Cesar Chavez photos

Check out the photos of Cesar Chavez and the farmworkers. Chavez's birthday is coming up.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2010/03/30/CCHAVEZ.DTL

(posted by Prof. Montejano)

NALEO JOINS March for Census Count

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund participated in the march for immigration reform and issued the following statement regarding the importance of participating in the 2010 Census:

“We are here, we are not leaving, and we need to be counted,” NALEO Educational Fund Executive Director Arturo Vargas told the tens of thousands gathered at the March for America on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

“A full count of the Latino community is important toward achieving the many goals we have, including comprehensive immigration reform. We can’t accomplish all we want if we don’t include everyone in the 2010 Census currently underway.”

The NALEO Educational Fund is coordinating the ya es hora ¡HAGASE CONTAR! campaign, a historic, non-partisan Latino civic participation initiative to encourage everyone to be counted in the 2010 Census. It includes a toll-free number for assistance, 877-EL CENSO (352-3676).

Campaign partner Univisión will air a half-hour Census special on Saturday March 27 at 11a eastern/10a central, which includes a “how to” session on filling out the form.

The U.S. Census Bureau recently mailed forms to 120 million households nationwide, including many to Spanish-dominant households in an effort to reach all Latinos in the decennial count.
(Posted by Jesus Alfredo Galindo)

http://http://www.naleo.org/pr/pr03-22-10.html

LULAC event touts women's progress

EL PASO -- The progress of Hispanic women in society was celebrated on Saturday at LULAC's fourth annual Women's Conference.

The event also sought to inform and motivate women to succeed.








http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_14772218?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com

(posted by alejandra franco)

Study: Hispanics in Texas less likely to graduate college

DALLAS (AP) - Texas follows the national trend with Hispanics less likely to graduate from public and private universities compared to whites.

The study by the nonprofit American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research used data from six-year graduation rates from the National Center for Education Statistics.

The study found that 51 percent of Hispanics who started college earned a bachelor's degree within six years, compared to 59 percent of whites.








http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_14732307?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com]




(Posted by Alejandra Franco)

LULAC President Rosa Rosales addresses half a million at March for America

Civil rights leader Rosa Rosales the President of the League of United Latin American Citizens addressed a crowd of half a million immigration reform supporters at the March for America. The event pushed for the Obama Administration and Congress to tackle immigration reform legislation as soon as possible and end the painful raids and deportations. Rosales stressed the economic benefit to a legalization process known as amnesty and the recognition that all American descendants were once immigrants.

"http://lulac.org/news/pr/Rosa_Rosales_addresses_half_a_million_at_March_for_America/"

Big immigration march in Washington

Tens of thousands call for an overhaul to be the next priority in Congress, even as lawmakers debated the passage of healthcare legislation.

Reporting from Washington - Determined to push a major overhaul of the immigration system to the top of the nation's political agenda, tens of thousands of people rallied Sunday on the National Mall, challenging Congress to fix laws that they say separate families and hurt the country's economic and social vitality.

Organizers and supporters of the "March for America" campaign -- who demonstrated as House members cast a historic vote on healthcare -- want to make an immigration overhaul the next big undertaking in Washington.

For more. click here

[POSTED BY DAISY ALEJANDRA CUEVAS]

Señalan baja de tensiones raciales

CRISTIAN SALAZAR |2010-03-28

PATCHOGUE, Nueva York/AP — Antes que un inmigrante ecuatoriano fuese muerto a puñaladas por un adolescente adornado con una cruz gamada, los inmigrantes indocumentados de esta población temían denunciar a la policía que varios jóvenes con motocicletas les apedreaban e insultaban con epítetos raciales.


Siempre existía la posibilidad de que una denuncia ante la policía condujera a una deportación o que simplemente no les hicieran caso. Empero, mucho ha cambiado la situación desde noviembre del 2008 cuando Marcelo Lucero, de 37 años, fue atacado por los adolescentes — seis blancos y uno de ascendencia puertorriqueña — que según los fiscales se había dedicado ese día en Patchogue a la búsqueda de hispanos para atacarlos.

[Posted by Julia Martinez]

PVUSD trustees approve union, district agreement

The Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved an agreement with the teachers' union that is expected to save more than $3 million over the next two years.
Under the agreement, reached March 2 after months of negotiations between PVUSD and the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers, teachers agreed to 10 unpaid furlough days over the

http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=8572&page=72

Posted by Ramiro Andrade

Parts of health care to take effect

As Republicans vowed to fight the health care bill that passed Sunday night, and which President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law today, some local officials touted its passage as a boon for residents.
"I think it's a huge step forward for our country, and we'll have some benefits for our community," said Assemblyman Bill Monning,

http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=8552&page=72

Posted by Ramiro Andrade

Protesters rally to save schools

Dozens of teachers, parents and children came to Watsonville Plaza Friday afternoon to protest cuts to Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education -- and the preschools that fall under its jurisdiction.
As several preschool-aged kids played in the grassy park and the area around the bandstand, others stood on the sidewalk along Main Street, cheering as passing vehicles honked in support.

http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=8546&page=72

Posted by Ramiro Andrade

North Monterey County High removed from state's 'low-achieving' list

The announcement came Thursday morning after the state Board of Education unanimously voted to change its methodology for choosing how schools make the list for low performance. As a 'Tier 2' school, North Monterey County High receives Title 1 funding, which typically goes to districts with children from high-poverty areas; the changes made Thursday remove North Monterey County High and 36 other schools from the Tier 2 list. There are 10 Tier 1 schools on the state's final list from Monterey County, including Bardin Elementary and Martin Luther King Jr. Academy - both in the Alisal Union School District in Salinas - and Greenfield Union and Vista Verde Middle School in Greenfield. On Wednesday, the boards of each district approved layoff notices slips for school principals, two in Greenfield and 11 in Alisal.

Full article

[posted by Andrew Brown]

An election when candidates' ethnicity became a liability

Hurst Republican Lenny Lopez figured he'd get an earful from voters when he ran against a popular Tarrant County justice of the peace.
But there was one word he never expected to hear:
"Mexican!"
Born in Brooklyn to parents from the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Lopez is as American as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor or -- no relation -- Jennifer Lopez.
Yet when he campaigned outside Young Junior High School in Arlington, he says, a tall voter walked up to him with a loud message:


"I would not vote for a Mexican from south of the border!"

Entire Article

[Posted by Aaron Mendez]

Obama sí quiere reforma

El presidente Barack Obama presidió el jueves una reunión clave por la reforma migratoria y reiteró su compromiso con una iniciativa de ley que permita legalizar a la mayoría de los 10.8 millones de indocumentados que viven el país, según datos del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS).

Uno de los invitados a la Casa Blanca contó a Univisión.com pormenores del encuentro -celebrado a puertas cerradas- y dijo que "no lo esperábamos. Se abrió la puerta y apareció él acompañado de cuatro asesores. Presidió la reunión durante una hora y 15 minutos y prometió hacer un anuncio público de respaldo".

http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?chid=3&cid=2316073&schid=278&secid=12135

Posted by Ericka Salazar

'Living Out' explores differences between Anglos, Latinos

Add "Living Out" to the genre that includes "Driving Miss Daisy," "Caroline, Or Change," "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Gosford Park."

The conflict between domestic staff and the people who hire those nannies, cooks and housekeepers has been a staple of theater, movies and television for decades.
Add "Living Out" to the genre that includes "Driving Miss Daisy," "Caroline, Or Change," "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Gosford Park." The dramatic comedy, the latest production by the Visalia Community Players, debuts March 19 and runs through April 3.

Lisa Loomer's play tells the story of the relationships between wealthy mothers from Santa Monica and the Hispanic nannies who take care of their children.

full article here

[Posted by Kimberly Vasquez]

Washington D.C. - Contributed by Jackeline Stewart.

Story link:http://www.nclr.org/content/news/detail/62016/


The National Council of La Raza, on March 10th, scheduled the NCLR National Latino Advocacy Day, which featured Congressmen Gutierrez and Menendez speaking to over 300 Latino Community-based program leaders. The purpose of the gathering was to rally the Latino community to political action - a continuing response to President Barack Obama's apparent neglect of the immigration situation during the State of the Union address back in January. More than just immigration, both Senator Menendez and Representative Gutierrez stressed the importance of political action to achieve a more equal playing field for Latinos in education and to give them equal economic opportunity.

Salinas students place 3rd in global math competition

Robert Aragon's third-grade class at Dr. Oscar F. Loya Elementary School — nicknamed the Challengers — raced ahead of Japanese, Australian and Saudi Arabian classrooms to answer more than 215,000 math problems correctly in 48 hours. The Challengers got their name because they jumped into the mathematic rink despite daunting obstacles, said Magaña. Many of Aragon's students speak English as a second language and come from families hit hard by the recession, she said, breaking momentarily into tears. The competition was part of World Maths Day, which pitted students from about 56,000 schools across the globe against one another in speed arithmetic. The competition "helped us tremendously to stay focused and stay on track with the state tests," Principal Mary Magaña said.

Full article here

[posted by Andrew Brown]

Brown Berets de Aztlan protest the police murder of one of their own

Units of the Brown Berets de Aztlan, MEChA de UC Riverside and over 100 community supporters gathered Saturday morning outside the Cesar Chavez Center to protest the cowardly gunning down, in the presence of her children and husband, of Brown Beret member Annette Garcia by a lone Riverside County sheriff . Twenty eight year old Annette Garcia, a mother and beloved member of the community, was shot in the back outside her home on the evening of January 21st. Witnesses say that the deputy shot at Annette while she was walking away and that she did not present a threat to anyone. The deputy, witnesses say, shot at Annette approximately five times from a distance of about 500 feet and that it was a miracle that other family members, who were standing nearby, were not killed .
by Braulio Felipe Ocampo
http://www.aztlan.net/brown_berets_seek_justice.htm

Latinos anxious over end of school liaisons in Prince George's

As word spreads of the recent decision by the Prince George's Board of Education to eliminate 120 full-time parent liaisons next year to save money, parents and staff at schools with large Latino populations are increasingly worried about how they will cope.

....

The Latino community's growing anxiety over the board's decision highlights Prince George's uneasy transition from a majority-black county that has been a magnet for affluent African Americans to a county increasingly characterized by low-income Latino immigrant enclaves.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/05/AR2010030503028.html

[posted by Ana Perales]

Stimulus Watch: less stimulus for minority firms

WASHINGTON -- Hispanic and black businesses are receiving a disproportionately small number of federal stimulus contracts, creating a rising chorus of demands for the Obama administration to be more inclusive and more closely track who receives government-financed work.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/07/AR2010030700552.html

[Posted by Ana Perales]

Study: Latino ‘foreclosure generation’ devastated

A report by a Latino advocacy group says minority families are being disproportionately hurt by the housing crisis and need relief from foreclosures even if they lost their jobs, as well as the chance to buy affordable homes and stronger consumer protections.

By 2050, Latinos will make up 30% of the U.S. population, compared to 14% today, and immigrants will account for 82% of household growth between now and 2050, according to the National Council of La Raza, which conducted the study jointly with the Center for Community Capital, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“An estimated 1.3 million Latino families will lose their homes to foreclosure between 2009 and 2012,” said Janet Murguía, president and CEO of the NCLR. About 400,000 Latino families were expected to lose their homes to foreclosure as of 2009.

[Posted by Brenda Diaz]

http://mortgage.freedomblogging.com/2010/02/16/study-latino-foreclosure-generation-needs-help/26383/

Whittier College racism, sexual debauchery and corruption

Whitter College, a small college in Southern California is facing scandals for "sexual debauchery, rampant drug use, the recent ousting of a crystal meth injecting homosexual college president and serious accusations that the college is abusing the federal Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program that was introduced under Title V of the Higher Education Act that is designed to serve the academic needs of Mexican and other Latino students." The Mecha Chapter of the college tried to talk to the University authorities about the Racist policies of the institution, but were thrown out by school officers, the report says.

By Braulio Felipe Ocampo
http://www.aztlan.net/whittier_college_racism_and_corruption.htm

Census question confuses

(Posted by Jesus Alfredo Galindo)
EL PASO - Many Hispanics do not know they are white. But, in the U.S. Census Bureau's eyes, they probably are.

For people such as former baseball star Sammy Sosa, who is a black Dominican, it may be easy to fill out a 2010 Census form.

But Hispanics may be confused over the questions of race and ethnicity found in the form being mailed out this month.

"The race question is the question I get the most queries about," U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said Monday in a national conference call. "This is a question that changes every decade."

In question No. 8, the bureau asks if a person is of Hispanic origin. Then, in the following question, the person must mark his or her race.

The Census Bureau gives respondents many options, but classifies data into five races - white, black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native and other Pacific Islanders.

"This is one of the stickier issues," said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. "About half of Latinos who respond to the census consider being Latino their racial category."

His is one of the organizations the secretary of commerce appointed to the 2010 Census advisory committee. It has been instrumental among Latino groups in campaigning for census participation.
http://http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14495736

Hills Lags in hiring Hispanics

(posted by Jesus Galindo)


Hispanics make up nearly one-sixth of the U.S. population, but a new study shows that they’re almost nonexistent in high-level staff positions on Capitol Hill.
Out of 100 Senate chiefs of staff, only one is Hispanic: Amanda Renteria, who works for Michigan Democrat Debbie Stabenow. There are no Hispanic legislative directors or deputy chiefs of staff in the Senate, the study shows, and only one Hispanic staff director.In the House, the study finds, Hispanics hold only 12 of the roughly 440 chief of staff jobs and only nine of about 440 legislative director slots.

The Congressional Hispanic Staff Association calls the results an “outrage.”

“For whatever reason, we’re just not getting into senior-level positions,” said the chairman of the CHSA’s Placement Committee, whose office would not allow him to give his name. “We’re really trying to avoid finger-pointing at any one individual office. The real problem is that every single office is hiring [fewer] Latinos than they should be.”

That’s not to say that lawmakers aren’t hiring Latinos to staff their offices — currently, 156 members of Congress, seven leadership offices and 27 committee offices have at least one Hispanic employee on staff, according to the Latino Leaders Network.

But when Latinos are hired, it’s most often for low-level positions that don’t offer opportunities for policy work. A 2009 House employment survey found that the greatest number of Hispanic staffers in the House work as schedulers, followed by staff assistants.

Gloria Montano Greene, former chief of staff to Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), is among the few Latino staffers who have risen to the top. She began her work as a part-time staffer in Grijalva’s district office and later moved to Washington, where she worked her way up through almost every position in the office before becoming chief of staff four years later.

“You do notice sometimes that you’re the only person representing your constituency, and you realize you have different ways to approach the conversation,” said Greene, who is now the Washington director for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Education Fund. “As a Latino staffer ... you have to understand how to deal with the disparities. You have to work to find networks of support, both professional and personal, to stay in the D.C. way of life. It’s a reason why beginning staffers might have difficulty staying in the long haul. The financial aspect is hard. You lack familial support, and you leave your community.”

To read the rest follow this link http://http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33401.html

Day laborers holding 'Hire Here' signs in Costa Mesa

COSTA MESA – Barred from soliciting work by distracting drivers, day laborers are holding "Hire Here" signs and standing still on sidewalks throughout the city, according to the Daily Pilot.
A city ordinance adopted in 2005 prohibits "active solicitation" by, of or from people in moving cars. It also bans solicitation in commercial parking areas that have signs prohibiting such actions.
However, the ordinance allows people to stand on sidewalks with signs, distribute literature to pedestrians and talk to others in lawfully parked vehicles.
Earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, along with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, filed a lawsuit against the city challenging its ordinance targeting day laborers.

[Posted by Brenda Diaz]

http://www.ocregister.com/news/laborers-234809-day-city.html

Gilroy community college offers Spanish class in Playa del Carmen

Gavilan College in Salinas is offering a Spanish language immersion experience this summer. Students and community members who want to learn or improve their knowledge of Spanish will have the opportunity to attend Spanish language classes at the Soléxico Language and Cultural Center in Oaxaca, Mexico. Students are able to enroll in classes at all levels, Beginner to Advanced, and will be awarded 5 transferrable college credits for their participation.

Full article here

[posted by Andrew Brown]

Immigrants get lessons on local laws

SANTA ANA - Nailea Anguiano arrived at the Mexican Consulate early Wednesday expecting long lines, not a pitch from Santa Ana police.

The 30-year-old was pleased. Not only did she turn in some necessary paperwork for a U.S. immigration appointment next week, but she also discovered that there's a number she can call to report the graffiti she hates spotting on her morning commute through the city.

"This is great. I didn't know who to call," she said. "Now I know."

Anguiano was one of more than 50 people who showed up at the consulate office on various errands and found themselves a captive audience for Santa Ana police officials' first presentation aimed at Mexican nationals who may not be familiar with U.S. and local laws.

The morning presentations, scheduled to take place almost every Wednesday, tackle safety issues -- from the importance of crime reporting to risks associated with driving without a license, said Santa Ana police Deputy Chief Carlos Rojas.

[Posted by Brenda Diaz]

http://www.ocregister.com/news/santa-237361-police-one.html

Dem encourages Latinos to pursue Ph.D.s

A group of Latin American students got an earful of good ideas about college success and leadership. Javier Gonzales, chairman of the New Mexico Democratic Party, spoke to UNM’s League of United Latin American Citizens at its monthly meeting Friday. He said 2 percent of Latinos earn their Ph.D. out of the 46 million who attend college, and he hopes talks with Latin college students will help that number rise.

http://www.dailylobo.com/index.php/article/2010/03/dem_encourages_latinos_to_pursue_phds

[posted by Laura Ibarra]

Mobilization is Prepared for Reform

Thousands of immigrants and activists in all parts of the United States will March on March 21 to the nation's capital to demand Congress to approve a comprehensive and just immigrant reform.

http://www.elsemanarionews.com/news/index.php?id=2174

[posted by Laura Ibarra]

Hispanic students lead nation on test

New Mexico's class of 2009 led the nation in the percentage of Hispanic students who earned a score of 3-5 on at least one Advanced Placement exam, according to the College Board's annual Report to the Nation released last week.

http://www.cibolabeacon.com/articles/2010/03/01/news/doc4b8c47a8cd1f2147545566.txt

[posted by Laura Ibarra]

Suspects arrested in bowling alley shooting, stabbing

Watsonville police have arrested two suspects involved in the Friday evening shooting and stabbing at Cabrillo Lanes.
Police arrested Jordan James Macias, 20, and Abraham Santoyo, 18, for attempted murder about 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Hyde Street and Western Drive in Watsonville. The arrests come less than 24 hours after the suspects reportedly shot a 7-year-old boy and stabbed

http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=8474&page=72

Posted by Ramiro Andrade

$20,000 worth of drugs seized from Las Lomas home

Watsonville police seized more than $20,000 worth of illegal drugs and an assault rifle during a raid Friday.
According to police, an officer received a tip about a suspect selling illegal narcotics from a Las Lomas residence on Hall Road, which prompted Watsonville police and members of the Santa Cruz County Anti Crime Team to search the property. Freddie
http://www.register-pajaronian.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=8441&page=72

Posted by Ramiro Andrade

Drug war: Laser, investors' visas allow many to live, work in El Paso

EL PASO -- They are not your typical undocumented immigrants.

Thousands of middle-class Mexican citizens, under the guise of being commuters or visitors, may be manipulating the U.S. immigration system to escape the violence of Juárez.

More than 4,600 murders occurred in Juárez in 2008 and 2009, and the fallout is apparent in the city's decay. More than 110,000 houses have been abandoned, 75,000 people have lost their jobs and more than 10,000 businesses have closed.

Now a white-collar segment of Juárez's population may be streaming to El Paso by misusing tourist visas, then renting houses or apartments or even opening businesses.

Living in the United States may be illegal for these immigrants who flee the epicenter of Mexico's drug war by moving right across the border to one of the safest cities in the country.

El Paso had 12 murders last year compared to 2,643 in Juárez. New York City, with eight times the population of Juárez, had 466 homicides in 2009.

(Posted by Alejandra Franco)

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_14486059?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com

Out of the barrio: Chicano exhibit debuts

EL PASO -- Cemelli De-Aztlan cannot help thinking of herself as a beneficiary of the 1970s Chicano movement.

De-Aztlan, 29, recently earned a master's degree in divinity from Harvard University.

"I wouldn't have been able to do that without the Chicano movement happening," De-Aztlan said, referring to Hispanic civil-rights struggles in El Paso that led to improvements in education, housing, health and other areas.

De-Aztlan was among El Pasoans recently visiting "Chicano Power: Legacy of the Chicano Movement in El Paso," a new multimedia exhibition running through August at Museo Mayachén inside Mercado Mayapán, 2101 Myrtle.

"I cried when I first walked in," De-Aztlan said. "You see so many familiar faces, and they're still doing the good work they promised to do 30 years ago.

(posted by Alejandra Franco)

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_14406044?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com

City Council: Border crossing delays damage El Paso's economy

EL PASO -- Those torturous lines at international bridges are bad for business.

They keep pedestrians, cars and commercial trucks waiting up to 90 minutes to cross into El Paso, and that can hurt the economy, City Council members say.

In a meeting last week, members of the council's transportation committee said long waits at international ports of entry are among the most critical problems affecting El Paso. They said steps should be taken to get people, cars and products through more efficiently.

"People talk about Fort Bliss and the Medical Center of the Americas as economic catalysts for our region, and they certainly are," said city Rep. Beto O'Rourke, committee chairman. "But Mexico has been and will continue to be the biggest factor in the economy of El Paso."

Measuring waiting times at the international bridges is a complicated and inexact science.

(Posted by Alejandra Franco)

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_14442284?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com

Helping to Do Good by Looking Good

Shirley and Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez started their graphic design business guerrilla style by taking a few thousand dollars left over from a student loan and opening a shop in their Brooklyn living room. Their motto has been "When Image is What Matters" in which they present a realistic and nuanced portrayal of Latinos and young people. Eight years later their business, "Somos Arte" ("We Are Art"), has become a great enterprise occupying an entire floor.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/nyregion/01graphic.html?scp=3&sq=latinos&st=cse

Posted by Janeth Tapia

Unidos por la misma causa

El programa Fortaleciendo Familias es más sólido con la unión de clubes rotarios de Salinas. Con la contribución de los clubes rotarios, Fortaleciendo Familias ha crecido y ha podido cumplir con su objetivo principal de brindar apoyo a la comunidad para mejorar las relaciones intrafamiliares para evitar que sus hijos se involucren en las pandillas.

“Nuestra visión es que todas las familias tengan las herramientas necesarias para fortalecer su familia y que puedan salir adelante en la comunidad”, dijo Jackie Cruz, voluntaria del programa Fortaleciendo Familias. Esto se ha podido realizar, ya que la coalición de los rotarios logró desarrollar un plan administrativo, adquirió tecnología nueva, 30 mil dólares para la contratación de personal para el crecimiento del programa y se logró asistir con nuevos socios para mejorar su sustento.

http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100306/NEWS05/100305027/-1/NEWSFRONT2/Unidos-por-la-misma-causa

Posted by Jeanette Pantoja

Ser bilingüe es una gran ventaja (Being Bilingual is a Great Advantage)

A principios del pasado mes de febrero, la niña Elizabeth Pinedo, estudiante del cuarto año de la Escuela Primaria Boronda Meadows en Salinas, ganó el primer lugar a nivel estatal por escribir un ensayo sobre”las ventajas de ser bilingue.

California Association Bilingual Education (CABE por sus siglas en inglés), lleva a cabo una competencia anual en la que estudiantes de diversas escuelas y de distintas edades de todo el estado participan en la composición de ensayos. El tema se enfocó en las ventajas de ser bilingüe y en noviembre de 2009, los estudiantes tuvieron que escribir el ensayo en inglés y en español.

http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100306/NEWS05/100305026/1079/Ser-bilingüe-es-una-gran-ventaja

Posted by Jeanette Pantoja

Estudiantes orientan a estudiantes

Hoy sábado 6 de marzo, estudiantes de preparatorias del Condado de Monterey que forman parte del programa migrante, llevarán a cabo una conferencia en la que alrededor de 100 alumnos de diferentes escuelas secundarias podrán acudir para aprender sobre temas de importancia.

Los exponentes en esta conferencia serán: Ramón Anaya, maestro de recursos del Programa Migrante de la Escuela Alisal quien hablará de los requisitos y trámites para poder ingresar a la Universidad. Shy Cota, del programa Second Chance, tratará el tema de las pandillas y la drogadicción y Rosario Aguirre, de la oficina de Salubridad del Condado de Monterey, tocará el tema de las consecuencias de los embarazos en los adolescentes.

http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100306/NEWS05/100305031/-1/newsfront2/Estudiantes-orientan-a-estudiantes

Posted by Jeanette Pantoja

'Army of Peace' marches in King City

About 30 members, led by Mohorko, gathered at San Antonio Park in King City ready to hand out the Peace Now fliers. The piece of paper includes a phone number for residents to call if they need counseling and support. The fliers are being distributed to ease tension and get more residents involved in reporting crime, Mohorko said.

Since the year began, King City has seen four shootings, two of them fatal. No arrests have been made in any of them. For lifelong King City resident Frank Valladarez, 40, becoming a Peacemaker — as the group's members are called — is his own way of taking his community back. "We know police are understaffed, so if this is what it takes then so be it," he said. "I want to make a difference to stop these senseless killings over a piece of land that doesn't belong to anyone or over some color."

http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100305/NEWS01/3050317/-1/newsfront2/Army-of-Peace-marches-in-King-City

Posted by Jeanette Pantoja

Hispanic Farmers fight to sue USDA

In Texas and across the Southwest, Hispanic farmers have been fighting the Agriculture Department for close to a decade.

The farmers say the department's Farm Services Agency discriminated against them — denying or delaying loans, and refusing to investigate when they cried foul.

EnlargeKemp Davis for NPR

Modesta Salazar stands in front of what's left of the farm in Pearsall, Texas, that her father bought in 1952.

The government settled a similar complaint brought by African-American farmers for $1 billion. And while the claims of discrimination and other factors are almost identical, the Hispanic farmers have gotten nothing.

'Always No'

Noe Obregon, 47, looks exactly like the South Texas farmer he's been all his life: cowboy hat, blue denim shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. Obregon says that in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, it didn't matter what you looked like or how good of a farmer you were. If you were Hispanic in Texas, getting a farm loan from the USDA was like the quest for the Holy Grail.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.Php?storyID=113730694

Posted by Victoria Bell

Money wired to Mexico from Sacramento has plunged

The flow of cash from Mexican immigrants to their families back home continues to dry up in the Sacramento area and nationwide as tough economic times and a beleaguered housing sector have taken their toll on paychecks and pocketbooks.

Locally, the movement of money south has been curtailed by the disappearance of construction jobs in a battered housing sector, a major employer of Mexican labor, said Carlos González Gutiérrez, Mexico's consul general in Sacramento.

Immigrants are "waiting for the economic crisis to go away, but they don't have the resources they had before and are sending less," González Gutiérrez said. "What the global (economic) crisis has shown us is that the host society and the homeland move in sync." (March 6, 2010)

http://www.sacbee.com/2009/12/14/2393159/money-wired-to-mexico-from-sacramento.html

Posted by: Uriel Lopez

At Top City Schools, Lack of Diversity Persists

Just seven black students were admitted to Stuyvesant High School’s incoming freshman class, down from a dozen last year, according to numbers released Friday by the city’s Education Department. The number of Hispanics also dropped incrementally, with 17 being admitted this year, compared with 24 last year. A total of 958 students were admitted last week for next year’s freshman class at Stuyvesant, long regarded as the crown jewel of the city’s schools.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/at-top-city-schools-lack-of-diversity-persist/?scp=4&sq=latinos&st=cse

Posted by Janeth Tapia

Caribbeans Urged to Write in Ancestry on US Census

Individuals identifying themselves as "Latino, Hispanic, or Spanish origin" in the 2010 U.S. Census questionnaire are able to be more specific in regards to their ancestry (Mexican-American, Cuban, or Puerto Rican). But those who check the box for "black, or African-American" are unable to be specific if they are from the African country or a Caribbean Island. Some Caribbean-American leaders are urging their communities to write their nationalities on the line under "some other race" as well as checking the racial categories they identify themselves with. The campaign in the multiethnic Caribbean community reflects a tendency, born from multiple waves of migration, to establish identity first by country, then by race.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/24/us/AP-US-Census-Caribbean-Identity.html?scp=1&sq=latinos&st=cse

Posted by Janeth Tapia

Monterey County library set to teach Greenfield's Oaxacan community English

Since mid-2009, Oaxacan children and their parents have been coming to the Greenfield library to participate in homework centers and story-time programs. Monterey County Librarian Jayanti Addleman said the library's main reason for the programs is to help Triqui children succeed. Through their participation, the library has been able to reach out to the children and help them to learn the English language. And for their efforts, the Monterey County Free Libraries were recognized by the Association for Library Services to Children with their annual Bookapalooza award in Chicago in February. "The Bookapalooza grant will help the library meet the challenges the marginalized Oaxacan immigrant community confronts as it seeks to integrate into American society," according to the American Library Association.

Full Article here

[posted by Andrew Brown]

Counting Hispanics in Little Village’s hands

By Matthew Bellassai and Alex Hollander January 14th, 2010

Crusaders will soon descend upon the community of Little Village, armed with cans of spray paint and posters to cover the walls of this Chicago neighborhood while its neighbors are sound asleep. These people aren’t vandals who seek to deface the city—it’s a city, in fact, that these crusaders care deeply about.
They are members of Enlace, a well-known non-profit organization within the community, working to encourage members of the Little Village neighborhood to fill out their Census forms in the upcoming 2010 U.S. Census. Their mission is to catch their fellow community members by surprise through a guerilla advertising campaign.
Enlace’s late-night adventure will involve the plastering of paper hands – the symbol for next year’s Census – throughout the community before spray-painting messages across them to raise awareness of the Census and encourage community members to participate.
Enlace’s campaign, called “La Villita Cuenta” – or Little Village Counts – is one of many campaigns throughout Illinois and the U.S. that seek to increase the number of people counted by the U.S. Census Bureau next year. Historically, said representatives from Enlace, Little Village has been less than 50 percent counted. Darhiian Espinoza, Enlace’s Economic Development Director and head of the “La Villita Cuenta” campaign, estimates the neighborhood’s true population to be around 120,000.

For more, here

[Posted by Julia Martinez]

Early college program, workshop help Hispanic youth get a jump on college

02:45 PM CST on Tuesday, February 23, 2010

MERCEDES OLIVERA/Dallas Morning News Contributor

Dallas high school senior Juan Pineda has a huge head start on most of his classmates – he's already finished the coursework for a two-year associate's degree from a Dallas community college.

The 17-year-old will be the valedictorian for the first graduating class in June of the Early College High School at Mountain View College in southern Oak Cliff. The program allows students to work toward an associate degree while they earn their high school diploma. He's also the president of the National Honor Society chapter at his school and works as an intern for the Texas High School Project, which supports programs that prepare young people for college...

Pineda will be one of 125 students chasing their dreams when they attend the workshop, sponsored by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C. Besides financial literacy, it also covers college preparation and leadership development.

Organizers started out in 2007 reaching about 375 students in three cities – Washington, Los Angeles and New York. This year, the program has expanded to five more cities – Dallas, Phoenix, Miami, Chicago and San Antonio. About 1,000 students are expected to participate.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/localnews/columnists/molivera/stories/DN-olivera_20met.ART.State.Edition1.4bdeb79.html

[Posted By Michael Felix]

© 2010, The Dallas Morning News, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Elgin Police Chief: Illegal immigration is a federal issue

by Harry Hitzeman Daily Herald Staff 2/25/2010

Elgin Police Chief Lisa Womack Thursday during a conference call with other police chiefs reiterated her position that illegal immigration is a federal issue.
"If there was a local solution to this issue, and this goes back to my Texas roots, the border states would have already figured it out," said Womack, who was police chief in Sugarland, Texas, before coming to Elgin in 2005. "In my opinion, there is not a local solution."
Womack's remarks were made during a 45-minute conference call and discussion with the Sacramento-based Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative, which hopes to advance a dialogue on immigration reform.
Reporters from Chicago suburban news outlets and even The New York Times listened and asked questions.

More here

[Posted by Julia Martinez]
More here

Power in numbers

Hispanics, long under-represented as voters, are becoming political kingmakers
Jan 7th 2010

THE choice of John Pérez to take over as the new speaker of California’s state assembly later this month has been hailed as something of a breakthrough—but only because Mr Pérez is openly gay. That he is also Latino is not considered newsworthy. Kevin de León, who competed with Mr Pérez for the post, is also Latino, as are several of Mr Pérez’s predecessors, including his cousin, Antonio Villaraigosa, who is now the mayor of Los Angeles. The weight of Latinos in the politics of states like California and Texas (where the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus claims 44 of the 150 members of the state House of Representatives) is already understood to be not only large but normal.

This year, after the decennial census that will confirm the huge growth of America’s Hispanic population, this influence will become both evident and normal in even more parts of the country. Arturo Vargas, the executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), reckons that during the last census about 1m Latinos were left out of the statistics because “if you live in a garage or on somebody’s couch”, as many Latinos do, it is easy not to be counted. This time there is a concerted effort to change that. And if the Census Bureau’s estimates are corroborated, almost 16% of America’s population will be shown to be Hispanic (since the label refers to ethnicity rather than race, anybody who considers himself Hispanic is deemed to be so). That will compare with 13.4% for blacks, according to the estimate.
For the rest of the article follow the this link http://http://www.economist.com/world/united-states/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15213228


(Posted by Jesus Alfredo Galindo)

Tulare County leaders say deeper cuts to social services will affect children, families

Bankruptcy for California is not an option. A missed payment on the state's massive bonds is not an option. And, with California's budget hurtling toward a $20 billion shortfall through the middle of next year, local officials are preparing themselves for another lean year.

California's controller, John Chiang, said $2.6 billion in cuts aimed at local government would go a long way toward maintaining the state's annual$35.2 billion in debt service payments.

"With such grim news, some have suggested that the state might default on the state's debt obligations," Chiang said in a statement. "A reality check is needed here."

full article here, also check out the comments to this article there are some strong anti-immigrant sentiments there.

[Posted by Kimberly Vasquez]

Leading Latino Legal Civil Rights Organization Convenes 3rd Annual Latino State of the Union, Outlines 2010 Public Policy Priorities

The nation's leading Latino scholars and advocates will discuss the major policy initiatives facing the Latino community in 2010. Among the participants will be Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Dr. Gabriela Lemus, Director, Office of Public Engagement U.S. Department of Labor (Invited), and Mark Hugo Lopez, Associate Director, Pew Hispanic Center.

for more, click here

[Posted by Cynthia Sanchez]

$3 Million Judgment in Immigration Fraud Case

Miriam Mercedes Ortiz has been ordered to pay $3 million to immigrants whom she falsely promised green cards. She charged up to $15,000 per person to get documents saying that she had connections to get these families(37) a green card in less than eight months.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/3-million-judgment-in-immigration-fraud-case/?scp=2&sq=latinos%20&st=cse

Posted by Enedina

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR GRANTS $3.4 MILLION TO NCLR’S CARRERAS EN SALUD PROGRAM

NCLR (National Council of La Raza), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, applauds the U.S. Department of Labor for investing in health care training programs in high-need Chicago communities. The $3.4 million award will be used to fund the Carreras en Salud program, providing low-income, low-skilled Latinos with a structured but flexible, multientry career pathway to skilled nursing and allied- healthcare occupations. “Latinos have been overrepresented in high-unemployment occupations in this and other industries. These types of programs provide entry-level workers with high-demand skills. Latinos represent a growing and needed pool of future health care workers in this rapidly expanding industry, even while the labor force in many other industries is shrinking,” said NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía. “NCLR is thankful to Secretary Solis and the Department of Labor for supporting the Carreras en Salud program, enabling Latinos to find quality jobs that help lift their families out of poverty.”

http://www.nclr.org/content/news/detail/61882/

Posted by Frederick Lopez

Literacy program in Spanish helps immigrants continue their education dreams

Mexican government aids classes in Carpentersville

Ipolita Zarate, 60, meticulously places alphabet blocks in rows on the desk as two of her adult daughters sit next to her, listening intently while their teacher sounds out letters in Spanish.
Down the hall, two more of Zarate's daughters are studying in separate classrooms. A fifth daughter, who just gave birth, plans to resume her primary education classes as soon as possible.
"We don't know anything, so we want to see if we can learn a little," Zarate said.
Thanks to a literacy program called "Plaza Comunitaria," the mother and her grown daughters have already fulfilled a life-long dream of simply going to school.
They are attending classes at Golfview Elementary School in Carpentersville, where instruction is in Spanish. The program is designed to help those who are illiterate as well as students who wish to continue their education.
Materials and the curriculum are provided by the Mexican government. Additional funding comes from the state and federal government. Golfview is one of 11 sites in the Chicago area currently offering the program. Eight are located in Chicago; the others are in Elgin and McHenry.

More here

[Posted by Julia Martinez]