Issue 61: Making an ofrenda for Día de Muertos, ancestral holistic medicine for fertility, Latinas & goth culture
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Hey my gente,
What’s one great thing that happened to you this week? Reply and let me know.
For me, my cousin Vanessa took the day off from work to support me on Tuesday as I dropped my pup Zelda at the vet hospital for her second chemo treatment. We spent the day at the museum, going on walks, having great meals, and then picked Zelda up in the evening. Prima - l love you!
I also wanted to share some life advice I came across this week:
“Act in a way that will make you smile as you’re lying under a pale, pink nursing home blanket, thinking of the life you led.”
The above is advice given to a fictional character on the show “This is Us” (lol yea I’m watching the show right now) by a reverend who says he’s a pro at giving deathbed advice. I can’t stop thinking about it!
I hope you enjoy this week’s newsletter. Let me know if any of the below articles resonate, if you’d like to see other content, or whether you have any news or shoutouts you’d like me to share.
Con amor,
Elisabeth Rosario
📰 Articles of the week:
The Guardian: Christopher Columbus may have been Spanish and Jewish, documentary says
The LA Times Latinx Files: Fertility care and embracing ancestral holistic medicine
“This is the false notion that Western medicine is superior than any other types of treatments available,” Pānquetzani said. “They don’t understand the spirit behind the work. I would ask that doctor, ‘Have you received this type of care?’ If they did have any experience with it, they wouldn’t be so dismissive.” Both Luz and Toro de Guertin said their doctors disregarded holistic medicine, even though neither had plans to replace their IVF treatments completely. Luz described an “arrogance” from doctors, a sense that “they have to be right or their whole practice comes into question.” Of course, not all Western fertility doctors turn their nose up at holistic medicine or behave this way. Many encourage a mix of both Western and holistic medicine, as do holistic practitioners. But it shouldn’t be so hard to find medical care at an accessible price that allows space for both.
Associated Press: More Black and Latina women are leading unions — and transforming how they work
Black and Latina women are driving labor union growth in the U.S. amid a decades-long decline in membership. In 2023, Black women’s union membership rate notched a slight bump from 10.3% to 10.5%, while Latinas went up from 8.5% to 8.8%. Today’s examples of diverse union leaders include Becky Pringle, a Black woman who leads the National Education Association, the nation’s largest union; Bonnie Castillo, the first Latina to serve as executive director of National Nurses United; and April Verrett, who in May became the first Black woman to lead the Service Employees International Union…
Goodies of the week:
Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is the annual celebration to honor and remember the dead and celebrate life. One of the biggest activities for the holiday is building an ofrenda and placing objects and symbols on it to honor the dead. The ofrendas that people make are meant to be bright so the souls of lost loved ones can find their way. Each of the items on an ofrenda is placed with a specific reason that correlates to Indigenous cultures. Watch this video on how to make an ofrenda/altar of your own at home.
This week I watched the Selena Gomez documentary, My Mind & Me. It came out 2 years ago, but it popped up in my Apple TV feed and I decided to finally watch it. It’s a very intimate and raw look at Selena’s mental health journey over a six year time period. She navigates a devastating breakup, a long struggle with depression and anxiety, an autoimmune disease, a bipolar diagnosis, and more. Highly recommend.
Explaining the “Mi Gente Latino” meme
I appreciate you checking out this issue. Please forward this to friends or family that you think would like it. If you have news or personal shoutouts/celebrations to submit, are interested in sponsoring a newsletter issue, or want to write for us - just send me a note by replying back!