Obama woos Hispanic vote on education

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama, aware of news that the U.S. Hispanic population has hit 50 million, is turning his attention on issues key to Hispanics, including education.

Early this week, Obama held a town hall meeting at a D.C. high school, roughly three miles from the White House, where two-thirds of the students are Hispanic. The town hall, broadcast by the Spanish-language TV network Univision, overlapped with the president's live address to the nation on Libya, but reportedly drew 2.7 million viewers.

"This is an issue that is critical for the success of America generally," Obama said. "We already have a situation where one out of five students are Latino in our schools, and when you look at those who are 10 years old or younger, it's actually one in four.

for complete article, click here

[Posted by Ariana Hernandez]

Immigration Advocates Push Obama To Make Good On Campaign Promises

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' immigration task force, announced on Thursday a national campaign to hold President Obama accountable for promises he made on the campaign trail to reform the country's broken immigration system.

Featuring the stories of families devastated by deportations, "Change Takes Courage" will hold events across at least 20 states, Gutierrez announced at a press conference on Capitol Hill. The campaign will include meetings and press events with local leaders and immigration advocates designed to put pressure on the administration. The first will be held on Saturday afternoon at the Instituto Biblico de Rhode Island in Providence; another will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii, the president's birthplace, in May.

Spearheaded by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, a coalition of more than 200 immigration advocacy groups, the campaign will contrast clips of the promises Obama made on the campaign trail with two years of Congressional inaction, and spotlight the flesh-and-blood experiences of families torn apart by deportation.


for complete article, click here


[Posted by Ariana Hernandez]

Do You Call Them Latinos or Hispanics?

The U.S. 2010 Census reported that there are now 50.3 million U.S. Hispanics. Sadly, this ever growing populace is destined to flail about, because according to a Pew Hispanic report, Latinos feel leaderless.

The Pew center asked U.S. Hispanics who they considered the "most important Latino leader in the country today." Two-thirds of respondents said they did not know.

For complete article, click here

[Psted by, Ariana Hernandez]

Thousands protest Georgia immigration bills

ATLANTA — Thousands of people gathered at the Georgia Capitol Thursday, waving signs and chanting to protest legislation that targets illegal immigrants.

State Reps. Matt Ramsey and Sen. Jack Murphy, both Republicans, have sponsored legislation that would require many employers to use a federal database to check the immigration status of new hires. Legislation also would authorize law-enforcement officers to check the immigration status of suspects who can't produce an accepted form of identification

For complete article, click here

Posted by Elizabeth Vargas

A Challenge for the Growing Middle Class Latino Population

The 50.5 million Latinos accounted for 56 percent of the nation's growth – mostly from births, not immigration – from 2000 to 2010. Adult Hispanics are now one in every six Americans, and almost one in every four children is Hispanic. Now the largest minority group, Latinos are well on their way to comprising one-third of the U.S. population in 2050.

But as every "Spider-Man" fan knows, with great power comes great responsibility. And this is no less true for a community on the cusp of carving out its part in American history than it is for a crime-fighter with spider powers.



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Posted by Jessica Damian

Senate Oks Farmworker "Card Check" Bill on Cesar Chavez Day

On a day honoring labor leader Cesar Chavez, the state Senate approved "card check" legislation that would create an alternative path to a secret-ballot election for farmworkers seeking union representation.

Senate Bill 104, which passed today on a 24-14 party-line vote, would let workers unionize by having a majority of employees sign and submit petition cards to the Agricultural Labor Relations Board. The bill, sponsored by the United Farm Workers union, would also create steeper penalties for employers who seek to block workers from unionizing or engage in unfair labor practices.


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Posted by Jessica Damian

AB540 attack fails

SACRAMENTO .- The newly Assemblyman Hesperia and founder of the Minuteman Tim Donnelly failed yesterday in its attempt to repeal the law AB540, which allows undocumented students to pay the same tuition university that legal residents and citizens, even if exempted in part to members of the armed forces, their spouses and children.

For full article, click here.


Posted by: Mariana Verdin

Asian Americans Aim for "Ya es Hora" Citizenship Push

The campaign - which starts next week with a workshop in the San Gabriel Valley's sizable Chinese and Vietnamese communities - is modeled after the "Ya es hora" citizenship campaign launched by a close-knit partnership between community groups, Spanish-language media giant Univision and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

That program, which consists of in-person workshops broadcast on television, has helped nearly 40,000 people fill out their naturalization applications and nearly 100,000 get their citizenship questions answered via a bilingual hotline since 2007.



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Posted by Jessica Damian

Commentary: Numbers Don't Bode Well for California Republicans

It's not a stretch to say that the Republican Party, which once dominated California politics and was very competitive into the 1990s, has devolved into a party of rapidly aging white people, and as they disappear, its fortunes may sink further.

The party's stridency on taxes, illegal immigration, abortion and other hot-button issues alienated both white moderates – most noticeably in the suburbs – and the surging numbers of Latino and Asian voters.

Read More

Posted by Jessica Damian

Sacramento Redistricting Panel Will Get Latino Representation

A glitch became apparent in Sacramento's new citizens advisory committee on redistricting, but the City Council moved quickly Tuesday evening to try to fix it.

Once the mayor and each council member picked one member, and four others were nominated through the usual committee process, it turned out that there was not a single Latino on the panel.

Several Latino political and civic activists showed up at Tuesday's meeting to point that out -- and to urge the council to stand behind its pledge to have a committee that reflects Sacramento's diversity.


Read More
Posted by Jessica Damian

Should California Make it Easier for Farmworkers to Organize Unions?

The Legislature is considering Senate Bill 104, which would create an "alternative procedure" known as "card check" for farmworkers to decide whether or not to unionize - having a majority of employees fill out cards authorizing a union to represent them as an alternative to the current secret-ballot election.


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Posted by Jessica Damian

Hundreds Brave Rain to March for Cesar Chavez in Sacramento

The 11th annual event honored Chavez's work on behalf of farmworkers, but with labor unions across the country under siege – from efforts in Wisconsin to eliminate collective bargaining to general attacks on pensions for public employees – the Sacramento march and subsequent rally took on even more urgency

Read More

Posted by Jessica Damian

Field Poll: Pluralities Say Immigration Hasn't Hurt State or Their Neighborhoods

California is home to 10 million immigrants, but most voters say new immigrants haven't altered the quality of life in their neighborhoods, according to a new Field/UC Berkeley poll.

Some intervied give their opinons on Mexican immigrants.


Read more:

Posted by Jessica Damian

Tulare to Move to District Based Voting to Represent Latino Voters

TULARE, Calif. -- Tulare officials will be changing how the city conducts its elections after reaching a settlement with attorneys representing Latino voters.

After agreeing to settle a lawsuit Monday, the city will move away from so-called at-large elections to a district-based voting system.


Read more

Posted by Jessica Damian

AZ Senate Says NO to Immigration Bills

I read the reports twice, just to make sure, then I went back to read them again.
There were five bills dealing with stringent measures that would add spikes to Arizona’s notorious SB1070, tee’d up for a vote, and all of them were rejected. News Taco reported on the Arizona immigration bill conveyor belt yesterday, and conventional thinking was that they’d all be approved. But when it came time for the actual vote the conservative legislators didn’t have the numbers.

For more on this story, CLICK HERE.

OFFENSIVE AGAINST ARIZONA-TYPE LAWS GAIN MOMENTUM

Last week’s defeat of five stringent immigration bills in the Arizona legislature was no fluke.
Ever since that state’s notorious SB1070 was signed into law, Arizona has become the focus of the national immigration debate – if for no other reason than for the extreme recourses that it took against undocumented workers. Backers of the bill celebrated what they called the “toughness” of the new law that was signed by Governor Jan Brewer but has been stalled through court challenges. It could be that they over-celebrated.

For more on this story, CLICK HERE.

DREAMERS: The New "Coming Out"

The term has been synonymous with the gay rights movement, but recently college students have appropriated the idea and applied it to their immigration status. It’s become a deliberate “thing” that aims to put faces and names on the controversial DREAM Act issue.
Southern California Public Radio published a story describing the movment where college kids are outing themselves as a show of unity and defiance.

For more on this story, CLICK HERE.

As Goes Florida Hispanics , So Goes Florida

A key element of the Democratic battleplan to win Florida for Barack Obama and Bill Nelson are Democratic-leaning Hispanics who went overwhelmingly for Obama in 2008 and then barely turned out in 2010. Last cycle, when exit polls showed Marco Rubio won 55 percent of the Hispanic vote in Florida, it represented 12 percent of the electorate. It was 14 percent of the electorate in 2008, when Obama won 57 percent of that vote.

For full article: click here.

Originally posted by: Tampa Bay Online
Article by: Jordan Rodriguez

Latino leaders to gather in Austin

“It’s the political convention of the Latino community,” said Antonio Gonzalez with the William C. Velasquez Institute, which conducts research aimed at improving the level of Latino political and economic participation. “It’s a very rich conversation. There’s no other gathering where everybody comes together.”

The congreso, or congress, was created in 2006 by nine national organizations, including the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the William C. Velasquez Institute and Southwest Voter.

The congreso was a response to grassroots community leaders who felt the U.S. Congress wasn’t acting on issues that matter to Latinos, Camarillo said.

For complete article, click here

Posted by Elizabeth Vargas

NCLR Panel Sees the Growing Latino Population as Key Influencers in the Future of American Politics

In the face of harsh anti-immigrant and anti-Latino rhetoric during the 2010 midterm elections, Latinos emerged as important political players, with Hispanic candidates proving competitive in statewide races and Latino voters affecting the balance of power in Congress. Yet with such little progress on the issues that matter to Latinos and so many candidates demonizing or neglecting the community, why did Latino voters go to the polls?

to read more, click here

[posted by: Blanca Chavez - Herrera]

ambda Theta Phi Fraternity Gives Back to Community
y Amanda Zepeda
Thursday, January 13th, 2011

The Latin fraternity Lambda Theta Phi executed their third toy giveaway last week on campus. More than 80 parents and children participated in the event, which was fashioned after the story of the Three Wise Men.
hotographer : Jonatan Valladares / The Pioneer

Chivalry above self.

The Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity put their respective motto to demonstration in their annual “Tres Reyes Magos Toy Giveaway.”

The event was held on Jan. 6 in the lower level of the Student Union, where more than 80 parents and children were treated to a reenactment of the history of the Latino holiday and were given gifts donated by various groups and people at CSUEB and throughout the city of Hayward.

For complete article, check out,http://thepioneeronline.com/features/2011/01/lambda-theta-phi-fraternity-gives-back-to-community

Posted By: Angie Ngo

New Latino group unites Oakland youth across gang lines

By Katy Murphy
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 12/31/2009 03:37:48 PM PST
Updated: 01/05/2010 11:15:11 AM PST
The room was quiet as Joaquin, 16, whose real name was concealed for his protection, spoke. Boys in baggy jeans and oversize hoodies, girls in skinny jeans with manicured eyebrows — they just listened. They are all part of Raza Club, a group of teenagers who come together to learn about Latino history and social justice, to share their personal struggles and grief, to lend a hand to someone in need and, maybe, to start a movement to change Oakland.

For complete article, http://www.insidebayarea.com/top-stories/ci_14102891

Posted By: Angie Ngo

Opinion: Latino Report Card offers road map to greater success

By Ron Gonzales and Manuel Pastor
Special to the Mercury News
Posted: 03/20/2011 08:00:00 PM PDT

Silicon Valley has long been the center of global innovation, developing cutting edge industries unimaginable a generation ago. By embracing progress, we've fostered a revolution in the way the world works. Now, Silicon Valley faces another form of change, a demographic shift that will define this region for years to come.
Recent census data reflects a nationwide trend: our region's Latino population is the fastest growing population in Silicon Valley. Today, one in four of us is Latino, and in just 30 years, it is estimated that Latinos will be the region's largest population group. This growth isn't fueled primarily by immigration but by a homegrown second generation growing up, learning and working in the valley.

For complete article, http://http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_17649549"

Posted By: Angie Ngo

San Francisco police struggling to resolve Mission District violence

Community leaders have often lamented that there are issues of trust between residents and police, especially with undocumented immigrants who fear they or their families could be deported if they come forward with information.

for full article click here

posted by Flor Parra

Census heralds political change in California

Congressional districts represented by Visalia Republican Devin Nunes and Merced Democrat Dennis Cardoza now have majority Hispanic populations, a threshold reached sometime in the past decade.
The redrawn elective seats could increase Hispanic political power and the number of Hispanic elected officials. But experts said that might not be the case -- at least for a while.

For complete article, click here

[Posted by Perla Parra]

Democrats seek to remove school districts from 'sanctuary city' bill

A panel of state lawmakers today is expected to consider reducing the scope of the sanctuary city bill, a piece of immigration-related legislation that Gov. Rick Perry has said should be a priority.

Led by state Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville , Democrats on the House State Affairs Committee are trying to remove references to school districts in the bill. He said there could be legal and financial problems for school districts if they get involved in immigration issues.

"This bill is supposed to be about sanctuary cities, not sanctuary schools," Oliveira said.

For complete article, click here

Posted by Elizabeth Vargas

Alternative to kicking out immigrants

Utah G.O.P. Adopts Immigration Alternative

In the first move by a state to extend legal recognition to illegal immigrant laborers, the Utah Legislature has passed immigration bills that include a guest worker program that would allow unauthorized foreigners to work legally in the state.

Related
New Laws to Control Immigration Pass in Utah (March 6, 2011) With the immigration package, passed in both chambers of the Republican-controlled Legislature late Friday, Utah made a sharp break with the hard-line trend in state immigration legislation that has been led by Arizona, which passed a strict enforcement law last April.

Utah’s package includes measures to tighten enforcement against illegal immigrants that echo Arizona’s tough stance — like a requirement that the police check the immigration status of anyone arrested on a felony or a serious misdemeanor charge.

But supporters said the hybrid package offered an alternative to states, including those controlled by Republicans, that are seeking to avoid the costly political polarization and legal challenges that followed Arizona’s law and that also want to recognize the need of some businesses for immigrant labor in spite of high unemployment nationally.

The guest worker bill came after intense lobbying by business and farm groups as well as by some immigrant advocates, and it enjoyed the quiet but all-important endorsement of the Mormon Church. It is likely to raise many of the same constitutional questions as the Arizona law, including whether it intrudes on areas of immigration law reserved exclusively for the federal government. Central provisions of Arizona’s law, known as S. B. 1070, were suspended by federal courts pending a lawsuit by the Obama administration.

But in contrast to Arizona’s approach, Utah lawmakers framed their bill to set up a negotiation, rather than a confrontation, between the governor and the federal authorities. Gov. Gary R. Herbert, a Republican who handily won election in November, is expected to sign the bill.

“Utah is the anti-Arizona,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, a group in Washington that favors legislation by Congress to grant legal status to illegal immigrants. “Instead of indulging the fantasy that you can drive thousands of people out of your state, it combines enforcement with the idea that those who are settled should be brought into the system.”

Under one bill approved on Friday, Utah would issue a two-year work permit to illegal immigrants who could prove that they had been living and working in the state. To qualify, immigrants would have to pass a criminal background check and pay fines of up to $2,500.

The bill gives the governor until 2013 to negotiate with federal immigration authorities for a waiver for the guest worker program. Under federal law, it is a violation for an employer to knowingly hire an illegal immigrant. If no waiver has been obtained by then, the guest worker program would go into effect anyway.

Under a separate bill, also approved Friday, officers would be required to check the immigration status of anyone they arrest on a felony or serious misdemeanor charge.

Lawmakers revised that bill to remove terms borrowed from the Arizona law that would have allowed the police to ask immigration questions based on a “reasonable suspicion” that a person they stopped was an illegal immigrant. That provision, among others, was strongly opposed by Latinos in Arizona, who said it would lead to racial profiling.

State Representative Bill Wright, a Republican who was the sponsor of the guest worker bill in the House, said it was intended to be a practical way to deal with illegal immigrants in the state. “I’m a very conservative Republican; I’m not moderate at all,” he said. But, he said, “we literally do not have the ability to remove those who are here illegally.”

The enforcement measure was sponsored by State Representative Stephen Sandstrom, a Republican who has been an outspoken proponent of following Arizona’s lead on immigration.

Many groups in Utah hoped to avoid the expense and furor provoked by Arizona’s bill. In November, a range of groups signed a proposal called the Utah Compact, which laid out principles that included respect for the law but also supported a free-market business approach and opposed measures that would separate families by deportation. It was signed by the Salt Lake Chamber, a statewide business group; the Roman Catholic Church; the Salt Lake City Police Department and mayor’s office; and local immigration advocate groups.

The Mormon Church, which had been cautious on the issue, did not sign the compact but immediately endorsed it.

For more information, click on the link below, for an addititional page of information:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/07/us/07utah.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=latinos&st=nyt

post by Amy De La Fuente

Wisconsin’s Struggle Important To Latino Workers, Unions

It was 1966 when Mexican-American civil rights activist Jesús Salas et. al. founded “Obreros Unidos”, an independent farm labor union in Wisconsin. Their objective was to improve working conditions for migrant farm workers that traveled from Texas to Wisconsin yearly. They knew of a Wisconsin state provision that protected agricultural workers which was non-existent at the federal government level.
Mexican-American migrants first started settling in Southeastern Wisconsin as early as the 1920s with Puerto Ricans following in the 1940s.


for more, click here


[posted by Sylvia Lopez]

Texas, U.S. Must Adjust To New Latino Majority

There is no longer an ethnic majority in Texas — or anywhere — at least not for very long. Recent Census figures show that in Texas, Latinos are 37.6% of the population and Anglos are about 45%. We know that, in the next 10 years, there’s a moment coming wherein these two percentages will slide past each other: “Hello, goodbye. Hola, adiós.”

It is a game changer in Texas, which serves as a symbol for how we can conceive of the rest of the country. There’s no turning back. Who knows what the future brings, no one can predict it, but it is a game changer, that is for sure. This is a game changer the same way, in the 1820s in Texas, whites became the largest ethnic group in Texas, to affect the history of that state for many generations to come.

for complete article, click here


[posted by Sylvia Lopez]

Group Hopes To Save Ethnic Studies In Arizona

Save Ethnic Studies, Inc. is a non-profit organization that recently started in Arizona to help challenge HB 2281, the state’s new anti-ethnic studies (or, more appropriately, Chicano Studies) law that makes it a crime to teach ethnic studies.


for complete article, click here


[posted by Sylvia Lopez]

Courthouse Vigil Seeks Justice For Farmworkers

A crowd of about 80 — among them Catholic Bishop Stephen Blaire — gathered at the San Joaquin County Courthouse to call on Superior Court Judge Michael Garrigan to refuse a plea deal for the employers of Vasquez Jimenez, a 17-year-old, pregnant farmworker who collapsed from heatstroke May 14, 2008, in a Farmington vineyard. She died two days later.



Read more:
Posted by Jessica Damian

Census Data: Latino Growth Will Impact Congressional Redistricting

The 2001 gerrymander gave Latinos short shrift, especially in the drawing of congressional seats, to protect white incumbents, but the commission will rectify that this year.

Coupled with a "top-two" primary system, the array of redrawn districts could mean a major change in how political power is divided in the nation's largest state.



Read More

Posted by Jessica Damian

Modesto Mayoral Candidates Court Latinos

At a Latino Community Roundtable forum Thursday, three candidates promised color-blind leadership for Modesto if elected to the mayor's office in November.
Despite the diversity, just two Latinos ever have served on the Modesto City Council.

Read More

Posted by Jessica Damian

Latinos Lose Out on Attacks on Unions

This opinion article claims that recent assaults on public sector unions are also an attack on Latinos and other minorities that these unions represent.


Read More

Posted by Jessica Damian

Redistricting Commision Picks Angelo Ancheta for Redistricting Commission

California's new redistricting commission was made whole Friday when Angelo Ancheta was chosen from six other Democratic candidates to replace a member who resigned earlier this month.
Read More
Posted by Jessica Damian

The Mission Weighs In On the Next Police Chief

Despite rumors that the selection has already been made, Mission residents and members of the SF Latino Democratic Club met with San Francisco police commissioners Thursday night to share their views on who should become the city's police chief.

for full article click here

posted by Flor Parra

Census: Bakersfield grew nearly 41 percent in last decade

Bakersfield’s population, by sheer number, grew more than any other city in California between 2000 and 2010, according to new data released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Hispanics now outnumber non-Hispanic whites in Bakersfield, the data show. More than 45 percent of the city’s population was Hispanic in the latest count, the numbers show, compared to 32.5 percent in 2000.
Census data is collected every 10 years so political boundaries can be redrawn for the U.S. House of Representatives. States, counties, cities and other jurisdictions also use the numbers to update local districts.

For complete article, click here

[Posted by Perla Parra]

Census shows big gains by Asian Americans, Latinos

U.S. Census figures released Tuesday gave Asian Americans and Latinos plenty of reason to bask in their growing population clout in California - but for the Bay Area, the numbers foreshadowed what will surely be a lessening of political power.

for complete article click here

posted by Flor Parra

IMMIGRATION

Restaurant owners and produce packagers in Texas are again urging lawmakers to vote against get-tough immigration bills that some businesses say would hurt the state economy.

Texas Association of Business president Bill Hammond on Tuesday said the economy would be "devastated" by proposals aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration. Hammond has been among the vocal private sector opponents of more than a dozen anti-illegal immigration bills moving through the Legislature.

For complete article, click here

Posted by Elizabeth Vargas

NM Hispanic group: Richardson doesn't speak for us

By SUE MAJOR HOLMES Associated Press
Posted: 12/30/2010 02:36:29 PM PST
Updated: 12/30/2010 03:28:32 PM PST

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—A coalition of New Mexico Hispanic groups demanded Thursday that Gov. Bill Richardson not speak on behalf of the community, saying he failed to follow through on promises and was abusive toward Hispanics in his eight years in office.
The Hispano Round Table of New Mexico, representing more than 50 groups, unanimously passed a resolution saying the Democratic governor was "ruthless, dishonest, deceptive, dishonorable, contemptuous and abusive" toward their community, failed to create a promised state Department of Hispano Affairs, and misled prominent Hispanic groups with that promise.

For complete article, http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_16975862

Posted By Angie Ngo

Port Chester to Appeal U.S. Voting-Rights Ruling Aimed at Helping Latinos

It seemed as if Port Chester, N.Y., was finally about to end a bitter chapter in its history — after four years of voting-rights litigation against the federal government, more than $1.2 million in legal fees, the creation of a new voting system and the election of the municipality’s first Latino to its board of trustees.

But this week, the village’s elected leaders decided that they were not done fighting.

On Tuesday night, Port Chester’s trustees voted to hire a law firm to appeal the federal court ruling that created the new system, which was devised to give the Westchester County village’s large Latino population a better chance of electing one of its own to the board.

In a 4-to-2 vote, the board authorized spending $225,000 for the law firm, though members acknowledged that additional fees would have to be authorized should the case be retried.

One of the appeal’s main proponents was Joseph Kenner, a Republican trustee who, in the inaugural election under the new voting system last June, became the first black candidate to be elected to the board. He said in an interview on Wednesday that although he had won under the new system, he had never thought the federal government’s lawsuit, filed in 2006 under the Voting Rights Act, or a federal judge’s decision to throw out the old system were justified.

Voting data, he said, showed that the preferred candidates of Latino voters had won under the old system, which elected six at-large board members. The Justice Department had argued — and the federal judge agreed — that the at-large system denied the Latino population fair representation. In the new system, called cumulative voting, voters could use six votes however they chose, including casting all six for one candidate.

“I’ve been studying this issue since before I became a trustee,” Mr. Kenner said. “This is a case that should never have been brought against Port Chester.”

In an opinion article published this month in The Journal News, he wrote that a successful appeal would “remove the shameful and unwarranted stigma of the judge’s ruling.”

But opponents say it would be a costly move with dubious chances of success.

Mayor Dennis G. Pilla, a Democrat and a village trustee who voted against the motion to retain an appeals lawyer, said the consent decree in the case allowed the village to make adjustments to the new voting system without further litigation.

“The chance of success on appeal is very slim, and the cumulative voting system can be adjusted through a course other than litigation,” he said. “Now we’re going to open the piggy bank again.”

The village is still awaiting a final judgment from the federal judge in the case. Mr. Kenner said that the village would not file an appeal until then but that he wanted a law firm to get a head start in preparing one.


http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/nyregion/24chester.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=latinos&st=nyt

Texas Immigration Law Makes Room for House-Mexicans

The worst part about Texas House Bill 1202 is that the authors don’t see how it’s insulting and hypocritical, on the other hand the bill paints a realistic picture of what some folks not only don’t get, they don’t see it at all. So in a house-Mexican and field-Mexican kind of way, it makes perfect sense.

TX HB1202, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Riddle, is, at its core, a very tough immigration bill. CNN.com says:

As proposed, House Bill 1202 would create tough state punishments for those who “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly” hire an unauthorized immigrant. Violators could face up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.

If that were where it ended we’d know which pile to toss it on. There are literally hundreds of bills just like HB1202 being filed and debated in states across the country. But this one deserves to be tossed in a pile of…it’s own. Debbie Riddle put a caveat in her bill:

that protects those who hire unauthorized immigrants “for the purpose of obtaining labor or other work to be performed exclusively or primarily at a single-family residence.”

For more on this story, Click Here.

[Posted by Eswin Quinonez]

Is Arizona Racially Profiling Latinos To Deny Them Civil Rights?

Arizona political leaders seem to be targeting Latinos to prevent them from exercising their civil rights by banning them from the state Capitol. Two things immediately pop into my head as I consider this. One, this is plainly racist. Two, it’s a potent sign of what’s going on in Arizona and what the future will be like there.

This is plainly racial profiling, but are lawmakers going after Latino activists just because they’ve already gone after workers, students, educators and drivers in Arizona?

For more on this story, Click Here.

[Posted by Eswin Quinonez]

GOP's anti-immigrant stance could turn Texas into a blue state

As the latino population increases in Texas, the state has followed California in becoming a Majority-Minority state. Texas could be moving away from a red state and into a blue state as there are more Latinos that are democrats.Despite all the anti immigration reform in the U.S, the high number of Latinos in Texas has led the state to gain four new congressional seats. The number of seats gained can mean that Latinos are favored to have their voices heard. Read more here

[Posted by Wendy Hernandez]

Study: Legalize migrants to boost economy

Study: Legalize migrants to boost economy

10:38 PM PST on Tuesday, March 1, 2011

By DAVID OLSON
The Press-Enterprise

Legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants would dramatically increase wages for illegal workers and expand the economy, a new study co-authored by two Inland economists concludes.

Legalization would allow many workers to change jobs to occupations that are better matches for their skills, and that would increase U.S. productivity, the report says.

The study is one of a number that have looked at the effects of a 1986 immigration amnesty. But the authors said it is the first to attempt to directly compare the wages of people who were eligible for the amnesty with those who were not eligible and presumably continued to live in the United States illegally.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/immigration/stories/PE_News_Local_D_immigration02.226443d.html

Posted by Catherine Macan

Broken Promises of the Obama Administration

Throughout the country, millions of people are without jobs, are going hungry, have lost their homes, are without adequate health care and cannot receive the social services they desperately need. Low income black, Latino and rural white residents have been especially hard hit. The administration's capitulation without a fight on tax breaks, including estate taxes, for wealthy Americans has eliminated an important revenue source that could have funded much greater assistance to those in need. So has the administration's refusal to push hard on ending tax subsidies for sugar growers, ethanol manufacturers, large corporate farms and other major industries.

For complete article, click here

Posted by Ariana Hernandez

Texas mulls Arizona-style illegal immigration law

Other critics said the bill could allow local police agencies, including those run by school districts and college campuses, to become de-facto immigration enforcement agents. Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, said the legislation would let rank-and-file police officers spend all the time they want enforcing immigration laws even if their supervisors don't want them to.

For complete article, click here

Posted by, Elizabeth Vargas

Pizarro: Hispanic Foundation preparing 'report card' on Silicon Valley Latinos

By Sal Pizarro

spizarro@mercurynews.com

Posted: 02/15/2011 04:26:01 PM PST

Updated: 02/15/2011 09:33:48 PM PST

The Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, which has been taking a hard look at how Latinos are faring here, will share its findings with the public next month.

The Silicon Valley Latino Report Card will focus on five specific areas: education, economic stability, health, housing and environmental sustainability. The results will be discussed during a morning conference March 18 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

For full article, click here

Posted By: Angie Ngo

Advance Initiatives Against Immigrant Children

The two initiatives were approved in a Senate committee

Phoenix/EFE- The two bills that seek to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants in Arizona today advanced the state legislature.

To view full article, click here.

Posted by: Mariana Verdin

Arizona Law Provides "Harder" Against Migrants

Initiative seeks to strip key services and rights of undocumented immigrants in the state.

Phoenix (Notimex) .- A large and unexpected bill filed in the Arizona Senate and services intended to deprive the undocumented key rights in this state, even denying them access to schools and public schools.

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Posted by: Mariana Verdin

USDA offers settlement to women, Hispanic farmers

The Obama administration announced Friday that it is offering at least $1.3 billion to settle complaints from female and Hispanic farmers who say they faced discrimination from the Department of Agriculture. Read more here

[Posted by Wendy Hernandez]