Focus groups of Latino youth in four different communities were interviewed by researchers in 2009 to examine their perceptions of school, law enforcement, work and the juvenile justice system. The resulting “study presents an in-depth, nuanced view of the youth’s perceptions and experiences.”
The report found:
- Latino youth tend to have an optimistic outlook on the role of education and a strong desire to achieve successful careers. These attitudes are often associated with the hopes and expectations of their immigrant parents and with their own desire to contribute to their community and nation.
- Despite these optimistic attitudes, the teenagers expressed a pervasive sense of being negatively stereotyped by institutional actors as varied as teachers, employers, and police officers. They described how assumptions about Hispanic youth and Latinos in general are manifested within the different social settings discussed:
SCHOOL: The youth reported significant ethnic stereotyping by teachers, administrators, and peers. Such stereotyping, they feel, often leads Hispanic students to be overlooked, excluded, or negatively tracked and results in unequal educational opportunities . . .
- WORKPLACE: The youth often perceive the workplace as a site of unfair practices based on racial and ethnic assumptions on the part of employers. Many of these youth’s perceptions of discrimination in the workforce were directly related to the experiences of their parents and other community members . . .
- LAW ENFORCEMENT: Across all focus groups, the youth emphatically described feeling unfairly and habitually profiled by law enforcement as a result of negative assumptions regarding Hispanic youth, gangs, and immigrants. Such regular contact with the police, which takes place in a variety of spaces, compounds feelings of vulnerability and distrust in their communities . . .
One of the most consistent findings across the focus groups was the teenagers’ pervasive sense of being racialized—or constructed as different, as “other”—on a regular basis, and in practically all realms of experience. The report focuses on how, according to the youth, such stereotyping and differential treatment plays out in specific ways, and is manifested or reinforced through institutional practices and systemic discrimination. Listening to these adolescents’ own voices in order to better understand how some of the more toxic images circulating in today’s discourse impact their lives in concrete ways, and how responses to these processes shape young Hispanics’ broader outlooks, is pivotal to envisioning better policies and programs that will allow these youth to thrive and become successful adults.
From the Executive Summary, Speaking Out: Latino Youth on Discrimination in the United States, Pages iii to v (2010).
To download a free copy of the report (you will be required to register), go to:
http://www.nclr.org/index.php/publications/speaking_out_latino_youth_on_discrimination_in_the_united_states/
An estimated 21% of Latino children dropout of school compared to 7% of White, non-Hispanic youth. Our challenge as a society is to reduce the dropout rate so that the optimism of Latino youth is matched by their success in school and as adults.
As always, I hope you find the referenced news articles informative.
Best Wishes.
Prepared by
John Vasquez
Chair
Hispanic Issues Section, State Bar of Texas
johnvasq@gmail.com
Other News and Events
Diversity Weekend
The Law School will hold its Excellence in Diversity Celebration January 14-15 with Dean Larry Sager, Senator Rodney Ellis, '79, and students of the Asian Law Students Association, Chicano/Hispanic Law Students Association, and The Thurgood Marshall Legal Society. This event will be held at the AT&T Executive Conference Center.
http://www.utexas.edu/law/calendar/2011/01/14/9090/
The Longoria Affair
Last week PBS stations across the nation broadcast “The Longoria Affair” - a retelling of the sometimes forgotten story of a Latino’s family effort to have a wake in a Three Rivers, Texas, funeral home for a Latino soldier who died in the battle for the Philippine Islands in World War II.
The dispute brought notoriety to Dr. Hector P. Garcia of Corpus Christi and the then fledging American GI Forum.
If you missed the program, it is available for a few more weeks at the PBS website. To see the program, go to:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1632697848
THE ABA COMMISSION ON HISPANIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IS HOSTING A REGIONAL HEARING ON LEGAL ISSUES AFFECTING LATINAS AND LATINOS
Thursday, January 13, 2011, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA
From the hearing announcement:
The challenges to full equality facing the Latino population today are many and complex. The ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights and Responsibilities is holding a series of public hearings and dialogues throughout the U.S. to gather information and hear from communities across the country. The purpose of these hearings is to help the Commission identify the most significant problems and develop recommendations for how the ABA can better address pressing legal issues impacting individual Latinas and Latinos and the Latino population.
The Commission is interested in testimony on all legal issues individuals and organizations believe are of primary concern to the Latino Community at the local and national levels. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some of the topics of interest to the Commission.
A. Access to the Courts
B. Abuse of Undocumented Individuals
C. Citizenship Process
D. Criminal Justice Reform
E. Discrimination in Housing and Employment
F. Equal Educational Opportunities & Responsibilities
G. Gender Equality
H. Hate Crimes
I. Immigration
J. Language Rights and Responsibilities
K. Understanding of the U.S. Legal System
L. Voting Rights and Responsibilities
M. Other
Submissions for consideration to present in-person testimony at the West Coast regional hearing are due Monday, December 13, 2010.For more information about the hearing or to make an application to testify at the hearing, go to:
Written submissions for the West Coast region will be accepted through Monday, January 31, 2011.
http://www.abanet.org/chlrr/submissionwc.shtml
NOTE: This News Summary is a service of the Hispanic Issues Section of the State Bar of Texas. If you would like to support HIS, visit
http://www.texasbar.com/sections and click “MyBarPage” (near the top of the page, middle column) 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
Latino Youth Speak Out on Discrimination in the U.S.
Latino youth are coming of age at a time when anti-immigrant and anti-Hispanic sentiment is high and rising. The environment in which we raise our children matters. Blatant discrimination, racial profiling, and ethnic stereotyping have consequences for young people.
A new study released yesterday by NCLR shows how Hispanic youth are experiencing these issues. Speaking Out: Latino Youth on Discrimination in the United States documents the perspectives of Latino teenagers who participated in focus groups in Los Angeles, Nashville, Langley Park, MD, and Providence, RI. American children of immigrants have historically played an important role, and their future and potential are the dreams that drive their parents' sacrifice and hard work. While not all Latino youth are children of immigrants, those who are embody the spirit and drive for success. They value education and feel a strong pressure from their parents and society to go to college and get a good job.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-rodriguez/latino-youth-speak-out-on_b_772451.html
See also “Hispanic teens in Nashville say they face discrimination”
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20101021/NEWS01/101021026/Hispanic+teens+in+Nashville+say+they+face+discrimination
To read a brief description of the report “Speaking Out: Latino Youth on Discrimination in the United States” and find a link to the entire report, go to:
http://www.nclr.org/index.php/publications/speaking_out_latino_youth_on_discrimination_in_the_united_states/
Illegal Immigration Backlash Worries, Divides Latinos
The national political backlash against illegal immigration has created new divisions among Latinos and heightened their concerns about discrimination against members of their ethnic group-including those who were born in the United States or who immigrated legally.
About four-in-five of the nation's estimated 11.1 million unauthorized immigrants are of Hispanic origin. A new national survey by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, finds that Latinos are divided over what to do with these immigrants. A small majority (53%) says they should pay a fine but not be deported. A small minority (13%) says they should be deported, and a larger minority (28%) says they should not be punished.
Hispanics are also divided about the impact of illegal immigration on Hispanics already living in the U.S. Roughly equal shares say the impact has been positive (29%), negative (31%) or made no difference (30%). This mixed judgment stands in sharp contrast to views that Latinos expressed on this subject in 2007. Back then, fully half (50%) of Latinos said the impact was positive, while just 20% said it was negative.[1]
Today, more than six-in-ten (61%) Latinos say that discrimination against Hispanics is a "major problem," up from 54% who said that in 2007. Asked to state the most important factor leading to discrimination, a plurality of 36% now cites immigration status, up from a minority of 23% who said the same in 2007. Back then, a plurality of respondents-46%-identified language skills as the biggest cause of discrimination against Hispanics.
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=128
Latinos Make Their Mark: Their Midterm Votes Reward or Rebuke Candidates
Latino voters had a lot to be steamed about in this midterm election. Immigrant bashing reached a new low this campaign season and Latino voters reacted, causing significant reverberations. Their turnout protected incumbent senators in Nevada, Colorado, and California and decided the balance of power in the upper chamber. Their vote also affected governors’ races in several states where they turned out in strong numbers for Democrats who defended them. Also noteworthy, they were decidedly cooler toward Republican Latino candidates who didn’t stand strongly in support of immigration reform.
Latinos demonstrated through their votes and in pre-election polling that they were offended by the negative anti-immigrant, anti-Latino political discourse. Immigration rose to the top of their concerns along with jobs and the economy.
Latino Decisions, a national polling and research firm, conducted a comprehensive election-eve poll of the Latino electorate in eight states to get a more accurate picture of Latino voter enthusiasm and preferences than current exit polling models permit. The poll addressed a number of known deficiencies in the exit polling of Latinos (such as language barriers and geographic sampling problems) and forecasted even higher turnout and stronger support for Reid than was reflected in the exit polls. The exit polls indicated 68 percent of Latinos voted for Reid, for example, while Latino Decisions projected that Latino support was closer to 90 percent. What’s undisputed is that Reid would have lost without the Latino vote.
Colorado voters solidly rejected the gubernatorial bid of former Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, an early, ardent opponent of legal and undocumented immigration. They elected Democrat John Hickenlooper instead. Colorado Democrats in general won the backing of Hispanics by a 2-to-1 margin according to Election Day exit polling, and Latino voter turnout was 12 percent, up from 9 percent in the last midterm election in 2006.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/11/latino_vote.html
To find a link to the poll results and other studies, go to:
http://latinodecisions.wordpress.com/
Arizona Citizenship Proof Law for Voters Overturned by Court
Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Arizona’s election law requiring residents to show proof of citizenship conflicts with the National Voter Registration Act, a federal appeals court ruled in overturning portions of the measure.
The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco yesterday invalidated parts of Arizona’s Proposition 200, a 2004 voter- approved initiative on registration for state and federal elections. The court didn’t disturb a requirement that voters show identification at the polls.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-27/arizona-citizenship-proof-law-for-voters-overturned-by-court.html
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Texas
Hispanic civil rights group seeks to force provisional ballot count
An organization that convinced federal judges last month to toss out Arizona's proof-of-citizenship requirement to register to vote now is seeking a court order that could further delay a final count on Tuesday's election.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund late Friday asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to order officials in the state's 15 counties to count the votes of those who cast "provisional ballots'' because they did not show up on the voter registration rolls. And the reason they didn't show up on the rolls is that they didn't get registered because they didn't provide proof of U.S. citizenship as required by a 2004 voter-approved Arizona law.
On Oct. 26, though, the appellate court declared that requirement invalid. Based on that, MALDEF attorney Nina Perales said those who were wrongfully denied registration should have their votes counted.
An estimated 84,000 provisional ballots were cast statewide but set aside for one reason or another.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/politics/article_e712b39a-e960-11df-afa8-001cc4c03286.html
S.A. lawyer credited for voter rights victory
San Antonio voting rights and legal experts are hailing a decision this week by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down an Arizona law, known as Proposition 200, requiring residents to prove citizenship when they register to vote.
In a 2-1 ruling, the law was deemed unconstitutional, superseding the National Voter Registration Act, passed to encourage voter registration and erase discrimination at the polls.
The decision was celebrated by several groups as a critical win against what they see as Arizona's anti-Latino, anti-immigrant climate and a message to other states contemplating similar laws.
“It's sending a message that every vote is counted and honored in America,” said Lydia Camarillo of the San Antonio-based Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, who is a plaintiff in the case.
She also credited San Antonio attorney Nina Perales of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund for Tuesday's victory.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/9th_circuit_ruling_sides_with_latino_voters_maldef_106175828.html
Judge Carlos Cortez Files Defamation, Extortion Suit Against Dallas Lawyer
Judge Carlos Cortez has filed a defamation and extortion suit against Dallas attorney Coyt Randal "Randy" Johnston alleging that Johnston and three of Cortez's fellow state district judges created rumors about Cortez to attract a political opponent against him.
In his original petition in Judge Carlos Cortez v. Coyt Randal "Randy" Johnston, which was file-stamped on Nov. 1 in Dallas' 298th District Court, Cortez alleges that Johnston filed a complaint against Cortez with the State Commission on Judicial Conduct (SCJC) last year based on rumors that "came from three Dallas County District Judges. . . . To be perfectly clear, Defendant Johnston decided to file a complaint to the SCJC about rumors that he, Judge Craig Smith, Judge Lorraine Raggio and Judge Martin Lowy created themselves about Judge Carlos Cortez and moreover, did so admittedly with not one of them having any personal knowledge of the truth of these self-created rumors.”
http://www.law.com/jsp/tx/PubArticleTX.jsp?hubtype=TxCaseAlert&id=1202474305409&src=EMC-Email&et=editorial&bu=Texas%20Lawyer&pt=Texas%20Daily%20Case%20Alert&cn=Daily%20News%20and%20Case%20Alert%2C%20Nov.%202%2C%202010&kw=Judge%20Carlos%20Cortez%20Files%20Defamation%2C%20Extortion%20Suit%20Against%20Dallas%20Lawyer
Arizona draws difficult panel for immigration appeal
It looks like the state of Arizona and Gov. Jan Brewer could be facing an uphill battle in their effort to overturn a judge's ruling that the state's law cracking down on illegal immigration, SB 1070, is unconstitutional.
On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit announced the three judges assigned to the state's appeal, which is to be argued on Monday. They are John Noonan, Richard Paez and Carlos Bea.
Court watchers say the panel, which will convene at the court's headquarters in San Francisco, could be a tough one for Arizona. The state's law has been blasted as anti-Latino and likely to lead to racial profiling. Two of the three judges are of Hispanic descent: Paez was born in Utah of Mexican immigrant parents; Bea was born in Spain but grew up in Cuba before coming to the U.S. with his family
http://www.politico.com/blogs/joshgerstein/1010/Arizona_draws_tough_panel_for_immigration_appeal.html
GOP's surge in Austin to resurrect divisive bills
AUSTIN – Republicans on Wednesday celebrated their huge wins in the state Capitol, particularly in the House, where the party may revive efforts on issues that have failed in the past, including illegal immigration, voter ID and school vouchers.
Democrats' losses were so staggering that they may only be able to block some of the bills in the Senate because of procedural rules.
A whopping 99 Republicans will be sworn in as House members on Jan. 11, very close to the two-thirds majority needed to place sweeping constitutional amendments on the ballot.
The big swing adds new momentum to hot-button issues that couldn't clear both chambers in the past – such as requiring Texans to present a photo ID to vote and greatly expanding local law enforcement's role in immigration enforcement.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-txxgr_04tex.ART.State.Edition2.2c98719.html
After Losing 12 Members, MALC Mulls New Makeup
The phrases “states’ rights” and “porous border” may be uttered in an unlikely place next session: the offices of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.
Last week’s GOP rout included the election of five Hispanic Republicans to the Texas House, including several who prevailed over members of MALC. As Latinos, the winners are automatically eligible for membership in the group, which is focused on "matters of interest to the Mexican-American community," according to its bylaws. MALC chairman Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, says he has reached out to four of the five thus far: Larry Gonzales, who beat Round Rock's Diana Maldonado; Raul Torres, who defeated MALC member Solomon Ortiz, Jr. of Corpus Christi; Jose Aliseda, who knocked off Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles of Alice; and John Garza, who beat San Antonio's David Leibowitz. Dee Margo, who beat another MALC member, El Paso's Joe Moody, also claims Hispanic heritage.
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-politics/2010-legislative-races/after-losing-12-members-malc-mulls-new-makeup/
See also “Hispanic voters were boon to GOP”
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/hispanic_voterswere_boon_to_gop_106867263.html?showFullArticle=y
And see “Hispanics gave GOP a boost in Texas”
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7284168.html
U.T. law school honors pioneering Hispanic lawyer
The University of Texas School of Law today is unveiling a statue honoring former U.S. District Judge James DeAnda, a pioneer in the Hispanic civil rights movement.
DeAnda, a Houston native, was the son of Mexican immigrants. He graduated from the U.T. law school in 1950 when very few Hispanic students attended.
As a young lawyer, DeAnda had trouble finding work with Anglo law firms, but eventually joined a team of four lawyers who successfully argued the U.S. Supreme Court case Hernandez v. State of Texas in 1954, overturning an all-white jury’s conviction of a Mexican-American. The case established that Mexican-Americans deserved the same legal rights as all citizens.
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/texas-politics/2010/11/u-t-law-school-honors-pioneering-hispanic-lawyer/
Dallas to settle lawsuit with water utility workers claiming discrimination
The city is set to settle a lawsuit brought by thirteen employees of Dallas' Water Utilities Department, alleging they were denied promotions and treated unfairly in a department rife with bigotry and segregated along racial lines.
City Council will be asked to approve a $400,000 settlement at tomorrow's council meeting. The city has also agreed to "equitable adjustment of salaries," tomorrow's agenda item says.
The employees, who are black and Hispanic, charged in December that they were threatened and harassed verbally and with racist graffiti written on bathroom walls.
http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/10/dallas-to-settle-lawsuit-with.html
Lawsuit claims SPI ordinance discriminates against Hispanics
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — A lawsuit filed in federal court in Brownsville claims that a town ordinance discriminates against handicapped persons and seeks to discourage the local Hispanic population from using the beach.
In addition, the town’s ban on barbecue grilling along side streets and late-night fishing are directed toward the local Hispanic population, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit also mentions the town’s ban on using barbecue grills on rights-of-way inside the town, which was intended to discourage grilling “especially grilling fajitas,” which is part of the Valley culture, the lawsuit states.
“The parking ordinance is but one example of local officials’ disdain for local Hispanics,” the lawsuit states.
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/spi-118537-island-lawsuit.html
Democrats give Dallas County Commissioners Court a new, civil look and feel
The Dallas County Commissioners Court will have a new look and feel in January with a Democratic majority for the first time in nearly three decades that many expect will bring more civility and cooperation to the discourse.
But how it will affect budget decisions and other top issues remains to be seen.
Thanks to another Democratic sweep in Tuesday's election, the court will get two new members. Lawyer Clay Jenkins will replace County Judge Jim Foster. And former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia will replace District 4 Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield.
Garcia and Jenkins say they don't favor raising taxes. But the county's changing demographics are creating increased needs for a population that has a high percentage of high-school dropouts – about 25 percent, according to an April county report.
Blacks and Hispanics make up almost 60 percent of the county's population. Because the population has less education and income, there is a greater need for county services ranging from health and social services to court services, the report said.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/tv/stories/DN-dalcounty_04met.ART0.State.Edition2.2c604d5.html
Garcia concedes to surprise defeat
Houston - By early Wednesday morning locally, Republicans had swept seven county offices and Jack Morman, an attorney who lives in Deer Park, had upset an incumbent Harris County Commissioner, the first opponent to do so in 36 years.
“This isn’t about Sylvia Garcia, it’s about a strong anti-Obama sentiment in this country,” said Garcia supporter Toni Darnell, as she watched the early voter returns.
Morman defeated Garcia, a two-term commissioner, with 50.9 percent of the final vote.
http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/11/04/pasadena_citizen/news/110710_garcia.txt
Big wins for GOP Hispanics in Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) - Election Day marked a historic moment for Hispanic Republicans in Texas. For the first time, five Texas House Districts will be represented by GOP Latino leaders.
The recently formed organization Hispanic Republicans of Texas (HRT) backed 18 Latino candidates this campaign season, finding success with 12 of those offices. The group helped raise money and provide political expertise over the past year among those candidates.
On Thursday, HRT showed off its winners in Austin at the Republican Party of Texas headquarters. The list included: Larry Gonzales (House District 52), John Garza (House District 117), Jose Aliseda (House District 35), Raul Torres (House District 33), and Eva Guzman (Supreme Court Justice).
Other Hispanic Republican winners included: Carlos Cascos (Cameron County Judge), Mary Louis Garcia (Tarrant County Clerk), Carlos “Charlie” Garza (State Board of Education, District 1), Angelica Hernandez (105th District Judge), Dee Margo (House District 78), Amanda Torres (Nueces County Justice of the Peace), and Lori Valenzuela (437the District Judge – Bexar County).
http://www.wdtn.com/dpps/elections/us_politics/big-wins-for-gop-hispanics-in-texas_3639070
Immigration is lawmakers' hot potato
Some sort of crackdown on illegal immigration seems certain to emerge from next year's legislative session, though what the law will entail remains to be seen.
Conservative grass-roots activists have clamored for reform, and Republicans dramatically widened their majority in the Texas House and maintained their dominance in the Senate in last week's elections.
Lawmakers filed a handful of bills Monday targeting illegal immigration. They range from legislation requiring government agencies to verify employees' work status to bills that are similar to a controversial provision of Arizona's immigration law — which a federal judge has temporarily blocked — allowing police to arrest someone they suspect of being here illegally.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/high_probability_immigration_bill_will_pass_107641503.html
Immigration, voter ID bills filed
AUSTIN – State Rep. Debbie Riddle camped out and endured “creepy” noises inside the cold, empty Capitol to be first in line Monday morning to file legislation targeting illegal immigration and ballot security.
The Tomball Republican said she remained outside the House chamber for two days because of the importance of getting priority bill numbers assigned to the two hot-button issues.
HB 16 would require voters to present photo identification or two forms of non-photo identification.
HB 17 is similar to the Arizona immigration law. It would allow law enforcement officers to charge an immigrant, already detained on another charge, who lacks proper documentation with criminal trespass — a Class B misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $2,000 and maximum jail time of six months.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas_legislature/republicans_file_immigration_voter_id_bills_106924058.html
To find links to the HB 16 and 17, go to the news article (the links are on the column on the left side of the article) or go to the Texas Legislature Online at:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/
Gonzalez is seeking Latino caucus helm
WASHINGTON — As Republicans prepare to take control of the House of Representatives, Rep. Charlie Gonzalez is running for chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to address concerns of the minority community in the next Congress.
The San Antonio Democrat said he's contacting members of the CHC seeking support. No other candidates have publicly announced plans to run for the top post.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/gonzalez_running_for_congressional_hispanic_caucus_chair_107583223.html
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USA
Incoming congressman Allen West taps outspoken Fla. radio host as chief of staff
In the wake of last week's GOP victories in the midterm elections, some conservative firebrands who have leveled harsh criticism at Washington officialdom will soon themselves become Capitol insiders.
Congressman-elect Allen West (R-Fla.), who rode the tea party wave to unseat Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.), has hired Joyce Kaufman, a local conservative talk radio commentator known for her provocative and sometimes incendiary statements, as his chief of staff.
Kaufman, whose hiring was first reported by the Palm Beach Post on Tuesday, has a history of making controversial comments on her show.
Kaufman has been a prominent and controversial voice on the Florida political scene for decades. For example, according to the Miami New Times, she said about illegal immigrants on a 2007 show, "If you commit a crime while you're here, we should hang you and send your body back to where you came from, and your family should pay for it."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/09/AR2010110904767.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpolitics
See also “Radio host Joyce Kaufman won't work for Congressman-elect Allen West following threat to Broward schools” at
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/11/11/1920774/police-track-caller-of-threat.html
Company operating in Yosemite to settle discrimination suit
Wawona Property Management, a company that manages vacation home rentals in Yosemite, will pay $165,000 to settle a suit on behalf of seven Hispanic workers who alleged racial discrimination.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the company, which operates as The Redwoods in Yosemite, for allegedly harassing and discriminating against Mexican and Salvadoran housekeeping and maintenance employees.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/10/21/2127522/company-operating-in-yosemite.html
Latino residents sue East Haven, police; 10 plaintiffs, including priest, allege civil rights violated
NEW HAVEN, CONN — It was an effort to drive one ethnic group — Latinos — out of town through discrimination, intimidation, violence and mistreatment, plaintiffs and their lawyers alleged Tuesday.
Only the antagonists weren’t a group of thugs or hoods on some corner.
It was the East Haven police, the plaintiffs claim.
Now it’s a federal court case, with 10 plaintiffs — including the Rev. James Manship, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Fair Haven — and 22 defendants, all of them East Haven police officers, plus the town and Police Department.
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2010/10/27/news/metro/doc4cc7a39fc9df8642541888.txt
Candidates take sides on Ariz.-style immigration law
INDIANA - Immigration reform is one of the top issues for Harold Williams as he bases his decisions this election season.
The issue has come to the forefront in one Lafayette-area Statehouse race.
Donn Brown, a Tea Party activist and GOP challenger to District 27 incumbent Rep. Sheila Klinker, has promised, if elected, to help co-sponsor a bill for Indiana that would mirror Arizona's law. And he said he believes such a measure would pass in the state legislature next session.
Klinker, a Democrat, has said immigration measures need to be addressed. But she does not favor an Arizona-style law.
http://www.jconline.com/article/20101028/ELECTION01/10280327/Candidates-take-sides-on-Ariz-style-immigration-law
See also “Klinker turns back tea party hopeful”
http://www.jconline.com/article/20101103/ELECTION01/11030343
Gov. Agencies hosting New York City Summit for Latino and Immigrant Worker Safety
The U.S Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced today that the agency is co-sponsoring a summit in New York City with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institute for Occupational Safety (NIOSH) to address Latino and Immigrant worker safety hazards and rights.
The agencies will hold The New York City Action Summit for Latino/Immigrant Worker Safety and Health on Tuesday, November 16 from 9am to 4pm at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theater, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West in Bronx, NY.
http://newyorkcity.injuryboard.com/miscellaneous/gov-agencies-hosting-new-york-city-summit-for-latino-and-immigrant-worker-safety.aspx?googleid=286012
Tyson Refrigerated Processed Meats settles hiring discrimination case
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced that Tyson Refrigerated Processed Meats Inc. has agreed to settle findings of hiring discrimination against 157 African-American and 375 Caucasian applicants for laborer positions at the company's bacon processing plant in Vernon, Texas.
"The Labor Department is committed to leveling the playing field for all workers," said OFCCP director Patricia A. Shiu. "A company that profits from taxpayer dollars must not discriminate, period."
OFCCP investigators found that African-American and Caucasian applicants were less likely to be hired than similarly situated Hispanic applicants over a two-year period.
http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/27095/Tyson-hiring-discrimination-case
TMC investigated for civil rights complaints
JACKSON SQ., MASSACUSETTS —A civil rights investigation of the Bromley-Heath Tenant Management Corporation (TMC) in response to complaints by Hispanic tenants at the public housing development “did not reveal quantifiable or verifiable evidence of unlawful discrimination,” according to an investigation report released Sept. 30.
But the report—compiled by investigator CVR Associates—did point to a number of alleged shortcomings in the tenant-directed management company’s running of the close-to-800 unit housing development. The Hispanic complainants “displayed a significant, palpable sense of fear and intimidation” when discussing the TMC with investigators, the report says, and TMC management members’ attitudes were “troubling.”
http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/4423
ADA Apologizes For Tolerating Discrimination In '60s
In a historic move, the American Dental Association has apologized for not taking a stand against discriminatory membership practices.
In an open letter, Dr. Raymond Gist, who became the ADA's first African-American president in October, said the dentist group should have done a better job in making sure minorities could join affiliated state and local organizations before the mid-1960s.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/11/03/131039590/dentist-group-says-it-should-have-stood-against-racial-discrimination
Judicial Council: Reject "Unqualified" Judge
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTVA-CBS 11 News) The 43 year old Anchorage District Court judge, the Alaska Judicial Council calls too mentally unstable and angry to serve, says the agency's recommendation to voters not to retain him comes as retaliation for trying to deal with racial discrimination.
Judge Richard Postma, who was appointed in 2007, is one of 20 judges on the ballot up for retention Tuesday.
Postma says he had a dispute with a couple of court employees last year when he complained they were acting with bias and prejudice toward minorities, including him, some members of the public and other court employees.
Postma, who is Hispanic, says for example a court employee would blame their poor work performance on a minority clerk. This escalated to a point where he says he told the employee to stop.
http://www.ktva.com/ci_16477443
See also “Voters retain Fabe, dismiss Postma”
http://articles.ktuu.com/2010-11-03/retention_24811502
U.S. lawsuit targets Philly's "stop-and-frisk" policy
Civil rights attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Thursday arguing that Philadelphia police illegally stop pedestrians based on race and question them with little or no justification.
The lawsuit accuses the department of crossing a line with its aggressive "stop-and-frisk" policy, instituted in 2008 after Mayor Nutter declared a "crime emergency." It asks the court for remedies to prevent race-based pedestrian stops and other constitutional violations.
In 2009, police stopped 253,333 pedestrians, 72 percent of whom were African American, the suit said. Only 8 percent of the stops led to an arrest, often for "criminal conduct that was entirely independent from the supposed reason for the stop," according to the suit.
The suit cites what it calls "a history of racially biased policing in Philadelphia," and details the experience of the eight African American and Hispanic plaintiffs named in the suit.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20101105_U_S__lawsuit_targets_Philly_s__quot_stop-and-frisk_quot__policy.html
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General Interest
In Arizona, a candidate faces a boycott backlash
Reporting from Rio Rico, Ariz. — The contrast between the two candidates couldn't have been starker. On one side of the stage slouched Rep. Raul M. Grijalva, 62, a four-term congressman and local Democratic icon, sporting a bushy moustache and wearing an open-collared shirt that he had changed into an hour earlier but already looked rumpled.
On the other end sat Republican nominee Ruth McClung, 28, her yellow jacket matching her sensibly styled blond hair, carefully smiling at the crowd gathered here this week at a candidate forum about 15 miles from the Mexico border.
Grijalva has represented southern Arizona for decades and his daughter sits on the Tucson School Board, as he did in the 1970s. McClung's only other experience running for office was her campaign to become captain of her high school swim team.
Yet, in a district in which Democrats outnumber Republicans by a 2-1 margin, the novice candidate is neck-and-neck with Grijalva in the polls.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-grijalva-campaign-20101023,0,5198069.story
10 House races still unresolved
Rep. Raul Grijalva’s fears were almost realized in Arizona’s 7th District last night — and he awaits the same nail-biting Pima County ballot counting as Giffords does. With 99.7 percent of the votes tallied, he led 28-year-old rocket scientist Ruth McClung by just 3,500 votes. This was Grijalva’s closest race ever: He first won the seat in 2002 with 59 percent of the votes and won more than 60 percent in 2004 and 2006. McClung drew last-minute money and help from Arizona Sen. John McCain and a slew of outside groups, and while her campaign is waiting for a canvass, Grijalva is likely to hold on.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/44656.html
New Political Muscle, in Whatever Language
As part of the Democratic get-out-the-vote campaign, President Obama gave an interview to a Spanish-language radio show that was broadcast last Monday — and just for good measure, his wife, Michelle, followed up a few days later.
The Obamas’ twin appearances on “Piolín por la Mañana,” heard across the country on Univision Radio, are a testament to the ballooning political power of the Spanish language news media, and in particular to the power of Univision, which owns the biggest Spanish-language television and radio outlets in the United States.
Univision says it does not favor any political party. Regardless, analysts say that the company is exerting significant influence both on local elections and on the national debate about immigration — in part by encouraging Hispanics to cast a ballot.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/us/politics/02univision.html?_r=1&nl=&emc=a24
California went its own way: Strength of the Latino vote is a key factor in the GOP's tepid showing in the state.
In one declarative night, California on Tuesday confirmed its status as a political world unto itself, zigging determinedly Democratic while most of the rest of the country zagged Republican. Voters not only restored the governor's office to Democratic hands, they may have given Democrats a sweep of statewide offices, though uncounted ballots could still shift one race.
Driving much of the success — and distancing the state from the national GOP tide, according to exit polls — was a surge in Latino voters. They made up 22% of the California voter pool, a record tally that mortally wounded many Republicans.
Tellingly, Latinos in California had a far more negative view of the GOP than other voters — almost 3 in 4 had an unfavorable impression, to 22% favorable. Among all California voters the view of Republicans was negative, but at a closer 61% negative and 32% positive. Latinos had a strongly positive view of Democrats, 58% to 37%, whereas all voters were closely split, 49% to 45%.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-california-20101104,0,1915403.story
Report: Hispanics Fear Backlash Over Immigration Debate
Hispanics are increasingly concerned about a backlash against them, even as they are split over the effects of illegal immigration on the country. Their anxiety comes as illegal immigration and border security are playing major roles in election campaigns nationwide.
More than 60 percent of Latinos say discrimination against Hispanics is a "major problem," up from 54 percent who said the same in 2007, according to a report released Thursday by the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center.
Three years ago, Hispanics were most likely to cite language skills as the biggest reason for discrimination. Now, more than a third believe immigration is the biggest factor.
That said, the number of Latinos who reported they, their family or close friends have experienced discrimination remained unchanged from last year and actually dropped from 2007.
http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2010/10/28/report_hispanics_fear_backlash_over_immigration.htm
Recession blamed for 'historic' decline in law firm diversity
There's no getting around it: Law firm diversity took a hit during the past year after a long period of steady, if small, gains.
The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) released its latest diversity statistics on Thursday, concluding that the percentage of both minority attorneys and women attorneys declined slightly at firms during 2010.
NALP's findings mirror similar conclusions released in recent months by both the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) and Vault and National Law Journal affiliate The American Lawyer. All three surveys found small pockets of improvement, either at individual firms or among subsets of the attorney population, but the larger conclusions were that diversity suffered. It was the first time in the 17 years that NALP has collected demographic data that diversity actually declined.
http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202474435391&Recession_blamed_for_historic_decline_in_law_firm_diversity
State hosts Dialogos event in Fairmont City for Latinos
FAIRMONT CITY, ILLINOIS -- Transportation, bilingual services and identification are some of the major issues metro-east Latino residents face, according to community leaders and activists who met with state leaders Friday.
Dialogos, Spanish for "dialogue," is a series of community meetings putting social services and local activists together with agencies and government leaders to talk about issues affecting the Latino population. The Fairmont City Dialogos event held Friday was the state's third this year and the only one to take place downstate, cosponsored by the Illinois Latino Family Commission and the Latino Roundtable of Southwestern Illinois.
http://www.bnd.com/2010/10/23/1448408/state-hosts-dialogos-event-in.html
Hispanics' glass ceiling - theories about the 'why' differ
ARIZONA - Mesa used to be a segregated town, and Manny Cortez, who grew up during that era, believes that has played a part. Cortez has run for City Council six times since 1980.
"The very first time I ran, a good friend of mine that was on the school board said, 'Manny, I'm not sure that Mesa's ready to have a Hispanic on the City Council,' " Cortez said.
Mesa's attitude toward Hispanics, he said, is now "a lot better than it was. But yes, there is a kind of a hidden undertone. We can be seen but not heard."
Phil Austin, founder of the Mesa Association of Hispanic Citizens and a past candidate for the council and the school board, doesn't believe overt racism is as strong a factor these days.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2010/10/24/20101024mesa-hispanic-candidates-why1023.html
Report Shows Plight of Puerto Rican Youth
Theirs was the first Latino group to settle in New York City in large numbers. Most speak English, and they are United States citizens, entitled to the benefits and security that new immigrants can only dream of.
But by many measures, young Puerto Ricans are faring far worse than the young Dominicans, Mexicans and other Latinos in New York, according to a report to be released on Monday by the Community Service Society of New York, a leading antipoverty group.
Puerto Ricans ages 16 to 24 have the lowest rates of school enrollment and employment, and the highest rates of poverty among Latino New Yorkers. Puerto Rican men are more than twice as likely as their Mexican peers to be out of school and out of the labor force. Puerto Rican women are more likely to be out of school and unemployed than Dominican or Mexican women.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/nyregion/29puerto.html?_r=1
Minorities and women seek bigger share of L.A. city contracts
Local minority businesses are pushing for reforms they say will get more of the Los Angeles city government's $1.1 billion in annual contracts into the hands of such firms and those owned by women and service-disabled military veterans.
A report advocating the reforms "The Case for Minority Business Contracting Reform in the City of Los Angeles," was released Oct. 19 by the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce. It argued that the proposals would contribute to the city's overall economic recovery.
The report called for the city to steer 35% of the contractual funds to small, local businesses owned by racial minorities and women. An additional 8% would go to businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. Minority-owned firms now get 7% of those funds.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-smallbiz-contracts-20101101,0,3480426.story
Opinion: The GOP's immigration problem
(CNN) -- Senate Republicans have said no to any piece of legislation related to immigration that extends beyond border enforcement.
Most recently, they killed the DREAM Act (it stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) with a filibuster and balked at the late-hour introduction of a comprehensive immigration bill by Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey.
The conventional wisdom has been the GOP's position was a good short-term strategy that would mobilize the Tea Party movement in a climate of left-of-center malaise and reinforce Republicans' seemingly inexorable November landslide. There is good reason to believe, however, that obstructing Congress on immigration will hurt the party in this election and in the long-term.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/11/01/altschuler.gop.dream.act/
Memphis Latinos Speaking Up For Their Rights
MEMPHIS, TN – The Memphis Latino community continues to grow and so do the problems. Families live in fear of what will happen if police officers stop them, but a small group known as the “Communities United with One Voice” is trying to educate families on how to speak up when confronted by authorities.
“If a police officer pulls you over or stops don't tell them your country of origin, you have the right to remain silent,” said community member Mario Marcado.
The group said Latino families face a lot of discrimination and racism in Memphis. That's why they're teaching them they have the right to an attorney and to not incriminate themselves.
http://www.abc24.com/news/local/story/Memphis-Latinos-Speaking-Up-For-Their-Rights/FSWhEyxg70KUf6iXsSG4Wg.cspx
Law schools taking steps to help
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Earlier this year, Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge told a state Senate panel that his officers were picking up illegal immigrants nearly on the hour. Trowbridge told lawmakers these extra bookings were creating an extraordinary burden on his department.
Now the question is can the legal system handle the new caseload? And will these detainees and other Hispanics, both documented and undocumented, receive fair treatment under the law?
Language is an obvious issue. Several attorneys report little problems with the language barrier when representing Hispanics. Still, it is an issue considering the U.S. Census Bureau's estimate of Mississippi's Hispanic population in 2009 was 2.5 percent, up more than a half-percent from its 2006-2008 estimate of 1.9 percent.
The Mississippi College School of Law has augmented its curriculum and its recruiting efforts to ensure its graduates are "Hispanic-friendly."
"An obvious factor in representing Hispanics is the language issue," said Jim Rosenblatt, dean of the MC Law School. "When speaking with undergraduate students I stress the importance of cultural awareness and the benefit of acquiring proficiency in other languages. In my view, knowledge of Spanish or another language is helpful to a candidate competing for admission to our school."
Language is just one of the issues. There are cultural differences that can breed client suspicion and fear.
http://www.necn.com/10/29/10/Law-schools-taking-steps-to-help/landing_politics.html?&blockID=3&apID=1a3de5944e324f3c98996e12a76415f1
