In early April, I visited Valencia, Spain, for an academic conference. I spent a few days there and had time to do a little sightseeing. I haven't yet posted about it, and I wanted to share with you the falles, and the museum that houses the best one from each year, since the early 1900s.... Continue Reading →
Antonia Montosa Juanes (1907-1989): The Life Story of a Hawaiian Spaniard
I recently realized that I had a printed copy of an interview my mother did with my great grandmother Antonia Montosa Juanes. She is a Hawaiian Spaniard, born to Spanish parents in Makaweli, Hawaii. I always knew she was a Spaniard, but it has recently come to my attention that Hawaiian Spaniards are part of... Continue Reading →
How My Spanish Ancestors Ended Up in the United States
From as early as I can remember, I was taught to be proud of my Spanish heritage. My siblings and I all have Spanish middle names. “You are a quarter Spanish,” my mother would always say. My dad would teach me words and phrases, and Spanish colors and numbers were a regular part of my... Continue Reading →
I Read to Lose Myself: The Shadow of the Wind
I had no idea what to expect when I picked up The Shadow of the Wind (2001), number 56 on the BBC book list, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I mentioned to my sister that I had started reading it, and she had an enthusiastic response. I realized then that I was in for a treat... Continue Reading →
My Ántonia, My Middle Name
My middle name is Antonia. It comes from my great grandmother, Antonia Montosa Juanes, who was born in Hawaii to immigrants from Spain. She married Felix Juanes, from Spain, and had eight children, one of whom is my grandmother, Eulalia. From these fantastic people, I got my beautiful middle name and I also got to... Continue Reading →