Thursday, March 31, 2011

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.

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[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.


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[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.

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[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

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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