So, when women do decide to jump into the political pool, regardless of political party, it’s a decision that needs to be celebrated by all women. So far, it looks like there will be no women included this time around in the final four for the 2012 run for the White House but there are women running on the state and local levels.

The Center for American Women & Politics at Rutgers University has launched the 2012 Women’s Election Tracker, as part of The 2012 Project, to help all of us stay informed of who the rising women stars are of politics today.

A click on the online map reveals on a state-by-state basis:

• Current statistics for women in Congress and state legislatures.
• Open seats created by retirements and term limits.
• Links to the latest information about women who have filed and won primaries in 2012.

And perhaps most importantly — Filing deadlines and primary dates.

According to The 2012 Project, 15 states have filing deadlines in the month of March and The 2012 Project is all about helping women realize their political dreams.

The significance of tonight’s location wouldn’t mean much if it weren’t for the fact that all of the candidates have come out either against immigration reform or, in the case of Newt Gingrich, a modified approach that still offers an unrealistic solution compared to the actual number of people living without status in the nation.

Add to that piece of trivia the new political reality in Arizona. Ever since state legislators passed the infamous SB1070, Latino constituents have organized themselves to the point they are achieving political results. They were responsible for getting a Latino City Council underdog challenger elected last year – on his first try in politics.

If ever there was a state where anger has mobilized disenfranchised voters to take their political destiny into their own hands, it’s Arizona — and that’s bad news for old-school, old-party GOP politicians — but great cover story material.

Though the media and the public have wondered, seriously since 2000, what political damage the Latino vote could do to a candidate, a hint of that determination was witnessed in 2008. Now, the media doesn’t even ask if Latino voters could impact elections, it’s expected.

For example, TIME magazine’s latest edition (goes online Thursday) is all about the Latino vote. Titled “Yo Decido. Why Latinos will Pick the Next President,” the story’s photographer traveled to Arizona to photograph a variety of Latino voters while the author recounts the plight of the GOP with Latino voters.

Though the GOP base in Arizona is still roiled by the influx of undocumented immigrants into the state, the Obama campaign is betting that a backlash led by the growing Latino community can turn Arizona into a new presidential battleground in 2012 — Michael Scherer, TIME reporter.

The author advises readers to listen carefully how the GOP candidates talk about immigration tonight. Yet, as the writer acknowledges, a change in tone on the topic won’t do anything for them in a state primary but could mean a huge difference in the general election.

In this same issue, a Q&A with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is featured and for a guy who probably gets more bad press among Latino pundits for his strong anti-immigrant views, he starts off sounding like a compassionate conservative and then blows it by parroting the kind of rhetoric that vilifies too many Republicans in Latino voters’ eyes.

On why he opposed the DREAM Act, which would have given high-achieving young immigrants a path to citizenship.

I think for the path to citizenship, the support is not there. I think for the path to legalization there can be a conversation. I think most people would say that’s not amnesty, but it has to be structured in the right way. Then the other thing that I would say that’s wrong with the DREAM Act is it provides for chain migration, which is something people feel strongly about. It can’t be used as an anchor to let as many as 3 million people come into the country.

There’s no doubt tonight’s debate will draw close scrutiny. It will be interesting to see if any of the major networks will have the foresight to include Latino/Latina pundits to offer the proper perspective of how the GOP nominees’ answers resonate with Hispanics.

Yet, even if the networks don’t offer that opportunity, this is the Age of Twitter. Tonight, during the debate, several Latino orgs and web sites have banded together to offer an ongoing GOP Debate Tweet-Chat.

And of course Latina Lista will always have something to say during and after the debate too.

I’m just hoping some people who aren’t of the Arizona Tea Party faithful sneak into the debate hall to add a little “spice” to the night. Otherwise, it’s going to be like tuning into a bad re-run.

Words that describe Bangkok: bustling, hustling, loud, traffic, madness, sa-nuk, dirty, friendly, and smiles. Bangkok was definitely everything that I expected it to be from its horrendous traffic that drove me nuts after the first day to probably the best food I have ever had in my life (sorry Italy, you got some competition in Thailand!). But all those intermingling of opposites are what make Bangkok one of the most interesting cities I have been able to experience.

One of the first things that I noticed in Bangkok was its lack of infrastructure which is the main reason why there is so much traffic in this city. I just do not understand how the government provides incentives to residents for them to purchase cars when there are not enough roads to drive them on. It just baffles me how the people are legitimately fine with sitting in traffic for hours, that would drive me insane. I definitely take public transportation and/or walk before I sit in a car for hours; but my reaction is very American because we are all about not wasting time since “time is money” and you could sense in Thailand that there really was no such concept. People in Bangkok were very laid back for a capital city and of course in Koh Samed they were even 100 times more laid back and relax about their surroundings. It is like they walk around in zen mode, that part I admire.

That laid back feeling is really what I believe makes them one of the friendliest people I have ever met. The Thai men and women are amazingly friendly and are willing to help you even when there is a slight language barrier. The Thai people were always available to answer any of my questions which made my experience very welcoming and interested in returning to see more of Thailand and experience the Thai charisma again. Although, there were moments where I felt like I was being taken advantage of, especially when we went shopping into the markets. That experience was priceless! You need to learn how to haggle otherwise you are completely screwed. (I’m saying that in the nicest way possible!).

Our first night in town, a couple of us went shopping and we thought we did very well with the way we negotiated for certain items to find out we were ripped off ridiculously for certain items. Even though it made me upset, I did not feel too bad about it because at the end of the day the majority of the people we interacted with seemed like they were selling contraband items in the market to be able to survive living in such a large and expensive city. Bangkok is definitely a poor city compared to Hong Kong, you can see the poverty every corner you walk (or drive in our instance) through. A part of me felt like I was back at home in Caracas, Venezuela. Where there is trash in the middle of sidewalks and in the rivers, beggars ever five feet you walked, must wear closed toed shoes or otherwise little critters would crawl over your toes, need to hold on to your purse a little tighter than usual — never know when you are going to be picked pocketed, and the only place where you breath “fresh air” is in your dormitory because the pollution levels are so high thanks to the amount of cars living in one city. The only difference between Caracas and Bangkok is that there is a level of security in Bangkok that Caracas unfortunately no longer offers.

Now back to Bangkok…the highlight of being in this city was the amazing hotel we stayed at, Dusit Thani. When we walked into the hotel, I felt like I was at the Bellagio in Las Vegas with everything being extra-large and elegant. The Dusit Thani is glamorous with their first in class customer service representatives in sharp fitted Thai traditional costumes to amazing food selections for all kinds of cravings; from a large waterfall with koi fish in the bottom for you to enjoy while sipping on a glass of Chardonnay and imagine you are somewhere else to their amazing spa services that were definitely worth every penny! The hotel rooms that we all stayed in were fabulous, very clean and modern yet elegant and classy. I still cannot believe we stayed at that hotel it is by far the best hotel we stayed at during this trip and I loved it so much that I provided a review about the hotel on Trip Advisor and it has been viewed by more than 900 people in the U.S.

To close the loop on Amazing Thailand, the biggest thing that I loved about this country was their food. As I mentioned before, I love trying the local food when I travel and that was my favorite thing to do in Thailand. I enjoyed every bite of street food I had including the random crickets on Koh Samed Island. Their dishes are so complex in flavors but easy to make (or so they made it seem) that I was amazed with everything we had served both in Bangkok and in Koh Samed. I loved the fact that you can be walking down Rama IX road and you can get a quick plate of fresh Pad Thai or some fresh fruit with sugar and red chili seasonings. Or be lying on the beach and get some fresh coconut juice, with grilled chicken and papaya salad on the side. I loved Thai food before I got to Thailand and now I must say it is the best cuisine in this world!

SANTA BARBARA — Sixty years ago, a group of students from the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) were killed as they participated in the Bengali Language Movement protests. The student activists were seeking to have Bengali recognized as an official language of Pakistan. In their honor, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999 declared Feb. 21 — the date of the protests — as International Mother Language Day.

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese at UC Santa Barbara will recognize International Mother Language Day with a two-day conference beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, in the McCune Conference Room, 6020 Humanities and Social Sciences Building, at UCSB, the university reported in a media release. The conference, free and open to the public, will continue at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, in the Mosher Alumni Center’s Alumni Hall.

The conference, which brings together a diverse group of international scholars, seeks to promote multilingualism, awareness of the plight of language minorities, tolerance toward different cultures, and the preservation of linguistic diversity. It will focus on “Protecting Identity and Diversity: Language and Cultural Rights,” examining the topic from linguistic as well as legal perspectives.

“The protection of linguistic and cultural rights allows us, as well as future generations, to enjoy and learn from mankind’s extremely diverse anthropological characteristics,” Viola Miglio, associate professor of linguistics at UCSB, and the Barandiarán Chair of Basque Studies in the Spanish and Portuguese department, stated in a media release. “Because of the intangible nature of this heritage, it is difficult to protect it and preserve it in an increasingly globalized world. This conference explores what exactly we should preserve and how, from a linguistic as well as a legal point of view.”

Among the conference participants…

Finish reading UC Santa Barbara to host International Mother Language Day Conference

The DREAM Act, which gained headway last year, is now negatively impacted by a Republican majority senate. Prior to its amendment at the end of November, the bill included requirements such as permitting undocumented students who are residing within a state, the opportunity to gain identification cards.

Florida undocumented students pled their case to state legislators to pass in-state tuition assistance, but failed.

The DREAM Act is focused upon youth who have grown up in this country without citizenship. Additionally, it would give them a way to obtain a lasting residence within the United States.

A rally was held in New York on February 14th in support of the more than two million undocumented students who live across the nation. An estimated 200,000 reside just in New York State alone.

The New York version of the DREAM Act has included a provision, which would allow undocumented students to obtain financial aid for college. Furthermore, as the federal DREAM Act has faced political opposition, the state version may be the only way to assist undocumented students.

Supporters of the bill are finding that the new provisions have limited the benefits that the DREAM Act was written to provide. However, these supporters are also recognizing that removing controversial elements of the DREAM Act may result in its passing.

A youth director, Natalia Aristizabal, from the Make the Road organization, commented on the DREAM Act saying, “We need to move forward legislation that improves the lives of students in the State of New York.”

Initially, the federal DREAM Act was announced in 2001 and Aristizabal has been working on its passing for seven years. She said, “It’s been very hard to continue to work so many years on this and see that it goes nowhere.”

At this time, only California, New Mexico and Texas allow undocumented students to gain tuition assistance without blocking them due to their legal status.

Another rally was held at New York’s capital recently involving 78 high school students. The youth journeyed to Albany with the goal of requesting legislators to pass the DREAM Act. They are still hopeful that one will pass at the state level in places such as New York where officials, including Mayor Bloomberg, have expressed support for the legislation.

Demonstrations very similar to the protests in New York have occurred throughout the nation. This week, a group of students from the Florida Immigrant Coalition defended their argument for granting undocumented students in-state tuition prices in front of the Florida legislature and the Committee for Secondary Education.

All wearing graduation caps, they showed their support of the bill by sharing their personal stories and struggles in pursuing a college diploma with undocumented status. The students were supported by representatives of various cultural organizations, affluent members of the Latino community and law firms from Tampa.

Unfortunately, the bill died in committee — this time around.

Only time will tell if the future holds a change of heart in Florida and the other states that have defeated state versions of the bill. What is certain is the need to support this significant demographic of the American population.

A demographic, who by no fault of their own, must endure not only the struggles of building a career for themselves in a country they consider their own — but holding on to the only life they’ve ever known.

Sofia Sanchez, a graduate of Florida International University, is a writer specializing in topics regarding the economy and employment trends.

GUATEMALA — From Nostradamus to Y2K, end-of-the-world prophesies are nothing new. This year, the ancient Mayans find themselves at the center of the Doomsday hype with conspiracy theorists and New Age authors all profiting greatly from the belief that the world will end on December 21, 2012.

(Photo: Felipe Mejía)

However, it’s not the apocalyptic vision that Hollywood has projected onto moviegoers that native Mayans anticipate. Rather, it’s the awakening of a new era of hope that Mayans believe is signaled in the sacred Mayan calendar, as the 13 B’Aktum cycle comes to a close.

Today, February 22, marks the start of the Mayan New Year – the last one ahead of the aforementioned date – and celebrations are taking place across the country to commemorate the occasion.

After five days of meditation, purification and gratitude to prepare for the New Year, Mayans will gather together with their elders to feast and recite stories about their past. Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina is even travelling to Iximché, Tecpan Chimaltenango, to participate in events there.

According to scholars, the Mayans never spoke about the end of the world, but of a transformation that will start next December and bring about the end of a period of sun that has lasted for over 5,000 years.

“Unfortunately the world is accustomed to liking the morbid concept of the final apocalypse – these themes sell and many people have made money off of this type of declaration,” says Mayan priest, Julio David Menchú. “But it will be a new era, which will bring with it a unity between mankind and Mother Nature; she will support us and we won’t contaminate her anymore.”

Dating back to 2000 BC across Mesoamerica, the Mayan civilization was one of the most important in history. Famous for their impressive knowledge of astronomy and math, the Mayans kept what many believe to be the most accurate calendar in the world.

Through observing and noting the movement and position of the sun, they left written messages charting the change of each era, and it is with these messages that archaeologists and anthropologists have been able to uncover important dates in the sacred Mayan calendar.

(Photo: Julio David Menchú)

“This date [December 21] is based on inscriptions or hieroglyphics, which were found in Quiriguá, Guatemala,” says Menchú.

Close to 10 million descendants of Mayans still live in Central America and the majority of them are expected to celebrate the New Year today.

“The day before the change, you clean and tidy your house, decorate the altar, change tablecloths, decorate the floor with pine needles and burn incense,” says Menchú. “On the day of the change we get together with ajq’ijab’ (spiritual guides) and have a big ceremony where we dance to the sound of the marimba, burn materials in a sacred fire, share food and discuss how to behave in the coming year.”

Mayans reportedly follow three types of calendars: the sacred calendar that has 260 days, the agricultural or civilian calendar that has 365 days and a 5,125 year cycle. It is this final cycle that will be coming to a close on winter solstice, December 21, 2012.

Anna-Claire Bevan is a Guatemala-based freelance correspondent for Latina Lista.

Every Fortune 500 company in the US has a board of directors who meet regularly to provide the CEO strategic advice. Each member may focus on one aspect of the business based on their own experience and expertise so that together they can offer comprehensive advice. It can be one of the best ways companies take a look at how to manage the business for the long term. A growing number of career advisors are taking this concept and applying it to “You, INC”.

Whether you have a very clear picture of what you want to achieve in your career or not, there is enormous value in having the perspective of a group of trusted advisors. This is especially true if you are one of the first in your family to face a specific career challenge or if you are facing a career transition that caught you by surprise — a new project, a new job or a new level of responsibility.

As a first generation Latina, my parents inspired me to excel but they had little formal education to offer me advice on college and graduate school. Over time, I learned to seek the advice of others who had “been there, done that” and go to them for strategic input.

Just in case you are wondering, “how is this different from having conversations with my friends?” This is not about asking for advice from your peers. Your friends often share your experiences, your interests and even your values. Your personal board of directors is best if it is comprised of people who are doing what you want to do in your career 5 to 10 years from now.

They may also be individuals in a completely new field of work that you want to pursue. Or they might be individuals who challenge your assumptions, push you to think differently about your strategy for success and yes, they may even disagree with you.

A personal board of directors is a team of trusted advisors you can turn to for candid advice as you make significant decisions or who track your progress once you set a goal.

What’s the best way to seat your personal board of directors?

First, look at your career goals and think about the people that you would want to talk to in order to help you succeed. The next step is to identify these individuals possibly where you work, at special career related events, in your professional association or at your place of worship. You can also use the online career networking site, LinkedIn, to help you identify potential members by asking people in your network who they may know and asking for an introduction.

The next step is to actually contact your potential members and determine if they are willing to be part of your personal board of directors and if you think they are a good fit for your needs.

This invitation must come with clear boundaries and instructions: how often you will meet, where, and what kind of advice you’ll be seeking. Limit yourself to one year of engaging your personal board and keep your meetings to 4 in person and another three by phone.

This should all be in the form of a carefully crafted letter or email and it should include your current resume. Treat your request like a request for an informational interview because this group of individuals may be instrumental in opening other doors for you in the future.

Your personal board of directors will most likely become part of your larger network of professionals and that network will always be vital to your success.

Join me at the next LatinaVIDA™ or visit me at Latina Cubicle Confidential™

Dr. Maria G. Hernandez has 20 years experience consulting in both the United States and Mexico to senior executives in Fortune 50 companies and facilitated change initiatives for elected officials and their staff. She has worked in academia, business, nonprofits, technology startups, and public agencies.

Today, Comcast cable company announced the launch of four minority-owned networks on its cable-TV systems in the next two years. These four are part of six new channels that will join the Comcast lineup in the next eight years as part of Comcast’s agreement with the FCC and Department of Justice when it was allowed to become majority owner of NBCUniversal.

Two of the initial networks chosen from a field of 100 proposals are geared to the Latino market — one in English and the other in Spanish.

El Rey, proposed by Hollywood director Robert Rodriguez and FactoryMade Ventures executives John Fogelman and Cristina Patwa, is designed to be an action-packed, general entertainment network for Latino and general audiences in English. The programming mix will include reality, scripted and animated series, and will feature Hispanic producers, celebrities and public figures. It launches January 2014.

BabyFirst Americas, from Spanish-language TV veteran Constantino “Said” Schwarz, is designed for infants and very young children, as well as their parents. It will emphasize the importance of early development of verbal, math and motor skills, the network said.

It makes sense that a cable system would provide programming that appeals to the diversity of its audience. It’s a firm acknowledgement that people are not the same — don’t laugh at the same thing, don’t see issues in the same light and don’t talk the same way, whether it’s with an accent or use of slang.

All arguments as to why programs meant to ensure diversity on college campuses must be preserved.

Otherwise, we’ll be graduating academically smart but ignorant people, who will expect all people of color to act like the characters on network television comedy shows.

Yet, a new report released today by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) brings to mind that famous quote from Mark Twain: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Not because white farming families, who had left their farms in search of city employment, are returning, but because young Latino families are now calling rural America home. “Young” being the operative word.

In the report, Rural Demographic Change in the New Century: Slower Growth, Increased Diversity, the authors found that while the rural population growth slowed because fewer people were moving into rural areas after 2000, diversity actually accelerated. Racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 83 percent of rural growth between 2000-2010. Researchers say Latinos are to be credited for most of that growth.

Kenneth Johnson, senior demographer at the Carsey Institute and professor of sociology at UNH, pointed out that though minorities accounted for the majority of rural population gain between 2000 and 2010, minorities still only represent just 21 percent of the rural population overall.

Yet, what makes this discovery promising is the children in Latino families who are settling in rural America.

“This growing racial and ethnic diversity is being fueled by children,” Johnson says. “Nearly 600 counties in the nation have more minority than white children – so-called “majority-minority” counties – and another 300 are near majority-minority, with between 40 and 50 percent minority youth populations. Of these, 356 majority-minority youth counties are in rural America as are 178 of the near majority-minority counties. These rural majority-minority counties are concentrated in the Mississippi Delta, the Rio Grande region, the Southeast, and in the Northern Great Plains.

“Young people clearly are a harbinger of future racial-ethnic change and diversity in rural America, as deaths among the older largely white population are replaced disproportionately by minority births,” Johnson says.