LOUD VOICES

American

  • I, American

    I pledge allegiance to the flag (Whose flag is it anyway?)as I standin the Catholic school classroom alongside a gallery of white faces, red hair, blond hair, white shirts, white blouses, plaid skirts, and black pants and the nuns, covered… Continue reading

    I, American

  • The ‘Where Are You From?’ Question

    The question is always the same. The speaker is different. “Where are you from?” In the beginning, dating back to the sixties, I would say proudly, The Bronx. And I would think, that was enough. But, the questioner, sometimes some white guy… Continue reading

    The ‘Where Are You From?’ Question

  • No Speak Spanish

    You’ve heard this story before, but it bears repeating.When I was in the second grade, my speaking of the English language apparently stunk or was not up to the standards demanded by the Dominican nuns at Saint Rita’s Parochial School… Continue reading