Por Que

GOP’S Newest Hispanic Outreach Idea: Deport Them

2013-06-09T01:34:57+00:00

This week to a chorus of boos House Republicans voted 224-201 to approve an amendment, authored by Rep. Steve King (R-IA), that defunds the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The amendment undermines Homeland Security’s ability to defer deporting undocumented immigrant youth. Only six Republicans voted against the measure that seeks to end Obama’s two-year moratorium on deportations while immigration reform is being debated.

What Is He Thinking? Sen. Rubio Endangering Immigration Reform Passage - Proposing Key Change

2013-06-03T02:44:05+00:00

No one is sure where Senator Marco Rubio obtained his negotiation skills but someone should of told him it is not wise to change the rules of the game when the game has started and when you wrote the set of rules in the first place. The Cuban-American Florida Republican is proposing changing a key feature to the comprehensive immigration reform bill he co-authored with seven other Senators now known as the gang of eight. The bill has already passed the Senate judiciary with bipartisan support and was to be voted on this month by the entire Senate.

What Makes J Lo Mobile Phones So Latino?

2013-05-28T14:19:08+00:00

Have you heard Jennifer Lopez is trying to sell you something again – no it’s not another pair of tiger print stretch pants THANK GOD - it’s mobile phones in partnership with Verizon.

Where and What is Chechnya?

2013-04-20T02:25:54+00:00

Chechnya is coming into the limelight after the alleged Boston bombers brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, were identified as Chechen. So where and what is Chechnya? Chechnya was part of the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991. Located on the northern side of some of Russia’s highest mountains, the Caucasus Mountains, it is part of what is commonly referred to as the northern ‘Caucasus’ region. Chechnya has approximately 1.3 million residents most of which are Muslim living on 6,600 square miles of land. Three languages dominate the region, Russian, English and the native Nochi Mott language. Chechnya has never been in favor with the Soviet Union so much so that dictator Joseph Stalin deported the entire population during World War II to Asia – over 100,000 Chechens died during the deportation. Separatists have been fighting Russia for its independence since the early 1990’s. It is considered a deeply troubled part of the world, that has seen tens of thousands of killings and as a result many flee Chechnya as refugees. Chechnya is often listed as one of the most repressive countries along with North Korea and Burma. It is believed many of the members of the Tsarnaev family were granted asylum in the U.S. as a result of the contentious situation in Chechnya. The country also has a terrible record on human rights. The long legacy of violence in the country has created Chechen rebels for hire and ideological warriors. Many Islamic organizations have recruited Chechens to fight in regional hot zones like Bosnia in the 1990’s and Afghanistan currently. Chechen rebels have focused their acts of terror against their own people and Russians. There are two horrific acts of terror that stand out amongst the countless acts of violence in the region. In 2004 Chechen rebels took over a school in the nearby town of Beslan for over three-days that resulted in the killing of 300 individuals most of which were children. In 2010 Chechen rebels claimed to have bombed a Moscow subway killing over 40 people. Leaders of the movement for Chechen independence have become heroes to many including apparently the Tsarnaev family. Bombing suspect Dzhokhar shares his name with the first president of independent Chechnya, Dzhokhar Dudayev, a former Soviet military general. Since 2003 Russia imposed its will on Chechnya by creating the ‘Head of the Chechen Republic’ which serves as the ultimate ruler of the region and is required to be of Russian origins. Currently pro-Moscow Ramzan Kadyrov holds the office since 2007. Kadyrov immediately separated Chechnya from the allege bombers, blaming their American upbringing on their crime spree instead of their Chechen roots. This coming from a man who has a horrific human rights record, allegation of fiscal and sexual improprieties and approves of honor killings of women since they are deemed property of their husband. Google+ Author: Estelle Gonzales Walgreen

Jay-Z ‘Open Letter’ Rap to His Cuba Critics – Yes that Means You Sen. Rubio

2013-04-11T19:33:41+00:00

Rapper Jay-Z has just addressed his Cuba-trip critics that include well known Cuban-American politicians, with a rap titled ‘Open Letter’. The music mogul and his wife Beyonce celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on the island nation last week. The trip was greeted by frenzy in Cuba but criticism stateside as U.S. Congressmen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart Ross questioned the legality of the trip. Even Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio chimed in with his scorn, lucky for us he’s not too busy working on comprehensive immigration reform and has time to deal with such critical issues as Jay-Z’s travels. These prominent Cuban-Americans feel travel to Cuba or opening relations with the country will only keep the Communist regime of the Castro brothers in power. Clearly these Cuban-Americans want to give the 53-year-old Cuban embargo policy some more time to work. Travel to Cuba though more open today than before can only happen through cultural exchange licenses granted by the U.S. government. Those licenses cannot be granted for tourist purposes only as some are alleging the Jay- Z - Beyonce trip was. Jay-Z’s critics, which may be more Obama critics than anything else, want to know if the President knew about the trip or worse sanctioned it. If you are to believe the ‘Open Letter’ rap lyrics the President ok’d the trip and was going to get ‘impeached’ over the matter. White House spokesperson, Jay Carney said President did not ok the trip just because maybe he is busy with comprehensive immigration reform amongst other things. The U.S. Treasury Department did a mea culpa and acknowledged that they granted the licenses for the rapper’s group to travel as a ‘cultural learning experience’ but were not aware that the rapper himself and his superstar wife were going to be part of the trip. The lyrics go something like this “I done turned Havana into Atlanta,” Jay-Z raps in “Open Letter,” which he released Thursday. “[…] Boy from the hood, I got White House clearance… Politicians never did s—- for me except lie to me, distort history… They wanna give me jail time and a fine. Fine, let me commit a real crime.” Even if the trip is a bust the song probably won’t be, it was produced by Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. Check it out here: Google+ Author: Estelle Gonzales Walgreen

Divorce or Abdication: Princess Cristina of Spain’s Difficult Choice

2013-04-07T22:30:04+00:00

There is a scandal brewing in Spain that is so riveting Spaniards are taking time off from focusing on their economic woes to weigh in and watch with bated breath what happens next. It involves the middle-child, Princess Cristina or Infanta Christina as she is referred to in Spanish, of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia. Poor Cristina, 47, the independent-minded royal with a higher education that works outside the royal household, has taken the Spanish royals down a path that may finish them off and/or land her in jail. The scandal involves the Infanta’s husband, a retired pro handball player – yes I know it sounds bad already – thank God he’s easy on the eyes. Apparently Iñaki Urdangarin, 45, or Duke of Palma for short was using his royal connections to fund a non-for-profit he ran with a partner. The Noos Institute obtained funds from local Spanish municipalities to create sporting and tourism events. The Duke was in trouble from the moment he influence peddled but missing funds that maybe in offshore tax havens makes this a criminal matter that has been under investigation since 2011. The couple is in danger of losing their palatial villa amid accusations some of the missing funds were used for its purchase. Long gone are the praises they garnered when the couple chose to live in their own home versus a royal palace. Spaniards are heard referring to the investigation as the “new” Spanish Inquisition, now directly involves Princess Cristina. This week she was named a suspect in the matter and is required to make a court appearance making her the first Spanish royal to appear before a legal body. In Spain only the King is immune from prosecution, which came in handy during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella who subjected thousands to the rack and the modern-day precursor to waterboarding without retribution. Infanta Cristina has always had it tough in the world of royals. She is seventh in line to the throne with a younger brother, Crown Prince Felipe destine to be King if there is a monarchy left. Then there is the matter of his commoner wife Letizia who is a super-star in terms of looks, graciousness and fashion. You can look at any Spanish language daily and see what Princess Letizia is doing while Infanta Cristina and her older sister Infanta Elena are largely ignored and so ordinary looking that it’s breathtaking. Her sister Elena married royalty while she opted for a former Olympian with an entitlement disorder, the bad news just goes on. Cristina is known to be a loyal wife. How loyal will soon be found out. She sat on the board of her husband’s non-profit and lent her name to its efforts. Spanish investigators say she knew of the shell companies set up to divert money. Urdangarin stepped down in 2006 from having any role with Noos. Why would the Infanta allow her husband to run a non-for-profit, take a board position or even come close to any ‘money-making’ efforts that royals are suppose to eschew. Well, the Royal Spanish Family is broke comparatively speaking – they are practically royal riff-raff. While England’s Queen Elizabeth has a personal networth of $450 million, King Juan Carlos is worth a paltry $5 million. And yes the family gets a $10 million annual stipend but that covers a staff of 500, maintenance on the royal residences and meager royal salaries. Worse the stipend has been cut continuously amidst Spain’s austerity measures. The unfortunate Princesses are often photographed in yester-years fashions or the same outfit from the week before. Most Spaniards forget or don’t’ care they have a royal family since most of the family keeps a low profile except on public occasions. And not every outing to the bathroom or flower show is covered like it is with the Windsors of England. However this mess has reminded Spain that it might be done with a monarchy. A recent poll found nearly half the nation thinks it is time the 75-year-old Juan Carlos step down and over a third want to return to being a republic. Basically the Spanish royal family is broke, unpopular and in trouble. Princess Cristina must either abdicate her position in the royal family or get a divorce to save the rest of her family – a real ‘Sophie’s Choice’. And she must do this before she appears before the magistrate. The date originally set for that was April 27th but an appeal was filed two days ago to delay the eventual. As for Spain it finally has something to rejoice about with the good news that justice applies to all in the country. Google+ Author: Estelle Gonzales Walgreen

Is There Something Worse Than Being Called a Wetback?

2013-03-31T17:51:32+00:00

Have you heard the one about the “50-60 wetbacks” picking tomatoes that were replaced by a machine? If you haven’t, your head is in the sand or in the Rio Grande. Republican U.S. Congressman Don Young of Alaska was chatting away sharing his gnat size knowledge on immigration policy during an interview on a local radio station. He thought it relevant to mention the good old days on his folks California farm and noted the following: “My father had a ranch; we used to have 50–60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes. It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all done by machine.” With all the fervor, rage and political grandstanding that have come from his comment, it is timely to ask if there is something worse than being called a wetback for Latinos. Young (his name by the way does not reflect his appearance or his policies) apparently vomits out whatever comes to mind. It must be comforting to former Governor Sarah Pallin to know she’s not the only political mediocrity to come out of Alaska. He kind of reminds me of that crumped uncle that still calls African-Americans ‘’negroes” and only progressed to calling them “coloreds” after Obama ‘s re-election. You know the kind that asks your Asian friends with MBAs about the starch on his shirts and why their people can’t get his Ming Chow Palace carryout order correct. Being in his 21st term in Congress, and having been under federal investigation over the last 6 years for everything from earmark spending to bribery to questionable campaign contributions – Young’s expiration date is up. I personally am never offended with an offensive comment when the people saying it, are in themselves offensive. What can one really expect from these gaff-aholic types? To his credit the Congressman did an immediate walk-back on the wetback comment. “I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays,” Young said. See what I meant, not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Poor thing must not have read the inter-office memo from his fellow Republicans that are trying to reverse their own extinction. The memo reads something like “remember we like Latinos, illegal or not, don’t insult them or their cousins across the border at least not until we start winning elections.” Are Latinos more offended being pandered to for their vote or being called wetback? Do most Latinos even associate themselves with a term more associated with the undocumented? Do Republicans even realize that most Latinos aren’t ‘wetbacks’? What is clear is that this pandering, this sudden about face on immigration, this sudden effort for Republican outreach is MORE offensive than being called a wetback. The term ‘wetback’ was coined in 1944 by Border Patrol to identify those immigrants whose clothes were still wet from swimming across the Rio Grande from Mexico to enter the U.S. illegally. The term became more offensive when it became the moniker for a massive deportation initiative in the ‘50s. In 1954 “Operation Wetback” was launched to stem the tide of undocumented entering the country from Mexico. The operation involved going to Hispanic communities searching for those immigrants inside their homes and many times deporting them and their American born children. So can there really be something worse than being called a wetback? The Republicans don’t seem to think so they view this as the greatest crime against the very Hispanics they are trying to engage and just realized they needed. Speaker John Boehner immediately condemned the comment, to his credit he does all he can for the cause by ‘browning’ his skin some might argue orange-izing it to better relate to minorities. While Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) said the comment “could hurt Republicans and their relationship with the Hispanic community. Interestingly, the only Hispanic senior Senator, Marco Rubio was too busy to comment or admonish Rep. Young. And yes this is more offensive than Young’s ‘wetback’ comment for me personally. His office said he was observing a religious holiday. I didn’t realize Good Friday meant your mouth was wired shut to things other than meat. Or maybe because the term wetback is a direct insult to Mexican immigrants versus Cuban immigrants he wasn’t motivated enough to comment. Not sure. Republicans are all over this and throwing one of their own under the bus for such “disrespectful” language. So why can’t they also condemn as disrespectful and racially biased all twenty-three plus Voter ID laws they authored that will disproportionately harm Latino voters. Or stop supporting initiatives to overturn Affirmative Action or stop barring undocumented students from accessing state-rate tuition, and the list goes on. Just this week there were other Republicans who didn’t get the ‘be nice to Latinos’ memo and they didn’t get admonished. There’s North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory wanting to put a ‘scarlet letter’ on drivers license for undocumented students and closing the decade’s old state office on Latino affairs. How about Sen. John McCain insisting he will continue to use the term “illegal alien” when describing the undocumented even when he was told straight to his face Latinos find that term very offensive. Yes! Yes, there are things worse than being called a ‘wetback’! Get rid of those anti-Latino initiatives amongst many others and make an earnest effort on comprehensive immigration reform, that would show real respect to Latinos, which would make the ‘wetback’ label a mere sting. Google+ Author: Estelle Gonzales Walgreen

Rand Paul May Support Path to Citizenship – Latinos Say Who Cares

2013-03-20T19:49:49+00:00

There is a lot of buzz about Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul’s sudden embrace of immigration reform and a possible ‘path to citizenship’ but not from Latinos. Coming from a man who is the face of the Tea Party and just two years ago wanted to rewrite the constitution to deny birthright citizenship – the about face is remarkable. So why aren’t Latinos bringing out the tequila to toast? Why isn’t Spanish-language media all over this pronouncement like they were all over Jeb Bush’s fill-flop on immigration? Why aren’t Latinos toasting the man who filibustered for 13 hours without a break to protect them from a possible drone strike death and protects their right to go into sugar-induced comas with a Big Gulp? Simply put it’s because Paul is “coco loco” “chiflado” “loquito” – translation: he’s crazy town. It’s like saying to someone who hasn’t been lucky in love I have the man of your dreams and his name is Jeffry Dahmer. It is also his questionable gene pool being the son of Ron Paul, his own ‘odd father’. Latinos are worried that Paul has inherited his dad’s clinical propensity for paranoia. Did the apple fall far from the arbol? I don’t think so, to quote Bill Maher “the shit doesn’t fall far from the bat” with those two. Paul made the startling about face on immigration when he addressed the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. Yes, I know what were they thinking? Why the hell did they let him in the front door – not sure? Maybe they thought as a licensed ophthalmologist he was offering free glaucoma tests. Paul has not garnered much Latino voter enthusiasm as a potential 2016 Presidential candiate even at the Chamber meeting where he spoke in Spanish or paid homage to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, told us of his Texas days along side Latinos and recited Pablo Neruda’s poetry. Apparently one of the things Paul does on his episodic visits to sanity is read poetry, who knew. Latinos know when they look him in the eye (and hopefully not get checked for “lazy eye” since that is what he ultimately thinks of minorities) they find a deluded hater. This is the man that vows to eliminate the Federal Reserve, Department of Education, American With Disability Act, to name a few, and revoke the Civil Rights Act. There’s a reason his own party has called him “too kooky for Kentucky.” So let’s see we will have a population that is dumber, trading monopoly money for food, hobbled and segregated all while dodging a drone strike in their back yard. He is certifiable if he believes that this move will win over Hispanic voters – well - because they aren’t crazy. More importantly they have a long memory.

Poll Shows Scandal Plagued Sen. Robert Menendez Not As Popular in Home State

2013-02-21T18:09:58+00:00

A recent political poll from Quinnipac reflects the affect rumors of romping with under-aged prostitutes and questionable friendships can have on your approval rating as an election official. The February 21, 2013 poll shows Senator Robert Mendendez’ approval rating in his home state of New Jersey dropped a whopping 15-points in less than a month. The Cuban-American Senator’s rating is now at 39-42 percent versus 51 percent from January 23, 2013. Ouch. An overwhelming majority of New Jerseyians have heard some or all of the controversy swirling around the Senator. They clearly are focused and not distracted by their Governor’s (Christie) donut eating excursion on TV. Controversies that include taking unreported private planes to engage prostitutes privately or at sex parties, some allegedly under-aged, at his good friend Dr. Salomon Meglen’s Dominican Republic estate. Dr. Melgen also appears not to be a friend to have your name associated with in light of his medicare fraud issues and business dealings in the Dominican Republic. There are also reports that the Senator might of gone to bat for his friend in the halls of power where he works – maybe because Melgen is a good pal with lots of cash or because he’s the Senator’s pimp. You decide. The Democratic Senator who has been on the forefront of comprehensive immigration reform has not been charged with any wrongdoing and many of the rumors remain just that. However, as the Quinnipac pollsters put it “More than two thirds of [NJ] voters have heard of his troubles and the more they know, the less they approve.” Menendez has been a U.S. Senator since 2006 and for sometime was the sole Latino Senator; now he is one of three Hispanic Senators elected. He was re-elected to another six-year term in 2012 with an overwhelming majority vote. Not sure the Senator could pull that easy of a re-election if held today in New Jersey.

At Last Beauty v Beast on Fox News – Scott Brown to Join Network

2013-02-13T20:15:01+00:00

For all the fans, female or otherwise, of hard-charging, unbiased Fox News worry not- you no longer have to settle for the visual limitations of a Karl Rove or Dick Morris. And before you stop reading in anger, I am not saying Rove or Morris’ only limitations are their looks - that might be their only positives. The network has just announced that the ex-Senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown, will be joining the news team. The 53-year-old is not only a former Senator but a former model that has not taken on the appearance of a bloated troll with inflamed gums. Age has been kind to Brown and we are not sure if that is because he is a moderate Republic versus a rabid Republican. Brown will be making his debut tonight on the “Hannity” show, the only other “pretty face” on Fox according to some. Brown lost his Senate seat to Democrat Elizabeth Warren last year. I am looking forward to commenting on the issues of the day and challenging our elected officials to put our country’s needs first instead of their own partisan interests,” Brown said. Foes of Fox News, can now watch the networks unbiased coverage of topics such as immigration focused on the messenger instead of the message. Unfortunately depending on your point of view, Rove remains on Fox while Morris was dropped earlier this month and is heading to CNN.

¡Si, Se Puede! – Obama Wins Re-election and Says Gracias to Latino Voters

2012-11-07T15:45:24+00:00

Estelle Gonzales Walgreen Editor-in-Chief Hispanically Speaking News ¡Si, Se Puede! – President Barrack Obama won re-election last night winning the electoral vote at 303 and the popular vote by 50%, thanks in great part to near-record levels of Latino support. Obama received a very large portion of the Latino vote - 75 percent- ensuring him a victory in key states like Colorado, Ohio, and Virginia. Obama received 87 percent of the Latino vote in Colorado alone. Lesson here for Republicans: stop with the negative rhetoric and portrayal of immigrants as takers. Enough with the chatter about electrified border fences and self-deportation, sit down and figure out a comprehensive immigration plan in a bipartisan manner. Extremists in the Republican party must realize Latinos exist and not just in the form of illegal border crossers and are just like everyone else when it comes to their view on the economy and jobs, which means they support a combination of spending cuts and higher taxes. President Obama must deliver on immigration reform with some form of economic and political inclusion for the undocumented. Latinos are energized and won’t forgot and forgive any candidate that will run for President in 2016 without an outreach for their vote and respect for their culture. Mitt Romney gave a graciously lackluster speech and self-deported himself and family back to home. Unfortunately Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and California where he has homes did not give him a win so he is a man without a country so to speak. He might have to buy another home in the Southern belt where he had decisive victories. The slew of women winning Senate seats was a referendum on Republican men to stay out of the pants of the female voters. Hopefully they have learned their lesson to keep talk of vaginal probes, “legitimate rape” and reproductive rights to the locker room. A real gentleman, at least those that want to get elected, knows you only go inside a ladies pants if you are invited. Lessons learn: Sheldon Adelson better stick to betting on casinos and get better facial moisturizers, Donald Trump a.k.a Orangina needs to be committed to a mental health care facility funded by Obamacare, and Karl Rove needs to disappear and I don’t mean lose weight I mean become white vapor. However, the most important lesson that should be learned in this election cycle: Latinos react when marginalized, suppressed and vote for those who speak to them with respect. Meanwhile I am going to celebrate by going to Colorado to enjoy some medicinal marijuana, attend a gay wedding in 3M country (Maine, Maryland and Minnesota) and vacation in Maryland as a thank you for passing the Maryland DREAM Act. I will top off my celebration with a Mojito Diego rum drink to toast the next 51st state of the Union, Puerto Rico. The reality is President Obama faces a deeply divided Congress and a first of the year deadline to avert a dive from our ‘fiscal cliff’ and of course he has to face Congress’ own weeping willow Rep. John Boehner. But as Latinos say: “That’s mañana today we celebrate with a fiesta.”

On Election Day Latinos Need to Make History with Record Voter Turnout

2012-11-05T23:28:24+00:00

Estelle Gonzales Walgreen Editor-in-Chief, Hispanically Speaking News I am urging everyone I know, don’t know, don’t like, and even talk bad about to get off their Laz-y Boys and go out and vote tomorrow. No excuses- not even from all my aunts whose backsides resemble their sofas and think they make a difference by yelling at Fox TV. This is a historic election cycle. No, not because it’s a presidential election or a Mormon may be elected for the first time or you’re mad that Romney has Mexican amnesia. It is important because this is the first presidential election since the 2010 census declared Latinos the fastest growing minority, creating the buzz around the power of the Latino vote. This is the first election where issues important to Latinos were being polled for and often discussed. This is the first election cycle where people south of the Mason-Dixon line realized Jorge Ramos is not Anderson Cooper. This is the first election where the Spanish ads were as abundant and as annoying as the English ones. And most importantly, this is the first time there has been a well-funded, concerted and consistent effort to suppress the minority vote through countless Voter ID laws and English-only initiatives. There have been many successful Latino voter drivers for the 2012 election but now you need to show up. There are 24 million Latino eligible voters this time around, over 4 million more since the last presidential election and every single one needs to come out and vote. Despite the large numbers of registered Latino voters, Latinos are pegged as unengaged politically and as non-voters, which is a correct perception. You can change that tomorrow. For those that don’t care much about presidential politics each state has its own slate of candidates and important issues to engage you. Depending on where you live you might help legalize pot, deny other humans the right to marry the person of their choosing or be able to take a lethal cocktail of drugs if terminally ill. In Maryland, Latinos should and must come out in droves to vote their heart in the Maryland DREAM Act which if passed would allow undocumented students to pay in-state tuition rates. In Montana if Referendum 121 is passed it will deny state services to the undocumented and in Puerto Rico, voters will decide whether or not they will become the 51st state. All issues worthy even for shut-in’s to leave their homes and go to their local voting booth. I don’t care if you are politically illiterate with the attention span of a gnat. Go and Vote. I don’t’ care that you think you can’t make a difference because you really haven’t most of your life now is the time to turn the tide and go and vote. I don’t care if you think you know who is going to win. You don’t. No one does not even Nate Silver. To my familia that does not vote: You can no longer bitch about the male, pale and stales running the country and your reproductive organs. You can no longer complain that they stopped your barely-brown cousin in Arizona. You can no longer complain when they keep referring to your relatives as illegal when they are undocumented. You can no longer complain that your kids are getting last years textbooks, and you have to go to high-cost, low-quality neighborhood clinics. You can no longer complain when your unemployment benefits are challenged and you’re labeled as ‘marginally attached’ to the economy when you are working two jobs. And most importantly you can no longer complain when you think elected officials don’t know you exist - they don’t. GO AND VOTE and they won’t forget you.

Is Mexico’s Paulina Rubio the Next Naomi Campbell?

2012-11-02T21:47:17+00:00

You know you have successfully made a cross-over as a Latin artist when your crazy shit makes it to TMZ, the premier digital gossipmonger. Allegedly ragin’ Paulina Rubio slapped her allegedly incompetent assistant “on or about October 28”, Felipe Betancur Restrepo, who is now suing her. Rubio’s lackey had the nerve to book Rubio in coach versus first class on a flight from Miami-to-Mexico. After taking his beating on the plane (where are the Air Marshal’s when you need them), that consisted of bitch slaps, punches and kung-fu kicks, he quit. Restrepo also says he was verbally abused throughout the flight and after landing. Hopefully he wasn’t confused with the nasty flight attendants that are now roaming in coach, the ones who are overwhelmed when giving you your three ice cube allotment. After landing Restrepo first quit then processed to immediately sue Rubio for $250,000. He is alleging that he suffered abrasions and contusions and of course his dignity is in the dumper. He had only been in Rubio’s employment since August so maybe just verbal abuse was called for, you think? Rubio needs to try a Xanax or another mood modifier because she is starting to look like hell-on-heels super model Naomi Campbell. Rubio was arrested last year in Miami after tangling with police and in 2006 she attacked a paparazzo at Miami International Airport with her purse. 2012 has brought Rubio her share of heartache. In March, she and her husband Nicolas Vallejo Najera were separated after five-years of marriage. The hubby asked for child support and primary custody of their son, Andrea Nicholas, AOL Latino reported. Rubio countered by saying she supported the family and her estranged husband never worked. Maybe that’s why she’s so pissed off all the time!! The Mexican songstress has sold over 20 million albums worldwide beginning her solo career in the ‘90s. According to E! Entertainment the singer is ranked as one of the top 25 Sexiest Pop Divas. Her publicist immediately responded to the incident with the following statement: “The allegations made by the Plaintiff Felipe Bentancur Restrepo are the subject of fantasy and make believe. Mr. Restrepo was fired for incompetence and drunkenness. The moment after being fired and eventually recovering from his inebriation Mr. Restrepo ran to an attorney who was representing another individual in a meritless lawsuit previously filed against Ms. Rubio’s company Link Tours, Inc. Incredibly, Mr. Restrepo has concocted a fable about being beaten by a woman half his size. Notably absent from this entire story is any reference that this “beating and humiliation” was documented or observed by anyone on the flight. Mr. Restrepo who had worked form Ms. Rubio’s company for less than three months executed a confidentiality agreement which he has since breached and will be the subject of a lawsuit seeking monetary and injunctive relief.” Maybe Paulina and her people don’t know its not a good idea to call someone a drunk incompetent when they are suing you for verbal abuse. Notably absent from the publicist statement is Rubio’s ragin’ past.

Mexico’s Real Life ‘Day of the Dead’ Mystery: Where is Body of Narco Heriberto Lazcano?

2012-10-30T00:01:59+00:00

Mexico has it own real life ‘Day of the Dead’ mystery on its hands involving one of the country’s most ruthless thugs – Los Zeta founder and its jefe – Heriberto Lazcano Lazcano. Did the Mexican Navy really kill him? Who stole his corpse from the morgue? Who gave permission to exhume the bodies of Lazcano’s parents for DNA samples? Why did the Mexican government need to get DNA proof when there’s no body to test and they claim to have fingerprint proof? Who is resting inside Lazcano’s massive mausoleum in Apan, Hidalgo? What role if any does the narco church of Our Lady of Sun Juan of the Lakes play in all of this? Why is U.S. DEA so quiet on this major narco death? And those are just some of the questions associated with the October 7th killing of former special commando Lazcano on a baseball field some 70 miles south of the Texas border in Progeso, Coahuila. The 37-year-old narco moved his way up the ranks from enforcer to drug trafficker to narco entrepreneur – creating one of the most ruthless cartels in 1999. The Zetas and Lazcano made a name for themselves with their trademark beheadings, bodies in acid baths, and mass killings and torture of kidnapped migrants from Central America. Wes Craven or Stephen King fictional horror stories can’t match the savagery of Lazcano and his henchmen. This is in great part a mystery because of the actions of the very people in charge of security for the country. Mexican officials quickly claimed naval infantry had killed Lazcano as he casually watched a baseball game. They allegedly photographed the body and took his fingers prints right before unknown persons broke into the city’s morgue heavily armed and stole the corpse. On October 16, President Felipe Calderon announced to his nation that ‘El Lazca’ was dead – this was his ‘Osama bin Laden is dead’ moment. It didn’t matter the missing corpse was shorter than U.S. official records on Lazcano show. Apparently it didn’t matter either that there was no body. A week later authorities announce they were going to exhume the bodies of his parents leaving many wondering if Lazcano was really dead and whether Calderon lied. Others believe the U.S. quietly asked Mexico to make double sure. No one is quiet sure how the Mexican government obtained permission to exhume the bodies or how conclusive the genetic tests were. Where ever the real Lazcano is, one thing is not a mystery his body will end up at the grand mausoleum at the Pachuca’s San Francisco Ejidal Cemetery he built in 2009. There will also be a solemn Catholic service for him at the church Lazcano built with narco money, Our Lady of San Juan of the Lakes. Town gossip says Los Federales are hiding out in town to see if the mausoleum doors open or if there is a late night mass at Lazcano’s church. We assume Mexican officials plan on stealing back the dead corpse to conduct more identifications – or simply not to give the devil any peace. Almost three weeks after Lazcano’s death at the hands of the Mexican Navy his body remains missing but light streams through the stain glass windows of his mausoleum. This is a perfect tale for Halloween and Mexico’s Day of the Dead, scary if it weren’t so real.

Latin America Drops from the Map: Ignored in Last Presidential Debate on Foreign Policy

2012-10-23T18:26:12+00:00

Last night’s final Presidential debate, focusing on foreign policy, covered a lot of geography but on the whole ignored Latin America. To listen to President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney you’d never know that Mexico is not only America’s neighbor with 1,951 miles of shared border it is also one of our largest trading partners. You would also never know that Latin America covers almost 4 percent of the Earth’s surface and close to 600 million people live there, making it significant in anyone’s foreign policy barometer. The majority of the foreign policy debate focused on hot spots in the Middle East: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Libya. There was much discussion on areas of conflict were we have military engagement with the narco wars ravaging Mexico and Central America completely ignored. This is the foreign threat that lays closest to our border and has the impact to negatively affect our national security overnight, yet no mention. There was no discussion on the impact of immigration from Latin America on foreign policy or how to handle Cuba going forward. Many Latinos would like to see if we can move past the current foreign policy that dates back to the 1960’s. The omission of Mexico in the debate by both candidates shows the relationship is often taken for granted and at times defined in terms of negatives like illegal immigration and drug smuggling. To omit discussing the drug war and the flow of illegal guns to Mexico was intentional because there are no easy answers with popular policies attached making the issue a political pariah. There was consensus about America’s role in the world between the candidates more than you might think, but it was Romney who briefly espoused the financial benefits of expanded trade with Latin America. Romney accused Obama of failing to take advantage of opportunities for expanding trade in the region. True. Latin America got another brief mention when Romney spoke of global menaces. Romney chided Obama for seeking dialogue with the likes of Venezuelan President Hugo Chaves and the Castro brothers of Cuba. So if Obama has a commanding lead amongst Latino voters did this slight of Latin America mean anything? No. Latino voters like everyone else will look at the debate trifecta to determine if they will change their vote - no signs of that happening. Obama continues to have a commanding lead amongst registered Latino voters going into the final weeks of the campaign.

Disney’s First Latina Princess is Suffering from Neglect. Why?

2012-10-22T22:46:03+00:00

Disney’s latest fictional phenom comes in the form of Princess Sofia, the first Latina Princess. The young princess will make her debut in the animated film ‘Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess’ on the Disney TV channel on November 18. And before Disney executives could even design their first Happy Meal environmental hazard, poor Princess Sofia of Enchancia (spanglish for encantación/enchantment) is becoming almost as unpopular as the soaring cost of Disney’s jumbo turkey legs. Apparently for some, Sofia is culturally diseased and her ethnic credentials have been called into question. People are having trouble with her light skin, light brown hair and blue eyes. She has been deemed “not Latino enough” and since she is a mere child we can safely assume she didn’t bleach her skin like Sammy Sosa or Michael Jackson. For culturally progressive Latinos there isn’t a problem with her appearance since we know we come in all different shades and shapes. Then there’s the fictional fact that Sofia is from Galdiz “a place with Latin influences” according to Disney executives. Yet many other Disney princesses have come from real places like New Orleans, China, Germany, etc… . Is Disney too nervous to create a character or story line from Mexico, South America or from the barrios of east L.A.? Personally, it is Disneys insistence that they don’t want to emphasis Sofia’s ethnicity that is bothersome. We know that when the toy-selling mafia wants a product or marketing strategy to succeed it spares no expense. The only reason this character was even identified, as Latina appears to be accidental. A Disney executive at the movie preview was asked why Sofia’s mother Miranda’s skin was so dark. The answer: she’s Latina but we don’t want to emphasis her ethnicity. The company has not launched this Disney Princess with the same fan fare as the previous ten others. Non-fictional facts, starting with Snow White in 1937 to Rapunzel in 2010, show all princesses have been honored with a feature film instead of cable movie. And don’t insult me by blaming the economy, if you can afford to go into business with Univision for a 24-hour news cable network to inundate us with more ads cash flow doesn’t seem to be a problem. Disney made sure we knew Princess Jasmine of ‘Aladdin’ was of Arabian heritage; we were told repeatedly that Pocahontas was the company’s first Native American; we knew that Fa Mulan of ‘Mulan’ was Chinese and that Princess Tiana of ‘The Princess and the Frog’ was the princess franchise first African-American. So Princess Sofia is not suffering from not being Latina enough she is suffering from neglect. Why? Does Disney want to make sure it capitalizes on the large Latino population but not on their culture? FYI selling chimichangas at Disney California Adventure doesn’t cut it. Does Disney want to make sure Latinos buy all things Disney while offering cultural crumbs to this demographic? Does Disney know that Latinos don’t really appreciate token gestures and would rather forego a Latina Princess in return for more affordable life memories? My suggestion to Disney, either get rid of Princess Sofia and the Latina label or please give her, her due: movie deal, video games, Happy Meal collectibles and an Alan Menken musical score for starters.

Why is Univision’s Maria Elena Salinas Pissed at Mitt Romney?

2012-09-25T20:45:25+00:00

Univision’s anchor Maria Elena Salinas did some dishing about Mitt Romney and his appearance last week on the network’s presidential candidate forums that hosted President Barack Obama and Romney separately. So in case you were wondering how the typically lack luster Republican candidate Romney motivated the University of Miami crowd to roars while the President-with-a-Personality lulled his audience – moderator Maria Elena Salinas has the answer. It was thanks to last minute demands made by the Romney camp, Salinas dished to newsite BuzzFeed. One of Romney’s advisers, Alberto Martinez, would have us believe what we saw on TV was reality instead of staged reality TV. “I think [Romney] did an amazing job, and I think it was pretty clear there wasn’t the same excitement for President Obama.” Wow this must be where wacky meets khaki! Salinas, who along with the silver fox Jorge Ramos (pronounced George Ramon by the Republicans backing English-only legislation) moderated the candidates forums, claims Romney’s camp asked to break the ‘student-only’ audience forum rule when they couldn’t find enough Cuban-Republicans, I mean student conservatives at the University of Miami to attend. She also disclosed they threatened (my word not hers) to “reschedule” the televised event if they couldn’t bus in Florida supporters – something Obama did not ask for. To quote BuzzFeed: “Obama’s campaign, meanwhile, stuck to the original parameters and allowed a large chunk of the tickets to be distributed to interested students on campus. The result was a quiet, well-behaved crowd — and a lot of no-shows.” Salinas was pissed because the manufactured audience over reacted to Romney’s every word, which she says was ‘disrespectful’ to the forum format and I say is pushing reality TV to the limits of credibility. However, I am fair and balanced and therefore say let him enjoy every applause because they are dwindling in numbers and volume. Soon the campaign will have a “Do Not Resuscitate” written all over it. That wasn’t all it appears that Romney had a hissy fit about. Ramos introduced Romney by saying the Republican candidate agreed to 35 minutes on the Spanish-only network while the Deporter-in-Chief Obama agreed to talk for an one-hour. Romney felt that though the statement was true it made him look bad – no worries Mitt everything you say to and about Latinos looks and sounds bad. Romney refused to come out after the introduction and while the TV cameras were rolling, agreeing only to come out AFTER Univision consented to retaping the intro and getting rid of the 35 minutes versus 1 hour comment. I can just imagine the steam coming out of Salinas’ ears and nostrils when this is happening. On the bright side Republicans can be thankful Mitt has such high standards of mediocrity. Now for those pro-Romney voters and all the Latino Republicans (all four of you) don’t start bashing Salinas she did in fact defend Romney in one aspect of his appearance on Univision. When some critics thought the male, pale and stale Republican candidate might of plied on the make-up to morph into a dark-faced Latino, Salinas came to his defense. Salinas stated to BuzzFeed Romney did not request extra make-up “he was just a little sunburned.” Thank God I wouldn’t want a candidate that panders to Latinos for a vote. As for all of you high and mighty media critics thinking Spanish-language news media tends to be unprofessional and Salinas catty for dishing on a presidential-contender pretender let’s not forget this happened around the same time CNN ‘borrowed’ and leered at the diary of assassinated Ambassador Christopher Stevens, a personal diary CNN found while scrounging around the burnt embassy also known as a crime scene.

Will 800 Latino Delegates Help Obama Win in November?

2012-09-05T20:45:29+00:00

The Republican Party might be conveniently silent on the number of Latino delegates at their convention last week, not so the Democrats who are yelling from every rooftop: record number of Latino delegates are here in North Carolina. The Democrats are reporting there are approximately 800 Latino delegates in Charlotte, which make this a historical turnout. According to Fox News Latino the RNC Latino delegate count has not been disclosed despite repeated requests for that number. So you know that ‘silence is golden’ only when something sucks. The party did not even provide an estimate and round it up like Chipotle does – so you know it can’t be a respectable number. Both parties have touted their Latino-heavy speaker’s list but it’s the delegates who go out there and get the candidate their votes. The Republicans have made much of the Latino governors and U.S. Senator that spoke at the convention ignoring the largely white canvas of people they spoke to. Forgotten is the fact those governors (Susanna Martinez and Brian Sandoval) and senator (Marco Rubio) won without much of the Latino vote. Romney on the other hand needs the Latino vote and is hoping for 38% of that vote, a goal that is looking very elusive. Most polls show President Obama having a substantial lead over Romney amongst Latino voters with more than 60% of that vote. These Latino delegates need to get out there and make sure Latinos first and foremost vote, which is a risk Obama runs – apathy. There are a multitude of voter registration drives and star-studded pleas from Hollywood for Latinos to vote. One of the most popular is VotoLatino.org that counts on the support from Wilmer Valerrama, Demi Lovato, America Ferrera and Rosario Dawson, amongst others. Having the first Latino, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, give a keynote address didn’t hurt and was meant to fire up the Latino base and it appears to have worked. Now let’s see if those 800 delegates can help Latinos ignore Obama’s deportation numbers (1.4 million), Latino unemployment and foreclosure rates and focus on “the man who’s always chosen us” according to Julian Castro.

Ecuador Says “F*** You” to UK and Grants Julian Assange Asylum

2012-08-16T15:59:09+00:00

In the face of global criticism and possible revocation of its diplomatic status in Britain, Ecuador has decided to grant WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange political asylum. Why would Ecuador grant asylum to a professional hacker, albeit the most famous one, and a probable sexual deviant? Why is Ecuador using this unpopular internet pariah to give the ultimate “F**k” you to the UK? The answer to that question goes back further than the eight weeks Assange has been holed up in the Ecuador Embassy in London, avoiding extradition to Sweden for rape charges. The answer lies in the immediate response given by Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino on behalf of left-leaning President Rafael Correa: “We want to be very clear, we are not a British colony. The colonial times are OVER.” Correa once joked to Reuters that he saw Assange as a fellow member of “the club of the persecuted.” Threat of persecution was the very justification that Minister Patino gave as to why Ecuador granted the asylum request. Yes, Ecuador’s government has a persecution complex that has been aptly used by Correa to keep his people distracted. If he keeps talking about those nasty ‘colonists’, those overreaching ‘imperialists’ Ecuadorians might not notice that their human rights are often infringed on, and that there is less to eat. Let’s hope Assange keeps his mouth shut and doesn’t point out that the very freedoms he represents to his supporters Correa squashes. Ecuador is usually on some international list as being one of the more corrupt and least transparent governments in Latin America. Ecuador is also known for having one of the most ‘repressed’ economies in the world. Or maybe Ecuador, knowing that the U.S. is looking to talk to Assange, was giving the “F” you to them and Chevron Corp. The U.S. oil giant has an $18 billion judgment for massive environment abuses in the country dating back to the ‘60s. Ecuador suffered like many other countries under 300-years of Spanish colonial rule and saw its population decimated by disease and enslavement. It has struggled to find its voice and way as a democratic republic. So maybe a “F**k” you was necessary from those that aren’t able to move past the past but not with Assange as the instrument of that message. For his part Assange played his cards right and sought asylum in a country’s embassy that isn’t looking to make friends with the U.S. or Britain. A country that several years ago defaulted on billions in foreign debt and rewrote the constitution at the will of its President. A country that would use him to make a social injustice statement while he uses them to save his ass from prison. Maybe even Assange sees himself as a victim of the very colonists that some Ecuadorians continue to feel wronged by. Now what? Assange will probably be arrested when he attempts to leave the Ecuador Embassy in London to catch a flight to Quito. For his part Correa will probably enjoy a surge in popularity especially amongst the young that are fans of Assange and his freedom of the press mantra. Maybe if Assange is able to escape out of London into Ecuador he can figure out how to get computers, internet or maybe even roads to the rural poor, who are Correa’s biggest supporters, before they give him an “F**k” you and vote him out of office.

A Cautionary Tale of Latin Love Gone Very Wrong

2012-08-05T16:21:44+00:00

It was never suppose to end this way for the Oxford-trained, distinguished professor of physics and astronomy. It was hopes of love that drove Paul Frampton to Latin America in January of this year. The 68-year-old divorced professor at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill looked forward to pursing his budding romance, born on the Internet, with the buxom Miss Bikini World 2007, also known as Denise Milani. They planned their rendezvous in Latin America the land of passionate lovers. First they were to go to Bolivia then on to Argentina and then back home to share their new life together. He waited 10 days in Bolivia, the 32-year-old Milani never showed. Incredulously he went on to Argentina hoping she would show up there. It was here Frampton claims a Hispanic man, claiming to be his love-interest’s confidant, asked him to carry a suitcase to Milani who awaited him in Peru. She wasn’t in Bolivia or Argentina but surely she would be in Peru, he thought. The suitcase was loaded with two kilos of cocaine and was discovered at the Ezieza International airport in Buenos Aires. The brilliant man of science that has been credited with important discoveries in theoretical physics failed to use common sense at every juncture of this love story gone very wrong. Milani, who proudly promotes her 32DD natural bust line online, is not believed to be involved and claims not to know the Professor. More than likely Latin American drug traffickers used Frampton like others trolling the Internet for love as a useful source to move their drugs globally. Now the shattered man, labeled by some as a physics genius, sits in the hellish Villa Devoto prison with other accused and convicted narcos. His line of defense is a ‘personality disorder’ that renders him gullible and a mental disorder brought about by his ‘obsession with physics’ – doubtful that Argentina’s judicial system can or will acknowledge mental illness as an excuse for drug trafficking. Now Frampton stands to lose his tenure at the University, his dignity (well actually I think that might be gone) and ultimately his freedom. There is also the real possibility that his life is in danger with violence a common occurrence in most Latin American prisons. Argentine prisons have been criticized by human rights organizations as places where ‘humiliating treatment, torture, and beatings’ commonly occur. The prison was the dank setting for the “Kiss of the Spider Woman” novel by Manuel Puig. Pleas to the Argentine government of President Cristina Kirchner on behalf of the British-born Frampton have fallen on deaf ears. Do you think it has something to do with the loss of the Falkland Island to those ‘foreign invading’ British, some 30-years ago? Kirchner gave the British an ‘Olympic snub’ refusing to attend the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics. She went as far as recently labeling the benign Prince William a “Conquistador”. Eight months later Frampton still sits in Villa Devoto with no trial date in sight like many of the other accused in Argentina. Frampton will now receive an informal education on the many shortcomings of Latin America’s justice system and their utter disregard for the human rights of the accused. If you are interested in helping Frampton gain his freedom, check out this website organized by his many supporters.

¡Hola! Presidente Obama, Its Raul Castro Can We Talk?

2012-07-31T15:56:34+00:00

What is 81-year-old Raul Castro, President of Cuba, up to? He has publicly announced to his people that he is ready and willing to talk to the U.S. saying “If they want to talk, we will talk.” Apparently he thinks election season is a good time to mend fences with his country’s 50-year-foe and enact policy change. You would think that after witnessing countless U.S. elections, Raul would know that no one really talks during election season, let alone tackle true change. I know the concept of elections and campaigning are foreign to Raul and his predecessor brother, Fidel, so we need to inform him that no one will stir the Cuban embargo debate that rests inside the battleground state of Florida with its Cuban exile community. When Castro made these impromptu remarks last week he assured his citizens that no subject was off limits with the U.S, not even democracy and freedom of the press. Thank God Castro isn’t up for re-election, dictators rarely are, lest anyone remind him this could be a short conversation with no obvious democracy or freedom of the press on this island nation to be found. Raul did not specify whom exactly inside the “Imperialist” nation he would speak to about mending those broken fences. So let us speculate. There is Florida’s Senator Marco Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants and member of the Committee on Foreign Relations. I don’t think he’ll answer Raul. He blames you and your brother for making his parents ‘exilees’. Yes, I know Raul they left BEFORE the revolution but I told you this is election season and people say the darnest things. However, you and Rubio can talk about the definition of socialism. Senator Rubio was one of the first politicos to call Obama a socialist, therefore a pioneer of sorts. Since Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is on a foreign fact-finding trip, he might engage in a conversation with you. Actually after his latest penny-loafer-in-mouth fiascos in the U.K. and Israel he better not answer the phone. He might just end up ending the 50-year-old embargo to the dismay of the conservative Cuban voting bloc he is aggressively courting. Then there is the man you really want to talk to: Presidente Obama better known to you as “the best snake charmer that has ever existed.” And depending on which Obama answers the phone we don’t know what you might hear. There is Obama the politician who, though advocating travel to Cuba, doesn’t want to admit we have a gun problem let alone a Cuba problem. However, if Obama of 2008 answers, as the defender of human rights and all things democratic he would probably remind you of the political prisoners that have rotted in Cuban jails without due process. Oh and then there’s that pesky mess with Alan Gross the jailed U.S. contractor. I think Raul you are taking a page out of our political operative handbook: divert attention from real issues people want to hear about with outrageous statements and elusive enemies. Maybe you watched ‘Wag the Dog’’ on Netflix, oophs forgot the Internet is practically non-existent in Cuba. Raul, I don’t think the Cuban people, that is those that aren’t building wooden yolas to leave, want to hear you talk to Obama or anyone else in the U.S. They want to hear when they can eat without rations, have running water and enjoy their God-given freedoms.

¡No Mas! Say Anaheim Latinos on Their Fourth Day of Protests

2012-07-25T20:21:36+00:00

In the shadow of the Magic Kingdom and inside the cradle of the Angels, the minority majority is saying ¡No Mas! to being disrespected and overlooked. Today, marked the fourth day of disruptive protests by Anaheim Latinos, that currently make up 54% of the city’s population, and others against their trigger-happy police force. It was the 7th and 8th police shooting of the year, both fatal, of Latino young men that brought to the surface barely veiled feelings of injustice, discrimination and unfairness. This past weekend in separate shootings two known gang members were shot to death by police, Manuel Angel Diaz, 25, and Joel Acevedo, 21. However it was the Saturday afternoon shooting of unarmed Diaz that setoff the protests. Acevedo was shot on Sunday. Diaz was stopped and chased by police and for unknown reasons was reportedly shot in the leg and back of the head, then handcuffed and left lying on the lawn of a residential apartment building while officers searched for evidence. He later died at the hospital and many residents insist valuable time in trying to save his life was lost. While many are calling for justice, there is also criticism of the protesters for storming police Headquarters, setting dumpsters on fire and today breaking storefront windows. Was all of this an overreaction to the arrests, pepper spraying, rubber belts and a charging police dog? All things used by Anaheim police on the protesters, that initially included the mother of Diaz, Genevieve Huizar. It is not. The shooting deaths were just the catalyst for long-held grievances and not a mere excuse to act out. There is a long history of rancor between Anaheim Latinos and the city it calls home. In spite of being the home to Disneyland and the California Angels there isn’t much to bring joy to the areas that are predominantly Latino. According to a study by ‘Orange County Communities for Responsible Development’ the nearby, affluent Anaheim Hills has more parks, libraries and community centers with less residents to use them. Just last month the ACLU of California filed suit against the City for excluding the large Latino population from city government. Though Latinos make up 54% of the population there are none on city council and 4 out of the 5 council members are from Anaheim Hills. Maybe that’s why they have more parks, libraries and community centers. In its history, Anaheim city council can only claim three elected Latinos, which is one less than the KKK had. There was even an Anaheim police officer, Steve Nolan, who turned on his fellow officers to report police brutality against Latinos back in the 1990’s. An internal review, like many others, found no fault with police action. Maybe Latinos think they need to protest loud enough to be noticed. Especially considering that since 2010 6 families have been protesting peacefully in front of police headquarters in the name of the victims of police shootings. Maybe screaming ¡No Mas! for a little while longer will be enough coupled with the Mayor’s call for a federal review of the shootings and Huizar calls for the violence to stop in the name of her dead son. Anaheim Hills better hope protesters don’t decide to take their act across town where there is grass and the grass is literally greener.

Is George Zimmerman Not a Racist Because He’s Latino? He Thinks So.

2012-07-19T02:50:33+00:00

The audience that turned in tonight to watch the first televised interview of George Zimmerman on Fox with ‘Hannity’ and hoping for a Perry Mason moment of truth would have been disappointed. Zimmerman was the most polished, humble, modestly remorseful murder defendant to be seen in a while. With his multitudes of ‘Yes Sir’ and self-portrayal as dutiful husband, neighbor, uncle, you have to ask yourself how he mustered the gumption to pull out a Kel Tel 9 mm and shoot dead 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26th. Not until he mentions that he would do nothing differently and views all of this as “God’s plan” that you start to pause and wonder if he can make a case out of the insanity defense or at the very least ask God ‘what the hell was he thinking’. Even after acknowledging he feels his life is in danger, much like the sacrificial lamb, he still wouldn’t change a thing. No regrets, not the gun ownership, not the getting out of the car, not the pulling of the trigger. NADA. Hannity asked him point blank “Are you a racist?” He firmly said no. He further alluded that because of his ethnicity the racist label does not fit him. Zimmerman says “[Police] assumed I was white because of my last name,” but was actually raised by his Latino Mother and Grandmother. He also acknowledges that English is his second language. Zimmerman considers himself a Hispanic-American, noting all of this as a defense against charges of racism. National Council of La Raza had the best counter attack on this position sometime ago: “The fact that George Zimmmerman is Latino is irrelevant to his actions.” “Unfortunately, being Hispanic does not mean you aren’t capable of bigotry, of discrimination, it does not condone or preclude him from having acted in a discriminatory manner.” A little known insight into George Zimmerman’s real view on race and racism was lost in the transcripts of the 150 jailhouse calls that were released into the public domain this week. In those comments you hear George say: “I think that honestly all of this could’ve been avoided if my parents would’ve given me a proper Hispanic/Latino name.” He goes on to elaborate: a name like “Jorge” instead of George would have been more helpful. Zimmerman must think that the 2nd degree murder charges are really veiled racism accusations, that if they would of known a Latino killed a black teen authorites would of just chalked it up to another killing in the ‘hood. The discussion of race might of gone away if George was Jorge, but not the shooting of an unarmed teen and that is what may ultimately put him behind bars. A little FYI to Zimmerman he needs to look at prison statistics to see just how many Latinos with Latino surnames are in prison with many making the claim they are in there because THEY ARE LATINO and not white. Zimmerman finishes the thought by sarcastically wishing his family “should’ve named me George Herbert Walker.” These comments give a lot of insight because these are not hearsay but his direct words said to a trusted family member in a vulnerable moment. These are not attorney-rehearsed sound bites like tonight’s interview offered. The comments show how not very comfortable Zimmerman is in his dark skin and white last name. It shows that he feels race determines, where and what you are in life and how you are treated. It is called bias. It is called racism. Equally skewed is Zimmerman’s perception that the very East Coast-Mayflower soaked name George Herbert Walker Bush will absolve all sins, it won’t let alone 2nd degree murder charges of an unarmed teen.

SB 1070 Reaction - What is Everyone Saying?

2012-06-26T01:28:46+00:00

Today the Supreme Court ruled on Arizona’s controversial immigration law, S.B. 1070. The ruling struck down certain elements of the law while leaving the most emotionally charged element alone - the right to stop someone due to ‘reasonable suspicion’ and ask their immigration status - also known as “papers please”. So what is everyone saying? Is this really an Obama Victory and a AZ Governor Jan Brewer Defeat? What does Mitt Romney think? No need to ask Arizona Latinos and Latinos in general, a recent Pew poll shows that 75% of Latino disapprove of the Arizona law. CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS “Arizona’s anti-immigrant law does more harm than good. S.B. 1070 and laws like it break apart the fabric of our society, harm our public safety, and most of all, do not solve the problem of a broken immigration system.” U.S. CONGRESSMAN LUIS V. GUTIERREZ “The Supreme Court dealt a blow to the anti-immigrant movement, but also dealt a blow to Latinos and immigrants living in the United States. This threatens the safety of all Americans and undermines the fundamental relationship between police and the communities they serve, and I am proud that Chicago is not going down that road.” ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER “I welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down major provisions of Arizona’s S.B. 1070 on federal preemption grounds. Today’s ruling appropriately bars the State of Arizona from effectively criminalizing unlawful status in the state and confirms the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate in the area of immigration.” PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA “I am pleased that the Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of Arizona’s immigration law. What this decision makes unmistakably clear is that Congress must act on comprehensive immigration reform. A patchwork of state laws is not a solution to our broken immigration system – it’s part of the problem.” ARIZONA GOVERNOR JAN BREWER “Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is a victory for the rule of law. It is also a victory for the 10th Amendment and all Americans who believe in the inherent right and responsibility of states to defend their citizens. After more than two years of legal challenges, the heart of SB 1070 can now be implemented in accordance with the U.S. Constitution.” REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY The ruling “underscores the need for a President who will lead on this critical issue and work in a bipartisan fashion to pursue a national immigration strategy. President Obama has failed to provide any leadership on immigration. This represents yet another broken promise by this President.” MALDEF “In a major victory for the U.S. Constitution and Arizona’s immigrant community, today’s Supreme Court decision in Arizona v. U.S. shreds the foundation of Arizona’s anti-immigrant law SB 1070, and should be a cautionary tale for other states with copycat anti-immigrant legislation on the books or in the works.” HOMELAND SECRETARY JANET NAPOLITANO “I am pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that state laws cannot dictate the federal government’s immigration enforcement policies or priorities. DHS remains focused on enhancing public safety and the integrity of our border by prioritizing enforcement resources on those who are in the country unlawfully and committing crimes, those who have repeatedly violated our immigration laws, and those who recently crossed our borders illegally. The Court’s decision not to strike down Section Two at this time will make DHS’ work more challenging. Finally, it is important to note that today’s Supreme Court decision will not impact the memorandum I issued on June 15th related to prosecutorial discretion eligibility for productive members of society who were brought to the United States as children.”

DREAM Act Alive – Obama to Stop Deporting Undocumented Youth

2012-06-15T14:57:21+00:00

A major immigration policy announcement has come out of the Department of Homeland Security and will shortly be confirmed by the White House – deportation of DREAM-Act eligible youth will cease. In essence the DREAM Act that has existed in various forms for over a decade is no longer a DREAM, even if it happened through the back door of power. Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano made the announcement today at 7:00am EST that: “effective immediately certain young people who were brought to the United States as young children, do not present a risk to national security or public safety, and meet several key criteria will be considered for relief from removal from the country or from entering into removal proceedings. Those who demonstrate that they meet the criteria will be eligible to receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and will be eligible to apply for work authorization.” This announcement will be followed by the President, who will issue a statement in the Rose Garden at 1:15 EST. It is here that Obama is expected to announce an executive order radically changing current U.S. immigration policy. This election-year change to immigration will protect nearly 1-million youth, the majority of which are Latino, that came to this country at a young age, are between the ages of 15-30-years-old, have lived here uninterrupted for five-years, have committed no crimes and have at least a high school diploma or GED. Those in the midst of a deportation proceedings will not be deported and be allowed to stay in the U.S. For those that are of work age but unable to secure employment due to their immigration status will in effect receive work authorization. This move with shore up if not guarantee the Latino vote for Obama but a risky move with the Independents and surely to enrage the Republicans that are opposed to the DREAM Act and lead its defeat back in 2010. Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who vowed to veto the DREAM Act if elected, has not made an official comment as of this morning. I, like so many other native born Hispanics, were touched and overwhelmed by the number of undocumented students who came out of the shadows at a great risk to advocate for their dream. We will be forever moved by students on their knees outside the Senate floor in December, 2010 praying and crying, by watching hunger strikers plead for respect, and those leading protests and coming out of the shadows. Hispanic Americans never held these children accountable for the crimes, crimes of desperation, of their parents, and now obviously neither does the Obama administration.