In this edition of the HIS News Summary, you will find links to the following news stories:
- In Dallas, newspapers report that 20 Dallas Police Officers have been issuing citations to drivers for not speaking English. The Dallas Police Chief has promised an investigation.
- Meanwhile, the Arlington Chief of Police joined other police chiefs “to oppose efforts that involve local police in the enforcement of noncriminal infractions of immigration law.”
- In Houston, the Houston Police Department announced that it will not participate in the controversial 287(g) immigration screening program.
- The Harris County Sheriff’s Office, however, will participate in the 287(g) program if it receives approval from the County Commissioners.
- The 287(g) program at issue in Harris County, has been implemented in about 75 jurisdictions nationwide. The impact of the 287(g) program on Latino families in Cobb County (Atlanta), Georgia, is described in an ACLU report titled Terror and Isolation in Cobb: How unchecked Police Power under 287(g) Had Torn Families Apart and Threatened Public Safety.
As always, I hope you find the referenced news articles informative.
Best Wishes.
Prepared by
John Vasquez
Chair-Elect
Hispanic Issues Section, State Bar of Texas
johnvasq@gmail.com
NOTE: This News Summary is a service of the Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas, Brian Hamner, Chair. If you would like to support HIS, visit
http://www.texasbar.com/Template.cfm?Section=Sections and click “MyBarPage” (near the bottom of the page) to join online. For further information, contact the Sections Department at 1-800-204-2222 or (512) 427-1463 ext. 1420.
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Top News
At least 20 Dallas officers wrote no-English tickets
At least 20 Dallas police officers from five patrol divisions have wrongly cited motorists for not speaking English since 2007, according to records.
The number of officers tied to the tickets is greater than police initially estimated. And it is likely to grow because Dallas police officials say they plan to look back several more years and include the supervisors who signed off on the tickets in the investigation for possible dereliction of duty.
Almost all of the 38 people cited for the offense – which is not a crime in Dallas – were Hispanic. None of the officers who wrote the tickets were Hispanic, records show. The officers range from rookie to 13-year veteran and wrote as many as five tickets each for not speaking English.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/crime/stories/DN-ticketsfolo_27met.ART.State.Edition1.4bdd398.html
Dallas police draw ire for citing 'non-English-speaking drivers'
Over the last three years, police in Dallas have ticketed 39 drivers for not speaking English, even though there is no law requiring drivers be able to do so.
Amid growing public anger, Police Chief David Kunkle announced last week that the citations would be thrown out and that the officers who issued them would be investigated.
The cases came to light when a Mexican immigrant, Ernestina Mondragon, went to the media saying that she had been cited for being a "non-English-speaking driver" during a routine traffic stop. There is no such law in Dallas, although there is a federal statute that says commercial drivers must be able to speak English.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-dallas27-2009oct27,0,3949548.story
Denuncian detenciones por perfil racial contra hispanos
ATLANTA, Georgia (EFE).- La Unión Americana de Libertades Civiles (ACLU) dio a conocer hoy un informe en el que señalan que la Oficina del Alguacil del condado de Cobb, al norte de Atlanta, ha llevado a cabo detenciones basadas en el perfil racial.
"La policía del condado de Cobb ha abusado del poder que se les ha otorgado a través del (programa) 287 (g). Esto ha llevado a una atmósfera de terror en la que los inmigrantes tienen temor a contactar a las autoridades", dijo en conferencia de prensa Azadeh Shahshahani, vocera de ACLU en Georgia.
El condado de Cobb puso en marcha en julio de 2007 el programa 287 (g), que permite a las autoridades locales coordinar esfuerzos con la Oficina de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) para deportar a inmigrantes indocumentados.
http://www.impre.com/laopinion/inmigracion/2009/10/13/denuncian-detenciones-por-perf-154060-1.html
To read the ACLU report “Terror and Isolation in Cobb: How unchecked Police Power under 287(g) Had Torn Families Apart and Threatened Public Safety”, go to:
http://www.aclu.org/intlhumanrights/immigrantsrights/asset_upload_file104_41281.pdf
Senators try to exclude illegal immigrants from 2010 Census
A controversial amendment that would require the Census Bureau to ask for the first time whether people are in the USA illegally is headed for a Senate vote Wednesday.
Proposed last week by Republican Sens. David Vitter of Louisiana and Bob Bennett of Utah, the amendment would exclude illegal immigrants from the population count used to allocate congressional seats after the 2010 Census. It also would require the Census to ask people whether they are citizens.
"Illegal aliens should not be included for the purposes of determining representation in Congress, and that's the bottom line here," Vitter says. If enacted, the amendment to an appropriations bill would stop funding of the 2010 Census unless the changes are made.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/2009-10-13-census_N.htm
Hispanic Immigrants’ Children Fall Behind Peers Early, Study Finds
HOUSTON — The children of Hispanic immigrants tend to be born healthy and start life on an intellectual par with other American children, but by the age of 2 they begin to lag in linguistic and cognitive skills, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, shows.
The study highlights a paradox that has bedeviled educators and Hispanic families for some time. By and large, mothers from Latin American countries take care of their health during their pregnancies and give birth to robust children, but those children fall behind their peers in mental development by the time they reach grade school, and the gap tends to widen as they get older.
The new Berkeley study suggests the shortfall may start even before the children enter preschool, supporting calls in Washington to spend more on programs that coach parents to stimulate their children with books, drills and games earlier in their lives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/21/us/21latina.html?_r=2&scp=4&sq=immigrants&st=cse
Editorial: Back Where He Belongs
Zachary Christie is back in his first-grade class. Delaware’s largest public school district has rescinded its order to punish him (and send him to a disciplinary school) after he came to class with a Cub Scout camping utensil that contained a small foldout knife.
This was a painful experience for the 6-year-old, and we are relieved that the school district has now amended its overly zealous disciplinary code. But far too many other communities are inflicting even greater damage on young children: handcuffing them or shipping them off to juvenile court for getting into minor skirmishes or for being unruly or disobedient at school.
This growing trend — and the distressing costs — were laid out a few years ago in a study by the Advancement Project, a civil rights organization. The group found that adolescents and young children across the country were being hauled off to jail and charged with adult crimes for cursing in front of teachers, shoving classmates or participating in food fights — misbehavior that in more sensible times would have merited detention or suspension.
The study also found that these disproportionate punishments were being used far more often against black and Hispanic children than white children. And once these youngsters have a first contact with the courts, they become far more likely to drop out of school or get permanently entangled in the criminal justice system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/opinion/16fri3.html?_r=1
The Advancement Project has developed an excellent tool for community based groups to use to challenge school disciplinary procedures. To find the “Mapping the Schoolhouse to Jailhouse Track: Action Kit”, go to:
http://www.advancementproject.org/pdfs/STJAK.pdf
CNN Special on Latinos Stokes Debate Over Dobbs
Instead of being simply a draw for Hispanic viewers, CNN’s four-hour documentary, “Latino in America,” turned into a political rallying cry for activist groups who are calling on the cable news channel to fire Lou Dobbs, a veteran anchor with well-known views on immigration.
An array of minorities held small protests in New York and other cities on Wednesday, the first night of CNN’s presentation. They are trying to highlight what they say are years of lies about immigration by Mr. Dobbs, who anchors the 7 p.m. hour on CNN.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/24/business/media/24cnn.html?_r=1&em
CNN Poll: Americans more familiar with Latinos
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Latinos were once unfamiliar to more than half of all Americans, but a new national poll indicates that nearly two-thirds of those surveyed now say they have a lot or some contact with Latinos in places where they live, work or shop.
Sixty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday morning say they have some or a lot of contact with Latinos. That's up 15 points from 1990.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/10/21/cnn-poll-americans-more-familiar-with-latinos/
To see the CNN Poll results, go to:
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/10/20/rel15d.pdf
While Latinas gain, Latino boys languish
For several years, reports on the progress of Hispanics have been loaded with statistics outlining the pathetic educational future of Hispanic students, especially Latinas. Last month, the National Women's Law Center released its latest offering, which recycles the sad news: 41% of Latina students don't graduate from high school in four years, and many still internalize negative stereotypes that harm their career paths.
To be fair, these reports have not fallen on deaf ears. Latinas have created organizations to change those outcomes, and their efforts are beginning to pay off. But, as with other education-centric debates, the follow-up question is: What about the boys?
A new Pew Hispanic Center study found that while young Latinas still lag behind their female peers and fare worse than young black males when it comes to school or workforce issues, they still do better than young Latinos. The study found that 44% of Latinas with a high school degree enrolled in college vs. 34% of Hispanic boys, and that of those Latinas between the ages of 16-25 who were not mothers, almost 60% were enrolled in college or school. These modest milestones can be attributed to a number of programs created to help Latinas boost their self-esteem, resist early sex and stay in school.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/10/column-while-latinas-gain-latino-boys-languish.html
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Texas
Mexico appoints new head of Mexican Consulate for Dallas
The Mexican Senate on Tuesday ratified Juan Carlos Cué Vega as the new head of the troubled Mexican Consulate in Dallas. Cué, a 51-year-old attorney, has served as the country's ambassador to Kenya since 2006 and was consul general in El Paso from 2002 to 2004.
He takes over the Mexican Consulate – one of the busiest in the United States – after an investigation into a passport scam that defrauded the government of tens of thousands of dollars.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101409dnmetconsul.213830dfd.html
Editorial: Hispanic farmers deserve justice
More than a decade ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture settled a class-action lawsuit brought by black farmers who had been denied loans because of their race. In addition to establishing a multi-billion settlement fund, the department acknowledged “indifference and blatant discrimination” against blacks in the department's lending programs over the course of decades.
It wasn't only black farmers who were the victims of discrimination, however. The USDA's Farm Service Agency administered the loan and credit programs through regional and local offices across the country. Who ran those offices — and how well farmers knew them — played a large role in determining whether applicants received government loans, how large they were and when they got them.
In parts of the South and other areas of the country, FSA offices that diligently served the interests of white farmers routinely showed indifference to the needs of black farmers. In Texas and elsewhere, as Express-News staff writer Elaine Ayala reported, they also showed indifference to the needs of Mexican American farmers.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/Hispanic_farmers_deserve_justice.html
Texas higher education board seeks to close gap in Latinos attending college
State higher education officials are developing a plan to address the lagging college attendance of Latinos and to close the gap within that group – where men are behind.
"Latino males are vanishing from our higher education ranks," said Victor Saenz, an assistant professor of education administration at the University of Texas. "Our culture has a certain motivation to work right away to contribute to the family."
According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's most recent "Closing the Gaps by 2015" report, Hispanics are the least likely group to attend college and are "well below" meeting improvement goals.
Four percent of the state's Hispanic population participates in higher education, compared with 5.6 percent of blacks and 5.5 percent of whites. Improving that figure is vital to the state's economic health, state officials say, because Latinos are rapidly becoming the majority in Texas public schools.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101809dnmetcollegeenroll.4637c91.html
To see the “2009 Progress Report” (and prior annual reports) along with a link to the report “Closing the Gaps by 2015”, go to:
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?objectid=858D2E7C-F5C8-97E9-0CDEB3037C1C2CA3
HPD won't screen for immigration: City pulls out of controversial ICE program
The Houston Police Department will not participate in a controversial immigration screening program, federal officials said on Friday, ending a months-long saga over the city's plans.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had designated this week as the national deadline for agencies to sign recently revamped agreements in order to participate in the federal government's 287(g) program, which deputizes local law enforcement to act as immigration agents.
On Friday, ICE officials released a list of the 55 agencies that had signed formal agreements with ICE. A dozen agencies, including the Harris County Sheriff's Office, had reached agreements with ICE, but still were awaiting approval from their governing bodies to sign off on the partnerships.
HPD was on a short list of a half-dozen agencies that either withdrew from negotiations or did not re-sign agreements with ICE, according to ICE officials. Carl Rusnok, an ICE spokesman, said on Friday that HPD had voluntarily withdrawn from 287(g), “as the program did not correlate with their specific law enforcement needs.”
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/special/immigration/6671859.html
Latina busca un lugar en el DISD
Beatrice A. Martínez se quiere convertir en la primera latina electa a la mesa directiva de las escuelas de Dallas.
Pero para eso la ejecutiva de bienes raíces y activista comunitaria deberá mostrarles a los votantes del Distrito 3 que puede ser más eficaz que la titular Leigh Ann Ellis y otros dos contendientes, Bruce Parrot y Penny Anderly.
"Siempre he querido este puesto porque comprendo las necesidades de la comunidad y creo que es hora de actuar", dijo Martínez sobre la situación de las escuelas en el este de Dallas.
http://www.aldiatx.com/sharedcontent/dws/aldia/locales/stories/DN-DISTRICT3-17DIA.ART0.State.Edition1.4bda176.html
Editorial: Plum endorsement, mighty test for Eva Guzman
Our congratulations and best wishes to Eva Guzman of Cypress, who last week — thanks to Gov. Rick Perry — became the first Hispanic woman on the Texas Supreme Court.
Just as when President Barack Obama made Sonia Sotomayor the first Hispanic woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, the Guzman appointment is another proud moment as we make further progress toward tapping the talent within every segment of our population.
Guzman's story is inspiring. The child of an immigrant welder and cleaning woman, Guzman worked at nights in a drapery factory when she was 13.
http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/2009/10/12/1012guzman_edit.html
Editorial: Editorial: Guzman sets new course
Eva Guzman has become the latest political pioneer in Texas by virtue of her appointment to the Texas Supreme Court. Judge Guzman becomes the first Hispanic woman to be seated on the state's highest civil appellate court, and Gov. Rick Perry - who appointed Guzman to the court this past week - deserves high praise for breaking through this latest barrier.
Guzman comes from Houston. She is the daughter of an immigrant welder and a housekeeper. She comes from humble beginnings and presents a truly inspiring life story.
What's next for her depends on the mood of Republican primary voters next spring.
http://www.amarillo.com/stories/101309/opi_opin1.shtml
Judge Justice dies at 89
His destiny was all in a name. "Judge Justice."
William Wayne Justice was a giant in Texas history, the foreman of an audacious legal assembly line that churned out bulging packages of civil rights, equal justice and opportunities for the least among us. Justice, a soft-spoken federal judge who roared in his class action rulings on human rights over the past 41 years, died Tuesday in Austin.
His legal compassion forever changed the lives of millions of schoolchildren, prisoners, minorities, immigrants and people with disabilities in Texas. He ordered the integration of public schools and public housing. He outlawed crowding, beatings and inhumane medical care in prisons and youth lockups. He ordered that community homes be provided to people with mental disabilities who were living in large institutions. He expanded voting opportunities.
And that was just the tip of the docket.
Justice also changed the landscape of public education. He ordered education for undocumented immigrant children and bilingual classrooms. And, back in the nonconformist hippie days of 1970, he ruled that bearded and long-haired students, including Vietnam veterans, had a right to attend public college. "I held that that was silly," he said in June 2009 while reminiscing about the old Tyler Junior College rule forbidding long hair on male students.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/10/15/1015justiceobit.html
Albert Armendariz, Hispanic civil rights leader, honored with federal courthouse
Rep. Silvestre Reyes is a busy guy. This morning alone, as chairman of the House intelligence committee, he's presiding over closed-door hearings on Mexico and the Patriot Act.
But, like other mortals in Congress, every now and again Reyes tries to get a post office or federal courthouse named. On Monday, President Barack Obama signed a Reyes bill naming El Paso's new federal courthouse after Albert Armendariz Sr., a local judge and civil rights leader.
Armendariz, who died two years ago at age 88, served as national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens and of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/10/rep-silvestre-reyes-is-a.html
Dallas police apologise over fine for 'non English-speaking driver'
Ernestina Mondragon was probably not surprised when she was pulled over by police after making an illegal U-turn in Dallas, Texas. She probably thought it was a fair cop when she was given an additional ticket for not having her driving licence.
But when the trainee officer fined her $204 for being a "non English-speaking driver" – a penalty later signed off by the officer's field-training instructor and sergeant – Mondragon fought back.
She contested the charge and it was dropped by the court. A subsequent investigation revealed that at least 39 drivers in the last three years have been ticketed for being "non English-speaking drivers".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/25/non-english-speaking-driver-dallas
Arlington deputy police chief joins fight against immigration enforcement
Arlington Deputy Police Chief Kim Lemaux joined three other law enforcement leaders Thursday to oppose efforts that involve local police in the enforcement of noncriminal infractions of immigration law.
The message was delivered by a new organization, the Law Enforcement Engagement Initiative. Retired Sacramento Police Chief Art Venegas founded the group this year. Its creation comes as Congress faces overhauling complicated immigration laws next year and as North Texas routinely deals with illegal immigration conflicts.
"This issue of immigration needs to remain the responsibility of federal authorities," Lemaux said in a telephone news conference. "We need all our resources to address our core issues and local issues."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-immigpolice_23met.ART.State.Edition1.4bcd5d5.html
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USA
Supreme Court weighs defendant's rights when legal advice is poor
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court questioned yesterday whether defendants are entitled to accurate legal advice on all the potential consequences of a guilty plea.
The case, Padilla v. Kentucky, which focuses on Jose Padilla, a Honduran-born immigrant who faces deportation after pleading guilty to felony marijuana trafficking, has broader significance for the more than 12.8 million legal immigrants living in the United States.
(Padilla is not the so-called “dirty bomber,” a U.S. citizen convicted of conspiring to aid terrorists.)
Padilla wants his guilty plea tossed out, arguing that it violates his Sixth Amendment rights guaranteeing effective assistance of counsel. He maintains that he wouldn't have pleaded guilty if he hadn't been misinformed by his court-appointed attorney of the broader consequences.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/oct/14/supreme-court-weighs-defendants-rights-when-legal-/?uniontrib
Condena Relaciones Exteriores de México ataque a mexicano en Nueva York
MÉXICO, DF — La Cancillería condenó la agresión de que fue objeto en Nueva York el mexicano Mario Vera Rivera, en lo que consideró un posible ataque racial.
En un comunicado, indicó que Vera Rivera fue asaltado y golpeado el 23 de septiembre en un barrio neoyorquino por tres sujetos, quienes además le lanzaron insultos antiinmigrantes.
Días después, detalló, el mexicano fue admitido en el hospital Beth Israel de Manhattan, donde se le reporta grave. Los médicos estiman que el ataque pudiera dejar secuelas mentales y físicas de duración indefinida.
http://www.diariolaestrella.com/151/story/102584.html
DHS Reshapes Its Immigration Enforcement Program
A controversial federal program that deputizes state and local law enforcement agents to catch illegal immigrants is expanding under the Obama administration, despite changes announced this summer intended to curb alleged racial profiling and other police abuses.
The Department of Homeland Security is expected to report Friday morning that a small number of the 66 participating agencies have dropped out because of the new federal requirements, officials said. And those losses are offset by applications from 13 additional police and sheriff's departments, a federal official said, speaking on condition of anonymity before the formal announcement.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/15/AR2009101503933.html
Local Hispanics Say BMV Letters Discriminate Against Them
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Members of Central Ohio’s Hispanic community say they are the victim of racial profiling by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The BMV sent out 47,457 letters last week to vehicle owners that do no have Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers or state identification numbers attached to their vehicle registrations.
Owners receiving the letter were told they have 60 days to produce identification or their registration will be canceled. The letter follows a change in policy that closed a legal loophole allowing undocumented immigrants without insurance or a drivers license to register a vehicle using the power of attorney process.
Stripped of their valid vehicle registration, undocumented workers could be pulled over, arrested and deported back to their home country if caught driving unregistered vehicles.
http://www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/Local_Hispanics_Say_BMV_Letters_Discriminate_Against_Them/25025/
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Attorney General Holder at the Anti-Defamation League's 2009 American Heritage Dinner
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following remarks were prepared for delivery by Attorney General Holder at the Anti-Defamation League's 2009 American Heritage Dinner:
Good evening. Thank you, Kendall Tenney, for that generous introduction, and to all of you for the warm welcome.
Since the federal government started keeping statistics in 1990, the number of hate crimes reported annually has consistently ranged around 7,500. This means that over the span of the last two decades in our country, there has been nearly one hate crime every hour of every day. That is a staggering figure, and it is completely unacceptable. But then consider that this statistic may only hint at the totality of the problem. Many police agencies throughout the country, including in major cities, do not participate in the FBI's reporting system, and many victims do not report the hate crimes perpetuated against them. In fact, the Bureau of Justice Statistics puts the actual annual number of hate crimes in the tens of thousands. This fact is enough to make one's blood run cold.
In the last ten years, approximately half of all reported hate crimes were racially motivated. But I don't need to tell this organization that other groups are targets of hate crimes too. Hatred associated with religion has generally accounted for the second highest number of hate crimes incidents. This is closely followed by animus against individuals because of their sexual orientation. Hate crimes against individuals of Hispanic or Latino national origin, and those perceived to be immigrants, have increased four years in a row, amounting to a total increase of 40%. The ADL has done important work
documenting increased activity by hate groups who recruit new members using virulent anti-immigrant rhetoric that they present as legitimate opinion. Such language can have a devastating effect not just on an individual, but on
an entire community.
Against this backdrop, the new hate crimes legislation will arrive not a moment too soon. And on the day that it becomes law, we will hasten to begin using it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS40564+18-Oct-2009+PRN20091018
3 bias lawsuits filed against Omaha company
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - An Omaha company has been accused in federal court of discriminating against its Hispanic employees.
Three lawsuits filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Omaha allege that Willsie Cap & Gown routinely offered better hours, more desirable work, more breaks and even better lighting to non-Hispanic employees. The lawsuits also says Hispanic employees were prohibited from speaking Spanish in the plant, while non-Hispanic employees were allowed to speak their native languages.
http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=11299850
Family of North Plainfield man beaten to death sues accused attackers
PLAINFIELD -- A civil lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the wife and eight children of a Guatemalan immigrant from North Plainfield who authorities say was beaten to death in a bias attack in 2007.
Lazaro Tista’s family is seeking unspecified monetary damages for suffering and loss of financial support resulting from the 45-year-old landscaper’s death due to massive head trauma after allegedly being hit in the head with an aluminum bat.
Authorities said the five men arrested had specifically targeted Tista because he was Hispanic. This is a type of bias attack known on the streets as "Papi-hunting," Gonzalez said today. Papi is a Spanish word that refers to Hispanic males.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/family_of_plainfield_man_beate.html
Men charged in Plainfield beating death of Hispanic immigrant are also accused of hate crime
PLAINFIELD -- A murder conviction would put the five young men accused of robbing and brutally beating a Guatemalan immigrant in Plainfield behind bars for at least 30 years. Even so, the youngest of the alleged attackers could be out by the age of 47.
But in a rare turn of events, the men have also been charged with committing a hate crime -- which could tack an additional 15 to 30 years onto their jail time if found guilty of the 2007 murder of Lazaro Tista.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/men_charged_in_plainfield_beat.html
Hispanic employees protest after being told to change their first names
TAOS, N.M. - Larry Whitten marched into this northern New Mexico town in late July on a mission: resurrect a failing hotel.
The tough-talking former Marine immediately laid down some new rules. Among them, he forbade the Hispanic workers at the run-down, Southwestern adobe-style hotel from speaking Spanish in his presence (he thought they'd be talking about him), and ordered some to Anglicize their names.
No more Martin (Mahr-TEEN). It was plain-old Martin. No more Marcos. Now it would be Mark.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33479833/ns/us_news-race_and_ethnicity?GT1=43001
Workers fired by Taos hotelier Larry Whitten may sue; Whitten to CNN "I'm ready to correct what I can"
The Latin American Herald Tribune follows up on the story involving Taos hotel owner Larry Whitten, who told his Spanish-speaking hotel employees to stop speaking Spanish in his presence since he doesn't speak the language and to Anglicize their Spanish-sounding names. Whitten also appeared on CNN to further explain his side and how he didn't intend to insult anyone...
Hotel Check-In published the Associated Press story about Whitten, a 63-year-old native Virginian, on Monday morning. The story attracted nearly 500 individual comments on both sides of the story, as well as hundreds of other clicks from readers who agreed with specific comments.
The No. 1-most recommended comment came from reader intelligence101. An excerpt:
"I'm not sure I agree with the changing of names, but he is the boss and if he does tell you to speak English around him, that's not really out of bounds."
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/hotelcheckin/post/2009/10/620000649/1
Assistant police chief in Alexander denies racially profiling Hispanic drivers
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The assistant Police Chief of Alexander denied in a federal racial profiling lawsuit that he ever targeted Hispanic drivers for traffic tickets.
Tommy Leath testified in the trial in federal court in Little Rock that he applies the law equally to everyone and a person's race doesn't matter.
Six Hispanic men accuse Leath of stopping them for contrived windshield-obstruction violations when Leath was a patrolman in 2007.
http://www.kfsm.com/news/sns-ap-ar--racialprofiling,0,7506920.story
Impound initiative, tax measures on Colo. ballots
DENVER—A Denver initiative requiring police to impound the vehicles of unlicensed drivers is the highest-profile measure to go before Colorado voters on Nov. 3, due to the debate over whether it targets undocumented immigrants who can't get driver's licenses.
The Denver City Council passed a proclamation earlier this month urging voters to defeat the measure because it would be too expensive and tie up police resources.
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_13634465
Poll: 61% of voters in Arizona approve Arpaio's job approach
Arizona voters like Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's approach to his job and disagree with the federal government's immigration-related decisions with the sheriff, according to an Arizona State University and Channel 8 (KAET) poll released Tuesday night. The poll indicates a 61 percent job-approval rating for Arpaio, while 34 percent of voters disapproved, according to a telephone survey of 652 registered voters around the state.
The results were almost the opposite when it came to the U.S. government's recent decision to restrict Arpaio's federal immigration-enforcement authorization to the county's jails. Sixty percent disagreed with the government and 36 percent agreed.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/10/28/20091028bigbrother1028side.html
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General Interest
Tougher rules on policing illegal immigrants
Reporting from Raleigh, N.C. - Luz Maria Diaz knew what happened to illegal immigrants at the Wake County jail. But her teenage daughters didn't.
So when the girls were arrested after fighting on their high school campus in September, they freely admitted that they were born in Mexico. Detention officers at the jail checked their immigration status and promptly handed them over to federal authorities.
Now Diana, 16, and her sister, Yolanda, 18, are battling to stay in the country.
"I never thought this could happen . . . for a simple fight," their mother said. "I was in shock."
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immig-law14-2009oct14%2C0%2C4859999.story
Navarrette: A sheriff off the rails
Joe Arpaio, who calls himself "America's toughest sheriff," has gone rogue. Consumed by ego, accused of racial profiling, and running roughshod over the federal government, this incurable media hound is flirting with another title: "outlaw."
The Obama administration recently reined in Arpaio over his alleged abuse of a controversial program that allows more local law enforcement agencies to be trained to enforce immigration law as long as they stay within certain boundaries.
That's not Arpaio's strong suit. This authority figure has trouble with authority. Consider all the corners that the Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff is alleged to have cut in trying to round up illegal immigrants, such as swarming through Hispanic neighborhoods in Phoenix.
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_13552842
Arpaio cites non-existent law in his argument for crime sweeps
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio cited a non-existent federal law and included a legal interpretation taken from an anti-immigration Web site in a document he distributed during a news conference last week.
Arpaio used the document to bolster his claim that he can continue to arrest undocumented immigrants during controversial crime sweeps even without a special agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"We don't need that authority. I don't need any federal authority from (the agreement)," he said
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/10/16/20091016arpaio1016.html
Opinion: Enforcing immigration law: Local agencies wrong to complain about U.S. program
For state and local police agencies that serve areas with large Latino immigrant populations, one of the most important decisions is whether to let their officers dabble in immigration enforcement.
For the vast majority of such agencies, including the San Diego Police Department, the choice is easy. Not a chance, they say. Dozens of police chiefs and sheriffs have come out against such a policy, expressing their concern that turning their personnel into surrogates for immigration authorities is a sure-fire way to undermine the trust they've built up with immigrant communities and the willingness of immigrants to report crime and serve as witnesses.
Others are more eager to try their hand at enforcing immigration laws in cooperation with the federal government. More than 60 state and local enforcement agencies have flocked to the 287(g) program, in which agencies sign a voluntary agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Officers are trained to check legal status of prisoners and crime suspects and to initiate deportations. The contract specifies whether the agencies are authorized to check for legal status in jails, on the street or both.
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/oct/19/enforcing-immigration-law/?opinion&zIndex=184949
Clergy's role grows in immigration reform discussion
WASHINGTON - As more than 2,500 immigrants rallied at the Capitol in support of comprehensive immigration reform, Methodist Bishop Minerva Carcaño of Arizona told the crowd it could count on her and other religious leaders for support.
"We truly are with you," she said last week as she introduced about a half-dozen Catholic and Protestant clergy members. "And we believe that God is on your side too."
But just which side God is on has increasingly become the subject of debate as pro-immigration and anti-immigration forces bring dueling religious leaders to the nation's capital to argue over whose cause is the most righteous.
http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/10/19/20091019immig-religion1017-CP.html
NBA launching 'enebea' campaign
NEW YORK -- After years of courting the European and Asian markets, the NBA is trying to build up its fan base among Hispanics.
The league will launch a marketing campaign on Monday called enebea -- the Spanish pronunciation of NBA. Featuring increased TV and internet exposure, plus community projects, the NBA hopes it will expand its reach among a demographic that makes up 15 percent of its fan base.
"I think that it's a great idea," said New Jersey Nets forward Eduardo Najera, who is Mexican. "I think it's only going to help for Hispanics to identify with players besides the Hispanic ones, and overall I think it's going to be a great chance for them to feel included in the NBA. I'm happy about that."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4574718
Opinion: Dobbs does CNN no favors with Latinos
Next week, in a nod to Hispanic Heritage Month, CNN will premiere a two-night, four-hour Latino in America. The documentary purports to thoroughly examine the Hispanic experience. We'll see. After a recent Los Angeles preview of the special, the first question from the audience came from Real Women Have Curves screenwriter Josefina Lopez. She asked whether Lou Dobbs, CNN's self-declared immigration expert, was featured or mentioned in the documentary. The answer was no, that Dobbs was just one voice on CNN.
Dobbs might be just one voice, but if CNN expects to earn its proclamations as the "most trusted name in news," it needs to, if not take on Dobbs by name, at least take on the very falsehoods he spreads. So outrageous have Dobbs' claims become that Hispanic advocacy groups have launched a website — dropdobbs.com — to push CNN to remove him.
The Latino backlash against Dobbs is overdue. Over time, he has falsely claimed that illegal immigrants were responsible for an outbreak of leprosy, and that they make up one-third of all inmates in the prison system.This year, he termed the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce "an organization that is interested in ... Mexico's export of drugs and illegal aliens to the United States." He later apologized for this remark.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/10/column-dobbs-does-cnn-no-favors-with-latinos.html
La. interracial marriage: Is life tougher for biracial kids?
ATLANTA - Louisiana justice of the peace Keith Bardwell's refused to marry a white woman and a black man reportedly because he believed that children of an interracial marriage would suffer socially.
That view was once common in the United States, and might have had some basis decades ago when such marriages were taboo and multiracial families were sometimes ostracized. But today, not only are mixed-race children widely accepted but some research suggests they might even have some social advantages.
Researchers are finding that multiracial kids can sometimes be better socially adjusted than single-race offspring. And with the high-profile success of multiracial progeny such as Tiger Woods, Halle Berry, and President Obama (who at his first press conference as president described himself as a "mutt"), stereotypes about the split world of the "tragic mulatto" have long fallen by the wayside.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1016/p02s16-ussc.html
Judge Defends Denied Interracial Marriage
(CBS) The Louisiana Justice of the Peace who refused to marry an interracial couple said on "The Early Show" he doesn't see what the problem is with what he did now, because the couple is already married.
"I'm sorry, you know, that I offended the couple, but I did help them and tell them who to go to and to get married," he said. "And they went and got married, and they should be happily married, and I don't see what the problem is now."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/19/earlyshow/main5396242.shtml
Building a heritage: Hispanic Americans face challenges
As Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a close today, it’s worth noting that while most of us have been affected by the current recession, much of our nation’s Hispanic population has been mired in its own recession for some time.
The National Institute for Latino Policy cites a Hispanic poverty rate in 2007 of 22 percent, compared to 8 percent for whites. Those numbers have no doubt soared for both groups since last year’s economic downturn.
Sonia Sotomayor’s appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court was widely hailed, but the celebration of that milestone achievement has faded quickly for those who are grappling with the challenges faced by Hispanics — whether they are citizens or legal or illegal immigrants.
http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2009/10/building_a_heritage_hispanic_a.html
Wisconsin Supreme Court considers racial bias standards for judges
MADISON (WPR) The state Supreme Court is considering a new standard for judges who use racially charged language in their sentencing decisions.
In a case heard last week the justices struggled with the term "baby mama" used by a circuit court judge in sentencing an African American man from Milwaukee convicted on a cocaine charge. The 21-year old defendant was living with a woman who was working and going to school while he stayed home to care for their daughter and also used and sold drugs. The judge sarcastically ridiculed the defendant during sentencing referring to his dependence on his baby mama, a term the defense maintained had racial overtones. The appeals court agreed and vacated his two year sentence on cocaine charges. But Justice David Prosser asked how it's possible to define a racially charged word uttered by a judge. "If you had committed a very serious crime and I were the sentencing judge and you were Hispanic and I said to you "you are one bad Hombre,” would that convey some sort of bias against Hispanics?"
http://www.fox21online.com/news/wisconsin-supreme-court-considers-racial-bias-standards-judges
Students protest race discrimination at Chicago bar during senior class trip
Washington University seniors on their class trip accused a Chicago nightclub of racial discrimination over the weekend, protesting nearby after the club allegedly denied entry to six black male students because of their race.
“I think it’s because we were a group of predominantly black men and they felt threatened,” said senior Blake Jones, one of the students who was not allowed into the bar.
About 200 Washington University seniors were attending Mother’s Night Club Original bar on Saturday night as part of their class trip to Chicago, sponsored by the Senior Class Council. According to Senior Class President Fernando Cutz, the six black students were told they would not be allowed in because of their failure to comply with the bar’s “baggy jeans” policy. A few white students who had already been admitted then came out to demonstrate that their jeans were more “baggy,” but the black students were still denied admission.
http://www.studlife.com/news/2009/10/19/students-protest-race-discrimination-at-bar-in-chicago-during-senior-class-trip/
Cartoonist reveals where his inspiration comes from
Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos noticed a lack of diversity when it came to comic strips, so they decided to do something about it.
"We wanted to do something that reflects us. Back then in the 1990s when you looked at newspapers you didn't see anything like me," Cantú, whose Baldo comic strip appears in The Jersey Journal, told a room of about 50 people at New Jersey City University Monday afternoon.
http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/jerseycity/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1255501525151650.xml&coll=3
Many sides to disparity in minority youth arrests
STOCKTON - In San Joaquin County, as in the nation as a whole, Latino and black youths are far likelier to come in contact with the juvenile justice system - they are more often arrested and more often confined - than their white peers.
That over-representation, among the subjects discussed Friday at the Youth Empowerment Summit at San Joaquin Delta College, has long troubled advocates, academics and law enforcement officials. And while opinions vary about why youths of color are arrested and charged at higher rates than their population numbers would suggest, many agree that the disparity and its complex causes should be examined and addressed.
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091017/A_NEWS/910170332#STS=g1cxysrh.tef
Human Rights Groups Say Costume Is Offensive; But Anti-Immigration Advocates Rally to Its Defense
(AP) A Halloween costume that depicts a space creature in orange prison garb emblazoned with the words "illegal alien" is reigniting debate over a long-used term based on the U.S. government's designation of all foreigners as aliens.
The dispute has immigrant advocates calling on retailers to pull the costume from its shelves, while a group that supports strict immigration laws says it's all a to-do over nothing, with freedom of speech being turned upside down by political correctness.
Since Friday, when the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights in Los Angeles first raised the issue, companies including Target, Walgreens and eBay have removed the costume from their inventory. Still, many local retailers continue to stock the costume that also comes with a "green" card — which technically makes the alien legal.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/20/national/main5403619.shtml
Illegal alien costume stirs chaos
A Halloween costume depicting an extraterrestrial holding a Green Card and wearing a prison jumpsuit with the words “illegal alien” written across the front has disappointed the Hispanic community.
Local League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) member Hector Flores said the image is one the Hispanic community despises.
“I think it’s distasteful,” he said. “ET has already gone home, and they are bringing him back. These people are undocumented workers. They are not aliens. They are not from outer space. It portrays them as being bad people, and they are not.”
http://www.planostar.com/articles/2009/10/20/plano_star-courier/news/339.txt
Opinion: SCHUMACHER-MATOS: End near for CNN's Dobbs?
BOSTON ---- The end may be in sight for Lou Dobbs on CNN, and it couldn't come too soon. There won't be much reason to cheer, however.
Compared to Fox News and MSNBC, CNN's ratings have fallen precipitously since last year's elections. But Dobbs' numbers hadn't fallen that much until the furor broke out in July over his unsavory pushing of the "birther" theory that President Barack Obama is not a native-born U.S. citizen. By September, his viewership was wallowing at about half of what it was last November. It is unclear whether he is being pulled down by CNN or by campaigns by Hispanic and progressive groups to get advertisers and CNN to "Drop Dobbs." In addition to their revulsion over the birther stories, they are protesting Dobbs' often-incorrect statements and his demonization of illegal immigrants.
Whichever, the advertising on his show now looks anemic, and media buyers report that his rates have been cut. Insiders I've spoken with off the record at CNN say Dobbs' bosses are debating whether he is still worth the headache. CNN/US President Jon Klein earlier publicly disavowed the birther stories. Dobbs, widely disliked by CNN colleagues for being abrasive, has sniped back on the air about what he can and cannot say.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/schumacher-matos/article_e82b50a1-95f0-583e-8a34-d54d943d8a8b.html
Get a conscience, not a costume
CNN -- This is always a frightful time of year, but this year it got a bit scarier. You may have been prematurely spooked by an "illegal alien" costume threatening Halloween thrill seekers with an extraterrestrial countenance, orange prison garb and a green card. There's also a version with a baseball cap and droopy moustache.
Frankly, I'm surprised the manufacturer, Forum Novelties, is not offering other stereotypical accessories, like low-rider flying saucers and glow-in-the-dark lawn mowers.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/10/24/rudy.ruiz.alien.halloween.costume/
Hispanic, Latino students face fearsome challenges in their quest to graduate high school
Oregon - Jessie Gutierrez's most poignant memory from the first grade at Medford's Roosevelt Elementary School is his teacher putting him and another Hispanic child in the corner for speaking Spanish while the class laughed mockingly at them.
The experience soured Gutierrez's feelings about school, and by his freshman year at South Medford High School, he wanted to drop out as his two older brothers had done before him.
Gutierrez, now 21, was on track to become part of a national statistic that indicates about 25 percent of Hispanics ages 16 to 24 are dropouts.
Poverty, high mobility, language and cultural boundaries are just some of the challenges Hispanics face in obtaining an education, local educators say.
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091025/NEWS/910250326
Commentary: Erroneous citations by police are discrimination
Connecticut - Although there are those who would say otherwise, racism is alive and well in the United States today. It's just more subtle, more about maintaining the existing hegemony and less about flagrant hate crimes. But the subtlety of modern racism doesn't make it less unacceptable.
According to the Dallas Morning News, at least six Dallas police officers have incorrectly issued 39 citations to drivers in the past three years for the nonexistent charge of not speaking English. By creating a crime where none existed, the Dallas police overstepped their bounds. This is a clear violation of the victims' rights; it cannot be dismissed as innocuous. This was no isolated incident. It was not a single police officer issuing one citation. Rather, there were multiple officers involved, not to mention their superiors or training officers who signed off on these citations.
What is most disturbing about this case is the idea that police officers issued citations for a non-existent violation that seems to target Latino residents of Dallas. This is the fundamental problem, though there are other important aspects too. We place a certain degree of trust in police officers. We believe that they will uphold the law where it ought to be upheld and that they will respect our rights where our rights should be respected. Even if this instance does not directly affect each of us, the ramifications certainly could. No violation of rights should be taken lightly.
http://media.www.dailycampus.com/media/storage/paper340/news/2009/10/26/Commentary/Erroneous.Citations.By.Police.Are.Discrimination-3812649.shtml
Does the race or ethnicity of hiring managers affect the diversity of a company's workforce? Absolutely, according to a recent study. Whether there is intentional discrimination, however, is another question.
A study of two years' worth of personnel data involving more than 700 stores and 100,000 employees at a large United States retail chain appears to confirm that the race or ethnicity of those making the hiring decisions has a clear impact on the racial makeup of a company's workforce.
The study found that, when a black manager in a typical store was replaced by a white, Asian or Hispanic manager, the share of newly hired blacks fell from 21 percent to 17 percent, and the share of whites being hired rose from 60 percent to 64 percent.
http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/story.jsp?storyId=279836699
Special Issue of Medical Journal Explores Latino Health and Health Care
CALIFORNIA--(ENEWSPF)--October 28, 2009. The Latino population is the nation’s largest minority group at an estimated 47 million in 2008 and is predicted to make up 30 percent of the U.S. population by 2050. At the same time, chronic diseases among Latinos are on the rise and require long-range strategies to prevent and clinically manage. Understanding the health care of this fastest growing population is critical to the health care debate and reform initiatives.
The Network for Multicultural Research on Health and Healthcare, a consortium of researchers from major research institutions around the country, examines health care disparities affecting minorities with chronic diseases and has produced a special supplement of the Journal of General Internal Medicine examining Latinos and health care, shedding light on important issues that have been left out of the health care reform debate.
This issue, Confronting Health Inequities in Latino Health Care, comprises nine studies examining hypertension, diabetes, health insurance coverage, discrimination, quality of care, spirituality, preventive care, and other topics on Latino health and health care.
http://www.enewspf.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11181:special-issue-of-medical-journal-explores-latino-health-and-health-care&catid=88888904&Itemid=88890249
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