https://www.chantalvaca.comRSS Feed for Chantal VacaenTue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://thelatinonewsletter.org/p/bring-back-childhood-memoriesEvanelly Aguilar’s Moños de mi Niñez events offer a nostalgic space for healing and cultural connection.Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 +0100https://thelatinonewsletter.org/p/bring-back-childhood-memorieshttps://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/28/oliviajuliannagaetz/Olivia Julianna, a 19-year-old Mexican-American activist, has raised $700,000 for abortion funds days after being body-shamed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) on Twitter. “I would once again like to thank Matt Gaetz for giving me the opportunity to share this message and to grow my platform so that we can help people get the health care that they need,” Julianna told Latino Rebels. “If Rep. Gaetz would be willing to accept it, I would love to send him a bouquet of flowers, one for every $100,000 we’veThu, 28 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/28/oliviajuliannagaetz/https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/25/latinocongressabortion/It’s been a month since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and abortion is now banned in at least eight states, including Texas, one of the states with the largest Latino population. Latinos make up a small percentage of Congress, a little over eight percent. Of the 45 Latinos currently serving in Congress, 18 (40 percent) represent states where abortion is banned, restricted, or expected to have restrictions soon—Alex Mooney (R-WV), whose state had its abortion ban blocked by a judge laMon, 25 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/25/latinocongressabortion/https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/20/floresgonzalezslurs/A political blogger paid by Texas Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez to run campaign ads has aimed racially charged insults at Gonzalez’s Republican opponent, Rep. Mayra Flores, including “Miss Frijoles” and “Princess Pozole,” NBC News reported on Tuesday. Gonzalez, who currently represents Texas’ recently redrawn 15th congressional district, is running in the 34th district to unseat Flores, who won a special election in June to replace the retired Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela Jr. and is the firsWed, 20 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/20/floresgonzalezslurs/https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/14/latinasmakeup/The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 hit cosmetics especially hard within the beauty industry. Yet, as the world swirled with uncertainty, a Puerto Rico-based makeup brand prevailed. “The pandemic was beneficial for us because everybody was on their phones, and all of a sudden, online business was way more relevant,” Melodié Rodríguez, founder and owner of By Melolops, told Latino Rebels. A collection in collaboration with Cutcreaser, a Salvadoran makeup artist based in New York, caught Thu, 14 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/14/latinasmakeup/https://shoeleather.podcasts.library.columbia.edu/podcast/the-other-hijacker/In 1971, Patrick Critton helped rob a bank as part of a Black separatist group and, to escape capture, became the first person to successfully hijack a plane in Canada. He spent 30 years on the run until he was arrested and pleaded not guilty on Sept. 10, 2001. Less than 24 hours later, the 9/11 attacks left him as an ironic footnote in history. “The Other Hijacker” is a story about dedication and pursuit, about how far people are willing to go – and what they’re willing to sacrifice – for theThu, 14 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://shoeleather.podcasts.library.columbia.edu/podcast/the-other-hijacker/https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/12/bidenbodegas/First Lady Jill Biden apologized Tuesday morning for calling Latinos “as unique” as breakfast tacos during her speech at a conference in San Antonio, Texas held by UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino nonprofit advocacy organization. “The First Lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community,” tweeted Jill Biden’s press secretary, Michael LaRosa. During her speech at the 2022 UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Biden tooTue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/07/12/bidenbodegas/https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/06/28/latinoresponseroe/When the U.S. Supreme Court denied the constitutional right to an abortion in its decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on Friday, thus overturning the landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade and scrapping nearly 50 years of federal protections for abortion rights, rage and devastation ensued but not shock. “It’s not surprising to us,” said Lupe M. Rodríguez, executive director for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. “We have been expecting this for many yeaTue, 28 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/06/28/latinoresponseroe/https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/06/22/hernandeziceswimmer/Swimmer Bárbara Hernández Huerta officially holds a Guinness World Record by swimming one nautical mile in 15 minutes and three seconds between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in the Antarctica Region south of her native Chile. Hernández, nicknamed “Sirena de Hielo” (Ice Mermaid), is part of a small, yet growing number of ice swimmers. Without the warmth of a neoprene wetsuit, these swimmers participate in one of the most extreme adventure sports, dunking their bodies into waters as cold as 41 Wed, 22 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/06/22/hernandeziceswimmer/https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/06/10/housedemocrhousedemocratslatinojanuary6insurrectionists/WASHINGTON, D.C. — Investigators may never determine exactly how many Latinos participated in the January 6 attempted coup at the Capitol, but court records and videos show that several did indeed play a role. The most notable is Afro-Cuban Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the Proud Boys, who this past Monday was charged with seditious conspiracy, but dozens of other Latinos have also been arrested for playing a part in the Capitol attack, like Emily Hernandez of Sullivan, Missouri. Hernandez hFri, 10 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/06/10/housedemocrhousedemocratslatinojanuary6insurrectionists/https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/06/06/southtexasraces/On Monday afternoon, the Texas Democratic Party canvassed its primary runoff results, and the latest has South Texas progressive Michelle Vallejo leading opponent Ruben Ramirez by 30 votes in the 15th Congressional District, while in the South Texas 28th Congressional District, incumbent moderate Rep. Henry Cuellar leads progressive Jessica Cisneros by 281 votes. Both Ramirez and Cisneros have requested recounts. “We owe it to the district and the voters of TX-15 to ensure every vote is counteMon, 06 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://www.latinorebels.com/2022/06/06/southtexasraces/https://nycitylens.com/tiktok-helps-drive-retail-rebound-soho/A couple of months after the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, Abby Price prepared to launch Abbode, her vintage home decor boutique in SoHo. She officially opened the day after she graduated from Parsons School of Design in May 2021. “The only reason I was able to do it was because of COVID,” she said. Aside from the sickness and death, the pandemic hit SoHo hard financially, according to Jonathan Apple, a commercial real estate agent in the downtown Manhattan neighborhood. Tourist spending, whicThu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://nycitylens.com/tiktok-helps-drive-retail-rebound-soho/https://nycitylens.com/everything-know-nyc-bagels/NY City Lens illuminates the rich and varied life of New York City—borough by borough, neighborhood by neighborhood, one good story at a time. It is produced by students at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. The site is staffed by students in the City NewsroomFri, 15 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://nycitylens.com/everything-know-nyc-bagels/https://nycitylens.com/amazon-labor-union-won-election-making-history-first-amazon-facility-unionize-u-s/Text and audio production by Soo Min Kim and Chantal Vaca Chris Smalls formed an independent Amazon Labor Union(ALU) after being fired from the company in early 2020. March 25th, 2022. (Photo by Soo Min Kim for NY City Lens) Thousands of Amazon employees on Staten Island lined up to vote on whether to join an independent union on Friday, March 25th, at the JFK8 warehouse parking lot. According to the released election result on April 1st, the majority of employees have voted to join a worker-lFri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://nycitylens.com/amazon-labor-union-won-election-making-history-first-amazon-facility-unionize-u-s/https://vimeo.com/686069994?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=3021296Tue, 08 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://vimeo.com/686069994?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=3021296https://nycitylens.com/new-faces-mix/Last Saturday, Bassel Al-Rahim performed their first ever DJ set at Mood Ring. The bar is one of the most popular in the Bushwick electronic music scene with a policy that doesn’t allow an all-male lineup. “There is a fundamental lack of representation of queer and trans people – and especialy queer and trans people of color – in electronic music live events in the city,” said Al-Rahim. “Breaking into it is really tough.” Al-Rahim was one of three DJs that performed at a She.They.DJ event heldThu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://nycitylens.com/new-faces-mix/https://nycitylens.com/new-faces-mix/Last Saturday, Bassel Al-Rahim performed their first ever DJ set at Mood Ring. The bar is one of the most popular in the Bushwick electronic music scene with a policy that doesn’t allow an all-male lineup. “There is a fundamental lack of representation of queer and trans people – and especialy queer and trans people of color – in electronic music live events in the city,” said Al-Rahim. “Breaking into it is really tough.” Al-Rahim was one of three DJs that performed at a She.They.DJ event heldThu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://nycitylens.com/new-faces-mix/https://nycitylens.com/new-faces-mix/Last Saturday, Bassel Al-Rahim performed their first ever DJ set at Mood Ring. The bar is one of the most popular in the Bushwick electronic music scene with a policy that doesn’t allow an all-male lineup. “There is a fundamental lack of representation of queer and trans people – and especialy queer and trans people of color – in electronic music live events in the city,” said Al-Rahim. “Breaking into it is really tough.” Al-Rahim was one of three DJs that performed at a She.They.DJ event heldThu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://nycitylens.com/new-faces-mix/https://nycitylens.com/not-mothers-nail-tech/Imani Myers quit her $90,000 a year banking job last May to pursue her true calling as a nail artist. Six months later, she opened her studio in Midtown. And today, the 25-year-old makes eight to ten thousand dollars a month. Myers is one of several up-and-coming self-taught nail artists that began to experiment with nail design during the pandemic. She posted her work online and gained enough traction to open up shop in New York. Cooped up at home during the early months of the pandemic when sThu, 17 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://nycitylens.com/not-mothers-nail-tech/https://nycitylens.com/not-mothers-nail-tech/Imani Myers quit her $90,000 a year banking job last May to pursue her true calling as a nail artist. Six months later, she opened her studio in Midtown. And today, the 25-year-old makes eight to ten thousand dollars a month. Myers is one of several up-and-coming self-taught nail artists that began to experiment with nail design during the pandemic. She posted her work online and gained enough traction to open up shop in New York. Cooped up at home during the early months of the pandemic when sThu, 17 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://nycitylens.com/not-mothers-nail-tech/https://nycitylens.com/not-mothers-nail-tech/Imani Myers quit her $90,000 a year banking job last May to pursue her true calling as a nail artist. Six months later, she opened her studio in Midtown. And today, the 25-year-old makes eight to ten thousand dollars a month. Myers is one of several up-and-coming self-taught nail artists that began to experiment with nail design during the pandemic. She posted her work online and gained enough traction to open up shop in New York. Cooped up at home during the early months of the pandemic when sThu, 17 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://nycitylens.com/not-mothers-nail-tech/https://wetheknow.wordpress.com/2021/12/27/lorena-borjass-legacy-lives-on-in-her-queens-community/In the Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo office, high on the wall next to the Christmas tree, is a black-framed memorial portrait of the organization’s founder, the mother of the Latinx trans community in Queens, Lorena Borjas. Borjas, who died last year, is drawn carrying a canvas bag in each arm and one across her body. She wears a lanyard and glasses around her neck. She has a set of angel wings in the blue, pink and white colors of the flag, and her right hand is raised in a fist. AboveMon, 27 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://wetheknow.wordpress.com/2021/12/27/lorena-borjass-legacy-lives-on-in-her-queens-community/https://wetheknow.wordpress.com/2021/12/27/lorena-borjass-legacy-lives-on-in-her-queens-community/In the Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo office, high on the wall next to the Christmas tree, is a black-framed memorial portrait of the organization’s founder, the mother of the Latinx trans community in Queens, Lorena Borjas. Borjas, who died last year, is drawn carrying a canvas bag in each arm and one across her body. She wears a lanyard and glasses around her neck. She has a set of angel wings in the blue, pink and white colors of the flag, and her right hand is raised in a fist. AboveMon, 27 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://wetheknow.wordpress.com/2021/12/27/lorena-borjass-legacy-lives-on-in-her-queens-community/https://wetheknow.wordpress.com/2021/12/27/lorena-borjass-legacy-lives-on-in-her-queens-community/In the Colectivo Intercultural TRANSgrediendo office, high on the wall next to the Christmas tree, is a black-framed memorial portrait of the organization’s founder, the mother of the Latinx trans community in Queens, Lorena Borjas. Borjas, who died last year, is drawn carrying a canvas bag in each arm and one across her body. She wears a lanyard and glasses around her neck. She has a set of angel wings in the blue, pink and white colors of the flag, and her right hand is raised in a fist. AboveMon, 27 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://wetheknow.wordpress.com/2021/12/27/lorena-borjass-legacy-lives-on-in-her-queens-community/https://rentwirenyc.substack.com/p/proliferation-of-methadone-clinics?s=rOver a hundred disgruntled Harlem residents gathered at the corner of 126th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard on a recent Friday afternoon. Many rang cowbells and held homemade signs. Among them was one that read, “HARLEM IS NOT THE HUB FOR DRUGS,” and another read, “Compassion ≠ Complacent.” They marched towards Marcus Garvey Park and once there took turns decrying the increased drug use and dealing in the neighborhood. One 71-year-old speaker who’s lived in Harlem almost all her life said she haTue, 16 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://rentwirenyc.substack.com/p/proliferation-of-methadone-clinics?s=rhttps://rentwirenyc.substack.com/p/proliferation-of-methadone-clinics?s=rOver a hundred disgruntled Harlem residents gathered at the corner of 126th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard on a recent Friday afternoon. Many rang cowbells and held homemade signs. Among them was one that read, “HARLEM IS NOT THE HUB FOR DRUGS,” and another read, “Compassion ≠ Complacent.” They marched towards Marcus Garvey Park and once there took turns decrying the increased drug use and dealing in the neighborhood. One 71-year-old speaker who’s lived in Harlem almost all her life said she haTue, 16 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://rentwirenyc.substack.com/p/proliferation-of-methadone-clinics?s=rhttps://rentwirenyc.substack.com/p/proliferation-of-methadone-clinics?s=rOver a hundred disgruntled Harlem residents gathered at the corner of 126th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard on a recent Friday afternoon. Many rang cowbells and held homemade signs. Among them was one that read, “HARLEM IS NOT THE HUB FOR DRUGS,” and another read, “Compassion ≠ Complacent.” They marched towards Marcus Garvey Park and once there took turns decrying the increased drug use and dealing in the neighborhood. One 71-year-old speaker who’s lived in Harlem almost all her life said she haTue, 16 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://rentwirenyc.substack.com/p/proliferation-of-methadone-clinics?s=rhttps://rentwirenyc.substack.com/p/this-week-in-rent-highs-and-lows?s=rIf there’s one thing New York City is known for, it’s the extremes. New Yorkers are proud to call the biggest, the loudest, the busiest city their home. More billionaires live in the city than anywhere else in the world, however, it also has the largest homeless population in the United States. It regularly tops the charts for highest city rents but is also the municipal home of the largest public housing development ever built. This week, the RentWire team took a look at the highest highs and Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://rentwirenyc.substack.com/p/this-week-in-rent-highs-and-lows?s=rhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf4ANZeCrYs&t=2sWe were at the wealthiest neighborhoods in NYC. Here is what the residents do for a living!Thu, 14 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf4ANZeCrYs&t=2shttps://will.illinois.edu/21stshow/story/roundtable-delta-variant-lotteryaaA Chicago man plunged into Lake Michigan every day for an entire year. What started as a spontaneous and solitary act during the pandemic has transformed into a public event with the gathering of friends, family and local bands. He joined The 21st to discuss what started this ritual and what kept him coming back to the lake. Help shape our coverage on The 21st by joining our texting group and answering weekly questions. To join, text “TALK” to 217-803-0730 or sign up with your phone number belMon, 28 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://will.illinois.edu/21stshow/story/roundtable-delta-variant-lotteryaa