violence against women because it’s so concentrated,” she said.
Through her portraits, Kahlo has managed to capture the essence of these young women, allowing people to remember them as they once were: sisters, mothers and daughters.
To date, young women are still being targeted and the families in Juárez continue to live in fear.
The exhibition will run until February 9, 2013, at the Calles y Sueños Gallery.

Gutiérrez defends workers

by EXTRA Newspaper
in Current Events
— 11:33 AM

On Monday, December 17, Congressman Luis Gutiérrez met with the 33 workers who were arrested in last week’s ICE raid. He addressed the issue of their deportation and planed a strategy for their defense at the Lincoln United Methodist Church on 2242 S. Damen Str.
“Our goal is that no one gets deported from the US. A great majority of you are heads of your households and I do not want to see you separated from your families,” said Gutiérrez.
Cesar Martinez from Mexico, who has lived in the US for 14 years, said that his family was worried when ICE took him away. “My wife and children were desperate because I did not come home. My son was crying, it was hard,” said Martinez.
Gutiérrez said that the ICE officers were looking for the responsible business owner but instead the blame was put on the arrested workers. “To date there is not an owner in prison; if they look for an owner, the state should make you witnesses against him but that has not happened,” he added.
Cesar Mendoza from Mexico, who has lived in the US for 12 years, said that he was held up for six days. “Most of us gave a $2,000 bond; others $10,000 or a $6,000 bond,” he said. “I did not want my mom to know because she is of age. She gets worried. One pays the bond and gets out.”
In his address to the released workers Gutiérrez suggested that “we must seek the cancellation of your deportation so you are given your green card.” Most of the arrested workers have been living in the US for more than 10 years and once the charges are dropped and their deportations are canceled, they should get their green card. “We should close the cases, as if they had never occurred and you go on with your lives,” said Gutiérrez.
The workers who were present at the conference were given a release form that they had to sign. “My team will work to get your documentation. My priority is first the charges to be dropped and deportation canceled and to avoid that from happening again,” said Gutiérrez.
Gutiérrez said that he will meet with ICE on January 17 to ask for an evaluation and an answer to how many owners are in prison. “On January 17 you must select someone who represents you all. Go to the ICE officers and demand a solution to this problem without fear,” he said to the arrested workers. n

Adventure To Puerto Vallarta

by EXTRA Newspaper
in Travel
— 02:54 PM

Known as a resort city, Puerto Vallarta is located near the Pacific Ocean in Mexico and is the sixth largest city in the state of Jalisco.
Located 15 minutes away from the airport is Secrets Vallarta Bay. This property has over 270 suites with marble floors and amenities such as a private Jacuzzi right on the balcony or a forest rain shower. There are several restaurants in the resort to suit any craving from the French cuisine of Bordeaux to seafood at Oceana.
Travel to the dream resort Puerto Vallarta for a Mexican fiesta dinner that issimply dropping. This traditional cuisine has made to order ceviche, tacos, and traditional tres leches cake while a mariachi band entertains in the background.
There are so many nearby neighborhoods to explore. One European artist has set up a shop in a store called Revolucíon del Sueño mixing Mexican history with different mediums such as t-shirts and paintings. Artists sell handcraft jewelry on the streets with a range of prices to serve any budget.
Downtown Puerto Vallarta is the place to be at night with bars, restaurants, and cafes. The Parish Church of “Our Lady of Guadalupe” sits in the middle of the square forming a rich history to the area. Street performers are at every turn. After walking along the beachside, stop off at Roo Night Club on the strip for retro music and strong drinks.
There is really something for every taste and walk of life in this part of Mexico. Some regions of this foreign land can be dangerous but there is plenty of security and police patrolling to keep visitors safe. Puerto Vallarta is on central time so no jet lag when traveling from Chicago providing the perfect escape from the winter blues. With Apple Vacations keeping things easy and simple so there is no excuse to book a getaway today. Don’t forget to pack your passport!

Jerry Nunn

Dia de los Muertos

by Deysi Cuevas
in Current Events
— 10:40 AM

El Día de los Muertos podría parecer singular para los no familiarizados con la tradición o cómo se originó. En realidad, no es diferente de otras costumbres. En E.E.U.U. es común que la gente visite las tumbas de sus seres queridos, llevar flores y orar o reconectarse con los ya fallecidos. El Día de los Muertos se dedica a honrar a los seres queridos. Hay luto, pero también es una ocasión jubilosa, donde la gente puede comer, beber y recordar a amigos y familiares que ya partieron.

Se cree que las celebraciones del Día de Muertos se han observado por tantos como 3,000 a 4,000 años – antes de que México existiese aún como país. Una vez al año, los aztecas tenían un festival en honor a la diosa de los muertos, Mictecacihuatl y celebraban a sus seres queridos fallecidos. El festival caía en el noveno mes del Calendario Azteca, cerca del inicio de agosto – durante la temporada de cosecha – y era celebrado todo el mes. Aunque hubo varias civilizaciones que florecieron en Mesoamérica en más de 4,000 años, todas tenían la creencia común en la vida después de la vida.

Según Ben Penglase, profesor asociado de Antropología en la Universidad Loyola de Chicago, hay un debate acerca del origen de tales celebraciones.

“Los aztecas tenían una celebración para quienes fallecían, tradición muy común en muchas culturas. A cierto punto, esas tradiciones se combinaron con algunas tradiciones católicas europeas”, dijo él. “Pero el Día de los Muertos sólo aparece en el registro histórico en tiempos de la Colonia, al menos en la forma en que hoy lo conocemos. Así que es un gran debate. ¿Es una tradición azteca que sobrevivió o, es algo que se produjo al combinarse las tradiciones azteca y española? No está claro”.

Luego que los españoles conquistaran a los aztecas, el Día de los Muertos se redujo a una celebración de dos días a tener lugar el 1º y 2 de noviembre de cada año, coincidiendo con el Día de Todos los Santos y de Todas las Ánimas. En muchas regiones de México, el 1º de noviembre se honra a los pequeños y se conoce usualmente como Día de los Angelitos, mientras que el 2 de noviembre es el Día de los Muertos.

Penglase añadió que las celebraciones en México toman una forma única y que hay un debate de si parte de esas formas tienen que ver con castas aztecas pre colombinas o no.

“Pero es claro que lo sucedido en México es que algunas tradiciones católicas de conmemorar a los muertos se combinaron con símbolos pre colombinos, en especial las flores; algo de la comida preparada para el Día de Muertos viene de un contexto indígena no europeo”, explicó él.

Hoy, el Día de los Muertos se celebra con la misma pasión y dedicación en México y partes de E.E.U.U. En México, la gente pasa días, a veces semanas, preparándose para las festividades. Se celebran en espacios públicos y privados. En las casas, se crean altares para honrar a amigos y parientes. Los altares se decoran con caléndulas mexicanas anaranjadas llamadas cempasúchil, “20 flores” en náhuatl. Se cree que las flores atraen a las almas de los muertos a las ofrendas.

Los altares se decoran también con la comida favorita del ser querido, calaveras de azúcar, bebidas y “pan de muerto”, que es un símbolo de los que ya partieron. En cementerios, la gente limpia las tumbas de sus amigos y familiares, las decoran con flores, fotos y veladoras.

La gente pasa toda la noche en el cementerio, socializando y relatando historias y esperando sentir la presencia de los espíritus de sus seres queridos, aunque sea por una noche.

by: Deysi Cuevas

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Día de Los Muertos may seem odd to those who are unfamiliar with the tradition or why it originated. In reality, it’s not so different from other customs. In the United States, it is common for people to visit the graves of their loved ones; to take flowers and to pray or reconnect with those who have passed. Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is meant to honor loved ones. There is mourning but it is also a joyous occasion, where people eat, drink and remember friends and family members who have passed away.

Day of the Dead celebrations are believed to have been observed for as long as 3,000 to 4,000 years -before Mexico even existed as a country. Once a year, the Aztecs held a festival to honor the goddess of the dead, Mictecacihuatl (meek-tay-cah-SEE-wah-tl) and to celebrate their deceased loved ones. The festival fell on the ninth month of the Aztec calendar, around the beginning of August – during the corn harvest – and was celebrated for the entire month. Although there were several Mesoamerican civilizations that flourished over 4,000 years, they all held one common belief in the afterlife.

According to Ben Penglase, associate professor of anthropology at Loyola University Chicago, there is a debate about the origin of these celebrations.

“Aztecs held a celebration for people who passed away, a pretty common tradition a lot of cultures have. At some point some of those traditions got combined with some Catholic -European traditions, too,” he said. “But the Day of the Dead only appears in the historical record in Colonial times, at least the way we know it now. So it’s a big debate. Is this an Aztec tradition that survived or is this something that was produced when Aztec tradition was combined with Spanish tradition? And it’s not clear.”

After Spain conquered the Aztecs, the Day of the Dead was reduced to a two-day celebration which took place on November 1 and 2 of each year and coincided with All Saints Day and All Souls day. In most regions in Mexico, November 1 is to honor children and infants and is generally referred to as Día de los Angelitos (Day of the little angels), while November 2 is Día de los Muertos.

Penglase also said that the celebrations in Mexico take on a unique form and that there’s a debate about whether part of those forms have to do with Aztec pre-Columbian castes or not.

“But it’s clear what happened in Mexico is that some of the Catholic traditions of commemorating the dead got combined with pre-Columbian symbols, especially a lot of the flowers, some of the food that’s prepared for Day of the Dead clearly comes from an indigenous, non-European context,” he explained.

Today, Day of the Dead is celebrated with the same passion and dedication in Mexico and parts of the U.S. In Mexico, people spend days, sometimes weeks, preparing for the festivities. It is celebrated in private and public spaces. In homes, altars are created to honor relatives and friends. The altars are decorated with Orange Mexican Marigolds called cempasúchil, Nahuatl for “20 flowers.” These flowers are thought to attract the souls of the dead to the offerings.

Altars are also decorated with the loved one’s favorite foods, sugar skulls beverages, and pan de muerto, also known as “bread of the dead” which is a symbol of the departed. In cemeteries, people clean the graves of their friends and family members; decorate them with flowers, photos and candles.

People spend the entire night in the graveyard, socializing and telling stories and hoping to feel the presence of their loved one’s spirits, if only for one night.

Calderon inaugurates the 3rd World Cultural Tourism Fair of Morelia

by EXTRA Newspaper
in Latino Culture
— 12:19 PM

President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa inaugurated the third edition of the World Cultural Tourism Fair of Morelia, Mexico, considered the most important promotional event in the country in this segment. President Calderon noted that tourism has consolidated as an important source of income and employment in Mexico.
The president stressed that tourism has been a major priority for his administration, making it possible to show the world the great richness of Mexico, such as Mayan culture, colonial cities, archaeological zones, music and UNESCO World Heritage gastronomy.

He said that Tourism provides direct employment for 2.5 million families in Mexico and more than five million indirect jobs. To promote this activity, the government has initiated new tourism products such as the 18 Gastronomic Routes, opened more archaeological sites to the public, and remodeled and constructed new museums in order to highlight the cultural offering throughout the country.

Due to the strong initiatives around tourism undertaken by this administration, satisfaction surveys indicate that nine out of every 10 international visitors to Mexico decide to return to enjoy the richness of Mexico, he said.

During the inauguration Calderon recognized Manuel Cuevas Martinez of Michoacan for his world-renowned artistry in the world of fashion. Cuevas Martinez, a wardrobe designer with over 40 years of experience, has worked with personalities including Elvis Presley, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Los Tigres del Norte, and Juan Gabriel, among others.

The World Cultural Tourism Fair is organized by the Ministry of Tourism of the Federal Government of Mexico, the Nat ional Council for Culture (Conaculta), and the Government of the State of Michoacan, bringing together buyers and exhibitors from throughout the sector and promoting cultural destinations worldwide.

Events

by EXTRA Newspaper
in Events
— 11:16 AM

Oct. 5 through Nov. 18
WILL TO POWER ART EXHIBITION OPENING

Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th Street
5 p.m.

A group of artists, creating work based on the words “will” and “power,” will work in a decaying art gallery. A time-lapse camera will be installed to document the decaying of the gallery. Results can be found on arthunt.willtopower.info

Oct. 6 and 7
Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez
Auditorium Theater, 50 E Congress
7:30 p.m.
$30-74
Save $10 with code “NETWORK”
Journey through the past with Ballet Folklórico de México, performing the dancing traditions of Mexico for 60 years. Credited as the Cultural Representative of Mexico to the world, Ballet Folklórico offers a lively performance that is full of movement, rhythm and technical perfection. To purchase tickets: auditoriumtheatre.org/ or 312.431.2357

Oct 7
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán
Symphony Center, 220 South Michigan Ave
3 p.m.
Use code word ‘PRESALE’
With a history that dates back to the late 1890s, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán invented the modern mariachi and are still playing today, five generations later. Recognized as “el mejor mariachi del mundo,” Mariachi Vargas are the masters of melding the old world style of mariachi music with innovative new pieces, appealing to audiences both young and old.

To take advantage of the pre-sale, you must go to the Chicago Symphony Box Office or call them directly at 312-294-3000. Use the code word ‘PRESALE’ to purchase your tickets at the CSO price. For more information visit: CSO.org

Blog:Mexican-born runner wins silver medal for Team USA

by Evan F. Moore
in Blog · Sports
— 04:30 PM

Mexican-born runner Leo Manzano won the silver medal for Team USA in the 1,500-meter final at the 2012 London Olympics. At one point in the race, Manzano was nearly at the back of the pack. He eventually pulled alongside the pack to put himself in medal contention. Manzano became the first American to medal in the 1500 meter race since 1968.

Leo Manzano was raised in Granite Shoals, Texas. In high school, he won a total of nine Texas 4A state championships in track and cross country. He later attended the University of Texas at Austin and became a four-time NCAA champion in the outdoor 1500. He also holds the school records in the 1500 meter , indoor mile, and distance medley relay.

Manzano told NBC News the he was honored to represent the United States as well as the country of his birth, Mexico. “I am honored and excited to represent both the United States and Mexico by earning this silver,” Manzano said. “Standing on the podium has been a dream of mine and I share it proudly with my family, friends, coaches and all my supporters from Austin, Marble Falls, and Granite Shoals, Texas as well as Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico.”

Leo Manzano is native of Guanajuato, Mexico.

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