About Me
I'm Tomás Summers Sandoval and this is my blog. I'm an asociate professor of Chicano/Latino Studies and History at Pomona College, the author of Latinos at the Golden Gate(2013), and a generally nice guy. You can learn more about me at my main website.
Monthly Archives: January 2011
Monday Blues (01.31.11)
Junior Wells, accompanied by Buddy Guy, playing “Hoodoo Man Blues,” written by Wells and Sonny Boy Williamson. The song is from Well’s debut album of the same name, often listed among the best blues albums of all-time. Certainly it is … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Entertainment, History, Personal
Tagged buddy guy, chicago, chicago blues, hoodoo blues, junior wells, monday blue, monday blues
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Monday Blues (01.24.11)
The great Muddy Waters, with Sonny Boy Williamson on the harp, singing his signature tune, from the American Folk Blues Festival tour (1963).
Posted in Education, Entertainment, History, Personal
Tagged blues, guitar, harmonica, mojo, monday blues, muddy waters, music, sonny boy williamson
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Improve the World
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” From The Diary of Anne Frank.
Posted in History, Personal
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Teaching as an act of love
It’s that time of year! Today, I begin yet another semester as a college professor. Since my first semester teaching as a graduate assistant at UC Berkeley–way back in the fall of 1995–I have been lucky enough to be in … Continue reading
Posted in Academia, History, Personal
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Demand your freedom
MLK Day is always a difficult “holiday” for me. As a historian of the 20th century U.S., and as a person who is deeply committed in both my work and personal life to meaningful progress in eradicating racism, I recognize … Continue reading
Posted in Education, History, Immigration, Labor, News, Personal, Politics
Tagged civil rights, dr king, equality, equity, justice, king, martin luther king jr, mlk, racism
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Monday Blues (01.17.11)
Happy birthday Dr. King.
Posted in Entertainment, History
Tagged blues, change, dr king, mlk, monday blues, music, sam cooke, soul, soul music
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It’s not political
There’s a lot to “take away” from the past few days of news and politics. The overriding lesson, for me anyways, is this: The word “terrorist” is journalistic & political shorthand for a “nonwhite” person who perpetrates an act of … Continue reading
Why I Don’t Care (Much) About Hate Speech
Yesterday’s tragedy in Arizona is beginning to foster a national discussion on “hate speech” and “civility” in politics. There is nothing inherently wrong in this. I’d say its even welcome from the millions of Americans who feel politics has grown … Continue reading
Posted in History, News, Politics
Tagged Arizona, arizona tragedy, assassination, democrats, gabrielle giffords, gifford, gifford shooting, GOP, obama, republicans
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Monday Blues (01.10.11)
Here’s a little Texas blues, Chicano style. Los Lonely Boys performing “Cottonfields & Crossroads” from their 2006 documentary and concert performance of the same name.
Posted in Entertainment
Tagged blues, Chicano, chicano blues, guitar, los lonely boys, monday blues, music, texas, texas blues
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Happy Birthday Elvis
If he had lived, Elvis Presley would have turned 75 years old today. Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. His birth certificate listed his middle name as “Aron,” later ascribed to his father’s misspelling … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment, History, Personal
Tagged 75, birthday, elvis, elvis presley, king, legend, music, popular culture, rock, rock n roll
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