ISSUE 9, VOL. 1 ISSUE 1, VOL. 1
A BI-MONTHLY PUBLICATION A PUBLICATION OF POP-9 COMMUNICATIONS"
OCTOBER 3, 2011 AUGUST 31, 2011
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: • • • •
GOP looking for Latino voters in Colorado Alabama sees its labor workers leave Latino kids experiencing poverty Hispanic farmers, a growing force
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NOTES FROM THE PUBLISHER....
Latinos only have future to thank... Washington D.C. apparently isn’t hearing the cries of Latinos. From deporting over one million undocumented residents (many living in the U.S. for over 10 years, having served in the armed forces, and beyond) to blatant racist laws whose only intent is to harass anyone who looks Latino. So what options do Latinos have? We need to look to the future. The shear number of Latinos now living in the U.S. will push change. In fact, even the GOP is seeing this and are trying to figure out how to get Latinos to register Republican. But should Latinos believe their new message when to date, they have been responsible for the growing hatred of Latinos? (Page 18, My Encounter With Anti-Latino Racism) Then, there’s the image portrayed of Latinos in the U.S. by Television. It’s usually stereotyped, and rarely do we get to see a Latino produced program that is focused on...Latinos. In comes Ruth Livier, a seer of the future who knew early on that the only other option for Latinos was to produce a show for the internet. Now in its third season at YLSE.net, Ruth brings the realities of producing a television program in a non-Latino environment. Its comedic approaches send messages that many Latinos relate to and its dialogue is very natural, not concocted at a bar on Hollywood and Vine. Hope you enjoy. Warmly/Abrazos
Adrian Perez, Publisher info@pop-9.com The Journal On Latino Americans is owned and published by POP-‐9 Communications a private, non-‐partisan concern. Any article and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reBlect the views of The Journal On Latino Americans or POP-‐9 Communications, but remain solely those of the author(s). The Journal On Latino Americans is copyrighted and its contents may not be copied or used without prior written consent by POP-‐9 Communications. Copyright 2011.
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CONTENTS GOP sets sights on Colorado Latino Vote ......Page 4 Ruth Livier is a funny, funny (and talented) woman ...... Page 6 New England cities have the highest Hispanic unemployment ......Page 9 Citibank targets Latino consumers for fees ......Page 10 Latino students missing in Alabama schools ......Page 12 Immigrant/US Latino views differ ...... Page 15 Latino kids in poverty ...... Page 16 Across The Country ......Page 18/19 The Journal On Latino Americans is published bi-monthly. For comments or information, write: POP-9 Communications 1901 A Del Paso Blvd Sacramento, CA 95815 Website: www.journalonlatinoamericans.com
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POLITICS
GOP sets sights on Colorado Latino vote By Ivan Moreno, Associated Press DENVER (AP) — President Barack Obama's declining popularity has inspired Republicans as they court potential Latino votes in Colorado, a swing state where joblessness disproportionately hurts the fastest-growing demographic. "Republicans see a t r e m e n d o u s opportunity," said Colorado Republican Party Chairman Ryan Call. In 2008, Colorado was a toss-up state — along with Nevada, New Mexico and Florida — where Latino support helped Ryan Call sway the election in Obama's favor. But as the economy tumbled, the average annual unemployment rate rose to 13.2 percent for Latinos in Colorado last year, according to the state labor department. Overall it was 8.7 percent. "These numbers are a strong and powerful indictment of the failed policies of Barack Obama," said Call, adding that he thinks Latinos are disillusioned with the president. "They're not only warming to the Republican Party, they're coming to the Republican Party." That remains to be seen. But the Republican National Committee began airing Spanish-language ads in Colorado over the summer, hoping to capitalize on polling showing support for Obama slipping among Latinos. The second interview Call did after becoming GOP state chair was in Spanish for a radio station. "You're going to see a lot more of me, 4
for improvement" in the party's Latino outreach. "And that's what we are doing right now." Obama, meanwhile, is also making strong overtures to Latino voters here, choosing a high school in a predominantly Latino Denver neighborhood to promote his jobs plan on Tuesday. It was, effectively, his first Colorado presidential campaign stop of the election cycle. Denver Councilman Paul Lopez, whose district neighbors the high school Obama visited, said the locale was fitting because he was talking to an audience that will be important in 2012. "These students may very well become voters by then," Lopez said. Lopez argues that Republicans have turned away Latino voters with their fervent anti-immigration policies. "They know that they've lost the Latino vote and it's almost unsalvageable," he said. Some Latinos support Obama but acknowledge he has not done as much as they hoped with either the economy or immigration. Manuel Pina, 59, who held a "Unify Families" sign near the high school where Obama spoke, said he wants the government to make more visas available so his three grown daughters can leave violent Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and come to Denver. He said he thinks Republicans have prevented the
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the president from making sweeping immigration policy changes. "I feel very satisfied," Pina said in Spanish. "And I'll vote for him again." But Obama has lost Latino enthusiasm, according to a recent Gallup survey. It found that 48 percent of Hispanic voters approved of Obama's job performance, compared with 60 percent in January. Both parties realize Latinos are crucial in close elections. In a tight 2010 U.S. Senate race between incumbent Democrat Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck, Bennet won in part because of overwhelming support from Latinos. When Obama was elected in 2008, about 6 in 10 Latino voters in Colorado supported him, according to Associated Press exit polls. Latinos were 13 percent of the state electorate in 2008, compared to 8 percent in 2004. And their potential influence is increasing. About the 20 percent of the state's population is Latino, compared to 17 percent in 2000. Hispanics grew faster than any other group in Colorado during the last decade, according to Census figures. Latinos accounted for more than half of the country's growth since 2000. "With numbers come political power," Obama said Wednesday, during a Hispanic roundtable streamed on the White House website.
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He was responding to a question about whether the country was ready for a Latino president or vice president. "Now, the challenge I think politically for Latinos across the country is, are folks registering, are they voting. And we still have not seen the kinds of participation levels that are necessary to match up the numbers with actual political power." Obama organizers in Colorado are already mobilizing in places like Greeley, where more than a third of the population is Latino, to make sure people are registered to vote. They're also starting up phone banks to talk about how Obama's jobs bill would benefit Latinos. Organizers are telling Latinos that they'll benefit from new health care legislation and emphasize new immigration guidelines from the administration that focus on deporting illegal immigrants who are criminals or pose a threat to national security or public safety, potentially allowing those without criminal records to stay. Ryan Mahoney, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said GOP officials are developing state-specific outreach plans for Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida and will have staff dedicated to engage Latino voters. Associated Press writer Kristen Wyatt contributed to this report.
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Ruth Livier is a funny, funny (and talented) woman with one of the best shows not on television By Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez AC: Your journey to cinematic success is Once I moved to the states, I found my role rooted in a strong Mexican family? models in books. (I was a very serious kid; my mother says I was 35 at 5). As soon as I learned Ruth: I'm from Guadalajara! Totalmente to read English, I devoured every single Nancy “Tapatía.” The first parents I remember were my Drew book in the library, then the Hardy Boys maternal grandparents and my mom's youngest and any other mystery novel I could find. There brother and sister. I lived with them in just weren't enough of them to keep me satisfied. Guadalajara for part of my childhood while my What attracted me to this particular genre was parents worked in the fields in California. I came these characters' relentless pursuit of the truth. to the states when I was about seven. My first Nancy Drew was not content with taking things acting gig was actually my first job ever. It was at face value. If something didn't track, she posed touring with children's plays across my home state the right questions and did the follow-through of Jalisco. It was fantastic! We performed in really work necessary to get to the bottom of things. beautiful quaint theaters and even in bullfighting She simply was not satisfied until the mystery arenas. But my first performance was singing “El was solved. I loved that. I still do." Rey” de Jose Alfredo Jimenez on TV in Mexico when I was five or six. Then, in la secundaria, I AC: Have you always been interested in recited poetry competitively. So, I guess I've been acting? in front of an audience, in some form or another, pretty much my entire life. Ruth: Yes. My first acting teacher and her 6
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Ruth Livier is not just another alluring Hollywood beauty. She has substance, style, and is an in-demand working actress of stage, screen, and film. Ruth is probably most remembered for her starring role in the groundbreaking Showtime TV series Resurrection Blvd. Most recently she guest starred in ABC Family’s Switched at Birth. Ms. Livier is continuing to break new artistic ground in her third season of writing, producing, and starring in her own Tina Fey-styled, web series called Ylse.
HERE
HERE
Dr. Al Carlos Hernandez, Deputy Managing Editor of the The Herald de Paris, had an opportunity to catch up with Ruth and chat about her life and times... not only instilled in me a love, appreciation and respect for the arts, but they also taught me discipline and nurtured my confidence. For all of those things, I'm forever grateful. It's because of them that I learned the power of story. I learned how, via a play, one could affect people emotionally, question the status quo and put a mirror up to society. I'm addicted to the power of story to unveil truths about the human condition. I grew up being in stories and I couldn't wait to acquire the skills to create stories and characters of my own. AC: Tell us about Ylse? Ruth: Our web series, Ylse, is a not-so politically correct dramedy (drama-comedy) about an ambitious, single, thirty-something American Latina on her bumpy quest up the journalistic ladder and the quirky characters that make up her life. Think: Bridget Jones with a bicultural twist.
A revolutionary webisode, YLSE
I wanted to do a show that featured cool quirky Hispanics in a modern setting dealing with mainstream issues (like the angst of stumbling to achieve the American dream) while balancing our (very specific) dual identity crisis. (continued on Page 8)
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The series is primarily in entry give us an affordable, English. But in our show, accessible and unobstructed way language is a secondary to develop and share our own consideration to cultural content with a worldwide relevancy. My passion is to audience. It affords us contribute to the screen a show opportunities that traditional that reflects our varied media has been slow to provide. experiences as (at minimum) We get to tell our stories from bicultural Americans: Some of us our POV and prove our market. bilingual, some of us One of my favorite things monolingual, some of us about working on the show is our multilingual...yet all of us amazingly diverse and talented uniquely American. team, both in-front of and Our core audience is the behind cameras. And, not only demo that Alma DDB defines in are my friends talented, these are its 2011 publication "A Brave also some of the most wonderful, New World of Consumidores" as kind, generous people I've ever "Fusionistas: English oriented Ruth Livier: A Hollywood Maverick met. Working with them is my [Hispanics] with dual cultural natural high. They continually affinity." The 2010 census projects estimates that blow me away with their talent and commitment by 2050, Latinos will be nearly 25% of the to the show. population. This means one in four Americans will I mean our YLSE cast is amazing! It be of Hispanic origin. We are 'THE' untapped includes; Marlene Forte (LITTLE GIRL LOST), market. And Ylse is a part of this demographic. Judy Reyes (SCRUBS), Alma Delfina (PUEBLO Our goal, of course, is to reach the broadest CHICO, INFIERNO GRANDE), Jon Huertas possible audience via multiple platforms. For any (CASTLE), Raymond Cruz (THE CLOSER), indie project, the web is a great place to start and Yvette Yates (WITHOUT MEN), Darcy Shean especially if it's Hispanic driven. Emarketer July 1, (MAD MEN)...Ivonne Coll (SWITCHED AT 2008 states, "By 2012, nearly 30 million US BIRTH)…and the list goes on. Behind cameras, Hispanics will be online: more than 50% of the US Elizabeth Peña (LONE STAR) directed a Hispanic population." And, according to HOPE webisode! 2009, Latina spending power alone was at 264 Season 3 cast also includes: Alex De Billion for that year. So is there a market for our Hoyos, Alex Mendoza, Carolyn Wilson, David content? I would say, yes! That we are still largely Barrera, Gabriel Romero, Hector Hank, Hector under-explored is an unbelievable opportunity. Bustamante, Iran Daniel, Jonathan Nichols, That's why we started creating content for this Jordan Segura, Marabina Jaimes, Martin growing demo back in 2008. Morales, Noah Applebaum, Kristen Ariza, Tokala Clifford and Richard Yñiguez (the original BOULEVARD KNIGHT). AC: What about typecasting? There is a lot of serious work involved and a lot of very in-demand talent contribute their Ruth: Yes, typecasting exists. Many of us fall into this in-between space of not being dark enough to time to this project. But, we also have a lot of fun fit the Latina stereotype and not white enough to shooting the series. I mean, what could be more be white. But, that's why the web is such a fantastic than working with your friends? And fantastic platform for showcasing talent: It puts friends that keep you laughing all day long? Nothing! (Continued Page 13) the power in our hands. The web's low barriers to 8
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Two New England cities have highest Hispanic unemployment rates 18 metro areas see increase of Hispanic unemployment from 2009 to 2010 Providence, Rhode Island and Hartford, Connecticut have the first (25.2%) and second (23.5%) highest unemployment rates, respectively, for Hispanics among 38 large metropolitan areas* nationwide, according to a report released today by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). After Providence and Hartford, the metropolitan areas with the next highest Hispanic unemployment rates are Fresno, CA, (21.1 %); Las Vegas, NV (19.4 %); Bakersfield and Riverside, CA tied (18.4 % for both); Orlando, FL (16.4 %); San Francisco, CA (14.3%); Los Angeles, CA (13.4%); and Tampa, FL (13.2%). “Even though the economy is in an official recovery, 18 of the 38 metro areas in the study saw an increase in Hispanic unemployment of over one percentage point since 2009,” said Algernon Austin, director of EPI’s program on race and ethnicity and author of the report, Hispanic unemployment rates in metropolitan areas around the country.
Six Texas metropolitan areas were among the 10 with the lowest Hispanic unemployment rates: Laredo, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, El Paso, Houston, and Austin. Washington, D.C., had the lowest Hispanic unemployment rate. “The findings from EPI’s study are a reminder that while the jobs crisis affects the entire nation, many communities are facing a true state of emergency,” said Catherine Singley, Senior Policy Analyst at the National Council of La Raza—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. “Government cannot stand on the sidelines when so many are denied a chance at the American Dream. Beginning with the President’s jobs bill, policymakers must take bold action to create jobs, with deliberate measures to The key findings of the study are: target areas hit hardest by In 2010, the two highest Hispanic unemployment.” metropolitan unemployment rates were in New England: Hispanic unemployment was 25.2 * Unemployment rate estimates percent in Providence, R.I., and 23.5 percent in were created for metropolitan areas that Hartford, Connecticut. For Providence, 2010 was had a sufficient Hispanic sample size in the second year in a row Hispanics had an the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current unemployment rate over 20 percent. Population Survey for reliable estimates Hispanics in the Hartford metropolitan area in 2007. were 3.4 times as likely as whites to be unemployed. In Providence, Hispanics were 2.5 CLICK HERE TO SEE times as likely as whites to be unemployed. Five California metropolitan areas made it THE NATIONAL into the top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest UNEMPLOYMENT CHART Hispanic unemployment rates: Fresno, Bakersfield, Riverside, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. 9
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Citibank Ripping Off Consumers with Staggering $15 Monthly Debit Card "Extortion" Fee Says Consejo By JOLA Sta
EAST LOS ANGELES, CA -- Consejo de Latinos Unidos, a national consumer advocacy group and public charity which educates and assists Latinos and others, slammed Citibank today for imposing a $15.00 flat monthly fee against EZ Checking Debit Card holders beginning November 10th. "Instead of controlling their greed, Citibank is ripping off consumers with a staggering $15 monthly debit card fee," declared K.B. Forbes, Executive Director of the Consejo de Latinos Unidos. "Citibank has placed a loaded gun on the temple of Citibank consumers demanding they maintain a $6,000 balance or pay $180 a year in extortion fees. In this economy, how many working-class families have $6,000 to cough up to the goons at Citibank?" Forbes added, "We demand that Citibank immediately and unilaterally reverse this outrageous decision to extort the earnings of hard-working, tax-paying Americans. I call on Citibank's CEO Eugene M. McQuade to immediately end this racket especially since taxpayers bailed out his institution with $20 Billion in TARP funds."
Forbes noted that Citibank operates in key cities with heavy numbers of workingclass Latino families, including Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, and the District of Columbia. "We have a Citibank branch just up the street from our headquarters in the heart of East Los Angeles," Forbes added. Since 2001, the Consejo has published ten investigative reports on hospital price gouging, pharmaceutical company abuses, religious intolerance, and police abuse. The investigative reports and efforts of Consejo de Latinos Unidos have provoked several U.S. congressional probes including hearings by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and the U.S. Senate Finance Committee. K.B. Forbes is the founder of the Consejo de Latinos Unidos and has testified or provided documentation to several governmental bodies and agencies including the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, the California Legislature, the Pennsylvania Civil Rights Enforcement Division, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Chicago City Council, and the Florida Legislature. "We will hold Citibank accountable for their egregious behavior," Forbes vowed. JOLA
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Latino absences soar in Alabama after ruling upholds crackdown on immigration Alabama ruling spurring Latinos to pull out kids By Jay Reeves , ASSOCIATED PRESS BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — L atino students have started vanishing from Alabama public schools in the wake of a court ruling that upheld the state’s tough new law on illegal immigration. Education officials say scores of immigrant families have withdrawn their children from classes or kept them home this week, afraid that sending the kids to school would draw attention from authorities. There are no precise statewide numbers. But several districts with large immigrant enrollments — from small towns to large urban districts — reported a sudden exodus of children of Latino parents, some of whom told officials that they planned to leave the state to avoid trouble with the law, which requires schools to check immigration status. The anxiety has become so intense that the superintendent in one of the state’s largest cities, Huntsville, went on a Spanish-language TV show on Thursday to try to calm widespread fears. “In the case of this law, our students do not have anything to fear,” Casey Wardynski said in halting Spanish. He urged families to send students to class and explained that the state is only trying to compile statistics. Police are not getting involved in schools, he insisted. Victor Palafox graduated from a high school in suburban Birmingham last year and 12
has lived in the United States without documentation since age 6, when his parents brought him and his brother here from Mexico. “Younger students are watching their lives taken from their hands,” said Palafox, whose family is staying put. In Montgomery County, more than 200 Latino students were absent the morning after the judge’s Wednesday ruling. A handful withdrew. In tiny Albertville, 35 students withdrew in one day. And about 20 students in Shelby County, in suburban Birmingham, either withdrew or told teachers they were leaving. Local and state officials are pleading with immigrant families to keep children enrolled. The law does not ban anyone from school, they say, and neither students nor parents will be arrested for trying to get an education. But many Spanish-speaking families aren’t waiting around. A school worker in Albertville — a community with a large poultry industry that employs many Latino workers — said yesterday that many families might leave town over the weekend for other states. About 22 percent of the community’s 4,200 students are Latino. “I met a Hispanic mother in the hallway at our community learning center this morning, where enrollment and (continued on page 14)
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(From Page 8)
AC: New Friends? Ruth: I'm thrilled to announce that two-time EMMY Award-winning Executive Producer and Show runner PETER MURRIETA (Wizards of Waverly Place, Hope & Faith and Greetings from Tucson) has joined our team! I adore Peter. He has encouraged and been supportive of my writing efforts even before Ylse came about. And my friend, the iconic Eugenio Derbez (AL DERECHO Y AL DERBEZ), is interested in coming on board to direct!
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It reinforced my belief that if you have a vision you must follow through with it. AC: Awards?
Ruth: Ylse won the 2010 IMAGEN Award for Best Internet Program, the first in this category. We also received Cal State's LA's REEL RASQUACHE Best Web Series award. I've been a guest speaker and panelist at several New Media events including: The BUSINESS SYMPOSIUM at LMU, SAG, WGA, a returning panelist at DIGITAL HOLLYWOOD and a guest speaker on New Media and writing for the Web at both USC AC: When did the whole Ylse thing and EMERSON College in Boston. This begin? October, I will be a guest panelist on New Media at the University of Arizona, Tucson. We launched the first webisode of Ylse in 2008. All I was thinking at the time was, "Well, let's AC: Where can we find Ylse? see what happens." What has happened is nothing short of an amazing ride. Among other Ruth: You can keep track of what we're up things, I was honored to be on the cover of the to, send us your comments and read some of Writers Guild of America's WRITTEN BY our fan mail on our Ylse facebook FAN magazine (Nov.'09) for being the first writer to PAGE: http://facebook.com/ylseshow join that union via my work in New Media. That journey from zero to the cover of the WGA If you are new to Ylse, you can catch up on magazine was both completely unexpected and seasons one and two @ www.ylse.net. -‐ JOLA one of my proudest accomplishments.
www.ylse.net
Click Here to visit the National Hispanic Heritage Month
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New Alabama Law Will Hurt Crime Fighting and Embolden Criminals Stoking Fear of Police in Immigrant Community Makes Everyone Less Safe SACRAMENTO, CA – This week’s decision by a federal judge to allow key provisions of Alabama immigration law HB 56 to go into effect is a deeply troubling development for law enforcement professionals who care about community policing, practical policy and public safety. At the heart of the problem is a provision that would require police to ask the immigration status of anyone they stop who is under “reasonable suspicion” of being an undocumented immigrant. Additionally, the law would make it a misdemeanor to be in the country illegally and a felony for undocumented immigrants to do business with the state, such as soliciting a driver’s license or license plate. “This law sends a clear message to the immigrant community in Alabama and their families: fear the police. I can’t think of a message that is more counterproductive to effective policing,” said Arturo Venegas, former Sacramento Police Chief and head of the Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative. “In my 40 years as a law enforcement officer, I have seen time and again that you can’t get violent criminals off the streets without the assistance of everyone in the community. By turning police into immigration agents, Alabama is destroying cops’ ability to get that assistance from immigrants and Latinos. This law essentially provides sanctuary to criminals by inviting them to prey on the immigrant community. Make no mistake: everyone in Alabama is made less safe by this law.” 14
Many law enforcement professionals in Alabama have expressed confusion about how they are expected to implement the law, and question how it will impact their alreadystrapped budgets. Randy Christian, chief deputy of the Jefferson County Sheriff Department, said that his officers “have to get some answers on how we actually enforce it and how we can do so without involving racial Arturo Venegas profiling.” Chief Robert W. Green of Northport has said that the Hispanic community already underreports crimes out of fear, and predicted that this “would probably increase significantly with the passage” of HB 56. “This law is putting police departments in the cross-hairs, forcing us to sort out a political mess and creating a crisis for community policing. Budgets are already tight, but the Alabama law will add new duties and burdens on local police, expose officers to lawsuits for racial profiling, and hurt our main priority, which is protecting the public from crime and criminals. What’s more, it won’t even fix the broken immigration system. Our leaders in Washington and in the states have got to stop playing politics with law enforcement, and Congress has to enact fair, comprehensive immigration reform,” Venegas concluded. JOLA
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Immigrant/US born Latino views differ FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Latino views differ depending on whether a person is an immigrant or was born in the Unites States, researchers found. Political scientist Rafael Jimeno of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, said the findings used data from the Blair-Rockefeller Poll, which asked a series of questions related to whether Latinos see themselves having commonality with African-Americans. Responses revealed clear differences between native-born and foreign-born Latinos, Jimeno said. "A close analysis of the responses given by Latinos reveals that a significant division exists between the native born and the foreign born, especially when it comes to policy preferences and perceptions of other groups in American society," Jimeno said in a statement. For example, when asked the question, "Does what happens to blacks have something to do with what happens in your life?" 63.1 percent of foreign-born Latinos responded none or little, while 36.9 percent chose some or a lot. However, the responses were reversed with native-born Latinos, with 39.5 percent responding none or little and 63.6 percent some or a lot. "Over the years, these negative predispositions are likely to recede as the foreign born learn about civil rights struggles, for example, both past and present," Jimeno said. The poll, which involved 3,400 respondents, is a joint project of the university's Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute of the University of Arkansas System. The full report is available at http:// www.blairrockefellerpoll.com.
Ralph has served as president of the Portland council of the League of United Latin American Citizens, as member of the Portland Police Chief’s Community Police Advisory Board, and as strategic advisor for Centro Latino Maine, Maine People’s Alliance, Maine League of Young Voters and Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition.
City of Portland, Maine CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION (From Page 12- Alabama Schools)
withdrawal happens. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. I asked, ‘Are you leaving?’ She said ‘Yes,’ and hugged me, crying,” said the worker. In Russellville, which has one of the largest immigrant populations in the state because of its poultry plants, overall school attendance was down more than 2 percent after the ruling, and the rate was higher among Latino students. Schools in Baldwin County, a heavily agricultural and tourist area near the Gulf Coast, and in Decatur in the Tennessee Valley also reported sudden decreases in Latino attendance. The law does not require proof of citizenship to enroll, and it does not apply to any students enrolled before Sept. 1. The Obama administration filed court documents yesterday announcing its plans to appeal the ruling that upheld the law. JOLA 15
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Childhood poverty among Hispanics sets record, leads nation 6.1 million Latino children live in poverty in the U.S. according to a new study WASHINGTON D.C. -- The spread of poverty across the United States that began at the onset of the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and accelerated last year, hit one fast-growing demographic group especially hard: Latino children. More Latino children are living in poverty----6.1 million in 2010----than children of any other racial or ethnic group. This marks the first time in U.S. history that the single largest group of poor children is not white. In 2010, 37.3% of poor children were Latino, 30.5% were white and 26.6% were black, according to an analysis of new data from the U.S. Census Bureau by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. This negative milestone for Hispanics is a product of their growing numbers, high birth rates and declining economic fortunes. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Hispanics today make up a record 16.3% of the total U.S. population. But they comprise an even larger share----23.1%-----of the nation's children, a disparity driven mainly by high birth rates among Hispanic immigrants. Of the 6.1 million Latino children living in poverty, more than two-thirds (4.1 million) are the children of immigrant parents. The other 2 million are the children of parents born in the U.S. Among the 4.1 million impoverished Latino children of immigrants, the vast majority (86.2%) were born in the U.S. The Great Recession, which began in 2007 and officially ended in 2009, had a large impact on the Latino community. At its beginning, the unemployment rate among Latino workers increased rapidly, especially among immigrant workers. Today, the unemployment rate among Latinos, at 11.1%, is 16
higher than the national unemployment rate of 9.1%. Household wealth among Latinos declined more sharply than either black or white households between 2005 and 2009. And according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food insecurity among Latino households increased sharply at the start of the Great Recession. In 2008, nearly a third (32.1%) of Latino households with children faced food insecurity, up from 23.8% in 2007. Prior to the Great Recession, more white children lived in poverty than Hispanic children. However, since 2007, that pattern has reversed. Between 2007 and 2010, an additional 1.6 million Hispanic children lived in poverty, an increase of 36.3%. By contrast, even though the number of white and black children living in poverty also grew, their numbers grew more slowly----up 17.6% and 11.7% respectively. These findings are based on an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement of the March 2011 Current Population Survey (CPS), supplemented by historical time series data based on the CPS. The March CPS is the official source for national poverty estimates. The report, " Childhood Poverty Among Hispanics Sets Record, Leads Nation," authored by Pew Hispanic Center Associate Director Mark Hugo Lopez and Research Analyst Gabriel Velasco, is available at the Pew Hispanic Center's website, www.pewhispanic.org. The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, is a nonpartisan, non-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. and is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. - JOLA
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Across The Country In the Freedom Barber Shop, Tony Bravo helps fellow veterans heal
Music review: Gustavo Dudamel conducts Benzecry and Berlioz
LOS ANGELES, CA -- It’s not as though there wasn’t much in the way of fanfares for Gustavo Dudamel’s first two seasons as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be more. And so there was Friday night, when he conducted the first regular season program of the new season (opening night was a Gershwin gala on Tuesday). Both of the works on Friday night's first half were by living composers and both were fanfare-based. The evening began with John Adams’ 1985 “Tromba Lontana.” Its point of interest is not the two antiphonal trumpets, which Dudamel placed on opposite sides of the organ loft above the My encounter with anti-Latino racism orchestra, but on the softly purring ATLANTA (CNN) -- "Go home!" she orchestra, which creates a wonderfully yelled at me. "Why don't you go back home to cushioning effect. READ MORE… Mexico before you ruin this country like you ruined your own!” I was standing in a crowd at Hispanic Businesses Say Customers the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta, where I Leaving Georgia live. A few minutes earlier I'd met a group of five ATLANTA, GA -- Decatur business people who'd been standing in front of me -- here from Mexico City -- and I had begun speaking owner Alfredo Chavez said Georgia's new illegal immigration law could cause the city Spanish with them. READ MORE… and state to lose about $200,000 in taxes he pays annually on a grocery store and ADVERTISE! mechanic/tire shop. "The economy is bad," said Chavez, The great thing about the internet is we can cut the who owns La Estrella Food and Fish price of advertising on a publication to a fraction of Market. "I pay my taxes. Business is down what print media charges. CLICK HERE to 70 percent now. If I have no customers, I learn more. cannot stay open. "If I close, the state, the city, it loses my money. It loses my customers' money. JOIN US! We have a growing number of People just want to work. What if the state followers and if you haven’t signed up for loses property and business taxes?" READ our FREE online publication, be sure to do so today. MORE… They amble in with overgrown manes and beards, looking as if they've spent the night on the street. Some of them have. Eyes downcast, they climb three metal stairs, duck through the doorway and sink into the black vinyl chair, where the proprietor begins to snip. By the time he has brushed their necks with talc and patted their cheeks with clovescented after-shave, they could pass for anyone's impeccably coiffed father or brother or uncle. In reality, they are veterans whose haggard faces reflect the psychic scars of service in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan and of their ongoing battles with addiction, grief and pain. READ MORE…
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ISSUE 9, VOL. 1
THE JOURNAL ON LATINO AMERICANS
OCTOBER 3, 2011
Across The Country
Honoring American Hispanic Farmers by Ginger Harris, NASS Demographer and Michelle Radice, NASS Outreach and Diversity Director, WASHINGTON D.C. -- The whole nation is celebrating the Hispanic Heritage Month, honoring numerous achievements and contributions made by the Hispanic-Americans in many industries, including agriculture. Farm operators of Hispanic, Latino and
Spanish origin now comprise 2.5 percent of all farmers and ranchers in the United States, according to the most recent Census of Agriculture, conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). According to these data, there are 66,671 farms with Hispanic operators, covering more than 24.6 million acres of U.S. farmland. The states with the highest percentages of Hispanic-operated farms are New Mexico, California and Texas.
Hispanic farmers and ranchers are also becoming more diverse as a group. The latest census data showed that 12 percent of all Hispanic operators are women. Hispanic Farms Map Hispanic farmers and ranchers are active participants in all facets of U.S. agriculture today. In 2007, they sold more than $12.7 billion worth of agricultural products from their farms and ranches. The most common type of operation among Hispanic famers and ranchers is cattle production, accounting for nearly a third of all farms with Hispanic or Latino operators. While less than one-quarter of Hispanic farms produce specialty crops, which include fruits, vegetables, and nursery and greenhouse products, these operations account for almost half the value of sales from Hispanic operations. NASS conducts the Census of Agriculture every five years, with the next census scheduled for 2012. The census is the most reliable source of detailed data about every aspect of U.S. agriculture. It is also the only complete source of U.S. farmers and ranchers’ demographic information. To learn more about the census, click here. 19
The American GI Forum of California Invites you to a Reception and Film Screening
“The Longoria Affair”
Winner of the 2011 “Imagen Award” and “2011 EMMY Nominee”
Meet Writer, Director, Producer John J. Valadez
October 5, 2011 at 6 p.m. TICKETS: $12 per person; $100 for 12; $500 Sponsorships A Portion of the proceeds go to the AGIF/California Civil Rights Legal Defense Fund
At The Artisan, 1901 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA For Tickets, Call: (916) 396-4053 Email: info@vidadeoro.com
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