Café Media

Extending His Serve

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Randi Belisomo Hernandez) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:32:22 +0000

When Mark Revermann was growing up in South Bend, Ind., tennis was an unlikely sport for the son of a Mexican immigrant in the often-frozen heartland. But his mother saw tennis as an opportunity to get to know people in her new country, and soon Revermann was heading to their apartment complex's indoor courts to take 15-minute lessons from her new friends.

Swimming with (Whale) Sharks

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Joy Hepp) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:28:24 +0000

I consider myself to be a fairly adventurous person. I’ve reported from outside a Mexico City hospital during the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, taken an overnight bus ride from south Texas across the border to Monterrey, and interviewed a convict in a rickety Jalisco jail. So, why was I nearly blind with fear when it was time for me to jump into the open ocean with the world’s largest fish?

Breaking the Silence

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Marla Seidell PHOTO: Melissa Valladares) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:18:12 +0000

When 45-year-old Los Angeles native Jerry Gonzalez was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2007, he never in his wildest dreams had his aunt – who died of colon cancer in her 60s – on his radar. “We just never connected those dots,” Gonzalez says.

A ‘Spy Kid’ Grows Up and Diversifies

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Daniela Garcia) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:41:52 +0000

Quite a lot has changed since Alexa Vega last played Carmen Cortez, the bossy older sister who becomes involved in the family business of espionage in Robert Rodriguez’s “Spy Kids” franchise. In just less than a decade, Vega has transformed into a sophisticated actress with a versatile resume. And while she’ll be playing Carmen once again in “Spy Kids 4”, she’ll be bringing her newfound experience and growth back to the role.

The 22-year-old newlywed (production on “Spy Kids 4” was briefly stopped for her early October wedding in South Dakota) has been acting since age 4, when she was snuck into an audition by a family friend while her mother, a model at the time, was doing a photo shoot. She ended up winning a role on the sitcom Evening Shade with Burt Reynolds and Marilu Henner.

A Puerto Rican Masterpiece Restored

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Margaret Ramirez ) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 18:31:26 +0000

Growing up in New York’s East Harlem neighborhood, known as El Barrio, there are some select memories that defined my Puerto Rican identity and still burn in my heart today. Shopping with my mother along East 116th Street, through the crowded, electrifying bustle of “La Marqueta.” Celebrating birthdays with rich cakes with pineapple-cream filling from Valencia Bakery. Cooling off from summer’s heat with a crushed-ice piragua, drizzled with sweet, cherry syrup.

But one of the most magical moments was watching El Museo del Barrio’s annual parade for Día de Los Reyes, or Feast of the Three Kings. Since 1978, on Jan. 6, the museum marks the day with a colorful, sometimes snowy procession featuring plena music, gigantic puppets or títeres, and live camels, sheep and donkeys.

Bright, Shining Stars

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:28:04 +0000

“Luminary” is defined in the dictionary as either a body that gives light or a person of prominence or brilliant achievement. These Latino Luminaries embrace both meanings; they are the quintessence of the word.

This year, Café Media acknowledges those Latino leaders who serve as inspiration for others and for the contributions made in their respective fields and in their communities. We wanted to celebrate, through these individuals, the accomplishments Latinos are making nationwide. We believe these nine luminaries truly reflect our core mission: they, in their own unique ways, explore and share with others the contemporary U.S. Latino experience.

The Greatest Sacrifice

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Carrie Ferguson Weir PHOTOS: Rafael Cardenas) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:08:36 +0000

Oscar Pichardo was 10 years old in the summer of 1961 when his friends began to disappear.

Some were locked away inside their Havana homes, but others were just gone – like in some sort of Caribbean sci-fi movie where all the town residents are hiding or missing.

But it was no movie: these were the tumultuous early days of Fidel Castro’s revolution.

The Ultimate Gift of a Dual Heritage

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Ana Lilian Flores) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:37:26 +0000

“¡Mamá! ¡Mira, es HoHoHo!” my then-2-year-old daughter pronounced excitedly at the sight of the jolly old man from the North Pole. Santa Claus, Christmas trees and an absurd amount of gifts were her introduction to la Navidad. Not exactly what I had envisioned when I decided to raise a bilingual and bicultural girl.

A Holiday Tradition Born of Faith and Culture

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Juan Carlos Hernández) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:28:10 +0000

Mary’s face might be a little faded. And Joseph’s arm? It hasn’t looked right since it was glued back together. What about Baby Jesus? Well, he’s still in good shape for the Nativity scene.

You must keep the tradition alive. Abuelita always did, and now you’re keeping it to honor her memory and to teach your children what you learned from her. The Nativity scene is a tradition born of spiritual and artistic devotion that has echoed through the centuries, and now it even finds a home in the Field Museum, one of Chicago’s premiere cultural institutions. But it’s somewhat surprising that it actually began in medieval Italy.

Beats with Heat

cafeadmin@cafemediallc.com (Daniela Garcia) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:48:08 +0000

It’s a humid summer evening as Colombian quintet Bomba Estereo takes the stage in Millennium Park, just one of the many acts playing throughout July as part of Chicago’s monthlong Colombian Music Festival. Scattered across the Great Lawn are music fans sitting on blankets, enjoying the free show. The sounds drifting from the stage draw the attention of a curious passer-by or two. Closer to the stage, a small, energetic group of fans bounces and dances to the infectious beat, a new mixture of sound known as digital cumbia.