By Doug MacEachern
The very first person to stand up to the political operatives of the Ethnic Studies program at Tucson Unified School District was John Ward, a legitimate, talented history teacher who objected to the overt activism of the program's "progressive" instructors.
He paid a price for blowing the whistle. The activists, many of whom had no teacher credentials at the time, were assigned to "team teach" the "Latino perspective" in history classes with genuine teachers like Ward. But it quickly became evident that the sort of history his co-instructors had in mind was mere leftist, revolutionary propaganda.
Posted by Diana Rosendo
To read more, click here
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Stop Arizona's Latino-bashing bandwagon
By Linda Valdez
A letter filled with ethnic stereotypes was read on the floor of the Arizona Senate by GOP Sen. Lori Klein who later told The Arizona Guardian that “If this letter is true, and that’s how little regard they have to get ahead in life and to be educated, we have a serious problem and we need to look at it.” The "they" she refers to are Latino children.
If the letter is true? If?
Posted by Diana Rosendo
To read more, click here
A letter filled with ethnic stereotypes was read on the floor of the Arizona Senate by GOP Sen. Lori Klein who later told The Arizona Guardian that “If this letter is true, and that’s how little regard they have to get ahead in life and to be educated, we have a serious problem and we need to look at it.” The "they" she refers to are Latino children.
If the letter is true? If?
Posted by Diana Rosendo
To read more, click here
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Bogus arguments for Tucson ethnic studies rebunked
By Doug MacEachern
The unsupportable claim that the ethnic-studies classes of Tucson Unified School District somehow improve the academic performance of its students has survived a slew of critics.
But now, the district's own statisticians have - finally - examined the claims and found them lacking. Can the true believers ignore the district's own findings, too?
Posted By Diana Rosendo
To read more, click here
The unsupportable claim that the ethnic-studies classes of Tucson Unified School District somehow improve the academic performance of its students has survived a slew of critics.
But now, the district's own statisticians have - finally - examined the claims and found them lacking. Can the true believers ignore the district's own findings, too?
Posted By Diana Rosendo
To read more, click here
Tucson Schools may strip Ethnic Studies as requirement
TUCSON - Some Mexican American Studies courses would no longer be used to satisfy core-curriculum requirements under a resolution expected to be presented Tuesday to the Tucson Unified School District board.
The resolution is offered by board President Mark Stegeman and has created a division among board members over a program that already has garnered the attention of state lawmakers.
To read more, click here
The resolution is offered by board President Mark Stegeman and has created a division among board members over a program that already has garnered the attention of state lawmakers.
To read more, click here
GOP Hispanic Conference Highlights Deep Denial on Immigration
Today, in Miami, the Republican-backed Hispanic Leadership Network hosted a conference to “provide a unique opportunity for center-right leaders to speak with—and more importantly listen to—the Hispanic community,” according to conference co-chair Jeb Bush.
read more here
[posted by Ariana Hernandez]
read more here
[posted by Ariana Hernandez]
The Three Amigos on Immigration: Reps. Smith (TX), Gallegly (CA), and King (IA)
The leaders of House Mass Deportation Caucus, Reps. Smith, Gallegly, and King, are not only driving the GOP immigration strategy, they are driving their party off of a political cliff.
Those “Three Amigos” are proving to be the GOP’s lead strategists not only on immigration reform – but Latino politics. Saner heads have tried to prevail on the Republican side, but to no avail. The efforts of Jeb Bush, Tom Ridge, and even Newt Gingrich to get the Republican Party to move away from anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric alienating Hispanic voters has hit a brick wall -- built by Smith, Gallegly and King.
read more here
[posted by Ariana Hernandez]
Those “Three Amigos” are proving to be the GOP’s lead strategists not only on immigration reform – but Latino politics. Saner heads have tried to prevail on the Republican side, but to no avail. The efforts of Jeb Bush, Tom Ridge, and even Newt Gingrich to get the Republican Party to move away from anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric alienating Hispanic voters has hit a brick wall -- built by Smith, Gallegly and King.
read more here
[posted by Ariana Hernandez]
Poll: Latino Voters Have 'Widely Negative' Views Of GOP
WASHINGTON -- A recent poll out of California found an uphill battle for Republicans hoping to make inroads with Latinos, the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States.
read more here
[posted by Ariana Hernandez]
read more here
[posted by Ariana Hernandez]
Hispanic Census numbers are staggering!
By now you have probably heard about the US Census numbers from the 2010 Census. His-panics accounted for 56 percent of the nation’s growth; most of this growth reflects new births. While indeed these numbers are staggering for the general public, for the Hispanic community this growth has been self-evident.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
The Urgency of Latino Education Attainment
Reflecting on the 2010 Census results and the dramatic increase in the U.S. Latino community, I ask myself how we once again find ourselves in the same predicament as ten years ago, with no national sense of urgency to fix Latino education when it has significant implications for our future workforce.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
There is a Difference between One and Ten
In the mid-sixties, I attended a lecture by Dr. Ernesto Galarza. Someone in the audience asked him why politicos and those in social movements didn’t care about Mexican Americans. Galarza responded that most elected officials that were Democrats cared about Mexican Americans but that we were never their number one priority or even close to it on their do list.
Galarza went to the blackboard and drew a vertical line and showed the difference between one and ten. According to Galarza, the legislators would negotiate with the other party that also had its priorities, and if they got the majority of their first five items, they would consider the legislative session successful. For years, farm workers or “Mexican” issues never seemed to break out of the number ten spot. Democrats cared about Mexicans, but just not enough to invite them to the wedding.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
Galarza went to the blackboard and drew a vertical line and showed the difference between one and ten. According to Galarza, the legislators would negotiate with the other party that also had its priorities, and if they got the majority of their first five items, they would consider the legislative session successful. For years, farm workers or “Mexican” issues never seemed to break out of the number ten spot. Democrats cared about Mexicans, but just not enough to invite them to the wedding.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
Border Communities are Ground Zero for Hunger
— The tiny towns in the borderland of East San Diego County —Campo, Boulevard and Tierra del Sol— mark the road north for hundreds of migrants as they cross the border and travel on. Hardly any migrants stay — just those who die in the crossing. Instead, for the people who live here, some with roots going back for generations, these tiny communities are home to growing hunger and poverty.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
Percentage of Latino children in preschool declining
Reversing a decades-long trend, the percentage of Latino children attending preschool across the U.S. declined between 2005 and 2009, with possible far-reaching consequences for California.
That’s the conclusion of a report by UC Berkeley researchers, to be released at the Education Writers Association’s annual conference in New Orleans.
The drop in Latino attendance could be a result of multiple factors, the researchers say. One is that the unemployment rate of Hispanic women over the age of 20 nearly doubled between 2005 and 2009, mainly as a fallout from the Great Recession that began in 2007. That means that these women either were less able to afford preschool, or felt that it wasn’t needed because they could care for their children themselves at no cost.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
That’s the conclusion of a report by UC Berkeley researchers, to be released at the Education Writers Association’s annual conference in New Orleans.
The drop in Latino attendance could be a result of multiple factors, the researchers say. One is that the unemployment rate of Hispanic women over the age of 20 nearly doubled between 2005 and 2009, mainly as a fallout from the Great Recession that began in 2007. That means that these women either were less able to afford preschool, or felt that it wasn’t needed because they could care for their children themselves at no cost.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
The Dream of a Mercado in Barrio Logan finally becomes reality!
Editorial:
For the past 22 years the residents of Barrio Logan have been waiting for the empty lot along Cesar Chavez Parkway to be developed. Finally, after many starts and stops, unfulfilled promises and political wrangling, the Mercado Del Barrio Project is set to begin construction next week.
For the residents of this community there is a sigh of relief because the seven acre lot has been nothing more than an eye sore for the past two decades.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
For the past 22 years the residents of Barrio Logan have been waiting for the empty lot along Cesar Chavez Parkway to be developed. Finally, after many starts and stops, unfulfilled promises and political wrangling, the Mercado Del Barrio Project is set to begin construction next week.
For the residents of this community there is a sigh of relief because the seven acre lot has been nothing more than an eye sore for the past two decades.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
Save Ethnic Studies CSU Tour
The California Faculty Association, San Diego Chapter will host a delegation from the Arizona’s “Save Ethnic Studies” organization on Wednesday, March 16, 2011, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., as part of the “Save Ethnic Studies” California State University tour. The “Save Ethnic Studies” presentations will include an overview of the work that Critical Raza Educators in Tucson public schools are doing and describe the struggle these educators are waging against Arizona’s legislative attacks on academic freedom and cultural competence in Arizona’s education system. It will also provide a context for related issues that are currently occurring in California.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
Census: A More Diverse California Means Big Political Changes Ahead
The most diverse state in the nation became even more so over the past decade, with big shifts in California’s ethnic populations certain to trigger seismic changes in its political landscape as well.
Even as the state’s overall population grew more slowly than at any time in the last century, the Latino and Asian populations experienced robust growth, according to 2010 U.S. Census data released Tuesday. Demographers attribute much of the growth to an infusion of immigrants from places like Central America, South Asia, Korea and the Philippines, though census data on those populations won’t be available for some time.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
Even as the state’s overall population grew more slowly than at any time in the last century, the Latino and Asian populations experienced robust growth, according to 2010 U.S. Census data released Tuesday. Demographers attribute much of the growth to an infusion of immigrants from places like Central America, South Asia, Korea and the Philippines, though census data on those populations won’t be available for some time.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
The Battle Over Redistricting — Will Latinos Be Represented?
WASHINGTON — It’s an impending battle: the process of redistricting throughout the country, where Hispanic political interests are at stake. The eye of the hurricane will most likely be in states with high Latino populations like Texas, Nevada and California.
A fierce battle will be waged which in the past has ended in the courts.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
A fierce battle will be waged which in the past has ended in the courts.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
OUR BARRIOS ARE NOT FOR SALE!!
On Saturday, January 29, the Save Our Barrios Coalition will hold a Barrio Congress (community meeting) to unite organizations and community activists and build a strategy to halt the gentrification (also called “community development”-amounting to destruction) of Logan Heights in San Diego and other communities throughout the United States.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
For full article click here.
Posted by Montzerrat Garcia.
Activist Nativo Lopez threatened with jail for 'gibberish'
A Superior Court judge this morning threatened to throw immigrant-rights activist Nativo Lopez back in jail if he doesn't stop with the legal gibberish.
Lopez, a recalled former Santa Ana schools trustee, faces eight voter fraud-related charges stemming from changing his voting address in 2008 from his Santa Ana home to the Boyle Heights office of Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, a group he heads. He's alleged to have voted in L.A. County despite still living in Orange County.
Lopez is serving as his own attorney and Judge George G. Lomeli showed little patience with his unorthodox defense.
"If you continue your behavior, if you continue to disrupt this court with your nonsensical comments, the court will remand you into custody," Judge George G. Lomeli told Lopez at his mental competency hearing in Los Angeles today.
If Lomeli wasn't impressed with Lopez, the feeling appeared mutual.
"He got belligerent, threatening to arrest me for just asking a question," said Lopez, who had repeatedly told the judge, "I accept your dishonor."
click here.
posted by izabel pintor.
Lopez, a recalled former Santa Ana schools trustee, faces eight voter fraud-related charges stemming from changing his voting address in 2008 from his Santa Ana home to the Boyle Heights office of Hermandad Mexicana Latinoamericana, a group he heads. He's alleged to have voted in L.A. County despite still living in Orange County.
Lopez is serving as his own attorney and Judge George G. Lomeli showed little patience with his unorthodox defense.
"If you continue your behavior, if you continue to disrupt this court with your nonsensical comments, the court will remand you into custody," Judge George G. Lomeli told Lopez at his mental competency hearing in Los Angeles today.
If Lomeli wasn't impressed with Lopez, the feeling appeared mutual.
"He got belligerent, threatening to arrest me for just asking a question," said Lopez, who had repeatedly told the judge, "I accept your dishonor."
click here.
posted by izabel pintor.
Report: Mexican children vulnerable at border
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A new report says a law designed to protect Mexican children who cross the US border alone is not being executed well, so the children remain vulnerable to drug cartels, gangs and other dangers.
For complete, click here.
Posted by Izabel Pintor.
For complete, click here.
Posted by Izabel Pintor.
Record number of Latinos voted in US last year
"WASHINGTON (AP) -- More Latinos than ever voted in the November 2010 election as a relatively young population reached the voting age, a fresh sign that the fastest growing U.S. minority stands as a formidable force in electoral politics.
A study by the Pew Hispanic Center found that 6.6 million Latinos, who mainly pick Democrats, voted in 2010, up from the 5.6 million who voted in the previous contests in 2006. As a share of the electorate, Latinos made up 6.9 percent of the 96 million voters in 2010, up from 5.8 percent of the 96.1 million voters four years earlier. The center released its report on Tuesday.
Among those record voters were 600,000 Latinos who turned 18 each year between 2006 and 2010 as well as 1.4 million foreign-born adult Latinos who became U.S. citizens and therefore eligible to vote, the center said.
"A lot of that growth is driven by U.S.-born young people who are coming of age and now (are) eligible to vote," said Mark Lopez, Pew Hispanic Center associate director.
Republicans and Democrats are certain to factor the voting numbers in any political calculation as they look to the presidency in 2012, control of Congress and elections for decades to come. Strong Hispanic growth in the Southwest and West could make some states more fertile territory for Democrats."
For complete article, click here.
Posted by Izabel pintor.
A study by the Pew Hispanic Center found that 6.6 million Latinos, who mainly pick Democrats, voted in 2010, up from the 5.6 million who voted in the previous contests in 2006. As a share of the electorate, Latinos made up 6.9 percent of the 96 million voters in 2010, up from 5.8 percent of the 96.1 million voters four years earlier. The center released its report on Tuesday.
Among those record voters were 600,000 Latinos who turned 18 each year between 2006 and 2010 as well as 1.4 million foreign-born adult Latinos who became U.S. citizens and therefore eligible to vote, the center said.
"A lot of that growth is driven by U.S.-born young people who are coming of age and now (are) eligible to vote," said Mark Lopez, Pew Hispanic Center associate director.
Republicans and Democrats are certain to factor the voting numbers in any political calculation as they look to the presidency in 2012, control of Congress and elections for decades to come. Strong Hispanic growth in the Southwest and West could make some states more fertile territory for Democrats."
For complete article, click here.
Posted by Izabel pintor.
Pew Analysis: Latino Voters are Many, but Not as Many as There Could Be
Despite strong recent turnouts at the polls, Latinos trail other groups when it comes to voting, according to an analysis of census data released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center.
More than 6.6 million Latinos went to the polls in the recent November midterm election, making the group a rich prize for Democrats and Republicans in the 2012 cycle, which includes a battle for the presidency and control of both houses of Congress. The growing Latino population, particularly in the Southwest and West, makes the group a pillar of support for Democrats, who have been the beneficiaries of votes by Latinos, who generally favor the party's position on immigration reform
Read more
Posted by Jessica Damian
More than 6.6 million Latinos went to the polls in the recent November midterm election, making the group a rich prize for Democrats and Republicans in the 2012 cycle, which includes a battle for the presidency and control of both houses of Congress. The growing Latino population, particularly in the Southwest and West, makes the group a pillar of support for Democrats, who have been the beneficiaries of votes by Latinos, who generally favor the party's position on immigration reform
Read more
Posted by Jessica Damian
Sacramento Representatives Split on "Birthright Citizenship" Proposition
GOP Rep. Steve King of Iowa, the incoming chairman of the subcommittee that oversees immigration, is expected to push a bill that would deny "birthright citizenship" to such children.
The idea has a growing list of supporters, including Republican Reps. Tom McClintock of Elk Grove and Dan Lungren of Gold River, but it has aroused intense opposition, as well.
Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui of Sacramento called King's plan "both unconstitutional and shortsighted."
The issue is dividing Republicans, too.
"We find both this rhetoric and this unconstitutional conduct reprehensible, insulting and a poor reflection upon Republicans," DeeDee Blasé, the founder of Somos Republicans, a Latino GOP organization based in the Southwestern states, said in a letter to House Republican leaders.
Read more:
Posted by Jessia Damian
The idea has a growing list of supporters, including Republican Reps. Tom McClintock of Elk Grove and Dan Lungren of Gold River, but it has aroused intense opposition, as well.
Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui of Sacramento called King's plan "both unconstitutional and shortsighted."
The issue is dividing Republicans, too.
"We find both this rhetoric and this unconstitutional conduct reprehensible, insulting and a poor reflection upon Republicans," DeeDee Blasé, the founder of Somos Republicans, a Latino GOP organization based in the Southwestern states, said in a letter to House Republican leaders.
Read more:
Posted by Jessia Damian
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Record number of Latinos voted in midterms
More Latinos than ever voted in the 2010 midterm election as a relatively young population reached the voting age, a fresh sign that the nation's fastest growing minority stands as a formidable force in electoral politics.
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
Record number of Latinos voted in US last year
WASHINGTON -- More Latinos than ever voted in the November 2010 election as a relatively young population reached the voting age, a fresh sign that the fastest growing U.S. minority stands as a formidable force in electoral politics.
A study by the Pew Hispanic Center found that 6.6 million Latinos, who mainly pick Democrats, voted in 2010, up from the 5.6 million who voted in the previous contests in 2006.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
A study by the Pew Hispanic Center found that 6.6 million Latinos, who mainly pick Democrats, voted in 2010, up from the 5.6 million who voted in the previous contests in 2006.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
Cutting off services to illegal immigrants easier said than done
SACRAMENTO – While Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers wrestle with the budget crisis, some Californians are adamant that much of the problem can be laid at the feet of people who are in the country illegally.
Their message is: Stop teaching the kids, cut off welfare checks and ship the prisoners back home.
That way, billions of dollars spent on services could be put to work cutting the deficit, paying for vital programs and keeping tax increases at bay.
But that's easier said than done.
For complete article, click here.
Posted by Izabel Pintor.
Their message is: Stop teaching the kids, cut off welfare checks and ship the prisoners back home.
That way, billions of dollars spent on services could be put to work cutting the deficit, paying for vital programs and keeping tax increases at bay.
But that's easier said than done.
For complete article, click here.
Posted by Izabel Pintor.
Students will rally for California Dream Act
A gathering with food, music and a torch-lighting to support two bills that would allow AB 540 college students to receive certain types of financial aid and fee waivers will take place from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, April 22 at Hillcrest Park, 1200 N. Harbor Blvd. in Fullerton.
(Note: The location was later changed to Pioneer Park in Anaheim, organizers said.)
The event is part of a 15-city tour of the torch, set to reach Sacramento in July. Speakers will call on state leaders to support the measures, and students will talk about how the bills, known as the California Dream Act, would affect them, said Ivan Ceja, an organizer and Fullerton College student.
For complete article, click here.
Posted by Izabel Pintor.
(Note: The location was later changed to Pioneer Park in Anaheim, organizers said.)
The event is part of a 15-city tour of the torch, set to reach Sacramento in July. Speakers will call on state leaders to support the measures, and students will talk about how the bills, known as the California Dream Act, would affect them, said Ivan Ceja, an organizer and Fullerton College student.
For complete article, click here.
Posted by Izabel Pintor.
2010 Census Results Show Increasingly Hispanic Populations in Every State
The results are in and the face of America is changing. Recently released data collected by the United States Census Bureau shows that even in some surprising areas, such as Utah, Latinos are the driving force behind population growth.
“Four out of ten new Utah people from 2000 to 2010 are minorities,” Pamela Perlich, senior research economist at the University of Utah’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, told USA Today. “There’s a wave of diversity sweeping across the state.”
to read more, click here
[posted by : Blanca Chavez - Herrera]
“Four out of ten new Utah people from 2000 to 2010 are minorities,” Pamela Perlich, senior research economist at the University of Utah’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, told USA Today. “There’s a wave of diversity sweeping across the state.”
to read more, click here
[posted by : Blanca Chavez - Herrera]
Arizona ethnic studies ban goes into effect
By Megan Gordon and Mary K. Reinhart
A new law aimed at ending ethnic-studies classes went into effect today.
For three years, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne pushed the bill in hopes of terminating the ethnic-studies curriculum in the Tucson Unified School District
To read more, click here
Posted by: Diana Rosendo
A new law aimed at ending ethnic-studies classes went into effect today.
For three years, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne pushed the bill in hopes of terminating the ethnic-studies curriculum in the Tucson Unified School District
To read more, click here
Posted by: Diana Rosendo
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A more diverse, urban nationcensus: Houston still ranks 4th Census Bureau reports Hispanic population grew 43% in a decade
The rest of the nation is looking more like Texas these days, as the Hispanic population in the United States climbed to 50.5 million people.
Across the country, the Hispanic population grew more quickly than Anglos and African-Americans, accounting for more than half of U.S. growth over the past decade.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
Across the country, the Hispanic population grew more quickly than Anglos and African-Americans, accounting for more than half of U.S. growth over the past decade.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
Hispanics' political clout pumped up by census Texas among states where Latinos will pursue new congressional districts
SAN ANTONIO - For Anna Alicia Romero and other Hispanic activists, the release of final census numbers this week signaled the official start of an audacious new campaign: securing as many as 10 new Hispanic congressional districts across the country.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
City Council redistricting plan draws fire Mayor's proposal would increase seats from 9 to 11, but critics say attempt to boost Hispanic districts not
Mayor Annise Parker presented her administration's City Council redistricting plan Wednesday, drawing immediate concern from Latino council members and activists who had hoped the map would more clearly reflect their community's growth.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
Hispanics look to flex muscles Texas House redistricting panel must mirror new census, they say
With Texas populous enough for four new seats in Congress, the four Hispanic lawmakers on the state House committee charged with drawing a new map took every opportunity Thursday to remind witnesses and their colleagues that the growth came courtesy of Hispanic Texans.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
District proposal catches criticism Group wants legislative map to reflect state's Hispanic growth
AUSTIN - Adopting the redistricting map proposed by the House Redistricting Committee chairman would be a sure-fire way for the state to end up in court, said representatives of a group of organizations that make up the Texas Latino Redistricting Task Force.
"It reduces the number of districts in which Hispanics have a majority of voters. It's retrogressive," Nina Perales, litigation director for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, said of the Solomons plan.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
"It reduces the number of districts in which Hispanics have a majority of voters. It's retrogressive," Nina Perales, litigation director for the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, said of the Solomons plan.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
Latino leaders offer own map of City Council Alternative is one of 16 received in past two weeks
Hispanic civic leaders on Wednesday presented an alternative redistricting map for the Houston City Council that creates a third district on the city's southwest side where they said a Latino would have "a fighting chance" to win.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
United Farm Workers Fight Dwindling Membership
The United Farm Workers of America drew national attention when workers led by Cesar Chavez inspired a boycott of table grapes in the 1960s and then forced vineyard owners to sign hundreds of contracts providing better pay and working conditions.
But experts say employer intimidation, high worker turnover and demographic changes have resulted in union membership plummeting in recent decades, despite the problems workers reeled off at the meeting: low or stagnant wages; employers who don't provide shade from the scorching sun; and foremen who rob workers of their pay or prevent them from taking water and bathroom breaks.
Read more
Posted by Jessica Damian
But experts say employer intimidation, high worker turnover and demographic changes have resulted in union membership plummeting in recent decades, despite the problems workers reeled off at the meeting: low or stagnant wages; employers who don't provide shade from the scorching sun; and foremen who rob workers of their pay or prevent them from taking water and bathroom breaks.
Read more
Posted by Jessica Damian
Parent and Teacher Involvement in Educational Success of Minorities
According to Ester Cepeda 35% of parents of Latino students are absent from school activities. In this article she debates whether teachers can supplement the attention missing at home and avoid blaming parents for lack of involvement in school.
Read More
Posted by Jessica Damian
Read More
Posted by Jessica Damian
Hispanic Republican Group Challenges GOP
In these times, it's not easy being a Hispanic Republican.
Take it from DeeDee Garcia Blase of Scottsdale, Ariz. The 39-year-old Mexican-American political activist and Air Force veteran is a force of nature. She is the founder of Somos Republicans, a grass-roots Hispanic Republican organization that acts as a guerrilla insurgency against the GOP establishment. After just two years, the group claims 6,000 members in a dozen states.
Read more
Posted by Jessica Damian
Take it from DeeDee Garcia Blase of Scottsdale, Ariz. The 39-year-old Mexican-American political activist and Air Force veteran is a force of nature. She is the founder of Somos Republicans, a grass-roots Hispanic Republican organization that acts as a guerrilla insurgency against the GOP establishment. After just two years, the group claims 6,000 members in a dozen states.
Read more
Posted by Jessica Damian
New bill targets employers who hire illegal immigrants
One of the Texas House's most prolific writers of anti-illegal immigration legislation filed her fifth related bill Wednesday. This one targets employers who hire undocumented workers.
State Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball , said her bill would make it a state jail felony "to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly hire a person who is not lawfully permitted to be in America."
"Employers who reward and incentivize this illegal behavior are the primary culprit in the illegal immigration problem," Riddle said in a statement. "Now they're going to have to think hard about whether or not it's worth the risk to them and their business when they make these hiring decisions."
The bill would exempt from prosecution people who hire undocumented workers to help out at single-family residences.
For complete article, click herePosted by Elizabeth Vargas
State Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball , said her bill would make it a state jail felony "to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly hire a person who is not lawfully permitted to be in America."
"Employers who reward and incentivize this illegal behavior are the primary culprit in the illegal immigration problem," Riddle said in a statement. "Now they're going to have to think hard about whether or not it's worth the risk to them and their business when they make these hiring decisions."
The bill would exempt from prosecution people who hire undocumented workers to help out at single-family residences.
For complete article, click herePosted by Elizabeth Vargas
GOP: Illegal immigrants taking minorities' jobs
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, criticized the hearing's premise in a statement. Several other Democratic lawmakers echoed that argument, saying Republicans were ignoring their lack of support for job training, affirmative action, college financial aid and other programs more critical to employment of minorities.
"I am concerned by the majority's attempt to manufacture tension between African-Americans and immigrant communities. It seems as though they would like for our communities to think about immigration in terms of 'us versus them,' and I reject that notion," Cleaver said in his statement.
Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, issued a warning at the start of the hearing against any attempts to pit blacks against Latino immigrants, a notion that he said he found "so abhorrent and repulsive."
For complete article, click here
Posted by Elizabeth Vargas
"I am concerned by the majority's attempt to manufacture tension between African-Americans and immigrant communities. It seems as though they would like for our communities to think about immigration in terms of 'us versus them,' and I reject that notion," Cleaver said in his statement.
Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, issued a warning at the start of the hearing against any attempts to pit blacks against Latino immigrants, a notion that he said he found "so abhorrent and repulsive."
For complete article, click here
Posted by Elizabeth Vargas
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
MALDEF, LATINO OFFICERS CHARGE CITY OF WESTMINSTER POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
LOS ANGELES, CA - On March 2nd, MALDEF held a press conference announcing a lawsuit filed against the City of Westminster, as well as two former Police Chiefs of the Westminster Police Department, for discrimination against Latino police officers on the basis of their national origin. Plaintiffs have been denied promotions and Special Assignments, which can lead to promotions, in violation of the law.
to read more, click here
[posted by: Blanca Chavez - Herrera]
to read more, click here
[posted by: Blanca Chavez - Herrera]
Monday, April 18, 2011
Police officers file employer discrimination suit
By AMY TAXIN Associated Press
Posted: 03/02/2011 10:41:27 AM PST
Updated: 03/02/2011 03:41:35 PM PST
WESTMINSTER, Calif.—Three Latino police officers have sued their Southern California employer, alleging they have been passed over for promotions because of their ethnicity.
The officers for the Westminster Police Department say they have been turned down for special assignments including detective work in narcotics and gangs even though they have received honors, awards and good performance reviews.
The officers started to suspect they were being discriminated against when they realized all three of them were being passed over despite their exemplary records, said Victor Viramontes, who is the plaintiffs' attorney and national senior counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
for complete article, click here
posted by: Angie Ngo
By AMY TAXIN Associated Press
Posted: 03/02/2011 10:41:27 AM PST
Updated: 03/02/2011 03:41:35 PM PST
WESTMINSTER, Calif.—Three Latino police officers have sued their Southern California employer, alleging they have been passed over for promotions because of their ethnicity.
The officers for the Westminster Police Department say they have been turned down for special assignments including detective work in narcotics and gangs even though they have received honors, awards and good performance reviews.
The officers started to suspect they were being discriminated against when they realized all three of them were being passed over despite their exemplary records, said Victor Viramontes, who is the plaintiffs' attorney and national senior counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
for complete article, click here
posted by: Angie Ngo
Diversity defines Silicon Valley, except at town halls
By Joe Rodriguez
jrodriguez@mercurynews.com
© Copyright 2011, Bay Area News Group
Posted: 04/16/2011 11:20:42 PM PDT
Updated: 04/18/2011 03:02:58 PM PDT
Silicon Valley may have the most dynamic, multiracial society on earth, but you wouldn't know it at city hall. With the 2010 census in, minorities now outnumber whites almost 2-to-1 in Santa Clara County. Yet non-Hispanic whites hold the vast majority of local city council seats, as well as every city manager's office in Santa Clara County's 15 towns and cities.
for complete article, click here
posted by Angie Ngo
By Joe Rodriguez
jrodriguez@mercurynews.com
© Copyright 2011, Bay Area News Group
Posted: 04/16/2011 11:20:42 PM PDT
Updated: 04/18/2011 03:02:58 PM PDT
Silicon Valley may have the most dynamic, multiracial society on earth, but you wouldn't know it at city hall. With the 2010 census in, minorities now outnumber whites almost 2-to-1 in Santa Clara County. Yet non-Hispanic whites hold the vast majority of local city council seats, as well as every city manager's office in Santa Clara County's 15 towns and cities.
for complete article, click here
posted by Angie Ngo
Retired Lt. Gen. Sanchez weighs run for US Senate
By HENRY C. JACKSON and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
Posted: 04/18/2011 03:58:42 PM PDT
SAN ANTONIO—Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said Monday he is considering running for the U.S. Senate in Texas as a Democrat, giving the party a high-profile recruit they hope can resonate with the state's rapidly growing Hispanic population.
For complete article, click here
posted by Angie Ngo
By HENRY C. JACKSON and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
Posted: 04/18/2011 03:58:42 PM PDT
SAN ANTONIO—Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez said Monday he is considering running for the U.S. Senate in Texas as a Democrat, giving the party a high-profile recruit they hope can resonate with the state's rapidly growing Hispanic population.
For complete article, click here
posted by Angie Ngo
Separate But Equal: Latino Students Forced Into ESL Classes in Texas
The Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF) posted some important legal documents online for everyone to see. Here’s an excerpt from their press release:
At Preston Hollow Elementary School, a public school in an upper-income neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, Latino and other minority students were segregated into the school’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. They were kept separate from the Anglo students in the school, even though the majority of the Latino students in the ESL classes were proficient in English and some had even tested in English and been classified as “gifted and talented.” The Latino students were not allowed to mix with the Anglo students even in art, music, and physical education classes and were grouped in classrooms in separate hallways from the Anglo students.
For full article, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
At Preston Hollow Elementary School, a public school in an upper-income neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, Latino and other minority students were segregated into the school’s English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms. They were kept separate from the Anglo students in the school, even though the majority of the Latino students in the ESL classes were proficient in English and some had even tested in English and been classified as “gifted and talented.” The Latino students were not allowed to mix with the Anglo students even in art, music, and physical education classes and were grouped in classrooms in separate hallways from the Anglo students.
For full article, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
Latino Farmers Reject USDA Settlement, Claim Racism
A lawyer representing Hispanic farmers alleging discrimination by the United States Department of Agriculture over a number of years called the $1.3 billion settlement offered by the government on Friday “unacceptable.”
The group of farmers, which also includes women farmers, claims the USDA favored white farmers for years by giving them preference for loans and assistance. The offer by the government would amount to about $50,000 per farmer and set aside another $160 million in farm debt relief for eligible women and Hispanic farmers.
For more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
The group of farmers, which also includes women farmers, claims the USDA favored white farmers for years by giving them preference for loans and assistance. The offer by the government would amount to about $50,000 per farmer and set aside another $160 million in farm debt relief for eligible women and Hispanic farmers.
For more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
AZ Senate Elimates Spanish Election Material
So this really isn’t about immigrants, undocumented or not. The folks in power in Arizona don’t want anything in their state that doesn’t look or sound like they do. This recent vote in the Arizona state senate proves the point.
The bill, SB1490 proposed by Maricopa County Senator Steve Smith, bars the production of all government material in laguanges other than English. The Arizona Senate has approved it.
For full article, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
The bill, SB1490 proposed by Maricopa County Senator Steve Smith, bars the production of all government material in laguanges other than English. The Arizona Senate has approved it.
For full article, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
How Latinos Are Changing The Electoral College Map
Studying census data is somewhat like reading tea leaves or gazing into a crystal ball, one is always trying to determine what is said and what it means in the future. There are several things I discovered as I gazed at the crystal ball that are the census data: Latinos are going to play a major role in forthcoming presidential elections and Latinos are spreading over the entire country.
For more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
For more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
Latinos Will Surpass the 55 Million Mark
So now that we’re 42 states into the 50-state Census roll-out reveal it’s a good time to pause to see where we are and what to expect. Back in the day (it’s only been 5 months but it seems like an eternity) when Carlos Guerra, Sara Inés Calderón, Gilberto Ocañas and I sat for coffee at the Foundry in San Antonio to plot News Taco we were convinced that the US Census was going to be a startling revelation. We wagered that the count would show at least 55 million Latinos in the United States – far more than most estimates had predicted. It turns out there’s some good ju-ju in the Foundry coffee because our aim was dead-on
for more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
for more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
Neo-Nazi, Latino Confrontation In Claremont
Head-shaven and military boot wearing a group of about two dozen white supremacists marched on the streets of Claremont, CA, in protest against what they claim is an “unbridled flow of immigration” into the region. What’s interesting is that these guys didn’t make the distinction between documented and undocumented immigrants, they don’t discriminate their hate, they pretty much don’t like any and all immigrants.
for more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
for more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
Texas Set To Pass Voter ID Law
The Republicans in Texas have been trying for years to pass voter ID legislation—and today they very likely will be almost done. The measure, which requires voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot in person, has already passed through the Senate and today, with a Republican supermajority controlling the lower chamber, it almost definitely will pass the House. Given that Gov. Perry has been itching to pass this thing for years, the bill should fly into law faster than a School House Rock song. The Democrats’ long battle to defeat the measure is seemingly over.
for full article, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
for full article, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
Sunday, April 17, 2011
L.A.'s Border Between Racism and Discrimination
Some establishments address me in English and Spanish as well, but there is a third party that speaks to me in a loud monosyllabic Spanish reminiscent of how ignorant people address the deaf. These coffee shop and fast food restaurant workers treat me with a condescending brand of respect, or rather, costumer service that leaves me unsatisfied and wondering if it’s something personal. I speak both languages, and I do not have trouble being spoken to in either, but it’s insulting to be spoken to in charades. It is like a sort of ignorance that goes unchecked. It’s not mean or evil, but it sticks with you.
for more, click here
Posted by Sylvia Lopez
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Posted by Sylvia Lopez
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Asians, Latinos sue over San Mateo County voting
A group of Asian Americans and Latinos filed a voting-rights lawsuit Thursday against San Mateo County, the only county in California that elects supervisors in at-large balloting rather than by districts.
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Arizona teacher in middle of immigration debate
PHOENIX — An Arizona substitute teacher has found himself in the middle of the state's polarizing immigration debate after he criticized Hispanic students in a letter to a state senator, saying a majority of students he recently taught refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
The letter by substitute teacher Tony Hill was read aloud Thursday as the state Senate considered one of five bills on illegal immigration. Hill wrote that a majority of eight-grade students at an unnamed suburban Glendale school said that "We are Mexicans and Americans stole our land."
Hill also wrote that while substitute teaching in the area, "most of the Hispanic students do not want to be educated but rather (want to) be gang members and gangsters."
For complete article, click here
Posted by Elizabeth Vargas
The letter by substitute teacher Tony Hill was read aloud Thursday as the state Senate considered one of five bills on illegal immigration. Hill wrote that a majority of eight-grade students at an unnamed suburban Glendale school said that "We are Mexicans and Americans stole our land."
Hill also wrote that while substitute teaching in the area, "most of the Hispanic students do not want to be educated but rather (want to) be gang members and gangsters."
For complete article, click here
Posted by Elizabeth Vargas
Guest worker program for immigrants proposed
"There are millions of people living amongst us," he said. "The vast majority are just honest, hardworking people."
Workman, who filed House Bill 2886 on Thursday, said the federal government has not dealt appropriately with illegal immigration, which is supposed to be its responsibility.
Workman, who owns a construction company, said the proposed Texas Immigration Reconciliation Act also would help fill the needs of Texas businesses and serve as a way to collect more taxes to "pay for services provided."
For complete article, click here
Posted by Elizabeth Vargas
Workman, who filed House Bill 2886 on Thursday, said the federal government has not dealt appropriately with illegal immigration, which is supposed to be its responsibility.
Workman, who owns a construction company, said the proposed Texas Immigration Reconciliation Act also would help fill the needs of Texas businesses and serve as a way to collect more taxes to "pay for services provided."
For complete article, click here
Posted by Elizabeth Vargas
Latinos hope to strengthen their political power through redistricting
The shapes of California's political districts will change dramatically by August, altered by 2010 Census data showing demographic shifts and that much of the state's growth occurred in the Central Valley and Inland Empire.
Latino groups argue it is time for their representation to match their population.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
Latino groups argue it is time for their representation to match their population.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
Monday, April 11, 2011
All bark but no Bit
State Legislatures Slow on Immigration Measures
Under newly fortified Republican control, many state governments started the year pledging forceful action to crack down on illegal immigration, saying they would fill a void left by the stalemate in Washington over the issue.
Still, immigrant advocates in many states say the debate has clearly shifted in favor of tougher enforcement. They say they have had to fight just to hold the line on immigration issues that they thought were long settled.
Bills similar to Arizona’s are advancing in Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma and South Carolina. In Kansas and Oklahoma, even though Republicans control the legislatures and the executive branch, immigration proposals have encountered unusually vocal opposition from business.
To view the entire story, click on the link below
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/us/14immig.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=education%20immigration&st=cse
--amy
Under newly fortified Republican control, many state governments started the year pledging forceful action to crack down on illegal immigration, saying they would fill a void left by the stalemate in Washington over the issue.
Still, immigrant advocates in many states say the debate has clearly shifted in favor of tougher enforcement. They say they have had to fight just to hold the line on immigration issues that they thought were long settled.
Bills similar to Arizona’s are advancing in Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma and South Carolina. In Kansas and Oklahoma, even though Republicans control the legislatures and the executive branch, immigration proposals have encountered unusually vocal opposition from business.
To view the entire story, click on the link below
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/us/14immig.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq=education%20immigration&st=cse
--amy
Social Domino Affect to families of the deported
A 17-Month Detention, Now an Uncertain Future
It's kind of easy to say just send him back," she says. "But there's a domino effect. This affects his wife, his kids, his family, his friends, his co-workers. I wish they would be open-minded ... and really understand what they're doing to human beings."
Davalos' court hearing isn't scheduled until 2014. He'll have to prove his three U.S.-born children will suffer an extreme and exceptionally unusual hardship if he's deported. It's a very high bar, and Salvatierra knows it.
She already is framing her argument: "He's obviously a good father, a good provider, a good husband," she says, "and he has demonstrated he's a worthy individual to remain in the United States."
"I feel like I have to be the perfect person," he says.
"I was looking for a better life, that's why I came," he says. "It's not because I wanted to do something bad to this country."
He returned to his job cleaning pools.
Click on the link to view the entire article and comments:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/04/10/us/AP-US-Immigration-Limbo-Davalos.html?scp=3&sq=illegal%20immigration&st=nyt
by Amy D
It's kind of easy to say just send him back," she says. "But there's a domino effect. This affects his wife, his kids, his family, his friends, his co-workers. I wish they would be open-minded ... and really understand what they're doing to human beings."
Davalos' court hearing isn't scheduled until 2014. He'll have to prove his three U.S.-born children will suffer an extreme and exceptionally unusual hardship if he's deported. It's a very high bar, and Salvatierra knows it.
She already is framing her argument: "He's obviously a good father, a good provider, a good husband," she says, "and he has demonstrated he's a worthy individual to remain in the United States."
"I feel like I have to be the perfect person," he says.
"I was looking for a better life, that's why I came," he says. "It's not because I wanted to do something bad to this country."
He returned to his job cleaning pools.
Click on the link to view the entire article and comments:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/04/10/us/AP-US-Immigration-Limbo-Davalos.html?scp=3&sq=illegal%20immigration&st=nyt
by Amy D
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Brash congressman won't lead immigration panel
Republicans eliminated a potential liability with Latino voters on Friday by refusing to give the top spot on an immigration subcommittee to a congressman who once proposed stopping illegal immigrants with an electrified fence.
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
Latino clout in Congress appears to stay consistent
Latino political clout stayed steady in the new Congress that convened this week following the election of five new Hispanic House members and one senator.
The 112th Congress has 26 Latino members, less than the 27 who served for the past two years but a substantial increase from the 19 Latinos in Congress a decade ago, according to records of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
The 112th Congress has 26 Latino members, less than the 27 who served for the past two years but a substantial increase from the 19 Latinos in Congress a decade ago, according to records of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).
For full article, click here
Posted by J.A.Zzenith
Los Nietos Middle School improves academics, sheds underperforming label
WHITTIER - Labeled as underperforming according to federal standards for more than a half-dozen years, now Los Nietos Middle School is enjoying a completely different designation - just in time for the district's 150th anniversary celebration.
Officials say the 400-student campus is the only middle school in Los Angeles County that managed this school year to exit Program Improvement (PI), a status placed on schools that fail to meet annual federal testing targets for two consecutive years.
The predominantly Hispanic and low-income Los Nietos Middle School had been languishing in PI since 2003. Things were so bad that a consultant came in to help develop an alternative governance plan for the middle school to improve student achievement.
But it paid off this year, said Los Nietos School District Superintendent Jonathan Vasquez. The middle school was able to show enough improvement in its test scores for two straight years, both schoolwide and among its low-income, Hispanic and special-education subgroups, to shed its PI status.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17505971?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpJC2h8N
Officials say the 400-student campus is the only middle school in Los Angeles County that managed this school year to exit Program Improvement (PI), a status placed on schools that fail to meet annual federal testing targets for two consecutive years.
The predominantly Hispanic and low-income Los Nietos Middle School had been languishing in PI since 2003. Things were so bad that a consultant came in to help develop an alternative governance plan for the middle school to improve student achievement.
But it paid off this year, said Los Nietos School District Superintendent Jonathan Vasquez. The middle school was able to show enough improvement in its test scores for two straight years, both schoolwide and among its low-income, Hispanic and special-education subgroups, to shed its PI status.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17505971?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpJC2h8N
Demonstration for peace at Muir Wednesday
PASADENA - Following a racially charged brawl among students at John Muir High School, community members plan to gather around the school today in a show of peace.
Concerned Community Volunteers Inc. is hosting "Hands in Hands" from 10 a.m. to noon, hoping to form a human chain around the school.
"We are coming together as a community to protect the students," said Millie Lee, a local resident and activist spearheading the effort. "Anyone who has a passion for Muir and wants to see the best for Muir will be involved."
Lee hopes the event will bring attention to the violence in northwest Pasadena that has claimed the lives of five Muir students in the last five years.
Most recently, Brandon Jackson, a Muir student, was killed in Altadena in February.
She also hopes to call attention to the racial tensions festering between blacks and Latinos in northwest Pasadena, Lee said.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17781885?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpHlMkCQ
Concerned Community Volunteers Inc. is hosting "Hands in Hands" from 10 a.m. to noon, hoping to form a human chain around the school.
"We are coming together as a community to protect the students," said Millie Lee, a local resident and activist spearheading the effort. "Anyone who has a passion for Muir and wants to see the best for Muir will be involved."
Lee hopes the event will bring attention to the violence in northwest Pasadena that has claimed the lives of five Muir students in the last five years.
Most recently, Brandon Jackson, a Muir student, was killed in Altadena in February.
She also hopes to call attention to the racial tensions festering between blacks and Latinos in northwest Pasadena, Lee said.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17781885?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpHlMkCQ
PUSD, City Council inch toward new school board election system
PASADENA - The plan to push geographic-based voting districts as a means to elect members to the Pasadena Unified School District board cleared a hurdle Tuesday, but not without opposition from the public.
In a joint meeting between the Pasadena City Council and the PUSD board, both governing bodies unanimously approved the formation of a community task force to draft changes to the city charter that would clear the way for geographic-based voting districts and draw the actual district lines.
....
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights successfully sued the Merced School District for not having a proportionate number of Latinos on the school board, forcing the school system to draw voter districts based on both geography and ethnicity. Under the provisions of California Voters Rights Act, minorities are entitled to voting districts that allow them proportionate representation in elected bodies.
The Lawyers Committee visited Pasadena in 2010 as a guest of the League of United Latin American Citizens and told the group that the PUSD was vulnerable to a lawsuit based on disproportionate Latino representation, said Ramon Miramontes, PUSD board and LULAC member.
While Latinos make up 46 percent of the Pasadena residents, Miramontes is the lone Latino serving on the school board.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17406924?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpGOPtVi
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17406924?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpGFLuRg
In a joint meeting between the Pasadena City Council and the PUSD board, both governing bodies unanimously approved the formation of a community task force to draft changes to the city charter that would clear the way for geographic-based voting districts and draw the actual district lines.
....
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights successfully sued the Merced School District for not having a proportionate number of Latinos on the school board, forcing the school system to draw voter districts based on both geography and ethnicity. Under the provisions of California Voters Rights Act, minorities are entitled to voting districts that allow them proportionate representation in elected bodies.
The Lawyers Committee visited Pasadena in 2010 as a guest of the League of United Latin American Citizens and told the group that the PUSD was vulnerable to a lawsuit based on disproportionate Latino representation, said Ramon Miramontes, PUSD board and LULAC member.
While Latinos make up 46 percent of the Pasadena residents, Miramontes is the lone Latino serving on the school board.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17406924?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpGOPtVi
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17406924?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpGFLuRg
New census milestone: Hispanics reach 50 million
WASHINGTON - Hispanics accounted for more than half of the U.S. population increase over the last decade, exceeding estimates in most states as they crossed a new census milestone: 50 million, or 1 in 6 Americans.
Meanwhile, more than 9 million Americans checked two or more race categories on their 2010 census forms, up 32 percent from 2000, a sign of burgeoning multiracial growth in an increasingly minority nation.
The Census Bureau on Thursday released its first set of national-level findings from the 2010 count on race and migration, detailing a decade in which rapid minority growth, aging whites and the housing boom and bust were the predominant story lines.
Analysts said the results confirmed a demographic transformation under way that is upending traditional notions of racial minorities, political swing districts, even city and suburb.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17693445?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpFRnXWB
Meanwhile, more than 9 million Americans checked two or more race categories on their 2010 census forms, up 32 percent from 2000, a sign of burgeoning multiracial growth in an increasingly minority nation.
The Census Bureau on Thursday released its first set of national-level findings from the 2010 count on race and migration, detailing a decade in which rapid minority growth, aging whites and the housing boom and bust were the predominant story lines.
Analysts said the results confirmed a demographic transformation under way that is upending traditional notions of racial minorities, political swing districts, even city and suburb.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17693445?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpFRnXWB
Whittier sees dramatic change in demographics as Latino numbers rise
Whittier sees dramatic change in demographics as Latino numbers rise
By Mike Sprague, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/17/2011 03:57:08 PM PDT
Once a mostly white city, new Census figures show that nearly two-thirds of Whittier is now Latino.
This trend was reflected throughout the Whittier area. Latinos now make up the largest ethnic group in La Mirada and nearly a quarter of La Habra Heights.
They also have solid majorities in all other communities, including making up more than 91 percent of Pico Rivera.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17637788?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpEWuU72
-jennie lu
By Mike Sprague, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/17/2011 03:57:08 PM PDT
Once a mostly white city, new Census figures show that nearly two-thirds of Whittier is now Latino.
This trend was reflected throughout the Whittier area. Latinos now make up the largest ethnic group in La Mirada and nearly a quarter of La Habra Heights.
They also have solid majorities in all other communities, including making up more than 91 percent of Pico Rivera.
Read more: http://www.sgvtribune.com/ci_17637788?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com#ixzz1IpEWuU72
-jennie lu
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Obama's double-talk is troubling to Latinos
More and more Latinos are wising up to President Obama's phony immigration two-step.
For complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
For complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Hispanic lawmakers sue state over Census
The lawsuit applies to redistricting maps that are being crafted by the Legislature for Congress, the Texas House and Senate and the State Board of Education.
For complete article, click here
Posted by Elizabeth Vargas
For complete article, click here
Posted by Elizabeth Vargas
As Latinos go, so goes the nation
Pundits have discussed the "browning" of America for a good two decades now. By that they mean the growth and geographic spread of the Latino population in the U.S.
But the unveiling of the latest U.S. Census figures marked a tipping point: Latinos are a demographic that cannot be ignored or taken for granted. Exceeding almost all prior estimates, the number of Hispanic Americans now tops 50 million people, comprising 16 percent of the population. By 2050, they will likely be one-third of the nation's population.
And that, mi amigo, portends opportunity. So enough talk of "browning." Let's rework the lingo. Hispanics are golden, as in golden opportunity.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
But the unveiling of the latest U.S. Census figures marked a tipping point: Latinos are a demographic that cannot be ignored or taken for granted. Exceeding almost all prior estimates, the number of Hispanic Americans now tops 50 million people, comprising 16 percent of the population. By 2050, they will likely be one-third of the nation's population.
And that, mi amigo, portends opportunity. So enough talk of "browning." Let's rework the lingo. Hispanics are golden, as in golden opportunity.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
President Obama to run again in 2012
Obama has a huge advantage among Latinos, whose voting power threatens the GOP's Southern bastion. The 2010 census showed that North Carolina's Hispanic population doubled in a decade to 800,000, and that five of the state's six largest cities are dominated by what once were minorities. The same population dynamic is at work in Virginia and Georgia.
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
Deportion of 4year old citizen rises several debates
4-Year-Old Citizen Who Was Deported Comes Back
It has been a confusing three weeks for Emily Ruiz, the 4-year-old United States citizen and Long Island native who was deported earlier this month to her parents’ native country, Guatemala. But on Wednesday morning she was reunited with her mother, father and little brother at Kennedy International Airport, after the family’s lawyer, David M. Sperling, flew to Guatemala to retrieve her.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/4-year-old-citizen-who-was-deported-comes-back/?scp=7
&sq=immigration+reform&st=nyt
posted by: Amy De La Fuente Things to consider: - How might this story be supportive for an Anglo cry to deport illegal immgrants? (through the linience shown on Emily's parents) - Would this story have gained more sympathic support from Anglos if Emily's parents had ducumentation? or would race still be a remaining factor for criticism? - Should media-exposed illegal immgrats be deported because of the exposure of their sensitive legal status? even though they did not commit any infraction that would call for their documentation?
It has been a confusing three weeks for Emily Ruiz, the 4-year-old United States citizen and Long Island native who was deported earlier this month to her parents’ native country, Guatemala. But on Wednesday morning she was reunited with her mother, father and little brother at Kennedy International Airport, after the family’s lawyer, David M. Sperling, flew to Guatemala to retrieve her.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/4-year-old-citizen-who-was-deported-comes-back/?scp=7
&sq=immigration+reform&st=nyt
posted by: Amy De La Fuente Things to consider: - How might this story be supportive for an Anglo cry to deport illegal immgrants? (through the linience shown on Emily's parents) - Would this story have gained more sympathic support from Anglos if Emily's parents had ducumentation? or would race still be a remaining factor for criticism? - Should media-exposed illegal immgrats be deported because of the exposure of their sensitive legal status? even though they did not commit any infraction that would call for their documentation?
Monday, April 4, 2011
Planting seeds of change
The day of gardening marked the city's first annual César Chávez Community Garden Day in an effort to spark community outreach, encourage healthy eating habits, and recognize César Chávez as the leader of the United Farmer Workers Union and civil rights for farm laborers everywhere.
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
Sunday, April 3, 2011
RUBEN NAVARRETTE JR.: Seeking respect in Census numbers
SAN DIEGO -- Dear U.S. Census Bureau, I know you mean well and only want to give Americans a snapshot of what their country looks like. But please, hold off on releasing more figures about the phenomenal growth of the Hispanic population.
Most Hispanics I talk to around the country are excited because their community is becoming more prominent. But they're also nervous because they realize that population figures scare the daylights out of many Anglos, who respond by pushing repressive and repugnant ideas -- from Arizona-style immigration laws to a ban on ethnic studies to shredding the 14th Amendment by denying citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
Most Hispanics I talk to around the country are excited because their community is becoming more prominent. But they're also nervous because they realize that population figures scare the daylights out of many Anglos, who respond by pushing repressive and repugnant ideas -- from Arizona-style immigration laws to a ban on ethnic studies to shredding the 14th Amendment by denying citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
President declares March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day
FRESNO, Calif. -- President Barack Obama has declared March 31 as Cesar Chavez Day, honoring the late farmworker activist on his birthday.
Obama signed the proclamation Wednesday, saying that "Chavez's legacy provides lessons from which all Americans can learn."
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
Obama signed the proclamation Wednesday, saying that "Chavez's legacy provides lessons from which all Americans can learn."
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
Domestic Workers Call for Protections
Latina domestic workers are calling on state legislators to enact fair labor laws. A group of women demonstrated Wednesday in front of the Women's Building in San Francisco's Mission District to mark International Domestic Workers’ Day, singing and chanting in favor of worker protections
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
San Mateo County now half Asian and Hispanic but many city, county leaders are still white men
Asian and Hispanic residents are replacing whites across San Mateo County, but you wouldn't know that by looking at the people in positions of power around the Peninsula.
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
for complete article click here
posted by Flor Parra
Tulare to vote on district elections for council
Voters in Tulare will decide next year if the city should elect council members by district instead of citywide.
The Tulare City Council on Monday agreed to put the question before voters in June 2012. The measure will include proposed district boundaries for five council seats.
The council's decision settles a lawsuit by a civil rights group challenging Tulare's at-large voting system, which elects candidates who win the most votes citywide.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
The Tulare City Council on Monday agreed to put the question before voters in June 2012. The measure will include proposed district boundaries for five council seats.
The council's decision settles a lawsuit by a civil rights group challenging Tulare's at-large voting system, which elects candidates who win the most votes citywide.
For complete article, click here
[Posted by Perla Parra]
Hispanic Republicans tone down immigration talk
By JAY ROOT Associated Press
Posted: 02/02/2011 01:56:39 AM PST
AUSTIN, Texas—As a Republican, Rep. Aaron Pena is expected to take a hard line on immigration. But as a Latino who represents a heavily Hispanic district along the U.S.-Mexico border, the South Texas lawyer finds some of the anti-immigrant proposals in the Legislature to be unfair and unnecessarily harsh.
Pena is among a handful of new Latino Republicans in the Texas Legislature, and they are taking a careful walk through the minefield of hot-button immigration and cultural wedge issues that are sure to spark debate, and possibly legal reforms, in the Texas Legislature this year.
Several of them are scheduled to meet as a group Wednesday with Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is helping lead a Latino outreach effort, aides said. Abbott's eventual advice on the legality of some of the immigration bills could be a key factor in what happens to them in the Legislature.
for complete article, click here
posted by angie ngo
By JAY ROOT Associated Press
Posted: 02/02/2011 01:56:39 AM PST
AUSTIN, Texas—As a Republican, Rep. Aaron Pena is expected to take a hard line on immigration. But as a Latino who represents a heavily Hispanic district along the U.S.-Mexico border, the South Texas lawyer finds some of the anti-immigrant proposals in the Legislature to be unfair and unnecessarily harsh.
Pena is among a handful of new Latino Republicans in the Texas Legislature, and they are taking a careful walk through the minefield of hot-button immigration and cultural wedge issues that are sure to spark debate, and possibly legal reforms, in the Texas Legislature this year.
Several of them are scheduled to meet as a group Wednesday with Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is helping lead a Latino outreach effort, aides said. Abbott's eventual advice on the legality of some of the immigration bills could be a key factor in what happens to them in the Legislature.
for complete article, click here
posted by angie ngo
Latino mayoral candidates could split Chicago vote
By SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press
Posted: 01/11/2011 02:07:14 PM PST
CHICAGO—In a city with a long history of voting along ethnic lines, the two prominent Latinos running for Chicago mayor don't see a reason to unify around a consensus candidate as several African-Americans who once eyed the job have done.
Gery Chico and Miguel del Valle don't even see themselves as direct rivals—reflecting the fractured nature of the city's Hispanic population and their different approaches in a campaign that has a chance of producing Chicago's first Latino mayor. How strongly they run could have a big impact on a tough race with two more widely known candidates, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun.
for complete article, click here
posted by angie ngo
By SOPHIA TAREEN Associated Press
Posted: 01/11/2011 02:07:14 PM PST
CHICAGO—In a city with a long history of voting along ethnic lines, the two prominent Latinos running for Chicago mayor don't see a reason to unify around a consensus candidate as several African-Americans who once eyed the job have done.
Gery Chico and Miguel del Valle don't even see themselves as direct rivals—reflecting the fractured nature of the city's Hispanic population and their different approaches in a campaign that has a chance of producing Chicago's first Latino mayor. How strongly they run could have a big impact on a tough race with two more widely known candidates, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun.
for complete article, click here
posted by angie ngo
Oakley Union's newest trustee aims to bridge to cultural differences
By Rowena Coetsee
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 03/23/2011 02:41:38 PM PDT
OAKLEY -- The newest board member of the elementary school district here says he wants to contribute to its efforts to recognize different cultures.
Arthur Fernandez, 42, was sworn into office earlier this month in the Oakley Union Elementary School District, where he will serve the rest of his predecessor's four-year term that ends December 2012.
Andrew Coffman resigned last month after being elected in November, citing the requirements of his job.
Fernandez, an 11-year Oakley resident, has two daughters in the district, and has been active in their schools along with his wife, Lidia.
He works as a probation supervisor at Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility in Byron.
Fernandez said he was the only father active in the Parent Teacher Student Association last year at O'Hara Park Middle School, where his older daughter is an eighth-grader. He also helped organize a day of activities celebrating this area's cultures.
For Complete Article, click here
posted by angie ngo
By Rowena Coetsee
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 03/23/2011 02:41:38 PM PDT
OAKLEY -- The newest board member of the elementary school district here says he wants to contribute to its efforts to recognize different cultures.
Arthur Fernandez, 42, was sworn into office earlier this month in the Oakley Union Elementary School District, where he will serve the rest of his predecessor's four-year term that ends December 2012.
Andrew Coffman resigned last month after being elected in November, citing the requirements of his job.
Fernandez, an 11-year Oakley resident, has two daughters in the district, and has been active in their schools along with his wife, Lidia.
He works as a probation supervisor at Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility in Byron.
Fernandez said he was the only father active in the Parent Teacher Student Association last year at O'Hara Park Middle School, where his older daughter is an eighth-grader. He also helped organize a day of activities celebrating this area's cultures.
For Complete Article, click here
posted by angie ngo
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