Becky Chavarría-Cháirez
Becky Chavarría-Cháirez has dedicated her career to helping her fellow Americans to understand and appreciate her Mexican-American heritage. As a child in her native San Antonio, she was exposed to many cultures and languages, and spoke Spanish before she spoke English. "My parents gave me an incredible gift, and I want to share the wonders of my family and culture with everyone."
Throughout her 25-year career, she has aired her observations, opinions and viewpoints on Hispanic life and multicultural interaction in the Americas, both in print and on the air, as a radio commentator on the Dallas NPR affiliate. She is the recipient of the Vivian Castleberry Award in 1993 for Radio Commentary. Her work has been published in several major publications, including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dallas Business Journal, Dallas Morning News, San Antonio Express-News, San Francisco Chronicle and Hispanic Magazine.
As the owner of Catchphrases PR, a Dallas-based public/media relations company specializing in cross-cultural communciations, she designs and implements marketing and media strategies for mainstream and Hispanic clients. Committed to helping non-profits reach and serve Hispanics, she also presents professional seminars and workshops on a menu of public and media relations as well as the many nuances to serving the Hispanic market.
With the publication of her first children's picture book, Magda's Tortillas / Las tortillas de Magda (May 31, 2000), Becky Chavarría-Cháirez continues her life-long involvement in cross-cultural communication. "Magda was born over a long Christmas holiday when I was away from home and longing for just one more Christmas at my grandmother's house. I wanted to keep the memory of those times at Huelita's alive for my children." Now children everywhere can enjoy Magda's attempts to make beautiful, delicious and round tortillas as her grandmother teaches her the fine art of tortilla making. Chavarría-Cháirez writes about not only the time-honored Mexican culinary tradition, but the universal experience of passing family traditions from one generation to another.
Chavarría-Cháirez continues to write about the Mexican-American culture she knows and loves; Magda will star in another picture book, Magda's Piñata Magic, to be published in 2001.
For the latest information about Becky, you may wish to visit her website at www.chameleoncreekpress.com.
Added 2000
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