Profile for Veronica Arreola

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The Soapbox: You Don’t Have To Be A Parent To Be Worried About Guns

Veronica ArreolaDecember 17, 2012 //
Obama In Newtown
Watch the president address mourners at the Sandy Hook vigil. Read More »
Comfort Dogs
Amidst the Newtown tragedy, a furry paw of comfort. Read More »
Shooting In CT
Twenty-seven people were killed, including 20 children. Read More »
newtown

“We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years.  And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would — as a parent.  And that was especially true today.  I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.”

– President Obama’s statement on the Sandy Hook School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

I have never been happier to see my daughter than the moment on Friday evening when I picked her up from her Girl Scouts pizza party. I made a beeline for her, hugged the stuffing out of her, kissed her and repeated. The repeat treatment was on behalf of a friend who does not have children, but loves her friends’ children as her own. Keep reading »

The Soapbox: On Disney’s First Latina Princess

Veronica ArreolaOctober 29, 2012 //
America On Racism
She was once asked to wear "whiteface" in a role. Read More »
Can't Date Outside My Race
Dennis doesn't date outside his race because his race won't date him. Read More »
Mindy's Race Jokes
The Mindy Project
"The Mindy Project" makes some squicky jokes about race. Read More »
Disney Princess Sofia

“Disney is releasing a Latina princess soon, mija,” I declared to my daughter as we drove away from her school and on our way to pick up her dad. “Good!” she said firmly. But of course, I rarely let that be the end of any conversation. “Why good?” I probed.

What followed was a discussion of how we both recognized that Latinas deserve a princess that looks like them — this is despite the fact that my husband and I worked hard to minimize “the princess effect” in our home. Princesses were far from banned. Rather we opted for a different approach: we emphasize strong princesses like Leia, Wonder Woman and Xena (not a real princess, but warrior princesses counted). I also would bring up real-life princesses who did good in the world whenever I could. Oh, the way I used to bring up Princess Diana and Queen Noor! Goodness. We also discussed the strong traits of the Disney princess kingdom: Ariel was adventurous, Belle loved to read and Rapunzel knew how to wield a cast-iron skillet. As you can see, we aren’t anti-Princess, but we are anti-”I’m a pretty-princess waiting for a prince to save me.” Keep reading »

Soapbox: Pulling The Mommy Card On Reproductive Rights

Veronica ArreolaJanuary 2, 2012 //
I Took Plan B
Our writer took the morning-after-pill to thwart unwanted pregnancy. Read More »
Plan B Progress?
The FDA considers making the morning-after pill over-the-counter. Read More »
FDA Overuled
The government says the morning after pill cannot be over-the-counter. Read More »

This is not the change I voted for. Nor how I thought the year would end for women’s rights in the USA. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius recently overruled scientists at the Federal Drug Administration and blocked a move to allow for Plan B emergency contraception, also known as the morning after pill, to be sold over-the-counter without age restriction. Her rationale was to protect 11-year-old girls from taking something that might harm them. President Obama backed her up, asked us to use “common sense” and pulled the daddy card.

Well, I’m pulling the mommy card. Keep reading »