My bucket list includes fluency in Spanish, French, Italian y mucho mas

By |

I grew up in Alamogordo, New Mexico, a 90-minute drive from El Paso. As a 9 year old child, I began learning Spanish from Señora Ramirez, my tutor for five years. Señora Ramirez was Mexican American. At the time, I struggled with the notion that after school I had to go right back to class to study Spanish while my brother was at soccer, tennis or hockey practice. Completely unaware of how invaluable the ability to read, write and speak Spanish would be to me, I continued to take Spanish lessons to please my mom.

Ragz to Riches thrift consignment shop. (Natalia Aguilar/Borderzine.com)

Mexican shoppers make El Paso trips fun tradition

By |

EL PASO — Daniela Caballero, a senior at UT El Paso, remembers being a young girl from Chihuahua, Mexico, and being so excited for her seasonal shopping trip in El Paso. “I would invite a friend with me and my family, and we would stay in Juarez and cross over every day. My dad would save money on the hotel by staying with family in Juarez, so we also took the opportunity to reunite with our family,” she said. Caballero’s family eventually moved to El Paso, which changed her shopping experience. “Now that my family and I have moved to El Paso, I no longer view shopping here the same way.

A permanent inspiration, Father Solalinde

By |

El Paso — Mild-mannered, soft-spoken Mexican Catholic Priest Alejandro Solalinde Guerra might quibble over being considered “a living saint” or a “hero,” but even he wouldn’t disagree with thousands of supporters around the globe who call him a rebel because of his fearless grassroots work on behalf of poor defenseless migrants and victimized women in Mexico and Central America. His human rights advocacy has raised eyebrows among the powerful in his country and the hackles of Mexico’s elite politicians from his native state Oaxaca all the way to Los Pinos. In the past, death threats forced him into exile in the U.S. for a while. Even that hasn’t silenced or slowed the 70-year-old Solalinde. “The most important thing (for me) is the human race,” said Solalinde last month at a symposium for “Justice for Migrant Youth,” held at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.

Mike "Sarge" Preston, Program Director and DJ at KOFX 92.3

The faces behind the voices of radio disc jockeys

By |

EL PASO – While you listen to your favorite song during your commute to work, there is a small team of radio disc jockeys pulling levers, pushing buttons, flicking switches and orchestrating the entire three-four minute performance. This is an inside look into the lives of three DJs and the DJ booth. Sarge Preston, Jojo Garcia and Victor Cruz are three local radio DJs at KFOX 92.3. The three DJs have a combined 91 years of experience. Their time spent on air is a very small part of their daily job responsibilities but it is also the favorite part of their workday.