TODO Austin June 2011

Open your eyes.

Volume III, 2 | June 2011

INSIDE: AsianAustin TODO x Gopher Projects Laurie Gallardo’s Town

By Erica Stall Wiggins and Harmony Eichensteadt

by Mary Parsamyan

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CONTRIBUTORS BNHR Executive Director FERNANDO GARCIA (pg 5) has led community organizing efforts in Texas and New Mexico for thirteen years.

MARK GUERRA is one of Austin’s top photographers, whose images of style, beauty and art have appeared in magazines worldwide.

JAMIE JONES (pg 14) is a native Austinite and freelance photographer with a passion for DIY health and nutrition.

The annual PRIDE festival celebrating the LBGTQ community has been moved from June to September this year but Queerbomb, a local group of individuals whose purpose is to “provide a space to celebrate each and every member of our community and encourage all to embrace the manifold ways we contribute to building a beautiful and diverse society,” will gather to mark National Pride Month with a Pride Parade at 7 p.m. Friday, June 3, at East Side Drive In (1001 E. Sixth St.) to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. www.queerbomb.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Amparo Garcia-Crow’s ongoing spoken word series, The Living Room: Storytime for Grownups, continues Saturday, June 4, 7:30 p.m. at Casa de Luz Auditorium (1701 Toomey Road). This month’s gathering brings together an eclectic mix of storytellers around this month’s theme, “Embracing the Unexpected.” TLR, while not an open mic, provides a space for creatives who want to share their tales. To reserve your seat, or to sign yourself up as a storyteller, call Inspirit Studios: 441-6085 or go to www.amparogarciacrow.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------As Austin’s largest free concert series (now in its 21st season), KGSR’s Blues on the Green has become a staple of the local lifestyle. Hang out with friendly faces at Zilker Park under the setting sun and starry skies every other Wednesday evening between June 8 (with Bob Schneider) and August 17. Dining options have been doubled this year with food and non-alcoholic beverages from six different local restaurants. Blankets, lawn chairs, dogs on leashes, children are all welcome. All shows start at 7:30 p.m. www.kgsr.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The four-day Republic of Texas Biker Rally runs Thur-Sun, June 9-12 at the Travis County Expo Center. The rally includes the world’s largest biker party in a downntown metro area, ROT Rally Friday night parade, while at the Expo Center you’ll find custom bike builders, the World Famous Wall of Death, comedians, the Paradise Bar, a tattoo expo, contests, stunt riders, 350 vendors, and musical acts including Eddie Money, Doobie Brothers, The Georgia Satellites, Pat Travers, Del Castillo and more. www.rotrally.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conspirare’s season closes Sunday, June 12, with a choralorchestral spectacular, the Austin premiere of Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra’s Missa Latina ‘For Peace.’

Acclaimed soprano Heidi Grant Murphy and baritone Daniel Teadt will appear with a performing force of nearly two hundred musicians from Conspirare and Victoria Bach Festival chorus under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson. 7 p.m. at the Long Center. www.conspirare.org ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------E&G and Teen Destiny present the 1st Annual Teen Destiny Fashion Show on Saturday, June 18 from 6-9 p.m. at Promiseland Church Central (1504 E. 51st St.). The show features entertainment by Goshen Productions and U.N.O.G., with makeup and hair by Visible Changes and Melinda Quiroz’s Elegance + Grace. Show producer Quiroz’s experience in the beauty industry includes film, editorial, shoots, weddings, and work with local entertainers. www.engbeauty.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center opens two new exhibits this month that will run from June 24 through August 27. HEIR today, gone tomorrow is a multimedia group exhibition examining inheritance & legacy, curated by Los Outsiders, which shows in the main gallery. Ahora, Ayer: past & present works by Mary Jane Garza, an exhibit in the community gallery, features select works of weaving, photography, montage & jewelry spanning 30 years. www.ci.austin.tx.us/macc

TODO Austin

outlets value our multicultural community •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Room Service

107 North Loop

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Mother’s Café Garden

4215 Duval

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Hoover’s

2002 Manor

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Carver Museum

1165 Angelina

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El Azteca

2600 E. 7th

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Progress Coffee

500 San Marcos

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Mr. Natural

1901 E. Cesar Chavez

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Southwest Key

6002 Jain

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El Sol y La Luna

600 E. 6th

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Threadgill’s

301 Riverside

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Farm to Market Grocer

1718 S. Congress

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Austin Java

301 W. 2nd

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Nau’s Enfield Drugs

1115 W. Lynn

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Alamo Drafthouse South

1120 S. Lamar

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Magnolia Café

2304 Lake Austin Blvd.

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Trianon Coffee

3201 Bee Cave

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Conan’s Pizza

2438 Anderson

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Windsor Park Library 5833 Westminster

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Music Mania

3909 IH-35

BRANDI COWLEY 1611 W. 5th Street 512.473.0700 | brandicowley.com PHOTO BY ZOE ALEXANDER

TODO Austin VOLUME III, NUMBER 002

AUSTIN HABLA Hispanic Advocates Business Leaders of Austin (HABLA) is a social network platform created this past spring by Austin businessman and advocate Paul Saldaña. The problems facing our Hispanic community and others nationwide are multifarious. TODO Austin supports HABLA as it takes a role in addressing some of these issues on the local front.

Look for key excerpts from HABLA’s web communications here beginning this month.

Saldaña, a native Austinite, has spent more than 20 years in local municipal government, public policy, public affairs and political consulting, including serving as Chief of Staff for the first elected Hispanic Mayor of Austin, Gus Garcia. Saldaña is a firm believer in giving back to the community through volunteer work, and is actively involved in issues that enhance and impact the quality of life for all citizens of Austin. Currently, Saldaña is president of Brisa Communications, a firm that provides public affairs representation tailored to the culture and values of the Hispanic and minority communities.

AISD Redistricting Hearing June 20 There are important developments taking place in the redistricting of the trustee district boundary lines. According to the 2010 Census data, AISD’s trustee districts are not of sufficiently equal population and must be redrawn in order to comply with the “one-person, one-vote” principle established by the U.S. Constitution. The Board of Trustees is considering new boundaries for its trustee districts and wants to hear from you. The Board had drafted two plans – Illustrative Plans 1 and 2. Both plans, as well as additional information on the redistricting process, are posted on AISD’s website, http:// archive.austinisd.org/inside/board/redistricting.phtml. The Board would appreciate your input on Illustrative Plans 1 and 2. A public hearing is scheduled for June 20 at 6:00 p.m. at 1111 W. 6th Street.

If you are not able to attend the public hearing you may leave comments on the District’s website at: http://archive.austinisd.org/inside/board/form.phtml, feel free to contact your Trustee directly, or by attending public meetings and making comments during the citizen’s communication portion of regularly scheduled board meetings. – HABLA post

by Marion Sanchez Latino Volunteering Suffers Contemporary Latino nonprofit organizations, congregations and community groups struggle to harness and enlarge this sector of active Latinos and their families. The participation of volunteers is essential for the functioning of these groups, the execution of their programming, and the financing of their initiatives to serve community members.

Most of these Latino organizations have long histories of promoting pathways for volunteerism, mentorship opportunities, and enhanced civic involvement among their current participants, scholarship recipients and alumni. Each year less than 15% of Latinos sixteen years of age and older volunteer through or for an organization, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unfortunately, Latinos when compared to other racial groups in the U.S. have a lower propensity for volunteering and are almost half as likely to volunteer than other Americans. Our community requires greater levels of participation in these systems for community service since this entire apparatus and these rates of participation must clearly maintain pace with the rate of growth occurring within the U.S. Latino population as it more than doubles within the next few decades.” – Joseph Vellescas at newstaco.com (HABLA post by Nina Perales) Hispanics Now Represent Trillion Dollar Customer Base The biggest news to emerge thus far is the rapidly expanding Latino population, estimated to have become a trillion-dollar customer base in the 10 years since the previous census was taken. As with any demographic, the Hispanic population in the United States has its own unique preferences and cultures when it comes to shopping and, more importantly, when deciding where to spend their money. Learning more about this expanding base of customers is absolutely crucial to the continued success of franchisees nationwide. – Jose Torres at www.franchise-update.com (HABLA post by Paul Saldaña) Half-a-Million Hispanics in Austin (and Counting) Hispanics of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban origin or descent remain the nation’s three largest Hispanic country-of-origin groups, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. However, while the relative position of these three groups has remained unchanged since 2000, the next four Hispanic sub-groups grew faster during the decade. Hispanics of Salvadoran origin, the fourth largest Hispanic country-of-origin group grew by 152% since 2000.

The Dominican population grew by 85%, the Guatemalan population by 180% and the Colombian population by 93%. Meanwhile, the Cuban and Puerto Rican populations grow more slowly—44% and 36% respectively. – Mark Hugo Lopez at www.pewhispanic.org.

Hispanic Country-of-Origin Groups, by Metropolitan Statistical Area, 2009, (thousands) in Austin: All Hispanics 482,000; Mexican 392,000; Puerto Rican 14,000; Cuban 5,000; Salvadoran 7,000; Dominican 1,000; Guatemalan 7,000; Other 58,000.

04 TODO Austin // MAY 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com

Publisher/Editor Gavin Lance Garcia CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Travis County

V O L U N T E E R

S P O T L I G H T

Blender Hill spends her days in the City of Austin’s Small Minority Business Resources department, ensuring that businesses owned by women or minorities have what they need to succeed when pursuing city contracts. She enjoys helping people in her everyday work. A member of the Leadership Austin Class of 2011, Blender even spends her free time engaging with the community. “I want to help other people like me, especially those who may not have had strong role models or mentors in their lives,” Blender says. As a CASA volunteer working with abused or neglected children, that’s exactly what she does. She began advocating for two children last fall, though she had known about CASA for over ten years before starting training. She always felt that it was just too big or too scary of a commitment, but finally just jumped in. Blender says, “I would tell people not to be afraid of the CASA commitment because it is so needed and so worthwhile. A lot of times we as minorities don’t volunteer because people don’t ask us, so right now I’m asking everyone to get involved and make a difference for these kids.”

Sonia Kotecha N A M E D ‘WOMAN OF THE YEAR’

contact@todoaustinonline.com Art Director – Dave McClinton www.dmdesigninc.com Executive Editor – Erica Stall Wiggins Web Master – Matt Rife mman-creative.com Senior Editors Harmony Eichsteadt, Katie Walsh Associate Editors – Michu Benaim, Lope Gutiérrez-Ruiz, Sonia Kotecha, Alexandra M. Landeros, Julia Lee, Esther Reyes, Blake Shanley, Yvonne Lim Wilson Contributing Writers/Artists – Brandon Ramiro Badillo, Mohammad Al-Bedaiwi, Joseph Banks, Stefanie Behe, Adriana Cadena, Deborah Alys Carter, Sirsha Chatterjee, Jennie Chen, Brandi Cowley, Ruben Cubillos, Fernando Garcia, Mita Haldar, Jillian Hall, Maria P. Hernandez, Paul Hernandez, Gabino Iglesias, Yadira Izquierdo, Nandini Jairam, Jamie Jones, Vandana Kumar, Callie Langford, Heather Lee, Liz Lopez, Otis Lopez, David Marks, Jessica Meyer, Lata Narumanchi, Kathy Pham, Rebecca Robinson, Marion Sanchez, Jaya Shukla, Rupal Shah, Kristina Vallejo, Kuetzpalin Vasquez, Bowen Wilder, Lisa Wood Photographers – Raul Angon, Heather Banks, Jenny Fu, Mark Guerra, John M. P. Knox, JoJo Marion, Aimee Wenske, Matt Ziehr Advertising — Contact 512.538.4115 sales@todoaustinonline.com TODO Austin is published by Spark Awakened Publishing. © 2011 Spark Awakened Publishing. All rights reserved. Unsolicited submissions (including, but not limited to articles, artwork, photographs) are not returned.

ON THE COVER: photo by Mark Guerra www.markguerra.com

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TODOAustinOnline.com TODO Austin Associate Editor Sonia Kotecha has been recognized as a “Woman of the Year - Leader of Promise”

by YWCA of Greater Austin. “This is a tremendous honor, and I see this honor as a tribute to all of my family, friends, mentors, teachers and community leaders who have contributed to my knowledge, strength and confidence as a woman and as a leader,” said Kotecha. “As someone reminded me the other day, it takes a ‘village.’” Kotecha will be honored on Friday, June 10, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (600 River Street) along with Rebecca Austen, Rebecca Arreaga, Abigail Cain, and Marisa Luisa “Lulu” Flores. The YWCA’s mission is to eliminate racism and empower women, so it’s fitting that they honor Sonia’s life’s mission.

www.facebook.com/todo.austin —————————————————————————— Multicultural Media for All of Austin —————————————————————————— TODO Austin is a free, colorful print and online journal for all of Austin highlighting our multicultural heritage. Our mission is to promote the concept of community in an ethnically diverse city.

WRITE TO US

with stories, submissions, etc.: Contact@TODOaustinonline.com Editorial – 512.538.4115 TODO Austin P.O. Box 4142 Austin, TX 78765-4142

Let’s Talk About It

MAY 9, 2011

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA Fernando Garcia, Executive Director of the Border Network for Human Rights, was invited to attend President Obama’s speech on immigration in El Paso on May 10, where he hand delivered the following open letter to the President.

Fernando Garcia at a rally for human rights, December, 2011 in El Paso, Texas.

President Barack Obama: The Border Network for Human Rights is honored to welcome you to El Paso, Texas, and recognizes the importance of your visit to our community today, Tuesday, May 10. It is our sincere hope, Mr. President, that you come to the border with an open mind to listen to the grave concerns of border residents. We have faith that this visit is about more than just politics and promises. We expect real reform that will keep our community safe and we deserve better than empty words.

After 13 years of working for human rights on the border, your visit today is a rare opportunity for me, Mr. President, to share with you the expectations of our community. The community members and organizers that I represent today ask that I tell you about these urgent issues:

REFOCUS OUR BORDER STRATEGY Mr. President, we desperately need to refocus our failing border security strategy. Every year, more than 400 migrant workers die crossing the border.

They are not criminals, they are people looking for an honest day’s work. And American tradition demands that we welcome and celebrate hardworkers. The past two years have seen a shocking increase in the number of migrants shot at the border and reported human rights abuses by border enforcement agents. Why do this administration and Congress ignore this escalating humanitarian crisis when it is the direct result of bad federal policy? Everyone trusted with enforcing the law on the border should understand that the border is

Texas Governor Rick Perry’s call for a special session of the Texas legislature and his recent threats made in the media that he would push Arizona-style “papers, please” bills through if he called a special session needs a response.

Perry is playing politics with Texans’ security and using hardworking immigrant communities in Texas as his scapegoat.

part of the U.S. and the Constitution applies in our community. Furthermore, it has been proven that the vast majority of criminal threats to America, like drugs and weapons, enter the U.S. through legal means. Directors of ports of entry have said they do not have the resources to check every truck that enters the U.S. How can we afford to deploy tens of thousands of National Guard troops and Border Patrol agents, effectively militarizing the border, but cannot find the resources to check every truck entering the country? Why do we build a fence to keep migrant workers from crossing while trucks filled with drugs cross legally without inspection? These policies are obviously the result of political decisions, not common-sense decisions. We expect better. We ask you, Mr. President, to rise above the divisive rhetoric on immigration and provide relief to those impacted by ill-conceived border strategies. We expect a shift from quantity in border enforcement to quality. It’s time to account for policies that aren’t working. We must train law enforcement officers about the unique needs of the border. It’s time, Mr. President, to focus on real criminal threats and provide real solutions for immigrant workers and border residents.

REAL IMMIGRATION REFORM CAN’T WAIT Next, we have to be honest on the issue of immigration. The need for comprehensive immigration reform is not going away. We expect our President to do everything in his power to provide a real, common-sense solution for the

Although Democrats were able to block the Arizona copycat in the regular session, they are outnumbered

by Republicans in the special session.

The time to make our voices heard on this issue is now.

Say NO to HB9 and any anti-immigrant proposals in the special session. Please sign the following petition at www. change.org/petitions/tell-texaslawmakers-to-say-no-to-arizonastyle-racial-profiling#signatures.

The petition reads: Howdy, As you know, the failure of the so-called “sanctuary cities” proposal in the Senate

millions of hard-working taxpayers who have put their sweat and blood into building America.

These people are our families and friends. They are not criminals, in fact they are part of the solution. We expect action to recognize and legalize the individuals already living and working in our neighborhoods, and ask you to give them a clear path to become citizens of the country they love. We want our law-abiding neighbors to be able to come out of the shadows and live by our sides without fear of harassment or deportation.

Particularly important to the future of both the Hispanic community and the American economy are the needs of DREAMers, the young students who have grown up as Americans but whose futures are threatened by their immigration status. We owe it to them and to our nation to give them the opportunity to learn and work in America without fear. We pledge our complete and total support if your renewed call for action immigration reform is sincere.

STOP RAIDS THAT SEPARATE FAMILIES Finally, Mr. President, we expect a stop to the raids.

The increase in deportations in the last two years is disturbing considering your 2008 campaign promise to make comprehensive immigration reform your priority. We understand that you face serious challenges in Congress to pass reform now. But we do not understand why we weren’t able to create reform when there was a Democratic Congress, and why the U.S. continues policies such as 287 (g) and Secure Communities

was applauded across our great state.

It wasn’t just celebrated by civil, human and immigrant rights activists but by law enforcement leaders, business owners, county governments, faith leaders and families.

I celebrated it, too, and was inspired to know that Texas had done better than Arizona on immigration, the economy and security.

But now that Texas legislators find themselves in a special session to tackle budget issues, I am reminded of Gov. Rick Perry’s threats in the media to bring anti-immigrant legislation, particularly the so-called “sanctuary cities” bill, back to the Capitol. As Sen. Tommy Williams introduced SB9, these fears were realized. I am worried about SB9 containing not only the Arizona-style “sanctuary cities”

that deport working mothers and fathers, divide families and leave American children without their parents. It is in a President’s power to offer these families relief and we cannot understand why this hasn’t happened yet.

In summary, Mr. President, we ask you to keep your campaign promise on real immigration reform, to respect family values and to put the security of all who live and work on the border first in your policies and well as in your words.

Respectfully, Fernando Garcia Executive Director, Border Network for Human Rights

BNHR is one of the leading immigration reform and human rights advocacy organizations in the U.S. Based in El Paso, Texas, BNHR has a membership of more than 4,000 individuals in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. BNHR also helps organize other civic-minded groups along the border and is the force behind the statewide Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance. The BNHR’s mission is to organize border communities through human rights education and to mobilize our members to ignite change in policy and practice.

To learn more about BNHR, please contact: Cristina Parker | 915-875-9107 | cparker@bnhr.org

provisions, but S-Comm and driver’s license and ID restrictions. S-Comm is under federal investigation for failing in its intent to keep communities safe and the driver’s license provisions would only disenfranchise poor, elderly and minority voters. We can’t afford these policies in Texas. We can do better.

I ask you as a proud Texan and voter to leave the special session to budget issues alone, and respect the concerns of people across Texas, and law enforcement and business leaders in particular, on anti-immigrant bills.

I would respectfully remind you that as all lawmakers look ahead to future elections, alienating and scapegoating any sector of our society will cost at the polls.

Please say no to SB9, HB9 and all antiimmigrant bills in the special session.

TODO Austin // JUNE 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com 05

Chai N’ Chaat

By Lata Narumanchi

The Community Renaissance Market, We Flap and a handful of local nonprofits know what it means to keep Austin weird. Following the tradition of bringing together different ideas and different groups of people in service of a common cause, these groups have come together to create the first “Chai N’ Chaat” event on Saturday, June 25th.

Chai N’ Chaat will be a day-long community-based cultural event and fundraiser that will both help raise awareness of Austin’s diverse ethnic populations and help raise funds for four local nonprofits: Saheli, iACT, LifeWorks and the Eastside Community Connection.

The organizers believe this event will be the first of its kind and hope it will help to bridge the cultural divide; all visitors are encouraged to mix, share, and learn with one another. The family-oriented event will showcase the diversity of Indian cultures with food, performances, fashion, music and art. All proceeds will benefit the four local non-profits that work hard to give back to the local Austin community.

Saheli is a nonprofit organization based in Austin, Texas, that provides assistance to Asian and other immigrant families dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault and trafficking. Saheli’s mission is to promote abusefree Asian communities through advocacy, support, awareness and access to social services.

Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) is in the “business” of cultivating peaceful, respectful relationships between individuals and communities of different faiths. iACT believes that the “Golden Rule” of compassion guides all of the great faith traditions and one of the most powerful ways to enact that compassion is through interfaith service programs. iACT invites individuals and teams from area faith communities to join in serving some of Central Texas’ most vulnerable populations, impoverished senior citizens and international refuges, through exemplary service programs like iACT for Refugees and Hands on Housing.

LifeWorks transitions youth and families from crisis to safety and success. LifeWorks is Austin’s only non-profit organization to provide a continuum of services to youth and families, addressing critical needs to achieve lasting, positive change.

Eastside Community Connection is a University of Texas student-run nonprofit that offers food pantry services and adult education programs to lower-income residents of East Austin. Students run the day-to-day operations and govern the organization alongside community members on the Board of Directors. The service learning model develops the next generation of civic-minded leaders while addressing serious issues affecting the community, such as poverty, hunger and language barriers.

For more information about the event, sponsors, performers or to donate, please visit http://chai-nchaat.us/ or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ chai.n.chaat.2011.

Good Times at Güero’s For great tunes and great rita’s!

Please join us for live music on our outside jardin stage, every Thursday through Sunday. THANKS TO THE FANS & BANDS WHO SUPPORT US!!!

ALL OUTDOOR SHOWS ARE “WEATHER PERMITTING”

JUNE Line-up

TACO BAR

1412 S. Congress Avenue • Austin, Texas 78704 Open Weekdays 11am-11pm; Weekends 8am-11pm

---------------------------------------------------Thu 6/2 THE BOB FUENTES SHOW (6:30) Fri 6/3 LOS FLAMES (6:30) Sat 6/4 THE LEROI BROTHERS (6:30) Sun 6/5 THE TEXAS TYCOONS (3:00) ---------------------------------------------------Thu 6/9 THE FABS (6:30) Fri 6/10 LOS FLAMES (6:30) Sat 6/11 TED RODDY (6:30) Sun 6/12 LOS SUPER VATOS (3:00) ---------------------------------------------------Thu 6/16 MATT SMITH’S WORLD (6:30) Fri 6/17 LOS FLAMES (6:30) Sat 6/18 LARRY LANGE & HIS LONELY KNIGHTS (6:30) Sun 6/19 MITCH WEBB & THE SWINDLE (3:00) ---------------------------------------------------Thu 6/23 MICHAEL MILLIGAN & THE ALTAR BOYS (6:30) Fri 6/24 LOS FLAMES (6:30) Sat 6/25 THE LISA MARSHALL BAND (6:30) Sun 6/26 CHICKEN STRUT (3:00) ---------------------------------------------------Thu 6/30 JOHNNY GIMBLE (6:30)

www.GuerosTacoBar.com

Asian Austin: About Town

By Yvonne Lim WIlson

Forms collecting demographic data in Texas have traditionally listed racial options as “Black,” “White,” “Hispanic,” and “Other.” One glaring omission from that list is about to be rectified.

In her speech, Rep. Wong challenged the Asian community to work together and elect more Asian Americans to office, specifically from Austin. Wong, who is from Houston, is the first Asian American woman to serve in the Texas Legislature.

Asians will no longer be classified as “Other,” according to a Texas bill that passed on May 17. Rep. Mark Strama filed and Sen. Letitia Van DePutte sponsored HB 3255, which will encourage the state demographer to include a broad variety of racial/ethnic groups in estimates and projects.

“It feels like a closed loop and we are accepted as citizens and residents like the rest of Americans,” said Channy Soeur, president of the Network of Asian American Organizations.

Soeur recounted applying for a city of Austin job more than 25 years ago when he had no choice but to classify himself as “Other.” Once hired, he, along with two other city employees Gopal Guthikonda and George Chang, visited then-Council Members Gus Garcia and Bridgid Shea to change the city classifications.

Since that meeting, the City of Austin officially includes “Asian” as a category on government forms and studies. But that was not the case in most Texas cities, until now, Soeur said.

After Gov. Rick Perry signs HB 3255, the law becomes effective Sept. 1, and Soeur says it could have far-reaching implications. For government agencies and other organizations seeking to create a workforce that resembles the population at large, they will now have the tools to include Asian Americans.

DON’T MISS THESE OTHER GREAT EVENTS COMING UP:

“The power you have can be three times stronger if you work together and share resources,” she said.

Former State Rep. Martha Wong receives the Community Leadership Circle Award from Dr. Gregory Vincent of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Jennifer Wang of the Texas Exes Asian Alumni Network and Madeline Hsu of the Center for Asian American Studies. | Photo by Alex Pong

“Imagine not only the application of the concept, but also to raise the awareness and anticipation of what is expected of [Asian Americans],” Soeur said.

Soeur’s organization, the Network of Asian American Organizations (NAAO), was recently honored by the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement (DDCE) at UT Austin at its first ever Community Leadership Awards Ceremony on May 11.

In his speech, Dr. Gregory Vincent, the Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement, noted that diversity and community engagement are one of the four strategic goals of the university.

Films for the Forest Film Festival June 16, 5 p.m. | Rainforest Partnership, 505 Willow St. Free general admission. $100 VIP pass includes food, drink and premiere seating.

Visit www.filmsfortheforest.org for details.

Asians and Asian Americans are the fastest growing group at the university, growing three times faster than the overall rate and also account for the highest percentage of tenuretrack professors on campus.

Dr. Mitchel Wong, noted ophthalmologist, founder of Austin Eye and a founding member of the Texas Asian Chamber of Commerce, received the Legacy Award. Dr. Wong praised UT Austin and the education and support he received at his alma mater.

“Upon leaving the university, I felt empowered that I could accomplish any goal I wanted,” he said. “Through medicine, I’ve been able to touch many lives and allowed to serve others.”

“Tonight is a pledge to continue to build and strengthen our relationship,” Vincent said. “The university is here to serve and we have to make these connections.”

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage month, the City of Austin held its 12th annual celebration lunch on May 20. City Manager Marc Ott praised the diversity of the city as a source of strength “pioneering way of doing business.” He defined diversity as something beyond race and ethnicity.

NAAO received the Community Partnership Award. Former State Rep. Martha Wong, Ali Khataw of the Austin Asian American Chamber of Commerce and community activist George Chang all received the Community Leadership Circle Award.

“You brought your experience, your passion and yes, your diversity -- creativity comes from our diversity of thought,” he said. “Austin is an employer that embraces and seeks out diversity. It’s at the core of our desire and drive to be the best managed city in America.”

Texas Asian Chamber of Commerce and Austin Intercultural Network — June 23, 6 10 p.m. | Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel, 98 San Jacinto | Free admission, open to all. Half-price appetizers and wines from 5 - 7 p.m. Visit www. txasianchamber.org for details.

Yvonne Lim Wilson is founder and publisher of Asian Austin at www.AsianAustin.com, an online news magazine featuring news about Asian American people, organizations and events in Austin. Contact Yvonne at yvonne@asianaustin. com.

Historic Recognition for East Austin Home By Yvonne Lim WIlson The family home of one of the first Asian residents of Austin was celebrated with a special ceremony on May 8 for its earning of a historical designation.

In October, 2010, the Sing family was granted the first Asian American Texas Historical Commission Marker by the City of Austin.

Joe Sing, born in China as Jo Fung Sheng in 1860, was one of the first Chinese immigrants to settle in Austin in the late 1800s. After marrying Frances Moreno, a Mexican American woman, the couple had four children together.

Esther Chung, City of Austin Asian American Neighborhood Liaison, described this historical designation as the “first step” in getting the word out about preserving Asian American historical structures. “It’s a lesson for us all,” Chung said.

“History that has been forgotten can be retrieved and recovered.”

Sing owned the Hong Lee Laundry on 311 W. 5th Street and supported the Austin Chinese community by providing loans for other Chinese men. He and his wife were both active in the community and served as Chinese and Spanish translators, respectively.

Sing’s story may have been lost had it not been for his great-great-grandson, Raul Aguallo, who inherited the home in 2007. While cleaning the home’s attic, Aguallo discovered a box full of photos and old documents.

The Sing family story in particular is one that illustrates the complicated racial environment at the time. For example, when Frances Moreno married Raul Aguallo recently received historic landmark status for his home, which is the original family home of his great-great grandfather Joe Sing, who was one of the first Asian settlers of Austin. | Photo by Yvonne Lim Wilson

Joe Sing, she lost her U.S. citizenship, even though she was born in the United States, due to the 1924 Cable Act, which stated that a woman loses her U.S. citizenship upon marrying a foreign man (the law, however, did not apply to men).

Moreno did not discover her status until she applied for a passport some years later, after the Cable Act had already been repealed in 1936.

“I remember that door slamming and telling them ‘I was born in Travis County!,’” Teri Aguallo (mother to Raul), recalls her great-grandmother Frances Moreno Sing saying about the moment she discovered her loss of citizenship.

Her citizenship was later restored, but the story illustrates the discrimination against Asian Americans and interracial marriages at the time.

“One of the most amazing things we found were (Sing’s) citizenship papers, when he came in the late 1800s,” Aguallo said.

As for the present day, the family could not be more proud of their rediscovered Asian heritage, alongside their Mexican American heritage, which is now officially recorded in Texas history through the historic marker and designation.

Since the discovery, the Aguallos have re-opened a chapter of their heritage while sharing an important piece of Austin’s Asian American history in the process.

“We’re just extremely proud of Raul and for the Asian community in Austin,” said Anna Aguallo, sister to Teri Aguallo and Raul’s aunt.

“Joe Lung, Jr. was one of the first Asians to settle in Austin. His East Austin house was recently grant historic landmark status. | Photo courtesy of the Austin History Center. PICB 21513, AF-BIOGRAPHYLung, Joe & Family, Austin”

TODO Austin // JUNE 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com 07

By Erica Stall Wiggins

History illustrates that throughout human existence, empires have been built on slave labor and through the exploitation of vulnerable people. It’s an ugly practice that we’d like to designate as the heritage of the Egyptians or the Romans. We grudgingly admit to the United States’ practice of legal slavery for close to 100 years, but when we think of modern day slavery, it is easier to point to far away countries such as Indonesia or India.

Yet modern culture, and the appetite for inexpensive goods and services, perpetuates the practice of slavery in the modern age; globally, nationally, and locally.

A GLOBAL PROBLEM Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business. Comparable to the illegal arms trade, it is second only to drug dealing in the world of global criminal industry. It is also the fastest growing illegal activity and a fluid industry that responds to market demands while exploiting economic disparities.

According to the International Labor Organization, billions of dollars of products created by forced labor in manufacturing and raw materials procurement are imported and exported around the world annually.

The crime is more often (although not always) the coercion and exploitation of persons who voluntarily enter a form of service or migrate on their own volition than it is “kidnapping.”

A victim may be given passage to a more desirable country, or picked up after crossing illegally, and told they can work in a restaurant or a salon to pay off their debt or get started building a new life. Once they arrive, the

terms often change; they may be forced into prostitution and/or have to pay for their keep as they pay off their “debt,” lengthening the term of servitude indefinitely. They are often mistreated and abused, and threatened with harm to their person or family back home if they don’t conform to their captor’s wishes.

Identifying victims is difficult. There is no consistent face of trafficking victim. They can be men or women, adults or children, foreign nationals or U.S. citizens.

Populations that are especially vulnerable include undocumented migrants, runaway and homeless youth and oppressed, marginalized, and/or impoverished groups and individuals.

Traffickers target individuals in these populations because they are vulnerable to recruitment tactics and methods of control.

Often they don’t speak the language, and are unaware that they could have protection from law enforcement if they were to selfidentify. They may be moved from city to city, preventing them from becoming familiar with anyone or any place. Trafficking can also look like other crimes; such as prostitution, in which case the response from local authorities (arresting the offender) is often completely misguided.

THE UNITED STATES AND TEXAS In the United States, forced labor of men, women and children pervades industries such as agriculture, domestic service, construction, manufacturing and the commercial sex industry.

It is estimated that somewhere near 18,000 foreign nationals, primarily women and children, are trafficked into the U.S. each year. Within U.S. borders, it is estimated that up to 200,000 people are in illegal servitude, according to the Polaris Project, a leading organization combating human trafficking in the U.S. Texas and the Southwest border are the biggest entry points to the U.S., as traffickers can move people across without documents.

Texas’ large size, proximity to Mexico, large Hispanic population and large migrant work force make it a haven for traffickers. In the last quarter of 2007, 30% of all tips to the national hotline came from Texas. It is also estimated that 25% of certified trafficking victims in the United States are in Texas, most of those in the Houston area, whose position along the I-10 corridor makes it a major point of entry.

ORGANIZED NETWORKS A recent NBC News Special Report highlighted just one example of a highly organized trafficking ring in the form of residential Latino brothels. The ring leaders target women from Mexico and South America, lure them to the

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United States with promises of legitimate jobs, and house them in residential areas, where they set up brothels in which the women are forced to have sex with up to 40 men per day.

They are often abused into coercion, and are kept under lock and key with no means of communication with the outside world. One victim told the reporter how she was beaten with a broomstick. Another had kept a tally of the number of men she had sex with on a chair.

There are similar networks of Asian and Eastern European brothels in 25 states in the U.S., including Texas and most of the Southwestern states.

“There are more individuals in slavery today than in the height of the transatlantic slave trade.”

— The Polaris Project

Fraud, coercion and force are also used to control people in the agricultural, domestic service, food service and manufacturing industries. Traffickers often threaten foreign national workers with arrest and deportation.

One U.S. labor recruitment company hired over 400 Thai workers and kept them in servitude to pay their debt by confiscating visas and passports. They deported those who would not comply with their demands, many of which are often inhumane, including extremely long work days and denial of breaks and other basic human needs.

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE In 2000, Congress enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which defines human trafficking as: “The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery.” The Act authorized the establishment of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and is the primary diplomatic tool with which the United States government encourages partnership in the fight against trafficking.

Also in 2000, the United Nations adopted the Palermo Protocol (the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children). The Palermo instrument was the first international guidance to government response to the crisis, and advocates a 3P paradigm: prevention, prosecution and victim protection.

In 11 years, many countries have made progress in identifying and battling the problem, yet no single country has developed a truly comprehensive program to deal with the everevolving crime. Even as some make progress, others fall behind. The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report, a tool which studies efforts in 177 countries around the world, states: “… this year’s report reflects upgrades for 23 countries in recognition of long overdue results and downgrades for 19 countries demonstrating sparse victim protections, desultory implementation, or inadequate legal structures.”

In 2010, Texas Attorney general Greg Abbot announced the creation of the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force, which aims to connect law enforcement agencies across the state, as well as to connect with social services and non-governmental organizations to fight the practice in the state. Abbot said the task force will “coordinate, fortify and expand law enforcement tools to prosecute traffickers and help better identify victims of ‘modern day slavery.’”

As new victim protections are developed and deployed, and as public awareness grows, so will the trafficking networks within the U.S. shift and adapt. To combat such organized crime calls for public education, acknowledgement and diligence. Slavery isn’t something that happened long ago and far away. It’s happening right now; right here.

Texas Legislation Makes Progress, but Fails to Address Root Causes of Trafficking

By Harmony Eichensteadt

Human Trafficking was an issue that saw much-needed recognition in the form of state legislation during the 82nd session of the Texas Legislature. Following on the heels of a 2009 bust of a human trafficking ring in Austin, and the subsequent realization that the City’s response services were not prepared to handle crimes of this nature, elected officials and community members have begun building the infrastructure needed to combat, prevent and punish perpetrators of trafficking.

The signing of Senate Bill 24 (House Bill 7) in May was cause for much celebration in the press. Rightfully so; the bill toughens sentencing for traffickers and brings to the forefront the prevalence of slavery within this country and Texas in particular. Attorney General Greg Abbott explained, “By increasing penalties for traffickers and continuing to foster cooperation among law enforcement, Senate Bill 24 will help ensure Texas remains hostile territory for human traffickers.” A sincere comment, to be sure, except for the fact that Texas is not hostile territory for traffickers. On the contrary, Texas’ border with Mexico and long stretches of interstate highways make Texas a hotbed of trafficking activity.

Several other pieces of legislation aimed at helping victims of trafficking and punishing traffickers were also filed during this session.

House bill 3000 created a first-degree felony offense – continuous trafficking of persons – which carries a sentence of life without parole upon a second conviction.

The Senate and House worked together to create House Concurrent Resolution 68, which calls on the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker to create an interim committee to study the “problem of human trafficking in Texas” and report next session with recommendations.

This resolution seems to follow the lead of the Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force, created a little over one year ago by the Attorney General.

These efforts made by Texas’ legislators are applaudable, certainly. Given the expanse of our border, Texas is crucial in the national fight to end forced prostitution and servitude. And while holding and punishing trafficking as a serious crime is one way to address trafficking, it has the obvious (if not exclusive) drawback of only attending to victims after they have become victims.

One piece of legislation aimed at preventing trafficking for prostitution was introduced this

session. House Bill 1994 created what some are calling a “john school,” aimed at teaching solicitors of prostitution that prostitution is not a victimless crime. The first-offender prostitution prevention program would educate first offenders on drug abuse, mental health, sex addiction and sexually transmitted diseases.

While this program may stop some men from soliciting prostitution, it seems to be a pitifully small step towards the prevention of trafficking for prostitution specifically and trafficking for other purposes more broadly.

What all of these bills have in common is a failure to examine and address the fundamental factors that create a condition of high trafficking.

Poverty, race, access to education, domestic abuse and discrimination all play large roles in lives of victims of trafficking. It is the least among us who are desperate enough, vulnerable enough and invisible enough to be good targets for traffickers.

If the Texas legislature is committed to combating trafficking, then more energy must be put into equalizing the experiences of all Texans. We need workers rights programs as an alternative to illegal immigration. We need high quality, easy access services for survivors of intimate partner violence. We need programs for runaways and for the homeless. Like so many other chronic social issues, we cannot address this injustice without examining the underlying injustices we tolerate through inaction. Until we are equal, no matter what legislation is enacted, trafficking of those less powerful will continue.

“One of the reasons human trafficking exists is that while you can sell drugs or arms one time, criminals can sell a person many times over. This is hugely profitable criminal activity.”

— Laurie Cook Heffron Since the first identified case of human trafficking in Austin in 2003, multiple agencies have come together to develop a coordinated response—law enforcement, prosecutors, victim service providers—under the Central Texas Coalition against Human Trafficking (CTCAHT).

At any given time, there are multiple investigations of human trafficking cases underway in our city. IDVSA at the University of Texas at Austin has been involved in the coordinated community response (CTCAHT) and in assessing the needs of survivors for several years.

Red flags that someone is a victim of human trafficking: • A victim is often paid nothing or very little for the work they are forced to do.

• A victim of trafficking usually does not have their

documentation or identification. (This is a powerful way for the trafficker to keep them from running.)

• Foreign-born victims may not speak English, and the work or living environments they are forced to endure will allow little exposure to American culture.

• Traffickers may accompany the victims everywhere, sometimes acting as a boyfriend or translator. Victims may have little freedom from the trafficker.

• Traffickers also keep the victims confused and scared about what may happen to them. Threats and physical and sexual abuse are common ways traffickers maintain control over their victims. Trusting anyone will be an issue for a victim.

What can you do?

• First, we can raise our own awareness and begin to discuss

this topic among friends and family. There are many good websites to learn more, including www.polarisproject. org and www.ctcaht.org.

• We can be aware of how our consumption may be related to trafficking in other parts of the world. Learning more about Fair Trade practices is helpful. www.transfairusa.org • For those who want to be engaged in raising awareness and/ or fundraising for local survivors of slavery, join Allies against Slavery at http://alliesctx.wordpress.com.

• Finally, we can report suspicious activity or help victims find assistance by calling the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 (24 hours, 170 languages).

(Compiled by Laurie Cook Heffron, LMSW, Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the Center for Social Work Research at the University of Texas at Austin)

TODO Austin // JUNE 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com 09

TODO x GOPHER PROJECTS

"SHIRTS ARE SO MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE TO PEOPLE THAN A PRINT OR A PAINTING ON A WALL" BLAKE SUÁREZ

Blake Suarez is an illustrator and a designer from Miami living and working in Austin.

Despite his Florida upbringing, you wont find any paintings of driftwood on the beach, palm trees, or pastel washes in his work.

Instead, he finds inspiration in the woodlands that informed his earliest memories, the work of Maurice Sendak and something he describes as “tiny TED Talks… in the countryside… in Wales”. In this issue, Blake takes the time to choose a single image from his body of work and answer some questions. Find out more at blakesuarez.com

How did you become involved with design and illustration? Any particular memories you would like to share?

I started drawing at a really young age. I used

to draw on the walls and on the insides of cars, on the backs of my parents' books and on bathroom tiles. Once I got to high school I started teaching myself ways to illustrate using new mediums. A big influence in this exploration was Peter Kuper, an incredibly talented illustrator. I checked out his book Speechless from the library and emailed him asking things like, "How did you do this?" and "Whoa, how about this?!" When I got to college I realized I enjoyed it so much that I should just keep exploring and try to make a living out of it.

What aesthetic trends, institutions and/or individuals have influenced in your work?

Good writing is a constant source of inspiration. Not necessarily providing me with imagery, but providing me with that urge to create something equally good. I also really enjoy listening to NPR and The Do Lectures from Wales and reading their blog posts. They are chock-full of progressive ideas and insightful thinking. You could think of them as tiny TED Talks in a tent… in the countryside… in Wales.

It's hard to pinpoint specific sources of inspiration though. I'm constantly finding brilliant design and illustration that I aspire to. From an early age I've always been drawn to illustrators like Richard Scary and Maurice Sendak.

Your work straddles graphic design and illustration. If you could only choose one of these, which would you choose? Why? Illustration. I graduated with a design degree

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and love everything about graphic design, but illustration is my passion and I never want to give that up. So many of the projects I have floating in my head revolve around drawing.

You have worked with a number of clothing brands and projects such as Hugo Boss, Converse, Patagonia and Threadless in the past. Have you always been interested in working with clothing brands? Any plans for a brand of your own?

I've always enjoyed designing clothing. Shirts are so much more accessible and affordable to people than a print or a painting on a wall, so it is a great way for people to see my work. I recently started up a small printing shop with some friends on the East side, and we're printing shirts and posters every so often out of an old tool shed.

I need to learn a little more about the printing business before I start up a brand though. For now, printing the occasional one off is fine with me; maybe over time these one offs will form the brand.

What made you move to Austin? The brisket?

My beautiful girlfriend got a job out here with an advertising agency and we decided it was time to experience a new place. Austin's brisket has definitely gotten the better of me though, a struggling vegetarian.

You've been based mainly in two places: Florida and Texas. How did woodland

creatures come to be such a prominent part of your work?

My earliest memories, ever, are of my parents taking me into the woods behind our apartment to look for deer (Bambi). It has to be the memories. Family road trips through the mountains; my grandpa's acres in Wisconsin; hiking northern Wisconsin and North Carolina.

We'd spend our summers hiking through some forest or another and there is nothing more peaceful to me than exploring the woods.

Tell us about the image that you chose for this issue. What is the story behind it? Why did you choose this image in particular?

This was the last illustration I drew up for myself. Ever since then I haven't had enough time to work for myself. He is just a proud lumber fox enjoying the warmth he has provided for himself on an autumn night. I wish that was me right now.

The Gopher Projects promote global artsbased dialogue across cultures by providing inclusive and high-quality platforms for emerging talents in the visual arts, literature and journalism. Run by Austin-dwellers Michu Benaim and Lope Gutiérrez Ruiz, the Projects include the publication of Gopher Illustrated, an internationally renowned magazine, and a series of events in collaboration with Austinbased artists and projects, including this monthly column in TODO Austin.

Find out more: gopherillustrated.org

THE TODO ARTS LIST PRESENTED BY TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS Texas Performing Arts is proud to recognize Austin’s many outstanding arts organizations METAMORPHOSIS DANCE UNDER THE STARS

10-11 at 8 p.m. As has been its tradition for over two decades, ACO’s free concerts under the stars features a popular raffle drawing for a chance to conduct the ACO’s finale performance of John Phillip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.” The audience doesn’t have all the fun though, as ACO members are known to bring silly props and themed costumes, especially its zany string players. www.austincivicorchestra.org

BHIMSEN JOSHI TRIBUTE

AUSTIN SYMPHONIC BAND

Sunday, June 19’s Father’s Day Concert in the Park at Zilker Hillside Theater, 7:30 p.m., showcases Austin’s nationally recognized ensemble, acclaimed by audiences at prestigious events like the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and the American Bandmasters Association Conference. Marches, patriotic melodies, and other familiar works are the order of the day from this cultural treasure, a ninety-plus member outfit whose players come from all walks of life and unite in a common passion for making music. www. austinsymphonicband.org

DIFFERENT STAGES’ TOO MANY HUSBANDS

In this play by W. Somerset Maugham, we find Victoria—a dear little thing—the frivolous widow of William, a hero missing in action. She has married Frederick, another hero, and her dead husband’s best friend. Suddenly her first husband returns from the dead. The twist is that Victoria actually would like to marry another man, Leicester, a member of parliament, who’s rather good at obtaining rationed goods and servants. What is a woman to do, when she has too many husbands? Runs June 24 – July 16 at the Vortex (2307 Manor Road). www.main.org/diffstages

Austin Metamorphosis Dance Ensemble performs its annual free show, “ROCKED,” at Zilker Hillside Theater on FridaySaturday, June 3-4 at 8:30 p.m. Formed in 2006 out of the merger of two dynamic dance companies, Austin Dance Ensemble and Metamorphosis Dance Ensemble, AMDE combines young dancers who may be aspiring professionals with older dancers who have performed at the highest level. Company members also serve as choreographers who challenge each other to find new ways to define and diversify multiple genres of dance. www.metamorphosisdance.org

CHELSEA HANDLER

AUSTIN CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Celebrating its 25th season, ACE presents “Best of Trios” on Friday, June 3, 8 p.m., at Westlake United Methodist Church (1460 Redbud Trail) and a free show on Saturday, June 4, 6:30 p.m., at Jewish Community Center (7300 Hart Lane). Trio Contraste includes Andrew Cooperstock, piano; William Terwilliger, violin; and Martha MacDonald, clarinet. Included on the program are trios written by local composers Donald Grantham, Kathryn Mishell and Dan Welcher, one of which was commissioned by ACE. www.austinchamberensemble.com

GILBERT & SULLIVAN’s THE MIKADO

Saturday, June 11 (5:30 p.m. at Jones Auditorium, St. Edwards University) brings a tribute to the late master of Hindustani classical music and a Bharat Rathna awardee, Bhimsen Joshi, by a unique Hindusthani jugalbandhi. Joshi, a kirana gharana vocalist known as a tireless innovator and experimenter, will be honored by Manasi Majumdar, vocals, Pandit Tejendra Majumdar, sarod, Pandit Swapan Chaudhury, tabla, Pandit Ramesh Mishra, sarangi, and tambura player. www.austinifa.org

CUBA! CLASSICAL GUITAR

The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin presents its Summer Grand Production of “The Mikado” June 9-19, ThursdaySaturday at 8 p.m., matinees at 3 p.m. on June 12, 18, & 19. At Travis High School Performing Arts Center (1211 E. Oltorf).

This quintessential satire has delighted audiences for more than a century, and is arguably the most popular comic opera ever written. The story involves an executioner, and while set in Japan, displays wit that is very much British, albeit kimonoclad. Ralph MacPhail, Jr., Artistic Director, Jeffrey JonesRagona, Musical Director. www.gilbertsullivan.org

ACO’s ZILKER POPS CONCERT

Austin Civic Orchestra presents its annual Zilker Park Pops Concert series at Zilker Hillside Theater on Friday-Saturday, June

Prepare to be swept away by island rhythms and forms as Austin Classical Guitar Society presents “Cuba!” as part of its Latin Summer Series. Native Cubans and masters of the guitar, Rene Izquierdo and Edel Muñoz, perform at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center on Saturday, June 11 at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with a reception from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tickets $25-$50. Izquierdo is hailed for his virtuoso technique, dazzling speed, and beautiful tonal control, while Munoz is a first-prize winner in 18 international guitar competitions around the world.

On the program are works of Scarlatti, Debussy, Bach, Aguado and more. Cuban classical and popular music follows in the second half of the show. www.austinclassicalguitar.org

The wildly successful comedian, known for shaking up the television, literary and stand up world with her outrageous brand of comedy is at it again with a stop at Bass Concert Hall on Sunday, June 12 at 8 p.m.

Handler has one of the most exciting careers in entertainment with a resume that includes bestselling author, talk show host, comedian, and actress to name a few. Brad Wollack, Josh Wolf and Heather McDonald, friends and regulars on her hit show “Chelsea Lately,” will join Handler. Chelsea launched her hit late-night series for E! in 2007 and a companion show, “After Lately,” began airing this past March.

Her fourth book, “Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me,” was released in May. www.TexasPerformingArts.org

KDH Dance Company and NobleMotion Dance premier new works on Thursday-Saturday, June16-18, 8 p.m. at AustinVenture Studio Theater (501 W. Third St.). KDH’s “murmur,” with original music composed by Jacob Hamrick and costumes designed by Kari Perkins, offers contemporary dances that illuminate everyday encounters and use substance and wit to transform the mundane into the meaningful.

Noble Motion Dance premiers “The Chamber” to new music performed by My Education, and “Photo Box D” and “a small place.” www.kdhdance.com

“The Little Dog Laughed” makes its Austin premier June 9-July 3 at the City Theatre (3823 Airport Blvd.) Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m. and Sunday 5:30 p.m. In the comedy by Douglas Carter Beane, under the glitz of Hollywood, a rising star wants to hit it big. But there’s just one problem. His agent can’t seem to keep him in the closet and is doing all she can to not ruin his future fame. Will there be a happy ending as the credits roll? The comedy stars Victor Trevino and Michelle Cheney and features Micah Sudduth and Keylee Koop. Directed by Andy Berkovsky and Bridget Farias.www.citytheatreaustin.org

KATHY DUNN HAMRICK and NOBLEMOTION

CITY THEATRE’s THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED

TEXASPERFORMINGARTS.ORG

By Erica Stall Wiggins

When tuning in to KUT 90.5 FM, one can’t help but turn up the volume when the compelling voice of Laurie Gallardo graces the airwaves. The on-air personality is best known for her musical passion and aptitude on programs such as Austin Music Minute and Texas Music Matters, but in June, Austin will be hearing a lot more of the West Texas native as she sits in for Bob Branson, Tuesday through Friday afternoons, from 3-7 p.m. She’s also currently at Jo’s Coffee downtown on the first Thursday of the month, where she hosts a DJ residency called “New Year, Old School.”

Since her arrival in Austin in 2002, Gallardo has made it a priority to get to know the local music community inside out. Case in point was her first sojourn to the Pachanga Festival last month. She slipped into Fiesta Gardens prepared with a gleam in her eye and a list of must-see bands, including Master Blaster Sound System, local hero Adrian Quesada’s new act, the Echocentrics, and Maneja Beto. She also confessed a soft spot for Ozomatli; “they’re bad asses,” she asserted. She wandered the grounds throughout the afternoon and along her path was met by a variety of wellwishers, including musicians, promoters and media colleagues.

It was easy to see the depths of Gallardo’s firm roots in musical Austin.

An El Paso native, Gallardo grew up in a musical family which included parents whose singing abilities she proudly praises.

Gallardo’s father introduced her to public radio at a young age. “He would say to me, ‘Hey, listen to this!’ and I would.” A self classified “geeky kid,” she grew up listening to programs like Prairie Home Companion and Ray Bradbury Theatre. She spent time studying old radio shows and dramas as she got older. “I’m still hooked on that,” she admits.

Gallardo, an accomplished journalist, singer, and voice actor, studied journalism at UT El Paso, because “it was the closest major they offered to a broadcasting degree,” she recalls. The program taught her the writing and interviewing skills she would need for her radio work. “I thought, ‘how can I apply all of this and weave it with my love of music?’” she said of her college experience. “In El Paso, you don’t have a lot of opportunities except what you make for yourself.”

With that state of mind, Gallardo started writing for a local newspaper, the El Paso Herald Post, which allowed her to cover 12 TODO Austin // JUNE 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com

arts and entertainment as reporting assignments while still a student. “But my first love has always been radio,” she said. And to her good fortune, UTEP afforded her the opportunity to work for the local National Public Radio affiliate, KTEP. “That was the shot in the arm,” she said. “It was a unique experience, being an on-air host.”

Though Gallardo found success in radio and voice work in El Paso, she also realized that to grow professionally, she had to expand her horizons. She noted that there were a lot of talented, wonderful media people in El Paso not getting anywhere, at least not in the way she wanted. She had heard a lot of good things about Austin, and knew some bands from interviews she had conducted. “What got me here (to Austin) was my thinking, ‘if I don’t, I’m already dying a slow death back home. I feel like I’m going to burst, why not burst in Austin?’”

In March of 2002, with no job, no money, and a little help from her parents, she packed up a tiny U-Haul and drove to Austin with her father, who then flew back as she began her new life in the “Live Music Capital of the World.”

As soon as she had begun talking to people in Austin about her move, she found encouragement and support, a trend which continued after she arrived. “Getting into the music scene was not difficult, because I was going to shows anyway,” she explains.

“Once I started doing that, I was not shy about introducing myself.”

came to be.”

Gallardo describes her boss, David Brown—the brains behind Texas Music Matters—as an “amazing man” who personifies the Austin “go for it” attitude that she so admires. Today, Gallardo can measure the show’s growth and positive changes. She loves that the show covers the past, as with the recent living oral history of the legendary Austin venue, Armadillo World Headquarters. She also enjoys discovering up and coming local bands to report on.

“Every day I wake up, it’s an adventure,” said Gallardo. “I’m just blessed.” One off-the-cuff remark by Brown, “This is Laurie’s town, and we get to live in it,” spawned a segment called “Laurie’s Town.” It is what Gallardo calls a glorified Austin Music Minute.

She loves doing these segments, where she can be a bit more laid back and play clips of bands she’s been listening to in her spare time. The artists are, of course, appreciative of the airplay, although Gallardo comments, “I’m just doing my job.”

Gallardo’s creative energies don’t stop at 90.5 FM. She’s put her voice to work for television and film, and even fronted a rock and roll band “with a little bit of glam” called the Platforms. One of her favorite bands, the Black Angels, visited Studio 1A at KUT recently and asked her if she remembered them opening for her group. “I got tears in my eyes; I thought, ‘I’m so proud of you!’ I interviewed the band years ago,” she recalled fondly. “They do what they love.”

Although Gallardo had to jump around a bit from job to job, her being familiar with public radio in Austin via KUT gave her the opportunity to jump right in upon her arrival. She volunteered during the station’s spring membership drive, where she took every opportunity to introduce herself to the station management.

Her enthusiasm eventually won over Program Director Hawk Mendenhall, to whom she had sent her resume and a CD of some of her voice work.

Austin’s thriving multicultural atmosphere has not escaped Gallardo’s attention. “I love my new adopted city, but in El Paso, I didn’t know what ‘minority’ was,” she explains. “Austin is amazing, people here are kick ass, but in El Paso, I took it for granted as a Hispanic woman that everyone looked like me.” She’s experienced a mixture of reactions regarding her heritage, illustrated by the wild looks she gets when using proper Spanish when saying her name, or pronouncing street names such as Guadalupe or Manchaca.

Gallardo describes that fist gig with KUT: “Hawk called me not too long after and said ‘So how are your Sundays?’” There wasn’t an open full time position available, only part time, but Gallardo happily took the post. In the years since, she’s done just about everything that was required of her at the station. “I’ve worked in underwriting, traffic, I worked at the front desk for three years,” she said of the evolution of her career. “Then Texas Music Matters

“In some areas, I think we all have a lot to learn. In El Paso, racism comes in many colors,” she said. “Out here people are receptive, they want to learn.” And Gallardo feels personally responsible for part of that education and willingly shares the Latin and South American music and culture that she loves. Still, she admits, “we’ve got a ways to go.”

TODO Mexico

gap between those two worlds, but there is one thing I know for certain: I’m here to play my role in this grand shift, to denounce materialism and consumerism and isolated individualism in favor of rebuilding our world in service of humanity, in honor of each other and the planet. To reclaim our sovereign power as spirits in bodies, as a global family of myriad skills and gifts, as a remarkable race on the cusp of an enormous evolutionary leap.

Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

I can’t even begin to describe the mountain of everyday miracles that have been popping up in my life since this all started. Synchronicities.

Uncanny moments. Being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time, always. Seeing signs and messages and light posts and mile markers in the most mundane and seemingly unremarkable things. These tiny moments have renewed my dedication and faith to the journey at times when it seemed terrifying and impossible.

And they’ve also made me realize that part of my mission is to share the simple, pure pleasures of owning your reality with everyone around me.

By Katie Walsh The Narco News School of Authentic Journalism Class of 2011 atop the Tepozteco pyramid in Tepotzlán, Mexico | Photo by Terri Bennett

Today, right now, as you read this, we’re in an incredibly powerful moment of human history.

Aside from the continuous acceleration of consciousness reflected in the Mayan calendar, which I’ve spoken a bit about in the past couple of months, this month brings with it a unique triad of eclipses and the summer solstice.

Eclipses—alignments of the sun, moon and Earth—have historically been associated with forceful, transformative, abrupt changes.

It’s an ideal time to take advantage of the potential and get up in that alignment action. Let me tell you how it’s been unfolding for me.

In the process of planning this move to Mexico (or, more accurately, giving up total control and allowing myself to glide along on the path to Mexico), I’ve discovered an incredible amount about myself and the nature of our human existence. I’m becoming aware of a lot of the tiny threads that connect one experience, attribute, event or relationship to the rest of life, to what happens in the future.

I am the daughter of a Jewish mother and a Catholic father, which for a long time left me in somewhat of a spiritual abyss. While both sides of my family are very strong in our cultures and customs, especially when it comes to food (you better believe we’re pulling out all the stops for Christmas Eve dinner and Passover Seder),

neither of my parents seemed to take much to their respective religious dogmas.

They each had their own reasons. Overzealous parents. Forced Hebrew school and Sunday mass for their entire childhoods. The smiting of the first born. Jesus as the only Lord and Savior.

We went to a Unitarian church for a time when I was growing up, but for the most part I had a very blurry relationship with God or Spirit. I knew there was some higher power out there. I had a feeling it connected all things, existed in all peoples and times and was the singular source of all of our disparate beliefs and traditions. But I didn’t have much of a personal connection to it.

After a couple of years in the corporate world had taken their toll on my emotional health and sense of self, I really began seeking my personal truth and questioning my reality. The soul-searching got a turbo boost when I took a five-day course called Your Enlightened Side (YES+!) through the Art of Living in February of 2010. It embodied everything I’d innately felt inside me and had never been able to express. That we are not our bodies or our minds. That we all belong to each other, to the human family, to the Earth, to the universe. That we are indeed all connected, to each other and directly to Spirit, through the one basic building block of life—love.

As I delved deeper into ancient wisdom, “alternative information,” awareness and spiritual growth, there was one message in particular that seemed to keep hitting itself over my head—to find my center and let go of control, to allow myself to move like a cloud through this daily life observing, giving, loving and moving on.

I’d been having a recurring dream, one that continues to this day, where I’m driving a car and can’t see the road clearly. There are always subtle variations in the circumstance or environment, but it always goes the same way—I can’t see, I start freaking out that I can’t see, and think that any minute I might crash and die. I shared this with a good friend and energy healer, thinking he might interpret it as being nervous about a lack of clarity. He didn’t.

“Next time you’re having this dream, as soon as you’re aware that you’re dreaming it, let go of the

steering wheel,” he said. That was all he needed to say. The challenge of navigating through an international move set the perfect stage to bring the concept to life.

Letting go and allowing the pieces to fall into place on their own has been the most rewarding, fulfilling and inspiring experience of my life. All I did was set the intentions, envision my ideal reality and begin to shift my energy toward it. I began to focus on those impulses of the heart, the things that make you happiest and that feel the most natural, but that often get pushed to the very end of the to-do list.

I’ve started writing poetry and making art again.

I do yoga for hours. I cook and read and laugh and swim and have become fiercely frugal with money, time and attention. And, just as the ancients said would happen, just as I’d heard in sutras and psalms and musings of philosophy and consciousness, my reality began crystallizing before my eyes, effortlessly.

The latest development—I just returned from the Narco News 2011 School of Authentic Journalism, a ten-day gathering of writers and community organizers from around the world to converge on non-violent civil resistance and how we as journalists can help them succeed.

As consciousness evolves, old systems stop working, and the clearest sign is when the people rise up. I learned how to support them as they overthrow dictators and fight for respect and reform. I met like-minded revolutionaries from every corner of the planet. I climbed to El Tepozteco, a pyramid atop a mighty mountain in Tepotzlán, Morelos, where the spiritual energy was surging as a global group of 80 stood together among its ancient stones.

And, to my complete amazement, I ended up tapping into an extensive network of Mayan elders and spiritual masters through an unlikely source—the owner of the hotel where the school was hosted. While my intellectual mind was plugged into political transformation, my intuitive mind underwent the most intense spiritual transformation I’ve ever experienced.

I’m still trying to make sense of it all, to bridge the

When you listen to your heart, and follow it even when your logical mind screams in protest, life’s struggle falls away. The universe, Spirit, God, however you care to relate it, supports you. You receive exactly what you need, without even asking. The world opens up before you, a blank canvas for whatever colors you care to paint. It is an incredible and undeniable truth of human existence, one that sometimes takes an entire lifetime to remember. I’m so blessed to have found my path now. I stand in strength and solidarity with all members of this human family, on whichever paths you walk. I hope to help you find yours if you haven’t yet. And I plan to march with you. It’s time to leave history behind and create the future we’re here to build.

Caravan for Peace and Justice to Depart June 4 As a part of his growing movement against the drug war, Mexican poet Javier Sicilia will lead the Caravan for Peace and Justice with DIgnity, departing from Mexico City on June 4.

The movement began as a result of the death of his son, Juan Francisco Sicilia, who was innocently murdered in Cuernavaca along with six of his friends on March 28.

Sicilia has encouraged the posting of name plaques throughout city squares in a Vietnam Memorial-style humanization of those whom the Mexican government and international media often reduce to dismal statistics—40,000 dead and 10,000 missing to date. He also brought an estimated 150,000 people out into the streets in a silent march from Cuernavaca to Mexico City last month.

The caravan will carry with it the mission to sign a six-point pact for political reform on June 12 in the heart of the drug war, Ciudad Juárez. “We began to march to demand an end to this war and that the political class be transformed,” Sicilia said. “We decided to refound this nation in the name of justice. So that we could walk together to create these new forms of justice that are emerging in this new epic that we are living.”

TODO Austin // JUNE 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com 13

tengo hambre

AND THE BODY WILL CRAVE MORE

By Jamie Jones

La Guerilla | photo Mari Hernandez

Promoter Lisa Wood and Ozomatli’s Raúl Pacheco | photo Erica Stall Wiggins

There are many methods of food preservation, but most of us are familiar with the term pickling.

We enjoy commercially pickled onions, peppers, cucumbers, cabbage, and even fish. Condiments like ketchup and mustard that are made in this way. They are salty, sour, and sometimes spicy and often satisfy our cravings. However, there is a lesser known method of pickling that is available to us and is worthy of recognition, not only for its simplicity, but also its nutritional benefits and cultural significance throughout history. This method is called lacto-fermentation and it is a universal practice.

preserved. The vegetables are washed, mixed with salt and other spices, and then pounded briefly in order to release juices. This mixture is then pressed into an airtight container and left at room temperature for the first few days of fermentation. The salt inhibits spoiling until enough lactic acid is produced to preserve the food for several months. It is the naturally occurring lactobacilli found on the surface of all living things, in particular the roots and leaves of plants, that are responsible for the alchemy that takes place once fermentation begins. Their main bi-product, lactic acid, is a natural preservative that inhibits putrefying bacteria, therefore preventing spoilage. It is this proliferation of lactobacilli that enhances digestibility and vitamin content in lacto-fermented vegetables and fruits while simultaneously producing numerous helpful enzymes.

These are the characteristics that set lactofermentation apart from other food preservation methods. When foods are preserved in this way nutrient enhancing bacteria are allowed to flourish, benefiting the consumer in ways that commercially pickled products are incapable of doing. The flavor, aromas, and richness of these condiments in comparison to their commercial counterparts also cannot be understated. It is delightfully obvious that one is consuming a superior and vital product. And the body will crave more.

KUT’s Laurie Gallardo and Maneja Beto’s Alec Padron (center) with Baldomero Valdez and Erica Barton of Faceless Werewolves (far left and far right) | photo Erica Stall Wiggins

PACHANGA FEST

SAUERKRAUT Traditionally lacto-fermented foods include the European sauerkraut, Korean kimchi and many Indian chutneys made with fruits and spices.

Relishes and pickled cucumbers are good American examples of this practice and all were originally lacto-fermented before the rise of the industrial revolution. Because lacto-fermentation is an artisan craft and the results are not always predictable, it was ultimately abandoned with the industrialization of the pickling process.

Ozomatli | photo Mari Hernandez Artist Mary Jane Garza and the MACC’s Herlinda Zamora and Linda I. Crockett photo Erica Stall Wiggins

TODO Executive Editor Erica Stall Wiggins and Karl Anderson

14 TODO Austin // JUNE 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com

Vinegar is now used for the brine and the final product is pasteurized using high temperatures that kill off any beneficial lactic acid producing bacteria. These bacteria are called lactobacilli and when consumed on a regular basis they aide in digestion of food and promote the growth of healthy intestinal flora. They also produce a multitude of helpful enzymes and antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic substances.

Michelle Valles & Mary Sanchez photo Erica Stall Wiggins

Lacto-fermented fruits and vegetables are typically consumed as condiments together with meats, fish, and grains. The main three ingredients in a lacto-fermented condiment are salt, water and the vegetable or fruit that is to be

1 medium cabbage, cored and shredded 1 tablespoon caraway seeds 2 tablespoons sea salt MIX ALL INGREDIENTS IN A LARGE BOWL. Pound with a wooden mallet or meat hammer for 10 minutes to release juices.

Place in a quart-sized wide-mouth mason jar and press down firmly with the mallet or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage.

The top of the cabbage should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar.

Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for 3 days before transferring to the refrigerator.

The sauerkraut may be eaten immediately, but it improves with age. After the jar has been opened, the sauerkraut should keep for several months. One great thing about lactofermentation is that there is no mistaking when spoiling has occurred. The smell would be repulsive enough to discourage anyone from consuming it.

Frame of Reference

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” “People will do whatever you let them do.”

“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”

Why are these commonly accepted notions of normal human nature and behavior? This idea that our integrity as beings living in an intricately shared and completely connected web of mutual existence is not particularly important or relevant when no one is watching. This concept that somehow allows us to accept as “human nature” the total lack of true respect, responsibility and honesty in dealings with each other on deeper, more intrinsic levels of experience, where the void of forthcoming truth and instinctual concern and regard for another person is approved by the general public if the actor was simply fulfilling some desire of their own. Why would this be a quality we are comfortable claiming as one inherently ours as human beings?

misrepresenting, mishandling and disregarding ever accepted qualities in any of us at any time for any reason?

Human nature should be, and could be, a lovely, profound, beautiful and wildly compelling argument for the true purpose to our existence on this planet. A thing in which we take pride and can find comfort and solace, knowing it represents the truth of who we all are and how we are intended to experience our lives, individually and collectively, particularly in those moments that it all may seem more complicated and difficult than we’d like. That our nature would ideally be of utmost intelligence, absolute intuition, kindness, respect and compassion, is the concept that we should be quickest to acknowledge as most innately “human.” We are literally, totally and completely all in this together and we are all affected by everything. There are no secrets.

There is no getting away with anything. There are no unaffected parties.

What they don’t know absolutely hurts them, and you, and everyone else.

We are so unbelievably and ornately tied to each other in so many extraordinary and invisible ways.

Everything we do, everything we say, everything we think, has the potential to drastically and directly affect the world around us. There are so many of us, so frequently walking through our lives believing we are actually hiding the truth of who we are, keeping our lives organized into compartments that we believe are not bleeding continuously into each other. Why are lying, cheating, hiding, avoiding, denying, abusing,

By Yadira Izquierdo

From Puerto Rico to Austin

Yadira en El Camino Last week I had my first acupuncture treatment. I was excited because I believe our bodies need to be in balance and Chinese medicine emphasizes this and makes it a priority. Obviously, you can achieve balance through exercise, good eating habits and meditation, but this ancient technique intrigues me.

Everything was perfect until I thought about the needles. I explained to my doctor that I hate needles. He looked at me as if saying, “Oh, really?

What a surprise, nobody has told me that before.”

He is a professional, of course, so he proceeded to tell me that he has mastered the no-pain technique (whatever that means).

Plum Writing:

By Blake Shanley

side of my forearms. At this moment I felt tired, I wanted to sleep, but I didn’t.

Fifteen more minutes passed and the doctor entered the room, took out my needles and said, “Congratulations on your first acupuncture treatment.” Then he left.

I remember thinking, “What is next? Should I feel different? How does this work? Is my body in balance?” To be honest, I felt deeply relaxed and that was good, but I was waiting to feel something else. Maybe I was expecting to have a type of relief that takes more that just one visit.

The World of Undercover Mexican Girl Through Words

By Alexandra M. Landeros

Lesson from the Dirt After doing our food shopping at the Sustainable Food Center’s Farmers’ Market in Sunset Valley every Saturday morning since the beginning of October 2010, I was inspired to take “eating local” one step further. Why not eat right from our own backyard? This spring, we started our first full-blown vegetable garden. In the past, I’ve grown herbs and native perennials, most of which had the inherent capacity to grow wild with very little water and tending.

But we forgot one thing. That life is not perfect, even if you do all the right things and follow all the rules. Learning to garden successfully, just like playing a concerto or running a marathon, takes a lot of time and patience. And as we’d been cautioned, we needed to be willing to fail and make notes from our mistakes.

We had big plans. We built a 2 x 7 raised garden bed with square foot plots, and we dusted off the six terra cotta pots we’d been storing in the garage. We hauled in sacks of pure organic dirt and compost from The Natural Gardener. By reading their info sheet on effective planting combinations and asking a ton of questions, we decided to get the following seeds: two kinds of carrot, potato, two kinds of chard, corn, melon, two kinds of radish, and bush bean. We also bought various seedlings: two kinds of lettuce, two kinds of pepper, four kinds of tomato and two kinds of strawberry.

After reading the directions on the back of the seed packets, we determined that the instructions were meant for much larger plots of land and that we had been too ambitious, both in the quantity and variety of seed. We did the math in our head, liberally scattered the seeds, and wished for good things to grow. Even though one of the experienced vegetable farmers at The Natural Gardener warned us that we “weren’t doing a good job unless we killed a few things,” we were resolved to grow a bountiful crop that would not only feed us, but maybe even feed our neighbors and friends should the end of the world (or the demise of the American dollar) happen upon us this summer.

We built a frame over the garden bed and the pots, and we covered them all with bird netting to keep the cardinals and blue jays away. We carefully sheltered them under a sheet during the freezes that snuck back when we were absolutely sure spring was in full season. We watered them once, sometimes twice a day, and hand-picked the bugs off the leaves to avoid using any harmful chemicals. We propped up the lazy plants and spoke kindly to them to give them encouragement.

Because we had planted so many carrot and radish seeds too close together, they resulted in a bunch of scrawny roots when we harvested them. We were too eager to try our potatoes because the instructions said they’d be ready after 60 days, so we dug out one of the plants only to get pecan-sized tubers. The tomatoes and peppers did well because each plant had its own giant pot with plenty of space to take root.

The chards didn’t do so badly either – we’d been more frugal with scattering their seed so the plants did not crowd each other out. And close to 90 days after planting them, we dug up another crop of potatoes with much better results since we’d given them more time to grow.

With spring over, we’re going to try a few summer crops. But now we know to plant fewer varieties and to give them more time and space.

In life, you don’t always need to have so many choices and large quantities of things. Having less sometimes makes you think more creatively.

I decided not be a wuss and stayed. We started to discuss my diet, life conditions and lifestyle.

Then, he checked my pulse, looked at me and calmly said: “A lot of emotions.” I asked: “What?”

He cleared his throat and said: “Emotions like stress, anxiety . . .” I interrupted him and said, “Yes, I know.” I thought, “That’s why I’m here.”

The treatment started on the front part of my body. As I lay there, I had needles sticking from my head, arms and feet. I stayed in this position for around 15 minutes, while smooth and relaxing music was playing. After 15 minutes the doctor came back to remove the needles and put new ones in the back part of my body. He put a few more needles in my neck, back and the back

This time the lesson learned was not to approach a new experience expecting to obtain something besides the experience itself. Acupuncture, like any other treatment, takes time and I’m willing to give it the time that it requires.

Remember to follow me on twitter @yadiraizquierdo or go to: http://ireallyreallymeanit.blogspot.com.

TODO Austin // JUNE 2011 // TODOaustinonline.com 15

Restaurant & Bar Latin American Cuisine

LIVE MUSIC Mariachi Tamazula every Friday at 8 pm Enlaces Latinos every Sunday at noon

SAT 4 Las Gabacha-chas 8 pm FRI 10 Ache Cubano 10 pm SAT 18 Mary Welch y Los Curanderos 8 pm FRI 24 2Rock 10:30 pm SAT 25 Ache Cubano 10 pm

We have relocated from our long time home on South Congress to Austin’s Historic Sixth Street.

MON c CLOSED // TUE-THU c 8am-11pm // FRI-SAT c 8am-2am // SUN c 9am-4pm

600 East 6th Street // 512.444.7770 // www.elsolylalunaaustin.com

GLOBAL YOUTH PEACE SUMMIT 2011 UNITING THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD IN SERVICE & PEACE LEADERSHIP AUGUST 6-13, WIMBERLEY

a multimedia group exhibition examining inheritance & legacy presented by the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center and curated by Los Outsiders

June 24 – August 27, 2011 Opening reception: June 24, 7-9pm Main Gallery

Ca rlo

s Don jua n.

“You M y Sen sation

,” 20 10.

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT THE AMALA FOUNDATION AT 512.476.8884 OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY FRIDAY 10 -3