Feliz Día Del Papá
Feliz Día Del Papá
Happy Father’s Day, amigxs!
This special issue of Pero Make It Newsy is dedicated to all of the dads in the world and those who provide guidance and support to children. Maria Elena and I wrote tributes to our papas and we also highlighted news about dads and fatherhood. Everyone’s favorite puppy columnist, Princess Party Time, is also back with a special message for her papa and abuelo. We’ve got a new fatherhood-related cause for you to check out and a sweet song about father-daughter relationships.
Let’s go!
Leaving Machismo Behind: Watching My Dad Become a Supportive Feminist 👨👧👧
By Maria Elena Perez
I love my dad, but like all fathers, he has his flaws and I’ve seen glimpses of when the machismo comes out. Machismo, which is an internal code for men to act tough, is something many Latino men struggle with. My mother, sister and I have called him out many times when he chooses to not show his emotions properly. But as we’ve all got older, and as he’s become more of a caretaker to my mom, he’s shown us (and I hope himself), how much of a feminist icon he really is.
Read Maria Elena’s personal essay here.
“Como Se Dice?” How My Dad Empowers Me to Speak Better Spanish 👨👧
By Nikki Rojas
When my siblings and I were kids, my Dad loved letting us say Spanish words wrong because he thought it was adorable. He’d shut down anyone who wanted to correct us, whether that person was a kind stranger or his mama. In fact, I said secena (sandia/watermelon) and totona (McDonald’s) for way longer than I should have.
But as I grew up, my Dad was always there to help me make sense of the two languages swimming in my head.
Read Nikki’s personal essay here.
Dads In The News 📰
‘Internet’s Dad’ Rob Kenney Provides Life Lessons During Pandemic: Rob Kenney spoke with The Washington Post for a sweet profile about how he suddenly went viral last year thanks to his “Dad, how do I?” YouTube series. The 57-year-old father of two adult children started his YouTube channel last April after his eldest daughter asked him to post a video doing something normal to ease anxiety from the pandemic. Less than two months later, Kenney had more than 1 million subscribers.
Read more about this normal dad’s rise to Internet fame at The Washington Post.
Father Battles PTSD After Daughter’s Traumatic Birth: Elliott Rae didn’t know he was struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the frightening birth of his daughter. For years, the 38-year-old father dealt with daily struggles and flashbacks of his baby’s traumatizing arrival. When he finally got help, he was diagnosed with PTSD. In an insightful interview with the BBC, Rae spoke of his mental health diagnosis, his parenting and lifestyle platform called Music Football Fatherhood and his new book called “Dads.”
Learn more about how fathers are affected by mental health on the BBC.
Photographs of Queer Dads in America: In this sweet photo essay, portraits from photographer Bart Heynen’s book “Dads” highlight gay fathers and their families living in America. Heynen told The New York Times that he spent four years photographing over 40 families across the country to portray intimate moments and the everyday lives of gay fatherhood.
See the photos and read more about Henyen’s book at The New York Times.
Why Black Fathers Should Focus On Self Care: Kenneth Braswell, founder of the nonprofit Fathers Incorporated, writes about how fathers, especially Black fathers, should make it a priority to focus on their health. Braswell provides tips in his op-ed on how fathers can make that change and make sure to take some time to take care of themselves.
Learn more about self-care tips at the Harvard Business Review.
Causes That Matter 🤝
Fathers Incorporated, founded by Kenneth Braswell, works with organizations across the country, congressional leaders and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to advocate for social and legislative changes for fathers to be in a healthy relationship with their children, no matter their economic or marital status. The organization focuses on key issues like co-parenting, early childhood development, employment, domestic violence and much more.
Donate to and learn more about Fathers Incorporated.
You Should Listen To This 🎧
For our special Father’s Day issue, we chose to recommend a really emotional song about fathers and daughters by Peruvian Bolero singer Lucho Barrios. In “Mi Niña Bonita,” Barrios sings to his pretty daughter –– his “niña bonita” –– and the emotions felt throughout fatherhood.
Princess Party Time’s Paw-nderings 🐶
Henlo hoomans! Princes Party Time here and I wanted to wish all the dads and dog dads a Happy Father’s Day. When I was living in the shelter, I did not have a dad. And when my pawrents adopted me, they were told that I may take some time to get used to any male figures in my life. But now, my two favorite hoomans are my papa and my abuelito! I love snuggling and playing with them, and they give the best pets. Thank you, papa and abuelito, for breaking me out of my shell. I hope all the dads and the dog dads have a great day today.
Thank you so much for reading! If you’d like to send us questions, suggestions or just say hello, you can email us at peromakeitnewsy@gmail.com.
- Maria Elena and Nikki
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