‘No comment,’ no more at Centro Latino
THE NEWS TRIBUNE December 30th, 2008
Silence was anything but golden for Centro Latino’s leaders.
The organization’s board members clammed up last month at the worst possible time: after being hit with a lawsuit from a former executive director who alleged she was fired for exposing improprieties.
The agency’s leaders say they didn’t want to try the case in the media. Their motives may have been pure, but the effect was to leave some serious charges hanging out there, unanswered.
The lawsuit is still pending. In it, Centro Latino’s former executive director, Joy Gomez-Gonzalez, alleges a board member tried to use the organization’s building renovation project to benefit his business and a friend’s. The project involves public money, making conflicts of interest all the more potentially damning.
Initially, the Centro Latino board refused to counter the allegations publicly. The strategy backfired, leaving donors and funders with no reason not to be wary. About $200,000 of the agency’s anticipated funding for 2009 quickly dried up.
Centro Latino has since filed a response in court that provides its side of the story. It contends that Gomez-Gonzalez was let go for several instances of misconduct and insubordination, including misrepresenting her work history and having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate.
A court will have to decide who is telling the truth. But on their face, the reasons cited by Centro Latino would provide justifiable grounds for termination. If true, the organization’s board may be guilty of nothing more than making a bad hire – and mounting a poor defense.
Local governments and other groups that have pulled their money should hear the organization out. Centro Latino provides a growing population with job training, youth mentoring and other services. It would be a shame to let a disgruntled former employee, if that’s all Gomez-Gonzalez proves to be, cripple the agency’s ability to serve clients who depend on it.
At the same time, Centro Latino must allay concerns about its administrative stability. Gomez-Gonzalez, who was on the job just four months, is just the latest executive director to come and go from Centro Latino in recent years. Frequent turnover at the top can leave an organization adrift and unable to make best use of increasingly precious social service funding.
The best advice Centro Latino can get is to keep talking openly and publicly with the community. That’s the best way to repair its battered image and the only way to ensure its long-term success.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Black-Latino Caucus to sponsor public inauguration viewing
Quinn, Black-Latino Caucus To Sponsor Public Inauguration Viewing at City Hall
by Brooklyn Eagle (edit@brooklyneagle.net 12-30-2008
CITY HALL — Speaker Christine C. Quinn, the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus and the New York City Council announce that City Hall will open its doors to all New Yorkers on Jan. 20 — Inauguration Day — so they can come together to view the historic moment that President-elect Barack Obama is sworn into office.
The Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, of course, has several Brooklyn members, such as Letitia James, Charles Barron, Al Vann, Sara Gonzalez and Diane Mealy.
Voter turnout in the 2008 election was a record high, and the enthusiasm that began back in November has continued and has created significant interest in the inauguration. Recognizing that during these difficult financial times, many New Yorkers may be unable to make the trip to Washington D.C. for the inauguration, the City Council has decided to open up its side of City Hall to the public for the occasion. Specifically, the City Council will set up big-screen televisions in City Council Chambers, the Committee Room, and the Rotunda.
The doors for the event will open at 10:30 a.m. and the event will continue throughout the day until President-elect Obama’s speech has concluded. New Yorkers who are interested in coming to City Hall on inauguration day should RSVP by Jan. 16, 2009, to (212) 442-1649 or e-mail to events@council.nyc.gov.
“The historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama has drawn the attention and hope of millions of Americans and New Yorkers alike,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn.
“I know that all New Yorkers are as thrilled as I am to see the historic swearing in of Barack Obama as our country’s 44th president,” said Robert Jackson, co-chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus Robert Jackson.
“Of course the doors of City Hall should be open on this historic occasion,” said added Council Member Albert Vann, a well-known Brooklynite who previously served in the state Assembly. “The inauguration of President-elect Obama will be a profound experience that New Yorkers for generations to come will reflect upon.”
by Brooklyn Eagle (edit@brooklyneagle.net 12-30-2008
CITY HALL — Speaker Christine C. Quinn, the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus and the New York City Council announce that City Hall will open its doors to all New Yorkers on Jan. 20 — Inauguration Day — so they can come together to view the historic moment that President-elect Barack Obama is sworn into office.
The Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, of course, has several Brooklyn members, such as Letitia James, Charles Barron, Al Vann, Sara Gonzalez and Diane Mealy.
Voter turnout in the 2008 election was a record high, and the enthusiasm that began back in November has continued and has created significant interest in the inauguration. Recognizing that during these difficult financial times, many New Yorkers may be unable to make the trip to Washington D.C. for the inauguration, the City Council has decided to open up its side of City Hall to the public for the occasion. Specifically, the City Council will set up big-screen televisions in City Council Chambers, the Committee Room, and the Rotunda.
The doors for the event will open at 10:30 a.m. and the event will continue throughout the day until President-elect Obama’s speech has concluded. New Yorkers who are interested in coming to City Hall on inauguration day should RSVP by Jan. 16, 2009, to (212) 442-1649 or e-mail to events@council.nyc.gov.
“The historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama has drawn the attention and hope of millions of Americans and New Yorkers alike,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn.
“I know that all New Yorkers are as thrilled as I am to see the historic swearing in of Barack Obama as our country’s 44th president,” said Robert Jackson, co-chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus Robert Jackson.
“Of course the doors of City Hall should be open on this historic occasion,” said added Council Member Albert Vann, a well-known Brooklynite who previously served in the state Assembly. “The inauguration of President-elect Obama will be a profound experience that New Yorkers for generations to come will reflect upon.”
Latinos now majority in Bay Area city
San Pablo is county's first majority-Latino city
By Tom Lochner West County Times 12/30/2008
Sometime in this decade, San Pablo became a majority-Latino city, the only one in Contra Costa County.
The U.S. census' 2005-07 American Community Survey found that 53.8 percent of San Pablo residents — 16,752 out of 31,155 — were "Hispanic or Latino." In 2000, the census counted 13,490 Latinos among a total city population of 30,215, or 44.6 percent.
To City Councilwoman Genoveva Garcia Calloway, the finding puts an official stamp on a reality for which she sees abundant anecdotal evidence.
"I'm not surprised," Calloway said, "I knew that we (Latinos) were more than half — from the kinds of businesses that are opening, the shoppers, the students at school — they're a majority in a lot of our schools."
The change in the ethnic balance on the San Pablo City Council since 2000 is even more dramatic. That year, there were no Latino members. This month, the council became majority-Latino, as Cecilia Valdez and Arturo Cruz joined Calloway, who was elected in 2002 as the first Latino member. She was handily re-elected in 2006.
"Now the San Pablo council is really representative of the residents," Calloway said.
Mayor Leonard McNeil, who has been a strong advocate for immigrant rights as part of his greater human and civil rights agenda, spoke of a "paradigm shift" on the council after the Nov. 4 election, in which he was re-elected as the sole incumbent who ran; Joe Gomes and Sharon Brown, who had served on the council for a combined 55 years, retired. The three victors outpolled Charles "Nick" Nicholas, the city treasurer; Jerry Sattler, the president of the San Pablo Chamber of Commerce; and Espo, who uses a single name.
Nicholas and Sattler, as well as Gomes and Brown, are part of what Andres Soto, president of the Latina/o Democratic Club of West Contra Costa County, characterized as San Pablo's Anglo "Old Guard."
Whether the Nov. 4 results reflect a flexing of Latino political muscle or the power of organized labor is a matter of interpretation. McNeil, shortly after the election, said: "My re-election and the election of Arturo Cruz and Cecilia Valdez is a reflection of the formidable influence of organized labor in electoral politics."
He added, "The election of Arturo and Cecilia also represents the ascendancy of the Latino body politic."
Campaign finance statements on file with the city clerk show large contributions from labor unions to the three victors: $5,000 to McNeil and more than $4,000 each to Valdez and Cruz. The sums represent more than half the money each campaign raised.
Soto said the three winners "certainly benefited from labor's ability to mobilize their local membership for their preferred candidates."
"I think it was also the fact that there were two Latinos running," Soto added. "And Leonard, being an incumbent."
Soto said he believes that several public immigration forums held this year in West County "galvanized" Latinos and "progressives" and may have contributed to the large voter turnout — 80.5 percent in San Pablo, according to the Contra Costa County Elections office.
On the other hand, the four other West County cities had even higher turnouts, led by El Cerrito with 89 percent. San Pablo also lagged behind the others in the ratio of registered voters to residents, which could be due to many factors including the ages of residents and citizenship. San Pablo had 8,053 registered voters, or just more than a quarter of its population of 31,155; El Cerrito had 14,498 registered voters, more than half its population of 25,659.
Latinos' proportion of total population has surged across West Contra Costa. Richmond's Latino population went from 26.5 percent to 33.5 percent between the 2000 census and the 2005-07 community survey; Hercules' from 10.8 percent to 14 percent; and El Cerrito's from 7.9 percent to 11.3 percent. Pinole, where 13.8 percent of residents were Latino in 2000, was not included in the mid-decade survey because its population is just less than 20,000, the threshold for inclusion.
In Concord, Contra Costa's largest city, with just more than 120,000 residents, Latinos increased from 21.8 percent to 28.5 percent; in Antioch, from 22.1 percent to 29.2 percent; and in Pittsburg, from 32.2 percent to 38.8 percent.
Reach Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760 or tlochner@bayareanewsgroup.com.
By Tom Lochner West County Times 12/30/2008
Sometime in this decade, San Pablo became a majority-Latino city, the only one in Contra Costa County.
The U.S. census' 2005-07 American Community Survey found that 53.8 percent of San Pablo residents — 16,752 out of 31,155 — were "Hispanic or Latino." In 2000, the census counted 13,490 Latinos among a total city population of 30,215, or 44.6 percent.
To City Councilwoman Genoveva Garcia Calloway, the finding puts an official stamp on a reality for which she sees abundant anecdotal evidence.
"I'm not surprised," Calloway said, "I knew that we (Latinos) were more than half — from the kinds of businesses that are opening, the shoppers, the students at school — they're a majority in a lot of our schools."
The change in the ethnic balance on the San Pablo City Council since 2000 is even more dramatic. That year, there were no Latino members. This month, the council became majority-Latino, as Cecilia Valdez and Arturo Cruz joined Calloway, who was elected in 2002 as the first Latino member. She was handily re-elected in 2006.
"Now the San Pablo council is really representative of the residents," Calloway said.
Mayor Leonard McNeil, who has been a strong advocate for immigrant rights as part of his greater human and civil rights agenda, spoke of a "paradigm shift" on the council after the Nov. 4 election, in which he was re-elected as the sole incumbent who ran; Joe Gomes and Sharon Brown, who had served on the council for a combined 55 years, retired. The three victors outpolled Charles "Nick" Nicholas, the city treasurer; Jerry Sattler, the president of the San Pablo Chamber of Commerce; and Espo, who uses a single name.
Nicholas and Sattler, as well as Gomes and Brown, are part of what Andres Soto, president of the Latina/o Democratic Club of West Contra Costa County, characterized as San Pablo's Anglo "Old Guard."
Whether the Nov. 4 results reflect a flexing of Latino political muscle or the power of organized labor is a matter of interpretation. McNeil, shortly after the election, said: "My re-election and the election of Arturo Cruz and Cecilia Valdez is a reflection of the formidable influence of organized labor in electoral politics."
He added, "The election of Arturo and Cecilia also represents the ascendancy of the Latino body politic."
Campaign finance statements on file with the city clerk show large contributions from labor unions to the three victors: $5,000 to McNeil and more than $4,000 each to Valdez and Cruz. The sums represent more than half the money each campaign raised.
Soto said the three winners "certainly benefited from labor's ability to mobilize their local membership for their preferred candidates."
"I think it was also the fact that there were two Latinos running," Soto added. "And Leonard, being an incumbent."
Soto said he believes that several public immigration forums held this year in West County "galvanized" Latinos and "progressives" and may have contributed to the large voter turnout — 80.5 percent in San Pablo, according to the Contra Costa County Elections office.
On the other hand, the four other West County cities had even higher turnouts, led by El Cerrito with 89 percent. San Pablo also lagged behind the others in the ratio of registered voters to residents, which could be due to many factors including the ages of residents and citizenship. San Pablo had 8,053 registered voters, or just more than a quarter of its population of 31,155; El Cerrito had 14,498 registered voters, more than half its population of 25,659.
Latinos' proportion of total population has surged across West Contra Costa. Richmond's Latino population went from 26.5 percent to 33.5 percent between the 2000 census and the 2005-07 community survey; Hercules' from 10.8 percent to 14 percent; and El Cerrito's from 7.9 percent to 11.3 percent. Pinole, where 13.8 percent of residents were Latino in 2000, was not included in the mid-decade survey because its population is just less than 20,000, the threshold for inclusion.
In Concord, Contra Costa's largest city, with just more than 120,000 residents, Latinos increased from 21.8 percent to 28.5 percent; in Antioch, from 22.1 percent to 29.2 percent; and in Pittsburg, from 32.2 percent to 38.8 percent.
Reach Tom Lochner at 510-262-2760 or tlochner@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Hispanic outreach falls victim to budget cuts
Thurston Cuts Rochester Hispanic Outreach
Budget Trimmed: ROOF Program Runs a Food Bank, Literacy Program
By Dan Schreiber dschreiber@chronline.com December 30, 2008
A Hispanic outreach program based in Rochester is in danger of falling by the wayside, after most of its funding didn’t survive Thurston County budget cuts.
The program is part of those offered by ROOF Community Services, which runs a food bank and after-school literacy and socialization program at the town’s former elementary school. According to its figures, ROOF serves about 1,200 cases at the food bank per month.
Hispanic Outreach Worker Renee Koenig’s position is primarily funded by the $22,600 ROOF normally receives from the Human Services Review Council, which distributes a pool of money gathered by Thurston County, plus the cities of Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey, for social services.
Thurston County eliminated its $112,000 share, while the cities plan to contribute $279,000 in 2009.
The Hispanic outreach program costs $30,000 annually, said Koenig, who is considering her work options.
“We have done the search for a couple of months now, and we’re waiting for some general grants and any kind of unrestricted funds that people donate for my position,” she said. “There’s a chance that it could go on at half time, but that hasn’t been decided yet.”
Koenig said Rochester’s unincorporated status makes it a difficult place for people to find help.
“To get to any other kind of service, it’s a 20-mile drive,” Koenig said. “It’s the only community service agency around here.”
Dan Schreiber: (360) 807-8239
Budget Trimmed: ROOF Program Runs a Food Bank, Literacy Program
By Dan Schreiber dschreiber@chronline.com December 30, 2008
A Hispanic outreach program based in Rochester is in danger of falling by the wayside, after most of its funding didn’t survive Thurston County budget cuts.
The program is part of those offered by ROOF Community Services, which runs a food bank and after-school literacy and socialization program at the town’s former elementary school. According to its figures, ROOF serves about 1,200 cases at the food bank per month.
Hispanic Outreach Worker Renee Koenig’s position is primarily funded by the $22,600 ROOF normally receives from the Human Services Review Council, which distributes a pool of money gathered by Thurston County, plus the cities of Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey, for social services.
Thurston County eliminated its $112,000 share, while the cities plan to contribute $279,000 in 2009.
The Hispanic outreach program costs $30,000 annually, said Koenig, who is considering her work options.
“We have done the search for a couple of months now, and we’re waiting for some general grants and any kind of unrestricted funds that people donate for my position,” she said. “There’s a chance that it could go on at half time, but that hasn’t been decided yet.”
Koenig said Rochester’s unincorporated status makes it a difficult place for people to find help.
“To get to any other kind of service, it’s a 20-mile drive,” Koenig said. “It’s the only community service agency around here.”
Dan Schreiber: (360) 807-8239
Hispanic Institute settles for $105,000
Hispanic Institute to Receive $105,000 Under Prepaid Calling Card
WCTV Dec 30, 2008
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that his office has reached a settlement with a major provider of international prepaid calling cards in Florida over marketing practices related to the company’s calling cards. Locus Communications, Inc. must now fully deliver the total amount of long distance telephone minutes as advertised and disclose all applicable fees and charges. The settlement also provides for a total of $105,000 for The Hispanic Institute, which assisted the Attorney General’s Office with its investigation into the prepaid calling card industry.
“Many Florida residents use these cards to communicate with their family, friends and loved ones,” said Attorney General McCollum. “These new standards will protect that essential bond of communication.”
An investigation by the Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division determined Locus, a telecommunications service provider, offered “unlimited” minutes which were not actually unlimited. The company also rounded up calls to three-minute increments, failed to specifically disclose actual amounts of fees and surcharges, and on at least one poster, advertised in Spanish but printed the fees and surcharges disclaimer in English.
Locus is the 13th company to reach a settlement with the Attorney General over issues related to the prepaid calling card industry. The agreement requires the company to cease any potentially deceptive advertisements, provide 100 percent of the minutes advertised, and submit to three years of auditing by the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that it is following the terms of the agreement. Further, as part of the settlement agreement, the company will provide funding of $35,000 per year for three years to The Hispanic Institute to support its investigative and monitoring efforts in this industry.
“On behalf of Hispanics who use these prepaid calling cards, we would like to thank Attorney General Bill McCollum for his work in protecting consumers,” said Gus West, president of the Hispanic Institute. “This settlement will allow The Hispanic Institute to continue to conduct independent, empirical, and objective testing to determine if the prepaid calling cards are providing the amount of minutes being advertised by the providers.”
The Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division reached this agreement as a result of a continued investigation of the prepaid calling card industry. Prior to the investigation, consumers complained that companies within the industry often utilized hidden or inadequately disclosed fees and charges such as “hang-up fees,” periodic maintenance fees and destination surcharges.
The Economic Crimes Division is still investigating other companies that have been allegedly engaging in similar deceptive and unfair trade practices. Consumers affected by these or other practices may file a complaint by visiting the Attorney General’s website at
http://www.myfloridalegal.com or by calling the fraud hotline at
1-866-966-7226.
WCTV Dec 30, 2008
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that his office has reached a settlement with a major provider of international prepaid calling cards in Florida over marketing practices related to the company’s calling cards. Locus Communications, Inc. must now fully deliver the total amount of long distance telephone minutes as advertised and disclose all applicable fees and charges. The settlement also provides for a total of $105,000 for The Hispanic Institute, which assisted the Attorney General’s Office with its investigation into the prepaid calling card industry.
“Many Florida residents use these cards to communicate with their family, friends and loved ones,” said Attorney General McCollum. “These new standards will protect that essential bond of communication.”
An investigation by the Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division determined Locus, a telecommunications service provider, offered “unlimited” minutes which were not actually unlimited. The company also rounded up calls to three-minute increments, failed to specifically disclose actual amounts of fees and surcharges, and on at least one poster, advertised in Spanish but printed the fees and surcharges disclaimer in English.
Locus is the 13th company to reach a settlement with the Attorney General over issues related to the prepaid calling card industry. The agreement requires the company to cease any potentially deceptive advertisements, provide 100 percent of the minutes advertised, and submit to three years of auditing by the Attorney General’s Office to ensure that it is following the terms of the agreement. Further, as part of the settlement agreement, the company will provide funding of $35,000 per year for three years to The Hispanic Institute to support its investigative and monitoring efforts in this industry.
“On behalf of Hispanics who use these prepaid calling cards, we would like to thank Attorney General Bill McCollum for his work in protecting consumers,” said Gus West, president of the Hispanic Institute. “This settlement will allow The Hispanic Institute to continue to conduct independent, empirical, and objective testing to determine if the prepaid calling cards are providing the amount of minutes being advertised by the providers.”
The Attorney General’s Economic Crimes Division reached this agreement as a result of a continued investigation of the prepaid calling card industry. Prior to the investigation, consumers complained that companies within the industry often utilized hidden or inadequately disclosed fees and charges such as “hang-up fees,” periodic maintenance fees and destination surcharges.
The Economic Crimes Division is still investigating other companies that have been allegedly engaging in similar deceptive and unfair trade practices. Consumers affected by these or other practices may file a complaint by visiting the Attorney General’s website at
http://www.myfloridalegal.com or by calling the fraud hotline at
1-866-966-7226.
Hispanics most likely to get spine defect
Spine defect more likely in Hispanics
Bnd.com/yourlife
In Illinois, Latina/Hispanic women are twice as likely as any other race or ethnicity to have a baby born with a birth defect involving the spine.
That's why they will be the focus of National Folic Acid Awareness Week, which will be observed next Monday through Jan. 11
"We need to educate all women, especially Latinas, that folic acid can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine, said Adriane Griffen, chair of the national Council on Folic Acid.
This year, her group and the Spina Bifida Association of Illinois are focusing on the increased risk that Latina women have for bearing babies with serious birth defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly. According to U.S. health statistics, such neural tube defects occur up to twice as often in babies of Latina/Hispanic women.
Research has shown such defects can be prevented by consuming at least 400 mg of folic acid daily, which is found in cereals, grain products and multivitamins. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that Latinas consume the least amount of folic acid and have the least knowledge of its benefits.
As a result, the Spina Bifida Association and the folic acid council is working with the CDC to reach Latinas with more information, including brochures, ads and posters in Spanish. For more information, call (773) 444-0305 or go to www.folicacidinfo.org.
Bnd.com/yourlife
In Illinois, Latina/Hispanic women are twice as likely as any other race or ethnicity to have a baby born with a birth defect involving the spine.
That's why they will be the focus of National Folic Acid Awareness Week, which will be observed next Monday through Jan. 11
"We need to educate all women, especially Latinas, that folic acid can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine, said Adriane Griffen, chair of the national Council on Folic Acid.
This year, her group and the Spina Bifida Association of Illinois are focusing on the increased risk that Latina women have for bearing babies with serious birth defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly. According to U.S. health statistics, such neural tube defects occur up to twice as often in babies of Latina/Hispanic women.
Research has shown such defects can be prevented by consuming at least 400 mg of folic acid daily, which is found in cereals, grain products and multivitamins. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that Latinas consume the least amount of folic acid and have the least knowledge of its benefits.
As a result, the Spina Bifida Association and the folic acid council is working with the CDC to reach Latinas with more information, including brochures, ads and posters in Spanish. For more information, call (773) 444-0305 or go to www.folicacidinfo.org.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
First Latina appointed to Council
Council Appoints Rodriguez, First Ever Latino Council Member
KNDO Dec 29, 2008
YAKIMA, Wash. - City Council made a historic appointment Monday by choosing the first ever Latino council member.
Attorney Sonia Rodriguez was named by the council Monday afternoon at City Hall. Rodriquez received four votes at the special meeting, Maureen Adkison had two votes.
Mayor Dave Edler was one of the four votes for Rodriguez. He said the council did not pick her just because she is Latino.
"Underlying all discussion was, we're not going to appoint diversity for diversity's sake, there has to be someone that we sense is very, very, qualified," said Edler. "Equally qualified with any other candidate and we believe that is true in Sonia."
Rodriguez runs her own law firm and has been in Yakima since 2000.
She will finish Norm Johnson's term that ends next year. Johnson moved his resignation date to Sunday, allowing the council to make the appointment earlier than planned.
Rodriguez will be sworn in at the next regular city council meeting on Jan. 6.
KNDO Dec 29, 2008
YAKIMA, Wash. - City Council made a historic appointment Monday by choosing the first ever Latino council member.
Attorney Sonia Rodriguez was named by the council Monday afternoon at City Hall. Rodriquez received four votes at the special meeting, Maureen Adkison had two votes.
Mayor Dave Edler was one of the four votes for Rodriguez. He said the council did not pick her just because she is Latino.
"Underlying all discussion was, we're not going to appoint diversity for diversity's sake, there has to be someone that we sense is very, very, qualified," said Edler. "Equally qualified with any other candidate and we believe that is true in Sonia."
Rodriguez runs her own law firm and has been in Yakima since 2000.
She will finish Norm Johnson's term that ends next year. Johnson moved his resignation date to Sunday, allowing the council to make the appointment earlier than planned.
Rodriguez will be sworn in at the next regular city council meeting on Jan. 6.
Latinos celebrate their heritage
Dispatch from El Paso: Area has a long, proud Latino heritage
by Ken Goe, The Oregonian December 29, 2008
People here are proud of their Latino heritage, and why not?
What is now the metropolitan area of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez was first part of Spain and then of Mexico for nearly 300 years. The first settlement was founded south of the Rio Grande as El Paso del Norte by conquistadors in 1659.
El Paso didn't become part of the United States until it was seized during the Mexican-American War. More than 80 percent of El Paso residents are of Latino descent.
In fact, I laugh about the debate over illegal immigration. The original illegal immigrants in Texas were Anglos, who broke the law and dared the legitimate government of Mexico to do anything about it.
Escalating tensions led to a revolt by Anglo settlers in Texas in 1836. El Paso was too far west and south to be caught up in that, and remained part of Mexico until the United States provoked the war in 1846 that was little more than a calculated land grab.
As a result, the border between the countries was redrawn in 1848. What had been one settlement in Mexico became two, with an international border running between them.
Now, the combined metropolitan area has more than 2 million residents, about two-thirds of those in Juarez.
Traditionally, Juarez has been a popular tourist destination. But Sun Bowl fans have been advised to stay on the U.S. side of the border because of a war over the illicit drug trade that has contributed to nearly 1,600 homicides there this calendar year.
I, for one, didn't bring my passport.
-- Ken Goe
by Ken Goe, The Oregonian December 29, 2008
People here are proud of their Latino heritage, and why not?
What is now the metropolitan area of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez was first part of Spain and then of Mexico for nearly 300 years. The first settlement was founded south of the Rio Grande as El Paso del Norte by conquistadors in 1659.
El Paso didn't become part of the United States until it was seized during the Mexican-American War. More than 80 percent of El Paso residents are of Latino descent.
In fact, I laugh about the debate over illegal immigration. The original illegal immigrants in Texas were Anglos, who broke the law and dared the legitimate government of Mexico to do anything about it.
Escalating tensions led to a revolt by Anglo settlers in Texas in 1836. El Paso was too far west and south to be caught up in that, and remained part of Mexico until the United States provoked the war in 1846 that was little more than a calculated land grab.
As a result, the border between the countries was redrawn in 1848. What had been one settlement in Mexico became two, with an international border running between them.
Now, the combined metropolitan area has more than 2 million residents, about two-thirds of those in Juarez.
Traditionally, Juarez has been a popular tourist destination. But Sun Bowl fans have been advised to stay on the U.S. side of the border because of a war over the illicit drug trade that has contributed to nearly 1,600 homicides there this calendar year.
I, for one, didn't bring my passport.
-- Ken Goe
Hispanic Republican group sees internal turmoil
Firing splits Hispanic Republican group in Nevada
SF Gate December 29, 2008
Leaders of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly have fired the president of its Las Vegas chapter, Cuban businessman Otto Merida.
A former member of the Nevada Republican National Hispanic Assembly says 20 members of the 112-member chapter have left the group because of the decision, including 10 board members.
Didi Lima says the change was a power move by Tibi Ellis, a local activist and business owner who replaced Merida, and Danny Vargas, the assembly's national chairman.
Ellis says the board for the state chapter was never official, and Lima has no authority to speak for the group.
Lima says Merida was removed because he did not provide information requested by the national organization.
SF Gate December 29, 2008
Leaders of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly have fired the president of its Las Vegas chapter, Cuban businessman Otto Merida.
A former member of the Nevada Republican National Hispanic Assembly says 20 members of the 112-member chapter have left the group because of the decision, including 10 board members.
Didi Lima says the change was a power move by Tibi Ellis, a local activist and business owner who replaced Merida, and Danny Vargas, the assembly's national chairman.
Ellis says the board for the state chapter was never official, and Lima has no authority to speak for the group.
Lima says Merida was removed because he did not provide information requested by the national organization.
Latina makes a difference at United Way
UW volunteer urges Hispanics to get involved
By STEVE SNYDER Staff Writer Lebanon Daily News
Emily Guilliams wishes she had more volunteers like Gloria Rodriguez.
“She’s a real self-starter, a real valuable volunteer,” Guilliams said of Rodriguez, who lives in the 300 block of North Fifth Street with her 17-year-old daughter, Michelle. “She’s a wonderful person.”
Guilliams is the United Way of Lebanon County’s director of campaign and communications.
“Whatever we’ve asked, she’s jumped in,” Guilliams said.
Rodriguez became involved with the United Way while she was a participant in the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lebanon Valley program. She started as an observer on the United Way board and became a regular member of the board about a year ago.
“She’s a member of our Community Impact Grants panel,” Guilliams said. “She’s a valuable asset with her views. She’s very active in the Hispanic community.”
Rodriguez has a large reservoir of energy.
In addition to her full-time job as a trainer at Murry’s Inc., she’s taking a class to improve her English skills through the Literacy Council, studying to pass a tax-preparation test, and fitting in an online accounting course.
“It’s something I like,” Rodriguez said of accounting. “In Colombia I studied accounting. It’s my hobby for now. I enjoy numbers.”
The 42-year-old Rodriguez is a native of Colombia who emigrated from South America to New York, where she lived for eight years.
In 1994, she and her ex-husband discovered Lebanon.
“We came to visit my cousin, and we liked the town,” Rodriguez said. Shortly after moving here, she landed a job at Murry’s, where she started in the packing department and later moved on to saw operator and machine operator before advancing as a trainer. She also fills in as a receptionist and is learning how to do payroll.
“At Murry’s, they told me to go take the leadership classes (through the Chamber of Commerce),” Rodriguez said. The United Way helped her pay for those classes.
“At the end of that program, I had to do a project on an agency, and I picked the United Way,” Rodriguez said. “After that, they asked me if I wanted to be part of the board. With the United Way, when they have activities, I go to explain to the Hispanic community what the United Way does.”
Most notably, Rodriguez has led a United Way fundraising campaign at Murry’s and has recruited volunteers for the United Way’s annual Day of Caring.
At Murry’s, “I went to all the co-workers,” she said. “I asked for $1 a week. We started the end of November, and now we have $625. I’m so happy.”
To recruit volunteers for the Day of Caring, Rodriguez knocked on doors in her neighborhood.
“Two years ago we had about 60 to 65 people,” Rodriguez said. “This year there were about 35. We worked in the library painting, we did planting, and we helped clean at the (Domestic Violence Intervention) shelter and the PROBE office. ... I like to help the community. I want the Spanish community to be involved in these kind of activities.”
During her time here, Rodriguez has taught CCD (Catholic faith) classes at her church, St. Benedict’s; served as a volunteer for Radio Omega, a local Spanish-language station; and assisted with classes offered at the Hispanic Center of Lebanon.
Her daughter is a senior at Lebanon Catholic School and plans to attend college as a criminal-justice major.
Rodriguez is looking forward to the next Day of Caring.
“I’ve heard from people who helped me this year,” Rodriguez said. “They enjoy doing that day. It’s only a couple hours. They are easy jobs. Next year we are going to do it again.”
By STEVE SNYDER Staff Writer Lebanon Daily News
Emily Guilliams wishes she had more volunteers like Gloria Rodriguez.
“She’s a real self-starter, a real valuable volunteer,” Guilliams said of Rodriguez, who lives in the 300 block of North Fifth Street with her 17-year-old daughter, Michelle. “She’s a wonderful person.”
Guilliams is the United Way of Lebanon County’s director of campaign and communications.
“Whatever we’ve asked, she’s jumped in,” Guilliams said.
Rodriguez became involved with the United Way while she was a participant in the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lebanon Valley program. She started as an observer on the United Way board and became a regular member of the board about a year ago.
“She’s a member of our Community Impact Grants panel,” Guilliams said. “She’s a valuable asset with her views. She’s very active in the Hispanic community.”
Rodriguez has a large reservoir of energy.
In addition to her full-time job as a trainer at Murry’s Inc., she’s taking a class to improve her English skills through the Literacy Council, studying to pass a tax-preparation test, and fitting in an online accounting course.
“It’s something I like,” Rodriguez said of accounting. “In Colombia I studied accounting. It’s my hobby for now. I enjoy numbers.”
The 42-year-old Rodriguez is a native of Colombia who emigrated from South America to New York, where she lived for eight years.
In 1994, she and her ex-husband discovered Lebanon.
“We came to visit my cousin, and we liked the town,” Rodriguez said. Shortly after moving here, she landed a job at Murry’s, where she started in the packing department and later moved on to saw operator and machine operator before advancing as a trainer. She also fills in as a receptionist and is learning how to do payroll.
“At Murry’s, they told me to go take the leadership classes (through the Chamber of Commerce),” Rodriguez said. The United Way helped her pay for those classes.
“At the end of that program, I had to do a project on an agency, and I picked the United Way,” Rodriguez said. “After that, they asked me if I wanted to be part of the board. With the United Way, when they have activities, I go to explain to the Hispanic community what the United Way does.”
Most notably, Rodriguez has led a United Way fundraising campaign at Murry’s and has recruited volunteers for the United Way’s annual Day of Caring.
At Murry’s, “I went to all the co-workers,” she said. “I asked for $1 a week. We started the end of November, and now we have $625. I’m so happy.”
To recruit volunteers for the Day of Caring, Rodriguez knocked on doors in her neighborhood.
“Two years ago we had about 60 to 65 people,” Rodriguez said. “This year there were about 35. We worked in the library painting, we did planting, and we helped clean at the (Domestic Violence Intervention) shelter and the PROBE office. ... I like to help the community. I want the Spanish community to be involved in these kind of activities.”
During her time here, Rodriguez has taught CCD (Catholic faith) classes at her church, St. Benedict’s; served as a volunteer for Radio Omega, a local Spanish-language station; and assisted with classes offered at the Hispanic Center of Lebanon.
Her daughter is a senior at Lebanon Catholic School and plans to attend college as a criminal-justice major.
Rodriguez is looking forward to the next Day of Caring.
“I’ve heard from people who helped me this year,” Rodriguez said. “They enjoy doing that day. It’s only a couple hours. They are easy jobs. Next year we are going to do it again.”
Latino is lone voice on City Council
Speaking with one voice for Latinos
Rodriguez now the sole Hispanic on City Council
By BRADLEY OLSON Houston Chronicle Dec. 28, 2008
Council member James Rodriguez says he wants to do a good job for all Hispanics in the city, not just in his district. He hopes to work for a Latino summit to encourage others to seek office.
The volume of calls that pour into City Councilman James Rodriguez's downtown office has grown considerably since Nov. 5.
The calls have translated into more invitations to community events, more pleas for help with local problems such as gang violence and far, far more requests for political support.
The calls have come not because of any change in Rodriguez's status as a council member, he says, but because it was on that day when it became clear that he would be the sole Hispanic on the 14-member council.
He is fond of saying that when Councilman Adrian Garcia was elected to be the next Harris County sheriff, Rodriguez's southeast Houston constituency grew by nearly a factor of four.
"For many people, I will be the only Latino voice on the City Council, and that's something I take very seriously," he said in a recent interview. "I want to do a very good job to represent District I and also Latinos as a whole."
A host of candidates already have lined up to replace Garcia in a special election for District H expected to be held in May, and most political observers expect that a Hispanic ultimately will win the seat.
But for many, six months with only one Latino council member is far too long in a city in which at least 42 percent of the population — more than 850,000 people, according to census figures — is Hispanic.
Underrepresentation, they say, has become something of a rallying cry.
"There's kind of a discussion beginning to percolate within the Latino community," said Marc Campos, a political strategist, who long has worked to broaden the reach of Hispanic candidates in Houston and Harris County. "We need to step it up in terms of political empowerment. James will be the only Latino on the Houston City Council. ... It's kind of challenging. Something's not right with that picture."
Rodriguez said he hopes to work with other Hispanic elected officials in the area to host a Latino summit next year, where they can discuss the potential impact of the 2010 Census on redrawing district lines and how to field more candidates for school board, community college and citywide office.
Houston Mayor Bill White said he spoke to Rodriguez after it was clear Garcia would move on to the Sheriff's Office and asked him to "look after" several ongoing projects in Garcia's district.
"Since I moved to Houston, I've worked from the grass roots up to recruit and support Latino candidates for various offices in our region," White said. "We've made progress, but there's more progress to be made."
Rodriguez, 33, also has become an unwitting political rainmaker. Various candidates positioning themselves to run for mayor, controller and Garcia's vacated seat have come to him for an endorsement, a role he has not minded playing.
Of course, since he's been elected, many have speculated about another move Rodriguez might make in the future: a run to become Houston's first Latino mayor.
"Not anytime soon," Rodriguez said, laughing. "I just want to focus for now on being a good district council member."
bradley.olson@chron.com
Rodriguez now the sole Hispanic on City Council
By BRADLEY OLSON Houston Chronicle Dec. 28, 2008
Council member James Rodriguez says he wants to do a good job for all Hispanics in the city, not just in his district. He hopes to work for a Latino summit to encourage others to seek office.
The volume of calls that pour into City Councilman James Rodriguez's downtown office has grown considerably since Nov. 5.
The calls have translated into more invitations to community events, more pleas for help with local problems such as gang violence and far, far more requests for political support.
The calls have come not because of any change in Rodriguez's status as a council member, he says, but because it was on that day when it became clear that he would be the sole Hispanic on the 14-member council.
He is fond of saying that when Councilman Adrian Garcia was elected to be the next Harris County sheriff, Rodriguez's southeast Houston constituency grew by nearly a factor of four.
"For many people, I will be the only Latino voice on the City Council, and that's something I take very seriously," he said in a recent interview. "I want to do a very good job to represent District I and also Latinos as a whole."
A host of candidates already have lined up to replace Garcia in a special election for District H expected to be held in May, and most political observers expect that a Hispanic ultimately will win the seat.
But for many, six months with only one Latino council member is far too long in a city in which at least 42 percent of the population — more than 850,000 people, according to census figures — is Hispanic.
Underrepresentation, they say, has become something of a rallying cry.
"There's kind of a discussion beginning to percolate within the Latino community," said Marc Campos, a political strategist, who long has worked to broaden the reach of Hispanic candidates in Houston and Harris County. "We need to step it up in terms of political empowerment. James will be the only Latino on the Houston City Council. ... It's kind of challenging. Something's not right with that picture."
Rodriguez said he hopes to work with other Hispanic elected officials in the area to host a Latino summit next year, where they can discuss the potential impact of the 2010 Census on redrawing district lines and how to field more candidates for school board, community college and citywide office.
Houston Mayor Bill White said he spoke to Rodriguez after it was clear Garcia would move on to the Sheriff's Office and asked him to "look after" several ongoing projects in Garcia's district.
"Since I moved to Houston, I've worked from the grass roots up to recruit and support Latino candidates for various offices in our region," White said. "We've made progress, but there's more progress to be made."
Rodriguez, 33, also has become an unwitting political rainmaker. Various candidates positioning themselves to run for mayor, controller and Garcia's vacated seat have come to him for an endorsement, a role he has not minded playing.
Of course, since he's been elected, many have speculated about another move Rodriguez might make in the future: a run to become Houston's first Latino mayor.
"Not anytime soon," Rodriguez said, laughing. "I just want to focus for now on being a good district council member."
bradley.olson@chron.com
Hispanics bolster Border Patrol
Hispanics bolster Border Patrol
They now hold 52 percent of agents' jobs
By JAMES PINKERTON Houston Chronicle Dec. 29, 2008
Growing up along the Texas border, Edward Caballero remembers fearing the green-uniformed agents of the U.S. Border Patrol.
Now, the 32-year old Caballero — a former schoolteacher in the Rio Grande Valley — is one of thousands of new agents who have swelled the force's ranks to more than 18,000, a product of an historic recruitment blitz.
And unlike the Border Patrol of his youth, which was overwhelmingly Anglo, the expanded border agency is now 54 percent minority. Hispanics like Caballero comprise 52 percent of the agents.
''It seems like most Border Patrol officers were Anglos, and I hate to say it, not too friendly towards Hispanics," Caballero recalled. ''It's not so much that way anymore."
Since the Bush administration mandated hiring 6,000 new agents to boost the force to 18,000 by the end of this year, the ranks of Hispanic agents have mushroomed. The roughly 6,400 Hispanic agents on duty in 2006 increased 45 percent to about 9,300 last month.
Caballero said his fluency in Spanish and his upbringing in the Rio Grande Valley, which is predominantly Hispanic, is an advantage when he encounters illegal immigrants trying to cross the winding Rio Grande and fade into riverside communities.
''Overall, I can make more of a connection culturally because of the language and how to interact with Hispanic people," said Caballero, who is stationed in Edinburg. ''Earlier with the Anglos (agents), it didn't seem so friendly. It was almost like you feared them — even if you were not an illegal, you had to look out."
Recruits' advantage
Because southwest border communities are largely Latino, recruits there have an advantage in the required Spanish fluency as well as familiarity with the job. Applicants who can pass a Spanish proficiency test can skip 40 days of required language instruction at the academy.
''It is an easier task to convince someone who lives in Texas to apply for a position in Texas," said Joe Abbott, director of recruitment for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. ''We have a large Hispanic population on the southwest border, and they are familiar with the Border Patrol, so the opportunity is more appealing if they're closer to home."
The government employed a diverse array of recruiting tools to meet the 18,000-agent goal. The Border Patrol sponsored NASCAR stock cars and bull-riding events, held job fairs in communities with high unemployment and visited black college campuses.
Though the Border Patrol force has become more ethnically diverse, it's still 95 percent male. However, the recruiting drive boosted the number of female agents to nearly 1,000.
''To me it's an indication we're making headway in trying to parallel the civilian labor force, by increasing the diversity," Abbott said.
What critics say
But there are some concerns about thousands of new agents enforcing laws in the same communities where they have strong family ties, some that extend across the border.
''The problem I think that will come up are with people who are born and raised there, and have associates on both sides of the border. I don't think that's especially good from an integrity standpoint," said James Dorcy, a director of the National Association of Retired Border Patrol Officers.
''The drug cartels are trying to do everything they can to infiltrate the Border Patrol right now," Dorcy said.
His organization and the National Border Patrol Council worry that the rapid buildup of the Border Patrol, along with an outsourcing of background investigations of applicants to private contractors, has allowed unsuitable candidates to become federal agents.
Corrupt agents
Their concerns have some validity, as a number of agents have been caught taking bribes to allow illegal immigrants, as well as drugs, to cross the border.
Last week a federal judge in McAllen sentenced ex-Border Patrol officer Reynaldo Zuniga, 34, to seven years in prison for drug smuggling. The officer, from the Valley city of Harlingen, was paid to pick up a cocaine smuggler on the Rio Grande and drop him off at a hamburger stand nearby.
Earlier this month, federal prosecutors returned a bribery and narcotics trafficking indictment against Leonel Morales, a 30-year-old Border Patrol agent from Zapata. He is charged with taking a $9,000 bribe to escort a load of narcotics this summer.
Despite the arrests of border officers, Caballero believes his knowledge of the local culture will help figure out if a co-worker has gone bad.
''Honestly, I feel like who else would know better if something is not right, someone who has been in this area their whole life," Caballero said. "That outweighs any possible negative effect that could come out of it."
james.pinkerton@chron.com
They now hold 52 percent of agents' jobs
By JAMES PINKERTON Houston Chronicle Dec. 29, 2008
Growing up along the Texas border, Edward Caballero remembers fearing the green-uniformed agents of the U.S. Border Patrol.
Now, the 32-year old Caballero — a former schoolteacher in the Rio Grande Valley — is one of thousands of new agents who have swelled the force's ranks to more than 18,000, a product of an historic recruitment blitz.
And unlike the Border Patrol of his youth, which was overwhelmingly Anglo, the expanded border agency is now 54 percent minority. Hispanics like Caballero comprise 52 percent of the agents.
''It seems like most Border Patrol officers were Anglos, and I hate to say it, not too friendly towards Hispanics," Caballero recalled. ''It's not so much that way anymore."
Since the Bush administration mandated hiring 6,000 new agents to boost the force to 18,000 by the end of this year, the ranks of Hispanic agents have mushroomed. The roughly 6,400 Hispanic agents on duty in 2006 increased 45 percent to about 9,300 last month.
Caballero said his fluency in Spanish and his upbringing in the Rio Grande Valley, which is predominantly Hispanic, is an advantage when he encounters illegal immigrants trying to cross the winding Rio Grande and fade into riverside communities.
''Overall, I can make more of a connection culturally because of the language and how to interact with Hispanic people," said Caballero, who is stationed in Edinburg. ''Earlier with the Anglos (agents), it didn't seem so friendly. It was almost like you feared them — even if you were not an illegal, you had to look out."
Recruits' advantage
Because southwest border communities are largely Latino, recruits there have an advantage in the required Spanish fluency as well as familiarity with the job. Applicants who can pass a Spanish proficiency test can skip 40 days of required language instruction at the academy.
''It is an easier task to convince someone who lives in Texas to apply for a position in Texas," said Joe Abbott, director of recruitment for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. ''We have a large Hispanic population on the southwest border, and they are familiar with the Border Patrol, so the opportunity is more appealing if they're closer to home."
The government employed a diverse array of recruiting tools to meet the 18,000-agent goal. The Border Patrol sponsored NASCAR stock cars and bull-riding events, held job fairs in communities with high unemployment and visited black college campuses.
Though the Border Patrol force has become more ethnically diverse, it's still 95 percent male. However, the recruiting drive boosted the number of female agents to nearly 1,000.
''To me it's an indication we're making headway in trying to parallel the civilian labor force, by increasing the diversity," Abbott said.
What critics say
But there are some concerns about thousands of new agents enforcing laws in the same communities where they have strong family ties, some that extend across the border.
''The problem I think that will come up are with people who are born and raised there, and have associates on both sides of the border. I don't think that's especially good from an integrity standpoint," said James Dorcy, a director of the National Association of Retired Border Patrol Officers.
''The drug cartels are trying to do everything they can to infiltrate the Border Patrol right now," Dorcy said.
His organization and the National Border Patrol Council worry that the rapid buildup of the Border Patrol, along with an outsourcing of background investigations of applicants to private contractors, has allowed unsuitable candidates to become federal agents.
Corrupt agents
Their concerns have some validity, as a number of agents have been caught taking bribes to allow illegal immigrants, as well as drugs, to cross the border.
Last week a federal judge in McAllen sentenced ex-Border Patrol officer Reynaldo Zuniga, 34, to seven years in prison for drug smuggling. The officer, from the Valley city of Harlingen, was paid to pick up a cocaine smuggler on the Rio Grande and drop him off at a hamburger stand nearby.
Earlier this month, federal prosecutors returned a bribery and narcotics trafficking indictment against Leonel Morales, a 30-year-old Border Patrol agent from Zapata. He is charged with taking a $9,000 bribe to escort a load of narcotics this summer.
Despite the arrests of border officers, Caballero believes his knowledge of the local culture will help figure out if a co-worker has gone bad.
''Honestly, I feel like who else would know better if something is not right, someone who has been in this area their whole life," Caballero said. "That outweighs any possible negative effect that could come out of it."
james.pinkerton@chron.com
Hispanic growth pushes city employees to learn Spanish
Hispanics Now Easton's Largest Minority Group
WFMZ
The make-up of Easton's minority population is shifting. Newly released census figures show that Hispanics now rank as the city's largest minority group. Hispanics outnumber African Americans by a slim margin. Mayor Panto says the growth reflects Easton's progress as a multi-cultural city.
Mayor Panto: A number of our corner stores are Hispanic stores, our largest supermarket in the city is Hispanic owned.
Easton added two Hispanic police officers to its department this year. Also, many city employees have taken Spanish lessons to help bridge the communication gap with the Hispanic community.
WFMZ
The make-up of Easton's minority population is shifting. Newly released census figures show that Hispanics now rank as the city's largest minority group. Hispanics outnumber African Americans by a slim margin. Mayor Panto says the growth reflects Easton's progress as a multi-cultural city.
Mayor Panto: A number of our corner stores are Hispanic stores, our largest supermarket in the city is Hispanic owned.
Easton added two Hispanic police officers to its department this year. Also, many city employees have taken Spanish lessons to help bridge the communication gap with the Hispanic community.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Latino donors invited to Obama gala
Obama donor sharing in D.C. hoopla
A neophyte political activist from Miami is among the contributors to next month's presidential inauguration -- and he'll be there.
BY LESLEY CLARK lclark@MiamiHerald.com
WASHINGTON -- To the list of celebrities like Jamie Foxx and big-name donors such as George Soros giving the maximum to help pay for Barack Obama's inauguration, add one more name: Raul Pedraza, a Miami business owner who until this year hadn't given a cent to a politician.
After contributing what he says was ''lots'' to Obama's presidential campaign, Pedraza has pledged $50,000 to defray the costs of producing an inauguration expected to draw two million people to the Capitol.
For his hefty contribution, Pedraza, the president of Magno International, a Doral-based international transportation company, will gain coveted access to all official inaugural events, including the swearing-in, seating at the parade and tickets to the inaugural balls.
The access isn't as important as seeing that Obama's presidency is celebrated, ''first class,'' Pedraza said.
''It's one of those things for the country, it's prime time and it needs to be done right,'' Pedraza said.
Unlike past inaugural committees, Obama's committee is not accepting contributions from corporations, political action committees, labor unions, current federal lobbyists, non-U.S. citizens or registered foreign agents. It has also capped individual contributions at $50,000, although some donors are bundling up to $300,000. (In contrast, fundraisers for President George W. Bush put a $250,000 cap on individual contributions to his inaugural committees.)
Among Obama's Florida bundlers: Democratic fundraisers Chris Korge of Miami and Mitchell Berger of Fort Lauderdale and Kirk Wagar, who served as Obama's Florida finance chairman.
It will be Korge's third inauguration. He said he's contributing to help ensure a successful event -- the inaugural committee has opened the entire National Mall to the expected flood of observers.
''To the extent I can be helpful in being part of a historic event, I'm glad to do it,'' Korge said. ``America needs to celebrate the inauguration of its president.''
RESERVATIONS IN HAND
The inauguration will be Pedraza's first. But he had no problem securing a place to stay, even as other attendees scramble to find housing. He booked a hotel room in June, long before Obama had secured the nomination.
''I was that confident,'' he said. ``The country needs this change.''
Although he holds an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Maryland and met with former President Bill Clinton in the White House to discuss a regulatory issue, Pedraza says he had never been politically active until he met Obama. Now he has developed what his wife, Tia, jokingly calls an advanced case of ``man love.''
''I went full throttle,'' Pedraza says, laughing. ``There's little I wouldn't do for the campaign.''
His infectious enthusiasm got him named to Obama's Hispanic Leadership Council, which conducted outreach on Obama's behalf. Pedraza spoke often to Cuban-American voters in Miami, and flew to Colorado and elsewhere to speak on Obama's behalf. He was one of 16 Hispanics to sponsor a full-page ad touting Obama in The Miami Herald and even offered office space to the campaign.
Frank Sanchez, who chaired Obama's Hispanic outreach effort, said he was bowled over by the first-time political activist's commitment.
''On top of a hectic business schedule, whenever I called him he would never say no,'' Sanchez said. ``He'd always try to figure out some way to be helpful. Raul was always willing to roll up his sleeves and do whatever needed to be done.''
That included a lot of retail politicking: Pedraza purchased thousands of Obama campaign buttons and handed them out to fellow passengers on flights. And in the wheelchair he has used since a 2002 fall left him a paraplegic, he became a familiar sight courting Cuban-American voters for Obama at Little Havana's Versailles restaurant and Domino Park.
''I loved the entire process,'' the gregarious Pedraza said of the campaign. ``When the news came across the screen that he had won, I'm not ashamed to tell you I cried.''
He even plans to celebrate his 50th birthday -- which is Feb. 8 -- at Obama's inauguration. (His parents -- his mother then 8 1⁄2 months' pregnant -- fled Cuba for Miami after Fidel Castro took over in January 1959.)
COMMON GROUND
Pedraza met Obama at an event at the Overtown Youth Center soon after the Illinois senator announced his candidacy in 2007. Pedraza said he and Obama soon found common ground: Pedraza had been stationed in Obama's home state of Hawaii while serving in the Army, and he holds a master's degree in business administration from Harvard; Obama has a Harvard law degree.
Pedraza, eager for an end to the Iraq War and worried about the Bush administration's stance on torture, was interested in what Obama had to say.
''Our nation was going in a bad direction like I never saw in my life,'' he said.
Impressed with Obama, he said, he jumped ``on the bandwagon before the bandwagon had wheels.''
''Obama is someone who knows who he is, knows what he needs to do and how to get there,'' Pedraza said. ``I knew this was the guy we need.''
A neophyte political activist from Miami is among the contributors to next month's presidential inauguration -- and he'll be there.
BY LESLEY CLARK lclark@MiamiHerald.com
WASHINGTON -- To the list of celebrities like Jamie Foxx and big-name donors such as George Soros giving the maximum to help pay for Barack Obama's inauguration, add one more name: Raul Pedraza, a Miami business owner who until this year hadn't given a cent to a politician.
After contributing what he says was ''lots'' to Obama's presidential campaign, Pedraza has pledged $50,000 to defray the costs of producing an inauguration expected to draw two million people to the Capitol.
For his hefty contribution, Pedraza, the president of Magno International, a Doral-based international transportation company, will gain coveted access to all official inaugural events, including the swearing-in, seating at the parade and tickets to the inaugural balls.
The access isn't as important as seeing that Obama's presidency is celebrated, ''first class,'' Pedraza said.
''It's one of those things for the country, it's prime time and it needs to be done right,'' Pedraza said.
Unlike past inaugural committees, Obama's committee is not accepting contributions from corporations, political action committees, labor unions, current federal lobbyists, non-U.S. citizens or registered foreign agents. It has also capped individual contributions at $50,000, although some donors are bundling up to $300,000. (In contrast, fundraisers for President George W. Bush put a $250,000 cap on individual contributions to his inaugural committees.)
Among Obama's Florida bundlers: Democratic fundraisers Chris Korge of Miami and Mitchell Berger of Fort Lauderdale and Kirk Wagar, who served as Obama's Florida finance chairman.
It will be Korge's third inauguration. He said he's contributing to help ensure a successful event -- the inaugural committee has opened the entire National Mall to the expected flood of observers.
''To the extent I can be helpful in being part of a historic event, I'm glad to do it,'' Korge said. ``America needs to celebrate the inauguration of its president.''
RESERVATIONS IN HAND
The inauguration will be Pedraza's first. But he had no problem securing a place to stay, even as other attendees scramble to find housing. He booked a hotel room in June, long before Obama had secured the nomination.
''I was that confident,'' he said. ``The country needs this change.''
Although he holds an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Maryland and met with former President Bill Clinton in the White House to discuss a regulatory issue, Pedraza says he had never been politically active until he met Obama. Now he has developed what his wife, Tia, jokingly calls an advanced case of ``man love.''
''I went full throttle,'' Pedraza says, laughing. ``There's little I wouldn't do for the campaign.''
His infectious enthusiasm got him named to Obama's Hispanic Leadership Council, which conducted outreach on Obama's behalf. Pedraza spoke often to Cuban-American voters in Miami, and flew to Colorado and elsewhere to speak on Obama's behalf. He was one of 16 Hispanics to sponsor a full-page ad touting Obama in The Miami Herald and even offered office space to the campaign.
Frank Sanchez, who chaired Obama's Hispanic outreach effort, said he was bowled over by the first-time political activist's commitment.
''On top of a hectic business schedule, whenever I called him he would never say no,'' Sanchez said. ``He'd always try to figure out some way to be helpful. Raul was always willing to roll up his sleeves and do whatever needed to be done.''
That included a lot of retail politicking: Pedraza purchased thousands of Obama campaign buttons and handed them out to fellow passengers on flights. And in the wheelchair he has used since a 2002 fall left him a paraplegic, he became a familiar sight courting Cuban-American voters for Obama at Little Havana's Versailles restaurant and Domino Park.
''I loved the entire process,'' the gregarious Pedraza said of the campaign. ``When the news came across the screen that he had won, I'm not ashamed to tell you I cried.''
He even plans to celebrate his 50th birthday -- which is Feb. 8 -- at Obama's inauguration. (His parents -- his mother then 8 1⁄2 months' pregnant -- fled Cuba for Miami after Fidel Castro took over in January 1959.)
COMMON GROUND
Pedraza met Obama at an event at the Overtown Youth Center soon after the Illinois senator announced his candidacy in 2007. Pedraza said he and Obama soon found common ground: Pedraza had been stationed in Obama's home state of Hawaii while serving in the Army, and he holds a master's degree in business administration from Harvard; Obama has a Harvard law degree.
Pedraza, eager for an end to the Iraq War and worried about the Bush administration's stance on torture, was interested in what Obama had to say.
''Our nation was going in a bad direction like I never saw in my life,'' he said.
Impressed with Obama, he said, he jumped ``on the bandwagon before the bandwagon had wheels.''
''Obama is someone who knows who he is, knows what he needs to do and how to get there,'' Pedraza said. ``I knew this was the guy we need.''
Latino students impacted by budget cutbacks
Latino groups weather increasing college obstacles
By Matt Krupnick Contra Costa Times 12/29/2008
With budget cuts straining California's public colleges and universities, some are worried about the effects on Latinos, who are particularly difficult to recruit to higher education in the best of times.
The California State University system, where more than one-quarter of students are Latino, plans to cut enrollment by 10,000 next year. Although the university still plans to guarantee entry to the vast majority of qualified California residents, the plan could discourage students from applying.
Several organizations have worked for years to increase college-attendance rates among the state's 14.3 million Latinos, and some are concerned the new challenges could roll back gains. More than 43 percent of California's 18- to 24-year-old population is Latino, compared with 27 percent of the state's public college and university enrollment.
Although a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed Latinos are far more likely than other ethnicities to value higher education, some parents are recent immigrants who did not attend college and do not understand the challenges their children face.
Budget problems serve to complicate that obstacle, said Deborah Santiago, a co-founder and vice president of Excelencia in Education, which researches Latino education issues. The resulting obstacles will contradict the state's longtime mission to provide widespread college access, Santiago said.
"Even if we got these first-generation students better educated (about college), I think California would be challenged to have the capacity to serve them," she said. "Talk about a misalignment of messages."
But support groups are continuing to convince Latinos that a college education is possible. At the Parent Institute for Quality Education, students whose parents complete courses about the college-going process are given priority in Cal State admissions.
And Excelencia in Education promotes programs that address the needs of the Latino community, such as in-depth counseling and bilingual nursing courses.
"The messaging is still optimistic, but we are realistic about the possibility that things might not be working out," said Rosa Armendariz, Los Medanos College's activity director for the Pittsburg school's federal Hispanic-Serving Institution grant.
Most of the groups say the added challenges mean students need to prepare early for college by taking the required classes through high school.
About 30 percent of the state's nearly 2.8 million community college students are Latino. Although that's a higher percentage than either the Cal State or University of California systems can boast, students and educators point out that people of all races have trouble making the leap from two-year to four-year colleges.
Researchers have estimated that as little as 18 percent of Latino community college students seeking a four-year degree succeed in transferring from the two-year schools. Many Latino students give up after four or five years in community college, said Miguel Marez, a 27-year-old master's degree student at Cal State East Bay.
Latino students whose parents have no college experience need help filling out financial-aid forms and figuring out college paths, he said. Marez recalled many of his childhood friends giving up on college aspirations early.
"A lot of my friends would become landscapers or housekeepers," said Marez, a social-work student. "I can think of a lot of male Latinos going into the military, but I can't think of many who went into college."
The state budget problems aren't making that pathway any easier. Even at the particularly accessible community colleges, required courses are being cut, leaving fewer opportunities for working students to fit school into their schedules.
And UC leaders have left open the possibility that they will limit enrollment next year, perhaps shutting off another possibility for some students.
Even though many Spanish-speaking immigrants don't understand the technical aspects of applying to college, they do understand the consequences if their children don't attend college, said Michele Siqueiros, executive director of the Campaign for College Opportunity.
"Latinos understand that in this country, if you're going to get ahead, you need to have an education," she said. "If we don't do anything about it, we're not going to meet the state's workplace needs."
Matt Krupnick covers higher education. Reach him at 925-943-8246 or mkrupnick@bayareanewsgroup.com.
By Matt Krupnick Contra Costa Times 12/29/2008
With budget cuts straining California's public colleges and universities, some are worried about the effects on Latinos, who are particularly difficult to recruit to higher education in the best of times.
The California State University system, where more than one-quarter of students are Latino, plans to cut enrollment by 10,000 next year. Although the university still plans to guarantee entry to the vast majority of qualified California residents, the plan could discourage students from applying.
Several organizations have worked for years to increase college-attendance rates among the state's 14.3 million Latinos, and some are concerned the new challenges could roll back gains. More than 43 percent of California's 18- to 24-year-old population is Latino, compared with 27 percent of the state's public college and university enrollment.
Although a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed Latinos are far more likely than other ethnicities to value higher education, some parents are recent immigrants who did not attend college and do not understand the challenges their children face.
Budget problems serve to complicate that obstacle, said Deborah Santiago, a co-founder and vice president of Excelencia in Education, which researches Latino education issues. The resulting obstacles will contradict the state's longtime mission to provide widespread college access, Santiago said.
"Even if we got these first-generation students better educated (about college), I think California would be challenged to have the capacity to serve them," she said. "Talk about a misalignment of messages."
But support groups are continuing to convince Latinos that a college education is possible. At the Parent Institute for Quality Education, students whose parents complete courses about the college-going process are given priority in Cal State admissions.
And Excelencia in Education promotes programs that address the needs of the Latino community, such as in-depth counseling and bilingual nursing courses.
"The messaging is still optimistic, but we are realistic about the possibility that things might not be working out," said Rosa Armendariz, Los Medanos College's activity director for the Pittsburg school's federal Hispanic-Serving Institution grant.
Most of the groups say the added challenges mean students need to prepare early for college by taking the required classes through high school.
About 30 percent of the state's nearly 2.8 million community college students are Latino. Although that's a higher percentage than either the Cal State or University of California systems can boast, students and educators point out that people of all races have trouble making the leap from two-year to four-year colleges.
Researchers have estimated that as little as 18 percent of Latino community college students seeking a four-year degree succeed in transferring from the two-year schools. Many Latino students give up after four or five years in community college, said Miguel Marez, a 27-year-old master's degree student at Cal State East Bay.
Latino students whose parents have no college experience need help filling out financial-aid forms and figuring out college paths, he said. Marez recalled many of his childhood friends giving up on college aspirations early.
"A lot of my friends would become landscapers or housekeepers," said Marez, a social-work student. "I can think of a lot of male Latinos going into the military, but I can't think of many who went into college."
The state budget problems aren't making that pathway any easier. Even at the particularly accessible community colleges, required courses are being cut, leaving fewer opportunities for working students to fit school into their schedules.
And UC leaders have left open the possibility that they will limit enrollment next year, perhaps shutting off another possibility for some students.
Even though many Spanish-speaking immigrants don't understand the technical aspects of applying to college, they do understand the consequences if their children don't attend college, said Michele Siqueiros, executive director of the Campaign for College Opportunity.
"Latinos understand that in this country, if you're going to get ahead, you need to have an education," she said. "If we don't do anything about it, we're not going to meet the state's workplace needs."
Matt Krupnick covers higher education. Reach him at 925-943-8246 or mkrupnick@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Hispanics helped by local Librarian
Carson Culver: California transplant brings 'bicultural' strength to DeSoto
By Jerome Wright Memphis Commercial Appeal December 28, 2008
Horn Lake librarian Carson Culver was standing in line at a DeSoto County bank shortly after relocating to the county from California in May 2002.
What she observed while waiting in line to open a bank account set her on a path toward bringing greater understanding between English- and Spanish-speaking families in DeSoto County.
Carson Culver: "We're trying to bring families and cultures together."
Culver, who is youth specialist at Horn Lake's M. R. Dye Public Library, said that while waiting in the bank she watched a Hispanic man try to make himself understood to a teller. The teller finally became frustrated and called police.
"That type of thing would have never happened in California," she said.
The incident set her on a personal and professional mission to make sure such incidents don't happen.
The Dye library has been a focal point of those efforts. Culver is credited with making the branch more user-friendly for Hispanic residents and a focal point for better bicultural relations.
Perhaps that's fitting since Horn Lake has been a mecca for Hispanic families who have moved into DeSoto.
She serves or has served on a variety of boards in the county, such as the Red Cross and the DeSoto Arts Council. In each case, she pushes "biculturalism."
Through her work with the Red Cross, for example, the agency was able to conduct its first Hispanic blood drive in DeSoto County.
Because of Culver's efforts, the Dye library recorded a nationally recognized innovative, multicultural outreach program, which included the Hispanic Family Initiative.
An offshoot of those efforts is the Family Cultural Exchange, which sponsors monthly programs with a bilingual focus. For example, the Exchange offered a Christmas party Dec. 19 that included a bilingual Santa.
"We're trying to bring families and cultures together," Culver said. "We're always swapping ideas that have led to things like babysitting classes and English language classes."
The Dye library also conducts an annual school-registration help day for non-English speaking parents of school-age children.
Most parents seeking the help are Spanish speaking, but an increasing number of families who speak other languages also are seeking the assistance, Carson said in an earlier interview.
Bilingual volunteers help parents with the paperwork.
"We have Thai immigrants, Chinese immigrants and Arab immigrants come. We find a way to communicate with anybody," Culver said.
Contact Jerome Wright at 529-5830.
By Jerome Wright Memphis Commercial Appeal December 28, 2008
Horn Lake librarian Carson Culver was standing in line at a DeSoto County bank shortly after relocating to the county from California in May 2002.
What she observed while waiting in line to open a bank account set her on a path toward bringing greater understanding between English- and Spanish-speaking families in DeSoto County.
Carson Culver: "We're trying to bring families and cultures together."
Culver, who is youth specialist at Horn Lake's M. R. Dye Public Library, said that while waiting in the bank she watched a Hispanic man try to make himself understood to a teller. The teller finally became frustrated and called police.
"That type of thing would have never happened in California," she said.
The incident set her on a personal and professional mission to make sure such incidents don't happen.
The Dye library has been a focal point of those efforts. Culver is credited with making the branch more user-friendly for Hispanic residents and a focal point for better bicultural relations.
Perhaps that's fitting since Horn Lake has been a mecca for Hispanic families who have moved into DeSoto.
She serves or has served on a variety of boards in the county, such as the Red Cross and the DeSoto Arts Council. In each case, she pushes "biculturalism."
Through her work with the Red Cross, for example, the agency was able to conduct its first Hispanic blood drive in DeSoto County.
Because of Culver's efforts, the Dye library recorded a nationally recognized innovative, multicultural outreach program, which included the Hispanic Family Initiative.
An offshoot of those efforts is the Family Cultural Exchange, which sponsors monthly programs with a bilingual focus. For example, the Exchange offered a Christmas party Dec. 19 that included a bilingual Santa.
"We're trying to bring families and cultures together," Culver said. "We're always swapping ideas that have led to things like babysitting classes and English language classes."
The Dye library also conducts an annual school-registration help day for non-English speaking parents of school-age children.
Most parents seeking the help are Spanish speaking, but an increasing number of families who speak other languages also are seeking the assistance, Carson said in an earlier interview.
Bilingual volunteers help parents with the paperwork.
"We have Thai immigrants, Chinese immigrants and Arab immigrants come. We find a way to communicate with anybody," Culver said.
Contact Jerome Wright at 529-5830.
Quarterback draws Hispanic following
Trojans QB draws loyal Hispanic following
By Jeff McLane Inquirer Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES - Mark Sanchez didn't set out to be a spokesman for Mexican Americans.
But Sanchez's heritage and prominent standing as Southern Cal's quarterback naturally propelled the large Hispanic community here to latch onto the third-generation Mexican American.
Sanchez knew as much, and because of that pride, he had the Trojans' team dentist create a mouthpiece with a Mexican flag across the front. He wore it last year during a three-game stint as the starter but was heavily criticized on Internet message boards and in newspaper columns.
"It was surprising," Sanchez said yesterday. "It taught me a lot about the spotlight that I'm in and how many people you can reach."
It further endeared him to his Mexican followers, but he never wore the mouthpiece again and has since downplayed political views. Sanchez, after all, grew up in middle-class Orange County, cannot speak Spanish fluently, and is as much the all-American quarterback as his USC predecessors were.
"It's not like I'm Mexican to a fanatic standpoint like some kind of radical, political stance," the 22-year-old said. "It's a part of my upbringing and I'm proud of it. But it's not like I have anything against this country. I love it."
Nevertheless, he has become a beacon for football-loving Hispanic Americans. At USC's open practice, as the Trojans prepared for Penn State and Thursday's Rose Bowl, a large number of Mexican fans came just to see Sanchez.
Armando Barragan and his wife, Paula, regularly attend practice and have developed a rapport with the outgoing redshirt junior. According to Armando, 55, Sanchez often will walk the sideline and engage in conversation with supporters.
"It's great to see someone from your background succeed," Barragan said. "We met his parents at a tailgate party, and he just happened to see us here and came over and called [Paula] 'Mrs. Faithful.' "
Paula, 50, holds up her cane, inscribed with Sanchez's signature as well as the moniker he gave her.
"He's very proud of his origins," Paula Barragan said. "He's very caring - takes the time to stop and talk to everybody and thanks them for coming."
There have been other big-name quarterbacks with Mexican heritage - Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo and Jim Plunkett among them - but none has been so adopted by the community in which he plays.
"My Hispanic background - if that leads them to be Trojans fans, I'm happy about that," Sanchez said. "But obviously I'm proud to be an American, where I can celebrate my heritage."
Sanchez, though, had a Norman Rockwellesque childhood. His father, Nick, is a fire captain and moved the family to the predominantly white Orange County when Mark was 6. Mark - like his two older brothers, Nick Jr. and Brandon - was tutored to play under center by Nick Sr., a former junior-college quarterback.
Nick Jr., now a lawyer, played at Yale. Brandon, a mortgage broker, was an offensive lineman at Depauw.
Mark was destined to suit up for hometown USC. As a youngster, he was a ball boy for future Trojans quarterback Carson Palmer when he was a high school star in Orange County. At Mission Viejo High, he played for Bob Johnson, the father of former USC and Buffalo Bills quarterback Rob Johnson.
Still, there were obstacles. Sanchez was redshirted his first year. Later that school year, he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. He eventually was cleared but temporarily was suspended from the team.
"It was one of those things - on the field, people will cheap-shot you, and in a social light, someone might toss their drink at you and see how you respond," Sanchez said later. "You learn, you grow, you mature."
He has since avoided trouble, and on the field won the starting job outright before this season. In leading USC to an 11-1 record, Sanchez threw for 2,794 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions. He plans to return for his final year, a prospect embraced by the Trojans and Hispanic communities, and, of course, coach Pete Carroll.
"I think everybody's latched onto him because he's a terrific kid and is a great performer," Carroll said. "He does have a real flair in dealing with people. He has an energy about him."
Contact staff writer Jeff McLane at 215-854-4745 or jmclane@phillynews.com.
By Jeff McLane Inquirer Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES - Mark Sanchez didn't set out to be a spokesman for Mexican Americans.
But Sanchez's heritage and prominent standing as Southern Cal's quarterback naturally propelled the large Hispanic community here to latch onto the third-generation Mexican American.
Sanchez knew as much, and because of that pride, he had the Trojans' team dentist create a mouthpiece with a Mexican flag across the front. He wore it last year during a three-game stint as the starter but was heavily criticized on Internet message boards and in newspaper columns.
"It was surprising," Sanchez said yesterday. "It taught me a lot about the spotlight that I'm in and how many people you can reach."
It further endeared him to his Mexican followers, but he never wore the mouthpiece again and has since downplayed political views. Sanchez, after all, grew up in middle-class Orange County, cannot speak Spanish fluently, and is as much the all-American quarterback as his USC predecessors were.
"It's not like I'm Mexican to a fanatic standpoint like some kind of radical, political stance," the 22-year-old said. "It's a part of my upbringing and I'm proud of it. But it's not like I have anything against this country. I love it."
Nevertheless, he has become a beacon for football-loving Hispanic Americans. At USC's open practice, as the Trojans prepared for Penn State and Thursday's Rose Bowl, a large number of Mexican fans came just to see Sanchez.
Armando Barragan and his wife, Paula, regularly attend practice and have developed a rapport with the outgoing redshirt junior. According to Armando, 55, Sanchez often will walk the sideline and engage in conversation with supporters.
"It's great to see someone from your background succeed," Barragan said. "We met his parents at a tailgate party, and he just happened to see us here and came over and called [Paula] 'Mrs. Faithful.' "
Paula, 50, holds up her cane, inscribed with Sanchez's signature as well as the moniker he gave her.
"He's very proud of his origins," Paula Barragan said. "He's very caring - takes the time to stop and talk to everybody and thanks them for coming."
There have been other big-name quarterbacks with Mexican heritage - Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo and Jim Plunkett among them - but none has been so adopted by the community in which he plays.
"My Hispanic background - if that leads them to be Trojans fans, I'm happy about that," Sanchez said. "But obviously I'm proud to be an American, where I can celebrate my heritage."
Sanchez, though, had a Norman Rockwellesque childhood. His father, Nick, is a fire captain and moved the family to the predominantly white Orange County when Mark was 6. Mark - like his two older brothers, Nick Jr. and Brandon - was tutored to play under center by Nick Sr., a former junior-college quarterback.
Nick Jr., now a lawyer, played at Yale. Brandon, a mortgage broker, was an offensive lineman at Depauw.
Mark was destined to suit up for hometown USC. As a youngster, he was a ball boy for future Trojans quarterback Carson Palmer when he was a high school star in Orange County. At Mission Viejo High, he played for Bob Johnson, the father of former USC and Buffalo Bills quarterback Rob Johnson.
Still, there were obstacles. Sanchez was redshirted his first year. Later that school year, he was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. He eventually was cleared but temporarily was suspended from the team.
"It was one of those things - on the field, people will cheap-shot you, and in a social light, someone might toss their drink at you and see how you respond," Sanchez said later. "You learn, you grow, you mature."
He has since avoided trouble, and on the field won the starting job outright before this season. In leading USC to an 11-1 record, Sanchez threw for 2,794 yards and 30 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions. He plans to return for his final year, a prospect embraced by the Trojans and Hispanic communities, and, of course, coach Pete Carroll.
"I think everybody's latched onto him because he's a terrific kid and is a great performer," Carroll said. "He does have a real flair in dealing with people. He has an energy about him."
Contact staff writer Jeff McLane at 215-854-4745 or jmclane@phillynews.com.
Hispanic immigrants was center of debate in '08
Hispanic community was center of debate in 2008
Cost of illegals was highlighted
By TED STRONG Staff Writer
It has been a tumultuous year for Beaufort County’s immigrant Hispanic community.
Perhaps the biggest event was the appearance of protestors in town, pointing out how many legal residents, even American citizens, had last names that sounded Latin American.
The move was prompted by a proposal backed by Beaufort County Commissioner Hood Richardson.
Citing concern about the cost of providing social services to illegal immigrants, Richardson wanted the county’s health department to calculate how many illegal immigrants it served.
His solution: count the number of people with Hispanic surnames.
Richardson has spoken against the costs of illegal immigrants at other times and in other ways, of course, but this one really stirred up a hornet’s nest.
The apparent implication of his plan — that most, if not all, people with Hispanic last names are in the country illegally — upset many.
Richardson’s proposal wasn’t put into action. Among the many other concerns: The U.S. Department of Justice might find it illegal.
Richardson later spoke about the cost of providing English as a second language courses in local schools. And he closely questioned Beaufort County Community College President David McLawhorn about any illegal immigrants enrolled at the community college.
McLawhorn told Richardson that illegal immigrants who identified themselves as such have taken basic skills courses, which are open to everyone. The most popular courses for illegal immigrants were English classes.
The debate mirrored state questions about whether illegal immigrants graduating from North Carolina high schools should be allowed to attend community colleges as in-state students. Both candidates for governor took a negative position on the issue, which has been delayed pending the results of a study.
Later in the year, Helen Marrow, a Harvard-educated researcher originally from Tarboro, gave a presentation on immigration issues at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Washington.
Among several points she raised: Many Canadians immigrate to the U.S. illegally, but aren’t at the center of a furor similar to the one over immigrants from Latin America. She also discussed different forces that influence the migration patterns of immigrants. And she identified opportunities for the community to better itself through the immigration phenomenon.
Cost of illegals was highlighted
By TED STRONG Staff Writer
It has been a tumultuous year for Beaufort County’s immigrant Hispanic community.
Perhaps the biggest event was the appearance of protestors in town, pointing out how many legal residents, even American citizens, had last names that sounded Latin American.
The move was prompted by a proposal backed by Beaufort County Commissioner Hood Richardson.
Citing concern about the cost of providing social services to illegal immigrants, Richardson wanted the county’s health department to calculate how many illegal immigrants it served.
His solution: count the number of people with Hispanic surnames.
Richardson has spoken against the costs of illegal immigrants at other times and in other ways, of course, but this one really stirred up a hornet’s nest.
The apparent implication of his plan — that most, if not all, people with Hispanic last names are in the country illegally — upset many.
Richardson’s proposal wasn’t put into action. Among the many other concerns: The U.S. Department of Justice might find it illegal.
Richardson later spoke about the cost of providing English as a second language courses in local schools. And he closely questioned Beaufort County Community College President David McLawhorn about any illegal immigrants enrolled at the community college.
McLawhorn told Richardson that illegal immigrants who identified themselves as such have taken basic skills courses, which are open to everyone. The most popular courses for illegal immigrants were English classes.
The debate mirrored state questions about whether illegal immigrants graduating from North Carolina high schools should be allowed to attend community colleges as in-state students. Both candidates for governor took a negative position on the issue, which has been delayed pending the results of a study.
Later in the year, Helen Marrow, a Harvard-educated researcher originally from Tarboro, gave a presentation on immigration issues at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Washington.
Among several points she raised: Many Canadians immigrate to the U.S. illegally, but aren’t at the center of a furor similar to the one over immigrants from Latin America. She also discussed different forces that influence the migration patterns of immigrants. And she identified opportunities for the community to better itself through the immigration phenomenon.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Fear of Latino growth pushes English only law
English-only has its Latino supporters, too
By Chris Echegaray • THE TENNESSEAN • December 27, 2008
Eddie Garcia's mother rushed him to a New England hospital when he was 3. An Italian immigrant, she spoke no English, and his Cuban-Chilean father didn't either.
The lack of communication was traumatizing — until a hospital worker stepped forward to translate. When the family left, Garcia's mother made a vow.
"She said that would never happen to us again," Garcia said. "We started to learn English right after that. … No one should depend on a translator. You have to look out for your own interests."
Early voting on Metro Nashville's English-only charter amendment begins Friday, with the election Jan. 22. As the dates approach, several Spanish speakers favoring the measure are surfacing, highlighting different views in a diverse, burgeoning Latino community.
The trend also underscores two points many on both sides of the debate have overlooked: The Latino community isn't a monolith, and its members debate assimilation versus tradition.
If passed, the measure would require all Metro government business to be done in English, with the council given power to grant exceptions.
Opponents insist it threatens Nashville's status as a progressive city and penalizes not only the illegal immigrants who some wish to discourage from moving here, but also refugees resettled here by the government.
No matter where they come from, immigrants in Nashville will assimilate as they have for generations, said Vanderbilt University history professor Edward Wright-Rios, who specializes in cultural history and Latin America.
"I'm sure some people, especially the exceptionally socially skilled, make the transition here more quickly," he said. "But there are some people who fight assimilation. The adjustment is difficult. My guess is that the ones who are supporting (English-only) often are the entrepreneurial immigrants frustrated with their compatriotaswho seem to be lagging."
Fourteen percent of people in Davidson County speak a language other than English at home, according to 2007 Census figures, and 10 percent of the county's population is foreign born. Neither side has numbers on how foreign-language speakers are likely to vote.
More against than for
Anecdotal evidence shows more Latinos weigh in against the measure than support it. Several Pew Hispanic national surveys have shown that Hispanics find a lack of English skills is a leading cause of discrimination, so they learn English.
New immigrants are likely to oppose the measure, but they're least likely to have voting rights — they'll be forced to rely on the more established Latino community and the opposition group Nashville for All of Us. That organization's primary argument against the proposal is that it will hurt business, said member Tom Negri, general manager of the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.
"I would defy you to find 5 percent of Hispanics in favor of this," Negri said. "This is a disheartening ordinance for major firms who may want to move in with diverse employees. Now is not the time to build an imaginary fence."
The argument over English-only has found itself framed around Latinos and illegal immigration when it also would impact resettled refugees, including the largest Kurdish community in the nation and pockets of Sudanese, Somalis, Egyptians and others.
Many were invited by the U.S. government to build new lives here, said Kovan Murat, a Kurdish community activist. Murat settled in Nashville with his family in 1992 after fleeing Saddam Hussein's regime.
"It takes time for immigrants to assimilate, and they do it," Murat said. "In the meantime, there should be translators to help in the beginning with the process. These people are not illegal immigrants. They are legally here and become naturalized citizens."
Crafton not surprised
Garcia, the Cuban-born musician whose hospital incident marked how he felt about English-only, and other Hispanics support Metro Councilman Eric Crafton's proposal from the perspective that immersion is the best way to assimilate.
Garcia, raised in Methuen, Mass., moved here from Florida nearly two years ago.
"I came to this country for a better life, and I owe this country for the person I am today," Garcia said. "What I am saying is, learn how to defend your rights by learning the language, and don't resort to a translator. We don't have to forget our culture or our native tongue. My daughter speaks four languages."
Jaime Garzon came to the U.S. from Colombia with his mother and sister when he was 12. His mother spoke English, but he didn't. They settled in Mississippi before moving to Tullahoma and Nashville. Garzon also preaches learning English.
"Submerge yourself and it will not take much time," he said. "When I was younger, I went to Arizona and quickly moved up at work because I was fluent in English when others only knew a few words. My issue is with the people that don't even try to learn."
It's no surprise to Crafton, the primary proponent for the English-only measure, that some Latinos support him — he said national polls indicate Spanish-speakers support English as the official language.
"What I've been saying 100 times is that this charter leaves us with the ability to control what services we provide and don't want to provide," he added. "Our job is really easy to convince people that a community is more united, more efficient under one common language."
Contact Chris Echegaray at 615-664-2144 or cechegaray@tennessean.com.
By Chris Echegaray • THE TENNESSEAN • December 27, 2008
Eddie Garcia's mother rushed him to a New England hospital when he was 3. An Italian immigrant, she spoke no English, and his Cuban-Chilean father didn't either.
The lack of communication was traumatizing — until a hospital worker stepped forward to translate. When the family left, Garcia's mother made a vow.
"She said that would never happen to us again," Garcia said. "We started to learn English right after that. … No one should depend on a translator. You have to look out for your own interests."
Early voting on Metro Nashville's English-only charter amendment begins Friday, with the election Jan. 22. As the dates approach, several Spanish speakers favoring the measure are surfacing, highlighting different views in a diverse, burgeoning Latino community.
The trend also underscores two points many on both sides of the debate have overlooked: The Latino community isn't a monolith, and its members debate assimilation versus tradition.
If passed, the measure would require all Metro government business to be done in English, with the council given power to grant exceptions.
Opponents insist it threatens Nashville's status as a progressive city and penalizes not only the illegal immigrants who some wish to discourage from moving here, but also refugees resettled here by the government.
No matter where they come from, immigrants in Nashville will assimilate as they have for generations, said Vanderbilt University history professor Edward Wright-Rios, who specializes in cultural history and Latin America.
"I'm sure some people, especially the exceptionally socially skilled, make the transition here more quickly," he said. "But there are some people who fight assimilation. The adjustment is difficult. My guess is that the ones who are supporting (English-only) often are the entrepreneurial immigrants frustrated with their compatriotaswho seem to be lagging."
Fourteen percent of people in Davidson County speak a language other than English at home, according to 2007 Census figures, and 10 percent of the county's population is foreign born. Neither side has numbers on how foreign-language speakers are likely to vote.
More against than for
Anecdotal evidence shows more Latinos weigh in against the measure than support it. Several Pew Hispanic national surveys have shown that Hispanics find a lack of English skills is a leading cause of discrimination, so they learn English.
New immigrants are likely to oppose the measure, but they're least likely to have voting rights — they'll be forced to rely on the more established Latino community and the opposition group Nashville for All of Us. That organization's primary argument against the proposal is that it will hurt business, said member Tom Negri, general manager of the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.
"I would defy you to find 5 percent of Hispanics in favor of this," Negri said. "This is a disheartening ordinance for major firms who may want to move in with diverse employees. Now is not the time to build an imaginary fence."
The argument over English-only has found itself framed around Latinos and illegal immigration when it also would impact resettled refugees, including the largest Kurdish community in the nation and pockets of Sudanese, Somalis, Egyptians and others.
Many were invited by the U.S. government to build new lives here, said Kovan Murat, a Kurdish community activist. Murat settled in Nashville with his family in 1992 after fleeing Saddam Hussein's regime.
"It takes time for immigrants to assimilate, and they do it," Murat said. "In the meantime, there should be translators to help in the beginning with the process. These people are not illegal immigrants. They are legally here and become naturalized citizens."
Crafton not surprised
Garcia, the Cuban-born musician whose hospital incident marked how he felt about English-only, and other Hispanics support Metro Councilman Eric Crafton's proposal from the perspective that immersion is the best way to assimilate.
Garcia, raised in Methuen, Mass., moved here from Florida nearly two years ago.
"I came to this country for a better life, and I owe this country for the person I am today," Garcia said. "What I am saying is, learn how to defend your rights by learning the language, and don't resort to a translator. We don't have to forget our culture or our native tongue. My daughter speaks four languages."
Jaime Garzon came to the U.S. from Colombia with his mother and sister when he was 12. His mother spoke English, but he didn't. They settled in Mississippi before moving to Tullahoma and Nashville. Garzon also preaches learning English.
"Submerge yourself and it will not take much time," he said. "When I was younger, I went to Arizona and quickly moved up at work because I was fluent in English when others only knew a few words. My issue is with the people that don't even try to learn."
It's no surprise to Crafton, the primary proponent for the English-only measure, that some Latinos support him — he said national polls indicate Spanish-speakers support English as the official language.
"What I've been saying 100 times is that this charter leaves us with the ability to control what services we provide and don't want to provide," he added. "Our job is really easy to convince people that a community is more united, more efficient under one common language."
Contact Chris Echegaray at 615-664-2144 or cechegaray@tennessean.com.
Latino center leadership battle over funds
Latino center in turmoil
Leadership battle puts dark cloud over Mexican Community Center
By Jennie Rodriguez Record Staff Writer December 27, 2008
STOCKTON - A power struggle over how the Mexican Community Center should operate has brought the center's activities to a screeching halt.
Virginia Espinosa, the treasurer of the Comision Honorifica Mexicana (Mexican Honorific Commission), claims the agency's seven-member governing board has mismanaged the organization.
In an unusual move, Espinosa, who is the granddaughter of one of the commission's founders, has managed to oust the original board, establish a new six-member interim board and seize control of the commission's Mexican Community Center in south Stockton.
In documents filed in San Joaquin County Superior Court, Espinosa and John Castellon claim former board president Luis Magaña has monopolized the commission, which was established in 1938 for the purpose of preserving Latino traditions such as Mexican Independence Day.
The organization's 30 members put together several community-wide Latino events annually serving hundreds of Stockton residents. The members also are given discounts and priority on renting out the community center, and they benefit from networking opportunities by being part of the cultural organization.
According to Espinosa, Magaña, who has been president of the board since 2007, brought in his friends as members, paid their membership fees and approved their memberships without going through the established application process.
Espinosa and Castellon said Magaña, an immigration and human rights activist, at times acted without board approval and banned members who disagreed with him. Espinosa, a language-resource teacher at Peyton Elementary School, said in the court declaration that Magaña's political involvement threatened the group's nonprofit status and violated its bylaws. A copy of the group's bylaws obtained by The Record does not include a rule that prevents political events at the center.
"The commission was getting ruined," Espinosa said. "We're trying to save it.
"I want to bring people back to the community center. We don't want anymore corruption."
Magaña denies the accusations and said the center only served as a rental facility for the forums of other groups.
"The political work I do has nothing to do with the commission," he said.
Espinosa said she also was frustrated with Magaña and other board members because they refused to file the organization's income taxes, and she feared the commission's demise. The group hasn't filed income taxes since 2005. She said Magaña also refused to pay back state taxes. "I am not losing this commission," Espinosa said.
According to Magaña, the organization planned to pay the $21,822.24 in outstanding state taxes after paying off loans the commission undertook to fix a previous financial crisis. Those loans, totaling $90,000, recently were paid off. Magaña said he was unaware of recent income taxes not being filed and blamed Espinosa.
The debacle comes during a critical time when ex-braceros who meet at the facility rely on Magaña to help them claim reimbursement from Mexico.
"How is it possible that this person can do so much harm," he said, referring to Espinosa. "This is not just about Luis Magaña."
Espinosa met with Antonia and Jesus Villalvazo, two of the ousted board members, and pressured them to sign a resolution to dissolve the organization, according to five of the seven former board members.
Such a resolution, they contend, must be voted on by the entire board.
The married pair signed the document Nov. 7. But later, Antonia Villalvazo recanted in a letter to the state attorney general. She claimed Espinosa told her if the leadership did not change, the state would go after her and the other board members for the commission's tax liabilities.
"I feel I was misled," Villalvazo said. "I have my house and my clerical services business. I didn't want to lose them. After that, I didn't feel right. This is something we should have voted on."
The others said they did not vote nor have knowledge of the resolution. Espinosa said four out of seven voted on the decision.
On Nov. 10, the newly formed board submitted a statement listing Jesus Tzintzun as president, Maria Ernestina Arroyo as secretary; and Virginia Espinosa as treasurer. Most of the new board has been involved with the organization in the past.
Magaña has been served a temporary restraining order to stay at least 100 yards away. As part of the order, he is forbidden from representing the Comision Honorifica Mexicana. Magaña is fighting the restriction, and a hearing on the matter has been scheduled in San Joaquin County Superior Court on Jan. 13.
Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez at (209) 943-8564 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com.
Leadership battle puts dark cloud over Mexican Community Center
By Jennie Rodriguez Record Staff Writer December 27, 2008
STOCKTON - A power struggle over how the Mexican Community Center should operate has brought the center's activities to a screeching halt.
Virginia Espinosa, the treasurer of the Comision Honorifica Mexicana (Mexican Honorific Commission), claims the agency's seven-member governing board has mismanaged the organization.
In an unusual move, Espinosa, who is the granddaughter of one of the commission's founders, has managed to oust the original board, establish a new six-member interim board and seize control of the commission's Mexican Community Center in south Stockton.
In documents filed in San Joaquin County Superior Court, Espinosa and John Castellon claim former board president Luis Magaña has monopolized the commission, which was established in 1938 for the purpose of preserving Latino traditions such as Mexican Independence Day.
The organization's 30 members put together several community-wide Latino events annually serving hundreds of Stockton residents. The members also are given discounts and priority on renting out the community center, and they benefit from networking opportunities by being part of the cultural organization.
According to Espinosa, Magaña, who has been president of the board since 2007, brought in his friends as members, paid their membership fees and approved their memberships without going through the established application process.
Espinosa and Castellon said Magaña, an immigration and human rights activist, at times acted without board approval and banned members who disagreed with him. Espinosa, a language-resource teacher at Peyton Elementary School, said in the court declaration that Magaña's political involvement threatened the group's nonprofit status and violated its bylaws. A copy of the group's bylaws obtained by The Record does not include a rule that prevents political events at the center.
"The commission was getting ruined," Espinosa said. "We're trying to save it.
"I want to bring people back to the community center. We don't want anymore corruption."
Magaña denies the accusations and said the center only served as a rental facility for the forums of other groups.
"The political work I do has nothing to do with the commission," he said.
Espinosa said she also was frustrated with Magaña and other board members because they refused to file the organization's income taxes, and she feared the commission's demise. The group hasn't filed income taxes since 2005. She said Magaña also refused to pay back state taxes. "I am not losing this commission," Espinosa said.
According to Magaña, the organization planned to pay the $21,822.24 in outstanding state taxes after paying off loans the commission undertook to fix a previous financial crisis. Those loans, totaling $90,000, recently were paid off. Magaña said he was unaware of recent income taxes not being filed and blamed Espinosa.
The debacle comes during a critical time when ex-braceros who meet at the facility rely on Magaña to help them claim reimbursement from Mexico.
"How is it possible that this person can do so much harm," he said, referring to Espinosa. "This is not just about Luis Magaña."
Espinosa met with Antonia and Jesus Villalvazo, two of the ousted board members, and pressured them to sign a resolution to dissolve the organization, according to five of the seven former board members.
Such a resolution, they contend, must be voted on by the entire board.
The married pair signed the document Nov. 7. But later, Antonia Villalvazo recanted in a letter to the state attorney general. She claimed Espinosa told her if the leadership did not change, the state would go after her and the other board members for the commission's tax liabilities.
"I feel I was misled," Villalvazo said. "I have my house and my clerical services business. I didn't want to lose them. After that, I didn't feel right. This is something we should have voted on."
The others said they did not vote nor have knowledge of the resolution. Espinosa said four out of seven voted on the decision.
On Nov. 10, the newly formed board submitted a statement listing Jesus Tzintzun as president, Maria Ernestina Arroyo as secretary; and Virginia Espinosa as treasurer. Most of the new board has been involved with the organization in the past.
Magaña has been served a temporary restraining order to stay at least 100 yards away. As part of the order, he is forbidden from representing the Comision Honorifica Mexicana. Magaña is fighting the restriction, and a hearing on the matter has been scheduled in San Joaquin County Superior Court on Jan. 13.
Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez at (209) 943-8564 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com.
Texas Latinos help nonprofits
With eye to future, Austin Latinos supporting philanthropy
New FuturoFund Austin seeks to tap growing pool of young Hispanic professionals.
By Juan Castillo AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF December 28, 2008
Coming of age in East Austin, Lonnie Limon did not have to look far to find Hispanic leaders. Among the role models he admired were public service-minded people like Gus Garcia, who would go on to become mayor, and business owners like his grandfather Fidel, who for nearly 50 years has run Estrada's Cleaners & Tuxedo, the East Seventh Street fixture bearing his surname.
Limon, 35, left Austin in the late 1980s, but on his return a few years ago, he was struck by the metamorphosis of Austin's Latino population, the fastest-growing demographic group in the city. Garcia still earns respect as an elder statesman, and Estrada's is still in business. But Limon noted striking changes in the tableau of Latinos who now make up one in three Austin residents and who reside all across the city, not just on the east or south side.
"I saw many Hispanic professionals. Now we're business owners of high-tech companies. We have attorneys, judges, and I look at these people, and I feel like a kid again," said Limon, a third-generation Austinite and an account director with the LatinWorks advertising agency.
Limon is among a few dozen, mostly 40-and-under Austinites who are tapping into that growing pool of younger Latino professionals to support a new Hispanic-focused philanthropy. Dubbed FuturoFund Austin, the nonprofit organization hopes to benefit community causes while building a new generation of Latino leaders, said Priscilla Guajardo Cortez, associate director of development for the University of Texas. Cortez is a founding member of FuturoFund along with her husband, John-Michael Cortez, a community relations official with Capital Metro.
Cortez said FuturoFund Austin seeks to create a culture of giving among Hispanics. "What naturally tends to come with (philanthropy) is people not only developing an awareness of community needs, but they do something about it. Leadership is an outcome," Cortez said.
The endeavor is apparently unique in Central Texas, said MariBen Ramsey, vice president of the Austin Community Foundation, which manages FuturoFund and more than 750 charitable accounts in Austin. In fact, Ramsey has heard of only a few Hispanic-focused giving circles in the country, most notably a successful one in Chicago.
"We think what they're doing is really important," said Ramsey, noting the area's surging Hispanic population. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the Latino population of Travis County grew 88 percent from 1990 to 2000.
Ramsey said FuturoFund continues a popular trend of grass-roots organizations bringing together demographic groups and exposing them to causes outside their own experiences and interests.
"They become aware of these causes and give to them," Ramsey said. "That is a huge learning experience for all of us in the community."
About 20 founding members launched FuturoFund at an event in October, during which they doubled their ranks with new recruits. Each member contributes $500 a year to a collective fund and has one vote.
More social networking and recruiting is planned, and next October, members hope to award their first grants to local nonprofit organizations in five broad funding areas: education, health and human services, the arts, community development and social justice.
Perla Cavazos, a founder and a policy analyst for state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, said supporters include Latinos who already interact in their business and social lives, are doing well professionally and want to give back to the community.
"It's important to reach out to help other folks that are struggling and need a hand to get out of poverty or to have access to opportunities like we've had," said Cavazos, who counts affordable housing as a cause "near and dear to my heart."
A depressed economy is a challenge, however. Limon said he recruited seven friends who committed to joining, but others, nervous about the economy, told him to ask again in January. Ramsey, whose foundation manages funds with a total of more than $100 million in assets, said the economy is affecting all philanthropic organizations to some degree, "but I don't think it will stop (FuturoFund) from reaching their goals."
Limon took his father, Virgil Limon, and mother, Diana Limon, who owns Diana's Flower Shop next door to Estrada's, as well as grandmother Hilda Lopez to a FuturoFund launch event at UT. Although they were excited, they seemed awestruck by the group's goal of raising thousands of dollars, Limon said, explaining that they are accustomed to giving considerably smaller amounts to neighborhood youth baseball teams, church groups and similar causes.
Limon said that while that kind of giving is still needed, "we're trying to take something to the next level and use all of our resources and strengths."
jcastillo@statesman.com; 445-3635
New FuturoFund Austin seeks to tap growing pool of young Hispanic professionals.
By Juan Castillo AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF December 28, 2008
Coming of age in East Austin, Lonnie Limon did not have to look far to find Hispanic leaders. Among the role models he admired were public service-minded people like Gus Garcia, who would go on to become mayor, and business owners like his grandfather Fidel, who for nearly 50 years has run Estrada's Cleaners & Tuxedo, the East Seventh Street fixture bearing his surname.
Limon, 35, left Austin in the late 1980s, but on his return a few years ago, he was struck by the metamorphosis of Austin's Latino population, the fastest-growing demographic group in the city. Garcia still earns respect as an elder statesman, and Estrada's is still in business. But Limon noted striking changes in the tableau of Latinos who now make up one in three Austin residents and who reside all across the city, not just on the east or south side.
"I saw many Hispanic professionals. Now we're business owners of high-tech companies. We have attorneys, judges, and I look at these people, and I feel like a kid again," said Limon, a third-generation Austinite and an account director with the LatinWorks advertising agency.
Limon is among a few dozen, mostly 40-and-under Austinites who are tapping into that growing pool of younger Latino professionals to support a new Hispanic-focused philanthropy. Dubbed FuturoFund Austin, the nonprofit organization hopes to benefit community causes while building a new generation of Latino leaders, said Priscilla Guajardo Cortez, associate director of development for the University of Texas. Cortez is a founding member of FuturoFund along with her husband, John-Michael Cortez, a community relations official with Capital Metro.
Cortez said FuturoFund Austin seeks to create a culture of giving among Hispanics. "What naturally tends to come with (philanthropy) is people not only developing an awareness of community needs, but they do something about it. Leadership is an outcome," Cortez said.
The endeavor is apparently unique in Central Texas, said MariBen Ramsey, vice president of the Austin Community Foundation, which manages FuturoFund and more than 750 charitable accounts in Austin. In fact, Ramsey has heard of only a few Hispanic-focused giving circles in the country, most notably a successful one in Chicago.
"We think what they're doing is really important," said Ramsey, noting the area's surging Hispanic population. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the Latino population of Travis County grew 88 percent from 1990 to 2000.
Ramsey said FuturoFund continues a popular trend of grass-roots organizations bringing together demographic groups and exposing them to causes outside their own experiences and interests.
"They become aware of these causes and give to them," Ramsey said. "That is a huge learning experience for all of us in the community."
About 20 founding members launched FuturoFund at an event in October, during which they doubled their ranks with new recruits. Each member contributes $500 a year to a collective fund and has one vote.
More social networking and recruiting is planned, and next October, members hope to award their first grants to local nonprofit organizations in five broad funding areas: education, health and human services, the arts, community development and social justice.
Perla Cavazos, a founder and a policy analyst for state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, said supporters include Latinos who already interact in their business and social lives, are doing well professionally and want to give back to the community.
"It's important to reach out to help other folks that are struggling and need a hand to get out of poverty or to have access to opportunities like we've had," said Cavazos, who counts affordable housing as a cause "near and dear to my heart."
A depressed economy is a challenge, however. Limon said he recruited seven friends who committed to joining, but others, nervous about the economy, told him to ask again in January. Ramsey, whose foundation manages funds with a total of more than $100 million in assets, said the economy is affecting all philanthropic organizations to some degree, "but I don't think it will stop (FuturoFund) from reaching their goals."
Limon took his father, Virgil Limon, and mother, Diana Limon, who owns Diana's Flower Shop next door to Estrada's, as well as grandmother Hilda Lopez to a FuturoFund launch event at UT. Although they were excited, they seemed awestruck by the group's goal of raising thousands of dollars, Limon said, explaining that they are accustomed to giving considerably smaller amounts to neighborhood youth baseball teams, church groups and similar causes.
Limon said that while that kind of giving is still needed, "we're trying to take something to the next level and use all of our resources and strengths."
jcastillo@statesman.com; 445-3635
Latino year in review
Enfoque Latino 2008: A Year in Review
Ozarks First Dec 27, 2008
(SPRINGFIELD) Every Saturday night we have the privilege of telling you stories about the people that help make up the Ozarks and as we wrap up the year 2008 - we take a look back at some of the Latinos who made a difference in our community and the events that inspired others to give back.
"When I got here, five years ago. There was definitely not many Latinos," said Jose Venegas of Missouri State University.
Venegas is the president of the student group, H.A.L.O., or Hispanic American Leadership Organization.
Priscilla Ayala is a student at Missouri State University and a young activist. She helped many people register to vote in and around campus.
"Anything is possible as long as you have the will. As long as you have that will, that fight. That will to want to fight," she said.
Author, Alicia Partnoy of Argentina visited the campus of Drury University earlier this year.
"I was held in a secret detention place and most of my friends were killed during that time and I'm one of very few survivors," she told her students.
Partnoy was promoting her book, "Little School."
Domy Garay of Arkansas lost her business earlier in 2008 as a tornado hit the area.
"All my family depended on all the money from these businesses. So does my mother and father back home in Mexico," she said.
Gabriella Rodriguez of Springfield says her father always provides for them and now they are doing everything they can to help bring him back home. He was deported from Springfield.
"It's just like your daily routine. I would talk to him, he was always there and all of a sudden he's not there. Its like what do I do?" she said.
Sgt. Reyes Reyna of the Missouri National Guard came home to the Ozarks after serving in the middle east.
"I was there for a mission and I had to do what I had to do. I was fortunate enough to have e-mail where I was at, we had telephone lines so, about every week I would at least call," he said.
Jeff Ovalle of Missouri State University is one of the many students who began a Omega Delta Phi chapter in Springfield.
"We're a fraternity. Many people have misconceptions of what a fraternity is, we're trying to change that. We call ourselves the brotherhood because we believe in getting close to each other and supporting each other through college and through our personal lives," said Ovalle.
Manuel Camejo is an obstetrician in Springfield. He's delivered more than a hundred babies.
"Every morning, when I get up. I say this is another day. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy this. Every baby that I deliver is just like my first one," he said.
It was a great year. Let's hope 2009 is just the same...only better.
Thanks to everyone involved with Enfoque Latino.
Ozarks First Dec 27, 2008
(SPRINGFIELD) Every Saturday night we have the privilege of telling you stories about the people that help make up the Ozarks and as we wrap up the year 2008 - we take a look back at some of the Latinos who made a difference in our community and the events that inspired others to give back.
"When I got here, five years ago. There was definitely not many Latinos," said Jose Venegas of Missouri State University.
Venegas is the president of the student group, H.A.L.O., or Hispanic American Leadership Organization.
Priscilla Ayala is a student at Missouri State University and a young activist. She helped many people register to vote in and around campus.
"Anything is possible as long as you have the will. As long as you have that will, that fight. That will to want to fight," she said.
Author, Alicia Partnoy of Argentina visited the campus of Drury University earlier this year.
"I was held in a secret detention place and most of my friends were killed during that time and I'm one of very few survivors," she told her students.
Partnoy was promoting her book, "Little School."
Domy Garay of Arkansas lost her business earlier in 2008 as a tornado hit the area.
"All my family depended on all the money from these businesses. So does my mother and father back home in Mexico," she said.
Gabriella Rodriguez of Springfield says her father always provides for them and now they are doing everything they can to help bring him back home. He was deported from Springfield.
"It's just like your daily routine. I would talk to him, he was always there and all of a sudden he's not there. Its like what do I do?" she said.
Sgt. Reyes Reyna of the Missouri National Guard came home to the Ozarks after serving in the middle east.
"I was there for a mission and I had to do what I had to do. I was fortunate enough to have e-mail where I was at, we had telephone lines so, about every week I would at least call," he said.
Jeff Ovalle of Missouri State University is one of the many students who began a Omega Delta Phi chapter in Springfield.
"We're a fraternity. Many people have misconceptions of what a fraternity is, we're trying to change that. We call ourselves the brotherhood because we believe in getting close to each other and supporting each other through college and through our personal lives," said Ovalle.
Manuel Camejo is an obstetrician in Springfield. He's delivered more than a hundred babies.
"Every morning, when I get up. I say this is another day. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy this. Every baby that I deliver is just like my first one," he said.
It was a great year. Let's hope 2009 is just the same...only better.
Thanks to everyone involved with Enfoque Latino.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Latina a good alternative for Senate seat
Ritter could think “out of the box” for Senate appointment
Polly Baca provides a thoughtful alternative for Ritter
By Jody Hope Strogoff THE COLORADO STATESMAN 12/26/2008
There are numerous Democrats being talked about as potential successors to Sen. Ken Salazar and many are top notch contenders. How inadequate Colorado Republicans must feel in comparison. Nary a handful of names as impressive as the ones being mentioned comes to mind had the vacancy occurred within the GOP.
Gov. Bill Ritter has a very tough decision to make in the next week or two and just about everyone involved in politics is consumed with chatter about the various scenarios. Handicapping the field has suddenly become the fodder for holiday parties and political get togethers throughout the state.
I’m not immune either. But trying to figure out what Ritter will do is not only crowding my mind, it’s causing me a small amount of anxiety. If the governor makes his selection Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before New Year’s Day, we’ll be able to meet our regular deadline and get the story in time for next week’s issue. But if he waits until Friday, Jan. 2 — as some people expect he will — well, we either extend our deadline and go to press 12 hours late, or wait a full week before we bring you our take. I bet the governor didn’t realize he had so much power as to determine just when the presses will start rolling.
On Tuesday night, I ran into a fellow aficionado of politics at Neiman Marcus in Cherry Creek. While I was perusing a gorgeous pair of gray kid suede gloves lined with cashmere, there was Carol Boigon, a Denver City Council member, looking at me from across the display case. A longtime friend, we of course had to dish, and the topic wasn’t glove wear but that other hand wrenching topics, politics.
I think we must have discussed every potential player in this high stakes contest. Without divulging all of our personal assessments, let it only be shared that the astute Boigon feels strongly that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has the seat “85 percent” sewn up.
And the remaining 15 percent? Well Boigon has heard (as have I) that Hispanics and women are lobbying hard for one of their own to be selected for the soon-to-be vacant Senate seat.
With Salazar departing for the Department of Interior, that would leave only two Latino U.S. Senators, and one, Mel Martinez, R-Fla., has already announced he will not seek reelection in 2010.
There are also women in Colorado who feel that their gender should have more representation in the upper chamber.
The latest hopeful actually fits both criteria — Hispanic and a woman. Polly Baca is a former state senator, was an appointee in Bill Clinton’s presidential administration, served as an officer for the Democratic National Committee and is a Colorado native whose family roots wind from the plains of southeastern Colorado to the metro area.
Baca has many friends across the country and she would be an avid fundraiser who could generate contributions from fellow Hispanics, National Democrats and women’s organizations locally and nationwide. She is a strong public speaker and would be a formidable candidate against any Republican challenger two years from now.
Early this week, Baca sent a letter to Gov. Ritter confirming her interest in the Senate seat. Attached to her letter were a long list of impressive credentials on her resumé.
Ritter has a bevy of strong contenders from which to choose for the Senate, but he could go a long way in “thinking out of the box” were he to appoint Polly Baca.
Polly Baca provides a thoughtful alternative for Ritter
By Jody Hope Strogoff THE COLORADO STATESMAN 12/26/2008
There are numerous Democrats being talked about as potential successors to Sen. Ken Salazar and many are top notch contenders. How inadequate Colorado Republicans must feel in comparison. Nary a handful of names as impressive as the ones being mentioned comes to mind had the vacancy occurred within the GOP.
Gov. Bill Ritter has a very tough decision to make in the next week or two and just about everyone involved in politics is consumed with chatter about the various scenarios. Handicapping the field has suddenly become the fodder for holiday parties and political get togethers throughout the state.
I’m not immune either. But trying to figure out what Ritter will do is not only crowding my mind, it’s causing me a small amount of anxiety. If the governor makes his selection Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before New Year’s Day, we’ll be able to meet our regular deadline and get the story in time for next week’s issue. But if he waits until Friday, Jan. 2 — as some people expect he will — well, we either extend our deadline and go to press 12 hours late, or wait a full week before we bring you our take. I bet the governor didn’t realize he had so much power as to determine just when the presses will start rolling.
On Tuesday night, I ran into a fellow aficionado of politics at Neiman Marcus in Cherry Creek. While I was perusing a gorgeous pair of gray kid suede gloves lined with cashmere, there was Carol Boigon, a Denver City Council member, looking at me from across the display case. A longtime friend, we of course had to dish, and the topic wasn’t glove wear but that other hand wrenching topics, politics.
I think we must have discussed every potential player in this high stakes contest. Without divulging all of our personal assessments, let it only be shared that the astute Boigon feels strongly that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper has the seat “85 percent” sewn up.
And the remaining 15 percent? Well Boigon has heard (as have I) that Hispanics and women are lobbying hard for one of their own to be selected for the soon-to-be vacant Senate seat.
With Salazar departing for the Department of Interior, that would leave only two Latino U.S. Senators, and one, Mel Martinez, R-Fla., has already announced he will not seek reelection in 2010.
There are also women in Colorado who feel that their gender should have more representation in the upper chamber.
The latest hopeful actually fits both criteria — Hispanic and a woman. Polly Baca is a former state senator, was an appointee in Bill Clinton’s presidential administration, served as an officer for the Democratic National Committee and is a Colorado native whose family roots wind from the plains of southeastern Colorado to the metro area.
Baca has many friends across the country and she would be an avid fundraiser who could generate contributions from fellow Hispanics, National Democrats and women’s organizations locally and nationwide. She is a strong public speaker and would be a formidable candidate against any Republican challenger two years from now.
Early this week, Baca sent a letter to Gov. Ritter confirming her interest in the Senate seat. Attached to her letter were a long list of impressive credentials on her resumé.
Ritter has a bevy of strong contenders from which to choose for the Senate, but he could go a long way in “thinking out of the box” were he to appoint Polly Baca.
Hispanic immigrant work injuries more serious
Lower work injury rates for foreign-born
UPI Dec. 25, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio, -- Foreign-born workers reported a lower rate of non-fatal work-related injuries than U.S.-born workers, researchers said.
Researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus found that while the rate of injury was lower among foreign-born workers, the severity of the injuries they sustained was greater. Injuries to foreign-born workers were more likely to result in hospitalization and six or more days of missed work than injuries to U.S.-born workers, the researchers said.
"With immigrant workers comprising a significant portion of workers in the United States, it's important that we identify the needs of foreign-born workers and address safety issues facing them in the workplace," principle investigator Dr. Huiyan Xiang said in a statement. "Using this information will help to develop occupational safety guidelines specifically for foreign-born workers."
The study, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, found overexertion and falls were the two most common external causes of injury for both foreign-born and U.S.-born workers. Results also showed that Hispanic workers had higher overall work-related injuries than African-Americans and Asians, but these rates were still lower than the rates of non-Hispanic whites.
UPI Dec. 25, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio, -- Foreign-born workers reported a lower rate of non-fatal work-related injuries than U.S.-born workers, researchers said.
Researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus found that while the rate of injury was lower among foreign-born workers, the severity of the injuries they sustained was greater. Injuries to foreign-born workers were more likely to result in hospitalization and six or more days of missed work than injuries to U.S.-born workers, the researchers said.
"With immigrant workers comprising a significant portion of workers in the United States, it's important that we identify the needs of foreign-born workers and address safety issues facing them in the workplace," principle investigator Dr. Huiyan Xiang said in a statement. "Using this information will help to develop occupational safety guidelines specifically for foreign-born workers."
The study, published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, found overexertion and falls were the two most common external causes of injury for both foreign-born and U.S.-born workers. Results also showed that Hispanic workers had higher overall work-related injuries than African-Americans and Asians, but these rates were still lower than the rates of non-Hispanic whites.
Hispanics helped through program to get federal aid
Outreach program helps Hispanics navigate federal food aid process
Nonprofit group shows Hispanics how to access aid
By Alexia Campbell | South Florida Sun-Sentinel December 26, 2008
Too many Hispanic families don't get the food stamps they're entitled to, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hispanic Unity of Florida wants to change that.
In November, Hispanic Unity launched Comida = Fuerza, or Food = Strength, with $200,000 in grants lined up from the USDA and the Children's Services Council of Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports. The outreach program educates Hispanics about federal food aid, screens them and helps them complete the online application.
"Day after day we were getting clients coming in asking for assistance with food," said Luis Felipe Pinzon, director of programs for Hispanic Unity.
More than half of low-income Hispanic families with children in Broward experience hunger, according to the county's 2007 Food Security Survey. That's more than any other ethnic group surveyed.
Language barriers, and lack of information and access to the Internet are what stop many poor Hispanic families from getting help they are entitled to, Pinzon said. And many undocumented immigrants don't realize they might be eligible for food stamps if their children are American citizens.
"Sometimes they just get lost and don't know how to navigate the system," he said.
Hispanic Unity has given presentations in Spanish to more than 250 people since the program kicked off Nov. 1. The nonprofit group also screened about 150 people who could be eligible for food stamps. Staff will screen people of any ethnicity at their Hollywood and Coral Springs offices. In January the group plans to expand its outreach to WorkForce One and other community centers.
Some requirements to get food stamps:
The amount varies based on the number of children, but households must have gross monthly income less than 130 percent of federal poverty level — $27,560 or less for a family of four.
Participants must be legal Florida residents for at least five years.
Households may not have more than $2,000 in assets, excluding their home, and their cars must have a total value of less than $8,500.
Alexia Campbell can be reached at apcampbell@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4513.
Nonprofit group shows Hispanics how to access aid
By Alexia Campbell | South Florida Sun-Sentinel December 26, 2008
Too many Hispanic families don't get the food stamps they're entitled to, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hispanic Unity of Florida wants to change that.
In November, Hispanic Unity launched Comida = Fuerza, or Food = Strength, with $200,000 in grants lined up from the USDA and the Children's Services Council of Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports. The outreach program educates Hispanics about federal food aid, screens them and helps them complete the online application.
"Day after day we were getting clients coming in asking for assistance with food," said Luis Felipe Pinzon, director of programs for Hispanic Unity.
More than half of low-income Hispanic families with children in Broward experience hunger, according to the county's 2007 Food Security Survey. That's more than any other ethnic group surveyed.
Language barriers, and lack of information and access to the Internet are what stop many poor Hispanic families from getting help they are entitled to, Pinzon said. And many undocumented immigrants don't realize they might be eligible for food stamps if their children are American citizens.
"Sometimes they just get lost and don't know how to navigate the system," he said.
Hispanic Unity has given presentations in Spanish to more than 250 people since the program kicked off Nov. 1. The nonprofit group also screened about 150 people who could be eligible for food stamps. Staff will screen people of any ethnicity at their Hollywood and Coral Springs offices. In January the group plans to expand its outreach to WorkForce One and other community centers.
Some requirements to get food stamps:
The amount varies based on the number of children, but households must have gross monthly income less than 130 percent of federal poverty level — $27,560 or less for a family of four.
Participants must be legal Florida residents for at least five years.
Households may not have more than $2,000 in assets, excluding their home, and their cars must have a total value of less than $8,500.
Alexia Campbell can be reached at apcampbell@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4513.
Latino children among poorest, hungry
A better gift for our children
Huntsville Times December 26, 2008
For years I've been saying, as do many others, that Christmas is for children. Often, I confess, I was just trying to justify my inner Scrooge.
I want the freedom to indulge my Bah-humbug-ness.
So I try to slash my list of gift recipients to the bare minimum of children and a scant few adults. Not that I don't love my loved ones, but, doggone it, I hate the Christmas-shopping crowds and money is always shorter than my list of people. What choice do I have? Bah humbug.
If I have to go to the mall, I go as early in the morning or as late at night as possible, waiting usually until Dec. 23. (This year, I got there about 7:15 a.m. on Christmas Eve.) And then I don't linger. I get what I need and get the heck out - unless, of course, I see something that might work for me. Bah humbug.
I avoid those radio stations that do the all-Christmas music, all-the-time, 24-hours-a day. Don't get me wrong, I love a good rendition of "O Holy Night" or "Silent Night." I can even tap my foot to a bit of "Jingle Bell Rock" once every 40 days or so. But too much of a good thing turns sour, even Christmas music.
Sorry if I'm not Christmasy enough for you. B-b-b-bah humbug.
This week, though, before I made my covert trip to the mall Christmas Eve morn, I was given another reason to think about children during this time of year. I saw the Children's Defense Fund report on the sad realities that many of America's children are facing every day.
For these kids, urgent needs such as having food to eat, clothes to wear and a warm place to sleep far outweigh the Wii gaming system, iPods and other wants that most children in this nation have.
According to "The State of America's Children 2008," one in six U.S. children is poor. Most of those are likely to be black or Latino since they are three times as likely to live in poverty as white kids are.
As if poverty isn't bad enough, experts also have a category they call extreme poverty. According to the CDF, a family of four lived in extreme poverty this year if its household income fell below $10,600 - half the official poverty designation. Currently, that's one in 13 children, 5.8 million, most of whom are younger kids.
No surprise, I guess, that Alabama is No. 5 among the top 10 states with the highest percentage of children who are poor.
More gloomy news: 8.9 million children have no health insurance. Again, they are more likely to be either Latino or black.
This means that their mothers are less likely to have received early prenatal care. It also means that black and Latino babies are more likely to be born with low birth weights, which of course increases the chances that they will die as infants.
As impoverished children get older, it seems they are likely to become more vulnerable. Nearly 66 percent of fourth-grade public school students can't read at the fourth-grade level. About 60 percent can't do fourth-grade math. Again, black and Latino children are disproportionately represented in these groups.
And so it goes: 3,006 children and teens were shot to death in 2005. Some 16,000 more were injured but not killed by guns. More than 900,000 children were abused or neglected in 2006.
Christmas certainly is for children. But it's clear many in this nation need much more than a new video game or a pair of $200 sneakers. They need someone to pay attention to the real challenges in their lives. For their sakes, we adults need to do a better job of living up to the real reason for this season.
David Person's e-mail: david.person@htimes.com; voice mail: 532-4362.
Huntsville Times December 26, 2008
For years I've been saying, as do many others, that Christmas is for children. Often, I confess, I was just trying to justify my inner Scrooge.
I want the freedom to indulge my Bah-humbug-ness.
So I try to slash my list of gift recipients to the bare minimum of children and a scant few adults. Not that I don't love my loved ones, but, doggone it, I hate the Christmas-shopping crowds and money is always shorter than my list of people. What choice do I have? Bah humbug.
If I have to go to the mall, I go as early in the morning or as late at night as possible, waiting usually until Dec. 23. (This year, I got there about 7:15 a.m. on Christmas Eve.) And then I don't linger. I get what I need and get the heck out - unless, of course, I see something that might work for me. Bah humbug.
I avoid those radio stations that do the all-Christmas music, all-the-time, 24-hours-a day. Don't get me wrong, I love a good rendition of "O Holy Night" or "Silent Night." I can even tap my foot to a bit of "Jingle Bell Rock" once every 40 days or so. But too much of a good thing turns sour, even Christmas music.
Sorry if I'm not Christmasy enough for you. B-b-b-bah humbug.
This week, though, before I made my covert trip to the mall Christmas Eve morn, I was given another reason to think about children during this time of year. I saw the Children's Defense Fund report on the sad realities that many of America's children are facing every day.
For these kids, urgent needs such as having food to eat, clothes to wear and a warm place to sleep far outweigh the Wii gaming system, iPods and other wants that most children in this nation have.
According to "The State of America's Children 2008," one in six U.S. children is poor. Most of those are likely to be black or Latino since they are three times as likely to live in poverty as white kids are.
As if poverty isn't bad enough, experts also have a category they call extreme poverty. According to the CDF, a family of four lived in extreme poverty this year if its household income fell below $10,600 - half the official poverty designation. Currently, that's one in 13 children, 5.8 million, most of whom are younger kids.
No surprise, I guess, that Alabama is No. 5 among the top 10 states with the highest percentage of children who are poor.
More gloomy news: 8.9 million children have no health insurance. Again, they are more likely to be either Latino or black.
This means that their mothers are less likely to have received early prenatal care. It also means that black and Latino babies are more likely to be born with low birth weights, which of course increases the chances that they will die as infants.
As impoverished children get older, it seems they are likely to become more vulnerable. Nearly 66 percent of fourth-grade public school students can't read at the fourth-grade level. About 60 percent can't do fourth-grade math. Again, black and Latino children are disproportionately represented in these groups.
And so it goes: 3,006 children and teens were shot to death in 2005. Some 16,000 more were injured but not killed by guns. More than 900,000 children were abused or neglected in 2006.
Christmas certainly is for children. But it's clear many in this nation need much more than a new video game or a pair of $200 sneakers. They need someone to pay attention to the real challenges in their lives. For their sakes, we adults need to do a better job of living up to the real reason for this season.
David Person's e-mail: david.person@htimes.com; voice mail: 532-4362.
Latino students not reading at grade level
Ages 3 to 8
'Vanishing potential'
Schools are typically organized by preschool and kindergarten, followed by elementary, middle and high school. One year often has little continuity from the previous one.
Sunday Gazette Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Schools are typically organized by preschool and kindergarten, followed by elementary, middle and high school. One year often has little continuity from the previous one. Teachers work in isolation from one grade to the next and prepare differently.
That's a big deal, particularly in the earliest years, where the base for future learning and achievement is laid, says a disturbing report from the national Foundation for Child Development.
"Many people like to believe that American children are generally doing quite well in school," the study says. "But by the fourth grade, more than half of white and Asian-American children cannot read at grade level. For Latino, black and American Indian children, the numbers are even worse. More than 80 percent cannot read at grade level."
The foundation urges America to rethink the first six years of school: pre-kindergarten through third grade.
For example, only 12 states require kindergarten attendance, and only two require full-day attendance. Only 35 percent of all U.S. 4-year-olds are in publicly supported pre-kindergarten programs. West Virginia has been working toward optional preschool for all 4-year-olds by 2012.
Across the country, the percentage of children who read at grade level drops between fourth and eighth grade. It rises slightly at 12th grade - but only because of America's terrible dropout problem, because many struggling students give up and quit by then.
"Our children are not failing to learn. Our schools are failing to teach them effectively," the report says.
In West Virginia, various measures show that students are behind in reading and math scores and education attainment. While the achievement gap between whites and minorities is not as great in West Virginia as it is across the country, achievement overall is not as great either.
Americans currently provide early childhood education through a mix of public preschools plus diverse private, nonprofit, for-profit and religious schools.
Success in early grades requires good teaching and administration throughout all these different organizations. If children are to build on their early success, their kindergarten and elementary schools must complement preschool.
West Virginia should be both sobered and cheered by this report. While the state has far to go to raise student achievement anywhere near children's potential, the state nonetheless is on the right track with all-day kindergarten and expanded public preschool.
The Foundation for Child Development report offers much for West Virginians to think about. Its text is online at fcd-us.org.
'Vanishing potential'
Schools are typically organized by preschool and kindergarten, followed by elementary, middle and high school. One year often has little continuity from the previous one.
Sunday Gazette Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Schools are typically organized by preschool and kindergarten, followed by elementary, middle and high school. One year often has little continuity from the previous one. Teachers work in isolation from one grade to the next and prepare differently.
That's a big deal, particularly in the earliest years, where the base for future learning and achievement is laid, says a disturbing report from the national Foundation for Child Development.
"Many people like to believe that American children are generally doing quite well in school," the study says. "But by the fourth grade, more than half of white and Asian-American children cannot read at grade level. For Latino, black and American Indian children, the numbers are even worse. More than 80 percent cannot read at grade level."
The foundation urges America to rethink the first six years of school: pre-kindergarten through third grade.
For example, only 12 states require kindergarten attendance, and only two require full-day attendance. Only 35 percent of all U.S. 4-year-olds are in publicly supported pre-kindergarten programs. West Virginia has been working toward optional preschool for all 4-year-olds by 2012.
Across the country, the percentage of children who read at grade level drops between fourth and eighth grade. It rises slightly at 12th grade - but only because of America's terrible dropout problem, because many struggling students give up and quit by then.
"Our children are not failing to learn. Our schools are failing to teach them effectively," the report says.
In West Virginia, various measures show that students are behind in reading and math scores and education attainment. While the achievement gap between whites and minorities is not as great in West Virginia as it is across the country, achievement overall is not as great either.
Americans currently provide early childhood education through a mix of public preschools plus diverse private, nonprofit, for-profit and religious schools.
Success in early grades requires good teaching and administration throughout all these different organizations. If children are to build on their early success, their kindergarten and elementary schools must complement preschool.
West Virginia should be both sobered and cheered by this report. While the state has far to go to raise student achievement anywhere near children's potential, the state nonetheless is on the right track with all-day kindergarten and expanded public preschool.
The Foundation for Child Development report offers much for West Virginians to think about. Its text is online at fcd-us.org.
Hispanic city jail also holds criminals and immigrants
Leaning on Jail, City of Immigrants Fills Cells With Its Own
By NINA BERNSTEIN December 26, 2008
CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — Few in this threadbare little mill town gave much thought to the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, the maximum-security jail beside the public ball fields at the edge of town. Even when it expanded and added barbed wire, Wyatt was just the backdrop for Little League games, its name stitched on the caps of the team it sponsored.
Then people began to disappear: the leader of a prayer group at St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic Church; the father of a second grader at the public charter school; a woman who mopped floors in a Providence courthouse.
After days of searching, their families found them locked up inside Wyatt — only blocks from home, but in a separate world.
In this mostly Latino city, hardly anyone had realized that in addition to detaining the accused drug dealers and mobsters everyone heard about, the jail held hundreds of people charged with no crime — people caught in the nation’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Fewer still knew that Wyatt was a portal into an expanding network of other jails, bigger and more remote, all propelling detainees toward deportation with little chance to protest.
If anything, the people of Central Falls saw Wyatt as the economic engine that city fathers had promised, a steady source of jobs and federal money to pay for services like police and fire protection. Even that, it turns out, was an illusion.
Wyatt offers a rare look into the fastest-growing, least-examined type of incarceration in America, an industry that detains half a million people a year, up from a few thousand just 15 years ago. The system operates without the rules that protect criminal suspects, and has grown up with little oversight, often in the backyards of communities desperate for any source of money and work.
Last spring, The New York Times set out to examine this small city of 19,000 and its big detention center as a microcosm of the nation’s new relationship with immigration detention, which is now sweeping up not just recent border-jumpers and convicted felons but foreign-born residents with strong ties to places like Central Falls. Wyatt, nationally accredited, clean and modern, seemed like one of the better jails in the system, a patchwork of county lockups, private prisons and federal detention centers where government investigations and the news media have recently documented substandard, sometimes lethal, conditions.
But last summer, a detainee died in Wyatt’s custody. Immigration authorities investigating the death removed all immigration detainees this month — along with the $101.76 a day the federal government paid the jail for each one. In Central Falls, where many families have members without papers, a state campaign against illegal immigrants spread fear that also took a toll: People went into hiding and businesses lost Latino customers in droves. Slowly, the city awoke to its role in the detention system, and to the pitfalls of the bargain it had struck.
In a sinking economy, immigration detention is a rare growth industry. Congress has doubled annual spending on it in the last four years, to $2.4 billion approved in October as part of $5.9 billion allotted for immigration enforcement through next September — even more than the Bush administration had requested.
Seeking a slice of that bounty, communities like Farmville, Va., and Pahrump, Nev., are signing up with developers of new detention centers. Jails from New England to New Mexico have already made the crackdown pay off — for the private companies that dominate the industry, for some investors and, at least in theory, for places like Central Falls, a city so strapped that the state pays for its schools.
Here, a specially created municipal corporation built the jail in the early 1990s to hold federal inmates, and last year more than doubled its size. As the City Council president, William Benson Jr., put it, “The more inmates they have, the more money we get.”
Yet in a community whose 1.3 square miles are said to be too small for secrets — “If you sneeze on Washington Street, someone on Pine Street says, ‘Gesundheit,’ ” Mr. Benson said — city officials, overwhelmingly non-Latino, seemed uninformed about who those inmates were. “Nobody knows exactly who’s down there,” he said. “I hear some are Arab terrorists.”
The mystery is in some ways understandable. Though immigration detainees made up one-third of the daily population and a majority of the 4,200 men and women who moved through Wyatt’s 722 beds in a year, most were from other states, and those from Rhode Island did not remain long: Immigration and Customs Enforcement typically transferred them within a week.
Some were legal immigrants who had served time for serious crimes. But increasingly they were the kind of people who in the past would not have been arrested — people without papers, similar to some of the people who play, cheer and live in Wyatt’s shadow. Sometimes the same people.
Anthony Ventetuolo Jr., one of Wyatt’s developers and now the jail’s chief executive, said that who the inmates were made no difference to the jail, which was run like a business, under strict standards. “I’m not interested in getting involved in the politics of immigration,” he said. “All we do is detain people that our clients tell us to detain.”
Swallowed by the System
Over 10 years, Maynor Canté, 26, hardly glanced at the jail he passed as he hurried between home, two jobs and St. Matthew’s Church, where he led a prayer group. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
By NINA BERNSTEIN December 26, 2008
CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — Few in this threadbare little mill town gave much thought to the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, the maximum-security jail beside the public ball fields at the edge of town. Even when it expanded and added barbed wire, Wyatt was just the backdrop for Little League games, its name stitched on the caps of the team it sponsored.
Then people began to disappear: the leader of a prayer group at St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic Church; the father of a second grader at the public charter school; a woman who mopped floors in a Providence courthouse.
After days of searching, their families found them locked up inside Wyatt — only blocks from home, but in a separate world.
In this mostly Latino city, hardly anyone had realized that in addition to detaining the accused drug dealers and mobsters everyone heard about, the jail held hundreds of people charged with no crime — people caught in the nation’s crackdown on illegal immigration. Fewer still knew that Wyatt was a portal into an expanding network of other jails, bigger and more remote, all propelling detainees toward deportation with little chance to protest.
If anything, the people of Central Falls saw Wyatt as the economic engine that city fathers had promised, a steady source of jobs and federal money to pay for services like police and fire protection. Even that, it turns out, was an illusion.
Wyatt offers a rare look into the fastest-growing, least-examined type of incarceration in America, an industry that detains half a million people a year, up from a few thousand just 15 years ago. The system operates without the rules that protect criminal suspects, and has grown up with little oversight, often in the backyards of communities desperate for any source of money and work.
Last spring, The New York Times set out to examine this small city of 19,000 and its big detention center as a microcosm of the nation’s new relationship with immigration detention, which is now sweeping up not just recent border-jumpers and convicted felons but foreign-born residents with strong ties to places like Central Falls. Wyatt, nationally accredited, clean and modern, seemed like one of the better jails in the system, a patchwork of county lockups, private prisons and federal detention centers where government investigations and the news media have recently documented substandard, sometimes lethal, conditions.
But last summer, a detainee died in Wyatt’s custody. Immigration authorities investigating the death removed all immigration detainees this month — along with the $101.76 a day the federal government paid the jail for each one. In Central Falls, where many families have members without papers, a state campaign against illegal immigrants spread fear that also took a toll: People went into hiding and businesses lost Latino customers in droves. Slowly, the city awoke to its role in the detention system, and to the pitfalls of the bargain it had struck.
In a sinking economy, immigration detention is a rare growth industry. Congress has doubled annual spending on it in the last four years, to $2.4 billion approved in October as part of $5.9 billion allotted for immigration enforcement through next September — even more than the Bush administration had requested.
Seeking a slice of that bounty, communities like Farmville, Va., and Pahrump, Nev., are signing up with developers of new detention centers. Jails from New England to New Mexico have already made the crackdown pay off — for the private companies that dominate the industry, for some investors and, at least in theory, for places like Central Falls, a city so strapped that the state pays for its schools.
Here, a specially created municipal corporation built the jail in the early 1990s to hold federal inmates, and last year more than doubled its size. As the City Council president, William Benson Jr., put it, “The more inmates they have, the more money we get.”
Yet in a community whose 1.3 square miles are said to be too small for secrets — “If you sneeze on Washington Street, someone on Pine Street says, ‘Gesundheit,’ ” Mr. Benson said — city officials, overwhelmingly non-Latino, seemed uninformed about who those inmates were. “Nobody knows exactly who’s down there,” he said. “I hear some are Arab terrorists.”
The mystery is in some ways understandable. Though immigration detainees made up one-third of the daily population and a majority of the 4,200 men and women who moved through Wyatt’s 722 beds in a year, most were from other states, and those from Rhode Island did not remain long: Immigration and Customs Enforcement typically transferred them within a week.
Some were legal immigrants who had served time for serious crimes. But increasingly they were the kind of people who in the past would not have been arrested — people without papers, similar to some of the people who play, cheer and live in Wyatt’s shadow. Sometimes the same people.
Anthony Ventetuolo Jr., one of Wyatt’s developers and now the jail’s chief executive, said that who the inmates were made no difference to the jail, which was run like a business, under strict standards. “I’m not interested in getting involved in the politics of immigration,” he said. “All we do is detain people that our clients tell us to detain.”
Swallowed by the System
Over 10 years, Maynor Canté, 26, hardly glanced at the jail he passed as he hurried between home, two jobs and St. Matthew’s Church, where he led a prayer group. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
Latinos could save boy scouts of America
Boy Scouts see Hispanics as key to boosting ranks
By JULIANA BARBASSA Associated Press Writer Dec. 26, 2008
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As it prepares to turn 100, the Boy Scouts of America is honing its survival skills for what might be its biggest test yet: drawing Hispanics into its declining - and mostly white - ranks.
"We either are going to figure out how to make Scouting the most exciting, dynamic organization for Hispanic kids, or we're going to be out of business," said Rick Cronk, former national president of the Boy Scouts, and chairman of the World Scout Committee.
The venerable Scouts remains the United States' largest youth organization, with 2.8 million children and youths, nearly all of them boys. But that is nearly half its peak membership, reached in 1972.
Its rolls took hits through the 1980s and '90s over a still-standing ban on gay or atheist leaders, and scandals surrounding inflated membership numbers. In addition, teenagers raised on TV and shoot-'em-up games had less use for learning to build a campfire or memorize the Scout oath.
The country changed too. One in five children under 18 is Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census. But they make up only 3 percent of Scouts.
Cronk made Hispanic outreach a focus after he realized that just translating brochures into Spanish, or combining Cub Scouting with soccer, was not enough to meet the goal of doubling Hispanic membership by the group's centennial in 2010.
"We were nibbling around the edges," Cronk said. "We knew very little about the Hispanic family, how they see us, what they value."
Cronk, past president of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, grew up a city kid in Oakland, Calif. He fell in love with Scouting in the Sierra Nevada, during his first backpacking excursions.
He looked at the problem of Latino underrepresentation as a businessman. The Boy Scouts had a good product but much of its new consumer base had never heard of it.
So the group set out to sell Scouting, hiring a Washington-based media and marketing company that targets Latinos. To spread the word, the Scouts gathered a committee of Hispanic leaders, including the CEO of AT&T's wireless unit, a U.S. senator from Florida and the archbishop of the Diocese of Laredo.
In 2009, the Boy Scouts is kicking off pilot programs in six heavily Latino cities, from Fresno, Calif. to Orlando, Fla., to test ways of introducing Scouting to immigrant parents. The group is also planning radio and television spots, hiring bicultural, Spanish-speaking staffers, partnering with churches that serve Hispanics and shaping programs to fit the family-oriented community.
"We're serious about this," said Rob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive. "This is a reinventing of the Boy Scouts of America."
To work, the changes will have to run deep, said Julio Cammarota, a University of Arizona professor who has researched Hispanic youth.
Scouts will have to work with Latinos' strong family connections and relax the focus on individual achievement, Cammarota said. Creating activities where younger boys learn from the older ones - much as they rely on siblings and cousins within the extended family - will also feel more comfortable.
"They'd be better off starting with a carne asada in a city park," Cammarota said. "Sending their kids away on their own, that's not familiar."
Scouting's traditional values dovetail well with those of Hispanic families - respect, discipline, and community involvement - said Carlos Alcazar, CEO of Hispanic Communications Network, which developed the 2009 strategy after conducting a yearlong survey of Hispanic attitudes toward the Scouts.
As a dozen boys wearing the light blue Soccer and Scouting jerseys tumbled into an auditorium in San Jose's Seven Trees Elementary School, nearly breathless from a game played in the December chill, it was clear they loved the program - certainly the soccer part of it. But the connection to Scouting remained tenuous.
Michael Gudino, 7, and his brother Matthew Gudino, 6, talked about what they loved best: dribbling the ball, learning to pass and playing on a real field.
Pressed on what they like about Scouting, they stopped to think.
"Learning to be nice to each other?" Michael said tentatively. "Folding the flag?"
Their mother, Sandy Gudino, was pleased to find that Scouting was no more expensive than other youth activities, and she likes the discipline that comes with it.
Valente Morales, whose 6-year-old son Valentin's soccer skills had improved in just a few months, was won over by the coach - a Hispanic parent like himself.
"The trust came from becoming familiar with the people who run it, the people in this community," he said.
While soccer may be the draw, the Scouts' challenge is to keep the youngsters involved when the game is over, said Marcos Nava, director of the National Hispanic Initiatives Division, who was visiting the San Jose program.
"One hundred years - that's a great benchmark for us," Nava said. "But we have to remember, to Hispanics, we're just at the introduction, the basics. Because if we don't get past that stage, we won't live to see another 100 years."
By JULIANA BARBASSA Associated Press Writer Dec. 26, 2008
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As it prepares to turn 100, the Boy Scouts of America is honing its survival skills for what might be its biggest test yet: drawing Hispanics into its declining - and mostly white - ranks.
"We either are going to figure out how to make Scouting the most exciting, dynamic organization for Hispanic kids, or we're going to be out of business," said Rick Cronk, former national president of the Boy Scouts, and chairman of the World Scout Committee.
The venerable Scouts remains the United States' largest youth organization, with 2.8 million children and youths, nearly all of them boys. But that is nearly half its peak membership, reached in 1972.
Its rolls took hits through the 1980s and '90s over a still-standing ban on gay or atheist leaders, and scandals surrounding inflated membership numbers. In addition, teenagers raised on TV and shoot-'em-up games had less use for learning to build a campfire or memorize the Scout oath.
The country changed too. One in five children under 18 is Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census. But they make up only 3 percent of Scouts.
Cronk made Hispanic outreach a focus after he realized that just translating brochures into Spanish, or combining Cub Scouting with soccer, was not enough to meet the goal of doubling Hispanic membership by the group's centennial in 2010.
"We were nibbling around the edges," Cronk said. "We knew very little about the Hispanic family, how they see us, what they value."
Cronk, past president of Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, grew up a city kid in Oakland, Calif. He fell in love with Scouting in the Sierra Nevada, during his first backpacking excursions.
He looked at the problem of Latino underrepresentation as a businessman. The Boy Scouts had a good product but much of its new consumer base had never heard of it.
So the group set out to sell Scouting, hiring a Washington-based media and marketing company that targets Latinos. To spread the word, the Scouts gathered a committee of Hispanic leaders, including the CEO of AT&T's wireless unit, a U.S. senator from Florida and the archbishop of the Diocese of Laredo.
In 2009, the Boy Scouts is kicking off pilot programs in six heavily Latino cities, from Fresno, Calif. to Orlando, Fla., to test ways of introducing Scouting to immigrant parents. The group is also planning radio and television spots, hiring bicultural, Spanish-speaking staffers, partnering with churches that serve Hispanics and shaping programs to fit the family-oriented community.
"We're serious about this," said Rob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive. "This is a reinventing of the Boy Scouts of America."
To work, the changes will have to run deep, said Julio Cammarota, a University of Arizona professor who has researched Hispanic youth.
Scouts will have to work with Latinos' strong family connections and relax the focus on individual achievement, Cammarota said. Creating activities where younger boys learn from the older ones - much as they rely on siblings and cousins within the extended family - will also feel more comfortable.
"They'd be better off starting with a carne asada in a city park," Cammarota said. "Sending their kids away on their own, that's not familiar."
Scouting's traditional values dovetail well with those of Hispanic families - respect, discipline, and community involvement - said Carlos Alcazar, CEO of Hispanic Communications Network, which developed the 2009 strategy after conducting a yearlong survey of Hispanic attitudes toward the Scouts.
As a dozen boys wearing the light blue Soccer and Scouting jerseys tumbled into an auditorium in San Jose's Seven Trees Elementary School, nearly breathless from a game played in the December chill, it was clear they loved the program - certainly the soccer part of it. But the connection to Scouting remained tenuous.
Michael Gudino, 7, and his brother Matthew Gudino, 6, talked about what they loved best: dribbling the ball, learning to pass and playing on a real field.
Pressed on what they like about Scouting, they stopped to think.
"Learning to be nice to each other?" Michael said tentatively. "Folding the flag?"
Their mother, Sandy Gudino, was pleased to find that Scouting was no more expensive than other youth activities, and she likes the discipline that comes with it.
Valente Morales, whose 6-year-old son Valentin's soccer skills had improved in just a few months, was won over by the coach - a Hispanic parent like himself.
"The trust came from becoming familiar with the people who run it, the people in this community," he said.
While soccer may be the draw, the Scouts' challenge is to keep the youngsters involved when the game is over, said Marcos Nava, director of the National Hispanic Initiatives Division, who was visiting the San Jose program.
"One hundred years - that's a great benchmark for us," Nava said. "But we have to remember, to Hispanics, we're just at the introduction, the basics. Because if we don't get past that stage, we won't live to see another 100 years."
Friday, December 26, 2008
Latinos for Latinos
Latinos for Latinos
By Tom Barry
Identity politics get results in terms of the increased presence of the groups being promoted. But the election of an African-American president may signal that it’s time to leave identity politics behind when it comes to governance and embrace the politics of the common good.
Every four years Latino groups come together to demand that the incoming administration appoint Latinos to the cabinet and other high-level positions. The results, too often, have been appointments that dismay, such as former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretaries Henry Cisneros and Mel Martinez and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Latino groups, as varied as the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity and the National Council of La Raza, celebrated Bush’s nomination of Alberto Gonzales for attorney general in November 2004. Despite his weak credentials and ideological righteousness, Gonzales was widely praised during the confirmation process and later defended by Latino groups.
The National Council of La Raza, which is currently calling for President-elect Obama to nominate Latinos to his cabinet, had criticized President Bush for not bringing a Latino into his cabinet after the departure of conservative Mel Martinez. “We are very encouraged by the Gonzales nomination,” declared NCLR. “We previously criticized the Bush administration for not having a Hispanic in the cabinet since the departure of former HUD secretary, now Senator-elect, Mel Martinez. We are pleased that one of the first acts since the president’s reelection both rectifies that situation and marks an historic milestone for the Latino community.”
“Never before has a Hispanic served as head of one of the four major cabinet posts—secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, and attorney general,” stated Janet Murguia, NCLR Executive Director.
Not a word about his political views. Being Latino seemed to be sufficient, and that NCLR considered Gonzales to be “a thoughtful, reasonable public servant, a man of his word.”
This idea that a Latino in high places is good for all Latinos persisted within the Latino community through Gonzales’ sorry tenure as the country’s chief defender of the Constitution. In March 2007, the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity issued a media release in support of the beleaguered Gonzales. “On behalf of the nearly 20,000 members of the HAP Institute, we write to reject calls for the resignation of Attorney General Al Gonzales, and offer our full support for his long-term service to our president, our country, and the Hispanic community.”
It continued, “Attorney General Gonzales has achieved what few other Hispanics have been able to accomplish. He is a role model for the entire Hispanic community and his success proves to our children that they too can realize their dreams. General Gonzales should not be used as a scapegoat by those who are against the policies of the current administration. The Hispanic community will not tolerate partisan politics, with the end result being to sacrifice one of its most respected and productive members.”
When Gonzales was finally forced the resign due to multiple scandals involving his justification of torture and intervention in appointing and dismissing U.S. attorneys according to political criteria, the groups had little to say.
Isn’t it time to end the identity politics, whereby political officials are evaluated, supported, or promoted mainly because they are of a certain race, ethnicity, or sex, rather than for what they stand for? Too often the results are characterless figures like Alberto Gonzales and Clarence Thomas who are party loyalists, not champions of the disadvantaged or disempowered.
Apparently not. Before the election the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of more than two dozen Latino organizations, sent both candidates a list of policy recommendations, including a demand that the new administration increase Hispanic political appointments and name more Hispanics to the federal bench.
Politico reported: “ Weeks before Barack Obama won the presidency, he met privately in Washington with his former Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and Latino political leaders who had fervently backed her bid.”
“The cards were laid upon the table, according to one of the participants. The Hispanic leaders said they expected at least two Latinos to be named to an Obama Cabinet—meeting the standard set by President-elect Bill Clinton in 1992—but preferred three. Of course, they also wanted sub-Cabinet-level posts,” according to Politico.
Attending that meeting, Raul Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza, said, “We indicated the standard had been set by both Republican and Democratic administrations of having at least two in the cabinet and everybody expected that to be the floor,” adding that the meeting “helped clear the air and heal the wounds” from the contentious primary battle.
Then, after Obama’s victory, Latino groups, collectively and individually, began pressuring for Latino hires.
The country had just elected its first African-American president, who won popular support with a message of inclusion and change. But elite Latino groups, led by the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, insist that the large Latino election-day turnout for Democrats should be rewarded with increased Latino appointments in the new administration.
The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, headed by the president of the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDF), sent a letter signed by 35 Latino groups to Obama urging him to nominate Bill Richardson as his secretary of State.
Ramona Romero, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, issued a press release that “called on the President-elect to appoint more Hispanics to the federal bench, and urged him to make history yet again by nominating a Hispanic to fill the first U.S. Supreme Court vacancy that occurs during his term.”
Dr. Antonio Flores, president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, sent a letter to Obama recommending 14 Hispanic college or university leaders for potential Cabinet or sub-Cabinet-level posts.
These and other names proffered by Latino groups are all Latinos. That makes sense, if one accepts politics as usual. In modern America the practice of promoting to political office members of ethnic and racial sectors by identity groups has helped open the political system to previously disenfranchised groups.
Undoubtedly this type of special interest lobbying has served the cause of civil rights in America—the best example being the current presence of African Americans at high levels of local and federal government. But it is fraught with problems.
Those advancing in the political system with the support of identity groups may share the same color and culture of their promoters but their advancement may not necessarily serve the best interests either of their identity group or of the American people as a whole, as in the case of Gonzales or the many anti-feminist women in conservative administrations.
What made good sense and good politics in the past may no longer serve either identity groups or the common good. Lobbying for public figures solely because they belong to a particular race, sex, or national origin does not guarantee advantages for that group.
Identity should remain a criterion for leadership positions but only so far as those individuals truly represent the interests of those social sectors, bring solid skills to the job, and are committed to addressing the larger issues facing the nation.
At a time when the politics of change and inclusion has come to America, thanks to Obama and the inclusive Democratic Party (as clear in the ethnic/racial/gender make-up of the Democratic Party convention), a new modus operandi is needed.
Rather than playing identity politics as usual in identifying individuals to serve and represent all Americans, Latino constituencies and organizations would do better to develop a set of priorities for their communities and focus primarily on the beliefs and commitments of the nominees rather than numerical benchmarks. Then, they could recommend a slate of individuals, including many of the Latinos that all Americans have come to respect, who measure up.
Identity politics in an Obama America? It’s time for a change.
Tom Barry directs the TransBorder Project (http://sites.google.com/site/transborderproject/) of the Americas Policy Program (www.americaspolicy.org) at the Center for International Policy in Washington, DC. He blogs at http://borderlinesblog.blogspot.com/.
By Tom Barry
Identity politics get results in terms of the increased presence of the groups being promoted. But the election of an African-American president may signal that it’s time to leave identity politics behind when it comes to governance and embrace the politics of the common good.
Every four years Latino groups come together to demand that the incoming administration appoint Latinos to the cabinet and other high-level positions. The results, too often, have been appointments that dismay, such as former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretaries Henry Cisneros and Mel Martinez and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Latino groups, as varied as the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity and the National Council of La Raza, celebrated Bush’s nomination of Alberto Gonzales for attorney general in November 2004. Despite his weak credentials and ideological righteousness, Gonzales was widely praised during the confirmation process and later defended by Latino groups.
The National Council of La Raza, which is currently calling for President-elect Obama to nominate Latinos to his cabinet, had criticized President Bush for not bringing a Latino into his cabinet after the departure of conservative Mel Martinez. “We are very encouraged by the Gonzales nomination,” declared NCLR. “We previously criticized the Bush administration for not having a Hispanic in the cabinet since the departure of former HUD secretary, now Senator-elect, Mel Martinez. We are pleased that one of the first acts since the president’s reelection both rectifies that situation and marks an historic milestone for the Latino community.”
“Never before has a Hispanic served as head of one of the four major cabinet posts—secretary of State, Treasury, Defense, and attorney general,” stated Janet Murguia, NCLR Executive Director.
Not a word about his political views. Being Latino seemed to be sufficient, and that NCLR considered Gonzales to be “a thoughtful, reasonable public servant, a man of his word.”
This idea that a Latino in high places is good for all Latinos persisted within the Latino community through Gonzales’ sorry tenure as the country’s chief defender of the Constitution. In March 2007, the Hispanic Alliance for Prosperity issued a media release in support of the beleaguered Gonzales. “On behalf of the nearly 20,000 members of the HAP Institute, we write to reject calls for the resignation of Attorney General Al Gonzales, and offer our full support for his long-term service to our president, our country, and the Hispanic community.”
It continued, “Attorney General Gonzales has achieved what few other Hispanics have been able to accomplish. He is a role model for the entire Hispanic community and his success proves to our children that they too can realize their dreams. General Gonzales should not be used as a scapegoat by those who are against the policies of the current administration. The Hispanic community will not tolerate partisan politics, with the end result being to sacrifice one of its most respected and productive members.”
When Gonzales was finally forced the resign due to multiple scandals involving his justification of torture and intervention in appointing and dismissing U.S. attorneys according to political criteria, the groups had little to say.
Isn’t it time to end the identity politics, whereby political officials are evaluated, supported, or promoted mainly because they are of a certain race, ethnicity, or sex, rather than for what they stand for? Too often the results are characterless figures like Alberto Gonzales and Clarence Thomas who are party loyalists, not champions of the disadvantaged or disempowered.
Apparently not. Before the election the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of more than two dozen Latino organizations, sent both candidates a list of policy recommendations, including a demand that the new administration increase Hispanic political appointments and name more Hispanics to the federal bench.
Politico reported: “ Weeks before Barack Obama won the presidency, he met privately in Washington with his former Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, and Latino political leaders who had fervently backed her bid.”
“The cards were laid upon the table, according to one of the participants. The Hispanic leaders said they expected at least two Latinos to be named to an Obama Cabinet—meeting the standard set by President-elect Bill Clinton in 1992—but preferred three. Of course, they also wanted sub-Cabinet-level posts,” according to Politico.
Attending that meeting, Raul Yzaguirre, former president of the National Council of La Raza, said, “We indicated the standard had been set by both Republican and Democratic administrations of having at least two in the cabinet and everybody expected that to be the floor,” adding that the meeting “helped clear the air and heal the wounds” from the contentious primary battle.
Then, after Obama’s victory, Latino groups, collectively and individually, began pressuring for Latino hires.
The country had just elected its first African-American president, who won popular support with a message of inclusion and change. But elite Latino groups, led by the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, insist that the large Latino election-day turnout for Democrats should be rewarded with increased Latino appointments in the new administration.
The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, headed by the president of the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDF), sent a letter signed by 35 Latino groups to Obama urging him to nominate Bill Richardson as his secretary of State.
Ramona Romero, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association, issued a press release that “called on the President-elect to appoint more Hispanics to the federal bench, and urged him to make history yet again by nominating a Hispanic to fill the first U.S. Supreme Court vacancy that occurs during his term.”
Dr. Antonio Flores, president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, sent a letter to Obama recommending 14 Hispanic college or university leaders for potential Cabinet or sub-Cabinet-level posts.
These and other names proffered by Latino groups are all Latinos. That makes sense, if one accepts politics as usual. In modern America the practice of promoting to political office members of ethnic and racial sectors by identity groups has helped open the political system to previously disenfranchised groups.
Undoubtedly this type of special interest lobbying has served the cause of civil rights in America—the best example being the current presence of African Americans at high levels of local and federal government. But it is fraught with problems.
Those advancing in the political system with the support of identity groups may share the same color and culture of their promoters but their advancement may not necessarily serve the best interests either of their identity group or of the American people as a whole, as in the case of Gonzales or the many anti-feminist women in conservative administrations.
What made good sense and good politics in the past may no longer serve either identity groups or the common good. Lobbying for public figures solely because they belong to a particular race, sex, or national origin does not guarantee advantages for that group.
Identity should remain a criterion for leadership positions but only so far as those individuals truly represent the interests of those social sectors, bring solid skills to the job, and are committed to addressing the larger issues facing the nation.
At a time when the politics of change and inclusion has come to America, thanks to Obama and the inclusive Democratic Party (as clear in the ethnic/racial/gender make-up of the Democratic Party convention), a new modus operandi is needed.
Rather than playing identity politics as usual in identifying individuals to serve and represent all Americans, Latino constituencies and organizations would do better to develop a set of priorities for their communities and focus primarily on the beliefs and commitments of the nominees rather than numerical benchmarks. Then, they could recommend a slate of individuals, including many of the Latinos that all Americans have come to respect, who measure up.
Identity politics in an Obama America? It’s time for a change.
Tom Barry directs the TransBorder Project (http://sites.google.com/site/transborderproject/) of the Americas Policy Program (www.americaspolicy.org) at the Center for International Policy in Washington, DC. He blogs at http://borderlinesblog.blogspot.com/.
Latino elected then arrested
Monserrate says he’s innocent on charges of slashing girlfriend
Paul Leonard, Assistant Editor 12/24/2008
Even in a borough that’s seen its share of political scandal and run-ins with the law, the sight of Councilman Hiram Monserrate in handcuffs last week was enough to shock even the most cynical political observer.
Two weeks shy of his ascension as a leading Latino voice in the state Senate, Monserrate (D-Corona) was arrested and charged by the NYPD early Friday morning for allegedly slashing his girlfriend in the face with a broken bottle or glass during an argument.
It was a remarkable turn of events for a politician known for his strong support of domestic violence victims, helping to secure $100,000 in City Council funds in 2006 to create a program to combat domestic violence in Latino households.
The news stunned Monserrate’s constituents, colleagues and staff members, many of whom celebrated with the councilman at a Queens County Democratic holiday party the night before.
Around 1 a.m. Friday morning, Monserrate allegedly broke a glass in his hand and slashed girlfriend Karla Giraldo above her left eye at the councilman’s Jackson Heights apartment.
Deciding against a trip to Elmhurst Hospital only blocks away, the couple instead drove to North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center on the border between Queens and Nassau County, where Giraldo received 20 stitches to close her wound.
Monserrate said he took Giraldo to LIJ, 12 miles away, because “my family received excellent medical care there in the past.”
A spokeswoman for Elmhurst Hospital had no comment. The facility, part of the city Health and Hospitals Corp., is a well-regarded, albeit often overcrowded, regional trauma center.
Police arrested Monserrate at LIJ despite the fact that Giraldo did not want to press charges, in accordance with New York State law regarding alleged domestic abuse cases.
Monserrate, who sailed to easy victory last November in his bid to succeed Sen. John Sabini in the 13th District, proclaimed his innocence.
“As a result of an unfortunate accident involving myself and someone I care for deeply and love, I have been charged with offenses that I did not commit and am not capable of committing,” he said in a statement released Monday. “As a son, brother and father, these accusations are offensive, and they are crushing on a personal level.”
An order of protection was issued by Judge Toko Serita, barring contact between Monserrate and Giraldo. The judge set a $5,000 bond in the case, which is scheduled to convene on Jan. 15.
News of the arrest reverberated from City Hall to the Senate chambers in Albany, where Monserrate is scheduled to be seated next month. Briefly a member of the so-called “Gang of Four” — a group of mostly Latino senators demanding a greater stake in the chamber’s leadership — the Corona Democrat was poised to exert influence unheard of in the state Capitol from a freshman legislator.
Monserrate’s arrest further clouds the political picture in the state Senate, already murky because of the dissident faction of legislators led by Bronx Sen.-elect Pedro Espada, as well as the still-unresolved contest between Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows).
A spokesman for Sen. Minority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans), who until recently was ready to take over a new Democratic majority, had no comment on Monserrate’s case, or on reports that one of his staffers went to the 105th Precinct house to offer his services to the accused.
“Council member Monserrate, just like any individual in the city or anywhere else, is innocent until proven guilty,” Council Speaker Christine Quinn said on Friday. “I’m glad that the N.Y.P.D. is taking up these charges and is going to pursue them quickly and thoroughly.”
There were signs this week that staffers and constituents, especially in the Latino community, were rallying around the senator-elect.
“He’s 100 percent innocent,” said Monserrate spokesman Wayne Malke.
Charged with a Class B felony and with his Jan. 1 swearing in drawing near, Monserrate was called upon to resign by Queens County Republicans. “Monserrate cannot be trusted to make the laws he so cruelly and brutishly breaks,” said 36th Assembly District chairwoman Marie Lynch.
State Sen. Martin Golden (D-Bay Ridge) announced this week that he planned to introduce a motion to postpone Monserrate’s swearing in ceremony to Jan. 30, so that the criminal charges against him could be aired out in court before he took his Senate seat.
But there seemed little barring the way to Monserrate’s swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 1. “Under the state constitution and the public office statute, the Republicans do not have a legal basis to prevent Monserrate from being seated prior to a conviction for a felony,” said Shelley Mayer, chief legal counsel for the Senate Minority.
This isn’t the first time a Democratic senator from the 13th District has run afoul of the law.
In November 2007, Albany police pulled over Sabini on suspicion of DUI. The veteran legislator later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, was fined $300 and lost his driving privileges for six months. Shortly after the incident, protesters gathered outside Sabini’s offices in Elmhurst, reacting angrily to the arrest.
The ensuing political fallout ushered Sabini out of office and helped solidify support among Queens Democrats for Monserrate as his successor.
On Monday, the only organized rally outside Monserrate’s Corona office was one of support, organized with help from what might seem an unlikely source — Queens domestic violence counselor Martha Flores-Vazquez. “Councilman Hiram Monserrate has an innate sense of non-violence,” Flores-Vazquez, a close associate of Monserrate, said in a statement. “His demeanor does not constitute violence.”
Paul Leonard, Assistant Editor 12/24/2008
Even in a borough that’s seen its share of political scandal and run-ins with the law, the sight of Councilman Hiram Monserrate in handcuffs last week was enough to shock even the most cynical political observer.
Two weeks shy of his ascension as a leading Latino voice in the state Senate, Monserrate (D-Corona) was arrested and charged by the NYPD early Friday morning for allegedly slashing his girlfriend in the face with a broken bottle or glass during an argument.
It was a remarkable turn of events for a politician known for his strong support of domestic violence victims, helping to secure $100,000 in City Council funds in 2006 to create a program to combat domestic violence in Latino households.
The news stunned Monserrate’s constituents, colleagues and staff members, many of whom celebrated with the councilman at a Queens County Democratic holiday party the night before.
Around 1 a.m. Friday morning, Monserrate allegedly broke a glass in his hand and slashed girlfriend Karla Giraldo above her left eye at the councilman’s Jackson Heights apartment.
Deciding against a trip to Elmhurst Hospital only blocks away, the couple instead drove to North Shore Long Island Jewish Medical Center on the border between Queens and Nassau County, where Giraldo received 20 stitches to close her wound.
Monserrate said he took Giraldo to LIJ, 12 miles away, because “my family received excellent medical care there in the past.”
A spokeswoman for Elmhurst Hospital had no comment. The facility, part of the city Health and Hospitals Corp., is a well-regarded, albeit often overcrowded, regional trauma center.
Police arrested Monserrate at LIJ despite the fact that Giraldo did not want to press charges, in accordance with New York State law regarding alleged domestic abuse cases.
Monserrate, who sailed to easy victory last November in his bid to succeed Sen. John Sabini in the 13th District, proclaimed his innocence.
“As a result of an unfortunate accident involving myself and someone I care for deeply and love, I have been charged with offenses that I did not commit and am not capable of committing,” he said in a statement released Monday. “As a son, brother and father, these accusations are offensive, and they are crushing on a personal level.”
An order of protection was issued by Judge Toko Serita, barring contact between Monserrate and Giraldo. The judge set a $5,000 bond in the case, which is scheduled to convene on Jan. 15.
News of the arrest reverberated from City Hall to the Senate chambers in Albany, where Monserrate is scheduled to be seated next month. Briefly a member of the so-called “Gang of Four” — a group of mostly Latino senators demanding a greater stake in the chamber’s leadership — the Corona Democrat was poised to exert influence unheard of in the state Capitol from a freshman legislator.
Monserrate’s arrest further clouds the political picture in the state Senate, already murky because of the dissident faction of legislators led by Bronx Sen.-elect Pedro Espada, as well as the still-unresolved contest between Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows).
A spokesman for Sen. Minority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans), who until recently was ready to take over a new Democratic majority, had no comment on Monserrate’s case, or on reports that one of his staffers went to the 105th Precinct house to offer his services to the accused.
“Council member Monserrate, just like any individual in the city or anywhere else, is innocent until proven guilty,” Council Speaker Christine Quinn said on Friday. “I’m glad that the N.Y.P.D. is taking up these charges and is going to pursue them quickly and thoroughly.”
There were signs this week that staffers and constituents, especially in the Latino community, were rallying around the senator-elect.
“He’s 100 percent innocent,” said Monserrate spokesman Wayne Malke.
Charged with a Class B felony and with his Jan. 1 swearing in drawing near, Monserrate was called upon to resign by Queens County Republicans. “Monserrate cannot be trusted to make the laws he so cruelly and brutishly breaks,” said 36th Assembly District chairwoman Marie Lynch.
State Sen. Martin Golden (D-Bay Ridge) announced this week that he planned to introduce a motion to postpone Monserrate’s swearing in ceremony to Jan. 30, so that the criminal charges against him could be aired out in court before he took his Senate seat.
But there seemed little barring the way to Monserrate’s swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 1. “Under the state constitution and the public office statute, the Republicans do not have a legal basis to prevent Monserrate from being seated prior to a conviction for a felony,” said Shelley Mayer, chief legal counsel for the Senate Minority.
This isn’t the first time a Democratic senator from the 13th District has run afoul of the law.
In November 2007, Albany police pulled over Sabini on suspicion of DUI. The veteran legislator later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, was fined $300 and lost his driving privileges for six months. Shortly after the incident, protesters gathered outside Sabini’s offices in Elmhurst, reacting angrily to the arrest.
The ensuing political fallout ushered Sabini out of office and helped solidify support among Queens Democrats for Monserrate as his successor.
On Monday, the only organized rally outside Monserrate’s Corona office was one of support, organized with help from what might seem an unlikely source — Queens domestic violence counselor Martha Flores-Vazquez. “Councilman Hiram Monserrate has an innate sense of non-violence,” Flores-Vazquez, a close associate of Monserrate, said in a statement. “His demeanor does not constitute violence.”
Latino club joins in on Christmas giving
Latino Club joins 'Adopt a Celt' program
Students take baskets of donated goods to families that are in need
Jodi Kerr • Special to the Statesman Journal December 24, 2008
The "Adopt a Celt" program at McNary has been focused on giving rather than getting for about seven years.
The program is put together by school counselors and teachers who compile a list of families that might need help during the holiday season. Baskets of donated goods from students and teachers are built and delivered during the holiday season.
This year, the Latino Club decided to participate. The lesson in giving started with two Thanksgiving baskets that went over so well with the club that its members decided to participate in the Christmas baskets program as well.
Carrie Brown, a counselor at McNary High School, says the number of families that receive help from the students and staff is increasing year after year. Last year, about 20 families received assistance and it is up to 32 so far this year.
The Keizer Chamber and Keizer Police Department "Shop with A Cop" efforts also help additional families as well, Brown said.
Ken Parshall, principal at McNary, is proud of the way his students and staff serve the community.
"Servicing others is certainly a wonderful quality to grow in our students," he said. "We hope that our students might continue to care for each other as adults in our community to help build a strong and caring community."
The program has become quite a tradition at McNary and the Latino Club is happy to be participating this year. The goal of the club is to increase awareness of the Latino culture, promote leadership and education.
Juan Carlos Deloya, Migrant Specialist at McNary, called the family to see how the Latino Club students could help.
"We contacted the family and ask them how they could help. The focus of our baskets is food, clothes and toys for the children," Deloya said.
Deloya thinks that the Latino Club participating in the program is a positive thing for the community, and specifically the Latino community.
"We are not doing this for glory," he said. "Many times when we see the Latino community in the news, it's about crime, someone getting arrested. There are positive things happening in the community that just do not get reported. I think this is a great opportunity to say 'Hey it's not all bad news, there is also good news in the Latino community.'"
Karina Munroz, who helped deliver food baskets at Thanksgiving, said, "It meant so much to see a happy face. I think they got a meal, but we got a memory. It was a much bigger deal than I expected."
Hugs, little ones climbing their legs and tears in moms eyes when they delivered Thanksgiving baskets makes the assembling of a Christmas basket extra special.
"Usually, Christmas is about 'I want this, this, and this,'" she said. "This year, I told my parents just to give me whatever they felt like giving me. I understand a little better now what Christmas is about."
Shamir Cervantes, freshman and president of the club, knows first-hand how special it is to get a basket from strangers at Christmas.
"There was a time when we had a basket brought to my family," he said. "We had never actually been able to have a big meal at Christmas. Now my family is on their feet and going strong. It feels really good to be able to do that for another family."
Jodi Kerr is a freelance writer and can be reached at Jodikerr@meritel.net
Students take baskets of donated goods to families that are in need
Jodi Kerr • Special to the Statesman Journal December 24, 2008
The "Adopt a Celt" program at McNary has been focused on giving rather than getting for about seven years.
The program is put together by school counselors and teachers who compile a list of families that might need help during the holiday season. Baskets of donated goods from students and teachers are built and delivered during the holiday season.
This year, the Latino Club decided to participate. The lesson in giving started with two Thanksgiving baskets that went over so well with the club that its members decided to participate in the Christmas baskets program as well.
Carrie Brown, a counselor at McNary High School, says the number of families that receive help from the students and staff is increasing year after year. Last year, about 20 families received assistance and it is up to 32 so far this year.
The Keizer Chamber and Keizer Police Department "Shop with A Cop" efforts also help additional families as well, Brown said.
Ken Parshall, principal at McNary, is proud of the way his students and staff serve the community.
"Servicing others is certainly a wonderful quality to grow in our students," he said. "We hope that our students might continue to care for each other as adults in our community to help build a strong and caring community."
The program has become quite a tradition at McNary and the Latino Club is happy to be participating this year. The goal of the club is to increase awareness of the Latino culture, promote leadership and education.
Juan Carlos Deloya, Migrant Specialist at McNary, called the family to see how the Latino Club students could help.
"We contacted the family and ask them how they could help. The focus of our baskets is food, clothes and toys for the children," Deloya said.
Deloya thinks that the Latino Club participating in the program is a positive thing for the community, and specifically the Latino community.
"We are not doing this for glory," he said. "Many times when we see the Latino community in the news, it's about crime, someone getting arrested. There are positive things happening in the community that just do not get reported. I think this is a great opportunity to say 'Hey it's not all bad news, there is also good news in the Latino community.'"
Karina Munroz, who helped deliver food baskets at Thanksgiving, said, "It meant so much to see a happy face. I think they got a meal, but we got a memory. It was a much bigger deal than I expected."
Hugs, little ones climbing their legs and tears in moms eyes when they delivered Thanksgiving baskets makes the assembling of a Christmas basket extra special.
"Usually, Christmas is about 'I want this, this, and this,'" she said. "This year, I told my parents just to give me whatever they felt like giving me. I understand a little better now what Christmas is about."
Shamir Cervantes, freshman and president of the club, knows first-hand how special it is to get a basket from strangers at Christmas.
"There was a time when we had a basket brought to my family," he said. "We had never actually been able to have a big meal at Christmas. Now my family is on their feet and going strong. It feels really good to be able to do that for another family."
Jodi Kerr is a freelance writer and can be reached at Jodikerr@meritel.net
Latino education board trustee will not get reimbursed
San Bernardino County Board of Education trustee denied reimbursement for membership fees
By Michael J. Sorba, Staff Writer 12/25/2008
Gil Navarro's membership to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials won't be paid for using county school dollars - at least for now.
With a 4-1 vote at its Dec. 1 meeting the San Bernardino County Board of Education denied Navarro's request to approve paying his membership fees and expenses for conferences put on by the organization.
Navarro has brought the request before the board three times this year and was rejected each time.
Navarro says he'll continue to pursue the matter and bring new evidence to the board to convince them he has a legitimate request.
"There are 428,000 students in the county," Navarro said, citing a state report. "Based on that, 56.4 percent are Hispanic."
Six county school district's are also under sanction by the state Board of Education for not meeting English language-learner requirements, he added.
Those numbers, and the fact that NALEO operates an educational fund that is active in improving academic performance among Latino students, should have been enough to justify his request, Navarro said.
The money to pay for the $100 membership would have come out of a $5,000 discretionary fund each board member is allotted to spend on travel and other expenses related to attendance at workshops sponsored by organizations approved by the board.
NALEO is not on the list of approved groups, so Navarro's request required a board vote.
When one of Navarro's requests was denied in November current board President David Stine said NALEO was mainly concerned with politics and "doing proactive work in recruiting voters and encouraging people to run for offices."
Public funds should not be used to pay for a membership to any organization that has a special interest, whether it's for "gender or ethnicity or religion," Stine added.
After his request failed, Navarro said he would ask the board to reconsider the item at their December meeting when new trustees take office.
The strategy nearly worked.
An initial motion to approve the request passed with a 3-2 vote, with Navarro, Mark Sumpter and newly elected trustee S. Michael Tahan approving.
Stine and newly elected trustee Alen Ritchie were against the request.
However, Navarro didn't like how the motion was worded and asked board staff to alter its language.
His fellow board members didn't agree with the new language and Tahan asked for the vote to be reconsidered, said Christine McGrew, spokeswoman for the county's Superintendent of Schools.
When the board took a new vote, all but Navarro voted no.
Navarro says board members voted against his request because they felt NALEO's main focus was politics, not education.
Navarro disagrees. Based on his interaction with NALEO, Navarro says their main focus is improving academic performance among Latino students.
A statement on NALEO's Web site says the organization is a "powerful network of Latino leaders in the nation working to strengthen American democracy and our community through increased political participation."
michael.sorba@inlandnewspapers.com, (909) 386-3872
By Michael J. Sorba, Staff Writer 12/25/2008
Gil Navarro's membership to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials won't be paid for using county school dollars - at least for now.
With a 4-1 vote at its Dec. 1 meeting the San Bernardino County Board of Education denied Navarro's request to approve paying his membership fees and expenses for conferences put on by the organization.
Navarro has brought the request before the board three times this year and was rejected each time.
Navarro says he'll continue to pursue the matter and bring new evidence to the board to convince them he has a legitimate request.
"There are 428,000 students in the county," Navarro said, citing a state report. "Based on that, 56.4 percent are Hispanic."
Six county school district's are also under sanction by the state Board of Education for not meeting English language-learner requirements, he added.
Those numbers, and the fact that NALEO operates an educational fund that is active in improving academic performance among Latino students, should have been enough to justify his request, Navarro said.
The money to pay for the $100 membership would have come out of a $5,000 discretionary fund each board member is allotted to spend on travel and other expenses related to attendance at workshops sponsored by organizations approved by the board.
NALEO is not on the list of approved groups, so Navarro's request required a board vote.
When one of Navarro's requests was denied in November current board President David Stine said NALEO was mainly concerned with politics and "doing proactive work in recruiting voters and encouraging people to run for offices."
Public funds should not be used to pay for a membership to any organization that has a special interest, whether it's for "gender or ethnicity or religion," Stine added.
After his request failed, Navarro said he would ask the board to reconsider the item at their December meeting when new trustees take office.
The strategy nearly worked.
An initial motion to approve the request passed with a 3-2 vote, with Navarro, Mark Sumpter and newly elected trustee S. Michael Tahan approving.
Stine and newly elected trustee Alen Ritchie were against the request.
However, Navarro didn't like how the motion was worded and asked board staff to alter its language.
His fellow board members didn't agree with the new language and Tahan asked for the vote to be reconsidered, said Christine McGrew, spokeswoman for the county's Superintendent of Schools.
When the board took a new vote, all but Navarro voted no.
Navarro says board members voted against his request because they felt NALEO's main focus was politics, not education.
Navarro disagrees. Based on his interaction with NALEO, Navarro says their main focus is improving academic performance among Latino students.
A statement on NALEO's Web site says the organization is a "powerful network of Latino leaders in the nation working to strengthen American democracy and our community through increased political participation."
michael.sorba@inlandnewspapers.com, (909) 386-3872
Latino organization fired director for cause
Bad conduct got director fired, says Latino group
In a response filed in court, Centro Latino of Tacoma says it dismissed its director because of her ‘conduct and insubordination.’
brent.champaco@thenewstribune.com December 25th, 2008
Centro Latino’s former executive director was fired because of her conduct during her brief tenure, not because the Tacoma agency’s leaders were trying to hide something.
That was the response the attorney for the South Sound’s leading Hispanic social service agency filed earlier this month in Pierce County Superior Court after Joy Gomez-Gonzalez filed her wrongful termination lawsuit.
Centro Latino officials denied the former director’s allegations of conflict of interest and misappropriation of some $2 million in state money by one of Centro Latino’s board members.
Instead, Centro Latino attorney Joseph Diaz wrote in the Dec. 5 filing, Gomez-Gonzalez was fired after four months on the job because of her “conduct and insubordination.”
The agency alleges, among other things, that Gomez-Gonzalez misrepresented her employment background as an immigration attorney in Florida, had an inappropriate relationship with a Centro Latino employee she supervised, and stored “multiple photographs of herself in semi-dressed to unclothed states” on her office computer, according to court documents.
Gomez-Gonzalez was fired Oct. 24. She has not said how much money she’s seeking in the lawsuit. Court papers make reference to back pay, court fees and damages for mental anguish and emotional distress.
Board Chairman David Artis said word of the lawsuit hurt the image of the agency that serves the local Latino community with job training, youth mentoring and family service. He said it also has hit Centro Latino in the pocketbook.
Local governments such as Pierce County and Lakewood chose not to give Centro Latino money after Gomez-Gonzalez’s lawsuit was filed. The agency has lost about $200,000 in funding for 2009, he said.
It’s unfortunate, Artis said, because the agency’s leaders wanted to tell their side of the story but didn’t want the issue to play out in the media.
The agency plays by the rules and is a victim to a disgruntled employee, he said.
“It couldn’t have been at a worse time for us. A lot of people think perception is guilt,” Artis said. “We know we have not done anything wrong, and never intended to do anything wrong.”
In a telephone interview Wednesday, Gomez-Gonzalez denied any misconduct, especially the type that would have gotten her fired. Instead, she said, Centro Latino’s response is the typical reaction of an agency trying to smear a person’s reputation and hang onto its donors.
“I’m glad they picked one story and are sticking to it,” she said.
In her lawsuit, the 33-year-old Gomez-Gonzalez made a number of claims about her former employer. She accused board member David Almonte of using his position to secure a large contract for his furniture business and of improperly trying to hire a friend as a contractor on the renovation of Centro Latino’s building in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood.
She also claimed that another agency board member – Wendell Brown – told her on her first day on the job that she was in charge of a $1.5 million capital campaign related to the renovation of its building at 1208 S. 10th St. Centro Latino had received some $2 million in state funds from the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to buy and renovate the building.
Gomez-Gonzalez argued that because Almonte was trying to use part of that money for his personal gain, it was a misappropriation.
Almonte denied Gomez-Gonzalez’s allegations last month. Diaz and Artis echoed those denials during a News Tribune editorial board meeting earlier this month.
They said the agency never told her she was in charge of the building’s renovation, and that there was no finalized contract between Centro Latino and any contractor for renovation.
The agency is still in the early planning process, and the state must approve how its money is spent, Diaz said.
Gomez-Gonzalez made other claims about Centro Latino’s leaders trying to overstep her authority, keeping word of their problems from the public, failing to tell her they were unhappy with her performance until she was fired, and trying to ruin her reputation once she was let go.
Centro Latino denies all of that, according to court papers.
Gomez-Gonzalez denied the agency’s accusation that she had an affair with an employee. She said she worked closely with the employee, but their relationship was never inappropriate.
As for any photos stored on her computer, she said Wednesday that she had downloaded pictures from her cell phone onto the hard drive because she had run out of storage on her cell phone. Those included pictures of her children, her significant other in Florida, and other personal pictures.
“It’s highly possible there were private pictures (on the hard drive), but they were from my cell phone,” she said.
Gomez-Gonzalez said she expected the kind of claims outlined in the agency’s response. The $200,000 or so Centro Latino has lost since her lawsuit was filed indicates how much confidence donors had in her, and how much Centro Latino needs to be cleaned up, she said.
But Artis said the agency was not the problem. He recalled Oct. 24, the day he and two other board members told Gomez-Gonzalez she was fired. She uttered a threat to the agency as she walked out the door, Artis said. “She said she would bankrupt us,” Artis said.
The case is scheduled to go to trial in April.
Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653
In a response filed in court, Centro Latino of Tacoma says it dismissed its director because of her ‘conduct and insubordination.’
brent.champaco@thenewstribune.com December 25th, 2008
Centro Latino’s former executive director was fired because of her conduct during her brief tenure, not because the Tacoma agency’s leaders were trying to hide something.
That was the response the attorney for the South Sound’s leading Hispanic social service agency filed earlier this month in Pierce County Superior Court after Joy Gomez-Gonzalez filed her wrongful termination lawsuit.
Centro Latino officials denied the former director’s allegations of conflict of interest and misappropriation of some $2 million in state money by one of Centro Latino’s board members.
Instead, Centro Latino attorney Joseph Diaz wrote in the Dec. 5 filing, Gomez-Gonzalez was fired after four months on the job because of her “conduct and insubordination.”
The agency alleges, among other things, that Gomez-Gonzalez misrepresented her employment background as an immigration attorney in Florida, had an inappropriate relationship with a Centro Latino employee she supervised, and stored “multiple photographs of herself in semi-dressed to unclothed states” on her office computer, according to court documents.
Gomez-Gonzalez was fired Oct. 24. She has not said how much money she’s seeking in the lawsuit. Court papers make reference to back pay, court fees and damages for mental anguish and emotional distress.
Board Chairman David Artis said word of the lawsuit hurt the image of the agency that serves the local Latino community with job training, youth mentoring and family service. He said it also has hit Centro Latino in the pocketbook.
Local governments such as Pierce County and Lakewood chose not to give Centro Latino money after Gomez-Gonzalez’s lawsuit was filed. The agency has lost about $200,000 in funding for 2009, he said.
It’s unfortunate, Artis said, because the agency’s leaders wanted to tell their side of the story but didn’t want the issue to play out in the media.
The agency plays by the rules and is a victim to a disgruntled employee, he said.
“It couldn’t have been at a worse time for us. A lot of people think perception is guilt,” Artis said. “We know we have not done anything wrong, and never intended to do anything wrong.”
In a telephone interview Wednesday, Gomez-Gonzalez denied any misconduct, especially the type that would have gotten her fired. Instead, she said, Centro Latino’s response is the typical reaction of an agency trying to smear a person’s reputation and hang onto its donors.
“I’m glad they picked one story and are sticking to it,” she said.
In her lawsuit, the 33-year-old Gomez-Gonzalez made a number of claims about her former employer. She accused board member David Almonte of using his position to secure a large contract for his furniture business and of improperly trying to hire a friend as a contractor on the renovation of Centro Latino’s building in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood.
She also claimed that another agency board member – Wendell Brown – told her on her first day on the job that she was in charge of a $1.5 million capital campaign related to the renovation of its building at 1208 S. 10th St. Centro Latino had received some $2 million in state funds from the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development to buy and renovate the building.
Gomez-Gonzalez argued that because Almonte was trying to use part of that money for his personal gain, it was a misappropriation.
Almonte denied Gomez-Gonzalez’s allegations last month. Diaz and Artis echoed those denials during a News Tribune editorial board meeting earlier this month.
They said the agency never told her she was in charge of the building’s renovation, and that there was no finalized contract between Centro Latino and any contractor for renovation.
The agency is still in the early planning process, and the state must approve how its money is spent, Diaz said.
Gomez-Gonzalez made other claims about Centro Latino’s leaders trying to overstep her authority, keeping word of their problems from the public, failing to tell her they were unhappy with her performance until she was fired, and trying to ruin her reputation once she was let go.
Centro Latino denies all of that, according to court papers.
Gomez-Gonzalez denied the agency’s accusation that she had an affair with an employee. She said she worked closely with the employee, but their relationship was never inappropriate.
As for any photos stored on her computer, she said Wednesday that she had downloaded pictures from her cell phone onto the hard drive because she had run out of storage on her cell phone. Those included pictures of her children, her significant other in Florida, and other personal pictures.
“It’s highly possible there were private pictures (on the hard drive), but they were from my cell phone,” she said.
Gomez-Gonzalez said she expected the kind of claims outlined in the agency’s response. The $200,000 or so Centro Latino has lost since her lawsuit was filed indicates how much confidence donors had in her, and how much Centro Latino needs to be cleaned up, she said.
But Artis said the agency was not the problem. He recalled Oct. 24, the day he and two other board members told Gomez-Gonzalez she was fired. She uttered a threat to the agency as she walked out the door, Artis said. “She said she would bankrupt us,” Artis said.
The case is scheduled to go to trial in April.
Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653
Latino appointee being probed
Now, feds probe Gov. Richardson of Obama Cabinet for 'pay-to-play'
LA Times
It seems that Illinois' legally-challenged Gov. Rod Blagojevich is not the only close Barack Obama associate and Democratic governor being investigated by the feds for possibly selling government business in return for campaign contributions.
New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson, who is the newly-named Secretary of Commerce in Obama's about-to-be Cabinet, is also being investigated by a federal grand jury in his home state for possibly steering state bond business from the New Mexico Financial Authority toward David Rubin, a significant campaign contributor, according to an NBC News report, among others.
President-elect Barack Obama announces his selection of New Mexico Democrat Governor Bill Richardson as his Secretary of Commerce
NBC's Lisa Myers reports that two former state officials say they've recently been questioned by a federal grand jury specifically about allegations that Richardson or aides pushed state business worth nearly $1.5 million in fees toward CDR Financial Products in 2004. The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA.
This was about the same time as CDR's founder, Rubin, donated $100,000 to two of Richardson's political action committees, mainly it appears to cover expenses of the governor and his staff at the Democratic Party's National Convention in Boston that summer.
Rubin also donated another $29,000 to Richardson's own unsuccessful presidential campaign this year and last.
The probe is part of a broad national federal exploration of "pay-to-play," where government officials reap financial or other benefits in return for state business.
Richardson has ignored reporters' questions on the federal investigation, while a spokesman says he's confident the relationship was entirely appropriate and the governor expects state employees to cooperate fully with federal investigators. A CDR spokesman also said the transactions were appropriate.
An Obama transition official has refused to comment on whether the Democratic president-elect knew of the investigation before he appointed Richardson to his new Cabinet position.
Obama has called Richardson "my great friend" and said the governor would be a key member of his administration's economic team. Richardson, the first Hispanic in Obama's Cabinet, described himself the same way.
On Tuesday, the Obama transition team issued a five-page report of its own involvement with Blagojevich, who's charged in a federal criminal complaint with demanding money for state aid, business and his appointment of Obama's Senate replacement.
The Obama team report completely absolved the Obama team of any wrongdoing, as The Ticket reported here. But Obama was already on vacation when the report was issued and has said he won't be talking further about the matter. The president-elect's main Blagojevich contact, new White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, also happened to be unreachable on a vacation in Africa.
Here's the full video report below.
--Andrew Malcolm
LA Times
It seems that Illinois' legally-challenged Gov. Rod Blagojevich is not the only close Barack Obama associate and Democratic governor being investigated by the feds for possibly selling government business in return for campaign contributions.
New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson, who is the newly-named Secretary of Commerce in Obama's about-to-be Cabinet, is also being investigated by a federal grand jury in his home state for possibly steering state bond business from the New Mexico Financial Authority toward David Rubin, a significant campaign contributor, according to an NBC News report, among others.
President-elect Barack Obama announces his selection of New Mexico Democrat Governor Bill Richardson as his Secretary of Commerce
NBC's Lisa Myers reports that two former state officials say they've recently been questioned by a federal grand jury specifically about allegations that Richardson or aides pushed state business worth nearly $1.5 million in fees toward CDR Financial Products in 2004. The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA.
This was about the same time as CDR's founder, Rubin, donated $100,000 to two of Richardson's political action committees, mainly it appears to cover expenses of the governor and his staff at the Democratic Party's National Convention in Boston that summer.
Rubin also donated another $29,000 to Richardson's own unsuccessful presidential campaign this year and last.
The probe is part of a broad national federal exploration of "pay-to-play," where government officials reap financial or other benefits in return for state business.
Richardson has ignored reporters' questions on the federal investigation, while a spokesman says he's confident the relationship was entirely appropriate and the governor expects state employees to cooperate fully with federal investigators. A CDR spokesman also said the transactions were appropriate.
An Obama transition official has refused to comment on whether the Democratic president-elect knew of the investigation before he appointed Richardson to his new Cabinet position.
Obama has called Richardson "my great friend" and said the governor would be a key member of his administration's economic team. Richardson, the first Hispanic in Obama's Cabinet, described himself the same way.
On Tuesday, the Obama transition team issued a five-page report of its own involvement with Blagojevich, who's charged in a federal criminal complaint with demanding money for state aid, business and his appointment of Obama's Senate replacement.
The Obama team report completely absolved the Obama team of any wrongdoing, as The Ticket reported here. But Obama was already on vacation when the report was issued and has said he won't be talking further about the matter. The president-elect's main Blagojevich contact, new White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, also happened to be unreachable on a vacation in Africa.
Here's the full video report below.
--Andrew Malcolm
Hispanics, Asians vie for replacement of Latina appointee
Obama’s Pick of Solis for Labor Secretary Draws Praise
Hilda Solis, who represents the 32nd Congressional district, will represent labor and working families in the Obama administration.
By EGP News Service
San Gabriel Valley Rep. Hilda Solis has been hailed as a champion for working families and her appointment to Secretary of Labor by President-elect Barack Obama has received praise by many.
Obama called Solis a trailblazer and quoted her on her commitment to her ideals by saying that “fighting for what is just is not always popular, but is necessary,” during a news conference in Chicago when he announced the appointment. “Hilda has been a champion of the middle class, and I know that Hilda will show the same kind of leadership and vision as secretary of labor that she showed in California and on the Education and Labor Committee by protecting worker’s rights, from organizing to collective bargaining, from keeping our workplaces safe to making our unions strong.”
Solis said she was humbled by the appointment and planned to work to make the American Dream achievable for the nation’s middle-class workers.
“I learned at a very young age the value of hard work, public service and commitment to family,” she said.
“That’s why I share President-elect Obama’s belief in an America where if you work hard, anything is possible, an America that values rewards and hard work, an America where we can both be standing on this stage together here today. “But for many Americans, that America is slipping further and further away,” she said. “As secretary of labor, I’ll work to strengthen our unions and support every American in our nation’s diverse workforce.’’
Solis’ appointment drew praise from labor leaders and local officials.
Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor praised Solis, “She has impeccable credentials on issues such as the environment, business and at the same time has a personal commitment to fairness for men and women who work hard to support their families.”
David C. Lizarraga, chairman of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) commended Solis on her appointment and said their “organization is committed to build on our already strong relationship with the Congresswoman to address issues such as workforce training and education, extending and expanding unemployment benefits, and ensuring that Hispanic small businesses remain competitive.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina also commended the appointment and praised Solis’ track record and experience as a public servant, “President-elect Obama could not have made a better choice for this position. Hilda Solis is someone that hard-working American families can trust to safeguard their interests during these tough economic times and I look forward to her being a key member of the Obama cabinet.”
“I couldn’t be prouder. Hilda Solis is going to be a great labor secretary,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “She is someone who understands that we’ve got to honor work. We’ve got to protect the basic rights and collective bargaining, the rights that workers have earned for workplace protections that have been completely eviscerated and unenforced over the last eight years.”
Solis, D-El Monte, was first elected to Congress in 2000 and re-elected four times
Now 51, she was first elected to office in 1985 as a member of the Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees and to the Assembly in 1992. In 1994, she became the first Latina elected to the state Senate, serving in that body for six years until becoming a congresswoman.
Solis received a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona and a master’s degree in public administration from USC. She worked in the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs during the Carter administration, later becoming a management analyst with the Civil Rights Division of the Office of Management and Budget.
Solis’ appointment leaves an open congressional seat. Among those interested in running in the special election that will take place within 140 days of Solis’ resignation are state Sen. Gloria Romero and Sen. Gil Cedillo as well as Judy Chu, chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization who announced her intention to run on Tuesday.
Hilda Solis, who represents the 32nd Congressional district, will represent labor and working families in the Obama administration.
By EGP News Service
San Gabriel Valley Rep. Hilda Solis has been hailed as a champion for working families and her appointment to Secretary of Labor by President-elect Barack Obama has received praise by many.
Obama called Solis a trailblazer and quoted her on her commitment to her ideals by saying that “fighting for what is just is not always popular, but is necessary,” during a news conference in Chicago when he announced the appointment. “Hilda has been a champion of the middle class, and I know that Hilda will show the same kind of leadership and vision as secretary of labor that she showed in California and on the Education and Labor Committee by protecting worker’s rights, from organizing to collective bargaining, from keeping our workplaces safe to making our unions strong.”
Solis said she was humbled by the appointment and planned to work to make the American Dream achievable for the nation’s middle-class workers.
“I learned at a very young age the value of hard work, public service and commitment to family,” she said.
“That’s why I share President-elect Obama’s belief in an America where if you work hard, anything is possible, an America that values rewards and hard work, an America where we can both be standing on this stage together here today. “But for many Americans, that America is slipping further and further away,” she said. “As secretary of labor, I’ll work to strengthen our unions and support every American in our nation’s diverse workforce.’’
Solis’ appointment drew praise from labor leaders and local officials.
Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor praised Solis, “She has impeccable credentials on issues such as the environment, business and at the same time has a personal commitment to fairness for men and women who work hard to support their families.”
David C. Lizarraga, chairman of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) commended Solis on her appointment and said their “organization is committed to build on our already strong relationship with the Congresswoman to address issues such as workforce training and education, extending and expanding unemployment benefits, and ensuring that Hispanic small businesses remain competitive.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina also commended the appointment and praised Solis’ track record and experience as a public servant, “President-elect Obama could not have made a better choice for this position. Hilda Solis is someone that hard-working American families can trust to safeguard their interests during these tough economic times and I look forward to her being a key member of the Obama cabinet.”
“I couldn’t be prouder. Hilda Solis is going to be a great labor secretary,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. “She is someone who understands that we’ve got to honor work. We’ve got to protect the basic rights and collective bargaining, the rights that workers have earned for workplace protections that have been completely eviscerated and unenforced over the last eight years.”
Solis, D-El Monte, was first elected to Congress in 2000 and re-elected four times
Now 51, she was first elected to office in 1985 as a member of the Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees and to the Assembly in 1992. In 1994, she became the first Latina elected to the state Senate, serving in that body for six years until becoming a congresswoman.
Solis received a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly Pomona and a master’s degree in public administration from USC. She worked in the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs during the Carter administration, later becoming a management analyst with the Civil Rights Division of the Office of Management and Budget.
Solis’ appointment leaves an open congressional seat. Among those interested in running in the special election that will take place within 140 days of Solis’ resignation are state Sen. Gloria Romero and Sen. Gil Cedillo as well as Judy Chu, chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization who announced her intention to run on Tuesday.
Hispanic population needs daily news
Tucson trend arrives as Hispanic count rises
Tucson Citizen
'I believe viewers are negatively affected by the lack of daily local news. People might not see that there really is a limited amount of options in Tucson until they look at the amount of local Spanish- language news coverage elsewhere.' Karla Gomez Escamilla, reporter for Univision in Tucson
Across the West the number of Spanish speakers is growing and so is the number of Spanish-language news media outlets to serve the booming Hispanic population.
Except in Tucson.
In a metro area with more than a million residents and more than 200,000 people who speak Spanish, according to a 2007 U.S. census survey, the number of local Spanish-language news media outlets is slowly shrinking.
There is no daily Spanish-language newspaper serving the city and only one local weekly Spanish-language tabloid, which is produced by the Arizona Daily Star.
El Imparcial, a daily newspaper produced in Hermosillo, Son., distributes about 15,000 copies in southeast Arizona but contains little news about Tucson.
There are seven Spanish-language radio stations in Tucson but none specializes in news or talk radio, and the two Hispanic-targeted television stations covering local news are part of regional news shows anchored elsewhere.
Of the top 25 Hispanic markets in the U.S., only Tucson and Albuquerque, N.M., do not have Spanish-language daily or semidaily newspapers, and Tucson is the only market without a locally produced Spanish-language TV news program.
Tucson is the 25th largest Hispanic market, according to a report by Advertising Age, an advertising trade journal.
Karla Gomez Escamilla has been a reporter for Spanish-language media in Tucson for more than a decade and said the industry here is moving backward, especially in the past couple of years with newsroom cuts.
She said Spanish-speaking Tucsonans are hurt by having fewer options compared with other cities when it comes to Spanish-language local media.
"I believe viewers are negatively affected by the lack of daily local news. People might not see that there really is a limited amount of options in Tucson until they look at the amount of local Spanish-language news coverage elsewhere," Gomez Escamilla said.
She is one of the two reporters working for Univision in Tucson, the most-watched Spanish-language newscast in the Tucson area, according to the Nielsen ratings.
About 15,000 homes tune in during Univision's 5 p.m. newscast, and 13,000 homes at 10 p.m., according to Univision ratings reports.
"I have a strong sense of responsibility with our viewers, even more so than regular media, because if we don't put something on the news, where else will they hear about it?," she said.
"If we had a daily publication in Spanish, our community would benefit from it tremendously and know what's really going on in their city," she said. "But until then, we'll continue to try and get as much as we can covered."
Telemundo, also a Spanish channel, covers news from Pima County and the rest of Arizona, as well as from New Mexico and Texas, for its 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts, but the shows are produced and anchored in Texas.
The channel reaches 2,000 homes during the 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts, said Araceli De Leon, the president of Telemundo in Tucson and Phoenix.
Having partially local news coverage is not the best approach, said Celeste Gonzales de Bustamante, a University of Arizona journalism professor.
"In a regional (newscast) approach, what people are seeing as the local news for Tucson may only have a couple stories that actually happened here," she said. "And considering the large Hispanic population in town, it seems inadequate to have such little coverage."
Many bilingual Spanish speakers chose to get their news from Univision or Telemundo instead of local channels in English, Gonzales de Bustamante said, not because they don't understand English but because the news is different.
"There's a definite recognition to the Hispanic culture that more adequately reflects what's important amongst them. That's why they change the channel to what seems more relatable," she said.
Hispanic viewers are interested in the bigger issues, De Leon said, mostly those that affect their lives instead of the daily car crash or bank robbery.
"They are very concerned with their children so education is a top priority in our news coverage," she said. "And immigration is very big for us, because many of our viewers are affected by changes in the law."
Retiree Hortencia Moreno, who speaks English and Spanish, tunes in to the evening news on both Telemundo and Univision every day. She said Spanish-language news is more appealing to her.
"I really like the way Univision presents their news," she said. "I've been watching them for years."
Moreno said she felt "OK" about the amount of local news covered by both networks.
"I feel like they are giving me information about the news every day,'' she said.
Most morning radio show hosts rely on Univision and Telemundo to report local news to their listeners, rather than report their own news.
Gaston Mascareñas is the host of "Puro Vacilon" (The Morning Tease), a morning show on La Poderosa 105.3 FM. He said his show, like many other morning shows in Spanish, has comical sketches, music, horoscopes and a quick news segment.
"We give people a small taste of the news of the day when they wake up but in a funny way, sort of like in a 'Saturday Night Live' style," he said. "Then when they go home at night and watch the news, they get the full story."
The talk-radio format has been tried before here but did not succeed, he said, because "radio just isn't where (Hispanics) go to get news."
Bob Feinman, director of Clear Channel's Hispanic Operations, agreed with Mascareñas.
Feinman oversees La Preciosa 97.1 FM, among other stations, and said there is a lack of news radio in the area because the Spanish-speaking population has not responded well to the idea in the past few years.
"But it's not that the audience isn't there; it's definitely there. People are tuning in every day to listen to the radio in Spanish," Feinman said. "Enough to keep (seven) stations alive for this long."
The number of Hispanic viewers in the U.S. rose from 22.2 million, or 9 percent of the U.S. population in 1993, to 38.9 million, or 14 percent of the population, in 2006, according to a Nielsen report.
Advertising Age pegs Tucson's Hispanic market at more than 440,000.
That's why, despite the poor economy, advertisers in Spanish media have not cut back on the Hispanic market, said Raul Aguirre, director of REA Media Group in Tucson.
Tucson's increasing Hispanic and Spanish-speaking population is changing "the landscape of business" in Tucson, he said.
Many Hispanics in Tucson are bilingual or at least can listen to Spanish-language radio and television, giving them more choices for what to watch or listen to here and making them a more desirable consumer, Aguirre said.
"They want to know what's going on with the economy, but they also want to keep up with their cultural music and language," he said.
Figures by Nielsen Monitor Plus showed a 7.7 percent increase in Spanish-language advertising in this year's first quarter, which Aguirre said should continue or hold steady.
"The extensiveness and depth of the Hispanic market is enormous, and so many Hispanics have cash jobs on the side like landscaping and housekeeping that advertisers know it would be a mistake not to invest in Spanish-language media," he said.
Tucson Citizen
'I believe viewers are negatively affected by the lack of daily local news. People might not see that there really is a limited amount of options in Tucson until they look at the amount of local Spanish- language news coverage elsewhere.' Karla Gomez Escamilla, reporter for Univision in Tucson
Across the West the number of Spanish speakers is growing and so is the number of Spanish-language news media outlets to serve the booming Hispanic population.
Except in Tucson.
In a metro area with more than a million residents and more than 200,000 people who speak Spanish, according to a 2007 U.S. census survey, the number of local Spanish-language news media outlets is slowly shrinking.
There is no daily Spanish-language newspaper serving the city and only one local weekly Spanish-language tabloid, which is produced by the Arizona Daily Star.
El Imparcial, a daily newspaper produced in Hermosillo, Son., distributes about 15,000 copies in southeast Arizona but contains little news about Tucson.
There are seven Spanish-language radio stations in Tucson but none specializes in news or talk radio, and the two Hispanic-targeted television stations covering local news are part of regional news shows anchored elsewhere.
Of the top 25 Hispanic markets in the U.S., only Tucson and Albuquerque, N.M., do not have Spanish-language daily or semidaily newspapers, and Tucson is the only market without a locally produced Spanish-language TV news program.
Tucson is the 25th largest Hispanic market, according to a report by Advertising Age, an advertising trade journal.
Karla Gomez Escamilla has been a reporter for Spanish-language media in Tucson for more than a decade and said the industry here is moving backward, especially in the past couple of years with newsroom cuts.
She said Spanish-speaking Tucsonans are hurt by having fewer options compared with other cities when it comes to Spanish-language local media.
"I believe viewers are negatively affected by the lack of daily local news. People might not see that there really is a limited amount of options in Tucson until they look at the amount of local Spanish-language news coverage elsewhere," Gomez Escamilla said.
She is one of the two reporters working for Univision in Tucson, the most-watched Spanish-language newscast in the Tucson area, according to the Nielsen ratings.
About 15,000 homes tune in during Univision's 5 p.m. newscast, and 13,000 homes at 10 p.m., according to Univision ratings reports.
"I have a strong sense of responsibility with our viewers, even more so than regular media, because if we don't put something on the news, where else will they hear about it?," she said.
"If we had a daily publication in Spanish, our community would benefit from it tremendously and know what's really going on in their city," she said. "But until then, we'll continue to try and get as much as we can covered."
Telemundo, also a Spanish channel, covers news from Pima County and the rest of Arizona, as well as from New Mexico and Texas, for its 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts, but the shows are produced and anchored in Texas.
The channel reaches 2,000 homes during the 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts, said Araceli De Leon, the president of Telemundo in Tucson and Phoenix.
Having partially local news coverage is not the best approach, said Celeste Gonzales de Bustamante, a University of Arizona journalism professor.
"In a regional (newscast) approach, what people are seeing as the local news for Tucson may only have a couple stories that actually happened here," she said. "And considering the large Hispanic population in town, it seems inadequate to have such little coverage."
Many bilingual Spanish speakers chose to get their news from Univision or Telemundo instead of local channels in English, Gonzales de Bustamante said, not because they don't understand English but because the news is different.
"There's a definite recognition to the Hispanic culture that more adequately reflects what's important amongst them. That's why they change the channel to what seems more relatable," she said.
Hispanic viewers are interested in the bigger issues, De Leon said, mostly those that affect their lives instead of the daily car crash or bank robbery.
"They are very concerned with their children so education is a top priority in our news coverage," she said. "And immigration is very big for us, because many of our viewers are affected by changes in the law."
Retiree Hortencia Moreno, who speaks English and Spanish, tunes in to the evening news on both Telemundo and Univision every day. She said Spanish-language news is more appealing to her.
"I really like the way Univision presents their news," she said. "I've been watching them for years."
Moreno said she felt "OK" about the amount of local news covered by both networks.
"I feel like they are giving me information about the news every day,'' she said.
Most morning radio show hosts rely on Univision and Telemundo to report local news to their listeners, rather than report their own news.
Gaston Mascareñas is the host of "Puro Vacilon" (The Morning Tease), a morning show on La Poderosa 105.3 FM. He said his show, like many other morning shows in Spanish, has comical sketches, music, horoscopes and a quick news segment.
"We give people a small taste of the news of the day when they wake up but in a funny way, sort of like in a 'Saturday Night Live' style," he said. "Then when they go home at night and watch the news, they get the full story."
The talk-radio format has been tried before here but did not succeed, he said, because "radio just isn't where (Hispanics) go to get news."
Bob Feinman, director of Clear Channel's Hispanic Operations, agreed with Mascareñas.
Feinman oversees La Preciosa 97.1 FM, among other stations, and said there is a lack of news radio in the area because the Spanish-speaking population has not responded well to the idea in the past few years.
"But it's not that the audience isn't there; it's definitely there. People are tuning in every day to listen to the radio in Spanish," Feinman said. "Enough to keep (seven) stations alive for this long."
The number of Hispanic viewers in the U.S. rose from 22.2 million, or 9 percent of the U.S. population in 1993, to 38.9 million, or 14 percent of the population, in 2006, according to a Nielsen report.
Advertising Age pegs Tucson's Hispanic market at more than 440,000.
That's why, despite the poor economy, advertisers in Spanish media have not cut back on the Hispanic market, said Raul Aguirre, director of REA Media Group in Tucson.
Tucson's increasing Hispanic and Spanish-speaking population is changing "the landscape of business" in Tucson, he said.
Many Hispanics in Tucson are bilingual or at least can listen to Spanish-language radio and television, giving them more choices for what to watch or listen to here and making them a more desirable consumer, Aguirre said.
"They want to know what's going on with the economy, but they also want to keep up with their cultural music and language," he said.
Figures by Nielsen Monitor Plus showed a 7.7 percent increase in Spanish-language advertising in this year's first quarter, which Aguirre said should continue or hold steady.
"The extensiveness and depth of the Hispanic market is enormous, and so many Hispanics have cash jobs on the side like landscaping and housekeeping that advertisers know it would be a mistake not to invest in Spanish-language media," he said.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Latino Journal Day Off
We've decided to take today, Christmas Day, off. We'll provide you with your dose of Hispanic/Latino news tomorrow. Have a Merry Christmas.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Hispanic students being pushed to graduate
More Hispanic students must graduate
Kalamazoo Gazette Editorial Board December 23, 2008
Let us look at some projections from the Pew Research Center, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
The center forecasts that in about four decades or sooner, Hispanics, already the leading minority with more than 14 percent of the population, will become the largest minority group at 29 percent. African-Americans will constitute about 13 percent.
These demographics underscore the importance of helping improve the performance of today's minority youngsters in our local and area schools.
In the Sunday edition of the Kalamazoo Gazette, it was reported that Latino students are dropping out of school at a disproportionately high rate.
In the Kalamazoo Public Schools, where Kalamazoo County's minorities are concentrated, there were 11,790 students this past autumn. There are some 1,300 bilingual Hispanic students -- about 11 percent of those enrolled in the Kalamazoo system, according to Manuel Brenes, KPS coordinator for bilingual and migrant services.
Consider this statistic: Of 50 Latino students who started the ninth grade at Kalamazoo Central and Loy Norrix high schools in 2004-05, 10 had dropped out before graduation last spring.
Lori Mercedes, a member of the Kalamazoo Hispanic American Council, said that Hispanic students have lowered their own expectations. Students at the council, she said, are "happy with getting Cs on their report cards. They think, 'That's the best a Mexican can do.' I can't believe this."
Neither can we. The basic reasons for Latino under-achievement have nothing to do with potential, and should be obvious. Many poorly educated parents who work for low wages are not fluent in English, and therefore are unable to help their kids with school work. Language barriers, immigration issues and lack of student confidence are other problems that put Hispanic students at a disadvantage.
Although the politically and economically controversial immigration issue is a divisive national dilemma that must be resolved, it doesn't apply to kids in school -- whether they are in this country legally or illegally. Students are not required to provide proof of identification or legal status to attend KPS schools, or to qualify for The Kalamazoo Promise, a privately endowed program that provides up to four-year scholarships to Michigan public colleges and universities for qualified graduates of KPS.
"The Kalamazoo Promise language needs to be in Spanish and accessible for all education attainment levels," said Mary Lu Light, a Western Michigan University language specialist.
Yes, English is still the official and primary language in our country. By mastering English, students -- regardless of their ethnicity -- will have much better opportunities for success when they compete in the adult world.
Kalamazoo Gazette Editorial Board December 23, 2008
Let us look at some projections from the Pew Research Center, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
The center forecasts that in about four decades or sooner, Hispanics, already the leading minority with more than 14 percent of the population, will become the largest minority group at 29 percent. African-Americans will constitute about 13 percent.
These demographics underscore the importance of helping improve the performance of today's minority youngsters in our local and area schools.
In the Sunday edition of the Kalamazoo Gazette, it was reported that Latino students are dropping out of school at a disproportionately high rate.
In the Kalamazoo Public Schools, where Kalamazoo County's minorities are concentrated, there were 11,790 students this past autumn. There are some 1,300 bilingual Hispanic students -- about 11 percent of those enrolled in the Kalamazoo system, according to Manuel Brenes, KPS coordinator for bilingual and migrant services.
Consider this statistic: Of 50 Latino students who started the ninth grade at Kalamazoo Central and Loy Norrix high schools in 2004-05, 10 had dropped out before graduation last spring.
Lori Mercedes, a member of the Kalamazoo Hispanic American Council, said that Hispanic students have lowered their own expectations. Students at the council, she said, are "happy with getting Cs on their report cards. They think, 'That's the best a Mexican can do.' I can't believe this."
Neither can we. The basic reasons for Latino under-achievement have nothing to do with potential, and should be obvious. Many poorly educated parents who work for low wages are not fluent in English, and therefore are unable to help their kids with school work. Language barriers, immigration issues and lack of student confidence are other problems that put Hispanic students at a disadvantage.
Although the politically and economically controversial immigration issue is a divisive national dilemma that must be resolved, it doesn't apply to kids in school -- whether they are in this country legally or illegally. Students are not required to provide proof of identification or legal status to attend KPS schools, or to qualify for The Kalamazoo Promise, a privately endowed program that provides up to four-year scholarships to Michigan public colleges and universities for qualified graduates of KPS.
"The Kalamazoo Promise language needs to be in Spanish and accessible for all education attainment levels," said Mary Lu Light, a Western Michigan University language specialist.
Yes, English is still the official and primary language in our country. By mastering English, students -- regardless of their ethnicity -- will have much better opportunities for success when they compete in the adult world.
Hispanic leaders ask for a farmer
Hispanic Leaders: Send a Farmer to the Senate
By Jeff Bridges, ColoradoPols.com
A group of Hispanic leaders met with Governor Bill Ritter today to discuss - surprise! - their pick for Senator Ken Salazar's replacement. Here's another shocker: they think Ken's older brother and Congressman John Salazar should get the post. With former Secretary of Transportation and Denver Mayor Federico Pena officially out, John's the only Hispanic in serious contention.
By Jeff Bridges, ColoradoPols.com
A group of Hispanic leaders met with Governor Bill Ritter today to discuss - surprise! - their pick for Senator Ken Salazar's replacement. Here's another shocker: they think Ken's older brother and Congressman John Salazar should get the post. With former Secretary of Transportation and Denver Mayor Federico Pena officially out, John's the only Hispanic in serious contention.
First Hispanic Mayor leaves office
Outgoing Stockton Mayor Reflects on Job
Tim Daly
STOCKTON, CA - Stockton Mayor Ed Chavez has finished up his work at City Hall. Tuesday was his last day on the job.
Chavez actually had another week of service due, but with City Hall closed for the holidays because of financial strains, he would have been locked out of his office.
After spending 15 minutes answering questions from Japanese foreign exchange students, Chavez reflected on unfinished business.
"Our plan was, before the foreclosure and financial crisis hit us, to work on housing for downtown, to complement the other investments we made downtown," Chavez said.
Chavez was the city's first Hispanic mayor, and before that, the city's first Hispanic chief of police. Although he's moving to Southern California for his retirement, he's proud to be a native of Stockton.
"We have a great city. It's yet to reach it's full potential -- we keep hitting around the edges. It's a matter of pulling it all together. Stockton's a great place," Chavez said.
Chavez decided not to run for a second term as mayor. Ann Johnston assumes the job when City Hall reopens in early January.
Tim Daly
STOCKTON, CA - Stockton Mayor Ed Chavez has finished up his work at City Hall. Tuesday was his last day on the job.
Chavez actually had another week of service due, but with City Hall closed for the holidays because of financial strains, he would have been locked out of his office.
After spending 15 minutes answering questions from Japanese foreign exchange students, Chavez reflected on unfinished business.
"Our plan was, before the foreclosure and financial crisis hit us, to work on housing for downtown, to complement the other investments we made downtown," Chavez said.
Chavez was the city's first Hispanic mayor, and before that, the city's first Hispanic chief of police. Although he's moving to Southern California for his retirement, he's proud to be a native of Stockton.
"We have a great city. It's yet to reach it's full potential -- we keep hitting around the edges. It's a matter of pulling it all together. Stockton's a great place," Chavez said.
Chavez decided not to run for a second term as mayor. Ann Johnston assumes the job when City Hall reopens in early January.
Selecting an Hispanic justice complicates judiciary independence
Florida high court politics now officially out of control
Palm Beach Post Editorial December 23, 2008
The worst kind of judicial politics may place an unqualified person on the Florida Supreme Court. Blame Gov. Crist and some of his allies.
It started on Dec. 9, when the governor received from the Judicial Nominating Commission five finalists whom the nine-member commission had named as candidates to replace Justice Harry Anstead, who is retiring. The commission interviews applicants for the high court, then recommends no less than three and no more than six candidates. The governor makes the final decision.
That list of finalists included Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jorge Labarga. He also had been named a finalist for the 4th District Court of Appeal, one level below the Supreme Court. On Dec. 10, Gov. Crist picked Judge Labarga for the appeals court, then wrote to the Supreme Court nominating commission asking for more names "to increase the diversity of the pool of nominees ... "
Translation: Gov. Crist wants to put a Hispanic on the Supreme Court. Raoul Cantero, the first and only Hispanic justice, resigned in April. None of the other four finalists is Hispanic. It appears, though, that Gov. Crist wants a specific Hispanic - Frank Jimenez. And the idea of Mr. Jimenez serving on the high court should alarm anyone who believes in the independence of the judiciary.
When Jeb Bush became governor in 1999, Mr. Jimenez was Mr. Bush's No. 2 legal adviser. In that role, Mr. Jimenez envisioned a judiciary that was in philosophical lockstep with a governor who - like his brother - sees the courts' role as validating whatever the executive branch wants to do. In an e-mail, Mr. Jimenez proposed a system of "unofficial regional panels" of Bush supporters to recruit candidates for judgeships. Mr. Jimenez added in the e-mail, "Warning to all who respond: I will be a pain-in-the-you-know-what if the recommended person is not ideologically compatible with the governor."
That idea, which died after it became public, should be enough by itself to disqualify Mr. Jimenez. But last week, the Judicial Nominating Commission added him to the list of candidates for Justice Anstead's seat. The commission did so, according to news reports, by a vote of 5-4 over strong, justified criticism from the four members of the minority.
For one thing, Mr. Jimenez didn't even apply for the seat. So he was added without having to go through the customary interview before the commission. Also, according to The Daily Business Review, Mr. Jimenez had support from two commissioners who should have recused themselves. Kathleen Shanahan, CEO of WRScompass in Tampa, was Jeb Bush's chief of staff when Mr. Jimenez was deputy chief of staff. Jason Unger is a Tallahassee lawyer who helped the Bush-Cheney campaign during the 2000 recount. His wife ran Jeb Bush's 2002 reelection campaign.
Still another vote for Mr. Jimenez came from the commission's chairman, lawyer Robert Hackleman. He chairs the board of directors at Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, the firm where Gov. Crist's former chief of staff is chairman.
Further, Gov. Crist just passed up two chances to put a qualified Hispanic on the Supreme Court. We mentioned Judge Labarga, who also was a finalist for an earlier high court seat. When Gov. Crist chose Ricky Polston last month, Miami lawyer Edward Guedes was a finalist for the seat. But Judge Labarga is a moderate Republican whose rulings are not influenced by ideology, and Mr. Guedes is a Democrat.
Another factor that disqualifies Mr. Jimenez is his recent experience. He has spent the past six years in Washington, holding high-profile but mostly administrative jobs. He is now the Navy's general counsel. It's a record long on credentials but devoid of any work related to the Florida courts. Mr. Jimenez also isn't yet a resident of Florida, a requirement for the high court job.
In contrast, the other finalists are three circuit judges and one appeals court judge. They have a combined record of roughly 40 years of continuous service. The court can benefit when a working lawyer brings a new perspective, but none of Mr. Jimenez's work for the past 10 years is relevant to the work of the Florida Supreme Court.
Gov. Crist dismisses the idea that the fix is in, saying that his choice will surprise people. The real and sad surprise has been how far the governor is willing to go to show far-right conservatives, through his Supreme Court choices, that the GOP base could be comfortable with him as a presidential candidate. He filled two high court vacancies with high-profile social conservatives; Mr. Jimenez could be even more extreme. Either way, the commission's credibility is gone. Those commissioners who backed Mr. Jimenez should resign. And if the governor picks Mr. Jimenez, the choice should be challenged in court as illegal.
Palm Beach Post Editorial December 23, 2008
The worst kind of judicial politics may place an unqualified person on the Florida Supreme Court. Blame Gov. Crist and some of his allies.
It started on Dec. 9, when the governor received from the Judicial Nominating Commission five finalists whom the nine-member commission had named as candidates to replace Justice Harry Anstead, who is retiring. The commission interviews applicants for the high court, then recommends no less than three and no more than six candidates. The governor makes the final decision.
That list of finalists included Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jorge Labarga. He also had been named a finalist for the 4th District Court of Appeal, one level below the Supreme Court. On Dec. 10, Gov. Crist picked Judge Labarga for the appeals court, then wrote to the Supreme Court nominating commission asking for more names "to increase the diversity of the pool of nominees ... "
Translation: Gov. Crist wants to put a Hispanic on the Supreme Court. Raoul Cantero, the first and only Hispanic justice, resigned in April. None of the other four finalists is Hispanic. It appears, though, that Gov. Crist wants a specific Hispanic - Frank Jimenez. And the idea of Mr. Jimenez serving on the high court should alarm anyone who believes in the independence of the judiciary.
When Jeb Bush became governor in 1999, Mr. Jimenez was Mr. Bush's No. 2 legal adviser. In that role, Mr. Jimenez envisioned a judiciary that was in philosophical lockstep with a governor who - like his brother - sees the courts' role as validating whatever the executive branch wants to do. In an e-mail, Mr. Jimenez proposed a system of "unofficial regional panels" of Bush supporters to recruit candidates for judgeships. Mr. Jimenez added in the e-mail, "Warning to all who respond: I will be a pain-in-the-you-know-what if the recommended person is not ideologically compatible with the governor."
That idea, which died after it became public, should be enough by itself to disqualify Mr. Jimenez. But last week, the Judicial Nominating Commission added him to the list of candidates for Justice Anstead's seat. The commission did so, according to news reports, by a vote of 5-4 over strong, justified criticism from the four members of the minority.
For one thing, Mr. Jimenez didn't even apply for the seat. So he was added without having to go through the customary interview before the commission. Also, according to The Daily Business Review, Mr. Jimenez had support from two commissioners who should have recused themselves. Kathleen Shanahan, CEO of WRScompass in Tampa, was Jeb Bush's chief of staff when Mr. Jimenez was deputy chief of staff. Jason Unger is a Tallahassee lawyer who helped the Bush-Cheney campaign during the 2000 recount. His wife ran Jeb Bush's 2002 reelection campaign.
Still another vote for Mr. Jimenez came from the commission's chairman, lawyer Robert Hackleman. He chairs the board of directors at Gunster Yoakley & Stewart, the firm where Gov. Crist's former chief of staff is chairman.
Further, Gov. Crist just passed up two chances to put a qualified Hispanic on the Supreme Court. We mentioned Judge Labarga, who also was a finalist for an earlier high court seat. When Gov. Crist chose Ricky Polston last month, Miami lawyer Edward Guedes was a finalist for the seat. But Judge Labarga is a moderate Republican whose rulings are not influenced by ideology, and Mr. Guedes is a Democrat.
Another factor that disqualifies Mr. Jimenez is his recent experience. He has spent the past six years in Washington, holding high-profile but mostly administrative jobs. He is now the Navy's general counsel. It's a record long on credentials but devoid of any work related to the Florida courts. Mr. Jimenez also isn't yet a resident of Florida, a requirement for the high court job.
In contrast, the other finalists are three circuit judges and one appeals court judge. They have a combined record of roughly 40 years of continuous service. The court can benefit when a working lawyer brings a new perspective, but none of Mr. Jimenez's work for the past 10 years is relevant to the work of the Florida Supreme Court.
Gov. Crist dismisses the idea that the fix is in, saying that his choice will surprise people. The real and sad surprise has been how far the governor is willing to go to show far-right conservatives, through his Supreme Court choices, that the GOP base could be comfortable with him as a presidential candidate. He filled two high court vacancies with high-profile social conservatives; Mr. Jimenez could be even more extreme. Either way, the commission's credibility is gone. Those commissioners who backed Mr. Jimenez should resign. And if the governor picks Mr. Jimenez, the choice should be challenged in court as illegal.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
First Hispanic, and Latina, on school board
School Board has its first-ever member of Hispanic origin
By ALEJANDRO CANO
It's official -- the Fontana Unified School District Board of Education welcomed last week the first member of Hispanic origin in its entire history: Barbara Chavez.
Chavez, whose five children attended and graduated from Fontana schools, was sworn in on Dec. 10 together with long-time education advocate Kathy Binks. The oath of office was administered by FUSD Superintendent Cali Olsen-Binks (the daughter-in-law of Binks) amid great attention from the public.
Chavez, who has been a teacher's aide in the district, promised to do all she can to help the thousands of students who attend the 45 different schools in the FUSD, particularly those of Hispanic descent.
To Chavez, immigrants who attend school without knowing a word of English have the same right to an education as any other student. To ensure they receive a quality education, she decided against all odds to seek a seat on the School Board.
“To be the first Latina ever on the board gives me great satisfaction, but also puts pressure on my work. I can't disappoint those who are looking after me,” said Chavez.
“I'm excited and willing to do whatever necessary for the sake of students. My people have a new voice.”
Chavez, who for three years served as president of the United Steelworkers Union, Local 8599, plans to enforce programs implemented to stop the ever-growing dropout rate.
According to the California Department of Education (CDE), 672 students enrolled in high school in the FUSD during the 2006-07 school year dropped out; 541 of them were Latinos.
“They feel invisible, embarrassed, left out, because most of the time they have language barriers. We need to work to ensure the programs are doing their job. We need to motivate these students, make them know that they are important to society and that there is nothing in this world that they can't accomplish if they focus,” said Chavez. “All they need is a little push.”
According to the CDE, the FUSD had in its 2007-2008 school cycle a total of 16,769 English Language Learners (EL), of which 97.3 percent speak Spanish as their first language.
“Most of the time their parents don't know the language -- the perfect combination for failure. We need to stop that, we need to offer parents and students the confidence and respect they deserve. They need to feel welcomed at school meetings; they need to step up to the plate to help us achieve great things,” said Chavez.
The newly-elected trustee wants to start changing lives immediately; however, budget cuts could be the biggest obstacle in her plans. Although most programs have been saved despite the district's financial problems due to the state budget crisis, Chavez thinks that in the future lack of money could force the board to cut important programs in the arts and sports areas.
“Money is always an issue, but I'm not trying to implement new programs, I just want to enforce those that are already out there. They need to be working,” she said.
As Chavez's four-year term begins, her message for parents is simple: get involved. Chavez's message for students is to “never quit and always follow your dreams,” while her message for colleagues is: “Let's start working together.”
“We have a lot to do and we should start immediately,” she concluded.
By ALEJANDRO CANO
It's official -- the Fontana Unified School District Board of Education welcomed last week the first member of Hispanic origin in its entire history: Barbara Chavez.
Chavez, whose five children attended and graduated from Fontana schools, was sworn in on Dec. 10 together with long-time education advocate Kathy Binks. The oath of office was administered by FUSD Superintendent Cali Olsen-Binks (the daughter-in-law of Binks) amid great attention from the public.
Chavez, who has been a teacher's aide in the district, promised to do all she can to help the thousands of students who attend the 45 different schools in the FUSD, particularly those of Hispanic descent.
To Chavez, immigrants who attend school without knowing a word of English have the same right to an education as any other student. To ensure they receive a quality education, she decided against all odds to seek a seat on the School Board.
“To be the first Latina ever on the board gives me great satisfaction, but also puts pressure on my work. I can't disappoint those who are looking after me,” said Chavez.
“I'm excited and willing to do whatever necessary for the sake of students. My people have a new voice.”
Chavez, who for three years served as president of the United Steelworkers Union, Local 8599, plans to enforce programs implemented to stop the ever-growing dropout rate.
According to the California Department of Education (CDE), 672 students enrolled in high school in the FUSD during the 2006-07 school year dropped out; 541 of them were Latinos.
“They feel invisible, embarrassed, left out, because most of the time they have language barriers. We need to work to ensure the programs are doing their job. We need to motivate these students, make them know that they are important to society and that there is nothing in this world that they can't accomplish if they focus,” said Chavez. “All they need is a little push.”
According to the CDE, the FUSD had in its 2007-2008 school cycle a total of 16,769 English Language Learners (EL), of which 97.3 percent speak Spanish as their first language.
“Most of the time their parents don't know the language -- the perfect combination for failure. We need to stop that, we need to offer parents and students the confidence and respect they deserve. They need to feel welcomed at school meetings; they need to step up to the plate to help us achieve great things,” said Chavez.
The newly-elected trustee wants to start changing lives immediately; however, budget cuts could be the biggest obstacle in her plans. Although most programs have been saved despite the district's financial problems due to the state budget crisis, Chavez thinks that in the future lack of money could force the board to cut important programs in the arts and sports areas.
“Money is always an issue, but I'm not trying to implement new programs, I just want to enforce those that are already out there. They need to be working,” she said.
As Chavez's four-year term begins, her message for parents is simple: get involved. Chavez's message for students is to “never quit and always follow your dreams,” while her message for colleagues is: “Let's start working together.”
“We have a lot to do and we should start immediately,” she concluded.
Hispanics now majority in Kansas county
Minorities now majority in Dodge City
New Census numbers show whites no longer in majority in Dodge City and Liberal
By ERIC SWANSON DODGE CITY DAILY GLOBE Dec 22, 2008
Hispanic people now account for slightly more than half of Dodge City's population, leaving non-Hispanic whites in the minority, according to new Census figures.
The Hispanic segment of Dodge City's population has risen to 53.6 percent since 2000, while non-Hispanic whites dropped to about 41 percent, the figures show. Blacks now account for 1.5 percent of the population, and Asians make up another 2.2 percent.
Dodge City Commissioner Jim Sherer said Sunday he had not seen the figures, but he was not surprised by them.
"I just think that this has been happening over the last 20, 25 years," he said. "To me, it's a very positive thing that we all need to know about, first of all, and understand."
Sherer said that he viewed the increase in Dodge City's Hispanic population as a positive trend, saying it would bring more opportunities for cultural exchanges. He also said that the trend indicated that the community's economic health was strong.
The city's overall population jumped to 26,678, up 6.4 percent since the 2000 Census.
The figures were released earlier this month by the American Community Survey, a project of the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey provided midsized cities across the country their first statistical snapshots on socioeconomic and housing issues since the 2000 Census.
The project relied on survey responses from 2005 through 2007 to generate the information, making it possible to release multiyear estimates for smaller geographic areas each year, according to a Dec. 9 news release from the Census.
Southwest Kansas' two other major cities, Liberal and Garden City, reported similar increases in their Hispanic populations since the last Census. Hispanics now account for 52.9 percent of Liberal's population, and non-Hispanic whites make up 38.2 percent.
Blacks accounted for 3 percent of Liberal's population, and Asians made up an additional 3.1 percent. The city's overall population was about 20,368 in 2007, up 3.6 percent since 2000.
Hispanics are still in the minority in Garden City, accounting for 42.9 percent of the city's population, according to American Community Services figures. Whites made up 50 percent of the population, while blacks accounted for 1.8 percent and Asians made up 3.9 percent.
Garden City's overall population in 2007 was about 26,766 people, down 4.6 percent since the last Census.
Reach Eric Swanson at (620) 408-9917, eric.swanson@dodgeglobe.com.
New Census numbers show whites no longer in majority in Dodge City and Liberal
By ERIC SWANSON DODGE CITY DAILY GLOBE Dec 22, 2008
Hispanic people now account for slightly more than half of Dodge City's population, leaving non-Hispanic whites in the minority, according to new Census figures.
The Hispanic segment of Dodge City's population has risen to 53.6 percent since 2000, while non-Hispanic whites dropped to about 41 percent, the figures show. Blacks now account for 1.5 percent of the population, and Asians make up another 2.2 percent.
Dodge City Commissioner Jim Sherer said Sunday he had not seen the figures, but he was not surprised by them.
"I just think that this has been happening over the last 20, 25 years," he said. "To me, it's a very positive thing that we all need to know about, first of all, and understand."
Sherer said that he viewed the increase in Dodge City's Hispanic population as a positive trend, saying it would bring more opportunities for cultural exchanges. He also said that the trend indicated that the community's economic health was strong.
The city's overall population jumped to 26,678, up 6.4 percent since the 2000 Census.
The figures were released earlier this month by the American Community Survey, a project of the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey provided midsized cities across the country their first statistical snapshots on socioeconomic and housing issues since the 2000 Census.
The project relied on survey responses from 2005 through 2007 to generate the information, making it possible to release multiyear estimates for smaller geographic areas each year, according to a Dec. 9 news release from the Census.
Southwest Kansas' two other major cities, Liberal and Garden City, reported similar increases in their Hispanic populations since the last Census. Hispanics now account for 52.9 percent of Liberal's population, and non-Hispanic whites make up 38.2 percent.
Blacks accounted for 3 percent of Liberal's population, and Asians made up an additional 3.1 percent. The city's overall population was about 20,368 in 2007, up 3.6 percent since 2000.
Hispanics are still in the minority in Garden City, accounting for 42.9 percent of the city's population, according to American Community Services figures. Whites made up 50 percent of the population, while blacks accounted for 1.8 percent and Asians made up 3.9 percent.
Garden City's overall population in 2007 was about 26,766 people, down 4.6 percent since the last Census.
Reach Eric Swanson at (620) 408-9917, eric.swanson@dodgeglobe.com.
Lawmakers to revisit Hispanic immigration
Kansas lawmakers to revisit immigration issue
By CARL MANNING, 12.22.08
Kansas legislators who want to crack down on illegal immigration are changing their strategy for getting something passed.
Lawmakers spent a lot of time earlier this year debating an immigration mega-bill but failed to pass it. Next year, supporters have decided, smaller might be better after lawmakers reconvene Jan. 12, especially with a looming budget crisis likely to dominate the 2009 session.
Rep. Lance Kinzer, who pushed this year's big bill, says he'll focus on specific issues, including repealing a state law providing lower, in-state tuition at state universities and colleges to some illegal immigrants.
"Starting out with goals that are achievable is a good way to start and may give us a chance to go with some bigger things," the Olathe Republican said. "Going down the road on passing another comprehensive bill, we end up closer to where we were last session, with gridlock."
Hispanic groups contend the federal government should address illegal immigration. But many states have grown weary of waiting on Congress.
"The worst type of immigration enforcement is one that varies from state to state," said David Ferreira of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington. "It diminishes commerce and makes families fear for their livelihoods."
A 2004 Kansas law allows qualified illegal immigrants to attend a state university, community college or technical college and pay the same tuition as legal Kansas residents. To qualify, the immigrant must graduate from a Kansas high school and either be seeking legal status or planning to do so when eligible.
By CARL MANNING, 12.22.08
Kansas legislators who want to crack down on illegal immigration are changing their strategy for getting something passed.
Lawmakers spent a lot of time earlier this year debating an immigration mega-bill but failed to pass it. Next year, supporters have decided, smaller might be better after lawmakers reconvene Jan. 12, especially with a looming budget crisis likely to dominate the 2009 session.
Rep. Lance Kinzer, who pushed this year's big bill, says he'll focus on specific issues, including repealing a state law providing lower, in-state tuition at state universities and colleges to some illegal immigrants.
"Starting out with goals that are achievable is a good way to start and may give us a chance to go with some bigger things," the Olathe Republican said. "Going down the road on passing another comprehensive bill, we end up closer to where we were last session, with gridlock."
Hispanic groups contend the federal government should address illegal immigration. But many states have grown weary of waiting on Congress.
"The worst type of immigration enforcement is one that varies from state to state," said David Ferreira of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington. "It diminishes commerce and makes families fear for their livelihoods."
A 2004 Kansas law allows qualified illegal immigrants to attend a state university, community college or technical college and pay the same tuition as legal Kansas residents. To qualify, the immigrant must graduate from a Kansas high school and either be seeking legal status or planning to do so when eligible.
Latinos, Asians may battle for vacant seat
Solis' House seat draws interest of prominent politicians
The campaign for her spot may pit Asian Judy Chu against Latino Gloria Romero.
By Evelyn Larrubia December 23, 2008
The race to replace Congresswoman Hilda Solis may turn out to be a competition between veteran politicians representing the district's two largest ethnic groups: Latinos and Asians.
On Monday, Judy Chu, chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization, announced her intention to run for the seat, which encompasses East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley and would be vacant if Solis (D-El Monte) is confirmed as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of labor.
State Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) said publicly last week that she was interested in pursuing the seat.
Speculation over who would run has been swirling in political circles since Obama's choice of Solis was made public late last week.
Both Chu and Romero were suggested, as were Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-Montebello) and Assemblyman Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), neither of whom have announced their intentions. But the law doesn't require a candidate to live in the district, so the field could be open to many other candidates for the sought-after seat in the House of Representatives, which is not subject to term limits. Solis' successor must be chosen in a special election.
Chu said she's confident in her bid.
"I believe that I will have major support for this seat," she said, but would not yet name her backers.
In an interview with The Times on Monday evening, Chu said she made the decision to run Sunday after days of urging from supporters.
"I've decided to heed those calls," she said. "I know this district very, very well and I believe the people of this district know me and know I'm very devoted to the San Gabriel Valley."
Chu began her political career as a board member for the Garvey School District in 1985. She has served in the state Assembly and as a council member and three-time mayor of Monterey Park.
Both she and Romero are trained psychologists who have taught at the college level, according to their biographies.
Romero could not be reached Monday afternoon, but said publicly last week that she would pursue the seat. A staunch labor supporter, Romero was elected to her state Senate seat in 2001, replacing Solis. She had previously served in the Assembly and said she represented the district at the state level for 10 years.
She would have an important leg up on Chu, according to political consultants.
"Most people believe a Latino would be favored," said Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book, a nonpartisan publication that analyzes and handicaps legislative races.
He said about 48% of the district's voters are Latino. Asians are the second-largest group, making up 13% of the vote.
But if several Latino candidates split the Latino vote, he said, a strong Asian candidate could put together Asian and white voters and take a majority.
Perhaps an even larger factor, said Democratic political strategist Steve Maviglio, is who the Los Angeles Federation of Labor backs, and how strongly.
"They have the most horses in the county. They have the most money. If they put all their firepower behind one candidate, it's pretty much over," he said.
That's partly because most special elections have turnouts below 20%, which he said favor grass-roots, get-out-the vote campaigns that are labor's strength.
If the primary were part of a larger election -- it's been suggested that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may call a special election this summer to resolve the state's budget problems -- that would increase the turnout.
Mary Gutierrez, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said both Chu and Solis have good reputations in the labor community. But it's too early to know what the slate is going to look like.
"I think it took a lot of people by surprise, so I don't think they had a lot of time to think: Do I want to run for that?" Gutierrez said of Solis' appointment.
"I think people are still testing the field right now."
evelyn.larrubia@latimes.com
The campaign for her spot may pit Asian Judy Chu against Latino Gloria Romero.
By Evelyn Larrubia December 23, 2008
The race to replace Congresswoman Hilda Solis may turn out to be a competition between veteran politicians representing the district's two largest ethnic groups: Latinos and Asians.
On Monday, Judy Chu, chairwoman of the state Board of Equalization, announced her intention to run for the seat, which encompasses East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley and would be vacant if Solis (D-El Monte) is confirmed as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of labor.
State Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) said publicly last week that she was interested in pursuing the seat.
Speculation over who would run has been swirling in political circles since Obama's choice of Solis was made public late last week.
Both Chu and Romero were suggested, as were Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-Montebello) and Assemblyman Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), neither of whom have announced their intentions. But the law doesn't require a candidate to live in the district, so the field could be open to many other candidates for the sought-after seat in the House of Representatives, which is not subject to term limits. Solis' successor must be chosen in a special election.
Chu said she's confident in her bid.
"I believe that I will have major support for this seat," she said, but would not yet name her backers.
In an interview with The Times on Monday evening, Chu said she made the decision to run Sunday after days of urging from supporters.
"I've decided to heed those calls," she said. "I know this district very, very well and I believe the people of this district know me and know I'm very devoted to the San Gabriel Valley."
Chu began her political career as a board member for the Garvey School District in 1985. She has served in the state Assembly and as a council member and three-time mayor of Monterey Park.
Both she and Romero are trained psychologists who have taught at the college level, according to their biographies.
Romero could not be reached Monday afternoon, but said publicly last week that she would pursue the seat. A staunch labor supporter, Romero was elected to her state Senate seat in 2001, replacing Solis. She had previously served in the Assembly and said she represented the district at the state level for 10 years.
She would have an important leg up on Chu, according to political consultants.
"Most people believe a Latino would be favored," said Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book, a nonpartisan publication that analyzes and handicaps legislative races.
He said about 48% of the district's voters are Latino. Asians are the second-largest group, making up 13% of the vote.
But if several Latino candidates split the Latino vote, he said, a strong Asian candidate could put together Asian and white voters and take a majority.
Perhaps an even larger factor, said Democratic political strategist Steve Maviglio, is who the Los Angeles Federation of Labor backs, and how strongly.
"They have the most horses in the county. They have the most money. If they put all their firepower behind one candidate, it's pretty much over," he said.
That's partly because most special elections have turnouts below 20%, which he said favor grass-roots, get-out-the vote campaigns that are labor's strength.
If the primary were part of a larger election -- it's been suggested that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may call a special election this summer to resolve the state's budget problems -- that would increase the turnout.
Mary Gutierrez, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said both Chu and Solis have good reputations in the labor community. But it's too early to know what the slate is going to look like.
"I think it took a lot of people by surprise, so I don't think they had a lot of time to think: Do I want to run for that?" Gutierrez said of Solis' appointment.
"I think people are still testing the field right now."
evelyn.larrubia@latimes.com
Hispanic hate crimes may be result of lax approach
Fed to review allegations Suffolk is lax on hate crimes
BY BART JONES bart.jones@newsday.com December 22, 2008
Claiming that Suffolk police and politicians systematically violate the civil rights of Latinos, a Latino rights group has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate county law enforcement and government.
Two high-level officials from the Justice Department's civil rights division flew from Washington to New York last week to meet with leaders of the group LatinoJustice.
Justice Department officials said they are reviewing the allegations, which include a laundry list of cases that culminated with the Nov. 8 killing of Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorean immigrant in Patchogue. Jamie Hais, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said officials have not decided whether to open a formal inquiry.
Suffolk police said Monday they welcomed any investigation and that the hate crime situation in Suffolk is no different than in other parts of the region.
"As evidenced by the attack on an Ecuadorean immigrant in Brooklyn recently, hate crimes occur everywhere," said police spokesman Tim Motz. "Our hate crime statistics are essentially the same as those of our neighboring counties and New York City."
But in its nine-page memo to the Justice Department, Manhattan-based LatinoJustice accused Suffolk police of "failing to adequately investigate crimes against Latinos by whites."
It said "an epidemic of hate crimes against Latinos had erupted in Suffolk County," even though local police say only one hate crime occurred against Latinos in 2007.
"Latinos in Suffolk County now live in daily fear for their physical well-being, victims of hate crimes at least on a weekly basis," LatinoJustice said.
Meanwhile, Kevin Faga of Brooklyn, an attorney who represents Lucero's brother, said yesterday he has filed a notice of claim with authorities in Suffolk. The claim is a legal requirement before filing a lawsuit.
In its memo, LatinoJustice cited other cases, including that of Luis Ochoa, a Colombian immigrant who witnesses say was attacked by a former firefighter in Montauk in 2005.
The case against the attacker eventually was dropped, even though a half-dozen members of a church choir said they witnessed the attack.
Prosecutors at the time said they dropped the case because of a lack of hospital records showing Ochoa was severely injured.
LatinoJustice also said politicians in Suffolk "have repeatedly inflamed public resentment against the Latino community, even after brutal hate crimes had been committed against it."
The group cited everything from then-county Legis. Michael D'Andre stating publicly "we'll be out with baseball bats" if Latino day laborers showed up in his town, to supposedly anti-immigrant policies by County Executive Steve Levy.
A spokesman for Levy said he had no comment, but in the past Levy has said he is fighting against illegal immigration and denied he is fostering racial hatred.
BY BART JONES bart.jones@newsday.com December 22, 2008
Claiming that Suffolk police and politicians systematically violate the civil rights of Latinos, a Latino rights group has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate county law enforcement and government.
Two high-level officials from the Justice Department's civil rights division flew from Washington to New York last week to meet with leaders of the group LatinoJustice.
Justice Department officials said they are reviewing the allegations, which include a laundry list of cases that culminated with the Nov. 8 killing of Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorean immigrant in Patchogue. Jamie Hais, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said officials have not decided whether to open a formal inquiry.
Suffolk police said Monday they welcomed any investigation and that the hate crime situation in Suffolk is no different than in other parts of the region.
"As evidenced by the attack on an Ecuadorean immigrant in Brooklyn recently, hate crimes occur everywhere," said police spokesman Tim Motz. "Our hate crime statistics are essentially the same as those of our neighboring counties and New York City."
But in its nine-page memo to the Justice Department, Manhattan-based LatinoJustice accused Suffolk police of "failing to adequately investigate crimes against Latinos by whites."
It said "an epidemic of hate crimes against Latinos had erupted in Suffolk County," even though local police say only one hate crime occurred against Latinos in 2007.
"Latinos in Suffolk County now live in daily fear for their physical well-being, victims of hate crimes at least on a weekly basis," LatinoJustice said.
Meanwhile, Kevin Faga of Brooklyn, an attorney who represents Lucero's brother, said yesterday he has filed a notice of claim with authorities in Suffolk. The claim is a legal requirement before filing a lawsuit.
In its memo, LatinoJustice cited other cases, including that of Luis Ochoa, a Colombian immigrant who witnesses say was attacked by a former firefighter in Montauk in 2005.
The case against the attacker eventually was dropped, even though a half-dozen members of a church choir said they witnessed the attack.
Prosecutors at the time said they dropped the case because of a lack of hospital records showing Ochoa was severely injured.
LatinoJustice also said politicians in Suffolk "have repeatedly inflamed public resentment against the Latino community, even after brutal hate crimes had been committed against it."
The group cited everything from then-county Legis. Michael D'Andre stating publicly "we'll be out with baseball bats" if Latino day laborers showed up in his town, to supposedly anti-immigrant policies by County Executive Steve Levy.
A spokesman for Levy said he had no comment, but in the past Levy has said he is fighting against illegal immigration and denied he is fostering racial hatred.
Latino leaders urge Congress to address health inequities
LATINO LEADERS TO URGE CONGRESS: HEALTHCARE INEQUITIES UNDERMINING LATINOS MUST BE ADDRESSED IN 2009
PRESS RELEASE December 22, 2008
Washington, DC - Latino leaders representing organizations across the country convened on December 12 in Washington, D.C. to launch the Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform. The new coalition plans to ensure that healthcare equity for Latinos is addressed in any new reform measures proposed by the next President and Congress. Nationally, the U.S. Census reports that while Latinos are 14% of the nation they are 30%, or more than 15 million, of the uninsured.
"Hispanic/Latino leaders strongly urge the New Administration and Congress to develop a comprehensive healthcare reform plan that will eliminate health disparities, as well as the financial, institutional, cultural and linguistics barriers in accessing and using the healthcare system," said Aida L. Giachello, Associate Professor and Director of the Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
The Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform outlines a set of principles aimed at ensuring that Latino voices are heard in the nation's Capitol as well as around the country in the reform debate. "We can't leave anything to chance. Latinos have to be at the table when measures are debated. Attention to disparities” in insurance coverage, in affordability and medical treatment “is long overdue. Our experiences must be represented," she added.
Studies, including The Institute of Medicine's landmark report “Unequal Treatment: What Health Care Providers Need to Know About Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care,”_ find that even when all things are comparable -- including insurance status, income, age, and diagnosis among non-whites and minorities -- minorities receive lower-quality health care. Stereotyping, prejudice, and clinical uncertainty on the part of providers contribute to disparities, according to the study. Additionally, studies from Families USA, the Institute of Medicine and the Urban Institute have found that premature death is often linked to lack of insurance, since people without insurance often have to forgo tests and treatment.
"There is much at stake for Latinos and we must be part of those policy discussions," said Dr. Jaime Torres, President of Latinos for National Health Insurance. "We need reforms that remove rather than perpetuate these problems," he added, "a democratic healthcare system that treats all equally can save lives." Latinos for National Health Insurance convened the leaders in an effort to build a new movement of Latino involvement in healthcare reform discussions and policymaking.
“Since our community is disproportionably affected by a number of diseases, it is imperative to have Hispanic influence and visibility at decision-making levels or the needs of our community will continue to go unmet and unrecognized. The National Puerto Rican Coalition wants this coalition to be a national voice and to develop initiatives for the improvement of quality and access for Puerto Ricans/Hispanics,”_ said Rafael Fantauzzi, President and CEO of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, Inc.
The meeting drew a wide range of Latino leaders from the academic, medical, labor, and advocacy communities. The coalition plans to work with elected officials and community members from across the country to ensure that the promise of reform delivers access to high quality, culturally and linguistically competent care to every man, woman and child who lives in the United States and its territories.
"New policies can lead to new changes and we believe that 2009 presents us with an opportunity to eliminate the health disparities that not only harm Latinos but harm all underserved communities," said Brent Wilkes National Executive Director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform coalition asks that Latino experts from around the country be part of these discussions. The coalition will make available names of many of these experts that can be consulted in the process.
Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform
We applaud the recent renewed interest and debates by elected officials and policymakers to create legislation to ensure that persons living in the United States have adequate access to healthcare.
However, we are very concerned that just as all economic high tides don't raise all boats, all "healthcare reform" proposals might not adequately address the Latino communities' healthcare needs, especially when it comes to affordability, geographic diversity, citizenship status, language barriers, chronic diseases, and pervasive health disparities.
We, as organizations that represent diverse Latinos from across the nation, must ensure that any healthcare reform proposal seriously being considered must take into the account the hard realities that Latino families face every day and ensure that proposals guarantee access to an inclusive health care system that provides comprehensive quality care and address health disparities. To this end, we articulate a common set of principles that we believe are central to any health reform agenda. They are:
An Inclusive Health Care System
- Guarantees accessible healthcare for all people residing in the USA and territories.
- Ensures real world affordability that takes into account the economic realities of our community and that does not ration or segregate healthcare coverage or services based on income.
Comprehensive Quality Care:
- Requires a package of comprehensive care available to everyone that is not dependent on health status, income, or ability to pay that includes preventive services, and treatment and long-term supportive services for serious and chronic conditions.
- Encompasses a clear strategy for developing the quality workforce required to provide high quality care and ensuring it’s adequately distributed, especially in underserved communities.
Addressing Health Disparities:
- Demands a financial commitment to directly address pervasive health disparities with targeted prevention and treatment programs.
- Includes concrete plan for ensuring the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
SIGNATORIES: (Partial List)
Latinos for National Health Insurance
League of United Latin American Citizens
National Council of La Raza
Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund
Service Employee International Union
National Hispanic Council on Aging
National Puerto Rican Coalition
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Latina Health Network
District Council 37/ AFSCME, New York
Universal Health Care Foundation Connecticut
National Minority AIDS Council
Alianza Dominicana
Center for the Health of Urban Minorities, New York
Midwest Latino Health Research Center, Chicago
Raul Yzaguirre, Executive Director
Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, Phoenix
PRESS RELEASE December 22, 2008
Washington, DC - Latino leaders representing organizations across the country convened on December 12 in Washington, D.C. to launch the Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform. The new coalition plans to ensure that healthcare equity for Latinos is addressed in any new reform measures proposed by the next President and Congress. Nationally, the U.S. Census reports that while Latinos are 14% of the nation they are 30%, or more than 15 million, of the uninsured.
"Hispanic/Latino leaders strongly urge the New Administration and Congress to develop a comprehensive healthcare reform plan that will eliminate health disparities, as well as the financial, institutional, cultural and linguistics barriers in accessing and using the healthcare system," said Aida L. Giachello, Associate Professor and Director of the Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
The Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform outlines a set of principles aimed at ensuring that Latino voices are heard in the nation's Capitol as well as around the country in the reform debate. "We can't leave anything to chance. Latinos have to be at the table when measures are debated. Attention to disparities” in insurance coverage, in affordability and medical treatment “is long overdue. Our experiences must be represented," she added.
Studies, including The Institute of Medicine's landmark report “Unequal Treatment: What Health Care Providers Need to Know About Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care,”_ find that even when all things are comparable -- including insurance status, income, age, and diagnosis among non-whites and minorities -- minorities receive lower-quality health care. Stereotyping, prejudice, and clinical uncertainty on the part of providers contribute to disparities, according to the study. Additionally, studies from Families USA, the Institute of Medicine and the Urban Institute have found that premature death is often linked to lack of insurance, since people without insurance often have to forgo tests and treatment.
"There is much at stake for Latinos and we must be part of those policy discussions," said Dr. Jaime Torres, President of Latinos for National Health Insurance. "We need reforms that remove rather than perpetuate these problems," he added, "a democratic healthcare system that treats all equally can save lives." Latinos for National Health Insurance convened the leaders in an effort to build a new movement of Latino involvement in healthcare reform discussions and policymaking.
“Since our community is disproportionably affected by a number of diseases, it is imperative to have Hispanic influence and visibility at decision-making levels or the needs of our community will continue to go unmet and unrecognized. The National Puerto Rican Coalition wants this coalition to be a national voice and to develop initiatives for the improvement of quality and access for Puerto Ricans/Hispanics,”_ said Rafael Fantauzzi, President and CEO of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, Inc.
The meeting drew a wide range of Latino leaders from the academic, medical, labor, and advocacy communities. The coalition plans to work with elected officials and community members from across the country to ensure that the promise of reform delivers access to high quality, culturally and linguistically competent care to every man, woman and child who lives in the United States and its territories.
"New policies can lead to new changes and we believe that 2009 presents us with an opportunity to eliminate the health disparities that not only harm Latinos but harm all underserved communities," said Brent Wilkes National Executive Director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
The Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform coalition asks that Latino experts from around the country be part of these discussions. The coalition will make available names of many of these experts that can be consulted in the process.
Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform
We applaud the recent renewed interest and debates by elected officials and policymakers to create legislation to ensure that persons living in the United States have adequate access to healthcare.
However, we are very concerned that just as all economic high tides don't raise all boats, all "healthcare reform" proposals might not adequately address the Latino communities' healthcare needs, especially when it comes to affordability, geographic diversity, citizenship status, language barriers, chronic diseases, and pervasive health disparities.
We, as organizations that represent diverse Latinos from across the nation, must ensure that any healthcare reform proposal seriously being considered must take into the account the hard realities that Latino families face every day and ensure that proposals guarantee access to an inclusive health care system that provides comprehensive quality care and address health disparities. To this end, we articulate a common set of principles that we believe are central to any health reform agenda. They are:
An Inclusive Health Care System
- Guarantees accessible healthcare for all people residing in the USA and territories.
- Ensures real world affordability that takes into account the economic realities of our community and that does not ration or segregate healthcare coverage or services based on income.
Comprehensive Quality Care:
- Requires a package of comprehensive care available to everyone that is not dependent on health status, income, or ability to pay that includes preventive services, and treatment and long-term supportive services for serious and chronic conditions.
- Encompasses a clear strategy for developing the quality workforce required to provide high quality care and ensuring it’s adequately distributed, especially in underserved communities.
Addressing Health Disparities:
- Demands a financial commitment to directly address pervasive health disparities with targeted prevention and treatment programs.
- Includes concrete plan for ensuring the provision of culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
SIGNATORIES: (Partial List)
Latinos for National Health Insurance
League of United Latin American Citizens
National Council of La Raza
Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund
Service Employee International Union
National Hispanic Council on Aging
National Puerto Rican Coalition
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Latina Health Network
District Council 37/ AFSCME, New York
Universal Health Care Foundation Connecticut
National Minority AIDS Council
Alianza Dominicana
Center for the Health of Urban Minorities, New York
Midwest Latino Health Research Center, Chicago
Raul Yzaguirre, Executive Director
Center for Community Development and Civil Rights, Phoenix
Latino community sees rise of diabetes
Diabetes sees rise in Latino community
Nashua Telegraph
Diabetes specialist Sandee LaMarche sounds the alarm: Diabetes is spreading rapidly among Latinos in the United States.
In addition to the usual hiatus immigrants spend away from the doctor's office, studies show that Latinos are two times as likely to develop diabetes than white Americans.
Nearly 90 percent of all LaMarche's diabetic patients at the Nashua Area Health Center are Latino. Every day, LaMarche treats five new patients who have symptoms of the disease, and the numbers are increasing.
Diabetes is the inability of a person's pancreas to produce a normal amount of insulin, the enzyme that breaks food down. If the illness remains untreated, blindness or loss of a limb can result. Obesity increases one's risk of contracting diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, the United States had 20.8 million people with the disease in 2006. That number jumped to 23.6 million last year. Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death among Hispanic women and elderly. According to the medical Web site dlife.com, more than 10 percent of all Mexican-Americans older than 20 have the disease.
The rapid spread of diabetes in the country is so dramatic and widespread that even the illness nomenclature had to be changed.
"Among the younger population of America, type 2 diabetes (which used to strike only adults) was unheard of," LaMarche said. "The disease used to be called juvenile or adult onset diabetes. Now, it's type 1 and type 2, because all bets are off."
At the Nashua Area Health Center, diabetic patients can sometimes get free medications donated by drug companies. But many are patients are undocumented and can't have access to a daily insulin doses without paying high prices out-of-pocket.
Mexican patient Alicia Zamora is one of them. She discovered she had diabetes when she became pregnant several years ago. Today, she complains about the constant tiredness and leg pains that diabetes imposes on her.
Zamora's first doctor visit on U.S. soil came three years after she migrated from Mexico. Her husband, who has been in the country for 20 years, has never seen a doctor.
She explains that her three-year wait came from an internal fear that the doctor "would tell me I have a disease."
So far, Zamora is grateful to have found medical assistance, including the medications she needs, at the Nashua Area Health Center. The clinic is in the early stages of creating a peer program that will promote patient-to-patient discussions about prevention beginning in 2009.
Even though prevention is urgent, the Nashua Area Health Center does not get a dime back from health insurers to provide diabetes education because it is not certified by the American Diabetes Association.
Dr. Irma Rasmussen, a Colombian, sees many immigrant patients in Massachusetts. For her, the genetic factor bears the greatest responsibility for increasing the prevalence of diabetes among Latinos.
"We see a pattern in 30-year-old patients whose families, almost certainly, have already developed the disease," said Rasmussen, who treats 16 diabetic patients a week at a health clinic for the Metrowest Medical Center, in Framingham.
LaMarche agrees: 99 percent of her diabetic patients have another family member with the disease.
As far as treatment and prevention goes, doctors say that food-portioning is very important. Latinos are known to have a diet rich in rice, beans and potatoes, such meals are high in carbohydrates, which, after broken down, translate to increased flow of sugar in the blood stream. In addition, regular exercise is highly recommended.
"If high-risk patients lose 5 percent of their body weight, they would reduce their chances of contracting diabetes by 58 percent," said Dr. Enrique Caballero, director of the Latino Initiative at Boston's Joslin Diabetes Center.
Caballero, who is also the chairman of the Latino program at the American Diabetes Association, said diabetes is a family affair and it's important to teach healthy habits starting at a young age.
"Latinos need to use the great power that family brings into everything that we do to do positive things. Parents have an important role in teaching kids to eat correctly and exercise. When it comes to adults, it is easier to change someone's religion than to change their lifestyle."
Eduardo A. de Oliveira is a columnist for The Telegraph. Originally from Brazil, Eduardo is a 33-year-old Nashua resident. His column appears every other Monday on the front page of The Telegraph.
Nashua Telegraph
Diabetes specialist Sandee LaMarche sounds the alarm: Diabetes is spreading rapidly among Latinos in the United States.
In addition to the usual hiatus immigrants spend away from the doctor's office, studies show that Latinos are two times as likely to develop diabetes than white Americans.
Nearly 90 percent of all LaMarche's diabetic patients at the Nashua Area Health Center are Latino. Every day, LaMarche treats five new patients who have symptoms of the disease, and the numbers are increasing.
Diabetes is the inability of a person's pancreas to produce a normal amount of insulin, the enzyme that breaks food down. If the illness remains untreated, blindness or loss of a limb can result. Obesity increases one's risk of contracting diabetes.
According to the American Diabetes Association, the United States had 20.8 million people with the disease in 2006. That number jumped to 23.6 million last year. Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death among Hispanic women and elderly. According to the medical Web site dlife.com, more than 10 percent of all Mexican-Americans older than 20 have the disease.
The rapid spread of diabetes in the country is so dramatic and widespread that even the illness nomenclature had to be changed.
"Among the younger population of America, type 2 diabetes (which used to strike only adults) was unheard of," LaMarche said. "The disease used to be called juvenile or adult onset diabetes. Now, it's type 1 and type 2, because all bets are off."
At the Nashua Area Health Center, diabetic patients can sometimes get free medications donated by drug companies. But many are patients are undocumented and can't have access to a daily insulin doses without paying high prices out-of-pocket.
Mexican patient Alicia Zamora is one of them. She discovered she had diabetes when she became pregnant several years ago. Today, she complains about the constant tiredness and leg pains that diabetes imposes on her.
Zamora's first doctor visit on U.S. soil came three years after she migrated from Mexico. Her husband, who has been in the country for 20 years, has never seen a doctor.
She explains that her three-year wait came from an internal fear that the doctor "would tell me I have a disease."
So far, Zamora is grateful to have found medical assistance, including the medications she needs, at the Nashua Area Health Center. The clinic is in the early stages of creating a peer program that will promote patient-to-patient discussions about prevention beginning in 2009.
Even though prevention is urgent, the Nashua Area Health Center does not get a dime back from health insurers to provide diabetes education because it is not certified by the American Diabetes Association.
Dr. Irma Rasmussen, a Colombian, sees many immigrant patients in Massachusetts. For her, the genetic factor bears the greatest responsibility for increasing the prevalence of diabetes among Latinos.
"We see a pattern in 30-year-old patients whose families, almost certainly, have already developed the disease," said Rasmussen, who treats 16 diabetic patients a week at a health clinic for the Metrowest Medical Center, in Framingham.
LaMarche agrees: 99 percent of her diabetic patients have another family member with the disease.
As far as treatment and prevention goes, doctors say that food-portioning is very important. Latinos are known to have a diet rich in rice, beans and potatoes, such meals are high in carbohydrates, which, after broken down, translate to increased flow of sugar in the blood stream. In addition, regular exercise is highly recommended.
"If high-risk patients lose 5 percent of their body weight, they would reduce their chances of contracting diabetes by 58 percent," said Dr. Enrique Caballero, director of the Latino Initiative at Boston's Joslin Diabetes Center.
Caballero, who is also the chairman of the Latino program at the American Diabetes Association, said diabetes is a family affair and it's important to teach healthy habits starting at a young age.
"Latinos need to use the great power that family brings into everything that we do to do positive things. Parents have an important role in teaching kids to eat correctly and exercise. When it comes to adults, it is easier to change someone's religion than to change their lifestyle."
Eduardo A. de Oliveira is a columnist for The Telegraph. Originally from Brazil, Eduardo is a 33-year-old Nashua resident. His column appears every other Monday on the front page of The Telegraph.
Latino history told by journalist
Journalist tells story of Latino history
Project focuses on 200-year legacy of press
By Jennie Rodriguez Record Staff Writer December 22, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO - Juan Gonzales, who was born and raised in east Stockton, is spearheading a project documenting 200 years of Latino journalism in the United States.
Titled "Voices for Justice: The Enduring Legacy of the Latino Press in the U.S.," the project follows how Latino newspapers and the issues they cover have changed since the inception of the nation's first Latino newspaper, El Misisipi, founded in 1808 in New Orleans.
"We wanted to show that there is a rich history on Latino publishing," Gonzales, 61, said. "If we don't do it now, we will lose the momentum."
Gonzales, a Franklin High School graduate, is chair of the journalism department at City College of San Francisco and founder and editor of El Tecolote, a bilingual biweekly newspaper published by the nonprofit organization Accion Latina (Latino Action) in San Francisco's Mission District.
Gonzales developed a passion for covering Latino issues while attending San Francisco State University in the late 1960s, as students involved in activist groups, such as the Chicano Movement, demanded equality and improvements in education systems throughout the nation.
"It flowered in me a certain sense of activism on how I could give back to the community," Gonzales said.
But his enthusiasm for journalism started much earlier than that in Stockton. As a freshman at Franklin High, Gonzales joined the school newspaper as a writer. Eventually, he became its editor.
"As a kid, I always had a knack for wanting to write," Gonzales said. Gonzales often wrote poetry, too.
As Gonzales honed his writing skills in high school, he entered contests. One of his submissions received an honorable mention from the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club. "Somebody recognized I had some talent in writing, and I wanted to pursue that," Gonzales said.
Gonzales graduated from San Francisco State in 1968, around the same time the university launched its School of Ethnic Studies. Shortly after, the 21-year-old Gonzales was asked to write a curriculum and then teach a class called La Raza Journalism for the school. "I said I'll give it a shot," Gonzales recalled.
In his class, Gonzales and his students began El Tecolote for students to experience covering Latino issues and promoting cultural events in the Mission District.
Gonzales continues to lead the publication today. His new documentary project, under the auspices of El Tecolote, encompasses a film by Ray Telles, an interactive Web site, a book published by Arte Publico Press and a PowerPoint presentation. The package is being promoted to schools, researchers, media and other organizations. The nonprofit group also is leading a national campaign calling for celebrations that commemorate the bicentennial of Latino journalism.
Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez at (209) 943-8564 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com.
Project focuses on 200-year legacy of press
By Jennie Rodriguez Record Staff Writer December 22, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO - Juan Gonzales, who was born and raised in east Stockton, is spearheading a project documenting 200 years of Latino journalism in the United States.
Titled "Voices for Justice: The Enduring Legacy of the Latino Press in the U.S.," the project follows how Latino newspapers and the issues they cover have changed since the inception of the nation's first Latino newspaper, El Misisipi, founded in 1808 in New Orleans.
"We wanted to show that there is a rich history on Latino publishing," Gonzales, 61, said. "If we don't do it now, we will lose the momentum."
Gonzales, a Franklin High School graduate, is chair of the journalism department at City College of San Francisco and founder and editor of El Tecolote, a bilingual biweekly newspaper published by the nonprofit organization Accion Latina (Latino Action) in San Francisco's Mission District.
Gonzales developed a passion for covering Latino issues while attending San Francisco State University in the late 1960s, as students involved in activist groups, such as the Chicano Movement, demanded equality and improvements in education systems throughout the nation.
"It flowered in me a certain sense of activism on how I could give back to the community," Gonzales said.
But his enthusiasm for journalism started much earlier than that in Stockton. As a freshman at Franklin High, Gonzales joined the school newspaper as a writer. Eventually, he became its editor.
"As a kid, I always had a knack for wanting to write," Gonzales said. Gonzales often wrote poetry, too.
As Gonzales honed his writing skills in high school, he entered contests. One of his submissions received an honorable mention from the San Francisco Peninsula Press Club. "Somebody recognized I had some talent in writing, and I wanted to pursue that," Gonzales said.
Gonzales graduated from San Francisco State in 1968, around the same time the university launched its School of Ethnic Studies. Shortly after, the 21-year-old Gonzales was asked to write a curriculum and then teach a class called La Raza Journalism for the school. "I said I'll give it a shot," Gonzales recalled.
In his class, Gonzales and his students began El Tecolote for students to experience covering Latino issues and promoting cultural events in the Mission District.
Gonzales continues to lead the publication today. His new documentary project, under the auspices of El Tecolote, encompasses a film by Ray Telles, an interactive Web site, a book published by Arte Publico Press and a PowerPoint presentation. The package is being promoted to schools, researchers, media and other organizations. The nonprofit group also is leading a national campaign calling for celebrations that commemorate the bicentennial of Latino journalism.
Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez at (209) 943-8564 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com.
Latino education crisis
‘The Latino Education Crisis’
By Scott Jaschik
Generalities about “minority students” can easily hide specific issues related to various ethnic and racial groups — and the ways they do and do not advance in the American educational systems. The Latino Education Crisis: The Consequences of Failed Social Policies, just published by Harvard University Press, is a scholarly attempt to focus on one fast-growing ethnic group. The authors are Patricia Gándara, professor of education at the University of California at Los Angeles, and Frances Contreras, professor of education at the University of Washington. The book primarily deals with elementary and secondary education, but a major chapter focuses on higher education. They responded to questions via e-mail about their findings on Latino students and college-going rates and success.
Q: In what ways are the issues facing Latino students with regard to college-going similar or different to those facing other minority groups?
A: Latinos have the worst record of completing college degrees of any group; between 9 and 11 percent for the last three decades; African Americans, for example, have been making slow but steady progress over the past three decades, from 11 percent in 1975 to 18 percent in 2006.
Q: You cite research on the role of maternal expectations and how they are voiced as correlating with going to college. Why is this so important, and what are the implications of this finding?
A: Mothers have been identified in many studies as being key to motivating their children educationally. This is no different for Latinos, in spite of the fact that these mothers have much less formal education, on average, than mothers of all other major ethnic groups. Over 40 percent of Latina mothers have less than a high school education. This compares to approximately 12 percent of African American mothers.
Q: How does growing up in a primarily Spanish speaking environment affect college-going rates?
A: Growing up in a primarily Spanish-speaking environment does NOT in itself affect college-going. Many Spanish speaking students from solid middle class homes go to college and succeed. Their families are able to prepare them well for school and as result they do well. However, if the family does not have sufficient resources and the schools that their children attend are impoverished, as is the case with the great majority of Latino students in the United States, and if the instruction they receive is generally in a language they cannot understand, then the data speaks for itself — the consequences are negative.
Q: Do standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT hinder enrollments of minority students?
A: Yes. Some colleges that practice affirmative action tend to not count these scores very heavily, but schools that use them generally include them in a formula that puts both Latinos and African Americans at a disadvantage for admission. In states without affirmative action they are especially problematic because there is little means for counterbalancing the weight placed on them in admissions decisions. Of course, it is important to remember that there is an extremely strong correlation between SAT, ACT, and family income and parent education levels. So, poverty and poor schooling are the real culprits that simply get expressed in these scores.
Q: In several states over the last year, politicians have attacked policies that allow undocumented students to enroll in or pay in-state tuition at public colleges. Most Latino students in American higher education are of course legally in the United States. What do you make of all the attention on these other students? Does that attention have a negative impact on other Latino students?
A: The problem of undocumented students in higher education is a serious, and terribly large, one. Many of these students have been here almost all of their lives and as expressed in the Plyler v. Doe decision of 1982, it is not their fault that they find themselves here without documentation. Hence it is especially unfortunate — for both them and the broader community — that they are impeded from educating themselves well. They are our children — the Supreme Court has ruled on this — it makes no sense at all to refuse to educate them.
Q: What are three things a college should do to promote enrollment by Latino students?
A: Recruit in schools and community colleges where these students attend, such as Hispanic-serving community colleges; reach out the middle schools where these students are forming their postsecondary plans, work with high schools to create a seamless program that reaches across high school AND college to support these students not only as they transition to higher education but also while they are progressing through college.
By Scott Jaschik
Generalities about “minority students” can easily hide specific issues related to various ethnic and racial groups — and the ways they do and do not advance in the American educational systems. The Latino Education Crisis: The Consequences of Failed Social Policies, just published by Harvard University Press, is a scholarly attempt to focus on one fast-growing ethnic group. The authors are Patricia Gándara, professor of education at the University of California at Los Angeles, and Frances Contreras, professor of education at the University of Washington. The book primarily deals with elementary and secondary education, but a major chapter focuses on higher education. They responded to questions via e-mail about their findings on Latino students and college-going rates and success.
Q: In what ways are the issues facing Latino students with regard to college-going similar or different to those facing other minority groups?
A: Latinos have the worst record of completing college degrees of any group; between 9 and 11 percent for the last three decades; African Americans, for example, have been making slow but steady progress over the past three decades, from 11 percent in 1975 to 18 percent in 2006.
Q: You cite research on the role of maternal expectations and how they are voiced as correlating with going to college. Why is this so important, and what are the implications of this finding?
A: Mothers have been identified in many studies as being key to motivating their children educationally. This is no different for Latinos, in spite of the fact that these mothers have much less formal education, on average, than mothers of all other major ethnic groups. Over 40 percent of Latina mothers have less than a high school education. This compares to approximately 12 percent of African American mothers.
Q: How does growing up in a primarily Spanish speaking environment affect college-going rates?
A: Growing up in a primarily Spanish-speaking environment does NOT in itself affect college-going. Many Spanish speaking students from solid middle class homes go to college and succeed. Their families are able to prepare them well for school and as result they do well. However, if the family does not have sufficient resources and the schools that their children attend are impoverished, as is the case with the great majority of Latino students in the United States, and if the instruction they receive is generally in a language they cannot understand, then the data speaks for itself — the consequences are negative.
Q: Do standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT hinder enrollments of minority students?
A: Yes. Some colleges that practice affirmative action tend to not count these scores very heavily, but schools that use them generally include them in a formula that puts both Latinos and African Americans at a disadvantage for admission. In states without affirmative action they are especially problematic because there is little means for counterbalancing the weight placed on them in admissions decisions. Of course, it is important to remember that there is an extremely strong correlation between SAT, ACT, and family income and parent education levels. So, poverty and poor schooling are the real culprits that simply get expressed in these scores.
Q: In several states over the last year, politicians have attacked policies that allow undocumented students to enroll in or pay in-state tuition at public colleges. Most Latino students in American higher education are of course legally in the United States. What do you make of all the attention on these other students? Does that attention have a negative impact on other Latino students?
A: The problem of undocumented students in higher education is a serious, and terribly large, one. Many of these students have been here almost all of their lives and as expressed in the Plyler v. Doe decision of 1982, it is not their fault that they find themselves here without documentation. Hence it is especially unfortunate — for both them and the broader community — that they are impeded from educating themselves well. They are our children — the Supreme Court has ruled on this — it makes no sense at all to refuse to educate them.
Q: What are three things a college should do to promote enrollment by Latino students?
A: Recruit in schools and community colleges where these students attend, such as Hispanic-serving community colleges; reach out the middle schools where these students are forming their postsecondary plans, work with high schools to create a seamless program that reaches across high school AND college to support these students not only as they transition to higher education but also while they are progressing through college.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Latinos benefit from football championship
Championship a gift to poor side of town
During tough economic times, we all need a glimmer of hope
Adrian Perez, Latino Journal
As I walked into Sammy’s café located on Del Paso Blvd in Sacramento, California, one of my favorite places to go for morning coffee, everyone was talking about the potential change that would be coming to the neighborhood. I picked a booth and continued to listen to the talk and genuine buzz in the air. Was it about our new President Barack Obama? Or, was it about our new Mayor, former NBA Star Kevin Johnson? As I listened more intently, it became apparent, the talk at the counter and in the booths was about hope and change that a group of kids from the local high school were bringing to this traditionally blighted area of town and the city itself, the State’s high school football championship.
Typically I don’t write about sports, I leave that up to the many fine sports writers out there that can capture the drama and excitement of sports. But then again, this isn’t about sports. It’s about creating hope and seeing change in these trying economic times.
Del Paso Heights was initially a horse-breeding ranch until the early 1900s, where California’s first Kentucky Derby winner, Ben-Ali, was bred and trained. Today it has a mixed population of Latinos, African Americans, Samoans, Southeast Asians, and Whites. Unfortunately, there is no industry in the region and the streets are lined with boarded up buildings, old houses, numerous churches, and occasional shops. A total of 36 percent of the families living there are at or below the national poverty level, and 18 percent are on public assistance, twice the number for the entire county.
For the past four decades, Del Paso Heights has been known for its high crime rates, including violent assaults, drug trafficking, and prostitution, making it an undesirable place to live even though it is only minutes from downtown. But, change started to happen during the early 1990s when many liquor stores, bars, and massage parlors were closed. Some of the buildings were razed, making room for affordable family housing units. Yet, the community still has too few retail outlets and no major grocery stores.
Sammy’s itself does not look like a destination café either. Yet, the reason I go there is to bask in the warmth of a community that is diverse in ethnicity, color, and more importantly, conversation. And on this particular day, the patrons were especially talkative after Del Paso Heights’ Grant High School Pacers had gone to Southern California and defeated the heavily favored Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits for the state’s football championship.
“This was a great game,” said Sammy, owner of Sammy’s. “They won at exactly 11:11 last night. What a lucky number. We can all be number one too.”
Just then, a news crew from one of the local television stations appeared, looking for reaction from community about the championship game.
“At a time when people are losing their jobs and homes, and unable to really celebrate Christmas, all of sudden we have some hope,” a patron told the reporter. “We have something to really be proud of and these kids did it for us.”
Hope. Change. Achievement. These words have taken a new meaning for the residents of Del Paso Heights and the entire Sacramento area this Christmas season as the community prepares to celebrate a message a group of kids from the poor side of town representing a mix of ethnicities, have brought - “Yes, we can!”
For many across the nation the economy has been trying. Yet to overcome and succeed, we need to embrace this story as motivation to move forward and establish a new sense of commitment, pride, and success. Happy New Year.
Adrian Perez is publisher of the Latino Journal, the only publication on public policy and government from a Latino perspective.
During tough economic times, we all need a glimmer of hope
Adrian Perez, Latino Journal
As I walked into Sammy’s café located on Del Paso Blvd in Sacramento, California, one of my favorite places to go for morning coffee, everyone was talking about the potential change that would be coming to the neighborhood. I picked a booth and continued to listen to the talk and genuine buzz in the air. Was it about our new President Barack Obama? Or, was it about our new Mayor, former NBA Star Kevin Johnson? As I listened more intently, it became apparent, the talk at the counter and in the booths was about hope and change that a group of kids from the local high school were bringing to this traditionally blighted area of town and the city itself, the State’s high school football championship.
Typically I don’t write about sports, I leave that up to the many fine sports writers out there that can capture the drama and excitement of sports. But then again, this isn’t about sports. It’s about creating hope and seeing change in these trying economic times.
Del Paso Heights was initially a horse-breeding ranch until the early 1900s, where California’s first Kentucky Derby winner, Ben-Ali, was bred and trained. Today it has a mixed population of Latinos, African Americans, Samoans, Southeast Asians, and Whites. Unfortunately, there is no industry in the region and the streets are lined with boarded up buildings, old houses, numerous churches, and occasional shops. A total of 36 percent of the families living there are at or below the national poverty level, and 18 percent are on public assistance, twice the number for the entire county.
For the past four decades, Del Paso Heights has been known for its high crime rates, including violent assaults, drug trafficking, and prostitution, making it an undesirable place to live even though it is only minutes from downtown. But, change started to happen during the early 1990s when many liquor stores, bars, and massage parlors were closed. Some of the buildings were razed, making room for affordable family housing units. Yet, the community still has too few retail outlets and no major grocery stores.
Sammy’s itself does not look like a destination café either. Yet, the reason I go there is to bask in the warmth of a community that is diverse in ethnicity, color, and more importantly, conversation. And on this particular day, the patrons were especially talkative after Del Paso Heights’ Grant High School Pacers had gone to Southern California and defeated the heavily favored Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits for the state’s football championship.
“This was a great game,” said Sammy, owner of Sammy’s. “They won at exactly 11:11 last night. What a lucky number. We can all be number one too.”
Just then, a news crew from one of the local television stations appeared, looking for reaction from community about the championship game.
“At a time when people are losing their jobs and homes, and unable to really celebrate Christmas, all of sudden we have some hope,” a patron told the reporter. “We have something to really be proud of and these kids did it for us.”
Hope. Change. Achievement. These words have taken a new meaning for the residents of Del Paso Heights and the entire Sacramento area this Christmas season as the community prepares to celebrate a message a group of kids from the poor side of town representing a mix of ethnicities, have brought - “Yes, we can!”
For many across the nation the economy has been trying. Yet to overcome and succeed, we need to embrace this story as motivation to move forward and establish a new sense of commitment, pride, and success. Happy New Year.
Adrian Perez is publisher of the Latino Journal, the only publication on public policy and government from a Latino perspective.
Hispanics victims of hate crimes
JOSE DE LA ISLA: Hispanics victims of hate crimes
Go San Angelo
WASHINGTON - In Houston, Marvin Nathan and Martin Cominsky, both of the Anti-Defamation Committee, wrote in response to a Houston Chronicle series about how law enforcement can fail to deport criminal undocumented immigrants who commit illegal acts.
It's conventionally understood that anyone committing a crime should be properly arraigned, prosecuted, tried, if guilty punished and if unauthorized be deported.
But what struck Nathan and Cominsky was that "anti-immigrant bigots seized on parts of her (the reporter's) series to insult, stereotype and even advocate violence against immigrants and others they perceived as immigrants, especially Hispanics."
The blog entries they drew attention to called for denying due process, insisted immigrants pose a public-safety threat, accuse our country of leaning toward the "third world," and someone simply advocating "just shoot them on the spot."
So what have undocumented immigrants done to outrage and anger those people so much that they can't see straight? And why equate "Hispanic" to "illegal immigrant?"
What incites them that they want to deny due process, as if suspicious people are just like those fellows at Guantanamo?
One thing is clear. They hate peaceable people. Nathan and Cominsky cite reports and studies proving immigrants of every type commit less crime. They bring up a Harvard professor who quantifies it to be 45 percent less.
So the nuts don't like people who commit less crime. What else? Well, the evidence is they are losers.
Look at the results of the 2006 mid-term elections. Among the most vehement anti-immigrant ranters in Congress who wanted to turn all 12 million unauthorized immigrants into felonious criminals, at least nine lost their House seats. These were members of the hateful 104-member House Immigration Reform Caucus.
In 2008, 14 out of 16 hard-line, anti-immigration Republicans went down.
But as the mainstream of that movement goes away, the more fanatic believers they incite are showing up.
The Nov. 8 murder of Marcelo Lucero, 37, an Ecuadorean immigrant, in Suffolk County, N.Y., reached a new low in hate crimes and hate speech.
Seven teenagers are charged with the gang assault. The one with the swastika tattoo on his leg stands accused of sticking a knife in Lucero's chest as the gang hollered racial epithets.
Prosecutors say the group attacked another Hispanic man a half-hour before that murderous assault. The seven admitted to beating Hispanics for fun as a regular pastime.
In Brooklyn, another Ecuadorean, 31-year-old Jose Sucuzhany, who was walking home arm-in-arm with his brother Romel because they had been drinking, were attacked with a baseball bat and bottles by four assailants in an SUV. The attackers are reported to have used bottles and an aluminum baseball bat and shouted anti-gay and anti-Latino slurs during the attack.
Sucuzhany was declared brain-dead Dec. 9. He stopped breathing five days later.
A waiter for seven years, he earned his real estate license three years ago and launched his own agency, Open Realty International. So much for the American dream.
These are among the most recent and most grizzly atrocities.
While we may not know all the reasons why, we know enough.
The attackers are message-carriers for others, not unlike the suicide bombers who carry messages for terrorists elsewhere in the world, except these "American patriots" are just homicidal, not suicidal.
They didn't anticipate getting caught. Their deranged notions tie "illegal immigrants" and "Hispanics" with vigilante ideas about a problem that doesn't exist.
There you have it, a pretext to terrorize.
Treat the rants you listen to with caution. They are not about a broken government but about excuses to break it.
Jose de la Isla writes a weekly commentary for Hispanic Link News Service. Contact him at joseisla3@yahoo.com.
Go San Angelo
WASHINGTON - In Houston, Marvin Nathan and Martin Cominsky, both of the Anti-Defamation Committee, wrote in response to a Houston Chronicle series about how law enforcement can fail to deport criminal undocumented immigrants who commit illegal acts.
It's conventionally understood that anyone committing a crime should be properly arraigned, prosecuted, tried, if guilty punished and if unauthorized be deported.
But what struck Nathan and Cominsky was that "anti-immigrant bigots seized on parts of her (the reporter's) series to insult, stereotype and even advocate violence against immigrants and others they perceived as immigrants, especially Hispanics."
The blog entries they drew attention to called for denying due process, insisted immigrants pose a public-safety threat, accuse our country of leaning toward the "third world," and someone simply advocating "just shoot them on the spot."
So what have undocumented immigrants done to outrage and anger those people so much that they can't see straight? And why equate "Hispanic" to "illegal immigrant?"
What incites them that they want to deny due process, as if suspicious people are just like those fellows at Guantanamo?
One thing is clear. They hate peaceable people. Nathan and Cominsky cite reports and studies proving immigrants of every type commit less crime. They bring up a Harvard professor who quantifies it to be 45 percent less.
So the nuts don't like people who commit less crime. What else? Well, the evidence is they are losers.
Look at the results of the 2006 mid-term elections. Among the most vehement anti-immigrant ranters in Congress who wanted to turn all 12 million unauthorized immigrants into felonious criminals, at least nine lost their House seats. These were members of the hateful 104-member House Immigration Reform Caucus.
In 2008, 14 out of 16 hard-line, anti-immigration Republicans went down.
But as the mainstream of that movement goes away, the more fanatic believers they incite are showing up.
The Nov. 8 murder of Marcelo Lucero, 37, an Ecuadorean immigrant, in Suffolk County, N.Y., reached a new low in hate crimes and hate speech.
Seven teenagers are charged with the gang assault. The one with the swastika tattoo on his leg stands accused of sticking a knife in Lucero's chest as the gang hollered racial epithets.
Prosecutors say the group attacked another Hispanic man a half-hour before that murderous assault. The seven admitted to beating Hispanics for fun as a regular pastime.
In Brooklyn, another Ecuadorean, 31-year-old Jose Sucuzhany, who was walking home arm-in-arm with his brother Romel because they had been drinking, were attacked with a baseball bat and bottles by four assailants in an SUV. The attackers are reported to have used bottles and an aluminum baseball bat and shouted anti-gay and anti-Latino slurs during the attack.
Sucuzhany was declared brain-dead Dec. 9. He stopped breathing five days later.
A waiter for seven years, he earned his real estate license three years ago and launched his own agency, Open Realty International. So much for the American dream.
These are among the most recent and most grizzly atrocities.
While we may not know all the reasons why, we know enough.
The attackers are message-carriers for others, not unlike the suicide bombers who carry messages for terrorists elsewhere in the world, except these "American patriots" are just homicidal, not suicidal.
They didn't anticipate getting caught. Their deranged notions tie "illegal immigrants" and "Hispanics" with vigilante ideas about a problem that doesn't exist.
There you have it, a pretext to terrorize.
Treat the rants you listen to with caution. They are not about a broken government but about excuses to break it.
Jose de la Isla writes a weekly commentary for Hispanic Link News Service. Contact him at joseisla3@yahoo.com.
Hispanic Christmas creates diversity in Franklin County
Christmas culture in a diverse Franklin County: Hispanic Americans
By TERRY TALBERT Staff writer
"Feliz Navidad y prospero nuevo ano" is the greeting local Hispanic families give each other at Christmas.
The phrase means, "Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year."
In the Chambersburg area, Spanish-speaking families from Puerto Rico, Mexico and other countries celebrate Christmas with family, exchanging presents and eating special holiday fare. Festivities begin Christmas Eve and continue through the 25th.
Diana Martes of the Hispanic-American Center in Chambersburg is from Puerto Rico. She said her culture celebrates with a gift exchange and meal consisting in part of pork, rice with chick peas and potato salad. Champagne, wine, Corona (beer) and liquor are served.
Pedro Martinez, 21, is from Mexico. "We have dinner and give presents," he said. "All the kids are there, running around and having fun."
He said a meal of chicken or turkey, vegetable rice, tamales, beans and mole (mo-lay) is typical.
Edgar Romero-Diaz is Guatemalan. He said food and drink are plentiful over Christmas, and parties are part of the celebration.
He said in Guatemala, families take musical instruments, visit neighbors and friends, and serenade them. The favor is returned.
"We do Christmas songs in Spanish, back and forth," Romero-Diaz explained. "It's called 'parranda.'"
For others in the Hispanic community here, Christmas is a church-centered celebration.
Senior Pastor Daniel Ensaro Cadrera of the local Glory of God church, an international Christian church, is from Cuba.
Cadrera and his flock celebrate Christmas Eve and day in part at the church, where they share a meal and give gifts.
"Every family brings something different," he said of the meal. "The food is international. We are from different places."
Terry Talbert, 262-4747 or ttalbert@publicopinionnews.com.
By TERRY TALBERT Staff writer
"Feliz Navidad y prospero nuevo ano" is the greeting local Hispanic families give each other at Christmas.
The phrase means, "Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year."
In the Chambersburg area, Spanish-speaking families from Puerto Rico, Mexico and other countries celebrate Christmas with family, exchanging presents and eating special holiday fare. Festivities begin Christmas Eve and continue through the 25th.
Diana Martes of the Hispanic-American Center in Chambersburg is from Puerto Rico. She said her culture celebrates with a gift exchange and meal consisting in part of pork, rice with chick peas and potato salad. Champagne, wine, Corona (beer) and liquor are served.
Pedro Martinez, 21, is from Mexico. "We have dinner and give presents," he said. "All the kids are there, running around and having fun."
He said a meal of chicken or turkey, vegetable rice, tamales, beans and mole (mo-lay) is typical.
Edgar Romero-Diaz is Guatemalan. He said food and drink are plentiful over Christmas, and parties are part of the celebration.
He said in Guatemala, families take musical instruments, visit neighbors and friends, and serenade them. The favor is returned.
"We do Christmas songs in Spanish, back and forth," Romero-Diaz explained. "It's called 'parranda.'"
For others in the Hispanic community here, Christmas is a church-centered celebration.
Senior Pastor Daniel Ensaro Cadrera of the local Glory of God church, an international Christian church, is from Cuba.
Cadrera and his flock celebrate Christmas Eve and day in part at the church, where they share a meal and give gifts.
"Every family brings something different," he said of the meal. "The food is international. We are from different places."
Terry Talbert, 262-4747 or ttalbert@publicopinionnews.com.
Violence against Hispanics based on hate, ignorance
Hate and ignorance
A bad combination, two NY crimes prove
By MIKE JONES Associate Editor 12/21/2008
Two recent events, although far from Oklahoma, are proof again of what can happen when ignorance is combined with hate.
New York is supposed to be the Mecca of liberalism. New York City, along with Los Angeles, is supposedly where the left-leaners congregate. That is supposedly where the pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, environmental extremists and artsy folk live. All that Northeast area is just full of left-wingers.
Of course, those who believe that must not remember that some of the most bitter school integration battles took place in the cradle of American democracy, Boston.
But, back to New York. In the past few months two men have been beaten to death in the New York area, Jose Sucuzhanay was the most recent. He died over the weekend. Marcelo Lucero suffered the same fate in November.
The reason for their deaths? It seems to be the fact that they look Hispanic. Both men were Ecuadorian. Which evidently was enough.
In the Lucero case a band of teenagers was allegedly roaming the streets of Patchogue, N.Y., looking to beat up a "Mexican." A group of teenagers has been arrested and charged in connection with his death.
As of this writing, no suspects have been arrested in the Sucuzhanay case. But police say that the suspects had been looking for a gay couple to attack. Jose and his brother Romel were walking home with their arms around each other when they were spotted by the gang. Romel, who survived the attack, said three men jumped from a car swinging a baseball bat and
shouting anti-gay and anti-Latino epithets.
Jose, who had been severely beaten with the bat, a bottle and kicked and beaten into unconsciousness died an hour before his mother arrived from Ecuador.
Such attacks are all too common and I am afraid that it will get worse before it gets better. Hate groups play on the anti-Hispanic sentiment that is running through the country. They also rely on suspicions about and hatred of gays to swell their ranks.
Such groups are aided, unwittingly I hope, by misguided laws such as House Bill 1804 and its offshoots. Such laws paint with a broad brush. And I write that more than metaphorically. It is different people, those of a different color or persuasion or religion that hate groups use to recruit and plant their insidious seeds.
As the economy worsens minorities, particularly Hispanics at this point (in the past it has been the Jews, the Irish, the Italians and any other minority), will get a lot of blame for job losses. It is an unfair charge, but it will be made nonetheless.
Most unfortunate in such times is that HB 1804 and its ilk cast a shadow over the entire Hispanic community. Even Hispanics who were born here, have lived their entire lives here and are more American than Hispanic are under suspicion. How would you like to go through life in that shadow? Only minorities can understand that feeling.
I have said this before, and it usually falls upon deaf ears, but the country has an illegal immigration problem. It needs a fair resolution at the federal level. Mean-spirited state laws only feed the fires of hate and distrust. They resurrect a part of our history that we at one time hoped had been left behind.
In tough times, minorities always suffer. They must endure the same economic hardships but they also get a lot of the blame for the problems. That, sadly, leads to incidences such as those in New York.
During this season of good will, it would be nice if everyone took the time to reflect and make the decision to be more tolerant and understanding. Christians surely know that is what Jesus would do.
By the way, Jose Sucuzhanay was an immigrant. A legal one. He started in this country as a waiter and eventually bought several buildings and became co-owner of a real estate company. By all accounts he loved his community and was well-liked.
Marcelo Lucero had lived in this country more than 15 years and was a legal immigrant. Both paid the ultimate price for not being white and for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Both are examples of what can happen when ignorance and unwarranted fear are combined with hate.
Something maybe to think about during this holiday of peace and joy.
A bad combination, two NY crimes prove
By MIKE JONES Associate Editor 12/21/2008
Two recent events, although far from Oklahoma, are proof again of what can happen when ignorance is combined with hate.
New York is supposed to be the Mecca of liberalism. New York City, along with Los Angeles, is supposedly where the left-leaners congregate. That is supposedly where the pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, environmental extremists and artsy folk live. All that Northeast area is just full of left-wingers.
Of course, those who believe that must not remember that some of the most bitter school integration battles took place in the cradle of American democracy, Boston.
But, back to New York. In the past few months two men have been beaten to death in the New York area, Jose Sucuzhanay was the most recent. He died over the weekend. Marcelo Lucero suffered the same fate in November.
The reason for their deaths? It seems to be the fact that they look Hispanic. Both men were Ecuadorian. Which evidently was enough.
In the Lucero case a band of teenagers was allegedly roaming the streets of Patchogue, N.Y., looking to beat up a "Mexican." A group of teenagers has been arrested and charged in connection with his death.
As of this writing, no suspects have been arrested in the Sucuzhanay case. But police say that the suspects had been looking for a gay couple to attack. Jose and his brother Romel were walking home with their arms around each other when they were spotted by the gang. Romel, who survived the attack, said three men jumped from a car swinging a baseball bat and
shouting anti-gay and anti-Latino epithets.
Jose, who had been severely beaten with the bat, a bottle and kicked and beaten into unconsciousness died an hour before his mother arrived from Ecuador.
Such attacks are all too common and I am afraid that it will get worse before it gets better. Hate groups play on the anti-Hispanic sentiment that is running through the country. They also rely on suspicions about and hatred of gays to swell their ranks.
Such groups are aided, unwittingly I hope, by misguided laws such as House Bill 1804 and its offshoots. Such laws paint with a broad brush. And I write that more than metaphorically. It is different people, those of a different color or persuasion or religion that hate groups use to recruit and plant their insidious seeds.
As the economy worsens minorities, particularly Hispanics at this point (in the past it has been the Jews, the Irish, the Italians and any other minority), will get a lot of blame for job losses. It is an unfair charge, but it will be made nonetheless.
Most unfortunate in such times is that HB 1804 and its ilk cast a shadow over the entire Hispanic community. Even Hispanics who were born here, have lived their entire lives here and are more American than Hispanic are under suspicion. How would you like to go through life in that shadow? Only minorities can understand that feeling.
I have said this before, and it usually falls upon deaf ears, but the country has an illegal immigration problem. It needs a fair resolution at the federal level. Mean-spirited state laws only feed the fires of hate and distrust. They resurrect a part of our history that we at one time hoped had been left behind.
In tough times, minorities always suffer. They must endure the same economic hardships but they also get a lot of the blame for the problems. That, sadly, leads to incidences such as those in New York.
During this season of good will, it would be nice if everyone took the time to reflect and make the decision to be more tolerant and understanding. Christians surely know that is what Jesus would do.
By the way, Jose Sucuzhanay was an immigrant. A legal one. He started in this country as a waiter and eventually bought several buildings and became co-owner of a real estate company. By all accounts he loved his community and was well-liked.
Marcelo Lucero had lived in this country more than 15 years and was a legal immigrant. Both paid the ultimate price for not being white and for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Both are examples of what can happen when ignorance and unwarranted fear are combined with hate.
Something maybe to think about during this holiday of peace and joy.
Latino group protests enforcement tactics
Latino group protests enforcement tactics
Nicole C. Brambila • The Desert Sun • December 21, 2008
Coachella Valley activists marched in front of the Riverside County sheriff's and Indio police stations on Saturday protesting what they call “racial profiling” by the Border Patrol.
About 20 members of Comité Latino marched for about an hour in Indio decrying Border Patrol tactics that, they say, single out Latinos driving older vehicles to ask about their documentation status.
“With the slightest suspicion they stop Latino drivers, and a lot of police — not all — don't ask for (a) driver's license and insurance, they ask for immigration documents.
“Today it was about the police acting like Border Patrol.”
Formed in 2006, Comité Latino is a grassroots organization that has led the charge in the valley for fair immigration reform and a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented people who live in the U.S.
Saturday's rally was among the smallest turnouts since the group organized in 2006 to protest an enforcement-only bill co-sponsored by Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs.
Organizers said the rally wasn't about numbers so much as it was alerting a frightened community.
“Right now, people are very scared to come out and protest because the Border Patrol (is) all over,” said Sylvia Cardona, a Comité Latino organizer.
One of those who attended the protest was Noemi Carrillo, who has been a permanent U.S. resident since 2002.
On Oct. 29, a Border Patrol agent cited her for an unsafe lane change, according to an Indio police ticket obtained by The Desert Sun. Indio police towed her vehicle for 30 days, collecting $400 in fines and fees for being an unlicensed driver.
Quinn Palmer, Border Patrol Indio spokesman for the Indio office, did not return a phone call to his cell phone seeking comment.
Indio collected nearly $300,000 in franchise contracts and impound fees last year under a state statute that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled unconstitutional.
Ben Guitron, a spokesman for the Indio Police Department, said officers will call U.S. Border Patrol agents when a person is involved in a crime or to assist in translating.
On Jan. 1, 1995, the state Legislature enacted laws authorizing law enforcement to tow and impound vehicles for 30 days when driven by unlicensed, suspended or revoked drivers.
It is permissible in California to purchase, register and insure a vehicle without a driver's license.
In 2005, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a similar Oregon law violated the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure because the impound equated to receiving a penalty before a finding of guilt.
Comité Latino organizers hope to persuade Coachella Valley cities to reduce the number of days a vehicle is impounded and fined, and to adopt a policy that police will not act as Border Patrol agents.
“A car is really a necessity in the United States because if you don't have a car you can't go to work,” Lazcano said.
Nicole C. Brambila • The Desert Sun • December 21, 2008
Coachella Valley activists marched in front of the Riverside County sheriff's and Indio police stations on Saturday protesting what they call “racial profiling” by the Border Patrol.
About 20 members of Comité Latino marched for about an hour in Indio decrying Border Patrol tactics that, they say, single out Latinos driving older vehicles to ask about their documentation status.
“With the slightest suspicion they stop Latino drivers, and a lot of police — not all — don't ask for (a) driver's license and insurance, they ask for immigration documents.
“Today it was about the police acting like Border Patrol.”
Formed in 2006, Comité Latino is a grassroots organization that has led the charge in the valley for fair immigration reform and a path to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented people who live in the U.S.
Saturday's rally was among the smallest turnouts since the group organized in 2006 to protest an enforcement-only bill co-sponsored by Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs.
Organizers said the rally wasn't about numbers so much as it was alerting a frightened community.
“Right now, people are very scared to come out and protest because the Border Patrol (is) all over,” said Sylvia Cardona, a Comité Latino organizer.
One of those who attended the protest was Noemi Carrillo, who has been a permanent U.S. resident since 2002.
On Oct. 29, a Border Patrol agent cited her for an unsafe lane change, according to an Indio police ticket obtained by The Desert Sun. Indio police towed her vehicle for 30 days, collecting $400 in fines and fees for being an unlicensed driver.
Quinn Palmer, Border Patrol Indio spokesman for the Indio office, did not return a phone call to his cell phone seeking comment.
Indio collected nearly $300,000 in franchise contracts and impound fees last year under a state statute that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled unconstitutional.
Ben Guitron, a spokesman for the Indio Police Department, said officers will call U.S. Border Patrol agents when a person is involved in a crime or to assist in translating.
On Jan. 1, 1995, the state Legislature enacted laws authorizing law enforcement to tow and impound vehicles for 30 days when driven by unlicensed, suspended or revoked drivers.
It is permissible in California to purchase, register and insure a vehicle without a driver's license.
In 2005, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a similar Oregon law violated the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable search and seizure because the impound equated to receiving a penalty before a finding of guilt.
Comité Latino organizers hope to persuade Coachella Valley cities to reduce the number of days a vehicle is impounded and fined, and to adopt a policy that police will not act as Border Patrol agents.
“A car is really a necessity in the United States because if you don't have a car you can't go to work,” Lazcano said.
Latino school dropout rates need attention
Kalamazoo educators: Latino dropout rate needs attention
by Cassie Foss | Kalamazoo Gazette December 21, 2008
KALAMAZOO -- Poverty and poorly educated parents are factors local educators say are keeping Latino students in Kalamazoo from graduating and taking advantage of scholarships, such as the Kalamazoo Promise, to the same degree as white students.
Members of Kalamazoo's Hispanic American Council met recently with several educators and community leaders to discuss how to help Latino students who are at risk for dropping out.
"Poverty is the biggest indicator of student success," said Gary Miron, who heads a Western Michigan University research center that has studied the Kalamazoo Promise, which provides scholarships to Michigan public colleges and universities to Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates. "Unfortunately, it's highly (correlated) with minority students."
Of the 50 Latino students who started high school in 2004-05 at Kalamazoo Central and Loy Norrix high schools, 10 did not graduate this spring because they had dropped out, according to a report by the state Center for Educational Performance and Information. By comparison, eight of 288 white students tracked from ninth through 12th grade dropped out.
Statewide, 52 percent of Latino male students and 64 percent of Latino female students graduated on time in 2007, compared to 78 percent of white male students and 85 percent of white female students who graduated in four years.
Approximately 1,300 bilingual students are currently enrolled in Kalamazoo Public Schools, according to Manuel Brenes, KPS coordinator for bilingual and migrant services.
Hispanic American Council board members and representatives from groups including Kalamazoo Communities in Schools, the Edison Neighborhood Association and the community arts nonprofit organization Fire met in early December and cited language barriers, economic disparities and immigration status as among possible causes for Latino students' poor attendance, behavioral problems and academic performance.
Hispanic American Council member Lori Mercedes said Latino students have set the bar low for themselves.
"Students at the Council are happy with getting Cs on their report card," she said. "They think, 'That's the best a Mexican can do.' I can't believe this."
The group hopes to help Latino students and their parents navigate economic and cultural barriers by meeting needs of whole families. Potential initiatives discussed at the first meeting included: steps to increase involvement and education for parents; additional peer mentors, tutoring and after-school programs; involvement from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety; and community-outreach programs.
Brenes said educational attainment of parents often has a big impact on students' educational success. Too many local Latino parents are poorly educated, aren't fluent in English, or leave home early in the day for low-income jobs and come home late, he said.
"Kids need help with their homework and their parents can't help them," he said. "They often have the attitude: 'I send my kids to school and the teachers know best.'"
Brenes suggested that Latino parents take a more active role by attending parent-teacher conferences, checking attendance with the school and checking their kids' homework. He said KPS officials hope to establish a translating system for Spanish-speaking parents. The Hispanic Council, located on Lake Street in the Edison neighborhood, currently has translation and liaison services in place.
Immigration status is another challenge facing some Latino students, Brenes said. He said that while students are not required to provide identification and proof of legal status to attend school at KPS or obtain the Promise scholarship, it is sometimes difficult for undocumented graduates to obtain employment.
"OK, so they can go to college and get a degree," he said. "But they're not going to get hired after college because they don't have a Social Security number. Students are pessimistic about that."
Mary Lu Light, a language specialist at WMU, said educational intervention needs to start with Latino parents who have preschool-age children. Many of Light's adult English students at the Hispanic American Council aren't aware of KPS tutoring services or scholarship programs like the Promise, or don't have the tools to navigate the system, she said.
"The Kalamazoo Promise language needs to be in Spanish and accessible for all education attainment levels," Light said.
Mercedes said she hopes the Hispanic American Council will be able to develop a program, in collaboration with KPS and other groups, that will address both the educational and social needs of Latino youths.
She also plans to create a survey to ask Latino students what areas they most need help in. "We have to come to terms with the fact that we don't have a clue how to help them," she said.
by Cassie Foss | Kalamazoo Gazette December 21, 2008
KALAMAZOO -- Poverty and poorly educated parents are factors local educators say are keeping Latino students in Kalamazoo from graduating and taking advantage of scholarships, such as the Kalamazoo Promise, to the same degree as white students.
Members of Kalamazoo's Hispanic American Council met recently with several educators and community leaders to discuss how to help Latino students who are at risk for dropping out.
"Poverty is the biggest indicator of student success," said Gary Miron, who heads a Western Michigan University research center that has studied the Kalamazoo Promise, which provides scholarships to Michigan public colleges and universities to Kalamazoo Public Schools graduates. "Unfortunately, it's highly (correlated) with minority students."
Of the 50 Latino students who started high school in 2004-05 at Kalamazoo Central and Loy Norrix high schools, 10 did not graduate this spring because they had dropped out, according to a report by the state Center for Educational Performance and Information. By comparison, eight of 288 white students tracked from ninth through 12th grade dropped out.
Statewide, 52 percent of Latino male students and 64 percent of Latino female students graduated on time in 2007, compared to 78 percent of white male students and 85 percent of white female students who graduated in four years.
Approximately 1,300 bilingual students are currently enrolled in Kalamazoo Public Schools, according to Manuel Brenes, KPS coordinator for bilingual and migrant services.
Hispanic American Council board members and representatives from groups including Kalamazoo Communities in Schools, the Edison Neighborhood Association and the community arts nonprofit organization Fire met in early December and cited language barriers, economic disparities and immigration status as among possible causes for Latino students' poor attendance, behavioral problems and academic performance.
Hispanic American Council member Lori Mercedes said Latino students have set the bar low for themselves.
"Students at the Council are happy with getting Cs on their report card," she said. "They think, 'That's the best a Mexican can do.' I can't believe this."
The group hopes to help Latino students and their parents navigate economic and cultural barriers by meeting needs of whole families. Potential initiatives discussed at the first meeting included: steps to increase involvement and education for parents; additional peer mentors, tutoring and after-school programs; involvement from the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety; and community-outreach programs.
Brenes said educational attainment of parents often has a big impact on students' educational success. Too many local Latino parents are poorly educated, aren't fluent in English, or leave home early in the day for low-income jobs and come home late, he said.
"Kids need help with their homework and their parents can't help them," he said. "They often have the attitude: 'I send my kids to school and the teachers know best.'"
Brenes suggested that Latino parents take a more active role by attending parent-teacher conferences, checking attendance with the school and checking their kids' homework. He said KPS officials hope to establish a translating system for Spanish-speaking parents. The Hispanic Council, located on Lake Street in the Edison neighborhood, currently has translation and liaison services in place.
Immigration status is another challenge facing some Latino students, Brenes said. He said that while students are not required to provide identification and proof of legal status to attend school at KPS or obtain the Promise scholarship, it is sometimes difficult for undocumented graduates to obtain employment.
"OK, so they can go to college and get a degree," he said. "But they're not going to get hired after college because they don't have a Social Security number. Students are pessimistic about that."
Mary Lu Light, a language specialist at WMU, said educational intervention needs to start with Latino parents who have preschool-age children. Many of Light's adult English students at the Hispanic American Council aren't aware of KPS tutoring services or scholarship programs like the Promise, or don't have the tools to navigate the system, she said.
"The Kalamazoo Promise language needs to be in Spanish and accessible for all education attainment levels," Light said.
Mercedes said she hopes the Hispanic American Council will be able to develop a program, in collaboration with KPS and other groups, that will address both the educational and social needs of Latino youths.
She also plans to create a survey to ask Latino students what areas they most need help in. "We have to come to terms with the fact that we don't have a clue how to help them," she said.
Hispanic immigrants spend Christmas at home, in the U.S.
Area Immigrants Go Home for Christmas Only in Their Dreams
By Pamela Constable Washington Post December 22, 2008
A year ago, Yunis Sandivar's travel agency in Arlington County was doing a brisk business in round-trip holiday tickets to Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala and El Salvador. This season, she says, those ticket sales have fallen by 40 percent compared with last December, and a surprising number of customers are buying one-way tickets home -- temporarily giving up on the U.S. economy after years of legal residency.
"Normally at this time, we are full of people, but just look around. The office is empty. We would not survive except for the one-way tickets," Sandivar said. "Our community is facing a very crude reality right now. People have lost their houses, their jobs, their businesses. They are not going home to see their families -- they are going home until the situation here improves. It is going to be a very sad Christmas."
Among the estimated half-million Latin American immigrants in the Washington region, Christmas has long been a season of sentimental and physical reconnection. Extended families are separated by relatively short distances, united by Christian traditions and accustomed to exchanging gifts -- shipped by Hispanic-owned courier services -- including electric appliances and children's party clothes.
This year, however, the area's Latino communities have been hit hard by the national economic slump, with the construction trade devastated by the financial crisis, service industries laying off workers and immigrant small-businesses owners hurt because their customers are without work.
As a result, Latino families across the economic spectrum are scaling back their plans for traveling or sending elaborate gift packages to their home countries.
At travel agencies that specialize in Latin American destinations, several agents said they had sold about one-third fewer tickets than last year. Adriana Loiza, who manages AB City Travel in Arlington, said about 60 customers had purchased one-way tickets home in the past month, figuring they would save money while waiting out the U.S. economic crisis. Several others who had bought round-trip tickets on layaway had to cancel their plans at the last moment.
"One family of four wanted to go to Bolivia for Christmas," Loiza said. "The total cost was $7,000, and they were paying about $400 at a time. But this week the man called me and said he had lost his job, or his last paycheck had bounced, and he could not make the final payment. I told him I was very sorry, but if you don't pay the entire amount before your flight, you can't go."
In past years, Ramon Alvarado, the owner of a small painting company in Springfield, was doing well enough financially to visit his parents back home in El Salvador for Christmas and New Year's. Eager to share his success, he always arrived carrying a generous supply of gifts and toys for families in his native town.
This Christmas, with virtually no new customers, Alvarado, 32, has decided to forgo his annual trip and customary largess. Although he is still making enough to support his family, he said, "I just cannot be Santa this year. It's not only the cost of the plane tickets, it's that one feels ashamed to go home empty-handed."
In interviews in Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland last week, Hispanic business owners, shoppers and laborers said they were facing similar financial struggles, sharp drops in sales or contracts, and a gnawing worry for the future that had clouded their holiday spirits.
Stores and services that depend on Latino customers have made valiant efforts to create a festive atmosphere with floating reindeer balloons, twinkling lights and CDs playing "Jingle Bells." One Hispanic grocery chain in Northern Virginia featured a live Santa Claus last weekend and took out Spanish-language newspaper and radio ads inviting customers to bring their children for photos.
But the hoopla seemed unable to dispel the glum mood. In one newspaper, which featured ads for the Santa appearances last week, there were also ads for Spanish-speaking lawyers and Realtors that showed worried-looking families fretting over unpaid bills. "Is the current crisis knocking on your door?" one ad said. "Don't let the bank take away your house . . . get out of debt without creating tax problems," read another.
In several Hispanic-oriented shopping centers, discount gift shops and package mailing businesses were almost empty during daytime visits last week, although some managers said they were hoping for a burst of sales over the final weekend before Christmas. Most customers seemed to browse without buying.
"Last year, I was able to send my parents and brothers a big box of shoes, clothes and toys. This year, I'm not sure I'll be able to send them twenty dollars," said Osmin Perez, 30, a construction company employee from El Salvador who was rifling through a rack of tiny soccer shirts at a shop in Langley Park. "There is no work at all. I keep waiting for the company to call, but nothing comes in. I'm lucky my own kids are just babies, so any little gift will make them happy."
Even worse off are thousands of Latino day laborers -- many of whom are in the country illegally but an increasing number of whom are legal residents down on their luck -- who depend on brief, casual cash jobs moving furniture, painting apartments or raking leaves. At a nonprofit labor center in Silver Spring last week, the walls were bare of Christmas decorations, and the faces of a dozen waiting men were lined with worry.
"I'm an optimist and I like to celebrate, but we'll be lucky if we have enough for the turkey," said Pedro Guadron, 46, an immigrant from El Salvador who once ran a small contracting business but now spends most mornings at the labor center. "I was proud to buy a house, but this year we had to take in relatives to help pay the mortgage. The way I feel right now, Christmas doesn't exist for me."
In a chair nearby, another middle-aged man slumped silently, his wool cap pulled low. After a while, he began to pour out a tale of loss and failure, of walking long distances because he had no bus fare, of going for weeks without bringing home a day's pay, of swallowing his pride and seeking charity from a church.
"Back in my country, I have kids and a wife and a little piece of land," said the man, who gave his name as Jesus. "I had no idea how hard everything would be here. I can't even pay my room rent, let alone send them something for Christmas. I think about going home, but where would I ever find enough money to make the trip?"
By Pamela Constable Washington Post December 22, 2008
A year ago, Yunis Sandivar's travel agency in Arlington County was doing a brisk business in round-trip holiday tickets to Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala and El Salvador. This season, she says, those ticket sales have fallen by 40 percent compared with last December, and a surprising number of customers are buying one-way tickets home -- temporarily giving up on the U.S. economy after years of legal residency.
"Normally at this time, we are full of people, but just look around. The office is empty. We would not survive except for the one-way tickets," Sandivar said. "Our community is facing a very crude reality right now. People have lost their houses, their jobs, their businesses. They are not going home to see their families -- they are going home until the situation here improves. It is going to be a very sad Christmas."
Among the estimated half-million Latin American immigrants in the Washington region, Christmas has long been a season of sentimental and physical reconnection. Extended families are separated by relatively short distances, united by Christian traditions and accustomed to exchanging gifts -- shipped by Hispanic-owned courier services -- including electric appliances and children's party clothes.
This year, however, the area's Latino communities have been hit hard by the national economic slump, with the construction trade devastated by the financial crisis, service industries laying off workers and immigrant small-businesses owners hurt because their customers are without work.
As a result, Latino families across the economic spectrum are scaling back their plans for traveling or sending elaborate gift packages to their home countries.
At travel agencies that specialize in Latin American destinations, several agents said they had sold about one-third fewer tickets than last year. Adriana Loiza, who manages AB City Travel in Arlington, said about 60 customers had purchased one-way tickets home in the past month, figuring they would save money while waiting out the U.S. economic crisis. Several others who had bought round-trip tickets on layaway had to cancel their plans at the last moment.
"One family of four wanted to go to Bolivia for Christmas," Loiza said. "The total cost was $7,000, and they were paying about $400 at a time. But this week the man called me and said he had lost his job, or his last paycheck had bounced, and he could not make the final payment. I told him I was very sorry, but if you don't pay the entire amount before your flight, you can't go."
In past years, Ramon Alvarado, the owner of a small painting company in Springfield, was doing well enough financially to visit his parents back home in El Salvador for Christmas and New Year's. Eager to share his success, he always arrived carrying a generous supply of gifts and toys for families in his native town.
This Christmas, with virtually no new customers, Alvarado, 32, has decided to forgo his annual trip and customary largess. Although he is still making enough to support his family, he said, "I just cannot be Santa this year. It's not only the cost of the plane tickets, it's that one feels ashamed to go home empty-handed."
In interviews in Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland last week, Hispanic business owners, shoppers and laborers said they were facing similar financial struggles, sharp drops in sales or contracts, and a gnawing worry for the future that had clouded their holiday spirits.
Stores and services that depend on Latino customers have made valiant efforts to create a festive atmosphere with floating reindeer balloons, twinkling lights and CDs playing "Jingle Bells." One Hispanic grocery chain in Northern Virginia featured a live Santa Claus last weekend and took out Spanish-language newspaper and radio ads inviting customers to bring their children for photos.
But the hoopla seemed unable to dispel the glum mood. In one newspaper, which featured ads for the Santa appearances last week, there were also ads for Spanish-speaking lawyers and Realtors that showed worried-looking families fretting over unpaid bills. "Is the current crisis knocking on your door?" one ad said. "Don't let the bank take away your house . . . get out of debt without creating tax problems," read another.
In several Hispanic-oriented shopping centers, discount gift shops and package mailing businesses were almost empty during daytime visits last week, although some managers said they were hoping for a burst of sales over the final weekend before Christmas. Most customers seemed to browse without buying.
"Last year, I was able to send my parents and brothers a big box of shoes, clothes and toys. This year, I'm not sure I'll be able to send them twenty dollars," said Osmin Perez, 30, a construction company employee from El Salvador who was rifling through a rack of tiny soccer shirts at a shop in Langley Park. "There is no work at all. I keep waiting for the company to call, but nothing comes in. I'm lucky my own kids are just babies, so any little gift will make them happy."
Even worse off are thousands of Latino day laborers -- many of whom are in the country illegally but an increasing number of whom are legal residents down on their luck -- who depend on brief, casual cash jobs moving furniture, painting apartments or raking leaves. At a nonprofit labor center in Silver Spring last week, the walls were bare of Christmas decorations, and the faces of a dozen waiting men were lined with worry.
"I'm an optimist and I like to celebrate, but we'll be lucky if we have enough for the turkey," said Pedro Guadron, 46, an immigrant from El Salvador who once ran a small contracting business but now spends most mornings at the labor center. "I was proud to buy a house, but this year we had to take in relatives to help pay the mortgage. The way I feel right now, Christmas doesn't exist for me."
In a chair nearby, another middle-aged man slumped silently, his wool cap pulled low. After a while, he began to pour out a tale of loss and failure, of walking long distances because he had no bus fare, of going for weeks without bringing home a day's pay, of swallowing his pride and seeking charity from a church.
"Back in my country, I have kids and a wife and a little piece of land," said the man, who gave his name as Jesus. "I had no idea how hard everything would be here. I can't even pay my room rent, let alone send them something for Christmas. I think about going home, but where would I ever find enough money to make the trip?"
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Hispanics among hopefuls for Salazar vacancy
Three Hispanics among hopefuls for Salazar post
By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News December 20, 2008
Henry Solano, former U.S. attorney for Colorado, has let Gov. Bill Ritter know he's interested in being appointed to the U.S. Senate.
Solano is at least the third prominent Hispanic the governor is considering to succeed U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., who will step down early next year, when he becomes Interior secretary.
The other Hispanics are Salazar's brother, U.S. Rep. John Salazar, of the San Luis Valley, and former Denver Mayor Federico Pena.
Solano's career includes stints at the U.S. departments of Justice and Labor, and overseeing three state agencies.
"You'd be hard-pressed to find someone with a deeper resume," said political consultant Steve Welchert.
Ritter has a number of top-shelf Democrats to choose from, and he said the lobbying effort on behalf of various candidates is "intense."
Other contenders include House Speaker Andrew Romanoff of Denver, state Treasurer Cary Kennedy, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, state Senate President Peter Groff and U.S. Reps. Ed Perlmutter and Diana DeGette.
Several Republican lawmakers and influential civic groups are urging Ritter to appoint Romanoff, calling the term-limited lawmaker a "statesman."
House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, and Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Genesee, want Romanoff. So do Reeves Brown, director of the Western Slope group Club 20, and Cathy Shull, director of Progessive 15, which represents 15 northeastern Colorado counties.
"In the world of politics, there are politicians and there are statesmen - Andrew Romanoff is a statesman," Brown wrote the governor.
"Andrew has established himself statewide as an articulate and fair-minded civic leader who transcends partisan politics to find consensus solutions that work for all the people."
Schull said her group appreciated Romanoff's efforts on behalf of rural Colorado.
Witwer praised Romanoff for treating Republicans fairly.
"If it's got to be a Democrat, Andrew's the best of the lot," Witwer said.
May said Romanoff would do "an outstanding job for two years" but admitted he wants a Republican to win the seat back. The person Ritter appoints to succeed Salazar must run for re-election in 2010.
By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News December 20, 2008
Henry Solano, former U.S. attorney for Colorado, has let Gov. Bill Ritter know he's interested in being appointed to the U.S. Senate.
Solano is at least the third prominent Hispanic the governor is considering to succeed U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., who will step down early next year, when he becomes Interior secretary.
The other Hispanics are Salazar's brother, U.S. Rep. John Salazar, of the San Luis Valley, and former Denver Mayor Federico Pena.
Solano's career includes stints at the U.S. departments of Justice and Labor, and overseeing three state agencies.
"You'd be hard-pressed to find someone with a deeper resume," said political consultant Steve Welchert.
Ritter has a number of top-shelf Democrats to choose from, and he said the lobbying effort on behalf of various candidates is "intense."
Other contenders include House Speaker Andrew Romanoff of Denver, state Treasurer Cary Kennedy, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, state Senate President Peter Groff and U.S. Reps. Ed Perlmutter and Diana DeGette.
Several Republican lawmakers and influential civic groups are urging Ritter to appoint Romanoff, calling the term-limited lawmaker a "statesman."
House Minority Leader Mike May, R-Parker, and Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Genesee, want Romanoff. So do Reeves Brown, director of the Western Slope group Club 20, and Cathy Shull, director of Progessive 15, which represents 15 northeastern Colorado counties.
"In the world of politics, there are politicians and there are statesmen - Andrew Romanoff is a statesman," Brown wrote the governor.
"Andrew has established himself statewide as an articulate and fair-minded civic leader who transcends partisan politics to find consensus solutions that work for all the people."
Schull said her group appreciated Romanoff's efforts on behalf of rural Colorado.
Witwer praised Romanoff for treating Republicans fairly.
"If it's got to be a Democrat, Andrew's the best of the lot," Witwer said.
May said Romanoff would do "an outstanding job for two years" but admitted he wants a Republican to win the seat back. The person Ritter appoints to succeed Salazar must run for re-election in 2010.
Hispanics need to get elected says McCain
Kyl reluctant to take lead on immigration plan again
by Dan Nowicki - Dec. 20, 2008 The Arizona Republic
Sen. John McCain and other bipartisan immigration reformers may have to revamp U.S. border policy without the help of Arizona's junior senator.
In 2007, Sen. Jon Kyl surprised critics and angered many supporters by negotiating and championing controversial comprehensive immigration-reform legislation. But after taking a pounding from conservative activists, Kyl is not eager to stick his neck out again for a temporary-worker program and steps toward legalization for millions of undocumented migrants in the country.
Nationwide public outcry ultimately killed last year's measure. Although the timing is unclear, the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress is expected to give it another try with a new version.
President-elect Barack Obama is an immigration-reform supporter who promised Latino voters during the campaign that he wouldn't wilt under public opposition. But the support of high-profile conservatives such as Kyl, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, would help blunt the impact of a voter backlash.
McCain, whom Obama defeated for the presidency, is signaling a willingness to work with the new president on the hot-button issue.
Action, though, may not come in the early days of the new administration, which is fixated on the economy. Another potential complication: Senate immigration point man Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is battling brain cancer and is focused on health-care legislation.
"The president will set the agenda. He's just been elected with a significant majority, and the Democrats have made significant gains in both houses, so it will be up to them to decide where comprehensive immigration reform will be on the agenda," McCain said Thursday during a meeting with Arizona Republic editors and reporters. "I stand ready to work with them at the first opportunity, but for me to say that that's what we're going to take up is not in keeping with the results of the last election."
Kyl isn't saying no to immigration reform out of hand, but he supports a position first articulated by McCain during the campaign: that Congress must convince the American people that the borders are secure before pursuing other reforms that critics view as benefiting illegal immigrants.
He also credited Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Kennedy for their willingness to make concessions, particularly on restricting family "chain migration," upon which Kyl says few other countries base their immigration systems. With chain migration, immigrants can facilitate visas for relatives.
Kennedy's conciliatory attitude prompted Kyl to make concessions, too. He agreed to a proposed pathway to citizenship for many who are now in the country illegally. Kyl prefers a system based on the U.S. marketplace's need for temporary workers and had opposed such a pathway in 2006.
"I doubt that the public thinks we're there yet, and I'm not sure that the same basic trade-offs will be agreed to again," Kyl said. "I don't know whether the Obama administration would be willing to consider the same changes, but they were critical to my support for the ultimate bill. And if they alter the agreement significantly, and I suspect they will do so, then the equation for trade-offs becomes totally different."
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is Obama's choice to replace Chertoff at the Department of Homeland Security.
With Democrats holding commanding advantages in the House and the Senate, the urgency to win over minority Republicans to pass priorities such as immigration reform is reduced.
Still, Kyl, recently re-elected to a new term as Senate minority whip, would add significant bipartisan clout to any immigration plan. He is the highest-ranking Arizonan on Capitol Hill since the late Republican Rep. John Rhodes was House minority leader in the 1970s.
McCain paid a political price for embracing comprehensive immigration reform: His fundraising dried up so much that by mid-2007, his presidential campaign was in danger of collapsing.
McCain stands by his earlier call for the tactical shift that emphasizes border security. But he said a guest-worker plan could be pursued at the same time.
"I think we are already making significant strides." McCain said "I don't think it has to be, quote, completed.
"I think we have to assure the American people that our borders are being secured and, at the same time, we can establish a temporary-worker program that works."
Immigration advocate Elias Bermudez, founder of Phoenix-based Immigrants Without Borders and a Republican, expects McCain to remain the GOP leader on immigration reform. But he said Kyl understands the political importance of not driving away Latinos from the Republican Party with anti-immigration rhetoric.
"I don't think the Democrats need Republican votes to pass this," Bermudez said. "Kyl will probably try to put in his two cents' worth as to what he believes is needed in immigration reform. . . . Remember, we are not looking for 'amnesty.' We are asking for an official mechanism whereby people are able to come here legally to work."
McCain agreed that Republicans must not alienate Hispanics, noting that President Bush won 43 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004. McCain got 31 percent this year.
"In (swing states) Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico and Florida, the margin of defeat was the difference in the Hispanic vote between 2004 and 2008," McCain said. "We Republicans . . . have got to recruit and elect Hispanics to office. And we need to correct the impression that many Hispanic citizens have, and that is that we don't like Hispanics."
by Dan Nowicki - Dec. 20, 2008 The Arizona Republic
Sen. John McCain and other bipartisan immigration reformers may have to revamp U.S. border policy without the help of Arizona's junior senator.
In 2007, Sen. Jon Kyl surprised critics and angered many supporters by negotiating and championing controversial comprehensive immigration-reform legislation. But after taking a pounding from conservative activists, Kyl is not eager to stick his neck out again for a temporary-worker program and steps toward legalization for millions of undocumented migrants in the country.
Nationwide public outcry ultimately killed last year's measure. Although the timing is unclear, the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress is expected to give it another try with a new version.
President-elect Barack Obama is an immigration-reform supporter who promised Latino voters during the campaign that he wouldn't wilt under public opposition. But the support of high-profile conservatives such as Kyl, the Senate's No. 2 Republican, would help blunt the impact of a voter backlash.
McCain, whom Obama defeated for the presidency, is signaling a willingness to work with the new president on the hot-button issue.
Action, though, may not come in the early days of the new administration, which is fixated on the economy. Another potential complication: Senate immigration point man Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., is battling brain cancer and is focused on health-care legislation.
"The president will set the agenda. He's just been elected with a significant majority, and the Democrats have made significant gains in both houses, so it will be up to them to decide where comprehensive immigration reform will be on the agenda," McCain said Thursday during a meeting with Arizona Republic editors and reporters. "I stand ready to work with them at the first opportunity, but for me to say that that's what we're going to take up is not in keeping with the results of the last election."
Kyl isn't saying no to immigration reform out of hand, but he supports a position first articulated by McCain during the campaign: that Congress must convince the American people that the borders are secure before pursuing other reforms that critics view as benefiting illegal immigrants.
He also credited Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Kennedy for their willingness to make concessions, particularly on restricting family "chain migration," upon which Kyl says few other countries base their immigration systems. With chain migration, immigrants can facilitate visas for relatives.
Kennedy's conciliatory attitude prompted Kyl to make concessions, too. He agreed to a proposed pathway to citizenship for many who are now in the country illegally. Kyl prefers a system based on the U.S. marketplace's need for temporary workers and had opposed such a pathway in 2006.
"I doubt that the public thinks we're there yet, and I'm not sure that the same basic trade-offs will be agreed to again," Kyl said. "I don't know whether the Obama administration would be willing to consider the same changes, but they were critical to my support for the ultimate bill. And if they alter the agreement significantly, and I suspect they will do so, then the equation for trade-offs becomes totally different."
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is Obama's choice to replace Chertoff at the Department of Homeland Security.
With Democrats holding commanding advantages in the House and the Senate, the urgency to win over minority Republicans to pass priorities such as immigration reform is reduced.
Still, Kyl, recently re-elected to a new term as Senate minority whip, would add significant bipartisan clout to any immigration plan. He is the highest-ranking Arizonan on Capitol Hill since the late Republican Rep. John Rhodes was House minority leader in the 1970s.
McCain paid a political price for embracing comprehensive immigration reform: His fundraising dried up so much that by mid-2007, his presidential campaign was in danger of collapsing.
McCain stands by his earlier call for the tactical shift that emphasizes border security. But he said a guest-worker plan could be pursued at the same time.
"I think we are already making significant strides." McCain said "I don't think it has to be, quote, completed.
"I think we have to assure the American people that our borders are being secured and, at the same time, we can establish a temporary-worker program that works."
Immigration advocate Elias Bermudez, founder of Phoenix-based Immigrants Without Borders and a Republican, expects McCain to remain the GOP leader on immigration reform. But he said Kyl understands the political importance of not driving away Latinos from the Republican Party with anti-immigration rhetoric.
"I don't think the Democrats need Republican votes to pass this," Bermudez said. "Kyl will probably try to put in his two cents' worth as to what he believes is needed in immigration reform. . . . Remember, we are not looking for 'amnesty.' We are asking for an official mechanism whereby people are able to come here legally to work."
McCain agreed that Republicans must not alienate Hispanics, noting that President Bush won 43 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004. McCain got 31 percent this year.
"In (swing states) Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico and Florida, the margin of defeat was the difference in the Hispanic vote between 2004 and 2008," McCain said. "We Republicans . . . have got to recruit and elect Hispanics to office. And we need to correct the impression that many Hispanic citizens have, and that is that we don't like Hispanics."
Needy Latino children in Utah benefit from toy drive
Toy drive delivers Christmas to needy Latino children
By Julia Lyon The Salt Lake Tribune 12/20/2008
Midvale » Laila Solis climbed on Santa's knee, beaming the way a first-grader who believes in Christmas magic should.
"You've been really good this year," the jolly old man told her. "I know. I got an elf report."
Hundreds of children at the Toy Drive for Hispanic Families in Need heard the same news Saturday just before they received dolls, dinosaurs and other presents. For some children, there would be nothing else waiting under the tree. Salary cuts and rising prices have made this holiday one of the hardest people can remember, forcing parents to choose between paying bills and buying gifts.
But the annual toy drive was like holiday insurance for 2,795 children across the Salt Lake Valley. Santa had them covered.
Laila's dad, who works as a mechanic, had his salary cut this year. Her mom, Angelica Lopez, works as a school cook. Before the toy drive, the children didn't even want to put up the tree because they knew how bad things were.
Lopez was struck by the generosity of people's donations.
"It's going to make my daughters feel good," she said in Spanish. "Because we got to have something they didn't think they were going to have."
Deborah Zurita was almost in tears when she heard about the program run by the Hispano-Latino Rotary Club and Sandy's Clinica Hispana. She is a cosmetology student and her husband has also seen his pay cut. Without the toy drive, there would have been no Christmas for her two children, she said.
"We would have told them that Santa Claus wasn't able to come to our house this year," the mother said.
One middle-schooler had signed up her three younger siblings for the program, knowing how tight Christmas would be.
Mom came for the toys but left the young ones at home to preserve the Christmas myth. She praised her daughter, Viki Morales-Leal, 14.
"I would have made some sacrifices that shouldn't have been made, but I would have done them anyway," said Hilaria Leal, Viki's mom. "Like not paying my bills to make my children happy."
Founded by Cesar Diaz, a family physician, the toy drive also provided families with winter coats, hats, blankets and more.
"Look at this," he said, gesturing at the hills of toys waiting to be taken home at the Boys & Girls Club in Midvale. "The community always comes together."
Though Diaz's toy drive ended Saturday, several other organizations continue to need help with donations for children. Toys for Tots, the Marine's Christmas program, remains in critical need of toys. By Saturday, the number of families that had signed up for help was already double what they expected.
Eagle Ranch Ministries is seeking small, unwrapped toys for its Ranch Hand Angels program along with wrapping paper, bows and tape.
As of Saturday, the Arc of Utah's gift box program for low-income adults with intellectual disabilities was still seeking donations. Each individual's requests are unique, but often as basic as wanting a new toothbrush.
And for Laila and her family, the tree should be decorated in time for Christmas.
jlyon@sltrib.com
By Julia Lyon The Salt Lake Tribune 12/20/2008
Midvale » Laila Solis climbed on Santa's knee, beaming the way a first-grader who believes in Christmas magic should.
"You've been really good this year," the jolly old man told her. "I know. I got an elf report."
Hundreds of children at the Toy Drive for Hispanic Families in Need heard the same news Saturday just before they received dolls, dinosaurs and other presents. For some children, there would be nothing else waiting under the tree. Salary cuts and rising prices have made this holiday one of the hardest people can remember, forcing parents to choose between paying bills and buying gifts.
But the annual toy drive was like holiday insurance for 2,795 children across the Salt Lake Valley. Santa had them covered.
Laila's dad, who works as a mechanic, had his salary cut this year. Her mom, Angelica Lopez, works as a school cook. Before the toy drive, the children didn't even want to put up the tree because they knew how bad things were.
Lopez was struck by the generosity of people's donations.
"It's going to make my daughters feel good," she said in Spanish. "Because we got to have something they didn't think they were going to have."
Deborah Zurita was almost in tears when she heard about the program run by the Hispano-Latino Rotary Club and Sandy's Clinica Hispana. She is a cosmetology student and her husband has also seen his pay cut. Without the toy drive, there would have been no Christmas for her two children, she said.
"We would have told them that Santa Claus wasn't able to come to our house this year," the mother said.
One middle-schooler had signed up her three younger siblings for the program, knowing how tight Christmas would be.
Mom came for the toys but left the young ones at home to preserve the Christmas myth. She praised her daughter, Viki Morales-Leal, 14.
"I would have made some sacrifices that shouldn't have been made, but I would have done them anyway," said Hilaria Leal, Viki's mom. "Like not paying my bills to make my children happy."
Founded by Cesar Diaz, a family physician, the toy drive also provided families with winter coats, hats, blankets and more.
"Look at this," he said, gesturing at the hills of toys waiting to be taken home at the Boys & Girls Club in Midvale. "The community always comes together."
Though Diaz's toy drive ended Saturday, several other organizations continue to need help with donations for children. Toys for Tots, the Marine's Christmas program, remains in critical need of toys. By Saturday, the number of families that had signed up for help was already double what they expected.
Eagle Ranch Ministries is seeking small, unwrapped toys for its Ranch Hand Angels program along with wrapping paper, bows and tape.
As of Saturday, the Arc of Utah's gift box program for low-income adults with intellectual disabilities was still seeking donations. Each individual's requests are unique, but often as basic as wanting a new toothbrush.
And for Laila and her family, the tree should be decorated in time for Christmas.
jlyon@sltrib.com
Latinos now reside in once White communities
New census data shows once-white communities now heavily Latino
By Mike Sprague, Staff Writer 12/20/2008
In 1980, La Mirada and Whittier and some of the surrounding unincorporated areas were mostly white communities.
But the last 27 years in the Whittier area has brought growing numbers of Latinos through migration and propogation.
These changes were dramatically illustrated in the newest 2007 U.S. Census data.
Latinos make up about 64 percent of Whittier in contrast to 23 percent in 1980; they are now equal to the number of whites in La Mirada; and make up 91 percent of the population in Pico Rivera.
Pete Lopez, past president of the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce, attributes these changes to people trying to improve themselves by moving into better areas.
"I used to live in East Los Angeles, but as you get more education and more affluent you go to the better areas," Lopez said. "For example, you might decide to go to La Mirada, which is one of the top cities."
People also are looking for better schools, Lopez said.
The demographic changes also have forced businesses and school to rethink their practices, he said.
"If you go into a business you want to see a Latino behind the counter," Lopez said. "If you go into a school, you want to see a Latino as principal."
And these things are happening, he said.
The new numbers reported by the Census Bureau for cities between 20,000 and 65,000 population are considered estimates and based on three years of data collected nationwide from about 250,000
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addresses per month.
Whittier Councilman Owen Newcomer said the changes are just reflective of Southern California, which also is becoming more Latino.
Newcomer also agrees with Lopez, saying people want to move up economically and that means moving east.
"Whittier is about as far east in Los Angeles County as you can go," he said.
But these demographic changes are not bad, he said.
"Whatever your ethnicity, you still want a good school, you want a safe and pleasant neighborhood to live and you want to be able to get together with friends and go to a movie."
The new data also shows for some of the local communities that more people were born in the United States, are U.S. citizens and speak English "very well."
"That's good news," said Victor Ledesma, community liaison for the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce. "That's the way it should be. If people are going to be productive and do something to help the economy, they have to learn English."
Ledesma said he believes that the numbers of foreign-born and those without U.S. citizenship are shrinking because of a lack of available jobs.
Pico Rivera Councilman Ron Beilke, whose city shows gains in education, a reduction in foreign-born and an increase in those who can speak English, said he's not surprised by the numbers.
"I think what you're seeing is the stability of our community," Beilke said.
"In Pico Rivera, we have generations of families that have stayed in the community," he said. "That lessens the ability of others to come into our community."
Some were surprised by the numbers.
La Mirada Councilman Hal Malkin said he doesn't believe the percentage of Asians is shrinking from 15 percent to 12.9 percent, as shown by the newly released census data.
"I have a question because of the buildup we've had in Hawkes Point (a housing development to the east of Beach Boulevard) and the northern part of Hillsborough," Malkin said. "There's a huge Asian population there and, if anything, it's growing."
Malkin said he's not surprised or bothered by the increase in Latinos.
"That's to be expected," he said. "Diversity is something that we look for and are very proud of," he said.
Nearly all of the areas also showed significant increases in education of the population from 2000.
For example, the percentage of those with at least a high school diploma grew from 55 percent to 62 percent in Pico Rivera, from 79 to 81.4 percent in Whittier and from 81 percent to 86.5 percent in La Mirada.
mike.sprague@sgvn.com (562) 698-0955, Ext. 3022
By Mike Sprague, Staff Writer 12/20/2008
In 1980, La Mirada and Whittier and some of the surrounding unincorporated areas were mostly white communities.
But the last 27 years in the Whittier area has brought growing numbers of Latinos through migration and propogation.
These changes were dramatically illustrated in the newest 2007 U.S. Census data.
Latinos make up about 64 percent of Whittier in contrast to 23 percent in 1980; they are now equal to the number of whites in La Mirada; and make up 91 percent of the population in Pico Rivera.
Pete Lopez, past president of the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce, attributes these changes to people trying to improve themselves by moving into better areas.
"I used to live in East Los Angeles, but as you get more education and more affluent you go to the better areas," Lopez said. "For example, you might decide to go to La Mirada, which is one of the top cities."
People also are looking for better schools, Lopez said.
The demographic changes also have forced businesses and school to rethink their practices, he said.
"If you go into a business you want to see a Latino behind the counter," Lopez said. "If you go into a school, you want to see a Latino as principal."
And these things are happening, he said.
The new numbers reported by the Census Bureau for cities between 20,000 and 65,000 population are considered estimates and based on three years of data collected nationwide from about 250,000
Advertisement
addresses per month.
Whittier Councilman Owen Newcomer said the changes are just reflective of Southern California, which also is becoming more Latino.
Newcomer also agrees with Lopez, saying people want to move up economically and that means moving east.
"Whittier is about as far east in Los Angeles County as you can go," he said.
But these demographic changes are not bad, he said.
"Whatever your ethnicity, you still want a good school, you want a safe and pleasant neighborhood to live and you want to be able to get together with friends and go to a movie."
The new data also shows for some of the local communities that more people were born in the United States, are U.S. citizens and speak English "very well."
"That's good news," said Victor Ledesma, community liaison for the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce. "That's the way it should be. If people are going to be productive and do something to help the economy, they have to learn English."
Ledesma said he believes that the numbers of foreign-born and those without U.S. citizenship are shrinking because of a lack of available jobs.
Pico Rivera Councilman Ron Beilke, whose city shows gains in education, a reduction in foreign-born and an increase in those who can speak English, said he's not surprised by the numbers.
"I think what you're seeing is the stability of our community," Beilke said.
"In Pico Rivera, we have generations of families that have stayed in the community," he said. "That lessens the ability of others to come into our community."
Some were surprised by the numbers.
La Mirada Councilman Hal Malkin said he doesn't believe the percentage of Asians is shrinking from 15 percent to 12.9 percent, as shown by the newly released census data.
"I have a question because of the buildup we've had in Hawkes Point (a housing development to the east of Beach Boulevard) and the northern part of Hillsborough," Malkin said. "There's a huge Asian population there and, if anything, it's growing."
Malkin said he's not surprised or bothered by the increase in Latinos.
"That's to be expected," he said. "Diversity is something that we look for and are very proud of," he said.
Nearly all of the areas also showed significant increases in education of the population from 2000.
For example, the percentage of those with at least a high school diploma grew from 55 percent to 62 percent in Pico Rivera, from 79 to 81.4 percent in Whittier and from 81 percent to 86.5 percent in La Mirada.
mike.sprague@sgvn.com (562) 698-0955, Ext. 3022
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Hispanic surgeon chosen for Chancellor post
UT regents choose surgeon for chancellor post
By MELISSA LUDWIG San Antonio Express-news Dec. 18, 2008
Cigarroa, 51, who recently announced he would step down as president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in late 2009, is a Laredo native and transplant surgeon with an Ivy League pedigree.
University of Texas regents on Thursday unanimously named Francisco Cigarroa as sole finalist for chancellor, the top job leading a system of nine universities and six medical institutions.
Cigarroa, 51, who recently announced he would step down as president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in late 2009, is a Laredo native and transplant surgeon with an Ivy League pedigree.
Regents also interviewed John Montford, a senior executive at AT&T in San Antonio and former state senator.
Now that regents have named a finalist, they have to wait 21 days before making an official appointment.
"It was a very difficult decision for this board because we had two eminently qualified candidates," said Janiece Longoria, a regent from Houston. Regents took more than five hours to interview the two candidates. Montford and Cigarroa didn't attend the public portion of the regents meeting and weren't available for comment.
If named, Cigarroa will be the system's first Hispanic chancellor, a rising star plucked from the ranks of doctors to lead the health science center in 2000.
He will replace Mark Yudof, who left in June to lead the University of California system. Kenneth Shine is serving as interim chancellor. Shine makes about $700,000 a year. Regents did not publicly discuss what Cigarroa's salary would be.
The chancellor oversees a system with 194,000 students, 81,000 employees and a yearly budget of $11 billion. UT, which is one of the largest employers in the state, hands out 35 percent of the state's public university degrees and educates 74 percent of the state's health care professionals.
With Cigarroa at the helm, the health science center budget almost doubled from $351 million in 2000 to $668 million this year. Research ballooned from $84 million to $210 million, and campuses expanded to Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg.
Minority enrollment has also increased under Cigarroa's tenure, particularly among black, Asian and international students.
Some of the challenges Cigarroa will face as chancellor include a sinking economy, an $8.8 billion endowment that's down 23 percent for the year, and troubles at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, which was so damaged by Hurricane Ike that regents authorized laying off up to 3,800 employees.
Currently, the entire system is in a flexible hiring freeze, which means all job openings will receive extra scrutiny before being filled.
Cigarroa must also convince lawmakers to let public universities maintain power to raise tuition, and to tweak a top 10 percent rule that has flooded the flagship campus in Austin with students who are automatically admitted.
On the academic side, boosting graduation rates and pulling down more money for research are also key goals, said Shine, the interim chancellor.
"It is an exciting time for an individual to become chancellor of the UT System," Shine said early Thursday, before regents interviewed the candidates. "We are on a trajectory for growth and, indeed, greatness."
Shine said the new chancellor must be able to manage a group of institutions with different missions and communicate UT's vision on a global scale. Shine added that leading a health institution provided the kind of experience needed to run a system.
Cigarroa was educated at Yale, Harvard and Johns Hopkins, and came to the health science center in 1995, where he led a team that performed South Texas' first successful pediatric small bowel transplant. In 2006, Cigarroa was elected to the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
mludwig@express-news.net
By MELISSA LUDWIG San Antonio Express-news Dec. 18, 2008
Cigarroa, 51, who recently announced he would step down as president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in late 2009, is a Laredo native and transplant surgeon with an Ivy League pedigree.
University of Texas regents on Thursday unanimously named Francisco Cigarroa as sole finalist for chancellor, the top job leading a system of nine universities and six medical institutions.
Cigarroa, 51, who recently announced he would step down as president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in late 2009, is a Laredo native and transplant surgeon with an Ivy League pedigree.
Regents also interviewed John Montford, a senior executive at AT&T in San Antonio and former state senator.
Now that regents have named a finalist, they have to wait 21 days before making an official appointment.
"It was a very difficult decision for this board because we had two eminently qualified candidates," said Janiece Longoria, a regent from Houston. Regents took more than five hours to interview the two candidates. Montford and Cigarroa didn't attend the public portion of the regents meeting and weren't available for comment.
If named, Cigarroa will be the system's first Hispanic chancellor, a rising star plucked from the ranks of doctors to lead the health science center in 2000.
He will replace Mark Yudof, who left in June to lead the University of California system. Kenneth Shine is serving as interim chancellor. Shine makes about $700,000 a year. Regents did not publicly discuss what Cigarroa's salary would be.
The chancellor oversees a system with 194,000 students, 81,000 employees and a yearly budget of $11 billion. UT, which is one of the largest employers in the state, hands out 35 percent of the state's public university degrees and educates 74 percent of the state's health care professionals.
With Cigarroa at the helm, the health science center budget almost doubled from $351 million in 2000 to $668 million this year. Research ballooned from $84 million to $210 million, and campuses expanded to Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg.
Minority enrollment has also increased under Cigarroa's tenure, particularly among black, Asian and international students.
Some of the challenges Cigarroa will face as chancellor include a sinking economy, an $8.8 billion endowment that's down 23 percent for the year, and troubles at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, which was so damaged by Hurricane Ike that regents authorized laying off up to 3,800 employees.
Currently, the entire system is in a flexible hiring freeze, which means all job openings will receive extra scrutiny before being filled.
Cigarroa must also convince lawmakers to let public universities maintain power to raise tuition, and to tweak a top 10 percent rule that has flooded the flagship campus in Austin with students who are automatically admitted.
On the academic side, boosting graduation rates and pulling down more money for research are also key goals, said Shine, the interim chancellor.
"It is an exciting time for an individual to become chancellor of the UT System," Shine said early Thursday, before regents interviewed the candidates. "We are on a trajectory for growth and, indeed, greatness."
Shine said the new chancellor must be able to manage a group of institutions with different missions and communicate UT's vision on a global scale. Shine added that leading a health institution provided the kind of experience needed to run a system.
Cigarroa was educated at Yale, Harvard and Johns Hopkins, and came to the health science center in 1995, where he led a team that performed South Texas' first successful pediatric small bowel transplant. In 2006, Cigarroa was elected to the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
mludwig@express-news.net
Hispanic immigrant deportation up
Hispanic deportations up 46 percent
Chiply Paper December 19, 2008
The United States deported more than 154,000 Mexicans and Central Americans in the 2008 fiscal year, in a 46 percent rise on the previous year, an official statement said here Thursday.
More than 212,000 were deported altogether, with almost three quarters from Mexico and Central America, according to the statement released by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the border town of McAllen, Texas, according to the Associated Press.
Chiply Paper December 19, 2008
The United States deported more than 154,000 Mexicans and Central Americans in the 2008 fiscal year, in a 46 percent rise on the previous year, an official statement said here Thursday.
More than 212,000 were deported altogether, with almost three quarters from Mexico and Central America, according to the statement released by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the border town of McAllen, Texas, according to the Associated Press.
Hispanic may become Assistant Secretary for ICE
Hispanic retired federal supervisory criminal investigator candidate for the position of Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Narco News
Washington D.C. – Miguel Angel Contreras is proud to announce that he is a candidate for the position of Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The position of Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a sub-cabinet presidential appointment that requires U.S. Senate confirmation. In 2007, according to the ICE’s website, the Assistant Secretary directed “the largest investigative component of the Department of Homeland Security and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 16,000 employees, including 6,000 investigators, and an annual budget of more than $4 billion. ICE is comprised of four integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.” As of November 26, 2008, ICE had more than 17,200 employees, and an annual budget of nearly 5 billion. To learn more about ICE, please go to www.ice.gov.
Currently ICE is being led by Acting Assistant Secretary Mr. John P. Torres. Former Assistant Secretaries include Julie L. Myers and Michael J. Garcia.
Miguel Angel Contreras, age 53, was born near Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico and was immigrated into the USA in 1968 as a Lawful Alien Permanent Resident (I-151). He started working as a migrant field laborer at age 12 to support his single mother and two brothers until he was 18. Without a GED or High School diploma, he applied for admission at Arizona Western College and after taking a written examination he was accepted.
If appointed by President Barack Obama, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Contreras will work under Secretary Janet Napolitano and will work very closely and in full cooperation with other federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, different governmental agencies and any and all ethnic communities.
There will be several changes within ICE. I will list a few. All special agents in charge and foreign attachés will have their names listed in the ICE’s website with their contact information such as telephone number and Email address. ICE employees who retire will not be able to be rehired and keep receiving their retirement benefits plus their new salary. There will be no more “double dipping.” Employees will be asked to maintain their government-owned vehicles (GOV’s) in accordance with DHS and ICE policy and expect to drive the same GOV for at least five years. All direct hiring authority will be taken away from the SACs and moved back to ICE’s HQ. Discipline will be administered equitable and reports will be adjudicated at ICE’ Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) at HQ. All ICE HQ and field office will be undergoing internal management control reviews. All employees will be interviewed individually and in private by members of the review team. Employees will be encouraged to talk about “anything” without any fear of retaliation or reprisal.
If selected and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ICE’s Assistant Secretary, I expect to see some letters of resignation or notifications that certain managers and supervisors have decided to retire. I expect to change the ICE’s Leadership at HQ with new leaders. It is my ultimate goal to make ICE one of the best federal law enforcement to work for. As to the working environment, ICE will be free of any hostile working environment. The safety and security of any and all employees will be one of my top priorities. There will be no more cronyism, favoritism, nepotism; in short, there will be no more “good old boy system networks.” Employees will be encouraged to report any criminal and/or administrative misconduct against management or other employees without any fear of retaliation, reprisals, or harassment. Employees will not be required to go through channels when reporting misconduct. Any manager or supervisor found to be responsible for any administrative misconduct will be held accountable. Sexual harassment or any kind of harassment will not be tolerated. Awards will be given based on actual extra work done. A review of salaries of all ICE employees, to include GS-14 and above will be conducted to make sure employees are getting paid based on what they are actually doing. For example, a GS-1811-15 salary will not justify managing and supervising three or four employees, while a Senior Executive Series salary will not be justified when managing 50 employees, while a GS-1811-15 is managing 100 employees.
Narco News
Washington D.C. – Miguel Angel Contreras is proud to announce that he is a candidate for the position of Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The position of Assistant Secretary, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a sub-cabinet presidential appointment that requires U.S. Senate confirmation. In 2007, according to the ICE’s website, the Assistant Secretary directed “the largest investigative component of the Department of Homeland Security and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 16,000 employees, including 6,000 investigators, and an annual budget of more than $4 billion. ICE is comprised of four integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities.” As of November 26, 2008, ICE had more than 17,200 employees, and an annual budget of nearly 5 billion. To learn more about ICE, please go to www.ice.gov.
Currently ICE is being led by Acting Assistant Secretary Mr. John P. Torres. Former Assistant Secretaries include Julie L. Myers and Michael J. Garcia.
Miguel Angel Contreras, age 53, was born near Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico and was immigrated into the USA in 1968 as a Lawful Alien Permanent Resident (I-151). He started working as a migrant field laborer at age 12 to support his single mother and two brothers until he was 18. Without a GED or High School diploma, he applied for admission at Arizona Western College and after taking a written examination he was accepted.
If appointed by President Barack Obama, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Contreras will work under Secretary Janet Napolitano and will work very closely and in full cooperation with other federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, different governmental agencies and any and all ethnic communities.
There will be several changes within ICE. I will list a few. All special agents in charge and foreign attachés will have their names listed in the ICE’s website with their contact information such as telephone number and Email address. ICE employees who retire will not be able to be rehired and keep receiving their retirement benefits plus their new salary. There will be no more “double dipping.” Employees will be asked to maintain their government-owned vehicles (GOV’s) in accordance with DHS and ICE policy and expect to drive the same GOV for at least five years. All direct hiring authority will be taken away from the SACs and moved back to ICE’s HQ. Discipline will be administered equitable and reports will be adjudicated at ICE’ Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) at HQ. All ICE HQ and field office will be undergoing internal management control reviews. All employees will be interviewed individually and in private by members of the review team. Employees will be encouraged to talk about “anything” without any fear of retaliation or reprisal.
If selected and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as ICE’s Assistant Secretary, I expect to see some letters of resignation or notifications that certain managers and supervisors have decided to retire. I expect to change the ICE’s Leadership at HQ with new leaders. It is my ultimate goal to make ICE one of the best federal law enforcement to work for. As to the working environment, ICE will be free of any hostile working environment. The safety and security of any and all employees will be one of my top priorities. There will be no more cronyism, favoritism, nepotism; in short, there will be no more “good old boy system networks.” Employees will be encouraged to report any criminal and/or administrative misconduct against management or other employees without any fear of retaliation, reprisals, or harassment. Employees will not be required to go through channels when reporting misconduct. Any manager or supervisor found to be responsible for any administrative misconduct will be held accountable. Sexual harassment or any kind of harassment will not be tolerated. Awards will be given based on actual extra work done. A review of salaries of all ICE employees, to include GS-14 and above will be conducted to make sure employees are getting paid based on what they are actually doing. For example, a GS-1811-15 salary will not justify managing and supervising three or four employees, while a Senior Executive Series salary will not be justified when managing 50 employees, while a GS-1811-15 is managing 100 employees.
Latinos being affected by state budget crisis
State Budget Crisis Proves Painful to Latinos
By Vince Vasquez
New number crunching from state finance officials has revealed that California now faces a staggering $41.8 billion shortfall across this year and next year’s General Fund budget. Exactly how Sacramento lawmakers will close this massive gap is unclear, but a key opinion survey and new developments in the state capitol reveal that Latino residents should play closer attention to how the budget crisis will affect their families in the coming months.
According to results from a new statewide poll commissioned by the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, only 42% of Latinos are either “somewhat familiar” or “very familiar” with the budget deficit. This number contrasts sharply with the familiarity of Caucasians (73%), and Californians generally (64%). The reasons for this information gap are likely to be demographic – the state Latino population is younger, less likely to be registered to vote than the average Californian, and less likely to be following the traditional news cycle. The preferred news sources of Hispanics may also have an impact, as they don’t overlap entirely with most state residents. A 2004 survey from the Pew Hispanic Center found that 24% of Latinos nationwide receive all their news from Spanish-language media, and 44% prefer a mix of Spanish and English language sources. Thus, the mainstream media drum beat on the state budget crisis, which has raged for months, has reached relatively few Latino households, which has profound consequences for the community most at risk of extreme budget-balancing acts.
Earlier this week, the Republican Caucus proposed more than $15 billion in cuts to core government services, including $10.6 billion to K-12 public schools and community colleges, more than half a billion dollars in Medi-Cal cuts, and the elimination of $5 million in state grants to teach school children about the life of Cesar Chavez. Democrats have been critical of these cuts, saying they will hurt working families and those in need, but their plan will also have negative impacts on Californians. The Democrats have presented a budget package with cuts that total less than half the size of Republicans, which range from $4 billion in cuts for K-12 education, $312 million for transportation projects, and $750 million for local public safety programs. While Republican lawmakers adamantly refuse to raise taxes to fix the budget mess, particularly during this historic economic downturn, Democrat leaders are pushing a complex revenue plan that will raise more than $9 billion in state revenues by increasing the rates of income taxes and sales taxes, as well as creating a new oil tax, which is likely to be shifted to consumers at the gasoline pump. Both the Democrat and Republican plans make painful choices and will impact the lives of everyday Californians, but Latinos have strong opinions on their solutions.
Latinos have much at stake in budget deliberations – 47% of all students in the K-12 system and approximately half of Medi-Cal program recipients are of Hispanic background. Not surprisingly, opposition to health care and education cuts is high. 90% of Latino respondents in the opinion poll rejected cuts to education spending, 84% opposed higher education cutbacks, and 84% stood firm against cuts in health and human services. In fact, Latinos are more opposed to cuts in these programs than Caucasians and Californians generally. Opinions on tax hikes are however mixed. Latinos widely support raising taxes on households that make more than $250,000 every year (60% support) and taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products (86% support), but they reject tax increases that impact broader society, such as sales tax hikes (70% opposed) and car registration fees (71% opposed).
What’s most frustrating for policy makers is that greater public awareness to the budget crisis appears to not create demand for a bipartisan consensus, as Democrats and Republicans who were surveyed and are well informed on the budget mess did not support reaching across the aisle for a solution. GOPers opposed solving the problem by raising taxes, and Democrats opposed broad-based budget cuts, reflecting the current partisan gridlock in Sacramento. Latino residents stand more squarely in the Democratic column throughout this crisis in terms of budget priorities, but the 3⁄4% sales tax increase and 2.5% income tax increase the Democrat lawmakers are proposing may sour deeper support.
No matter how the state budget is balanced for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010, lawmakers need to seek bipartisan structural reforms that will prevent multi-billion dollar gaps in the future. Proposals for new spending caps and tough budget transparency measures can help significantly reduce overspending, and fair changes to pension benefits for future state government employees must also be considered. Budget cuts must be human and responsible, and reflect the realities of the diverse needs of our California community. If residents are to retain their quality of life, it’s clear that Democrat and Republican politicians must emerge from their partisan trenches and build the consensus we ourselves lack.
Vince Vasquez is the senior policy analyst at the San Diego Institute for Policy Research.
By Vince Vasquez
New number crunching from state finance officials has revealed that California now faces a staggering $41.8 billion shortfall across this year and next year’s General Fund budget. Exactly how Sacramento lawmakers will close this massive gap is unclear, but a key opinion survey and new developments in the state capitol reveal that Latino residents should play closer attention to how the budget crisis will affect their families in the coming months.
According to results from a new statewide poll commissioned by the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, only 42% of Latinos are either “somewhat familiar” or “very familiar” with the budget deficit. This number contrasts sharply with the familiarity of Caucasians (73%), and Californians generally (64%). The reasons for this information gap are likely to be demographic – the state Latino population is younger, less likely to be registered to vote than the average Californian, and less likely to be following the traditional news cycle. The preferred news sources of Hispanics may also have an impact, as they don’t overlap entirely with most state residents. A 2004 survey from the Pew Hispanic Center found that 24% of Latinos nationwide receive all their news from Spanish-language media, and 44% prefer a mix of Spanish and English language sources. Thus, the mainstream media drum beat on the state budget crisis, which has raged for months, has reached relatively few Latino households, which has profound consequences for the community most at risk of extreme budget-balancing acts.
Earlier this week, the Republican Caucus proposed more than $15 billion in cuts to core government services, including $10.6 billion to K-12 public schools and community colleges, more than half a billion dollars in Medi-Cal cuts, and the elimination of $5 million in state grants to teach school children about the life of Cesar Chavez. Democrats have been critical of these cuts, saying they will hurt working families and those in need, but their plan will also have negative impacts on Californians. The Democrats have presented a budget package with cuts that total less than half the size of Republicans, which range from $4 billion in cuts for K-12 education, $312 million for transportation projects, and $750 million for local public safety programs. While Republican lawmakers adamantly refuse to raise taxes to fix the budget mess, particularly during this historic economic downturn, Democrat leaders are pushing a complex revenue plan that will raise more than $9 billion in state revenues by increasing the rates of income taxes and sales taxes, as well as creating a new oil tax, which is likely to be shifted to consumers at the gasoline pump. Both the Democrat and Republican plans make painful choices and will impact the lives of everyday Californians, but Latinos have strong opinions on their solutions.
Latinos have much at stake in budget deliberations – 47% of all students in the K-12 system and approximately half of Medi-Cal program recipients are of Hispanic background. Not surprisingly, opposition to health care and education cuts is high. 90% of Latino respondents in the opinion poll rejected cuts to education spending, 84% opposed higher education cutbacks, and 84% stood firm against cuts in health and human services. In fact, Latinos are more opposed to cuts in these programs than Caucasians and Californians generally. Opinions on tax hikes are however mixed. Latinos widely support raising taxes on households that make more than $250,000 every year (60% support) and taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products (86% support), but they reject tax increases that impact broader society, such as sales tax hikes (70% opposed) and car registration fees (71% opposed).
What’s most frustrating for policy makers is that greater public awareness to the budget crisis appears to not create demand for a bipartisan consensus, as Democrats and Republicans who were surveyed and are well informed on the budget mess did not support reaching across the aisle for a solution. GOPers opposed solving the problem by raising taxes, and Democrats opposed broad-based budget cuts, reflecting the current partisan gridlock in Sacramento. Latino residents stand more squarely in the Democratic column throughout this crisis in terms of budget priorities, but the 3⁄4% sales tax increase and 2.5% income tax increase the Democrat lawmakers are proposing may sour deeper support.
No matter how the state budget is balanced for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010, lawmakers need to seek bipartisan structural reforms that will prevent multi-billion dollar gaps in the future. Proposals for new spending caps and tough budget transparency measures can help significantly reduce overspending, and fair changes to pension benefits for future state government employees must also be considered. Budget cuts must be human and responsible, and reflect the realities of the diverse needs of our California community. If residents are to retain their quality of life, it’s clear that Democrat and Republican politicians must emerge from their partisan trenches and build the consensus we ourselves lack.
Vince Vasquez is the senior policy analyst at the San Diego Institute for Policy Research.
Hispanic groups anticipate immigration overhaul
Immigration-overhaul supporters hope their hour has come
With Obama in office, a sympathetic Cabinet and more Democrats in Congress, supporters hope to revive a reform package next year. But the economic downturn sparks worry about protecting U.S. workers.
By Teresa Watanabe December 19, 2008
Immigrant advocates said Thursday that long-stalled efforts to legalize millions of illegal migrants, crack down on employers who hire them and win more family visas would be revived next year and could possibly succeed in early 2010 following sizable Democratic gains powered by record turnouts of Latino voters in the November election.
Frank Sharry of America's Voice, a Washington-based immigrant advocacy organization, said that Democrats who favored a comprehensive reform approach beat Republicans advocating only border control and other enforcement measures in 20 of 22 congressional races in such battleground states as Colorado and New Mexico. Those results were in part driven by Latino voters, who doubled their turnout over 2000, supported President-elect Barack Obama over Republican nominee John McCain 67% to 31% and helped Democrats win, in addition to Colorado and New Mexico, other swing states such as Florida and Nevada, Sharry said.
"This is a defining issue among the fastest growing group of new voters in the country," Sharry said of Latino support for immigration reform. "This is a huge priority."
In a national teleconference Thursday, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.), said Obama had asked him to relay that he remains committed to a comprehensive solution to repair the nation's immigration system. Advocates said Obama's Cabinet appointments were a promising sign that he was assembling a strong team to deliver on reform promises, including New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as secretary of Commerce, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of Homeland Security and, announced Thursday, Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte) as secretary of Labor.
All three are strong supporters of comprehensive reform, including a path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.
"It's another indication that immigration reform is going to be a high priority for the incoming administration," said David Mermin, a pollster with Lake Research Partners. Mermin said that the majority of Americans he surveyed for America's Voice support a comprehensive solution that would secure the borders, crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, and offer legalization to undocumented migrants who pay fines, learn English and meet other requirements.
But Ira Melman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington-based restrictionist organization, said its own polling by Zogby International showed that the majority of Americans are concerned that legalizing immigrants during the economic downturn would hurt U.S. workers.
"It's going to be very, very difficult to sell this to the American people when the economy is generally in a state of collapse," Melman said.
Sharry said the recession would probably affect the outlines of a reform package. To protect American workers, Sharry said, the package might not include an increase in temporary visas for either skilled or unskilled foreign workers, for which business has long lobbied. An exception would be made for temporary farm workers, he said.
Sharry also said the reform package would probably include greater emphasis on aggressive labor enforcement to target employers who simultaneously violate immigration and labor laws by hiring illegal workers into jobs with poor wages and working conditions.
In Los Angeles, immigrant advocates said they plan to launch an appeal to Obama to stop immigration raids on homes and work sites.
In the Chicago area, Gutierrez said, Roman Catholic and evangelical churches have begun mobilizing thousands of citizens to support immigration reform by publicizing the hardship they face waiting for loved ones to receive entry visas.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles said advocates are excited at the prospect of finally bringing to fruition efforts that began with massive marches and have led to a new Congress and White House administration seemingly poised to pass immigration reform.
"We feel very confident that the strong showing of Latino voters in November will show [people] that we are serious about getting involved in the civic process," he said.
teresa.watanabe@latimes.com
With Obama in office, a sympathetic Cabinet and more Democrats in Congress, supporters hope to revive a reform package next year. But the economic downturn sparks worry about protecting U.S. workers.
By Teresa Watanabe December 19, 2008
Immigrant advocates said Thursday that long-stalled efforts to legalize millions of illegal migrants, crack down on employers who hire them and win more family visas would be revived next year and could possibly succeed in early 2010 following sizable Democratic gains powered by record turnouts of Latino voters in the November election.
Frank Sharry of America's Voice, a Washington-based immigrant advocacy organization, said that Democrats who favored a comprehensive reform approach beat Republicans advocating only border control and other enforcement measures in 20 of 22 congressional races in such battleground states as Colorado and New Mexico. Those results were in part driven by Latino voters, who doubled their turnout over 2000, supported President-elect Barack Obama over Republican nominee John McCain 67% to 31% and helped Democrats win, in addition to Colorado and New Mexico, other swing states such as Florida and Nevada, Sharry said.
"This is a defining issue among the fastest growing group of new voters in the country," Sharry said of Latino support for immigration reform. "This is a huge priority."
In a national teleconference Thursday, Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.), said Obama had asked him to relay that he remains committed to a comprehensive solution to repair the nation's immigration system. Advocates said Obama's Cabinet appointments were a promising sign that he was assembling a strong team to deliver on reform promises, including New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as secretary of Commerce, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as secretary of Homeland Security and, announced Thursday, Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-El Monte) as secretary of Labor.
All three are strong supporters of comprehensive reform, including a path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.
"It's another indication that immigration reform is going to be a high priority for the incoming administration," said David Mermin, a pollster with Lake Research Partners. Mermin said that the majority of Americans he surveyed for America's Voice support a comprehensive solution that would secure the borders, crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants, and offer legalization to undocumented migrants who pay fines, learn English and meet other requirements.
But Ira Melman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington-based restrictionist organization, said its own polling by Zogby International showed that the majority of Americans are concerned that legalizing immigrants during the economic downturn would hurt U.S. workers.
"It's going to be very, very difficult to sell this to the American people when the economy is generally in a state of collapse," Melman said.
Sharry said the recession would probably affect the outlines of a reform package. To protect American workers, Sharry said, the package might not include an increase in temporary visas for either skilled or unskilled foreign workers, for which business has long lobbied. An exception would be made for temporary farm workers, he said.
Sharry also said the reform package would probably include greater emphasis on aggressive labor enforcement to target employers who simultaneously violate immigration and labor laws by hiring illegal workers into jobs with poor wages and working conditions.
In Los Angeles, immigrant advocates said they plan to launch an appeal to Obama to stop immigration raids on homes and work sites.
In the Chicago area, Gutierrez said, Roman Catholic and evangelical churches have begun mobilizing thousands of citizens to support immigration reform by publicizing the hardship they face waiting for loved ones to receive entry visas.
Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles said advocates are excited at the prospect of finally bringing to fruition efforts that began with massive marches and have led to a new Congress and White House administration seemingly poised to pass immigration reform.
"We feel very confident that the strong showing of Latino voters in November will show [people] that we are serious about getting involved in the civic process," he said.
teresa.watanabe@latimes.com
Latina legislator's appointment applauded by Hispanic Congressional leaders
Solis named to lead Labor
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC (CapitalWirePR) December 19 - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) applauded President-elect Obama’s nomination of Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis for Secretary of Labor. Today’s nomination completed the President-elect’s Cabinet, creating an extraordinarily diverse, representative, and qualified Administration. Of particular significance to the over 45 million Latinos in the United States, this cabinet will include 3 outstanding Hispanic leaders from our community along with many allies.
For Congresswoman Solis, this nomination is recognition of her leadership on the issues related to labor, healthcare, and the environment. A recent achievement of hers came just one year ago today when her legislation, The Green Jobs Act of 2007, was included in H.R. 6. Through the investment in renewable energy outlined in her legislation, 3 million new jobs will be created over the next decade and $125 million will be invested in work force training targeted to veterans, displaced workers, at risk youth, and individuals under 200 percent of the federal poverty line.
As a California State Senator, she was on the frontlines in the fight to secure a living wage, raising the state’s minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75. She was trailblazer in the area of environmental justice, redefining the way low income and minority communities were assessed as potential locations for waste disposal and other polluting facilities. She authored legislation that sought to protect and improve working conditions and rights for farm workers, garment workers, the construction industry, janitors, state and local employees, and many others.
"The CHC is losing one of the hardest working Members in Congress,” said Congressman Joe Baca (CA-43), Chair of the CHC. “As a champion of healthcare, environmental issues, and workers rights, there is no better person than Congresswoman Solis to lead our Labor Department. I look forward to working with the Labor Secretary-designate in ensuring fair and just labor standards for our nation.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA-08) affirmed, “I applaud President-elect Obama’s selection of my colleague and friend Congresswoman Hilda Solis to serve as America’s next Labor Secretary. Congresswoman Solis has been a tireless advocate on behalf of Hispanic and all working families and will make an excellent Secretary of Labor. While we are all thrilled about her nomination, her leadership on health and environmental issues and her voice in the Hispanic Caucus will be missed in Congress.”
“With today’s announcement, Hilda Solis makes history as the first Latina appointed Secretary of Labor. From her upbringing as the child of immigrant laborers to her leadership in Congress, she has a lifelong commitment to supporting our nation’s working families,” CHC Chair-elect Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-12) said. “President-elect Obama continues to select a highly-qualified Cabinet with diverse experiences and backgrounds. The growing strength of the Latino community will be well represented in the next Administration with Hispanic leaders guiding the Commerce, Interior and Labor Departments.”
Congressman Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), 1st Vice Chair of the CHC stated, “Congresswoman Solis is an outstanding choice for Secretary of Labor. She brings an understanding of working families and a progressive outlook to their needs.”
“Congresswoman Solis is yet another exceptional addition to the President-elect’s cabinet,” said Congressman Charles A. Gonzalez (TX-20), 1st Vice Chair-elect of the CHC. “Her commitment to workers’ rights is unparalleled but does not come at the expense of business and industry, and her ability to strike that balance is crucial during these challenging economic times. Her lifelong experience in public service is a tremendous asset, and she will serve our country well as Labor Secretary.”
"Our President-elect could not be doing better at the outset of his incumbency. In designating Hilda Solis, Barack Obama shows, once again, that he knows how to recognize and motivate the best talent that our nation can offer,” added Congressman-elect Pedro Pierluisi (PR). “This is a bright day for all Latinos in America.”
“I congratulate my colleague and dear friend, Congresswoman Hilda Solis for this very deserving appointment,” tated Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (IL-04). “In selecting Hilda, President-elect Obama has chosen wisely someone whose entire life has been dedicated to waging and winning battles in defense of children, women, union members and the environment. I know that she will carry on this commitment in her new duties as Secretary of Labor, where she will likely make history with her strong defense and commitment to workers’ rights everywhere.
“I applaud President-elect Obama for appointing such an outstanding public servant to lead the Department of Labor. Congresswoman Hilda Solis is a vigorous advocate of low- and middle-income families and has a deep understanding of the hardships currently confronting many of America’s workers. I look forward to working with her in her new role as the Congress and the new administration work together to move our economy forward,” Congressman Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) stated.
“The nomination of Congresswoman Hilda Solis is wonderful news for our Hispanic community and nation as whole,” said Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15). “It has been a great privilege to work with Congresswoman Solis for the past eight years and witness her passion for bringing about much-needed change to our workforce investment and job training programs. I look forward to working with her as she continues to advocate for America’s working families.”
Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) added, ““In today’s economic crisis, it’s more important than ever that American workers have a wise and dedicated voice at the Department of Labor. In Hilda Solis, they have found that voice. Representative Solis has impressed her colleagues in Congress as a gifted woman and a devoted representative, and I have every confidence that she will bring that strength and intelligence to her new role in the administration.”
“I commend the President-Elect for his excellent nomination of my friend and colleague Hilda Solis to be the next Secretary of Labor. Secretary Solis will be an outstanding advocate for working men and women, and all America’s families impacted by our current economic turmoil,” added Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34).
Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz (TX-27), the Dean of the CHC, stated, "I commend President-elect Obama for selecting Congresswoman Solis to be the new Secretary of Labor. She has a strong record of advocating for the health, safety, and well being of working people. In the wake of rising unemployment figures, Congresswoman Solis will no doubt promote job development and training for all Americans."
"Congresswoman Solis is an excellent choice for Secretary of Labor. She will continue to be a strong advocate for working families and improve the economic health of our country,” stated Congressman-elect Ben Ray Luján (NM-03). “I look forward to working with Congresswoman Solis in her new role as Secretary of Labor."
Congresswoman Solis has chaired the CHC’s Health and the Environment Task during the 110th Congress, and was elected as the CHC’s 2nd Vice Chair for the 111th.
About CHC
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Hispanic descent. Since 1976 the CHC has been addressing the needs of the Hispanic community in all areas of American life. For more information on the CHC, call (202) 225-2410. www.house.gov/baca/chc.
PRESS RELEASE
Washington, DC (CapitalWirePR) December 19 - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) applauded President-elect Obama’s nomination of Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis for Secretary of Labor. Today’s nomination completed the President-elect’s Cabinet, creating an extraordinarily diverse, representative, and qualified Administration. Of particular significance to the over 45 million Latinos in the United States, this cabinet will include 3 outstanding Hispanic leaders from our community along with many allies.
For Congresswoman Solis, this nomination is recognition of her leadership on the issues related to labor, healthcare, and the environment. A recent achievement of hers came just one year ago today when her legislation, The Green Jobs Act of 2007, was included in H.R. 6. Through the investment in renewable energy outlined in her legislation, 3 million new jobs will be created over the next decade and $125 million will be invested in work force training targeted to veterans, displaced workers, at risk youth, and individuals under 200 percent of the federal poverty line.
As a California State Senator, she was on the frontlines in the fight to secure a living wage, raising the state’s minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75. She was trailblazer in the area of environmental justice, redefining the way low income and minority communities were assessed as potential locations for waste disposal and other polluting facilities. She authored legislation that sought to protect and improve working conditions and rights for farm workers, garment workers, the construction industry, janitors, state and local employees, and many others.
"The CHC is losing one of the hardest working Members in Congress,” said Congressman Joe Baca (CA-43), Chair of the CHC. “As a champion of healthcare, environmental issues, and workers rights, there is no better person than Congresswoman Solis to lead our Labor Department. I look forward to working with the Labor Secretary-designate in ensuring fair and just labor standards for our nation.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA-08) affirmed, “I applaud President-elect Obama’s selection of my colleague and friend Congresswoman Hilda Solis to serve as America’s next Labor Secretary. Congresswoman Solis has been a tireless advocate on behalf of Hispanic and all working families and will make an excellent Secretary of Labor. While we are all thrilled about her nomination, her leadership on health and environmental issues and her voice in the Hispanic Caucus will be missed in Congress.”
“With today’s announcement, Hilda Solis makes history as the first Latina appointed Secretary of Labor. From her upbringing as the child of immigrant laborers to her leadership in Congress, she has a lifelong commitment to supporting our nation’s working families,” CHC Chair-elect Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-12) said. “President-elect Obama continues to select a highly-qualified Cabinet with diverse experiences and backgrounds. The growing strength of the Latino community will be well represented in the next Administration with Hispanic leaders guiding the Commerce, Interior and Labor Departments.”
Congressman Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), 1st Vice Chair of the CHC stated, “Congresswoman Solis is an outstanding choice for Secretary of Labor. She brings an understanding of working families and a progressive outlook to their needs.”
“Congresswoman Solis is yet another exceptional addition to the President-elect’s cabinet,” said Congressman Charles A. Gonzalez (TX-20), 1st Vice Chair-elect of the CHC. “Her commitment to workers’ rights is unparalleled but does not come at the expense of business and industry, and her ability to strike that balance is crucial during these challenging economic times. Her lifelong experience in public service is a tremendous asset, and she will serve our country well as Labor Secretary.”
"Our President-elect could not be doing better at the outset of his incumbency. In designating Hilda Solis, Barack Obama shows, once again, that he knows how to recognize and motivate the best talent that our nation can offer,” added Congressman-elect Pedro Pierluisi (PR). “This is a bright day for all Latinos in America.”
“I congratulate my colleague and dear friend, Congresswoman Hilda Solis for this very deserving appointment,” tated Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez (IL-04). “In selecting Hilda, President-elect Obama has chosen wisely someone whose entire life has been dedicated to waging and winning battles in defense of children, women, union members and the environment. I know that she will carry on this commitment in her new duties as Secretary of Labor, where she will likely make history with her strong defense and commitment to workers’ rights everywhere.
“I applaud President-elect Obama for appointing such an outstanding public servant to lead the Department of Labor. Congresswoman Hilda Solis is a vigorous advocate of low- and middle-income families and has a deep understanding of the hardships currently confronting many of America’s workers. I look forward to working with her in her new role as the Congress and the new administration work together to move our economy forward,” Congressman Silvestre Reyes (TX-16) stated.
“The nomination of Congresswoman Hilda Solis is wonderful news for our Hispanic community and nation as whole,” said Congressman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15). “It has been a great privilege to work with Congresswoman Solis for the past eight years and witness her passion for bringing about much-needed change to our workforce investment and job training programs. I look forward to working with her as she continues to advocate for America’s working families.”
Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) added, ““In today’s economic crisis, it’s more important than ever that American workers have a wise and dedicated voice at the Department of Labor. In Hilda Solis, they have found that voice. Representative Solis has impressed her colleagues in Congress as a gifted woman and a devoted representative, and I have every confidence that she will bring that strength and intelligence to her new role in the administration.”
“I commend the President-Elect for his excellent nomination of my friend and colleague Hilda Solis to be the next Secretary of Labor. Secretary Solis will be an outstanding advocate for working men and women, and all America’s families impacted by our current economic turmoil,” added Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34).
Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz (TX-27), the Dean of the CHC, stated, "I commend President-elect Obama for selecting Congresswoman Solis to be the new Secretary of Labor. She has a strong record of advocating for the health, safety, and well being of working people. In the wake of rising unemployment figures, Congresswoman Solis will no doubt promote job development and training for all Americans."
"Congresswoman Solis is an excellent choice for Secretary of Labor. She will continue to be a strong advocate for working families and improve the economic health of our country,” stated Congressman-elect Ben Ray Luján (NM-03). “I look forward to working with Congresswoman Solis in her new role as Secretary of Labor."
Congresswoman Solis has chaired the CHC’s Health and the Environment Task during the 110th Congress, and was elected as the CHC’s 2nd Vice Chair for the 111th.
About CHC
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Hispanic descent. Since 1976 the CHC has been addressing the needs of the Hispanic community in all areas of American life. For more information on the CHC, call (202) 225-2410. www.house.gov/baca/chc.
Friday, December 19, 2008
First Hispanic Chief to run Texas Rangers
Leal becomes first Hispanic ranger chief
Associated Press - December 18, 2008
AUSTIN (AP) - The new chief of the crime-fighting Texas Rangers is the first Hispanic and the youngest person to lead the elite force.
"Tony" Leal (LEE'-al) is a 24-year veteran of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Interim DPS director Stanley Clark says the 44-year-old Leal has the experience and leadership skills needed to guide the Texas Rangers in the coming years.
Leal's appointment was effective Dec. 10.
Leal was born in Sugar Land and raised in the Fort Bend County area.
He started as a trooper in Stafford and Rosenberg then moved to San Antonio as a highway patrol sergeant. He was promoted to the Rangers in 1994.
His assignments with the Rangers have included Liberty, Seguin (suh-GEEN') and San Antonio.
He was promoted to lieutenant in 2002 and was stationed in Austin.
Leal in 2005 became captain of Company A in Houston, overseeing 20 Rangers responsible for 30 counties.
Associated Press - December 18, 2008
AUSTIN (AP) - The new chief of the crime-fighting Texas Rangers is the first Hispanic and the youngest person to lead the elite force.
"Tony" Leal (LEE'-al) is a 24-year veteran of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Interim DPS director Stanley Clark says the 44-year-old Leal has the experience and leadership skills needed to guide the Texas Rangers in the coming years.
Leal's appointment was effective Dec. 10.
Leal was born in Sugar Land and raised in the Fort Bend County area.
He started as a trooper in Stafford and Rosenberg then moved to San Antonio as a highway patrol sergeant. He was promoted to the Rangers in 1994.
His assignments with the Rangers have included Liberty, Seguin (suh-GEEN') and San Antonio.
He was promoted to lieutenant in 2002 and was stationed in Austin.
Leal in 2005 became captain of Company A in Houston, overseeing 20 Rangers responsible for 30 counties.
Hispanic students may be held back one year
1 in 7 8th graders fail TAKS
Associated Press 12/18/2008
Fourteen percent of eighth-graders failed to pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills after three tries this year, requiring them to be held back unless their parents obtain a waiver to promote them this fall.
In the first year that eighth-graders were required to pass the reading and math sections of the TAKS before being promoted, 14 percent of students failed in math and 5 percent failed the reading portion of the exam, according to a report from the Texas Education Agency.
That means more than 43,000 eighth-grader are in danger of missing the first year of high school this fall under a state law aimed at curbing social promotion — the practice of automatically passing students regardless of achievement.
Many of those students were expected to be promoted anyway under a waiver provision that allows them to move on to the next grade if their teacher, parents and principal agree.
In the two other grades affected by the state's promotion standards, 5 percent of third-graders and 8 percent of fifth-graders did not pass the TAKS after three testing dates, subjecting those students to retention unless their parents got waivers.
Stakes on the TAKS are highest for third-, fifth- and eighth-graders, and for high school seniors, who must pass to be awarded a diploma.
"Eighth-graders did well considering it was the first time that we have had high-stakes testing in that grade," said Debbie Ratcliffe of the education agency. "There is concern about the large number of students who didn't pass, but hopefully they have taken advantage of the tutoring that is being offered in math and reading in their schools."
By ethnic group, the passing rates in math for eighth-graders were 76 percent for black students, 83 percent for Hispanics and 93 percent for whites. The passing rate for economically disadvantaged students was 80 percent.
In reading, passing rates were 93 percent or higher for all ethnic groups.
Associated Press 12/18/2008
Fourteen percent of eighth-graders failed to pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills after three tries this year, requiring them to be held back unless their parents obtain a waiver to promote them this fall.
In the first year that eighth-graders were required to pass the reading and math sections of the TAKS before being promoted, 14 percent of students failed in math and 5 percent failed the reading portion of the exam, according to a report from the Texas Education Agency.
That means more than 43,000 eighth-grader are in danger of missing the first year of high school this fall under a state law aimed at curbing social promotion — the practice of automatically passing students regardless of achievement.
Many of those students were expected to be promoted anyway under a waiver provision that allows them to move on to the next grade if their teacher, parents and principal agree.
In the two other grades affected by the state's promotion standards, 5 percent of third-graders and 8 percent of fifth-graders did not pass the TAKS after three testing dates, subjecting those students to retention unless their parents got waivers.
Stakes on the TAKS are highest for third-, fifth- and eighth-graders, and for high school seniors, who must pass to be awarded a diploma.
"Eighth-graders did well considering it was the first time that we have had high-stakes testing in that grade," said Debbie Ratcliffe of the education agency. "There is concern about the large number of students who didn't pass, but hopefully they have taken advantage of the tutoring that is being offered in math and reading in their schools."
By ethnic group, the passing rates in math for eighth-graders were 76 percent for black students, 83 percent for Hispanics and 93 percent for whites. The passing rate for economically disadvantaged students was 80 percent.
In reading, passing rates were 93 percent or higher for all ethnic groups.
Latinos urged to apply for school board
Joliet Latinos urged to apply for seats on District 86 school board
Community activists seeking to increase Latino influence on public bodies
By Alicia Fabbre | Special to the Tribune December 18, 2008
Community activists are working toward seating a Latino for the first time in years on the board of the sprawling Joliet Public School District 86.
The group—La Voz de Justicia y Progreso, which is Spanish for the Voice of Justice and Progress—is setting its sights on two vacant board seats representing the city's heavily Latino east side. The grade-school district covers almost all of Joliet.
"We're working to spread the word and get some Latinos to apply," said Ashley Moy Wooten, coordinator for the group.
Some Latinos have taken an interest, including former Joliet City Council member Alex Ledesma and Monica Vasquez, who works at the Spanish Community Center on the city's east side, she said.
"I think it's time that our families are represented," said Vasquez, who serves as the assistant executive director and an Immigration counselor at the center.
Supt. Phyllis Wilson said the board is expected to review applications and interview candidates for the two vacancies in January. Elections will be held when one of the terms expires in April and the other in 2011.
The school board has not received complaints from Latino parents about representation on the board, Wilson said, but having Latino members would help to better represent the district's population.
The Voice of Justice group is urging people to seek election to the board, but it will not endorse candidates in April when the seat from the east side and two seats representing the west side are up for election, Wooten said. It also plans to look at ways to boost representation of the area's growing Latino population in other school districts and the City Council.
"Every official board should have a Latino on it or on its committees," Vasquez said. "I think there are individuals out there who are interested."
Those interested in applying for the school board vacancy or in running for the board should contact the District 86 administrative office at 815-740-3196 by Friday.
Community activists seeking to increase Latino influence on public bodies
By Alicia Fabbre | Special to the Tribune December 18, 2008
Community activists are working toward seating a Latino for the first time in years on the board of the sprawling Joliet Public School District 86.
The group—La Voz de Justicia y Progreso, which is Spanish for the Voice of Justice and Progress—is setting its sights on two vacant board seats representing the city's heavily Latino east side. The grade-school district covers almost all of Joliet.
"We're working to spread the word and get some Latinos to apply," said Ashley Moy Wooten, coordinator for the group.
Some Latinos have taken an interest, including former Joliet City Council member Alex Ledesma and Monica Vasquez, who works at the Spanish Community Center on the city's east side, she said.
"I think it's time that our families are represented," said Vasquez, who serves as the assistant executive director and an Immigration counselor at the center.
Supt. Phyllis Wilson said the board is expected to review applications and interview candidates for the two vacancies in January. Elections will be held when one of the terms expires in April and the other in 2011.
The school board has not received complaints from Latino parents about representation on the board, Wilson said, but having Latino members would help to better represent the district's population.
The Voice of Justice group is urging people to seek election to the board, but it will not endorse candidates in April when the seat from the east side and two seats representing the west side are up for election, Wooten said. It also plans to look at ways to boost representation of the area's growing Latino population in other school districts and the City Council.
"Every official board should have a Latino on it or on its committees," Vasquez said. "I think there are individuals out there who are interested."
Those interested in applying for the school board vacancy or in running for the board should contact the District 86 administrative office at 815-740-3196 by Friday.
Latina selected to manage post office in Bradley Beach
Do You Know? Helen Sarmiento
By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
The Bradley Beach Postmaster wants her post office to be a place where people feel welcome.
“Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m always here to help,” said , who took over as supervisor in charge in August.
Sarmiento is not only the first woman to hold the position in Bradley Beach, she is the first Hispanic.
First woman and Hispanic to be in charge of the Bradley Beach Post Office.
Postal Employee for 20 years.
Puts customer service at the top of her list of priorities.
She was born in Manhattan to Cuban parents and grew up in a Spanish speaking household. She said being bi-lingual helps her with the borough’s significant Hispanic population.
“Diversity is so important to the post office,” she said.
Sarmiento started her career in the post office over 20 years ago and has steadily worked her way up through the ranks.
Before coming to Bradley Beach she worked for 16 years in the Elizabeth Post Office. She was transferred to other offices as she was promoted. She was attending Rutgers University when she first started working part-time as a temporary casual clerk.
After leaving college she went to work for a computer terminal company before getting married and moving to Howell, where she lived for 10 years.
When her son was six months old she returned to work at the post office as a letter carrier, a position she held for about a year and a half.
From there she worked her way up.
“The post office has a lot to offer, there is room for upward mobility and advancement. They give you the tools,” she said.
Sarmiento said the benefits the post office has to offer lead many people to longtime careers.
“Once you’re in, there aren’t that many people that leave,” she said.
Sarmiento takes a pro-active role in her position reaching out to business owners in the community making sure their needs are being met.
“I like to be involved in the community,” she said.
Sarmiento did not know very much about Bradley Beach before she began working there.
“I came to the beach, it’s a very nice town, but then I was walking down the street and I saw the Spanish restaurants and bakeries,” she said.
That not only made Sarmiento feel more at home it gave her another way to reach out to the community.
“People (Spanish speaking) feel comfortable, they know there is someone here to help them,” she said.
Sarmiento said others in the community have stopped in to just hello.
“I’m glad to see there’s a woman here,” she said one resident told her.
Another, a man wearing a Cuban hat, comes in to say hello, she said.
“Right now I’m very content here,” she said, although she does not rule out moving up the ladder further if the opportunity presents itself.
Sarmiento said the post officer is always working to stay ahead of technology and convenience for its customers.
She said anyone with questions or looking for easier ways to send their mail can log onto USPS.com.
“The post office gives us a lot of information, anything new we can offer to customers,” she said.
Sarmiento said at-home businesses can send a message via email to the local post office if they need a letter or package picked up.
She just received a packet from the post office entitled “How to grow your business through the mail,” which she will share with customers.
She said she will now call a couple of business customers and discuss the packet and how it can help their business.
Summing up her chosen profession she said, “I’m proud to be a postal employee.”
Email to joanne@thecoaster.net.
By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
The Bradley Beach Postmaster wants her post office to be a place where people feel welcome.
“Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m always here to help,” said , who took over as supervisor in charge in August.
Sarmiento is not only the first woman to hold the position in Bradley Beach, she is the first Hispanic.
First woman and Hispanic to be in charge of the Bradley Beach Post Office.
Postal Employee for 20 years.
Puts customer service at the top of her list of priorities.
She was born in Manhattan to Cuban parents and grew up in a Spanish speaking household. She said being bi-lingual helps her with the borough’s significant Hispanic population.
“Diversity is so important to the post office,” she said.
Sarmiento started her career in the post office over 20 years ago and has steadily worked her way up through the ranks.
Before coming to Bradley Beach she worked for 16 years in the Elizabeth Post Office. She was transferred to other offices as she was promoted. She was attending Rutgers University when she first started working part-time as a temporary casual clerk.
After leaving college she went to work for a computer terminal company before getting married and moving to Howell, where she lived for 10 years.
When her son was six months old she returned to work at the post office as a letter carrier, a position she held for about a year and a half.
From there she worked her way up.
“The post office has a lot to offer, there is room for upward mobility and advancement. They give you the tools,” she said.
Sarmiento said the benefits the post office has to offer lead many people to longtime careers.
“Once you’re in, there aren’t that many people that leave,” she said.
Sarmiento takes a pro-active role in her position reaching out to business owners in the community making sure their needs are being met.
“I like to be involved in the community,” she said.
Sarmiento did not know very much about Bradley Beach before she began working there.
“I came to the beach, it’s a very nice town, but then I was walking down the street and I saw the Spanish restaurants and bakeries,” she said.
That not only made Sarmiento feel more at home it gave her another way to reach out to the community.
“People (Spanish speaking) feel comfortable, they know there is someone here to help them,” she said.
Sarmiento said others in the community have stopped in to just hello.
“I’m glad to see there’s a woman here,” she said one resident told her.
Another, a man wearing a Cuban hat, comes in to say hello, she said.
“Right now I’m very content here,” she said, although she does not rule out moving up the ladder further if the opportunity presents itself.
Sarmiento said the post officer is always working to stay ahead of technology and convenience for its customers.
She said anyone with questions or looking for easier ways to send their mail can log onto USPS.com.
“The post office gives us a lot of information, anything new we can offer to customers,” she said.
Sarmiento said at-home businesses can send a message via email to the local post office if they need a letter or package picked up.
She just received a packet from the post office entitled “How to grow your business through the mail,” which she will share with customers.
She said she will now call a couple of business customers and discuss the packet and how it can help their business.
Summing up her chosen profession she said, “I’m proud to be a postal employee.”
Email to joanne@thecoaster.net.
Latino lawyers hired as new partners
Squire Sanders Adds 16 Lawyers to Partnership
Market Watch
CLEVELAND, Dec 18, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. has elected 16 lawyers to its partnership, effective January 1, 2009, in a move that reflects the firm's strength, diversity and global reach. The 2009 partnership class includes lawyers from four continents.
"These Squire Sanders colleagues, who join the partnership from offices in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States, are an extraordinarily talented group," said Chairman R. Thomas Stanton. "We are very proud to welcome these new partners, who reflect the firm's global practice, our strong commitment to diversity and the highest standards of client service we provide throughout the world."
The new partners include Jose Luis Martin, an intellectual property lawyer in the Palo Alto office. Martin represents companies in intellectual property and complex business litigation, with particular emphasis in patent and trade secret matters. He has extensive experience representing high technology clients in disputes concerning patent and trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation, unfair business practices, antitrust and a variety of business torts in federal and state courts and before the International Trade Commission. Martin also represents clients before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the AAA's International Centre for Dispute Resolution. He is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, the San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association, the Santa Clara County La Raza Lawyers Association and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He has been appointed Special Counsel in the Assisted Settlement Conference Program of the US District Court, Northern District of California. Martin frequently serves as a panelist and presenter on various intellectual property topics. He received his J.D. in 1999 from University of California, Hastings, where he was a member of the Hastings Law Journal, and his B.A. in 1995 from the University of California, Los Angeles.
-- Pedro J. Miranda, a public finance lawyer in the Miami office. He serves as bond counsel, underwriters' counsel and disclosure counsel on bond issues in the state of Florida and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He has broad experience as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriters' counsel in various types of transactions including general obligation, revenue and special assessment financings. A native of Puerto Rico, Miranda has broad experience serving as bond counsel for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its public corporations and authorities including electric power, public buildings and highway. He received his J.D. in 1999 and his B.A., with honors, in 1996, both from University of Florida.
Market Watch
CLEVELAND, Dec 18, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. has elected 16 lawyers to its partnership, effective January 1, 2009, in a move that reflects the firm's strength, diversity and global reach. The 2009 partnership class includes lawyers from four continents.
"These Squire Sanders colleagues, who join the partnership from offices in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States, are an extraordinarily talented group," said Chairman R. Thomas Stanton. "We are very proud to welcome these new partners, who reflect the firm's global practice, our strong commitment to diversity and the highest standards of client service we provide throughout the world."
The new partners include Jose Luis Martin, an intellectual property lawyer in the Palo Alto office. Martin represents companies in intellectual property and complex business litigation, with particular emphasis in patent and trade secret matters. He has extensive experience representing high technology clients in disputes concerning patent and trademark infringement, trade secret misappropriation, unfair business practices, antitrust and a variety of business torts in federal and state courts and before the International Trade Commission. Martin also represents clients before the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the AAA's International Centre for Dispute Resolution. He is a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association, the San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association, the Santa Clara County La Raza Lawyers Association and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He has been appointed Special Counsel in the Assisted Settlement Conference Program of the US District Court, Northern District of California. Martin frequently serves as a panelist and presenter on various intellectual property topics. He received his J.D. in 1999 from University of California, Hastings, where he was a member of the Hastings Law Journal, and his B.A. in 1995 from the University of California, Los Angeles.
-- Pedro J. Miranda, a public finance lawyer in the Miami office. He serves as bond counsel, underwriters' counsel and disclosure counsel on bond issues in the state of Florida and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He has broad experience as bond counsel, disclosure counsel and underwriters' counsel in various types of transactions including general obligation, revenue and special assessment financings. A native of Puerto Rico, Miranda has broad experience serving as bond counsel for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its public corporations and authorities including electric power, public buildings and highway. He received his J.D. in 1999 and his B.A., with honors, in 1996, both from University of Florida.
Hispanic economic development has been ignored in Maryland
DBED chief heads to private sector
Observers say successor will face a daunting task
by Janel Davis and Steve Monroe | Staff Writers
A big challenge awaits.
That's the consensus of many state business leaders of what lies ahead for whoever succeeds David W. Edgerley as secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development.
Edgerley announced his resignation this week, effective Jan. 30, after almost two years on the job.
"The reality of the economic situation we're in is that Maryland is looking at a multibillion-dollar hole to fill and it will be a challenging time for the [General Assembly] session coming up," said Edward M. Rudnic, chairman of the Tech Council of Maryland.
"Whoever replaces him will have to work within that reality. A lot of things can be pushed — tax credits, incentives — that are not cash giveaways, and those will be more the vehicles in the coming years, I think," Rudnic said. "Whoever takes the job will have to be creative to make things work to get companies to come to the state."
Edgerley, 57, said this week he will leave DBED to work in the private sector. The Germantown resident offered no specifics about future employment, but said the resignation was of his own choosing.
"I have always harbored an interest to eventually pursue a career in the private/education sectors. I have decided that now is the right time to being that new chapter," he said in an e-mail to his staff on Tuesday.
Over the holidays he will consider about five business opportunities, Edgerley said in an interview with The Gazette this week.
"There is strong interest from a number of places, with people I've worked with for a number of years," he said. "I've always been drawn to the private sector. I had to be convinced to take this job to begin with. I almost went to the private sector when I left Montgomery County."
O'Malley tapped Edgerley to succeed Aris Melissaratos as DBED chief in February 2007, shortly after Edgerley was dismissed as Montgomery County's economic development head by new County Executive Isiah Leggett (D).
Edgerley headed up the county's department for 12 years under then-County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. Earlier, Edgerley was chief of Allegany County's economic development department.
Since then, Edgerley has maintained his residence in Germantown and commuted to Baltimore.
"That's significant because the demands of this position, being a member of the cabinet, require a considerable commitment of time away from home," Edgerley said. "I have three generations of family at home, and working hours away in commuting time is difficult."
No time frame has been determined to pick Edgerley's successor, according to a spokeswoman for O'Malley.
"There will be a recruitment process, but nothing has begun at this point," she said. Edgerley said this week that he "hasn't talked to the governor" about it, but if asked he will offer recommendations.
‘Consummate professional'
to be missed
Business leaders around the state praised Edgerley's work.
"David Edgerley has worked hard for many years to advance economic development in both Montgomery County and the state of Maryland," said Georgette Godwin, president and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, "He will be missed. We wish him well in his future pursuits."
"The Maryland chamber will greatly miss David," said Kathleen T. Snyder, president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. "His economic development experience in Western Maryland, Montgomery County and as secretary of DBED helped advance job growth and business investment, particularly in the biotech field. We very much appreciate his support in repealing the tech tax last year."
"I think Secretary Edgerley has for many years been a consummate economic development professional," said Donald C. Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. "He should be commended for his efforts to create jobs and help economic development throughout the state. He has certainly set the table for some real progress in the future in the new economy areas of life sciences and international activity for the state."
"I think Dave's done as good a job as anyone could do," Rudnic said. "Remember, they have been in a significant deficit since he took over that job."
Whatever his next move, Edgerley's experience will serve him well, said Del. Brian J. Feldman, chairman of Montgomery County's House delegation.
"My work with David predates his DBED tenure to his time in Montgomery County. He has a legacy from that period of being a biotech champion and building up our incubator network here," said Feldman (D-Dist. 15) of Potomac.
Within Montgomery County, Edgerley has been credited with shepherding the county's biotech industry into one of the most recognized in the country, as well as helping Duncan establish the county's extensive business incubator system. In his parting comments, Edgerley touted these same types of projects that his department accomplished at the state level, including the Maryland Biotechnology Center, a new International Division, an aggressive tourism program, arts programs and new businesses around the state.
Under Edgerley's leadership, O'Malley launched the BIO 2020 Initiative in June, which includes a $1.3 billion investment in the state's bioscience industry over the next 10 years.
"I think [Edgerley] should be proud of the achievements he made in the state, especially in times when he didn't have a lot of money to work with," Feldman said. "It's a challenging time to be secretary of that agency. It's not going to be easy to come up with issues that will be funded at the level that need to be funded to take us to the next level where Maryland needs to be."
Looking ahead
Feldman is recommending that O'Malley choose Edgerley's successor from Montgomery County.
"Looking forward it would make a lot of sense to fill the spot with someone else from Montgomery County, where a lot of the economic development is happening, especially in the technology sector, which the state seems to be focused on," he said.
"The challenges for [Edgerley's successor] will certainly be budget-related, given the economic situation, but economic development programs are certainly necessary, Fry said. "We need to have the right tools, like work force training, and certain types of incentives for companies to locate here. Hopefully the governor will leave those programs as intact as possible, because they do help leverage state economic development, because they do give a return on investment."
"I don't know what the governor's office is thinking about, but I'm sure they'd like to get somebody in as soon as possible because of the upcoming legislative session," Fry added.
When asked about veteran county economic development directors such as Richard W. Story of Howard County, David S. Iannucci, himself a former DBED secretary, of Baltimore County, and Robert L. Hannon of Anne Arundel County as possible successors, Fry declined to comment, saying only, "They have been longtime economic development directors, and they are working hard, doing fine jobs in their counties."
"The next DBED leader will need to focus on job retention in Maryland," Snyder said. "We are in tough economic times, despite our proximity to the nation's capital. We need a secretary who will continue to work closely with the Maryland chamber and other groups to promote public policy that will help create jobs and kick-start our economy."
Jorge Ribas, president and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, mentioned priorities the state can improve upon.
While wishing Edgerley well, Ribas said, "Unfortunately, county and state economic priorities in Maryland have not been oriented to small businesses and the Hispanic business community and small businesses in general have been largely ignored. Particularly in this depressed economic environment, there is a real need to transfer some of these feckless programs that purport to serve minority businesses to chambers of commerce and trade organizations that are, by definition, closer to the ground and tend to be held more accountable by their membership."
Rudnic said retaining companies, bringing in new companies and implementing work force initiatives should all be priorities.
"All three are important," he said. "The key thing is the creation of companies, and making the state as hospitable as we can for companies to locate in the state. Most jobs created are done by small companies and startups, so if you're looking for job creation, it's best to look at making sure we have the best environment for creating startups."
Observers say successor will face a daunting task
by Janel Davis and Steve Monroe | Staff Writers
A big challenge awaits.
That's the consensus of many state business leaders of what lies ahead for whoever succeeds David W. Edgerley as secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development.
Edgerley announced his resignation this week, effective Jan. 30, after almost two years on the job.
"The reality of the economic situation we're in is that Maryland is looking at a multibillion-dollar hole to fill and it will be a challenging time for the [General Assembly] session coming up," said Edward M. Rudnic, chairman of the Tech Council of Maryland.
"Whoever replaces him will have to work within that reality. A lot of things can be pushed — tax credits, incentives — that are not cash giveaways, and those will be more the vehicles in the coming years, I think," Rudnic said. "Whoever takes the job will have to be creative to make things work to get companies to come to the state."
Edgerley, 57, said this week he will leave DBED to work in the private sector. The Germantown resident offered no specifics about future employment, but said the resignation was of his own choosing.
"I have always harbored an interest to eventually pursue a career in the private/education sectors. I have decided that now is the right time to being that new chapter," he said in an e-mail to his staff on Tuesday.
Over the holidays he will consider about five business opportunities, Edgerley said in an interview with The Gazette this week.
"There is strong interest from a number of places, with people I've worked with for a number of years," he said. "I've always been drawn to the private sector. I had to be convinced to take this job to begin with. I almost went to the private sector when I left Montgomery County."
O'Malley tapped Edgerley to succeed Aris Melissaratos as DBED chief in February 2007, shortly after Edgerley was dismissed as Montgomery County's economic development head by new County Executive Isiah Leggett (D).
Edgerley headed up the county's department for 12 years under then-County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. Earlier, Edgerley was chief of Allegany County's economic development department.
Since then, Edgerley has maintained his residence in Germantown and commuted to Baltimore.
"That's significant because the demands of this position, being a member of the cabinet, require a considerable commitment of time away from home," Edgerley said. "I have three generations of family at home, and working hours away in commuting time is difficult."
No time frame has been determined to pick Edgerley's successor, according to a spokeswoman for O'Malley.
"There will be a recruitment process, but nothing has begun at this point," she said. Edgerley said this week that he "hasn't talked to the governor" about it, but if asked he will offer recommendations.
‘Consummate professional'
to be missed
Business leaders around the state praised Edgerley's work.
"David Edgerley has worked hard for many years to advance economic development in both Montgomery County and the state of Maryland," said Georgette Godwin, president and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, "He will be missed. We wish him well in his future pursuits."
"The Maryland chamber will greatly miss David," said Kathleen T. Snyder, president and CEO of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. "His economic development experience in Western Maryland, Montgomery County and as secretary of DBED helped advance job growth and business investment, particularly in the biotech field. We very much appreciate his support in repealing the tech tax last year."
"I think Secretary Edgerley has for many years been a consummate economic development professional," said Donald C. Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. "He should be commended for his efforts to create jobs and help economic development throughout the state. He has certainly set the table for some real progress in the future in the new economy areas of life sciences and international activity for the state."
"I think Dave's done as good a job as anyone could do," Rudnic said. "Remember, they have been in a significant deficit since he took over that job."
Whatever his next move, Edgerley's experience will serve him well, said Del. Brian J. Feldman, chairman of Montgomery County's House delegation.
"My work with David predates his DBED tenure to his time in Montgomery County. He has a legacy from that period of being a biotech champion and building up our incubator network here," said Feldman (D-Dist. 15) of Potomac.
Within Montgomery County, Edgerley has been credited with shepherding the county's biotech industry into one of the most recognized in the country, as well as helping Duncan establish the county's extensive business incubator system. In his parting comments, Edgerley touted these same types of projects that his department accomplished at the state level, including the Maryland Biotechnology Center, a new International Division, an aggressive tourism program, arts programs and new businesses around the state.
Under Edgerley's leadership, O'Malley launched the BIO 2020 Initiative in June, which includes a $1.3 billion investment in the state's bioscience industry over the next 10 years.
"I think [Edgerley] should be proud of the achievements he made in the state, especially in times when he didn't have a lot of money to work with," Feldman said. "It's a challenging time to be secretary of that agency. It's not going to be easy to come up with issues that will be funded at the level that need to be funded to take us to the next level where Maryland needs to be."
Looking ahead
Feldman is recommending that O'Malley choose Edgerley's successor from Montgomery County.
"Looking forward it would make a lot of sense to fill the spot with someone else from Montgomery County, where a lot of the economic development is happening, especially in the technology sector, which the state seems to be focused on," he said.
"The challenges for [Edgerley's successor] will certainly be budget-related, given the economic situation, but economic development programs are certainly necessary, Fry said. "We need to have the right tools, like work force training, and certain types of incentives for companies to locate here. Hopefully the governor will leave those programs as intact as possible, because they do help leverage state economic development, because they do give a return on investment."
"I don't know what the governor's office is thinking about, but I'm sure they'd like to get somebody in as soon as possible because of the upcoming legislative session," Fry added.
When asked about veteran county economic development directors such as Richard W. Story of Howard County, David S. Iannucci, himself a former DBED secretary, of Baltimore County, and Robert L. Hannon of Anne Arundel County as possible successors, Fry declined to comment, saying only, "They have been longtime economic development directors, and they are working hard, doing fine jobs in their counties."
"The next DBED leader will need to focus on job retention in Maryland," Snyder said. "We are in tough economic times, despite our proximity to the nation's capital. We need a secretary who will continue to work closely with the Maryland chamber and other groups to promote public policy that will help create jobs and kick-start our economy."
Jorge Ribas, president and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, mentioned priorities the state can improve upon.
While wishing Edgerley well, Ribas said, "Unfortunately, county and state economic priorities in Maryland have not been oriented to small businesses and the Hispanic business community and small businesses in general have been largely ignored. Particularly in this depressed economic environment, there is a real need to transfer some of these feckless programs that purport to serve minority businesses to chambers of commerce and trade organizations that are, by definition, closer to the ground and tend to be held more accountable by their membership."
Rudnic said retaining companies, bringing in new companies and implementing work force initiatives should all be priorities.
"All three are important," he said. "The key thing is the creation of companies, and making the state as hospitable as we can for companies to locate in the state. Most jobs created are done by small companies and startups, so if you're looking for job creation, it's best to look at making sure we have the best environment for creating startups."
Latina legislator to lead Labor department
Obama to pick California congresswoman for labor secretary
Associated Press Dec. 18, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Democratic Rep. Hilda Solis of California will be Barack Obama's pick for labor secretary as the president-elect fills the last open positions in his Cabinet, a labor official told the Associated Press on Thursday.
Solis, who is the daughter of Mexican and Nicaraguan immigrants, is the only member of Congress of Central American descent.
She just won a fifth term representing heavily Latino portions of eastern Los Angeles County and east LA.
Obama planned to announce Solis' selection on Friday along with his selection of Republican Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois for transportation secretary. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because an announcement has not been made yet. A call to Solis' office was not immediately returned.
Obama is trying to get most of his major appointments out of the way before heading to Hawaii for a holiday vacation, and has held a news conference each day this week to introduce his nominees.
Obama has yet to announce choices for senior intelligence positions or the Office of U.S. Trade Representative.
Solis, in 1994, was the first Latina elected to the California Senate, where she led the battle to increase the state's minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75 an hour in 1996.
In Congress, she wrote a measure that authorized $125 million for work force training programs in areas such as energy efficiency retrofitting and "green building" construction.
Andy Stern, president of the 1.9-million member Service Employees International Union, praised Solis for her deep roots in the union movement. He recalled marching with her in Los Angeles -- well before she was elected to Congress -- to seek higher wages and benefits for janitors.
"We were with her fighting for the rights of people who work from the beginning and we're so proud that she's been chosen to be the labor secretary," Stern said.
Labor unions contributed heavily to Obama and Democrats in the November elections. They hope that having a Democrat in the White House will result in policies that will increase their membership.
Their main priority will be passage of legislation that would force businesses to recognize labor unions once more than 50 percent of company's eligible work force sign union cards.
Labor leaders say employers have used secret-ballot elections, generally held on job sites, to coerce and intimidate workers into rejecting unions. Employers counter that workers are often coerced by their peers to sign union cards and that a secret-ballot election is the only way to determine their true desires.
Labor advocates also are counting on Obama's pick to lead the Labor Department to help people hit by the economic downturn by promoting the extension of unemployment benefits and boosting infrastructure spending.
Associated Press Dec. 18, 2008
WASHINGTON -- Democratic Rep. Hilda Solis of California will be Barack Obama's pick for labor secretary as the president-elect fills the last open positions in his Cabinet, a labor official told the Associated Press on Thursday.
Solis, who is the daughter of Mexican and Nicaraguan immigrants, is the only member of Congress of Central American descent.
She just won a fifth term representing heavily Latino portions of eastern Los Angeles County and east LA.
Obama planned to announce Solis' selection on Friday along with his selection of Republican Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois for transportation secretary. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because an announcement has not been made yet. A call to Solis' office was not immediately returned.
Obama is trying to get most of his major appointments out of the way before heading to Hawaii for a holiday vacation, and has held a news conference each day this week to introduce his nominees.
Obama has yet to announce choices for senior intelligence positions or the Office of U.S. Trade Representative.
Solis, in 1994, was the first Latina elected to the California Senate, where she led the battle to increase the state's minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.75 an hour in 1996.
In Congress, she wrote a measure that authorized $125 million for work force training programs in areas such as energy efficiency retrofitting and "green building" construction.
Andy Stern, president of the 1.9-million member Service Employees International Union, praised Solis for her deep roots in the union movement. He recalled marching with her in Los Angeles -- well before she was elected to Congress -- to seek higher wages and benefits for janitors.
"We were with her fighting for the rights of people who work from the beginning and we're so proud that she's been chosen to be the labor secretary," Stern said.
Labor unions contributed heavily to Obama and Democrats in the November elections. They hope that having a Democrat in the White House will result in policies that will increase their membership.
Their main priority will be passage of legislation that would force businesses to recognize labor unions once more than 50 percent of company's eligible work force sign union cards.
Labor leaders say employers have used secret-ballot elections, generally held on job sites, to coerce and intimidate workers into rejecting unions. Employers counter that workers are often coerced by their peers to sign union cards and that a secret-ballot election is the only way to determine their true desires.
Labor advocates also are counting on Obama's pick to lead the Labor Department to help people hit by the economic downturn by promoting the extension of unemployment benefits and boosting infrastructure spending.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Latino heritage seen as threat - letter to the editor
Latino heritage seen as threat
Editor: Lebanon Daily News
Here it is again, the big Lebanon-Cedar Crest basketball game — one of the biggest rivalry games in the Lebanon-Lancaster area league.
I was watching my 13-year-old brother’s game. As always, it was very intense. This time it was cut short by an entire half.
Let me ask you, if someone asked you your name would you feel threatened? So threatened that you felt that your life was at risk? Well, I guess it happens.
Because we are from Lebanon, and a majority of the school is of Hispanic heritage, we are looked as the “Bad News Bears.” A fan was automatically kicked out due to the fact he simply asked the refree his name. No one was pulling out any guns or knives.
It saddens me how the Lebanon district is looked down upon. Now 18 years old, I truly see the ignorance in people.
Jade Ginnetto
Lebanon
Editor: Lebanon Daily News
Here it is again, the big Lebanon-Cedar Crest basketball game — one of the biggest rivalry games in the Lebanon-Lancaster area league.
I was watching my 13-year-old brother’s game. As always, it was very intense. This time it was cut short by an entire half.
Let me ask you, if someone asked you your name would you feel threatened? So threatened that you felt that your life was at risk? Well, I guess it happens.
Because we are from Lebanon, and a majority of the school is of Hispanic heritage, we are looked as the “Bad News Bears.” A fan was automatically kicked out due to the fact he simply asked the refree his name. No one was pulling out any guns or knives.
It saddens me how the Lebanon district is looked down upon. Now 18 years old, I truly see the ignorance in people.
Jade Ginnetto
Lebanon
Hispanic students being impacted by lack of attention to education
Education: The Neglected Crisis
By Israel Ortega
With daily doses of bad news coming in the form of rising unemployment and business failures, the words “financial crisis” are everywhere. Meanwhile another crisis is receiving virtually no media attention, even though it potentially threatens our future economic prosperity and national security.
I’m referring to our country’s education system.
In some of our major cities, nearly half of all children enrolled in the public school system won’t graduate high school. And according to data from the Department of Education, 33 percent of fourth graders and 26 percent of eight graders scored “below basic” in reading in 2007. And with Hispanic students representing more of the student body in our nation’s public schools, (particularly in cities like Los Angeles and New York) this issue hits close to home.
The fact that the Census Bureau predicts a dramatic growth in the U.S. Hispanic population makes this educational statistic all the more alarming.
Although education received considerably less attention this year than other issues, it was encouraging to hear President-elect Barack Obama say, “We cannot be satisfied until every child in America -- I mean every child -- has the same chance for a good education that we want for our own children.”
In a matter of days, though, the president-elect will need to match his rhetoric with action when he announces his nominee for Secretary of Education. Obama’s appointment will signal how beholden he will be to the powerful teachers’ unions.
Instrumental in helping the president-elect garner political support, teachers’ union are a powerful constituency with considerable clout. And like other unions, the teachers’ unions exist to protect their more than 4 million members by fighting for increased salaries and benefits. But as those earlier troubling statistics note, what’s good for teachers is not necessarily good for our children enrolled in the public-school system.
Unfortunately, some aim to fix the broken public-school system by increasing federal spending. And yet, it’s clear from various studies that the most dramatic improvements in education are happening on the state level. They’re not directed from Washington, D.C.
Despite spending roughly $9,300 annually (according to the Digest of Education Statistics) on each child enrolled in a public school, reading and math scores reveal the sobering reality that we are failing to prepare our future lawyers, doctors and scientists. This is simply unacceptable.
The reality is that no matter who Obama appoints, that person alone won’t be able to solve the problems in the nation’s schools. Real solutions can be found on the local level, starting with school choice.
Providing each and every family the ability to choose for themselves where to send their children to school makes the most sense. And it would dramatically and swiftly focus our education system on the children.
The Obama family recently exercised school choice, by electing to enroll its children in a private school in Washington, D.C.
Now it’s time for the president-elect to fight to give everyone else the same right.
By Israel Ortega
With daily doses of bad news coming in the form of rising unemployment and business failures, the words “financial crisis” are everywhere. Meanwhile another crisis is receiving virtually no media attention, even though it potentially threatens our future economic prosperity and national security.
I’m referring to our country’s education system.
In some of our major cities, nearly half of all children enrolled in the public school system won’t graduate high school. And according to data from the Department of Education, 33 percent of fourth graders and 26 percent of eight graders scored “below basic” in reading in 2007. And with Hispanic students representing more of the student body in our nation’s public schools, (particularly in cities like Los Angeles and New York) this issue hits close to home.
The fact that the Census Bureau predicts a dramatic growth in the U.S. Hispanic population makes this educational statistic all the more alarming.
Although education received considerably less attention this year than other issues, it was encouraging to hear President-elect Barack Obama say, “We cannot be satisfied until every child in America -- I mean every child -- has the same chance for a good education that we want for our own children.”
In a matter of days, though, the president-elect will need to match his rhetoric with action when he announces his nominee for Secretary of Education. Obama’s appointment will signal how beholden he will be to the powerful teachers’ unions.
Instrumental in helping the president-elect garner political support, teachers’ union are a powerful constituency with considerable clout. And like other unions, the teachers’ unions exist to protect their more than 4 million members by fighting for increased salaries and benefits. But as those earlier troubling statistics note, what’s good for teachers is not necessarily good for our children enrolled in the public-school system.
Unfortunately, some aim to fix the broken public-school system by increasing federal spending. And yet, it’s clear from various studies that the most dramatic improvements in education are happening on the state level. They’re not directed from Washington, D.C.
Despite spending roughly $9,300 annually (according to the Digest of Education Statistics) on each child enrolled in a public school, reading and math scores reveal the sobering reality that we are failing to prepare our future lawyers, doctors and scientists. This is simply unacceptable.
The reality is that no matter who Obama appoints, that person alone won’t be able to solve the problems in the nation’s schools. Real solutions can be found on the local level, starting with school choice.
Providing each and every family the ability to choose for themselves where to send their children to school makes the most sense. And it would dramatically and swiftly focus our education system on the children.
The Obama family recently exercised school choice, by electing to enroll its children in a private school in Washington, D.C.
Now it’s time for the president-elect to fight to give everyone else the same right.
Latino students gain from Verizon scholarships
Verizon Wireless Funds Scholarships to 20 Southern California Hispanic Students
Market Watch
IRVINE, Calif., Dec 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The company awards $50,000 in scholarships, raising its contribution to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to $600,000 since 2003.
Local Hispanic students were honored recently for their academic excellence at a luncheon hosted by Verizon Wireless and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF). Each scholar was awarded $2,500 through the company's support of HSF. Verizon Wireless has pledged additional support for the scholarship cycle that is currently open.
Each of the students has a personal story of the pursuit of individual excellence. For example, Javier Mendez from San Diego, freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, is majoring in computer engineering and furthering a personal and family dream. The son of migrant farm workers who endured hardships and were unable to finish their primary education, Javier said, "I knew I did not want to throw away what my parents had endured. Instead I wanted to prove to them that, by graduating from college, every challenge they faced and valiantly fought for me was worth it."
"We're grateful to Verizon Wireless for their commitment to education and their continued support of our Hispanic youth," said Gary Jimenez, HSF's Vice President for the Southern California Region. "We are very proud of students like Javier who can personally attest to how these awards contribute to their success."
Verizon Wireless has contributed nearly $600,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund since 2003. Most recently, during Hispanic Heritage Month, the company donated a portion of its sales to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, which will be awarded to students in 2009.
Scholarship applications for the 2009-2010 academic year are currently available for online submission. The deadline to submit an application is February 18, 2009 by 11:59 pm, EST. Interested students can go to www.hsf.net to complete the electronic application form.
"We encourage Latinos to apply for these scholarships," said Oscar Madrid, Associate Director of Multicultural Marketing for Verizon Wireless' West Area. "We have seen these scholarships change lives and enable dreams at the college and graduate school levels."
Market Watch
IRVINE, Calif., Dec 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The company awards $50,000 in scholarships, raising its contribution to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to $600,000 since 2003.
Local Hispanic students were honored recently for their academic excellence at a luncheon hosted by Verizon Wireless and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF). Each scholar was awarded $2,500 through the company's support of HSF. Verizon Wireless has pledged additional support for the scholarship cycle that is currently open.
Each of the students has a personal story of the pursuit of individual excellence. For example, Javier Mendez from San Diego, freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, is majoring in computer engineering and furthering a personal and family dream. The son of migrant farm workers who endured hardships and were unable to finish their primary education, Javier said, "I knew I did not want to throw away what my parents had endured. Instead I wanted to prove to them that, by graduating from college, every challenge they faced and valiantly fought for me was worth it."
"We're grateful to Verizon Wireless for their commitment to education and their continued support of our Hispanic youth," said Gary Jimenez, HSF's Vice President for the Southern California Region. "We are very proud of students like Javier who can personally attest to how these awards contribute to their success."
Verizon Wireless has contributed nearly $600,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund since 2003. Most recently, during Hispanic Heritage Month, the company donated a portion of its sales to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, which will be awarded to students in 2009.
Scholarship applications for the 2009-2010 academic year are currently available for online submission. The deadline to submit an application is February 18, 2009 by 11:59 pm, EST. Interested students can go to www.hsf.net to complete the electronic application form.
"We encourage Latinos to apply for these scholarships," said Oscar Madrid, Associate Director of Multicultural Marketing for Verizon Wireless' West Area. "We have seen these scholarships change lives and enable dreams at the college and graduate school levels."
Study of Hispanic worker deaths concluded
Hispanic Worker Deaths Detailed in New Study
Safety BLR
In 2006, nearly 20 million workers in the United States were Hispanic, making them among the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. workforce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and some state agencies have analyzed data on Hispanic worker deaths from 1996 to 2006.
Among their conclusions:
* Hispanics suffered 11,303 deaths during the period, or 13 percent of all U.S. work-related injury deaths.
* The annual death rate for these workers exceeded the rate for all U.S workers for every year during the period, except 1995.
* Approximately 70 percent of those who died were born in Mexico.
* The most common industries employing Hispanics who died on the job were construction, administrative and waste services, and agriculture/forestry/fishing/hunting.
* The highest number of deaths occurred in California, Texas, and Florida.
Safety BLR
In 2006, nearly 20 million workers in the United States were Hispanic, making them among the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. workforce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and some state agencies have analyzed data on Hispanic worker deaths from 1996 to 2006.
Among their conclusions:
* Hispanics suffered 11,303 deaths during the period, or 13 percent of all U.S. work-related injury deaths.
* The annual death rate for these workers exceeded the rate for all U.S workers for every year during the period, except 1995.
* Approximately 70 percent of those who died were born in Mexico.
* The most common industries employing Hispanics who died on the job were construction, administrative and waste services, and agriculture/forestry/fishing/hunting.
* The highest number of deaths occurred in California, Texas, and Florida.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Latino Hate Crimes Law initiated after slayings
Recent Latino Slayings Lend New Urgency For Hate Crimes Law
Fox News December 16, 2008
NEW YORK — Lawmakers and Hispanic groups on Tuesday denounced the beating death of an Ecuadorean immigrant, saying his and other recent slayings of Latino immigrants lend new urgency to the need for a U.S. hate crimes law.
During a news conference, Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, named three immigrants he said were killed "simply because of who they were."
Jose Osvaldo Sucuzhanay, an Ecuadorean immigrant living in New York, was beaten Dec. 7 by men who yelled anti-Hispanic and anti-gay slurs at him and his brother, Rommel. Police were still searching for suspects.
"The senseless loss of life cannot be met with silence but rather must be condemned with our loudest voices," Schumer said.
Latino leaders said considering what appeared to be rising anti-Latino sentiment, Congress should pass legislation to expand the federal hate crimes law. The bill, known as the Matthew Shepard Act, would add protections for bias crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation and disabilities, and expand Justice Department's investigative powers.
Current law limits federal investigation of hate crimes to when a federally protected activity is occurring, such as voting. But that restriction would be lifted under the proposal.
The bill also would give local officials resources to investigate hate crimes.
Sucuzhanay's death followed those of Marcelo Lucero, who was fatally stabbed Nov. 8, in eastern New York state by a group of teenagers, and the July 14 death of Luis Ramirez, 25, a Mexican immigrant who was fatally beaten in eastern Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors said seven teenagers charged in Lucero's assault had set out to find a Hispanic person to attack. Three teenagers have been charged in connection with Ramirez's death. The three also face charges of ethnic intimidation. A fourth teenager faces less serious charges and will be prosecuted as a juvenile.
FBI statistics show there were 830 Hispanic victims of hate crimes last year, up from 819 the previous year and 595 in 2003.
"We have seen that a culture of fear, hate and xenophobia, ultimately leads to a crime of violence," said Schumer, who helped sponsor the law that required the government to keep hate crime statistics.
Fox News December 16, 2008
NEW YORK — Lawmakers and Hispanic groups on Tuesday denounced the beating death of an Ecuadorean immigrant, saying his and other recent slayings of Latino immigrants lend new urgency to the need for a U.S. hate crimes law.
During a news conference, Sen. Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, named three immigrants he said were killed "simply because of who they were."
Jose Osvaldo Sucuzhanay, an Ecuadorean immigrant living in New York, was beaten Dec. 7 by men who yelled anti-Hispanic and anti-gay slurs at him and his brother, Rommel. Police were still searching for suspects.
"The senseless loss of life cannot be met with silence but rather must be condemned with our loudest voices," Schumer said.
Latino leaders said considering what appeared to be rising anti-Latino sentiment, Congress should pass legislation to expand the federal hate crimes law. The bill, known as the Matthew Shepard Act, would add protections for bias crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation and disabilities, and expand Justice Department's investigative powers.
Current law limits federal investigation of hate crimes to when a federally protected activity is occurring, such as voting. But that restriction would be lifted under the proposal.
The bill also would give local officials resources to investigate hate crimes.
Sucuzhanay's death followed those of Marcelo Lucero, who was fatally stabbed Nov. 8, in eastern New York state by a group of teenagers, and the July 14 death of Luis Ramirez, 25, a Mexican immigrant who was fatally beaten in eastern Pennsylvania.
Prosecutors said seven teenagers charged in Lucero's assault had set out to find a Hispanic person to attack. Three teenagers have been charged in connection with Ramirez's death. The three also face charges of ethnic intimidation. A fourth teenager faces less serious charges and will be prosecuted as a juvenile.
FBI statistics show there were 830 Hispanic victims of hate crimes last year, up from 819 the previous year and 595 in 2003.
"We have seen that a culture of fear, hate and xenophobia, ultimately leads to a crime of violence," said Schumer, who helped sponsor the law that required the government to keep hate crime statistics.
Hispanics gaining under Obama
Obama team claims record on Hispanic appointments
Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor December 16, 2008
Within weeks of Hispanic lawmakers publicly airing concerns that President-elect Barack Obama wasn't putting enough Latinos into top jobs, Obama's team bragged today that it has done more than any other administration.
Obama is expected to add to his count of Hispanics Wednesday when he formally names Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado as his nominee for interior secretary.
"Based on what I can cull from records, we have more Hispanics in senior positions in this White House than under either President Bush or President Clinton,” incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told Politico.
"Diversity wasn’t the driving force here," Emanuel added. "I’m proud of the fact that it is a diverse staff. But most importantly, the quality is of a single standard. We wanted to make sure that we got a great staff of seasoned people — both on the policy front and on the political front -- who know their stuff."
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus had complained earlier this month, noting that Latino voters had helped Obama win several Western states that a Democrat hadn't carried in recent elections.
Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor December 16, 2008
Within weeks of Hispanic lawmakers publicly airing concerns that President-elect Barack Obama wasn't putting enough Latinos into top jobs, Obama's team bragged today that it has done more than any other administration.
Obama is expected to add to his count of Hispanics Wednesday when he formally names Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado as his nominee for interior secretary.
"Based on what I can cull from records, we have more Hispanics in senior positions in this White House than under either President Bush or President Clinton,” incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told Politico.
"Diversity wasn’t the driving force here," Emanuel added. "I’m proud of the fact that it is a diverse staff. But most importantly, the quality is of a single standard. We wanted to make sure that we got a great staff of seasoned people — both on the policy front and on the political front -- who know their stuff."
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus had complained earlier this month, noting that Latino voters had helped Obama win several Western states that a Democrat hadn't carried in recent elections.
Top Latino cop honored
Remembering SB's first Latino police chief
Nicholas Cataldo, Correspondent 12/15/2008
It takes many individuals to help build a successful community. In the city of San Bernardino, kudos go to well-known local personalities like Dorothy Inghram, the first black teacher in our county and the first black school administrator in the entire state of California. Ditto for Milton R. Sage, the man who came up with the idea of a "one-stop" complete shopping experience. And, of course, we can all thank the McDonald brothers for helping change the way we eat.
However, working alongside each of these justly honored San Bernardinians, there have been countless men and women - "heroes" who somehow never receive enough recognition for their roles in developing this important "gate city" of Southern California.
One such person is retired police Chief Ben Gonzales.
A native of San Bernardino, Ben was hired by the city's Police Department as a patrolman in 1959 and became a fixture on the force for nearly three decades. He was promoted to sergeant in 1966, lieutenant in 1971, captain in 1972, assistant chief in 1979, and in 1981 became the first Latino to serve as San Bernardino's police chief.
A warm, compassionate man, Ben was well-liked and enjoyed working for the Police Department, especially when he was involved with San Bernardino's youth.
During the summer of 1960, a group of teenage boys - several of whom had previously been in constant trouble with the police - approached Gonzales with their idea of starting up a car club.
The boys - Gilbert Palamino, Richard Cortez, Charlie Macias, J.R. Silva, Johnny Canela, Larry Macias, Rudy Garcia and David Montiel - vowed that there would be no trouble, that this would be a "good" club and one that the community would be proud of.
Ben told them that this was a good idea, but there would have to be rules. Lo and behold, he became their official adviser.
The "Shifters," as the club was called, continues to flourish in San Bernardino to this day.
As one of many law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day in order to protect the rest of us, Ben Gonzales came mighty close to being killed in the line of duty - twice.
The first incident was in June of 1969, when Ben was called to the scene where an armed man was holding several people hostage. After two hours, Ben succeeded in disarming the man.
The second brush with death occurred in December of that year. Ben was wounded when he and his brother, Eliodoro, (Lolo) were the first officers to arrive at a robbery at the Bank of America near the corner of Mount Vernon Avenue and 16th Street. One of the two men ran toward Ben armed with a sawed-off shotgun. He was fatally shot, but the other suspect snuck up from behind and shot Ben in the back. As Ben fell the thief fired at the wounded officer's head. Miraculously, the bullet simply grazed his skull. After checking on his wounded brother's condition, Lolo and another officer, named Angel, tracked down the second suspect running along Trenton Street.
Three weeks later, Ben was back to work.
Fortunately, the rest of Ben's career went somewhat smoother, although he had some rath
Nicholas Cataldo, Correspondent 12/15/2008
It takes many individuals to help build a successful community. In the city of San Bernardino, kudos go to well-known local personalities like Dorothy Inghram, the first black teacher in our county and the first black school administrator in the entire state of California. Ditto for Milton R. Sage, the man who came up with the idea of a "one-stop" complete shopping experience. And, of course, we can all thank the McDonald brothers for helping change the way we eat.
However, working alongside each of these justly honored San Bernardinians, there have been countless men and women - "heroes" who somehow never receive enough recognition for their roles in developing this important "gate city" of Southern California.
One such person is retired police Chief Ben Gonzales.
A native of San Bernardino, Ben was hired by the city's Police Department as a patrolman in 1959 and became a fixture on the force for nearly three decades. He was promoted to sergeant in 1966, lieutenant in 1971, captain in 1972, assistant chief in 1979, and in 1981 became the first Latino to serve as San Bernardino's police chief.
A warm, compassionate man, Ben was well-liked and enjoyed working for the Police Department, especially when he was involved with San Bernardino's youth.
During the summer of 1960, a group of teenage boys - several of whom had previously been in constant trouble with the police - approached Gonzales with their idea of starting up a car club.
The boys - Gilbert Palamino, Richard Cortez, Charlie Macias, J.R. Silva, Johnny Canela, Larry Macias, Rudy Garcia and David Montiel - vowed that there would be no trouble, that this would be a "good" club and one that the community would be proud of.
Ben told them that this was a good idea, but there would have to be rules. Lo and behold, he became their official adviser.
The "Shifters," as the club was called, continues to flourish in San Bernardino to this day.
As one of many law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day in order to protect the rest of us, Ben Gonzales came mighty close to being killed in the line of duty - twice.
The first incident was in June of 1969, when Ben was called to the scene where an armed man was holding several people hostage. After two hours, Ben succeeded in disarming the man.
The second brush with death occurred in December of that year. Ben was wounded when he and his brother, Eliodoro, (Lolo) were the first officers to arrive at a robbery at the Bank of America near the corner of Mount Vernon Avenue and 16th Street. One of the two men ran toward Ben armed with a sawed-off shotgun. He was fatally shot, but the other suspect snuck up from behind and shot Ben in the back. As Ben fell the thief fired at the wounded officer's head. Miraculously, the bullet simply grazed his skull. After checking on his wounded brother's condition, Lolo and another officer, named Angel, tracked down the second suspect running along Trenton Street.
Three weeks later, Ben was back to work.
Fortunately, the rest of Ben's career went somewhat smoother, although he had some rath