Part of the expectations of any niche group, that is lucky enough to snag a high-profile speaker, is that the speaker's remarks will be specifically tailored to the group and reveal, if not startling news, something to maintain a buzz after the applause dies down.

That certainly had to have been the esperanza (hope) today of those attending the 79th Annual League of United Latin American Citizens National Convention & Exposition (LULAC) in Washington, D.C. and who were sitting in the audience listening to the day's guest speakers — Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama.

Even though it is a presidential contest and both nominees are wary of alienating any small part of their supporter base by saying anything slightly deemed controversial, there was clearly one speech that didn't just speak directly regarding issues relevant to LULAC attendees but crossed the safety zone of election politics.

Continue reading "LULAC appearances by McCain and Obama underscore sensitivity of immigration issue" »

Filed 8 de Julio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (1)

An article in The Dallas Morning News over the weekend reported that, according to the Mexican Consulate in Dallas, 400 immigrant families have or are in the process of returning to Mexico. The consulate knows this because these families have asked for transfer documents for their children to attend school in Mexico.

Nayelli (center) and Keila (right) wait outside of a closet while their sister and mother pack belongings of the family, who after 10 years are returning to Mexico due to economic adversity and the anti immigrant climate of the nation.
(Source: Roberto M. Sanchez/Al Dia)

The trend isn't isolated to only Dallas. Phoenix and Chicago are also registering increases in Mexican transfer requests too. There were anecdotal reports that the same was happening (people leaving) in Oklahoma when that state's immigration laws were enacted, and it will probably end up happening in Missouri too.

Today, the Governor of Missouri signed into law the latest state-enacted bill that targets undocumented immigrants. Though Missouri only has 1 percent of the estimated 12 million undocumented, it seemed to be strangely large enough for the Governor to declare:

Gov. Matt Blunt said the state could not wait for the federal government to respond to what has become a serious national problem.

However, the true problem may not be so much the citizenship status of these people but the lost revenue funneled through local economies because of their purchasing power.

Continue reading "Before passing draconian immigration bill, one state conducts self-audit to see if illegal immigration hype matches the facts" »

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

An odd thing happened this morning in Mexico City where Sen. John McCain is "having talks" with Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

McCain, his wife and entourage, descended upon the Basilica de Guadalupe, at 8 a.m. The Basilica is the Mexican version of Mecca for Catholics of Mexican descent. In fact, every Mexican American community in the United States has at least one church in their town named after the patron saint of Mexico.

John McCain and his wife Cindy listen to Monsignor Diego Monroy Ponce explain the miracle of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
(Source: El Universal)

It's a fact that should not be news to an Arizona native like Sen. McCain and for that reason, and because the Senator is Protestant, Mexican pundits were having a field day with McCain's visit to the Basilica. As one reporter who has covered many presidential campaigns said, "The Basilica is usually not on the list of presidential campaign stops."

However, when you're stumping for Mexican American votes it just might be.

Continue reading "McCain's visit to Mexico's Basilica de Guadalupe is misguided campaign move" »

Filed 3 de Julio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (20)

Stratfor, a publisher of geopolitical intelligence, released their analysis of an incident that happened in Phoenix, Arizona but could and does happen every day in southwestern cities within a reasonable distance of the Mexican border.

Weapons commonly used by Mexican drug cartel hit squads.
(Source: abcnews)

A group of men outfitted to look like a Phoenix police SWAT team and firing over 100 rounds of ammunition into the home of a Jamaican drug dealer turned out to be not Phoenix police but a Mexican drug cartel hit squad coming to do their drug lord's bidding.

It's been known for sometime that the dire warnings of Mexico's violence spilling over to this side of the border has already started happening. As the Stratfor report details:

Traditionally, when violence has spiked in Mexico, cartel figures have used U.S. cities such as Laredo, El Paso and San Diego as rest and recreation spots, reasoning that the general umbrella of safety provided by U.S. law enforcement to those residing in the United States would protect them from assassination by their enemies.

As bolder Mexican cartel hit men have begun to carry out assassinations on the U.S. side of the border in places such as Laredo, Rio Bravo, and even Dallas, the cartel figures have begun to seek sanctuary deeper in the United States, thereby bringing the threat with them.

Is there any way to stop these criminals who bypass our border patrols and are able to track down their prey with military precision and then disappear back across the border into Mexico?

Yes.

By recognizing that these individuals are the true criminals who warrant apprehension and incarceration and by instituting an immigration policy that identifies those who want to work from those who just want to kill.

Continue reading "Independent analysis underscores the danger of not having a working immigration policy" »

Filed 2 de Julio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (20)

It's long been known that the rest of the world is anxiously watching our presidential campaign as if it were a primetime drama.

Now, it seems that both candidates want to include that global audience in their elections. Obama plans to go to the Mideast and Europe. McCain left for Latin America today.

A trip to Iraq is understandable and should be expected of both candidates. After all, the groundswell of US troops stationed there, who happen to be voters, makes sense.

But a trip to any other country at this stage of the game doesn't make sense and would seem to be a waste of campaign funds.

In fact, a trip to Latin America, at this point in time, serves more as a blatant attempt to pander for the Hispanic vote rather than any constructive trip to achieve results.

Continue reading "Presidential campaign stops in Latin America and Europe mean little for US voters" »

Filed 1 de Julio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

As the nation gets ready to celebrate the 4th of July this week, Texans along the U.S.-Mexico border are defending their property rights in the face of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) scooping up land to construct the mandated border wall.

Dr. Juliet Garcia, president of UTB/TSC speaks to reporters after the judge's ruling at today's hearing.
(Source: UTB.edu)

One of the biggest and most controversial cases involves The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College and The University of Texas System.

Scholars, lawyers, teachers, students and other Valley residents remain perplexed at the insistence of the DHS to construct a portion of the border wall through the campus of The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College cutting 180 acres that the university needs to expand in the future.

Back in March, the federal court ruled that DHS had to sit down with school officials and reach a mutual solution.

Yet, DHS was prepared to ignore the ruling and seize the land through eminent domain. That blatant disregard for the previous ruling prompted school officials to file a motion with the federal government to compel DHS to comply with the previous ruling.

Well, the federal court in Brownsville ruled today and, though they don't like it, DHS is going to have to sit down with school officials and try to reach an agreement.

Since the school has never encountered a problem with undocumented residents trespassing on the school campus, one has to wonder and the media should be asking why is DHS so intent on bypassing federal laws to construct a barrier that the majority of people along the border do not want?

For now, this is a bittersweet victory that is important because, especially this week, it commemorates that when it comes to the government and its people — the people's rights prevail against unjust acts.

After all, it's the American way and not the first time in our history that the people had to remind a government that a government is for and by the people, and not to represent the wishes of an elite few.

Filed 30 de Junio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (24)

Democratic Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis represents California's 32nd Congressional District. The Congresswoman has been instrumental in creating legislation that has addressed issues important to Latinos: H.R. 359 - Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act of 2007, H.R. 468, Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007, H.R. 1103 – Environmental Justice Act of 2007 and the H.R. 542 – Culturally Competent Veteran Care Act, to name a few.

Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis

In an exclusive post for Latina Lista readers, Congresswoman Solis draws the line for accountability in the nation's oil woes and shares her hopes in how the country can turn around pro-oil policies and help all families in the process.

Eight years of pro-oil company policies such as those advocated by President Bush, Senator McCain and their colleagues have left hard-working families paying record prices at the pump while oil companies make record profits. Rather than protect consumers, Republicans continue to push for more drilling — a failed policy — and against efforts to protect consumers from price gouging.

Pro-oil company policies have left our families struggling. Latino families are among the hardest hit by the economic downturn. A recent nationwide survey commissioned by AARP clearly showed that Latino families are struggling to make ends meet as a result of the lack of economic security, the housing crisis, and the lack of health care.

Eighty percent of Latinos surveyed are struggling to pay for daily necessities such as food, gas and medicine. A November 2007 study by the Public Policy Institute of California notes that 83 percent of Latinos surveyed said gas prices have caused them financial hardship as opposed to 67 percent of Blacks, 62 percent of Asians and 54 percent of whites surveyed. Conditions have only worsened as the cost of oil has broken record prices in 2008.

Tax breaks and secret meetings are just the tip of the pro-oil company policies.

The fact is that oil companies currently possess more than 10,000 permits to drill in 68 million acres of land and sea open to drilling. Instead of producing the oil, they are withholding this product from the market at a time when families are suffering.

Continue reading "Guest Voz: Congresswoman Solis demands oil companies stop withholding oil from the market" »

Filed 27 de Junio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (7)

Disturbing news was reported out of Tijuana, Mexico recently.

In research conducted by Victor Clark-Alfaro, director of the Binational Center for Human Rights and a guest lecturer at San Diego State University, he and his students identify the fact that Mexico has its own "Minuteman" posse who are preying on the just-arrived migrants deported from the United States.

Mexican children detained by Border Patrol.
(Source: latinamericanstudies.org)

Clark-Alfaro identifies Mexico's version of the Minuteman as the local police. In a veiled attempt to shake these migrants down for the little cash they have on them and to fill a daily quota imposed as part of their duties, the local police put on a public show of arresting these migrants for "not having identification" — all in the name of showing the public that they're tough on crime.

Clark-Alfaro notes the irony that these same individuals are deported from one country for not having "their papers" and are arrested in their home country for not having "papers of identification." It's a lose-lose situation for these migrants.

When the migrants do produce deportation papers or papers issued by a local organization that helps newly returned migrants, they report that the local police tears them up and say they are not valid, making it much easier to arrest them.

By now, you're probably wondering why should we care. After all, these are Mexican nationals returning to their native country and their country should be the ones protecting them.

And that's true but it's also true that our stepped-up deportations are contributing to an insecure border, that can't help but spill back over onto the U.S. side and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Continue reading "New report finds U.S. deportation policy found to be endangering both migrants and border communities" »

Filed 26 de Junio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (27)

A popular caution that is always issued to people surfing the Internet is to consider the source before believing in the validity of the information.

It's a statement that is true for every facet of media that distributes information to the public. It's also a statement that lends itself very well to the immigration debate.

Long a sore spot among us all who seriously write about the topic, is the propensity of the mainstream media to use as counter sources that are funded, however indirectly, by organizations with an anti-immigrant agenda — not just anti undocumented but anti-immigrant. In other words, pro-white (read white supremacy) agendas.

Well, an interesting video has been produced that shows these exact links between these counter media sources and these anti-immigrant groups. Unfortunately, though the information is excellent and factual, the chances that it will be taken as seriously as it should lies in limbo.

Why?

Because it is being released by the National Council of La Raza's "We Can Stop the Hate" campaign in association with the The Southern Poverty Law Center.

Two organizations known for advocating compassion and fairness on behalf of undocumented migrants.

Some will easily dismiss this video as "propaganda" of the "other" side but this is where human intellect has to kick into high gear and people truly have to make their own decisions on the validity of the content.

It is the hope of Latina Lista that viewers will take the information presented in this video and determine through their own research that the facts presented in the video are factual and do expose the link that is never acknowledged in the media. Because these facts are, for the most part, easily traceable over the Internet, it will just require a little time and effort.

The argument will always be made that either side of the issue will present videos such as these to bolster their criticisms. However, there's a big difference between manufacturing facts to fit the argument and passing those facts along to create a more informed citizenry.

In the end, it's the people who have to decide.

Filed 25 de Junio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (32)

(Update Correction (6/25/08): When originally posted, we failed to notice that the referenced article was an Associated Press article and not one originally reported on by El Nuevo Herald staff. Our apologies. Yet, the basic premise of the post is correct and today, the Associated Press, issued a correction of their own on the article.)

With the race between Obama and McCain barely begun, the issue of the Latino vote and who will get it is already on the minds of both parties.

On the one hand, we have Obama huddling with the Hispanic Congressional Caucus to persuade Clinton supporters to now support him.

On the other hand, we have McCain who is stealthly going after the Latino vote by way of private Town Hall meetings.

So far, according to poll after poll after poll on Latino presidential voting preferences, Obama is edging out McCain — in most cases by a lot.

So, it was interesting that an article in Miami's El Nuevo Herald sees the polls from a totally new lado (side).
The article is titled "Democrats continue courting Hispanic voters."

It was all about how for the first time the organizers of a national party convention, in this case the Democrats, were conducting a live transmission via the Internet for the Spanish-speaking press in Spanish about what to expect at the Denver Democratic Convention in August.

Other than that, nothing particularly newsworthy until we get to the end of the article where it's reported that "According to some surveys, the Hispanic vote appears to favor now the Republican candidate John McCain, who has a more favorable position than Obama to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants."

Unfortunately, something got lost in the translation for this reporter.

Continue reading "Miami's El Nuevo Herald states McCain is the favored candidate by Hispanic voters. Huh?" »

Filed 24 de Junio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (19)

As much as some of us would like to think that this election is all about the issues, there's no denying that a major issue for a lot of voters boils down to black versus white.

In fact, the issue has become such a hot topic that there are reports that at the London and South African book fairs, a new e-book titled "America the Racist?" gained some unprecedented interest.

It seems the rest of the world wants to know as much as Americans if we can shed our prejudices and actually vote for a person of color.

Unfortunately, that will be a question that will continue to haunt the world until the polls close in November.

In the meantime, we will have to suffer through poll after poll that will attempt to gauge our feelings to predict our actions in the booths.

The latest poll, a Washington Post-ABC News survey, claims that 3 in 10 Americans admit to racial bias.

That's not surprising, nor new. In fact, most analysts on the topic of race would probably believe the number is higher than that because not too many Americans like to admit they have hang-ups about race.

Yet, what was a more interesting revelation of the poll were two questions that show there is an inherent racial lens that the media looks through and probably needs to wipe clean before a clear picture gauging the public's racial barometer can be measured.

Continue reading "New poll searching for racial bias in America reveals subtle feelings run deep on both sides of the questions" »

Filed 23 de Junio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (17)

Today is World Refugee Day.

When we think of refugees these days, it's usually the images in Africa of the different tribes that have been displaced because of war and famine, but we know that refugees exist all over the world — even in the United States.

The dictionary defines refugee as : one that flees; especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape danger or persecution

Danger has come to mean not just physical danger but danger from severe economic downturns, famine or family or community abuse or a number of different reasons that puts the quality of life at an inherent risk for these people.

In 2002, when Congress passed the Homeland Security Act, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) was appointed the new custodians of what the Department of Homeland Security labels "unaccompanied children." Some analysts feel the more correct term is "separated children." Each label refers to children who are under 18 and at the time of their apprehension, by either the Border Patrol or DHS officials, are not with a parent or legal guardian.

13-year-old Jose must return to his native El Salvador without his mother.
(Source: Loudoun Times)

That was the case of Jose Andrade. Jose was left behind in El Salvador by his mother who came to the US looking for work. When she arrived, she was granted a visa to work legally in the country but five years passed and Jose missed his mom.

He was staying with an aunt but that family took the money Jose's mother sent him from her job in the U.S. and pulled him out of school to do errands for the family. When Jose's mother found out, she knew she had to bring him to the US but there was no way to do it legally.

So, at 11-years-old, Jose and two cousins set out from El Salvador through Guatemala and Mexico for the U.S. At the Texas-Mexico border, Jose was caught by border officials and housed in a youth detention center for 9 days until his mother traveled from Virginia to pick him up.

From the moment she picked him up, Jose was classified as a refugee.

In the three years since he's arrived, in between attending immigration hearings to clarify his status, Jose has thrived in school, is popular with his teachers and became a Boy Scout. Now 13-years-old, Jose knows English and wants to be a policeman, but it's a dream that is highly unlikely.

Jose's privileged refugee status has come to an end and DHS says it's time to treat him like any other undocumented immigrant — deport him back to where he came from — all by himself.

Continue reading "U.S. immigration courts declare 13-year-old must be separated from his only parent and deported back to El Salvador alone" »

Filed 20 de Junio, 2008 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (51)