Eyewitness to History in the making: Discovery's Liftoff and Mourning Ted Kennedy

Two events are keeping me glued to the idiot box tonight.
Among a lot of other news in all cable and mainstream media, at least these two have pique my interest if for non other than simply curiosity; The mourning and funeral of Edward "Teddy" Kennedy, the youngest of the Kennedy brothers, and the 37th launch of Space Shuttle Discovery, whose crew include two mexican-american astronauts, specialist Jose Hernandez and John Olivas. Certainly making history is the fact that is the first time the two astronauts of mexican descent go into space as members of NASA.

The Kennedy Clan
The family gathers for a portrait on the evening following John F. Kennedy's election as President. Seated, front row, from left: Eunice Shriver, Rose, Joseph, Jackie and Ted. Back row, from left: Ethel, Stephen and Jean Smith, John, Bobby, Pat Lawford, Sargent Shriver, Joan and Peter Lawford.

I, like millions of others, grew up with The Kennedys. Ever since I was about six years old, I remember watching my mother reading newspapers and magazines about The Kennedys, especially about Jacqueline Bouvier, nothing surprising there, except that, it was in Mexico, Piedras Negras, Coahuila where I was born and where I grew up and I csn say with most certainty, that before I was eight, I already knew a lot about The Kennedy Clan.
Everything we see and hear now being replayed in new Documentaries after the death of Eunice Kennedy Shriver (two weeks ago) and Senator Ted Kennedy in all major Cable-news, I was familiar with already, I mean from when Joseph Kennedy Sr. was appointed Ambassador of the United States in London, England, the death of Joseph Jr in a plane during WWII, the botched lobotomy performed on the beautiful Rosemary under orders of Joseph Sr, the assessinations of both Jack and Bobby, the Chappaquiddick incident involving Ted, the nuptials of Jackie to Aristoteles Onassis, his children and his passing, etc.
I developed an interest for everything Kennedy, more then curiosity or morbosity, was a keen interest of wanting to know about their accomplishments and their failures. And althought I know that they are just another dysfunctional family, their tragedies seem magnified by the media and because their life has always been mirrored in the fabric of the lives of ordinary citizens, american and from abroad.

The other story is about the two hispanic astronauts going to the International Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, in its 37th mission.

Mexican news are lauding this historic event as one that puts Mexico up there with the Superpowers od the world, but truth be said these fellows are of mexican descent and born in California, US. I don't mean to diminish these great accomplishment on their astronomy careers, but unless I am misinformed ( and that is always a possibility), Mexico does not have an Aeronautical Agency or governmental department related as such, so how are Jose Hernandez and John Olivas "representing" Mexico?

As a naturalized american citizen myself, I do, of course, feel proud of these two fellows for being part of the crew flying high tonight ( it's been just minutes since liftoff, by the way), because, I think that they represent the hispanic block which as a minority about to become majority must celebrate any positive milestone that involve a hispanic surname, but let's not exaggerate, I don't think that they are representing Mexico in the Space Era of modern times, yet.

I feel the same pride for them as I feel proud of Sonia Sotomayor, the first hispanic justice to serve in the US Supreme Court. Her parents were born in Puerto rico, but she was born in New York.