GOP Response to the State of the Union en Español

Many of you saw the Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address delivered by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. (VIDEO or read excerpts)

I wanted to make sure you saw the Republican Response in Spanish delivered by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R – FL).

It aired via Univisión, CNN en Español, Telemundo, TV Azteca, NY 1 Noticias, América Te Ve and various other channels in the Spanish media.

Also, you can read the full transcript, in Spanish, below.

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You’re a member of what???

I got a funny phone call from my father the other day about my mail. Due to my transient campaign lifestyle, and my recent move out west, I decided it was smarter to forward most of my mail to my parent’s home in Florida.

Yesterday, my dad called me to give me an update of some of the mail I had received at his home. After reading me the names of some magazines, fundraising letters from candidates and a few bills, my dad, in Spanish, says, “You received a letter from the N.R.A.!?”  

I said, “Oh, what does it say?”

My dad surprised by the letter says, “It’s about your membership … You’re a member of the N.R.A.???”

I laughed in response to his reaction, and said “Yes dad, I am. I joined last year.” We later talked about my “gunshot experience.”

Ha ha… My dad is never surprised. It was funny to hear his reaction. When was the last time you caught your parents off guard?

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Happy Three Kings Day – Feliz Dia De Los Reyes Magos

Happy Dia De Los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day or Day of the Epiphany). Today is a major religious and cultural celebration for many in Latin America, and in my father’s homeland of Mexico.

Being American we had the best of both worlds. We celebrated Christmas on the 25^th and had Santa bring us gifts that morning, and then again we got “regalitos” on January 6^th from the Three Wise Men (Los Reyes Magos).

As a child I remember being so excited for Three Kings Day. My brother and I would write our letters to the Three Wise Men (just like we did to Santa), and on the night of January 5^th we would go outside and pick grass and place bowls of water for the camels of the Kings, who would bring us our toys. On the 6th my parents would take us to the Three Kings parade on Calle Ocho in Miami.

It’s great to have these traditions passed on from generation to generation. Just recently I returned to Mexico to celebrate Christmas with my dad and his family. Mexico is truly a different world and especially my father’s hometown of Tlalixcoyan. Try to find it on google maps and all you’ll find is a dot. (But my father tells me on google earth the entire city is there, in all its humble glory.)

Tlalixcoyan is in the state of Veracruz, the oldest “municipio” in all the Americas which also houses the first birth certificate in all the Americas (it is the birth certificate of the daughter of Hernan Cortes. )

I hadn’t been to Mexico in some years. I talk to my uncles, aunts and cousins somewhat regularly via email, text message, phone and video chat. But being there with them was a different experience. Long gone are the days were you could fine the entire massive family within a few blocks of each other and spend hours playing on the ranch and swinging on hammocks. Most of my cousins are now married with children. Many have moved out of Tlalixcoyan and into the big city, Ciudad de Veracruz.

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