An immigrants rights organization in Oregon, Causa, has released a new report on Latinos and their contributions to the state: “Latino Contributions to Oregon: Strengthening Our State Economy”, examines the role Latinos play in advancing the economy of Oregon and the well being of our communities through their contributions as workers, entrepreneurs, consumers, and taxpayers. For example, the report found that 1 in 5 native-born children in Oregon have at least one immigrant parent, and that Oregon had one of the top rates of growth for Latino-owned business creation in the country.

More excellence from Tiger Beatdown: Retribution or Change? The Progressive Support for the Prison-Industrial Complex. I have similar thoughts every time people are pushing for hate crimes legislation...really complicated.

Image: United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama today. Said the president, ”Dolores was very gracious when I told her I had stolen her slogan, Si, se puede. Yes, we can. Knowing her, I’m pleased that she let me off easy— because Dolores does not play.”

“…feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we’re holding back. They teach us to perk up and lean in when we feel we’d rather collapse and back away. They’re like messengers that show us, with terrifying clarity, exactly where we’re stuck. This very moment is the perfect teacher, and, lucky for us, it’s with us wherever we are.” - Pema Chödrön

To avoid counting civilian deaths, Obama re-defined "militant" to mean "all military-age males in a strike zone" (Salon). Wow.

Image: source.

From Sports Illustrated, The Transgender Athlete: "Playing fields have long been segregated on the basis of sex. But what happens to the athletes whose physiology doesn't match their gender identity? Against whom do they compete? What obstacles do they face? And how are they being treated by sports' governing bodies?" (h/t Fit & Feminist)

Pen & Ink: tattoos and the stories behind them

From The Atlantic, What a Walkable City Should Look Like.

Virtual Therapy Helps Residents Of A Violent City: "Residents of Ciudad Juárez, home of the highest murder rate in Mexico, now have some relief from the violence through a virtual reality therapy program similar to the one used to treat Iraq war soliders who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder." (Ciudad Juarez is where my clients have to go process if they are Mexicans married to US Citizens and looking to become legal residents in the U.S. It's incredibly dangerous and even going there for a few weeks or months is daunting for those processing and their families) (h/t Big Think) And more here about the terrible current state of the "drug war," and the out of control violence in Mexico.

Check out Lex's Kickstarter project, Kokeshi Doll Tsunami!

Listening to City and Colour "The Girl"

Law & Order & Food. I'm in.

Image: source.

How misdemeanors can have major consequences.

20th anniversary of the Vows column in the NYTimes. I remember my dad clipping it and mailing it to me each week when I was a kid (I think due to his appreciation of the journalistic challenge of presenting a short story about two real people (and the entertainment of the status symbol-laden blurbs), and not a desire to instill an interest in marriage in me, but I could be wrong. Dad?).

Days in the life of Rich Froning. Not a great video (some of the laziest face blurring I've ever seen, for starters...), but it's always interesting to see how incredible athletes live and train.

A Look At How Congress Has Dealt With Immigration Over The Last 25 Years

Yeah, get on it. 10 Feminist Poets You Should Know

I need to work on this: Whole9: Are you recovering, or are you just resting?

Elena’s Story - Why Immigrant Women Deserve Protection From Domestic Violence.

A must read: On Self-Defense & Women of Color

Image: Paper Paintings by Geoff Mcfetridge. Some wonderful pieces there.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan Richman!

Registration for the 2012 Oregon Summer Crossfit Games is open and I'm really torn. It's my first chance to compete publicly (the next would be the winter games), and I think it would be a real (mental and physical) challenge for me. But I'm pretty low on funds, and its $85 to register, plus splitting gas and a room with someone for the night in Bend (it's late August). It would be great to compete (so scary to do this stuff in front of a crowd), and also really great to be there to cheer on everyone else - I love what a supportive community CrossFit is, it makes such a difference. We will see, I guess...Maybe if I save enough money by bike commuting, I can make it work! (I recently realized I spend $5-10 a day on gas during the week. Outrageous....)

From Bitch: No Respect Paid: The New York Times' Anti-Trans Coverage (And Why There's Hope for the Future)

 “We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.” - Wendell Berry, The Long-Legged House

Habitat for Humanity Tries Big-Scale Approach to Housing in Oregon

In 2011, NYPD Made More Stops Of Young Black Men Than The Total Number Of Young Black Men In New York. Yep.

Image: source.

Jon Hamm Gives Advice To Teenage Girls (VIDEO)

Today's CrossFit fix: Katie Hogan is a beast!

The awesome Chrissie Wellington takes a break, and remains as impressive as ever: NYTimes: Seeking a Life Beyond the Ironman Triathlon. It's especially nice to see a pro athlete acknowledge the toll that training and competing take, and to say it's ok (even important!) to focus on something else for a while.

'Wired To Run': Runner's High May Have Been Evolutionary Advantage

 Uh, what? Some fat posi talk from Cosmo? (Australian Cosmo, but still). “Aren't You Worried About Your Health?"

NPR: Jolie Holland: Tiny Desk Concert

New development in OR: Mexican IDs in Oregon: "Governor John Kitzhaber announced on May 1 that Oregon law enforcement will begin accepting IDs issued by the Mexican government during traffic stops and other situations where ID is required."

Image: Congrats Laura Jane, and thank you for your bravery: Tom Gabel of Against Me! Comes Out as Transgender

“Because anti-trans discrimination is steeped in traditional sexism, it is not simply enough for trans activists to challenge binary gender norms (i.e. oppositional sexism) - we must also challenge the idea that femininity is inferior to masculinity and that femaleness is inferior to maleness. In other words, by necessity, trans activism must be at its core a feminist movement.” - Julia Serano | Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity (2007)

Stud & Amy Ray! <3

From the (excellent) LA Review of Books: I Gotta Be Able To Counterattack: Rap and the Los Angeles Riots by Jeff Chang

 Yes, we're queer: LGBTQ youth speak out

Image: total killjoy. Want it.

Classic: Liz Phair - Fuck & Run (Live 1995) 

Yep: Undocumented Immigrants Paid $11.2 Billion In Taxes While GE Paid Nothing

Dean Spade interviewed by PrettyQueer in the hours immediately after the announcement that CeCe McDonald’s trial had ended with a plea agreement.

From the NYTimes: The Winner of Our Contest on the Ethics of Eating Meat

"We give it up and just look directly with compassion and humor at who we are. Then loneliness is no threat and heartache, no punishment." - Pema Chödrön

Another good reminder that language about "real women" hurts more than it helps.

Very interesting: The Criminalization of Bad Mothers.

Image: source. Happy May Day!

Love it: Rejected and controversial New Yorker cover art.

Some great points: the antidote to consumerism isn’t minimalism, it’s art. "Our current problem didn’t arise because we put too much value on stuff. It arose because we don’t value stuff enough."

I'm lucky enough to know some of the DREAMers who organized and are taking part in this action. To me, they are heroes. "Watch live today as Undocumented Youth "Come out of the Shadows" and risk arrest in front of the Immigration Office in downtown Portland, OR. TODAY AT 4:30pm PST/ 7:30PM EST"