When democratic operative Paul Begala made a donation to the Obama campaign this year, he wrote in the memo field of the check "for negative campaigning only." As much as candidates and voters complain about negative ads, the ads persist because, as Begala knows, they work.READ FULL STORYRead more…
Although minorities have made tremendous strides in many other fields, African-Americans and Latinos make up only 1.7 to 1.8 percent of professional American orchestras. Rather than wringing its hands over the situation, the Sphinx Organization is addressing the problem directly. READ FULL STORYRead more…
With regard to the recent controversy over Fernando C de Baca's racist comments on Hispanics not supporting an African-American person for president, it is obvious that C de Baca considers himself a white Hispanic and appears to be making the assumption that all Hispanics in New Mexico are white as well. READ FULL STORYRead more…
The city council voted down the English-only proposal Monday night. More than 120 people packed City Hall for the vote.
The crowd was divided on two controversial proposals on the table.
One sought to make English the official language of Lewisville. The other was aimed at banning bilingual city documents, except those required by state and federal low. The council looked at eliminating translations for 20 documents that were considered non-essential to life and health. READ FULL STORYRead more…
A former PTA president and mother of four, Josephine Mercado had a full-time career as an attorney in New York City, working first for the city government and then for a private firm that took on civil lawsuits. But she gave up the courtroom and what could have been a lucrative career to become a community organizer -- focusing from the beginning on health issues that affected Hispanics. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Three elementary schools -- Alexander, Berea and Monaview -- now have more Hispanics than whites or blacks. One student comes from a family of Cuban "boat refugees" who survive on $625 a month. Another is from a remote area of Guatemala and speaks only the Mayan Indian language.
Alexander Elementary School is a cultural melting pot, not only of black, white and Hispanic students, but also of a blend of subcultures from across Latin America. READ FULL STORYRead more…
On a muggy afternoon, more than 3,000 immigrants, most of them Hispanic, wave flags, cheer and weep as they swear to protect and defend the United States of America as its newest citizens.
Moments later, dozens of volunteers from the Democratic and Republican parties swoop down on the new citizens as they file out of their citizenship ceremony in a Miami auditorium, competing to sign them up to vote. It's a scene that is being played out nationwide. READ FULL STORYRead more…
As Lazaro Fuentes, CEO and creative director of the Hip Chicas brand, tells Gamasutra, 50 percent of kids born in America since 2004 are Hispanic. And while there's plenty of culturally-focused content for young kids -- Dora The Explorer, Handy Manny, and Maya and Miguel, among others, there's a "gaping hole" for Latino content aimed at 'tweens. READ FULL STORYRead more…
La cantante colombiana Shakira anunció su respaldo a la candidatura presidencial del demócrata Barack Obama, a quien consideró la persona capaz de "restaurar la paz y la confianza" mundial en Estados Unidos, de acuerdo con un comunicado divulgado por su agente de prensa. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Ask anyone on Atlanta Highway if Latinos are leaving Hall County, and there will not be one moment of hesitation in between the question and its affirmation.
Staples of the local Latino community - day laborers, managers of grocery stores and rental properties, owners of travel companies and retail shops - all say it is obvious that there are fewer Latinos in Hall County today than there were six months ago. READ FULL STORYRead more…
cartoon taped to the door of Barack Obama's campaign headquarters in Fort Collins, Colorado's fifth largest city, depicts a young man with a clothespin over his nose. The caption says, "I registered because the economy stinks." READ FULL STORYRead more…
Like many teen girls, El Pasoan Sydny Gonzalez was dreaming of her ideal quinceañera a year ago.
What she didn't know at the time was that a television show celebrity would help her plan that dream event, set for Friday at the Camino Real Hotel.
Eduardo Xol, known for being the design expert on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," selected Gonzalez as Miss 15A of 2008. 15A, Xol's gift and planning quinceañera site online (www.fifteena.com), helped design her fantasy quinceañera.
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As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, dozens of domestic violence shelters in heavily Hispanic areas across the U.S. are receiving an influx of badly-needed cash during the current economic downturn. The cash infusion is coming from the foundation started by the late Mary Kay Ash. Shelters helping battered women in all 50 states are receiving a total of $3 million from the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation's (MKACF) annual grants. READ FULL STORYRead more…
With September coming to an end, it marks the end of Latino Health Awareness Month. Several events took place all across California to raise awareness and knowledge about the health issues affecting the Latino community. Many of these activities were sponsored by the Network for a Healthy California (www.cachampionsforchange.net/en/index.php) and included park festivals and healthy cooking demonstrations. Latino Health Awareness Month marks a time to reflect not only on your personal health choices but also the health of your community.
Community health encompasses the total physical, emotional, and environmental conditions of a community, and can directly affect the health of you and your loved ones. Unfortunately there are still great social, environmental, and economic inequalities that result in poor health conditions within the Latino population. As a result of these disparities, Latinos are more likely to be affected by preventable diseases such as diabetes, cervical cancer and AIDS/HIV. According to a 2005 survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke ranked in the top 5 leading causes of death in the Latino population. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Conflict ensued Thursday at the Student Senate meeting, over the funding for Gamma Alpha Omega's Latina Awareness Conference.
Gamma Alpha Omega presented a request for $3,544 in order to fund the remaining amount of the conference's costs.
The conference, which is scheduled for Oct. 25, has an expected attendance of 200 students.
Due to the low expectancy rate, many senators expressed concerns regarding the attendance-to-amount-funded ratio, said Houston junior Chris Paxton, who said he felt the bill was unevenly proportioned.
"I have never, in 5 semesters of being a senator, seen as much money for this few people," he said.
Paxton said he also felt uneasy about the event because it caters to a selective community at Baylor, he said. READ FULL STORYRead more…
Barack Obama's appeal was unusually direct. "I want you to start voting your numbers," the Democratic presidential candidate urged the crowd of 10,000 gathered in the New Mexican town of Española. "Start flexing your muscles."
Obama's entreaties reflect a cause for optimism and concern in the Democratic camp in New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. All are targets for Obama, and all are states in which a large Hispanic population could make the difference. But turnout is the key. If the Democrats in New Mexico fail to get people out to vote, the party could see a repetition of recent history.
In 2000 New Mexico voted for Al Gore by the tightest of margins: 366 votes. In 2004, George Bush and Karl Rove engineered a 6,000-vote Republican win. This time, polls show Obama with an 8-point lead over his Republican rival. READ FULL STORYRead more…
With the election 34 days away, presidential hopefuls are certainly looking to the Silver State for support.
Political experts say Nevada could be decided by a razor-thin margin, so whichever wins the Hispanic vote, could win the state.
More Hispanics are also defining their stance on the candidate's decisions on faith and finances.
Tibbi Ellis, with Latinas for (John) McCain, said she's winning over women by telling them; when it comes to teenagers and abortion, Barack Obama didn't vote "yes," or "no," - only "present" on two parental notification bills in Illinois.
"You ask any Hispanic mother in this country - and ask them if they will vote for a candidate who will vote against giving them the authorization to know what their 14-year old daughter is gonna do," Ellis said. READ FULL STORYRead more…
The American Lung Association of Washington, D.C., has launched two "flashy antismoking campaigns in two very different directions": one in English that targets blacks and one in Spanish that targets Hispanics, the Washington Post reports. Both campaigns include ads that attempt to prompt smokers to call the ALA QuitLine, where they can obtain nicotine patches, lozenges and counseling to help them quit. READ FULL STORYRead more…
A state campaign aimed at reducing substance abuse among young Latinos has kicked off at a west Phoenix school. The campaign, sponsored by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Students Against Destructive Decisions and the Phoenix Union High School District, is designed to influence sound decision-making among Latino youths. "Be Smart, Be Safe and Be Alive - Piensa, Cuidate, Vive - is a campaign started at Trevor Browne High School and seeks to address alcohol, tobacco, drugs and driving.
The third-leading cause of death for Hispanics in the U.S. is motor-vehicle crashes, according to district officials. READ FULL STORYRead more…
A small group of Hispanic leaders in Arizona who are supporting Democrat Barack Obama say Republican John McCain won't enjoy the same strong support among Latinos in his home state as he has in past elections.
Group member Mary Rose Wilcox said McCain's strength among Latinos has dwindled. That's primarily because he de-emphasized his support for a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants and now says border security is the first immigration priority. READ FULL STORYRead more…