Viva Solimar and other Latino students graduating from college.

Solimar

As my family partied in honor of my stepdaughter-in-law’s college graduation in El Paso, Texas, another special celebration was being held at Zarela. One of our hostesses, Solimar whose name in English means Sun and Sea. an apt name for this young woman with a sunny disposition and the depth of the deep blue sea, graduated today from Fordham University with a degree in communication and theater, the first in her Puerto Rican family to achieve this milestone. (Her steely determination and sheer talent had gotten her a three-month stint at the London Academy of Art and Theater this spring.)

Her mother and her boyfriend were there, as was her father, his girlfriend and her son, and assorted uncles, aunts and cousins. I have gotten to know and admire her spunky, always perfectly groomed grandmother and her lovelorn suitors whom she refuses to marry in the time that Solimar has been with us. Today I met her imposing grandfather who vowed to do everything in his power for her 17-year old sister to follow in her footsteps. If you know anything about Latino culture you’re probably reading about this scenario in disbelief. Is machisimo dead or is the concept of family as the center of our culture still joyously alive and strong as ever?

I want to know what part her family played in Solimar’s road to success so that we can somehow communicate that to our Mexican families living in the US. It breaks my heart and frustrates my soul that our young people have the highest high school drop out rate and the woefully low amount of college graduates and am determined to help find a solution which is why I’ve joined the board of MexEd Foundation and it’s sister organization Masany.

We are the fastest growing minority group and it is imperative that we prepare our young people for leadership and success. Though times are tough, even a small donation is welcome and, if you bring me a receipt for a minimum $20.00 donation, I will buy you one of our famous “best-in-the city” margaritas.  If you have suffered the loss of a job, perhaps you would like to volunteer for these worthwhile organizaions that are in the process of melding.   PLEASE HELP ME HELP THEM.

2 02464. Thank you.