dia de las madres

was celebrated sunday, may 30th. i'm not sure if it's possible to imagine this holiday more commercialized than in the united states, but it seemed as though just about everything was being sold in "promoción para las madres" - from fried chicken to house paint, acrylic nails to hardware, hair cuts to oil changes. i was able to enjoy a small celebration sunday with my friend karen's family, who invited me to share the afternoon in the house of her tía isabel, along with karen's mother and 4 other aunts. last thursday, the Red de Mujeres Familiares de Migrantes with which i work here celebrated with a gift exchange and encuentro (foto attached). to the right in the foto is fulbrighter anne visiting from el salvador. (see separate post). unfortunately, it seems that the Red's funding has not be renewed, so i'm seeing about helping write proposals to continue their work into the coming year(s). they are amazing mothers & grandmothers...