What The Border Taught Norma Elia Cantú About Being Free
Death, Sex & Money3 Helmi 2021

What The Border Taught Norma Elia Cantú About Being Free

When Dr. Norma Elia Cantú was growing up in Laredo, Texas, on the U.S./Mexico border, she was the oldest of what would eventually be eleven siblings—so she stepped into the role of coparent early. "When one of my younger siblings got in trouble at school, they called me," she says. "They [didn't] call the parents because my father was working, and my mother, who didn't speak English, was not able to go." Norma lived at home and continued to help support her family when she went to college, but left after two years, when she became the primary breadwinner of the family. She finished her degree in night school while working at the local utility company, but even now, she says, she "wonders what would have happened had [she] not been so dutiful a daughter." She eventually completed her degree and went on to get her PhD. Now she's 74, a writer, a professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, and the president of the American Folklore Society. I talked with her about how she's supported both her family and her own ambition at the same time throughout her life, as well as about how she processed the deaths of her parents, and her younger brother Tino, who was killed in the Vietnam War when he was only 19. Head over to our Instagram page to see some photos of Norma's family that she shared with us. And Norma graciously agreed to read some of her poetry for us, all from her 2019 collection Meditación Fronteriza: Poems of Love, Life and Labor:  My Mother's Hands    Song of the Borderland (English)   Canto A La Tierra Fronteriza (Español)

Jaksot(150)

Michelle Zauner's Joy Is Rooted In Vengeance

Michelle Zauner's Joy Is Rooted In Vengeance

When Michelle Zauner of the indie band Japanese Breakfast returned home to Eugene, Oregon, to take care of her mother in 2014, she wasn’t prepared for what life would be like as a caregiver. Her mothe...

9 Kesä 202134min

Mahershala Ali and Rafael Casal: Envy Is A Hell Of A Drug

Mahershala Ali and Rafael Casal: Envy Is A Hell Of A Drug

Today, Mahershala Ali is an Oscar-winning actor who lands leading roles in TV shows like True Detective and Hollywood blockbusters like Green Book and the upcoming Blade Marvel series. But he got his ...

2 Kesä 202133min

Alison Bechdel On Menopause, Mortality and Punching Pennies

Alison Bechdel On Menopause, Mortality and Punching Pennies

Alison Bechdel went through menopause 10 years ago, when she was 50. I know this because she writes about it in her latest graphic memoir, called The Secret To Superhuman Strength. "I just felt crazy,...

26 Touko 202133min

A Former Pro Climber On Enduring Chronic Illness

A Former Pro Climber On Enduring Chronic Illness

Until 2018, Mason Earle was a professional rock climber. Mason started climbing as a kid, and developed a specialty in a style known as "crack climbing," where you climb by wedging your hands, fists, ...

19 Touko 202152min

Strictly, Entirely On The Fence About Having A Kid

Strictly, Entirely On The Fence About Having A Kid

A few months back, Avery Trufelman, host of The Cut podcast from New York Magazine, reached out with a request to talk. About becoming a parent.  "I am strictly entirely on the fence about whether or ...

12 Touko 202139min

Where Noel and Anna's Hot Girl Summer Went Wrong

Where Noel and Anna's Hot Girl Summer Went Wrong

Last week, I talked with my friend and colleague Noel King, who is a co-host at NPR's Morning Edition, about my new book. It's called Let's Talk About Hard Things, and in front of a live (Zoom) audien...

5 Touko 202157min

The 7 Hardest Conversations I've Ever Had On This Show

The 7 Hardest Conversations I've Ever Had On This Show

As the host of Death, Sex & Money, my job is to ask my guests to talk about the things "we think about a lot and need to talk about more." And sometimes, talking about hard things that you don’t have ...

28 Huhti 202135min

When I Almost Died

When I Almost Died

A few years ago, I asked you to share your near-death experiences. You told us about car accidents...plane crashes...illness...suicide. And, you told us what happened after, when you didn't die. Ellen...

21 Huhti 202134min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
kaksi-aitia
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
i-dont-like-mondays
poks
kolme-kaannekohtaa
antin-palautepalvelu
sita
aikalisa
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
mamma-mia
rss-murhan-anatomia
lahko
rss-nikotellen
loukussa
terapeuttiville-qa
meidan-pitais-puhua
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2