Charlotte painter Edwin Gil joins Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and NASA Astronaut José Hernández as national Latinos of the Year.
Gil was among a list of Latino politicians, journalists, engineers, chefs, and artists honored by the Spanish language wire service EFE for their success and contributions to the Latino community this year.
Gil, one of the most well known Latino artists in Charlotte, has gained national and international notoriety for his work on a 70- by 30- foot mural aimed at uniting displaced Colombians living around the world. Using the colors of the Colombian flag, more than 8,000 Colombians have put their hand prints on the mural in a sign of unity. Gil himself is a displaced Colombian. He moved to North Carolina after he was kidnapped at gun point in Medellin, Colombia and spent the night locked in the trunk of a car. That experience changed his life, led him to leave his home country, and later become a painter. At a ceremony in Boston this summer, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe met with Gil to present him with a national award.
In August, Sotomayor became the first Latina named to the Supreme Court. Astronaut Hernández is a former migrant worker who last month returned from a two-week space mission aboard shuttle Discovery to make repairs to the International Space Station. He later took a rare public stand for a U.S. astronaut when he said the country needs to give illegal immigrants a path to legalization.
Photo: DAVID T. FOSTER III - dtfoster@charlotteobserver.com
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26 comments:
Latinos of the year? Oh brother...
Do these ethnic groups not have better things to do with their time than pat themselves on the back for something as inane as ethnic 'heritage'?
Perhaps they should focus on helping 'the Man' enforce the laws that they're taking advantage of by helping deport illegal 'Latinos'. THAT would be somthing to be proud of.
Our country is comprised of great individuals of all races, which makes us even stronger. Kudos to you and this great accomplishment!
Sorry no all "americans" are the same
congrat
Charlotte Latino Painter...which overpass did he tag?
I am very happy for you Edwin, Congratulations, We are very proud of you! And to my fellows Americans that discriminate this kind of award, don’t go too far, just look back in your heritage, maybe two or three generations back, and probably many of you or your best friend is coming from outside of United States, WE are all immigrants. And I am very happy to say that I am American too !!!
Now if there was a Caucasian of the world there would be an uproar. This is ridiculous.
Yeah if there was a Caucasian of the year award it would the same as saying "Whites compete on another level than everyone else and they need a special award because we have to scratch around to find notable white people."
The runner up was a coyote noted for his human rights campaign for re-settlement of the ethic --- wait a minute wasn't Mexico and South America a Spanish and Portuguese colony? THEY'RE EUROPEANS LIKE THE REST OF US.
Raymone Hater of the Year
I think this is a wonderful honor! Congrats to all!
Dear Raymone:
I think your comment is the reflection of an old mind, that are not aware about the changes in the world.
It is to easy to notice that u do not know how capable latinos are..but anyway.
Congratulations guys...this is an opportunity to be known...to exist...im proud of u!!!!
I can't believe Speedy Gonzalez wasn't nominated! Thees ees loco, mahhhnnn...
Congratulations Edwin!!!
We Charlotteans (well at least the intelligent ones) are proud of you and your accomplishments!!!
Just wanted to say, and this may shock many of you, but this man is.... Caucasian!!! Latin or Hispanic is an ethnicity not a race. The same as Dutch, French, Italian (The root of of all Latins)or even (GASP) the English! Don't believe me try two simple experiments.
1) Find Spain on a map, What continent is it in? (EUROPE)
2) Print or Show Mr. Gil's picture and with no commentary ask a few people at random what RACE he is. If anyone says anything but white, I'll eat this keyboard.
One more thing, I was not raised as a hyphenated American. As such I am all for doing away with ethnic heritage celebratrions. Where can I find the petitions to cancel Octoberfest and St. Patrick's day?
Raymone is a closet gay ahahhahba
Raymone:
Be a bigger person, this is a bigger world... with lots of color... have you heard of a word that read RESPECT or COEXIST?
We charloteans are very happy for this accomplishment. Great job Edwin Gil!!! Hope many more local artist will strive to reach a national recognition as he did.
Too bad for the short sighted and selfshish individuals that can't accept the fact that they are living in a different era in which race is just an accident of nature. Welcome to 2009 y'all! --Sandra
Who won caucasian of the year? Native american of the year? Asian of the year? Polynesian of the year? Eskimo of the year? African of the year? Greek of the year?
If race is just an "accident of nature" as you say and should not matter, then why have an award based on race?? Hello!!!
Raymone: Eat my cojone!
GR8 JOB, EDWIN!!!!!!
ART is expression, culture, joy of being alive, or a balsam against the tribulations and difficulties.
It is perfectly natural that some ethnic group, large or small, like the Irish Americans or the Russian Americans, celebrate an Irish or Russian Week, and give an award to a storyteller of the same origin, or a painter that paints Leprechauns, or Russian Peasant Witches, or the American Landscape or any Americana Vision or Epiphany.
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Great Obama and Michelle Moments.
Cameramen and Photographers are inspired by a strong desire to capture a "Moment of Truth", a diaphanous snapshot of Reality, for Celebrities or for Politicians.
Two days ago we had such a Wonderful and Magical Moment of Reality and Truth, when little black boy Therence Scott asked the President of the United States :
"Why People hate you ?"
Mr Obama gave the answer of a Great Statesman. He is a superb orator and actor. His enemies in the Media are the poorest exaggerated histrionics and clowns compared to him.
When Michelle said that she was first proud of America, that was another beautiful moment of Truth.
Of course Michelle has always loved her land and has always being proud of America.
But the unconscious commited treason against Michelle. She was expresssing the angst and pain of being Black in America.
And for me that was a beautiful moment of ART and TRUTH, taken by the Cameras, Videos, Photos, etc ...
The racist mad dogs amplified that Michelle Moment of Beauty with their stupid, idiotic, stultifying rants.
More about Racial Relations and the Arrow of History :
Raciality.com
Vicente Duque
It looks like some of the people who posted on this board are simply jealous that earnest T. Bass won Redneck of the Year over them again this year.
Sorry to sound negative, but as long as we single out "groups" of people, there will never be true equality. Latino of the year can only have legitimacy if there is a African American of the year, a Caucasian of the year and so on. And that's not realistic. How in the world can we be expected to look beyond ethnicity when its crammed down our throats at every turn. I guess that makes me a racist in some people's eyes. But not in the eyes of the person who's friend is logic and reason.
Obama is the best President to help solve any problems relating to Immigration.
Obama's Character and Psychology :
I have always said that Obama is intelligent, rational, professorial, lawyer-like and "constitutional", Obama is cool, fresh, young and youthful.
And this wonderful writer Robert Shrum, tells us that Obama is also Steady and Firm, he is governing as he promised. I agree, Obama is constant, continuous, not easily excited, imperturbable, stable, not disturbed easily, careful, prudent, calmed, staid.
"The Week" Magazine
Obama and the GOP: 2008 debate foretold all
The last of Barack Obama's 2008 debates with John McCain previewed the kind of president he has become. It also painted a vividly distinct portrait of the current GOP.
By Robert Shrum - Shrum has been a senior adviser to the Gore 2000 presidential campaign, the campaign of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and the British Labour Party. In addition to being the chief strategist for the 2004 Kerry-Edwards campaign,
October 20, 2009
Obama and the GOP: 2008 debate foretold all
http://www.theweek.com/bullpen/column/101798/Obama_and_the_GOP_2008_debate_foretold_all
Some excerpts :
When Bob Schieffer, the debate moderator, asked if the candidates would give up any of their proposals due to the economic crisis, McCain sounded befuddled and formulaic. He cited his "new" economic plan (though it was far from clear he had had an "old" one) before lurching into ideological dogma: he favored an across-the-board federal spending cut. It was a no-brain non-starter, a position that even Dick Cheney had dismissed as "Hoover economics."
Yet throughout 2009, congressional Republicans embraced it, standing almost unanimously against the economic recovery plan and urging spending cuts that would have deepened and prolonged the downturn. When the latest budget report revealed that the deficit was $200 billion to $400 billion lower than previously forecast—in part because the feds had rescued the financial sector—the House GOP leader demanded that the government "stop spending taxpayers' money we don't have." It was an easy invocation of economic myth; if actually adopted, his policy would reverse the recovery and push unemployment towards levels last seen in the 1930s.
Similarly, the GOP health care plan is ... Quick—can anyone describe it? Empty of ideas, full of grotesque fury about non-existent "death panels," is it any wonder the GOP has a favorable rating of 24 percent in the latest Pew poll?
As health care legislation churns towards completion—with Obama steady in the face of pressure and controversy—it becomes more evident each day that he will be the last president who has to fight for national health reform.
More Intuitions, Psychology, Obama, Economy and Health Care :
Milenials.com
Vicente Duque
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