There was a very special naturalization ceremony today at the White House. All the people who became the country's newest citizens are active-duty military personnel.

While there was a mix of countries represented, 11 of the 24 military personnel who are full citizens of the United States, hail from South America and Mexico and most of them came to this country as children younger than 5-years-of-age.

Each of these soldiers' stories are unique and their new citizenship adds to the richness of the United States.

(Following the video are the brief bios of each of the 24 new citizens.)

May is Latino Books Month.

Founded by Latina author Pat Mora in 1996, the annual month-long observance is meant to highlight and elevate Latino-authored books, as well as, promote literacy among Latinos of all ages.

Some publishers are marking the observance with a special book-giveaway. The Hachette Book Group, working with selected book blogs, is giving away five titles:

B as in Beauty By Alberto Ferreras
Into the Beautiful North By Luis Urrea
Hungry Woman in Paris By Josefina Lopez
The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos By Margaret Mascarenhas
Houston, We Have a Problema By Gwendolyn Zepeda

And while we know there are more Latinas/os discovering their inner voices and putting them to paper, it's still hard to discover new Latina/o authors. So that's why special reading lists published by the Association of American Publishers for Latino Books Month is so handy in finding those new and existing Latina/o voices.

Latino Books Month—part of the Spanish language component of the AAP's Get Caught Reading campaign, ¡Aja! Leyendo – is a month long celebration in which booksellers, librarians, educators, and other community activists encourage their friends and neighbors to read books by and for Latinos.

For a free digital copy of the Latino Books Month resource kit, which includes a contact list for booking authors, information on starting a Latino book club, and a recommended reading list with adult fiction, adult nonfiction, children’s, and poetry titles, please email Katie Ly at kly@publishers.org. Additionally, a recommended reading list for El día de los niños / El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), a year-round celebration, is available for download on www.getcaughtreading.org..

And remember — Keep on Reading!

Cinco de Mayo has been celebrated in the U.S., especially in the southwest, for as long as people can remember. The day, along with Sept. 16, are big days, we were taught, in Mexico, the land of where the majority of U.S. Latinos trace their heritage.

But truth be known, the only day that is really celebrated on the same scale in Mexico as the U.S. is Sept. 16, Mexican Independence Day. Cinco de Mayo isn't that big a deal in Mexico.

The point was brought home to me while reading the blog of a friend of mine who is from Mexico but has lived in New York City for a while now. In commenting on how a Texas border town had crowned a "Miss Cinco de Mayo," my friend observed that she had never heard of such a thing nor grew up with anything like it in Mexico.

So it got me to thinking — why would we, Mexican-Americans/Latinos, basically hijack a Mexican holiday and make it our own?

The answer came to me via another friend who happened to share a booklet titled Cinco de Mayo Has Historical Significance for the United States.

The booklet details the fact that Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day but commemorates the Battle of Puebla where an underdog Mexican army defeated Napoleon's world-class soldiers at Puebla, and forced them to retreat.

The example set forth by the ragtag Mexican army served to inspire Chicano activists who were fighting their own battles in the 60s.

Chicano activists fighting for equality and civil rights in the 60s and 70s began celebrating el Cinco de Mayo because it represented victory in the face of great odds. Just as they were at battle to gain greater rights and respect as a minority group in the United States, they felt that if the young, ill-equipped Mexican army at the Battle of Puebla was able to prevail over a superpower, then they, too, could prevail in their efforts to obtain equal voice and equal rights in voting, education, housing, and representation, to name a few areas of focus and advocacy.

So, while we may have made Cinco de Mayo our own, it was for a good reason and a worthy cause.

Today is the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

In the United States, 53% of Latina teens become pregnant at least once before the age of 20.

While there are various reasons for this high number within the Latino community — peer pressure, low self-esteem — a major contributor is that Latino parents don't discuss with their children the topic of sex or the consequences of having sex.

Whether it's because of embarrassment or religious belief or the delusion that their children aren't engaging in such behavior, not talking to children about sex is a sad tradition perpetuated by the Latino culture.

Case in point: In a recent article outlining how Mexico is battling its teen pregnancy problem, some startling statistics were revealed:

Mothers below 18 years of age account for 41 percent of the estimated 25-28,000 babies born each year in Ciudad Juarez alone, said Guadalupe Medina, reproductive health coordinator for the Chihuahua state government. A recent study by Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) doctors reported that on average Ciudad Juarez females initiate sexual activity at 13 years of age, while males usually begin at 15 years of age.

According to the study, only 18.85 percent of adolescents reported learning about sex from their parents. Most respondents, or 40.85 percent, heard about sex from friends, while 36 percent learned about it from teachers. No further details of the study were reported.

The clearest revelation from the stats of both the U.S. and Mexico is that Latino families need to sit down and have the "sex talk" with both their sons and daughters.

It's a step towards preventing a child from having a child.

Today in the Oval Office, President Obama signed a proclamation making May 7 the National Day of Prayer (NDP).

President Barack Obama signs the proclamation marking the National Day of Prayer in the Oval Office of the White House May 7, 2009. Looking on is Joshua DuBois, Director of the White House Office for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
(Source: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It's the one day out of the year where all denominations are supposed to set aside time and pray for the country and its leaders.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

For those interested in what prayer is, how it works or how to do it, the NDP website features a video how-to narrated by the Rev. Billy Graham.

For those who already know how to pray, the site also lets people know of online and telephonic prayer rallies where every prayer is needed and people can pray together for the greater good.

From the very beginning when news broke of the immigrant detention centers, the one element that united people across ethnic, religious and political lines was the fact that families were being held in jail-like conditions.

Since then, the Department of Homeland Security has tried to downplay the conditions of the detention of immigrant families by making a number of improvements — more play time for the children, opportunity to wear "civilian" clothes, etc.

Yet detaining families, in any form, goes against the principles of what the United States has always signified for its citizens and citizens-to-be that the continuing detention of families is deemed unacceptable in this day and age.

The problem is that because the public is not allowed inside these detention facilities it's been hard to see or hear what life is like in these facilities.

The most infamous family detention facility is located outside Austin, Texas and called the T. Don Hutto facility. It also happens to be the subject of a new film titled The Least of These: Family Detention in America.

…the film explores the government rationale for family detention, conditions at the facility, collateral damage, and the role - and limits - of community activism in bringing change. The film leads viewers to consider how core American rights and values – presumption of innocence, the protection of children, upholding the family structure as the basic unit of civil society, and America as a refuge of last resort – should apply to immigrants, particularly children.

The documentary had its world premiere at the 2009 S X SW film festival. Since then, the film has been screened by social justice organizations, on college campuses and at regional film festivals.

Yet, in a move that illustrates that the filmmakers know that everybody who wants to see the film or should see the film may not be near a screening of it, they have made the film available in its entirety on their website in a free online streaming.

Family detention is an important issue and Latina Lista applauds the filmmakers, Clark and Jesse Lyda, for not just making the film but sharing it with everyone.

This past weekend, 130 invited women from 50 countries began arriving in Antigua, Guatemala for a special three-day conference. Sponsored by the Nobel Women's Initiative (a group comprised of all female Nobel Peace Prize winners), partnering with Just Associates (JASS), a global network to strengthen women's organizing powers, and hosted by the Rigoberta Menchú Tum foundation (FRMT), which seeks to promote the rights of indigenous people around the world, the conference title is: Women redefining Democracy.

Among the women are activists, researchers and journalists. The conference's focus is to debate how women shape democracy, along with, identifying the greatest challenges to greater democratization.

The discussion is bound to be lively, informative and evocative and it's a shame that it's not open to more women, not that too many would be able to make the trip to Antigua.

But thankfully for technology, women from all over the world can "virtually" sit in on this conference through a variety of "real-time" ways.

While the conference is for invited delegates only, there are plenty of other ways to listen in on the conversation. The Nobel Women's Initiative website will feature daily blogs, photos and video reports from the conference, on our DemocracyBlog.

You can also follow us on Twitter, listen to live broadcasts from Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE), and see photos both on our website and our blog.

Today is the anniversary of one of the largest work-site immigration raids in U.S. history. It was one year ago that federal officials stormed a Postville, Iowa kosher meat packing plant and didn't just detain 389 men and women but economically devastated a whole town.

From this tragedy has emerged countless tragic stories of how immigrant families caught up in the raid have been separated from one another. The breadwinner of the family deported and the remaining spouse left to fend for the family. Sometimes, the spouse left behind is undocumented him/herself and can't work and, to this day, is forced to rely on the charitable contributions of the town's churches and charities.

But because both parents are immigrants, their stories of separation due to deportation and the impact it has on the children left behind, are seldom heard. Yet, the same story of separation is happening to other families as well, where one parent is an American citizen.

Lourdes and John Adams enjoyed each other's company before Lourdes was deported leaving John and her two children behind.
(Source: John Adams)

That's the case with John and Lourdes Adams.

John Adams found himself in the thick of the nation's immigration troubles after falling in love with a woman named Lourdes from Guatemala. A year after their marriage, John and Lourdes were at the final meeting with an immigration officer to adjust her status from illegal to resident when the officer learned that Lourdes had once been picked up on an immigration violation and had not shown up in court. Lourdes was deported and John is now raising their two children, Alexa and Orlando, alone.

Unlike the Postville immigrant families separated by deportation, John isn't afraid to speak out. And that's exactly what he did when he sat down to talk to public radio's Steve Gordon on "The Story."

Though he's an American by birth, John's experience has forced him to see his country in a new light where justice is hard to justify when it means separating a mother from her children and a wife from her husband.

Listen to John explain what the separation has done to his family and his startling discovery of his country's dark side.

This past May 1, the day when this year's May marches were supposed to surpass the ones held in May 2006, was a big disappointment for some who organized the marches in their communities.

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 01: Joaquin Ventura is reflected in the glasses of Jose Cruz, who makes a statement about ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) with a mask that reads ICE FLU during a rally for immigrant worker rights on May Day, May 1, 2009 in Los Angeles, California.
(Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

A perfect storm of bad weather, swine flu and a sorry economy made people think twice about turning out for the marches in many areas of the country. One organizer, Marisa Loza, of Latinos Unidos del Valle de Napa, had such an experience.

It's what happened afterwards that made all the difference. Sitting in a Napa Valley coffee shop with the only other two people who showed up at her rally, Marisa and her friends started to talk strategy when they were interrupted by what was happening in the coffee shop — a kind of music and poetry jam. The first one at the mic was a Latino gentleman named Julio Soriano Soriano who performed a special poem.

When Loza heard the poem she knew that it must be a divine message to keep up the fight for immigrants' rights because there are still a group of people who are being persecuted for who they are and what they want to become.

Thanks to Aurora of EL RINCONCITO DE AURORA blog, Latina Lista heard about Loza's experience and the very special poem. Loza writes on her blog about her experiences that May day and provides the full text of the poem performed by Julio Soriano Soriano.

The following is only a portion of Soriano's poem.

The Illegal Extraterrestrial
By Julio Soriano Soriano

I was born here on earth. Born from two human parents. For as long as I can remember I have lived among the human species. I can see, touch, and taste. I can hear and speak. I have a family; I have emotions. I’m able to love. I’m able to hate. I’m able to cry. I’m able smile.

I have the same organs that everyone else has.
I have only one brain, only one heart, just two lungs.
Still don’t believe me?
Well, I have 46 chromosomes.
You can check my DNA if you want.
I promise I’m really the same as you.

I’m sorry undocumented immigrant, whoops,
Did I say undocumented immigrant? I meant illegal alien.
Lets not go and call you undocumented immigrant.
We don’t want you poking around thinking that
You have a chance to be like us humans.
Just imagine! A human wannabe asking for fair wages?
Asking for representation, opportunity and justice.
Absurd!

Starting May 18 and running through May 31 is the familiar "Click It or Ticket" national seatbelt campaign by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

What that means is that if you're caught by police riding or driving a car without your seatbelt on, you're going to get a ticket.

The US Dept. of Transportation released a report today featuring data that shows if every state had a 90 percent seat belt usage rate or better 1,652 lives could be saved and 22,372 serious injuries avoided each year on America’s roadways.

The report reveals that currently there are 38 states plus the District of Columbia that average below 90 percent in seat belt usage. National seat belt usage for 2008 data stands at 83 percent.

Of all the age groups, teens are the worst when it comes to buckling up.

Falls Church, VA, USA--US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood speaks at at the kick off of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's national Click it or Ticket safety belt mobilization with law enforcement agencies at the George C. Marshall High School on May 14, 2009.
(Photo by Joceyn Augustino)

Speaking before students at a news conference at a suburban Virginia high school, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood underscored the worrisome reality that seat belt use rates are relatively low among teenagers. Of the 4,540 16-to-20 year old passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2007, 2,502 were unbelted at the time of the crash. Teen belt use rates are especially low at night. In 2007, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of the 16 to-20 year olds killed in nighttime crashes were unbelted at the time.

Among Latinos, it's especially bad.

In a separate report released last month focusing on "Race and Ethnicity: Results Among Occupants Traveling With Children", only 64 percent of young Latinos, ages 16-24, used seat belts versus 82 percent of blacks and 80 percent of whites of the same age group.

Given the high rate of teen parents that can be found in the Latino community, it's particularly disturbing that the usage rate would be the lowest in this age group of Latinos.

That's why the US Dept. of Transportation wants to try again to get the message out to everyone that wearing seat belts save lives. Next week will start a national ad campaign to get the message across.

Yet, the strongest message to get people to understand the importance of wearing a seat belt is to set the example and just do it!

The second season of that smart, Latina journalist, known as Ylse (played by Ruth Livier) is finishing up production and will be releasing a whole slate of new webisodes next month.

This year, Ruth tells Latina Lista that she wants to incorporate some original music into the show. She knows there are hundreds, if not thousands, of people with musical talent just waiting to be discovered. So she has a plan — sending out a call for submissions for what will become the Ylse soundtrack.

According to the Facebook announcement:

Looking for unsigned musical artists for consideration on YLSE Season 2. In addition to possible inclusion on the series SOUNDTRACK, one new song will be featured per webisode. All genres in English and/or Spanish are welcome!

Watch Season One of Ylse ( www.Ylse.net ) and submit appropriate songs for consideration. Send links to your music to Ylseshow2008@gmail.com or email us your MP3.

Deadline for submissions is June 1, 2009.

Know what tiki tiki means?

Well, if you're Cuban-American you might already know it means a constant conversation — complete with talking fast, constantly moving hands and not taking a break between conversations on (and the number varies here) at least 17 different subjects or people.

But what does tiki tiki mean in the blogosphere, you might ask.

It means that there is now a new blog in cybertown called "tiki tiki."

Billing itself as a site where visitors share stories of what it's like "living Latino," tiki tiki is founded by a group of enterprising Latina women — of which the majority happen to be Cuban-American.

Needless to say, the majority of stories, recipes, essays, etc. will all deal with life as a Latina/o with the sometimes added twist of being Cuban-American as well.

As all Latinos already know, not all of us are Mexican or Cuban or Puerto Rican or — you get the idea.

To underscore our differences, one tiki tiki founding editor honestly writes in her post:

It seems at every chance the Obama administration builds upon the two strengths it had going for itself during the presidential campaign — youth and technology.

The latest initiative that targets these two areas is an innovative new program through the U.S. Department of State entitled Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSF).

Announced recently by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a commencement speech at New York University, VSF is still in the planning stages as to how it will exactly work but what is for sure is that it will be a program pairing college students with US foreign embassies "to practice digital diplomacy" — still not sure what that means but the potential is cool, no?

One other sure cool factor is that the initiative has its own Facebook page already.

At the very least, it doesn't hurt to fill out the sign-up page to receive more information as it becomes available.

For anyone who dreams of traveling the world, even if it's only virtual, and doing some good in the process, this may be a program to check out once it gets put together.

Who knows what other opportunities could come of it?

Ever heard of Raggs?

Chances are if you don't have a preschooler in the house or one you visit on a regular basis, you don't know but Raggs is a public television musical preschool show "starring five colorful canines that play rockin’ music and live in a cool clubhouse with their pet cat, Dumpster."

It seems that one of the more popular segments on the show deals with real-live kids. There's a talk-show format where the kids get interviewed, a la Leno, by Dumpster the cat. The segment is so popular, that like late-night talk shows, the producers are on a nationwide hunt for interesting kids for Dumpster to interview.

Kids who want to appear on the show have to audition. The cool thing about this auditioning process is that it's totally online.

This is not a talent competition. The goal is to find 100 really animated, talkative and clever kids who represent a diverse sampling of families in our country,” said, Toni Steedman, President and Founder of Raggs LLC.

The contest starts June 1 and runs through June 30. The site provides helpful hints to parents on how to put their kids on film, what the 1-2 minute audition video should have, the rules and all the permission/release forms and questions that need to be answered that go along with the video submission.

Those selected will be notified in July and flown out to North Carolina in August for the show's taping.

So get that preschooler ready. This could be their big "break."

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Latinas — for one reason.

Latinas ignore the early warning signs and wait to go to the doctor. This bit of news likely wasn't discovered until someone had the sense to only look at Latinas and study why there existed higher fatality rates among us.

We can only thank those women who participated in that study, otherwise all of us would be walking around feeling like we were marked for death.

Studies are important. Until several years ago, Latinas were not invited nor included in very many medical studies. However, that's no longer the case.

The latest study that is in need of Latina volunteers is one being conducted by The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Researchers want to better understand the Latina breast cancer experience. So, they've put out a nationwide call for Latina breast cancer survivors. According to the researchers:

We are recruiting Latina breast cancer survivors, from the entire country, into this study to complete a one time interview that takes approximately 45 minutes. To be eligible, Latina women must have been diagnosed with breast cancer between 2004 and 2008.

As compensation for their time, all approved participants will receive a $20.00 gift card to their choice of Safeway Foods (Includes VONS, Dominick's, Genuardi's, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Pavillions, and CARRS) , Target Stores, Borders Books, or Amazon.com.

To sign up for the study, call 1-877-687-1717, or email Dr. Graves at kdg9@georgetown.edu.

What is a Mexican American professional?

Most people would say that it's someone of Mexican American descent who has a college degree and is practicing a profession that requires certification or license. For Humberto Gutierrez, the Mexican American professional is the "silent minority."

Of all the subgroups within the Latino community, Mexican Americans fare the worst when it comes to adding college graduate to their resumes.

Gutierrez, an educator and author, knew that information about Mexican American professionals could help both those who have accomplished such a feat and researchers who have not really been able to study those who do practice a profession because there is a lack of data.

For that reason, Gutierrez decided to create the Mexican American Pro Archives. He writes:

The purpose of this site is to archive articles and pertinent information about Mexican American Professionals. I invite all professional associations to post information relevant to this topic. I hope this site will become an archive and resource of information to facilitate the distribution of information which impacts Mexican American Professionals.

The site currently has very little content and a few links, but the potential to build this site as a destination for researchers, students and professionals is great and worth a contribution of an article.

By Mariana Llamas-Cendon
Latinalista.net

Curanderos, at first look, seem to be another Latino rock band, of which we already have plenty. But it only takes a song, to change people’s mind about who they are. Yes, they sing in English… but also in Spanish. Good and proper Spanish though! Not all bands can do that or can they?

The story of their name, which causes curiosity, is actually somewhat funny. Curanderos, as we know it today, did not exist until after 1996. Before, the band was known on the Los Angeles punk scene as Jonestown.

The Curanderos

“Ricky — one of the former members — worked at a health insurance company or something like it, and one day a lady came in asking to see a ‘curandero.' Rick did not know what a ‘curandero’ does but he loved the name and when the band was transitioning from punk music in English to bilingual rock, they decided to name it like that,” said the current drummer Diego Palacios.

All members of Curanderos are 100% Californian. Only three of them: the singer Mario Lomar, the guitarist Jesus Rauda and Diego Palacios himself are second generation Hispanics born in the US of Latin American parents.

“My parents are Ecuadorian, Mario Lomar’s are Mexican and Jesus Rauda’s are one from Texas and the other from Mexico,” said Palacios.

Basically Curanderos is a melting pot, in which both English and Spanish languages flow naturally within the band.

The Curanderos latest album

“That is how we feel like writing. Even though the band has been around for sometime in this scene; we belong to the Rock in Spanish, and it was known through the songs in Spanish, people liked it and still do,” said Palacios.

Diego Palacios also considered that being born and raised in the U.S. and in a city such as LA, the mix of cultures and teachings is something imminent.

“Since we were little, we speak both English and Spanish. At school, with your friends, at work, you speak English; at home, with your parents and relatives, you speak Spanish,” said Palacios, who also pointed out that their music is intended to reach a broader demographic.

“There is not only ‘reggaeton’ or ‘banda’ music, but other genres to explore,” Palacios said.

Curanderos will start a nationwide tour on June 8th, in which they will be promoting their self-titled latest release "Curanderos."

(Curanderos is available for digital download at iTunes under Alternativo & Rock Latino)

The fact that Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor is both extremely qualified and Latina are sources of pride for the Latino community who has seen too many promising Latino/a nominees or appointees to Obama's administration fall from grace.

To better understand that Sotomayor's inclusion on the Supreme Court goes beyond just ethnicity, the following background information supplied by the White House exemplifies why she is such a stellar choice.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor accepts President Obama's nomination of her to the U.S. Supreme Court in the East Room of the White House.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor has served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit since October 1998. She has been hailed as “one of the ablest federal judges currently sitting” for her thoughtful opinions,i and as “a role model of aspiration, discipline, commitment, intellectual prowess and integrity”ii for her ascent to the federal bench from an upbringing in a South Bronx housing project.

Her American story and three decade career in nearly every aspect of the law provide Judge Sotomayor with unique qualifications to be the next Supreme Court Justice. She is a distinguished graduate of two of America's leading universities. She has been a big-city prosecutor and a corporate litigator. Before she was promoted to the Second Circuit by President Clinton, she was appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H.W. Bush. She replaces Justice Souter as the only Justice with experience as a trial judge.

Judge Sotomayor served 11 years on the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, one of the most demanding circuits in the country, and has handed down decisions on a range of complex legal and constitutional issues. If confirmed, Sotomayor would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in 100 years, and more overall judicial experience than anyone confirmed for the Court in the past 70 years. Judge Richard C. Wesley, a George W. Bush appointee to the Second Circuit, said “Sonia is an outstanding colleague with a keen legal mind. She brings a wealth of knowledge and hard work to all her endeavors on our court. It is both a pleasure and an honor to serve with her.”

In addition to her distinguished judicial service, Judge Sotomayor is a Lecturer at Columbia University Law School and was also an adjunct professor at New York University Law School until 2007.

An American Story
Judge Sonia Sotomayor has lived the American dream. Born to a Puerto Rican family, she grew up in a public housing project in the South Bronx. Her parents moved to New York during World War II – her mother served in the Women’s Auxiliary Corps during the war. Her father, a factory worker with a third-grade education, died when Sotomayor was nine years old. Her mother, a nurse, then raised Sotomayor and her younger brother, Juan, now a physician in Syracuse. After her father’s death, Sotomayor turned to books for solace, and it was her new found love of Nancy Drew that inspired a love of reading and learning, a path that ultimately led her to the law.

Next to the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the first Latina Supreme Court justice, anticipation is running high for the start of summer.

Though summer doesn't officially arrive until June 21, the heat is already settling in across most of the country — which makes most of us crave ice cream!

Did you know that:

• America's top-five favorite ice cream flavors include: Vanilla, Chocolate, Butter Pecan, Mint Chip and Neapolitan?
• Three Americans prefer vanilla flavored ice cream to every one American who prefers chocolate flavored ice cream?
• In the Southwest, butter pecan flavored ice cream is more popular than chocolate flavored ice cream?
• Consumers in the South Central United States are the most likely to deviate from traditional ice cream and purchase sherbet or frozen yogurt?
• Ice cream consumption is highest during July and August?
• July is National Ice Cream Month?
• Children ages 2–12 and adults ages 45 and up eat the most ice cream per person?
• The average number of licks to polish off a single-scoop ice cream cone is approximately 50?
• 98% of all households purchase ice cream?
• It takes 12 lbs of milk to make one gallon of ice cream?

This Saturday, May 30, from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., at over 2,000 participating Walmart Supercenters, you can get your ice cream cravings satisfied — for free.

During these hours, Walmart staff will he handing out free ice cream. To check and see the closest location to you, enter your zip code on the Free Ice Cream Day website.

But you better get there early. They're only giving out ice cream as long as supplies last.

Most people are familiar with bullfights.

For U.S.-born Latinos, the pageantry and tradition associated with the one event that is a staple form of entertainment in almost every Spanish-speaking country, gets sidetracked in the debate of animal cruelty.

Yet, some Las Vegas organizers want to bring bull fights to the gambling mecca of the nation this September and are betting that their brand of bullfighting will be a winner with audiences.

Don Bull Productions plans on staging several bullfight events during the national observance of Hispanic Heritage Month. Each bullfight will be complete with the traditional pomp and pageantry that makes bullfights enjoyable to watch — until the actual fight between man and beast.

Knowing how squeamish U.S. audiences are, not to mention adverse to the drawing of an animal's blood for sport, these organizers are staging "bloodless bullfights."

Starting with the inaugural Fiestas Patrias at the South Point Arena, Don Bull Productions will present bloodless bullfights, offering spectators the opportunity to witness the best bullfighters or "toreros" around the globe performing their mastery in the entertainment capital of the world. Using specially designed adhesive Velcro pads instead of traditional banderillas, rejones and steel harpoons, competitors are able to preserve the existence of the toros while keeping the excitement and skill of traditional bullfighting alive.

While bloodless bullfights are one way to keep the tradition alive, I have to say that if the promotional video is any indication, the bullfighters look like the ones who need all the help.

In a rather long promotional video (4:54), it's almost comedic how some of the bullfighters charge at the bulls with no cape, lance or common sense to only end up under the hooves of the bull.

I guess when the promoters said bloodless, they obviously didn't mean the bullfighters.

But it's to be expected. After all, it's Las Vegas. The home of the bloodiest boxing matches in the country.

In comparison, a few bloody and bruised bullfighters makes these bullfights a tame event.

The bloodless bullfighting matches will take place on Mexican Independence Day at the South Point Hotel & Casino September 14 - 15 and return on September 27 - 30.

When it comes to filmmaking, there are so many talented Latinos behind the camera that it's always a treat to learn about yet one more. That's the case with Anthony Rivero Stabley of Super Grande Films.

We weren't aware of this film company until their founder Anthony Rivero Stabley contacted Latina Lista with news of several film projects and awards.

It seems Rivero Stabley, who hails originally from Bolivia, created Super Grande Film in 2001 to create Latin American films. He knows a bit about filmmaking since he was the art director of "Stigmata", "White Oleander" and the production designer of "A Day Without A Mexican".

Among the many film projects his company has created, and they have one in the works now called "Las Super Bonitas," we were intrigued with his webisode series. It seems more Latinos are venturing into this area of filmmaking — which is a great way por toda la comunidad ( for the whole community) to see a fellow Latina/o's work.

Rivero Stabley's webisode is titled Electronica. It's a trilogy with the final installment due to film later this year.

The webisode has already won the Audience Award at the iPod Film Festival.

According to the synopsis:

Emily Dunn's dreams of acting have been replaced by a constant self-destructive party lifestyle. During the process she CLICKS away photos of her daily existence and ultimately finds her true expression. The question is... What's Real and What's Not?

Rivero Stabley tells Latina Lista:

"I think a lot of people get lost in Hollywood. They become enticed with false glamour and empty promises; they lose track of their dreams. In the end, you find these people, who are sometimes...sadly your friends- living this hazy self-destructive existence. The problem is that people just don"t like to talk about this tragic aspect of cinema. They just want to hear about the winners.

Interesting perspective. After watching it, feel free to share your thoughts with Latina Lista.

Part I

(Watch Part II also.)