Our community has gone through a lot of twists and turns this year. We’ve witnessed important issues go down at city halls, to the colonias. We celebrated our wins, and mourned losses. As we enter into the new year, we invite you to reminisce with us on the RGV’s most viral moments of 2022.
The hometown supermarkets, El Globo and Foy’s Supermarket, officially closed their doors last year. The famed supermarkets went on their joint Facebook to say, “A lot has changed since Foy’s Supermarket opened its doors in 1982, but one thing never changed: how much we love the Valley.” Valley residents felt the deep loss and went on social media to share their memories of the iconic food marts.
What happens when two people fall in love and launch a pink ‘Latina Power’ tee on Etsy? Well, eventually (and after many years of hard work), you launch a partnership with Target & Remezcla. JZD was founded by Brownsville Natives Jennifer Serrano & Veronica Vasquez, to celebrate Latina culture. This launch was definitely a milestone to remember for Jennifer, Veronica, and the overall RGV community.
That awkward moment when Whole Women’s Health leaves the valley and sells their building to the very people who terrorized their patients… Instead of supporting the efforts of an established reproductive justice organization, Whole Women’s Health opted to accept a cash offer from a group of doctors, who within two weeks after purchasing, handed the deed to the closed down abortion clinic over to a Crisis Pregnancy Center. Crisis pregnancy centers are notorious for providing false reproductive healthcare information.
We can’t forget the embarrassing moment of the year by The Door Church in McAllen! The Door had an unauthorized production of Hamilton that contained anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric and was served with a cease and desist order by the Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Hamilton donated all damages paid to the South Texas Equality Project (STEP).
The memes swarmed in as a photo of newly self-appointed Chief Executive Officer of Twitter, Elon Musk, was circulated as he was caught at Brownsville’s Charro Days festival getting throaty with an spiropapa. RGV residents didn’t hold back from commenting on the billionaire’s poor eating habits.
Honestly, this one shouldn’t even be an honorable mention. Therefore, it’s #0. The meme that POPPED OFF THE MOST made its rounds via social media. We couldn’t help but join in on the fun with Little Miss Puro Pinche 956 (cuh).
We can’t end the year without a few honorable mentions and memorable moments:
After many years, the local and beloved ska band, Los Skagaler@s, officially disbanded, performing for the final time at Gremlin in July. La mas tabajadora y chingona, Crash Gal gets engaged; not only is she securing that bag, she is also securing that ring! Pop-up markets were in danger throughout the year as the City of McAllen motioned to restrict the number of times per year they would occur, which in turn, would threaten the livelihood of small business owners. Susto, hosted by RGV’s Ayden Castellanos, was honored by Gotham Film & Media Institute’s the Gotham/Variety Audio Honors as one of 10 podcasts that are paving the way for the future of podcasting. Lastly, during the elections, conservatives reported that the valley was undergoing a red wave. But alas, the red wave was but a mist.
Trucha couldn’t have done it without you! In 2022, Trucha helped the community blossom by supporting original work and RGV artists. With your support we were able to reinvest $31,528.16 to the citizens of the Rio Grande Valley. Let’s make 2023 another year to remember!
Elevated suicide rates among Latino men in the United States are having a profound impact on the RGV due to Machismo Culture and the lack of mental health access. Many men are finding themselves unemployed, anxious, and depressed.
Jesus Treviño is a wonderful example of Rio Grande Valley talent nurtured by amazing art educators. His exhibition, La Carrera Fading in the Sun, shows an artist who pushes past mastery of the medium and is sharpening his voice and identity.
On Saturday, May 13th, a deadly tornado tore through Laguna Heights, causing significant damage. Current efforts are taking place to help the Laguna Heights community.
