Jump in Hispanics energizes economy in Kan. county
By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY
Saline County, Kan., is a vivid example of the impact new Hispanic residents can have on a community.
The population of the county north of Wichita has grown less than 2% this decade to 54,583, but its Hispanic population has jumped 28%. A majority of that growth came not from immigration but a greater number of births than deaths. Hispanics made up 6% of the population in 2000 and almost 8% by 2006, when they totaled 4,183.
The growth has required the county to provide more public services — and it has also helped local businesses fill jobs.
"We have noticed an increase in the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) immunization," says Yvonne Gibbons, director of Salina-Saline County Health Department. "There are younger babies. A lot of them are born here in the United States."
County officials say employers at manufacturing plants in the county need workers. Often, Hispanic immigrants fit the bill. They work at the Tony's Pizza frozen-foods plant or the Exide Technologies battery plant or the Philips Lighting plant.
"A lot of local companies either wouldn't be here or wouldn't have expanded the way they have," says Don Merriman, county clerk and elections officer. "Philips Lighting would've gone overseas. It's that labor force. If we didn't have that here, they could pull that thing and take it wherever."
Young Saline County natives don't usually stick around.
"The majority are going off to school someplace, and we don't see them come back," Merriman says. In some of the rural towns around the county seat of Salina, "there's nothing for the kids to come back to. Those little towns are drying up and becoming ghost towns."
The growing number of Hispanics has kept some schools alive, says Karen Hauser, CEO for Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Salina, which covers 31 counties in north-central and northwestern Kansas. "And I know that businesses recognize the need for workers."
Small clinics are scrambling to hire bilingual staffs. Says Merriman: "I do have Hispanic voter registration cards available."
Monday, June 30, 2008
MCCAIN PRESSURED ON IMMIGRATION
McCain's Delicate Immigration Dance
By MICHAEL SCHERER/WASHINGTON
Back on the campaign trail late last year, amid snow drifts and ice storms, candidate Tom Tancredo spoke often about the possibility of defecting from the Republican Party if its eventual nominee failed to meet his benchmarks of conservatism, most importantly a zero-tolerance policy for undocumented immigrants.
"I am absolutely tired and sick and tired of being forced to go to the polls and say I'm going to make this choice between the lesser of two evils," the Colorado congressman said at an October debate in Michigan, standing across the stage from his ideological opponent, John McCain, who supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. "I really don't intend to do that again."
But just months later, with Washington sweltering in humidity, the hawkish immigration reformer, who wants to deport the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants, has declared his support for McCain. "I expect to be supporting him in November," Tancredo told TIME last week. "But certainly it is not set in stone."
In other words, he still holds out hope of pressuring McCain to shift his positions on immigration, or at least not moderate them, by threatening to resort to the kind of public criticism that could erode the Republican base in key states. On Tuesday, Tancredo shot off a warning flare of sorts in the form of a public letter calling on McCain to clarify his position on immigration reform. "Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part," Tancredo said in an inteview. "I guess I am holding out hope that when he says he 'got the message,' that means something."
Tancredo is not the only one unclear about McCain's immigration position after the contentious primary campaign, in which the issue regularly polled as the second most important among likely Republcian voters, next to the Iraq war. "I will tell you, there is some confusion right now, some need for clarity," says Janet Murguía, the president of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group. "There are some folks in our country who are confused about exactly where he is."
For months, that confusion has been somewhat intentional on the part of the McCain campaign. It was the issue of immigration, after all, that almost sunk McCain's candidacy back in the summer of 2007, when the Senate debated and defeated a comprehensive immigration bill that was dubbed the McCain-Kennedy bill and derided as an "amnesty bill" by opponents. After the defeat, McCain's public rhetoric on the issue changed significantly, even as his actual position only altered slightly. "I got the message," he told Republican crowds hundreds of times in the early voting states. "We will secure the borders first."
But in public comments, McCain often delivered a somewhat mixed message of his own. He continued to favor all the parts of his comprehensive plan — border security, increased employer sanctions for illegal hiring and a path to citizenship for the undocumented — but he mostly refrained from using the word "comprehensive." Instead, he spoke of a two-stage solution. First, he would secure the borders, a process that would be certified by border state governors. Then he would push for a process to allow the 12 million undocumented immigrants to become full citizens.
More recently, however, McCain has switched back to his earlier rhetoric on the issue. In late May, he took time at an event in California to point out that he had worked with Sen. Ted Kennedy on the immigration bill. "We must enact comprehensive immigration reform, and we must make it a top agenda item," he said. A couple of weeks later, McCain released the first ads of his general election campaign — for Spanish-language radio in Nevada and New Mexico. This week, he plans to travel to Colombia and Mexico, to burnish his credentials as a leader who understands Latin America. Next month, he will address La Raza at its annual conference in San Diego, along with Democrat Barack Obama.
The reason is not hard to fathom. McCain's campaign has already announced that it expects to do well among Hispanic voters, especially in key states like New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. (President Bush won about 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2004, though most public polls now show McCain getting just under 30% of the same group, compared with 60% for Obama.) McCain aides openly talk about how the immigration issue that was a burden for their candidate in the primary could become an asset in the general election.
And that is exactly the kind of talk that concerns Tancredo, who has announced that he will be leaving Congress after this term to try to clamp down on illegal immigration at the state and local level. He plans to continue to warn McCain, raising the dark specter of Republicans failing to show up at the polls in November. "It's awfully shaky," Tancredo says of the Republican base. "That's why I think it is disastrous to do something that gets into the 'comprehensive' approach."
As of now, however, Tancredo's talk is just that. And the fact that an immigration hardliner like Tancredo plans to pull the lever for McCain suggests that the Republican immigration backlash he threatens may not materialize this fall.
— With reporting by Marti Covington/Washington
By MICHAEL SCHERER/WASHINGTON
Back on the campaign trail late last year, amid snow drifts and ice storms, candidate Tom Tancredo spoke often about the possibility of defecting from the Republican Party if its eventual nominee failed to meet his benchmarks of conservatism, most importantly a zero-tolerance policy for undocumented immigrants.
"I am absolutely tired and sick and tired of being forced to go to the polls and say I'm going to make this choice between the lesser of two evils," the Colorado congressman said at an October debate in Michigan, standing across the stage from his ideological opponent, John McCain, who supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. "I really don't intend to do that again."
But just months later, with Washington sweltering in humidity, the hawkish immigration reformer, who wants to deport the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants, has declared his support for McCain. "I expect to be supporting him in November," Tancredo told TIME last week. "But certainly it is not set in stone."
In other words, he still holds out hope of pressuring McCain to shift his positions on immigration, or at least not moderate them, by threatening to resort to the kind of public criticism that could erode the Republican base in key states. On Tuesday, Tancredo shot off a warning flare of sorts in the form of a public letter calling on McCain to clarify his position on immigration reform. "Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part," Tancredo said in an inteview. "I guess I am holding out hope that when he says he 'got the message,' that means something."
Tancredo is not the only one unclear about McCain's immigration position after the contentious primary campaign, in which the issue regularly polled as the second most important among likely Republcian voters, next to the Iraq war. "I will tell you, there is some confusion right now, some need for clarity," says Janet Murguía, the president of the National Council of La Raza, a Latino advocacy group. "There are some folks in our country who are confused about exactly where he is."
For months, that confusion has been somewhat intentional on the part of the McCain campaign. It was the issue of immigration, after all, that almost sunk McCain's candidacy back in the summer of 2007, when the Senate debated and defeated a comprehensive immigration bill that was dubbed the McCain-Kennedy bill and derided as an "amnesty bill" by opponents. After the defeat, McCain's public rhetoric on the issue changed significantly, even as his actual position only altered slightly. "I got the message," he told Republican crowds hundreds of times in the early voting states. "We will secure the borders first."
But in public comments, McCain often delivered a somewhat mixed message of his own. He continued to favor all the parts of his comprehensive plan — border security, increased employer sanctions for illegal hiring and a path to citizenship for the undocumented — but he mostly refrained from using the word "comprehensive." Instead, he spoke of a two-stage solution. First, he would secure the borders, a process that would be certified by border state governors. Then he would push for a process to allow the 12 million undocumented immigrants to become full citizens.
More recently, however, McCain has switched back to his earlier rhetoric on the issue. In late May, he took time at an event in California to point out that he had worked with Sen. Ted Kennedy on the immigration bill. "We must enact comprehensive immigration reform, and we must make it a top agenda item," he said. A couple of weeks later, McCain released the first ads of his general election campaign — for Spanish-language radio in Nevada and New Mexico. This week, he plans to travel to Colombia and Mexico, to burnish his credentials as a leader who understands Latin America. Next month, he will address La Raza at its annual conference in San Diego, along with Democrat Barack Obama.
The reason is not hard to fathom. McCain's campaign has already announced that it expects to do well among Hispanic voters, especially in key states like New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. (President Bush won about 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2004, though most public polls now show McCain getting just under 30% of the same group, compared with 60% for Obama.) McCain aides openly talk about how the immigration issue that was a burden for their candidate in the primary could become an asset in the general election.
And that is exactly the kind of talk that concerns Tancredo, who has announced that he will be leaving Congress after this term to try to clamp down on illegal immigration at the state and local level. He plans to continue to warn McCain, raising the dark specter of Republicans failing to show up at the polls in November. "It's awfully shaky," Tancredo says of the Republican base. "That's why I think it is disastrous to do something that gets into the 'comprehensive' approach."
As of now, however, Tancredo's talk is just that. And the fact that an immigration hardliner like Tancredo plans to pull the lever for McCain suggests that the Republican immigration backlash he threatens may not materialize this fall.
— With reporting by Marti Covington/Washington
HISPANIC CHAMBER ACTIVELY LOBBIED AGAINST BILLS
Latinos' lobbyist
State Hispanic Chamber's first president wants to improve perceptions of community
By Ashley Petry / Star correspondent
Wilson "Wil" Reyes gets fired up when he talks about the immigration bills presented this year in the state legislature.
As a board member for the Indiana State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Reyes actively lobbied against those bills, which he says would have unfairly burdened Hispanic business owners who are U.S. citizens.
The bills -- which targeted business owners who hire illegal workers -- did not become law, but they did ignite Reyes' passion to improve perceptions of the local Latino community.
In late May, Reyes became the first president of the Hispanic chamber and is the nonprofit's only paid staff member.
"I think there needs to be an education of who we are and what we can bring to the table," said Reyes, who owns several Indianapolis furniture businesses.
As chamber president, Reyes will serve as spokesman for thousands of Hispanic business owners across the state.
The Census Bureau identified 5,482 Hispanic-owned businesses in the state, with sales and receipts totaling $792 million. Those figures are from 2002, the latest year for which data are available. The census indicated a 28 percent rise in the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in Indiana from 1997 to 2002.
About 4.7 percent of the state's population, or 300,000 people, identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey.
Reyes said he has three goals: to raise funds, provide education and increase membership.
The organization, founded in 2001, has about 500 members, of whom 160 are from the Greater Indianapolis area.
Because Reyes has a teaching background, he is an ideal fit for the chamber's educational mission, said Mary Jane Gonzalez, chairwoman of the chamber's board of directors.
"It really is a match for what we need to do moving the organization forward," she said.
A recent study conducted by the Hispanic Business Council, part of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, showed that about 45 percent of Hispanic small-business owners in Indianapolis have a high school education or less.
About 37 percent of the 190 businesses surveyed had written business plans, and about half had sought minority business enterprise status, which can help them secure government contracts.
According to the HBC survey, about a quarter of Hispanic- owned small businesses in Indiana are in the restaurant industry. Another 27 percent are involved in wholesale and retail distribution, and 15 percent offer professional services.
Respondents indicated their greatest needs were for mentoring opportunities, marketing and sales services, accounting assistance and business training.
But the businesses reported different needs based on their level of integration in the community, which the survey measured by determining types of customers served and kinds of products or services offered.
The survey divided the businesses into four quadrants. Businesses categorized as "highly segmented" tended to provide mainly Hispanic products and services to Hispanic customers. At the opposite end of the spectrum, businesses categorized as "highly integrated" offered non-Hispanic products and services to the non- Hispanic community.
Business owners in the highly segmented category tended to have less education and a lower level of English language proficiency. Only 22.7 percent of those business owners reported having written business plans.
"The logic is that they have different needs. I can't provide the same services to all of them. I can't see it as a homogeneous community," said Roberto Curci, a Butler University finance professor whose consulting company, Latinus Group Enterprise Facilitators, was involved in the survey.
"There are limited resources and limited time, and the question is: Where can (the chamber) get the most value out of their investment?"
So far, the Hispanic chamber has focused on providing monthly workshops covering business topics, such as marketing, business-plan development, and compliance with state and federal business regulations. Those meetings tend to attract 25 to 30 members, Gonzalez said.
As Reyes expands the chamber's educational programs, he also must focus on fundraising efforts. New initiatives may include an intramural business soccer tournament, a traveling business expo, a golf tournament, and an expo related to the quinceanera, a celebration and rite of passage for Latino girls on their 15th birthdays.
Reyes also plans to start a scholarship program for Hispanic students and increase the number of chamber networking events.
As the organization attempts to attract more members, it must prove it offers valuable benefits to Hispanic business owners, said Gustavo Escalante, business advocacy manager for the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Business Council.
"If they can build that trust with the community, I think that's going to be a major accomplishment for the (Hispanic) chamber," he said.
State Hispanic Chamber's first president wants to improve perceptions of community
By Ashley Petry / Star correspondent
Wilson "Wil" Reyes gets fired up when he talks about the immigration bills presented this year in the state legislature.
As a board member for the Indiana State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Reyes actively lobbied against those bills, which he says would have unfairly burdened Hispanic business owners who are U.S. citizens.
The bills -- which targeted business owners who hire illegal workers -- did not become law, but they did ignite Reyes' passion to improve perceptions of the local Latino community.
In late May, Reyes became the first president of the Hispanic chamber and is the nonprofit's only paid staff member.
"I think there needs to be an education of who we are and what we can bring to the table," said Reyes, who owns several Indianapolis furniture businesses.
As chamber president, Reyes will serve as spokesman for thousands of Hispanic business owners across the state.
The Census Bureau identified 5,482 Hispanic-owned businesses in the state, with sales and receipts totaling $792 million. Those figures are from 2002, the latest year for which data are available. The census indicated a 28 percent rise in the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in Indiana from 1997 to 2002.
About 4.7 percent of the state's population, or 300,000 people, identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 American Community Survey.
Reyes said he has three goals: to raise funds, provide education and increase membership.
The organization, founded in 2001, has about 500 members, of whom 160 are from the Greater Indianapolis area.
Because Reyes has a teaching background, he is an ideal fit for the chamber's educational mission, said Mary Jane Gonzalez, chairwoman of the chamber's board of directors.
"It really is a match for what we need to do moving the organization forward," she said.
A recent study conducted by the Hispanic Business Council, part of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, showed that about 45 percent of Hispanic small-business owners in Indianapolis have a high school education or less.
About 37 percent of the 190 businesses surveyed had written business plans, and about half had sought minority business enterprise status, which can help them secure government contracts.
According to the HBC survey, about a quarter of Hispanic- owned small businesses in Indiana are in the restaurant industry. Another 27 percent are involved in wholesale and retail distribution, and 15 percent offer professional services.
Respondents indicated their greatest needs were for mentoring opportunities, marketing and sales services, accounting assistance and business training.
But the businesses reported different needs based on their level of integration in the community, which the survey measured by determining types of customers served and kinds of products or services offered.
The survey divided the businesses into four quadrants. Businesses categorized as "highly segmented" tended to provide mainly Hispanic products and services to Hispanic customers. At the opposite end of the spectrum, businesses categorized as "highly integrated" offered non-Hispanic products and services to the non- Hispanic community.
Business owners in the highly segmented category tended to have less education and a lower level of English language proficiency. Only 22.7 percent of those business owners reported having written business plans.
"The logic is that they have different needs. I can't provide the same services to all of them. I can't see it as a homogeneous community," said Roberto Curci, a Butler University finance professor whose consulting company, Latinus Group Enterprise Facilitators, was involved in the survey.
"There are limited resources and limited time, and the question is: Where can (the chamber) get the most value out of their investment?"
So far, the Hispanic chamber has focused on providing monthly workshops covering business topics, such as marketing, business-plan development, and compliance with state and federal business regulations. Those meetings tend to attract 25 to 30 members, Gonzalez said.
As Reyes expands the chamber's educational programs, he also must focus on fundraising efforts. New initiatives may include an intramural business soccer tournament, a traveling business expo, a golf tournament, and an expo related to the quinceanera, a celebration and rite of passage for Latino girls on their 15th birthdays.
Reyes also plans to start a scholarship program for Hispanic students and increase the number of chamber networking events.
As the organization attempts to attract more members, it must prove it offers valuable benefits to Hispanic business owners, said Gustavo Escalante, business advocacy manager for the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Business Council.
"If they can build that trust with the community, I think that's going to be a major accomplishment for the (Hispanic) chamber," he said.
LATINO GROWTH HELPS SMALL TOWNS
Births fueling Hispanic growth
By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY
Births, not immigration, now account for most of the growth in the nation's Hispanic population, a distinct reversal of trends of the past 30 years.
The Hispanic baby boom is transforming the demographics of small-town America in a dramatic way. Some rural counties where the population had been shrinking and aging are growing because of Hispanic immigration and births and now must provide services for the young.
"In all of the uproar over immigration, this is getting missed," says Kenneth Johnson, demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute. "All the focus is on immigration, immigration, immigration. At some point, it's not. It's natural increase."
This natural increase — more births than deaths — is accelerating among Hispanics in the USA because they are younger than the U.S. population as a whole. Their median age is 27.4, compared with 37.9 overall, 40.8 for whites, 35.4 for Asians and 31.1 for blacks.
Because they are younger and likely to have more children, Hispanics are having an impact that far outlasts their initial entry into the country.
From 2000 to 2007, the Hispanic population grew by 10.2 million — 58.6% from natural increase. The total U.S. population grew 20.2 million, about 60% from natural increase, in that period. About 6.8 million Hispanics were born and 812,000 died, according to Johnson's research of data from the National Center for Health Statistics.
In some established immigrant gateways such as Los Angeles and Chicago, all the Hispanic growth comes from natural increase, according to Johnson's analysis.
The impact on rural America is seen in areas such as Bureau and Putnam counties, Ill., where dentist Ernesto Villalobos treats a growing Hispanic population. Since the counties' health department dental clinic in the rural part of north-central Illinois hired the Spanish-speaking Villalobos about three years ago, the number of patients has grown from 3,000 to 8,000.
The growth of Hispanic populations in parts of the country where few lived previously has intensified this decade. From 2000 to 2005, 221 counties would not have grown except for Hispanics, according to research by Johnson and Daniel Lichter at Cornell University. Their findings are reported in this month's Population and Development Review, a demographic journal published by the Population Council.
For declining counties, many in the Great Plains, the growth in young Hispanics may be the only way out of a population spiral.
"Demographically, they can't recover unless something like this happens," Johnson says. "There's no way older white populations can replace themselves."
Because more than half of births to Hispanic immigrants are to low-income women who have no high school degree, a natural population increase challenges communities, says Steve Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies, which promotes limits on immigration.
"It's a huge growth in low-income population and low tax payments," he says. "If the town is not viable economically, immigration is not going to fix that problem."
By Haya El Nasser, USA TODAY
Births, not immigration, now account for most of the growth in the nation's Hispanic population, a distinct reversal of trends of the past 30 years.
The Hispanic baby boom is transforming the demographics of small-town America in a dramatic way. Some rural counties where the population had been shrinking and aging are growing because of Hispanic immigration and births and now must provide services for the young.
"In all of the uproar over immigration, this is getting missed," says Kenneth Johnson, demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute. "All the focus is on immigration, immigration, immigration. At some point, it's not. It's natural increase."
This natural increase — more births than deaths — is accelerating among Hispanics in the USA because they are younger than the U.S. population as a whole. Their median age is 27.4, compared with 37.9 overall, 40.8 for whites, 35.4 for Asians and 31.1 for blacks.
Because they are younger and likely to have more children, Hispanics are having an impact that far outlasts their initial entry into the country.
From 2000 to 2007, the Hispanic population grew by 10.2 million — 58.6% from natural increase. The total U.S. population grew 20.2 million, about 60% from natural increase, in that period. About 6.8 million Hispanics were born and 812,000 died, according to Johnson's research of data from the National Center for Health Statistics.
In some established immigrant gateways such as Los Angeles and Chicago, all the Hispanic growth comes from natural increase, according to Johnson's analysis.
The impact on rural America is seen in areas such as Bureau and Putnam counties, Ill., where dentist Ernesto Villalobos treats a growing Hispanic population. Since the counties' health department dental clinic in the rural part of north-central Illinois hired the Spanish-speaking Villalobos about three years ago, the number of patients has grown from 3,000 to 8,000.
The growth of Hispanic populations in parts of the country where few lived previously has intensified this decade. From 2000 to 2005, 221 counties would not have grown except for Hispanics, according to research by Johnson and Daniel Lichter at Cornell University. Their findings are reported in this month's Population and Development Review, a demographic journal published by the Population Council.
For declining counties, many in the Great Plains, the growth in young Hispanics may be the only way out of a population spiral.
"Demographically, they can't recover unless something like this happens," Johnson says. "There's no way older white populations can replace themselves."
Because more than half of births to Hispanic immigrants are to low-income women who have no high school degree, a natural population increase challenges communities, says Steve Camarota, research director at the Center for Immigration Studies, which promotes limits on immigration.
"It's a huge growth in low-income population and low tax payments," he says. "If the town is not viable economically, immigration is not going to fix that problem."
FOCUS GROUPS KEY TO ELECTION?
How Focus Groups Reshaped the 1988 Presidential Campaign
-- Robert G. Kaiser – WASHINGTON POST
Polls rarely produce specific consequences in a political campaign, but focus groups often do. In one case, two focus groups shaped an entire presidential campaign.
That was in 1988, when Lee Atwater and Roger Ailes (now president of Fox News) were in charge of George H.W. Bush's run for the White House. That May, they convened back-to-back focus groups in Paramus, N.J. Each consisted of 15 voters who favored or leaned toward Michael Dukakis, then the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Ailes and Atwater had prepared versions of Dukakis's past statements and positions on prison furloughs, the Pledge of Allegiance, gun control and other issues they hoped to exploit in the fall. According to Paul Taylor's book on the '88 race, "See How They Run," Dukakis's support plummeted in both groups after the material was read to them by the focus-group leader.
"I realized right then and there that the sky was the limit on Dukakis's negatives," Atwater told Taylor. "I knew we had the wherewithal to win." And they did, with the most negative campaign for president in modern times. Bush concentrated that fall on all the issues raised in those two focus groups.
John Russonello, a partner in the consulting firm Belden, Russonello & Stewart, recalls a less dramatic example from Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign. Russonello used a focus group of Latino voters in Albuquerque, N.M., to test a Spanish-language commercial for Clinton. He realized at once that the group hated the ads. Why? The participants told him the commercial was obviously made in Los Angeles and featured a Mexican American announcer whose Spanish and accent sounded foreign in Albuquerque. The commercial was redone for New Mexican viewers.
Russonello recounts another focus group experience in California in 2005, when a supremely confident and popular Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed ballot initiatives that would allow him to cut spending on education and make it more difficult for schoolteachers to win tenure. Hired by the California Teachers Association, Russonello convened focus groups to test reactions to these proposals. A person in one focus group commented that Schwarzenegger had "broken his promise" -- made during his campaign for governor -- to improve schools. That became the theme of a well-financed campaign against the ballot initiatives. Schwarzenegger's proposals lost badly and his approval rating fell from the 70s to the 30s.
"You could see the emotion in the room when people said he broke his promise," Russonello said. "That's what you look for in focus groups that you can't get from a survey."
-- Robert G. Kaiser – WASHINGTON POST
Polls rarely produce specific consequences in a political campaign, but focus groups often do. In one case, two focus groups shaped an entire presidential campaign.
That was in 1988, when Lee Atwater and Roger Ailes (now president of Fox News) were in charge of George H.W. Bush's run for the White House. That May, they convened back-to-back focus groups in Paramus, N.J. Each consisted of 15 voters who favored or leaned toward Michael Dukakis, then the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Ailes and Atwater had prepared versions of Dukakis's past statements and positions on prison furloughs, the Pledge of Allegiance, gun control and other issues they hoped to exploit in the fall. According to Paul Taylor's book on the '88 race, "See How They Run," Dukakis's support plummeted in both groups after the material was read to them by the focus-group leader.
"I realized right then and there that the sky was the limit on Dukakis's negatives," Atwater told Taylor. "I knew we had the wherewithal to win." And they did, with the most negative campaign for president in modern times. Bush concentrated that fall on all the issues raised in those two focus groups.
John Russonello, a partner in the consulting firm Belden, Russonello & Stewart, recalls a less dramatic example from Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign. Russonello used a focus group of Latino voters in Albuquerque, N.M., to test a Spanish-language commercial for Clinton. He realized at once that the group hated the ads. Why? The participants told him the commercial was obviously made in Los Angeles and featured a Mexican American announcer whose Spanish and accent sounded foreign in Albuquerque. The commercial was redone for New Mexican viewers.
Russonello recounts another focus group experience in California in 2005, when a supremely confident and popular Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed ballot initiatives that would allow him to cut spending on education and make it more difficult for schoolteachers to win tenure. Hired by the California Teachers Association, Russonello convened focus groups to test reactions to these proposals. A person in one focus group commented that Schwarzenegger had "broken his promise" -- made during his campaign for governor -- to improve schools. That became the theme of a well-financed campaign against the ballot initiatives. Schwarzenegger's proposals lost badly and his approval rating fell from the 70s to the 30s.
"You could see the emotion in the room when people said he broke his promise," Russonello said. "That's what you look for in focus groups that you can't get from a survey."
Saturday, June 28, 2008
MCCAIN AND OBAMA TALK TO LATINO ELECTED OFFICIALS
McCain, Obama Woo Latino Voters in Dueling Speeches
By [bn:PRSN=1] Edwin Chen [] and Kristin Jensen
June 28 (Bloomberg) -- Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama wooed government officials from the nation's growing Latino community today in dueling Washington speeches.
Both McCain and Obama need support from Latinos, one of the fastest-growing groups of voters in the U.S. A nationwide Gallup poll last month found 62 percent of Hispanics favored Obama, compared with 29 percent for McCain. A June Wall Street Journal- NBC poll came up with similar numbers.
McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, tailored his standard campaign themes for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. In arguing against tax increases, for instance, he noted that the 2 million Latino- owned small business owners would be especially hard hit.
``The first consideration we should have when debating tax policy is how we can help those companies grow and increase the prosperity of the millions of American families whose economic security depends on their success,'' the Arizona senator said.
Obama, an Illinois senator and the presumptive Democratic nominee, spoke to the group after McCain. He sought to connect with the audience by invoking his historic candidacy as the first black nominee of a major U.S. political party, saying he hoped the first Latino nominee was somewhere in the audience.
Break From Republicans
Obama argued for a break from McCain's Republican Party after the two-term presidency of George W. Bush.
``For eight long years, Washington hasn't been working for ordinary Americans,'' Obama said. ``And few have been hit harder than Latinos and African-Americans,'' he said, adding, ``you know we need change in this country.''
McCain has done well among Hispanics in his Senate races, winning 70 percent of the Latino vote in his last re-election bid. His party, however, suffered from a divisive immigration debate in Congress, winning just 30 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2006, down more than 10 points from 2004.
McCain worked with Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts to craft legislation that offered a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants that many Republicans criticized as ``amnesty.'' The measure failed, and McCain now says the U.S. must first secure its borders before devising a guest-worker program.
Immigration
Today, he vowed to press again for an overhaul of immigration laws.
``It'll be my top priority yesterday, today and tomorrow,'' McCain told the group. ``We must also understand that there are 12 million people who are here, and they're here illegally and they are God's children.''
Obama also pledged to make immigration a priority, saying that the issue had been ``demagogued.'' He said he favors greater border security, a path to citizenship and a crackdown on employers exploiting workers.
Both candidates also talked about energy. McCain made a case for energy exploration in the U.S. and off its coasts.
``When futures traders believe the supply of oil will increase in the years ahead and the cost of a barrel of oil will be lower, it will help curb some of the speculation in those markets that are driving prices so much higher today,'' he said.
Obama focused on the need for alternative energies, a theme echoed by one of his most prominent Hispanic supporters, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
Obama's Energy Plan
Richardson, who headed the Energy Department under former Democratic President Bill Clinton, said during today's Democratic Radio address that Obama's energy plan will provide ``immediate relief'' to voters while reducing U.S. dependency on foreign oil over time.
``Barack Obama is offering a serious national commitment to transition our economy from our dependence on oil to clean, affordable sources of energy,'' Richardson said.
Foreign policy and the war in Iraq became an issue during the forum today as well.
McCain was interrupted four times by protesters. One man shouted ``the surge has failed,'' referring to a policy he supported to send additional troops to quell violence in Iraq. A woman earlier yelled, ``your silence is consent to war crimes.'' All of the protesters were escorted out of the room.
McCain, a Navy veteran who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, is emphasizing his experience on national security. He met today with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Washington, telling reporters afterward that ``we're winning in Iraq and we'll withdraw, but we'll withdraw with victory and honor.''
Iraq War
Obama, 46, has long been against the war in Iraq and opposed the troop surge. Today, he spent his morning visiting wounded troops at Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and later earned applause from the Latino leaders by promising to withdraw troops.
``We have to bring the war in Iraq to a respectable, responsible and honorable end,'' Obama said. ``This war was ill- conceived from the start.''
Obama has faced criticism from Republicans for a lack of foreign policy experience and for taking so long to visit Iraq again after a 2006 trip. His campaign today said he will visit the U.K., Germany, France, Jordan and Israel by the end of August; they wouldn't confirm an Iraq trip.
McCain, 71, is planning some foreign travel of his own, with trips to Colombia and Mexico beginning July 1.
To contact the reporters on this story: Edwin Chen in Washington at echen32@bloomberg.net; Kristin Jensen in Washington at kjensen@bloomberg.net
By [bn:PRSN=1] Edwin Chen [] and Kristin Jensen
June 28 (Bloomberg) -- Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama wooed government officials from the nation's growing Latino community today in dueling Washington speeches.
Both McCain and Obama need support from Latinos, one of the fastest-growing groups of voters in the U.S. A nationwide Gallup poll last month found 62 percent of Hispanics favored Obama, compared with 29 percent for McCain. A June Wall Street Journal- NBC poll came up with similar numbers.
McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, tailored his standard campaign themes for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. In arguing against tax increases, for instance, he noted that the 2 million Latino- owned small business owners would be especially hard hit.
``The first consideration we should have when debating tax policy is how we can help those companies grow and increase the prosperity of the millions of American families whose economic security depends on their success,'' the Arizona senator said.
Obama, an Illinois senator and the presumptive Democratic nominee, spoke to the group after McCain. He sought to connect with the audience by invoking his historic candidacy as the first black nominee of a major U.S. political party, saying he hoped the first Latino nominee was somewhere in the audience.
Break From Republicans
Obama argued for a break from McCain's Republican Party after the two-term presidency of George W. Bush.
``For eight long years, Washington hasn't been working for ordinary Americans,'' Obama said. ``And few have been hit harder than Latinos and African-Americans,'' he said, adding, ``you know we need change in this country.''
McCain has done well among Hispanics in his Senate races, winning 70 percent of the Latino vote in his last re-election bid. His party, however, suffered from a divisive immigration debate in Congress, winning just 30 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2006, down more than 10 points from 2004.
McCain worked with Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts to craft legislation that offered a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants that many Republicans criticized as ``amnesty.'' The measure failed, and McCain now says the U.S. must first secure its borders before devising a guest-worker program.
Immigration
Today, he vowed to press again for an overhaul of immigration laws.
``It'll be my top priority yesterday, today and tomorrow,'' McCain told the group. ``We must also understand that there are 12 million people who are here, and they're here illegally and they are God's children.''
Obama also pledged to make immigration a priority, saying that the issue had been ``demagogued.'' He said he favors greater border security, a path to citizenship and a crackdown on employers exploiting workers.
Both candidates also talked about energy. McCain made a case for energy exploration in the U.S. and off its coasts.
``When futures traders believe the supply of oil will increase in the years ahead and the cost of a barrel of oil will be lower, it will help curb some of the speculation in those markets that are driving prices so much higher today,'' he said.
Obama focused on the need for alternative energies, a theme echoed by one of his most prominent Hispanic supporters, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
Obama's Energy Plan
Richardson, who headed the Energy Department under former Democratic President Bill Clinton, said during today's Democratic Radio address that Obama's energy plan will provide ``immediate relief'' to voters while reducing U.S. dependency on foreign oil over time.
``Barack Obama is offering a serious national commitment to transition our economy from our dependence on oil to clean, affordable sources of energy,'' Richardson said.
Foreign policy and the war in Iraq became an issue during the forum today as well.
McCain was interrupted four times by protesters. One man shouted ``the surge has failed,'' referring to a policy he supported to send additional troops to quell violence in Iraq. A woman earlier yelled, ``your silence is consent to war crimes.'' All of the protesters were escorted out of the room.
McCain, a Navy veteran who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, is emphasizing his experience on national security. He met today with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Washington, telling reporters afterward that ``we're winning in Iraq and we'll withdraw, but we'll withdraw with victory and honor.''
Iraq War
Obama, 46, has long been against the war in Iraq and opposed the troop surge. Today, he spent his morning visiting wounded troops at Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and later earned applause from the Latino leaders by promising to withdraw troops.
``We have to bring the war in Iraq to a respectable, responsible and honorable end,'' Obama said. ``This war was ill- conceived from the start.''
Obama has faced criticism from Republicans for a lack of foreign policy experience and for taking so long to visit Iraq again after a 2006 trip. His campaign today said he will visit the U.K., Germany, France, Jordan and Israel by the end of August; they wouldn't confirm an Iraq trip.
McCain, 71, is planning some foreign travel of his own, with trips to Colombia and Mexico beginning July 1.
To contact the reporters on this story: Edwin Chen in Washington at echen32@bloomberg.net; Kristin Jensen in Washington at kjensen@bloomberg.net
LATINO PAIR PUSH OBAMA IN INLAND REGION
Inland pair shaping Obama's push to win over Latino voters
By BEN GOAD Press Enterprise Washington Bureau
Barack Obama is relying heavily on two Inland men to help him win the Latino vote, which was exposed as a huge weakness in his primary campaign.
The Illinois senator and presumed Democratic presidential nominee in recent days tapped Cuauhtémoc "Temo" Figueroa, a lifelong political operative from Riverside County, to oversee the campaign's efforts to win over Latinos, a group that went heavily for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in almost every state.
Obama is also asking Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, to mobilize the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, an influential and somewhat reluctant group of lawmakers, who, like caucus Chairman Baca, were mostly in the Clinton camp until she suspended her campaign this month.
Cuauhtémoc "Temo" Figueroa leads the Obama campaign's efforts to reach out to Latino voters. Figueroa, seen here working in Iowa in December, was previously the campaign's national field director.
In return, Obama has promised to campaign here, Baca said this week.
"He will be coming to the Inland Empire," Baca said. "He knows the Inland Empire, along with the Central Valley, are pivotal in terms of California."
The state has gone to Democrats in presidential elections for the past two decades and is generally expected to do so in November. But Obama's opponent, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has said he will not concede California without a fight.
McCain appeared in Riverside this week for a fundraiser. Obama has yet to set foot in the region.
Figueroa, who grew up in Blythe, attended college in Riverside and worked for the late Rep. George Brown, D-San Bernardino, said the Obama campaign isn't too concerned about California. He suggested McCain would have to spend big bucks on advertising to be competitive in the Golden State.
"If he's committed to winning California, he's got to find $35 million somewhere," Figueroa said Monday. "And then it's game on."
Democrats are, however, concerned about Hispanic voters.
"Latino voters will decide who will be the next president of the United States," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, predicted Thursday during a speech at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Leaders' annual conference in Washington.
Obama and McCain are both scheduled to address the conference today.
A National Strategy
The fight for the Latino vote will play out across the country, particularly in such states as New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Florida -- battleground states that have burgeoning Hispanic populations.
Figueroa, who previously served as Obama's national field director, said he is organizing 400 paid Latino organizers, who will be sent to the four states with tailored messages and talking points designed to woo specific Hispanic communities.
"I want to have a bunch of Puerto Ricans talking to Puerto Ricans in Orlando," Figueroa said. "There's a plan for every state. The numbers have been dissected."
Beginning next month, the Obama camp will launch a massive Spanish-language advertising campaign that will air around the country until the November election. Though Figueroa declined to reveal his budget, he said the campaign would eclipse "by a long shot" the amount spent on paid Spanish-language advertisements in any previous election.
Figueroa's strategy is designed to introduce Obama to Latinos. McCain has far less money than Obama, but the senator from Arizona -- another state with a significant Latino population -- is better known and already popular among Hispanic voters, in part because of his stance on immigration. McCain co-sponsored a bill that included a provision that would have provided undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship before he began his campaign. He has since toned down his stance on the issue.
"Senator McCain has a long relationship with the Latino community," said McCain spokeswoman Hessy Fernendez. "They know John McCain. They know he's a fighter."
Story continues below
Switching Support
To counter McCain's existing bond with Latinos, Figueroa is counting on Democratic members of Congress to act as surrogates. In her first speech since ending her campaign, Clinton on Thursday implored the Latino elected officials to get behind Obama.
Members of the Hispanic Caucus who supported the former first lady have endorsed Obama publicly, but words and action could be the difference between getting Clinton's primary voters merely to favor Obama and getting them to actually go out to cast ballots for him.
And thus far, some caucus members, particularly the female members, have sent mixed signals.
At a meeting last week between Obama and the caucus in Washington, the only Latina to show up was Rep. Linda Sanchez D-Lakewood, an early Obama supporter. She left the meeting early without taking questions from reporters.
The four other female members of the caucus did not appear.
Sanchez and her sister, Rep. Loretta Sanchez , D-Santa Ana, and other Latina representatives clashed with Baca last year after Loretta Sanchez accused him of calling her a "whore." Baca denied ever saying that.
Latina caucus members also complained that they weren't being heard because the men were dominating the group.
Baca said this week that Hispanic lawmakers need to look past personal issues and loyalties and focus on the importance of having a Democrat in the White House.
"Whether they want to work hard or not, whether they want to be with him, that's their choice," Baca said.
Once they've committed, Figueroa said he plans to put the lawmakers to work. Rather than holding the usual catered receptions to reward supportive lawmakers, he uses planning sessions to chart a plan of action focused on how best to use the officials on the campaign trail.
"I hope John McCain's supporters are all boozing it up," he said. "We're going with water and a lot of butcher paper. I want them to work."
For his part, Baca has committed to traveling to Colorado, Nevada and his native New Mexico to campaign for Obama.
In the Inland area, local Latino activists are organizing on behalf of Obama. Last week, the Riverside-based National Alliance for Human Rights launched "Viva Obama" clubs aimed at corralling Latino votes for the senator. The group today is holding a Latino Leadership Summit in San Bernardino to discuss strategy and plan voter mobilization efforts.
Obama's appearance in the Inland area, which has not yet been scheduled, will send an important message to the region's Democratic voters, said Jose Medina, an Obama delegate from Riverside in Washington for the Latino conference.
"The Inland Empire doesn't want to be taken for granted," he said. "People remember that 40 years ago, Robert Kennedy was in Riverside. ... I think it would make a huge impact."
Reporter David Olson contributed to this report.
Reach Ben Goad at 202-661-8422 or bgoad@PE.com
By BEN GOAD Press Enterprise Washington Bureau
Barack Obama is relying heavily on two Inland men to help him win the Latino vote, which was exposed as a huge weakness in his primary campaign.
The Illinois senator and presumed Democratic presidential nominee in recent days tapped Cuauhtémoc "Temo" Figueroa, a lifelong political operative from Riverside County, to oversee the campaign's efforts to win over Latinos, a group that went heavily for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in almost every state.
Obama is also asking Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, to mobilize the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, an influential and somewhat reluctant group of lawmakers, who, like caucus Chairman Baca, were mostly in the Clinton camp until she suspended her campaign this month.
Cuauhtémoc "Temo" Figueroa leads the Obama campaign's efforts to reach out to Latino voters. Figueroa, seen here working in Iowa in December, was previously the campaign's national field director.
In return, Obama has promised to campaign here, Baca said this week.
"He will be coming to the Inland Empire," Baca said. "He knows the Inland Empire, along with the Central Valley, are pivotal in terms of California."
The state has gone to Democrats in presidential elections for the past two decades and is generally expected to do so in November. But Obama's opponent, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has said he will not concede California without a fight.
McCain appeared in Riverside this week for a fundraiser. Obama has yet to set foot in the region.
Figueroa, who grew up in Blythe, attended college in Riverside and worked for the late Rep. George Brown, D-San Bernardino, said the Obama campaign isn't too concerned about California. He suggested McCain would have to spend big bucks on advertising to be competitive in the Golden State.
"If he's committed to winning California, he's got to find $35 million somewhere," Figueroa said Monday. "And then it's game on."
Democrats are, however, concerned about Hispanic voters.
"Latino voters will decide who will be the next president of the United States," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, predicted Thursday during a speech at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Leaders' annual conference in Washington.
Obama and McCain are both scheduled to address the conference today.
A National Strategy
The fight for the Latino vote will play out across the country, particularly in such states as New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Florida -- battleground states that have burgeoning Hispanic populations.
Figueroa, who previously served as Obama's national field director, said he is organizing 400 paid Latino organizers, who will be sent to the four states with tailored messages and talking points designed to woo specific Hispanic communities.
"I want to have a bunch of Puerto Ricans talking to Puerto Ricans in Orlando," Figueroa said. "There's a plan for every state. The numbers have been dissected."
Beginning next month, the Obama camp will launch a massive Spanish-language advertising campaign that will air around the country until the November election. Though Figueroa declined to reveal his budget, he said the campaign would eclipse "by a long shot" the amount spent on paid Spanish-language advertisements in any previous election.
Figueroa's strategy is designed to introduce Obama to Latinos. McCain has far less money than Obama, but the senator from Arizona -- another state with a significant Latino population -- is better known and already popular among Hispanic voters, in part because of his stance on immigration. McCain co-sponsored a bill that included a provision that would have provided undocumented immigrants with a pathway to citizenship before he began his campaign. He has since toned down his stance on the issue.
"Senator McCain has a long relationship with the Latino community," said McCain spokeswoman Hessy Fernendez. "They know John McCain. They know he's a fighter."
Story continues below
Switching Support
To counter McCain's existing bond with Latinos, Figueroa is counting on Democratic members of Congress to act as surrogates. In her first speech since ending her campaign, Clinton on Thursday implored the Latino elected officials to get behind Obama.
Members of the Hispanic Caucus who supported the former first lady have endorsed Obama publicly, but words and action could be the difference between getting Clinton's primary voters merely to favor Obama and getting them to actually go out to cast ballots for him.
And thus far, some caucus members, particularly the female members, have sent mixed signals.
At a meeting last week between Obama and the caucus in Washington, the only Latina to show up was Rep. Linda Sanchez D-Lakewood, an early Obama supporter. She left the meeting early without taking questions from reporters.
The four other female members of the caucus did not appear.
Sanchez and her sister, Rep. Loretta Sanchez , D-Santa Ana, and other Latina representatives clashed with Baca last year after Loretta Sanchez accused him of calling her a "whore." Baca denied ever saying that.
Latina caucus members also complained that they weren't being heard because the men were dominating the group.
Baca said this week that Hispanic lawmakers need to look past personal issues and loyalties and focus on the importance of having a Democrat in the White House.
"Whether they want to work hard or not, whether they want to be with him, that's their choice," Baca said.
Once they've committed, Figueroa said he plans to put the lawmakers to work. Rather than holding the usual catered receptions to reward supportive lawmakers, he uses planning sessions to chart a plan of action focused on how best to use the officials on the campaign trail.
"I hope John McCain's supporters are all boozing it up," he said. "We're going with water and a lot of butcher paper. I want them to work."
For his part, Baca has committed to traveling to Colorado, Nevada and his native New Mexico to campaign for Obama.
In the Inland area, local Latino activists are organizing on behalf of Obama. Last week, the Riverside-based National Alliance for Human Rights launched "Viva Obama" clubs aimed at corralling Latino votes for the senator. The group today is holding a Latino Leadership Summit in San Bernardino to discuss strategy and plan voter mobilization efforts.
Obama's appearance in the Inland area, which has not yet been scheduled, will send an important message to the region's Democratic voters, said Jose Medina, an Obama delegate from Riverside in Washington for the Latino conference.
"The Inland Empire doesn't want to be taken for granted," he said. "People remember that 40 years ago, Robert Kennedy was in Riverside. ... I think it would make a huge impact."
Reporter David Olson contributed to this report.
Reach Ben Goad at 202-661-8422 or bgoad@PE.com
Friday, June 27, 2008
BUSH GETS NOSTALGIC AT HISPANIC PRAYER BREAKFAST
At his final National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast this morning, President Bush got a little nostalgic.
He noted that five injured servicemen were in the audience from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and asked if he could have his picture taken with them. "I'm impressed, deeply impressed, by those who wear our nation's uniform," Bush said. "This, like, might not be on the schedule but if you five guys would mind letting me have my picture taken with you, I'd be honored."
He thanked Americans for their prayers over the years, saying: "It's amazing, you would think they would come up and say, 'I'd like a new highway, or how about an additional bridge.' But no, total strangers come and say, 'I just want you to know we lift you up in prayer.'" The effect, he said: "I'm finally beginning to understand the story of the calm in the rough seas."
And he made a joke at his own expense. Noting that "I stand with you for the final time as your sitting president," Bush said that "next year in Crawford, Laura and I are going to have a different kind of prayer breakfast. I'll be cooking the eggs -- and she'll be praying I don't burn them."
-- Johanna Neuman
He noted that five injured servicemen were in the audience from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and asked if he could have his picture taken with them. "I'm impressed, deeply impressed, by those who wear our nation's uniform," Bush said. "This, like, might not be on the schedule but if you five guys would mind letting me have my picture taken with you, I'd be honored."
He thanked Americans for their prayers over the years, saying: "It's amazing, you would think they would come up and say, 'I'd like a new highway, or how about an additional bridge.' But no, total strangers come and say, 'I just want you to know we lift you up in prayer.'" The effect, he said: "I'm finally beginning to understand the story of the calm in the rough seas."
And he made a joke at his own expense. Noting that "I stand with you for the final time as your sitting president," Bush said that "next year in Crawford, Laura and I are going to have a different kind of prayer breakfast. I'll be cooking the eggs -- and she'll be praying I don't burn them."
-- Johanna Neuman
IS OBAMA'S LATINO OUTREACH TOO LATE?
Obama’s belated Hispanic outreach
Written by Clara Reyes.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joe Baca got a phone call. Some 18 months into his presidential campaign, Senator Barack Obama wanted to meet with caucus members.
The meeting, attended by some congressional Hispanics, occurred last week. It was the first time they’d been invited to meet personally with the Democratic presidential nominee.
Late last week, Obama’s campaign announced a forthcoming ad blitz on Spanish-language TV and radio stations and a “significant increase” in Spanish-speaking staffers.
It’s no wonder Hispanic voters – about nine percent of the national eligible electorate -- are either unfamiliar with the candidate or look on his belated courtship as arrogantly self-serving.
Hispanics favored Senator Hillary Clinton over Obama in the Democratic Party primary by a better than 3-1 margin. Obama’s narrow win leaves Democrats and Clinton supporters with three options: Vote with the party; write in Clinton’s name on the ballot in November; or vote for the centrist Republican candidate Senator John McCain.
Dolores Huerta, who founded the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez, supported Clinton. Huerta has reportedly said that it’s going to be difficult to push for Obama. And it may be telling that Representative Linda Sanchez, a California Democratic, was the only Latina who attended the CHC meeting with Obama.
A lack of familiarity among Hispanic voters isn’t the only sticking point. There’s the thorny matter of Obama’s voting record; his lack of executive and foreign policy experience; and his longtime association with a clergyman many perceive as an unpatriotic, racist extremist.
While drawing his $169,300 annual salary to represent the people of Illinois on Capitol Hill, Obama’s missed nearly half of all votes in the 110th Congress.
(Colorado’s Senator Ken Salazar hasn’t missed any, and New Jersey’s Senator Robert Menendez has missed only 11.)
Obama has so far cast only 339 votes, while Salazar and Menendez have cast 592 votes and 581 votes, respectively, on bills concerning national security; funding for war, farmers, national disaster relief and domestic violence programs; and federal court appointments.
With less than a decade of legislative experience and no experience in executive leadership, national security or representing the United States in relations with other countries, Obama is unfavorably compared by many to McCain. The senator from Arizona has served in Congress since 1983. He’s the senior Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and member and former chair of Senate committees on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Indian Affairs. And he’s represented U.S. interests abroad in meetings with foreign heads of state and business leaders.
Many Hispanics, who are characteristically patriotic and account for about 10 percent of U.S. military personnel, distrust Obama’s patriotism while relating to McCain, a decorated war veteran and former prisoner of war. And they point to Obama’s longtime association with Reverend Wright, seen on TV this spring calling on God to damn America.
Many Hispanics are also familiar with McCain’s sponsorship of comprehensive, humane immigration reform despite strong party opposition and long before it was politically expedient. He crossed party lines to sponsor one immigration reform bill with Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy.
Even as U.S. politics become more divisive, Hispanics, however loyal to party, are discerning enough to assess each candidate on her or his own merits and vote accordingly. That’s Obama’s biggest stumbling block with the Hispanic electorate.
Written by Clara Reyes.
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Joe Baca got a phone call. Some 18 months into his presidential campaign, Senator Barack Obama wanted to meet with caucus members.
The meeting, attended by some congressional Hispanics, occurred last week. It was the first time they’d been invited to meet personally with the Democratic presidential nominee.
Late last week, Obama’s campaign announced a forthcoming ad blitz on Spanish-language TV and radio stations and a “significant increase” in Spanish-speaking staffers.
It’s no wonder Hispanic voters – about nine percent of the national eligible electorate -- are either unfamiliar with the candidate or look on his belated courtship as arrogantly self-serving.
Hispanics favored Senator Hillary Clinton over Obama in the Democratic Party primary by a better than 3-1 margin. Obama’s narrow win leaves Democrats and Clinton supporters with three options: Vote with the party; write in Clinton’s name on the ballot in November; or vote for the centrist Republican candidate Senator John McCain.
Dolores Huerta, who founded the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez, supported Clinton. Huerta has reportedly said that it’s going to be difficult to push for Obama. And it may be telling that Representative Linda Sanchez, a California Democratic, was the only Latina who attended the CHC meeting with Obama.
A lack of familiarity among Hispanic voters isn’t the only sticking point. There’s the thorny matter of Obama’s voting record; his lack of executive and foreign policy experience; and his longtime association with a clergyman many perceive as an unpatriotic, racist extremist.
While drawing his $169,300 annual salary to represent the people of Illinois on Capitol Hill, Obama’s missed nearly half of all votes in the 110th Congress.
(Colorado’s Senator Ken Salazar hasn’t missed any, and New Jersey’s Senator Robert Menendez has missed only 11.)
Obama has so far cast only 339 votes, while Salazar and Menendez have cast 592 votes and 581 votes, respectively, on bills concerning national security; funding for war, farmers, national disaster relief and domestic violence programs; and federal court appointments.
With less than a decade of legislative experience and no experience in executive leadership, national security or representing the United States in relations with other countries, Obama is unfavorably compared by many to McCain. The senator from Arizona has served in Congress since 1983. He’s the senior Republican member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and member and former chair of Senate committees on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Indian Affairs. And he’s represented U.S. interests abroad in meetings with foreign heads of state and business leaders.
Many Hispanics, who are characteristically patriotic and account for about 10 percent of U.S. military personnel, distrust Obama’s patriotism while relating to McCain, a decorated war veteran and former prisoner of war. And they point to Obama’s longtime association with Reverend Wright, seen on TV this spring calling on God to damn America.
Many Hispanics are also familiar with McCain’s sponsorship of comprehensive, humane immigration reform despite strong party opposition and long before it was politically expedient. He crossed party lines to sponsor one immigration reform bill with Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy.
Even as U.S. politics become more divisive, Hispanics, however loyal to party, are discerning enough to assess each candidate on her or his own merits and vote accordingly. That’s Obama’s biggest stumbling block with the Hispanic electorate.
LATINO EVANGELICALS A MAJOR VOTING FORCE
Hispanic Evangelicals and the 2008 Elections; Obama or McCain? Which candidate will Hispanic Evangelicals Support?
WASHINGTON, June 26 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, America's largest Hispanic Evangelical Organization, will host a Summit in Vanguard, California on August 7th and 8th titled "Hispanic Evangelicals and the 2008 Elections. Will this community determine who wins the White House in 08'?" Dr. Jesse Miranda, Chief Executive of the NHCLC believes the summit speaks to emergence of the Hispanic Evangelical Community as a viable and significant ecclesiastical, social and political force in the American religious and political landscape.
"Our strength lies in the fact that we stand as a people committed to both a Kingdom message of Salvation and a societal message of transformation. As brown evangelicals take center stage as the fastest growing force in the Hispanic American family, we will address the issues important to our people and contextualize them within the framework of the 2008 elections," declared Miranda.
The Jesse Miranda Center will host the event on the campus of Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. Both the Obama and McCain campaigns, which already via telephone conference and representatives attended the 2008 National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference Board Convention in Chicago last April and addressed more than 1,200 attendees in the annual service, committed to participating. "Which issue will take center stage this election and which candidate will better serve our concerns? This summit will present a national platform for a most necessary discussion on race, the Latino community, faith and the 2008 elections," explained Dr. Miranda.
WASHINGTON, June 26 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, America's largest Hispanic Evangelical Organization, will host a Summit in Vanguard, California on August 7th and 8th titled "Hispanic Evangelicals and the 2008 Elections. Will this community determine who wins the White House in 08'?" Dr. Jesse Miranda, Chief Executive of the NHCLC believes the summit speaks to emergence of the Hispanic Evangelical Community as a viable and significant ecclesiastical, social and political force in the American religious and political landscape.
"Our strength lies in the fact that we stand as a people committed to both a Kingdom message of Salvation and a societal message of transformation. As brown evangelicals take center stage as the fastest growing force in the Hispanic American family, we will address the issues important to our people and contextualize them within the framework of the 2008 elections," declared Miranda.
The Jesse Miranda Center will host the event on the campus of Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. Both the Obama and McCain campaigns, which already via telephone conference and representatives attended the 2008 National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference Board Convention in Chicago last April and addressed more than 1,200 attendees in the annual service, committed to participating. "Which issue will take center stage this election and which candidate will better serve our concerns? This summit will present a national platform for a most necessary discussion on race, the Latino community, faith and the 2008 elections," explained Dr. Miranda.
HENRY CISNEROS TO BE HONORED
Hispanic elected officials to honor Henry Cisneros at national conference
San Antonio Business Journal
Former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros will be honored by the Hispanic Local Elected Officials (HELO) during the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) annual conference on June 28 in Washington, D.C.
HELO is a constituency group of the National League of Cities for which Cisneros once served as president. HELO is honoring Cisneros for his efforts to enhance homeownership opportunities in cities and towns across the country. A former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Cisneros currently serves as executive chairman of CityView, a national urban housing investor that works to attract market-rate housing to underserved areas.
Calling him "one of the nation's most accomplished and influential Hispanic leaders," Marie Lopez Rogers, HELO president and mayor of Avondale, Ariz., says, "His passion in assisting Latinos to achieve the American dream is worthy of celebrating and honoring."
The National League of Cities is the nation's oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities. It is an advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
San Antonio Business Journal
Former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros will be honored by the Hispanic Local Elected Officials (HELO) during the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) annual conference on June 28 in Washington, D.C.
HELO is a constituency group of the National League of Cities for which Cisneros once served as president. HELO is honoring Cisneros for his efforts to enhance homeownership opportunities in cities and towns across the country. A former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Cisneros currently serves as executive chairman of CityView, a national urban housing investor that works to attract market-rate housing to underserved areas.
Calling him "one of the nation's most accomplished and influential Hispanic leaders," Marie Lopez Rogers, HELO president and mayor of Avondale, Ariz., says, "His passion in assisting Latinos to achieve the American dream is worthy of celebrating and honoring."
The National League of Cities is the nation's oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities. It is an advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
LATINO YOUTH LEARN LEADERSHIP
Leadership on docket for Hispanic scholars
BY TREVOR HUGHES • TrevorHughes @coloradoan.com • June 27, 2008
The speaker of the House gaveled the assembly to order. He recognized speakers, shut them off when they violated parliamentary procedure, entertained motions, took voice votes and kept order in a room of more than 50 delegates.
Advertisement
In short, Andres Carrera was a leader.
He's also 15.
Carrera is one of more than 100 high-achieving Hispanic students from around the United States and Panama on the CSU campus this week to learn about leadership.
The weeklong forum, the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session, is being hosted by Colorado State University and the National Hispanic Institute.
“In class, the teachers talk at you. Here, we discuss the issues,” Carrera said during a 10-minute caucus break Thursday. “Your ideas are questioned.”
The institute’s leaders say discussing the problems facing the Hispanic community in the United States doesn’t help as much as spurring the students to find solutions from within.
“The fact that they struggle with trying to figure something out — most kids never get that. And that’s what builds a leader,” institute executive vice president Gloria de Leon said. “Our intent has never been to just take the bright kids and get them into Stanford and never hear from them again.”
CSU and the National Hispanic Institute have co-hosted this event since 1990. To qualify, students must have 3.2 grade-point averages or above and must be enrolled in a college-bound, high-school curriculum.
Carrera said he’s learned a lot in the few days, including a crash course in Robert’s Rules of Order, which all proceedings must follow.
Thursday, Carrera was presiding over the House as members discussed a mock proposal to give illegal immigrants financial aid to attend college, using the money not spent on U.S. citizens who choose not to get a college degree.
“I think it’s awesome,” Carrera said of the experience. “It’s an amazing forum to express your ideas.”
BY TREVOR HUGHES • TrevorHughes @coloradoan.com • June 27, 2008
The speaker of the House gaveled the assembly to order. He recognized speakers, shut them off when they violated parliamentary procedure, entertained motions, took voice votes and kept order in a room of more than 50 delegates.
Advertisement
In short, Andres Carrera was a leader.
He's also 15.
Carrera is one of more than 100 high-achieving Hispanic students from around the United States and Panama on the CSU campus this week to learn about leadership.
The weeklong forum, the Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session, is being hosted by Colorado State University and the National Hispanic Institute.
“In class, the teachers talk at you. Here, we discuss the issues,” Carrera said during a 10-minute caucus break Thursday. “Your ideas are questioned.”
The institute’s leaders say discussing the problems facing the Hispanic community in the United States doesn’t help as much as spurring the students to find solutions from within.
“The fact that they struggle with trying to figure something out — most kids never get that. And that’s what builds a leader,” institute executive vice president Gloria de Leon said. “Our intent has never been to just take the bright kids and get them into Stanford and never hear from them again.”
CSU and the National Hispanic Institute have co-hosted this event since 1990. To qualify, students must have 3.2 grade-point averages or above and must be enrolled in a college-bound, high-school curriculum.
Carrera said he’s learned a lot in the few days, including a crash course in Robert’s Rules of Order, which all proceedings must follow.
Thursday, Carrera was presiding over the House as members discussed a mock proposal to give illegal immigrants financial aid to attend college, using the money not spent on U.S. citizens who choose not to get a college degree.
“I think it’s awesome,” Carrera said of the experience. “It’s an amazing forum to express your ideas.”
Thursday, June 26, 2008
REPORT BLAMES POOR PERFORMING SCHOOLS TOO
Lagging Scores of English Language Learners Partly Explained By Their Concentration in Low-Performing Schools, New Report Finds
A Pew Hispanic report released today examines the role of schools in the achievement gap of the nation's four million English language learner public school students. Analyzing newly available standardized test data, the report finds that students designated as English language learners (ELL) tend to go to public schools with low standardized test scores.
However, these low levels of assessed proficiency are not solely attributable to poor achievement by ELL students. These same schools report poor achievement by other major student groups as well, and have a set of characteristics associated generally with poor standardized test performance-such as high student-teacher ratios, high student enrollments and high levels of students who live in poverty or near poverty. When ELL students are not isolated in these low-achieving schools, their gap in test score results is considerably narrower.
The report, The Role of Schools in the English Language Learner Achievement Gap, is available at the Pew Hispanic Center's website, www.pewhispanic.org.
The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, is a non-partisan, non-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. and is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
A Pew Hispanic report released today examines the role of schools in the achievement gap of the nation's four million English language learner public school students. Analyzing newly available standardized test data, the report finds that students designated as English language learners (ELL) tend to go to public schools with low standardized test scores.
However, these low levels of assessed proficiency are not solely attributable to poor achievement by ELL students. These same schools report poor achievement by other major student groups as well, and have a set of characteristics associated generally with poor standardized test performance-such as high student-teacher ratios, high student enrollments and high levels of students who live in poverty or near poverty. When ELL students are not isolated in these low-achieving schools, their gap in test score results is considerably narrower.
The report, The Role of Schools in the English Language Learner Achievement Gap, is available at the Pew Hispanic Center's website, www.pewhispanic.org.
The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, is a non-partisan, non-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. and is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
GANG ISSUES KEY IN L.A. MAYOR'S SPEECH
EGP News Service
Plans to reorganize the city’s anti-gang programs moved forward yesterday with the Los Angeles City Council’s unanimous vote to house prevention and intervention initiatives within the mayor’s office, beginning July 1.
The vote is the first major sign of progress since City Controller Laura Chick released an audit two months ago that called for consolidating anti-gang programs within the mayor’s office.
City Councilman Tony Cardenas, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development, questioned whether that move would provide enough oversight.
The newly approved motion directs the mayor’s office to provide the council with quarterly reports on the city’s gang strategy. Cardenas said success will be measured by crime statistics, the effectiveness of gang intervention workers and the quality of city contracts.
“The ad hoc (gang) committee will be involved, the full council will be involved. We are certainly not in favor of relinquishing our responsibility on this matter,” Cardenas said.
“The bottom line is we’re going to be able to determine how well it’s working in the mayor’s office” he said. “We’re going to be able to determine whether or not we’ve done the job properly and then we’re going to be able to decide whether or not it’s going to stay in the mayor’s office.”
The council will review the mayor’s progress at the end of 2009.
The issue of gangs is expected to be the centerpiece of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s “State of the City” address on Monday.
“There is an obvious and clear consensus in this city that we need radical change in the way we work to reduce gang violence,” said mayoral spokesman Matt Szabo. “The mayor is prepared to act as that change agent.”
The controller said she supports the action taken by the council.
“The winners today are the people of Los Angeles who have suffered under the prolonged gang violence in our streets and neighborhoods,” Chick said. “I applaud Councilmember Cardenas for his dedication on this issue. Now we owe it to the public to work together to ensure that this approach is truly successful in combating the gang crisis.”
Plans to reorganize the city’s anti-gang programs moved forward yesterday with the Los Angeles City Council’s unanimous vote to house prevention and intervention initiatives within the mayor’s office, beginning July 1.
The vote is the first major sign of progress since City Controller Laura Chick released an audit two months ago that called for consolidating anti-gang programs within the mayor’s office.
City Councilman Tony Cardenas, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development, questioned whether that move would provide enough oversight.
The newly approved motion directs the mayor’s office to provide the council with quarterly reports on the city’s gang strategy. Cardenas said success will be measured by crime statistics, the effectiveness of gang intervention workers and the quality of city contracts.
“The ad hoc (gang) committee will be involved, the full council will be involved. We are certainly not in favor of relinquishing our responsibility on this matter,” Cardenas said.
“The bottom line is we’re going to be able to determine how well it’s working in the mayor’s office” he said. “We’re going to be able to determine whether or not we’ve done the job properly and then we’re going to be able to decide whether or not it’s going to stay in the mayor’s office.”
The council will review the mayor’s progress at the end of 2009.
The issue of gangs is expected to be the centerpiece of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s “State of the City” address on Monday.
“There is an obvious and clear consensus in this city that we need radical change in the way we work to reduce gang violence,” said mayoral spokesman Matt Szabo. “The mayor is prepared to act as that change agent.”
The controller said she supports the action taken by the council.
“The winners today are the people of Los Angeles who have suffered under the prolonged gang violence in our streets and neighborhoods,” Chick said. “I applaud Councilmember Cardenas for his dedication on this issue. Now we owe it to the public to work together to ensure that this approach is truly successful in combating the gang crisis.”
LATINO VOTE ON THE RISE IN EASTERN STATES
Surge in registration for Latino voters in Pa., N.J.
By Michael Matza - Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer
In an effort to rally Hispanic voters locally, Democracia USA, a national civic-engagement group, has registered nearly 9,800 new Latino voters in Pennsylvania, and nearly 3,700 in New Jersey, since January.
Of the new Pennsylvania voters, nearly two-thirds live in Berks and Lehigh Counties and one-fifth live in Philadelphia, Democracia president Jorge Mursuli said at a news conference yesterday at the National Constitution Center.
Of the New Jersey voters, more than 90 percent live in Camden County. In both states, slightly more than half of the new voters are women.
According to Democracia, which has headquarters in Miami and local chapters in Philadelphia, Reading and Pennsauken, there are 294,000 registered Hispanic voters in Pennsylvania as of May 1; in 2000, there were 99,000.
"Hispanics currently represent approximately 4 percent of the overall Pennsylvania electorate. Going back eight years, two presidential cycles, they were just 1 percent," said Fernand Amandi, whose firm, Bendixen & Associates, does public opinion research for Democracia.
If primary-election turnout patterns persist, he said, the Hispanic percentage of the electorate in Pennsylvania could reach 5 percent.
"In a close, contested race, I don't have to tell you the ramifications of what 5 percent of the vote could do to swing the state one way or the other," said Amandi. He added that the growth in the Hispanic electorate would also affect local races, now and for a long time because the new Hispanic voters are generally young, with most in the 18- to 29-year-old category.
"This group is going to play a tremendous role," he said, "not just in the presidential election but for years to come."
Post-primary analyses showed that 65 percent of Latinos who voted in the Democratic primaries favored Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Now that their preferred Democrat is out of the running, which way will her crucial segment of their swing vote swing?
"The important thing to remember is that in general Latinos don't have the historic connection to the civil-rights movement or to any party. Some do. But because of demographics through the last 30 years, there is a grand percentage who have no relationship to that tradition," said Mursuli.
"What they care about is the American dream. That means education for their kids. It means the economy. It means health care.
"The question is: Which party is going to invest in them? It isn't necessarily about money. It's about building relationships."
That is why, he said, President Bush did so well with Hispanics in 2000 and 2004 behind the slogan "Nos conocemos" - we know each other.
"He was from Texas. He spoke a little bit of Spanish," said Mursuli. That's why the Latino electorate trended his way.
"What does [Barack] Obama have to do? Obama has made a deliberate choice up to now not to do 'identity politics.' Fine. He now has to build a relationship. . . . I don't think within the Hispanic community there exists any more or less racism than anywhere else. I believe that's a misnomer around this issue about whether Hispanics will vote for him. The real issue is, they don't know who he is.
"Now he's having to make different choices, I think. He's got to go out there and meet people. Talk to folks about things that they care about. It doesn't really have to be issues-focused. Just meet them. People need to trust the fact that he is going to care what happens to them."
How might John McCain woo Latinos?
"This is a man who comes from a state and a particular city, by the way, that is particularly anti-immigrant. And in spite of that, he has done a yeoman's job of leading the immigration-reform movement. That is not a small thing. So I give him major kudos," said Mursuli.
Yet he has retreated from that position under criticism from the right-wing of his party, Mursuli said.
"So the question remains: Is McCain going to go for the middle, or is he going to focus on keeping his right base? If he focuses on his right wing," predicted Mursuli, "he's not going to bring Hispanics along."
Contact staff writer Michael Matza at 215-854-2541 or mmatza@phillynews.com.
By Michael Matza - Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer
In an effort to rally Hispanic voters locally, Democracia USA, a national civic-engagement group, has registered nearly 9,800 new Latino voters in Pennsylvania, and nearly 3,700 in New Jersey, since January.
Of the new Pennsylvania voters, nearly two-thirds live in Berks and Lehigh Counties and one-fifth live in Philadelphia, Democracia president Jorge Mursuli said at a news conference yesterday at the National Constitution Center.
Of the New Jersey voters, more than 90 percent live in Camden County. In both states, slightly more than half of the new voters are women.
According to Democracia, which has headquarters in Miami and local chapters in Philadelphia, Reading and Pennsauken, there are 294,000 registered Hispanic voters in Pennsylvania as of May 1; in 2000, there were 99,000.
"Hispanics currently represent approximately 4 percent of the overall Pennsylvania electorate. Going back eight years, two presidential cycles, they were just 1 percent," said Fernand Amandi, whose firm, Bendixen & Associates, does public opinion research for Democracia.
If primary-election turnout patterns persist, he said, the Hispanic percentage of the electorate in Pennsylvania could reach 5 percent.
"In a close, contested race, I don't have to tell you the ramifications of what 5 percent of the vote could do to swing the state one way or the other," said Amandi. He added that the growth in the Hispanic electorate would also affect local races, now and for a long time because the new Hispanic voters are generally young, with most in the 18- to 29-year-old category.
"This group is going to play a tremendous role," he said, "not just in the presidential election but for years to come."
Post-primary analyses showed that 65 percent of Latinos who voted in the Democratic primaries favored Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Now that their preferred Democrat is out of the running, which way will her crucial segment of their swing vote swing?
"The important thing to remember is that in general Latinos don't have the historic connection to the civil-rights movement or to any party. Some do. But because of demographics through the last 30 years, there is a grand percentage who have no relationship to that tradition," said Mursuli.
"What they care about is the American dream. That means education for their kids. It means the economy. It means health care.
"The question is: Which party is going to invest in them? It isn't necessarily about money. It's about building relationships."
That is why, he said, President Bush did so well with Hispanics in 2000 and 2004 behind the slogan "Nos conocemos" - we know each other.
"He was from Texas. He spoke a little bit of Spanish," said Mursuli. That's why the Latino electorate trended his way.
"What does [Barack] Obama have to do? Obama has made a deliberate choice up to now not to do 'identity politics.' Fine. He now has to build a relationship. . . . I don't think within the Hispanic community there exists any more or less racism than anywhere else. I believe that's a misnomer around this issue about whether Hispanics will vote for him. The real issue is, they don't know who he is.
"Now he's having to make different choices, I think. He's got to go out there and meet people. Talk to folks about things that they care about. It doesn't really have to be issues-focused. Just meet them. People need to trust the fact that he is going to care what happens to them."
How might John McCain woo Latinos?
"This is a man who comes from a state and a particular city, by the way, that is particularly anti-immigrant. And in spite of that, he has done a yeoman's job of leading the immigration-reform movement. That is not a small thing. So I give him major kudos," said Mursuli.
Yet he has retreated from that position under criticism from the right-wing of his party, Mursuli said.
"So the question remains: Is McCain going to go for the middle, or is he going to focus on keeping his right base? If he focuses on his right wing," predicted Mursuli, "he's not going to bring Hispanics along."
Contact staff writer Michael Matza at 215-854-2541 or mmatza@phillynews.com.
CANDIDATES HAVE MUCH WORK TO DO FOR LATINO VOTE
Both presidential candidates have work to do to win Latino vote
Orange County residents advise McCain and Obama to take them seriously and listen to their concerns.
By DENA BUNIS - The Orange County Register
Barack Obama and John McCain are coveting the ever-growing Latino vote and both have obstacles to overcome to win over these communities. Orange County Hispanics have some advice for the presumptive presidential candidates — talk to us up close and personal and resist the urge to pander.
McCain's California Latino Chairman Mario Rodriquez of San Clemente says he knows his candidate has to appeal to Hispanics one-on-one and that the candidate has to get beyond the intense anti-immigrant rhetoric that he concedes some in the GOP have engaged in.
And Norma Garcia Guillen, a Santa Ana lawyer who is president of the Hispanic Bar Association, believes once Latinos learn about Barack Obama's support for driver's licenses for all regardless of their immigration status and that he's supported making it easier for children of illegal immigrants to get a college education that they'll be in his corner.
Both camps say they are ramping up their efforts to win the Latino vote with more Hispanic staff, Spanish-language ads and Web sites.
But why? For years, political experts have talked about the promise of the Latino vote. So far low Hispanic turnout has belied those predictions. But this year, experts insist, the Latino vote could make a difference, especially in some key Western and Southwestern states that up to now haven't been considered battlegrounds.
"Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico will be critical states,'' says Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials. Both candidates will speak on Saturday at NALEO's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Vargas said McCain won the Florida primary because of the Hispanic vote and that vote could make the difference in November in that battleground state. President Clinton carried Arizona in 1996, he said, because he had 80 percent of the Hispanic vote.
It's calculus like that that has both campaigns determined to win over this segment of the electorate.
"We need to do things that we haven't done in the past,'' says Rodriquez. "We need to go door-to-door, on a city and county level. We're bringing in a lot of individuals not involved in presidential campaigns before.''
Rodriquez said McCain's eager acceptances of speaking engagements before NALEO and at the Hispanic activist group LaRaza's conference next month in San Diego shows the Arizona senator's commitment to the Latino communities.
And, Rodriquez said, it would be great if some of the county's elected GOP leaders like Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce toned down the conversation about illegal immigration.
When it comes to the issues, immigration is an important threshold for Latinos – candidates who don't support comprehensive immigration reform are unlikely to do well among that voter group. But surveys have consistently showed that education, health care and the economy score highest when it comes to what will drive the Latino vote.
Obama could use McCain's conduct when it comes to immigration against him. McCain co-authored the comprehensive immigration bill with Sen. Edward Kennedy, which was defeated in the Senate. But on the primary campaign trail, McCain said he got the message from his constituency and now says that he would have to be assured the borders are secured before tackling the issue of legalization for the undocumented.
"There is this myth floating around out there that John McCain might have inroads with the Hispanic community because of his prior positions,'' says Rep. Linda Sanchez, an early Obama supporter. "He said (at a debate) that he wouldn't even vote for the immigration bill he sponsored,'' the Lakewood Democrat added.
McCain defends his record on the immigration issue.
"I still think we need a comprehensive approach to the issue,'' the Arizona senator said in a telephone interview this week. "I'm proud to have gotten over 70 percent of the Hispanic vote in my last reelection. I know the Hispanic community very well…And I am confident of getting significant support because of my record."
For Obama, the challenge is to get to know the Hispanic community and to win over the support of the many Hispanics who strongly supported Clinton.
"What he needs to do is to be very specific in addressing the Hispanic culture. I think overall as Americans and as voters we want to be respected and counted,'' said Lucy Santana, executive director of Girls Inc. of Orange County. Santana voted for Clinton in the primary. She believes Clinton's Hispanic supporters will go with Obama, but that he'll need to work for their votes.
"He needs to be visible in the community and be more available and be willing to go into those high Hispanic communities,'' Santana said. "He needs to show that he's not scared to go into East L.A. and more areas like that.''
Armando Cepeda says it's especially important for Obama to come off as sincere and be specific.
"In California we have big concerns about the situations with gang violence and we have a disproportionate number of Latinos and blacks in prisons,'' said Cepeda, who lives in Yorba Linda and teaches graphic arts at Lincoln High School in Riverside. Cepeda said he'll probably end up voting for Obama but his first choice for the next president was former Vice President Al Gore.
One Clinton supporter Obama still needs to work on is Rep. Loretta Sanchez.
"I know nothing about Obama,'' says the Garden Grove Democrat, who broke with her sister during the primaries. "I look on the Web site. I don't know what he's about yet." Sanchez said she told that to Federico Pena, President Clinton's transportation and energy secretary who has been a strong Obama supporter from the beginning. Pena has been busy calling Hispanic Clinton supporters in an effort to bring them into the Obama fold.
"Pena told me 'we have an agenda and we've been putting it out there and the fact that you haven't heard about it means we have some work to do,' '' Sanchez said.
Polls show Obama way ahead of McCain in the Latino community. A May Gallup Poll had the Illinois senator beating McCain 62 percent to 29 percent.
Ben Lopez believes that margin is artificial and is a result of the publicity Obama got during the prolonged Democratic primary race.
"Right now I think there is this euphoria, this Obama high that the polls are reflecting,'' said Lopez, who does lobbying for the Traditional Values Coalition, based in Anaheim. "I think the fact that the Republican race ended a lot sooner than the Democrats means the public has been hearing a lot about the Democrats and Obama.''
Al Tello believes McCain can win over the Hispanic constituency by stressing family values.
"People like my parents, when you ask Hispanic older voters they are very much against abortion and McCain's campaign would do well in the Hispanic segment,'' said Tello, who lives in Irvine and directs the Irvine Valley College Foundation. Tello said he knows the abortion issue is probably not a winner politically among the general population but that McCain would do well to stress it with Hispanic voters.
McCain was the first to launch a Web site in Spanish and frequently points to the Hispanic support he has received over the years in Arizona. There's a bug on Obama's Web site that takes people to a Spanish language page and he spoke Spanish on a campaign ad for the Puerto Rico primary. They have both brought on more Hispanic staff and people who will coordinate the message to Latino communities.
Obama will do well among the young Latino voter and I think McCain has a good reputation among Latino voters, especially in the Southwest,'' says Lorraine Quintanar, a John Kerry delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention who now publishes an online magazine geared to Hispanic women. TheLatinavoice.com endorsed Clinton and McCain in the primaries.
"McCain," Quintanar said, "is appealing to Latinos, not just because of immigration, but because he goes against his own party. He has a long history in reaching out to Latinos.'' President Bush captured 40 percent of the Latino vote in the 2000 election and Quintanar believes McCain could best that.
Register staff writer Martin Wisckol contributed to this report.
Bunis is the Register's Washington bureau chief.
Contact the writer: (202) 628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
Orange County residents advise McCain and Obama to take them seriously and listen to their concerns.
By DENA BUNIS - The Orange County Register
Barack Obama and John McCain are coveting the ever-growing Latino vote and both have obstacles to overcome to win over these communities. Orange County Hispanics have some advice for the presumptive presidential candidates — talk to us up close and personal and resist the urge to pander.
McCain's California Latino Chairman Mario Rodriquez of San Clemente says he knows his candidate has to appeal to Hispanics one-on-one and that the candidate has to get beyond the intense anti-immigrant rhetoric that he concedes some in the GOP have engaged in.
And Norma Garcia Guillen, a Santa Ana lawyer who is president of the Hispanic Bar Association, believes once Latinos learn about Barack Obama's support for driver's licenses for all regardless of their immigration status and that he's supported making it easier for children of illegal immigrants to get a college education that they'll be in his corner.
Both camps say they are ramping up their efforts to win the Latino vote with more Hispanic staff, Spanish-language ads and Web sites.
But why? For years, political experts have talked about the promise of the Latino vote. So far low Hispanic turnout has belied those predictions. But this year, experts insist, the Latino vote could make a difference, especially in some key Western and Southwestern states that up to now haven't been considered battlegrounds.
"Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico will be critical states,'' says Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials. Both candidates will speak on Saturday at NALEO's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
Vargas said McCain won the Florida primary because of the Hispanic vote and that vote could make the difference in November in that battleground state. President Clinton carried Arizona in 1996, he said, because he had 80 percent of the Hispanic vote.
It's calculus like that that has both campaigns determined to win over this segment of the electorate.
"We need to do things that we haven't done in the past,'' says Rodriquez. "We need to go door-to-door, on a city and county level. We're bringing in a lot of individuals not involved in presidential campaigns before.''
Rodriquez said McCain's eager acceptances of speaking engagements before NALEO and at the Hispanic activist group LaRaza's conference next month in San Diego shows the Arizona senator's commitment to the Latino communities.
And, Rodriquez said, it would be great if some of the county's elected GOP leaders like Rep. Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce toned down the conversation about illegal immigration.
When it comes to the issues, immigration is an important threshold for Latinos – candidates who don't support comprehensive immigration reform are unlikely to do well among that voter group. But surveys have consistently showed that education, health care and the economy score highest when it comes to what will drive the Latino vote.
Obama could use McCain's conduct when it comes to immigration against him. McCain co-authored the comprehensive immigration bill with Sen. Edward Kennedy, which was defeated in the Senate. But on the primary campaign trail, McCain said he got the message from his constituency and now says that he would have to be assured the borders are secured before tackling the issue of legalization for the undocumented.
"There is this myth floating around out there that John McCain might have inroads with the Hispanic community because of his prior positions,'' says Rep. Linda Sanchez, an early Obama supporter. "He said (at a debate) that he wouldn't even vote for the immigration bill he sponsored,'' the Lakewood Democrat added.
McCain defends his record on the immigration issue.
"I still think we need a comprehensive approach to the issue,'' the Arizona senator said in a telephone interview this week. "I'm proud to have gotten over 70 percent of the Hispanic vote in my last reelection. I know the Hispanic community very well…And I am confident of getting significant support because of my record."
For Obama, the challenge is to get to know the Hispanic community and to win over the support of the many Hispanics who strongly supported Clinton.
"What he needs to do is to be very specific in addressing the Hispanic culture. I think overall as Americans and as voters we want to be respected and counted,'' said Lucy Santana, executive director of Girls Inc. of Orange County. Santana voted for Clinton in the primary. She believes Clinton's Hispanic supporters will go with Obama, but that he'll need to work for their votes.
"He needs to be visible in the community and be more available and be willing to go into those high Hispanic communities,'' Santana said. "He needs to show that he's not scared to go into East L.A. and more areas like that.''
Armando Cepeda says it's especially important for Obama to come off as sincere and be specific.
"In California we have big concerns about the situations with gang violence and we have a disproportionate number of Latinos and blacks in prisons,'' said Cepeda, who lives in Yorba Linda and teaches graphic arts at Lincoln High School in Riverside. Cepeda said he'll probably end up voting for Obama but his first choice for the next president was former Vice President Al Gore.
One Clinton supporter Obama still needs to work on is Rep. Loretta Sanchez.
"I know nothing about Obama,'' says the Garden Grove Democrat, who broke with her sister during the primaries. "I look on the Web site. I don't know what he's about yet." Sanchez said she told that to Federico Pena, President Clinton's transportation and energy secretary who has been a strong Obama supporter from the beginning. Pena has been busy calling Hispanic Clinton supporters in an effort to bring them into the Obama fold.
"Pena told me 'we have an agenda and we've been putting it out there and the fact that you haven't heard about it means we have some work to do,' '' Sanchez said.
Polls show Obama way ahead of McCain in the Latino community. A May Gallup Poll had the Illinois senator beating McCain 62 percent to 29 percent.
Ben Lopez believes that margin is artificial and is a result of the publicity Obama got during the prolonged Democratic primary race.
"Right now I think there is this euphoria, this Obama high that the polls are reflecting,'' said Lopez, who does lobbying for the Traditional Values Coalition, based in Anaheim. "I think the fact that the Republican race ended a lot sooner than the Democrats means the public has been hearing a lot about the Democrats and Obama.''
Al Tello believes McCain can win over the Hispanic constituency by stressing family values.
"People like my parents, when you ask Hispanic older voters they are very much against abortion and McCain's campaign would do well in the Hispanic segment,'' said Tello, who lives in Irvine and directs the Irvine Valley College Foundation. Tello said he knows the abortion issue is probably not a winner politically among the general population but that McCain would do well to stress it with Hispanic voters.
McCain was the first to launch a Web site in Spanish and frequently points to the Hispanic support he has received over the years in Arizona. There's a bug on Obama's Web site that takes people to a Spanish language page and he spoke Spanish on a campaign ad for the Puerto Rico primary. They have both brought on more Hispanic staff and people who will coordinate the message to Latino communities.
Obama will do well among the young Latino voter and I think McCain has a good reputation among Latino voters, especially in the Southwest,'' says Lorraine Quintanar, a John Kerry delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention who now publishes an online magazine geared to Hispanic women. TheLatinavoice.com endorsed Clinton and McCain in the primaries.
"McCain," Quintanar said, "is appealing to Latinos, not just because of immigration, but because he goes against his own party. He has a long history in reaching out to Latinos.'' President Bush captured 40 percent of the Latino vote in the 2000 election and Quintanar believes McCain could best that.
Register staff writer Martin Wisckol contributed to this report.
Bunis is the Register's Washington bureau chief.
Contact the writer: (202) 628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
CAMPAIGNS IGNORE LATINO MEDIA
Latino media getting cold shoulder from campaigns?
By GEBE MARTINEZ | POLITICO
The burst of anger on the Barack Obama campaign’s recent news media call was unexpected, but it should not have been a surprise.
For weeks, members of the Spanish-language media had been blogging, writing and outright complaining that the presidential campaigns have not been paying attention to them.
First, they expressed frustration about Republican John McCain’s campaign. About the same time, McCain brought on a media specialist to deal with the Hispanic press.
Then last week, they went after Obama’s communications director, Robert Gibbs, who had gotten on the telephone with reporters to highlight McCain’s “flip-flops” on various issues, including immigration and energy.
Forget the issues. The Latino reporters who spoke up on the call wanted to vent.
There has not been much “outreach with the Latino community,” one reporter complained, before others piled on their gripes: no access to Obama, no interaction with bloggers, no attention being paid by the “change” candidate and his campaign.
As if to ask, “Is that all?” one caller wondered who else, besides New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Denver Mayor Federico Pena, would be campaigning in the Hispanic community for Obama.
In a week when Obama was appealing to Hispanic members of Congress to be as loyal to him as they were to his former Democratic rival, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, his campaign was experiencing a major disconnect with the reporters who communicate to the community.
Gibbs, sounding a little off guard, defended the campaign’s efforts “to reach out, especially online, to every part of the American electorate.” He said that would continue, including with Latinos.
Judging by the level of discontent, however, the campaign needs to do more.
The Hispanic press “will be absolutely critical in terms of getting the message out and also to get voter mobilization of the campaigns done,” said Matt A. Barreto, a political scientist at the University of Washington.
With Latinos expected to make up 9 percent of the electorate in November, and perhaps be the deciding factor in Florida and Southwestern battleground states, the candidates’ press offices would be remiss not to return the calls of Spanish-language media sources that serve Hispanics.
Ignoring the Latino press is like downplaying the importance of The New York Times or information gatherers such as The Huffington Post. Sure, the candidates have debated on the Univision television network and have also been interviewed one on one by the network. But there is more to Spanish-language media than a couple of hits on Univision.
The diversity of the Latino electorate also requires a deeper understanding by the campaigns.
“It’s a mistake just to say you are reaching only Spanish-dominant voters” by talking to Spanish radio, Barreto said. “You are also reaching a lot of [Hispanic] English-dominant voters who get most of their information from Spanish-language media.”
The Hispanic media’s irritation with the candidates has been building for some time. Last month, a columnist for La Opinion, a major Spanish-language newspaper, complained about being dissed.
“Usually, to do the job, reporters need a constant and accessible contact person in the campaign,” wrote columnist Pilar Marrero. “In Obama’s case, this has been virtually impossible: There is not — nor has there ever been — regular communication with the Hispanic press. One wonders what might happen in the general election campaign, and then in an eventual Democratic presidency, if indeed they win in November.”
Latina Lista blogger Marisa Trevino wrote last week that Clinton’s campaign “knew how to make us feel cool, and once you experience what everyone else has always had, you don’t want to go back. ... As it stands now, we don’t even know if the Obama campaign wants Latino bloggers’ support.”
Spanish-language media have limited resources at the local level compared with most mainstream media, but they tend to do a better job of going beyond the horse race aspects and reporting the substance of issues and candidates’ platforms, said Federico Subervi, a communications professor at Texas State University. Subervi has researched and written about the mass media and Latino politics during the period between 1984 and 2004.
English-language media outlets usually cover Latinos only when the candidates visit Hispanic voting areas, against the backdrop of mariachis and colorful ethnic costumes. Spanish-language sources offer “a more consistent coverage and a more diversified coverage,” Subervi said in an interview with Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations.
Perhaps the Obama campaign slipped up with the Spanish-language media because polls show he already has the community’s support.
The Hispanic backlash against anti-immigrant rhetoric from conservative Republicans — McCain is not among them — as well as the economy and the Iraq war, are usually cited as reasons why Hispanics are favoring Democrats this year.
A Latino Decisions national poll this month found Obama leading McCain among Hispanic voters, 60 percent to 23 percent. The survey, conducted by Pacific Market Research and the University of Washington’s Barreto, also showed that among foreign-born Latinos, Obama was ahead of McCain, 64 percent to 21 percent.
And those voters get most of their news and information in Spanish.
“Spanish radio is everywhere,” Barreto offered. “Whether you are talking about service workers or construction workers, perhaps they are in their trucks and driving to and from jobs, or farm workers, there are a huge number of Spanish-dominant voters who spend a long number of hours listening to Spanish-language radio.”
Television is not far behind. It has previously been noted that the local television newscasts of Univision lead in 16 media markets, including Las Vegas, Miami and Albuquerque, N.M.
Even in Winston-Salem, N.C., the local government channel will soon start broadcasting a Spanish-language program to inform Latinos of city services.
At the Obama headquarters, Gibbs tried to reopen the lines of communication with the Latino reporters.
Just before ending the conference call, the communications director rattled off the name of the campaign’s Hispanic media contact and the general phone number to the press office. The reporters already had that information.
What they wanted were assurances that they would not always have to sit at the back of the media bus.
Gebe Martinez is a longtime journalist in Washington and a frequent lecturer and commentator on the policy and politics of Capitol Hill.
By GEBE MARTINEZ | POLITICO
The burst of anger on the Barack Obama campaign’s recent news media call was unexpected, but it should not have been a surprise.
For weeks, members of the Spanish-language media had been blogging, writing and outright complaining that the presidential campaigns have not been paying attention to them.
First, they expressed frustration about Republican John McCain’s campaign. About the same time, McCain brought on a media specialist to deal with the Hispanic press.
Then last week, they went after Obama’s communications director, Robert Gibbs, who had gotten on the telephone with reporters to highlight McCain’s “flip-flops” on various issues, including immigration and energy.
Forget the issues. The Latino reporters who spoke up on the call wanted to vent.
There has not been much “outreach with the Latino community,” one reporter complained, before others piled on their gripes: no access to Obama, no interaction with bloggers, no attention being paid by the “change” candidate and his campaign.
As if to ask, “Is that all?” one caller wondered who else, besides New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Denver Mayor Federico Pena, would be campaigning in the Hispanic community for Obama.
In a week when Obama was appealing to Hispanic members of Congress to be as loyal to him as they were to his former Democratic rival, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, his campaign was experiencing a major disconnect with the reporters who communicate to the community.
Gibbs, sounding a little off guard, defended the campaign’s efforts “to reach out, especially online, to every part of the American electorate.” He said that would continue, including with Latinos.
Judging by the level of discontent, however, the campaign needs to do more.
The Hispanic press “will be absolutely critical in terms of getting the message out and also to get voter mobilization of the campaigns done,” said Matt A. Barreto, a political scientist at the University of Washington.
With Latinos expected to make up 9 percent of the electorate in November, and perhaps be the deciding factor in Florida and Southwestern battleground states, the candidates’ press offices would be remiss not to return the calls of Spanish-language media sources that serve Hispanics.
Ignoring the Latino press is like downplaying the importance of The New York Times or information gatherers such as The Huffington Post. Sure, the candidates have debated on the Univision television network and have also been interviewed one on one by the network. But there is more to Spanish-language media than a couple of hits on Univision.
The diversity of the Latino electorate also requires a deeper understanding by the campaigns.
“It’s a mistake just to say you are reaching only Spanish-dominant voters” by talking to Spanish radio, Barreto said. “You are also reaching a lot of [Hispanic] English-dominant voters who get most of their information from Spanish-language media.”
The Hispanic media’s irritation with the candidates has been building for some time. Last month, a columnist for La Opinion, a major Spanish-language newspaper, complained about being dissed.
“Usually, to do the job, reporters need a constant and accessible contact person in the campaign,” wrote columnist Pilar Marrero. “In Obama’s case, this has been virtually impossible: There is not — nor has there ever been — regular communication with the Hispanic press. One wonders what might happen in the general election campaign, and then in an eventual Democratic presidency, if indeed they win in November.”
Latina Lista blogger Marisa Trevino wrote last week that Clinton’s campaign “knew how to make us feel cool, and once you experience what everyone else has always had, you don’t want to go back. ... As it stands now, we don’t even know if the Obama campaign wants Latino bloggers’ support.”
Spanish-language media have limited resources at the local level compared with most mainstream media, but they tend to do a better job of going beyond the horse race aspects and reporting the substance of issues and candidates’ platforms, said Federico Subervi, a communications professor at Texas State University. Subervi has researched and written about the mass media and Latino politics during the period between 1984 and 2004.
English-language media outlets usually cover Latinos only when the candidates visit Hispanic voting areas, against the backdrop of mariachis and colorful ethnic costumes. Spanish-language sources offer “a more consistent coverage and a more diversified coverage,” Subervi said in an interview with Hispanic Marketing and Public Relations.
Perhaps the Obama campaign slipped up with the Spanish-language media because polls show he already has the community’s support.
The Hispanic backlash against anti-immigrant rhetoric from conservative Republicans — McCain is not among them — as well as the economy and the Iraq war, are usually cited as reasons why Hispanics are favoring Democrats this year.
A Latino Decisions national poll this month found Obama leading McCain among Hispanic voters, 60 percent to 23 percent. The survey, conducted by Pacific Market Research and the University of Washington’s Barreto, also showed that among foreign-born Latinos, Obama was ahead of McCain, 64 percent to 21 percent.
And those voters get most of their news and information in Spanish.
“Spanish radio is everywhere,” Barreto offered. “Whether you are talking about service workers or construction workers, perhaps they are in their trucks and driving to and from jobs, or farm workers, there are a huge number of Spanish-dominant voters who spend a long number of hours listening to Spanish-language radio.”
Television is not far behind. It has previously been noted that the local television newscasts of Univision lead in 16 media markets, including Las Vegas, Miami and Albuquerque, N.M.
Even in Winston-Salem, N.C., the local government channel will soon start broadcasting a Spanish-language program to inform Latinos of city services.
At the Obama headquarters, Gibbs tried to reopen the lines of communication with the Latino reporters.
Just before ending the conference call, the communications director rattled off the name of the campaign’s Hispanic media contact and the general phone number to the press office. The reporters already had that information.
What they wanted were assurances that they would not always have to sit at the back of the media bus.
Gebe Martinez is a longtime journalist in Washington and a frequent lecturer and commentator on the policy and politics of Capitol Hill.
LATINO EVANGELISTS TO HOST PRESIDENT BUSH
The Event Brings Together Over 750 Hispanic Clergy to Address Issues Facing the Hispanic Community
WASHINGTON, June 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Esperanza, the largest Hispanic Evangelical network in the United States, committed to strengthening the Latino community, announced that President George W. Bush will be the keynote speaker at the 2008 National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast this Thursday, June 26 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. This will be the sixth time President Bush participates at the event. Other special guests include the First Lady of the Republic of Panama, Mrs. Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, and Israel's Tourism Commissioner, Mr. Rami Levi.
The program will also feature musical performances from major Hispanic Gospel artists, such as Latin Grammy Award winner, Marcos Witt; ARPA Award winner, Julissa; Latin Grammy nominee, Roberto Orellana; Jessica; Ricardo Rodriguez; and Latin Grammy Award winner, Coalo Zamorano.
"It is a blessing and an honor to host President Bush at the Prayer Breakfast," said Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., President of Esperanza. "This year, more than ever, we have come together in a special way to pray, celebrate, and advocate for Hispanics everywhere."
The 2008 National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and Conference has gathered over 750 Hispanic clergy members of different denominations and leaders of community-based organizations, representing a broad spectrum of the national Latino community. For the first time this year, the conference provided a new advocacy forum: Town Hall Meetings. Through these informative briefings, the Hispanic spiritual and community leaders had the opportunity to meet with the presidential candidates' campaign managers and hear the candidates' platforms on Hispanic issues. During the three-day conference, participants also attended advocacy trainings, immigration workshops, and prayer events.
The Reverend Luis Cortes, Jr. is president of Esperanza, the largest Hispanic faith-based Evangelical network in the United Sates. With a national network of more than 12,000 churches, ministries, and community organizations, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America. For more information, go to www.esperanza.us.
SOURCE Esperanza
WASHINGTON, June 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Esperanza, the largest Hispanic Evangelical network in the United States, committed to strengthening the Latino community, announced that President George W. Bush will be the keynote speaker at the 2008 National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast this Thursday, June 26 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. This will be the sixth time President Bush participates at the event. Other special guests include the First Lady of the Republic of Panama, Mrs. Vivian Fernandez de Torrijos, and Israel's Tourism Commissioner, Mr. Rami Levi.
The program will also feature musical performances from major Hispanic Gospel artists, such as Latin Grammy Award winner, Marcos Witt; ARPA Award winner, Julissa; Latin Grammy nominee, Roberto Orellana; Jessica; Ricardo Rodriguez; and Latin Grammy Award winner, Coalo Zamorano.
"It is a blessing and an honor to host President Bush at the Prayer Breakfast," said Rev. Luis Cortes, Jr., President of Esperanza. "This year, more than ever, we have come together in a special way to pray, celebrate, and advocate for Hispanics everywhere."
The 2008 National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and Conference has gathered over 750 Hispanic clergy members of different denominations and leaders of community-based organizations, representing a broad spectrum of the national Latino community. For the first time this year, the conference provided a new advocacy forum: Town Hall Meetings. Through these informative briefings, the Hispanic spiritual and community leaders had the opportunity to meet with the presidential candidates' campaign managers and hear the candidates' platforms on Hispanic issues. During the three-day conference, participants also attended advocacy trainings, immigration workshops, and prayer events.
The Reverend Luis Cortes, Jr. is president of Esperanza, the largest Hispanic faith-based Evangelical network in the United Sates. With a national network of more than 12,000 churches, ministries, and community organizations, Esperanza is one of the leading voices for Hispanics in America. For more information, go to www.esperanza.us.
SOURCE Esperanza
LATINOS IN THE U.S.: LIVING IN TWO WORLDS
Diuguid's column: Hispanics live in a divided world
By Lewis Diuguid, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
The immigration surge into the Kansas City area has changed the way Monica Bustamante views life and herself.
The 50-year-old Kansas City, Kan., woman instructed her sons as her parents had taught her and her seven siblings: Be proud of who you are.
It helped them endure ongoing bigotry they faced as Mexican Americans born and raised in the U.S.
But one day one of her sons came home and said, “I don’t want to be Mexican anymore,” Bustamante recalled as we talked in her home amid many framed family pictures dating back generations.
“My youngest son sat me down and said, ‘Mom, you need to really open your eyes.’” She has, and the picture isn’t pretty.
It is one of a Hispanic community that is divided between well-established Latino families living here since the turn of the last century and thousands of newcomers.
To assimilate into mainstream America, Bustamante’s parents and others like them never taught their children Spanish. She didn’t insist that her sons learn it either.
But that has created problems. Newcomers tell them they’re not “true Mexicans” because they don’t speak Spanish.
They’re even called “coconuts” — brown on the outside and white on the inside.
At the same time, they face more “traditional” discrimination from whites. Bustamante recalled the difficulty her parents had moving into their Kansas City, Kan., home in 1965 as the first Mexican Americans on the block. She faced the same thing buying her home in 1995.
In 2005 at one of her son’s soccer games white people in the stands made racist comments when the victorious opposing team began singing in Spanish.
It was just mean. They walked away muttering stuff under their breath.”“I told them, ‘How could you say that?’
Bustamante confronted a friend in the group who responded that she had the right to say such things.
“I told her I don’t understand,” Bustamante said. “You’re talking about me.”
That friendship ended.
But discrimination among Latinos is harder to stomach. It’s new but just as hurtful.
Bustamante said that two Hispanic journalists she talked to wouldn’t tell the story. One reporter said Bustamante should be ashamed she didn’t know Spanish, and it was her duty to learn it.
“I said, why should I have to learn? I got off the phone and cried. He was so indignant.
Another reporter asked, ‘What do you want me to do?’ I don’t think the Hispanic community wants to acknowledge that there is a division like this, that there is a frustration from the ones who were born here and they don’t want to acknowledge how the new ones treat us.”
She now says proudly she is American of Mexican descent.
English is her native tongue, and when she is told to go back where she came from she acknowledges she’s already there.
The African-American community has faced similar divisions during the Great Migration of blacks from the South to factory jobs and cities in the North.
The language differences between the north and south were obvious.
In major cities nationwide, established black families — including my own — were accused of “talking white” and not being black enough. These problems persist today.
It has taught me that black people — just like whites — are not one monolithic community, speaking and thinking the same way. Neither are Latinas and Latinos like Bustamante.
Lewis W. Diuguid is a member of The Star’s Editorial Board. To reach him, call (816) 234-4723 or send e-mail to Ldiuguid@kcstar.com
By Lewis Diuguid, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist
The immigration surge into the Kansas City area has changed the way Monica Bustamante views life and herself.
The 50-year-old Kansas City, Kan., woman instructed her sons as her parents had taught her and her seven siblings: Be proud of who you are.
It helped them endure ongoing bigotry they faced as Mexican Americans born and raised in the U.S.
But one day one of her sons came home and said, “I don’t want to be Mexican anymore,” Bustamante recalled as we talked in her home amid many framed family pictures dating back generations.
“My youngest son sat me down and said, ‘Mom, you need to really open your eyes.’” She has, and the picture isn’t pretty.
It is one of a Hispanic community that is divided between well-established Latino families living here since the turn of the last century and thousands of newcomers.
To assimilate into mainstream America, Bustamante’s parents and others like them never taught their children Spanish. She didn’t insist that her sons learn it either.
But that has created problems. Newcomers tell them they’re not “true Mexicans” because they don’t speak Spanish.
They’re even called “coconuts” — brown on the outside and white on the inside.
At the same time, they face more “traditional” discrimination from whites. Bustamante recalled the difficulty her parents had moving into their Kansas City, Kan., home in 1965 as the first Mexican Americans on the block. She faced the same thing buying her home in 1995.
In 2005 at one of her son’s soccer games white people in the stands made racist comments when the victorious opposing team began singing in Spanish.
It was just mean. They walked away muttering stuff under their breath.”“I told them, ‘How could you say that?’
Bustamante confronted a friend in the group who responded that she had the right to say such things.
“I told her I don’t understand,” Bustamante said. “You’re talking about me.”
That friendship ended.
But discrimination among Latinos is harder to stomach. It’s new but just as hurtful.
Bustamante said that two Hispanic journalists she talked to wouldn’t tell the story. One reporter said Bustamante should be ashamed she didn’t know Spanish, and it was her duty to learn it.
“I said, why should I have to learn? I got off the phone and cried. He was so indignant.
Another reporter asked, ‘What do you want me to do?’ I don’t think the Hispanic community wants to acknowledge that there is a division like this, that there is a frustration from the ones who were born here and they don’t want to acknowledge how the new ones treat us.”
She now says proudly she is American of Mexican descent.
English is her native tongue, and when she is told to go back where she came from she acknowledges she’s already there.
The African-American community has faced similar divisions during the Great Migration of blacks from the South to factory jobs and cities in the North.
The language differences between the north and south were obvious.
In major cities nationwide, established black families — including my own — were accused of “talking white” and not being black enough. These problems persist today.
It has taught me that black people — just like whites — are not one monolithic community, speaking and thinking the same way. Neither are Latinas and Latinos like Bustamante.
Lewis W. Diuguid is a member of The Star’s Editorial Board. To reach him, call (816) 234-4723 or send e-mail to Ldiuguid@kcstar.com
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
TEXAS TOWN TAKES RACIST STEPS AGAINST IMMIGRANTS
Farmers Branch proposal would target illegal immigrants
Proposals would affect landlords, employers; some say rules would draw lawsuits
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News
FARMERS BRANCH – Illegal immigrants are responsible for much of what's wrong with Farmers Branch, says City Council member Tim O'Hare.
So he proposes making it harder for illegal immigrants to live and work in the city.
Today, the City Council will discuss possible ways to do that, including prohibiting landlords from leasing to illegal immigrants, penalizing businesses that employ them, making English the city's official language and ceasing publication of any documents in Spanish, and eliminating subsidies for illegal immigrants in the city's youth programs.
Some Hispanic advocates say doing so would brand Farmers Branch as a racist community and embroil the city in protests and lawsuits.
"The reason I got on the City Council was because I saw our property values declining or increasing at a level that was below the rate of inflation," Mr. O'Hare said.
"When that happens, people move out of our neighborhoods, and what I would call less desirable people move into the neighborhoods, people who don't value education, people who don't value taking care of their properties."
He also said local schools have dropped in recent years in state rankings, and retail operations cater to low-income and Spanish-speaking customers, leaving "no place for people with a good income to shop."
"Illegal immigrants are a large cause of it," he said.
So he wants to see the council adopt provisions similar to those adopted by Hazelton, Pa., in July and since then adopted or under consideration by other cities in Pennsylvania, California and Florida.
The 2000 census showed that 25.2 percent of the population of Farmers Branch was foreign-born. The census did not report how many were illegal immigrants.
'City of hate'
The idea already is generating strong reaction among Hispanic leaders.
Hector Flores, immediate past national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said adopting such local ordinances is tantamount to racism.
"Farmers Branch now is going to be a city of hate," he said. "I'm sure the Statue of Liberty must be crying right now, knowing some of our subjects in this great democracy of ours are conjuring up to make life more miserable for those who are here trying to eke out a living, contributing to our great country through their sweat and tears, only looking for what our forefathers were looking for when they came here."
Domingo Garcia, a Dallas lawyer and one of the organizers of a march in downtown Dallas last spring that drew nearly 500,000 people in opposition to proposed federal immigration legislation, said if the city enacts such ordinances, it can expect litigation.
"And we can guarantee the city of Farmers Branch taxpayers that if such an ordinance was to pass, they should be prepared to see property taxes increase to pay for ... not only having the ordinance overturned as unconstitutional, but having to pay attorneys' fees for whichever group decides to sue," Mr. Garcia said.
Mayor Bob Phelps said the city should wait until changes being considered in federal immigration law are enacted. He also fears the city could get sued if the City Council enacts the measures Mr. O'Hare is talking about.
Hazelton was one of the first cities to adopt an ordinance. This week, groups including the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Pennsylvania city, accusing it of overstepping its authority on a federal matter and saying the law is discriminatory.
"We have a council member or two that want to push this, but I don't think now is the time," Mr. Phelps said. "Until we get some clear understanding of what can be done, or what the United States is going to do, it's hard for us in Farmers Branch, being a little town of 27,000, to do anything."
The council has six members, including the mayor. Most of the council is undecided on whether to implement local ordinances restricting illegal immigrants.
Mr. O'Hare said the city must do something to protect its taxpayers from shouldering the burdens caused by illegal immigrants.
"I don't blame illegal immigrants for coming here. They come from poor conditions, get to come over here and get free medical care, get a free education, not pay taxes, and compared to their living conditions before, they get to come over here and live like kings and queens," Mr. O'Hare said. "I fault government officials who are afraid to do anything about it because of political correctness, who are afraid to do anything about it because of the ACLU, and blame people who sit back and say it's not our problem."
O'Hare urges courage
He says that although regulating immigration is a federal issue, it's up the cities to protect their interests.
"I want to see our local government have the courage to do what they all want to do and what residents want them to do and not back down because of fear of political correctness or being sued," he said.
Legalities are a bigger issue for council member Ben Robinson, who along with Mr. O'Hare asked that the immigration issue be put on today's study session agenda.
"I've asked them to tell us legally what's out there," he said. "There is a lot of conversation going on about what we should or shouldn't do. ... I'm all for us taking those steps as long as we're not going to get sued."
About 37 percent of the city's residents in 2000 were Hispanic, up from 20.2 percent in 1990.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Texas in 2005 was second among the states for the highest number of illegal immigrants, an estimated 1.4 to 1.6 million.
State Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, said if Farmers Branch were to adopt such local ordinances, it would contradict the Dallas-Fort Worth area's reputation for being immigrant-friendly.
"We should be a nation, a state, a city, of people working together and not impose such Draconian laws as Farmers Branch wants to put up," he said.
E-mail ssandoval@dallasnews.com
Proposals would affect landlords, employers; some say rules would draw lawsuits
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL / The Dallas Morning News
FARMERS BRANCH – Illegal immigrants are responsible for much of what's wrong with Farmers Branch, says City Council member Tim O'Hare.
So he proposes making it harder for illegal immigrants to live and work in the city.
Today, the City Council will discuss possible ways to do that, including prohibiting landlords from leasing to illegal immigrants, penalizing businesses that employ them, making English the city's official language and ceasing publication of any documents in Spanish, and eliminating subsidies for illegal immigrants in the city's youth programs.
Some Hispanic advocates say doing so would brand Farmers Branch as a racist community and embroil the city in protests and lawsuits.
"The reason I got on the City Council was because I saw our property values declining or increasing at a level that was below the rate of inflation," Mr. O'Hare said.
"When that happens, people move out of our neighborhoods, and what I would call less desirable people move into the neighborhoods, people who don't value education, people who don't value taking care of their properties."
He also said local schools have dropped in recent years in state rankings, and retail operations cater to low-income and Spanish-speaking customers, leaving "no place for people with a good income to shop."
"Illegal immigrants are a large cause of it," he said.
So he wants to see the council adopt provisions similar to those adopted by Hazelton, Pa., in July and since then adopted or under consideration by other cities in Pennsylvania, California and Florida.
The 2000 census showed that 25.2 percent of the population of Farmers Branch was foreign-born. The census did not report how many were illegal immigrants.
'City of hate'
The idea already is generating strong reaction among Hispanic leaders.
Hector Flores, immediate past national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said adopting such local ordinances is tantamount to racism.
"Farmers Branch now is going to be a city of hate," he said. "I'm sure the Statue of Liberty must be crying right now, knowing some of our subjects in this great democracy of ours are conjuring up to make life more miserable for those who are here trying to eke out a living, contributing to our great country through their sweat and tears, only looking for what our forefathers were looking for when they came here."
Domingo Garcia, a Dallas lawyer and one of the organizers of a march in downtown Dallas last spring that drew nearly 500,000 people in opposition to proposed federal immigration legislation, said if the city enacts such ordinances, it can expect litigation.
"And we can guarantee the city of Farmers Branch taxpayers that if such an ordinance was to pass, they should be prepared to see property taxes increase to pay for ... not only having the ordinance overturned as unconstitutional, but having to pay attorneys' fees for whichever group decides to sue," Mr. Garcia said.
Mayor Bob Phelps said the city should wait until changes being considered in federal immigration law are enacted. He also fears the city could get sued if the City Council enacts the measures Mr. O'Hare is talking about.
Hazelton was one of the first cities to adopt an ordinance. This week, groups including the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Pennsylvania city, accusing it of overstepping its authority on a federal matter and saying the law is discriminatory.
"We have a council member or two that want to push this, but I don't think now is the time," Mr. Phelps said. "Until we get some clear understanding of what can be done, or what the United States is going to do, it's hard for us in Farmers Branch, being a little town of 27,000, to do anything."
The council has six members, including the mayor. Most of the council is undecided on whether to implement local ordinances restricting illegal immigrants.
Mr. O'Hare said the city must do something to protect its taxpayers from shouldering the burdens caused by illegal immigrants.
"I don't blame illegal immigrants for coming here. They come from poor conditions, get to come over here and get free medical care, get a free education, not pay taxes, and compared to their living conditions before, they get to come over here and live like kings and queens," Mr. O'Hare said. "I fault government officials who are afraid to do anything about it because of political correctness, who are afraid to do anything about it because of the ACLU, and blame people who sit back and say it's not our problem."
O'Hare urges courage
He says that although regulating immigration is a federal issue, it's up the cities to protect their interests.
"I want to see our local government have the courage to do what they all want to do and what residents want them to do and not back down because of fear of political correctness or being sued," he said.
Legalities are a bigger issue for council member Ben Robinson, who along with Mr. O'Hare asked that the immigration issue be put on today's study session agenda.
"I've asked them to tell us legally what's out there," he said. "There is a lot of conversation going on about what we should or shouldn't do. ... I'm all for us taking those steps as long as we're not going to get sued."
About 37 percent of the city's residents in 2000 were Hispanic, up from 20.2 percent in 1990.
According to the Pew Hispanic Center, Texas in 2005 was second among the states for the highest number of illegal immigrants, an estimated 1.4 to 1.6 million.
State Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, said if Farmers Branch were to adopt such local ordinances, it would contradict the Dallas-Fort Worth area's reputation for being immigrant-friendly.
"We should be a nation, a state, a city, of people working together and not impose such Draconian laws as Farmers Branch wants to put up," he said.
E-mail ssandoval@dallasnews.com
DEMOCRATS LOOK TO HISPANICS FOR SUPPORT
Democrats look to local Hispanic leaders in anti-GOP efforts
By SUZANNE GAMBOA / Associated Press
Democrats sought Tuesday to tap into their networks of local Hispanic leaders to increase party support and turnout in the effort to deny Republican Sen. John McCain the presidency.
The Democratic National Committee, in announcing its 2008 Hispanic Leadership Council, accused McCain of betraying Hispanics on immigration reform and failing to address critical issues such as the economy in an ad he produced in Spanish in New Mexico.
The council is made up of Hispanic professionals, business owners, activists and community leaders who have given at least $5,000 to the Democratic Party. It's led by Gilberto Ocanas, a Texas-based consultant who has worked on four presidential campaigns, and Ingrid Duran, a Washington consultant and former CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
"We shouldn't wait for people to engage us. We should engage our own folks," Ocanas said.
Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz dismissed the criticism and said that McCain, the likely GOP nominee, "has the track record, the judgment and character to address the challenges America faces with all segments of the electorate, including Hispanics."
The GOP already has Hispanic team leaders working every day to get out the Hispanic vote and an advisory board working with the chairman on outreach to the Hispanic community, Diaz said.
"The Democrats may be announcing their effort, but we've been executing ours for 365 days a year," he said.
By SUZANNE GAMBOA / Associated Press
Democrats sought Tuesday to tap into their networks of local Hispanic leaders to increase party support and turnout in the effort to deny Republican Sen. John McCain the presidency.
The Democratic National Committee, in announcing its 2008 Hispanic Leadership Council, accused McCain of betraying Hispanics on immigration reform and failing to address critical issues such as the economy in an ad he produced in Spanish in New Mexico.
The council is made up of Hispanic professionals, business owners, activists and community leaders who have given at least $5,000 to the Democratic Party. It's led by Gilberto Ocanas, a Texas-based consultant who has worked on four presidential campaigns, and Ingrid Duran, a Washington consultant and former CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
"We shouldn't wait for people to engage us. We should engage our own folks," Ocanas said.
Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz dismissed the criticism and said that McCain, the likely GOP nominee, "has the track record, the judgment and character to address the challenges America faces with all segments of the electorate, including Hispanics."
The GOP already has Hispanic team leaders working every day to get out the Hispanic vote and an advisory board working with the chairman on outreach to the Hispanic community, Diaz said.
"The Democrats may be announcing their effort, but we've been executing ours for 365 days a year," he said.
BORDER: MEXICAN AND AMERICAN RELATIONS
Getting along with our neighbors
Ruben Navarrette - SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
TIJUANA – Mexico and the United States have a twisted relationship.
Dysfunctional: Each country likes to blame the other for its problems, and neither is eager to accept responsibility. Making matters worse, history comes with hard feelings; the United States claimed it was “manifest destiny” to conquer half of Mexico in 1848. Since then, Mexico has been skeptical of U.S. foreign policy excursions such as the Iraq war, which it opposed.
Dangerous: Americans rationalize that predatory Mexican drug dealers, not bad parenting, get their kids hooked on drugs; Mexicans complain that it is American consumption, as opposed to corruption in Mexico, that keeps ruthless drug cartels in business. Thousands of automatic weapons flow each year from the United States to Mexico. Mexicans want Americans to stop exporting illegal guns just as Americans want Mexico to stop exporting illegal immigrants. Truth is, there's a market for both.
Dependent: As much as Mexicans and Americans complain about one another, they can't get enough of each other. They devour each other's food, culture and music. After crossing the border here, you see a Starbucks, a Costco and a T.G.I. Friday's; back home in North County, the neighborhood grocery store sells horchata, a rice milk drink popular in Mexico, and Mexican frozen treats in a variety of tropical flavors.
Plenty of Mexicans want to be like Americans, and lots of Americans have an appetite for all things Mexican. More Mexicans are skipping the traditional siesta if they want to do business in the afternoon. And more Americans are seeing the positive benefits of getting the family together at the dinner table, a regular occurrence in Mexican households.
U.S.-Mexico relations were on the menu when members of the Union-Tribune editorial board met here with José Guadalupe Osuna MillÁn, the governor of Baja California. Other topics included drug violence, tourism, energy, immigration and the newest Mexican commodity that Americans are devouring: affordable gasoline.
Osuna MillÁn trained as an economist after arriving here as a young man to work in a maquiladora. So he understands that his state's economic well-being depends on American tourists feeling comfortable enough to visit and spend their dollars, as well as on American and European investment in the region. In fact, Osuna MillÁn said, the U.S. economic slowdown has helped produce a situation where European investment in Baja exceeds that coming from the United States.
In office for almost eight months, Osuna MillÁn isn't shy about rattling off his concerns – from congestion at the border that hurts commerce on both sides to what he believes is an unfairly negative portrayal in the American news media of his border state as violently out of control. He wants more positive stories, and insists that they are here if only more U.S. reporters knew where to look.
“We're always going to be neighbors,” he said. “We're going to live together forever. Our intent is to highlight positive trends. We have to talk about our problems. But let's find solutions.”
What I didn't hear much of, however, was what the governor was doing on his end, either to improve the lives of the people in his state or to enhance the relationship between Mexico and the United States.
It is a relationship of convenience. American teenagers have long treated Tijuana and Baja California as their liquor store. Now baby boomers come here for prescription drugs and affordable dental work.
At the moment, there's another Mexican commodity that Americans are eager to get their hands on: cheap gasoline. With gas prices in the San Diego area approaching $4.75 a gallon, some residents are making the five-to 15-mile trip to Tijuana in order to save $2 a gallon. Mexican gas station operators complain that demand is so great they can't service their regular customers.
The Americans are clearly taking advantage. One reason the price of gas in Mexico is so low is that the government controls the petroleum industry and subsidizes the product. It does this to help Mexicans, not their neighbors. The issue has become such a sore spot that some angry residents of Tijuana are demanding that government officials do something – perhaps impose an additional tax on gas that gets pumped into foreign vehicles.
It's the kind of problem that a former maquiladora-worker-turned-border-state-governor had better try to solve. Or all the positive news coverage in the world won't be enough to save him.
Navarrette can be reached via ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com.
Ruben Navarrette - SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
TIJUANA – Mexico and the United States have a twisted relationship.
Dysfunctional: Each country likes to blame the other for its problems, and neither is eager to accept responsibility. Making matters worse, history comes with hard feelings; the United States claimed it was “manifest destiny” to conquer half of Mexico in 1848. Since then, Mexico has been skeptical of U.S. foreign policy excursions such as the Iraq war, which it opposed.
Dangerous: Americans rationalize that predatory Mexican drug dealers, not bad parenting, get their kids hooked on drugs; Mexicans complain that it is American consumption, as opposed to corruption in Mexico, that keeps ruthless drug cartels in business. Thousands of automatic weapons flow each year from the United States to Mexico. Mexicans want Americans to stop exporting illegal guns just as Americans want Mexico to stop exporting illegal immigrants. Truth is, there's a market for both.
Dependent: As much as Mexicans and Americans complain about one another, they can't get enough of each other. They devour each other's food, culture and music. After crossing the border here, you see a Starbucks, a Costco and a T.G.I. Friday's; back home in North County, the neighborhood grocery store sells horchata, a rice milk drink popular in Mexico, and Mexican frozen treats in a variety of tropical flavors.
Plenty of Mexicans want to be like Americans, and lots of Americans have an appetite for all things Mexican. More Mexicans are skipping the traditional siesta if they want to do business in the afternoon. And more Americans are seeing the positive benefits of getting the family together at the dinner table, a regular occurrence in Mexican households.
U.S.-Mexico relations were on the menu when members of the Union-Tribune editorial board met here with José Guadalupe Osuna MillÁn, the governor of Baja California. Other topics included drug violence, tourism, energy, immigration and the newest Mexican commodity that Americans are devouring: affordable gasoline.
Osuna MillÁn trained as an economist after arriving here as a young man to work in a maquiladora. So he understands that his state's economic well-being depends on American tourists feeling comfortable enough to visit and spend their dollars, as well as on American and European investment in the region. In fact, Osuna MillÁn said, the U.S. economic slowdown has helped produce a situation where European investment in Baja exceeds that coming from the United States.
In office for almost eight months, Osuna MillÁn isn't shy about rattling off his concerns – from congestion at the border that hurts commerce on both sides to what he believes is an unfairly negative portrayal in the American news media of his border state as violently out of control. He wants more positive stories, and insists that they are here if only more U.S. reporters knew where to look.
“We're always going to be neighbors,” he said. “We're going to live together forever. Our intent is to highlight positive trends. We have to talk about our problems. But let's find solutions.”
What I didn't hear much of, however, was what the governor was doing on his end, either to improve the lives of the people in his state or to enhance the relationship between Mexico and the United States.
It is a relationship of convenience. American teenagers have long treated Tijuana and Baja California as their liquor store. Now baby boomers come here for prescription drugs and affordable dental work.
At the moment, there's another Mexican commodity that Americans are eager to get their hands on: cheap gasoline. With gas prices in the San Diego area approaching $4.75 a gallon, some residents are making the five-to 15-mile trip to Tijuana in order to save $2 a gallon. Mexican gas station operators complain that demand is so great they can't service their regular customers.
The Americans are clearly taking advantage. One reason the price of gas in Mexico is so low is that the government controls the petroleum industry and subsidizes the product. It does this to help Mexicans, not their neighbors. The issue has become such a sore spot that some angry residents of Tijuana are demanding that government officials do something – perhaps impose an additional tax on gas that gets pumped into foreign vehicles.
It's the kind of problem that a former maquiladora-worker-turned-border-state-governor had better try to solve. Or all the positive news coverage in the world won't be enough to save him.
Navarrette can be reached via ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com.
LATINO SENATOR ON BOTH SIDES
Latino Senator Playing Both Sides of the Aisle
Written by Rich Miller
Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) was one of just a tiny handful of Illinois Democratic state legislators who backed Hillary Clinton's presidential bid over the local favorite Barack Obama.
Sandoval's district and most of Chicagoland's Latino precincts went for Clinton in the February primary, so it was probably a smart move. Plus, Sandoval has been engaged in a full-blown Statehouse war with Senate President Emil Jones for well over a year, so backing Clinton against Jones' political godson had its "stick in the eye" advantages.
Unsurprisingly, Clinton's defeat hasn't automatically put Sandoval in the Obama camp.
Sandoval met privately with Republican presidential candidate John McCain last week, and he told the Associated Press the next day that he was leaving open the possibility of endorsing the man. Sandoval told me last week that the meeting went well, and said McCain promised to be an advocate for Latino issues. McCain, Sandoval said, did not ask him for an endorsement, but did ask that they continue to meet, which Sandoval agreed to do.
McCain was also apparently aware that Sandoval was on the outs with many of his Senate Democratic colleagues because of the fight with Senate President Jones, and McCain used that division to his advantage during the meeting.
Immigration reform has been a political problem for McCain. His push last year for a bipartisan solution to the situation earned him heaps of scorn from the right wing of his party and just about killed off his candidacy. He started to gain ground around the time that he flipped a bit on the issue.
McCain reminded Sandoval that the last president to do anything major about immigration reform was a Republican, Ronald Reagan. Sandoval claimed McCain told him that the immigration issue would be "one of the hallmarks of my presidency." Reagan's immigration policy included an amnesty program for those here illegally, but McCain never uttered the "A" word.
"I'm a Democrat, but I'm not wedded to any political party," Sandoval told me. "You need to reach out to us, meet with us, make us part of the strategy. If that's not there, then I'm not with them," he said of Obama's campaign.
Senator Sandoval dismissed a recent poll of 800 Latino voters in 21 states that showed Obama with a huge 60-23 lead over McCain, claiming that the numbers will be a lot closer once Latino voters are in the privacy of the voting booth.
Sandoval also dismissed Obama's recent hiring of Chicago Latina leader Patti Solis Doyle, who was forced out of the Clinton campaign after several missteps.
If hiring Doyle, the sister of a Chicago alderman, is Obama's "gesture to the community," Sandoval said, that won't be nearly enough. Obama, he said, "needs to reach out to Latino community leaders, people like myself, and have a dialogue."
Doyle's brother, 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis, teamed up with Alderman Manny Flores a couple of years ago to back a primary candidate against Senator Sandoval, which probably explains Sandoval's harsh attitude toward Doyle. (Clinton's personal touch likely overcame this problem for Sandoval.) Sandoval has been a longtime supporter of the now largely invisible but still existent Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO), and Alderman Solis has been at war with the HDO for the past few years.
There's little doubt that McCain would love to have a Democratic legislator from Obama's home state on his campaign team. The propaganda advantages would be enormous, regardless of the reasons for Sandoval's defection.
Right now, though, Sandoval is still hesitant to make the big move, while blatantly telegraphing his message to Obama that his needs ought to be considered.
Sandoval's flirtation with McCain while his hand is stretched outward (palms up) toward Obama isn't a particularly new thing in politics. It's as old as politics itself.
But it's a marvelous confluence of opportunities for Sandoval. He can help himself either way he chooses. He can be the shining star of McCain's Latino-outreach effort, or secure some influence within the Obama campaign, while sticking it to his nemesis Emil Jones yet again no matter what he does.
Cynical? Yep. Opportunistic? Oh, yeah. But that's hardball politics, my friends.
Come to think of it, there is one downside. The Obama campaign could dirty Sandoval up in an effort to make him too radioactive for McCain. That would be the "Chicago way."
We'll see how it goes.
Written by Rich Miller
Senator Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago) was one of just a tiny handful of Illinois Democratic state legislators who backed Hillary Clinton's presidential bid over the local favorite Barack Obama.
Sandoval's district and most of Chicagoland's Latino precincts went for Clinton in the February primary, so it was probably a smart move. Plus, Sandoval has been engaged in a full-blown Statehouse war with Senate President Emil Jones for well over a year, so backing Clinton against Jones' political godson had its "stick in the eye" advantages.
Unsurprisingly, Clinton's defeat hasn't automatically put Sandoval in the Obama camp.
Sandoval met privately with Republican presidential candidate John McCain last week, and he told the Associated Press the next day that he was leaving open the possibility of endorsing the man. Sandoval told me last week that the meeting went well, and said McCain promised to be an advocate for Latino issues. McCain, Sandoval said, did not ask him for an endorsement, but did ask that they continue to meet, which Sandoval agreed to do.
McCain was also apparently aware that Sandoval was on the outs with many of his Senate Democratic colleagues because of the fight with Senate President Jones, and McCain used that division to his advantage during the meeting.
Immigration reform has been a political problem for McCain. His push last year for a bipartisan solution to the situation earned him heaps of scorn from the right wing of his party and just about killed off his candidacy. He started to gain ground around the time that he flipped a bit on the issue.
McCain reminded Sandoval that the last president to do anything major about immigration reform was a Republican, Ronald Reagan. Sandoval claimed McCain told him that the immigration issue would be "one of the hallmarks of my presidency." Reagan's immigration policy included an amnesty program for those here illegally, but McCain never uttered the "A" word.
"I'm a Democrat, but I'm not wedded to any political party," Sandoval told me. "You need to reach out to us, meet with us, make us part of the strategy. If that's not there, then I'm not with them," he said of Obama's campaign.
Senator Sandoval dismissed a recent poll of 800 Latino voters in 21 states that showed Obama with a huge 60-23 lead over McCain, claiming that the numbers will be a lot closer once Latino voters are in the privacy of the voting booth.
Sandoval also dismissed Obama's recent hiring of Chicago Latina leader Patti Solis Doyle, who was forced out of the Clinton campaign after several missteps.
If hiring Doyle, the sister of a Chicago alderman, is Obama's "gesture to the community," Sandoval said, that won't be nearly enough. Obama, he said, "needs to reach out to Latino community leaders, people like myself, and have a dialogue."
Doyle's brother, 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis, teamed up with Alderman Manny Flores a couple of years ago to back a primary candidate against Senator Sandoval, which probably explains Sandoval's harsh attitude toward Doyle. (Clinton's personal touch likely overcame this problem for Sandoval.) Sandoval has been a longtime supporter of the now largely invisible but still existent Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO), and Alderman Solis has been at war with the HDO for the past few years.
There's little doubt that McCain would love to have a Democratic legislator from Obama's home state on his campaign team. The propaganda advantages would be enormous, regardless of the reasons for Sandoval's defection.
Right now, though, Sandoval is still hesitant to make the big move, while blatantly telegraphing his message to Obama that his needs ought to be considered.
Sandoval's flirtation with McCain while his hand is stretched outward (palms up) toward Obama isn't a particularly new thing in politics. It's as old as politics itself.
But it's a marvelous confluence of opportunities for Sandoval. He can help himself either way he chooses. He can be the shining star of McCain's Latino-outreach effort, or secure some influence within the Obama campaign, while sticking it to his nemesis Emil Jones yet again no matter what he does.
Cynical? Yep. Opportunistic? Oh, yeah. But that's hardball politics, my friends.
Come to think of it, there is one downside. The Obama campaign could dirty Sandoval up in an effort to make him too radioactive for McCain. That would be the "Chicago way."
We'll see how it goes.
HISPANIC REAL ESTATE REACHES NEW LEVEL
NAHREP and VivaReal.us Reach Agreement, Giving Hispanic Real Estate Pros Prominent Placement on www.VivaReal.us
SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) has signed a two-year agreement with VivaReal, operated by Bilingual Marketing Group, an online real estate media company, that will give its 15,500 members prominent placement on the recently launched Spanish-language web site VivaReal.us (www.vivareal.us). The online portal, which is in beta, provides Hispanic home-buyers with home-buying how-to videos, podcasts and educational content all in Spanish and links them with bilingual local real estate professionals and property listings they are interested in.
“VivaReal.us offers a perfect online meeting space for NAHREP members and Hispanic buyers that want to learn about the home-buying process, connect with experts and search for properties,” said Timothy Sandos, NAHREP President & CEO. “This is a great benefit for members because it also gives them a forum to share their expertise in their local markets through social media networking tools.”
Under the agreement, NAHREP members will be able to create a professional profile, upload property listings and generate a blog on the Hispanic home-buyer network that is gaining popularity with potential homebuyers.
“The sub-prime crisis has highlighted the need to educate Latinos at every step of the home-buying process,” said Brian Requarth, CEO of Bilingual Marketing. “We understand the growing need to have one reliable place online where Hispanics can start pursuing their dream of owning a home. VivaReal’s partnership with NAHREP brings together information specifically for Hispanic home-buyers, property listings and local professionals to help them make educated decisions to make that dream come true.”
VivaReal.us features user-friendly audio and video content in Spanish that communicates clearly with Hispanic home-buyers who want to learn more about the home-buying process. Topics such as “Choosing an Agent,” “Getting Prequalified for a Loan,” “Looking for and Finding the Right Home,” “Negotiating an Offer,” are just a few of the subjects covered.
The Spanish language web site currently has listings in major markets and, with recently agreed partnerships, will increase its database by over 100,000 listings in the coming months.
Under its partnership with NAHREP, Requarth and his company will teach bilingual agents how to create an effective blog that builds their profile in the online real estate community with other Spanish speakers. The service is free for NAHREP members.
According to a study issued earlier this year by the Pew Hispanic Center, more than one-in-two Latinos goes online and 76 percent of bilingual Hispanics use the Internet.
About VivaReal.us
VivaReal.us is where Spanish speaking professionals and home-buyers go to learn about buying and selling homes.
VivaReal is operated by Bilingual Marketing Group, which is a privately owned California company with offices in Santa Rosa, California and Bogota, Colombia.
About NAHREP
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, a non-profit 501c6 trade association, is dedicated to increasing the homeownership rate among Latinos by educating and empowering the real estate professionals that serve them. Based in Washington D.C., NAHREP is the premier trade organization for Hispanics and has more than 15,500 members in 48 states and 62 affiliate chapters.
SANTA ROSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) has signed a two-year agreement with VivaReal, operated by Bilingual Marketing Group, an online real estate media company, that will give its 15,500 members prominent placement on the recently launched Spanish-language web site VivaReal.us (www.vivareal.us). The online portal, which is in beta, provides Hispanic home-buyers with home-buying how-to videos, podcasts and educational content all in Spanish and links them with bilingual local real estate professionals and property listings they are interested in.
“VivaReal.us offers a perfect online meeting space for NAHREP members and Hispanic buyers that want to learn about the home-buying process, connect with experts and search for properties,” said Timothy Sandos, NAHREP President & CEO. “This is a great benefit for members because it also gives them a forum to share their expertise in their local markets through social media networking tools.”
Under the agreement, NAHREP members will be able to create a professional profile, upload property listings and generate a blog on the Hispanic home-buyer network that is gaining popularity with potential homebuyers.
“The sub-prime crisis has highlighted the need to educate Latinos at every step of the home-buying process,” said Brian Requarth, CEO of Bilingual Marketing. “We understand the growing need to have one reliable place online where Hispanics can start pursuing their dream of owning a home. VivaReal’s partnership with NAHREP brings together information specifically for Hispanic home-buyers, property listings and local professionals to help them make educated decisions to make that dream come true.”
VivaReal.us features user-friendly audio and video content in Spanish that communicates clearly with Hispanic home-buyers who want to learn more about the home-buying process. Topics such as “Choosing an Agent,” “Getting Prequalified for a Loan,” “Looking for and Finding the Right Home,” “Negotiating an Offer,” are just a few of the subjects covered.
The Spanish language web site currently has listings in major markets and, with recently agreed partnerships, will increase its database by over 100,000 listings in the coming months.
Under its partnership with NAHREP, Requarth and his company will teach bilingual agents how to create an effective blog that builds their profile in the online real estate community with other Spanish speakers. The service is free for NAHREP members.
According to a study issued earlier this year by the Pew Hispanic Center, more than one-in-two Latinos goes online and 76 percent of bilingual Hispanics use the Internet.
About VivaReal.us
VivaReal.us is where Spanish speaking professionals and home-buyers go to learn about buying and selling homes.
VivaReal is operated by Bilingual Marketing Group, which is a privately owned California company with offices in Santa Rosa, California and Bogota, Colombia.
About NAHREP
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, a non-profit 501c6 trade association, is dedicated to increasing the homeownership rate among Latinos by educating and empowering the real estate professionals that serve them. Based in Washington D.C., NAHREP is the premier trade organization for Hispanics and has more than 15,500 members in 48 states and 62 affiliate chapters.
FALLOUT OF MCCAIN SECRET MEETING WITH HISPANICS CONTINUES
More Grief for McCain on Secret Meeting with Hispanics
ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports from Capitol Hill: Sen. John McCain took some grief from the Left for keeping a tight handle on who he invited to his secret meeting with Hispanics in Chicago last week. And he took some grief from the Right for apparently promising at that meeting to pursue a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants.
The grief from the Right continued today. Anti-amnesty crusader Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., wrote McCain a letter calling him out on the meeting, questioning McCain's commitment to pledges made earlier in the campaign, and snarkily invoking McCain's "Straight Talk" mantra.
Tancredo asks if promises made by McCain earlier in the presidential campaign to hold off on giving longtime illegal immigrants a "pathway to citizenship" until after the borders were secured were any more than lip service, and wonders whether the presumptive Republican nominee's candidacy is a Trojan horse for amnesty.
"Senator, given your past sponsorship of amnesty legislation, such statements raise troubling questions. Are you planning to break a promise you made in February to postpone all other immigration reform legislation until we have first secured our borders?" writes Tancredo, who goes on to ask McCain to use an upcoming speech to the pro-pathway to citizenship National Council of La Raza in San Diego to embrace a "security first" immigration approach.
"I challenge you to deliver a message to that assembly which does not pander to their amnesty agenda. You should speak to the La Raza convention and to all Hispanic audiences about America's need for secure borders as a priority above all other immigration reforms," Tancredo said.
McCain was a vocal proponent of the failed Senate attempt to pass comprehensive immigration reform when Republicans controlled the body in 2006. He was a less visible proponent in 2007, when Democrats were in charge, though he voted again for a bipartisan, comprehensive approach to immigration in both years.
The second attempt at immigration reform failed as his presidential campaign was ramping up. McCain explained to Republican voters in debates that he had gotten "the message" and would work to secure American borders before pursuing a pathway to citizenship.
"Giving Americans "Straight Talk" –- telling them what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear – demonstrates leadership, and as you have correctly pointed out many times in the past, that is what America needs now more than ever," he said.
ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf Reports from Capitol Hill: Sen. John McCain took some grief from the Left for keeping a tight handle on who he invited to his secret meeting with Hispanics in Chicago last week. And he took some grief from the Right for apparently promising at that meeting to pursue a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants.
The grief from the Right continued today. Anti-amnesty crusader Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., wrote McCain a letter calling him out on the meeting, questioning McCain's commitment to pledges made earlier in the campaign, and snarkily invoking McCain's "Straight Talk" mantra.
Tancredo asks if promises made by McCain earlier in the presidential campaign to hold off on giving longtime illegal immigrants a "pathway to citizenship" until after the borders were secured were any more than lip service, and wonders whether the presumptive Republican nominee's candidacy is a Trojan horse for amnesty.
"Senator, given your past sponsorship of amnesty legislation, such statements raise troubling questions. Are you planning to break a promise you made in February to postpone all other immigration reform legislation until we have first secured our borders?" writes Tancredo, who goes on to ask McCain to use an upcoming speech to the pro-pathway to citizenship National Council of La Raza in San Diego to embrace a "security first" immigration approach.
"I challenge you to deliver a message to that assembly which does not pander to their amnesty agenda. You should speak to the La Raza convention and to all Hispanic audiences about America's need for secure borders as a priority above all other immigration reforms," Tancredo said.
McCain was a vocal proponent of the failed Senate attempt to pass comprehensive immigration reform when Republicans controlled the body in 2006. He was a less visible proponent in 2007, when Democrats were in charge, though he voted again for a bipartisan, comprehensive approach to immigration in both years.
The second attempt at immigration reform failed as his presidential campaign was ramping up. McCain explained to Republican voters in debates that he had gotten "the message" and would work to secure American borders before pursuing a pathway to citizenship.
"Giving Americans "Straight Talk" –- telling them what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear – demonstrates leadership, and as you have correctly pointed out many times in the past, that is what America needs now more than ever," he said.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
LATINO GROWTH AND INFLUENCE
Does Hispanic growth equal influence?
By SUZANNE GAMBOA / Associated Press
The number of Hispanics in the United States rose by 1.4 million over a year's time to 45.5 million as of last July, continuing rapid growth that could increase their influence.
This election year has focused more attention on how much it is increasing.
Nine of the top 10 states with the highest growth rates in their populations were in the South, according to new census data released Thursday.
South Carolina topped the list with an 8.7 percent increase, gaining 13,569 Hispanics, according to an analysis of the Census data by William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. The state's total Hispanic population was 168,920 last July 1, a 76 percent increase from July 2000.
Other Southern states that saw increases are Tennessee, with 8.1 percent growth; North Carolina, 7.8 percent; Georgia, 7.1 percent; Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, 7 percent; Arkansas, 6.8; Louisiana, 6.5 percent. Florida had a 3.6 percent gain, which ranked 37th among states. Utah ranked eighth with a 6.9 percent growth rate.
For the second consecutive year, Texas accounted for more of the gains in the numbers of Hispanics than California. Texas' share was about 21.2 percent of the additional Hispanics in 2007, while California's share was 18.5., according to Frey's analysis. But California still leads in total number of Hispanics with 13.2 million, compared to Texas' 8.6 million.
With those increases boosting Hispanics to 15.1 percent of the U.S. population, voting booths are being watched closely this year for Hispanic turnout.
Some Hispanic advocacy groups predict about 10 million Hispanics will show up at the polls, motivated by the usual concerns about the economy, health care and the war and an added catalyst of dismay over attitudes from anti-immigration movements.
"We obviously know that Latino population growth is not perfectly mirrored in the Latino voting population," said Clarissa Martinez, National Council of La Raza director of immigration and national campaigns.
Hispanics are a significant part of the electorate in the battleground states of Nevada, New Mexico, Florida and Colorado, she said. "Look at the primary turnout, Latinos are demonstrating they are engaged in numbers we haven't seen before."
In California's March Democratic primary, Hispanics accounted for 31 percent of the vote, up from 16 percent in 2004, according to exit polls. In Texas, their share of the Democratic primary vote rose from 24 percent to 32 percent.
But in some states, the change is smaller. In Ohio, their turnout was up to 4 percent in the Democratic primary, compared with 3 percent in 2004.
Along with low turnout at elections, Hispanics are underrepresented among those elected.
There were 5,129 Hispanic elected officials in local, state and federal office as January 2007, about 1 percent of all office holders, said William Ramos, Washington director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. There were 5,132 in January 2006.
Expectations are that growth of the Hispanic population in the Southeastern U.S. will help raise those numbers, Ramos said.
Larry Gonzalez, a lobbyist with the Raben Group, says he experiences the growing influence of the increasing Hispanic population when prospective clients come to his lobbying firm looking for ways to reach the community.
"It's clear to us there's a whole economic impact from the growth of the Latino community, said Gonzalez, who formed the Hispanic Lobbying Association. "That's what we see on the lobbying end, when people come to us and say, 'Help us engage the (Hispanic) community.'"
Gonzalez said the latest numbers should underscore the need for policymakers and politicians to pay attention to the Hispanic population.
"It bears repeating, the future of Americans is going to depend on the future of the success of Latinos," he said.
Congress gave that population's growth a limited nod Tuesday night when it passed legislation to create a commission to study whether to add a museum in the Smithsonian Institution system dedicated to the contributions of U.S. Hispanics. Money still must be provided for the commission.
By SUZANNE GAMBOA / Associated Press
The number of Hispanics in the United States rose by 1.4 million over a year's time to 45.5 million as of last July, continuing rapid growth that could increase their influence.
This election year has focused more attention on how much it is increasing.
Nine of the top 10 states with the highest growth rates in their populations were in the South, according to new census data released Thursday.
South Carolina topped the list with an 8.7 percent increase, gaining 13,569 Hispanics, according to an analysis of the Census data by William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. The state's total Hispanic population was 168,920 last July 1, a 76 percent increase from July 2000.
Other Southern states that saw increases are Tennessee, with 8.1 percent growth; North Carolina, 7.8 percent; Georgia, 7.1 percent; Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, 7 percent; Arkansas, 6.8; Louisiana, 6.5 percent. Florida had a 3.6 percent gain, which ranked 37th among states. Utah ranked eighth with a 6.9 percent growth rate.
For the second consecutive year, Texas accounted for more of the gains in the numbers of Hispanics than California. Texas' share was about 21.2 percent of the additional Hispanics in 2007, while California's share was 18.5., according to Frey's analysis. But California still leads in total number of Hispanics with 13.2 million, compared to Texas' 8.6 million.
With those increases boosting Hispanics to 15.1 percent of the U.S. population, voting booths are being watched closely this year for Hispanic turnout.
Some Hispanic advocacy groups predict about 10 million Hispanics will show up at the polls, motivated by the usual concerns about the economy, health care and the war and an added catalyst of dismay over attitudes from anti-immigration movements.
"We obviously know that Latino population growth is not perfectly mirrored in the Latino voting population," said Clarissa Martinez, National Council of La Raza director of immigration and national campaigns.
Hispanics are a significant part of the electorate in the battleground states of Nevada, New Mexico, Florida and Colorado, she said. "Look at the primary turnout, Latinos are demonstrating they are engaged in numbers we haven't seen before."
In California's March Democratic primary, Hispanics accounted for 31 percent of the vote, up from 16 percent in 2004, according to exit polls. In Texas, their share of the Democratic primary vote rose from 24 percent to 32 percent.
But in some states, the change is smaller. In Ohio, their turnout was up to 4 percent in the Democratic primary, compared with 3 percent in 2004.
Along with low turnout at elections, Hispanics are underrepresented among those elected.
There were 5,129 Hispanic elected officials in local, state and federal office as January 2007, about 1 percent of all office holders, said William Ramos, Washington director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. There were 5,132 in January 2006.
Expectations are that growth of the Hispanic population in the Southeastern U.S. will help raise those numbers, Ramos said.
Larry Gonzalez, a lobbyist with the Raben Group, says he experiences the growing influence of the increasing Hispanic population when prospective clients come to his lobbying firm looking for ways to reach the community.
"It's clear to us there's a whole economic impact from the growth of the Latino community, said Gonzalez, who formed the Hispanic Lobbying Association. "That's what we see on the lobbying end, when people come to us and say, 'Help us engage the (Hispanic) community.'"
Gonzalez said the latest numbers should underscore the need for policymakers and politicians to pay attention to the Hispanic population.
"It bears repeating, the future of Americans is going to depend on the future of the success of Latinos," he said.
Congress gave that population's growth a limited nod Tuesday night when it passed legislation to create a commission to study whether to add a museum in the Smithsonian Institution system dedicated to the contributions of U.S. Hispanics. Money still must be provided for the commission.
GAP REMAINS BETWEEN LATINO VOTERS AND POPULATION
Gap remains between Hispanic population and Hispanic voters
Associated Press
The number of Houston-area Hispanic voters has tripled since 1990, making it the region's fastest-growing voting group, according to a newspaper study.
But Hispanics have yet to harness their voting power, as Harris County has the largest Hispanic population in the United States that has never sent a Hispanic to Congress.
Hispanics make up nearly 40 percent of the county's population but just 15 percent of its electorate, officials said. Age and residency status are the biggest reasons. People younger than 18 and those who are not citizens cannot vote, categories that are thought to apply to 1 million Hispanics in Harris County.
Hispanics are expected to outnumber non-Hispanic whites in Texas by 2020. But the number of voting-age Hispanics are not expected to exceed non-Hispanic white voters until about 2050, the Houston Chronicle reported on its Web site Monday.
Some political experts compared Hispanic voters to a sleeping giant.
"The giant is waking up, and he's making a pot of coffee," Houston political consultant Marc Campos said.
Associated Press
The number of Houston-area Hispanic voters has tripled since 1990, making it the region's fastest-growing voting group, according to a newspaper study.
But Hispanics have yet to harness their voting power, as Harris County has the largest Hispanic population in the United States that has never sent a Hispanic to Congress.
Hispanics make up nearly 40 percent of the county's population but just 15 percent of its electorate, officials said. Age and residency status are the biggest reasons. People younger than 18 and those who are not citizens cannot vote, categories that are thought to apply to 1 million Hispanics in Harris County.
Hispanics are expected to outnumber non-Hispanic whites in Texas by 2020. But the number of voting-age Hispanics are not expected to exceed non-Hispanic white voters until about 2050, the Houston Chronicle reported on its Web site Monday.
Some political experts compared Hispanic voters to a sleeping giant.
"The giant is waking up, and he's making a pot of coffee," Houston political consultant Marc Campos said.
CALIFORNIA LATINO LEADER PUSHES FOUNDATIONS
Pressed by legislator, nonprofit foundations agree to invest in minority-led organizations
By Aurelio Rojas - arojas@sacbee.com
Faced with legislation that would require them to disclose their ethnic composition and detail grants awarded to minority organizations, 10 of California's largest foundations agreed Monday to a multimillion-dollar, multiyear investment in minority communities.
In return, Assemblyman Joe Coto, D-San Jose, dropped a bill that opponents said was an effort to impose racial diversity on charities and threatened to drive donors out of California.
Many foundations enjoy tax-exempt status. But according to a 2006 study by the Berkeley-based Greenlining Institute, which sponsored Coto's legislation, only 3.6 percent of grant dollars from the nation's top 24 private foundations went to minority-led organizations.
"The Greenlining Institute provided us some evidence that the level of investment by these foundations in minority communities was inadequate compared to the level of investment they are making elsewhere," Coto said.
Coto said by asking foundations "to shed some light on their investments," he hoped "they would then be in a position to make greater investments."
"They saw this as an opportunity to do what we were suggesting and we've worked out this agreement that I think will be positive for everyone," he said.
The foundations – including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Ahmanson Foundation and the California Endowment – said in a joint statement that nonprofits play a critical role in addressing the challenges facing minority and low-income communities.
The foundations reaffirmed their commitment to help minority organizations compete for grants and said they would issue annual reports about their efforts.
"By the end of 2008, we plan to announce a comprehensive set of grant-making activities, which we expect to be overall in the multimillion-dollar range and over several years," according to the statement.
The deal was announced at a meeting of the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, which was scheduled to vote on Coto's Assembly Bill 624.
The legislation had already cleared the Assembly and would have required foundations with assets of more than $250 million to disclose the ethnic, racial and gender makeup of their boards and staffs.
It also would have required them to make public the number of grants and dollars awarded to minority organizations.
In a letter published Monday in The Bee, Richard Atkinson, a member of the Koret Foundation and president emeritus of the University of California, derided the proposed legislation.
He called it an "intrusive attempt to redirect the distribution of charitable dollars away from legitimate nonprofits" to others "anointed as more 'worthy' by the state."
Coto, chairman of the Latino Caucus, said Monday's agreement was a win-win for foundations and minorities.
"This is a major investment in terms of strengthening the capacity of minority nonprofits up and down the state," he said.
Fred Ali, president and chief executive officer of the Weingart Foundation, one of the signatories to the agreement, told the Senate committee the agreement was unprecedented.
"We hope (this) will be a cause of celebration by the nonprofit community, especially in low-income communities of color," Ali said.
Ali said the deal was reached "in a cooperative manner" by the foundations and the leadership of the Legislature's Latino, African American and Asian/Pacific Islander caucuses.
Dr. Robert Ross, executive director of the California Endowment, a leading health care foundation, said the agreement is "a recognition by the foundation community that there's a serious problem in terms of addressing the needs of low-income and underserved communities."
He said requiring foundations to compile diversity data would not have solved the problem of "capacity building needs in underserved communities and their nonprofit organizations."
"So we wanted to come up with a voluntary approach that actually would pragmatically work to solve the problem," said Ross, adding the amount of the foundations' investments is not known "because we need to develop a plan."
Other foundations involved in the agreement include the James Irvine Foundation, the UniHealth Foundation, Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
By Aurelio Rojas - arojas@sacbee.com
Faced with legislation that would require them to disclose their ethnic composition and detail grants awarded to minority organizations, 10 of California's largest foundations agreed Monday to a multimillion-dollar, multiyear investment in minority communities.
In return, Assemblyman Joe Coto, D-San Jose, dropped a bill that opponents said was an effort to impose racial diversity on charities and threatened to drive donors out of California.
Many foundations enjoy tax-exempt status. But according to a 2006 study by the Berkeley-based Greenlining Institute, which sponsored Coto's legislation, only 3.6 percent of grant dollars from the nation's top 24 private foundations went to minority-led organizations.
"The Greenlining Institute provided us some evidence that the level of investment by these foundations in minority communities was inadequate compared to the level of investment they are making elsewhere," Coto said.
Coto said by asking foundations "to shed some light on their investments," he hoped "they would then be in a position to make greater investments."
"They saw this as an opportunity to do what we were suggesting and we've worked out this agreement that I think will be positive for everyone," he said.
The foundations – including the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Ahmanson Foundation and the California Endowment – said in a joint statement that nonprofits play a critical role in addressing the challenges facing minority and low-income communities.
The foundations reaffirmed their commitment to help minority organizations compete for grants and said they would issue annual reports about their efforts.
"By the end of 2008, we plan to announce a comprehensive set of grant-making activities, which we expect to be overall in the multimillion-dollar range and over several years," according to the statement.
The deal was announced at a meeting of the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, which was scheduled to vote on Coto's Assembly Bill 624.
The legislation had already cleared the Assembly and would have required foundations with assets of more than $250 million to disclose the ethnic, racial and gender makeup of their boards and staffs.
It also would have required them to make public the number of grants and dollars awarded to minority organizations.
In a letter published Monday in The Bee, Richard Atkinson, a member of the Koret Foundation and president emeritus of the University of California, derided the proposed legislation.
He called it an "intrusive attempt to redirect the distribution of charitable dollars away from legitimate nonprofits" to others "anointed as more 'worthy' by the state."
Coto, chairman of the Latino Caucus, said Monday's agreement was a win-win for foundations and minorities.
"This is a major investment in terms of strengthening the capacity of minority nonprofits up and down the state," he said.
Fred Ali, president and chief executive officer of the Weingart Foundation, one of the signatories to the agreement, told the Senate committee the agreement was unprecedented.
"We hope (this) will be a cause of celebration by the nonprofit community, especially in low-income communities of color," Ali said.
Ali said the deal was reached "in a cooperative manner" by the foundations and the leadership of the Legislature's Latino, African American and Asian/Pacific Islander caucuses.
Dr. Robert Ross, executive director of the California Endowment, a leading health care foundation, said the agreement is "a recognition by the foundation community that there's a serious problem in terms of addressing the needs of low-income and underserved communities."
He said requiring foundations to compile diversity data would not have solved the problem of "capacity building needs in underserved communities and their nonprofit organizations."
"So we wanted to come up with a voluntary approach that actually would pragmatically work to solve the problem," said Ross, adding the amount of the foundations' investments is not known "because we need to develop a plan."
Other foundations involved in the agreement include the James Irvine Foundation, the UniHealth Foundation, Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
LATINA INDUCTED TO JOURNALISTS' HALL OF FAME
Professor to join Hispanic journalists' hall of fame
By Erin Mulvaney
Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, an associate professor in the School of Journalism, has spent her career promoting Latino community coverage in the media.
Because of her efforts, Rivas-Rodriguez, who helped found the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 1982, will be inducted into the association's hall of fame in July.
In her 17-year career in news media, Rivas-Rodriguez has worked for such publications as The Boston Globe and The Dallas Morning News.
"The NAHJ is certainly one of the dams against things going awry," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "It provides pressure for journalists to present opposing viewpoints in the newsroom."
Iván Román, executive director of the association, said that as a founder, Rivas-Rodriguez successfully advocated for fair coverage and greater Latino representation in the news industry.
"She succeeded in pioneering a student training program that has helped Latinos enter the newsroom and teaches students a way to think about inclusion no matter what ethnicity you are," Román said.
Rivas-Rodriguez started a nationwide student-writing contest and a newspaper that students begin working on at one of the organization's conventions, which affords Latino students the opportunity to work in the newsroom. Her initiatives have been two of the association's most successful student projects, Román said.
"I am a strong believer in preparation," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "At the convention newspaper, students are held to professional standards. It is important for young people to carry principles and ideas of inclusion not just for their own group, but not to forget about every group that needs to be represented."
She said the state of the waning news industry poses fresh problems for the struggle for fair representation.
"Our work is not over. So much still needs to be done," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "Because news media is so concerned with survival, the idea of inclusion gets pushed away from the forefront."
Rivas-Rodriguez cited the Ken Burns PBS documentary "War," which included 14 hours of World War II coverage as one mainstream media project that failed to include any representation of the Latino community. Rivas-Rodriguez, who spoke out publicly against the documentary, said it marginalized voices, which are stifled when authority figures buy into certain representations of a historical event.
Román said that because of her fight against the documentary's limited representation, she sparked a nationwide outcry that led to the inclusion of a Latino perspective in the documentary.
"The coverage of the documentary and the people protesting it cuts to the heart of why we have NAHJ," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "We are tired of people fighting the same battles. It's why we need more people to reflect the population. We have a long way to go."
Rivas-Rodriguez created an oral history project that spotlights more than 650 stories from the American Latino experience during World War II, qualifying her to speak out against PBS' documentary.
"As journalists, we are in a privileged position to reflect society," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "We adequately need to commit ourselves to learning about other communities. If we keep learning to reflect society, not just UT, or Austin, then all the world becomes our society."
By Erin Mulvaney
Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, an associate professor in the School of Journalism, has spent her career promoting Latino community coverage in the media.
Because of her efforts, Rivas-Rodriguez, who helped found the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in 1982, will be inducted into the association's hall of fame in July.
In her 17-year career in news media, Rivas-Rodriguez has worked for such publications as The Boston Globe and The Dallas Morning News.
"The NAHJ is certainly one of the dams against things going awry," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "It provides pressure for journalists to present opposing viewpoints in the newsroom."
Iván Román, executive director of the association, said that as a founder, Rivas-Rodriguez successfully advocated for fair coverage and greater Latino representation in the news industry.
"She succeeded in pioneering a student training program that has helped Latinos enter the newsroom and teaches students a way to think about inclusion no matter what ethnicity you are," Román said.
Rivas-Rodriguez started a nationwide student-writing contest and a newspaper that students begin working on at one of the organization's conventions, which affords Latino students the opportunity to work in the newsroom. Her initiatives have been two of the association's most successful student projects, Román said.
"I am a strong believer in preparation," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "At the convention newspaper, students are held to professional standards. It is important for young people to carry principles and ideas of inclusion not just for their own group, but not to forget about every group that needs to be represented."
She said the state of the waning news industry poses fresh problems for the struggle for fair representation.
"Our work is not over. So much still needs to be done," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "Because news media is so concerned with survival, the idea of inclusion gets pushed away from the forefront."
Rivas-Rodriguez cited the Ken Burns PBS documentary "War," which included 14 hours of World War II coverage as one mainstream media project that failed to include any representation of the Latino community. Rivas-Rodriguez, who spoke out publicly against the documentary, said it marginalized voices, which are stifled when authority figures buy into certain representations of a historical event.
Román said that because of her fight against the documentary's limited representation, she sparked a nationwide outcry that led to the inclusion of a Latino perspective in the documentary.
"The coverage of the documentary and the people protesting it cuts to the heart of why we have NAHJ," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "We are tired of people fighting the same battles. It's why we need more people to reflect the population. We have a long way to go."
Rivas-Rodriguez created an oral history project that spotlights more than 650 stories from the American Latino experience during World War II, qualifying her to speak out against PBS' documentary.
"As journalists, we are in a privileged position to reflect society," Rivas-Rodriguez said. "We adequately need to commit ourselves to learning about other communities. If we keep learning to reflect society, not just UT, or Austin, then all the world becomes our society."
LATINO STUDENTS RECEIVE YOUTH AWARDS
Thirty-Six Students Receive a Total of $72,000 in Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards Sponsored by Sallie Mae
RESTON, Va. - Sallie Mae, the nation's leading saving- and paying-for-college company today announced the 36 regional winners of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards 'Leadership' category. The awards, given by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) in an annual contest, honor academically successful Hispanic high school seniors with educational grants ranging from $1,000 to $8,000. Sallie Mae's sponsorship of HHF's Youth Awards is part of the company's commitment to helping students and families pay for college.
'Through the support of Sallie Mae, the 'Leadership' category allows us to celebrate the next generation of emerging Hispanic leaders,' said José Antonio Tijerino, HHF president and CEO. 'These young leaders have demonstrated a high level of achievement in classrooms and communities across the country and are positioned as role models for their peers.'
One such young leader is the Gold Medallion winner from Washington, DC, Veronica Torres. Torres attends Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School, where she is an AP and Honors student with a 4.0 GPA, a commitment to community service and multiple awards for academics and leadership. Torres will attend George Washington University in the fall. Born in El Salvador, she will be the first in her family to attend college.
'These young leaders are setting a positive example not only for the Hispanic community, but for people throughout the country,' said actor Wilmer Valderrama, official spokesperson of the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards. 'The determination, generosity of spirit, and accomplishment they have demonstrated at such young ages are only a small fraction of what they will eventually go on to achieve, and I applaud their hard work.'
The Youth Awards are open to graduating high school seniors of Hispanic/Latino descent (at least one parent) who maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. The seven award categories are: academic excellence, business, education (future teachers), engineering and mathematics, journalism, sports, and leadership. In 12 regions across the country, 252 Youth Awardees will receive more than $500,000 in total grants after being selected from an original pool of thousands of applicants.
HHF's Youth Awards are divided into 12 regions with three recipients selected for each category (Gold Medallion at $3,000; Silver Medallion at $2,000; and Bronze Medallion at $1,000) in each region. After the local ceremonies, the 252 Regional Youth Awards recipients will be narrowed to one National Youth Award recipient for each of the seven categories. Those individuals will be honored at the National Youth Awards presentation, where each student will receive an additional $5,000 educational grant and a laptop computer. The National Youth Awardees will be then be presented with their award onstage during a special ceremony of the 22nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 9, 2009.
'Congratulations to these student leaders,' said C.E. Andrews, president of Sallie Mae. 'We are proud to help young students like these Youth Award recipients grow into their dreams through a college education.'
SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages more than $169 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages nearly $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with more than 8.5 million members and $425 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America. SOURCE: BUSINESS NEWSWIRE
RESTON, Va. - Sallie Mae, the nation's leading saving- and paying-for-college company today announced the 36 regional winners of the Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards 'Leadership' category. The awards, given by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) in an annual contest, honor academically successful Hispanic high school seniors with educational grants ranging from $1,000 to $8,000. Sallie Mae's sponsorship of HHF's Youth Awards is part of the company's commitment to helping students and families pay for college.
'Through the support of Sallie Mae, the 'Leadership' category allows us to celebrate the next generation of emerging Hispanic leaders,' said José Antonio Tijerino, HHF president and CEO. 'These young leaders have demonstrated a high level of achievement in classrooms and communities across the country and are positioned as role models for their peers.'
One such young leader is the Gold Medallion winner from Washington, DC, Veronica Torres. Torres attends Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School, where she is an AP and Honors student with a 4.0 GPA, a commitment to community service and multiple awards for academics and leadership. Torres will attend George Washington University in the fall. Born in El Salvador, she will be the first in her family to attend college.
'These young leaders are setting a positive example not only for the Hispanic community, but for people throughout the country,' said actor Wilmer Valderrama, official spokesperson of the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards. 'The determination, generosity of spirit, and accomplishment they have demonstrated at such young ages are only a small fraction of what they will eventually go on to achieve, and I applaud their hard work.'
The Youth Awards are open to graduating high school seniors of Hispanic/Latino descent (at least one parent) who maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA. The seven award categories are: academic excellence, business, education (future teachers), engineering and mathematics, journalism, sports, and leadership. In 12 regions across the country, 252 Youth Awardees will receive more than $500,000 in total grants after being selected from an original pool of thousands of applicants.
HHF's Youth Awards are divided into 12 regions with three recipients selected for each category (Gold Medallion at $3,000; Silver Medallion at $2,000; and Bronze Medallion at $1,000) in each region. After the local ceremonies, the 252 Regional Youth Awards recipients will be narrowed to one National Youth Award recipient for each of the seven categories. Those individuals will be honored at the National Youth Awards presentation, where each student will receive an additional $5,000 educational grant and a laptop computer. The National Youth Awardees will be then be presented with their award onstage during a special ceremony of the 22nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 9, 2009.
'Congratulations to these student leaders,' said C.E. Andrews, president of Sallie Mae. 'We are proud to help young students like these Youth Award recipients grow into their dreams through a college education.'
SLM Corporation (NYSE:SLM), commonly known as Sallie Mae, is the nation's leading provider of saving- and paying-for-college programs. The company manages more than $169 billion in education loans and serves 10 million student and parent customers. Through its Upromise affiliates, the company also manages nearly $19 billion in 529 college-savings plans, and is a major, private source of college funding contributions in America with more than 8.5 million members and $425 million in member rewards. Sallie Mae and its subsidiaries offer debt management services as well as business and technical products to a range of business clients, including higher education institutions, student loan guarantors and state and federal agencies. More information is available at www.salliemae.com. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America. SOURCE: BUSINESS NEWSWIRE
NEW ORLEANS HELPS LATINOS PREPARE
Planners craft storm evacuation plans for Hispanics
by Andrew Vanacore
A burgeoning Hispanic population has helped rebuild New Orleans during the past two and a half years. Now officials are coming to grips with the challenge of moving and finding safe refuge for that population should another hurricane threaten.
Since Hurricane Katrina hit, as many 14,000 Hispanic immigrants have arrived in New Orleans to provide muscle and skills for the recovery effort. Now civic groups as well as government officials say overcoming cultural and language barriers between emergency officials and Spanish speakers -- especially the undocumented -- has taken on new urgency.
Emergency managers have long taken steps to get the word out to residents who don't use English as their first language, but advocates for Hispanic residents say officials this year have stepped up their efforts.
"They saw where they need to kick it up a notch," said Maria Jose Bermudez, a community liaison for Catholic Charities.
Emergency officials from Orleans and Jefferson Parish, which has the area's largest Hispanic population, met recently with Spanish broadcast stations and Catholic Charities to fine-tune storm response measures.
Radio is considered the best means of communicating with Hispanic residents and officials agreed to open up a direct line of information to the stations -- WFNO and KGLA -- if evacuations are necessary. The heads of emergency agencies in both parishes did several on-air interviews with the stations for the first time this year. Jefferson Parish has built a team of Spanish-speaking volunteers who can assist at evacuation staging points, and New Orleans hopes to do the same.
Officials even floated the idea of a separate evacuation site for Spanish-speaking citizens, although as yet there is no formal plan for such.
Many Hispanic citizens may be slow to respond to emergency directives. For example, workers concerned that they could be deported may not place their faith in government officials even if they need help out of the city, Bermudez, said.
She added that many Spanish speakers come from countries where the population is accustomed to riding out natural disasters without government help.
"There, you sit and wait," she said. "Already we hear people say, 'Oh no, I'm staying right here."
Lt. Col. Jerry Sneed, director of the New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness, was joined by Deano Bonano, emergency response chief for Jefferson Parish, in emphasizing that no undocumented worker will be turned away or face deportation at evacuation centers or shelters.
"We will not require at our locations any type of visa or green card," Bonano said.
This storm season isn't the first time officials have looked to improve bilingual communications, but efforts have been redoubled since Katrina.
Last year, Jefferson Parish enlisted the Latin-American Civic Association of Louisiana to provide seven Spanish-speaking volunteers for its evacuation staging sites.
The Red Cross has included Spanish and Vietnamese inserts in its evacuation maps since 2006, said Kay Wilkins, head of the organization's southeastern Louisiana chapter. Wilkins said that since Katrina, the Red Cross has cooperated with the Hispanic Forum, a recovery organization to distribute its emergency preparedness material at Latino events, instead of relying mostly on government to get the word out.
Pinning down the number of residents who actually need bilingual services is difficult. A 2006 study put the number of newly arrived Hispanic immigrants working in the New Orleans area between 10,000 and 14,000. Phuong Pham, an assistant professor of international development at Tulane University who helped author the study, said the population fluctuates with demand for construction work.
A Census Bureau survey in 2006 estimated the total Hispanic population in New Orleans at roughly 9,000 and 35,000 in Jefferson Parish. About 15,000 residents in Orleans and 53,000 in Jefferson spoke some language other than English at home, the census survey found.
Even with the increased attention given the issue, most agree adapting emergency procedures for the Spanish speakers is still a work in progress.
Bermudez, of Catholic Charities, is not convinced the area has enough bilingual volunteers to give Hispanic residents instructions at evacuation sites.
Program directors at KGLA, the oldest Spanish radio station in the area, said they were glad to meet with New Orleans officials but are waiting to see if they follow through on their promises.
New Orleans has a Spanish speaker on its emergency management staff, but Jorge Fuentes, program director at KGLA's Spanish television channel, says he hasn't met him. The station also is waiting for evacuation maps printed in Spanish that could be used on-air.
"Since the hurricane season has already started, we should have received more information," he said.
by Andrew Vanacore
A burgeoning Hispanic population has helped rebuild New Orleans during the past two and a half years. Now officials are coming to grips with the challenge of moving and finding safe refuge for that population should another hurricane threaten.
Since Hurricane Katrina hit, as many 14,000 Hispanic immigrants have arrived in New Orleans to provide muscle and skills for the recovery effort. Now civic groups as well as government officials say overcoming cultural and language barriers between emergency officials and Spanish speakers -- especially the undocumented -- has taken on new urgency.
Emergency managers have long taken steps to get the word out to residents who don't use English as their first language, but advocates for Hispanic residents say officials this year have stepped up their efforts.
"They saw where they need to kick it up a notch," said Maria Jose Bermudez, a community liaison for Catholic Charities.
Emergency officials from Orleans and Jefferson Parish, which has the area's largest Hispanic population, met recently with Spanish broadcast stations and Catholic Charities to fine-tune storm response measures.
Radio is considered the best means of communicating with Hispanic residents and officials agreed to open up a direct line of information to the stations -- WFNO and KGLA -- if evacuations are necessary. The heads of emergency agencies in both parishes did several on-air interviews with the stations for the first time this year. Jefferson Parish has built a team of Spanish-speaking volunteers who can assist at evacuation staging points, and New Orleans hopes to do the same.
Officials even floated the idea of a separate evacuation site for Spanish-speaking citizens, although as yet there is no formal plan for such.
Many Hispanic citizens may be slow to respond to emergency directives. For example, workers concerned that they could be deported may not place their faith in government officials even if they need help out of the city, Bermudez, said.
She added that many Spanish speakers come from countries where the population is accustomed to riding out natural disasters without government help.
"There, you sit and wait," she said. "Already we hear people say, 'Oh no, I'm staying right here."
Lt. Col. Jerry Sneed, director of the New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness, was joined by Deano Bonano, emergency response chief for Jefferson Parish, in emphasizing that no undocumented worker will be turned away or face deportation at evacuation centers or shelters.
"We will not require at our locations any type of visa or green card," Bonano said.
This storm season isn't the first time officials have looked to improve bilingual communications, but efforts have been redoubled since Katrina.
Last year, Jefferson Parish enlisted the Latin-American Civic Association of Louisiana to provide seven Spanish-speaking volunteers for its evacuation staging sites.
The Red Cross has included Spanish and Vietnamese inserts in its evacuation maps since 2006, said Kay Wilkins, head of the organization's southeastern Louisiana chapter. Wilkins said that since Katrina, the Red Cross has cooperated with the Hispanic Forum, a recovery organization to distribute its emergency preparedness material at Latino events, instead of relying mostly on government to get the word out.
Pinning down the number of residents who actually need bilingual services is difficult. A 2006 study put the number of newly arrived Hispanic immigrants working in the New Orleans area between 10,000 and 14,000. Phuong Pham, an assistant professor of international development at Tulane University who helped author the study, said the population fluctuates with demand for construction work.
A Census Bureau survey in 2006 estimated the total Hispanic population in New Orleans at roughly 9,000 and 35,000 in Jefferson Parish. About 15,000 residents in Orleans and 53,000 in Jefferson spoke some language other than English at home, the census survey found.
Even with the increased attention given the issue, most agree adapting emergency procedures for the Spanish speakers is still a work in progress.
Bermudez, of Catholic Charities, is not convinced the area has enough bilingual volunteers to give Hispanic residents instructions at evacuation sites.
Program directors at KGLA, the oldest Spanish radio station in the area, said they were glad to meet with New Orleans officials but are waiting to see if they follow through on their promises.
New Orleans has a Spanish speaker on its emergency management staff, but Jorge Fuentes, program director at KGLA's Spanish television channel, says he hasn't met him. The station also is waiting for evacuation maps printed in Spanish that could be used on-air.
"Since the hurricane season has already started, we should have received more information," he said.
Monday, June 23, 2008
CALIFORNIA COUNTS FOR PRESIDENTIAL RACE
McCain vs. Obama: how California counts
By Mary Anne Ostrom and Frank Davies - Mercury News
With Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain heading to California early this week, the state is helping shape the historic showdown for the presidency, even if it doesn't make anybody's list of battleground states.
Home to progressives, pragmatists and headstrong politicians, California will be a proving ground as political and business leaders take major roles in the campaigns. They are crafting the candidates' agendas on topics ranging from technology to foreign policy, while navigating particularly sensitive issues in the limelight, such as gay marriage and off-shore oil drilling.
And with fundraising records already shattered, California is set to lead that race, too. Already, residents have contributed a staggering $100 million to presidential candidates this election cycle. And hundreds will be attending McCain or Obama fundraisers this week, bringing in another several million dollars by Tuesday night.
Democrats are feeling secure about Obama's chances of winning the state in November, so they are looking at California as a resource.
"My job is not to win California, though we will do that, it's to get the campaign the money to get into places like Ohio and Pennsylvania so they can start now," said California Obama co-chair Steve Westly.
But McCain and his supporters, such as Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive, are actively campaigning in the state, believing it is still in play.
"California
Advertisement
is important. Being in the state helps him stress high-tech innovation, free trade and a position on immigration appreciated by the Hispanic community," said Fiorina, who will be campaigning for McCain in San Francisco this week.
Provocative issues
The state's role as incubator for controversial issues also means it can't be ignored, even if McCain and Obama might sometimes wish it could be.
Images of same-sex weddings were beamed all over the nation last week and now Obama faces the tricky question: What's your position on gay marriage? Obama does not support gay marriage, but has quietly opposed the constitutional amendment on the November ballot to ban them. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom wants Obama to be more vocal in his opposition.
McCain last week called for new oil drilling off the nation's coasts, and plans to pay a visit Monday to Santa Barbara, where a 1969 oil spill helped launch the environmental movement. His position is directly at odds with many Californians and his supporter, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The governor quickly distanced himself from the proposal, saying the California coast is "an international treasure," protected by a nearly 3-decade-old federal moratorium on offshore drilling "and we're not going to change that."
These, mind you, are the candidates' supporters talking.
Still, McCain and Obama are seizing on opportunities to use the state as a platform to showcase themes they think have national appeal. McCain will highlight his independence from the GOP establishment, for example touting his support for climate change regulations. Obama will rely on California Latino leaders to help mobilize support among Latino voters in other Western states that are up for grabs.
Most analysts agree California's 55 electoral votes appear secure for the Democrats. "McCain was going to lose California anyway, but his gamble to back offshore drilling means he will lose California by 20 points, and it will cause him trouble in Florida," predicted Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network, a group backing Obama.
Value to McCain
John Feehery, a GOP strategist who was former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's spokesman, was blunt about the status of the GOP in California: "The party is seen as dog meat - tainted dog meat at that."
Not so fast, Fiorina says. The state is "still in play" for her candidate, she says. Fiorina is expanding her role beyond economic issues to reach out to women, including Hillary Clinton supporters.
"Some of Hillary Clinton's supporters reached out to me, so we have a real opportunity when I tell them about John McCain," Fiorina said.
The hot-button issues that emerge in California can play out in unpredictable ways. National polls show support for the drilling, and that might help McCain among blue-collar workers elsewhere.
Gay marriage, while supported by about half of Californians, according to the latest polls, is not as popular in key states Obama is targeting, notably among Midwest working-class and Catholic voters. Obama's campaign issued a statement on the day the California court ruled in favor of gay marriages in which he said he opposes the proposed amendment.
Newsom said last week he was disappointed in Obama for not taking a stronger position against the amendment, now that's it's qualified for the November ballot, noting whenever Obama comes to California he will be asked about his position.
The Obama campaign, in response, e-mailed the original statement, which read, "He opposes all divisive and discriminatory constitutional amendments, state or federal."
Source of donors
Already several prominent Californians are stumping for their candidates, ranging from Latino leaders to technology visionaries talking about Californians' thoughts on other controversial issues, including immigration and free trade.
And then there is California's role as a moneybags. Obama's decision Thursday to forgo public financing means he has no spending limits. He raised nearly $30 million from Californians during the primary, many in small contributions and also from an impressive network including several Silicon Valley leaders.
"The sky's the limit, with respect to energizing and financing his campaign," said John Roos, CEO of the law firm Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati and a member of Obama's national finance committee. On Tuesday, Obama will appear at a star-studded fundraiser at the Los Angeles Music Center.
The McCain campaign and its supporters are counting on Schwarzenegger to draw from his California electoral success and appeal to independents and moderates. Schwarzenegger adviser Adam Mendelsohn says the governor "was disappointed" by McCain's oil-drilling stance, but will campaign for him after the state budget is resolved.
Schwarzenegger and Republican Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida "will play a critical role in the national campaign. They are post-partisan governors, stressing the importance of competent government, and that's what McCain is trying to do. That has great appeal to independent voters," Feehery said.
In the same vein, Obama will rely on top California Latino politicians to boost his popularity among Latino voters, many of whom voted for Clinton in the primaries. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who met with Obama at a mayor's conference Saturday, is vowing to work as hard for Obama as he did for Clinton.
McCain, who is better known among many Latinos than Obama, aired his first radio ads of the general election campaign in early June, Spanish-language spots in New Mexico and Nevada. McCain is proposing that he and Obama appear at a town hall discussion at the National Council of La Raza convention in San Diego in July.
Obama has work to do, say some Clinton Latino backers, including Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, who told Congressional Quarterly last week, "Change is not enough. If you want me to go out and sell you to people, I want to know what you're doing."
Last week, Obama met with the California-dominated Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which includes many early Clinton backers.
Rep. Joe Baca, caucus chairman and Sen Bernardino Democrat, said he came away impressed: "He has begun to reach out to Hispanic leaders. He told us: 'I need your help and your ideas. I will do what's necessary.' "
Added Baca, "We can't take California for granted."
Contact Mary Anne Ostrom at mostrom@mercurynews.com or (415) 477-3794.
By Mary Anne Ostrom and Frank Davies - Mercury News
With Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain heading to California early this week, the state is helping shape the historic showdown for the presidency, even if it doesn't make anybody's list of battleground states.
Home to progressives, pragmatists and headstrong politicians, California will be a proving ground as political and business leaders take major roles in the campaigns. They are crafting the candidates' agendas on topics ranging from technology to foreign policy, while navigating particularly sensitive issues in the limelight, such as gay marriage and off-shore oil drilling.
And with fundraising records already shattered, California is set to lead that race, too. Already, residents have contributed a staggering $100 million to presidential candidates this election cycle. And hundreds will be attending McCain or Obama fundraisers this week, bringing in another several million dollars by Tuesday night.
Democrats are feeling secure about Obama's chances of winning the state in November, so they are looking at California as a resource.
"My job is not to win California, though we will do that, it's to get the campaign the money to get into places like Ohio and Pennsylvania so they can start now," said California Obama co-chair Steve Westly.
But McCain and his supporters, such as Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive, are actively campaigning in the state, believing it is still in play.
"California
Advertisement
is important. Being in the state helps him stress high-tech innovation, free trade and a position on immigration appreciated by the Hispanic community," said Fiorina, who will be campaigning for McCain in San Francisco this week.
Provocative issues
The state's role as incubator for controversial issues also means it can't be ignored, even if McCain and Obama might sometimes wish it could be.
Images of same-sex weddings were beamed all over the nation last week and now Obama faces the tricky question: What's your position on gay marriage? Obama does not support gay marriage, but has quietly opposed the constitutional amendment on the November ballot to ban them. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom wants Obama to be more vocal in his opposition.
McCain last week called for new oil drilling off the nation's coasts, and plans to pay a visit Monday to Santa Barbara, where a 1969 oil spill helped launch the environmental movement. His position is directly at odds with many Californians and his supporter, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The governor quickly distanced himself from the proposal, saying the California coast is "an international treasure," protected by a nearly 3-decade-old federal moratorium on offshore drilling "and we're not going to change that."
These, mind you, are the candidates' supporters talking.
Still, McCain and Obama are seizing on opportunities to use the state as a platform to showcase themes they think have national appeal. McCain will highlight his independence from the GOP establishment, for example touting his support for climate change regulations. Obama will rely on California Latino leaders to help mobilize support among Latino voters in other Western states that are up for grabs.
Most analysts agree California's 55 electoral votes appear secure for the Democrats. "McCain was going to lose California anyway, but his gamble to back offshore drilling means he will lose California by 20 points, and it will cause him trouble in Florida," predicted Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network, a group backing Obama.
Value to McCain
John Feehery, a GOP strategist who was former House Speaker Dennis Hastert's spokesman, was blunt about the status of the GOP in California: "The party is seen as dog meat - tainted dog meat at that."
Not so fast, Fiorina says. The state is "still in play" for her candidate, she says. Fiorina is expanding her role beyond economic issues to reach out to women, including Hillary Clinton supporters.
"Some of Hillary Clinton's supporters reached out to me, so we have a real opportunity when I tell them about John McCain," Fiorina said.
The hot-button issues that emerge in California can play out in unpredictable ways. National polls show support for the drilling, and that might help McCain among blue-collar workers elsewhere.
Gay marriage, while supported by about half of Californians, according to the latest polls, is not as popular in key states Obama is targeting, notably among Midwest working-class and Catholic voters. Obama's campaign issued a statement on the day the California court ruled in favor of gay marriages in which he said he opposes the proposed amendment.
Newsom said last week he was disappointed in Obama for not taking a stronger position against the amendment, now that's it's qualified for the November ballot, noting whenever Obama comes to California he will be asked about his position.
The Obama campaign, in response, e-mailed the original statement, which read, "He opposes all divisive and discriminatory constitutional amendments, state or federal."
Source of donors
Already several prominent Californians are stumping for their candidates, ranging from Latino leaders to technology visionaries talking about Californians' thoughts on other controversial issues, including immigration and free trade.
And then there is California's role as a moneybags. Obama's decision Thursday to forgo public financing means he has no spending limits. He raised nearly $30 million from Californians during the primary, many in small contributions and also from an impressive network including several Silicon Valley leaders.
"The sky's the limit, with respect to energizing and financing his campaign," said John Roos, CEO of the law firm Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati and a member of Obama's national finance committee. On Tuesday, Obama will appear at a star-studded fundraiser at the Los Angeles Music Center.
The McCain campaign and its supporters are counting on Schwarzenegger to draw from his California electoral success and appeal to independents and moderates. Schwarzenegger adviser Adam Mendelsohn says the governor "was disappointed" by McCain's oil-drilling stance, but will campaign for him after the state budget is resolved.
Schwarzenegger and Republican Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida "will play a critical role in the national campaign. They are post-partisan governors, stressing the importance of competent government, and that's what McCain is trying to do. That has great appeal to independent voters," Feehery said.
In the same vein, Obama will rely on top California Latino politicians to boost his popularity among Latino voters, many of whom voted for Clinton in the primaries. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who met with Obama at a mayor's conference Saturday, is vowing to work as hard for Obama as he did for Clinton.
McCain, who is better known among many Latinos than Obama, aired his first radio ads of the general election campaign in early June, Spanish-language spots in New Mexico and Nevada. McCain is proposing that he and Obama appear at a town hall discussion at the National Council of La Raza convention in San Diego in July.
Obama has work to do, say some Clinton Latino backers, including Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, who told Congressional Quarterly last week, "Change is not enough. If you want me to go out and sell you to people, I want to know what you're doing."
Last week, Obama met with the California-dominated Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which includes many early Clinton backers.
Rep. Joe Baca, caucus chairman and Sen Bernardino Democrat, said he came away impressed: "He has begun to reach out to Hispanic leaders. He told us: 'I need your help and your ideas. I will do what's necessary.' "
Added Baca, "We can't take California for granted."
Contact Mary Anne Ostrom at mostrom@mercurynews.com or (415) 477-3794.
COURTING LATINOS, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OPPOSITION LOSES CHAMPION
An immigration end run around the next president
By Nicole Gaouette, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- Just last year, an increasingly powerful grass-roots movement celebrated its success in killing an effort to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants. Its influence spread as a procession of presidential candidates proclaimed their support.
But now there are just two candidates for the nation's top office, Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.). And both have taken immigration stands that restrictionist groups find appalling.
Although heavily supported and highly organized, those who oppose illegal immigration suddenly find themselves without a champion.
"That's the reality we're dealing with: a choice we don't consider a choice," said Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, which advocates stricter controls on legal and illegal immigration. "These two guys were pretty much at the bottom of all the candidates. They're the worst, the bottom of the barrel, that ended up winning."
But a loose coalition of activist groups has rejected the prospect of sitting out the presidential campaign, or waiting until next time.
Instead, groups have begun working to hem in the future president. They have pushed for new city and state laws, helping spur hundreds of bills around the country in the last three months. They've held conferences to educate members nationwide and lobby local officials. And they're promoting the election of congressional candidates who take a hard line on immigration.
The strategy is to reshape the national political landscape to fend off future liberalization proposals.
"We're doing everything we can to dig in, in the states and in Congress," said William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, a political action committee.
The picture looked much rosier a few months ago, as far as these groups were concerned. The field of Republican presidential candidates included two -- Reps. Duncan Hunter of Alpine and Tom Tancredo of Colorado -- who ran campaigns based largely on their opposition to illegal immigration.
But Obama and McCain are seen as generally indistinguishable on the issue. McCain, while toughening his stance recently, has backed proposals providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Obama favors a similar mix of enforcement and legalization.
"The chances of influencing one of these two guys to take a pro-worker, pro-environment position are very low," said Beck. However, "bringing public pressure to bear to not dismantle enforcement and improve border security has some chance of success."
Some of the groups working on that goal are tightly aligned, sharing office space and funding. Others share advice and occasionally cooperate. Most are ramping up efforts.
The staff of the Immigration Reform Law Institute has been working since 2002 to aid state legislators concerned about illegal immigration. Every step of the way, there have been legal challenges to the bills they have written, said institute director Michael M. Hethmon, and with each challenge, they've found ways to make their bills stronger.
"We were constantly learning," Hethmon said.
His group and Gheen's Americans for Legal Immigration have developed a state- level legislative package that requires businesses to verify the legality of new employees, bans public aid for illegal immigrants, and makes it a felony to transport an illegal immigrant.
They have helped turn that package into tough state-level immigration laws by offering their help for free. The Immigration Reform Law Institute has worked on bills in Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi and Colorado, as well as South Carolina, where colleges now bar illegal immigrants. The organization's efforts in Michigan, Indiana and Florida failed this year, but other initiatives are underway. At least 1,106 measures related to immigration were considered in 44 states in the first quarter of 2008, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Twenty-four states passed 44 laws and 38 resolutions. Not all of those measures sought to crack down on illegal immigrants, but many were influenced by the Immigration Reform Law Institute or affiliated groups.
"We see this state and local activity as not only effective in itself . . . but there's also the long effect as, one by one, these states line up," Hethmon said. "As these jurisdictions confront this issue, it builds up a positive and helpful kind of pressure on Congress."
NumbersUSA concentrates on elections but soon will expand its work to legislation, Beck said. For now, the group tracks the immigration positions of every candidate in every race and assigns them a grade that is distributed monthly to the organization's 640,000 members. Beck boasted that NumbersUSA had an average of 1,300 members per congressional district. But he added: "We need more participation on the ground."
To that end, Beck is looking for fundraisers and local leaders in preparation for November's congressional races. He argued that a Democratic Congress "doesn't necessarily mean bad things for us."
Some freshman Democrats who won seats from Republicans are tough on illegal immigration because "they need a way to show people that they're different from the party leadership," he said.
Beck once saw the same split among Republicans. Though the Bush administration and much of the party leadership backed changes that would legalize illegal immigrants, other Republicans shifted to a stricter stance.
"We've spent the last seven years separating the Republican back bench from the party leadership with tremendous success," said Beck, who said his sights are now on the Democrats. "We'll continue to push that line hard."
nicole.gaouette@latimes.com
By Nicole Gaouette, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- Just last year, an increasingly powerful grass-roots movement celebrated its success in killing an effort to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants. Its influence spread as a procession of presidential candidates proclaimed their support.
But now there are just two candidates for the nation's top office, Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.). And both have taken immigration stands that restrictionist groups find appalling.
Although heavily supported and highly organized, those who oppose illegal immigration suddenly find themselves without a champion.
"That's the reality we're dealing with: a choice we don't consider a choice," said Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, which advocates stricter controls on legal and illegal immigration. "These two guys were pretty much at the bottom of all the candidates. They're the worst, the bottom of the barrel, that ended up winning."
But a loose coalition of activist groups has rejected the prospect of sitting out the presidential campaign, or waiting until next time.
Instead, groups have begun working to hem in the future president. They have pushed for new city and state laws, helping spur hundreds of bills around the country in the last three months. They've held conferences to educate members nationwide and lobby local officials. And they're promoting the election of congressional candidates who take a hard line on immigration.
The strategy is to reshape the national political landscape to fend off future liberalization proposals.
"We're doing everything we can to dig in, in the states and in Congress," said William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration, a political action committee.
The picture looked much rosier a few months ago, as far as these groups were concerned. The field of Republican presidential candidates included two -- Reps. Duncan Hunter of Alpine and Tom Tancredo of Colorado -- who ran campaigns based largely on their opposition to illegal immigration.
But Obama and McCain are seen as generally indistinguishable on the issue. McCain, while toughening his stance recently, has backed proposals providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Obama favors a similar mix of enforcement and legalization.
"The chances of influencing one of these two guys to take a pro-worker, pro-environment position are very low," said Beck. However, "bringing public pressure to bear to not dismantle enforcement and improve border security has some chance of success."
Some of the groups working on that goal are tightly aligned, sharing office space and funding. Others share advice and occasionally cooperate. Most are ramping up efforts.
The staff of the Immigration Reform Law Institute has been working since 2002 to aid state legislators concerned about illegal immigration. Every step of the way, there have been legal challenges to the bills they have written, said institute director Michael M. Hethmon, and with each challenge, they've found ways to make their bills stronger.
"We were constantly learning," Hethmon said.
His group and Gheen's Americans for Legal Immigration have developed a state- level legislative package that requires businesses to verify the legality of new employees, bans public aid for illegal immigrants, and makes it a felony to transport an illegal immigrant.
They have helped turn that package into tough state-level immigration laws by offering their help for free. The Immigration Reform Law Institute has worked on bills in Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi and Colorado, as well as South Carolina, where colleges now bar illegal immigrants. The organization's efforts in Michigan, Indiana and Florida failed this year, but other initiatives are underway. At least 1,106 measures related to immigration were considered in 44 states in the first quarter of 2008, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Twenty-four states passed 44 laws and 38 resolutions. Not all of those measures sought to crack down on illegal immigrants, but many were influenced by the Immigration Reform Law Institute or affiliated groups.
"We see this state and local activity as not only effective in itself . . . but there's also the long effect as, one by one, these states line up," Hethmon said. "As these jurisdictions confront this issue, it builds up a positive and helpful kind of pressure on Congress."
NumbersUSA concentrates on elections but soon will expand its work to legislation, Beck said. For now, the group tracks the immigration positions of every candidate in every race and assigns them a grade that is distributed monthly to the organization's 640,000 members. Beck boasted that NumbersUSA had an average of 1,300 members per congressional district. But he added: "We need more participation on the ground."
To that end, Beck is looking for fundraisers and local leaders in preparation for November's congressional races. He argued that a Democratic Congress "doesn't necessarily mean bad things for us."
Some freshman Democrats who won seats from Republicans are tough on illegal immigration because "they need a way to show people that they're different from the party leadership," he said.
Beck once saw the same split among Republicans. Though the Bush administration and much of the party leadership backed changes that would legalize illegal immigrants, other Republicans shifted to a stricter stance.
"We've spent the last seven years separating the Republican back bench from the party leadership with tremendous success," said Beck, who said his sights are now on the Democrats. "We'll continue to push that line hard."
nicole.gaouette@latimes.com
LATINO POLITICAL LEADERSHIP TO HOST CLINTON
Hillary Clinton to Address Nation's Latino Political Leadership at NALEO Conference Next Week
By National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
WASHINGTON, - In her first major public appearance since suspending her presidential campaign, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will address nearly a thousand elected and appointed Latino officials at a national leadership luncheon on Thursday, June 26, at 1:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The address will take place during 25th Annual Conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), the nation's leading Latino political organization, from June 25-28. Senator Clinton will join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other national leaders who will also speak to conference attendees on Thursday.
"Senator Clinton's been a real champion for our community," said Adolfo Carrion, Jr., NALEO President and Bronx Borough President. "We're excited to continue the conversation about how we move the country forward on the issues we all care about."
NALEO announced earlier this week that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, the presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, will participate in separate forums with Latino elected officials on Saturday, June 28.
The appearances will take place during a four-day convention of Latino public officials working at all levels of government in communities across the nation. Conference participants will join political and policy leaders for panel discussions on education, mental health, affordable energy, the growing economic crisis, community investment and the emerging clout of Latino voters on American politics.
The group will also honor New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson with its Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service on the evening of June 28.
By National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
WASHINGTON, - In her first major public appearance since suspending her presidential campaign, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will address nearly a thousand elected and appointed Latino officials at a national leadership luncheon on Thursday, June 26, at 1:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The address will take place during 25th Annual Conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), the nation's leading Latino political organization, from June 25-28. Senator Clinton will join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other national leaders who will also speak to conference attendees on Thursday.
"Senator Clinton's been a real champion for our community," said Adolfo Carrion, Jr., NALEO President and Bronx Borough President. "We're excited to continue the conversation about how we move the country forward on the issues we all care about."
NALEO announced earlier this week that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, the presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, will participate in separate forums with Latino elected officials on Saturday, June 28.
The appearances will take place during a four-day convention of Latino public officials working at all levels of government in communities across the nation. Conference participants will join political and policy leaders for panel discussions on education, mental health, affordable energy, the growing economic crisis, community investment and the emerging clout of Latino voters on American politics.
The group will also honor New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson with its Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service on the evening of June 28.
HISPANIC WOMEN TARGETED BY OUTREACH GROUPS
Hispanic outreach groups increase focus on women
By Aman Ali • The Journal News
MAMARONECK - When it comes to immigration, a heavy emphasis in the village has been placed on day laborers - a group of mainly Hispanic men seeking jobs such as contract and landscaping work. But outreach groups helping Hispanic immigrants assimilate to a new way of life have found themselves placing more emphasis in recent years on women.
"Generally, it used to be just the men went to work and the women stayed home," said Harrison resident Monica Guzman. "But we Latinas need to realize that there are plenty of opportunities out there to seek a career if we want to."
Advertisement
Guzman, 34, is a regular attendee of "Proyecto Madres," a seminar series for Hispanic women organized by the social services group Westchester Community Opportunity Program, or WestCOP. Held monthly at St. Vito's Church, the seminars cover a variety of subjects including financial independence, domestic-violence prevention and English. Attendees recently discussed another important topic affecting Hispanic women - teen pregnancy.
"These classes for the women are very empowering," said Vivian Pozo, WestCOP's contract and compliance manager. "We're trying to give them all the tools they need to take the next step in their lives."
WestCOP partners with the church and the Junior League of Westchester on the Sound, a volunteer group of lower Westchester women, to run the program. Around 15-20 women attend the program each month.
"If you're new to the country, this is also a great place to make friends and meet people," said Mamaroneck resident Maria Marmolejo, 62.
The Hispanic Resource Center, the organization that runs the village's day labor hiring site, puts on regular empowerment programs for women too. In fact, the HRC last year had more female clients than male clients, with 742 women to 530 men.
"Helping women is something we're committed to focus on this year," HRC's executive director Mariana Boneo said. "Many women have jobs as domestic workers and we're very concerned with the growing number of abuse cases we've been getting. Our goal is to produce financially independent women that will become integrated into society."
Like WestCOP, HRC offers programs to women such as English as second language classes and job training. Earlier this month at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the HRC held mock job interviews for women. Volunteers gave the women tips on writing resumes, how to dress and what to say during job interviews.
Reach Aman Ali at aali@lohud.com
By Aman Ali • The Journal News
MAMARONECK - When it comes to immigration, a heavy emphasis in the village has been placed on day laborers - a group of mainly Hispanic men seeking jobs such as contract and landscaping work. But outreach groups helping Hispanic immigrants assimilate to a new way of life have found themselves placing more emphasis in recent years on women.
"Generally, it used to be just the men went to work and the women stayed home," said Harrison resident Monica Guzman. "But we Latinas need to realize that there are plenty of opportunities out there to seek a career if we want to."
Advertisement
Guzman, 34, is a regular attendee of "Proyecto Madres," a seminar series for Hispanic women organized by the social services group Westchester Community Opportunity Program, or WestCOP. Held monthly at St. Vito's Church, the seminars cover a variety of subjects including financial independence, domestic-violence prevention and English. Attendees recently discussed another important topic affecting Hispanic women - teen pregnancy.
"These classes for the women are very empowering," said Vivian Pozo, WestCOP's contract and compliance manager. "We're trying to give them all the tools they need to take the next step in their lives."
WestCOP partners with the church and the Junior League of Westchester on the Sound, a volunteer group of lower Westchester women, to run the program. Around 15-20 women attend the program each month.
"If you're new to the country, this is also a great place to make friends and meet people," said Mamaroneck resident Maria Marmolejo, 62.
The Hispanic Resource Center, the organization that runs the village's day labor hiring site, puts on regular empowerment programs for women too. In fact, the HRC last year had more female clients than male clients, with 742 women to 530 men.
"Helping women is something we're committed to focus on this year," HRC's executive director Mariana Boneo said. "Many women have jobs as domestic workers and we're very concerned with the growing number of abuse cases we've been getting. Our goal is to produce financially independent women that will become integrated into society."
Like WestCOP, HRC offers programs to women such as English as second language classes and job training. Earlier this month at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the HRC held mock job interviews for women. Volunteers gave the women tips on writing resumes, how to dress and what to say during job interviews.
Reach Aman Ali at aali@lohud.com
LATINO LEADERSHIP PROGRAM MOTIVATES YOUTH
SAN MARCOS: Motivated students praise Latino leadership program
36 graduate from weeklong Encuentros program
By DANIEL ELY - For the North County Times
SAN MARCOS ---- The Encuentros Leadership program said farewell to its third graduating class Saturday, 36 academically motivated Latino students who spent a busy week learning skills to help them prosper in their education and beyond.
Alberto Marquez, a San Marcos High School junior, had high praise for the program, saying he couldn't wait to use some of the skills he'd learned.
Part of this connection came from the week's focus on providing positive role models for the students.
"They were so persuasive," Marquez said. "You really wanted to follow in their footsteps."
The week's event was put on with the help of the Palomar College GEAR UP program, which aims to introduce students in junior high and high school to a college-type atmosphere. "Encuentros" is the Spanish word for "encounter."
Participants said many aspects of their experience, such as living in the Cal State San Marcos dormitories for a week, were part of the program's aim.
"If I hadn't come to this, I wouldn't have ever spoken to kids from other schools," said Marquez, reflecting on the new friends he'd made despite high school rivalries. "But now, a person's a person. They're like brothers to me."
This year's students were selected from more than 120 applicants.
Students in academic records, letters of recommendation from teachers and principals, and met for face-to-face interviews; then the list was cut to 36 students going into their junior and senior years of high school.
After moving into the dorms, the teens went to seminars with positive role models and took field trips, such as one to San Diego's Chicano Park to learn about cultural history, and, in Marquez's words, to "see how art can speak."
"It's getting them to experience going to a university, and have them say, 'This is something I can do,' " said Mark Evilsizer, president of Encuentros Leadership of North County San Diego.
Evilsizer said the program's goal is to improve the educational outcomes for Latino students by teaching leadership, character and responsibility, and to make them "want to go back into their communities, tutor students, clean up the beaches, and give back to the community."
According to Evilsizer, the program also promises follow-ups. After giving students information about financial aid and transfer programs for colleges, he reminded the students of a promise the Encuentros program made them.
"We will attend your graduation from college," said Evilsizer, grinning, "so we expect an invitation."
Some participants weren't willing to wait. Juan Gaytan, a soon-to-be senior at San Marcos High School, said he already wants to plan a 10-year reunion, to catch up and to prove the program's worth to its skeptics.
"I want all of them there so we can slap them in the face with our Ph.D.s," he said.
Gaytam was one of two participants honored for outstanding leadership over the course of the week. Afterward, his father, Miguel Gaytam, said he was proud, but not surprised.
"His words hit me in the heart," Miguel Gaytam said. "It made me cry. He's been a good student since elementary school ... to be honest, I didn't expect any less from him. He'll reach his dreams."
36 graduate from weeklong Encuentros program
By DANIEL ELY - For the North County Times
SAN MARCOS ---- The Encuentros Leadership program said farewell to its third graduating class Saturday, 36 academically motivated Latino students who spent a busy week learning skills to help them prosper in their education and beyond.
Alberto Marquez, a San Marcos High School junior, had high praise for the program, saying he couldn't wait to use some of the skills he'd learned.
Part of this connection came from the week's focus on providing positive role models for the students.
"They were so persuasive," Marquez said. "You really wanted to follow in their footsteps."
The week's event was put on with the help of the Palomar College GEAR UP program, which aims to introduce students in junior high and high school to a college-type atmosphere. "Encuentros" is the Spanish word for "encounter."
Participants said many aspects of their experience, such as living in the Cal State San Marcos dormitories for a week, were part of the program's aim.
"If I hadn't come to this, I wouldn't have ever spoken to kids from other schools," said Marquez, reflecting on the new friends he'd made despite high school rivalries. "But now, a person's a person. They're like brothers to me."
This year's students were selected from more than 120 applicants.
Students in academic records, letters of recommendation from teachers and principals, and met for face-to-face interviews; then the list was cut to 36 students going into their junior and senior years of high school.
After moving into the dorms, the teens went to seminars with positive role models and took field trips, such as one to San Diego's Chicano Park to learn about cultural history, and, in Marquez's words, to "see how art can speak."
"It's getting them to experience going to a university, and have them say, 'This is something I can do,' " said Mark Evilsizer, president of Encuentros Leadership of North County San Diego.
Evilsizer said the program's goal is to improve the educational outcomes for Latino students by teaching leadership, character and responsibility, and to make them "want to go back into their communities, tutor students, clean up the beaches, and give back to the community."
According to Evilsizer, the program also promises follow-ups. After giving students information about financial aid and transfer programs for colleges, he reminded the students of a promise the Encuentros program made them.
"We will attend your graduation from college," said Evilsizer, grinning, "so we expect an invitation."
Some participants weren't willing to wait. Juan Gaytan, a soon-to-be senior at San Marcos High School, said he already wants to plan a 10-year reunion, to catch up and to prove the program's worth to its skeptics.
"I want all of them there so we can slap them in the face with our Ph.D.s," he said.
Gaytam was one of two participants honored for outstanding leadership over the course of the week. Afterward, his father, Miguel Gaytam, said he was proud, but not surprised.
"His words hit me in the heart," Miguel Gaytam said. "It made me cry. He's been a good student since elementary school ... to be honest, I didn't expect any less from him. He'll reach his dreams."
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
LATINO PEACE OFFICERS AWARD SCHOLARSHIPS
Latino peace officers award local scholarships
Staff reports – VISALIA TIMES DELTA
Ten recent high school graduates have been awarded $1,000 college scholarships from the Tulare County Latino Peace Officers Association.
The recipients, all of whom graduated this past semester from high school, are planning to seek careers in law enforcement or other related fields of medicine, firefighting, teaching and physical therapy, said Tulare County Sheriff’s Sgt. Gabe Cano, president of the association.
The recipients are: Christina Gamboa, Sandy Reynoso, Marisol Jimenez, Courtney Haun, Amanda Lopez, Julie Gonzalez, Brook Garcia, Cristina Olea, Melanie Gonzalez and Corey Harris.
All will receive their scholarship checks during the LPOA’s annual dinner and dance on Sept. 13 at the Visalia Convention Center.
Staff reports – VISALIA TIMES DELTA
Ten recent high school graduates have been awarded $1,000 college scholarships from the Tulare County Latino Peace Officers Association.
The recipients, all of whom graduated this past semester from high school, are planning to seek careers in law enforcement or other related fields of medicine, firefighting, teaching and physical therapy, said Tulare County Sheriff’s Sgt. Gabe Cano, president of the association.
The recipients are: Christina Gamboa, Sandy Reynoso, Marisol Jimenez, Courtney Haun, Amanda Lopez, Julie Gonzalez, Brook Garcia, Cristina Olea, Melanie Gonzalez and Corey Harris.
All will receive their scholarship checks during the LPOA’s annual dinner and dance on Sept. 13 at the Visalia Convention Center.
AZ HISPANIC CHAMBER TO HONOR YOUTH
Hispanic chamber to honor young leaders
by Lynn Ducey Phoenix Business Journal
The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will accepting nominations through June 27 for its "40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40" award program.
The award recognizes key Hispanic business and community leaders for their contributions in the Valley.
The program will be capped off with a gala event to be held Sept. 24 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa.
Forms may be downloaded from the chamber's Web site, but must be returned by mail, fax or hand delivery to the office, 255 E. Osborn Road, Ste. 201, Phoenix, AZ 85012.
For more: www.azhcc.com.
by Lynn Ducey Phoenix Business Journal
The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will accepting nominations through June 27 for its "40 Hispanic Leaders Under 40" award program.
The award recognizes key Hispanic business and community leaders for their contributions in the Valley.
The program will be capped off with a gala event to be held Sept. 24 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa.
Forms may be downloaded from the chamber's Web site, but must be returned by mail, fax or hand delivery to the office, 255 E. Osborn Road, Ste. 201, Phoenix, AZ 85012.
For more: www.azhcc.com.
LATINA NAMED AS NEW EXEC FOR GEORGIA HISPANIC CHAMBER
Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce names new president and CEO
By Maria Saporta | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tisha Tallman, who served as the Southeast regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund, has been named to be the new president and CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Tallman, who will take on her new role on July 14, will fill the spot that has been vacant since January when Sara Gonzalez, the long time executive of the chamber, died unexpectedly.
Gabriel Vaca, the board chairman of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement, that Tallman’s background in the private, public and academic sectors would give her a strong foundation for leadership in the organization. Vaca added that Tallman will become a “strategic leader in Georgia’s economic development.”
Besides her role at the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Tallman has practiced law for more than 15 years. She served in the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. More recently, she served as a partner at Morgan & Morgan law firm.
She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science as well as her law degree from the University of Iowa.
The search firm of Aldebaran Associates worked with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to help identify Tallman for this position.
By Maria Saporta | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tisha Tallman, who served as the Southeast regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund, has been named to be the new president and CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Tallman, who will take on her new role on July 14, will fill the spot that has been vacant since January when Sara Gonzalez, the long time executive of the chamber, died unexpectedly.
Gabriel Vaca, the board chairman of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement, that Tallman’s background in the private, public and academic sectors would give her a strong foundation for leadership in the organization. Vaca added that Tallman will become a “strategic leader in Georgia’s economic development.”
Besides her role at the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Tallman has practiced law for more than 15 years. She served in the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. More recently, she served as a partner at Morgan & Morgan law firm.
She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science as well as her law degree from the University of Iowa.
The search firm of Aldebaran Associates worked with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to help identify Tallman for this position.
CALIFORNIA HISPANIC CHAMBER GETS $100K FROM WELLS FARGO
Wells Fargo gives $100K to Hispanic chamber
Sacramento Business Journal - by Mark Anderson Staff writer
Wells Fargo & Co. made a $100,000 grant to the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, of which $25,000 will be used to start a CHCC Foundation.
The grant was announced today at the Sacramento-based organization's legislative conference. Since 2000, the bank (NYSE: WFC) has given more than $1 million to the chamber.
The CHCC represents the interests of more than 600,000 Hispanic-owned businesses and more than 60 Hispanic chambers and business organizations throughout California.
Sacramento Business Journal - by Mark Anderson Staff writer
Wells Fargo & Co. made a $100,000 grant to the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, of which $25,000 will be used to start a CHCC Foundation.
The grant was announced today at the Sacramento-based organization's legislative conference. Since 2000, the bank (NYSE: WFC) has given more than $1 million to the chamber.
The CHCC represents the interests of more than 600,000 Hispanic-owned businesses and more than 60 Hispanic chambers and business organizations throughout California.
WANTED: LATINO NURSES
FAYETTEVILLE : Wanted: Hispanic student nurses
BY EVIE BLAD
FAYETTEVILLE — After Kassy Berumen’s aunt went to the hospital last year, her mother spent hours online, quickly schooling herself in vocabulary related to chronic heart conditions. Berumen’s aunt speaks only Spanish. Her nurse spoke only English. It was up to the family to fill in the communication gaps.
Ask her mother to interpret a dinner-table discussion, and she’ll do just fine, Berumen said. Ask her to explain complex medical instructions and anatomic terminology, and she’ll need to do more than a little research first.
The family’s experience reflects a greater dynamic in Northwest Arkansas, state health officials said. As the region’s Hispanic population swells, the migration of new residents isn’t reflected in its nursing population.
That’s why education directors with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences invited Berumen, a ninth-grader at Springdale’s Central Junior High School, and a dozen other Hispanic junior high school students from Northwest Arkansas to five days of seminars, tours and hands-on lessons related to careers in medical fields this week.
The Northwest Arkansas program, called CHAMPS or Community Health Applied to Medical Public Services, is one of six in the state.
“I don’t want you to think that only white women can be nurses,” said Tom Kippenbrock, director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. “That’s just not true. Our goal is to reflect society.”
Kippenbrock spent about four hours Monday showing students how to measure blood pressure and take pulses while also explaining unusual nursing fields, such as military nursing. The students will spend the rest of the week touring optometrist’s offices, learning about drug and alcohol abuse and visiting an orthopedic office to watch a cast being applied.
The UA campus is part of a Northwest Arkansas Nursing Education Consortium with Northwest Arkansas Community College and Northwest Technical Institute. Nursing program directors from the three schools work together to fill nursing shortages with a goal of recruiting at least 48 Hispanic nurses to their entry-level classes within the next five years.
The students will make up less than 10 percent of the 400-student total among the three institutions, Kippenbrock said, but the goal is still lofty. He can count the number of Hispanic students in UA’s 200-student program on one hand.
The consortium seeks to attract students before they reach high school, giving seminars on nursing to children and parents as young as third grade.
Jo Ann St. Romain, director of education at the northwest branch of the UAMS Arkansas Health Education Cooperative, said the shortage of Hispanic nurses fits into a greater need for medical professionals.
By 2015, the United States will need 381, 000 additional nurses, a number that’s expected to double by 2020, she said. The need is even greater in growing minority populations.
“Since we have a significant amount of Hispanic people, we desperately need more Hispanic and bilingual nurses,” St. Romain said.
CHAMPS is funded through a grant from the Northwest Arkansas Care Foundation that also pays for medical interpreter training for area hospitals. The foundation also helps support the Bilingual Nursing Scholarship Initiative, which provides $ 2,000 a semester for nursing education for students bilingual in English and Spanish, Marshallese or Hmong.
“Right now, there’s not enough interpreters, and some family members are interpreting,” she said. “That’s just not appropriate.”
On Monday, Berumen switched with ease between English and Spanish, laughing with a friend as she struggled to find a pulse on her inner elbow. Before CHAMPS, she’d never considered nursing. Now she might give it a try. “I just really like helping people,” she said.
To contact this reporter: eblad@arkansasonline. com
BY EVIE BLAD
FAYETTEVILLE — After Kassy Berumen’s aunt went to the hospital last year, her mother spent hours online, quickly schooling herself in vocabulary related to chronic heart conditions. Berumen’s aunt speaks only Spanish. Her nurse spoke only English. It was up to the family to fill in the communication gaps.
Ask her mother to interpret a dinner-table discussion, and she’ll do just fine, Berumen said. Ask her to explain complex medical instructions and anatomic terminology, and she’ll need to do more than a little research first.
The family’s experience reflects a greater dynamic in Northwest Arkansas, state health officials said. As the region’s Hispanic population swells, the migration of new residents isn’t reflected in its nursing population.
That’s why education directors with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences invited Berumen, a ninth-grader at Springdale’s Central Junior High School, and a dozen other Hispanic junior high school students from Northwest Arkansas to five days of seminars, tours and hands-on lessons related to careers in medical fields this week.
The Northwest Arkansas program, called CHAMPS or Community Health Applied to Medical Public Services, is one of six in the state.
“I don’t want you to think that only white women can be nurses,” said Tom Kippenbrock, director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. “That’s just not true. Our goal is to reflect society.”
Kippenbrock spent about four hours Monday showing students how to measure blood pressure and take pulses while also explaining unusual nursing fields, such as military nursing. The students will spend the rest of the week touring optometrist’s offices, learning about drug and alcohol abuse and visiting an orthopedic office to watch a cast being applied.
The UA campus is part of a Northwest Arkansas Nursing Education Consortium with Northwest Arkansas Community College and Northwest Technical Institute. Nursing program directors from the three schools work together to fill nursing shortages with a goal of recruiting at least 48 Hispanic nurses to their entry-level classes within the next five years.
The students will make up less than 10 percent of the 400-student total among the three institutions, Kippenbrock said, but the goal is still lofty. He can count the number of Hispanic students in UA’s 200-student program on one hand.
The consortium seeks to attract students before they reach high school, giving seminars on nursing to children and parents as young as third grade.
Jo Ann St. Romain, director of education at the northwest branch of the UAMS Arkansas Health Education Cooperative, said the shortage of Hispanic nurses fits into a greater need for medical professionals.
By 2015, the United States will need 381, 000 additional nurses, a number that’s expected to double by 2020, she said. The need is even greater in growing minority populations.
“Since we have a significant amount of Hispanic people, we desperately need more Hispanic and bilingual nurses,” St. Romain said.
CHAMPS is funded through a grant from the Northwest Arkansas Care Foundation that also pays for medical interpreter training for area hospitals. The foundation also helps support the Bilingual Nursing Scholarship Initiative, which provides $ 2,000 a semester for nursing education for students bilingual in English and Spanish, Marshallese or Hmong.
“Right now, there’s not enough interpreters, and some family members are interpreting,” she said. “That’s just not appropriate.”
On Monday, Berumen switched with ease between English and Spanish, laughing with a friend as she struggled to find a pulse on her inner elbow. Before CHAMPS, she’d never considered nursing. Now she might give it a try. “I just really like helping people,” she said.
To contact this reporter: eblad@arkansasonline. com
LATINO STUDENTS SAY COLLEGE IS TOO EXPENSIVE
Most Hispanic students say college too costly
By DEANNA MARTIN | Associated Press Writer
INDIANAPOLIS - About half of Hispanic high school students in Indiana would be the first in their families to attend college, and most feel they can't afford a higher education, according to a new survey.
Learn More Indiana's annual survey of high school freshmen and juniors found that most students expect to earn a four-year college degree. But fewer Hispanic students expected a four-year degree compared to their peers.
The study emphasizes the need for all students to consider themselves "college material," said Elizabeth Crouch, spokeswoman for Learn More Indiana, a group of education organizations.
"The majority of students are saying they want to go to college," Crouch said. "When asked if they have a plan or way to pay for it, they don't know."
Following the roadmap to college -- a path filled with tests, applications and deadlines -- can be more difficult for students without family members who have gone to college. About a quarter of black and white 9th grade students in the 2007-2008 school year said no one in their household attended college, compared to 50 percent of Hispanic freshmen.
Potential first-generation college students often face more obstacles than others in high school. Researchers say those teenagers sometimes lack the rigorous academic preparation and family encouragement that others have.
Sometimes parents without college degrees urge their children to get a job instead of continuing their education.
"We have seen a lot of that and we are really trying to change that," said Gina Platten, education program coordinator at the Indiana Latino Institute.
But some Hispanic parents -- especially those who have recently immigrated to the country -- often push their children get a college education, said Lisa Sandoval, director of communications at the Washington, D.C.-based Hispanic College Fund.
"Parents realize they're exposing their children to opportunities they didn't have," Sandoval said. "The main barrier is knowing how and having the resources to actually pursue that education."
While 58 percent of all freshmen surveyed said they thought they could afford college, just 41 percent of Hispanic freshmen thought so. Among juniors, expectations were more bleak -- about 54 percent of all juniors thought they could afford college, compared to just 35 percent of Hispanic juniors.
College affordability is a major issue among all students, but can be a bigger barrier for first-generation students. Since parents without college degrees typically earn less than others, it makes sense that their children often worry about paying for higher education.
Education advocates stress that nearly every student can find options for attaining higher education.
"College is the most important investment that you can make in your future," Crouch said.
The survey also found that students who have family members with college experience more often said that they know how to prepare for college, can find college admission requirements and have visited a college campus.
That kind of "college knowledge" is needed to help get students on track to a higher education, Sandoval said. The Hispanic College Fund gives scholarships and provides mentoring programs to help students get to college and succeed once there.
"Students have an immense drive," Sandoval said.
The Learn More Indiana survey included responses from more than 100,000 students in 9th and 11th grades at more than 320 public and private high schools around the state. Data from the voluntary survey given in October was compiled by Indiana University's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy.
By DEANNA MARTIN | Associated Press Writer
INDIANAPOLIS - About half of Hispanic high school students in Indiana would be the first in their families to attend college, and most feel they can't afford a higher education, according to a new survey.
Learn More Indiana's annual survey of high school freshmen and juniors found that most students expect to earn a four-year college degree. But fewer Hispanic students expected a four-year degree compared to their peers.
The study emphasizes the need for all students to consider themselves "college material," said Elizabeth Crouch, spokeswoman for Learn More Indiana, a group of education organizations.
"The majority of students are saying they want to go to college," Crouch said. "When asked if they have a plan or way to pay for it, they don't know."
Following the roadmap to college -- a path filled with tests, applications and deadlines -- can be more difficult for students without family members who have gone to college. About a quarter of black and white 9th grade students in the 2007-2008 school year said no one in their household attended college, compared to 50 percent of Hispanic freshmen.
Potential first-generation college students often face more obstacles than others in high school. Researchers say those teenagers sometimes lack the rigorous academic preparation and family encouragement that others have.
Sometimes parents without college degrees urge their children to get a job instead of continuing their education.
"We have seen a lot of that and we are really trying to change that," said Gina Platten, education program coordinator at the Indiana Latino Institute.
But some Hispanic parents -- especially those who have recently immigrated to the country -- often push their children get a college education, said Lisa Sandoval, director of communications at the Washington, D.C.-based Hispanic College Fund.
"Parents realize they're exposing their children to opportunities they didn't have," Sandoval said. "The main barrier is knowing how and having the resources to actually pursue that education."
While 58 percent of all freshmen surveyed said they thought they could afford college, just 41 percent of Hispanic freshmen thought so. Among juniors, expectations were more bleak -- about 54 percent of all juniors thought they could afford college, compared to just 35 percent of Hispanic juniors.
College affordability is a major issue among all students, but can be a bigger barrier for first-generation students. Since parents without college degrees typically earn less than others, it makes sense that their children often worry about paying for higher education.
Education advocates stress that nearly every student can find options for attaining higher education.
"College is the most important investment that you can make in your future," Crouch said.
The survey also found that students who have family members with college experience more often said that they know how to prepare for college, can find college admission requirements and have visited a college campus.
That kind of "college knowledge" is needed to help get students on track to a higher education, Sandoval said. The Hispanic College Fund gives scholarships and provides mentoring programs to help students get to college and succeed once there.
"Students have an immense drive," Sandoval said.
The Learn More Indiana survey included responses from more than 100,000 students in 9th and 11th grades at more than 320 public and private high schools around the state. Data from the voluntary survey given in October was compiled by Indiana University's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
LATINO VOTER PARTICIPATION CRITICAL
Winning Latino Votes in the General Election
BY INES POZA, Ph.D.
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With the focus now squarely on the general election, the pressure intensifies to work those pieces of the demographic pie that could mean The White House. Among the tastier slices? U.S. Latino voters.
Ten years ago, at just under 11% of the U.S. population, the U.S. Hispanic market began drawing interest in earnest, some pointing to untapped spending, others to the potential for playing a decisive role in an election. Even so, efforts have been piecemeal and adjunct. Today, at just over 15% of the population and growing, campaigns are finally getting game, dedicating larger budgets and integrating efforts earlier. More important than the percentage of the U.S. population that is Latino is the percentage of the voting public they represent in many key states as demonstrated in the recent Democratic primary contests.
In Texas, Latino participation went from 24% in 2004 to 32% this year. In California, where roughly a third of the population is Latino, 1.2 million Latinos voted – the highest total of any state – representing a whopping 29% of the total vote. This is a dramatic increase from the 2004 primaries where Latinos accounted for just 16% of the total vote. According to studies by the Pew Hispanic Center, Latinos’ stake of the Democratic primary vote increased significantly since 2004 in 15 other states, including Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey and New Mexico.
What could be bringing Latino voters out in such record numbers? It could be the record amounts being spent on Spanish and English language ads targeting Latinos; however, the proportion of dollars spent to the relative increase in voter turnout doesn’t support this idea.
And although more attention than ever is focused on the Latino electorate, media still struggles with how to characterize Latino voters and campaigns how to decisively galvanize their support.
Why should this group be so hard to get a handle on?
Perhaps it’s because the descriptor “Latino” tends to be erroneously interpreted as meaning this is a homogeneous group or, at least as an electorate, a group that shares the same general cluster of characteristics somewhat discrete from other groups. In my experience when there is some acknowledgement of heterogeneity it is typically in terms of different levels of “acculturation,” a concept I heartily dissuade clients and all comers alike to discard as virtually useless.
The problem with applying the term “acculturation” to the U.S. Latino experience is that there is no specific definition, only the vague inference that people progress along an implicitly linear continuum of mainstream American-ness going from “Less American” to “More American” until they are “fully acculturated.”
But more or less American than whom or what? A flourishing advertising and marketing industry spends tens of millions of dollars each year carefully dissecting and targeting all different kinds of Americans.
Going back to the homogeneity assumption, when it comes to trying to differentiate Latinos as a group from other groups, the temptation is to focus on cultural differences such as the much-touted family-centric ethos. I contend this is not relevant when addressing Latinos as voters. Instead, I believe the focus needs to be on characteristics that correlate highly with being a U.S. Latino and are shared in common with other groups in order to understand their needs and draw support.
The average U.S. Latino has more children, earns less money and has a lower level of educational achievement than the average American. For Spanish language dominant Americans (22% of eligible Latino voters), the language barrier means there are fewer resources available to them, resulting in frustration and alienation. They feel no one understands the special challenges they face in raising their family in today’s society. Interestingly, in focus groups I’ve found these same feelings voiced by single mothers.
The lower paying jobs U.S. Latinos tend to hold typically don’t offer health insurance, further threatening the tentative foothold many have on economic survival – a worry they have in common with more and more Americans as the ranks of the middle class continue to shrink. Latinos also represent an unusually high proportion of family members serving in the Iraq war – a burden they share with low income Americans of all races and ethnicities.
The key to appealing to Latinos in this election year is understanding that they represent the hardest hit of the hardest hit in the current economic downturn and have the most to lose as the war grinds on in Iraq. Hillary Clinton’s relative success with Latino voters had nothing to do with Black-Brown tensions undermining Obama and everything to do with her campaign focus on the needs of working class people and the Bill Clinton legacy of a strong economy.
And while historically Latinos have leaned towards the Democratic Party, examination of Latino voter behavior over the last few elections suggests neither Democrats nor Republicans can count on party line support. In 2004 George Bush drew more than 40% of the Latino vote, and I would contend this was in large part due to his ability to appeal to the working class. And while the 2006 mid-term elections showed an overall decrease in Latino support of Republican Congressional and gubernatorial candidates and an overall increase in support of Democrats, Latinos split their ballots voting in record numbers for certain Republicans.
So why are Latinos turning out in record numbers to vote? Because not since the 1960s has so much been at stake for the lowest on the economic totem pole. The economy and the war have only worsened in the last two years. While these are important issues for everyone, for working class families their very survival hangs in the balance.
To carry the Latino vote in this election, the focus is simple… think “hardest hit of the hardest hit.” McCain has a good start in this direction. His Spanish language ads are direct and to the point, saying, “When it comes to filling up our shopping carts or gas tanks, we aren’t Democrats or Republicans. We’re Latinos suffering in this together…” and promising (however vague) solutions to these economic woes.
While Obama’s Latino-focused ads are hip, catchy and even moving (reggaeton beats to chants promising “Hope has arrived”), they do not address important needs or propose a plan of action. As Reina, an anonymous Latina in Los Angeles commented in response to seeing these ads, “It’s upbeat, but does he get how bad things are? Can he handle the challenges? What has he ever done?”
As Obama heads into the final months of the general election, if he wishes to garner the coveted Latino vote, he will have to present the answer to an even more important question: what will he do for Hispanics, the people on the front lines of our floundering economy.
Ines Poza, Ph.D., is the owner of Poza Consulting Services, a market research firm based in Santa Monica, CA providing research and strategic planning for media and consumer goods targeting general market and Latino audiences in the U.S. and Latin America. Contact Dr. Poza at 310.264.4637.
BY INES POZA, Ph.D.
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With the focus now squarely on the general election, the pressure intensifies to work those pieces of the demographic pie that could mean The White House. Among the tastier slices? U.S. Latino voters.
Ten years ago, at just under 11% of the U.S. population, the U.S. Hispanic market began drawing interest in earnest, some pointing to untapped spending, others to the potential for playing a decisive role in an election. Even so, efforts have been piecemeal and adjunct. Today, at just over 15% of the population and growing, campaigns are finally getting game, dedicating larger budgets and integrating efforts earlier. More important than the percentage of the U.S. population that is Latino is the percentage of the voting public they represent in many key states as demonstrated in the recent Democratic primary contests.
In Texas, Latino participation went from 24% in 2004 to 32% this year. In California, where roughly a third of the population is Latino, 1.2 million Latinos voted – the highest total of any state – representing a whopping 29% of the total vote. This is a dramatic increase from the 2004 primaries where Latinos accounted for just 16% of the total vote. According to studies by the Pew Hispanic Center, Latinos’ stake of the Democratic primary vote increased significantly since 2004 in 15 other states, including Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey and New Mexico.
What could be bringing Latino voters out in such record numbers? It could be the record amounts being spent on Spanish and English language ads targeting Latinos; however, the proportion of dollars spent to the relative increase in voter turnout doesn’t support this idea.
And although more attention than ever is focused on the Latino electorate, media still struggles with how to characterize Latino voters and campaigns how to decisively galvanize their support.
Why should this group be so hard to get a handle on?
Perhaps it’s because the descriptor “Latino” tends to be erroneously interpreted as meaning this is a homogeneous group or, at least as an electorate, a group that shares the same general cluster of characteristics somewhat discrete from other groups. In my experience when there is some acknowledgement of heterogeneity it is typically in terms of different levels of “acculturation,” a concept I heartily dissuade clients and all comers alike to discard as virtually useless.
The problem with applying the term “acculturation” to the U.S. Latino experience is that there is no specific definition, only the vague inference that people progress along an implicitly linear continuum of mainstream American-ness going from “Less American” to “More American” until they are “fully acculturated.”
But more or less American than whom or what? A flourishing advertising and marketing industry spends tens of millions of dollars each year carefully dissecting and targeting all different kinds of Americans.
Going back to the homogeneity assumption, when it comes to trying to differentiate Latinos as a group from other groups, the temptation is to focus on cultural differences such as the much-touted family-centric ethos. I contend this is not relevant when addressing Latinos as voters. Instead, I believe the focus needs to be on characteristics that correlate highly with being a U.S. Latino and are shared in common with other groups in order to understand their needs and draw support.
The average U.S. Latino has more children, earns less money and has a lower level of educational achievement than the average American. For Spanish language dominant Americans (22% of eligible Latino voters), the language barrier means there are fewer resources available to them, resulting in frustration and alienation. They feel no one understands the special challenges they face in raising their family in today’s society. Interestingly, in focus groups I’ve found these same feelings voiced by single mothers.
The lower paying jobs U.S. Latinos tend to hold typically don’t offer health insurance, further threatening the tentative foothold many have on economic survival – a worry they have in common with more and more Americans as the ranks of the middle class continue to shrink. Latinos also represent an unusually high proportion of family members serving in the Iraq war – a burden they share with low income Americans of all races and ethnicities.
The key to appealing to Latinos in this election year is understanding that they represent the hardest hit of the hardest hit in the current economic downturn and have the most to lose as the war grinds on in Iraq. Hillary Clinton’s relative success with Latino voters had nothing to do with Black-Brown tensions undermining Obama and everything to do with her campaign focus on the needs of working class people and the Bill Clinton legacy of a strong economy.
And while historically Latinos have leaned towards the Democratic Party, examination of Latino voter behavior over the last few elections suggests neither Democrats nor Republicans can count on party line support. In 2004 George Bush drew more than 40% of the Latino vote, and I would contend this was in large part due to his ability to appeal to the working class. And while the 2006 mid-term elections showed an overall decrease in Latino support of Republican Congressional and gubernatorial candidates and an overall increase in support of Democrats, Latinos split their ballots voting in record numbers for certain Republicans.
So why are Latinos turning out in record numbers to vote? Because not since the 1960s has so much been at stake for the lowest on the economic totem pole. The economy and the war have only worsened in the last two years. While these are important issues for everyone, for working class families their very survival hangs in the balance.
To carry the Latino vote in this election, the focus is simple… think “hardest hit of the hardest hit.” McCain has a good start in this direction. His Spanish language ads are direct and to the point, saying, “When it comes to filling up our shopping carts or gas tanks, we aren’t Democrats or Republicans. We’re Latinos suffering in this together…” and promising (however vague) solutions to these economic woes.
While Obama’s Latino-focused ads are hip, catchy and even moving (reggaeton beats to chants promising “Hope has arrived”), they do not address important needs or propose a plan of action. As Reina, an anonymous Latina in Los Angeles commented in response to seeing these ads, “It’s upbeat, but does he get how bad things are? Can he handle the challenges? What has he ever done?”
As Obama heads into the final months of the general election, if he wishes to garner the coveted Latino vote, he will have to present the answer to an even more important question: what will he do for Hispanics, the people on the front lines of our floundering economy.
Ines Poza, Ph.D., is the owner of Poza Consulting Services, a market research firm based in Santa Monica, CA providing research and strategic planning for media and consumer goods targeting general market and Latino audiences in the U.S. and Latin America. Contact Dr. Poza at 310.264.4637.
LATINOS COULD WITNESS A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Let's meet in San Diego, McCain says
by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor-BOSTON.COM
John McCain, continuing to press his case for town hall meetings, offered to get together with Barack Obama next month at a Hispanic group's conference both plan to attend.
The presumptive major party presidential nominees both have RSVP'd for the convention of the National Council of La Raza, a leading Latino civil rights and advocacy group, in San Diego July 12-15. While they're there, they should hold a joint event to answer voters' questions, McCain told reporters at his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va.,
The two campaigns are at a standoff on town hall meetings. McCain is setting aside Thursdays for the next nine weeks for town halls. Obama counteroffered to have a town hall on the economy in July and one on foreign policy in August.
The two are already committed for three official debates in September and October.
The Republican National Committee, which already has a running clock tracking how long it has been since Obama has visited Iraq (nearly 900 days and counting), now has one on how long it has been since Obama was challenged to the town halls (12 days and counting.)
by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor-BOSTON.COM
John McCain, continuing to press his case for town hall meetings, offered to get together with Barack Obama next month at a Hispanic group's conference both plan to attend.
The presumptive major party presidential nominees both have RSVP'd for the convention of the National Council of La Raza, a leading Latino civil rights and advocacy group, in San Diego July 12-15. While they're there, they should hold a joint event to answer voters' questions, McCain told reporters at his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va.,
The two campaigns are at a standoff on town hall meetings. McCain is setting aside Thursdays for the next nine weeks for town halls. Obama counteroffered to have a town hall on the economy in July and one on foreign policy in August.
The two are already committed for three official debates in September and October.
The Republican National Committee, which already has a running clock tracking how long it has been since Obama has visited Iraq (nearly 900 days and counting), now has one on how long it has been since Obama was challenged to the town halls (12 days and counting.)
LATINO STUDIES MOVEMENT AT PRINCETON
Hispanic Scholars, Students Pressure Princeton for Latino Studies Program
by Ibram Rogers - DIVERSE EDUCATION
For more than 30 years, students have been urging the administration to bring Latino studies to Princeton University. Students have met with university officials over the years and staged a famous sit-in with Asian students in 1995, but those efforts didn�t bear much fruit.
"The university has had the opportunity since the �70s to begin to increase the number of Latino faculty and to build Latino studies and they just haven�t," says Dr. Raul A. Ramos, assistant professor of history at the University of Houston and 1989 Princeton graduate. "There is a huge student demand and it�s a demand that has been there a long time."
It appears that Princeton may finally defer to the three decades of demands due to the latest efforts by Hispanic students, aided by a group of Latino alumni. A Center for Latino Studies with a certificate program modeled after Princeton's nationally renowned Center for African American Studies could come on board as earlier as the fall of 2009, says Victoria C. Laws, who led the student movement for Latino studies and helped write the proposal for the center.
"We are dealing with a new administration, one that is open to change and a little more cognizant of the need for a Latino studies program, and also the changing demographics in this nation," says Laws, who graduated from Princeton in the spring. "It is undeniable now that not having Latino studies would really leave Princeton students in a deficit in terms of their education."
The adding of one or two Latino courses will not "cut it" this time, adds Dr. Aldo Lauria-Santiago, a 1981 graduate of Princeton.
"There is a pressing need to provide Latino students at Princeton with a sense of their own presence in the curriculum, which is something that was very hard to find when I was there," says Lauria-Santiago, associate professor and chairperson of Rutgers University's department of Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies.
The most recent efforts to initiate Latino studies began in the fall of 2006 when Latino students were discussing their frustration with Hispanic Heritage Month. That discussion mushroomed into in a series of meetings in which students talked about the lack of resources, lack of knowledge about how to access resources and not having a Latino studies program, among other issues.
"These meetings would go on for hours," Laws says. "And people would come with their laptops and take notes. We had 70 pages of notes that came out of those meetings."
Over the summer of 2007, the students took those notes and wrote a 16-page report on the state of Hispanics at Princeton, mentioning the lack of access to mentors and the meager 1.9 percent of Hispanic full-time faculty at Princeton, Laws says. They released it during the first week of school in September 2007.
"It was really a way of getting the administration's attention, getting faculty members attention, so that they would be more supportive of it instead of just demanding something out of nowhere," Laws says. "It wasn�t just complaining. There was a set of clear and structured recommendations as to how the university could address the problems that were raised."
In November, students talked about the report in a campus wide forum, and the following month Laws and Princeton sociology professor Marta Tienda began working on a proposal for the center that the university is now reviewing. Tienda and Princeton administrators did not want to comment on the issue until the discussions progress further about the center.
While student pressure intensified from the inside over the last academic year, Bob Hernandez, a Boston-based civil rights employment litigator and Princeton alum, formed a group of alumni that is now putting pressure on the university from the outside.
The group of mostly academicians, which now exceeds 20, had a series of conference calls during the last few months, the product of which was a letter sent to Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman at the end of May. Eleven alumni, including Ramos, Lauria-Santiago, Hernandez, and professors at institutions like the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Texas at Austin, signed the letter.
"That was our effort to indicate to the university that at this time it is not appropriate to not have a Latino studies program," Hernandez says. "That's very important because most of the best schools in the country recognize the importance of having a defined Latinos studies program. They don't define them all the same, but they have coherence, an identity and vision. And that's plainly lacking at the university at this time."
The group of alumni, many of which conduct research in Latino studies, has presented itself as a resource that Princeton officials can use as they develop the center. But that development must come in the next two or three years, Ramos says.
"Princeton just needs to get started," he says. "You want to make thoughtful hires and you want to build programs and its going to take 10 years before you have anything established. So the longer they wait, the more difficult the task is going to be."
by Ibram Rogers - DIVERSE EDUCATION
For more than 30 years, students have been urging the administration to bring Latino studies to Princeton University. Students have met with university officials over the years and staged a famous sit-in with Asian students in 1995, but those efforts didn�t bear much fruit.
"The university has had the opportunity since the �70s to begin to increase the number of Latino faculty and to build Latino studies and they just haven�t," says Dr. Raul A. Ramos, assistant professor of history at the University of Houston and 1989 Princeton graduate. "There is a huge student demand and it�s a demand that has been there a long time."
It appears that Princeton may finally defer to the three decades of demands due to the latest efforts by Hispanic students, aided by a group of Latino alumni. A Center for Latino Studies with a certificate program modeled after Princeton's nationally renowned Center for African American Studies could come on board as earlier as the fall of 2009, says Victoria C. Laws, who led the student movement for Latino studies and helped write the proposal for the center.
"We are dealing with a new administration, one that is open to change and a little more cognizant of the need for a Latino studies program, and also the changing demographics in this nation," says Laws, who graduated from Princeton in the spring. "It is undeniable now that not having Latino studies would really leave Princeton students in a deficit in terms of their education."
The adding of one or two Latino courses will not "cut it" this time, adds Dr. Aldo Lauria-Santiago, a 1981 graduate of Princeton.
"There is a pressing need to provide Latino students at Princeton with a sense of their own presence in the curriculum, which is something that was very hard to find when I was there," says Lauria-Santiago, associate professor and chairperson of Rutgers University's department of Latino and Hispanic Caribbean Studies.
The most recent efforts to initiate Latino studies began in the fall of 2006 when Latino students were discussing their frustration with Hispanic Heritage Month. That discussion mushroomed into in a series of meetings in which students talked about the lack of resources, lack of knowledge about how to access resources and not having a Latino studies program, among other issues.
"These meetings would go on for hours," Laws says. "And people would come with their laptops and take notes. We had 70 pages of notes that came out of those meetings."
Over the summer of 2007, the students took those notes and wrote a 16-page report on the state of Hispanics at Princeton, mentioning the lack of access to mentors and the meager 1.9 percent of Hispanic full-time faculty at Princeton, Laws says. They released it during the first week of school in September 2007.
"It was really a way of getting the administration's attention, getting faculty members attention, so that they would be more supportive of it instead of just demanding something out of nowhere," Laws says. "It wasn�t just complaining. There was a set of clear and structured recommendations as to how the university could address the problems that were raised."
In November, students talked about the report in a campus wide forum, and the following month Laws and Princeton sociology professor Marta Tienda began working on a proposal for the center that the university is now reviewing. Tienda and Princeton administrators did not want to comment on the issue until the discussions progress further about the center.
While student pressure intensified from the inside over the last academic year, Bob Hernandez, a Boston-based civil rights employment litigator and Princeton alum, formed a group of alumni that is now putting pressure on the university from the outside.
The group of mostly academicians, which now exceeds 20, had a series of conference calls during the last few months, the product of which was a letter sent to Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman at the end of May. Eleven alumni, including Ramos, Lauria-Santiago, Hernandez, and professors at institutions like the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Texas at Austin, signed the letter.
"That was our effort to indicate to the university that at this time it is not appropriate to not have a Latino studies program," Hernandez says. "That's very important because most of the best schools in the country recognize the importance of having a defined Latinos studies program. They don't define them all the same, but they have coherence, an identity and vision. And that's plainly lacking at the university at this time."
The group of alumni, many of which conduct research in Latino studies, has presented itself as a resource that Princeton officials can use as they develop the center. But that development must come in the next two or three years, Ramos says.
"Princeton just needs to get started," he says. "You want to make thoughtful hires and you want to build programs and its going to take 10 years before you have anything established. So the longer they wait, the more difficult the task is going to be."
DALLAS LATINOS SEEK CHAVEZ NAMED STREET
Hispanic leaders press for Chávez name
12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 17, 2008
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / The Dallas Morning News
kdurnan@dallasnews.com
Dallas Hispanic leaders said Monday they had formed a task force to support renaming Industrial Boulevard to César Chávez Boulevard.
Members of the League of United Latin American Citizens and other Hispanic leaders said they plan to press city officials to honor a city-sponsored online and telephone poll in which the majority chose César Chávez Boulevard as Industrial's new name.
"They don't want to recognize the real culture in Dallas," Alberto Ruiz, chairman of the task force, said of some city officials. "They want a bland, generic, noninspiring name to overshadow the cultural reality of this city which is very Mexican and very American."
City officials want to change the name of Industrial as part of the redevelopment of the Trinity River Corridor. Some city leaders have said they prefer a name that reflects the public works project's natural resource, the Trinity River.
The council's Trinity River committee has voted to postpone until Aug. 5 a vote on the street's new name. Some committee members have suggested renaming it Industrial Riverfront Boulevard and designating another major street in honor of Mr. Chávez.
Ray De Los Santos, LULAC district director, said the task force will focus on explaining to council members why the Hispanic community is passionate about Mr. Chávez and why the council should take the poll seriously.
Mr. Chávez was a leading advocate for farm workers in the 1960s and beyond, and is revered by many Hispanics and non-Hispanics.
"If the council only listens to a small portion of their constituents, that spells trouble for our community and creates controversy," Mr. De Los Santos said.
The poll showed that more than half of those who voted – 52 percent of 20,594 votes cast – chose the César Chávez name. The second-most favored name was Riverfront Boulevard, which got less than 20 percent.
Hector Flores, former national president of LULAC, said it was insulting for the city to ask for citizen input, only to quickly dismiss it.
"Why ask the people 'What is your opinion,' then ignore it? It's a sham," he said.
Community activist Frances Rizo said she was surprised that the council asked for citizen opinion and then criticized it. "We need to remind the council they got the input they asked for and now they need to respect it," she said.
12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, June 17, 2008
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / The Dallas Morning News
kdurnan@dallasnews.com
Dallas Hispanic leaders said Monday they had formed a task force to support renaming Industrial Boulevard to César Chávez Boulevard.
Members of the League of United Latin American Citizens and other Hispanic leaders said they plan to press city officials to honor a city-sponsored online and telephone poll in which the majority chose César Chávez Boulevard as Industrial's new name.
"They don't want to recognize the real culture in Dallas," Alberto Ruiz, chairman of the task force, said of some city officials. "They want a bland, generic, noninspiring name to overshadow the cultural reality of this city which is very Mexican and very American."
City officials want to change the name of Industrial as part of the redevelopment of the Trinity River Corridor. Some city leaders have said they prefer a name that reflects the public works project's natural resource, the Trinity River.
The council's Trinity River committee has voted to postpone until Aug. 5 a vote on the street's new name. Some committee members have suggested renaming it Industrial Riverfront Boulevard and designating another major street in honor of Mr. Chávez.
Ray De Los Santos, LULAC district director, said the task force will focus on explaining to council members why the Hispanic community is passionate about Mr. Chávez and why the council should take the poll seriously.
Mr. Chávez was a leading advocate for farm workers in the 1960s and beyond, and is revered by many Hispanics and non-Hispanics.
"If the council only listens to a small portion of their constituents, that spells trouble for our community and creates controversy," Mr. De Los Santos said.
The poll showed that more than half of those who voted – 52 percent of 20,594 votes cast – chose the César Chávez name. The second-most favored name was Riverfront Boulevard, which got less than 20 percent.
Hector Flores, former national president of LULAC, said it was insulting for the city to ask for citizen input, only to quickly dismiss it.
"Why ask the people 'What is your opinion,' then ignore it? It's a sham," he said.
Community activist Frances Rizo said she was surprised that the council asked for citizen opinion and then criticized it. "We need to remind the council they got the input they asked for and now they need to respect it," she said.
Monday, June 16, 2008
LATINA WOULD BE THE FIRST ON SCHOOL BOARD
Arlington Schools Candidacy Captures Latino Imagination
Bolivia Native Wins Democrats' Backing
Emma Violand-Sanchez would be the first Latina on the School Board.
By Theresa Vargas
Washington Post Staff Writer
In Bolivia last month on business, Diego Arias of Arlington County picked up a newspaper and stopped at a familiar face. Prominently placed on the third page, in a section separating winners from losers, was a photograph of Emma Violand-Sanchez.
Somehow the landlocked South American nation that Violand-Sanchez left as a teenager more than four decades ago not only knew about her victory in a party caucus to endorse Arlington School Board candidates but also considered the development newsworthy.
"It's amazing," Laura Anduze said, looking at a copy of the newspaper her husband, Arias, brought home. "She must have a lot of people who believe in her." CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.
Bolivia Native Wins Democrats' Backing
Emma Violand-Sanchez would be the first Latina on the School Board.
By Theresa Vargas
Washington Post Staff Writer
In Bolivia last month on business, Diego Arias of Arlington County picked up a newspaper and stopped at a familiar face. Prominently placed on the third page, in a section separating winners from losers, was a photograph of Emma Violand-Sanchez.
Somehow the landlocked South American nation that Violand-Sanchez left as a teenager more than four decades ago not only knew about her victory in a party caucus to endorse Arlington School Board candidates but also considered the development newsworthy.
"It's amazing," Laura Anduze said, looking at a copy of the newspaper her husband, Arias, brought home. "She must have a lot of people who believe in her." CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.
RUSH-COPLEY SEEKS OUT LATINAS
Rush-Copley uses grant to reach out to Hispanic women
$150,000 from Avon:: Money for breast cancer education
By CHRISTINE S. MOYER cmoyer@scn1.com
AURORA -- Aurora Cuellar is often too busy to worry about her health.
The 42-year-old Aurora woman has a job, a husband to care for and two children, ages 8 and 12.
And in her community of immigrants, where command of the English language and a lack of money, health insurance and a driver's license often keep people from getting the care they need, Cuellar knows she is not alone.
"A lot of people like me, they don't know their own body," said Cuellar, who immigrated from Mexico City to Aurora about 12 years ago.
"We need to take care of women's health," she said. "If we are OK, we can help our family. If we are sick, we can do nothing."
Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora hopes to use a new $150,000 grant from the Avon Foundation -- a public charity aimed at improving the lives of women and their families -- to launch its Breast Education and Awareness Training program.
The two-year grant will give the hospital about $75,000 each year to reach out to women like Cuellar in the city's Latina community, teaching them about early detection of breast cancer and facilitating regular screening and treatment services they may need.
When the grant expires, the hospital hopes to identify other partners who will continue to help fund the program.
"Decreasing the (health care) disparity is the big goal," said Mary Shilkaitis, vice principal of clinical services at Rush-Copley.
And Shilkaitis insisted, "We see the disparity."
Around 40 percent of the more than 170,000 people who live in Aurora are Hispanic or Latino, according to 2006 U.S. Census figures.
In that community, Shilkaitis said around 13 percent live at or below the poverty level.
It's a statistic that Shilkaitis said indicates a clear need for better access to breast health education and screening for early detection of cancer.
But even more alarming for the hospital is that only 12 percent of their more than 6,000 mammograms each year are performed on Latinas, according to Shilkaitis.
Without the early detection opportunities, Shilkaitis said Latinas are more likely to suffer from advanced stages of cancer for which there are fewer treatment options.
So Rush-Copley plans on using the grant funds to create a culturally sensitive education program and to hire a bilingual breast health outreach coordinator who will help identify local women in need of help and at risk of breast cancer.
The hospital will partner with local organizations -- churches, social service agencies and a migrant health center, among others -- to ensure that they are meeting this particular group's needs.
Shilkaitis said these agencies will help provide transportation for the women without a means to get to doctor appointments for needed tests and treatment.
Shilkaitis expects this program to begin in the fall.
Cuellar hopes the outreach effort helps her sister, who she said doesn't have insurance or money and never goes to the doctor.
"We are alone," Cuellar said.
"It is important to know in the community we have some place to go." - SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWS
$150,000 from Avon:: Money for breast cancer education
By CHRISTINE S. MOYER cmoyer@scn1.com
AURORA -- Aurora Cuellar is often too busy to worry about her health.
The 42-year-old Aurora woman has a job, a husband to care for and two children, ages 8 and 12.
And in her community of immigrants, where command of the English language and a lack of money, health insurance and a driver's license often keep people from getting the care they need, Cuellar knows she is not alone.
"A lot of people like me, they don't know their own body," said Cuellar, who immigrated from Mexico City to Aurora about 12 years ago.
"We need to take care of women's health," she said. "If we are OK, we can help our family. If we are sick, we can do nothing."
Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora hopes to use a new $150,000 grant from the Avon Foundation -- a public charity aimed at improving the lives of women and their families -- to launch its Breast Education and Awareness Training program.
The two-year grant will give the hospital about $75,000 each year to reach out to women like Cuellar in the city's Latina community, teaching them about early detection of breast cancer and facilitating regular screening and treatment services they may need.
When the grant expires, the hospital hopes to identify other partners who will continue to help fund the program.
"Decreasing the (health care) disparity is the big goal," said Mary Shilkaitis, vice principal of clinical services at Rush-Copley.
And Shilkaitis insisted, "We see the disparity."
Around 40 percent of the more than 170,000 people who live in Aurora are Hispanic or Latino, according to 2006 U.S. Census figures.
In that community, Shilkaitis said around 13 percent live at or below the poverty level.
It's a statistic that Shilkaitis said indicates a clear need for better access to breast health education and screening for early detection of cancer.
But even more alarming for the hospital is that only 12 percent of their more than 6,000 mammograms each year are performed on Latinas, according to Shilkaitis.
Without the early detection opportunities, Shilkaitis said Latinas are more likely to suffer from advanced stages of cancer for which there are fewer treatment options.
So Rush-Copley plans on using the grant funds to create a culturally sensitive education program and to hire a bilingual breast health outreach coordinator who will help identify local women in need of help and at risk of breast cancer.
The hospital will partner with local organizations -- churches, social service agencies and a migrant health center, among others -- to ensure that they are meeting this particular group's needs.
Shilkaitis said these agencies will help provide transportation for the women without a means to get to doctor appointments for needed tests and treatment.
Shilkaitis expects this program to begin in the fall.
Cuellar hopes the outreach effort helps her sister, who she said doesn't have insurance or money and never goes to the doctor.
"We are alone," Cuellar said.
"It is important to know in the community we have some place to go." - SUBURBAN CHICAGO NEWS
LATINO VOTER LEANINGS
Many Latinos backing Obama now that Clinton's bowed out
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer, SAN BERNARDINO SUN
Even though they strongly backed Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination, many Latinos appear to have quickly warmed to Barack Obama's historic quest to capture the White House.
Latinos voted for Clinton over Obama by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, according to an analysis of exit polls throughout the primary season by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Now that the Illinois senator has clinched the nomination, many Clinton loyalists have shifted their allegiance to Obama.
Obama enjoys a 33 percentage point advantage over McCain among Latino registered voters nationwide, according to a Gallup Poll summary of surveys taken in May.
"To me, he's head and shoulders above McCain," said Felix Diaz, a 73-year-old
(Getty Images // Gina Dvorak/Staff Illustrator)
Victorville resident. "I think the rest of the Hispanic community feels the same way."
While many Latinos expressed great admiration for McCain's accomplishments as a decorated veteran, several voiced reservations about his ability to lead the country during a time of domestic and international turmoil.
"McCain is an awesome person. He's a former POW," said Irma Escobar, a 52-year-old special-education teacher who lives in Fontana. "But when I look at him, I look at four more years of Bush."
Escobar, a Republican most of her life, said she is crossing party lines to support Obama.
Even though she was a child at the time, Escobar said Obama's candidacy reminds her of the hope and idealism embodied in the presidency of John F. Kennedy.
"Obama is lighting the fire in the youth of today," Escobar said. "That's what reminds me of Kennedy. And it reminds me of Camelot."
Blanca Ortega, an 18-year-old student at Cal State San Bernardino, is fired up about seeing a minority become commander in chief.
"I think it's great that this country is starting to evolve and have different races in higher positions," Ortega said. "That will help us grow as a country."
But it hasn't been easy for some die-hard Clinton supporters to embrace Obama.
Business owner Lynda Gonzalez said she is disturbed by Obama's long-term relationship with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose racially charged sermons have been criticized as unpatriotic and offensive.
Even though Obama has severed ties with Wright, Gonzalez is irked by the candidate's association with the controversial preacher.
"How can you sit there for 20 years and hear this stuff and not get up and walk away?" Gonzalez said.
Still, Gonzalez can't bring herself to vote for McCain.
"I don't want a war anymore, and I blame the Republicans for this economy," the 46-year-old Bloomington resident said.
McCain supporters admit they will have a tough time pulling Latinos into the Republican column in November.
Fifty-seven percent of Latino registered voters call themselves Democrats or say they lean to the Democratic Party, while 23 percent align with the Republican Party, according to a recent Pew nationwide survey.
"Latinos are not a group that Senator McCain will concede to the Democrats," said Hector Barajas, spokesman for the McCain campaign in California.
McCain has a strong military background and a record of leadership on issues such as immigration reform, Barajas said.
McCain was a chief proponent of legislation to create a path to citizenship for most of the nation's estimated 12million illegal immigrants. But right-wing criticism during the primary campaign led the Arizona senator to harden his views on illegal immigration.
He now talks about securing the U.S-Mexico border before helping illegal immigrants already in the country.
Obama, on the other hand, has done nothing for the Latino community, Barajas said.
"We're dealing with some tough economic times and a lot of uncertainty in the world," Barajas said. "Obama gives lofty speeches, but he continues to be inexperienced and demonstrates a lack of good judgment."
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer, SAN BERNARDINO SUN
Even though they strongly backed Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination, many Latinos appear to have quickly warmed to Barack Obama's historic quest to capture the White House.
Latinos voted for Clinton over Obama by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, according to an analysis of exit polls throughout the primary season by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Now that the Illinois senator has clinched the nomination, many Clinton loyalists have shifted their allegiance to Obama.
Obama enjoys a 33 percentage point advantage over McCain among Latino registered voters nationwide, according to a Gallup Poll summary of surveys taken in May.
"To me, he's head and shoulders above McCain," said Felix Diaz, a 73-year-old
(Getty Images // Gina Dvorak/Staff Illustrator)
Victorville resident. "I think the rest of the Hispanic community feels the same way."
While many Latinos expressed great admiration for McCain's accomplishments as a decorated veteran, several voiced reservations about his ability to lead the country during a time of domestic and international turmoil.
"McCain is an awesome person. He's a former POW," said Irma Escobar, a 52-year-old special-education teacher who lives in Fontana. "But when I look at him, I look at four more years of Bush."
Escobar, a Republican most of her life, said she is crossing party lines to support Obama.
Even though she was a child at the time, Escobar said Obama's candidacy reminds her of the hope and idealism embodied in the presidency of John F. Kennedy.
"Obama is lighting the fire in the youth of today," Escobar said. "That's what reminds me of Kennedy. And it reminds me of Camelot."
Blanca Ortega, an 18-year-old student at Cal State San Bernardino, is fired up about seeing a minority become commander in chief.
"I think it's great that this country is starting to evolve and have different races in higher positions," Ortega said. "That will help us grow as a country."
But it hasn't been easy for some die-hard Clinton supporters to embrace Obama.
Business owner Lynda Gonzalez said she is disturbed by Obama's long-term relationship with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose racially charged sermons have been criticized as unpatriotic and offensive.
Even though Obama has severed ties with Wright, Gonzalez is irked by the candidate's association with the controversial preacher.
"How can you sit there for 20 years and hear this stuff and not get up and walk away?" Gonzalez said.
Still, Gonzalez can't bring herself to vote for McCain.
"I don't want a war anymore, and I blame the Republicans for this economy," the 46-year-old Bloomington resident said.
McCain supporters admit they will have a tough time pulling Latinos into the Republican column in November.
Fifty-seven percent of Latino registered voters call themselves Democrats or say they lean to the Democratic Party, while 23 percent align with the Republican Party, according to a recent Pew nationwide survey.
"Latinos are not a group that Senator McCain will concede to the Democrats," said Hector Barajas, spokesman for the McCain campaign in California.
McCain has a strong military background and a record of leadership on issues such as immigration reform, Barajas said.
McCain was a chief proponent of legislation to create a path to citizenship for most of the nation's estimated 12million illegal immigrants. But right-wing criticism during the primary campaign led the Arizona senator to harden his views on illegal immigration.
He now talks about securing the U.S-Mexico border before helping illegal immigrants already in the country.
Obama, on the other hand, has done nothing for the Latino community, Barajas said.
"We're dealing with some tough economic times and a lot of uncertainty in the world," Barajas said. "Obama gives lofty speeches, but he continues to be inexperienced and demonstrates a lack of good judgment."
OBAMA'S APPROACH TO LATIN AMERICA UNVIELED
More than words needed with Latino voters
by Jorge Ramos, senior news anchor for the Univision Network
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton received more Latino votes than Sen. Barack Obama in the 50 state primaries and in Puerto Rico.
Some believe it stemmed from the decades-long tension that has existed between African Americans and Latinos. Others, however, blamed the small, inefficient, and last-minute effort of the Obama campaign to target Hispanic voters.
I recently had an interview with Obama and asked why he thought he lost the Latino vote to Clinton.
"You know, I think it really just had to do with the fact that the Latino vote was less familiar with me than they are with Senator Clinton," Obama said. They were not aware, he said, of his work with the Latino community in Chicago, or that he backed efforts to legalize undocumented immigrants and to improve education programs.
However, what many Latinos do know is that as a member of the Senate, Obama voted for construction of a 700-mile fence along the border with Mexico. "If you become president, would you stop the construction of the fence?" I asked.
"I want to figure out what works," he responded.
"But a fence works?" I questioned.
"I don't know yet," he replied.
"But you voted for the fence," I reminded him.
"Well, I understand. I voted for the authorization to start building the fence in certain areas on the border. I think there might be areas where it makes sense and it can actually save lives, if we prevent people from crossing desert areas that are very dangerous," he explained. About 400 people die on that border every year.
Another issue he would address as president concerns the raids and deportations carried out against undocumented immigrants. "I don't believe it is the American way to grab a mother away from her child and deport her without us taking the consequences of that," he said.
Obama did not want to commit himself, as Clinton proposed, to sending Congress an immigration reform bill by the end of his first 100 days in the White House. It is not realistic when he has to resolve first the war in Iraq and the current economic crisis. He said, however, that "what I can guarantee is that we will have in the first year an immigration bill that I strongly support."
Obama has never visited Latin America in all his 46 years of life. He doesn't support the Free Trade Agreement currently being negotiated by the United States and Colombia. In addition, he may suspend or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico implemented in 1994.
His foreign policy for the region, though, goes beyond that. "There is a natural connection between the United States and Latin America," Obama said.
"When we start ending the war in Iraq, we can refocus our attention . . . in Latin America," he stressed. Then he went down a long list of the things he wants to do in order not to forget the region (as President Bush did after Sept. 11, 2001).
"I will initiate talks with our enemies in Cuba and Venezuela," he said, "[lift] travel restrictions for family members in Cuba . . . I want to join with countries like Brazil to work in clean energy . . . I voted for the Peru Free Trade Agreement but I oppose the Colombian Free Trade Agreement until I have confidence that union organizers are not being murdered . . . I think you have to put an end to this kind of paramilitary operations."
And what about Venezuela's Hugo Chavez? Is he a threat to U.S. national security and to the rest of the continent?
"I do think that he is a threat, but I think he is a manageable threat," Obama answered. "What I have said is that we should have direct diplomacy with Venezuela . . . and with all countries in the world."
Obama said that it is the U.S. relationship with Mexico that he wants to repair first.
"I think it's very important to reach out to the Mexican government in a way that, I think, this administration has failed to do. And to find out what do we need on the other side of the border to encourage economic development and job creation there," he said.
More than 1,000 people in Mexico have died so far this year in the war among drug cartels. Obama knows this and believes the demand for drugs in the United States is also part of the problem.
"I would not legalize marijuana, but I do think that we have to reduce the amount [of drugs] here in the United States," he said.
Obama studied Spanish in high school and for two years in college. "My Spanish used to be OK," he said. Now, however, he has all but forgotten it.
He will often echo the slogan made famous by United Farm Workers founders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta: "Si se puede" ("Yes, we can").
But he is aware that saying a few words in Spanish is not enough to win 10 million Hispanic voters in the November presidential election, or the goodwill of 550 million Latin Americans.
Finally, trying to show he would be a president of action, not words, Obama said he wanted to make his first trip to Latin America very soon. "I would love to go . . . between now and November."
Jorge Ramos, an Emmy-winning journalist, is the author of six books, including "The Other Face of America." His Web site is www.jorgeramos.com.
Sign in to post a comment
by Jorge Ramos, senior news anchor for the Univision Network
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton received more Latino votes than Sen. Barack Obama in the 50 state primaries and in Puerto Rico.
Some believe it stemmed from the decades-long tension that has existed between African Americans and Latinos. Others, however, blamed the small, inefficient, and last-minute effort of the Obama campaign to target Hispanic voters.
I recently had an interview with Obama and asked why he thought he lost the Latino vote to Clinton.
"You know, I think it really just had to do with the fact that the Latino vote was less familiar with me than they are with Senator Clinton," Obama said. They were not aware, he said, of his work with the Latino community in Chicago, or that he backed efforts to legalize undocumented immigrants and to improve education programs.
However, what many Latinos do know is that as a member of the Senate, Obama voted for construction of a 700-mile fence along the border with Mexico. "If you become president, would you stop the construction of the fence?" I asked.
"I want to figure out what works," he responded.
"But a fence works?" I questioned.
"I don't know yet," he replied.
"But you voted for the fence," I reminded him.
"Well, I understand. I voted for the authorization to start building the fence in certain areas on the border. I think there might be areas where it makes sense and it can actually save lives, if we prevent people from crossing desert areas that are very dangerous," he explained. About 400 people die on that border every year.
Another issue he would address as president concerns the raids and deportations carried out against undocumented immigrants. "I don't believe it is the American way to grab a mother away from her child and deport her without us taking the consequences of that," he said.
Obama did not want to commit himself, as Clinton proposed, to sending Congress an immigration reform bill by the end of his first 100 days in the White House. It is not realistic when he has to resolve first the war in Iraq and the current economic crisis. He said, however, that "what I can guarantee is that we will have in the first year an immigration bill that I strongly support."
Obama has never visited Latin America in all his 46 years of life. He doesn't support the Free Trade Agreement currently being negotiated by the United States and Colombia. In addition, he may suspend or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico implemented in 1994.
His foreign policy for the region, though, goes beyond that. "There is a natural connection between the United States and Latin America," Obama said.
"When we start ending the war in Iraq, we can refocus our attention . . . in Latin America," he stressed. Then he went down a long list of the things he wants to do in order not to forget the region (as President Bush did after Sept. 11, 2001).
"I will initiate talks with our enemies in Cuba and Venezuela," he said, "[lift] travel restrictions for family members in Cuba . . . I want to join with countries like Brazil to work in clean energy . . . I voted for the Peru Free Trade Agreement but I oppose the Colombian Free Trade Agreement until I have confidence that union organizers are not being murdered . . . I think you have to put an end to this kind of paramilitary operations."
And what about Venezuela's Hugo Chavez? Is he a threat to U.S. national security and to the rest of the continent?
"I do think that he is a threat, but I think he is a manageable threat," Obama answered. "What I have said is that we should have direct diplomacy with Venezuela . . . and with all countries in the world."
Obama said that it is the U.S. relationship with Mexico that he wants to repair first.
"I think it's very important to reach out to the Mexican government in a way that, I think, this administration has failed to do. And to find out what do we need on the other side of the border to encourage economic development and job creation there," he said.
More than 1,000 people in Mexico have died so far this year in the war among drug cartels. Obama knows this and believes the demand for drugs in the United States is also part of the problem.
"I would not legalize marijuana, but I do think that we have to reduce the amount [of drugs] here in the United States," he said.
Obama studied Spanish in high school and for two years in college. "My Spanish used to be OK," he said. Now, however, he has all but forgotten it.
He will often echo the slogan made famous by United Farm Workers founders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta: "Si se puede" ("Yes, we can").
But he is aware that saying a few words in Spanish is not enough to win 10 million Hispanic voters in the November presidential election, or the goodwill of 550 million Latin Americans.
Finally, trying to show he would be a president of action, not words, Obama said he wanted to make his first trip to Latin America very soon. "I would love to go . . . between now and November."
Jorge Ramos, an Emmy-winning journalist, is the author of six books, including "The Other Face of America." His Web site is www.jorgeramos.com.
Sign in to post a comment
Saturday, June 14, 2008
TEXAN HISPANICS CRUCIAL FOR STATE GOP
Hispanics crucial to state GOP
But party may have lost ground opposing amnesty
By JANET ELLIOTT
As a son and grandson of men who came to the United States without documents, Joe Martinez has cringed at some of the red-hot talk about illegal immigration he has heard this week at the Republican State Convention.
"I'd love to see the rhetoric softened," said Martinez, a 26-year-old from Mercedes who is attending his first state convention.
But he knows that this is a nation of laws, and so did his father and grandfather, who both became American citizens. And he's enthusiastic about being a Republican, proudly showing off his tan-and-blue cowboy boots, one signed by Rick Perry and the other by Ron Paul.
"Once people start to realize what Republican principles and values are, that's pretty much the way the culture lives its life — faith, love and self-dependence," said Martinez, who works as a supervisor in a state program that provides attendants for homebound elderly and disabled persons.
A growing population
Hispanics have a small presence among the 6,000 delegates and alternates at the convention, a worrisome sign for the party's future. The momentum provided by President George W. Bush's popularity among Hispanics could stall out in the face of the party's hard-line stand against amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Delegates interviewed Friday believe that with help from the GOP infrastructure their numbers will increase. That growth will be crucial for the party as Hispanics make up an ever-increasing percentage of the state's electorate.
But it can be difficult to recruit candidates to run as Republicans in heavily Hispanic areas when the GOP affiliation is often a "death warrant," said Hector Farias, 41, of Weslaco.
"More recognition from the state party would help, as would funding for some of our candidates," said Farias, a marketing firm receptionist who has voted Republican since 1988 and is attending his first convention.
Looking for compassion
Stanley Garza believes the way to grow Hispanic support for Republicans is to do what he is doing — running for local office. The shipping company manager is running for San Jacinto County tax assessor-collector.
A longtime GOP voter, Garza said he look at the political choices this year and decided it was time to become more actively involved.
Ruben and Stella Jimenez of Fort Worth have been married for 40 years and have been around Republican politics for nearly that long. He served as Tarrant County chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly from 2004-07.
Stella Jimenez is particularly tired of hearing how Republicans are the party for the wealthy.
On issues ranging from abortion to support for small businesses such as the beauty shop she formerly owned, she believes many Hispanics would agree with Republicans.
"If the Hispanics would take the time and read our platform — what it stands for — they would understand that Republicans are not what they've been brought up to believe," she said.
Just as U.S. Sen. John McCain and President Bush have supported a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants, convention delegates are split on the issue.
"We're for securing the border," said Ruben Jimenez, whose family has been in Texas for 150 years. "In order to be a good citizen, you've got to obey the law."
But Martinez can't forget a scene he witnessed when he was 12 — a frightened, hungry family of four hiding in a cemetery on his family's ranch. Just as his father took food to the man, woman and children, he is looking for compassion and compromise by his party on the emotional issue.
janet.elliott@chron.com
But party may have lost ground opposing amnesty
By JANET ELLIOTT
As a son and grandson of men who came to the United States without documents, Joe Martinez has cringed at some of the red-hot talk about illegal immigration he has heard this week at the Republican State Convention.
"I'd love to see the rhetoric softened," said Martinez, a 26-year-old from Mercedes who is attending his first state convention.
But he knows that this is a nation of laws, and so did his father and grandfather, who both became American citizens. And he's enthusiastic about being a Republican, proudly showing off his tan-and-blue cowboy boots, one signed by Rick Perry and the other by Ron Paul.
"Once people start to realize what Republican principles and values are, that's pretty much the way the culture lives its life — faith, love and self-dependence," said Martinez, who works as a supervisor in a state program that provides attendants for homebound elderly and disabled persons.
A growing population
Hispanics have a small presence among the 6,000 delegates and alternates at the convention, a worrisome sign for the party's future. The momentum provided by President George W. Bush's popularity among Hispanics could stall out in the face of the party's hard-line stand against amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Delegates interviewed Friday believe that with help from the GOP infrastructure their numbers will increase. That growth will be crucial for the party as Hispanics make up an ever-increasing percentage of the state's electorate.
But it can be difficult to recruit candidates to run as Republicans in heavily Hispanic areas when the GOP affiliation is often a "death warrant," said Hector Farias, 41, of Weslaco.
"More recognition from the state party would help, as would funding for some of our candidates," said Farias, a marketing firm receptionist who has voted Republican since 1988 and is attending his first convention.
Looking for compassion
Stanley Garza believes the way to grow Hispanic support for Republicans is to do what he is doing — running for local office. The shipping company manager is running for San Jacinto County tax assessor-collector.
A longtime GOP voter, Garza said he look at the political choices this year and decided it was time to become more actively involved.
Ruben and Stella Jimenez of Fort Worth have been married for 40 years and have been around Republican politics for nearly that long. He served as Tarrant County chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly from 2004-07.
Stella Jimenez is particularly tired of hearing how Republicans are the party for the wealthy.
On issues ranging from abortion to support for small businesses such as the beauty shop she formerly owned, she believes many Hispanics would agree with Republicans.
"If the Hispanics would take the time and read our platform — what it stands for — they would understand that Republicans are not what they've been brought up to believe," she said.
Just as U.S. Sen. John McCain and President Bush have supported a pathway to citizenship for some illegal immigrants, convention delegates are split on the issue.
"We're for securing the border," said Ruben Jimenez, whose family has been in Texas for 150 years. "In order to be a good citizen, you've got to obey the law."
But Martinez can't forget a scene he witnessed when he was 12 — a frightened, hungry family of four hiding in a cemetery on his family's ranch. Just as his father took food to the man, woman and children, he is looking for compassion and compromise by his party on the emotional issue.
janet.elliott@chron.com
HAWAII HISPANICS PROTEST COUNCIL MEMBER'S SLUR
Hawaii Hispanic community protests council member's racial slur
HONOLULU (KHNL) - Members of Hawaii's Hispanic community staged a peaceful protest in Downtown Honolulu Thursday afternoon.
The demonstration is in response to the recent remarks by council member Rod Tam.
At a meeting last month, Tam used a racial slur to describe illegal workers from Mexico.
The council later voted to censure Tam, which basically sends the message that they disapprove of the slur.
But, Hispanic leaders in Hawaii say, more needs to be done - and they're demanding that Tam lose his chairmanship of the council's zoning committee.
Marie Villa of Hawaii Hispanic News says, "Here in Hawaii we don't want to talk about bigotry or racial. We're multi-cultural. Unless when it comes to hispanics it doesn't count?"
Villa goes on to say, "We didn't stir the trouble. Councilman Tam did. Councilman Tam decided he was going to open the door to attack hispanics and now people are doing that. I've gotten hate mail, phone calls, in my mail box those kinds of things."
Tam has said he didn't know the term he used was offensive toward the Hispanic community.
The demonstrators say, they've now requested the help of national Hispanic organizations with their fight.
HONOLULU (KHNL) - Members of Hawaii's Hispanic community staged a peaceful protest in Downtown Honolulu Thursday afternoon.
The demonstration is in response to the recent remarks by council member Rod Tam.
At a meeting last month, Tam used a racial slur to describe illegal workers from Mexico.
The council later voted to censure Tam, which basically sends the message that they disapprove of the slur.
But, Hispanic leaders in Hawaii say, more needs to be done - and they're demanding that Tam lose his chairmanship of the council's zoning committee.
Marie Villa of Hawaii Hispanic News says, "Here in Hawaii we don't want to talk about bigotry or racial. We're multi-cultural. Unless when it comes to hispanics it doesn't count?"
Villa goes on to say, "We didn't stir the trouble. Councilman Tam did. Councilman Tam decided he was going to open the door to attack hispanics and now people are doing that. I've gotten hate mail, phone calls, in my mail box those kinds of things."
Tam has said he didn't know the term he used was offensive toward the Hispanic community.
The demonstrators say, they've now requested the help of national Hispanic organizations with their fight.
OPINION: THE CLINTON LOSS FROM A HISPANIC PERSPECTIVE
Editorial: LA PRENSA
The Clinton Loss: from a Hispanic perspective
By now for those interested and who care, have read all the ana-lysts reports of what went wrong with the Hillary Clinton campaign for Presidency. 16 months ago it was considered a foregone conclusion that Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic Party’s candidate for President, Barack Obama was a mere oddity at the time, so to see her campaign fail offers us an opportunity to dissect what went wrong.
From all the pundits, political media experts, and commentaries the overwhelming theory was that Hillary was not able to break away from her ties to the old guard/insider image and did not represent a true chance for change. Coupled with this, from the very outset, the Hillary campaign was running as if it was a campaign focused on the November election outreaching to middle America. This was obvious in her wishy-washy stance on the war in Iraq, where she did not embrace a troop pullout and stated that the troops need to stay for the sake of stability, after this the anti-war core of the Democratic Party started looking around for a champion to carry their cause.
These analysts are a broad perspective from a national point of view. At La Prensa we have a more local and symbolic view of went wrong with the campaign.
Early on in the race, the editors at La Prensa received a call from the Hispanic media outreach team from Team Clinton to arrange for interviews with Clinton’s Hispanic representative for California – Dolores Huerta.
Dolores Huerta is a great woman and was a great leader in the ‘60s, 70s, and ‘80s. She should be respected and her wealth of knowledge sought out and appreciated. There is no question as to the significance and impact that Huerta would have with any campaign. But we did question the role as Huerta representing today’s Hispanic. Huerta is a significant symbolic link to our past, but as to our future we wondered why not a younger, present day leader who reflects the future of the Hispanic community and, who could take advantage of the national exposure that a winning campaign would bring, much like Barack Obama did at the 2004 Democratic Presidential convention.
This in a nutshell was what was wrong with the Clinton campaign, a strong link with the past which did not reflect change or a new direction.
The Hispanic community, overwhelmingly, supported Hillary Clinton in this State’s primary and this paper endorsed her candidacy but it was not an easy choice. We endorsed Clinton because of what the Clintons had done in the past in supporting the Hispanic community; we are obligated to support those who support the Hispanic community. With Barack Obama we weren’t sure what we had, we knew he was a great speaker, but he had no track record with the Hispanic community.
With this said it was hard not to be drawn in by the presence of Obama; he was compelling and captivating at the same time and it was Obama’s vision for the future that won the voters over. Now the question is, does Obama’s vision for the future include the Hispanic community and in what form? We look forward to seeing what Obama’s vision for the Hispanic community entails; right now he is a little fuzzy on these details.
The Clinton Loss: from a Hispanic perspective
By now for those interested and who care, have read all the ana-lysts reports of what went wrong with the Hillary Clinton campaign for Presidency. 16 months ago it was considered a foregone conclusion that Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic Party’s candidate for President, Barack Obama was a mere oddity at the time, so to see her campaign fail offers us an opportunity to dissect what went wrong.
From all the pundits, political media experts, and commentaries the overwhelming theory was that Hillary was not able to break away from her ties to the old guard/insider image and did not represent a true chance for change. Coupled with this, from the very outset, the Hillary campaign was running as if it was a campaign focused on the November election outreaching to middle America. This was obvious in her wishy-washy stance on the war in Iraq, where she did not embrace a troop pullout and stated that the troops need to stay for the sake of stability, after this the anti-war core of the Democratic Party started looking around for a champion to carry their cause.
These analysts are a broad perspective from a national point of view. At La Prensa we have a more local and symbolic view of went wrong with the campaign.
Early on in the race, the editors at La Prensa received a call from the Hispanic media outreach team from Team Clinton to arrange for interviews with Clinton’s Hispanic representative for California – Dolores Huerta.
Dolores Huerta is a great woman and was a great leader in the ‘60s, 70s, and ‘80s. She should be respected and her wealth of knowledge sought out and appreciated. There is no question as to the significance and impact that Huerta would have with any campaign. But we did question the role as Huerta representing today’s Hispanic. Huerta is a significant symbolic link to our past, but as to our future we wondered why not a younger, present day leader who reflects the future of the Hispanic community and, who could take advantage of the national exposure that a winning campaign would bring, much like Barack Obama did at the 2004 Democratic Presidential convention.
This in a nutshell was what was wrong with the Clinton campaign, a strong link with the past which did not reflect change or a new direction.
The Hispanic community, overwhelmingly, supported Hillary Clinton in this State’s primary and this paper endorsed her candidacy but it was not an easy choice. We endorsed Clinton because of what the Clintons had done in the past in supporting the Hispanic community; we are obligated to support those who support the Hispanic community. With Barack Obama we weren’t sure what we had, we knew he was a great speaker, but he had no track record with the Hispanic community.
With this said it was hard not to be drawn in by the presence of Obama; he was compelling and captivating at the same time and it was Obama’s vision for the future that won the voters over. Now the question is, does Obama’s vision for the future include the Hispanic community and in what form? We look forward to seeing what Obama’s vision for the Hispanic community entails; right now he is a little fuzzy on these details.
LATINOS IN NORTH CAROLINA TO HOLD SUMMIT
Latino summit to be held in Greenville June 26, 27
By Stephanie Creech | Daily Times Senior Writer
The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina will hold its first Latino Leadership Summit June 26 and 27 in Greenville.
The summit's goal is to strengthen and inform the state's Latino leadership so they will be able to most effectively share with others their history of contributions to North Carolina and work to lessen the anti-immigrant sentiment that is breaking families apart and affecting the state's economy.
"The purpose of the summit is to highlight the work of Latino leaders in North Carolina and support them with knowledge and skills so that they can work through this period of change and growth," said J.R. Peralta, president of AMEXCAN. "In addition, given the anti-immigrant rhetoric and legislation that seeks to punish and persecute the immigrant community in our state, we hope to lend the leadership support to counteract the attacks they are experiencing."
Guest speakers include Angela Sanbrano, president of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, and Juan Andrade Jr., president of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute.
Summit sponsors include East Carolina University and the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities.
To register, go to http://AMEXCAN.gogglepages.com.
By Stephanie Creech | Daily Times Senior Writer
The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina will hold its first Latino Leadership Summit June 26 and 27 in Greenville.
The summit's goal is to strengthen and inform the state's Latino leadership so they will be able to most effectively share with others their history of contributions to North Carolina and work to lessen the anti-immigrant sentiment that is breaking families apart and affecting the state's economy.
"The purpose of the summit is to highlight the work of Latino leaders in North Carolina and support them with knowledge and skills so that they can work through this period of change and growth," said J.R. Peralta, president of AMEXCAN. "In addition, given the anti-immigrant rhetoric and legislation that seeks to punish and persecute the immigrant community in our state, we hope to lend the leadership support to counteract the attacks they are experiencing."
Guest speakers include Angela Sanbrano, president of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, and Juan Andrade Jr., president of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute.
Summit sponsors include East Carolina University and the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities.
To register, go to http://AMEXCAN.gogglepages.com.
Friday, June 13, 2008
TOP HISPANIC SAYS MCCAIN WALKED AWAY FROM LATINOS
Sam Stein, The Huffington Post
One of Congress' most influential Hispanic members says that John McCain "walked away" from the Latino community and is not a "person of principle" on immigration reform -- a perception that could haunt the Arizona Republican in the general election.
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Sen. Robert Menendez offered a scathing rebuke of McCain, painting him as a candidate who sold his political soul to secure his party's presidential nomination.
"In my mind, he has dramatically shifted. He has really taken a Republican tact," said the New Jersey Democrat. "It seems to me, and it is out there in the community, that he walked away at a critical time. And when you take that view, which shows that he is not the person of principle that he would like to show himself being, and you wear the Republican mantle that is so negative and anti-immigrant... I think it is very hard for John McCain to make hay with Latinos at the end of the day."
During the course of the Republican primary, McCain veered away from his support of a comprehensive immigration reform bill, citing, openly, the political pressures being put on him by the conservative base.
"I understand why you would call it a, quote, shift," McCain told reporters. "I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people's priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders."
Ultimately, the move helped McCain net his party's nomination. But not without a cost. As Menendez argues, many now believe that the GOP nominee caved for political gain; something McCain's camp adamantly denies.
"Everyone knows that John McCain risked his political life to lead on the bipartisan immigration reform effort last year," his spokesperson Brian Rogers told The Huffington Post. "He bucked his party in the middle of a presidential campaign, and was attacked relentlessly for it. These cheap partisan attacks are unfortunate and absurd."
How McCain transitions on immigration during the general election could, in the end, be a major determinant of his candidacy's success. Will he try to champion his initial position, which included pathways towards citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country? Or will any move away from conservative orthodoxy be seen, as Menendez predicts, as a flip-flop-flip of historic proportions?
"The question that I would ask is: 'How are we supposed to believe you?' said Menendez. "Considering what they did to John Kerry on the question of the war, this would be much easier to do with John McCain. It would be: 'I was with you, before I was against you, before I was with you.'"
Those questions will come into sharp focus in July, when McCain is scheduled to appear before the National Council of La Raza, a pro-immigration group that took great umbrage with his adopted hard-line mentality.
"I expect him to try and dissemble and speak in ways that would lead you to the impression that we have to have comprehensive immigration reform," said Menendez. "But the question that has to be posed to him, first and foremost, is... how are we supposed to believe you in the first place, when you previously said something different? I think he's made his bed. He's tried to have it both ways and he came to the conclusion that to win the Republican primary he had to fall in bed with all the hardliners and anti-immigrants. And I think he will not successfully equivocate on this."
Menedez's critique of McCain's immigration policy is the hardest yet during the general election campaign. Various pro-immigration groups and elected officials had previously taken the Arizona Republican to task for his shifted position. But colleagues in the Senate have, by and large, kept their powder dry.
That said, Menendez wasn't 100 percent convinced that the Latino vote would break overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. While recent polling has the Illinois Democrat doing better among Hispanics than Sen. John Kerry in 2004, the numbers may not be enough to change the dynamics of the election.
"The latest poll I saw was Latinos supporting Obama over McCain by a margin of 60-40," said Menendez. "To be honest with you, we can't afford that. I think the Republicans would be happy if they go 40 percent of the Latino vote particularly in key states. If they could achieve that they will be on the road to the White House. I do think Obama will ultimately do well with Latino voters, but there is work to be done."
And what would that work be? Menendez suggested that the presumptive Democratic nominee talk to the Latinos about issues like health care and the economy, both of which disproportionately affect the Hispanic-American community. But there was a short-term solution as well.
Picking Hillary Clinton as vice president "would solidify the Latino situation immediately," said Menendez, a national co-chair of the Clinton campaign, "because she overwhelmingly had that support across the country."
One of Congress' most influential Hispanic members says that John McCain "walked away" from the Latino community and is not a "person of principle" on immigration reform -- a perception that could haunt the Arizona Republican in the general election.
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Sen. Robert Menendez offered a scathing rebuke of McCain, painting him as a candidate who sold his political soul to secure his party's presidential nomination.
"In my mind, he has dramatically shifted. He has really taken a Republican tact," said the New Jersey Democrat. "It seems to me, and it is out there in the community, that he walked away at a critical time. And when you take that view, which shows that he is not the person of principle that he would like to show himself being, and you wear the Republican mantle that is so negative and anti-immigrant... I think it is very hard for John McCain to make hay with Latinos at the end of the day."
During the course of the Republican primary, McCain veered away from his support of a comprehensive immigration reform bill, citing, openly, the political pressures being put on him by the conservative base.
"I understand why you would call it a, quote, shift," McCain told reporters. "I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people's priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders."
Ultimately, the move helped McCain net his party's nomination. But not without a cost. As Menendez argues, many now believe that the GOP nominee caved for political gain; something McCain's camp adamantly denies.
"Everyone knows that John McCain risked his political life to lead on the bipartisan immigration reform effort last year," his spokesperson Brian Rogers told The Huffington Post. "He bucked his party in the middle of a presidential campaign, and was attacked relentlessly for it. These cheap partisan attacks are unfortunate and absurd."
How McCain transitions on immigration during the general election could, in the end, be a major determinant of his candidacy's success. Will he try to champion his initial position, which included pathways towards citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country? Or will any move away from conservative orthodoxy be seen, as Menendez predicts, as a flip-flop-flip of historic proportions?
"The question that I would ask is: 'How are we supposed to believe you?' said Menendez. "Considering what they did to John Kerry on the question of the war, this would be much easier to do with John McCain. It would be: 'I was with you, before I was against you, before I was with you.'"
Those questions will come into sharp focus in July, when McCain is scheduled to appear before the National Council of La Raza, a pro-immigration group that took great umbrage with his adopted hard-line mentality.
"I expect him to try and dissemble and speak in ways that would lead you to the impression that we have to have comprehensive immigration reform," said Menendez. "But the question that has to be posed to him, first and foremost, is... how are we supposed to believe you in the first place, when you previously said something different? I think he's made his bed. He's tried to have it both ways and he came to the conclusion that to win the Republican primary he had to fall in bed with all the hardliners and anti-immigrants. And I think he will not successfully equivocate on this."
Menedez's critique of McCain's immigration policy is the hardest yet during the general election campaign. Various pro-immigration groups and elected officials had previously taken the Arizona Republican to task for his shifted position. But colleagues in the Senate have, by and large, kept their powder dry.
That said, Menendez wasn't 100 percent convinced that the Latino vote would break overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. While recent polling has the Illinois Democrat doing better among Hispanics than Sen. John Kerry in 2004, the numbers may not be enough to change the dynamics of the election.
"The latest poll I saw was Latinos supporting Obama over McCain by a margin of 60-40," said Menendez. "To be honest with you, we can't afford that. I think the Republicans would be happy if they go 40 percent of the Latino vote particularly in key states. If they could achieve that they will be on the road to the White House. I do think Obama will ultimately do well with Latino voters, but there is work to be done."
And what would that work be? Menendez suggested that the presumptive Democratic nominee talk to the Latinos about issues like health care and the economy, both of which disproportionately affect the Hispanic-American community. But there was a short-term solution as well.
Picking Hillary Clinton as vice president "would solidify the Latino situation immediately," said Menendez, a national co-chair of the Clinton campaign, "because she overwhelmingly had that support across the country."
OBAMA NEGLECTS LATINA LEADERS
House Latinas Irked by Obama’s Neglect
By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff
Barack Obama has a Latina problem in the House of Representatives, and it could be symptomatic of a larger obstacle to unifying his party.
Several Hispanic women who backed New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries are miffed at the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s failure so far to seektheir support, according to several sources familiar with their discontent.
“We were told that he was going to make some approach to us to join the fold,” said Rep. Grace F. Napolitano , D-Calif., a former chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “I haven’t heard from Mr. Obama.”
It is not unusual for members of Congress to feel taken for granted by a president of their own party or a White House hopeful. But Obama has a tough task ahead in courting Clinton’s strongest constituencies, including Hispanics, women and working-class white voters.
In particular, the Illinois senator, who got swamped in most heavily Hispanic districts across the country, can ill afford to risk alienating potential surrogates in a community that has viewed him with skepticism.
Napolitano, who describes herself as a “dyed in the wool” Democrat, said she will vote for and support the Democratic nominee in the fall. But she has not seen the type of commitment to Latino issues from Obama that she says she saw in Clinton.
“Unless I see something inherently helpful to our community, I’m going to sit back and see what happens,” Napolitano said. Napolitano and some of her Hispanic colleagues are informally boycotting Obama campaign events aimed at reaching out to Clinton supporters because the candidate himself has not asked for their help.
Another lawmaker said anger over Obama’s inattentiveness extends to women who are not Hispanic and even to Obama backers in the CHC who feel that they have been ignored by the campaign.
“It’s about respect,” that House member said. “I don’t understand why third parties have to be intermediaries.”
Over the course of the campaign, many House Democrats have privately expressed frustration with what they describe as Obama’s neglect of elected officials.
The issue appears to be particularly acute among Hispanic women, who say the Democratic primaries were tinged with sexism and that Obama has shown little interest in issues of importance to Hispanic voters.
“They are pissed,” said a congressman who has observed the developing anger. “People have said to Obama ‘Call them.’”
With Clinton issuing a hardy endorsement of Obama last Saturday, backers of both campaigns say this is a critical period for Obama to reach out to Democrats who were loyal to Clinton.
House Latinas Irked by Obama’s Neglect
“The scab is still drying,” said one of the Hispanic women.
But the wound was exacerbated earlier this week when Rep. Xavier Becerra , one of Obama’s most prominent Hispanic supporters, told Politico that he advised the Obama campaign that he could wrap up Hispanic backing by saying “Just give him to me for a week, and I will deliver the Latino vote.”
Becerra’s comments left some Hispanic lawmakers feeling that their support was being taken for granted.
But on Thursday, Becerra sought to reassure them.
“It’s clear Sen. Obama will undertake energetic efforts to reach out to all of Sen. Clinton’s supporters in order to build his team and unite all of us behind him,” Becerra said. “His personal story, his message of hope and change and his tireless work to reach every corner of the country will no doubt resonate with all Americans, especially those in the Latino community.”
By Jonathan Allen, CQ Staff
Barack Obama has a Latina problem in the House of Representatives, and it could be symptomatic of a larger obstacle to unifying his party.
Several Hispanic women who backed New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the primaries are miffed at the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s failure so far to seektheir support, according to several sources familiar with their discontent.
“We were told that he was going to make some approach to us to join the fold,” said Rep. Grace F. Napolitano , D-Calif., a former chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “I haven’t heard from Mr. Obama.”
It is not unusual for members of Congress to feel taken for granted by a president of their own party or a White House hopeful. But Obama has a tough task ahead in courting Clinton’s strongest constituencies, including Hispanics, women and working-class white voters.
In particular, the Illinois senator, who got swamped in most heavily Hispanic districts across the country, can ill afford to risk alienating potential surrogates in a community that has viewed him with skepticism.
Napolitano, who describes herself as a “dyed in the wool” Democrat, said she will vote for and support the Democratic nominee in the fall. But she has not seen the type of commitment to Latino issues from Obama that she says she saw in Clinton.
“Unless I see something inherently helpful to our community, I’m going to sit back and see what happens,” Napolitano said. Napolitano and some of her Hispanic colleagues are informally boycotting Obama campaign events aimed at reaching out to Clinton supporters because the candidate himself has not asked for their help.
Another lawmaker said anger over Obama’s inattentiveness extends to women who are not Hispanic and even to Obama backers in the CHC who feel that they have been ignored by the campaign.
“It’s about respect,” that House member said. “I don’t understand why third parties have to be intermediaries.”
Over the course of the campaign, many House Democrats have privately expressed frustration with what they describe as Obama’s neglect of elected officials.
The issue appears to be particularly acute among Hispanic women, who say the Democratic primaries were tinged with sexism and that Obama has shown little interest in issues of importance to Hispanic voters.
“They are pissed,” said a congressman who has observed the developing anger. “People have said to Obama ‘Call them.’”
With Clinton issuing a hardy endorsement of Obama last Saturday, backers of both campaigns say this is a critical period for Obama to reach out to Democrats who were loyal to Clinton.
House Latinas Irked by Obama’s Neglect
“The scab is still drying,” said one of the Hispanic women.
But the wound was exacerbated earlier this week when Rep. Xavier Becerra , one of Obama’s most prominent Hispanic supporters, told Politico that he advised the Obama campaign that he could wrap up Hispanic backing by saying “Just give him to me for a week, and I will deliver the Latino vote.”
Becerra’s comments left some Hispanic lawmakers feeling that their support was being taken for granted.
But on Thursday, Becerra sought to reassure them.
“It’s clear Sen. Obama will undertake energetic efforts to reach out to all of Sen. Clinton’s supporters in order to build his team and unite all of us behind him,” Becerra said. “His personal story, his message of hope and change and his tireless work to reach every corner of the country will no doubt resonate with all Americans, especially those in the Latino community.”
Thursday, June 12, 2008
LATINO STUDENTS OFFERED TRANSITION PROGRAM
Project Stepping Stone offers transition for Latino students
by Ellen Gilmer - NEWSLINK INDIANA
Five years ago, 17 students participated in the inaugural Project Stepping Stone, founded by IBM executive Steve Ramos. Ramos’ goal was to empower Latino students in making the transition from high school to college. This week, 81 students are at Ball State University making that transition in the week-long motivational camp.
Ramos partnered with Ball State Admissions and Spanish professor Chin-Sook Pak to bring Project Stepping Stone to campus.
Even high-achieving students often do not go to college because they are uninformed about financial aid and scholarships, Pak said.
“There’s tremendous disadvantage,” she said. “When you don’t have information, you think it’s beyond your reach. But once the information becomes accessible to you, that’s tremendous power.”
Itzel Maya, a Project Stepping Stone participant for two years, said her experience with the program prompted her to apply for college. She is now studying event management at Ivy Tech.
“It was a step that helped me think more about what I want to do,” Maya said.
Pak said she wanted to give more students that power through an honors course that allowed Ball State students to mentor Latino students from Muncie Central High School. Members of the class are now working with Project Stepping Stone on a student panel.
Molly Habich, a Ball State junior speech pathology and Spanish major, said Latino students face a lower definition of success that can be passed down through generations.
“We wanted to fight against that stereotype by informing and motivating our ‘mentees’ to continually strive for more and to never settle simply because it’s comfortable,” she said.
According to the Ball State website, the school’s Latino population grew from 1.2 percent in 2003 to 1.8 percent this year. Ball State’s Strategic Plan aims to increase faculty diversity to 15 percent and staff diversity to 7 percent by 2012. No projection was given for student diversity.
Fay Gammon, a senior psychology major in the class, said Ball State has made progress in increasing Latino student population but cannot stop now.
“It would be a shame to think that a really great brain with ideas that could change the world was wasted just because they could not pay for college or did not have the community support they needed,” she said. “We are working to make sure that does not happen, and we are starting with our home campus.”
Pak said although some say too much attention is given to minorities, she thinks taking action is worthwhile and necessary.
“To not assist them and encourage them in a proactive way, I think that would be more of a social cost than helping them,” she said.
Ramos agreed, saying programs such as Project Stepping Stone are investments in the students. If the government helps fund the students’ education, they make more money in their careers and give back in taxes; the investment pays off, he said.
“I’m a business guy – it’s a no-brainer,” he said. “Our goal in the long haul is to put these students in 30 or 40 years on corporate boards and in politics.”
More than 250 volunteers worked to organize and run this week’s event, which was at Project Stepping Stone partner schools: Ball State, Marian College, IUPUI and Ivy Tech- Indianapolis. The camp is funded entirely by sponsors and free for student participants.
Ramos said he is satisfied with the program’s success and hopes people are receptive to the message of Project Stepping Stone.
Everybody really needs to look to the future and where our world is going,” he said. “With globalization, we have to work together. Open your minds; open your hearts.”
by Ellen Gilmer - NEWSLINK INDIANA
Five years ago, 17 students participated in the inaugural Project Stepping Stone, founded by IBM executive Steve Ramos. Ramos’ goal was to empower Latino students in making the transition from high school to college. This week, 81 students are at Ball State University making that transition in the week-long motivational camp.
Ramos partnered with Ball State Admissions and Spanish professor Chin-Sook Pak to bring Project Stepping Stone to campus.
Even high-achieving students often do not go to college because they are uninformed about financial aid and scholarships, Pak said.
“There’s tremendous disadvantage,” she said. “When you don’t have information, you think it’s beyond your reach. But once the information becomes accessible to you, that’s tremendous power.”
Itzel Maya, a Project Stepping Stone participant for two years, said her experience with the program prompted her to apply for college. She is now studying event management at Ivy Tech.
“It was a step that helped me think more about what I want to do,” Maya said.
Pak said she wanted to give more students that power through an honors course that allowed Ball State students to mentor Latino students from Muncie Central High School. Members of the class are now working with Project Stepping Stone on a student panel.
Molly Habich, a Ball State junior speech pathology and Spanish major, said Latino students face a lower definition of success that can be passed down through generations.
“We wanted to fight against that stereotype by informing and motivating our ‘mentees’ to continually strive for more and to never settle simply because it’s comfortable,” she said.
According to the Ball State website, the school’s Latino population grew from 1.2 percent in 2003 to 1.8 percent this year. Ball State’s Strategic Plan aims to increase faculty diversity to 15 percent and staff diversity to 7 percent by 2012. No projection was given for student diversity.
Fay Gammon, a senior psychology major in the class, said Ball State has made progress in increasing Latino student population but cannot stop now.
“It would be a shame to think that a really great brain with ideas that could change the world was wasted just because they could not pay for college or did not have the community support they needed,” she said. “We are working to make sure that does not happen, and we are starting with our home campus.”
Pak said although some say too much attention is given to minorities, she thinks taking action is worthwhile and necessary.
“To not assist them and encourage them in a proactive way, I think that would be more of a social cost than helping them,” she said.
Ramos agreed, saying programs such as Project Stepping Stone are investments in the students. If the government helps fund the students’ education, they make more money in their careers and give back in taxes; the investment pays off, he said.
“I’m a business guy – it’s a no-brainer,” he said. “Our goal in the long haul is to put these students in 30 or 40 years on corporate boards and in politics.”
More than 250 volunteers worked to organize and run this week’s event, which was at Project Stepping Stone partner schools: Ball State, Marian College, IUPUI and Ivy Tech- Indianapolis. The camp is funded entirely by sponsors and free for student participants.
Ramos said he is satisfied with the program’s success and hopes people are receptive to the message of Project Stepping Stone.
Everybody really needs to look to the future and where our world is going,” he said. “With globalization, we have to work together. Open your minds; open your hearts.”
WACHOVIA AIDS LATINO DEVELOPMENT
Wachovia to aid Latino development
Wachovia Corp. and its charitable foundation have announced a five-year, $16.25 million partnership focused on economic development for the U.S. Latino community.
The grants and loans are for the National Council of La Raza and its lending arm; the group calls itself the country's largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy group. The Latin American Coalition in Charlotte is an NCLR affiliate.
Among other initiatives, the money will help provide financial counseling for new homeowners through NCLR's Homeownership Network and will fund growth in the Raza Development Fund's lending activities, which includes building charter schools, community facilities and affordable housing.
Wachovia says it is the only major financial institution to offer statements in Spanish for all of its deposit accounts. It also offers a Spanish-language Web site, www.wachovia.com/espanol. Christina Rexrode CHARLOTTE NEWS
Wachovia Corp. and its charitable foundation have announced a five-year, $16.25 million partnership focused on economic development for the U.S. Latino community.
The grants and loans are for the National Council of La Raza and its lending arm; the group calls itself the country's largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy group. The Latin American Coalition in Charlotte is an NCLR affiliate.
Among other initiatives, the money will help provide financial counseling for new homeowners through NCLR's Homeownership Network and will fund growth in the Raza Development Fund's lending activities, which includes building charter schools, community facilities and affordable housing.
Wachovia says it is the only major financial institution to offer statements in Spanish for all of its deposit accounts. It also offers a Spanish-language Web site, www.wachovia.com/espanol. Christina Rexrode CHARLOTTE NEWS
MCCAIN CHASING LATINO VOTE
John McCain is continuing his quest to close in on the solid lead Barack Obama has garnered among Hispanic voters.
Fresh on the heels of two Spanish radio ads the presumptive GOP nominee released last week in Nevada and New Mexico, the campaign launched another (subscription) in South Florida on Tuesday that focuses on Cuba. The 60-second spot features Roberto Martin Perez, who was a Cuban political prisoner for nearly three decades, relating to McCain's experience as a POW and taking a veiled shot at Obama, who has said he would meet with Cuban President Raul Castro. "As someone who has survived the harsh conditions of the Vietnamese prisons, John McCain knows that freedom in Cuba won't be achieved with concessions to dictatorships," Perez says in Spanish.
Campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said McCain has a "unique appeal" to Cuban voters, and to Hispanic voters in general. "McCain's personal history with communism is a compelling issue for many in the Cuban community," Rogers said. "McCain has also demonstrated brave leadership on the tough issue of immigration reform, and that’s something a lot of Hispanics care deeply about." He added that the senator has continued to garner widespread Hispanic support back home in Arizona.
Obama is also courting Hispanic voters -- especially after Hillary Rodham Clinton endorsed him and left a large pool of Hispanic supporters "up for grabs," in the words of Univision's Maria Elena Salinas. Obama released his own Spanish-language ad during the Puerto Rico primary campaign in mid-May. And both candidates have accepted an invitation to speak at the National Council of La Raza convention in July.
By Amy Harder NATIONAL JOURNAL
Fresh on the heels of two Spanish radio ads the presumptive GOP nominee released last week in Nevada and New Mexico, the campaign launched another (subscription) in South Florida on Tuesday that focuses on Cuba. The 60-second spot features Roberto Martin Perez, who was a Cuban political prisoner for nearly three decades, relating to McCain's experience as a POW and taking a veiled shot at Obama, who has said he would meet with Cuban President Raul Castro. "As someone who has survived the harsh conditions of the Vietnamese prisons, John McCain knows that freedom in Cuba won't be achieved with concessions to dictatorships," Perez says in Spanish.
Campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said McCain has a "unique appeal" to Cuban voters, and to Hispanic voters in general. "McCain's personal history with communism is a compelling issue for many in the Cuban community," Rogers said. "McCain has also demonstrated brave leadership on the tough issue of immigration reform, and that’s something a lot of Hispanics care deeply about." He added that the senator has continued to garner widespread Hispanic support back home in Arizona.
Obama is also courting Hispanic voters -- especially after Hillary Rodham Clinton endorsed him and left a large pool of Hispanic supporters "up for grabs," in the words of Univision's Maria Elena Salinas. Obama released his own Spanish-language ad during the Puerto Rico primary campaign in mid-May. And both candidates have accepted an invitation to speak at the National Council of La Raza convention in July.
By Amy Harder NATIONAL JOURNAL
HISPANIC DEMS WARN OBAMA
Hispanic Dems warn Obama he risks losing Latinos
By Jared Allen - THE HILL
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) must commit to helping illegal immigrants achieve citizenship or else risk losing the vital Latino vote in the general election, Hispanic Democratic lawmakers are warning.
If he does not promise so-called comprehensive immigration reform, the lawmakers say, the only other way to win over Hispanic supporters of his erstwhile rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), may be to pick her as his running mate.
Obama’s National Latino Vote Director, Cuauhtemoc “Temo” Figueroa, will have his first meeting in Washington Thursday with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC).
They carefully avoided calling explicitly for Clinton’s selection as the party’s vice presidential nominee, but some indicated that her bond with Latino voters will get them to the polls in November, just as it drew them into the primaries.
“Hillary holds the entire Latino community in the palm of her hand,” said. Rep. José Serrano (D-N.Y.), whose district went heavily for Clinton.
But Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), Obama’s Republican opponent, is also liked by Latinos. He co-sponsored with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) the immigration bill that the CHC is demanding, which would put the country’s 12 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. And he did not buckle under pressure to abandon that position during the GOP primary.
Cecilia Munoz, the senior vice president of research, advocacy and legislation with the National Council of La Raza, said whether McCain can win over large enough numbers of Latino voters is “still an open question.”
“But Latinos are brand-loyal, and after the Clinton brand, the McCain brand is the second-strongest among Latinos because of his military service and his immigration record,” Munoz said.
CHC Chairman Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) said that if Obama chooses someone other than Clinton, it will not be a deal-breaker for Latinos.
“But I hope he does make the right decision and picks someone who draws together our communities,” Baca said. “Is that Hillary? I think she’s certainly one of those candidates.”
While Obama won the Latino vote in his home state of Illinois and in Colorado, and stayed competitive in New Mexico and Arizona, he was walloped among Latinos — 64 percent to 24 — throughout the 24 contests making up Super Tuesday. In California, Clinton won over Latinos 67 percent to 29.
Latino voters comprised 30 percent of California Democratic primary voters, an increase of 17 percent from 2004. In Texas, the number of Latinos voting in the Democratic primary rose 8 percent, to 32 percent of the electorate, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
In harnessing such enthusiasm, Baca also said that the CHC will be looking — but not necessarily asking — for Obama to make as strong of a pledge as Clinton did to putting comprehensive immigration reform on his “first 100 days” agenda.
“He says he wants to, but he needs to show that he’s serious about taking it up.”
Obama’s campaign coordinator for Spanish-language media, Vince Casillas, said that while Obama has promised to take up immigration reform in his first year in office, he has not yet laid out his detailed plan for comprehensive reform.
“As soon as he’s ready and has a plan in place, he’ll announce it,” Casillas said.
In the Florida Republican primary, where Latinos made up 12 percent of the total vote and where McCain edged out Romney by only 4 percentage points, the Arizona senator won 54 percent of the Latino vote compared to Romney’s 14 percent.
And many Republicans remember that it was in 2004 when 40 percent of Latino voters abandoned the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), to vote for President Bush, Munoz said.
Munoz called 2004 the Democrats’ “low-water mark” in pulling in Latino support. The “high-water mark,” she said, came in 1996, the last time a Clinton was on the ticket.
And even longtime Obama backers in the CHC — including Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) — said that Obama has a lot of work to do in drumming up support among Latinos who are still fiercely loyal to Clinton.
“I have encouraged the [Obama] campaign for a year now that retail politics is very important to us, but they don’t yet seem to have gotten the message,” Gutierrez said. “We really need to see more of that from him.”
Becerra said that once he gets out there, Obama will be a “natural at connecting with the Latino community,” but he acknowledged that more outreach is needed.
“And first and foremost, the discussion will need to be about how to reach out to the Clinton supporters and then [get] them incorporated into his campaign.”
Baca said that if Obama fails to do that, and fails to give his “strongest types of surrogates” in the Latino community the ammunition they need to help seal support for his candidacy, the record Latino turnout that was seen in the primaries could disappear.
“We have a tendency to not go to the polls to vote,” Baca said. “[The CHC] can help get them out to vote, and it’ll make a big difference. But in the end it’s up to him.”
By Jared Allen - THE HILL
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) must commit to helping illegal immigrants achieve citizenship or else risk losing the vital Latino vote in the general election, Hispanic Democratic lawmakers are warning.
If he does not promise so-called comprehensive immigration reform, the lawmakers say, the only other way to win over Hispanic supporters of his erstwhile rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), may be to pick her as his running mate.
Obama’s National Latino Vote Director, Cuauhtemoc “Temo” Figueroa, will have his first meeting in Washington Thursday with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC).
They carefully avoided calling explicitly for Clinton’s selection as the party’s vice presidential nominee, but some indicated that her bond with Latino voters will get them to the polls in November, just as it drew them into the primaries.
“Hillary holds the entire Latino community in the palm of her hand,” said. Rep. José Serrano (D-N.Y.), whose district went heavily for Clinton.
But Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), Obama’s Republican opponent, is also liked by Latinos. He co-sponsored with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) the immigration bill that the CHC is demanding, which would put the country’s 12 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. And he did not buckle under pressure to abandon that position during the GOP primary.
Cecilia Munoz, the senior vice president of research, advocacy and legislation with the National Council of La Raza, said whether McCain can win over large enough numbers of Latino voters is “still an open question.”
“But Latinos are brand-loyal, and after the Clinton brand, the McCain brand is the second-strongest among Latinos because of his military service and his immigration record,” Munoz said.
CHC Chairman Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) said that if Obama chooses someone other than Clinton, it will not be a deal-breaker for Latinos.
“But I hope he does make the right decision and picks someone who draws together our communities,” Baca said. “Is that Hillary? I think she’s certainly one of those candidates.”
While Obama won the Latino vote in his home state of Illinois and in Colorado, and stayed competitive in New Mexico and Arizona, he was walloped among Latinos — 64 percent to 24 — throughout the 24 contests making up Super Tuesday. In California, Clinton won over Latinos 67 percent to 29.
Latino voters comprised 30 percent of California Democratic primary voters, an increase of 17 percent from 2004. In Texas, the number of Latinos voting in the Democratic primary rose 8 percent, to 32 percent of the electorate, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
In harnessing such enthusiasm, Baca also said that the CHC will be looking — but not necessarily asking — for Obama to make as strong of a pledge as Clinton did to putting comprehensive immigration reform on his “first 100 days” agenda.
“He says he wants to, but he needs to show that he’s serious about taking it up.”
Obama’s campaign coordinator for Spanish-language media, Vince Casillas, said that while Obama has promised to take up immigration reform in his first year in office, he has not yet laid out his detailed plan for comprehensive reform.
“As soon as he’s ready and has a plan in place, he’ll announce it,” Casillas said.
In the Florida Republican primary, where Latinos made up 12 percent of the total vote and where McCain edged out Romney by only 4 percentage points, the Arizona senator won 54 percent of the Latino vote compared to Romney’s 14 percent.
And many Republicans remember that it was in 2004 when 40 percent of Latino voters abandoned the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry (Mass.), to vote for President Bush, Munoz said.
Munoz called 2004 the Democrats’ “low-water mark” in pulling in Latino support. The “high-water mark,” she said, came in 1996, the last time a Clinton was on the ticket.
And even longtime Obama backers in the CHC — including Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) — said that Obama has a lot of work to do in drumming up support among Latinos who are still fiercely loyal to Clinton.
“I have encouraged the [Obama] campaign for a year now that retail politics is very important to us, but they don’t yet seem to have gotten the message,” Gutierrez said. “We really need to see more of that from him.”
Becerra said that once he gets out there, Obama will be a “natural at connecting with the Latino community,” but he acknowledged that more outreach is needed.
“And first and foremost, the discussion will need to be about how to reach out to the Clinton supporters and then [get] them incorporated into his campaign.”
Baca said that if Obama fails to do that, and fails to give his “strongest types of surrogates” in the Latino community the ammunition they need to help seal support for his candidacy, the record Latino turnout that was seen in the primaries could disappear.
“We have a tendency to not go to the polls to vote,” Baca said. “[The CHC] can help get them out to vote, and it’ll make a big difference. But in the end it’s up to him.”
LATINO BUSINESS LEADERSHIP AWARDS NOMINATIONS
Call for Nominations: San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Wells Fargo Bank and the San Francisco Business Times Announce the Latino Business Leadership Awards
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Wells Fargo Bank, and the San Francisco Business Times are calling for nominations for the 2008 Most Influential Latinos and Latinas in the San Francisco Bay Area. The purpose of the Latino Business Leadership Awards is to recognize outstanding executives and business owners from the region’s most vibrant firms.
Who: The San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SFHCC) has demonstrated its Leadership in connecting the Latino community throughout the Bay Area while focusing on business development, education, marketing and networking. The SFHCC has become a trusted leader among the Latino/Hispanic business community creating strong strategic alliances and forging joint projects.
What: The nominations are open for Latinos and Latinas who have contributed to improving the quality of life for Latinos in the Bay Area.
Awards categories include: entrepreneurs, corporate executives and professionals from a skilled occupation or career where specialized knowledge of a subject, field, or science is applied. You may nominate yourself, or a deserving leader.
A thirty minute segment featuring 2007 honoree interviews can be viewed on Comcast on demand (channel 1) under local events. For more information please visit www.sfhcc.com/leadership/introduction.html.
When: The deadline for nominations is August 8, 2008. Nominations can be submitted online at http://sfhcc.com/leadership/nominations.html or emailed to staff@sfhcc.com.
Where: Awards will be presented at the Latino Business Leadership Awards on Friday, October 17th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Intercontinental Hotel in San Francisco, located at 888 Howard Street.
For more information about the process, please contact Richard Ventura, President and CEO, of the San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, at 415-278-9611 or email to richard@sfhcc.com.
San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 created to represent the needs of Hispanic businesses and the Hispanic community as a whole. Its mission is to promote the economic development of our members and the Hispanic business community in San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area. The SFHCC is one of the largest Hispanic business organizations in the city. More information is also available at www.sfhcc.com.
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Wells Fargo Bank, and the San Francisco Business Times are calling for nominations for the 2008 Most Influential Latinos and Latinas in the San Francisco Bay Area. The purpose of the Latino Business Leadership Awards is to recognize outstanding executives and business owners from the region’s most vibrant firms.
Who: The San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (SFHCC) has demonstrated its Leadership in connecting the Latino community throughout the Bay Area while focusing on business development, education, marketing and networking. The SFHCC has become a trusted leader among the Latino/Hispanic business community creating strong strategic alliances and forging joint projects.
What: The nominations are open for Latinos and Latinas who have contributed to improving the quality of life for Latinos in the Bay Area.
Awards categories include: entrepreneurs, corporate executives and professionals from a skilled occupation or career where specialized knowledge of a subject, field, or science is applied. You may nominate yourself, or a deserving leader.
A thirty minute segment featuring 2007 honoree interviews can be viewed on Comcast on demand (channel 1) under local events. For more information please visit www.sfhcc.com/leadership/introduction.html.
When: The deadline for nominations is August 8, 2008. Nominations can be submitted online at http://sfhcc.com/leadership/nominations.html or emailed to staff@sfhcc.com.
Where: Awards will be presented at the Latino Business Leadership Awards on Friday, October 17th from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Intercontinental Hotel in San Francisco, located at 888 Howard Street.
For more information about the process, please contact Richard Ventura, President and CEO, of the San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, at 415-278-9611 or email to richard@sfhcc.com.
San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 created to represent the needs of Hispanic businesses and the Hispanic community as a whole. Its mission is to promote the economic development of our members and the Hispanic business community in San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area. The SFHCC is one of the largest Hispanic business organizations in the city. More information is also available at www.sfhcc.com.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
LATINAS GAIN POWER POSTS IN CALIFORNIA
Gov. Schwarzenegger's Appoints Rachel Rios, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
In establishing a record number of Latino appointments by any Governor in California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Rachel Rios, 50, of Sacramento, as Director of Juvenile Parole Operations for the Division of Juvenile Justice within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Ms. Rios appointment compliments those Schwarzenegger has already made including that of Rosario Marin, who is Secretary of the Consumer Affairs Agency and is also a former Bush appointee.
Since 1984, Ms. Rios has served the California Department of Juvenile Justice in various positions. Most recently Rios served as a youth authority administrator for the Division of Juvenile Facilities' Case Services Section since 2005 and, from 2004 to 2005, she served in the Healthcare Services Section. From 2003 to 2004, she worked as an assistant superintendent for the Northern Youth Correctional Reception Center and Clinic and, from 1995 to 2003, she served as a supervising parole agent III in Sacramento and Stockton. From 1990 to 1995, Rios was a parole agent III at the Office of Prevention and Victim Services and, in 1989, she worked as an assistant supervising parole agent II. From 1984 to 1989, she was a parole agent I in the Los Angeles and Sacramento area.
"This Governor really sees the potential of Latinas," says small business owner Mina Perez. "We've been moving up and out of our stereotypes and that's really exciting."
Ms. Rio's new position will require California State Senate confirmation.
In establishing a record number of Latino appointments by any Governor in California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has appointed Rachel Rios, 50, of Sacramento, as Director of Juvenile Parole Operations for the Division of Juvenile Justice within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Ms. Rios appointment compliments those Schwarzenegger has already made including that of Rosario Marin, who is Secretary of the Consumer Affairs Agency and is also a former Bush appointee.
Since 1984, Ms. Rios has served the California Department of Juvenile Justice in various positions. Most recently Rios served as a youth authority administrator for the Division of Juvenile Facilities' Case Services Section since 2005 and, from 2004 to 2005, she served in the Healthcare Services Section. From 2003 to 2004, she worked as an assistant superintendent for the Northern Youth Correctional Reception Center and Clinic and, from 1995 to 2003, she served as a supervising parole agent III in Sacramento and Stockton. From 1990 to 1995, Rios was a parole agent III at the Office of Prevention and Victim Services and, in 1989, she worked as an assistant supervising parole agent II. From 1984 to 1989, she was a parole agent I in the Los Angeles and Sacramento area.
"This Governor really sees the potential of Latinas," says small business owner Mina Perez. "We've been moving up and out of our stereotypes and that's really exciting."
Ms. Rio's new position will require California State Senate confirmation.
THE DOUBLE STANDARD OF BEING ILLEGAL
The benefit of not being Mexican
Ruben Naverrette, Columnist, UNION-TRIBUNE
Let me say a few words in defense of deporting illegal immigrants. I wouldn't have thought such a defense would be necessary, since being in the United States without proper documents is a crime and the penalty is deportation.
But try telling that to the folks in Central California who are experiencing warm and fuzzy feelings for 17-year-old Arthur Mkoyan. The high school valedictorian in my hometown of Fresno should be thinking about the same things that other graduating seniors think about this time of year – planning to go to college, going to parties and all the rest.
Arthur has certainly earned it. He studied hard to earn a perfect grade-point average. And, for his hard work, he was admitted to the University of California Davis, where he planned to study chemistry.
And yet, Arthur will probably never make it to freshman orientation. That's because, on June 20, the extension of his deportation order will expire and federal immigration authorities will likely apprehend the young man and his mother and send them to Armenia. His father is being held in a detention facility in Arizona until he can be deported. There is also Arthur's 12-year-old brother, a U.S.-born citizen who the family plans to take with them.
According to The Fresno Bee, Arthur's father came to the United States from the former Soviet Union in December 1991, and sought political asylum. Arthur and his mother joined him a few years later. No one came with the proper documents. And so, when their asylum application was rejected, and their appeals were denied, they were targeted for deportation.
That is as it should be. The law is the law.
Still, it's a heartbreaking story. Here you have an all-American kid who hasn't seen Armenia since he was a toddler, and who is now headed to a country where the people, language and customs are foreign to him. Besides, this is precisely the kind of young person we should want to keep in this country.
Say, maybe we can work out a trade. Armenia lets us keep Arthur, and we send a dozen of our lazier, less-productive U.S.-born teenagers who think themselves entitled to the good life but don't want to do the work to make it happen.
Many people are going to bat for Mkoyan – from Armenian advocacy groups to Republican Rep. George Radanovich, who represents part of the Central Valley and has many Armenian constituents. The family has also approached California Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the hopes that she'll introduce a rare measure to grant legal status to a specific individual. There's also plenty of support for the young man on the Internet and on talk radio.
Not that it is likely to do any good. Arthur, and his parents, will probably be deported. And they should be.
I said the same thing six years ago when a similar story surfaced. In August 2002, The Denver Post ran a front-page story about Jesus Apodaca, a recent high school graduate with a 3.93 grade-point average who wanted to go to the University of Colorado but couldn't afford the tuition – because he was an illegal immigrant. In Colorado, the undocumented have to pay out-of-state tuition rates, which are higher than those for residents. A member of Congress involved himself in that case as well, albeit in a different capacity. Anti-illegal immigration crusader Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., called what was then the Immigration and Naturalization Service and asked them what they were planning to do about Apodaca. The young man and his family were apprehended and, last we heard, were slated for deportation. That won applause from many immigration hard-liners.
But here's the part that bothers me: I wonder why more of them – including Tancredo – aren't making a fuss over Arthur Mkoyan. The fact is, Apodaca didn't get nearly the amount of public sympathy that Mkoyan has received up to now.
Why the double standard? I believe it's because, while Mkoyan may not have a leg to stand on legally, he at least has the benefit of not being Mexican. Much of the immigration debate is fueled by a fear of a changing culture, competing languages, an altered landscape, and what loopy Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist calls the “colonization” of the United States by Mexican immigrants.
Arthur Mkoyan isn't considered a party to any of that. For some people, that makes all the difference. And, in some respects, that's the saddest thing about this story.
Navarrette can be reached via ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com.
Ruben Naverrette, Columnist, UNION-TRIBUNE
Let me say a few words in defense of deporting illegal immigrants. I wouldn't have thought such a defense would be necessary, since being in the United States without proper documents is a crime and the penalty is deportation.
But try telling that to the folks in Central California who are experiencing warm and fuzzy feelings for 17-year-old Arthur Mkoyan. The high school valedictorian in my hometown of Fresno should be thinking about the same things that other graduating seniors think about this time of year – planning to go to college, going to parties and all the rest.
Arthur has certainly earned it. He studied hard to earn a perfect grade-point average. And, for his hard work, he was admitted to the University of California Davis, where he planned to study chemistry.
And yet, Arthur will probably never make it to freshman orientation. That's because, on June 20, the extension of his deportation order will expire and federal immigration authorities will likely apprehend the young man and his mother and send them to Armenia. His father is being held in a detention facility in Arizona until he can be deported. There is also Arthur's 12-year-old brother, a U.S.-born citizen who the family plans to take with them.
According to The Fresno Bee, Arthur's father came to the United States from the former Soviet Union in December 1991, and sought political asylum. Arthur and his mother joined him a few years later. No one came with the proper documents. And so, when their asylum application was rejected, and their appeals were denied, they were targeted for deportation.
That is as it should be. The law is the law.
Still, it's a heartbreaking story. Here you have an all-American kid who hasn't seen Armenia since he was a toddler, and who is now headed to a country where the people, language and customs are foreign to him. Besides, this is precisely the kind of young person we should want to keep in this country.
Say, maybe we can work out a trade. Armenia lets us keep Arthur, and we send a dozen of our lazier, less-productive U.S.-born teenagers who think themselves entitled to the good life but don't want to do the work to make it happen.
Many people are going to bat for Mkoyan – from Armenian advocacy groups to Republican Rep. George Radanovich, who represents part of the Central Valley and has many Armenian constituents. The family has also approached California Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the hopes that she'll introduce a rare measure to grant legal status to a specific individual. There's also plenty of support for the young man on the Internet and on talk radio.
Not that it is likely to do any good. Arthur, and his parents, will probably be deported. And they should be.
I said the same thing six years ago when a similar story surfaced. In August 2002, The Denver Post ran a front-page story about Jesus Apodaca, a recent high school graduate with a 3.93 grade-point average who wanted to go to the University of Colorado but couldn't afford the tuition – because he was an illegal immigrant. In Colorado, the undocumented have to pay out-of-state tuition rates, which are higher than those for residents. A member of Congress involved himself in that case as well, albeit in a different capacity. Anti-illegal immigration crusader Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., called what was then the Immigration and Naturalization Service and asked them what they were planning to do about Apodaca. The young man and his family were apprehended and, last we heard, were slated for deportation. That won applause from many immigration hard-liners.
But here's the part that bothers me: I wonder why more of them – including Tancredo – aren't making a fuss over Arthur Mkoyan. The fact is, Apodaca didn't get nearly the amount of public sympathy that Mkoyan has received up to now.
Why the double standard? I believe it's because, while Mkoyan may not have a leg to stand on legally, he at least has the benefit of not being Mexican. Much of the immigration debate is fueled by a fear of a changing culture, competing languages, an altered landscape, and what loopy Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist calls the “colonization” of the United States by Mexican immigrants.
Arthur Mkoyan isn't considered a party to any of that. For some people, that makes all the difference. And, in some respects, that's the saddest thing about this story.
Navarrette can be reached via ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com.
LATINO MAYOR PREPARING FOR THE 2010 GOVERNOR'S RACE
Israel trip by Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa comes at politically opportune time
The official, long close to the Jewish community, is approaching a reelection campaign. Such a visit is seen by some as a barometer.
By Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Among the patchwork of ethnic communities that shape the everyday life and politics of Los Angeles, few groups have been romanced as much by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as Southern California's substantial Jewish population.
Villaraigosa, who spent part of his childhood in the once-Jewish dominated neighborhood of Boyle Heights, is known to pop up at synagogues throughout the Westside and San Fernando Valley, without fanfare, and has been a fixture at some of the city's biggest Jewish events, whether it was last month's commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day at Pan Pacific Park or a major pro-Israel rally during the war with Hezbollah.
Today, Villaraigosa will lead a contingent of Los Angeles city and community leaders to Israel for a weeklong visit, his third trip to the Jewish homeland during his political career.
The purpose of the mission, which has been in the works for months, is to learn from Israel's impressive security apparatus to make improvements at Los Angeles International Airport and the city's mammoth seaport, as well as sharing L.A.'s "green" environmental technology.
But the trip also comes at a politically opportune time for Villaraigosa, who is about to embark on a reelection campaign for mayor and is widely considered a natural candidate for governor in 2010.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who could be a major Democratic rival in any bid for higher office, made a trip to Israel in early May with a group of Northern California community and business leaders.
There is a "certain expectation" that candidates must make at least a symbolic visit to Israel if they hope to have a connection to a broad segment of the Jewish community and understand the issues they hold dear, said Steven Windmueller, dean of Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama made a visit, as have governors, mayors and members of Congress, he said.
"Israel has become a barometer," Windmueller said. "Jews vote, and, when you've got in the state of California probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a million Jews . . . that's a strong voter base."
Tom Bradley was the first L.A. mayor to aggressively court Jewish voters while building a coalition of political support in the ethnically divided city, and his success was not lost on those who followed, Windmueller said.
Jewish voters, along with Latinos and union members, were critical components of Villaraigosa's victory over incumbent Mayor James K. Hahn in 2005, according to Los Angeles Times exit polls.
Rabbi David Wolpe, of the Sinai Temple on the Westside, said Villaraigosa's long relationship with the city's Jewish community runs much deeper than election-day politics. Villaraigosa was the first politician he has even seen who visited his synagogue for the High Holidays, sat quietly through a service and slipped away "without demanding recognition."
"The mayor has repeatedly expressed in word and deed his affection and affiliation with the Jewish community since before he was elected," Wolpe said. "There have been gestures on his part that show a feeling for the Jewish community that goes beyond political calculation."
Wolpe said that as he was undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma last year, Villaraigosa called often: "Had he called once, that would have sufficed for 'Wow! The mayor called me.' "
In an interview Tuesday, Villaraigosa said that as mayor he "embraces every community" in this dynamic, cosmopolitan city, and considers it to be one of the strengths of his administration. Los Angeles is home to the nation's second largest Jewish population, estimated at about half a million.
The mayor emphasized, however, that the purpose of his trip to Israel was to increase safety and security in Los Angeles, the top target for a potential terrorist attack west of the Mississippi River. During his visit, Villaraigosa is set to sign an agreement to bring experts from Ben Gurion International Airport to review security at LAX and other city-owned airports, and expand the LAPD's relationship with the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism.
"It's an issue that I spend a lot of time on," the mayor said.
During the visit, Villaraigosa is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, which the mayor said shows both the importance of Israel-Los Angeles ties and the priority both give to improving security.
"The relationship between our region and Israel is real, in terms of people, in terms of programs, in terms of commerce and in other ways," said Jack Weiss, one of three City Council members joining Villaraigosa on the trip. "While it is typical to go, it is not typical to reach agreements such as the one between the Ben Gurion security team and LAX -- that is unique and pathbreaking and will make LAX more secure."
Along with the mayor, 19 other city officials and support staff will be on the trip, including council members Dennis Zine and Wendy Greuel; Department of Water and Power General Manager David Nahai and DWP board President Nick Patsaouras; port Deputy General Manager Molly Campbell and harbor Commissioner Doug Krause; Gina Marie Lindsey, general manager of the city's airport agency, and Airport Commissioners Alan Rothenberg and Sylvia Reyes-Patsaouras; LAPD Deputy Chief Terry Hara; and James Featherstone, general manager of the city's emergency preparedness department.
The mayor's spokesman, Matt Szabo, said the DWP, airport and port will pay for all official expenses incurred by city officials. The estimated cost of the trip has not been determined, but will be released after their return.
A delegation of 11 others, including religious leaders, also will join the mayor and will pay their own way, Szabo said.
The group includes Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; Maria Elena Durazo, secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; Dr. Nur Amersi of the Afghanistan World Foundation; and John Fishel, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. The mayor will also take his two youngest children and will pay their way.
This will be Villarigosa's third foreign trip as mayor. He traveled to Asia for a 16-day trade mission in 2006, and went to El Salvador and Mexico in May 2007, although he returned early after the MacArthur Park melee at which police beat demonstrators during an immigrant-rights rally.
During the Israel trip, Villaraigosa will visit Sderot, a town on the Gaza border that has faced repeated rocket attacks by Palestinians, Szabo said.
In July 2006, Villaraigosa called Sderot's mayor after a bloody rocket attack to offer his support. After the call was cut off by another attack, Villaraigosa called back a few minutes later -- and has kept in touch ever since.
phil.willon@latimes.com
The official, long close to the Jewish community, is approaching a reelection campaign. Such a visit is seen by some as a barometer.
By Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Among the patchwork of ethnic communities that shape the everyday life and politics of Los Angeles, few groups have been romanced as much by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as Southern California's substantial Jewish population.
Villaraigosa, who spent part of his childhood in the once-Jewish dominated neighborhood of Boyle Heights, is known to pop up at synagogues throughout the Westside and San Fernando Valley, without fanfare, and has been a fixture at some of the city's biggest Jewish events, whether it was last month's commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day at Pan Pacific Park or a major pro-Israel rally during the war with Hezbollah.
Today, Villaraigosa will lead a contingent of Los Angeles city and community leaders to Israel for a weeklong visit, his third trip to the Jewish homeland during his political career.
The purpose of the mission, which has been in the works for months, is to learn from Israel's impressive security apparatus to make improvements at Los Angeles International Airport and the city's mammoth seaport, as well as sharing L.A.'s "green" environmental technology.
But the trip also comes at a politically opportune time for Villaraigosa, who is about to embark on a reelection campaign for mayor and is widely considered a natural candidate for governor in 2010.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who could be a major Democratic rival in any bid for higher office, made a trip to Israel in early May with a group of Northern California community and business leaders.
There is a "certain expectation" that candidates must make at least a symbolic visit to Israel if they hope to have a connection to a broad segment of the Jewish community and understand the issues they hold dear, said Steven Windmueller, dean of Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama made a visit, as have governors, mayors and members of Congress, he said.
"Israel has become a barometer," Windmueller said. "Jews vote, and, when you've got in the state of California probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a million Jews . . . that's a strong voter base."
Tom Bradley was the first L.A. mayor to aggressively court Jewish voters while building a coalition of political support in the ethnically divided city, and his success was not lost on those who followed, Windmueller said.
Jewish voters, along with Latinos and union members, were critical components of Villaraigosa's victory over incumbent Mayor James K. Hahn in 2005, according to Los Angeles Times exit polls.
Rabbi David Wolpe, of the Sinai Temple on the Westside, said Villaraigosa's long relationship with the city's Jewish community runs much deeper than election-day politics. Villaraigosa was the first politician he has even seen who visited his synagogue for the High Holidays, sat quietly through a service and slipped away "without demanding recognition."
"The mayor has repeatedly expressed in word and deed his affection and affiliation with the Jewish community since before he was elected," Wolpe said. "There have been gestures on his part that show a feeling for the Jewish community that goes beyond political calculation."
Wolpe said that as he was undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma last year, Villaraigosa called often: "Had he called once, that would have sufficed for 'Wow! The mayor called me.' "
In an interview Tuesday, Villaraigosa said that as mayor he "embraces every community" in this dynamic, cosmopolitan city, and considers it to be one of the strengths of his administration. Los Angeles is home to the nation's second largest Jewish population, estimated at about half a million.
The mayor emphasized, however, that the purpose of his trip to Israel was to increase safety and security in Los Angeles, the top target for a potential terrorist attack west of the Mississippi River. During his visit, Villaraigosa is set to sign an agreement to bring experts from Ben Gurion International Airport to review security at LAX and other city-owned airports, and expand the LAPD's relationship with the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism.
"It's an issue that I spend a lot of time on," the mayor said.
During the visit, Villaraigosa is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski, which the mayor said shows both the importance of Israel-Los Angeles ties and the priority both give to improving security.
"The relationship between our region and Israel is real, in terms of people, in terms of programs, in terms of commerce and in other ways," said Jack Weiss, one of three City Council members joining Villaraigosa on the trip. "While it is typical to go, it is not typical to reach agreements such as the one between the Ben Gurion security team and LAX -- that is unique and pathbreaking and will make LAX more secure."
Along with the mayor, 19 other city officials and support staff will be on the trip, including council members Dennis Zine and Wendy Greuel; Department of Water and Power General Manager David Nahai and DWP board President Nick Patsaouras; port Deputy General Manager Molly Campbell and harbor Commissioner Doug Krause; Gina Marie Lindsey, general manager of the city's airport agency, and Airport Commissioners Alan Rothenberg and Sylvia Reyes-Patsaouras; LAPD Deputy Chief Terry Hara; and James Featherstone, general manager of the city's emergency preparedness department.
The mayor's spokesman, Matt Szabo, said the DWP, airport and port will pay for all official expenses incurred by city officials. The estimated cost of the trip has not been determined, but will be released after their return.
A delegation of 11 others, including religious leaders, also will join the mayor and will pay their own way, Szabo said.
The group includes Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center; Maria Elena Durazo, secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; Dr. Nur Amersi of the Afghanistan World Foundation; and John Fishel, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. The mayor will also take his two youngest children and will pay their way.
This will be Villarigosa's third foreign trip as mayor. He traveled to Asia for a 16-day trade mission in 2006, and went to El Salvador and Mexico in May 2007, although he returned early after the MacArthur Park melee at which police beat demonstrators during an immigrant-rights rally.
During the Israel trip, Villaraigosa will visit Sderot, a town on the Gaza border that has faced repeated rocket attacks by Palestinians, Szabo said.
In July 2006, Villaraigosa called Sderot's mayor after a bloody rocket attack to offer his support. After the call was cut off by another attack, Villaraigosa called back a few minutes later -- and has kept in touch ever since.
phil.willon@latimes.com
GETTING THE LATINO VOTE - OPINION
If Obama wants the Latino vote, three goals must be included in his campaign strategy
Tue, 06/10/2008 - Marissa Treviño, Latina Lista
A new Gallup report reveals that when it comes to a showdown between Obama and McCain, McCain is the one with the "Latino problem."
While Clinton is considered the candidate who was able to attract more Latino voters, than even Latino New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Obama has always had his share of Latino voters. They just didn't match the numbers of Clinton's Hispanic supporters.
And now that Clinton is ending her campaign, it is obvious that she is leveraging those Latino supporters, who are among the now infamous "18 million" who voted for her, in securing her future role in an Obama Administration.
It would seem from the Gallup poll that Clinton can't count on leveraging too much from her Hispanic supporters because some are already switching their allegiance to Obama, but it won't be enough.
And it is highly unlikely that just because Clinton says, "Ok, vote for Obama because I'm endorsing him now," that those Latino supporters in Southwest Texas, Nevada, California, etc. will just automatically put Obama signs in their yards or sport Vote Obama buttons.
Why?
Because Latino culture doesn't work like that. A person has to earn respect, and in this case, votes. But it's not his track recored in Congress or his work in Illinois or the number of superdelegates he has that will sway hardfast Latino Hillary supporters.
No. Earning respect, in this case, means you shake their hand, you walk their neighborhoods. You go cara-a-cara (face-to-face).
If Obama thought the hard part of his campaigning was over then he has no idea how to connect with Latino voters who live in the rural parts of the country — away from the urban centers that were his traditional winning bases.
The personal touch takes a whole new meaning when it comes to dealing with Latino voters. Clinton understood that.
If Obama wants Clinton's Latino supporters, there's a number of things he must do:
1. Start putting in some real face time in the Southwest and other parts of the country where there are heavy Latino communities.
2. Take lessons from Clinton's campaign and construct an outreach program that just didn't issue press releases but developed relationships with Latino bloggers and media.
3. And most of all, prominently include Latino leadership within your campaign to make the electorate feel like their voices are being represented which can reach your ear.
Obama already has a headstart over McCain when it comes to the Latino vote, but as recent history has shown us, headstarts don't mean a damn thing when it comes to who finishes first.
Tue, 06/10/2008 - Marissa Treviño, Latina Lista
A new Gallup report reveals that when it comes to a showdown between Obama and McCain, McCain is the one with the "Latino problem."
While Clinton is considered the candidate who was able to attract more Latino voters, than even Latino New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Obama has always had his share of Latino voters. They just didn't match the numbers of Clinton's Hispanic supporters.
And now that Clinton is ending her campaign, it is obvious that she is leveraging those Latino supporters, who are among the now infamous "18 million" who voted for her, in securing her future role in an Obama Administration.
It would seem from the Gallup poll that Clinton can't count on leveraging too much from her Hispanic supporters because some are already switching their allegiance to Obama, but it won't be enough.
And it is highly unlikely that just because Clinton says, "Ok, vote for Obama because I'm endorsing him now," that those Latino supporters in Southwest Texas, Nevada, California, etc. will just automatically put Obama signs in their yards or sport Vote Obama buttons.
Why?
Because Latino culture doesn't work like that. A person has to earn respect, and in this case, votes. But it's not his track recored in Congress or his work in Illinois or the number of superdelegates he has that will sway hardfast Latino Hillary supporters.
No. Earning respect, in this case, means you shake their hand, you walk their neighborhoods. You go cara-a-cara (face-to-face).
If Obama thought the hard part of his campaigning was over then he has no idea how to connect with Latino voters who live in the rural parts of the country — away from the urban centers that were his traditional winning bases.
The personal touch takes a whole new meaning when it comes to dealing with Latino voters. Clinton understood that.
If Obama wants Clinton's Latino supporters, there's a number of things he must do:
1. Start putting in some real face time in the Southwest and other parts of the country where there are heavy Latino communities.
2. Take lessons from Clinton's campaign and construct an outreach program that just didn't issue press releases but developed relationships with Latino bloggers and media.
3. And most of all, prominently include Latino leadership within your campaign to make the electorate feel like their voices are being represented which can reach your ear.
Obama already has a headstart over McCain when it comes to the Latino vote, but as recent history has shown us, headstarts don't mean a damn thing when it comes to who finishes first.
LGBT CHAPTER OF LULAC GETS AWARD
LGBT Latino Group Wins Texas Award
The nation’s first and only LGBT chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens was honored in Texas on June 7 with the statewide Council of the Year award, beating out an estimated 200 other LULAC chapters.
The Dallas Rainbow Council, as the chapter is called, takes LULAC's focus on advancing Hispanic civil rights one step further by adding gay rights to the list. “It started with the intention of bridge-building for gay and lesbian communities and the Hispanic community,” said council president Jesse Garcia.
Garcia and others founded the Rainbow Council in 2006 because they wanted to recognize the “people who have always served in LULAC quietly, without being out," Garcia explains. "It was time to recognize our brothers and sisters.” Along with LGBT Latinos, the council's membership includes people of varying ethnic groups, sexual orientations, and political views. “We even have a Republican!” he boasted.
The Rainbow Council works to create dialogue between Hispanic and LGBT populations in Texas, but that’s not the only reason it won the Council of the Year award. The Rainbow Council hosted voter registrations, encouraged the local government to hire more Hispanic employees, and organized antiviolence marches. “We’re just like any other council that stepped up to the plate to fight locally,” Garcia said. “Basically, the council went above and beyond to promote the ideas of LULAC.”
While Rainbow Council members, including Garcia, have had their fair share of challenges -- reaching out to older members and defeating the taboo many of them have toward LGBT rights -- Garcia said the support of the community and other LULAC chapters has proven to be constant. In his award acceptance speech, he thanked LULAC by saying, “LULAC is truly a civil rights organization, because it knows that discrimination of any type is wrong.”
The Dallas Rainbow Council is now one of approximately 50 councils that will be eligible for LULAC's national Council of the Year award, which will be announced during the national convention in Washington, D.C., taking place July 8–12. Garcia said the fact that they come from Texas, which has the largest number of LULAC councils, gives the Rainbow Council an advantage. "This is our year, and I don't think we'll be able to do it again," he said. "We have a very, very good chance of winning if we step up our game and highlight our events and the people we've helped." (Hannah Clay Wareham, The Advocate)
The nation’s first and only LGBT chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens was honored in Texas on June 7 with the statewide Council of the Year award, beating out an estimated 200 other LULAC chapters.
The Dallas Rainbow Council, as the chapter is called, takes LULAC's focus on advancing Hispanic civil rights one step further by adding gay rights to the list. “It started with the intention of bridge-building for gay and lesbian communities and the Hispanic community,” said council president Jesse Garcia.
Garcia and others founded the Rainbow Council in 2006 because they wanted to recognize the “people who have always served in LULAC quietly, without being out," Garcia explains. "It was time to recognize our brothers and sisters.” Along with LGBT Latinos, the council's membership includes people of varying ethnic groups, sexual orientations, and political views. “We even have a Republican!” he boasted.
The Rainbow Council works to create dialogue between Hispanic and LGBT populations in Texas, but that’s not the only reason it won the Council of the Year award. The Rainbow Council hosted voter registrations, encouraged the local government to hire more Hispanic employees, and organized antiviolence marches. “We’re just like any other council that stepped up to the plate to fight locally,” Garcia said. “Basically, the council went above and beyond to promote the ideas of LULAC.”
While Rainbow Council members, including Garcia, have had their fair share of challenges -- reaching out to older members and defeating the taboo many of them have toward LGBT rights -- Garcia said the support of the community and other LULAC chapters has proven to be constant. In his award acceptance speech, he thanked LULAC by saying, “LULAC is truly a civil rights organization, because it knows that discrimination of any type is wrong.”
The Dallas Rainbow Council is now one of approximately 50 councils that will be eligible for LULAC's national Council of the Year award, which will be announced during the national convention in Washington, D.C., taking place July 8–12. Garcia said the fact that they come from Texas, which has the largest number of LULAC councils, gives the Rainbow Council an advantage. "This is our year, and I don't think we'll be able to do it again," he said. "We have a very, very good chance of winning if we step up our game and highlight our events and the people we've helped." (Hannah Clay Wareham, The Advocate)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Conneticut Drives To Register 10 Thousand Latino Voters
Latino voter drive begins
The Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn.—State election officials and Hispanic organizations are kicking off a statewide effort to register at least 10,000 new Latino voters.
Groups of volunteers are already working in 10 communities as part of the campaign called "Tu Voto Si Cuenta," or "Your Vote Does Count." The cities include Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Wallingford, Waterbury and Willimantic.
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz says there are 225,000 Latinos living in Connecticut who are eligible to vote, but only about 115,000 are registered to vote.
The campaign is the first of its kind in the state. It will encourage voter registration, educate people about how to vote and mobilize people to vote on Election Day.
The Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn.—State election officials and Hispanic organizations are kicking off a statewide effort to register at least 10,000 new Latino voters.
Groups of volunteers are already working in 10 communities as part of the campaign called "Tu Voto Si Cuenta," or "Your Vote Does Count." The cities include Bridgeport, Danbury, Hartford, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Wallingford, Waterbury and Willimantic.
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz says there are 225,000 Latinos living in Connecticut who are eligible to vote, but only about 115,000 are registered to vote.
The campaign is the first of its kind in the state. It will encourage voter registration, educate people about how to vote and mobilize people to vote on Election Day.
NATIONAL LATINO MUSEUM BEING PLANNED
Plans for national Latino museum get underway
BY Kimberly Maul
WASHINGTON: Several organizations, including multicultural PR and marketing firm Comunicad, are hoping to bring one more museum to Washington, DC, but this one will be dedicated to a growing segment of the US population: the National Museum of the American Latino.
Univision, National Council of La Raza, the US Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and individuals like civil rights leader Raul Yzaguirre, are working together as an advisory board for the Latino museum, which they hope will open in the next five to ten years.
After legislation was passed in early May that established and funded a federal commission to explore the possibility of a National Museum of the American Latino, the advisory board started doing initial public outreach while the commission plans and presents Congress with a detailed plan.
While that process could take up to two years, Comunicad and other advisory board members are using the Web site, AmericanLatinoMuseum.org, and sending out newsletters to keep interested parties informed, said Gloria Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of Comunicad.
The advisory board's goals are to keep the initiative in the public eye and continue necessary support and funding to make the museum happen. The current focus is building the brand of the museum.
"At this point, we are getting publicity for the initiative through the Latino nonprofits that are on the advisory board and their events and national conferences," Rodriguez told PRWeek, via email. "An aggressive public outreach campaign won't be implemented until after the commission presents their recommendations to Congress and it is approved. We still have a long way to go." FOR MORE INFORMATION, CHECK OUT PR WEEK.
BY Kimberly Maul
WASHINGTON: Several organizations, including multicultural PR and marketing firm Comunicad, are hoping to bring one more museum to Washington, DC, but this one will be dedicated to a growing segment of the US population: the National Museum of the American Latino.
Univision, National Council of La Raza, the US Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and individuals like civil rights leader Raul Yzaguirre, are working together as an advisory board for the Latino museum, which they hope will open in the next five to ten years.
After legislation was passed in early May that established and funded a federal commission to explore the possibility of a National Museum of the American Latino, the advisory board started doing initial public outreach while the commission plans and presents Congress with a detailed plan.
While that process could take up to two years, Comunicad and other advisory board members are using the Web site, AmericanLatinoMuseum.org, and sending out newsletters to keep interested parties informed, said Gloria Rodriguez, the founder and CEO of Comunicad.
The advisory board's goals are to keep the initiative in the public eye and continue necessary support and funding to make the museum happen. The current focus is building the brand of the museum.
"At this point, we are getting publicity for the initiative through the Latino nonprofits that are on the advisory board and their events and national conferences," Rodriguez told PRWeek, via email. "An aggressive public outreach campaign won't be implemented until after the commission presents their recommendations to Congress and it is approved. We still have a long way to go." FOR MORE INFORMATION, CHECK OUT PR WEEK.
OKLAHOMA INJUNCTION PRAISED BY LATINOS
Latino groups praise injunction
By TIM TALLEY
Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Vowing to become more politically active, Latino groups Monday praised a federal judge's decision to block enforcement of parts of a state law that targets illegal immigrants and promised to support state lawmakers who have opposed the measure.
A coalition of Hispanic organizations said momentum against the law, House Bill 1804, is building seven months after parts of it went into effect. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robin J. Cauthron issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of other provisions scheduled to go into effect on July 1.
"Countless thousands of families have been separated, torn apart," said the Rev. Victor Orta of the Coalition of Latin American Ministers. He said the anti-immigrant law and its harsh penalties sends a message that immigrants are not wanted in the state.
"This must stop. Enough is enough," Orta said.
Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, author of HB1804, has said he was disappointed but not surprised by Cauthron's ruling, which he labels "a blatant act of judicial activism" and predicted an appeal if the ruling is made permanent.
Franco Cevallos of the Hispanic Action Coalition said the law's effect on Oklahoma's economy "has been catastrophic."
"Hundreds of stores have closed their doors permanently. Houses have been abandoned," Cevallos said.
He said Latino workers are skilled and hardworking and "are the energy behind the motor that sustains the economy."
"Their presence in the state has proven to be good for the economy," Cevallos said.
Coalition members said Latino organizations are conducting citizenship and English courses for Hispanic immigrants and have registered as many as 17,000 Hispanic citizens to vote.
"There will be more Hispanics going to the polls in November than ever in the history of Oklahoma," Orta said. "And thousands of us can influence non-Hispanics to vote.
"We will see a difference. There will be a change in Oklahoma," Orta said.
Mauro Yanez, a native of Venezuela, said thousands of Hispanic immigrants have left the state since the state law went into effect. Yanez said more emphasis needs to be placed on federal immigration policy and streamlining the citizenship process for immigrants.
"Justice is going to prevail," Yanez said.
Richard Klinge, director of advocacy and legal services for Catholic Charities, said Cauthron enjoined parts of the law from being enforced after ruling that federal immigration policy pre-empted the state from adopting rules aimed at illegal aliens.
"What she has done has shown the importance of the balance of power in our country," Klinge said.
The preliminary injunction handed down by Cauthron prohibits enforcement of provisions that subject employers to penalties for failing to comply with a federal employee verification system.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups challenged the constitutionality of the law, arguing that the electronic verification system is voluntary under federal law and employers should not be subjected to state penalties.
Among other things, employers could face civil lawsuits and tax penalties under the Oklahoma law.
Cauthron's ruling had no effect on other areas of the law, such as provisions that prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving tax-supported services and make it a state crime to transport or harbor an illegal immigrant.
By TIM TALLEY
Associated Press Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Vowing to become more politically active, Latino groups Monday praised a federal judge's decision to block enforcement of parts of a state law that targets illegal immigrants and promised to support state lawmakers who have opposed the measure.
A coalition of Hispanic organizations said momentum against the law, House Bill 1804, is building seven months after parts of it went into effect. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robin J. Cauthron issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting enforcement of other provisions scheduled to go into effect on July 1.
"Countless thousands of families have been separated, torn apart," said the Rev. Victor Orta of the Coalition of Latin American Ministers. He said the anti-immigrant law and its harsh penalties sends a message that immigrants are not wanted in the state.
"This must stop. Enough is enough," Orta said.
Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, author of HB1804, has said he was disappointed but not surprised by Cauthron's ruling, which he labels "a blatant act of judicial activism" and predicted an appeal if the ruling is made permanent.
Franco Cevallos of the Hispanic Action Coalition said the law's effect on Oklahoma's economy "has been catastrophic."
"Hundreds of stores have closed their doors permanently. Houses have been abandoned," Cevallos said.
He said Latino workers are skilled and hardworking and "are the energy behind the motor that sustains the economy."
"Their presence in the state has proven to be good for the economy," Cevallos said.
Coalition members said Latino organizations are conducting citizenship and English courses for Hispanic immigrants and have registered as many as 17,000 Hispanic citizens to vote.
"There will be more Hispanics going to the polls in November than ever in the history of Oklahoma," Orta said. "And thousands of us can influence non-Hispanics to vote.
"We will see a difference. There will be a change in Oklahoma," Orta said.
Mauro Yanez, a native of Venezuela, said thousands of Hispanic immigrants have left the state since the state law went into effect. Yanez said more emphasis needs to be placed on federal immigration policy and streamlining the citizenship process for immigrants.
"Justice is going to prevail," Yanez said.
Richard Klinge, director of advocacy and legal services for Catholic Charities, said Cauthron enjoined parts of the law from being enforced after ruling that federal immigration policy pre-empted the state from adopting rules aimed at illegal aliens.
"What she has done has shown the importance of the balance of power in our country," Klinge said.
The preliminary injunction handed down by Cauthron prohibits enforcement of provisions that subject employers to penalties for failing to comply with a federal employee verification system.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups challenged the constitutionality of the law, arguing that the electronic verification system is voluntary under federal law and employers should not be subjected to state penalties.
Among other things, employers could face civil lawsuits and tax penalties under the Oklahoma law.
Cauthron's ruling had no effect on other areas of the law, such as provisions that prohibit illegal immigrants from receiving tax-supported services and make it a state crime to transport or harbor an illegal immigrant.
Latinos Will Hear From McCain and Obama
John McCain and Barack Obama each to address major Latino gathering
San Diego usually is a fine place to be under any circumstances, but for a couple of days this July the political world will flock there for clues about one of the crucial questions in the John McCain-Barack Obama matchup: Whither the Latino vote?
The National Council of La Raza, a leading Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, announced today that both presidential contenders have accepted invitations to speak at its July 12-15 convention in San Diego. No details yet on when each will speak, but their appearances likely will be among the most important they make during the month.
For Obama, the mission is straightforward: Woo an ethnic group that is absolutely essential to his hopes of carrying several key states in November but which heavily supported his rival, Hillary Clinton, during the just-completed Democratic primary season.
Presumably his campaign already will be hard at work on this task before the La Raza get-together, but his speech will offer him a golden opportunity to try to connect with a voting bloc that so far has generally resisted his appeals.
McCain will face more of a balancing act when he takes center stage ...
... at the convention.
As an Arizonan who last year was one of the few prominent Republicans on Capitol Hill pushing for controversial legislation that would have created a path to citizenship for most illegal immigrants in the nation, McCain is primed to build upon the inroads President Bush made four years ago in attracting Latino votes to the GOP banner.
But many conservatives who strongly opposed the 2007 immigration bill -- and whose turnout McCain needs on his behalf this fall -- will be listening carefully to his remarks. And it won't take much for them to renew their criticism of him on the immigration issue
San Diego usually is a fine place to be under any circumstances, but for a couple of days this July the political world will flock there for clues about one of the crucial questions in the John McCain-Barack Obama matchup: Whither the Latino vote?
The National Council of La Raza, a leading Latino civil rights and advocacy organization, announced today that both presidential contenders have accepted invitations to speak at its July 12-15 convention in San Diego. No details yet on when each will speak, but their appearances likely will be among the most important they make during the month.
For Obama, the mission is straightforward: Woo an ethnic group that is absolutely essential to his hopes of carrying several key states in November but which heavily supported his rival, Hillary Clinton, during the just-completed Democratic primary season.
Presumably his campaign already will be hard at work on this task before the La Raza get-together, but his speech will offer him a golden opportunity to try to connect with a voting bloc that so far has generally resisted his appeals.
McCain will face more of a balancing act when he takes center stage ...
... at the convention.
As an Arizonan who last year was one of the few prominent Republicans on Capitol Hill pushing for controversial legislation that would have created a path to citizenship for most illegal immigrants in the nation, McCain is primed to build upon the inroads President Bush made four years ago in attracting Latino votes to the GOP banner.
But many conservatives who strongly opposed the 2007 immigration bill -- and whose turnout McCain needs on his behalf this fall -- will be listening carefully to his remarks. And it won't take much for them to renew their criticism of him on the immigration issue
Sunday, June 8, 2008
LATIN LEADERS TO AID CALIFORNIA FARMERS
Latin leaders look to aid state farms
They seek an easier path for their people to work in U.S.
By Guy Keeler - Fresno Bee
The president of Honduras and top government figures from El Salvador and Guatemala visited the central San Joaquin Valley on Saturday to learn more about California's farm-labor crisis – and to offer their help.
Summit organizer Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, told the Central American visitors that small Valley communities depend on agriculture – and farmworkers – for their livelihood.
But Valley growers increasingly have trouble finding enough skilled farmworkers to tend and harvest strawberries, oranges and other labor-intensive crops, Cunha said. Permanent U.S. residents generally won't do the work because it's hard and seasonal, he said. CLICK HERE for the full article.
They seek an easier path for their people to work in U.S.
By Guy Keeler - Fresno Bee
The president of Honduras and top government figures from El Salvador and Guatemala visited the central San Joaquin Valley on Saturday to learn more about California's farm-labor crisis – and to offer their help.
Summit organizer Manuel Cunha Jr., president of the Nisei Farmers League, told the Central American visitors that small Valley communities depend on agriculture – and farmworkers – for their livelihood.
But Valley growers increasingly have trouble finding enough skilled farmworkers to tend and harvest strawberries, oranges and other labor-intensive crops, Cunha said. Permanent U.S. residents generally won't do the work because it's hard and seasonal, he said. CLICK HERE for the full article.
LATINO EDUCATION IN TEXAS
Editorial: Latinos' educational progress affects all Texans
11:04 PM CDT on Saturday, June 7, 2008
We don't doubt that this week's reading of The Dallas Morning News will cause some North Texans to throw down their newspapers in anger. The front-page stories that start today about the struggle Latino children have in progressing through the Dallas school district will lead many readers straight back to the immigration debate.
If we would only deport those kids, goes one side of this argument, our schools wouldn't have so many problems. But deporting hundreds of thousands of kids isn't going to happen. Besides, these children's legal status isn't the issue. The Supreme Court has ruled that states must educate all kids, even children of illegal workers. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
11:04 PM CDT on Saturday, June 7, 2008
We don't doubt that this week's reading of The Dallas Morning News will cause some North Texans to throw down their newspapers in anger. The front-page stories that start today about the struggle Latino children have in progressing through the Dallas school district will lead many readers straight back to the immigration debate.
If we would only deport those kids, goes one side of this argument, our schools wouldn't have so many problems. But deporting hundreds of thousands of kids isn't going to happen. Besides, these children's legal status isn't the issue. The Supreme Court has ruled that states must educate all kids, even children of illegal workers. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
THE LATINO VOTE
The Latino Vote - Washington Post
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Despite his Democratic nomination victory, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) never did make much in the way of inroads among Latino voters during the primary season. Nor did he attract the support of more than a handful of members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Now he's trying to change that.
Within hours of wrapping up the nomination last week, Obama put in a call to Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), the chairman of the CHC. And Baca, who like most CHC members had supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) during the primaries, said he was ready to help.
"It's going to be my responsibility, along with many other members, to convince the Hispanic community that he represents their interests," Baca told washingtonpost.com's Capitol Briefing.
It may be a tall order. Clinton beat Obama among Hispanic voters by wide margins in nearly every state, capping it off with a 36-point victory in Puerto Rico on June 1.
Baca said Obama failed to gain much Hispanic support during the primaries because "he didn't reach out." But Obama is reaching out now; not only did the senator himself call Baca, but Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Federico Peña, the former Clinton Cabinet official, also called last week seeking to get Baca aboard.
ad_icon
What advice is Obama getting from Hispanic members? Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) joked that Obama needs to approach the task the way an addict in a 12-step program does: "First, accept there is a problem."
"Let's not make the mistake that certainly John Kerry made in 2004, where he basically suspended his outreach to the Latino community on the idea that he was going to win them anyway," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez specifically referenced Obama's campaign style, often marked by blockbuster events in huge venues, as an ineffective one in the Latino community. "There needs to be a lot more retail politics, which allows the candidate to talk about specific policies that aren't easily transmitted to a 35,000-person audience," Gutierrez said.
Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-Calif.) agreed. "It's about grass-roots campaigning the old-fashioned way. It's not so much the stadium presentations," she said.
Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said he was concerned about "slippage" to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by some Hispanic voters, especially since there was some initial enthusiasm for McCain in the Hispanic community "based on his early efforts on immigration," adding: "But he's basically repudiated those efforts as the campaign has gone on."
Obama has a significant amount of work to do to win support from Latinos, but Grijalva is cautiously optimistic that he can pull it off.
"I don't want to say it's all rosy, but we're going to work on it," he said.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Despite his Democratic nomination victory, Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) never did make much in the way of inroads among Latino voters during the primary season. Nor did he attract the support of more than a handful of members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Now he's trying to change that.
Within hours of wrapping up the nomination last week, Obama put in a call to Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), the chairman of the CHC. And Baca, who like most CHC members had supported Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) during the primaries, said he was ready to help.
"It's going to be my responsibility, along with many other members, to convince the Hispanic community that he represents their interests," Baca told washingtonpost.com's Capitol Briefing.
It may be a tall order. Clinton beat Obama among Hispanic voters by wide margins in nearly every state, capping it off with a 36-point victory in Puerto Rico on June 1.
Baca said Obama failed to gain much Hispanic support during the primaries because "he didn't reach out." But Obama is reaching out now; not only did the senator himself call Baca, but Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Federico Peña, the former Clinton Cabinet official, also called last week seeking to get Baca aboard.
ad_icon
What advice is Obama getting from Hispanic members? Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.) joked that Obama needs to approach the task the way an addict in a 12-step program does: "First, accept there is a problem."
"Let's not make the mistake that certainly John Kerry made in 2004, where he basically suspended his outreach to the Latino community on the idea that he was going to win them anyway," Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez specifically referenced Obama's campaign style, often marked by blockbuster events in huge venues, as an ineffective one in the Latino community. "There needs to be a lot more retail politics, which allows the candidate to talk about specific policies that aren't easily transmitted to a 35,000-person audience," Gutierrez said.
Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-Calif.) agreed. "It's about grass-roots campaigning the old-fashioned way. It's not so much the stadium presentations," she said.
Rep. Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said he was concerned about "slippage" to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by some Hispanic voters, especially since there was some initial enthusiasm for McCain in the Hispanic community "based on his early efforts on immigration," adding: "But he's basically repudiated those efforts as the campaign has gone on."
Obama has a significant amount of work to do to win support from Latinos, but Grijalva is cautiously optimistic that he can pull it off.
"I don't want to say it's all rosy, but we're going to work on it," he said.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
LATINOS IN DELAWARE TO HOST GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE
Latino organizations to host gubernatorial debate focused on Hispanic issues
by Richard Spencer
DOVER, DELAWARE - Georgetown's La Esperanza is partnering with the Latin American Community Center and Voices Without Borders to sponsor a gubernatorial debate focusing on issues in the state's Latino population. The debate will take place July 30 at 7 p.m., in the Dover Downs Conference Center, in Dover, with the goal of "learning the stance of all registered gubernatorial candidates on issues relevant to the Latino community," according to a June 6 joint press release from all three host organizations. Questions will center around education, workforce participation and, certainly, immigration.
"In addition, we seek to educate Latinos on the importance of being politically acive and making informed decisions as voters," the release continued. "We would also like to raise participants' awareness of issues affecting the state's Latino population."
According to Christopher Caldwell's Weekly Standard (Aug. 14, 2006) article, "Hola Delaware!" which focused on Georgetown in exploring immigration issues, Delaware's Hispanic population has doubled from just over 30,000 in 2000 to more than 67,000 in 2006.
by Richard Spencer
DOVER, DELAWARE - Georgetown's La Esperanza is partnering with the Latin American Community Center and Voices Without Borders to sponsor a gubernatorial debate focusing on issues in the state's Latino population. The debate will take place July 30 at 7 p.m., in the Dover Downs Conference Center, in Dover, with the goal of "learning the stance of all registered gubernatorial candidates on issues relevant to the Latino community," according to a June 6 joint press release from all three host organizations. Questions will center around education, workforce participation and, certainly, immigration.
"In addition, we seek to educate Latinos on the importance of being politically acive and making informed decisions as voters," the release continued. "We would also like to raise participants' awareness of issues affecting the state's Latino population."
According to Christopher Caldwell's Weekly Standard (Aug. 14, 2006) article, "Hola Delaware!" which focused on Georgetown in exploring immigration issues, Delaware's Hispanic population has doubled from just over 30,000 in 2000 to more than 67,000 in 2006.
LATINO IMMIGRANTS MOBILIZE FOR CANDIDATES
Latino Voter Surge Propels Working Family Candidates
SOL's Get-Out-The-Vote Campaign Part of State Wide Push on Behalf of Candidates That Address Issues That Matter to Working Families
SAN JOSE, California, 6 de junio - The Latino voter surge in some California districts was sparked by the get-out-the-vote work of Strengthening Our Lives (SOL) whose 310 precinct workers knocked on doors over this past election weekend. The effort was to penetrate mostly the immigrant working family neighborhoods and push four candidates who became the top vote-getters in their respective campaigns. These include: Mark Ridley-Thomas for L.A. County Supervisor District # 2; Henry T Perea, Fresno Mayoral candidate; Manuel Perez, State Assembly District #80; and, Bob Blumenfield State Assembly District #40 candidate.
"Voters said 'no to more of the same,' no to a politics that does nothing to bring us better days," said SOL Executive Director Javier Gonzalez. "Statewide, we spoke with tens of thousands of humble, hard working, Latino immigrants who voted for candidates -- African-American, Latino and Anglo -- who imagined what is possible when we work together."
Over the past month, an initial group of 90 SOL precinct workers contacted nearly 75,000 voters in several districts throughout the state. That number increased to 310 precinct workers in the final four days before the June 3rd election. The precinct workers were mostly Latino immigrants of which many lived in the communities they worked. These efforts resulted in SOL candidates receiving nearly 83,000 votes by election night.
"Here in District 2, Latinos voted, many for the first time," commented Los Angeles SOL precinct leader Blanca Perez. "They voted for better schools, good jobs, accessible health care and safe streets. They voted for the issues that matter to all families."
"People were excited that someone who understood how hard we work was running," said Fresno precinct worker Raquel Barajas. "We will finally have someone who can truly bring all of our great city together."
SOL is a state wide coalition of labor and community organizations dedicated to ensuring that the issues that matter to immigrant Latino working families are addressed by elected officials. It is dedicated to increasing the civic participation of California's immigrant communities.
For additional information about SOL, go to: www.sol-california.com
BACA TO LEAD LATINO VOTE FOR OBAMA
Seeking Latino vote, Obama reaches out to Baca
WASHINGTON - With the Democratic nomination in hand, Barack Obama is turning to Inland Rep. -- and Hillary Clinton loyalist -- Joe Baca for help wooing Hispanic voters.
The Illinois senator called Baca, chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, on Thursday afternoon, Baca, D-Rialto, said.
The call underscores both Obama's push to unify Democrats and his need to address his problems with the Latino vote, a weakness exposed during his months-long battle with Sen. Clinton, D-N.Y. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
Friday, June 6, 2008
CHASE FOR LATINO VOTE BEGINS
CAMPAIGN '08: Demographics
Obama leads in battle for Latino vote
The latest polls show he has a surprising advantage over McCain and is favored by up to 62% of voters.
"I was born on an island," he said, "and I understand that food, gas, and everything costs more."
-
Obama got trounced in the Puerto Rico primary this week. But the advertisement, with the candidate's personalized appeal and willingness to try the language, is a sign of the unusual tactics that Obama's campaign is preparing to deploy on the mainland as it tries to win over a Latino electorate that voted overwhelmingly for his party rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, in Democratic primaries. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.
LATINO MERCHANTS BEGINNING TO HURT
Latino stores taking a hit from slump
"People are holding back" on buying little luxuries such as baked treats and quinceañera supplies, say shop owners.
Fewer people these days are buying the colorful heart-shaped ornaments Luciano Martinez sells to celebrate baptisms and the quinceañeras that are a staple for Latina girls turning 15.
"There aren't as many parties as before. People are holding back," the 47-year-old Aurora business owner said in Spanish, referring to his shop where he and his wife sell supplies and decorations for celebrations.
The nation's economic slump has increased unemployment — especially in construction — for Latinos across the nation. And Colorado business owners like Martinez say they're feeling the hit.
"The stores are empty. Two years ago, there was money," said Jose Gallegos, 43, who owns a CD store near Martinez's business in the La Plaza Mexicana flea market on East Colfax Avenue in Aurora.
The area is heavily populated with clothing stores, bakeries and insurance agencies targeted to Mexican immigrants, the group with the highest unemployment rate among Latinos, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Nationally, 8.4 percent of Mexican immigrants were unemployed at the end of the first quarter, up from 5.5 percent last year. The report analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau.
At La Plaza Mexicana, fewer people are cashing their checks at Ray Kim's check-cashing store. Down the street, the aroma of freshly baked Mexican pastries fills Esmeralda Gonzales' store. Gonzales, 21, says business has declined recently. A block away, the store owned by Patty Nam advertises in Spanish the sale of shoes, Mexican candies and clothes.
"If they spent $20 last year, they spend $5 now," Nam said.
Alexandra Hall, chief economist for the Department of Labor and Employment, said the state's unemployment rate for Latinos has been relatively flat. But she said it's possible those numbers don't tell the whole story.
"There's probably a decline in employment that we cannot measure because (some of the) workers were not documented," she said.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
SUICIDE AND DRUG USE HIGHEST AMONG LATINO KIDS
Study shows Hispanic students take more risks than black, white peers
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Latino high school students use drugs and attempt suicide at higher rates than their black and white classmates, according to a new federal survey that shows the continuation of a disturbing trend.
The study is the latest in a series of surveys of high school students every two years. The new report found that black and white students are reporting less sexual activity than in years past, but there was no decline among Latinos.
In addition, Latino students were more likely than either blacks or whites to attempt suicide, ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, or use cocaine, heroin or ecstasy. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article.
CONNETICUT'S NEWEST LATINO CHAMBER
Latino chamber holds grand opening in Waterbury
WATERBURY — Daniel Torres dusted off one of his favorite stories Tuesday morning, the one about the $50,000 worth of bananas.
Torres, the chairman of the Connecticut Latino Chamber of Commerce, was in Waterbury to help launch the Greater Waterbury Latino Chamber of Commerce.
In emphasizing the benefits the chamber can provide Latino businessmen in the area, he described how the Latino chamber in Springfield, Mass., helped the owner of a small local food market prepare a successful bid to supply the nearby Bay State Medical Center with its annual supply of bananas. The contract was worth about $50,000.
"He provided the skills and the business know-how to fulfill that contract, but it was the chamber that helped him recognize the opportunity, approach the hospital and learn the bidding process," said Torres, founder of the Western Massachusetts Latino Chamber, which has since been consolidated into the Massachusetts Latino Chamber.
Torres, who owns insurance agencies in both Springfield and East Hartford, made his remarks to a group of about 20 people attending the grand opening of the Greater Waterbury Latino Chamber's office on the fourth floor of One Exchange Place, at 21 West Main St.
The chamber will hold an organizational meeting June 17 at 8:30 a.m. at the same location.
Torres, the chairman of the Connecticut Latino Chamber of Commerce, was in Waterbury to help launch the Greater Waterbury Latino Chamber of Commerce.
In emphasizing the benefits the chamber can provide Latino businessmen in the area, he described how the Latino chamber in Springfield, Mass., helped the owner of a small local food market prepare a successful bid to supply the nearby Bay State Medical Center with its annual supply of bananas. The contract was worth about $50,000.
"He provided the skills and the business know-how to fulfill that contract, but it was the chamber that helped him recognize the opportunity, approach the hospital and learn the bidding process," said Torres, founder of the Western Massachusetts Latino Chamber, which has since been consolidated into the Massachusetts Latino Chamber.
Torres, who owns insurance agencies in both Springfield and East Hartford, made his remarks to a group of about 20 people attending the grand opening of the Greater Waterbury Latino Chamber's office on the fourth floor of One Exchange Place, at 21 West Main St.
The chamber will hold an organizational meeting June 17 at 8:30 a.m. at the same location.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
FEDS FORCE TOWN LEADERS TO LEARN SPANISH
A Washington state town of Latino immigrants learns to 'habla espanol'
"
Nearly everyone in this small farming community in eastern Washington speaks Spanish -- nearly everyone except those in city government and the Police Department, where English is spoken."
"And almost everyone who speaks one language does not speak the other," writes the Times' Stuart Glascock.
"That language barrier has engulfed the community, which has grown over the last 20 years from 300 to about 3,200 year-round residents. Nine out of 10 Mattawa residents speak Spanish at home, and 8 out of 10 adults speak English 'less than very well,' according to the 2000 U.S. Census."
"But the gap between an English-speaking city government and an overwhelmingly Spanish-speaking population has grown so wide that the federal government has stepped in to mandate that the city bridge the divide."
"After a legal aid group filed a Civil Rights Act complaint, the U.S. Department of Justice worked with the city and Police Department to develop a language assistance plan."
"Adopted in March, the plan is unique in Washington and is seen as a bellwether for cities with similar demographics. The plan requires Mattawa to employ at least one bilingual employee during regular business hours and to make vital information available in Spanish as well as English. It also requires the police to have qualified interpreters on call at all times."
Photo: Maybeline Pantileon is a new bilingual receptionist at Mattawa Town Hall, hired under an agreement with the Justice Department. A legal aid group had filed a Civil Rights Act complaint; the town didn’t provide formal language services. Kris Holland / Yakima Herald-Republic
Monday, June 2, 2008
Obama Has `Fight on Hands' to Rally Democrats' Hispanic Voters
Bloomberg.com
By Jeff Bliss and Kim Chipman 
By Jeff Bliss and Kim Chipman
June 2 (Bloomberg) -- The Democratic presidential nominee this year was supposed to be a sure thing with Hispanics.
The party's candidates received almost 70 percent of the Hispanic vote in the 2006 congressional elections, up from less than 60 percent two years earlier. Democrats had expected to replicate or improve on the 2006 showing this year, after a Republican-backed anti-immigration movement sparked protests by hundreds of thousands of Hispanics. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)