Principal says Hispanics weren't blamed for school's low state rating
By JESSAMY BROWN, Star Telegram, Sep. 25, 2009
Hispanic freshmen at Gainesville High School were not blamed for the school’s academically unacceptable state rating during specially called assemblies, the principal said Friday.
Meetings solely for Hispanic students are among assemblies the campus has with various groups at the beginning of the year "to make sure they have the support, tools and information they need to be successful," Principal Gene Suttle said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is investigating a parent’s complaint that Hispanics were singled out for assemblies Sept. 17 to discuss low standardized test scores, gangs and sex.
Students were reportedly told that they were responsible for the school’s rating and "underperformance" on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, the ACLU said Thursday in a news release.
Regardless of what was said, the freshman scores on the TAKS have nothing to do with the high school’s latest rating. Because those students were eighth-graders last year, their scores were calculated in Gainesville Junior High School’s academically acceptable rating.
"At no time were these kiddos accused of being responsible for the rating of this school," Suttle said. "We have a lot of very successful Hispanic kids. It was an informational meeting to make sure they know what support is available."
Separating Hispanic students could make them feel at fault, even if that was not the intent, said Gabriel Rivas, deputy state director for youth for the Texas League of United Latin American Citizens.
"What happened is the administration of the high school pulled the students out of their daily work. If they’re not saying it’s their fault, it still comes across that way," said Rivas, of Arlington.
Three parents complained about the Hispanic-only meetings, but several parents have had positive comments, Suttle said.
A meeting for Hispanic parents at the school was held Sept. 15. Other student meetings have been held for certain grades and for students struggling on the TAKS, Suttle said.
Hispanic teachers and staff members act as mentors and role models for Hispanic students. The Hispanic-only talks covered communication with teachers, how to access tutorials and get extra help if needed, and where to go for assistance, Suttle said.
But student Alondra Perez said the teens were told that Hispanic students had the lowest test scores at the school. She said she doesn’t think the campus rating was mentioned but added that she "tuned out" after a while. The adults discussed course credits needed over the next four years to graduate.
Perez, 14, freshman class parliamentarian, said she became uncomfortable when the discussion turned to teen sexual activity.
"At first they were talking about credits and all of a sudden the subject changed to boys and sex," she said.
Her mother, Maurissa Perez, said she filed a complaint with the ACLU.
Suttle said, "The only thing they talked about was making good decisions but there were no in-depth discussions."
We have a lot of very successful Hispanic kids. It was an informational meeting to make sure they know what support is available."
Gene Suttle, principal of Gainesville High School
JESSAMY BROWN, 817-390-7326
Monday, September 28, 2009
Hispanic media professionals host Mayoral presentation
Houston mayoral candidates talk Latino issues, and Locke has plans for transportation
HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Sept. 25, 2009
“In a city where the group comprising 42 percent of the population has an outrageous dropout rate, the lowest rate of higher education and the highest uninsured and unemployment rates, what would you do to fix this as mayor?”
That question kicked-off the mayoral debate yesterday at Rice University about Latinos and for Latinos. The forum was organized by the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals.
It's all about creating economic opportunities and getting it right in the education front, said Annise Parker: “When we have a dropout rate that approaches 50 percent we are clearly doing something wrong.”
That was pretty much the assessment of Peter Brown, whose effort to speak in Spanish was moving but gave him a slow start in a time-controlled answer format.
In front of an audience packed with varied representatives of the Latino community, Roy Morales appealed to his roots when he said that Hispanics “need to look at what bring us together,” without elaborating. He also said, “We need to make sure that English is the common language for our children but never, never, never forget the language of our ancestors.”
The key, Gene Locke said, is to create “a leadership in the Hispanic community that would work long-term. Particularly young leadership.”
Aside from a little sparring, such as a back-and-forth between Parker and Brown on her figures for Houston's deficit, the four candidates appeared to have a lot in common in their approaches to general issues, such as public safety, education, job creation, or helping business owners to thrive. By the same token, they barely addressed the most pressing issues affecting highly populated Latino areas, such as low-income schools or access to health care, to name a few.
On the city's participation in the 287g program, they all support it, some with nuances. Morales made an ardent defense of the measure and even suggested that it should be extended to misdemeanors, a heated debate in the Latino community. Locke expressed some reservations and Parker was quick to clarify that she fully supports immigration enforcement in jails, but opposes police officers questioning people about their immigration status in routine traffic stops or on the streets.
— AURORA LOSADA
HOUSTON CHRONICLE, Sept. 25, 2009
“In a city where the group comprising 42 percent of the population has an outrageous dropout rate, the lowest rate of higher education and the highest uninsured and unemployment rates, what would you do to fix this as mayor?”
That question kicked-off the mayoral debate yesterday at Rice University about Latinos and for Latinos. The forum was organized by the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals.
It's all about creating economic opportunities and getting it right in the education front, said Annise Parker: “When we have a dropout rate that approaches 50 percent we are clearly doing something wrong.”
That was pretty much the assessment of Peter Brown, whose effort to speak in Spanish was moving but gave him a slow start in a time-controlled answer format.
In front of an audience packed with varied representatives of the Latino community, Roy Morales appealed to his roots when he said that Hispanics “need to look at what bring us together,” without elaborating. He also said, “We need to make sure that English is the common language for our children but never, never, never forget the language of our ancestors.”
The key, Gene Locke said, is to create “a leadership in the Hispanic community that would work long-term. Particularly young leadership.”
Aside from a little sparring, such as a back-and-forth between Parker and Brown on her figures for Houston's deficit, the four candidates appeared to have a lot in common in their approaches to general issues, such as public safety, education, job creation, or helping business owners to thrive. By the same token, they barely addressed the most pressing issues affecting highly populated Latino areas, such as low-income schools or access to health care, to name a few.
On the city's participation in the 287g program, they all support it, some with nuances. Morales made an ardent defense of the measure and even suggested that it should be extended to misdemeanors, a heated debate in the Latino community. Locke expressed some reservations and Parker was quick to clarify that she fully supports immigration enforcement in jails, but opposes police officers questioning people about their immigration status in routine traffic stops or on the streets.
— AURORA LOSADA
Hispanic immigrants moving to better U.S. lives
Linda Chavez: Immigrants moving briskly to better U.S. lives
Dallas Morning News, September 27, 2009
For the first time in decades, the number of foreign-born individuals living in the United States declined last year, according to new numbers released by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The reason for the tiny decline – from 12.6 percent of the U.S. population to 12.5 percent – may have less to do with tougher border enforcement effectively keeping out illegal immigrants than it does with a shrinking economy making the country a less enticing destination.
But what about those who remain? The greatest passion generated during immigration debates over the past few years has concerned illegal immigration, but many people also have voiced fears that Hispanic immigrants, even those who came legally, are somehow different from all previous immigrants and never will move into the American mainstream.
The Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector, for example, warned in one study that the descendants of Mexican immigrants will constitute a permanent underclass, dependent on welfare and unable to carry their fair share of the tax burden, discouraging lawmakers from considering changes to immigration law that would allow more Mexicans to immigrate, even if they were to do so legally.
Most important, they are about as likely to grow up in two-parent households as whites – 73 percent, compared with 77 percent for whites. They graduate from high school at rates slightly less than non-Hispanic whites (80 percent, compared with 92 percent of whites), but almost half go on to attend college. And those who graduate from college actually earn slightly more than their native-born counterparts. Additionally, the overwhelming majority of Hispanics born in the U.S. to immigrant parents are able to speak English well, which is key to their successful integration into American society.
Contrary to the impression that Hispanics remain poor no matter how long they've lived in the U.S., upward mobility is still the rule, not the exception. Twice as many third-generation Hispanics live in households with incomes of more than $75,000 a year (nearly one-third of all third-generation Hispanics do so) than live in households with incomes less than $25,000 a year.
The one worrisome trend among American-born Hispanics is the same demographic trend that plagues African-Americans and growing numbers of poor whites: rising out-of-wedlock births and an increasing number of children who grow up in female-headed households. "Third-generation" (which means third-generation or higher) Hispanics are far more likely than those of the first or second generation to grow up in households headed by unmarried mothers, with a majority, 52 percent, of such children growing up in homes without their fathers present.
Assimilation, unfortunately, includes adopting more lax attitudes toward sex and childbearing outside marriage, and the surest way to remain poor is to have a baby before you're married.
But it's difficult to blame this trend on immigration. Most of those we call "third-generation" Hispanics aren't even the grandchildren of immigrants but are made up mostly of Mexican-Americans whose families have been here for generations. Indeed, immigrant family values may be exactly what all Americans – Hispanic and non-Hispanic alike – need more of, not less.
Linda Chavez is the author of "An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal." Her e-mail address is lchavez@ceousa.org.
Dallas Morning News, September 27, 2009
For the first time in decades, the number of foreign-born individuals living in the United States declined last year, according to new numbers released by the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The reason for the tiny decline – from 12.6 percent of the U.S. population to 12.5 percent – may have less to do with tougher border enforcement effectively keeping out illegal immigrants than it does with a shrinking economy making the country a less enticing destination.
But what about those who remain? The greatest passion generated during immigration debates over the past few years has concerned illegal immigration, but many people also have voiced fears that Hispanic immigrants, even those who came legally, are somehow different from all previous immigrants and never will move into the American mainstream.
The Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector, for example, warned in one study that the descendants of Mexican immigrants will constitute a permanent underclass, dependent on welfare and unable to carry their fair share of the tax burden, discouraging lawmakers from considering changes to immigration law that would allow more Mexicans to immigrate, even if they were to do so legally.
Most important, they are about as likely to grow up in two-parent households as whites – 73 percent, compared with 77 percent for whites. They graduate from high school at rates slightly less than non-Hispanic whites (80 percent, compared with 92 percent of whites), but almost half go on to attend college. And those who graduate from college actually earn slightly more than their native-born counterparts. Additionally, the overwhelming majority of Hispanics born in the U.S. to immigrant parents are able to speak English well, which is key to their successful integration into American society.
Contrary to the impression that Hispanics remain poor no matter how long they've lived in the U.S., upward mobility is still the rule, not the exception. Twice as many third-generation Hispanics live in households with incomes of more than $75,000 a year (nearly one-third of all third-generation Hispanics do so) than live in households with incomes less than $25,000 a year.
The one worrisome trend among American-born Hispanics is the same demographic trend that plagues African-Americans and growing numbers of poor whites: rising out-of-wedlock births and an increasing number of children who grow up in female-headed households. "Third-generation" (which means third-generation or higher) Hispanics are far more likely than those of the first or second generation to grow up in households headed by unmarried mothers, with a majority, 52 percent, of such children growing up in homes without their fathers present.
Assimilation, unfortunately, includes adopting more lax attitudes toward sex and childbearing outside marriage, and the surest way to remain poor is to have a baby before you're married.
But it's difficult to blame this trend on immigration. Most of those we call "third-generation" Hispanics aren't even the grandchildren of immigrants but are made up mostly of Mexican-Americans whose families have been here for generations. Indeed, immigrant family values may be exactly what all Americans – Hispanic and non-Hispanic alike – need more of, not less.
Linda Chavez is the author of "An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal." Her e-mail address is lchavez@ceousa.org.
Paper apologizes for Latino cartoon
Cartoon stereotyping Latino didn’t denote 'Our View'
By Duke Rescola, Daily 49er, September 27, 2009
When we make mistakes, it’s our responsibility to take ownership and to make amends to not only those we’ve harmed directly, but also to those who were unjustly swept into the aftermath.
In 2005, a series of cartoons depicting Islamic Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist appeared in a Danish newspaper, setting off a nearly six-month-long firestorm of violent Muslim protests around the globe. By the time most of the dust had settled, more than 100 people were dead.
The newspaper, Jylands-Posten, attempted to justify the cartoons as an attempt to expand the debate about Islamic fundamentalism, overall ethnocentrism and free speech.
The Danish newspaper eventually wrote an apology, but not until after the backlash from the Muslim global communities had grown to near-catastrophic levels. The toothpaste was out and could not be squeezed back into the tube.
On Thursday, I, the opinions editor for the Daily 49er, made a hasty and poor judgment call to run a cartoon accompanying the editorial titled “Schools ‘insourcing’ foreign teachers.”
The editorial was meant to highlight a trend in recent years of American teachers avoiding inner-city and rural teaching assignments, with teachers on temporary visas from other countries taking the jobs. The intention was to encourage future teachers to take assignments in impoverished areas where U.S.-trained teachers are in short supply, especially in math and the sciences.
The cartoon, however, showed a seemingly disheveled, unshaven Latino day laborer and a white male in a suit — presumably a school principal. The dialogue was from the white male, saying, “Class, we’re broke! So say hello to Paco! He was a day worker standing around Home Depot, but is now your new English & math teacher.” The cartoon was off-topic and off-color.
I detest the concept of censorship, but know as an editor there must always be a modicum of self-censorship so as not to marginalize any group, or individual, by discriminating against people based on race, ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, or any form of illustrative stereotyping a perceived “other.”
Many friends and acquaintances I have in our diverse campus communities have shared their disappointment that I didn’t pull the cartoon. Those who’ve expressed their dismay most are injured because they know me to be a champion of the underdog by challenging racism, bigotry and hatred. They are right in their anguish because I also am disappointed in my lack of prudence.
I could offer readers the series of events that led to my lax choice to let the cartoon appear, but those would amount to no more than inadequate, feeble excuses. Suffice it say that I fell asleep at the wheel. Mostly, I selfishly ignored good time-management practices and made a lazy decision.
Other members of the staff, including our editor in chief, Joanne Tucker, and managing editor, Tracy McDannald, have tried to diffuse my ultimate responsibility by shouldering some of the blame. They possibly own minor culpability for not reacting as gatekeepers, but only to a very minute degree.
They allow me quite a bit of autonomy in my decision-making processes about content and artwork.
Readers grow to trust the integrity and credibility of a newspaper based largely on sound judgment. When one person fails it reflects on the publication as a whole. It’s not always fair but it’s real; it’s the animal we’ve committed our lives to as journalists. We rely on each other to avoid that one gaffe that can tarnish our reputation for being equitable.
I’ve worked extremely hard for nearly three years to fight the same exclusion the cartoon seemed to promote.
For all of the above, I apologize to our readers, my friends, the Daily 49er staff and our numerous communities, whether on-campus or off. I apologize not only to those who were hurt and offended by the cartoon, but to those who should have been, yet somehow weren’t.
Finally, I apologize to myself for letting my humanities guard down. I screwed up and I have to own it, and hope you all can forgive me.
Duke Rescola is a senior journalism major and the opinions editor for the Daily 49er.
By Duke Rescola, Daily 49er, September 27, 2009
When we make mistakes, it’s our responsibility to take ownership and to make amends to not only those we’ve harmed directly, but also to those who were unjustly swept into the aftermath.
In 2005, a series of cartoons depicting Islamic Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist appeared in a Danish newspaper, setting off a nearly six-month-long firestorm of violent Muslim protests around the globe. By the time most of the dust had settled, more than 100 people were dead.
The newspaper, Jylands-Posten, attempted to justify the cartoons as an attempt to expand the debate about Islamic fundamentalism, overall ethnocentrism and free speech.
The Danish newspaper eventually wrote an apology, but not until after the backlash from the Muslim global communities had grown to near-catastrophic levels. The toothpaste was out and could not be squeezed back into the tube.
On Thursday, I, the opinions editor for the Daily 49er, made a hasty and poor judgment call to run a cartoon accompanying the editorial titled “Schools ‘insourcing’ foreign teachers.”
The editorial was meant to highlight a trend in recent years of American teachers avoiding inner-city and rural teaching assignments, with teachers on temporary visas from other countries taking the jobs. The intention was to encourage future teachers to take assignments in impoverished areas where U.S.-trained teachers are in short supply, especially in math and the sciences.
The cartoon, however, showed a seemingly disheveled, unshaven Latino day laborer and a white male in a suit — presumably a school principal. The dialogue was from the white male, saying, “Class, we’re broke! So say hello to Paco! He was a day worker standing around Home Depot, but is now your new English & math teacher.” The cartoon was off-topic and off-color.
I detest the concept of censorship, but know as an editor there must always be a modicum of self-censorship so as not to marginalize any group, or individual, by discriminating against people based on race, ethnicity, religion, culture, gender, or any form of illustrative stereotyping a perceived “other.”
Many friends and acquaintances I have in our diverse campus communities have shared their disappointment that I didn’t pull the cartoon. Those who’ve expressed their dismay most are injured because they know me to be a champion of the underdog by challenging racism, bigotry and hatred. They are right in their anguish because I also am disappointed in my lack of prudence.
I could offer readers the series of events that led to my lax choice to let the cartoon appear, but those would amount to no more than inadequate, feeble excuses. Suffice it say that I fell asleep at the wheel. Mostly, I selfishly ignored good time-management practices and made a lazy decision.
Other members of the staff, including our editor in chief, Joanne Tucker, and managing editor, Tracy McDannald, have tried to diffuse my ultimate responsibility by shouldering some of the blame. They possibly own minor culpability for not reacting as gatekeepers, but only to a very minute degree.
They allow me quite a bit of autonomy in my decision-making processes about content and artwork.
Readers grow to trust the integrity and credibility of a newspaper based largely on sound judgment. When one person fails it reflects on the publication as a whole. It’s not always fair but it’s real; it’s the animal we’ve committed our lives to as journalists. We rely on each other to avoid that one gaffe that can tarnish our reputation for being equitable.
I’ve worked extremely hard for nearly three years to fight the same exclusion the cartoon seemed to promote.
For all of the above, I apologize to our readers, my friends, the Daily 49er staff and our numerous communities, whether on-campus or off. I apologize not only to those who were hurt and offended by the cartoon, but to those who should have been, yet somehow weren’t.
Finally, I apologize to myself for letting my humanities guard down. I screwed up and I have to own it, and hope you all can forgive me.
Duke Rescola is a senior journalism major and the opinions editor for the Daily 49er.
Asians invite Latinos to work together
Opinion: Asians leading the way for political strategies
By Adrian Perez, Publisher, The Latino Journal E-News
With over 300 people attending the second annual Voter's Education and Candidates Forum in Santa Clara, California, this past weekend marked the official kick-off of political hopefuls looking to secure the minority vote in the nation's most ethnically diverse state. The audience, comprised primarily by Asians, but also included were Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Russian-Americans, and African Americans, listened attentively and asked tough questions of especially the GOP gubernatorial candidates. Interestingly, each candidate who spoke shared the same message: "Your vote is very important."
The event, which was coordinated and hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA), is one of several that will be implemented by the 5-year old organization over the next 13 months. Its largest gathering is held each October in Sacramento, California, and has featured key national, state and local political aspirants. This year, scheduled for October 4, 2009, at Sacramento State University, the Forum will feature the Honorable Willie Brown (retired), Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and will host a discussion on healthcare by formidable legislators representing both sides of the issue.
Why Attending An APAPA Event Is Important To Latinos
Political voice is crucial to secure and maintain funding and programs essential for any community's development. Electing someone because they represent a political party's belief has resulted in little or no voice when it really matters, during budget planning. The Asian community has figured out this critical component and has organized itself to challenge and elect individuals who will best represent their interests (Republicans and Democrats). Through APAPA, a blueprint has been created that should be the envy of every minority community throughout the U.S. Their voter education and candidates forums continue to attract candidates seeking national, state and local office. More importantly, they have opened the doors to these free events for Latinos, African Americans, Russian-Americans, and others to learn how they do it. Not to take advantage of this offer is like not opening a book during an open book test.
I encourage all of you to learn more about APAPA or attend one of their events.
By Adrian Perez, Publisher, The Latino Journal E-News
With over 300 people attending the second annual Voter's Education and Candidates Forum in Santa Clara, California, this past weekend marked the official kick-off of political hopefuls looking to secure the minority vote in the nation's most ethnically diverse state. The audience, comprised primarily by Asians, but also included were Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Russian-Americans, and African Americans, listened attentively and asked tough questions of especially the GOP gubernatorial candidates. Interestingly, each candidate who spoke shared the same message: "Your vote is very important."
The event, which was coordinated and hosted by the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA), is one of several that will be implemented by the 5-year old organization over the next 13 months. Its largest gathering is held each October in Sacramento, California, and has featured key national, state and local political aspirants. This year, scheduled for October 4, 2009, at Sacramento State University, the Forum will feature the Honorable Willie Brown (retired), Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and will host a discussion on healthcare by formidable legislators representing both sides of the issue.
Why Attending An APAPA Event Is Important To Latinos
Political voice is crucial to secure and maintain funding and programs essential for any community's development. Electing someone because they represent a political party's belief has resulted in little or no voice when it really matters, during budget planning. The Asian community has figured out this critical component and has organized itself to challenge and elect individuals who will best represent their interests (Republicans and Democrats). Through APAPA, a blueprint has been created that should be the envy of every minority community throughout the U.S. Their voter education and candidates forums continue to attract candidates seeking national, state and local office. More importantly, they have opened the doors to these free events for Latinos, African Americans, Russian-Americans, and others to learn how they do it. Not to take advantage of this offer is like not opening a book during an open book test.
I encourage all of you to learn more about APAPA or attend one of their events.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
California Senator helps Hispanic, other immigrants
California immigrants facing deportation find a friend in Dianne Feinstein
By Rob Hotakainen, Sacbee.com, Sep. 25, 2009
WASHINGTON – On the morning of Jan. 28, federal agents knocked on Shirley Tan's door, showed her a deportation letter and put her in handcuffs.
"I was put into a van with two men in yellow jumpsuits and chains and searched like a criminal in a way I have only seen on television and in the movies," said Tan, 44, a housewife and mother from Pacifica.
But Tan is still in the United States today, and she says there's only one reason why: "the great compassion" of California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
People seeking to get around U.S. immigration laws have found a good friend in the state's senior senator, who is going to unusual lengths to help her constituents avoid deportation.
Feinstein, a member of the Judiciary Committee, is the Senate's leader in using "private bills" as a way to keep people in the country who otherwise would be forced to leave.
Private bills – narrowly drawn to affect only one person or a few people – are relatively rare. Only 35 are pending in the Senate this year; 14 of them – or 40 percent – bear Feinstein's name. Thirteen of Feinstein's bills date back to previous sessions of Congress but were reintroduced this year.
The bills usually fail because of their narrow appeal, but deportation procedures are oftentimes put on hold when a member of Congress introduces a private bill.
When Feinstein offered a bill on behalf of Tan, her deportation was delayed until 2011.
Feinstein said her private bills are aimed at helping families or individuals who face exceptional circumstances.
"These are people who, if sent back to their home countries, would face enormous hardship," she said. "These individuals have no criminal backgrounds, they're financially secure, they pay their taxes, their children excel in school. They've truly embraced the American dream."
She acknowledged that private relief bills seldom pass, "and many of my colleagues in the Senate have a policy never to introduce them."
But she added: "My staff and I have thoroughly reviewed these cases and believe they merit such extraordinary relief as a private bill."
California's senators take drastically different approaches to private legislation. While Feinstein leads the Senate in private bills, Democrat Barbara Boxer has not introduced a single private bill since joining the Senate in 1993.
"Senator Boxer believes the most effective way to help her constituents is through great casework," said her spokesman, Zachary Coile. "Our caseworkers in California do an exceptional job of helping constituents resolve their problems."
The practice of introducing private bills has always raised questions of special treatment, said Jan Ting, who teaches immigration law at Temple University Law School in Philadelphia and served as assistant commissioner at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the early 1990s. But whenever a member of Congress took an interest in a case, he said, it prompted an immediate internal review.
"That was enough to put a sticker on the file. Our sense was that, well gosh, we owe it to Congress, who controls our funding, to at least see how the private bill plays out," Ting said.
But he said congressional leaders look disapprovingly at private bills, "as kind of clogging up the works."
"They don't feel that that's how immigration matters should be handled," Ting said. "And if you let too many private bills actually pass, you will then be deluged with private bills."
Only 36 private laws were approved and signed into law from 1995 until 2007, according to the Congressional Research Service In a report to Congress, the research service said private bills "warrant careful consideration" because they're "a special form of relief allowing the circumvention of the public laws" governing immigration.
For many members of Congress, private bills fell out of favor in the 1970s, after Abscam and a series of other corruption scandals involving payoffs for the sponsorship of private bills.
Ting said that private bills then "were thought to be one more manifestation of the fruits of corruption."
Tan said she believes Feinstein lent her a sympathetic ear because her deportation would have resulted in the breakup of her family.
"The main reason is she doesn't want families to be torn apart, and a mom shouldn't be taken away from her American-born children," Tan said.
Feinstein has defended her private bills in speeches on the Senate floor.
She asked her colleagues to provide permanent resident status to Joseph Gabra and his wife, Sharon Kamel, Egyptian nationals living with their four children in Camarillo. Feinstein said they entered the United States in 1998 on tourist visas and immediately filed for political asylum based on religious persecution. She said the couple would "endure immense and unfair hardship" if forced to leave the country.
Feinstein asked the Senate to approve a private bill for Esidronio Arreola-Saucedo, Maria Elna Cobian Arreola and their children, Nayely and Cindy, all living in the Fresno area. She said the family has lived in the United States more than 20 years and faced deportation because of "grievous errors committed by their previous counsel," who since has been disbarred.
And the senator introduced legislation to help Robert Liang and his wife, Alice Liang, of San Bruno, who entered the United States more than 25 years ago as tourists and overstayed the terms of their temporary visas. Robert Liang is a foreign national and refugee from Laos; his wife is a citizen of Taiwan.
They sought to change their immigration status in 1993, but the INS did not act on their application until five years later. An immigration judge said their request likely would have been approved if it had been acted on in a timely manner, before immigration laws changed in 1996.
In Tan's case, Feinstein intervened after federal courts denied her bid for asylum.
After living in the United States more than 20 years, Tan faced deportation back to her native Philippines. She said the law discriminates against her because she is a lesbian and cannot be sponsored for citizenship by her longtime partner, Jaylynn Mercado.
Tan pressed her case before the Senate Judiciary Committee in June, telling members of Congress that she merely wants to keep together her family, which includes a pair of 12-year-old twins.
"We have a home together," she said. "Jay has a great job. We have a mortgage, a pension, friends and a community. We have everything together, and it would be impossible to re-establish elsewhere."
In an interview, Tan said she is happy to be one of Feinstein's constituents.
"I'm just thankful and I feel so lucky that I was given a private bill by my senator," Tan said. "Because if not for her, I would have been deported. It's only a senator that can do that."
By Rob Hotakainen, Sacbee.com, Sep. 25, 2009
WASHINGTON – On the morning of Jan. 28, federal agents knocked on Shirley Tan's door, showed her a deportation letter and put her in handcuffs.
"I was put into a van with two men in yellow jumpsuits and chains and searched like a criminal in a way I have only seen on television and in the movies," said Tan, 44, a housewife and mother from Pacifica.
But Tan is still in the United States today, and she says there's only one reason why: "the great compassion" of California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
People seeking to get around U.S. immigration laws have found a good friend in the state's senior senator, who is going to unusual lengths to help her constituents avoid deportation.
Feinstein, a member of the Judiciary Committee, is the Senate's leader in using "private bills" as a way to keep people in the country who otherwise would be forced to leave.
Private bills – narrowly drawn to affect only one person or a few people – are relatively rare. Only 35 are pending in the Senate this year; 14 of them – or 40 percent – bear Feinstein's name. Thirteen of Feinstein's bills date back to previous sessions of Congress but were reintroduced this year.
The bills usually fail because of their narrow appeal, but deportation procedures are oftentimes put on hold when a member of Congress introduces a private bill.
When Feinstein offered a bill on behalf of Tan, her deportation was delayed until 2011.
Feinstein said her private bills are aimed at helping families or individuals who face exceptional circumstances.
"These are people who, if sent back to their home countries, would face enormous hardship," she said. "These individuals have no criminal backgrounds, they're financially secure, they pay their taxes, their children excel in school. They've truly embraced the American dream."
She acknowledged that private relief bills seldom pass, "and many of my colleagues in the Senate have a policy never to introduce them."
But she added: "My staff and I have thoroughly reviewed these cases and believe they merit such extraordinary relief as a private bill."
California's senators take drastically different approaches to private legislation. While Feinstein leads the Senate in private bills, Democrat Barbara Boxer has not introduced a single private bill since joining the Senate in 1993.
"Senator Boxer believes the most effective way to help her constituents is through great casework," said her spokesman, Zachary Coile. "Our caseworkers in California do an exceptional job of helping constituents resolve their problems."
The practice of introducing private bills has always raised questions of special treatment, said Jan Ting, who teaches immigration law at Temple University Law School in Philadelphia and served as assistant commissioner at the Immigration and Naturalization Service in the early 1990s. But whenever a member of Congress took an interest in a case, he said, it prompted an immediate internal review.
"That was enough to put a sticker on the file. Our sense was that, well gosh, we owe it to Congress, who controls our funding, to at least see how the private bill plays out," Ting said.
But he said congressional leaders look disapprovingly at private bills, "as kind of clogging up the works."
"They don't feel that that's how immigration matters should be handled," Ting said. "And if you let too many private bills actually pass, you will then be deluged with private bills."
Only 36 private laws were approved and signed into law from 1995 until 2007, according to the Congressional Research Service In a report to Congress, the research service said private bills "warrant careful consideration" because they're "a special form of relief allowing the circumvention of the public laws" governing immigration.
For many members of Congress, private bills fell out of favor in the 1970s, after Abscam and a series of other corruption scandals involving payoffs for the sponsorship of private bills.
Ting said that private bills then "were thought to be one more manifestation of the fruits of corruption."
Tan said she believes Feinstein lent her a sympathetic ear because her deportation would have resulted in the breakup of her family.
"The main reason is she doesn't want families to be torn apart, and a mom shouldn't be taken away from her American-born children," Tan said.
Feinstein has defended her private bills in speeches on the Senate floor.
She asked her colleagues to provide permanent resident status to Joseph Gabra and his wife, Sharon Kamel, Egyptian nationals living with their four children in Camarillo. Feinstein said they entered the United States in 1998 on tourist visas and immediately filed for political asylum based on religious persecution. She said the couple would "endure immense and unfair hardship" if forced to leave the country.
Feinstein asked the Senate to approve a private bill for Esidronio Arreola-Saucedo, Maria Elna Cobian Arreola and their children, Nayely and Cindy, all living in the Fresno area. She said the family has lived in the United States more than 20 years and faced deportation because of "grievous errors committed by their previous counsel," who since has been disbarred.
And the senator introduced legislation to help Robert Liang and his wife, Alice Liang, of San Bruno, who entered the United States more than 25 years ago as tourists and overstayed the terms of their temporary visas. Robert Liang is a foreign national and refugee from Laos; his wife is a citizen of Taiwan.
They sought to change their immigration status in 1993, but the INS did not act on their application until five years later. An immigration judge said their request likely would have been approved if it had been acted on in a timely manner, before immigration laws changed in 1996.
In Tan's case, Feinstein intervened after federal courts denied her bid for asylum.
After living in the United States more than 20 years, Tan faced deportation back to her native Philippines. She said the law discriminates against her because she is a lesbian and cannot be sponsored for citizenship by her longtime partner, Jaylynn Mercado.
Tan pressed her case before the Senate Judiciary Committee in June, telling members of Congress that she merely wants to keep together her family, which includes a pair of 12-year-old twins.
"We have a home together," she said. "Jay has a great job. We have a mortgage, a pension, friends and a community. We have everything together, and it would be impossible to re-establish elsewhere."
In an interview, Tan said she is happy to be one of Feinstein's constituents.
"I'm just thankful and I feel so lucky that I was given a private bill by my senator," Tan said. "Because if not for her, I would have been deported. It's only a senator that can do that."
Hispanic leader says immigration reform important
AP Interview: Leader has back-up immigration plan
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The head of the nation's leading Latino legal advocacy group said if comprehensive immigration legislation seems unlikely in 2010, Congress should make down payments by passing smaller-scale reforms.
In an interview with The Associated Press Friday, Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said he fully expects work on rewriting immigration law to begin in Congress next year.
But if Democratic leaders delay, because of elections and a hostile political climate for immigrants, Congress should take up the issue gradually and in smaller ways, Saenz said. Lawmakers could address the need for foreign agricultural workers, provide legal status to high school graduates brought to the country illegally as children, and create equity for same sex partners who want to come to the U.S. or get green cards.
"As of right now, I have not been convinced that comprehensive immigration reform cannot move in 2010, so it needs to move. It needs to include all of these elements and many more," Saenz said. "If that is not possible, then I'm interested in discussing this idea of down payments with a commitment to fulfill the obligation through comprehensive immigration reform that is not postponed indefinitely."
Previously, immigration advocates have been reluctant to address immigration reform piecemeal to keep the various interest groups united on difficult issues, such as legalizing millions of people who are in the country illegally.
Saenz acknowledged that immigration reform is meeting fierce opposition. He also agreed that President Barack Obama may face a tougher road trying to tackle it than former President George W. Bush, whose conservative credentials made his stance on the issue more palatable to some. Obama is under pressure from Latinos to succeed, he said.
"Part of President Obama's mandate coming in, particularly in the high levels of support that he received from Latino voters in critical states, I think a significant part of his mandate was about comprehensive immigration reform," Saenz said.
While the politics is playing out, Saenz said the Obama administration can take immediate action on immigration by fixing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of the Homeland Security Department, and suspending agreements that allow local and state law enforcement to enforce immigration laws. The agreements have led to civil rights abuses, such as racial profiling, he said.
Saenz, who was general counsel to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for five years, said that like the LA police force of about 15 years ago, ICE's "reputation in the community is deservedly abysmal" because it permits and condones civil rights violations regularly.
"It needs to be fixed," just as LAPD was, Saenz said. That could be done with leadership, transparency, repercussions for civil rights violations and oversight from an outside group, among other things, he said.
Saenz said other priorities for MALDEF are:
_ Countering calls by some in the Latino community for Census boycotts as a way to secure immigration reform. Saenz said the idea is a "self-inflicted wound of tremendous damage."
_ Protecting Latino's voting rights when legislatures take up redistricting after the Census, probably on an expanded geographic scale than in previous years because of growth of the Latino population.
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The head of the nation's leading Latino legal advocacy group said if comprehensive immigration legislation seems unlikely in 2010, Congress should make down payments by passing smaller-scale reforms.
In an interview with The Associated Press Friday, Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said he fully expects work on rewriting immigration law to begin in Congress next year.
But if Democratic leaders delay, because of elections and a hostile political climate for immigrants, Congress should take up the issue gradually and in smaller ways, Saenz said. Lawmakers could address the need for foreign agricultural workers, provide legal status to high school graduates brought to the country illegally as children, and create equity for same sex partners who want to come to the U.S. or get green cards.
"As of right now, I have not been convinced that comprehensive immigration reform cannot move in 2010, so it needs to move. It needs to include all of these elements and many more," Saenz said. "If that is not possible, then I'm interested in discussing this idea of down payments with a commitment to fulfill the obligation through comprehensive immigration reform that is not postponed indefinitely."
Previously, immigration advocates have been reluctant to address immigration reform piecemeal to keep the various interest groups united on difficult issues, such as legalizing millions of people who are in the country illegally.
Saenz acknowledged that immigration reform is meeting fierce opposition. He also agreed that President Barack Obama may face a tougher road trying to tackle it than former President George W. Bush, whose conservative credentials made his stance on the issue more palatable to some. Obama is under pressure from Latinos to succeed, he said.
"Part of President Obama's mandate coming in, particularly in the high levels of support that he received from Latino voters in critical states, I think a significant part of his mandate was about comprehensive immigration reform," Saenz said.
While the politics is playing out, Saenz said the Obama administration can take immediate action on immigration by fixing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, part of the Homeland Security Department, and suspending agreements that allow local and state law enforcement to enforce immigration laws. The agreements have led to civil rights abuses, such as racial profiling, he said.
Saenz, who was general counsel to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for five years, said that like the LA police force of about 15 years ago, ICE's "reputation in the community is deservedly abysmal" because it permits and condones civil rights violations regularly.
"It needs to be fixed," just as LAPD was, Saenz said. That could be done with leadership, transparency, repercussions for civil rights violations and oversight from an outside group, among other things, he said.
Saenz said other priorities for MALDEF are:
_ Countering calls by some in the Latino community for Census boycotts as a way to secure immigration reform. Saenz said the idea is a "self-inflicted wound of tremendous damage."
_ Protecting Latino's voting rights when legislatures take up redistricting after the Census, probably on an expanded geographic scale than in previous years because of growth of the Latino population.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Census boycott splits Latinos
Census Boycott Splits Latinos
Marcelo Ballvé, New America Media, Sep 23, 2009
Earlier this year, a prominent Latino religious leader proposed a boycott of the 2010 Census as a way for undocumented immigrants to bring their voices to bear on the immigration debate.
The boycott, pushed by the Rev. Miguel Ángel Rivera of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, now seems to be gaining momentum in some Latino communities, as well as a higher profile in the ethnic media.
In part that's because of mounting frustration with President Obama's failure to deliver an immigration reform plan this year, as he promised while campaigning for Latino votes last year.
In Los Angeles, well-known leftist activist Nativo Lopez of the Mexican American Political Association has thrown his support behind Rivera's boycott.
Speaking recently on the Univision TV network's widely-watched weekly show "Al Punto," Lopez said: "We're calling for a boycott, asking for non-cooperation with the Census, until there's just and comprehensive immigration reform and legal status for everybody."
The two other immigrant leaders invited to speak on that week's program, anchored by Univision's Jorge Ramos, disagreed sharply with the boycott plan.
"It's a well-intentioned strategy, but it's the wrong answer and it will have negative consequences," said one of them, Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Likewise, other influential boycott critics like the Hispanic advocacy group National Council of La Raza and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, warned it will drain dollars, political representation and influence from Latino communities.
In a strange twist, Latino supporters of the boycott find themselves on the same side as right-wing immigration hard-liners, who also do not want undocumented immigrants included in the 2010 Census.
Right-wing commentators like columnist Michelle Malkin and CNN's Lou Dobbs, as well as Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., already are targeting the Census Bureau for counting undocumented immigrants.
The right-wing critics believe counting those who entered the country illegally unfairly inflates Latino political influence.
Mark Krikorian, head of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for more restrictive immigration laws, described Rev. Rivera's plan as "a boycott I can get behind."
Krikorian noted that the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, has sued twice, unsuccessfully, to have undocumented immigrants excluded from the Census. (The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified FAIR as a hate group.)
"I honestly don't understand the logic of it," Krikorian wrote of the Census boycott in the National Review online, "since the more illegal aliens who are counted, the more (illegitimate) representation hard-left elites receive ... since illegal aliens are included in the counts for apportionment. But whatever the thinking, we should hope for its great success."
Despite the strange bedfellows, Rev. Rivera's boycott has begun to be the subject of buzz and passionate debate among Latino immigrants.
In Massachusetts, the Census boycott has caused a rift within the large and often-overlooked Brazilian immigrant community. Earlier this month, Fausto da Rocha, executive director of the Allston, Mass.-based Brazilian Immigrant Center, endorsed the boycott and had Rev. Rivera on his AM radio program.
On the call-in show, da Rocha surveyed his listeners on whether they would participate in the 2010 Census. Among undocumented immigrants, only six out of 106 callers said they would, according to reporting by Angela Schreiber in Comunidade News in Danbury, Conn. Among legal immigrants, only 20 out of 65 callers to the show said they would cooperate.
Like other newspaper editors and publishers, Breno da Mata of Comunidade News said he felt he had to report on the Census controversy once it became a topic of discussion in his community. "We couldn't just close our eyes to it," he said.
Many Brazilian immigrant leaders disagree with da Rocha's embrace of the boycott, just as many evangelical leaders split publicly with Rev. Rivera when he came out against the Census.
In the Boston area, five Brazilian newspapers issued a statement to counter da Rocha's position.
"We support the 2010 Census unconditionally because we believe it is the best and safest way to learn the real size of the Brazilian community," said the statement published by the New England Ethnic News website and signed by A Noticia, A Semana, Brazilian Times, Metropolitan Brazilian News, and Jornal dos Sports USA.
Fausto da Rocha's critics believe most Brazilians will end up supporting the Census count. But they admit da Rocha's strong endorsement of the boycott will have its impact.
"People began to form their opinions on the Census once Fausto went on the radio," acknowledged Paulo Monauer, editor and publisher of the Portuguese-language Jornal dos Sports USA paper in Massachusetts.
It's believed that as many as 300,000 Brazilians live in Massachusetts alone, and that as many as four-fifths of them may be undocumented.
Among Spanish-speaking Latinos in the Boston area, boycott support still seems limited, though press coverage has spread awareness, said Marcela García, editor of newspaper El Planeta.
However, she believed the boycott "has a lot of potential to gain more momentum" since so many Latino immigrants feel increasingly "fed-up and desperate" with the stalled immigration overhaul.
In Atlanta, the boycott still seems largely confined to certain Latino pastors and their loyal evangelical flocks, but the U.S. Census Bureau has been too timid in confronting Rev. Rivera, said Judith Martinez-Sadri, editor-in-chief of the Atlanta Latino newspaper.
"This gentleman has gotten ahead of them," she said, adding that the Rev. Rivera was on an Atlanta-area religious radio program this month that received dozens of calls.
García, of El Planeta, agreed the Census Bureau should rise to the challenge. "I would have expected them to come out with a more forceful reaction," she said.
In fact, the task of arguing against the boycott has mostly been taken up by Latino leaders outside of government.
In New York City this summer for example, Rev. Rivera appeared on WABC-TV, in a televised debate with Angelo Falcón, a well-known Latino political analyst who argued the "con" position against the boycott, to Rivera's "pro."
The boycott has surfaced again and again in recent ethnic media reporting on Census 2010.
In Philadelphia, for example, when the Al Día newspaper invited Census Bureau officials to an event, a reporter peppered Fernando Armstrong, regional director, with boycott questions.
"It's a distraction" that could be harmful, admitted Armstrong.
He warned that hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are channeled annually based on Census figures. He added that Latinos, as the country's fastest-growing demographic group, stand to gain access to greater political clout and dollars with a proper count.
Major Spanish-language television broadcasters such as Univision, Telemundo and Azteca America are vocal Census 2010 supporters. Telemundo for example, launched a national initiative: "¡Hazte Contar!" or "Be Counted!" to increase awareness and participation.
Similarly, Azteca America is promoting a "Yo Cuento" or "I Count" campaign in the Bay Area.
But aside from covering the boycott as a news story, the networks are against the boycott.
"We support that the people be counted," said Helder Rodriguez, operations manager at Azteca America in San Francisco. As for the boycott, "we only see it as news, we're not promoting it."
For his part, Rev. Rivera, whose organization claims 20,000 associated churches in 34 states, believes Hispanic media has not yet given the Census boycott its due share of airtime.
"They haven't opened the door to any type of debate," he said. "It's not that they have to support our position, but at least give us fair coverage."
Karen Yi in New York contributed to this report
Marcelo Ballvé, New America Media, Sep 23, 2009
Earlier this year, a prominent Latino religious leader proposed a boycott of the 2010 Census as a way for undocumented immigrants to bring their voices to bear on the immigration debate.
The boycott, pushed by the Rev. Miguel Ángel Rivera of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, now seems to be gaining momentum in some Latino communities, as well as a higher profile in the ethnic media.
In part that's because of mounting frustration with President Obama's failure to deliver an immigration reform plan this year, as he promised while campaigning for Latino votes last year.
In Los Angeles, well-known leftist activist Nativo Lopez of the Mexican American Political Association has thrown his support behind Rivera's boycott.
Speaking recently on the Univision TV network's widely-watched weekly show "Al Punto," Lopez said: "We're calling for a boycott, asking for non-cooperation with the Census, until there's just and comprehensive immigration reform and legal status for everybody."
The two other immigrant leaders invited to speak on that week's program, anchored by Univision's Jorge Ramos, disagreed sharply with the boycott plan.
"It's a well-intentioned strategy, but it's the wrong answer and it will have negative consequences," said one of them, Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
Likewise, other influential boycott critics like the Hispanic advocacy group National Council of La Raza and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, warned it will drain dollars, political representation and influence from Latino communities.
In a strange twist, Latino supporters of the boycott find themselves on the same side as right-wing immigration hard-liners, who also do not want undocumented immigrants included in the 2010 Census.
Right-wing commentators like columnist Michelle Malkin and CNN's Lou Dobbs, as well as Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., already are targeting the Census Bureau for counting undocumented immigrants.
The right-wing critics believe counting those who entered the country illegally unfairly inflates Latino political influence.
Mark Krikorian, head of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for more restrictive immigration laws, described Rev. Rivera's plan as "a boycott I can get behind."
Krikorian noted that the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, has sued twice, unsuccessfully, to have undocumented immigrants excluded from the Census. (The Southern Poverty Law Center has classified FAIR as a hate group.)
"I honestly don't understand the logic of it," Krikorian wrote of the Census boycott in the National Review online, "since the more illegal aliens who are counted, the more (illegitimate) representation hard-left elites receive ... since illegal aliens are included in the counts for apportionment. But whatever the thinking, we should hope for its great success."
Despite the strange bedfellows, Rev. Rivera's boycott has begun to be the subject of buzz and passionate debate among Latino immigrants.
In Massachusetts, the Census boycott has caused a rift within the large and often-overlooked Brazilian immigrant community. Earlier this month, Fausto da Rocha, executive director of the Allston, Mass.-based Brazilian Immigrant Center, endorsed the boycott and had Rev. Rivera on his AM radio program.
On the call-in show, da Rocha surveyed his listeners on whether they would participate in the 2010 Census. Among undocumented immigrants, only six out of 106 callers said they would, according to reporting by Angela Schreiber in Comunidade News in Danbury, Conn. Among legal immigrants, only 20 out of 65 callers to the show said they would cooperate.
Like other newspaper editors and publishers, Breno da Mata of Comunidade News said he felt he had to report on the Census controversy once it became a topic of discussion in his community. "We couldn't just close our eyes to it," he said.
Many Brazilian immigrant leaders disagree with da Rocha's embrace of the boycott, just as many evangelical leaders split publicly with Rev. Rivera when he came out against the Census.
In the Boston area, five Brazilian newspapers issued a statement to counter da Rocha's position.
"We support the 2010 Census unconditionally because we believe it is the best and safest way to learn the real size of the Brazilian community," said the statement published by the New England Ethnic News website and signed by A Noticia, A Semana, Brazilian Times, Metropolitan Brazilian News, and Jornal dos Sports USA.
Fausto da Rocha's critics believe most Brazilians will end up supporting the Census count. But they admit da Rocha's strong endorsement of the boycott will have its impact.
"People began to form their opinions on the Census once Fausto went on the radio," acknowledged Paulo Monauer, editor and publisher of the Portuguese-language Jornal dos Sports USA paper in Massachusetts.
It's believed that as many as 300,000 Brazilians live in Massachusetts alone, and that as many as four-fifths of them may be undocumented.
Among Spanish-speaking Latinos in the Boston area, boycott support still seems limited, though press coverage has spread awareness, said Marcela García, editor of newspaper El Planeta.
However, she believed the boycott "has a lot of potential to gain more momentum" since so many Latino immigrants feel increasingly "fed-up and desperate" with the stalled immigration overhaul.
In Atlanta, the boycott still seems largely confined to certain Latino pastors and their loyal evangelical flocks, but the U.S. Census Bureau has been too timid in confronting Rev. Rivera, said Judith Martinez-Sadri, editor-in-chief of the Atlanta Latino newspaper.
"This gentleman has gotten ahead of them," she said, adding that the Rev. Rivera was on an Atlanta-area religious radio program this month that received dozens of calls.
García, of El Planeta, agreed the Census Bureau should rise to the challenge. "I would have expected them to come out with a more forceful reaction," she said.
In fact, the task of arguing against the boycott has mostly been taken up by Latino leaders outside of government.
In New York City this summer for example, Rev. Rivera appeared on WABC-TV, in a televised debate with Angelo Falcón, a well-known Latino political analyst who argued the "con" position against the boycott, to Rivera's "pro."
The boycott has surfaced again and again in recent ethnic media reporting on Census 2010.
In Philadelphia, for example, when the Al Día newspaper invited Census Bureau officials to an event, a reporter peppered Fernando Armstrong, regional director, with boycott questions.
"It's a distraction" that could be harmful, admitted Armstrong.
He warned that hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are channeled annually based on Census figures. He added that Latinos, as the country's fastest-growing demographic group, stand to gain access to greater political clout and dollars with a proper count.
Major Spanish-language television broadcasters such as Univision, Telemundo and Azteca America are vocal Census 2010 supporters. Telemundo for example, launched a national initiative: "¡Hazte Contar!" or "Be Counted!" to increase awareness and participation.
Similarly, Azteca America is promoting a "Yo Cuento" or "I Count" campaign in the Bay Area.
But aside from covering the boycott as a news story, the networks are against the boycott.
"We support that the people be counted," said Helder Rodriguez, operations manager at Azteca America in San Francisco. As for the boycott, "we only see it as news, we're not promoting it."
For his part, Rev. Rivera, whose organization claims 20,000 associated churches in 34 states, believes Hispanic media has not yet given the Census boycott its due share of airtime.
"They haven't opened the door to any type of debate," he said. "It's not that they have to support our position, but at least give us fair coverage."
Karen Yi in New York contributed to this report
Latino group seeks political empowerment
Salvadorans Seek a Voice To Match Their Numbers
Summit Aims to Raise Political Visibility
By N.C. Aizenman, Washington Post, September 24, 2009
For nearly three decades Salvadoran immigrants have been among the nation's most organized newcomers, founding clubs to raise money for schools back home, establishing medical clinics for new arrivals and battling in Congress and courts to gain legal status for tens of thousands of political dissidents who fled persecution by the U.S.-backed government during El Salvador's civil war in the 1980s.
Yet, even as Salvadoran immigrants and Americans of Salvadoran descent have grown to number 1.6 million -- essentially tying them with Cubans as the nation's third largest Latino group -- they have mostly shied from direct participation in U.S. politics.
About 150 of the community's most prominent leaders from across the country gathered in Washington to change that Wednesday.
"This conference is about stepping it up to another level of visibility, performance and power," said Maryland Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez (D-Montgomery), a co-organizer of the First Salvadoran American Leadership Summit.
"When we first came to the United States, it was just about survival, so that's what our organizations focused on," Salvadoran-born Gutierrez said. "Now we have a community that has evolved, but I think we're kind of stuck in that service model. . . . We have to either create new political institutions, or we have to expand those current organizations so they also play a political role."
Conference participants plan to lobby more than 80 members of Congress on Thursday in support of efforts to offer illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. Wednesday's meeting included strategy sessions on how to influence the immigration debate and ensuring that Salvadoran Americans are fully counted in the 2010 Census.
But participants stressed that the larger purpose was simply to overcome their geographic dispersal, personality differences and longstanding ideological divisions stemming from El Salvador's civil war to convene as a group for the first time.
"We're not here to look for unity, because unity is a romantic dream that is hard to reach," said Salvador Sanabria of Salvadorans in the World, one of the four largest organizations. "We're here to come to this round table without hierarchy to find a consensus about the actions we can take to help our community."
ad_icon
Among the clearest points of agreement was that Salvadoran Americans should insist that any legalization plan adopted by Congress allow about 200,000 Salvadoran illegal immigrants who were granted temporary legal status in the wake of a 2001 earthquake to be the first in line to become permanent legal residents.
Indeed, several participants pointed to the unusual interests of those Salvadorans as an example of why they need to organize as a separate, national Salvadoran American movement.
"We have a separate identity even as we're part of the larger Latino community," said Jose Artiga of the SHARE foundation, which promotes development in El Salvador.
For all the event's optimism, there are some daunting obstacles to transforming the numerical strength of Salvadoran Americans into political clout. According to an analysis of Census data by the Pew Hispanic Center, 47 percent of U.S. residents of Salvadoran descent are not citizens. And 26 percent more are citizens but are still children, leaving only 27 percent who are currently eligible to vote. And it was perhaps telling that much of the discussion at the conference was in Spanish.
Still, many took heart in the political success of Salvadoran Americans in the Washington region. While far more Salvadorans live in California, their influence there is often overshadowed by that state's much larger Mexican American population.
By contrast, its 134,000 Salvadoran immigrants comprise the Washington region's largest foreign-born group. The figure is greater if their U.S.-born children are included.
That might explain why the nation's four highest Salvadoran American elected officials are from Washington. In addition to Gutierrez, they are Arlington County Board Chairman J. Walter Tejada (D), the summit's other co-organizer; Maryland Del. Victor R. Ramirez (D-Prince George's); and Prince George's County Council member William A. Campos (D-Hyattsville), who were also in attendance.
Summit Aims to Raise Political Visibility
By N.C. Aizenman, Washington Post, September 24, 2009
For nearly three decades Salvadoran immigrants have been among the nation's most organized newcomers, founding clubs to raise money for schools back home, establishing medical clinics for new arrivals and battling in Congress and courts to gain legal status for tens of thousands of political dissidents who fled persecution by the U.S.-backed government during El Salvador's civil war in the 1980s.
Yet, even as Salvadoran immigrants and Americans of Salvadoran descent have grown to number 1.6 million -- essentially tying them with Cubans as the nation's third largest Latino group -- they have mostly shied from direct participation in U.S. politics.
About 150 of the community's most prominent leaders from across the country gathered in Washington to change that Wednesday.
"This conference is about stepping it up to another level of visibility, performance and power," said Maryland Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez (D-Montgomery), a co-organizer of the First Salvadoran American Leadership Summit.
"When we first came to the United States, it was just about survival, so that's what our organizations focused on," Salvadoran-born Gutierrez said. "Now we have a community that has evolved, but I think we're kind of stuck in that service model. . . . We have to either create new political institutions, or we have to expand those current organizations so they also play a political role."
Conference participants plan to lobby more than 80 members of Congress on Thursday in support of efforts to offer illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. Wednesday's meeting included strategy sessions on how to influence the immigration debate and ensuring that Salvadoran Americans are fully counted in the 2010 Census.
But participants stressed that the larger purpose was simply to overcome their geographic dispersal, personality differences and longstanding ideological divisions stemming from El Salvador's civil war to convene as a group for the first time.
"We're not here to look for unity, because unity is a romantic dream that is hard to reach," said Salvador Sanabria of Salvadorans in the World, one of the four largest organizations. "We're here to come to this round table without hierarchy to find a consensus about the actions we can take to help our community."
ad_icon
Among the clearest points of agreement was that Salvadoran Americans should insist that any legalization plan adopted by Congress allow about 200,000 Salvadoran illegal immigrants who were granted temporary legal status in the wake of a 2001 earthquake to be the first in line to become permanent legal residents.
Indeed, several participants pointed to the unusual interests of those Salvadorans as an example of why they need to organize as a separate, national Salvadoran American movement.
"We have a separate identity even as we're part of the larger Latino community," said Jose Artiga of the SHARE foundation, which promotes development in El Salvador.
For all the event's optimism, there are some daunting obstacles to transforming the numerical strength of Salvadoran Americans into political clout. According to an analysis of Census data by the Pew Hispanic Center, 47 percent of U.S. residents of Salvadoran descent are not citizens. And 26 percent more are citizens but are still children, leaving only 27 percent who are currently eligible to vote. And it was perhaps telling that much of the discussion at the conference was in Spanish.
Still, many took heart in the political success of Salvadoran Americans in the Washington region. While far more Salvadorans live in California, their influence there is often overshadowed by that state's much larger Mexican American population.
By contrast, its 134,000 Salvadoran immigrants comprise the Washington region's largest foreign-born group. The figure is greater if their U.S.-born children are included.
That might explain why the nation's four highest Salvadoran American elected officials are from Washington. In addition to Gutierrez, they are Arlington County Board Chairman J. Walter Tejada (D), the summit's other co-organizer; Maryland Del. Victor R. Ramirez (D-Prince George's); and Prince George's County Council member William A. Campos (D-Hyattsville), who were also in attendance.
Website to help GOP target Latino Voters
Newt Gingrich Adds Hispanic News/Opinion Website-The Americano
By Michael Scherer, Time, September 22, 2009
Add another feather in the veritable bird's nest that is Gingrich Inc. The former Speaker of the House, and all-around conservative idea-smith, has launched a news website for Hispanic Americans, the rapidly growing segment of swing voters. It's called The Americano, and it is the bilingual brainchild of Sylvia Garcia, a longtime employee of Gingrich Communications, the former speaker's consulting business. "The idea came during the election," Garcia says. "There really isn't any media that is covering conservative values for Hispanics. Everything you see is very one-sided."
And so, conservative-minded Hispanics will find an opinion piece about how voter identification efforts are damaging the GOP brand among Latinos, a "History of U.S. Elections as Seen By Hispanics," and a piece about how the embattled non-profit ACORN was caught in a sting that involved a false claim about 14 El Salvadoran prostitutes.
The new website, which will seek to make a profit from advertising, comes at a time when Republican strategists, and conservative activists, are expressing clear concern over Republican popularity among the Latino electorate, a swing vote in recent presidential contests. As former Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., put it late last year on Meet the Press:
The fact of the matter is that Hispanics are going to be a more and more vibrant part of the electorate, and the Republican Party had better figure out how to talk to them. We had a very dramatic shift between what President Bush was able to do with Hispanic voters, where he won 44 percent of them, and what happened to Senator McCain.
Garcia, who previously set up Gingrich's own Spanish-language website (www.newt.org/paralatinos), said that she hopes to attract readers who are looking for conservative views on issues beyond the illegal immigration debate, which tends to alienate Hispanics from the Republican party. "In recent polls, when Hispanics and Latinos have been asked what is most important to them, immigration comes in fourth or fifth," Garcia said. She added that Newt's opinion pieces would be published on the site, but that he would not play a major visible role. "It's not about Newt. It's not about the speaker. It's really a site about conservatism."
As such, the site will face some stiff competition from other politically-motivated websites seeking to shape public opinion among American Hispanics. America's Voice, a pro-immigration reform non-profit pushing hard to brand the GOP as a party of immigrant-bashers, has stepped up its communications efforts in recent months. The headline of a press release the group sent out today targeted the House Minority Leader John Boehner with this headline: "Boehner to Immigrants: Work and Go Home; Obama to Immigrants: We Can Get it Done."
By Michael Scherer, Time, September 22, 2009
Add another feather in the veritable bird's nest that is Gingrich Inc. The former Speaker of the House, and all-around conservative idea-smith, has launched a news website for Hispanic Americans, the rapidly growing segment of swing voters. It's called The Americano, and it is the bilingual brainchild of Sylvia Garcia, a longtime employee of Gingrich Communications, the former speaker's consulting business. "The idea came during the election," Garcia says. "There really isn't any media that is covering conservative values for Hispanics. Everything you see is very one-sided."
And so, conservative-minded Hispanics will find an opinion piece about how voter identification efforts are damaging the GOP brand among Latinos, a "History of U.S. Elections as Seen By Hispanics," and a piece about how the embattled non-profit ACORN was caught in a sting that involved a false claim about 14 El Salvadoran prostitutes.
The new website, which will seek to make a profit from advertising, comes at a time when Republican strategists, and conservative activists, are expressing clear concern over Republican popularity among the Latino electorate, a swing vote in recent presidential contests. As former Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., put it late last year on Meet the Press:
The fact of the matter is that Hispanics are going to be a more and more vibrant part of the electorate, and the Republican Party had better figure out how to talk to them. We had a very dramatic shift between what President Bush was able to do with Hispanic voters, where he won 44 percent of them, and what happened to Senator McCain.
Garcia, who previously set up Gingrich's own Spanish-language website (www.newt.org/paralatinos), said that she hopes to attract readers who are looking for conservative views on issues beyond the illegal immigration debate, which tends to alienate Hispanics from the Republican party. "In recent polls, when Hispanics and Latinos have been asked what is most important to them, immigration comes in fourth or fifth," Garcia said. She added that Newt's opinion pieces would be published on the site, but that he would not play a major visible role. "It's not about Newt. It's not about the speaker. It's really a site about conservatism."
As such, the site will face some stiff competition from other politically-motivated websites seeking to shape public opinion among American Hispanics. America's Voice, a pro-immigration reform non-profit pushing hard to brand the GOP as a party of immigrant-bashers, has stepped up its communications efforts in recent months. The headline of a press release the group sent out today targeted the House Minority Leader John Boehner with this headline: "Boehner to Immigrants: Work and Go Home; Obama to Immigrants: We Can Get it Done."
Obama appoints Latina as Ambassador
President Obama Nominates Carmen Lomellin for Ambassador
PRESS RELEASE
Last week the President nominated Carmen Lomellin to be the Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization of American States (OAS), with the rank of Ambassador. In announcing his five nominees the President said, "This group brings a dedication and expertise in their fields that will serve this administration and the American people well. As we work to advance equal rights, keep our nation safe and put our country back on a path to prosperity, I look forward to working with these fine individuals in the months and years ahead."
Carmen's public service in Washington began in 1993 when she accepted a position in the Clinton Administration as White House Liaison and Senior Policy Advisor to the Director at the Office of Personnel Management. She also worked in the Office of White House Presidential Personnel and as Adviser on Hispanic Affairs for the White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach. She left the White House to accept the position of Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission of Women within the OAS, where she focused on hemispheric policies and issues affecting women, particularly in the areas of gender equality, economic empowerment and human rights. Carmen is currently the Director of Outreach for the Organization of American States (OAS).
Originally from Northwest Indiana, Carmen has had a stellar career. In Chicago she served as Director of the Private Industry Council for Mayor Richard M. Daley. She was also Director of Leadership Development for MALDEF, and Director of Economic Development for Chicago United, a civic think tank.
Carmen holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from St. Joseph's Calumet College and a Masters in Business Administration in International Business from De Paul University.
PRESS RELEASE
Last week the President nominated Carmen Lomellin to be the Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization of American States (OAS), with the rank of Ambassador. In announcing his five nominees the President said, "This group brings a dedication and expertise in their fields that will serve this administration and the American people well. As we work to advance equal rights, keep our nation safe and put our country back on a path to prosperity, I look forward to working with these fine individuals in the months and years ahead."
Carmen's public service in Washington began in 1993 when she accepted a position in the Clinton Administration as White House Liaison and Senior Policy Advisor to the Director at the Office of Personnel Management. She also worked in the Office of White House Presidential Personnel and as Adviser on Hispanic Affairs for the White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach. She left the White House to accept the position of Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission of Women within the OAS, where she focused on hemispheric policies and issues affecting women, particularly in the areas of gender equality, economic empowerment and human rights. Carmen is currently the Director of Outreach for the Organization of American States (OAS).
Originally from Northwest Indiana, Carmen has had a stellar career. In Chicago she served as Director of the Private Industry Council for Mayor Richard M. Daley. She was also Director of Leadership Development for MALDEF, and Director of Economic Development for Chicago United, a civic think tank.
Carmen holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from St. Joseph's Calumet College and a Masters in Business Administration in International Business from De Paul University.
Border conference on drugs recommends "Legalize marijuana"
War on Drugs conference: Legalize marijuana, participants say
By Ramon Bracamontes / El Paso Times, 09/23/2009
EL PASO -- Legalizing marijuana in the United States would weaken Mexico's powerful drug cartels, panelists at a War on Drugs conference said Tuesday.
"If you take away half of their money, it will hurt them," said William Martin, a sociology professor at Rice University who studies drug abuse and government policy. "You are not going to break them, but you will hurt them."
Martin was one of the speakers at the two-day conference in El Paso that ended Tuesday. The conference examined America's 40-year-old War on Drugs and attempted to begin a national discussion on whether marijuana should be legalized.
Martin said selling marijuana as a legal, controlled product might keep smokers from trying other drugs.
"If you are not going to a dealer to buy marijuana, you are less likely to go after harder drugs," he said.
Ethan Nadelmann, the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said people should not assume that decriminalizing marijuana would lead to more people using it. His organization helped push through a law in California that allows for small amounts of marijuana to be used for medical purposes.
But he acknowledged that getting people to consider legalization would be a tough task.
"Talking about the medical marijuana issue is the way to start," Nadelmann said. "In California, we had hoped that the medical issue discussion would lead to talks about legalization, but it hasn't."
El Paso County Attorney José Rodríguez said politicians do not even like to broach the subject of legalizing marijuana because anything they say will be misconstrued by some voters.
"Even if 75 percent of the people support this, there are still some who don't," Rodríguez said. "In the atmosphere that we are in, this is something you don't want to comment on."
During the two-day conference, speaker after speaker said that the United States was as much to blame for the violence in Juárez as was the Mexican government. Now that Mexico is trying to rid itself of the drug cartels that have killed thousands of people in the past 20 months, the United States should have an honest debate about drug policies that have done nothing to lessen demand, panelists said.
El Paso city Rep. Beto O'Rourke said those who attended the conference are now armed with information.
"We can now exert public pressure on our elected officials to develop public policy that is best for this community because the drug policies we have now do not work," O'Rourke said. "As evidence, I point to the 3,200 people who have been killed in Juárez."
Ramon Bracamontes may be reached at rbracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6142.
By Ramon Bracamontes / El Paso Times, 09/23/2009
EL PASO -- Legalizing marijuana in the United States would weaken Mexico's powerful drug cartels, panelists at a War on Drugs conference said Tuesday.
"If you take away half of their money, it will hurt them," said William Martin, a sociology professor at Rice University who studies drug abuse and government policy. "You are not going to break them, but you will hurt them."
Martin was one of the speakers at the two-day conference in El Paso that ended Tuesday. The conference examined America's 40-year-old War on Drugs and attempted to begin a national discussion on whether marijuana should be legalized.
Martin said selling marijuana as a legal, controlled product might keep smokers from trying other drugs.
"If you are not going to a dealer to buy marijuana, you are less likely to go after harder drugs," he said.
Ethan Nadelmann, the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said people should not assume that decriminalizing marijuana would lead to more people using it. His organization helped push through a law in California that allows for small amounts of marijuana to be used for medical purposes.
But he acknowledged that getting people to consider legalization would be a tough task.
"Talking about the medical marijuana issue is the way to start," Nadelmann said. "In California, we had hoped that the medical issue discussion would lead to talks about legalization, but it hasn't."
El Paso County Attorney José Rodríguez said politicians do not even like to broach the subject of legalizing marijuana because anything they say will be misconstrued by some voters.
"Even if 75 percent of the people support this, there are still some who don't," Rodríguez said. "In the atmosphere that we are in, this is something you don't want to comment on."
During the two-day conference, speaker after speaker said that the United States was as much to blame for the violence in Juárez as was the Mexican government. Now that Mexico is trying to rid itself of the drug cartels that have killed thousands of people in the past 20 months, the United States should have an honest debate about drug policies that have done nothing to lessen demand, panelists said.
El Paso city Rep. Beto O'Rourke said those who attended the conference are now armed with information.
"We can now exert public pressure on our elected officials to develop public policy that is best for this community because the drug policies we have now do not work," O'Rourke said. "As evidence, I point to the 3,200 people who have been killed in Juárez."
Ramon Bracamontes may be reached at rbracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6142.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Hispanic veterans continue to serve
Hispanic vet: We continue to serve
Heritage Celebration a tribute to strong tradition of fighting for America
By JENNIFER GISH, Times Union, September 20, 2009
ALBANY -- Between the parade and the merengue music at the Hannaford Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Empire State Plaza on Saturday, there was a serious moment to pay tribute to a specific kind of contribution from the Hispanic community.
More than a dozen Hispanic veterans -- representing service from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan -- sat in front of the main stage at the festival, where they were honored by the Schenectady Hispanic Heritage Committee and the Stratton VA Medical Center's Hispanic committee.
The event was one of many planned for National Hispanic Heritage Month, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
Maj. John Paneto, an Albany resident who's served with the U.S. Air Force for more than 30 years and works with the state Civil Service Department, spoke about the strong tradition of military service in Hispanic communities.
Hispanics boast one of the lowest attrition rates in the U.S. military, he said, and Puerto Rico has an enlistment rate high above the U.S. average.
"Hispanic Americans continue to serve in an outstanding manner while knowing the danger of military service, and knowing the danger that we may not always be welcome," he said. "In spite of our best efforts, we have been injured, damaged and sometimes marginalized, yet we continue to serve. There have been several times in my personal life that I have been told that I am not a real American. ... I am proud of my American contributions."
The 2007 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey says there are more than 1.1 million Hispanic veterans in the U.S.
Jennifer Keough, who served with the Marines for a year before an injury ended her career and who attended the ceremony with her 12-year-old son, said she dreamed of being part of the military since she was a girl. Her uncle, part of the strong Puerto Rican history of military service Paneto referred to, served four tours in Vietnam. Keough now works as a patient advocate for Albany's Veterans Administration Hospital.
"The recognition was amazing," she said. "I think it's great to celebrate our diversity."
Reach Jennifer Gish at 454-5089 or jgish@timesunion.com.
Heritage Celebration a tribute to strong tradition of fighting for America
By JENNIFER GISH, Times Union, September 20, 2009
ALBANY -- Between the parade and the merengue music at the Hannaford Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Empire State Plaza on Saturday, there was a serious moment to pay tribute to a specific kind of contribution from the Hispanic community.
More than a dozen Hispanic veterans -- representing service from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan -- sat in front of the main stage at the festival, where they were honored by the Schenectady Hispanic Heritage Committee and the Stratton VA Medical Center's Hispanic committee.
The event was one of many planned for National Hispanic Heritage Month, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
Maj. John Paneto, an Albany resident who's served with the U.S. Air Force for more than 30 years and works with the state Civil Service Department, spoke about the strong tradition of military service in Hispanic communities.
Hispanics boast one of the lowest attrition rates in the U.S. military, he said, and Puerto Rico has an enlistment rate high above the U.S. average.
"Hispanic Americans continue to serve in an outstanding manner while knowing the danger of military service, and knowing the danger that we may not always be welcome," he said. "In spite of our best efforts, we have been injured, damaged and sometimes marginalized, yet we continue to serve. There have been several times in my personal life that I have been told that I am not a real American. ... I am proud of my American contributions."
The 2007 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey says there are more than 1.1 million Hispanic veterans in the U.S.
Jennifer Keough, who served with the Marines for a year before an injury ended her career and who attended the ceremony with her 12-year-old son, said she dreamed of being part of the military since she was a girl. Her uncle, part of the strong Puerto Rican history of military service Paneto referred to, served four tours in Vietnam. Keough now works as a patient advocate for Albany's Veterans Administration Hospital.
"The recognition was amazing," she said. "I think it's great to celebrate our diversity."
Reach Jennifer Gish at 454-5089 or jgish@timesunion.com.
Foreign-born Hispanic residents drop
Number of Foreign-Born U.S. Residents Drops
Construction, Manufacturing Job Cuts and Enforcement Cited in Loss of Hispanic Immigrants
By Carol Morello and Dan Keating, Washington Post, September 22, 2009
The number of foreign-born people living in the United States declined last year, particularly among low-skilled immigrants from Mexico, according to a Census Bureau report released Tuesday.
The immigrant losses were particularly pronounced in California, Florida, Arizona and Michigan, all states where the recession hit early and hard. The metropolitan Washington area gained about 1,000 foreign-born residents, but a jump in the Asian population was offset by a significant drop in Mexicans and Salvadorans, the largest Hispanic immigrant group in the region.
The nationwide total of about 38 million foreign-born people decreased slightly, by just under 100,000. That brought down the share of the overall population that is foreign-born from 12.6 percent to 12.5 percent. Although the drop is relatively small, it was the first official decline in at least four years.
Demographers and other analysts said immigration is bound to pick up once the economy improves, although some said stricter enforcement of immigration laws played a role in the decline.
"This is clearly a downturn related to the economy in the U.S.," said demographer William Frey with the Brookings Institution. "What looks like negative immigration is something that, two or three years ago, you wouldn't have expected at all. It shows immigrants respond to the economy."
The statistics were part of the American Community Survey, an annual Census Bureau report that also includes data on household incomes and health insurance. The survey, conducted year-round, is based on a sample of about 3 million addresses.
The Washington area remains among the wealthiest places in the country. The median household income of $85,824 last year -- up from $83,200 in 2007 -- is second only to San Jose. Blacks, whites and Hispanics in the region are all on average the highest earners in the nation, while Asians here are the third highest, behind their counterparts in San Jose and Raleigh, N.C.
For the first time, the survey measured how many people do not have health insurance. Nationally, 15 percent are uninsured, but the figure varied widely among states. Texas had the most uninsured, at 24 percent, and Massachusetts had the least, at 4 percent.
The Washington area reflected big disparities among adults ages 18 to 64. In Prince George's County, for instance, 20 percent of adults in that age group have no insurance, compared with 10 percent in the District and 9 percent in Arlington County. About 16 percent of adults in Virginia have no insurance, as do 15 percent in Maryland.
The new statistics on foreign-born residents confirm findings by other researchers showing an ongoing drop-off in immigrants from Mexico, who comprise a third of all foreign-born residents and two-thirds of all Hispanic immigrants.
The Census found about 325,000 fewer immigrants from Mexico last year, a fall-off of 2.8 percent. Without that decline, there would have been a small increase in the overall number of immigrants.
Latinos decreased in all regions except the Northeast, where the population stayed flat. In the Washington area, the Mexico-born population dropped about 9,600, a net loss of 19 percent. Salvadorans were down about 10,700, a 7.4 percent drop. Together, they negated the addition of 16,500 Asians, a 4.4 percent increase.
A study this summer by the Pew Hispanic Center concluded that since 2006, there has been a sharp decline in new immigrants from Mexico, while the number who return home every year has stayed about the same.
Many Hispanic immigrants work in construction and manufacturing, and they have been particularly affected by the economic downturn, said Mark Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center.
Some might have been deterred by stricter immigration enforcement, too, he noted. In a 2008 Pew survey, 10 percent of foreign-born Hispanics said they had been stopped by authorities and asked for their immigration status, as had 8 percent of Hispanics born in the United States.
"Many Hispanics worry that they themselves, or someone they know, may be deported," Lopez said.
But Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors fewer immigrants, said his research suggests almost 1 million immigrants left the country in the past year alone, most of them Hispanic.
"People continue to come, but significantly fewer are coming, and many more are going home," he said. "It appears the decline began before the economy went south. That strongly suggests increased enforcement played a significant role."
Others contend that the floundering economy is solely to blame and that the drop is temporary.
"We've had a lot of enforcement in play for years," said Michael Cassidy, head of the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a think tank that analyzes the impact of policy on low-income Virginians. "I think that points to the economic reasons behind the shift, as opposed to the enforcement reasons. When there are no jobs, people aren't coming and they're not staying."
Construction, Manufacturing Job Cuts and Enforcement Cited in Loss of Hispanic Immigrants
By Carol Morello and Dan Keating, Washington Post, September 22, 2009
The number of foreign-born people living in the United States declined last year, particularly among low-skilled immigrants from Mexico, according to a Census Bureau report released Tuesday.
The immigrant losses were particularly pronounced in California, Florida, Arizona and Michigan, all states where the recession hit early and hard. The metropolitan Washington area gained about 1,000 foreign-born residents, but a jump in the Asian population was offset by a significant drop in Mexicans and Salvadorans, the largest Hispanic immigrant group in the region.
The nationwide total of about 38 million foreign-born people decreased slightly, by just under 100,000. That brought down the share of the overall population that is foreign-born from 12.6 percent to 12.5 percent. Although the drop is relatively small, it was the first official decline in at least four years.
Demographers and other analysts said immigration is bound to pick up once the economy improves, although some said stricter enforcement of immigration laws played a role in the decline.
"This is clearly a downturn related to the economy in the U.S.," said demographer William Frey with the Brookings Institution. "What looks like negative immigration is something that, two or three years ago, you wouldn't have expected at all. It shows immigrants respond to the economy."
The statistics were part of the American Community Survey, an annual Census Bureau report that also includes data on household incomes and health insurance. The survey, conducted year-round, is based on a sample of about 3 million addresses.
The Washington area remains among the wealthiest places in the country. The median household income of $85,824 last year -- up from $83,200 in 2007 -- is second only to San Jose. Blacks, whites and Hispanics in the region are all on average the highest earners in the nation, while Asians here are the third highest, behind their counterparts in San Jose and Raleigh, N.C.
For the first time, the survey measured how many people do not have health insurance. Nationally, 15 percent are uninsured, but the figure varied widely among states. Texas had the most uninsured, at 24 percent, and Massachusetts had the least, at 4 percent.
The Washington area reflected big disparities among adults ages 18 to 64. In Prince George's County, for instance, 20 percent of adults in that age group have no insurance, compared with 10 percent in the District and 9 percent in Arlington County. About 16 percent of adults in Virginia have no insurance, as do 15 percent in Maryland.
The new statistics on foreign-born residents confirm findings by other researchers showing an ongoing drop-off in immigrants from Mexico, who comprise a third of all foreign-born residents and two-thirds of all Hispanic immigrants.
The Census found about 325,000 fewer immigrants from Mexico last year, a fall-off of 2.8 percent. Without that decline, there would have been a small increase in the overall number of immigrants.
Latinos decreased in all regions except the Northeast, where the population stayed flat. In the Washington area, the Mexico-born population dropped about 9,600, a net loss of 19 percent. Salvadorans were down about 10,700, a 7.4 percent drop. Together, they negated the addition of 16,500 Asians, a 4.4 percent increase.
A study this summer by the Pew Hispanic Center concluded that since 2006, there has been a sharp decline in new immigrants from Mexico, while the number who return home every year has stayed about the same.
Many Hispanic immigrants work in construction and manufacturing, and they have been particularly affected by the economic downturn, said Mark Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center.
Some might have been deterred by stricter immigration enforcement, too, he noted. In a 2008 Pew survey, 10 percent of foreign-born Hispanics said they had been stopped by authorities and asked for their immigration status, as had 8 percent of Hispanics born in the United States.
"Many Hispanics worry that they themselves, or someone they know, may be deported," Lopez said.
But Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors fewer immigrants, said his research suggests almost 1 million immigrants left the country in the past year alone, most of them Hispanic.
"People continue to come, but significantly fewer are coming, and many more are going home," he said. "It appears the decline began before the economy went south. That strongly suggests increased enforcement played a significant role."
Others contend that the floundering economy is solely to blame and that the drop is temporary.
"We've had a lot of enforcement in play for years," said Michael Cassidy, head of the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a think tank that analyzes the impact of policy on low-income Virginians. "I think that points to the economic reasons behind the shift, as opposed to the enforcement reasons. When there are no jobs, people aren't coming and they're not staying."
Latino voters in Colorado will be key
Latinos big players in Senate-seat primaries
By Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post, 09/21/2009
A year ago during a heated congressional race, former state Sen. Polly Baca said she couldn't support Joan Fitz-Gerald in the Democratic primary because of her role in a special session on illegal immigration.
Fitz-Gerald was the state Senate president during that 2006 session, where lawmakers enacted what were touted as the toughest immigration laws in the nation. Baca said the measures hurt Latinos.
But a year later, Baca showed up in Pueblo to support Andrew Romanoff's kickoff for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate. He is challenging U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.
Romanoff was the House speaker during that same special session, and Baca was asked about what seemed to be a contradiction.
"It was Fitz-Gerald who pushed for it, and Andrew just went along for party unity," Baca said.
"Polly is dead wrong," Fitz-Gerald said last week, noting that former Gov. Bill Owens called the session.
Several Hispanic leaders, including Ricardo Martinez, co-director of Padres Unidos, backed Fitz-Gerald's version of events. Martinez said he is supporting Bennet.
"What's not spoken about is Romanoff's record, and how he voted to prohibit in-state tuition to undocumented students," said Martinez, who stressed he was speaking for himself and not his group.
Romanoff in 2004 voted for a GOP measure sponsored by Senate President John Andrews and Rep. Ted Harvey allowing in-state tuition for foreign nationals but prohibiting it for illegal immigrants. The bill eventually died.
But Romanoff clearly has strong Latino backing, as evidenced by the turnout at his kickoff Wednesday in Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver.
"Andrew doesn't always agree with everything we want, but Andrew has always been willing to sit down with us and listen to our concerns," Baca said. "Andrew has shown leadership."
Some Latinos felt snubbed in January when Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Bennet to the Senate seat held by U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, who was set to resign to join President Barack Obama's administration.
"I wanted a Hispanic, but if that wasn't the case, Romanoff was our choice, you better believe it," said Pueblo County Commissioner Anthony Nunez.
Bennet has plenty of fans in the Latino community, too, primarily from his tenure as Denver's schools superintendent.
One of his biggest fans is 2008 South High School graduate Ricky Escobedo, who also attended Manual High.
Escobedo, now a student at the University of Colorado Denver, credits Bennet with helping him graduate.
"He would call me. He would tell me to stay in school," Escobedo said. "I've seen his work and what his intentions are. He's a hardworking guy, and he really cares. That's why I want Michael Bennet to win."
Bennet or Romanoff will face the winner of a crowded Republican primary.
Republicans are upbeat about their chances with Latino voters, given the party's outreach efforts and what happened in Colorado in 2008.
James Garcia, director of the Colorado Republican Party, said Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush received 30 percent of the Latino vote statewide in 204, while John McCain last year got 38 percent of Latino vote.
Colorado was the only swing state with a significant Latino population to see an increase in Republican Latino votes from 2004, Garcia said.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
By Lynn Bartels, The Denver Post, 09/21/2009
A year ago during a heated congressional race, former state Sen. Polly Baca said she couldn't support Joan Fitz-Gerald in the Democratic primary because of her role in a special session on illegal immigration.
Fitz-Gerald was the state Senate president during that 2006 session, where lawmakers enacted what were touted as the toughest immigration laws in the nation. Baca said the measures hurt Latinos.
But a year later, Baca showed up in Pueblo to support Andrew Romanoff's kickoff for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate. He is challenging U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.
Romanoff was the House speaker during that same special session, and Baca was asked about what seemed to be a contradiction.
"It was Fitz-Gerald who pushed for it, and Andrew just went along for party unity," Baca said.
"Polly is dead wrong," Fitz-Gerald said last week, noting that former Gov. Bill Owens called the session.
Several Hispanic leaders, including Ricardo Martinez, co-director of Padres Unidos, backed Fitz-Gerald's version of events. Martinez said he is supporting Bennet.
"What's not spoken about is Romanoff's record, and how he voted to prohibit in-state tuition to undocumented students," said Martinez, who stressed he was speaking for himself and not his group.
Romanoff in 2004 voted for a GOP measure sponsored by Senate President John Andrews and Rep. Ted Harvey allowing in-state tuition for foreign nationals but prohibiting it for illegal immigrants. The bill eventually died.
But Romanoff clearly has strong Latino backing, as evidenced by the turnout at his kickoff Wednesday in Pueblo, Colorado Springs and Denver.
"Andrew doesn't always agree with everything we want, but Andrew has always been willing to sit down with us and listen to our concerns," Baca said. "Andrew has shown leadership."
Some Latinos felt snubbed in January when Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Bennet to the Senate seat held by U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, who was set to resign to join President Barack Obama's administration.
"I wanted a Hispanic, but if that wasn't the case, Romanoff was our choice, you better believe it," said Pueblo County Commissioner Anthony Nunez.
Bennet has plenty of fans in the Latino community, too, primarily from his tenure as Denver's schools superintendent.
One of his biggest fans is 2008 South High School graduate Ricky Escobedo, who also attended Manual High.
Escobedo, now a student at the University of Colorado Denver, credits Bennet with helping him graduate.
"He would call me. He would tell me to stay in school," Escobedo said. "I've seen his work and what his intentions are. He's a hardworking guy, and he really cares. That's why I want Michael Bennet to win."
Bennet or Romanoff will face the winner of a crowded Republican primary.
Republicans are upbeat about their chances with Latino voters, given the party's outreach efforts and what happened in Colorado in 2008.
James Garcia, director of the Colorado Republican Party, said Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush received 30 percent of the Latino vote statewide in 204, while John McCain last year got 38 percent of Latino vote.
Colorado was the only swing state with a significant Latino population to see an increase in Republican Latino votes from 2004, Garcia said.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Latino leaders meet at NY conference
Latino leaders, advocates meet at Somos conference
By SUMATHI REDDY, News Day, September 19, 2009
Hundreds of Latino leaders and advocates gathered Saturday for the fourth annual Somos conference, driving home the themes of uniting with the African-American community and protecting civil rights.
Converging at the Islandia Marriott hotel for the two-day conference, elected officials, business and labor leaders discussed everything from health care reform to reports of the rising number of hate crimes against Latinos.
Hosted by the Long Island Latino Elected Officials Association, State Assemb. Philip Ramos (D-Brentwood), chairman of the conference, said the conference is designed to help elected officials craft their legislative agenda.
By joining forces, Latino and African-American elected officials form a powerful coalition, Ramos said in his opening speech Saturday. "If we look at our communities, we live in the same neighborhoods. We drive down the same neglected streets," said Ramos. "We have issues in the same schools. We need to work together. Other then immigration, there is really no difference between the African-American agenda and the Latino agenda."
The rising influence of Latinos is evident by the draw of this year's event, Ramos said. Gov. David A. Paterson attended last night's gala, and state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli was the keynote speaker at the luncheon, receiving the 2009 legacy award from the group.
Referring to a recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, DiNapoli, who is from Great Neck, stressed the urgency of battling the growing number of hate crimes against Latinos. "It hurts me deeply and it offends me deeply when I read of these incidents happening right here in our own community," DiNapoli said of hate crimes in Suffolk County. "I don't like that Long Island is part of that statistic."
Noting how many of the perpetrators of such crimes are young, DiNapoli emphasized the important role of education and nonprofit groups. "It means we need to do more in our schools and in our community organizations. We have a lot of work that still has to be done."
Sprinkling his speech with Spanish phrases, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi emphasized the importance of the event for young people. "Imagine what it's like for our young people when they see our leaders castigating, attacking Latinos in our community, when they hold people out as scapegoats," Suozzi said. "I want to say very clear . . . not everyone is that way."
By SUMATHI REDDY, News Day, September 19, 2009
Hundreds of Latino leaders and advocates gathered Saturday for the fourth annual Somos conference, driving home the themes of uniting with the African-American community and protecting civil rights.
Converging at the Islandia Marriott hotel for the two-day conference, elected officials, business and labor leaders discussed everything from health care reform to reports of the rising number of hate crimes against Latinos.
Hosted by the Long Island Latino Elected Officials Association, State Assemb. Philip Ramos (D-Brentwood), chairman of the conference, said the conference is designed to help elected officials craft their legislative agenda.
By joining forces, Latino and African-American elected officials form a powerful coalition, Ramos said in his opening speech Saturday. "If we look at our communities, we live in the same neighborhoods. We drive down the same neglected streets," said Ramos. "We have issues in the same schools. We need to work together. Other then immigration, there is really no difference between the African-American agenda and the Latino agenda."
The rising influence of Latinos is evident by the draw of this year's event, Ramos said. Gov. David A. Paterson attended last night's gala, and state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli was the keynote speaker at the luncheon, receiving the 2009 legacy award from the group.
Referring to a recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, DiNapoli, who is from Great Neck, stressed the urgency of battling the growing number of hate crimes against Latinos. "It hurts me deeply and it offends me deeply when I read of these incidents happening right here in our own community," DiNapoli said of hate crimes in Suffolk County. "I don't like that Long Island is part of that statistic."
Noting how many of the perpetrators of such crimes are young, DiNapoli emphasized the important role of education and nonprofit groups. "It means we need to do more in our schools and in our community organizations. We have a lot of work that still has to be done."
Sprinkling his speech with Spanish phrases, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi emphasized the importance of the event for young people. "Imagine what it's like for our young people when they see our leaders castigating, attacking Latinos in our community, when they hold people out as scapegoats," Suozzi said. "I want to say very clear . . . not everyone is that way."
Latina appointed as US Attorney in Mass.
In a first for Mass., Obama nominates Hispanic woman as US attorney
By Globe Staff, September 17, 2009
President Obama has nominated Carmen M. Ortiz, who grew up poor in New York City's Spanish Harlem neighborhood and became a state and then a federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, as the next Massachusetts US attorney.
Ortiz , 53, of Milton would become the first woman and the first Hispanic US attorney in the state.
The White House announced today that Ortiz's nomination had been forwarded to the Senate.
Senator John Kerry applauded the nomination, noting he had worked closely with the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy to review candidates for the office, ultimately recommending Ortiz.
"Carmen Ortiz will be an outstanding U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts," he said in a statement.
"Of course, as Ms. Ortiz takes on this tremendous challenge, I’ll be thinking of Senator Kennedy, who took special pride in nominating the first Hispanic and the first woman to the highest law enforcement position in the Commonwealth. When she is confirmed, Teddy will have helped make history once again," he said.
Ortiz has worked in the US attorney's office in Massachusetts for the past 12 years and did two stints for about 10 years as a prosecutor in the Middlesex district attorney's office. She has had a variety of other professional experience, including helping the National Football League in 1990 to investigate allegations by a Boston Herald reporter of sexual harassment against members of the New England Patriots.
By Globe Staff, September 17, 2009
President Obama has nominated Carmen M. Ortiz, who grew up poor in New York City's Spanish Harlem neighborhood and became a state and then a federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, as the next Massachusetts US attorney.
Ortiz , 53, of Milton would become the first woman and the first Hispanic US attorney in the state.
The White House announced today that Ortiz's nomination had been forwarded to the Senate.
Senator John Kerry applauded the nomination, noting he had worked closely with the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy to review candidates for the office, ultimately recommending Ortiz.
"Carmen Ortiz will be an outstanding U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts," he said in a statement.
"Of course, as Ms. Ortiz takes on this tremendous challenge, I’ll be thinking of Senator Kennedy, who took special pride in nominating the first Hispanic and the first woman to the highest law enforcement position in the Commonwealth. When she is confirmed, Teddy will have helped make history once again," he said.
Ortiz has worked in the US attorney's office in Massachusetts for the past 12 years and did two stints for about 10 years as a prosecutor in the Middlesex district attorney's office. She has had a variety of other professional experience, including helping the National Football League in 1990 to investigate allegations by a Boston Herald reporter of sexual harassment against members of the New England Patriots.
Hispanic birthright topic to be discussed
Series to explore/discuss birthright citizenship
The Latino Journal E-News, September 14, 2009
In 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution of the United States, ensuring due process and equal protection under the law to all persons. An equally important component was the affirmation that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are, in fact, U.S. citizens. However, in recent years numerous legislative bills have been introduced to deny U.S. citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants and, in some cases, the children of immigrants who are in the country on temporary visas.
Beginning this month, the Immigration Policy Center will be exploring the issue of birthright citizenship and present a strong case for maintaining and celebrating the American tradition of birthright citizenship-a tradition that is intimately tied to our heritage of civil rights.
The latest legislative bill, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009, intends to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952 and legally deny citizenship to primarily Hispanic children born in the United States. Some declare this and other similar acts are attempts to prevent the social and political growth of Latinos in the U.S. Those who support such measures believe that since the parents were not legally in this country that forfeits their children's right to be U.S. citizens.
For more information and follow this discussiion visit the Immigration Policy Center website at www.immigrationpolicy.org.
The Latino Journal E-News, September 14, 2009
In 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution of the United States, ensuring due process and equal protection under the law to all persons. An equally important component was the affirmation that all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction are, in fact, U.S. citizens. However, in recent years numerous legislative bills have been introduced to deny U.S. citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants and, in some cases, the children of immigrants who are in the country on temporary visas.
Beginning this month, the Immigration Policy Center will be exploring the issue of birthright citizenship and present a strong case for maintaining and celebrating the American tradition of birthright citizenship-a tradition that is intimately tied to our heritage of civil rights.
The latest legislative bill, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2009, intends to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952 and legally deny citizenship to primarily Hispanic children born in the United States. Some declare this and other similar acts are attempts to prevent the social and political growth of Latinos in the U.S. Those who support such measures believe that since the parents were not legally in this country that forfeits their children's right to be U.S. citizens.
For more information and follow this discussiion visit the Immigration Policy Center website at www.immigrationpolicy.org.
Latinos still have a long way to go
After the celebrations, Latinos still have a long way to go
The Latino Journal E-News, September 14, 2009
Hispanic Heritage Month officially begins on September 15, when Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) celebrate their independence day. Mexico celebrates their independence day on September 16 and Chile celebrates their independence on September 18. Because of the large number of Hispanics now living in the United States, 45.5 million or 14 percent of the total population, it has become customary celebrate these important dates with music, food, parades, and re-enactments. It was first proclaimed as National Hispanic Heritage Week by President Lyndon B. Johnson and extended to a full month in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.
Although freedom and independence is a very good reason to celebrate, in the U.S., Hispanics have a long way to go to truly celebrate independence. Here are some sobering statistics that must be included in Hispanic development agendas for the coming years:
* Number of households in 2006:
o Total = 116,011,000; Latino = 12,973,000
* Median income in 2006:
o Total = $48, 201; Latino = $37,781.00
* Latino wage comparison against White males:
o 1980 - Latino Men 70.8 percent, Latino Women 50.5 percent
o 2006 - Latino Men 57.5 percent, Latino Women 51.7 percent
* Home ownership:
o 1996 - U.S. Total = 65.4 percent; Latinos = 42.8 percent
o 2007 - U.S. Total = 68.1 percent; Latinos = 49.7 percent
* Latino education attainment:
o 1980 - Less than 5th Grade - 15.8 percent
o High School grad. 44.5 percent
o College (4 or more) 7.6 percent
o 2007 - Less than 5th Grade - 6.9 percent
o High School grad. 60.3 percent
o College (4 or more) 12.7 percent
* Latinos incarcerated (including undocumented immigrants):
o 20 percent of the total male inmate population
* Latinos unemployment rate: 13 percent
* Latinos without healthcare coverage: 32.1 percent
Although Latinos have made significant progress since 1980, the "Decade of the Hispanic" has yet to arrive.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, www.census.gov.
The Latino Journal E-News, September 14, 2009
Hispanic Heritage Month officially begins on September 15, when Latin American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) celebrate their independence day. Mexico celebrates their independence day on September 16 and Chile celebrates their independence on September 18. Because of the large number of Hispanics now living in the United States, 45.5 million or 14 percent of the total population, it has become customary celebrate these important dates with music, food, parades, and re-enactments. It was first proclaimed as National Hispanic Heritage Week by President Lyndon B. Johnson and extended to a full month in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.
Although freedom and independence is a very good reason to celebrate, in the U.S., Hispanics have a long way to go to truly celebrate independence. Here are some sobering statistics that must be included in Hispanic development agendas for the coming years:
* Number of households in 2006:
o Total = 116,011,000; Latino = 12,973,000
* Median income in 2006:
o Total = $48, 201; Latino = $37,781.00
* Latino wage comparison against White males:
o 1980 - Latino Men 70.8 percent, Latino Women 50.5 percent
o 2006 - Latino Men 57.5 percent, Latino Women 51.7 percent
* Home ownership:
o 1996 - U.S. Total = 65.4 percent; Latinos = 42.8 percent
o 2007 - U.S. Total = 68.1 percent; Latinos = 49.7 percent
* Latino education attainment:
o 1980 - Less than 5th Grade - 15.8 percent
o High School grad. 44.5 percent
o College (4 or more) 7.6 percent
o 2007 - Less than 5th Grade - 6.9 percent
o High School grad. 60.3 percent
o College (4 or more) 12.7 percent
* Latinos incarcerated (including undocumented immigrants):
o 20 percent of the total male inmate population
* Latinos unemployment rate: 13 percent
* Latinos without healthcare coverage: 32.1 percent
Although Latinos have made significant progress since 1980, the "Decade of the Hispanic" has yet to arrive.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, www.census.gov.
Hispanics caught between emotions
Opinion: When a comment leads to emotional conclusions
By Adrian Perez, Publisher, The Latino Journal
It was the comment heard around the world. "You lie," may lead to Congressman Joe Wilson being punished by the House leadership, but not because he said it in response to the President's comments about healthcare and illegal immigrants, but because it is considered - racist? That is the claim being made by the Congressional Black Caucus, former President Jimmy Carter, and now numerous prominent Black leaders throughout the country. So was the comment racist?
First of all, the comment was made immediately after President Barack Obama stated in his speech to Congress that the healthcare reform act would not include illegal immigrants. This declaration, in itself, is not necessarily true since illegal immigrants are not prohibited from buying health insurance. However, that is not the issue here. The discussion was about illegal immigrants, which is easy to infer that he was talking about Latinos.
Congressman Wilson, who claims was caught up in the emotion of the issue and made a comment expressing his displeasure of seeing his state experience a huge influx of Latinos over the last decade. This influx has threatened the status quo of a typical southern state whose attitudes toward African Americans have softened, but hardened against Latinos. Oh yes, the influx is due to farmers and packing plants hiring illegal immigrants for a fraction of the price of hiring an American citizen.
Based on the point of discussion presented by President Obama and based on the emotional response made by Congressman Wilson, I agree the comment was discriminatory, but not against an African American. It is clear they were talking about Latinos.
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins, we will probably see other forms of overt discrimination by political leaders within the democratic and republican ranks. For example, we can infer that President Obama took discriminatory action against Latinos this week by expanding the embargo on Cuba for another year. We can also infer that Republicans are being discriminatory against Latinos because they are not taking immediate action against Congressman Wilson.
Regardless of what happens to Congressman Wilson, all of our elected leaders should learn to restrict their emotions and stick to the job we have elected them to do, represent all of us and look out for our best interests without regard to our ethnicity, race, gender, political affiliation, or disability.
By Adrian Perez, Publisher, The Latino Journal
It was the comment heard around the world. "You lie," may lead to Congressman Joe Wilson being punished by the House leadership, but not because he said it in response to the President's comments about healthcare and illegal immigrants, but because it is considered - racist? That is the claim being made by the Congressional Black Caucus, former President Jimmy Carter, and now numerous prominent Black leaders throughout the country. So was the comment racist?
First of all, the comment was made immediately after President Barack Obama stated in his speech to Congress that the healthcare reform act would not include illegal immigrants. This declaration, in itself, is not necessarily true since illegal immigrants are not prohibited from buying health insurance. However, that is not the issue here. The discussion was about illegal immigrants, which is easy to infer that he was talking about Latinos.
Congressman Wilson, who claims was caught up in the emotion of the issue and made a comment expressing his displeasure of seeing his state experience a huge influx of Latinos over the last decade. This influx has threatened the status quo of a typical southern state whose attitudes toward African Americans have softened, but hardened against Latinos. Oh yes, the influx is due to farmers and packing plants hiring illegal immigrants for a fraction of the price of hiring an American citizen.
Based on the point of discussion presented by President Obama and based on the emotional response made by Congressman Wilson, I agree the comment was discriminatory, but not against an African American. It is clear they were talking about Latinos.
As Hispanic Heritage Month begins, we will probably see other forms of overt discrimination by political leaders within the democratic and republican ranks. For example, we can infer that President Obama took discriminatory action against Latinos this week by expanding the embargo on Cuba for another year. We can also infer that Republicans are being discriminatory against Latinos because they are not taking immediate action against Congressman Wilson.
Regardless of what happens to Congressman Wilson, all of our elected leaders should learn to restrict their emotions and stick to the job we have elected them to do, represent all of us and look out for our best interests without regard to our ethnicity, race, gender, political affiliation, or disability.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
WIN TICKETS TO SEE THE SPACE THRILLER "PANDORUM"
MOVIE TICKET GIVEAWAY
Be the first to email us at latinojournal@gmail.com and win tickets to the movie screening of “PANDORUM” a space thriller starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster. All movie screenings are scheduled for September 24th at 8 p.m. in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, and Chicago.
About the Movie
Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft. It’s pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship. They can’t remember anything: Who are they? What is their mission?
With Lt. Payton (Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Cpl. Bower (Foster) ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality. Slowly the spacecraft’s shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.
This movie ticket giveaway will end Monday, September 21, 2009. To win, all you need to do is be the first to email us at latinojournal@gmail.com. Don’t delay so you can enjoy this space thriller on September 24.
Be the first to email us at latinojournal@gmail.com and win tickets to the movie screening of “PANDORUM” a space thriller starring Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster. All movie screenings are scheduled for September 24th at 8 p.m. in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, and Chicago.
About the Movie
Two astronauts awaken in a hyper-sleep chamber aboard a seemingly abandoned spacecraft. It’s pitch black, they are disoriented, and the only sound is a low rumble and creak from the belly of the ship. They can’t remember anything: Who are they? What is their mission?
With Lt. Payton (Quaid) staying behind to guide him via radio transmitter, Cpl. Bower (Foster) ventures deep into the ship and begins to uncover a terrifying reality. Slowly the spacecraft’s shocking, deadly secrets are revealed…and the astronauts find their own survival is more important than they could ever have imagined.
This movie ticket giveaway will end Monday, September 21, 2009. To win, all you need to do is be the first to email us at latinojournal@gmail.com. Don’t delay so you can enjoy this space thriller on September 24.
Latino education summit seeks to get parents involved
Latino education summit: How to get more parents involved
William McKenzie/Editorial Columnist, dallasnews.com, Sep 15, 2009
You can read in this column some of what Education Department aide Juan Sepuvelda talked about concerning Latinos in education. He was in Dallas last week as part of the White House's initiative on educational progress for Latinos, which you can read even more about in these reports by Katherine Leal Unmuth and Mercedes Olivera.
I attended one session and the part that really hit me was how movingly some students talked about being the first in their family to take education seriously. They had to make it through high school and onto college without much support at home.
I'm all for tackling the nuts and bolts of education, but, really, until we get parents involved we are going to have a hard time seeing substantial student progress among all students, including Latino students.
Teacher training. Math and science. Longer days. Those all make a difference, but getting parents involved like Tony Tovar has at Sunset has got to be at the top of the list.
As I write this, I feel like I'm embracing mom and apple pie. But the truth is, getting parents involved is hard in many cases. I'm interested in hearing from any educators about how they have been best able to involve parents.
Thoughts?
William McKenzie/Editorial Columnist, dallasnews.com, Sep 15, 2009
You can read in this column some of what Education Department aide Juan Sepuvelda talked about concerning Latinos in education. He was in Dallas last week as part of the White House's initiative on educational progress for Latinos, which you can read even more about in these reports by Katherine Leal Unmuth and Mercedes Olivera.
I attended one session and the part that really hit me was how movingly some students talked about being the first in their family to take education seriously. They had to make it through high school and onto college without much support at home.
I'm all for tackling the nuts and bolts of education, but, really, until we get parents involved we are going to have a hard time seeing substantial student progress among all students, including Latino students.
Teacher training. Math and science. Longer days. Those all make a difference, but getting parents involved like Tony Tovar has at Sunset has got to be at the top of the list.
As I write this, I feel like I'm embracing mom and apple pie. But the truth is, getting parents involved is hard in many cases. I'm interested in hearing from any educators about how they have been best able to involve parents.
Thoughts?
Latinos push CNN to dump Dobbs
Latinos to CNN: Dump Dobbs Now
Roberto Lovato, Writer with New America Media, September 15, 2009
This week, Lou Dobbs is broadcasting his radio show from a national lobbying conference sponsored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an organization founded by a white nationalist and designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. At a time when studies document the growing link between anti-immigrant hate speech and increased violence against Latinos, Dobbs' appearance at FAIR generates especially profound concerns among those targeted by his almost daily attacks: immigrants and Latinos.
For years, Dobbs and CNN banked on the fact that many of the Latinos who bear the brunt of his systematic media assaults--Spanish-speaking immigrants--were unaware of the threat that Dobbs posed. (Not surprisingly, CNN does not translate Dobbs for broadcast on its CNN en Espanol network). But all of that is changing; Latinos are increasingly making the connection between racism in the media and discrimination in their hometowns, and coming to a simple, yet historic conclusion: Lou Dobbs is the Most Dangerous Man for Latinos in America.
Which is why, today, Presente.org is joining with Latino organizations throughout the United States demanding that CNN get rid of Dobbs. And we are not alone. In the coming weeks, CNN President Jon Klein will be inundated by a growing national chorus of calls to stop promoting Dobbs' brand of "news." From a Latino perspective, Klein and CNN must respond if they are to maintain any semblance of credibility in the Latino media market. If CNN doesn't live up to its claim to being the "most trusted name in news" it risks losing out on the fastest growing viewing demographic in the country.
Dobbs' extremism can be seen and heard on most week nights and consists of three pillars: obsession with immigrants and Latinos, promotion of systematic myths about immigrants and Latinos and, most dangerously, providing a platform for leaders of some of the most radical and violent anti-Latino groups in the United States.
More than anyone in national network news, Dobbs has declared war against those he calls "invaders" and "aliens." According to the media watchdog group Media Matters, for example, from January 1 through July 23 of this year, Dobbs included segments on immigration in 77 out of 140 broadcast hours. With so much airtime dedicated to slandering Latinos, Dobbs has ample opportunity to spread misinformation. For example, he has blamed Latino immigrants for an alleged leprosy epidemic that was widely debunked, and has asserted Latinos' criminality with the wild exaggeration that "illegal aliens" take up a third of the cells in our prisons and jails. Dobbs also has plenty of time to host extremist guests like FAIR, the Minutemen, and controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who he called "a model for the whole country."
Dobbs' incessant attacks on Latinos and immigrants have earned him a following among nativists and those who share his extreme views. But his popularity also makes him a target. Increasingly, Dobbs has become the face of anti-Latino sentiment in this country, and his position at CNN, which remains a legitimate news organization, makes him vulnerable.
The movement to drop Dobbs marks a critical shift in the direction of Latino activism in the United States. It was previewed in 2006, when media and technology helped move thousands to march through the streets, waving flags, beating drums and demanding change. And now, as the destructive role that the national media can play in spreading myths and misinformation becomes painfully clear, we are witnessing a new age of Latino media activism. These battles will be fought through Internet organizing, on cell phones via text messaging, and on blogs as much as in the streets. Paradoxically, we have no one to thank for this new movement more than Lou Dobbs. The Most Dangerous Man for Latinos in America may do as much as anyone to unite us in our ongoing struggle for civil rights.
Roberto Lovato is a Founding Member of Presente.org and writes for New America Media, the Nation and other media outlets.
Follow Roberto Lovato on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robvato
Roberto Lovato, Writer with New America Media, September 15, 2009
This week, Lou Dobbs is broadcasting his radio show from a national lobbying conference sponsored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), an organization founded by a white nationalist and designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. At a time when studies document the growing link between anti-immigrant hate speech and increased violence against Latinos, Dobbs' appearance at FAIR generates especially profound concerns among those targeted by his almost daily attacks: immigrants and Latinos.
For years, Dobbs and CNN banked on the fact that many of the Latinos who bear the brunt of his systematic media assaults--Spanish-speaking immigrants--were unaware of the threat that Dobbs posed. (Not surprisingly, CNN does not translate Dobbs for broadcast on its CNN en Espanol network). But all of that is changing; Latinos are increasingly making the connection between racism in the media and discrimination in their hometowns, and coming to a simple, yet historic conclusion: Lou Dobbs is the Most Dangerous Man for Latinos in America.
Which is why, today, Presente.org is joining with Latino organizations throughout the United States demanding that CNN get rid of Dobbs. And we are not alone. In the coming weeks, CNN President Jon Klein will be inundated by a growing national chorus of calls to stop promoting Dobbs' brand of "news." From a Latino perspective, Klein and CNN must respond if they are to maintain any semblance of credibility in the Latino media market. If CNN doesn't live up to its claim to being the "most trusted name in news" it risks losing out on the fastest growing viewing demographic in the country.
Dobbs' extremism can be seen and heard on most week nights and consists of three pillars: obsession with immigrants and Latinos, promotion of systematic myths about immigrants and Latinos and, most dangerously, providing a platform for leaders of some of the most radical and violent anti-Latino groups in the United States.
More than anyone in national network news, Dobbs has declared war against those he calls "invaders" and "aliens." According to the media watchdog group Media Matters, for example, from January 1 through July 23 of this year, Dobbs included segments on immigration in 77 out of 140 broadcast hours. With so much airtime dedicated to slandering Latinos, Dobbs has ample opportunity to spread misinformation. For example, he has blamed Latino immigrants for an alleged leprosy epidemic that was widely debunked, and has asserted Latinos' criminality with the wild exaggeration that "illegal aliens" take up a third of the cells in our prisons and jails. Dobbs also has plenty of time to host extremist guests like FAIR, the Minutemen, and controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who he called "a model for the whole country."
Dobbs' incessant attacks on Latinos and immigrants have earned him a following among nativists and those who share his extreme views. But his popularity also makes him a target. Increasingly, Dobbs has become the face of anti-Latino sentiment in this country, and his position at CNN, which remains a legitimate news organization, makes him vulnerable.
The movement to drop Dobbs marks a critical shift in the direction of Latino activism in the United States. It was previewed in 2006, when media and technology helped move thousands to march through the streets, waving flags, beating drums and demanding change. And now, as the destructive role that the national media can play in spreading myths and misinformation becomes painfully clear, we are witnessing a new age of Latino media activism. These battles will be fought through Internet organizing, on cell phones via text messaging, and on blogs as much as in the streets. Paradoxically, we have no one to thank for this new movement more than Lou Dobbs. The Most Dangerous Man for Latinos in America may do as much as anyone to unite us in our ongoing struggle for civil rights.
Roberto Lovato is a Founding Member of Presente.org and writes for New America Media, the Nation and other media outlets.
Follow Roberto Lovato on Twitter: www.twitter.com/robvato
DNC elects new Hispanic Caucus
Illinois Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D-Ill.) Elected Chairwoman, Andres Ramirez Elected Vice Chairman
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Saturday during the DNC's Fall Meeting in Austin, Texas, the DNC's Hispanic Caucus held elections for new leadership. Elections are held every four years at the DNC Meeting. Chairwoman Martinez, who currently serves as a state senator from Illinois, was elected to a four-year term by the full DNC Hispanic Caucus. Andres Ramirez, a recently appointed at-large DNC member from Nevada, was elected as the DNC Caucus' new vice chair.
"As a lifelong fighter for the interests of Latinos in Illinois and elsewhere, I am thrilled to lead the DNC Hispanic Caucus. Latinos compose an expanding presence in the Democratic Party because this is the party that fights for policies and ideals that Latinos of all origins can relate to, including family values, inclusion, access to education, smart sensible foreign policy, health insurance reform, and commitment to comprehensive immigration reform. The DNC Hispanic Caucus chairmanship is an opportunity to fight for President Obama's agenda for change while using my voice to fight for what matters to Hispanics," said Martinez.
"This is a crucial time for Latinos in the Democratic Party and I am honored to have a leadership role within the DNC. Latinos throughout the nation stepped forward for change last November, and our participation is already paying off. Whether it's President Obama's appointment of more Latinos to high office than any other president or his fight for health insurance reform, this marks the beginning of a historic presidency. As the President's road to change meets obstruction from the other side, Latinos have a significant role to play. I look forward to fighting for change from my position in the DNC Hispanic Caucus along with Chairwoman Martinez," said Ramirez.
PRESS RELEASE
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Saturday during the DNC's Fall Meeting in Austin, Texas, the DNC's Hispanic Caucus held elections for new leadership. Elections are held every four years at the DNC Meeting. Chairwoman Martinez, who currently serves as a state senator from Illinois, was elected to a four-year term by the full DNC Hispanic Caucus. Andres Ramirez, a recently appointed at-large DNC member from Nevada, was elected as the DNC Caucus' new vice chair.
"As a lifelong fighter for the interests of Latinos in Illinois and elsewhere, I am thrilled to lead the DNC Hispanic Caucus. Latinos compose an expanding presence in the Democratic Party because this is the party that fights for policies and ideals that Latinos of all origins can relate to, including family values, inclusion, access to education, smart sensible foreign policy, health insurance reform, and commitment to comprehensive immigration reform. The DNC Hispanic Caucus chairmanship is an opportunity to fight for President Obama's agenda for change while using my voice to fight for what matters to Hispanics," said Martinez.
"This is a crucial time for Latinos in the Democratic Party and I am honored to have a leadership role within the DNC. Latinos throughout the nation stepped forward for change last November, and our participation is already paying off. Whether it's President Obama's appointment of more Latinos to high office than any other president or his fight for health insurance reform, this marks the beginning of a historic presidency. As the President's road to change meets obstruction from the other side, Latinos have a significant role to play. I look forward to fighting for change from my position in the DNC Hispanic Caucus along with Chairwoman Martinez," said Ramirez.
Forest Service sorry about Hispanic remarks
Forest Service apologizes to Hispanic campers
Associated Press
DENVER — The U.S. Forest Service has apologized for suggesting that campers who eat tortillas, drink Tecate beer and play Spanish music may be armed marijuana growers. The agency calls the remarks "regrettable" and "insensitive."
Forest Service officials apologized to Colorado Hispanic leaders in a meeting two weeks ago and released a written apology this week.
The Forest Service issued the warning last month amid an investigation into how much marijuana is being cultivated in national forests in Colorado. Officials retracted it two days later amid heavy criticism.
The written statement by Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Rick Cables says the agency "learned some valuable lessons." He says the agency will establish a forum for more discussions about how to engage with Hispanics.
Associated Press
DENVER — The U.S. Forest Service has apologized for suggesting that campers who eat tortillas, drink Tecate beer and play Spanish music may be armed marijuana growers. The agency calls the remarks "regrettable" and "insensitive."
Forest Service officials apologized to Colorado Hispanic leaders in a meeting two weeks ago and released a written apology this week.
The Forest Service issued the warning last month amid an investigation into how much marijuana is being cultivated in national forests in Colorado. Officials retracted it two days later amid heavy criticism.
The written statement by Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Rick Cables says the agency "learned some valuable lessons." He says the agency will establish a forum for more discussions about how to engage with Hispanics.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Hispanic voters may have final say on 'You Lie' comment
'You lie!' yeller Rep. Joe Wilson tells truth about GOPers' fringe
Albor Ruiz – NY DAILY NEWS, September 13th 2009
A class act he is not, but South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's boorish behavior during President Obama's speech on health reform more than earned him his 15 minutes of infamy.
It is understandable that he chose - or as some suggested, was told - to bellow "You lie!" when the President was explaining for the umpteenth time that undocumented immigrants would not be covered under health care legislation. After all, Wilson's extreme anti-immigrant positions are well known.
His outburst, for which he has half-heartedly apologized, not only exposed Wilson for the uncouth nativist he is, but made clear that immigration is still very much one of the Republican Party's war horses.
"Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst is not only a massive breach of decorum," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, "but the latest example of how race-baiting and immigrant bashing have become standard fare for hard-right elements of the Republican Party."
One has to wonder if Wilson and his ilk are intent on committing political suicide - and in the process taking down with them the entire GOP - or if their prejudices are so deep that they just cannot help themselves.
Many believe that Wilson's outburst was planned to distract from the President's speech. If it was, the plan worked like a charm. Shamefully, media coverage of Obama's message became a sidebar to Wilson's disgusting show of coarseness.
Yet, the plan could turn out to be no more than a pyrrhic victory.
After all, even if Wilson and his cohorts do not like it, Latinos are the fastest-growing group of new voters in the nation. And they can be sure that mistreating, dehumanizing and disrespecting Latinos - and immigrants in general - is not going to help them win their hearts and minds. There will be hell to pay at the polls.
The anti-immigration hysteria and inflammatory rhetoric of people like Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and others have already made record numbers of Latinos flee the GOP. Wilson's outburst is sure to accelerate the exodus.
In New York alone, 715,000 new voters registered between January and November of last year, 200,000 of them in the two weeks leading up to the national election. Many were African-Americans or Latinos, and it is a sure bet that most of them did not join the GOP ranks.
In the nation as a whole, the number of Latino voters went up from 7.6 million in 2004 to 9.8 million in 2008. The number of Asian voters increased from 2.8 million in 2004 to 3.4 million in 2008. Again, the GOP was not the party of choice for the majority of new voters.
Come to think of it, Wilson's boorish behavior may turn out to be a political blessing in disguise.
Rob Simmons, his Democratic opponent, reportedly raised over $300,000 on the online Democratic political fund-raising Web site ActBlue in a few hours immediately following the crass "You lie!" bellow.
The results of a national poll released last May confirmed once more that immigration is a defining issue for the 12 to 13 million Hispanics who are eligible to vote in the U.S.
"The anti-immigrant movement's divisive tone and demagogic rhetoric keeps politicizing Hispanics and bringing them together in support of a new immigration policy," said Sergio Bendixen, president of Bendixen and Associates, which conducted the survey. Not good news for the flag bearers of nativism and intolerance.
Ironically, after all is said and done, Joe (You lie!) Wilson's outburst could go down in history as the death knell for the most reactionary and extremist wing of the Republican Party.
Call it poetic justice.aruiz@nydailynews.com
Albor Ruiz – NY DAILY NEWS, September 13th 2009
A class act he is not, but South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's boorish behavior during President Obama's speech on health reform more than earned him his 15 minutes of infamy.
It is understandable that he chose - or as some suggested, was told - to bellow "You lie!" when the President was explaining for the umpteenth time that undocumented immigrants would not be covered under health care legislation. After all, Wilson's extreme anti-immigrant positions are well known.
His outburst, for which he has half-heartedly apologized, not only exposed Wilson for the uncouth nativist he is, but made clear that immigration is still very much one of the Republican Party's war horses.
"Congressman Joe Wilson's outburst is not only a massive breach of decorum," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, "but the latest example of how race-baiting and immigrant bashing have become standard fare for hard-right elements of the Republican Party."
One has to wonder if Wilson and his ilk are intent on committing political suicide - and in the process taking down with them the entire GOP - or if their prejudices are so deep that they just cannot help themselves.
Many believe that Wilson's outburst was planned to distract from the President's speech. If it was, the plan worked like a charm. Shamefully, media coverage of Obama's message became a sidebar to Wilson's disgusting show of coarseness.
Yet, the plan could turn out to be no more than a pyrrhic victory.
After all, even if Wilson and his cohorts do not like it, Latinos are the fastest-growing group of new voters in the nation. And they can be sure that mistreating, dehumanizing and disrespecting Latinos - and immigrants in general - is not going to help them win their hearts and minds. There will be hell to pay at the polls.
The anti-immigration hysteria and inflammatory rhetoric of people like Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and others have already made record numbers of Latinos flee the GOP. Wilson's outburst is sure to accelerate the exodus.
In New York alone, 715,000 new voters registered between January and November of last year, 200,000 of them in the two weeks leading up to the national election. Many were African-Americans or Latinos, and it is a sure bet that most of them did not join the GOP ranks.
In the nation as a whole, the number of Latino voters went up from 7.6 million in 2004 to 9.8 million in 2008. The number of Asian voters increased from 2.8 million in 2004 to 3.4 million in 2008. Again, the GOP was not the party of choice for the majority of new voters.
Come to think of it, Wilson's boorish behavior may turn out to be a political blessing in disguise.
Rob Simmons, his Democratic opponent, reportedly raised over $300,000 on the online Democratic political fund-raising Web site ActBlue in a few hours immediately following the crass "You lie!" bellow.
The results of a national poll released last May confirmed once more that immigration is a defining issue for the 12 to 13 million Hispanics who are eligible to vote in the U.S.
"The anti-immigrant movement's divisive tone and demagogic rhetoric keeps politicizing Hispanics and bringing them together in support of a new immigration policy," said Sergio Bendixen, president of Bendixen and Associates, which conducted the survey. Not good news for the flag bearers of nativism and intolerance.
Ironically, after all is said and done, Joe (You lie!) Wilson's outburst could go down in history as the death knell for the most reactionary and extremist wing of the Republican Party.
Call it poetic justice.aruiz@nydailynews.com
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Hispanics may need to wait for immigration reform
Sane Immigration Reform on Tap?
By Lee Hockstader, Washington Post, September 13, 2009
The chances of building a sane immigration system seemed unlikely enough in 2007 before it was squashed by divisions among Democrats and a talk radio-fueled revolt on the right. If anything, they look even worse now, given the competing debates over health care and energy, a jobless rate edging toward 10 percent, and a plateau or decline in the number of illegal immigrants in the country.
All that seems to have sapped the immigration debate of its urgency, while leaving intact its potential to enrage conservatives -- as we were reminded by Rep. Joe Wilson's dyspeptic outburst and the subsequent chorus of "You go, Joe" from his constituents in South Carolina.
But Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is drafting legislation to overhaul immigration, and President Obama says he intends to make a fresh push on the issue next year. That may not be as crazy as it sounds.
It's not that the anemic U.S. economy is going to take the problem off the politicians' hands. Despite high unemployment and sluggish growth here, the Mexican economy is in far worse straits: It is expected to shrink by 7 percent this year, much more dire than the U.S. economy, and both the tourism and oil industries -- mainstays of Mexico's economy -- are in bad shape. The main factors that have prompted millions of Mexicans to leave home for decades are going strong.
But the recession, coupled with tougher enforcement, has slowed the flow of Mexicans, by far the largest chunk of undocumented immigrants, who cross into this country. And -- depending on which numbers you believe -- it may also have prompted those already here to go home in greater numbers. The total number of illegal immigrants in the country has either leveled off at around 11 or 12 million or declined somewhat.
That's one reason the politics may have shifted. Another is that the immigration issue, despite being red meat for some conservatives, has mostly been an electoral bust for the right. In 20 of 22 competitive House and Senate races last November, the candidates favoring greater immigration reform -- generally Democrats -- defeated their harder-line opponents, according to an analysis by America's Voice, a pro-reform group.
Those results, which followed similar outcomes in the 2006 congressional elections, should give centrist and swing-state Democrats some assurance that a vote for a sensible immigration policy is not a career-ender.
The Obama administration has also been smart to expand the E-Verify system, which forces employers to confirm that new hires are authorized to work here, and to press ahead with the federal program to deputize local police to help deport unauthorized immigrants. Those steps provide a basis for the president and fence-sitters in his own party to argue that the administration has been serious about enforcing existing law.
Some moderate Republicans will also have noticed the mounting long-term folly of continuing to oppose issues that matter to Hispanic voters, the single fastest-growing segment of the electorate. That constituency, which was critical in helping Democrats win four swing states in 2008 -- Florida, New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado -- has grim memories of the immigrant-bashing rhetoric of state and local Republicans. And it has been badly hurt by a recession that took hold during the Bush administration: Income for Hispanic households fell by 5.6 percent in 2008 compared with the previous year, a rate of decline twice that of African Americans.
If Republicans hope to reverse what could be a generational shift of Hispanic voters to the Democrats, they won't get there by bashing whatever immigration reform legislation emerges in the Senate. Moderates, at least, will have to rebrand themselves, and immigration reform is a perfect opportunity.
There is room for reframing and repackaging the immigration debate so that it does not become a replay of the Bush administration's failed attempts of 2006 and 2007. But to be successful in reshaping the country's dysfunctional system, any legislation needs to recognize economic realities: that millions of immigrant workers are here to stay; that many or most do jobs that native-born Americans don't want; and that Mexico's comparative poverty will continue to drive immigrants north to a better life.
Recession or no recession, a comprehensive reform bill must provide a way out of this mess born of neglect by offering a path to legality for undocumented immigrants already here and a mechanism for future workers, skilled and unskilled, to enter the country in adequate numbers to meet the job market's demands.
hockstaderl@washpost.com
By Lee Hockstader, Washington Post, September 13, 2009
The chances of building a sane immigration system seemed unlikely enough in 2007 before it was squashed by divisions among Democrats and a talk radio-fueled revolt on the right. If anything, they look even worse now, given the competing debates over health care and energy, a jobless rate edging toward 10 percent, and a plateau or decline in the number of illegal immigrants in the country.
All that seems to have sapped the immigration debate of its urgency, while leaving intact its potential to enrage conservatives -- as we were reminded by Rep. Joe Wilson's dyspeptic outburst and the subsequent chorus of "You go, Joe" from his constituents in South Carolina.
But Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is drafting legislation to overhaul immigration, and President Obama says he intends to make a fresh push on the issue next year. That may not be as crazy as it sounds.
It's not that the anemic U.S. economy is going to take the problem off the politicians' hands. Despite high unemployment and sluggish growth here, the Mexican economy is in far worse straits: It is expected to shrink by 7 percent this year, much more dire than the U.S. economy, and both the tourism and oil industries -- mainstays of Mexico's economy -- are in bad shape. The main factors that have prompted millions of Mexicans to leave home for decades are going strong.
But the recession, coupled with tougher enforcement, has slowed the flow of Mexicans, by far the largest chunk of undocumented immigrants, who cross into this country. And -- depending on which numbers you believe -- it may also have prompted those already here to go home in greater numbers. The total number of illegal immigrants in the country has either leveled off at around 11 or 12 million or declined somewhat.
That's one reason the politics may have shifted. Another is that the immigration issue, despite being red meat for some conservatives, has mostly been an electoral bust for the right. In 20 of 22 competitive House and Senate races last November, the candidates favoring greater immigration reform -- generally Democrats -- defeated their harder-line opponents, according to an analysis by America's Voice, a pro-reform group.
Those results, which followed similar outcomes in the 2006 congressional elections, should give centrist and swing-state Democrats some assurance that a vote for a sensible immigration policy is not a career-ender.
The Obama administration has also been smart to expand the E-Verify system, which forces employers to confirm that new hires are authorized to work here, and to press ahead with the federal program to deputize local police to help deport unauthorized immigrants. Those steps provide a basis for the president and fence-sitters in his own party to argue that the administration has been serious about enforcing existing law.
Some moderate Republicans will also have noticed the mounting long-term folly of continuing to oppose issues that matter to Hispanic voters, the single fastest-growing segment of the electorate. That constituency, which was critical in helping Democrats win four swing states in 2008 -- Florida, New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado -- has grim memories of the immigrant-bashing rhetoric of state and local Republicans. And it has been badly hurt by a recession that took hold during the Bush administration: Income for Hispanic households fell by 5.6 percent in 2008 compared with the previous year, a rate of decline twice that of African Americans.
If Republicans hope to reverse what could be a generational shift of Hispanic voters to the Democrats, they won't get there by bashing whatever immigration reform legislation emerges in the Senate. Moderates, at least, will have to rebrand themselves, and immigration reform is a perfect opportunity.
There is room for reframing and repackaging the immigration debate so that it does not become a replay of the Bush administration's failed attempts of 2006 and 2007. But to be successful in reshaping the country's dysfunctional system, any legislation needs to recognize economic realities: that millions of immigrant workers are here to stay; that many or most do jobs that native-born Americans don't want; and that Mexico's comparative poverty will continue to drive immigrants north to a better life.
Recession or no recession, a comprehensive reform bill must provide a way out of this mess born of neglect by offering a path to legality for undocumented immigrants already here and a mechanism for future workers, skilled and unskilled, to enter the country in adequate numbers to meet the job market's demands.
hockstaderl@washpost.com
Latino students gain through President's speech
Opinion: Latino students gain through President's speech
By Adrian Perez, Publisher, The Latino Journal E-News
I was in first grade at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School in Raymondville, Texas, when Sister Trini, our teacher and the school principle walked into the classroom sobbing. It was slightly passed lunchtime. She could barely look at us, but did manage to say that President John F. Kennedy was dead and that school was dismissed for the day. At age 7, it was the first time I was exposed to U.S. government and the concept of a President. The impact was so profound that the following year, without understanding the difference between democrats and republicans, I proudly wore a "Lyndon B. Johnson for President" button. I liked him because he was affiliated with President Kennedy, not because he was a democrat.
Early exposure to the President of the United States or Democratic Party did not result in me becoming a voter with democrat-only blinders on. Instead, it made me proud to participate in the American electorate process, where I can choose and vote for any candidate or issue that best fits my personal views, regardless of political affiliation. This is the free will that America offers.
This past week's effort by President Barack Obama to speak to students throughout U.S. schools was an opportunity for both parties to gain access to their future by creating a curiosity about politics among the young. The message was very clear: "Stay in school and be the best you can." Instead, some politicians and parents interpreted this action as an effort to expand democratic political reach into impressionable young minds. As a result, parents and school districts opted not to allow their students to watch/listen to the President. Only two other Presidents, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush have made an effort to talk to our kids. This did not result in a watershed of kids becoming republicans as evidenced by the defeat of George H.W. Bush when he ran for re-election and the landslide win by Barack Obama.
Our kids will become young adults, and as they mature they will surely become their own persons. Exposure to the President of the United States will probably result in some choosing to be democrats and others republicans. But failure to expose them early could result in them contributing to the fastest growing number of Americans in the U.S., the non-voters.
By Adrian Perez, Publisher, The Latino Journal E-News
I was in first grade at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School in Raymondville, Texas, when Sister Trini, our teacher and the school principle walked into the classroom sobbing. It was slightly passed lunchtime. She could barely look at us, but did manage to say that President John F. Kennedy was dead and that school was dismissed for the day. At age 7, it was the first time I was exposed to U.S. government and the concept of a President. The impact was so profound that the following year, without understanding the difference between democrats and republicans, I proudly wore a "Lyndon B. Johnson for President" button. I liked him because he was affiliated with President Kennedy, not because he was a democrat.
Early exposure to the President of the United States or Democratic Party did not result in me becoming a voter with democrat-only blinders on. Instead, it made me proud to participate in the American electorate process, where I can choose and vote for any candidate or issue that best fits my personal views, regardless of political affiliation. This is the free will that America offers.
This past week's effort by President Barack Obama to speak to students throughout U.S. schools was an opportunity for both parties to gain access to their future by creating a curiosity about politics among the young. The message was very clear: "Stay in school and be the best you can." Instead, some politicians and parents interpreted this action as an effort to expand democratic political reach into impressionable young minds. As a result, parents and school districts opted not to allow their students to watch/listen to the President. Only two other Presidents, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush have made an effort to talk to our kids. This did not result in a watershed of kids becoming republicans as evidenced by the defeat of George H.W. Bush when he ran for re-election and the landslide win by Barack Obama.
Our kids will become young adults, and as they mature they will surely become their own persons. Exposure to the President of the United States will probably result in some choosing to be democrats and others republicans. But failure to expose them early could result in them contributing to the fastest growing number of Americans in the U.S., the non-voters.
Latinos targeted for college
Latinos targeted for college
The Latino Journal E-News, Sept 7, 2009
The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN), in partnership with The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), announced the launch of College Admissions 411. The Spanish-language series, which will air weekly on HITN-TV beginning September 9, provides practical information about the complicated college admissions process. The program is intended to help and inspire US Latino students, their families, teachers and their community, according to the producers, while answering questions such as "Is it worth going to college?"
One answer provided by the program is that, on average, college graduates earn one-million dollars more in their lifetime than high school graduates.
The series is available in its Wednesday prime time slot on HITN TV and on the program's dedicated website, www.HITN.tv/CA411Link Icon.
Each episode features Spanish-speaking educators who address the issues that really matter to U.S. Latinos who are applying to college. Big questions like: How much will it cost? and How can I pay for it? as well as the complicated details like How do I fill out the financial aid form?
"HACU helped us receive a tremendous response from leading American universities and colleges" says HITN founder and CEO Jose Luis Rodríguez. "Contributors include HACU-member institutions such as South Texas College, as well as Brooklyn College, MIT and the University of Southern California. Latino community organizations asked us to help them improve their college prep programs. Our new series is a response to their urgent need," says Rodríguez.
According to Dr. Antonio Flores, President and CEO of HACU, "Both HITN and HACU want to reach every student in America who dreams of a better life through a college education but may not be aware of the opportunities within his or her reach. Through College Admissions 411 we also aim to help every Spanish-speaking adult who is working with an aspiring Latino student - as a parent, teacher, administrator or mentor - become a true champion of Hispanic success in higher education."
Many of the sequences involving High School students were filmed at Harlem's Frederick Douglass Academy. "This amazing project will be very successful," says Dr. Hodge, the school's principal. "American educators everywhere are determined to improve college attendance amongst Latinos."
Topics that are examined this Fall season include: Strategies for U.S. Hispanics; The Application Timeline; A Step-by-Step Guide to Financial Aid; The Importance of Grades; and How to Succeed in the Standardized Tests.
HITN is currently producing 25 episodes of College Admissions 411, with another series planned in 2010.
College Admissions 411, an exclusive series from HITN TV
Wednesdays 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT
Saturdays 12 pm ET/9 am PT
Internet Video
www.HITN.tv/CA411
The Latino Journal E-News, Sept 7, 2009
The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN), in partnership with The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), announced the launch of College Admissions 411. The Spanish-language series, which will air weekly on HITN-TV beginning September 9, provides practical information about the complicated college admissions process. The program is intended to help and inspire US Latino students, their families, teachers and their community, according to the producers, while answering questions such as "Is it worth going to college?"
One answer provided by the program is that, on average, college graduates earn one-million dollars more in their lifetime than high school graduates.
The series is available in its Wednesday prime time slot on HITN TV and on the program's dedicated website, www.HITN.tv/CA411Link Icon.
Each episode features Spanish-speaking educators who address the issues that really matter to U.S. Latinos who are applying to college. Big questions like: How much will it cost? and How can I pay for it? as well as the complicated details like How do I fill out the financial aid form?
"HACU helped us receive a tremendous response from leading American universities and colleges" says HITN founder and CEO Jose Luis Rodríguez. "Contributors include HACU-member institutions such as South Texas College, as well as Brooklyn College, MIT and the University of Southern California. Latino community organizations asked us to help them improve their college prep programs. Our new series is a response to their urgent need," says Rodríguez.
According to Dr. Antonio Flores, President and CEO of HACU, "Both HITN and HACU want to reach every student in America who dreams of a better life through a college education but may not be aware of the opportunities within his or her reach. Through College Admissions 411 we also aim to help every Spanish-speaking adult who is working with an aspiring Latino student - as a parent, teacher, administrator or mentor - become a true champion of Hispanic success in higher education."
Many of the sequences involving High School students were filmed at Harlem's Frederick Douglass Academy. "This amazing project will be very successful," says Dr. Hodge, the school's principal. "American educators everywhere are determined to improve college attendance amongst Latinos."
Topics that are examined this Fall season include: Strategies for U.S. Hispanics; The Application Timeline; A Step-by-Step Guide to Financial Aid; The Importance of Grades; and How to Succeed in the Standardized Tests.
HITN is currently producing 25 episodes of College Admissions 411, with another series planned in 2010.
College Admissions 411, an exclusive series from HITN TV
Wednesdays 9:30 pm ET/6:30 pm PT
Saturdays 12 pm ET/9 am PT
Internet Video
www.HITN.tv/CA411
Latino students could start public and end charter
Latino students could start public and end-up private this school year
The Latino Journal E-News, Sept 7, 2009
The education of Latino children was at center stage last month in Los Angeles, California when the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) approved to open almost one-third of its campuses to private operators. As the second largest school district in the United States and having the largest number of Latino students, the LAUSD approved the controversial proposal by a six-to-one margin. Opposed by the teachers union, this new decision will impact 250 schools, including 50 new campuses.
Many of the schools within the LAUSD and across the nation have been producing children whose academic achievement scores fall far short of national and state mandated requirements. To remedy this growing education crisis, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has pushed for charter schools, an issue that has raised the union's ire.
"We're here today to stand up for our children," said Villaraigosa while addressing a large crowd of supporters. "I am pro-union but I am pro-parent as well."
The LAUSD resolution was written by school board member Yolie Flores Aguilar and would task school superintendent Ramon C. Cortines to develop a plan within 60 days to layout how private operators can bid for those schools. Only nonprofit charter groups and others with experience in operating schools will be allowed to bid. This includes a group Villaraigosa has endorsed which now operates 11 of the schools.
"What is desperately needed is rapid, large scale student-centered reform," said Flores Aguilar. She also said she found that there was "no sense of urgency" to improve schools since she has been on the board in the last two years.
But not everyone agreed with the proposal.
"I haven't seen any research-based study that says giving away schools improves academic achievement," said board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte, the lone dissenting vote.
This perspective was shared by the United Teachers of Los Angeles union, which also opposed the proposal and will not covered in charter-operated schools.
LAUSD parents, however, were more concerned about their children's education.
"It's not acceptable," Isabel Medina, a parent, told the Board. "We cannot keep doing the same thing thinking we'll get different results."
The LAUSD has 688,000 students housed in 800 schools, of which 150 are already operated by nonprofit educational groups. Its overall high school dropout rate hovers at 33 percent.
The Latino Journal E-News, Sept 7, 2009
The education of Latino children was at center stage last month in Los Angeles, California when the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) approved to open almost one-third of its campuses to private operators. As the second largest school district in the United States and having the largest number of Latino students, the LAUSD approved the controversial proposal by a six-to-one margin. Opposed by the teachers union, this new decision will impact 250 schools, including 50 new campuses.
Many of the schools within the LAUSD and across the nation have been producing children whose academic achievement scores fall far short of national and state mandated requirements. To remedy this growing education crisis, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has pushed for charter schools, an issue that has raised the union's ire.
"We're here today to stand up for our children," said Villaraigosa while addressing a large crowd of supporters. "I am pro-union but I am pro-parent as well."
The LAUSD resolution was written by school board member Yolie Flores Aguilar and would task school superintendent Ramon C. Cortines to develop a plan within 60 days to layout how private operators can bid for those schools. Only nonprofit charter groups and others with experience in operating schools will be allowed to bid. This includes a group Villaraigosa has endorsed which now operates 11 of the schools.
"What is desperately needed is rapid, large scale student-centered reform," said Flores Aguilar. She also said she found that there was "no sense of urgency" to improve schools since she has been on the board in the last two years.
But not everyone agreed with the proposal.
"I haven't seen any research-based study that says giving away schools improves academic achievement," said board member Marguerite Poindexter LaMotte, the lone dissenting vote.
This perspective was shared by the United Teachers of Los Angeles union, which also opposed the proposal and will not covered in charter-operated schools.
LAUSD parents, however, were more concerned about their children's education.
"It's not acceptable," Isabel Medina, a parent, told the Board. "We cannot keep doing the same thing thinking we'll get different results."
The LAUSD has 688,000 students housed in 800 schools, of which 150 are already operated by nonprofit educational groups. Its overall high school dropout rate hovers at 33 percent.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Justice for Latino farmers
Justice for Latino farmers
La Opinión, 2009-08-31
Latino farmers expected that the Obama administration would remedy the discrimination they have suffered for decades at the hands of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Instead, the White House is an obstacle to closing a shameful chapter in racism.
There is no question that the agency long discriminated against African American and Latino farmers in how it issued loans. Rural aid programs regularly provide support to farmers in times of need during the agricultural cycle. This could mean, for example, situations where the lack of liquidity for purchasing seeds can lead to a farmer’s bankruptcy. Yet, the USDA systematically denied these critical loans to Black and Latino farmers.
The USDA eventually acknowledged its past discriminatory practices. To this point, the federal government has negotiated out-of-court agreements of more than $2 billion in compensation to African American victims of the USDA's discrimination.
And Latino farmers?
They are still awaiting justice.
For nine years and facing many obstacles, Hispanic farmers have waged a legal battle in the courts to seek justice for the undeniable discrimination they experienced. We believe the precedent set with the African-American farmers should be used to negotiate a similar settlement with Latinos.
The groundwork is already laid for this outcome: The USDA's public acknowledgment of its discriminatory practices, a letter from seven Republican and Democratic senators to Obama demanding a resolution, the compensation provided to African American farmers and the statements made by the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.
Despite all of this, the USDA stands in the way of what should be a resolution to years of injustice that excluded 85,000 Latino farmers from the benefits and opportunities given to others. The strategy of the federal government is to divide the demands of various cases in order to diminish the strength of this case and to delay overdue reparations.
After offering $1.25 billion , the final payment to settle discrimination claims by African American farmers, President Obama said he was pleased "to close this chapter" in the USDA's history.
Mr. President: The chapter has not yet closed. Thousands of Hispanic farmers expect the same treatment and justice that the federal government has extended to others, but has denied to them. An entire community now awaits a response.
Latino farmers expected that the Obama administration would remedy the discrimination they have suffered for decades at the hands of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Instead, the White House is an obstacle to closing a shameful chapter in racism.
There is no question that the agency long discriminated against African American and Latino farmers in how it issued loans. Rural aid programs regularly provide support to farmers in times of need during the agricultural cycle. This could mean, for example, situations where the lack of liquidity for purchasing seeds can lead to a farmer’s bankruptcy. Yet, the USDA systematically denied these critical loans to Black and Latino farmers.
The USDA eventually acknowledged its past discriminatory practices. To this point, the federal government has negotiated out-of-court agreements of more than $2 billion in compensation to African American victims of the USDA's discrimination.
And Latino farmers?
They are still awaiting justice.
For nine years and facing many obstacles, Hispanic farmers have waged a legal battle in the courts to seek justice for the undeniable discrimination they experienced. We believe the precedent set with the African-American farmers should be used to negotiate a similar settlement with Latinos.
The groundwork is already laid for this outcome: The USDA's public acknowledgment of its discriminatory practices, a letter from seven Republican and Democratic senators to Obama demanding a resolution, the compensation provided to African American farmers and the statements made by the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.
Despite all of this, the USDA stands in the way of what should be a resolution to years of injustice that excluded 85,000 Latino farmers from the benefits and opportunities given to others. The strategy of the federal government is to divide the demands of various cases in order to diminish the strength of this case and to delay overdue reparations.
After offering $1.25 billion , the final payment to settle discrimination claims by African American farmers, President Obama said he was pleased "to close this chapter" in the USDA's history.
Mr. President: The chapter has not yet closed. Thousands of Hispanic farmers expect the same treatment and justice that the federal government has extended to others, but has denied to them. An entire community now awaits a response.
La Opinión, 2009-08-31
Latino farmers expected that the Obama administration would remedy the discrimination they have suffered for decades at the hands of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Instead, the White House is an obstacle to closing a shameful chapter in racism.
There is no question that the agency long discriminated against African American and Latino farmers in how it issued loans. Rural aid programs regularly provide support to farmers in times of need during the agricultural cycle. This could mean, for example, situations where the lack of liquidity for purchasing seeds can lead to a farmer’s bankruptcy. Yet, the USDA systematically denied these critical loans to Black and Latino farmers.
The USDA eventually acknowledged its past discriminatory practices. To this point, the federal government has negotiated out-of-court agreements of more than $2 billion in compensation to African American victims of the USDA's discrimination.
And Latino farmers?
They are still awaiting justice.
For nine years and facing many obstacles, Hispanic farmers have waged a legal battle in the courts to seek justice for the undeniable discrimination they experienced. We believe the precedent set with the African-American farmers should be used to negotiate a similar settlement with Latinos.
The groundwork is already laid for this outcome: The USDA's public acknowledgment of its discriminatory practices, a letter from seven Republican and Democratic senators to Obama demanding a resolution, the compensation provided to African American farmers and the statements made by the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.
Despite all of this, the USDA stands in the way of what should be a resolution to years of injustice that excluded 85,000 Latino farmers from the benefits and opportunities given to others. The strategy of the federal government is to divide the demands of various cases in order to diminish the strength of this case and to delay overdue reparations.
After offering $1.25 billion , the final payment to settle discrimination claims by African American farmers, President Obama said he was pleased "to close this chapter" in the USDA's history.
Mr. President: The chapter has not yet closed. Thousands of Hispanic farmers expect the same treatment and justice that the federal government has extended to others, but has denied to them. An entire community now awaits a response.
Latino farmers expected that the Obama administration would remedy the discrimination they have suffered for decades at the hands of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Instead, the White House is an obstacle to closing a shameful chapter in racism.
There is no question that the agency long discriminated against African American and Latino farmers in how it issued loans. Rural aid programs regularly provide support to farmers in times of need during the agricultural cycle. This could mean, for example, situations where the lack of liquidity for purchasing seeds can lead to a farmer’s bankruptcy. Yet, the USDA systematically denied these critical loans to Black and Latino farmers.
The USDA eventually acknowledged its past discriminatory practices. To this point, the federal government has negotiated out-of-court agreements of more than $2 billion in compensation to African American victims of the USDA's discrimination.
And Latino farmers?
They are still awaiting justice.
For nine years and facing many obstacles, Hispanic farmers have waged a legal battle in the courts to seek justice for the undeniable discrimination they experienced. We believe the precedent set with the African-American farmers should be used to negotiate a similar settlement with Latinos.
The groundwork is already laid for this outcome: The USDA's public acknowledgment of its discriminatory practices, a letter from seven Republican and Democratic senators to Obama demanding a resolution, the compensation provided to African American farmers and the statements made by the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack.
Despite all of this, the USDA stands in the way of what should be a resolution to years of injustice that excluded 85,000 Latino farmers from the benefits and opportunities given to others. The strategy of the federal government is to divide the demands of various cases in order to diminish the strength of this case and to delay overdue reparations.
After offering $1.25 billion , the final payment to settle discrimination claims by African American farmers, President Obama said he was pleased "to close this chapter" in the USDA's history.
Mr. President: The chapter has not yet closed. Thousands of Hispanic farmers expect the same treatment and justice that the federal government has extended to others, but has denied to them. An entire community now awaits a response.
Latinos make up 14 percent of Obama appointees
Obama sets record pace with Latino appointments
Victor Landa, My San Antonio, 09/04/2009
If you're keeping score, President Barack Obama has appointed more Latinos to his administration during his first year in office than any president in history. And there are still four months left in his first year.
Obama has nominated, and the Senate has confirmed, a total of 43 Latinos to the many departments in the federal government. That includes more than 20 White House staffers and the historic and highly profiled appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Latino nominees represent 14 percent of the 304 appointees so far. His immediate predecessors are the ones who come closest to his record. In their first years in office, President Bill Clinton appointed 30 Latinos to his administration; President George W. Bush appointed 34.
Let's make the other easy comparison, the one that's more obvious than it is relevant. While the president's Latino nominations represent 14 percent of the total number of nominees, the Latino population represents 15 percent of the total population of the country. There's a balance that resists the urge to protest. But there's also the danger of falling to the easy and unintelligent reflex of calling the president's nominations a quota.
That's what happens when we begin to draw lines along cultural, racial, gender and religious lines. I'd like to think that the president and his team reached deep into the well of our country's talent to find the brightest persons available. I'd rather give him points for not picking the obvious, low-hanging fruit. And then as an afterthought, looking back on his appointments so far, noting the diversity and deciding to count.
The gratifying news is that there is talent across the nation's diverse population, and the better news is that they are being noticed, tapped and put to do important work. I unapologetically say that America is the better for it.
There will be those who will say that the high number of Latino appointments is in answer to the Latino support that President Obama received at the polls last November. Two thirds of Latino voters chose Obama over McCain. The idea here is that he owed as much to the Latino community.
And if that's the case, there's nothing outstanding about his manner of choice. He chose according to political debts, as every other president has before him. It follows, then, that Latino's may have finally come of public political age. Latino's may have grown politically to the point that their contribution is rendered worthy of prime political posts. And that's not a bad point of growth.
It's also not a bad first step. Part of the advantage of getting the nod for a post in a presidential administration is what comes after. Working for a president of the United States historically leads to plum positions in politics, academia, business, industry and, if all else fails, lobbying.
The point is that this is noteworthy. The fact that there is a record number of Latino appointees in a record amount of time is something to notice, and follow. It means plenty to the Latino community, and even more so to Obama's politics. And there are still another 200 or so positions to be filled.
Victor Landa, My San Antonio, 09/04/2009
If you're keeping score, President Barack Obama has appointed more Latinos to his administration during his first year in office than any president in history. And there are still four months left in his first year.
Obama has nominated, and the Senate has confirmed, a total of 43 Latinos to the many departments in the federal government. That includes more than 20 White House staffers and the historic and highly profiled appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Latino nominees represent 14 percent of the 304 appointees so far. His immediate predecessors are the ones who come closest to his record. In their first years in office, President Bill Clinton appointed 30 Latinos to his administration; President George W. Bush appointed 34.
Let's make the other easy comparison, the one that's more obvious than it is relevant. While the president's Latino nominations represent 14 percent of the total number of nominees, the Latino population represents 15 percent of the total population of the country. There's a balance that resists the urge to protest. But there's also the danger of falling to the easy and unintelligent reflex of calling the president's nominations a quota.
That's what happens when we begin to draw lines along cultural, racial, gender and religious lines. I'd like to think that the president and his team reached deep into the well of our country's talent to find the brightest persons available. I'd rather give him points for not picking the obvious, low-hanging fruit. And then as an afterthought, looking back on his appointments so far, noting the diversity and deciding to count.
The gratifying news is that there is talent across the nation's diverse population, and the better news is that they are being noticed, tapped and put to do important work. I unapologetically say that America is the better for it.
There will be those who will say that the high number of Latino appointments is in answer to the Latino support that President Obama received at the polls last November. Two thirds of Latino voters chose Obama over McCain. The idea here is that he owed as much to the Latino community.
And if that's the case, there's nothing outstanding about his manner of choice. He chose according to political debts, as every other president has before him. It follows, then, that Latino's may have finally come of public political age. Latino's may have grown politically to the point that their contribution is rendered worthy of prime political posts. And that's not a bad point of growth.
It's also not a bad first step. Part of the advantage of getting the nod for a post in a presidential administration is what comes after. Working for a president of the United States historically leads to plum positions in politics, academia, business, industry and, if all else fails, lobbying.
The point is that this is noteworthy. The fact that there is a record number of Latino appointees in a record amount of time is something to notice, and follow. It means plenty to the Latino community, and even more so to Obama's politics. And there are still another 200 or so positions to be filled.
Hispanic attorneys addressed by former US Attorney
Former US attorney addresses Hispanic convention
By HEATHER CLARK - Associated Press, Sep. 04, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- David Iglesias says U.S. attorneys should be appointed for six-year terms that overlap administrations to minimize the influence of politics on what should be an independent federal office.
The former U.S. attorney for New Mexico - one of nine federal prosecutors fired in a series of politically tinged dismissals in 2006 - spoke Friday at the Hispanic National Bar Association's annual conference in Albuquerque.
"When you talk or think about prosecutors, there should be two adjectives that are attached: independent and integrity. If you don't have those two, you don't have a legitimate prosecutor," he said.
In addition to advocating longer terms for U.S. attorneys, Iglesias said in an interview they should only be removed for misconduct to ensure that politics stay out of federal prosecutions.
"I think one very practical thing to do would be to change the term because, right now, there is a four-year appointment. Maybe make it a six-year term so there's an automatic overlap into the next administration," he said.
Iglesias spoke about phone calls he received in 2006 from former Rep. Heather Wilson and former Sen. Pete Domenici, both New Mexico Republicans.
He claimed the two pressured him to bring an indictment in a public corruption case before Election Day in November 2006.
Domenici and Wilson have acknowledged they had telephoned Iglesias, but have denied they pressured him in any way.
Iglesias said he has had a "tumultuous three years," but has moved on from his dismissal. He is now a prosecutor in the Office of Military Commissions and has been reactivated in the Navy as a captain.
Federal prosecutor Nora Dannehy is investigating whether former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, other Bush administration officials or Republicans in Congress should face criminal charges in the dismissals.
Iglesias said he has no idea where her investigation stands.
"I wouldn't think to second guess her for the same obvious reasons that I was second guessed," he said, adding Dannehy has a "great reputation" and experience prosecuting public corruption.
Richard Ceballos, a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County, Calif., also spoke at the conference about being demoted and denied promotions for writing a memo questioning whether a sheriff's deputy had lied in a search warrant affidavit.
Ceballos filed a lawsuit, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public employees do not have free-speech protections for what they say as part of their jobs.
Politics influencing prosecutorial decisions "probably happens less than 1 percent of the time, but even that 1 percent of the time it shouldn't happen," said Ceballos, who has been a prosecutor for 20 years.
Such political meddling "has an effect of chilling what other prosecutors in the office do," he said.
Iglesias, who partially inspired the Tom Cruise character in the 1992 film "A Few Good Men," said the issue really "strikes at the heart" of the American legal system.
"Prosecutors whether state, federal or military wield tremendous power. At the federal level, I can't think of any other presidential appointee that can take away your life, your liberty and your property," he said. "You can't have them subject to political pressure."
By HEATHER CLARK - Associated Press, Sep. 04, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- David Iglesias says U.S. attorneys should be appointed for six-year terms that overlap administrations to minimize the influence of politics on what should be an independent federal office.
The former U.S. attorney for New Mexico - one of nine federal prosecutors fired in a series of politically tinged dismissals in 2006 - spoke Friday at the Hispanic National Bar Association's annual conference in Albuquerque.
"When you talk or think about prosecutors, there should be two adjectives that are attached: independent and integrity. If you don't have those two, you don't have a legitimate prosecutor," he said.
In addition to advocating longer terms for U.S. attorneys, Iglesias said in an interview they should only be removed for misconduct to ensure that politics stay out of federal prosecutions.
"I think one very practical thing to do would be to change the term because, right now, there is a four-year appointment. Maybe make it a six-year term so there's an automatic overlap into the next administration," he said.
Iglesias spoke about phone calls he received in 2006 from former Rep. Heather Wilson and former Sen. Pete Domenici, both New Mexico Republicans.
He claimed the two pressured him to bring an indictment in a public corruption case before Election Day in November 2006.
Domenici and Wilson have acknowledged they had telephoned Iglesias, but have denied they pressured him in any way.
Iglesias said he has had a "tumultuous three years," but has moved on from his dismissal. He is now a prosecutor in the Office of Military Commissions and has been reactivated in the Navy as a captain.
Federal prosecutor Nora Dannehy is investigating whether former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, other Bush administration officials or Republicans in Congress should face criminal charges in the dismissals.
Iglesias said he has no idea where her investigation stands.
"I wouldn't think to second guess her for the same obvious reasons that I was second guessed," he said, adding Dannehy has a "great reputation" and experience prosecuting public corruption.
Richard Ceballos, a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles County, Calif., also spoke at the conference about being demoted and denied promotions for writing a memo questioning whether a sheriff's deputy had lied in a search warrant affidavit.
Ceballos filed a lawsuit, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that public employees do not have free-speech protections for what they say as part of their jobs.
Politics influencing prosecutorial decisions "probably happens less than 1 percent of the time, but even that 1 percent of the time it shouldn't happen," said Ceballos, who has been a prosecutor for 20 years.
Such political meddling "has an effect of chilling what other prosecutors in the office do," he said.
Iglesias, who partially inspired the Tom Cruise character in the 1992 film "A Few Good Men," said the issue really "strikes at the heart" of the American legal system.
"Prosecutors whether state, federal or military wield tremendous power. At the federal level, I can't think of any other presidential appointee that can take away your life, your liberty and your property," he said. "You can't have them subject to political pressure."
GOP looks for Hispanics
GOP's new diversity push
Politico
After two successive elections that have exposed the Republican Party to ridicule for its lack of diversity and narrow demographic appeal, the GOP suddenly finds itself with an unexpected bounty.
From the West Coast to the East Coast, in some of the smallest and largest states in the nation, the party is currently fielding an unusually diverse crop of serious statewide candidates drawn from the seemingly endless list of constituencies the GOP lost in 2008—notably women, Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans and young people.
Electing just a few of these prospects would give the party a dramatic facelift and go a long way toward addressing its long-running diversity deficit, though it may not alter any of the underlying ideas that may be contributing to the gap.
Under the right conditions, the GOP could end up in 2011 with female governors in the two largest states in the nation—California and Texas. Or with a black senator from Texas, an Hispanic female governor in New Mexico, a Colorado governor in his early 30s and two Indian American governors in the Deep South—one of them female.
Some Republicans see the pipeline of diverse 2010 candidates as an unprecedented opportunity for the party to shake up its white-guy image, nothing less than a godsend after the historic election of a Democratic African American presidential candidate.
"When people start thinking about parties and they see who people put on tickets nationwide, that is what really impacts people's perceptions of a party," said a GOP operative who closely follows governor's races. "When you're thinking about how the GOP is going to grow its base, it's when you really put forward a field of 37 candidates that represent America. And over time, people notice that the GOP actually has a lot of good candidates that are not white males."
The roster of viable contenders goes on and on. In Nevada, former federal judge Brian Sandoval, an Hispanic, is expected to enter the governor's race as the GOP frontrunner while state party chair Sue Lowden is testing the waters for a run against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Hawaii's likely GOP nominee for governor is Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, who is of Chinese, Portuguese and ethnic Hawaiian descent. In Colorado, the Senate primary already includes Aurora Councilman Ryan Frazier, an African American, with former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton likely to join the race.
Republicans are also fielding promising female Senate candidates in New Hampshire and California, and women are leading candidates for governor in Oklahoma, where Rep. Mary Fallin is her party's top candidate, and California, where former eBay CEO Meg Whitman leads the field in the polls. In Texas, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is engaged in a contentious gubernatorial primary with incumbent Rick Perry.
"I think there's kind of an organic uprising of new blood and new faces in the party right now," said Alan Philp, the Republican National Committee's field director for an area including Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and five other states. "We're not going to be the party of nominating the next guy in line. I think there's an eagerness for new faces."
It’s not entirely clear, however, that all Republicans view the moment as a time for choosing new faces. There have been few efforts aimed at clearing the primary election field to give these candidates a head start. In some cases, the party establishment has weighed in against them, raising the distinct possibility that many of these candidates will never go before the general electorate in November 2010.
In Florida, where the GOP’s lone Hispanic senator is stepping down, national Republicans have already made clear that Gov. Charlie Crist is their preferred candidate over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, a Cuban American. Other candidates, such as prosecutor Susana Martinez, who is running for governor in New Mexico, must navigate potentially crowded primaries. Elsewhere, veteran party stalwarts stand in the way of promising fresh upstarts.
"The starting point, for so many Republicans, is a deep-seated frustration with the direction of the party over the last 8, 10 years," explained state Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, a 33-year-old running for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in Colorado against former six-term Congressman Scott McInnis. "We held the reins of power and in many respects we blew it, especially on the fiscal issues. I think that creates a huge market for new faces, new leaders."
In previous years, the GOP has had limited success in fielding women and minority candidates and even less success in electing them. With Sen. Mel Martinez’s impending departure, the Senate Republican Conference will be all-white, with just four female senators, compared to the Senate Democratic Caucus, which has 12 women, two Asian Americans, an Hispanic American and an African American.
Republicans, who have long decried race- and gender-based politics, tend to dismiss such head counts. But as the party looks to turn the page on a troubled chapter,
some candidates acknowledge that simply looking different than a traditional Republican is an asset.
"We've got to have different kinds of messengers," said Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, who is seeking Hutchison’s Senate seat. "Voters may not vote for me just because I'm African American. I wouldn't expect that. But I may get a look-see because of that."
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who endorsed Williams in a fundraising letter last week, suggested the Texan could appeal to voters eager for change, generating enthusiasm just as President Barack Obama and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton did with their historic presidential bids.
"It opens the door for a first look," Gingrich told POLITICO. "It opens up moderate areas and suburban areas in a way that traditional candidates can't…A lot of Americans want to find ways to bring us together to transcend ethnicity and become, truly, one country."
Susana Martinez, who currently serves as district attorney in New Mexico's Dona Ana County, downplayed suggestions that her campaign might prove especially appealing to women and minorities. At the same time, however, she acknowledged that voters might respond differently to a Republican candidate with her background.
"Their willingness to listen may be sparked because I'm female or Hispanic, but that isn't what I have to offer. What I have to offer is my education and my training and my experience," she said. "That may be why they pause a second to maybe listen to the message that I have."
Rubio, who is seeking the Florida Senate seat, framed a small-government, pro-business pitch that he said could appeal to non-traditional Republican voters—particularly the ones turned off by some conservatives’ overheated rhetoric on illegal immigration. Indeed, several top candidates now frame their conservatism explicitly in terms of the immigrant experience.
"One of the strongest sentiments in the Hispanic community is a desire to be an entrepreneur," Rubio argued. "Why do people abandon their native lands and come to the United States?...You can be anything you want to be, if you're willing to work hard and play by the rules."
State Rep. Nikki Haley, an Indian American running for governor of South Carolina, echoed that rhetoric.
“I'm the daughter of immigrant parents that reminded us every day, the value of the opportunity to live in this country,” she said.
Like Martinez, Haley said she's skeptical that people will vote for her because of her gender or ethnicity. But, she noted, "I think that of course I can connect with people based on my life experiences, whether that's being a wife, whether that's being a mom, whether that's being an accountant."
Even if the party ultimately fields a diverse array of candidates, there’s no guarantee that the party's public image will be burnished or that its message will be embraced. In 2006, the GOP fielded credible African American nominees like Ken Blackwell, who ran for governor of Ohio, and Lynn Swann, who ran for governor in Pennsylvania. Both lost by wide margins.
In Maryland that same year, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, then the party's Senate nominee, lost 54 percent to 44 percent.
Just being a new face, Penry cautioned, isn't enough to win over voters on Election Day.
"Every event we go to, the event organizer tells us it's the biggest event they've had, but I have to close the deal," Penry said. "I think Sarah Palin created tremendous enthusiasm because she was new and didn't necessarily close the deal with a lot of people."
Politico
After two successive elections that have exposed the Republican Party to ridicule for its lack of diversity and narrow demographic appeal, the GOP suddenly finds itself with an unexpected bounty.
From the West Coast to the East Coast, in some of the smallest and largest states in the nation, the party is currently fielding an unusually diverse crop of serious statewide candidates drawn from the seemingly endless list of constituencies the GOP lost in 2008—notably women, Latinos, African Americans, Asian Americans and young people.
Electing just a few of these prospects would give the party a dramatic facelift and go a long way toward addressing its long-running diversity deficit, though it may not alter any of the underlying ideas that may be contributing to the gap.
Under the right conditions, the GOP could end up in 2011 with female governors in the two largest states in the nation—California and Texas. Or with a black senator from Texas, an Hispanic female governor in New Mexico, a Colorado governor in his early 30s and two Indian American governors in the Deep South—one of them female.
Some Republicans see the pipeline of diverse 2010 candidates as an unprecedented opportunity for the party to shake up its white-guy image, nothing less than a godsend after the historic election of a Democratic African American presidential candidate.
"When people start thinking about parties and they see who people put on tickets nationwide, that is what really impacts people's perceptions of a party," said a GOP operative who closely follows governor's races. "When you're thinking about how the GOP is going to grow its base, it's when you really put forward a field of 37 candidates that represent America. And over time, people notice that the GOP actually has a lot of good candidates that are not white males."
The roster of viable contenders goes on and on. In Nevada, former federal judge Brian Sandoval, an Hispanic, is expected to enter the governor's race as the GOP frontrunner while state party chair Sue Lowden is testing the waters for a run against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Hawaii's likely GOP nominee for governor is Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, who is of Chinese, Portuguese and ethnic Hawaiian descent. In Colorado, the Senate primary already includes Aurora Councilman Ryan Frazier, an African American, with former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton likely to join the race.
Republicans are also fielding promising female Senate candidates in New Hampshire and California, and women are leading candidates for governor in Oklahoma, where Rep. Mary Fallin is her party's top candidate, and California, where former eBay CEO Meg Whitman leads the field in the polls. In Texas, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is engaged in a contentious gubernatorial primary with incumbent Rick Perry.
"I think there's kind of an organic uprising of new blood and new faces in the party right now," said Alan Philp, the Republican National Committee's field director for an area including Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and five other states. "We're not going to be the party of nominating the next guy in line. I think there's an eagerness for new faces."
It’s not entirely clear, however, that all Republicans view the moment as a time for choosing new faces. There have been few efforts aimed at clearing the primary election field to give these candidates a head start. In some cases, the party establishment has weighed in against them, raising the distinct possibility that many of these candidates will never go before the general electorate in November 2010.
In Florida, where the GOP’s lone Hispanic senator is stepping down, national Republicans have already made clear that Gov. Charlie Crist is their preferred candidate over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, a Cuban American. Other candidates, such as prosecutor Susana Martinez, who is running for governor in New Mexico, must navigate potentially crowded primaries. Elsewhere, veteran party stalwarts stand in the way of promising fresh upstarts.
"The starting point, for so many Republicans, is a deep-seated frustration with the direction of the party over the last 8, 10 years," explained state Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry, a 33-year-old running for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in Colorado against former six-term Congressman Scott McInnis. "We held the reins of power and in many respects we blew it, especially on the fiscal issues. I think that creates a huge market for new faces, new leaders."
In previous years, the GOP has had limited success in fielding women and minority candidates and even less success in electing them. With Sen. Mel Martinez’s impending departure, the Senate Republican Conference will be all-white, with just four female senators, compared to the Senate Democratic Caucus, which has 12 women, two Asian Americans, an Hispanic American and an African American.
Republicans, who have long decried race- and gender-based politics, tend to dismiss such head counts. But as the party looks to turn the page on a troubled chapter,
some candidates acknowledge that simply looking different than a traditional Republican is an asset.
"We've got to have different kinds of messengers," said Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, who is seeking Hutchison’s Senate seat. "Voters may not vote for me just because I'm African American. I wouldn't expect that. But I may get a look-see because of that."
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who endorsed Williams in a fundraising letter last week, suggested the Texan could appeal to voters eager for change, generating enthusiasm just as President Barack Obama and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton did with their historic presidential bids.
"It opens the door for a first look," Gingrich told POLITICO. "It opens up moderate areas and suburban areas in a way that traditional candidates can't…A lot of Americans want to find ways to bring us together to transcend ethnicity and become, truly, one country."
Susana Martinez, who currently serves as district attorney in New Mexico's Dona Ana County, downplayed suggestions that her campaign might prove especially appealing to women and minorities. At the same time, however, she acknowledged that voters might respond differently to a Republican candidate with her background.
"Their willingness to listen may be sparked because I'm female or Hispanic, but that isn't what I have to offer. What I have to offer is my education and my training and my experience," she said. "That may be why they pause a second to maybe listen to the message that I have."
Rubio, who is seeking the Florida Senate seat, framed a small-government, pro-business pitch that he said could appeal to non-traditional Republican voters—particularly the ones turned off by some conservatives’ overheated rhetoric on illegal immigration. Indeed, several top candidates now frame their conservatism explicitly in terms of the immigrant experience.
"One of the strongest sentiments in the Hispanic community is a desire to be an entrepreneur," Rubio argued. "Why do people abandon their native lands and come to the United States?...You can be anything you want to be, if you're willing to work hard and play by the rules."
State Rep. Nikki Haley, an Indian American running for governor of South Carolina, echoed that rhetoric.
“I'm the daughter of immigrant parents that reminded us every day, the value of the opportunity to live in this country,” she said.
Like Martinez, Haley said she's skeptical that people will vote for her because of her gender or ethnicity. But, she noted, "I think that of course I can connect with people based on my life experiences, whether that's being a wife, whether that's being a mom, whether that's being an accountant."
Even if the party ultimately fields a diverse array of candidates, there’s no guarantee that the party's public image will be burnished or that its message will be embraced. In 2006, the GOP fielded credible African American nominees like Ken Blackwell, who ran for governor of Ohio, and Lynn Swann, who ran for governor in Pennsylvania. Both lost by wide margins.
In Maryland that same year, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, then the party's Senate nominee, lost 54 percent to 44 percent.
Just being a new face, Penry cautioned, isn't enough to win over voters on Election Day.
"Every event we go to, the event organizer tells us it's the biggest event they've had, but I have to close the deal," Penry said. "I think Sarah Palin created tremendous enthusiasm because she was new and didn't necessarily close the deal with a lot of people."
Hispanics unhappy to wait for immigration reform
Immigration Policy
Immigration reform has drawn ever more attention as the economy has faltered. Obama has promised reform but says action is unlikely until 2010.
Washington Post, September 6, 2009
President Obama's immigration initiatives thus far have tried to show both toughness and compassion. The administration has cracked down on illegal hiring by federal contractors, while de-emphasizing raids that sweep up illegal workers. It also launched a review of immigration detention practices. The enforcement measures have not required congressional action.
But the next big test is legislation. Obama promised immigration reform, but he now says action is unlikely until 2010.
If a bill goes forward, most likely in the Senate before next Easter, the biggest debate may come over how to set levels for the "future flow" of immigrant workers. Business groups want a guest-worker program or "market-based" levels set by Congress to accommodate economic growth. Labor unions want a commission to set levels when labor shortages exist, to protect native U.S. workers and wages.
Spencer S. Hsu
Immigration reform has drawn ever more attention as the economy has faltered. Obama has promised reform but says action is unlikely until 2010.
Washington Post, September 6, 2009
President Obama's immigration initiatives thus far have tried to show both toughness and compassion. The administration has cracked down on illegal hiring by federal contractors, while de-emphasizing raids that sweep up illegal workers. It also launched a review of immigration detention practices. The enforcement measures have not required congressional action.
But the next big test is legislation. Obama promised immigration reform, but he now says action is unlikely until 2010.
If a bill goes forward, most likely in the Senate before next Easter, the biggest debate may come over how to set levels for the "future flow" of immigrant workers. Business groups want a guest-worker program or "market-based" levels set by Congress to accommodate economic growth. Labor unions want a commission to set levels when labor shortages exist, to protect native U.S. workers and wages.
Spencer S. Hsu
Latinas have the highest dropout rates
Latinas have highest dropout rates
The Latino Journal E-News
To help keep young Latinas in school and on track for success, the National Women's Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund went straight to the source: Latina students and the adults who work with them every day. Our new report, Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation, explores the causes of the dropout crisis for Latinas and identifies the actions needed to improve their graduation rates and get them ready for college.
Latinas are dropping out of school in alarming numbers. Forty-one percent of Latina students do not graduate with their class in four years-if they graduate at all. Many Latina students face challenges related to poverty, immigration status, limited English proficiency, and damaging gender and ethnic stereotypes. And the high teen pregnancy rate for Latinas (53% by the age of 20) reflects and reinforces the barriers they face.
Visit the MALDEF website to watch the video at www.maldef.org/education/public_policy/listening_to_latinas/
The Latino Journal E-News
To help keep young Latinas in school and on track for success, the National Women's Law Center and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund went straight to the source: Latina students and the adults who work with them every day. Our new report, Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation, explores the causes of the dropout crisis for Latinas and identifies the actions needed to improve their graduation rates and get them ready for college.
Latinas are dropping out of school in alarming numbers. Forty-one percent of Latina students do not graduate with their class in four years-if they graduate at all. Many Latina students face challenges related to poverty, immigration status, limited English proficiency, and damaging gender and ethnic stereotypes. And the high teen pregnancy rate for Latinas (53% by the age of 20) reflects and reinforces the barriers they face.
Visit the MALDEF website to watch the video at www.maldef.org/education/public_policy/listening_to_latinas/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)