Remembering the father of Chicano photography

+ making fuel from plastic garbage US Edition - Today's top story: Photographer Louis Carlos Bernal memorialized the barrios at the US-Mexican border [View in browser]( US Edition | 14 September 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Louis Carlos Bernal, a pioneering Chicano photographer, captured the essence of Mexican American life in Southwestern barrios during the 1970s and 1980s. His work, rooted in his heritage, offers a vivid portrayal of everyday life, family and culture. But after his untimely death in 1993, Bernal’s work faded from the public view. Three decades later, thanks to the work of scholars like the University of Arizona’s Rebecca Senf, his photographs are gaining renewed attention through a bilingual book and a major exhibition featuring 120 of his works. On the eve of Hispanic Heritage Month, [Senf takes readers into Bernal’s meticulous process]( and explains how his work elevated “ordinary place(s) and everyday people as something special to behold.” This week we also liked articles about the [spiritual side of listening to music on vinyl]( records, the toll that [endometriosis takes on many women’s lives](, and the preference some voters have for misinformation that “[aligns with their partisan perspectives](.” [ [The latest on philanthropy and nonprofits. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, Giving Today.](] Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor Today's newsletter supported by [readers like you.]( A portrait of Louis Carlos Bernal in his office at Pima Community College, taken by A.T. Willett in 1984. © A.T. Willett 1984. www.atwillett.com [Photographer Louis Carlos Bernal memorialized the barrios at the US-Mexican border]( Rebecca Senf, University of Arizona Even though Bernal is known as the father of Chicano photography, his work has long been overlooked. Now he’s the subject of a new exhibition at the University of Arizona. Vinyl records are becoming the music industry’s highest-grossing physical format. eclipse_images/Collection E+ via Getty images [Putting a spiritual spin on my love affair with vinyl]( Brock Ruggles, Arizona State University A scholar explains why some people see their vinyl records as a sacred collection. Plastic waste is accumulating fast, creating a problem of enormous proportions. Makiko Tanigawa/Getty [Making fuels from plastics in Newaygo, Michigan, would be controversial – here’s why]( Anne McNeil, University of Michigan; Aleksandr V. Zhukhovitskiy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Yutan Getzler, Kenyon College A proposed chemical recycling plant in western Michigan may provide a handful of jobs but little environmental benefit. - [Voters’ ‘moral flexibility’ helps them defend politicians’ misinformation − if they believe the inaccurate info speaks to a larger truth]( Minjae Kim, Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University In a series of surveys, researchers studied when and why voters put up with inaccurate statements from their leaders. - [Endometriosis pain leads to missed school and work in two-thirds of women with the condition, new study finds]( Rasha Al-Lami, Yale University Black and Hispanic women are less likely to receive an endometriosis diagnosis, reflecting a possible systemic bias or disparity in health care access. - [Wild ginseng is declining, but small-scale ‘diggers’ aren’t the main threat to this native plant − and they can help save it]( Justine Law, Sonoma State University There’s a widespread argument that ‘poachers’ are responsible for the scarcity of wild ginseng. But a scholar who has interviewed diggers explains that most of them are good stewards. - [Under both Trump and Biden-Harris, US oil and gas production surged to record highs, despite very different energy goals]( - [Kamala Harris effectively baited Donald Trump during the debate, drawing out his insecure white masculinity]( - [Free school meals are on the rise in the US − but that could change depending on who wins the 2024 presidential election]( - [Bobbleheads, Magic 8 Balls, chairs and other artifacts in the Smithsonian reveal the historical significance of presidential debates]( - [Creative life after death − or yes, you can control spinoffs from beyond the grave]( - [Fewer college students indicate they are nonbinary amid backlash]( - [How we discovered that people who are colorblind are less likely to be picky eaters]( - [East is East, West is West − and Turkey is looking to forge its own BRICS path between the two]( - [Biobots arise from the cells of dead organisms − pushing the boundaries of life, death and medicine]( The Conversation News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Here’s the first question of [this week’s edition:]( During the U.S. presidential debate on Sept. 10, former President Donald Trump made which angry, untrue exclamation about immigrants? - A. "I'll set the dogs on them!" - B. "They are no better than dogs!" - C. "They don't even like dogs!" - D. "They're eating the dogs!" [Test your knowledge]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Threads]( • [Nostr]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to [help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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