Visually Stunning, “Dune: Part Two” is Otherwise Same Old
“Dune: Part Two” delivers stunning desert vistas alongside dreary empires of destruction, but its white savior narrative is tired at best.
Colonialism
“The Crown,” a Royal Soap Opera with Historical Undertones, to the End
At the end of the first episode of Netflix’s The Crown Season 6, Princess Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) enters her Kensington Palace rooms. She finds them filled with red and fuschia roses. A small case is on the table. It contains a beautiful watch of gold and diamonds, a present from her latest love interest – […]
“I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me” Plays with Belief to Lampoon Colonialism
It’s a funny turn, seeing hapless Mexicans maneuver the attention of organized crime in Spain in “I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me.”
“De La Calle” Celebrates Urbano Music and the Latinx Musicians Who Make It
“De La Calle” isn’t perfect but my Spotify has been bumping since watching Nick Barili recount Latinx artists’ contributions to Urbano music.
Netflix’s Wednesday Explores Themes of Latinx Heritage & Anti-Colonialism
Netflix’s Wednesday Addams has a sharp tongue that she uses to inflict gloom and doom, dive into anti-colonialism, and embrace her Latinidad.
Reimagining the Salvadoran Diaspora Through Poetry: A Q+A with Janel Pineda
“Lineage of Rain” author Janel Pineda discusses the process of publishing her first chapbook, how she prepares for performances, and her hopes for her career and the Salvadoran diaspora.
Q&A with “The Five Wounds” Author Kirstin Valdez Quade
With her debut novel “The Five Wounds” out, author Kirstin Valdez Quade discusses with us the religious fraternity of penitentes in New Mexico, the inspiration behind the story, and the colonial violence that shapes our communities today.
Sleeping with Your Priest: From “Fleabag” to “El Crimen del Padre Amaro”
Who gets to tell the story of breaking the vow of celibacy? Maybe we’re still waiting – even after “Fleabag” and “El Crimen del Padre Amaro.”
Godless in Trump’s America
Since the election of Donald Trump, it seems like our country has been in a never-ending debate about who we are and where we come from. There are so many places to look for answers but as a media critic, I, of course, look to TV. And in this moment of Bible-signing, border “crisis,” and macho, […]
“Roma” and the Pressure to Represent all of the Latinx Experience
“I’m Mexican.” That’s something I say sometimes. Mostly to people who are (rudely) asking “where are you [really] from?” And sometimes to those who take my light skin as an invitation to say something racist. Every once in a while to a fellow Latinx person as we share experiences. The thing is, though, I’m not […]