“Gringo is a term in the Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese languages used to refer to foreigners, especially those from the United States. Although its original meaning was perhaps derogatory, its usage today is not necessarily pejorative, even though it may be considered offensive by English-speakers.The American Heritage Dictionary does however classify the term as offensive slang. In informal Spanish speech, “gringo” offers a convenient shorthand to refer to a person from the U.S… “Gringo” is almost never used to refer to people from the U.S. of Asian, Native American or Latin American origin, and its usage appears reserved almost exclusively to U.S. residents of Caucasian descent…

The term does lend itself to derogatory, paternalistic or endearing connotations, depending on the context and the intent of the user. In contrast, the term “yanqui” (”Yankee”) is used almost exclusively in a derogatory way, to refer to any U.S. citizen, even those from the American South… Hispanic migrants in the USA occasionally use the term as a synonym of anglo. “

More interesting than the real etymology of the word are the myths about its origins.

“A recurring fake etymology for the derivation of gringo states that it originated during the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. It has been claimed that Gringo comes from “green go” and used in reference to the American soldiers and the color of their uniforms. This is an example of an invented explanation, because gringo was used in Spanish long before the war and during the Mexican-American War, the U.S. Army did not use green uniforms, but blue ones.Yet another story, from Mexico, holds that Mexicans with knowledge of the English language used to write “greens go home” on street walls referring to the color of the uniforms of the invading army; subsequently, it became a common habitual action for the rest of the population to yell “green go” whenever U.S. soldiers passed by.

Another legend maintains that one of two songs – either “Green Grow the Lilacs” or “Green Grow the Rushes, O” – was popular at the time, and that Mexicans heard the invading U.S. troops singing “Green grow…” and contracted this into gringo.

Another version, heard in Brazil, refers to the United States Air Force base near Natal, Brazil during World War II. The American soldiers, wearing green uniforms, would be commanded “green, go!” by their sergeants during training.”

I bought a book on Boyle Heights from the Images of America series produced by the Japanese American National Museum. I love stuff like this - history, photographs, etc. I should have majored in history in college. Just skimming through, I gladly realized I’m not the first person of Irish decent to live in Boyle Heights. Apparently, Andrew Boyle, whom the city is named after, was an Irish immigrant who established his home here in 1858 and founded the neighborhood in the 1870’s.

…talking about the Clippers history-making 2nd round playoff trip? Even as a Lakers-1st LA sports fan, I’m excited to see the way that Clippers are playing past their past.

Forget all of the “Kobe vs. Nash” MVP talk - the Laker’s are playing off a great game plan against the Suns. With 4:08 left and an 89-81 lead, I don’t think the Suns have enough gas to make a comeback…3:56 - See, defensive lapse to give Kwame that inbounds opportunity.

3:13 - And 1! WOW!!! That dunk had “MVP” written all over it. Kobe posterized Nash.

2:37 - Ouch! Wrong time to give up a 3pt. shot. Oh, wait. At least it was only a 2pter. But still. Buckle down Lakers. I think they should get it down to Lamar in the post & look for Kobe cutting.

But only if that’s in the game plan.

1:10 - Huge rebound by Kobe in a crowd.

49.3 - Kwame almost blew it, but great recovery & hustle, plus a beautiful pass by Lamar to Smush for the Layup. Should have gottena foul shot as well. Back up by 5.

34.3 - 7 point lead. I don’t see Reggie Miller on the Suns bench. As the late, great Chick Hearn used to say, “The jello is jiggling…”

21.3 - “If he makes the free throw, the games over.” Let’s hope so.

0.0 - Yes!

99-93. Series tied 1-1 & coming home.

UPDATE: On TNT, they just showed Kobe’s dunk over Nash… 4 times. It looked just as nasty on replay.

Just finished watching Villaraigosa’s State of the City address. I already really respected him. That only increased hearing him speak.A few highlights for me: emphasis on educational reform in the form of strengthening charter schools for more parent choice, parental contracts for education, principle training to increase leadership, local school ownership & empowerment, and the rational for why he chose to give the speech from South LA.

“I can’t say it any plainer,” he said. “We can’t be a great global city if we lose half of our workforce before they graduate from high school.”

I’m sure there’ll be a lot of fall-out and criticism - there always is - but I really like the posture and direction that Villaraigosa is taking. I also appreciate the general lack of trumpet blowing over achievements that have already happened. It seemed like a right focus on the needs & opportunities in the immediate future.

That’s the Metro Gold Line Eastside Extension. I can’t wait. The construction is all underground through Boyle Heights, so not much visible progress yet.

But when it opens, there will be two stops - one at Mariachi Plaza on 1st & Boyle, and another at Soto & 1st - that will both be less than a mile walk from my front door.

That was incredible.I’m still in shock.

Even though I watched the whole game, I’m still not sure how UCLA was able to pull off the victory, considering how the first 38 minutes were some of their worst basketball all season.

But wow. Hats off to them for not falling apart & being able to hang in their for the win. The only regretable ‘moment’ was CBS choosing to continually replay Adam Morrison’s reaction after a heart-breaking loss. Give the guy a break.

“This is a national issue about young men that could be my kids.”

That from a Guatemalan business leader, Carlos Zuniga, about the problem of gangs in his country.

The same could be said of the U.S. Less than an hour ago, I walked my daughter, Isabel, 3 blocks from my house to her babysitters, Gabby. A block away from Gabby’s, we passed an apartment with some young men standing in front. “Miralo, miralo,” they said as I passed, “Check this out.” Without turning to confirm it, I undoubtable knew they were referencing me - a father walking with his baby daughter down the street. It seems at times in my neighborhood, we are a rare breed.

Less than five minutes later, as I talked with Gabby about Isa, we heard a volley of gunshots from up the street - right were we had passed just moments earlier. And while I thank God for his providence and protection over Isa and me, my heart was heavy as I walked home. Frustrated forr my neighborhood and the climate of fear that a daytime shooting - or an anytime shooting - creates. Sad for the negative stereotypes about my neighborhood that this reinforces. And angry that young men have violence modeled to them in everything from video games to life at home to even quiceaneras, while never even knowing a model of peace from fatherhood or a picture of real manhood.

It is humbling, since fatherhood isn’t something you can legislate. And yet I suspect that the age at which hyperactive young boys become gang-involved young men, is probably the same age when they realize the anger - about their absentee dads, the pain & problems of their single moms, and probably most sadly, the void of any other models in their lives.

Yesterday, like many other days, I recieved lots of junk mail. Usually I just tear it in half without opening it. But one letter from a company called “Community Development, LLC” caught my eye. It was a real estate investment company offering to buy my house. They said they could make me an offer in 48 hours. That they could close escrow in 5-10 days. Intrigued, I opened another from “LA Redevelopment, Inc.” which offered me pretty much the same deal.Despite a high gang concentration, 25 murders last year, and an atrocious public high school (the local elementary schools are pretty good), these groups, along with probably many others, want to buy up my property. Why? Despite their names, I don’t believe it has anything to do with developing the community, unless by community you mean the community of investors they represent.What Boyle Heights needs, with already 75 % non-occupant owners, is more home-owners who live in the community. I believe that would bring about the kind of community development that would not merely profit the carpet-bag investors that see a 2 massive hospital renovations, the new Metro Gold-line extension, the redevelopment of the Sears property into a multiplex entertainment center, as well as the close proximity to the burgeoning downtown area, but would profit the working class residents in this area that have been in this community much longer than I have.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in profit and investment and the larger machine that is required for large scale economic development. But I don’t think it should come at the expense of needless relocation of working class and poor families.

READ: Buy Now series part I, part II, part III, part IV, and part V

This wild beast was in front of my house on Saturday.

Maybe this bulletin from the LAPD’s New Year’s Eve Gunfire Reduction Program will change the old addage - “Gun’s don’t kill people, People kill people” - that has always been used to support liberal exercise of gun ownership legislation.

“As New Year’s Eve approaches, the Los Angeles Police Department is launching its Citywide Gunfire Reduction Campaign. This campaign is designed to help reduce incidents of indiscriminate gunfire that have become a deadly New Year’s tradition in our city… Discharging a firearm into the air is a felony punishable by one year in state prison. Anyone arrested for discharging a firearm will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.Many times individuals involved in celebrating New Year’s Eve with gunfire do not realize the dangers posed by their actions. Researchers report that a bullet fired into the air can climb two miles into the air and remain in flight for more than a minute. As it falls, the bullet reaches a velocity of 300 to 700 feet per second. A velocity of only 200 feet per second is sufficient to penetrate the human skull.

Over the last several years, the Los Angeles Police Department has made great strides in reducing the amount of gunfire that occurs on New Year’s Eve…In 1997, forty-two arrests were made on New Year’s Eve for gunfire related crimes and fifty firearms were seized by task force officers.”

May efforts like this reduce not just New Year’s eve gunfire, but any and all gunfire from our city streets.

Though he didn’t answer my question on the news, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa later addressed LA’s housing needs in a speech in the San Fernando Valley:

“We need to have smart growth, but we also have to change our way of thinking. A lot of us grew up with the idea of a three-bedroom house with large backyards and front lots. We have to recognize that is not going to be possible.We have to look at other cities - New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston. We need to have more mixed-use development along transit corridors.”

I’m not sure the specifics of his plan, but he is also talking about creating a $100 million bond measure to support affordable housing development in Los Angeles. Whatever housing plan needs to address not just the un-affordability of median housing prices, but also the un-availability of low-income housing.

In addition to housing, I continue to be intrigued by Villaraigosa’s plans for education reform.

“This will not be a city you want to live in unless we can make our schools work. We will be a great city only if we have a great school system. Public schools have been what has made this country successful.Look at me. I was a high school dropout and public schools gave me a second chance. Look at where I am now.”

While the specifics of his plan need to be worked out, he is on the right track in placing such a high priority on education.

I love the accessibility of new LA Mayor Antonio Villariagosa. I’ve seen him on the news and in different parts of the city innumerable times in the past 6 months. In September, he stopped by our church in downtown by MacArthur park during the celebration of Latin American independence days.Along those lines, he is appearing on the KCal 9 News tonight - and you and I can email a question that we’d like him to answer. “What to ask?” I thought, landing on the following question based on the “Buy Now” series (part I, part II, part III, part IV, part V) I’ve posted here in the past:

“First of all, I believe you are doing an excellent job as mayor. Thank you for your public service.In your campaign, you talked about the low level of homeownership in Los Angeles & how you wanted to change that. How do you propose we deal with the housing shortage in Los Angeles, considering the need for affordable housing? How can the necessary development happen without creating displacement of low-income families?

As a resident of Boyle Heights, as an example, how will positive developments like the East LA extension, the USC/County hospital improvement and the Sears redevelopment project, improve the prospects for low-income familes? Currently Boyle Heights, as an example, has only 25% resident owners. How will these development projects increase the affordability of a neighborhood like Boyle Heights? Is a project model like Aliso Village the model for the future?

Thank you for your accessibility to the citizens of Los Angeles.”

In the ongoing challenge to find affordable housing, the L.A.Family Housing organization - a non-profit housing advocacy group - recently made a deal with the MJW Investments, the real estate group in charge of the Sears redevelopment project here in Boyle Heights. The newsgroup www.garmentandcitizen.com has an article on the agreement, stating that:

“The overall plan for the 22-acre Sears site includes a total of 772 housing units, 680,000 square feet of retail space, and 85,000 square feet of office space.

MJW Investments is seeking some public subsidies for the project, a request that puts a premium on the inclusion of affordable housing, a common contribution in exchange for public money or other benefits for developers.”

I’m curious to see the impact of this project on the community. Later on in the article, they report:

“People were complaining about the vagueness of the price ranges at the meeting—they didn’t give out any price ranges, even though people kept asking,” said Jose Aguilar, a Boyle Heights resident and member of the Project Advisory Committee for the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Adelante-Eastside area, which includes the Sears site. “We’re worried about gentrification, and being priced out of our own neighborhood.”

Information released by the developers after the community meeting said rates for the affordable rental units will range from $300 to $900 a month. The developers did not provide a price range for condominiums that are expected to be included as part of the affordable stock of units.”

What I didn’t know is that this same company, MJW Investments, was part of a redevelopment proposal for MTA property on Cesar Chavez and Soto, that never seemed to be approved. But if you follow their lead, then it is still time to buy now in Boyle Heights.

More on the impact on LA’s housing crunch as it impacts people in Boyle Heights. With 75% of Boyle Heights being renters, the dilema between reporting illegal living conditions and maintaining “affordable” housing is a challenge.

“…with a median income of $22,652, housing is a source of community tension. One-third of the population lives below the poverty line, and the competition for affordable living space is keen.”

One family that reported problems with their landlord’s maintenance experienced the following problem:

“The home was filled with code violations, but the entire apartment was illegal. The tenants would have to leave. “Now we don’t know where to go,” said Lopez, who has lived in the Mott Street home for seven years. Where else can they live for $350 a month?”

On the otherside of the equation,

“…housing officials say, is that the rules are clear and apply to everyone. Landlords have 60 days to bring their property up to code or pay to relocate tenants. Some extensions are granted. Families receive $3,000 for relocation, senior citizens $8,000.”

No easy solutions, though it reminds me of a statement from President Bush recently in regards to similar topic: immigration.

“…people should not have to choose between a welcoming society and a lawful one.”

I think residents in Boyle Heights shouldn’t have to choose either.

READ - “Buy Now” part V
Or parts I, and II, and III

Though Hurricane Katrina devasted an area over 2 months and hundreds of miles away from LA, this Saturday I’ll be taking a group of 8 students from CSULA to volunteer at a mobile medical clinic in Whittier that is being set up to assist and serve those that have been displaced and affected by the recent devastation in the Gulf Coast.This opportunity is sponsored by Compassion Net. This is the first of what hopefully will be many “Portable Clinics” to serve not just those impacted by Katrina, but others that need health care provisions in LA.

“Disaster relief accentuates the challenges of rebuilding. We have determined the best way to use our resources: to provide health care resources to hundreds of churches whose members welcome hurricane evacuees into their homes. Our mission is to constitute a firm second wave of assistance long after the media has moved on to the next “big news.”

I’ll let you know how it goes for our students this weekend. I anticipate that we’ll learn and recieve as much as we could possible give.

Yesterday I took the Gold line (”soon” to open just blocks away) from Lincoln Heights to Union Station, transfering to the Red line to go to the downtown cathedral to pray with my friend Erna. I’d never yet been to the new cathedral — it is really beautiful.The theme for my time there was thirst and water. Walking in from Temple Ave., the first thing that we saw was a fountain at the entrance with the inscription from Isaiah 55 - “Come all you who are thirsty” - in languages from across the globe. Then walking into the cathedral to the baptistry in the back, the above tapestry of Jesus being baptized by John in the river Jordan captivated my attention. During my time of prayer inside, the verse that I was lead to was Psalm 78:15 - “He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas.” Erna & I ended our time praying for each other, and Erna sang the words of a song - “All who are thristy, all who are weak. Come to the fountain, dip your heart in the stream of life…”

Thirst & Water. Jesus & Satisfaction.

At the end of our time, I was refreshed by God as the one who satisfies those who thirst and reminded that our thirst never disapates, which is why we need a fountain of living water that never ceases. (John 4:14)