Local editorial
Noticias.nacional@coxinet.net

Andrés Chao, Mexican Consul, said on his recent visit to Oklahoma City, that the state should look for ways to solve the growing problem of illegal immigration. He commented that there should exist solutions that benefit both countries.

He emphatically rejected the notion that the immigrants come to the United States to import poverty and misery. He said that Mexico also suffers because of the absence of the labor of its young people who emigrate looking for a better future in this country.

Also, he showed concern for the large number of human rights violations against minority groups on the part of the American nation.

“One of our objectives is to protect and defend Mexican nationals who live in this jurisdiction,” said Chao, who established a consulate in Little Rock, Arkansas a year ago.

“We are very preoccupied by the adverse situations that our citizens face in this nation, with the absence of immigration reform that in turn has driven different states to create their own laws,” added Chao.

The Little Rock consulate, which is the 47th nationally, serves Mexican citizens in Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma. Chao reunited with various local and state officials recently, among them the mayor and chief of police. Next month, he plans a meeting with the Tulsa County Sheriff.

“It made things worse when local law enforcement officials got involved and are forced to interpret federal immigration laws. If the Latino community is aware that the police are ready to arrest them and deport them then there is created an animosity against the local authorities. This is precisely what is happening now in Tulsa, Oklahoma,” commented Chao. “It’s because of this that we insist in working together to build trust within the Latino community,” he said.

According to Chao, many of the problems of some of the law enforcement officials is that they have created a prejudicial idea in their minds, in terms of immigration status, unfortunately most of them don’t know the laws or immigration reforms. He says that some of the problems arising from Tulsa seem to be of a racial nature. Others are not sensitive to issues of immigration and in some cases it is simply discrimination.

Chao also believes that the federal government should improve work programs for immigrants in the nation. “It’s a question of numbers. This country has the markets and we have the manpower. These two matters go hand-in-hand. Both countries have to solve this issue because there are costs and benefits to both sides,” concluded Chao.

Filed 17 de Mayo, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Noticias.nacional@coxinet.net

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation National Council stated that it firmly opposes the legislation that will declare English as the official state language. The council passed a resolution, during their monthly meeting, rejecting this proposal.

The Creek Nation Council follows closely behind the actions of the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians who passed a similar proposal in their last session held on April 9th. This proposal passed the House last week, if approved by the Senate, it will be sent to the State Secretary who will recommend a state vote.

The author of the proposal, Representative Randy Terrill, says that the proposal will prohibit the state of Oklahoma from utilizing state funds for programs like driver’s license tests in languages other than English.

According to Republican Terrill, the measure will exclude Native American languages as it will protect them. Terrill ended by saying that this amendment to the law is similar to laws already approved in 30 other states.

(Article translated by Rosario Guerra)

Filed 6 de Mayo, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By noticias.nacional@coxinet.net

More than a dozen Hispanic community leaders in Oklahoma City have decided to challenge the English-Only proposal.

It is a controversial and complicated issue that, in addition to the immigration problems, causes social tension in the state. “We don’t need a malevolent legislature that changes the image of our city or our state, converting it in a place of regressive intolerance.” said Jim Langdon, president of the Hispanic group, Justice and Community Center of Oklahoma.

“We should have a sign in the city limits saying “Not-Welcome." On the other hand the “Welcome to Oklahoma” sign will need a small sign saying welcome only if you are like we are," Langdon added.

The proposal, co-endorsed by the Republican representative from Moore, Oklahoma, Randy Terrill, is part of an amendment to Bill 1804, and will soon capture great attention in the House of Representatives.

“Opposite to the ill-intended HB 1804, this English message, will be directed to the citizens only, not to the illegal aliens, but to the citizens that are not fluent in English," says Pam Maisano public director of the organization Conference of Churches from Oklahoma.

“We definitely shouldn’t make life more difficult than what it already is for our Hispanic citizens," concluded Maisano. At least we know that in one way or another, Hispanics are in the mouth of the state politicians and in the minds of the candidates to the United States presidency.

(Translation by Rosario Guerra)

Filed 21 de Abril, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Ivan Contreras

The Government Transportation Committee meeting, held last Wednesday at noon, lasted a little more than an hour but passed a favorable opinion on the initiative to make English the official state language. As is the custom in both chambers and in the entire assembly, when they are cooking up an amendment and the content corresponds to a pre-established agenda, more than looking for consensus, they steam roll their way to flatten the remains of all rights, even international (rights).

President Guy Liebmann categorically denied the different civil organizations present at the meeting the opportunity to express their opinions.

What happened on Wednesday opens a free path for the legislature to make an amendment to the state constitution to make English the official and only language. This will tentatively happen next November.

One of the most vehement defenders of Oklahoma’s multiculturalism was Chad Smith, Chief of the Cherokee Tribe, who firmly rejected the legislators’ arrogant attitude.

When he was interviewed outside of the chamber, he said that the government has taken initiatives like these throughout the centuries, “First they took our land; and then they took black people as slaves, now the immigrants.”

With a moderate expression, the tribal chief stated that the amendments that the legislators should make are exactly the opposite: “They should approve an Intelligence Law of Oklahoma which stimulates creativity and cultural diversity.” He also expressed his indignation for the lack of respect of the members of the committee who denied his right to speak as Chief of State.
On the other hand, Ed Romo, president of LULAC, said that what happened in this meeting shows that the government is trying to massively control people through language. That was shared by Gloria Sly, Leader of the Cherokee Nation, who also said that this legislative group has blocked the right of speech. “The goal has been to establish a control that has been implemented against the natives during 500 years. In the case of our tribes they have not been able to do it because we have empowered ourselves, but they have isolated us in our reservations”, she explained. She also shared her thought that the state is trying to establish something like a ghetto with the immigrant community. “The purpose may be exactly that, if you don’t learn to utilize their language to do business and communicate.”

Language Police
Alice Anderton, from the Language Diversity Coalition, explained that all this has been a severe blow for cultural diversity, since Terrill’s argument does not to help anybody, because his idea of cultural assimilation is precisely to kill culture. We are going to fight by all possible channels: the Lower Chamber of Congress will be the next step; if the governor signs the law we will keep going before the State Supreme Court”, she promised.

Tina Peña, a journalist from Tulsa, was more specific saying that the government will turn into a “Language Police.”

What follows

The proposition to implement English as the only and official language of the state has been overcoming all difficulties that have been put in its promoters’ way. So much so that it has been approved by the Senate and now the next committee has agreed to it and the bill will be now transferred to the House of Representatives and if it is approved, it will go directly to the desk of Governor Brad Henry to be signed and turned into state law. It has not been officially announced when this process will take place.

(Translation by Rosario Guerra)

Filed 7 de Abril, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Organized citizens speak out about the funding he obtained to be in his current position.

By Ivan Colmenares
Collaborator for El Nacional

For the second time this year, a group of American citizens have undertaken a campaign to create awareness and speak out against the obscure actions carried out by the Republican representative for the District of Moore, Randy Terrill.

This time, on Saturday, March 14, they delivered flyers which condemn the evidence of political favors made by the congressman. According to them, this is reflected by the fact that thanks to his initiatives the big gas distributors have benefited from millions of dollars of tax cuts.

(Translated by Rosario Guerra)

In accordance with the statement made by Juanita Vásquez, member of the group Citizens Against Corporate Welfare, presided by M. L. Hayes, Terrill’s election campaign was financed in part by various companies such as, Energy PAC, Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association, Conoco Phillips Spirit PAC and Chesapeake Energy, with contributions ranging from $350 to $4000.

The circulating flyer also states that, among his favors, the congressman is frustratingly attempting to have HB 1715 pass which would save his benefactors $31 million in tax cuts for the purchase of equipment.

Moreover, the flyer exposes the benefits which would be acquired for three additional years by the gas and natural gas distributors of $22.1 million and $159.7 million, respectively, thanks to the proposed HB 2411 and HB 1718, approved in March and May of last year.

“We are looking for more irregularities which surely the citizens of Moore are unaware of,” anticipates Vásquez. She added that the exposure will be constant because “people have a tendency to quickly forget.”

According to the interview, the purpose is to weaken the voter base for the congressman to prevent his reelection, adding that at the right time, they will reveal all the accumulated evidence to prevent him from causing more harm to society and Congress.

The actions undertaken by the Citizens Against Corporate Welfare are added to the proposals already in place by the different churches, merchants, some congressmen and various civic organizations which demand to countermand HB 1804, which already has numerous demands against it. Practically all of their demands have been declared “out of place” or mysteriously filed for an undefined period of time.

Filed 25 de Marzo, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)