By Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - Hispanic dancers José Antonio Checa and Jonathan Ramírez are among 12 new members of Tulsa Ballet, a company whose 29 dancers represent 10 countries.

"Cultural diversity is evident," said Ramírez, who took a brief break in his full schedule of rehearsals under way before the season begins Sept. 24 with "Swan Lake." He said: "I have been received with open arms and in just two weeks, l already feel at home."

Ramírez, 21, is from Cali, Colombia, where he was a member of the prestigious Incolballet academy before joining the American Ballet Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"Tulsa Ballet is like one big family," said Checa, 22, who was born in Madrid, Spain, and studied at the famous Vaganova ballet academy in Russia. "The international recognition of the choreographers and the multicultural presence of members of the company in Tulsa is excellent."

The schedule of rehearsals begins...

Finish reading Dancers from Colombia, Spain join Tulsa Ballet

Filed 30 de Agosto, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - "If I want to change things, then I must vote," said Lizeth Contreras. "This is my birthday gift. Ive been waiting a long time, and now I have a voice."

Contreras is the first in her family to finish high school and also the first to register to vote. "Technically, my vote counts for many others," she says. "I represent many immigrants who can't do it, and that is very important."

To attract young Hispanics who want to exercise their right to vote, there are organizations such as the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which has launched a campaign, called Force 2010, with a goal of registering about 46,000 new voters.

"With the current atmosphere of political hostility against Hispanics, we can't just stand idle," Johnny Murillo, head of Force 2010, said in an e-mail message. Only through the vote "is it possible to positively change the future of the Hispanic community."

"I have never been interested in voting," said Iván Gutiérrez, 21. "Now that I see how I can be affected by the laws, I understand its importance. That's why I just registered and I plan to vote on Nov. 2 ".

"Voter registration is very important," said Marvin Lizama, president of the coalition, "but so is learning about the candidates' positions. The two things go together."

Several organizations, including the Hispano de Tulsa newspaper, the radio station La Que Buena and the American Dream Coalition, will...

Finish reading Hispanic youth get involved in voter registration

Filed 6 de Agosto, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - The Nov. 2 general election will include a vote on State Question 751, which proposes that English be defined as "the common and unifying language of the state" and that all official actions of the state be in English.

Filed 16 de Julio, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - Budget cuts and administrative reorganization of the Tulsa Police have yielded a positive element, police report: the merging of the Volunteers in Police Service and the Hispanic Outreach program.

Officer Jesse Guardiola, in charge of Hispanic public relations for the police department, discussed the changes on June 24, which is the outreach program's one-year anniversary.

A key component of this program is the availability of bilingual translators as part of the department's "Ride Along" program.

"This program provides Spanish-speaking citizens with an opportunity to assist Tulsa police officers in better communicating with the Hispanic community," said Guardiola. "As Tulsa's Spanish-speaking population continues to grow, it is increasingly helpful for officers to have interpretation assistance."

The program's mission is to encourage the participation of the community members themselves, which in turn "helps diffuse tension and prevent misunderstandings," noted Guardiola.

Those who wish to volunteer to go on patrols and help with interpretation must fill in an application and submit a resume. They must also take a test to determine their knowledge of English and Spanish. Those chosen will receive training, which is conducted by officers who explain the various scenarios and situations that may arise.

Guardiola said that in cities where such programs have been implemented, it has been...

Finish reading Police expands Hispanic Outreach program

Filed 6 de Julio, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jari Askins met with about 20 people during a forum June 8 at the St. Thomas More Church on Tulsa's east side, where she answered questions and told the group, nearly all Spanish-speaking, about herself.

"People fear those things they don't know," said Askins, who is Oklahoma's lieutenant governor. "That's the reason I'm here today, so all of you can know me."

She was asked about the proposed English-only question that will be voted on during the November elections. "Some states have passed English as the official language bills, but this is something very different." she said. "We need to deal with strategies before these things are passed in the legislature."

Eduardo Mora, president of the Coalition of Hispanic Organizations, asked about the possibility of legislation being introduced next year that is similar to the law passed in Arizona, S.B. 1070.

"The federal government has created problems and continues creating them when they don't provide solutions." said Askins. "I fear other states will adopt similar laws like the one in Arizona."

Members of the Villalobos family, originally from México but now have been in Tulsa for 11 years, talked with Askins after the meeting about immigration issues and a greater integration of the Hispanic community.

"It is important that Hispanics participate in the democratic process," José Villalobos said to Askins. He spoke in Spanish and his daughter Yareli translated into English. "Our community deserves the best."

"I will work to integrate all the communities." Askins answered.

Asked about supporting state legislation similar to the proposed federal DREAM Act, which would help undocumented immigrant youth, Askins said, "Yes."

Askins discussed her experience as a judge and state lawmaker, saying she was "very different from the other candidates." She said: "I'm surprised about how ...

Finish reading Gubernatorial candidate Jari Askins meets with Hispanics

Filed 16 de Junio, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Lara Saavedra
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - A proposal by Oklahoma legislators to implement Arizona-like immigration measures was denounced last week by area Hispanic and civil rights leaders, saying such attempts would be catastrophic for the economy and would foster a "brown while breathing" racial profiling policy .

State Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, author of immigration law H.B. 1804, had been quoted recently in an Associated Press story as saying that he intended to file a bill this session "very similar to what Arizona's done." Arizona's law, among other things, allows police to detain people suspected of being undocumented.

"Adding similar language to an existing bill within the next month in our state Legislature would be an economic catastrophe," Francisco Treviño, President & CEO of the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said at a May 6 press conference in downtown Tulsa.

Representatives of several organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, the Jewish Federation of Tulsa and the Coalition for the American Dream, spoke at the press conference.

Also present was Tulsa Catholic Bishop Edward James Slattery, who said laws such as that passed in Arizona infringe on "fundamental human rights."

Treviño said the state lost nearly $1.8 billion in economic activity as a result of Oklahoma's immigration law, House Bill 1804. The loss is attributed to the exodus of about one-half of all immigrant workers.

"Our state cannot support another H.B. 1804," said Treviño. "When you have a state that wants to be business friendly, yet you have a law like H.B. 1804, it says the opposite of what they are trying to establish. If the state continues to move in this direction, they are going to lose a lot of companies and they will lose revenue as well."

Hispanic-owned businesses lost ...

Finish reading Hispanic leaders say Arizona-like bill here would be a 'catastrophe'

Filed 20 de Mayo, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - Republican state Rep. Shane Jett, 36, of Tecumseh, who is running for the 5th Congressional District in Oklahoma, said recently to a group of Hispanics visiting the state Capitol that he "understands the immigration problem" and he is willing to talk about it in Washington.

Filed 4 de Mayo, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

Lara Saavedra
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - All she ever wanted was a loving family and supportive husband. But the 26-year-old undocumented immigrant from Mexico fell into a pattern that is becoming more common: an abusive relationship that she couldn't get out of. The abuse was verbal, physical, and life controlling.

The woman is now being helped by Amaya Meléndez, who works for Domestic Violence Intervention Services. Meléndez says she handles a steady stream of Hispanic domestic violence cases, including those involving undocumented immigrants.

Melendez, a DVIS bilingual court advocate, says fear, lack of access to support services, and lack of knowledge about the legal system make women stay in bad situations. More outreach and education are needed in the Hispanic community.
She says a "machismo" culture within the Hispanic community prevents women from identifying domestic violence as abuse.

"People who are truly in need rarely report incidents to anyone or call the police," Melendez said. "It's like it never happened. Those cases are heart breaking."

To help women become aware of the signs of domestic violence, Melendez hosts workshops for women of all ages, including teenagers.

Angela Vivar, a ninth grade teacher, says a lot of teens "don't even know they are living through domestic violence." She said, "It happens a lot and I don't think people realize that it happens so much because a lot of things go unreported especially whenever people are undocumented. There's just a fear."

Vivar said she stresses to her students to tell an adult if they do find themselves in an emotionally or physically abusive relationship.

Immigrants who are victims of domestic violence are at greater risk of longer exposure to and greater impact from domestic violence, Melendez said.

The 26-year-old woman who turned to DVIS for help is married and has two children.

"For me it was important for my kids to grow up in a family atmosphere with a dad and a mom," she said in an interview. Her name is not being used to protect her privacy.

She lived for seven years in the abusive relationship. It started as verbal abuse and control. Her husband, a U.S. citizen, would not allow her to work or even know how much money was in the bank.

"He always had control over me. Now I know that's a form of abuse," she said "Women have the same rights to work, to come and go, ...

Finish reading Hispanic women face obstacles to get out of abusive relationships

Filed 6 de Abril, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

LARA SAAVEDRA and JUAN MIRET
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - Hispanic leaders in Tulsa and Tulsa's superintendent of public schools spoke out Monday against a proposed state law that would require Oklahoma schools to check the citizenship or immigration status of students.

At a press conference Monday, Ed Martínez, vice chairman of the Greater Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and others termed the proposal "an unfunded mandate."

Filed 23 de Marzo, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - A bill seeking to do what a November state question proposes - establish English as the official language of Oklahoma - was rejected by the House rules committee on Feb. 25.

The bill proposed banning certain actions - if the November question were approved - that might "diminish or ignore the role of English" as the official language.

H.B. 2674, titled the Oklahoma Official English Language Implementation Act, was introduced by Republican Rep. George Faught.

Marvin Lizama, president of the American Dream Coalition, said Faught tried to get a jump on the proposed constitutional amendment to make English the language of all official actions of the state.

"It looks like HB 2674 was a bill anticipating the passage of the state's 'English-only' ballot question in November," he said in an e-mailed statement.

Regarding the vote by the 12-member committee, Oklahoma Secretary of State Susan Savage said...

Finish reading Legislative committee rejects new official-English bill

Filed 9 de Marzo, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - Organizers of a Tulsa program that seeks to keep teenagers with artistic talent from quitting school are encouraging participation by Hispanics, a group that a study shows has a dropout rate that is three times higher than any other ethnic group.

For three years, Vertical Life, a non-profit organization that seeks to provide jobs in radio, television and the music industry, has been changing the life of high school students who are likely to stop going to school.

Trevor Lane is coordinating the local talent search, which culminates April 22, among juniors and seniors in Tulsa County. Tryouts are under way. When Lane isn't helping students create musical presentations through his own production company, he is working as manager of student recruitment at Tulsa Community College, a job through which he has come to recognize the dropout rate faced by Hispanic students.

According to a study by Rick Fray with the Pew Hispanic Center, the Latino population under the age of 18 has a national high school dropout rate three times greater than any other minority.

Lane says that his own passion for the arts led him to create an event in spring of 2007 to recognize teenagers with talent in the arts, so that this incentive would not only keep them in school, but that they would recognize the importance of continuing their studies. "Education is a tool to achieve dreams, even in music and show business," he said.

Although Lane said the event has always been open to all groups, regardless of ethnic origin, he said he is looking for more Hispanics to take part...

Finish reading Organization seeks talented Hispanic teens

Filed 24 de Febrero, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)

By Juan Miret
Hispano de Tulsa

TULSA, Oklahoma - A state senator who has proposed adding a civics and English test to the requirements for getting a driver's license said his aim is not to discriminate against any group, but to encourage high school students to "learn more about history."

The proposal, S.B. 2225, was introduced by Sen. Tom Ivester, a Democrat from Sayre.

The bill proposes that besides the existing tests of eyesight, knowledge of traffic laws and driving ability, applicants would be tested for the "knowledge of civics and English by taking the most recent version of the naturalization test given by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services." A score of at least 60 percent would be required to pass that test.

The proposal would apply not only to those who are seeking their license for the first time, but also to anyone who needs to amend his or her license or who are renewing it after the expiration deadline.

"My proposal is not about driving, not at all." said Ivester in a phone interview. "It is a tool...

Finish reading State senator proposes civics test to obtain driver's license

Filed 16 de Febrero, 2010 | Permalink | View Blog Reactions | Comments (0)