Thanksgiving has evolved far from the original intent of neighbor-getting-to-know-neighbor. Nowadays, the country is facing a surge in hate crimes and it’s time to set a new table to address the issue.

When it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving, everyone thinks it’s the holiday most closely observed in the same spirit as our forefathers —friends and family sitting at the same table sharing food and enjoying each other’s company.

Yet, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Since that first Thanksgiving, whether you believe it took place either in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 or in St. Augustine, Florida in 1565, the holiday has evolved into one that is farther away from that original idyllic scene of pilgrims/ Spanish explorers breaking bread with Indians than reminiscent of it.

The idea behind Thanksgiving wasn’t to celebrate with family, since a lot of those first “immigrants” made the trip with only their immediate family members or solo, but to sit down with people who were their new, strange, and in many cases, unknown neighbors — and get to know them.

In that respect, we’ve drifted away from the original intent of the holiday to the point where we are facing yet another emerging crisis in this country — an increase in hate crimes.

Since Barack Obama’s presidential win, there has been an increase in reports of physical assaults, racially motivated graffiti and verbal harassment on people of color.

The most infamous case so far, since the election, has been the Long Island murder of Marcelo Lucero. Lucero was an Ecuadorian immigrant murdered by a gang of kids who were specifically looking to beat up someone who looked Latino.

The shock goes beyond putting words to the horrific crime but it’s not an isolated event when it comes to preying on people of color.

Continue reading "Setting a place at the table to talk about race" »

Filed 26 de Noviembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

While waiting to see if President-elect Barack Obama delivers on his campaign promise of helping to pass the Dream Act, undocumented college students must depend on private scholarships to help them realize their dreams. Yet, one financial aid organization that specifically helps Latino students has decided to draw the line between which ones they help.

All I know about the girl is that her name is “Julia” (not her real name) and she is a college freshman somewhere in Georgia. She found me by Googling “undocumented students.”

She read a profile I featured on Latina Lista about Mariana, an undocumented student from California who was finally able to get her green card in time to accept an invitation to attend a Harvard Master’s program. Mariana graduated from Harvard last May.

“Julia,” a pre-med student, told me she wanted to speak to Mariana or any other student like her. She said she was just interested in “hearing some of their stories.” We set up a time to chat.

“Julia” called and as we talked, I immediately discovered two things: #1. “Julia” didn’t just want to hear stories; she wanted to share them and #2. Her strong southern accent.

I didn’t get into a lot of detail about her background — I find it easier to follow the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rules of engagement these days — but this young girl wanted to talk. Several times throughout the conversation, she was on the brink of tears in expressing how much it meant to her to talk to someone, anyone who could remotely understand what her life was like in dreaming of graduating with a degree in medicine and knowing that in the next instant she could be whisked off the street and deported to a country that she doesn’t know or anyone knows her.

“Julia” told me that she was able to attend school thanks to her parents scrimping to give her money, along with, some private scholarships she was awarded. It was clear that “Julia” knew these scholarships had been her lifelines to her college dreams.

In that regard, she’s not unlike any other undocumented college student who, while hoping Obama delivers on his campaign promise to help pass the Dream Act, will leave no stone unturned in finding money to help pay for school expenses— just like every other college student.

As senseless as it is, it’s understood why “Julia” and others like her don’t qualify for federal and state scholarships but I find it puzzling that the one organization that should be helping this group of students isn’t lifting a hand to do it.

Continue reading "Why does the Hispanic Scholarship Fund discriminate against undocumented students?" »

Filed 20 de Noviembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

The unprecedented turnout of Latino voters for Barack Obama signaled not just a desire for change in the country but a change in how federal immigration policy is adversely impacting Latino communities.

The importance of the Latino vote is now an irrefutable fact. Not because Barack Obama was able to garner 67 percent of the Latino vote versus Sen. McCain’s 31 percent, but because Latinos turned out in record numbers in key battleground states turning the electoral college tide in Obama’s favor.

Analysts agree that without the Latino voters in these must-win states, Obama’s victory would have been questionable. So what happens now?

Since this is politics, the kind of support Latino voters gave the Democratic Party did come with strings attached. The big question is does that payback come in the form of a key Cabinet position going to a Latino/a or can it be satisfied with the Obama Administration addressing in his first 100 days an issue that was among the top three for Latino voters and one that has soured many against the Republican Party — immigration reform?

There’s no denying that it would be “sweet” to see Bill Richardson assume the position of Secretary of State in the Obama Administration. Yet, from examples of past administrations that have appointed Latinos/as to high positions within their “inner circles,” it’s one thing to have the ear of the President and quite another to have his attention.

So I vote that Obama make immigration reform a priority. Unlike the financial help being afforded Wall Street and debated for the auto industry, which takes a trickle down effect to reach Main Street USA, the Obama Administration can implement a form of help that would immediately relieve countless Latino communities across the nation — put a moratorium on immigration raids.

Continue reading "Is 67% of the Latino vote enough to buy a moratorium on immigration raids?" »

Filed 13 de Noviembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (5)

The election of Barack Obama forces the country to look at people of color and ethnicity in a new light and to begin a new conversation about dropping old labels and adopting new ones.

Barack Obama’s White House win signals more than just a break from “old politics.” It is the start of something bigger — the cracking of the shell of ethnic stereotypes that too many people of color or certain ethnicities still find themselves encased in courtesy of a national attitude that relies on assumptions rather than facts.

For the first time, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s infamous words, “I have a dream…where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” rings practical and achievable.

Yes, there have always been Latinos, African-Americans, Asians and Native Americans who have achieved great accomplishments — graduated from Ivy League schools, attained top positions of influence in government and the corporate world, were Olympic athletes, media celebrities, community leaders, etc. — but Obama’s win serves as the prime example for everyone that it’s time to take a fresh look at how people of color and ethnicity are viewed.

And we can start by discarding the old tag of referring to people who fall into these categories as “minorities.”

The sociologist Louis Wirth popularized the term “minority” to mean “a group of people who, because of their physical or cultural characteristics, are singled out from the others in society in which they live for differential and unequal treatment, and who therefore regard themselves as objects of collective discrimination.”

As a result, it hasn’t taken long for the use of the term to gain negative connotations. Seeing that the term is used to describe members of those communities that are suffering the highest assaults from crime, poverty, low educational levels and high pregnancy rates, it’s a no-brainer that people associate the negative with the term.

However, there are valiant efforts being made to make the term a positive one.

Continue reading "Multicultural is the new minority" »

Filed 6 de Noviembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (1)

Who would have thought that there would be two very important votes happening on November 4?

One vote, of course, is deciding which man goes to the White House. The other vote decides whether or not “to spread the wealth” of wireless telephone service.

Next Tuesday, while those who didn’t take advantage of early voting are waiting in long lines to cast their ballots for president, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be holding a vote of their own. They will decide among an array of important issues. One vote will be deciding whether or not to consider a proposal to cut funding to build new cell telephone towers in the rural parts of America.

What’s the big deal?

For the over 48 million people who live outside major city limits and do some of the nation’s hardest work and live in some of the remotest areas, not to have a tool at their disposal that the rest of the country, even the world, now sees as a necessity defies explanation.

Continue reading "Rural Americans need a vote come Election Day" »

Filed 2 de Noviembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Low-income women of color have been marginalized by Washington to the point where little value was placed on voting in minority communities. Yet, it is time for change and it starts with both sides reaching out to one another.

If there is one lesson that has been learned in this election, it’s the fact that people don’t just want their voices heard but they want to be included in the process.

Some groups are better at doing that than others. Yet, low-income women of color have always had a much harder time in getting both heard and having a seat at the proverbial table. These women have been overlooked and marginalized when it comes to Washington recognizing and responding to their specific needs. It’s an ironic situation since it’s these women and their children who bear the burden of failed federal economic policies.

In turn, this group has historically felt so disconnected from politics that they see little value in their votes. As the economy plunges deeper and these households are hit the hardest, talk of “Six-pack Joe” or “Joe the Plumber” aren’t resonating with these voters, and it’s time Washington understands that.

It’s documented that in the 2004 presidential election, 40 percent of all African American women, 69 percent of Latinas and 70 percent of Asian American women who were eligible to vote did not go to the polls. Engage Her, a new online organization dedicated to educating and “activating” women of color to get involved with those issues that affect their lives and their communities, released a short documentary online exploring the reasons why women of color have a poor voting track record.

The reasons offered by the women interviewed in the film were varied but the common thread among the different speakers is that their voice/vote would have had little impact on the final outcome of the election and so why bother.

It’s a feeling shared among lower-income women of color that is only exacerbated by the current economic crisis.

According to the US Census, the highest percentage of family groups that live in poverty are those households headed by a female. With poverty rising among Latinos and remaining statistically high for blacks and Asians, it’s obvious that the economic crisis is taking a silent toll on those who can least afford it, and it’s getting worse.

Continue reading "Creating political change in the nation means placing value on people as much as votes" »

Filed 24 de Octubre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (1)

Gardasil, a vaccine that protects against the sexually transmitted virus genital human papillomavirus (HPV), is being hailed by many throughout the world as a cancer breakthrough. The vaccine helps in the prevention of cervical cancer, the world’s second leading cause of cancer deaths among women.

For most women it’s a choice as to whether or not they want the vaccine. Not so though for immigrant families with young daughters who are applying for U.S. citizenship.

The only choice they have is to either abide by the mandate or give up their American Dream.

Continue reading "The American Promise needs a shot in the arm when it comes to immigrant rights" »

Filed 17 de Octubre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (2)

Too often immigration is seen as a negative separate influence on the nation’s economy. Yet, a new report shows that immigration has a much more positive impact on the future health and stability of the nation’s economy when it’s looked at via Main Street USA.

During these extraordinary times, it’s not surprising that the economy is on everyone’s minds. How can it be otherwise? Retail sales are the lowest they’ve been in three years. Daily reports of layoffs. Home and auto loans increasingly hard to qualify for and the stock market rises and plummets faster than a Six Flags roller coaster.

But even with all these things happening they comprise only one of the issues that face our next president. Fortunately, in the three presidential debates, the candidates addressed the other major issues like education, foreign policy, energy and health care. Yet, they forgot one more major issue — immigration.

Immigration is one of the most important issues facing 12 million people and directly impacting, to some degree, 15 percent of the nation. Yet, it wasn’t even broached by either candidate in any of the debates.

The closest we came to hearing about it was in the final debate last night when Sen. McCain said to Sen. Obama, “You’re running ads that misportray completely my position on immigration.”

For those of us who have been waiting to hear what each candidate would do about the ongoing immigration raids, profiling of Latino citizens, the construction of the U.S./Mexico border wall, the prolonged detention of undocumented immigrants in federal custody and the forced separation and deportation of children without their parents, McCain’s mention of the word excited anyone who cares about the issue into thinking that finally the time had arrived.

Unfortunately, it quickly vanished.

Continue reading "Immigration is all about the economy" »

Filed 16 de Octubre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

A new report circulating in media circles attempts to discredit the Latino vote with unfounded allegations of potential widespread voter fraud. Yet, what lies at the heart of the report is a fear that the strength of the Latino vote is soon to be realized.

This week was the last week to register to vote in 29 states. Organizations holding voter registration drives targeting Latinos were reporting moderate to high levels of success in getting people to sign up.

Enthusiasm is rampant across the country in the belief that this is the election that will awaken the proverbial “sleeping giant.” Already unprecedented follow-up campaigns are underway in communities to make sure Latinos deliver on their potential to show up and vote.

Expectations have even been validated with projections from the National Association of Latino Elected Officials’ Educational Fund that 9.2 million Latinos will vote in this year’s national election. However, while the Latino vote is on the cusp of coming into its own, there has surfaced an attempt to discredit it before it can be exercised.

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t bring attention to what can only be described as racism at its worst if it were not for the fact that the author of the report-in-question is regarded by traditional media as an unbiased source on immigration.

Given the recent unfounded claims by conservative politicians and pundits that Latinos were to blame for the Wall Street meltdown, it’s safe to assume that the content of this report will also be repeated as fact when, in reality, it is far from the truth.

Continue reading "The Latino vote under siege by report claiming voter fraud" »

Filed 9 de Octubre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (1)

While Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are netting more undocumented immigrants with their work site and home raids, Latino citizens are caught in the middle and having a frustrating time getting out of it.

It’s crazy how certain things can set off a “déjà vu experience. Usually, it’s a certain smell or visiting a new place that triggers the “been-here-done-that” feeling, but who would have thought it could also be a congressional vote?

This week’s vote in the House where Republicans opted to derail the $700 billion Wall Street rescue package reminded me of another time. It was when House Republicans failed to pass the immigration reform bill.

The impact of that inaction has been as detrimental to the Latino community as Monday’s 777-point market plunge. The only difference between the results of that vote and now is that there’s no resurrection of an immigration bill for speedy consideration.

Instead, we are hearing of more reports of legal Latino citizens getting caught up in immigration sweeps and being challenged by government officials to prove they’re “legal.”

It’s all part of the government enforcement measure deemed the “ENDGAME Office of Detention and Removal Strategic Plan, 2003 - 2012 It calls, among other things, for an increase in immigration sweeps “moving toward a 100% rate of removal for all removable aliens.”

While the perspective that such an enforcement strategy violates the basic human rights of undocumented migrants is a debate-provoker, there’s no debating that it is unacceptable that legal Latino citizens are being challenged to prove their citizenship status.

Continue reading "Presumed “not legal” makes Latino citizens innocent bystanders in government crackdown on illegal immigration" »

Filed 3 de Octubre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

With excitement mounting for the November elections and more people registering to vote, state election officials may find themselves on the receiving end of frustrated civic pride if they don’t prepare now for what’s coming.

One of the frustrating revelations of the Wall Street meltdown has been the fact that it might have been averted. People, from company CEOs to cable show stock analysts, saw the financial crisis looming as far back as three years ago. They warned us all but no one listened.

What’s ironic is that this country could be on the verge of yet another crisis. This time it has the potential to shake the very foundation of our democratic system of government. Again, no one is taking seriously the warnings.

It all has to do with the November 4 election and the possibility that there will be people either unable to cast their ballots or not have their votes counted because of a system that failed to properly prepare for the anticipated deluge of new voters.

Continue reading "State election officials need to prepare for surge of voters in November" »

Filed 24 de Septiembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

People are voicing concern over the distortions in political advertisements that are being passed along as fact in this presidential campaign. While it may be politics as usual, the tactic victimizes a core group of voters.

Though Sarah Palin has only been on the national scene for two weeks, there are people who feel they already know her. It’s certainly true of my 79-year-old mother and all of her comadres who have watched every news snippet about Palin on TV.

I know this because on a recent visit my mother started suspiciously sounding like a negative campaign advertisement without the negative tone. She repeated what she had heard with no malice just completely and sincerely appalled that anyone would do everything these campaign ads claimed.

Trying to convince her otherwise was futile until I told her something that I’ve lectured my own children about — consider the source.

It’s a warning that takes on special meaning as this presidential campaign escalates towards the November 4 deadline, and one that the Latino community must especially be vigilant.

Continue reading "“Consider the source” takes new meaning when looking at presidential campaign ads" »

Filed 19 de Septiembre, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)