On Fronteras: The Challenge Of Getting Into Gifted Classes, Who Owns Selena's Legacy

This week on Fronteras:

-- The United States and Mexico are funding an experiment to improve the economy in communities along the border.

-- Some parents in Houston are struggling to get their children of color into gifted and talented programs at school. 

-- A Texas Monthly article explores Selena's lasting legacy in Corpus Christi, but not everyone in the city thinks the piece is fair. 

-- An arts center in Dallas focuses on attracting the work of young artists of color. 

Skirting the Law to Survive on the Border 

The United States and Mexico are pouring money into a showcase experiment to rescue damaged economies on the Texas-Mexico border. But that experiment involves only two of the many towns that need help.  

On a long stretch of the Rio Grande, there are U.S. citizens in dozens of towns, struggling and forced, they say, to break the law to survive.  More on how they’re dealing with these economic hard times from Fronteras reporter Lorne Matalon of Marfa Public Radio.

Here's the story.

What it Takes to Enroll a Child in a Gifted and Talented Class

In Houston, educators are trying to come up with ways to make the city’s gifted and talented program more diverse.  Getting better information to parents is one way.  Another proposal is to change the screening test.  Right now, it can be very challenging to get a child of color into these classes but Lauren Isensee of Houston Public Media found one determined mother who managed to do just that.  

Here's the story.

Disagreement Over Remembrance of Selena 20 Years After Her Death

A Texas Monthly article about the singer Selena has caused a bit of a stir in Corpus Christi. The city’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has pulled its advertising in the magazine over what they say are unfair depictions of the organization and the city.

Selena Quintanilla Perez, or just Selena, is still known as the Queen of Tejano music, even 20 years after her death.

The article entitled Amor Prohibido asks who owns Selena’s legacy. It navigates contemporary official and not-so-official remembrances of the singer, and introduces fans, family, and drag impersonators. The man behind the words is Jeff Winkler, writer-at-large for Texas Monthly.

Here's the story.

Dallas Studio Attracts Young Artists of Color

In Dallas two enterprising artists have opened what they are calling, “a do-it-yourself arts center.”  Ash Studios, located a few blocks away from Fair Park, is not a glossy performance hall or museum, but it’s drawing all kinds of arts activity.  In particular, the work of young artists of color.  KERA’s Jerome Weeks recently visited the ramshackle, former metal-working shop on a very busy night. 

Here's the story.