On Saturday August 19th Dos Mundos celebrated 25 years of publishing one of the first bi-lingual papers in the Midwest. I was in the crowd taking photos and doing my best to avoid saying something offensive while schmoozing all of the big wigs who came to the party. The fiesta had a good turnout and I think that any place that's brave enough to pay me deserves a celebration.
I watched the first band perform, the did a pretty decent job but my main goal in watching the act was to get the number of the drummer's tailor. I did, and right now I'm posting this while wearing a very similar (and slightly larger) kickass white silk outfit. Rock on.
There were several live acts scheduled and this lady not only hit a high note that made my sunglasses crack but also did a good job livening up the crowd.
Several politicos showed up in order to pay respects, schmooze the Latino electorate and possibly take inventory for future immigration busts but these three stood out above all . . . I'm calling them the "Trio Politico" over my initial choice of "The Axis of Enchiladas" - mainly because that's something that I think is funny but I'd be offended if a white person used it. Double Standards are delicious. Anyway, from left to right that's MO 37th District State Rep Candidate Mike Tallboy, Jackson County at large winner (noted by the smile) Theresa Garza and 48th District State Rep Candidate Chris Moreno. Of course I have a bias here but it's indisputable how much all three of these up and coming young politicos have sought out input from the public recently. All of these guys have made a commitment going door to door in order to meet the public and prove that they are accessible to anyone who has a political issue they want addressed. This early in their careers it's encouraging to see that this future generation of political hopefuls aren't simply relying on endorsements or big campaign budgets but actually taking to the streets in order to earn support.
On the far right and left are Clara and Manuel Reyes respectively. I can't tell you how much I admire what they have accomplished. In terms of entrepenurialism and public service these two have been vanguards in the local Latino community for a quarter of a century. From what I understand, 25 years ago this couple risked nearly everything they had in order to provide a forum where Latino issues took prominence. Their gamble paid off and not only have they reported on the issues that effected Latinos but also they have raised the bar for coverage of Latino issues in general in this town. The work that they've done, the place that they created has made a difference in the way the media perceives Latinos in this community and shown everyone in KC that the best way to impact the power of the press is to have your own . . .
Finally, I wanted to know what the future holds for Dos Mundos. Advertising exec and co-publisher Diana Raymer shares her thoughts about the paper's progress to date and its future:
I was disappointed by how early this ended. I didn't find out about it until 7pm when I went to Taqueria Mexico and by the time I finished my fajitas they were already tearing it all down.
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