News from Latino Country

Misinformation in the era of information

2013-05-02T13:42:00.003-07:00

Ethnic and alternative media

Ethnic media is a part of the proliferation of alternative media in a wider social trend: the worldwide emergence of all kinds of community, alternative, oppositional, and collaborative media practices, in part amplified by the internet.

We need to define ethnic and alternative media.

For instance, are Univision and Telemundo considered in this category of ethnic media? These media conglomerates seem to walk a fine line between mainstream and alternative media.

In recent years, Univision has reached parity with the U.S.'s five major English-language television networks, and is often a strong fifth, with some fourth-place weekly placings, and as of 2012, even first place rankings for individual programs over all five English networks due to the network's consistent schedule of new telenovelas all 52 weeks of the year.

In major markets such as Los Angeles, New York, and Miami the local newscasts carried by the network's stations are equally competitive in ratings with their English-language counterparts.

For the first 20 years, the network was owned by Hispanic media people. In 1955, Raul Cortez founded Channel 41, in San Antonio, Texas.

Through a series of mergers and acquisitions of local TV and radio channels in different states, until 2006, when Univision announced that it accepted bid from a group of private equity investors.

Univisión was acquired on March 29, 2007 by a consortium of global investors for $13.7 billion plus $1.4 billion in acquired debt.The buyout left the company with a debt level of twelve times its annual cash flow, twice the norm in buyouts over the previous two years.

For ethnic media to truly be considered “ethnic media,” it must be both produced/owned by and targeted at a particular ethnic community.

As for the alternative press, many weekly alternative media has little to do with what might be described as “alternative.” According to a study by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press , the term is mostly a catch-all phrase used by the mainstream media, but these publications are not a “dissident” press in America. A political mission is not their defining characteristic. They are just targeting a young, educated demographics with high income and buying power.

Real alternative media has found its common ground in the non-profit sector so that advertising does not blemish its content, which does not mean they are unbiased.

Is or can ethnic and alternative media be a counter power to mainstream media?

I believe there’s always hope in the laws of physics.

You can always be sure that when a force presses in one direction, there will be another counter force that will press against it. I believe ethnic and alternative media can have this role.

Ethnic and alternative media receive the information from the same agencies, we have the availability of the same images and we are “encouraged” to use the same information. There is no time or resources to get out and do research or field work –This point has been greatly satirized by “The Daily Show” and other comedy shows. The pressure to get information out is on a very small team that has practically to wear all hats.

However, the increasing presence of these media is a challenge to mainstream media. They can bring up issues and topics that mainstream media censors, such as discrimination, racism and bigotry, social unrest and social inequality. They also bring up cultural disparities and cultural differences, which brings the mainstream society to a new way of recognizing itself by differentiation. This is who we are, and we are not you.

For instance, new immigrant groups have established institutions to sustain their ethnicity, a different way of integration to the American society from previous immigration waves, who chose or, better yet, were forced into assimilation. This presence of new unassimilated ethnic groups has created a sense of permanently “unfinished American society.”

Ethnic mass media has a significant role in a society that tries to appear as seamless. The role of ethnic media is to constantly remind the rest of the society that there are differences, and how that manifests in their news content. It creates a perspective of constant “functional conflict.”

However migration is no longer the only factor that brings together producers and audiences of ethnic media. The long history of migration in this country has meant that there is more than one generation with multiple cultural identities.

But also, the wide access to information technologies has allowed cultural and informational exchanges between people across territories, which keep nurturing the ability of an ethnic media writer to be rooted to his base –namely, his original language, culture and audience.

I used to write for a digital platform in Spanish produced in the United States, and 50 percent of my audience was from Latin America. The other domestic 50 percent were not only first generation migrants but also readers with different cultural background such as immigrant descendants and those influenced by Latino culture.

Of course there are downsides to being in ethnic media, for one, you are not allowed nor are part not even should try to be part of mainstream media. You can be an anchor or a radio host if you look ethnic but God forbid you show the slightest accent –that, of course, except if you have a British accent, which is highly praised by mainstream media.

The big divider is also language. If ethnic media choose to go with its language of origin –Spanish, Chinese, Arab, etc.-, then the possibility of having a slight influence in the general public’s opinion is almost null given the widespread lack of language ability in the American public, a significant difference with European ethnic media.

Many ethnic outlets have now chosen to use English language still targeting a more acculturated audience that can relate to stories with ethnic focus while including general information. Of course that also talks to a wealthier audience with increasing buying and economic power to entice potential advertisers. However, advertising dollars from Fortune 500 corporations are still meager in the ethnic media arena.

Finally, I don’t believe ethnic or alternative media are unbiased, pure, or are not seeking profitability. As with many other forces in a democratic society, the idea of bringing up the differences in the pursue of an educated and more politically aware audience can resonate better than the cookie cutter machine that mainstream media have become.

Gun violence and gun industry in the United States

2012-12-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

The American firearms industry is not only solid but growing, supported by organizations and corporations that have a strong saying in the national arena

By Susana G. Baumann

Last Friday, the National Rifle Association (NRA) shut down its Facebook page, after the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. They had recently celebrated a milestone of 1.7M fans. Why? Is it fear? Is it shame? Is it avoidance of the public rage?

Other than merely representing gun-owners rights and the defense of the Second Amendment, the NRA and the firearms industry are linked in ways that have profoundly impacted the culture of guns and the culture of violence in the United States.

Firearms industry in the United States

According to the Professional Gun Retailers Association, guns retail sales in the United States averages about $3.5 billion while individual retailers size the industry at $4 billion a year. A healthy industry that has not decreased in major recessions or economic crisis, the firearms industry increased jobs by more than 30 percent and improved its economic impact by more than 66 percent between 2008 and 2011.

The United States not only produces for domestic consumption but it also exports misery. The United States is the world’s leading exporter by far. In 2010, America exported $674 million worth of firearms, $270 million more than Italy, the next leading exporter, according to customs data compiled by the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers, (NISAT). Worldwide weapons sales by the United States tripled in 2011, according to a new report by the Congressional Research Service.

America’s arms sales to both developed and developing nations reached $66.3 billion last year, up from $21.4 billion in 2010. Russia sold $4.8 billion, the second highest exporter in the world. The total worldwide weapon sales nearly doubled to $85.3 billion last year. The United States sold three-quarters of the total sales worldwide.

In a list of 100 countries with stricter gun control legislation, the United States ranks No. 1 in gun ownership. There are approximately 888 firearms for every 1000 Americans. In 2006, 10,225 people were killed by the use of a gun in the United States. Suicides with firearms are also high. In 2005, 17,002 suicides were committed using a firearm.

On the other end of the spectrum, only 6 firearms are owned every 1000 people in Japan, which has the lowest rate in the world of violence murders with guns. While in 2008, the United States had over 12.000 firearm-related homicides, Japan reported only 11, down from 2007 when the number raised to 22, becoming a national concern for all citizens.

To get a gun in Japan, not only you have to attend a class, pass a written exam and a range shooting class; in addition, a mental test and drug test is filed with the police before a thorough criminal background check. However, the search does not end there. Your family, friends, neighbors, even your co-workers are consulted.

NRA and the firearms industry

The NRA describes itself as an organization that represents the “uncompromising voice of the American gun owner” in support of a wide range of firearms-related public interest activities –such as firearms and hunting safety, marksmanship skills for sports shooters, and educating the public about firearms. The organization receives top dollars from the US firearms industry.

The history of the organization started in 1871 launched by Union veterans Col. William C. Church and Gen. George Wingate with a primary goal to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis.” The culture of guns was born in the United States.

Along his history, the NRA always had a clear goal in mind: to increase and promote the use of weapons in young and adult Americans. In 1903, NRA Secretary Albert S. Jones pushed for youth programs in all major colleges, universities and military academies. These programs are still an NRA’s core activity with over a million participants a year nationwide.

In civilian training, the NRA continues to be the leader in firearms education. Over 50,000 certified instructors now train about 750,000 gun owners a year. They feed the firearms industry in the country but they are not alone.

Since 2005, the NRA has received millions of dollars from donors and grants as reported on the NRA Foundation website. But who are their donors?

The organization claims to receive industry grants for education programs, funds from individual donors, and donations through programs that round up gun store customers’ purchases to the nearest dollar with the difference going to the NRA.

Corporate contributions come from manufacturers of firearms and ammunitions, industry magazines, gun distributors and dealers, and vendors of ammunition and other shooting-related products.

But the NRA’s influence in the national arena comes from its power through the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization that behind closed doors decide changes to national legislation. The organization’s membership includes national and global corporations and US legislators. It has been called the “state legislature without the people’s mandate.”

Through ALEC and its corporate funders, the NRA has pushed end of the ban on assault weapons, a legislation allowing people to bring guns to work in 17 states, and the “Stand your Grown” laws in more than 20 states.

In 2008, as noted by the Center for Media and Democracy, in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre, ALEC adopted a model bill to remove Virginia’s state prohibitions of guns on college campuses and to allow students to bring guns to class. The NRA reports that crime has decreased in the state of Virginia by 27 percent.

In 2005, corporate lobbyists and politicians at an ALEC task force meeting voted to approve the NRA's request that the “Stand Your Ground” or “Shoot First” or “Kill at Will” law the organization lead in Florida would be modeled by other states. Surely, it was passed later in 20 additional states.

Other bills were drafted by the NRA and adopted by ALEC corporations and legislators as models for the rest of the country impeding laws that would help protect Americans from gun violence in the name of the Second Amendment defense.

The close fist of the NRA

The NRA is the umbrella organization for other legal entities including the NRA Foundation, the Civil Rights Defense Fund, the Institute of Legislative Action, the Political Victory Fund, (NRA-PVF) and the Business Alliance.

Fueled by the power of the Super PACs, some of these organizations run undisclosed attack ads in political campaigns; or lobby and fundraise tens of millions in undisclosed, tax-deductible donations. Others push legislation to profit from unregulated firearms sales or offer free legal representation in cases involving “significant legal issues relating to the right to keep and bear arms.”

According to the NRA-PVA, in 2008 the organization was involved in 271 campaigns for the U.S. House and Senate. It won in 230 of those races (85%) and endorsed thousands of state legislative candidates that same year with an 84 percent success rate in those elections. The NRA is feared by both Democrat and Republican legislators alike.

Does the American public have a saying?

Most NRA activities and policies are concealed from the public eye. Many still believe that the NRA represent gun-owners and, according to polling conducted by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns in 2011, between 85 and 90 percent of both gun owners and people living in gun households surveyed agree that tougher restrictions on gun ownership is required in the United States.

President Obama’s reelection, a gift we must protect

2012-11-07T12:18:00.000-08:00

A great campaign and a great victory for President Barack Obama only give us a breather in these tough times.

When I woke up this morning, I thought, “I could have been waking up to a different world of concerns and despair, but today is business as usual.” I felt huge comfort from my own thoughts.

These months of campaigning and volunteering were filled with moments of doubts and fear, as well as increasing faith that democracy was going to prevail. I saw it on the streets where we registered hundreds of young Black and Latino women to vote for the first time.

I saw it in the persistence of canvassers going door to door to in our state and in neighboring Pennsylvania. I saw it in the initiative of women to go out and express their support for a President that was not only representing them but also their daughters, their granddaughters and future generations of women taking control of their destiny.

Even when the campaign started at a low pace, it got momentum due to the reproachable behavior of the opponents. I believe Democrats got energized in indignation and in response to a campaign that was run on either buying or suppressing voters.

This is the time of evaluating our actions, for Democrats and Republicans alike, and learn from our mistakes. The battle was fierce and the victory is sweet, not only because it feels good to be on the right side of history but because, as President Obama said, “It was the right thing to do.”

Now, after this breather of relief and celebration, we need to be more vigilant than ever of this democracy that has been so hard to maintain, and more protective and supportive than ever of our President, who will continue to find opposition and disdain. I believe the forces of evil don’t stop machination just because the People has expressed its will.

Congratulations to all for a job well done!

Enjoy the victory but do not lower your guard!

First Presidential Debate: The clear image of each party

2012-10-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Last night, 40 million people saw the Presidential Debate. The anticipation was overwhelming and the media speculation of the candidates’ strategies was, to say the least, ridiculous.

But despite all the allegations of who won and who lost, if there was a lack of passion or a lack of truth, a clear image of each party came out so pristine that is it almost painful.

The big absence was the people, not the 47 percent or the 99 percent or the one percent, the American people.

The contenders, a business man and a university professor, debated in their own style. It was a debate of personalities and big egos, not a debate for the middle man concerns. The big vacuum, again, was ordinary Joe.

Gov. Romney, a powerful business man, applied his own words to his debate strategy: “I’ve got five boys; I’m used to people saying something that’s not always true but just keep repeating it and ultimately hoping I’ll believe it.”

As a business man, he is used to numbers and lies, trying to position himself by claiming his competition’s wrongdoings.

Simple marketing strategy.

All along his speech and rebates, his main goal was to attack and cover in a forceful way and with an apparent mathematical precision –he mentioned a lot of numbers, possibly a counter effect of Clinton’s speech at the DNC–, what in true is his plan, the continuation of Bush/Cheney economic strategies enhanced by the ruthlessness of the Tea Party and his running mate Paul Ryan’s plan.

Only, he tried to convey an image of care and inclusion, something a lot of moderate Republicans insist he truly believes in–his wife, Anne, has repeatedly talked about Mitt’s good heart.

The media, on the other hand, keep insisting on Mitt’s need to “connect” to the public. Well, he connected last night with his base in the only way his base knows and is used to, forcefully and aggressively lying, hiding.

A strategy we saw during the whole Republican primary, and that above all defines the approach the Republican Party has turned to, because they cannot reveal the truth of their intentions.

Freedom, and the pursue of happiness, the American Dream, only possible in you sit with them.

Pres. Obama, on his part, appeared in his essence, an intellectual that is strong in words but weak in numbers, a true Democrat.

His whole strategy was based on staying cool and avoiding a direct confrontation, while trying to go through this first debate and getting over it, almost as if he knew this was not his cup of tea.

A “laissez faire” attitude, not calling his opponent lies, making impassive remarks about his administration’s achievements, Obama came about in an explanatory style that was totally inappropriate with the occasion.

It almost conveyed the belief that “if I do the right thing, no matter how hard or unpopular, then people will follow” type of statement.

The unbiased Democratic conviction, everybody is entitled to their own belief and opinion.

Moreover, it almost seems Pres. Obama really believes he has not done enough –knowing his competitive nature –, that he really expected to turn the economy and the country around in four years.

A true American superhero.

Forty million viewers did not pay attention to the lies or the numbers or the policies. Like in the Roman Circus, people expected blood, a confrontation between two gladiators, bringing in wild animals and unexpected weapons, and fighting for their lives until the end.

What they saw was a giveaway, a parent’s admonishment to an aloof teenager that made the audience believe his son has been properly put in place and deserves punishment.

What they probably didn’t see was the battle of two egotistic men, one lost in his own world of lies, the other in his world of fantasy.

The Benghazi attack, a conspiracy theory

2012-10-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

The American public is used to conspiracy theories, and as fast as they arise, they are dismissed by most. The term “conspiracy theory” is used to deem a story as ridiculous, paranoid or unfounded. For most Americans, “the Nile is a river in Egypt.”

John F. Kennedy’s assassination was the center of several conspiracy theories that even resulted in books, documentaries and the Oliver Stone movie. The versions involved parties such as the CIA, the American Mafia, VP Lyndon B. Jonson, Fidel Castro and many more. The likelihood that Oswald acted alone was extremely low, as proven by many, but the Warren Commission refused to release all the information.

Coincidentally, his brother Robert Kennedy was also murdered, but of course, the American public again dismissed the possibility of a “conspiracy.” And then Martin Luther King was also a write off for many –but not all- Americans.

When a conspiracy theory becomes true and can be proven, such as President Nixon’s Watergate break-in and cover-up, then it becomes investigative journalism or a historical fact.

In September 2001, the country was attacked by al-Qaida, in the largest operation ever known in the United States soil.

Although the US armed forces launched the Afghanistan invasion shortly after, people around the world speculated about the Republican administration’s involvement in the attack, given the slow reaction of the then President George W. Bush, the excellent justification for the war on Iraq that followed, and the lack of “enthusiasm” in looking for Osama Bin Laden.

Those theories have not faded away, says the BBC. Around 15 percent Americans, especially young people, believe in the possibility that VP Cheney was somehow involved in the attack.

Over a decade later, with only less than two months to the Presidential elections 2012, the Benghazi attack occurs, damaging –or at least trying to damage–the successful Foreign Affairs performance of President Barack Obama in finding bin Laden and ending the war in Iraq.

I just highlighted some quotes from the New York Times report on 10/1/2012:

“The Sept. 11 attack culminated several weeks of growing violence against Western and other diplomatic posts in Benghazi. State Department officials said they were aware of the worsening climate and took precautions. One American official who worked in the mission said the Americans there were able to get around with ‘appropriate prudence’.”

“Apparently, due to the increasing violence reported, the US Embassy in Tripoli had sent Special Operations personnel, including Navy SEALs and bomb-squad specialists to reinforce the Benghazi Embassy.”

The Attack “began about 9:30 p.m., roughly 15 minutes after Mr. Stevens had finished an evening meeting with the Turkish ambassador, bid him farewell and chatted briefly with a handful of Libyan guards at the gate of the compound.”

“Mustafa el-Sagizli, an officer in the February 17 Brigade and a senior official in the transitional government, said that he repeatedly called the mission’s official translator who for most of the night was unable to reach the ambassador’s security guards.”

“Security at the mission has become a major issue as the Obama administration struggles to explain what happened during the attack, who was responsible and how the ambassador ended up alone.”

“Mr. Stevens’s own bodyguard was so far away that he needed to sprint across the compound under gunfire to reach the building where the ambassador was working at the time.”

“‘There are three villas inside and the walls are high, and the only house that got hit was the house we were in,’ said Fathi el-Obeidi, a Libyan militia commander who came to help evacuate the Americans.”

Was there any "insider information" about the situation of the Embassy and its surroundings?

The situation surely called for chaos and confusion but I believe additional information will come out from the incident because President Obama has shown to be relentless in finding terrorists, however, … would he share the findings with the American public?

But, of course, this is just a “conspiracy theory.”

Cecilia Aldana Offends all Immigrants

2012-09-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

It usually bothers me when business owners follow the bite sound of “we built that” because I believe nobody born in this country can really assert that they did anything ALL by themselves.

If they were born in a public hospital or attended an American public school, or even went to a public library to do their homework; if they have ever went to college and got financial aid; if they started their business and used the Internet or the post office; they drove on roads and bridges;–and I could keep going–, then “someone else helped them” on their way.

Unless, of course, you paid everything privately, your healthcare, your education, and you own a private jet to transport yourself.

But it really bothers me when an immigrant, who should be grateful to this country and its blessings like no one else, would come out and say that they built a business on their own.

This week, the ad in which Cecilia Aldana, an immigrant from Peru who came to this country in 1981, came out supporting the Romney ticket. Nothing wrong with choosing a side if that is what you feel represents best your interests.

However, saying that she built a business solely with the help of her family and employees is, just to say the least, an offense to all of us, immigrants.

First, she should be humble and grateful that the government of this country allowed her to become a citizen. From her story, it seems she came with her parents as a child or teenager at that time.

Every year, thousands of immigrants are deported and rejected by the system. Just by receiving some sort of permit to stay and flourish, she already did not make it on her own. She “was given” the opportunity to stay and start a business, not in Peru but in the United States, where she found stability, and respect, and her life was valued.

Because in 1980, in Peru, things were ugly.

Although they had a constitutional president, the Communist Party of Peru more commonly known as the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), a Maoist organization, deployed violence against peasants, trade union organizers, popularly elected officials and the general civilian population.

So the Aldanas, like any other family that would try to live a dignified life, decided to emigrate to the United States. Do you realize how much suffering, deprivation and pain it means for a family to make that decision, leaving all your friends, extended family, your home, your identity?

And they came to a country that opened its arms to them. I’m not going to ask how they got here because it is not my place, and I don’t betray my own.

On the other hand, I feel betrayed by Cecilia, who is an immigrant just like me, who built a business just like me, and who cannot look back and picture her life in Peru if the United States government would have not given her the opportunity to stay.

Newark, a comeback story in New Jersey, the exception of the rule

2012-08-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

Newark’s Mayor Cory Booker, a young raising star in the Democratic Party, praised Hispanic leaders for their contribution to the Brick City’s resurge

Mayor Cory Booker interviewed
by Susana G. Baumann

Newark is not only the largest city but also one of the most diverse in New Jersey, with over 33 percent Hispanic and 52 percent African American residents.

While many cities around the state are struggling with budget constrains, the Brick City is finally experiencing a long due resurge thanks to the administration of Mayor Cory Booker, the young raising star in the NJ Democratic Party.

The city has suffered from bad planning to government corruption for decades. The success is due in part, he said, to the industrious and innovative nature of Hispanic leaders in town.

Booker, who was involved in a controversy that arose this year on Meet the Press, a weekly news show produced by NBC where he criticized an Obama campaign’s ad calling it “nauseating” –, Booker said in an exclusive interview that he is “one of President Obama’s strongest supporters.”

“This comeback would have never happened if I did not have the support of all my constituents, and the state as well as the federal government,” Booker said. “Both Gov. Christie and Pres. Obama have been supportive of my administration,” said Booker. “As a result, we had important job creation and economic growth in Newark.” In fact, Booker showed a favorable public opinion of 47 percent in recent local polls.

Booker came into office in 2006 to find a broken government, from a financial and credibility point of view. Following years of government corruption, the new mayor started with a 100-day plan to implement his first reforms in Newark, which resulted in changes in police and law enforcement, youth programs and employment opportunities.

“Today, Newark has a story to tell, a comeback story, and the Latino community has made an important contribution to this story through its industrious and innovative leaders who have created opportunities for our city. From ‘bodegas’ to corporations, Hispanics have put in their energy and passion in growing the economy, reforming government, and growing and expanding their businesses,” Booker said to a crowd gathered by the New Jersey Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at the One Gateway Center downtown Newark.

With a new development model in mind that included private sources to fund public projects, Booker’s leadership has attracted over $100 million in private patronage and counting. He established a foundation to raise funds to support projects such as the police department’s upgrade and the city’s charter school system.

But also a number of initiatives including $14 million in business loans and $700 million in infrastructure projects have attracted 75 new ventures, Booker mentioned. Hosting events such as the NCAA East Regional men’s basketball tournament at the Prudential Center in 2011 not only attracted 20,000 visitors but also showed Newark’s potential for new businesses.

Shortly after the event, Courtyard by Marriott announced ground-breaking of a downtown first new hotel in nearly 40 years. The new project located at the Prudential Center, a mixed-use hotel and retail stores, will be a significant means of economic growth, bringing new investment and employment to the Brick City.

As important to residents in the downtown area has also been the opening of The Food Depot, a Hispanic supermarket that launched this year on First Street. Many Latino residents looking for fresh groceries and ethnic products can find their favorites in this new retail store, the first to be opened in this location in nearly 20 years. The project got a $2 million loan from the Brick City Development Corporation and a 30-year decreasing tax break.

Carlos A. Medina, new Chairman of the NJ Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said, “Booker’s desire to open businesses to minorities is there. It is up to us now, Latino business owners, to follow through.”

Paul Ryan prevails, ending an era in the Republican Party

2012-08-12T09:38:00.002-07:00

Paul Ryan elected VP and the end of the moderate Republican Party as we know it

The era of moderates Nelson Rockefeller, George Pataki, Christie Todd Whitman, Bob Dole and John McCain has been definitely defeated. With Paul Ryan’s nomination as Mitt Romney running mate, the Tea Party movement has definitely made its coming of age in the national scene.

Signs of the party’s conservative faction success was already seen with the retirement of Senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), announced back in February of this year, and recently Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio), who became the latest moderate Republican to retreat on Capitol Hill.

The polarization of the Republican Party has been so extreme in the last five years that it is hard to find even similarities between some of these defeated moderates and the new extreme conservatives as belonging to the same party.

Nelson Rockefeller’s life, for instance, a man whose level of wealth could compare with Gov. Mitt Romney’s, would make any present Republican and even Democrat go pale. Former Vice-President Rockefeller, an active philanthropist who built good relationships with unions, worked hard to improve education and social programs, and donated his salary to programs for youth and the arts, said in 1972 regarding the abortion law repeal:

“I do not believe it right for one group to impose its vision of morality on an entire society," the governor said. "Neither is it just or practical for the state to attempt to dictate the innermost personal beliefs and conduct of its citizens. The extremes of personal vilification and political coercion brought to bear on members of the Legislature raise serious doubts that the votes to repeal the reforms represented the will of a majority ...”

Positions have changed but tactics have not.

Even moderate Senator McCain had to move to the right-wing of his own party in the last election campaign in order to be considered as an electable candidate. With his radicalization, the era of bi-partisanism is also gone.

The Arizona Senator, who was one of the most active politicians reaching across aisles, wrote with Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman the 9/11 Commission legislation, co-sponsored with Democratic Senator Fritz Hollings the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, and with Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. Working with Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy, McCain was a strong proponent of comprehensive immigration reform, a law that was never passed.

Bringing in Paul Ryan means a fundamental decision for the Republican campaign. They bring a career politician to the team, a true “Washington resident,” someone who has never been exposed to the real world of Main Street America or Wall Street America, someone who is an ideologue, and whose theory fills a whole in the Romney campaign.

Ryan has written a business plan for a “business” he did not create, he did not build, and he has not been involved with. He brings very specific guidelines to his proposed budget, some of them yet to be largely proven. And for the first time in this campaign, that is progress. Now Romney cannot hide in his flip-flop strategy any more.

Reality TV: Bullying, lies and campaign funding

2012-07-23T15:43:00.000-07:00

By Susana G. Baumann

What do bullying, lies and Citizens United have in common? They are killing our democracy.

We are only three months away from the national elections, and the campaign trail has become a battle ground for bitter attacks and negative confrontation. Both candidates keep making accusations of using “distractive strategies” on one another but in reality both have something to hide and, apparently, little to offer.

Bullying seems to be a leadership style chosen by Republicans, encouraged by a base that wants to see “blood.” No matter what the damage, the consequences, the long-term results, they want to impose their ideas by aggression because “tough people are needed to run society.”

Democrats, on the other hand, seem to have chosen the victim’s place, an innerving moderation used as a tactic for self-defense, not an organized party with real ideas and a strong political demeanor.

And then there is the realm of lies.

The ad campaigns launched by both parties and Super PACs are a string of sound bites and images more on personal attacks and less about political and economic strategies that will lead the country in the next four years.

In that context, taking words out of context is just Campaign 101 material but there is also the distortion of ideas and facts, the rumors, the “through the rock and hide the hand” and the “lying to your face” techniques.

And then there is the media, seldom calling out any of these behaviors.

Crowned with the largest amount of money spent in a general election to buy advertising time, we will get to November 2^nd with little idea of what will happen after November 3^rd.

Yet, this is our reality show, the one we all take place in. As in any other reality show, many believe they are not scripted, that they are the real candidates with real lives, real families, and real emotions who “love America” and want the best for us.

But in reality –to be redundant- the campaigns are a carefully designed strategy to “get” the opponent in their weaknesses and misery. Because, who wants to follow a “loser”?

Feeding the viewers on negative emotions, fear, unhappiness and problems is anything but a political campaign.

In the end, if true ideas, strategies and facts are not discussed, giving all of us the opportunity to freely choose our representatives such as it should be in a democratic society, it is because politicians are trying to “sell us” something; something we might not like once we “seal the deal” and we find out there was small print on the other side of the page.

Illegal Americans

2012-07-20T13:21:00.002-07:00

By Susana G. Baumann

George Lopez, the Mexican American comedian, is launching a new show called “It’s not me, it’s you.” As he explains in the prep scenes, -and I’m paraphrasing- we live in a society where we are used to finger pointing, looking for responsibilities and blaming on other people’s actions but never looking at our own behavior.

A few weeks ago, the national debate over the term “illegal” referring to “illegal immigrants” has taken a new level.

A new level of stupidity, I would add.

Debating about the term “illegal” might bring the beloved and sought out spotlight to journalists who love to masturbate with words. But this discussion is as useless for those who “carry” the label as it is for the legal system.

Moreover, Americans are not really divided between those who defend and abide by the law and those who don’t. Most people are somehow lenient about the grey areas of many laws and might even agree that most “Illegal” immigrants are hard-working people who are here for good reasons.

And then, of course, there are the others. The Brewers and the Arpaios, the MacDonnells and even the Rubios, and the many that bully, insult, and keep a self-righteous position about how “their families” came to this country legally.

I pity them because they have taken possession of a territory, a land, a philosophy of life, values and even an ideal that was born and meant to be shared, and they had trashed it to convert it in a trophy. We have what you can’t have, it’s ours and we will guard it.

They live in a country, as we all do, where immigrants, legal or illegal, do the many jobs that are menial, low-paid, disgusting, exhausting, working in conditions that most Americans would qualify as unacceptable and even degrading. They clean our bathrooms, farm our groceries, kill and process our meats, cook our meals, drive our children to schools, sew our clothes, and much, much more.

So from now on, I propose that we call those who eat at the restaurants immigrants work for, enjoy the landscaping they do for our yards, use the public bathrooms they clean, walk the streets and drive their cars on the roads they repair, rent them our properties with excessive profitability, hire them to work for cash under the table, accept their fake green-cards or social security cards to overwork them in 16-hour shifts under the sun, and all the other unlawful actions Americans carry on to take advantage of a cheap labor force, those should be called “illegal Americans.”

If we were law abiding citizens, no “illegal” immigrant should find a way to stay in this country. But of course, it’s not about us, it’s about them.

Social Security Benefits Remain a Vital Source of Retirement Income for Latinos

2011-05-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

A smart article with numbers and the "reality" of many Latinos expectations about recovering some of all the hard work they gave to this country. Read on...

Don't Let this Happen to You!

2011-02-11T11:14:00.000-08:00

Spanish and English classes taught by native instructors with the precise vocabulary you need for any professional or personal need!

LCSWORLDWIDE is now offering personalized Spanish and English for Specific Purpose classes through Skype. If you have a Skype account, you can get personalized classes for your professional activity, prepare a speech with the correct pronunciation and culturally appropriate body language, and discuss with your instructor media presentations, video scripts and more. For additional information, contact Laura at info@lcsworldwide.com. Add our Skype address to your network: sbaumann342

¡Hola, amigos! A Plan for Latino Outreach

2010-12-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

Latinos are the fastest growing population in the United States, and are creating a large bilingual market. Librarians are often eager to attract, serve and retain Latino patrons, and library services are sorely needed by the Latino community; but it takes more than adding a few Spanish-language books to the collection to meet those needs. Besides the cultural and language barriers library personnel encounter when interacting with this community, libraries generally have neither the funding to engage in multicultural advertising nor the time and specialized personnel to do it. This practical, step-by-step guide is designed to help libraries attract Spanish-speaking patrons to their collections and services, with proven strategies, effective program and event planning.

The book offers users a systematic, orderly plan that will guide outreach activity with worksheets, discussion reports and easy-to-follow schedules, and more than 100 marketing ideas, tips, and examples from libraries around the country that can easily be incorporated into day-to-day activities. (Many of the strategies can be applied to outreach of other minorities as well.)

Immigration Agency Ends Some Deportations

2010-08-27T04:28:00.000-07:00

Finally some good news from the Obama administration deciding to do the right thing!The feared ICE will take a new approach to undocumented immigrants detained in detention centers due to the "backlog" in the justice system of thousands waiting to be deported. The new approach especially contemplates those who already have active applications in the immigration system and are waiting for their cases to be resolved.

Sorry for Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa who affirmed that “Actions like this demoralize ICE agents who are trying to do their job and enforce the law.” How do you think those immigrants' families feel about their loved ones been detained after years of working hard, paying taxes and sustaining the economy of this country? Please read on and comment!

Judge Blocks Arizona’s Immigration Law

2010-07-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

Two articles caught my attention this morning, both related to Arizona State. One is related to Federal Judge Susan Bolton ruling that blocks "sections of the law, scheduled to take effect on Thursday that called for police officers to check a person’s immigration status while enforcing other laws and required immigrants to prove that they were authorized to be in the country or risk state charges." The article states that the injunction was issued in response to a legal challenge brought by the Obama administration.

The other stating the number of deaths in the Arizona Valley since the first of the year, -more than 150 people trying to cross the border have been found dead, well above the numbers in the same period in each of the last two years- according to this article in the New York Times.(see below)

The immigration debate is showing to be as a pressing issue as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or financial reform. However, we keep waiting for the President to give the GO! In the meantime, two questions come to mind:

1. Do we need to stimulate the anti-immigrant sentiment by letting this type of actions be taken by other states? If this matter reaches the Supreme Court, it will have a very thin chance to be ruled in favor of immigrants.
2. What is the Mexican government involvement and responsibility in this matter? We have started wars with countries for personal and political revenge, we have started wars to slam other countries economic resources, we have pictured ourselves as champions of human rights. However, we are unable to set political boundaries with the Mexican government regarding their expel of national citizens? What is wrong with this picture?
I look forward to your comments!

Desert Deaths Soar, a Morgue Grows Crowded

2010-07-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

The Wooden Bowl – El bol de madera wins the following book awards!

2010-06-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the writer for this magnificent work for generations to come!

Gates & Buffett: Get Your Friends To Pay Taxes and We Won’t Need Their Donations!

2010-06-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Even if this article does not belong directly to the realm of Latino affairs, it is a good reminder of the painful times non-profit organizations -many of which stand for Latinos- are going through with a slow down in their donation income.

Gates is the one rich guy I always had as an example of smart giving. I know and was a part of his foundation work with libraries and Latinos around the country -Spanish Language Outreach at http://www.webjunction.org/spanish- which brought a wealth of information and library action to this community.

However, this is one more sign of the times we live in! A few people in charge of the nation's destiny instead of the vast majority of people in charge of their own destiny.

Immigrants are major part of memorial day

2010-06-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

"As of last year," says Saif Kahn, an immigrant from India, who joined the Virginia Army National Guard in the year 2000, "about 29,000 people serving in our military did not have U.S. citizenship."

Kahn served as a combat engineer in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004 and 2005. In this article, he worries about the soldiers who are serving to obtain citizenship, and their families left behind.

Another proof of our current immigration law injustice: immigrants cannot work legally in this country but can pay taxes; immigrants can fight for this country but do not have the right to obtain citizenship until -maybe- it is too late.

Why the immigration debate has come to a stall, when at least 60% of Latinos voted Obama for office? Promises were done in the midst of the election excitement. However, once again, the immigration reform is left for last. How do you think organized immigration leaders should show their active disagreement?

EU eases trade with Latin America at Madrid summit

2010-05-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

The European Union is opening trade with Latin America and the Caribbean, in an attempt to increase relationships with the region and bring economic growth to the EU, despite opposition from popular leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.

After a failed effort to reach an EU-US summit back in February of this year, when a planned meeting with President Obama was cancelled, the EU faces austerity measures and public sector strikes.

Right before last week summit in Madrid, the EU and a Central American block formed by Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama agreed on a trade baseline that will include total market opening for industrial products from both parties.

Similar negotiations were discussed with South American leaders from the Mercosur. However, agreements were harder to be reached due to the protectionist policies of countries in both sides. Negotiations will continue after the summit.

Spanish socialist leader Zapatero stated that "In an increasingly globalized world where the source of prosperity lies in uniting efforts, the capacity for economic growth lies in openness and liberalization." Are these agreements beneficial to LAC countries -Latin America and the Caribbean- or will this be a reinstatement of the NAFTA effect that brought misery and poverty to the LAC region?

La Unión Europea facilita el intercambio comercial con América Latina en la cumbre de Madrid

La Unión Europea abre mayor intercambio comercial con América Latina y el Caribe en un intento por mejorar las relaciones con países de la región y aumentar el crecimiento económico de sus miembros, a pesar de la oposición de líderes populares a ambos lados del Atlántico.

Después del intento fallido de llegar a una cumbre de negociación entre la Unión Europea y los Estados Unidos en febrero de este año y la cancelación del encuentro con el presidente Obama, la Unión Europea se enfrenta a medidas de austeridad y la consecuente reacción del sector público.

Antes del encuentro cumbre realizado en Madrid durante la semana pasada, la Unión Europea y el bloque de países centroamericanos formado por Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua y Panamá acordaron un base de intercambio que incluye la apertura total de mercados entre las partes para el intercambio de productos industriales.

Negociaciones similares se intentaron con líderes sudamericanos del Mercosur. Sin embargo, las políticas proteccionistas de países en ambos grupos plantearon dificultades para arribar a los acuerdos propuestos. Las negociaciones pertinentes proseguirán después del encuentro.

El líder español socialista Zapatero declaró que “en un mundo crecientemente globalizado donde la fuente de prosperidad se basa en la unión de los esfuerzos, la capacidad de desarrollo económico reside en la apertura y la liberalización.” Me pregunto: ¿Estos acuerdos son beneficiosos para los países de América Latina y el Caribe o será solo una reinstauración del efecto NAFTA que trajo pobreza y miseria a la región?

Las dictaduras latinoamericanas enfrentan a la justicia, después de varias décadas

2010-05-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Con este título optimista, Noticias IPS encabeza una serie de artículos que ofrecen un panorama de los intentos de justicia en diferentes países latinoamericanos y España. Desde la condena de varios militares argentinos en la “cadena de comando”, pasando por el enjuiciamiento del juez Garzon en Espana, y hasta la liberación de dos soldados y un policía acusados por la desaparición de campesinos peruanos, estos artículos nos recuerdan que todavía no estamos donde deberíamos en el tema de los derechos humanos.

Empezando por la era de Franco y siguiendo con las trece dictaduras militares que ocurrieron durante los 60 y los 70 en Latinoamérica, solo pocos de estos países se han atrevido a adentrarse en los horrores del secuestro, la violación, la tortura y la matanza de millones de sus ciudadanos. Una buena manera de ponerse al día con estos temas en ambos lados del Atlántico, y una pregunta por contestar: ¿Qué es lo que impide que los líderes democráticos latinoamericanos juzguen y castiguen a los culpables?

Latin America Dictatorships Meet Justice, Decades On

2010-05-17T07:25:00.000-07:00

A series of articles under this optimistic heading in IPS news brings a panorama of the attempts to make justice in different Latin American countries and Spain. From the conviction of several Argentinean military officers in the “chain of command" to the prosecution of Judge Garzón in Spain to the acquittal of two soldiers and a police officer accused of the disappearance of Peruvian peasant, these articles tell us that we are not yet where we should be regarding human rights.

Starting with the Franco era and following with thirteen military dictatorships in the 60s and 70s in Latin American countries, only a few of these countries have dug dip into the horrors of kidnapping, raping, torturing and killing millions. A great update of what is happening on these issues on both sides of the Atlantic, and a question to be asked: What is stopping democratic leaders in Latin America from prosecuting and convicting these cases?

I'm back!

2010-05-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

WOW! It's been a year almost since my last blog!
I apologize for being lost in cyber space. A long chain of events kept me from my active duty. Let's see:

Hola, amigos! A Plan for Latino Outreach
My new book is about to be published this year. I'm excited because it has received good reviews so far from well-know professionals in the industry.

www.lcsworldwide.com
Our website is being revamped as we speak. We will offer an array of online courses for several industries including Occupational Spanish training, multicultural competency workshops and webinars, and our new line of work, fundraising and development.

The Chroma Multicultural Health Communications Group
We have entered a new strategic partnership to help health care organizations and corporations achieve their goals in serving multicultural patients and eliminating health disparities. Three agencies and four strategic partners with over 100 years of experience in multicultural health, health literacy, cultural competency and cross-cultural communications. For additional information please call 732 299 9622.

So, as you see, we've been busy! Keep posted for more to come!

2009-06-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

Dreams Built in the Projects

This excellent article on today's online version of the Washington Post tells it like it is. We all love success stories but when they are true, it seems that we are all caught by surprise. If anything, the Obama's administration has brought up some examples -starting with himself- that with effort and perseverance anything is possible.

I also believe that the surprise factor comes from too many years of "same old, same old" nominations. Wow, there still are people in this country that are hard-working, engaged and passioned about what they do, and their only goal is NOT greed. What a concept!

Please enjoy the article and do not forget to click on our Public Service Announcements. Help me help these organizations!

2009-05-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Mario Benedetti dies at 88

Mario Benedetti, a prolific Uruguayan writer whose novels and poems reflect the idiosyncrasies of Montevideo's middle class and a social commitment forged by years in exile from a military dictatorship, died Sunday, his secretary said. He was 88.

My favorite "Antologia Poetica" with introduction by Pedro Orgambide, is among the books I keep next to my bed. Great activist, great talent, great loss!

You can listen to some of his poems at:
http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/graficos/00coberturas/benedetti/