Everybody has an idea of what they want to work towards in their lives, or what should be accomplished in their countries and even in the world.

When we envision goals for ourselves at this time of the year, it's called resolutions. When we envision what we'd like to see our country or the world work towards, it's sometimes called wishful thinking.

Well, a group of multi-issue think tanks and activist organizations under the umbrella group Progressive Ideas Network (PIN), has created a project titled Headline 2020 where they want everyone to envision what headline they want to see on -- January 1, 2020.

The project organizers ask people to look 10 years out and imagine their hopes and dreams and goals for a shared future. In other words, they want to know what you think the world will look like in ten years.

To be a part of the project, submit your own headline as a comment at Headline 2020 or post it on Twitter using the hashtag #Headline2020 and the project organizers will grab it.

While the objective of the project's organizers is "to understand the long-term goals of both individuals and organizations of civil society," to the rest of us, a headline twenty years out could be seen as a future version of the American Dream -- a dream that doesn't just benefit one family or group, but the country or the world as a whole.

Now, that's a headline!

When you think of the National Geographic Channel (NGC), you think high-quality, innovative and original. You don't think sensationalism, uninspired and cheesy but a new series starting Sunday on the National Geographic channel titled Border Wars shows that even a prestigious organization like National Geographic is easy prey for a story idea that revolves around "tracking, catching and deporting" undocumented immigrants.

The camera crew of the weekly series was given special access to go on duty with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and officers along the Arizona/Mexico border as they use every means at their disposal -- from high-tech stealth planes to basic wilderness skills -- to track, catch and deport illegal immigrants. We are there as officers and agents race to save illegal immigrants from possible death in desert heat, uncover a shocking smuggling strategy involving children and find a cache of narcotics that sets a new record for a single seizure

Overall, the series itself has merit if it shows how things are for these border agents as equally as it does for the undocumented immigrants trying to enter the country to work and the consequences that befall them -- either heat stroke in the desert or intimidation, rape, blackmail and coercion by coyotes or organized drug and human trafficking gangs.

In fact, the series would have a lot more merit if the NGC didn't insist on letting visitors to the site play "Defend the Border."

While the premise of the game is to get a feel for what a border agent experiences on a daily basis, what is happening with the game is that it is reinforcing a negative perception among Americans, who don't know Latinos, that Hispanics, mainly Mexicans, are never up to any good.

By playing a game where the "bad guys" are Hispanic, the NGC is doing a disservice to Latino citizens everywhere by propagating the idea on a weekly basis that all Latinos must have drug contraband in their cars or are illegally here or are guilty of being guilty because they are Latino.

Advice to NGC, keep the series and lose the game!

In response to yesterday's posting about the National Geographic Channel's online game Border Wars, Latina Lista received a heartfelt apology from the game's creator for having offended anyone regarding the game.

We accept his apology and believe there was no malicious intent but it is yet another telling example of how there exists an ignorance or a disconnect between mainstream society and the Latino experience in this country.

Whether it's Ken Burns and his total omission of Latino contributions in his WWII documentary (until he was forced to revise his documentary after a lengthy protest spearheaded by Latinos) or it's the creation of this game at a time when more non-Latino citizens have a negative perception of Latinos overall:

A scene from the new National Geographic Channel series "Border Wars" where suspected undocumented immigrants are lined up along the wall in the border processing facility. © Kevin Cunningham / National Geographic Television

According to FBI statistics, anti-Latino hate crimes increased 40 percent between 2003 and 2007. Why? For one thing, demographics are in fact changing, leading some to feel angry about immigration policies, which can lead to anti-Latino violence.

a game that reinforces the negative perception of Latinos being drug dealers or undocumented immigrants, even if they are U.S. citizens, does more harm than good at this moment in time which is and will become increasingly volatile as the immigration reform debate gets underway.

While we understand the premise of the game and the desire of the National Geographic Channel to incorporate an interactive element in drawing viewers into the series, it still doesn't erase the fact that there are people who believe the worse of Latinos, immigrant or not, and this game reinforces that perception.

Unfortunately, the only way to counter this misperception, aside from removing the game entirely, is for a disclaimer to be included to remind people that not all Latinos are undocumented immigrants or drug cartel members or trying to smuggle drugs across the border.

To some such a disclaimer may seem ludicrous but to those of us who have to defend against these accusations/misperceptions on a daily basis, such a disclaimer would go a long way in setting the record straight in reminding people that Latinos have a long and proud history with this country.

Thank you J.S. Earls for reaching out to the Latino community when you didn't have to.

Greetings! My name is J.S. Earls -- author of NatGeo's Border Wars
games -- and I just wanted to PERSONALLY apologize for offending you.
While I cannot speak on behalf of NatGeo, I know this was not their
intention either.

My wife is hispanic and both she and her family were not offended by
it. Nor was it my intention to offend them.

And I did want to point out that -- in the 2nd scenario -- it's the
Mexican family that is nice and the American kid who's the "bad guy".
And, in the 4th scenario most of the Mexicans are victims...not bad
guys.

The object of the 1st game was to base it on realities Port-of-Entry
Border Agents deal with which is overwhelmingly illegal drugs which
cartels use other Mexicans to knowingly or unknowingly transport over
the border.

They also overwhelmingly find fake IDs, which -- in my mind -- doesn't
mean they're criminals. Most use fake ID's to work hard in America.
She's also not bad for mistakingly bringing harmful pests in her trunk.

And, thirdly, they deal with human-trafficking and the last 'event' --
as with all the events -- was based on true encounters.

The fact that most (not all) of the people entering the US from Mexico
in the game was simply based on reality -- the same way a game on
people entering from Canada would mostly be Canadians. I wasn't trying
to stereotype anyone. Most hispanics I know are hard-working,
huge-hearted people and this will be shown in our 3rd game where you
play an immigrant trying to survive in the desert to find a good job to
feed your family.

I will say that -- from what I understand -- the film crews weren't
legally allowed to talk to the immigrants as much as they would've
liked and the Mexican government wouldn't allow them to even film much
of Mexico. So, legally, they've done the best they can and done as
balanced as job as they possibly could have.

Legally, it's tough to equally show both sides. I really enjoyed the
Dying to Get In documentary film -- which shows things almost totally
from the immigrant's perspective. In that, the Border Patrol agent
they interview really comes across pretty arrogant.

In Border Wars, the agents talk about understanding why the immigrants
come across and how their heart goes out to them, but also how they
have to do their job. I believe it's honestly, as balanced as they
could realistically/legally make it.

Again, I cannot speak on behalf of National Geographic, but you have my
most sincere apologies. I am personally very sorry of offending you
and will do my best to keep things exciting, but as balanced as I
possibly can.

This month is Glaucoma Awareness Month. Though most people think it's an "old people's disease," the truth is that Latinos are at risk.

As it is, over 3 million people suffer from glaucoma and half of them don't even know it, until it's too late. Or if they do notice something is wrong with their eyesight, they think a quick eye-rub or steeped teabags on the eyes will do the trick.

If only that was true!

Someone living with glaucoma would see the world in shadow.

Latinos who don't get regular eye exams and think things like: blurry vision, severe eye pain, headaches, rainbow-colored halos around lights and nausea and vomiting will pass are taking big risks with their eyesight. If glaucoma goes untreated, blindness sets in and it's irreversible.

To raise more awareness of glaucoma among the Latino community, EyeCare America is offering free glaucoma screenings, even for people without insurance.

The Glaucoma EyeCare Program promotes early detection and treatment of glaucoma. It raises awareness of glaucoma risk factors such as family history, race, age, provides free glaucoma educational materials and facilitates access to a glaucoma eye exam.

As with everything, there are a few requirements people have to meet before being eligible for the screenings:

The Glaucoma EyeCare Program is designed for people who:

* Are U.S. citizens or legal residents
* Have not had an eye exam in 12 months or more
* Are at increased risk for glaucoma (family history, race, age)
* Do not belong to an HMO or the VA

To determine if you, a family member or friend qualify for a GEP referral call 1-800-391-EYES (3937) toll-free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The EyeCare America people are so intent on reaching the Latino audience that they've even created a short video featuring Oscar de la Hoya. Unfortunately, de la Hoya doesn't say a whole lot to encourage Latinos to get glaucoma exams, but he looks pretty.

A sad and all too often ignored fact is that the people who are on the frontline of Corporate America's environmental abuses are low-income and/or minority neighborhoods.

In 2001, residents of the Commerce/East Los Angeles area were concerned about the increasing health and environmental impacts from the industrial pollution in their community. They formed the non-profit East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) or East Yard for short.

Today, EYCEJ has a database of over 350 community residents, many of whom are active and participate regularly in trainings, workshops and community outreach efforts.

Since its inception, EYCEJ has achieved many important successes, including work to delay the expansion of the I-710 freeway, and to bring issues of environmental justice and air quality to the forefront of the agenda for other community, environmental, and government entities at both the regional and statewide level.

East Yard serves a California southeast community that encompasses cities such as Bell Gardens, Commerce, Maywood and East Los Angeles. It was recommended to be profiled by a Latina Lista reader who serves as an assistant principal in a high school in the affected area where East Yards is based.

According to our reader, "East Yard is a small non-profit that has a huge impact on the Latino community that my school serves."

The efforts and accomplishments of East Yard deserve to be applauded, recognized and emulated as they have shown that when residents care enough about their communities and the health of their children mountains can be moved and someone can be held accountable.

Though "Tax Day" isn't for a couple of months, most families are already eagerly waiting for that W-2 form to arrive in the mail so they can cash in on what the government owes them -- especially during these unpredictable times.

Yet, chances are a lot of families don't realize that there are a number of tax benefits families will be getting starting next year, and for some, this year, if they bought a home.

The economic recovery plan signed by President Obama in February, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), provides substantial tax benefits for most working families. It provides a new refundable Making Work Pay Credit, an expanded refundable Child Tax Credit, improvements to the Earned Income Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit for higher education expenses that is refundable for the first time, and a refundable First-Time Home Buyer Credit.

For example, the Making Work Pay Credit, in effect for 2009 and 2010, applies to joint, not individual, earnings. In other words, a married couple can qualify for an $800 Making Work Pay Credit even if only one partner in the couple works.

It's these kinds of information nuggets that families need to know about. According to the National Women's Law Center (NWLC):

Families filing their 2009 tax returns may be eligible for up to:

* $2,100 from the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit;
* $1,000 per child from the federal Child Tax Credit;
* $5,657 from the federal Earned Income Tax Credit; and
* $800 from the new Making Work Pay Credit.

On the site, there is information not only regarding the national tax credits for families but links to find out what each state provides as well. There is even a handy fact sheet that explains the benefits under each tax credit.

Though the majority of benefits don't kick in until next year's tax forms are filed, certain benefits will begin for those eligible to receive them.

Another great feature of the NWLC site is that it's multilingual.

The website has one purpose for education families about these tax benefits and it's one all hardworking families can appreciate because it's all about: "Helping Families Put Money in Their Pockets!"

After watching Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor field questions from those Congressmen during her confirmation hearings, the popular impression was that this Puertoriqueña was a force to be reckoned with.

It seems the publishers of Bluewater Productions agreed because Justice Sotomayor is the latest addition to the biographical comic book series known as Female Force.

According to Darren Davis, president of Bluewater Productions, the Female Force series features notable women whose stories have the potential to empower readers. Needless to say, Sotomayor's story meets that criteria:

The Supremes have a new member! Meet the latest justice to don the black robes of America's highest court. Sonia Sotomayor rose from humble beginnings in a Bronx housing project to become only the third woman and the first Latina to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Relive her historic journey in a comic book biography that's ripped from today's headlines.

Past Female Force subjects have been Michelle Obama, Caroline Kennedy, the Twilight books author Stephanie Meyer, Condoleeza Rice, Ellen DeGeneris, Hillary Clinton, among many others.

The comic book sells for $3.99 and hits racks in April 2010.

It can be pre-ordered at comic book shops (link is to a comic shop locator) -- for those Wise Latinas who don't stand in line!

It's estimated that today 7,200 students dropped out of high school -- and yesterday and the day before and the day before that and...you get the picture.

Altogether, it's believed that there are over 1.3 million students who never finish a complete school year. What's even sadder is that the majority of those students are Latinos.

Ever since politicians, educators and community leaders noticed this dismal trend, people have banded together to come up with ways to keep kids in school. On April 1. 2008, America's Promise Alliance launched the Dropout Prevention Campaign -- their goal was to create the Dropout Prevention Summits bringing together people from a diverse array of professions to tackle the issue.

There were to be 105 summits--one in all 50 states and 55 cities with the largest dropout rates. The campaign ends in April 2010, and with eight summits scheduled for January 2010, and 69 summits already held since 2008, they may reach their goal.

Though get-togethers like these are great and can get the creative juices flowing and people sharing ideas, it doesn't do any good unless something is produced -- and thanks to those summits, the next phase of the Dropout Prevention campaign is underway. It's called Grad Nation.

It is a guidebook that provides a road map to help communities tackle the dropout crisis. It is designed to help communities develop tailored plans for keeping students on track to graduate from high school, prepared for college, work and life.

It includes ready-to-print tools and links to additional online resources, in addition to research-based guidance. It provides information and tools for developing and implementing a customized program that's right for individual communities and there's even a list of organizations that can provide communities more help.

Only about half (53%) of all young people in the nation's 50 largest cities are graduating from high school on time. As the second semester of the first school year for a new decade starts, it's clear that not just one entity can solve the dropout crisis -- it must be a community-wide effort.

According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the leading cause of death in young women ages 15-54.

When we think of breast cancer, we think of it as a disease that attacks older women -- women who, though they still have a lot to live for, are more than halfway through their lives.

We don't think of girls who have never been kissed or young women who have just finished college or women who are just starting their families, but while their stories are not as common as those of older women, they do exist. 

The unfortunate part is because young women don't think of breast cancer as something that hits women under 50 too many discover too late that they have it.

Who can forget the sad story of Soraya.

Raised in New Jersey, Soraya was born in the U.S. to a Colombian family. She proudly embraced her Hispanic roots, which helped to win her the love and devotion of her fans on four continents. With a perfect command of both Spanish and English, Soraya wrote and performed in both languages.

At the age of 31, and at the height of her career, she was tragically diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer. Soraya spent the rest of her life using her music, her voice and her formidable talent to raise awareness and educate women in underserved communities about the disease.

While younger women do get breast cancer, the impact of the disease, as well as the disease itself, is different on younger women than older ones.

Increasingly, evidence suggests that breast cancer before age 40 is biologically different from the majority of breast cancer that occurs in older women. Women younger than 25 may have a third type of biologically distinct breast cancer.

This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the only international conference specifically organized to address the questions and needs of young survivors of breast cancer.

The 10th Annual International Conference for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer will be held February 26-28, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia.

One in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer is younger than 45 when diagnosed, yet their emotional and medical concerns are different than those of women over age 45, as is the impact of their diagnosis on family, friends, partners, colleagues and children. Fertility concerns and the possibility of treatment-induced early menopause are just two examples of the issues young women face.

The conference will have workshops ranging from risk reduction to diet, nutrition and exercise to sexuality and body image.

The main goal of the conference is to bring young women together in an environment that shows they are not alone in their battles, fears and hopes against breast cancer.

As one attendee of a past conference shared:

"I've been living in an almost constant state of panic after receiving a metastatic diagnosis a year and a half ago, but attending the conference has helped to alleviate my fear of dying every day that I am living. "

The United States doesn't just attract the illegal entry of adults looking for work. This country is also a beacon to more than 8,000 children every year, from as young as toddlers to teens, who illegally enter the country without their parents.

Too often, the reason why most of these children arrive on this nation's proverbial doorstep is to find their parents, flee severe abuse or persecution back home and also look for work to help their families. Others are victims of trafficking for forced prostitution or other illicit activities.

Yet, once these children are caught by the Border Patrol, they face a scary and confusing legal system that hardly any English-speaking adult can understand, let alone a child from another country.

That's where KIND lends a hand.

Kids In Need of Defense (KIND) is a non-profit national organization founded about a year ago. KIND helps find these "unaccompanied" children a free lawyer who will help them make their claim for U.S. protection if they have one; if they don't, the lawyer will help ensure that they are returned to their country of origin as safely and compassionately as possible.

With field offices in 7 cities nationwide (Baltimore, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, New York City, and Washington, DC), KIND is currently working with more than 700 children and has trained over 900 lawyers while partnering with more than 45 law firms and corporations.

More than half of the children KIND represents are from Latin America and Central America.

KIND realized that there exists a crisis regarding a lack of legal representation among unaccompanied children facing the U.S. legal system -- and they have vowed to be the voice for these children.

They work to ensure that unaccompanied children in the United States are treated fairly and that their rights are protected and respected. KIND also advocates for changes in U.S. laws to better protect the rights of unaccompanied children.

Because the need is so great and specialized, KIND needs more lawyers and financial help to accomplish their goal that no child should have to face immigration court alone.

Information on how to volunteer or donate to KIND is available on their website and Facebook page.

(The following text is taken from usconstitution.net)

In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color -- blacks, Hispanics, Asians -- were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions, like Brown v. Board of Education; and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights.

Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950's and the 1960's. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who sicced water cannon and police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands.

Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, where he was arrested and jailed, King helped organize a massive march on Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963. His partners in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom included other religious leaders, labor leaders, and black organizers. The assembled masses marched down the Washington Mall from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, heard songs from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, and heard speeches by actor Charlton Heston, NAACP president Roy Wilkins, and future U.S. Representative from Georgia John Lewis.

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. waves to the crowd from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC before delivering his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.

King's appearance was the last of the event; the closing speech was carried live on major television networks. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King evoked the name of Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The following is the exact text of the spoken speech, transcribed from recordings.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

The quickest way to get people all hot and bothered is to change things. We're seeing it in Washington these days with the healthcare debate. If there could have been a strategy to slowly introduce and implement healthcare reforms, aside from catching people off guard, it wouldn't have caused the ruckus it is now.

There's proof of this with the latest Pew Research report analyzing marriage, another most sacred institution in the country -- or it used to be.

At one time, marriage was something that every girl aspired to and every guy felt was inevitable. Not anymore.

In the new Pew report,

The biggest change to the institution of marriage is that there now exists a gender role reversal in who gains from being married:

In the past, when relatively few wives worked, marriage enhanced the economic status of women more than that of men. In recent decades, however, the economic gains associated with marriage have been greater for men than for women.

Those with more education are far more likely than those with less education to be married, a gap that has widened since 1970. Because higher education tends to lead to higher earnings, these compositional changes have bolstered the economic gains from being married for both men and women.

Among U.S.-born 30- to 44- year-olds, women now are the majority both of college graduates and those who have some college education but not a degree. Women's earnings grew 44% from 1970 to 2007, compared with 6% growth for men.

The national economic downturn is reinforcing these gender reversal trends, because it has hurt employment of men more than that of women. Males accounted for about 75% of the 2008 decline in employment among prime-working-age individuals (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). Women are moving toward a new milestone in which they constitute half of all the employed. Their share increased from 46.5% in December 2007 to 47.4% in December 2009.

The report also shows that marriage is not a priority for those with more education and for some groups, has diminished considerably:

Black marriage rates, already lower than those of whites in 1970, have dropped more sharply since then, especially for the least educated. Only 33% of black women and 44% of black men were married in 2007.

Although black men and women had higher household income growth than men and women overall, the sharp decline in marriage rates among blacks hindered growth in their incomes. Among black women with high school educations, household incomes actually declined from 1970 to 2007, reflecting a change in the composition of this group from majority married (with the higher incomes that accompany this status) to majority unmarried.

Though Latinos were not included in this report, it's easy to see that the report's findings easily apply to Latinos today as well.

While conventional thought is that Latinos revere the institution of marriage more than whites or blacks, the anecdotal truth is that the least educated tend to be parents but not necessarily married.

Within the Latino community, more women are going to college than males and, as always, are sharing the responsibilities of bringing a paycheck home. In fact, that has also changed.

According to the U.S. Census, "Hispanic married couples with children under 18 where both spouses were employed went from 50 percent in 2007 to 43 percent in 2009. The percentage of these couples where only the wife was employed went from 5 percent in 2007 to 8 percent in 2009."

If there is one thing to be learned from the report, it's that marriage is an economic benefit when both spouses are working and a labor of love when only one is.

A new national study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds, reinforced what too many Latino and black families already knew -- our children spend way too much time in front of the television, walking around with earplug cords dangling around their necks or playing games on their cell phones.

There are substantial differences in children's media use between members of various ethnic and racial groups. Black and Hispanic children consume nearly 4½ hours more media daily (13:00 of total media exposure for Hispanics, 12:59 for Blacks, and 8:36 for Whites).

Some of the largest differences are in TV viewing: Black children spend nearly 6 hours and Hispanics just under 5½ hours, compared to roughly 3½ hours a day for White youth.

The only medium where there is no significant difference between these three groups is print. Differences by race/ethnicity remain even after controlling for other factors such as age, parents' education, and single vs. two-parent homes. The racial disparity in media use has grown substantially over the past five years: for example, the gap between White and Black youth was just over two hours (2:12) in 2004, and has grown to more than four hours today (4:23).

At one time, media consisted of TV and radio. Nowadays, it's the computer, iPod, Internet, network TV, cable TV and mobile telephones with all their features -- all embraced by youth of color.

The first thought is how can exposure and knowledge of such a vast array of technology be a bad thing? Obviously, it's what kind of content that they're viewing or listening to that is impacting their grades and possibly their self-esteem.

According to the study, those children identified as "heavy users" of media, which can only be surmised as being majority Latino and black children, reported having lower grades in school (C or lower) and being unhappy, bored and troublemakers.

The obvious lessons learned from this report, aside from how different are parenting styles among different racial groups, are that while knowing how to operate and manipulate technology can be a good thing, the content itself is what all parents need to be vigilant about.

From the music (lyrics?) to the TV shows (sexually/violently/profanely explicit?) to the Internet (age-appropriate sites?) to the video games (violently explicit?) to the amount of time spent with each media that makes interacting with friends and family an impatient and laborious act, high media usage among Hispanic and black children is something that needs to be addressed with even bigger questions.

Is it because of this high exposure to visual and audio media that black and Latino children are:

• More prone to drop out of school?
• Engage in risky and violent behavior at earlier ages?
• Have little to no respect for authority?
• Are more prone to have delusional/unrealistic views of personal success?

Without trying to censor what is already there, it's time to create new content that is edgy enough to appeal to children who are tech-savvy and media critics within their own rights but leaves them knowing they still have a lot to learn.

When it comes to the illegal immigration issue, there is one group that is the most vulnerable -- the children. Coming here at young ages, not choosing this life for themselves, but fully assimilating, as children do, they are the ones who are torn and frustrated because they feel like the only country they've ever known is abandoning them.

It goes against every lesson they learned in school and what they were taught to believe was possible, and impossible. These children have grown up and are now classified as the "DREAM Act" students.

For all their lives, they've waited for Washington to reform immigration law, or at least pass the DREAM Act, which would legally acknowledge what they have always felt in their hearts and minds -- that they are U.S. citizens.

Well, the waiting is drawing to a close.

Four Florida DREAM Act students, Felipe, Gaby, Carlos and Juan, have undertaken a journey that rivals any journey they took when they were younger to arrive in the U.S. with their families. Setting out on January 1, 2010, the four exceptional students are walking 1500 miles from Florida to Washington D.C. in what is being called the Trail of Dreams.

In their own words:

We walk to share our stories, so that everyday Americans understand what it's like for the millions of immigrants, especially young people, unable to fully participate in society. It's time that our country come together to fix a failed system that keeps millions in the shadows, with no pathway to a better life. Our journey will be long and full of hardship, but for us, we see no other option. We are putting our futures in jeopardy because our present is unbearable.

What these students are doing -- challenging Washington to recognize them -- is a very scary task and while they have the support of one another, their families, friends and three organizations sponsoring their walk -- Presente.org, Florida Immigrant Coalition and Students Working for Equal Rights, it can still seem like a lonely trek.

That's why supporters who believe in these students' cause cannot only donate much needed money for them to continue on this journey but walk with them as well -- virtually.

The web site has a section where supporters can "walk" with these four brave students by signing up as a supporter and sending them comments that they will be able to read along their journey.

The students are also keeping up a blog of their walk writing down their feelings, their impressions and whether or not it's all worth it.

Felipe writes:

I cannot deny that I feel homesick; my muscles hurt and my feet are full of scars. If I don't spend time putting all my energy on the present, I wouldn't be able to achieve my end goal. In my heart, I know that every time I lift my leg and plant my feet on the asphalt, I am getting closer to realizing a communal dream that all of us take part in.

According the U.S. Census, 41.2 million people have some level of disability.

Having a disability makes getting needed services or specialized equipment or finding just the right information hard enough but when that's compounded with language barriers or cultural stigmas it's a whole lot harder.

For Latino families in California, Texas and New Mexio who have children who are disabled in some way, trying to find the needed services for their loved ones can be a doubly frustrating experience if it wasn't for Fiesta Educativa.

Established in 1978, Fiesta Educativa works with Latino families who have loved ones with special needs.

Their mission and vision is to empower Latino families and individuals with disabilities in California and across the United States by partnering with families, professionals, consumers, friends, agencies and key decision-makers to engender universal support of local, state and national programs and services that specifically support and enhance the lives of persons with disabilities

Through parent training, community outreach, advocacy efforts, the sponsor of training and educational workshops and hosting an annual bilingual parent/professionals conference, Fiesta Educativa works overtime to increase the awareness of medical professionals and educators about the cultural characteristics and unique needs of Latino children and their families. Fiesta Educativa also works on expanding and developing culturally sensitive programs and services.

With the amount of programs, services and outreach Fiesta Educativa does there is always a need for donations. Recently, they were the grateful recipients of a specially equipped wheelchair minivan owned by the late actor Ricardo Montalbán.

Fiesta Educativa plans to use the van to assist families who have loved ones with disabilities in transporting those family members, but the need for donations still exist because the work never stops:

While headlines tout how Latinos are the hardest hit in this recession, one report show that prior to the economy's downfall, Hispanics had more of a disposable income.

According to Latinum Network, while non-Hispanic consumer spending from 2005 to 2008 grew only 2.9%, Hispanic consumer spending increased 6.4% in that same period.

What did that money go towards? -- "Cereals, computers, education, fees and admissions, food away from home, laundry and cleaning supplies, major appliances, vehicle finance and insurance, women's apparel, and a range of other categories."

From 2007-2008:

U.S. Hispanic consumers were responsible for 30% of the $40bn growth in the food business.

U.S. Hispanics spent 58% more on education compared to a much more modest increase of 9% for non-Hispanics.

U.S. Hispanics increased their entertainment spend on fees and admissions by 14% as compared to a 7% decline for non-Hispanics.

Unfortunately, the flipside of being big spenders or "loose spenders" is that the term "money management" is a hard concept to grasp. That's why the Federal Trade Commission has created a web site called Money Matters and a Spanish version called Asuntos de Dinero.

Each site carries the same six topics: Scams to Watch, Credit Cards, Managing Your Money, Dealing with your Debt, Your Home and Jobs. Under each topic, are plans of action to take in getting control of situations that range from being victimized by stimulus scams; how to use credit cards correctly; how to budget and spend money and; how to repair your credit record, plus other types of information that help make the concept of money management go from the abstract to practical reality.

Peace. It's more than a word. To some it's an elusive concept, but to others it's an achievable reality.

Peace doesn't just mean eradicating wars but eradicating violence, even at the most basic level -- in communities.

Some countries understand that to attain long-lasting peace in the 21st Century, resources must be dedicated to educating the public. For example, Costa Rica has established a Ministry for Justice and Peace.

Yet, for peace to become ingrained in lives, it's best to start teaching peace and peaceful practices to the children. For that reason, the Student Peace Alliance was formed in 2006.

The Student Peace Alliance is a national youth movement to mobilize the next generation to not only learn how to create peace but sustain it.

Working with Student Peace Alliance, youth throughout the country engage communities and policy makers in building sustainable peace. We take a two-pronged approach that utilizes both federally focused advocacy efforts and applied peacebuilding in local communities.

We advocate for evidence-based legislation and policy that will enhance our capacity to reduce violence and build sustainable peace both domestically and internationally. Our applied peacebuilding efforts engage youth in the day-to-day work of understanding and preventing violence in our homes, communities and institutions.

Next month, from February 26-28, the Student Peace Alliance will hold their second national conference; the theme of the conference is "Extreme Makeover Peace in the 21st Century".

Over 500 young people are expected to travel to Texas to attend the three-day conference where they will participate in training exercises, hear a wide variety of expert speakers talk about everything from peace initiatives abroad and domestically to justice issues in the United States, and even participate in some fun "activist songwriting."

The conference will also focus on promoting the Youth PROMISE Act and the need for a U.S. Department of Peace, which is proposed by HR 808.

So far, Ben & Jerry's has contributed a large amount of money to go towards scholarships for the conference that will help the students pay their for their transportation, food and hotels. Conference organizers are looking for more donations to help get more students to the conference.

With so many urban neighborhoods under siege by gang violence, this is a conference that more cities need to be aware of. It's easy to see that diminishing violence in today's society doesn't just ensure everyone's safety but creates stronger communities.

...peace is not a utopian ideal; it is an issue critical to our national and human security. Either we continue reactively addressing ever-increasing levels of violence and the consequent human and economic costs, or we take a fresh approach. This isn't about the politics of left or right; it is about what is practical and effective.

In the mood to read a book authored by a Latina or Latino but just can't seem to find the right one...well -- There's an app for that!!

Grand Central Publishing (GCP), formerly Warner Books and a subdivision of the Hachette Book Group USA, created an iTunes app called the GCP Book Match featuring their line of Latino/a-authored books.

The free download starts out with a short quiz to see what kind of book the reader is looking for: Intrigue? Drama? After the quiz, the program matches the reader with the book that best fits their answers to the quiz.

But this app doesn't just give you the title or the ISBN# and sends you to your local bookstore or library to find it. After all, this is an iTunes app.

With the GCP Book Match app, readers are not only provided with an excerpt from the book, an image of the jacket cover and a bio of the author but "extra" touches like video trailers or behind-the-scenes interviews with the authors and links to the book and author's website, Twitter feed and Facebook page; a reading guide for the book, author interviews in Spanish and English and a link connecting to six outlets where the book can be bought online -- on the spot!

Valerie Russo, senior web publicist for Hachette Book Group, tells Latina Lista that while there are 14 books currently in the GCP Latino line offering a mix of fiction and non-fiction, there is the ability to add more books to the application and an update is planned for this summer.

The publishing group also has a Facebook page, GCP Latino, featuring their authors in video interviews, their event schedules, and of course, readers' comments on the Facebook Wall.

GCP Latino also makes one promise to all visitors and iTunes app users:

Laredo, Texas is known for being on the frontlines of national security when it comes to border enforcement. The Border Patrol is ever vigilant about who and what gets across our shared border with Mexico.

Yet the, technically illegal, arrival of one south-of-the-border visitor has caused such a sensation that Laredo officials are finding themselves having to react with extra police patrols, press releases and city clean-up campaigns.

This visitor has no intention of taking jobs away from American workers or even living in the shadows of U.S. society, though she probably does prefer the shade. And even though she likes being left alone, because she is such a rare visitor to not just Laredo, but the entire United States, she won't be getting peace anytime soon.

Female Amazon Kingfisher

That's what she gets for being an Amazon Kingfisher. Sighted in Laredo, the bird is stirring such a frenzy and attracting bird watchers from "Canada, Montana, California, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Arizona,Colorado and throughout Texas including the Lower Rio Grande Valley area" that the city of Laredo is taking this arrival very seriously.

"The City of Laredo is mobilizing to make the birding experience in Laredo the best that it can be," Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas said."Some of our creek and river vega areas are littered and we are taking active, yet sensitive steps in cleaning up and making it presentable for all of our visitors, feathered or otherwise.

Additionally, we have increased police patrols to deter crime in this area and to make sure that our visitors feel safe and leave with a sense of security to return in the near future.

"I welcome the birders and anything that we can do to assist with information on where to stay and the good places to eat while in town, estamos aqui para servirles."

The bird, from the lowlands of the American tropics from southern Mexico south through Central America to northern Argentina, was spotted near the Zacate Creek, an obvious choice since they like to nest along river banks by creating a horizontal tunnel where the female lays 3-4 white eggs.

The Laredo Convention and Visitor's Bureau has a handy fact sheet for bird watchers, and anyone else who wants to see this rare visitor. The bureau provides driving directions to the watch sites, the best places from which to see the bird, as well as, information on local restaurants and hotels.

The city is even providing complimentary bottled water and a "welcoming committee" to all the bird watchers who have heard of this rare sighting and the many more anticipated to make the trip just to see it.

Nobody knows why this little bird has flown so far away from her traditional nesting grounds but it's a safe bet that she wants a new life for her chicks.

One of the most urgent problems stalking Latino communities is teen pregnancies.

It's always been known that Latina teens contributed disproportionately to the number of teenage pregnancies but the latest study done by the Guttmacher Institute shows that after a decline in the 1990s, teen pregnancy rates increased three percent in 2006.

The study finds that the increase in teen pregnancies and abortions correlates with federal promotion of abstinence-only programs.

Healthy Futures, created in 2006, wants to change those disturbing odds for Texas teens.

Our mission is to prevent teen and unplanned pregnancy among young adults in San Antonio and Texas.

We envision a community where (1) young people are empowered to make healthy, informed decisions about sex; (2) planned pregnancies are the social norm; (3) all parents are prepared for the challenge of parenthood; and (4) all children are wanted, cherished and cared for in a healthy environment.

Three ways Healthy Futures is succeeding in achieving its mission is through the formation of the Healthy Futures Alliance, a community coalition where people work together to empower teens, parents and young adults; through the promotion of abstinence-plus programs and partnering with other organizations to launch a new campaign called ME NOW...baby later.