Author

James E. Garcia
James E. Garcia is a Phoenix-based journalist, playwright and communications consultant. As a journalist, he has worked as a reporter, columnist, editor and foreign correspondent. He was the first Latino Affairs correspondent for KJZZ, and the first Latino editor of a major progressive news weekly in the U.S., The San Antonio Current. James has taught creative and non-fiction writing, ethnic studies, theater, literature and Latino politics at ASU. The founder and producing artistic director of New Carpa Theater Co., James is the author of more than 30 plays, including the upcoming “The Two Souls of Cesar Chavez.”
The through-line from the Big Lie to the lies about critical race theory
By: James E. Garcia - July 9, 2021
The mounting attack by Republican lawmakers across the country against multicultural education is the lie behind the “Big Lie” that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election.
For today’s GOP, our democracy is no longer worth defending
By: James E. Garcia - June 23, 2021
Today, the courage and willingness to protect the idea that everyone who’s qualified to vote deserves a chance to vote has all but vanished in the GOP.
Biden’s approach to immigration a welcome change, but still fundamentally flawed
By: James E. Garcia - June 11, 2021
Vice President Kamala Harris’s whirlwind swing recently through Guatemala and Mexico will do little to quell concerns in the short run about the latest surge of undocumented immigrants crossing our southern border, but it’s as good an occasion as any to take a measure of President Joe Biden’s emerging immigration doctrine.
‘Auditland, USA’ is not your parents’ theme park
By: James E. Garcia - May 27, 2021
Welcome to Auditland, USA! It’s America’s newest mega theme park, located in sunny, ozone-laden Phoenix. A lot of people say it’s the most tremendous amusement park ever!
The closing act of George Floyd’s story hasn’t been written yet
By: James E. Garcia - May 25, 2021
I’d like to believe that the Black Lives Matter marches against police brutality that erupted a year ago in the U.S. and around the world in the wake of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer were the first act of that show.
Liz Cheney was right: We must defend America from Trump’s election falsehoods
By: James E. Garcia - May 12, 2021
The Republican civil war is raging and the party’s defenders of democracy are losing. On Wednesday, Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who’s best described as a traditional, establishment conservative, was unceremoniously booted from her job as the third most powerful GOP leader in the House of Representatives by the sycophantic, white-supremacist-coddling, fascist wing of her party. […]
The GOP is now the Grand Old Potato Head Party
By: James E. Garcia - April 30, 2021
In the wake of the recent uproar by GOP leaders over Hasbro’s decision to add a gender-neutral Potato Head to its traditional Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toy collection, Mr. Head has apparently found a new vocation moonlighting as a high-dollar consultant for Republican politicos.
This time, at least, the system got it right
By: James E. Garcia - April 20, 2021
It was the only logical and moral conclusion, and still it seemed almost unimaginable.
Get the shot, before the coronavirus gets you
By: James E. Garcia - April 16, 2021
It’s been a little more than two weeks since I got my second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. So, this is as good a time as any to take stock of how the greatest health crisis in hundred years is affecting our lives.
How do we resolve humanity’s perennial sin?
By: James E. Garcia - April 1, 2021
White Europeans didn’t invent supremacy, though it’s probably fair to say that an ugly lot among them perfected it.
The crisis at the border won’t end until we admit we need immigrants at least as much as they need us
By: James E. Garcia - March 17, 2021
When it comes to the subject of immigration, humanity and common sense matter. That’s where every conversation on the topic should start.
Domestic terrorists and GOP’s leaders have voting rights in their sights
By: James E. Garcia - March 3, 2021
One of our nation’s two major political parties has concluded that winning at all costs is more important than protecting our cherished right to hold free and fair elections.