News Clips March 30, 2010

Teenager Testifies About Attacking Latinos for Sport

Nicholas Hausch, 18, testifying on Monday in State Supreme Court here, described what that meant. “It’s when you go out and you look for a Hispanic to beat up,” Mr. Hausch told the packed courtroom.

Mr. Hausch said that he and two friends drove to Patchogue that Friday night and used Mr. Hausch’s pistol-style BB gun to shoot at a Hispanic man on his porch. The next night — Saturday, Nov. 8 — Mr. Hausch was again in Patchogue with friends when they spotted a Hispanic man rolling his bicycle.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/nyregion/30patchogue.html

Gov’t pushing to get Hispanics counted in census

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) – The census campaign has been on for weeks, even months now.

Communities all over the country are trying to get everyone to fill out the form and send it back.

Each form is like money in the bank.

Trouble is, some people are scared of revealing any information.

A lot of people don’t like the idea of sharing what they consider personal information, and that’s apparently very true among Hispanics in this county.

When local Hispanics opened their mail boxes and found the census form in 2000, local Hispanic leaders said they panicked.

http://www.wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=12222786

Still Black or White: Why the Census Misreads Hispanics

Hispanic advocates often tell the story of a Census Bureau worker who visits a Puerto Rican household in New York City’s East Harlem neighborhood. Seeing the family’s caramel complexion, the Census taker asks which race he should put down for them — white or black. To which the family answers: “Puerto Rican.”

The story could substitute a Mexican-American family — or Colombian- or Nicaraguan-American ones for that matter — but the gist would be the same. Many, if not most, Hispanics in the U.S. think of their ethnicity (also known as Latino) not just in cultural terms but in a racial context as well. It’s why more than 40% of Hispanics, when asked on the Census form in 2000 to register white or black as their race, wrote in “Other” — and they represented 95% of all the 15.3 million people in the U.S. who did so.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1975883,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0jfBmJwft

Some Hispanics stumped by U.S. Census form’s box on race

Some Hispanics are finding question No. 9 on the U.S. Census forms a bit troubling, The Arizona Republic reports.

It asks residents to mark their race. The choices: white, black, American Indian, Alaska native, various Asian descents, Hawaiian, Pacific Islanders or “some other race.”

“Obviously, I’m not white,” Jessica Valenzuela, 37, a schoolteacher from Avondale, Ariz., tells the newspaper.  “I would consider myself Hispanic or Mexican-American, but definitely not white. The form doesn’t really leave you with
another option, though.”

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/03/some-hispanics-stumped-by-us-census-forms-box-on-race/1

Will the Biometric ID card solve the problem of Illegal Immigration

Senators of South Carolina and New York presented a blue print of  immigration-bill to President Barack Obama which included the proposal to issue biometric Identity Card which will contain physical information such as finger prints to all the working Americans. It is being said that this is going to solve the problem of illegal immigration by helping the employers to know who is eligible to work “If you say [illegal immigrants] can’t get a job when they come here, you’ll stop it,” Schumer told the Wall Street Journal.

http://www.sevensidedcube.net/general/2010/will-the-biometric-id-card-solve-the-problem-of-illegal-immigration/

Hayworth Slams McCain on Immigration at Tea Party Rally

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The man who hopes to wrest the Republican nomination away from four-term Arizona Sen. John McCain blasted the 2008 presidential candidate for his positions on immigration and border security at a Tea Party rally here on Sunday.

Former Congressman J.D. Hayworth, who has emerged as a formidable primary challenger to McCain, seized on amnesty for illegal immigrants and border control, which have become defining issues in the state’s GOP Senate primary race.

“It is unconscionable that nearly a decade after 9/11 the backdoor of the United States remains open,” Hayworth told hundreds of Tea Party members gathered at the Radisson Hotel in Flagstaff. “Our senior senator is looking at this entirely the wrong way.”

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/29/tea-partiers-arizona-focus-immigration-security/

Ten Facts About Diabetes and Kidney Disease in Hispanic Americans

Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the single leading cause of kidney failure in adults. Hispanic Americans have a high rate of diabetes, which increases their chances of developing serious complications such as chronic kidney disease, heart disease and strokes. However, when individuals with diabetes follow their treatment plan carefully and keep their blood sugar and blood pressure under control, they can greatly reduce their risk of developing these complications.

1. About 11 percent or 5 million of the 47 million Hispanic Americans have diabetes. About one-third of the cases of diabetes in Hispanic Americans are undiagnosed.

2. On the average, Hispanic Americans are nearly twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age. The prevalence of diabetes in Cuban Americans is lower than in Mexican American and Puerto Rican adults, but still higher than that of non-Hispanic whites.

http://www.parentyourparents.com/blog/2010/diabetes/ten-facts-about-diabetes-and-kidney-disease-in-hispanic-americans/

News Clips March 15, 2010

Health care foes have 200 no votes in House

Washington (CNN) — Even as a top House Democrat expressed confidence in passing legislation to overhaul health care, a new CNN analysis shows that opposition in the House of Representatives to the Senate health care plan has reached 200 members.

That figure is 16 votes shy of the 216 needed to prevent President Obama from scoring a major victory on his top domestic priority.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/16/house.health.care/?hpt=Sbin

House may try to pass Senate health-care bill without voting on it

After laying the groundwork for a decisive vote this week on the Senate’s health-care bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Monday that she might attempt to pass the measure without having members vote on it.
The tactic — known as a “self-executing rule” or a “deem and pass” — has been commonly used, although never to pass legislation as momentous as the $875 billion health-care bill. It is one of three options that Pelosi said she is considering for a late-week House vote, but she added that she prefers it because it would politically protect lawmakers who are reluctant to publicly support the measure.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/15/AR2010031503742.html?hpid=topnews

Latino clergy urge undocumented to boycott census

PHOENIX (AP) — The National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders is urging undocumented immigrants not to fill out the U.S. Census forms that are starting to arrive in mailboxes.

The coalition’s chairman, the Reverend Miguel Rivera, says undocumented immigrants should boycott the census unless comprehensive immigration reform offers them a path to citizenship.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=127600&catid=81

False word of fed immigration bust has Trenton Latinos in hiding

TRENTON — It might have been bogus, but a rumor that federal agents raided a city shopping center in search of Latino illegal aliens forced many immigrants into hiding over the weekend.

Latino leaders said the hoax interrupted lives as false word spread that U.S. immigration agents raided Trenton’s Roebling Market shopping center in Chambersburg.

http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/03/16/news/doc4b9f1d57e989c701590829.txt

Latinos lobby on payday loans, other issues

What started as a car-repair emergency quickly escalated into a financial crisis that Mercy Salazar would rather have kept secret.

But instead of hiding her story about how she got tangled up in a cycle of payday lending, the University of Colorado Denver graduate student now tells her story to help move legislation that Latino activists say is intended to protect them.

The recession has hit the Latino community in different ways, in the cost of getting a small payday loan, budget cuts in already poor schools and less access to health care.

More than 100 activists, community leaders and youths met Sunday and Monday for the fourth annual Colorado Latina and Latino Advocacy Day, focusing on those issues and discussing policies to change the way those issues affect Latinos.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14682142#ixzz0iLIQyi0U

Hispanics decry House bill

The proposal would require schools to verify and report all students’ immigration status.

A bill that would require Oklahoma public schools to verify the immigration status of all students and report it to the state Department of Education drew fire from Tulsa Hispanic leaders Monday as well as criticism from Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Keith Ballard.

“I don’t think it’s wise to make schools responsible for gathering that kind of information,” Ballard said. “It would be a huge undertaking and detract from our mission, which is to teach kids.”

Earlier in the day, representatives of the Tulsa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce said the measure, House Bill 3384, by Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, would create an unfunded mandate for already-strapped schools and is a step toward shutting illegal immigrants out of public education.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20100316_16_A9_TulsaH677493

News Clips March 12, 2010

Stakes Getting Higher for Obama, Latino Voters, and Immigration

Maybe there’s a game on. The President had three meetings on immigration reform at the White House today.  He is increasingly under pressure to act on promises he made as a candidate to enact immigration reform in his first year in office and, now in his second year, the patience of pro-reform advocates – and Latino and immigrant voters – is wearing thin.
The power of the Latino vote is a big reason the Democrats won the White House and control of both houses of Congress in 2008.  If the Democrats fail to address the immigration issue – an issue to which Latino voters are particularly sensitive and which helped drive their increased turnout in 2008 – the Democrats face even longer odds with voters in 2010.

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/03/12/stakes-getting-higher-for-obama-latino-voters-and-immigration/

Gut Check Time for GOP on Immigration

There is a quiet battle underway within the Republican Party that may soon break out into the open – and it will heavily impact whether the GOP can continue as a national political party in the decades ahead.

The conflict is over how the Party will position itself with respect to the question of immigration reform – and just as importantly – the fastest-growing demographic group in country: Hispanic Americans.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-creamer/gut-check-time-for-gop-on_b_496341.html

Lindsey Graham: Immigration reform in peril

A pair of White House meetings Thursday designed to chart a path forward for immigration reform instead spotlighted the daunting obstacles ahead — and showed why many Capitol Hill insiders believe it’s quite unlikely an immigration bill will happen this year.

After meeting with President Barack Obama, the leading Republican backing a comprehensive approach warned that a Democratic health care push could scuttle any chance of action on immigration in this Congress.

“I expressed, in no uncertain terms, my belief that immigration reform could come to a halt for the year if health care reconciliation goes forward,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement issued just after he and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met with Obama.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34299.html

Senators give Obama a bipartisan plan on immigration

Reporting from Washington – A pair of influential senators presented President Obama with a three-page blueprint for a bipartisan agreement to overhaul the nation’s immigration system, but the proposal’s viability is threatened by politics surrounding the healthcare debate.

Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), in a 45-minute meeting Thursday in the Oval Office, also asked for Obama’s help in rounding up enough Republican votes to pass an immigration bill this year.

Although details of their blueprint were not released, Graham said the elements included tougher border security, a program to admit temporary immigrant workers and a biometric Social Security card that would prevent people here illegally from getting jobs.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-immigration12-2010mar12,0,5784564.story

Why the 2010 Census will target Valley Hispanics

PHOENIX, AZ — A Census public service announcement will be out in a couple of days calling on the Hispanic community to come forward and be counted.

The PSA emphasizes the importance of participating in the 2010 Census which will in turn bring money into the community for transit, infrastructure and political representation.

http://www.abc15.com/content/financialsurvival/azstories/story/Why-the-2010-Census-will-target-Valley-Hispanics/eJBWMQ9p60yyRyzbKS0xMA.cspx

Census workers aiming to coax undocumented immigrants out of shadows

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. —  Sure, he has seen the ads on television and heard the public service announcements on Spanish radio, but Alejandro Martinez said he had no intention of filling out the U.S. Census questionnaire.

“It’s not worth the effort; it doesn’t really relate to the immigrant community,” said Martinez, of Port Richmond, in Spanish, as he stood yesterday with other day laborers on the service road, at the Forest Avenue exit off the Martin Luther King Jr. Expressway. “I’m not scared. I just don’t see the importance.”

But when a friend of his, Juan Perez, explained he would respond when the letter arrives in the mail in the next week or two because doing so could bring more funds to their neighborhood — it prompted Martinez to warm to the idea, musing: “Maybe, if it comes right to my house, I’ll fill it out. Why not?”

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/census_workers_aiming_to_coax.html

Rights Groups to ICE: Stop Raids for Census

OAKLAND, Calif. – Immigrant rights advocates have sent a letter to President Barack Obama and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano asking them to immediately suspend all immigration enforcement activities through the end of the year in order to decrease fear within immigrant communities and encourage their participation in the 2010 Census.

Questionnaires for the 2010 Census are due to arrive in the mailbox of every U.S. household between now and April 1.

“We are genuinely concerned that the climate of fear will seriously impact the census form return rate of immigrant households — and if people do not return the form, they will be reluctant to open the door to a follow-up visit from a census worker,” said Catherine Tactaquin, director of National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR). “We really need the leadership of the administration right now to make a difference in the success of the census among our diverse immigrant populations.”

http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=5b7a2f63b847f0ce9b9a6505a810604e

Health Reform Myths

Health reform is back from the dead. Many Democrats have realized that their electoral prospects will be better if they can point to a real accomplishment. Polling on reform — which was never as negative as portrayed — shows signs of improving. And I’ve been really impressed by the passion and energy of this guy Barack Obama. Where was he last year?

But reform still has to run a gantlet of misinformation and outright lies. So let me address three big myths about the proposed reform, myths that are believed by many people who consider themselves well-informed, but who have actually fallen for deceptive spin.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/opinion/12krugman.html?src=twt&twt=NytimesKrugman

News Clips March 11, 2010

Aldermen Blast Obama for Lack of Immigration Reform

Some Chicago aldermen are criticizing President Barack Obama and national Democratic leaders over immigration reform.

They say Democrats have so far failed to live up to campaign promises. Twenty-sixth ward Alderman Roberto Maldonado says enough is enough.

MALDONADO: And what we have seen by both President Barack Obama and Senator Durbin is a betrayal, a betrayal to the Latino community.

The aldermen and other Latino community leaders are calling for a moratorium on raids, deportations and the separation of families until immigration reform is passed. They will march in Washington later this month.

http://www.wbez.org/Content.aspx?audioID=40583

Immigration provision has Hispanic Caucus threatening ‘no’ health vote

A group of Hispanic lawmakers on Thursday will tell President Barack Obama that they may not vote for healthcare reform unless changes are made to the bill’s immigration provisions.
The scheduled meeting comes as Democratic leaders and the White House are struggling to craft a final bill that will attract 216 votes in the lower chamber.
Unlike abortion, immigration has flown beneath the radar, and almost seemed to vanish altogether as House Democrats have wrestled with how to accept a Senate healthcare bill far different from the one they passed in November.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/86125-hispanic-caucus-threat-to-vote-no-on-healthcare

Immigrants prep for march on D.C.

Talk is cheap. That’s what immigrants and their supporters – fed up with empty promises about reform – are ready to tell to President Obama on March 21.

Carrying signs reading “Friends make good on their promises,” thousands will rally in the nation’s capital to demand immigration reform.

“One year and three months into the Obama administration, who would’ve ever imagined that tens of thousands of immigrants would march on Washington to protest its destructive immigration policies?” asked Chung-Wha Hong, the New York Immigration Coalition executive director.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/03/11/2010-03-11_immigrants_prep_for_march_on_dc.html#ixzz0hsJM1jRi

A Little Momentum on Immigration Reform

It’s always amusing to watch political leaders trying to catch up with the people. The White House is now sprinting to catch up with those demanding practical solutions to our broken immigration system. After more than 14 months and no progress, the grassroots finally lost their patience.

One would like to think that this belated effort from the administration is being stoked by a renewed understanding of the moral dimensions of the crisis and comprehension of the desperate need our economy has for the infusion that immigration reform would bring.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-bhargava/a-little-momentum-on-immi_b_493447.html

Karl Rove says George Bush missed chance for immigration reform

Karl Rove now says he is sorry that immigration reform was not President Bush’s top priority at the beginning of his second term rather than social security reform.

Speaking to The New York Times Rove said
” As I said in the book, (Courage and Consequences) I wish we had led the second term with immigration reform.

If we had led with immigration reform at the beginning of the second term we could have had bipartisan cooperation with a Republican majority in the House and the Senate and done something important for the country that was tilted more toward what the Republicans wanted but couldn’t have passed without Democratic votes instead of Social Security which Democrats wouldn’t participate in until they had a taste of victory.

http://www.irishcentral.com/story/news/people_and_politics/karl-rove-says-george-bush-missed-chance-for-immigration-reform-87261957.html

Immigration measures draw demonstrators

Bills involve trespassing, law-enforcement assistance

Dozens of demonstrators rallied Monday at the state Capitol against bills that would make it trespassing to be in the country illegally and require local law enforcement to assist in enforcing federal immigration laws.

Members of several organizations carried signs and chanted outside the Executive Tower where Gov. Jan Brewer’s office is located.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2010/03/11/20100311politics-immigration0311.html

Wal-Mart Raid Rumors Concern Houston Hispanics

“This is an issue of human rights. It’s an issue of community panic. I think we all know how panic in the community can lead to very dangerous things,” said Hector Chavana Jr., who’s with the La Raza Justice Movement in Houston.

This dangerous rumor, apparently sent through text messages, began about immigration and customs enforcement activity taking place at Houston-area Wal-Marts. Chavana Jr. is trying to seek witness accounts of immigration raids in the area.

“As far as we can tell, a lot of it is just rumors. The last thing that I’m trying to verify is whether or not there was some I-9 verification going on, which is known as desk raids.” Lauda, a long time server at Rosita’s Mexican restaurant, says Hispanics are concerned about those desk raids.

http://www.39online.com/news/local/kiah-walmart-raid-story,0,2402060.story

Could Immigration Split the Tea Party?

With the Tea Party movement gaining political clout, the question arises: what issue can divide them? Guest-hosting the Rachel Maddow Show, Chris Hayes reports that immigration may be the key to splitting the Tea Party, and potentially, the Republican base. Earlier on Charlie Rose, Dick Armey, former Republican House Majority Leader and current head of Freedom Works, critiqued former Congressman and anti-immigrant activist Tom Tancredo for advocating a voter literacy test.

“I was, for example, not really happy to see Tom Tancredo on the stage calling himself a tea party guy because of his harsh and uncharitable and mean-spirited attitude on the immigration issue,” said Armey.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100322/hayes_video3

Multimedia campaign urges Latino youth to participate in the U.S. Census

Community leaders and celebrities announced a new multimedia campaign in Los Angeles on Wednesday aimed at getting young Latinos to participate in the U.S. Census.

During the news conference at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, speakers invited students to download an interactive mobile application, to participate in a texting campaign (text “LA” to 738674) and to spread the word to family and friends about the importance of the census.

“Your voice literally does matter,” actress Rosario Dawson told students in the campus library. “You have the right to live with dignity in your communities. This is the opportunity to fight for that.”

Dawson and actor Wilmer Valderrama joined leaders of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Voto Latino and the California Community Foundation to show public service announcements and hand out census-themed I-tunes cards to students.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/multimedia-campaign-urges-latino-youth-to-participate-in-the-us-census.html

News Clips March 10, 2009

For Latino Community, Health Reform Can’t Wait

Following President Obama’s call on Congress to pass health insurance reform, Governor Kaine outlines importance of reform for the Latino community, asking Hispanics to take part in the final march to health reform

WASHINGTON, March 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Following President Obama’s call on Congress last week to act now to pass health insurance reform, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine issued this Spanish-language video calling on Latinos to take part in the final push for health reform – reform that would benefit the Latino community.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/for-latino-community-health-reform-cant-wait-87163722.html

The Nation: The Democrat’s Immigration Priority

The great thing about racists is they’ll always take the bait. You won’t get far into an immigration-reform debate, for instance, before the GOP’s more zealous legislators start doing things like criminalizing priests and calling Miami a “third world country.” Which is why Democrats ought to be more eager to spend 2010 debating immigration.

Back in summer 2009, that looked like the plan. President Obama made a big show of brainstorming reforms, by holding a White House summit and meeting with legislators in both parties. New York Sen. Charles Schumer teamed up with South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham to work on a bipartisan bill and immigration seemed destined to get space at the top of the 2010 agenda.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124519474

Latino voters can’t wait till mañana

Barack Obama won Latino support by promising to reform immigration laws – but so far, he has failed to deliver

mmigration reform advocates have been abuzz with the news that President Obama is to meet with Republican senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic senator Charles Schumer at the White House later this week. But insiders say the closed door meeting, which the president requested, is largely for show. Officially, Graham and Schumer say they need two more GOP co-sponsors for their bill, which includes a sweeping legalisation programme for undocumented immigrants, and stepped up border and workplace enforcement. But with mid-term elections just eight months away, and the campaign season likely to start in early May, there’s not much time left to make legislative headway.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/mar/09/latino-vote-obama-immigration

NY Group Tells U.S. Afro-Latinos to ‘Check Both!’ in 2010 Census

In an effort to achieve an accurate count of Afro-Latinos in the United States Census, the nonprofit afrolatin@ forum has produced a series of public service announcements that call on Latinos of African descent to identify as both Hispanic and Black on the 2010 form.

By proclaiming “Check Both!/¡Chequea las dos!” the bilingual spots highlight the importance for Latin@s of African descent to self-identify as such on the Census.

The count has far-reaching implications, determining how $400 billion in federal funds are distributed to local governments each year. Over 10 years, a community could lose a projected $1.2 million of federal funding for housing, health and education programs for every 100 persons that are not counted, according to the NAACP. Studies have established that despite a higher educational level, Black Latin@s are more likely to live below the poverty level than other Latin@s and have the highest unemployment rate.

The videos – “Yo Soy,” “Y tu abuela?” and “Afro-Latin@ facts” – depict the true range of diversity within the U.S. Latino community. And they are designed to appeal to an array of viewers who might think of themselves as Afro-Latin@s for different reasons. Some may choose to “Check Both” to honor their heritage. Others may “Check Both” because of how they look, or because of how others see them. Still others may want to identify with the culture they have grown up with.

To view the PSA’s, click here:

·       Yo Soy:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC95u513l0I

·       Y tu abuela:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2DPL9IFEcw

·       Afro-Latino Facts:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDWynucWGaM

http://www.reddingnewsreview.com/newspages/2010newspages/ny_group_tells_us_afro_10_1000020.htm

ID Card for Workers Is at Center of Immigration Plan

Lawmakers working to craft a new comprehensive immigration bill have settled on a way to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants: a national biometric identification card all American workers would eventually be required to obtain.

Under the potentially controversial plan still taking shape in the Senate, all legal U.S. workers, including citizens and immigrants, would be issued an ID card with embedded information, such as fingerprints, to tie the card to the worker.

The ID card plan is one of several steps advocates of an immigration overhaul are taking to address concerns that have defeated similar bills in the past.

The uphill effort to pass a bill is being led by Sens. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), who plan to meet with President Barack Obama as soon as this week to update him on their work. An administration official said the White House had no position on the biometric card.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703954904575110124037066854.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_PoliticsNCampaign_3

News Clips March 5, 2009

Obama risks alienating Latinos with lack of immigration reform

I have known Barack Obama since 1986, when we were both community organizers. I am still organizing on the streets of Chicago, and what I see in the Latino community makes me fear that the president is oblivious to the pain wrought by our broken immigration system. It could have a profound effect on the 2010 and 2012 elections.

It didn’t have to be this way. For a brief moment last year it appeared that Obama might realign the modern political map, cementing the Latino vote into the Democratic coalition by speaking plainly to the American people on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/04/AR2010030404037.html

Immigration Reform: Change Takes Courage and Faith

The window is closing on comprehensive immigration reform. At least that’s what the politicians in Washington are saying. They’re afraid of more demagoguery. They’re afraid of upcoming elections. They’re afraid of the politics of fear. But I am more and more troubled by how little they seem concerned about the worsening plight of many of America’s most vulnerable families — about how families are being broken up by the U.S. government, forcibly separating children from their parents. And for the media, immigration reform is just another looming political conflict to report, more of the gamesmanship of Washington to cover.

As always, the real stories of real people get lost in the win/lose politics of the nation’s capital. Yes, the nation is going through some tremendous challenges right now. And we all know that Congress is hesitant to tackle tough issues before mid-term elections. But while politicians can write off one more piece of legislation on a packed agenda, they won’t be able to write off, or ignore, a movement rooted in our faith communities. If our political leaders won’t make room for the “strangers” among us, we will — because Jesus commands us to do so.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/immigration-reform-change_b_485889.html

Activists rally forces for immigration reform

Immigration reform advocates see time running out

Cynics might call it an exercise in futility, at least this year.

But count Michael Flores among the true believers: those convinced that with a lot of hard work, comprehensive immigration reform legislation could finally move forward in 2010, despite previous failures and the fact that Washington’s attention is focused squarely on other issues.

“This is the time,” said Flores, Southern Nevada director of Reform Immigration For America . “We’re organized and we’re not going to take no for an answer.”

http://www.lvrj.com/news/activists-rally-forces-for-immigration-reform-86527812.html

Immigration reform not one-sided
Irish Americans say debate over reform as important to them

Irish immigrants would like lawmakers and the public to know that the debate over immigration reform is not about one single group.

Speaking in Denver yesterday, Irish American Ciaran Staunton, president of the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, said people often forget that of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in America, at least 50,000 of them are from Ireland.

The debate over comprehensive immigration reform is often centered around the Hispanic community Ń because of America’s close proximity to Mexico Ń but Staunton points out that for thousands of Irish people, the debate is just as important.

“The Irish community has as big an interest in immigration reform as any other community,” Staunton told the Denver Daily News before speaking at The Celtic Tavern in Denver. “There is no legal way for an Irish American in Denver to bring his cousin to America to work and to participate in the American dream.”

http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=7535

Latinos Support Drive to Rid Military of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

The Obama administration, with growing support from top military brass and members of Congress, including half of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is moving to repeal the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law — a 1993 compromise by President Clinton that lifted the longstanding outright ban on gays and lesbians serving in the military.

Since 1994 there have been 13,500 discharges under that law.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates have echoed the call to action by saying the military is ready for change.

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=ba56f82b08c86ebb4e048b8345cefab2

Latino comedy troupe out to bust stereotype

Macedonio Arteaga always knows how to tell if he’ll be disappointed in the way Latinos are represented in a TV show or movie.

He looks for the lowrider.

Chances are if the show has a lowrider, an expensive car beyond the reach of most everyone, including Latinos, then the show probably has a Latino character who is a gardener.

“It’s this horrible, horrible stereotype,” Arteaga said in a phone interview. “It’s really unbelievable if you really think about it.”

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20100305/ENTERTAIN/100309848/1015&parentprofile=1015

Hispanic surname an election liability?

Victor Carrillo, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, blames his loss to an unknown challenger in Tuesday’s GOP primary on voter bias against his last name. “Given the choice between ‘Porter’ and ‘Carrillo,’ unfortunately, the Hispanic surname was a serious setback from which I could never recover, although I did all in my power to overcome this built-in bias,” he says.

The victor, David Porter, says he worked hard for this victory and writes off Carrillo’s comments as “sour grapes.”

That was my initial reaction until I also looked at the extremely narrow victory in the Democratic primary of Hector Uribe in the Texas land commissioner’s race. Here was a guy who had strong backing from the Democratic Party. He had spent 12 years as a state senator and House member. He was well-versed in the workings of the Legislature. The most impressive experience the other Democratic candidate, Bill Burton, offered was a short tenure as a justice of the peace in Henderson County.

http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/03/hispanic-surnam.html

News Clips March 2, 2010

Census question confuses

EL PASO – Many Hispanics do not know they are white. But, in the U.S. Census Bureau’s eyes, they probably are.

For people such as former baseball star Sammy Sosa, who is a black Dominican, it may be easy to fill out a 2010 Census form.

But Hispanics may be confused over the questions of race and ethnicity found in the form being mailed out this month.

“The race question is the question I get the most queries about,” U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said Monday in a national conference call. “This is a question that changes every decade.”

In question No. 8, the bureau asks if a person is of Hispanic origin. Then, in the following question, the person must mark his or her race.

The Census Bureau gives respondents many options, but classifies data into five races – white, black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native and other Pacific Islanders.

“This is one of the stickier issues,” said Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. “About half of Latinos who respond to the census consider being Latino their racial category.”

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_14495736

Research Reveals Hispanic-Americans Mark Education as a Top Priority in 2010

Many Hispanics believe they are less likely to achieve a college education due to a lack of funding

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., March 2 /PRNewswire/ — Due to the economic uncertainty many Hispanic-Americans are placing a new emphasis on what is important to them and their families. A new survey* by Sears Holdings finds that although a majority (84 percent) of Hispanic-Americans report that education will be a priority in 2010, most (92 percent) believe that there are barriers standing in the way of receiving an education beyond high school, with close to three-quarters (71 percent) citing lack of money to cover school expenses as the biggest roadblock.

Among those respondents who believe there are barriers in receiving a higher education, more than half (53 percent) attribute a lack of information about the opportunities and options available to get an education as an obstacle. Also weighing in as a hurdle for many Hispanic-Americans (60 percent) is the need to work and support the family right after high school.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/research-reveals-hispanic-americans-mark-education-as-a-top-priority-in-2010-85944862.html

Tea Party Holds Risks for GOP

American politics reached a milestone when Ronald Reagan, then the Republican presidential nominee, traveled to a convention of evangelical Christians in Dallas in August 1980 and said something mainstream politicians hadn’t been willing to say previously: “I want you to know I endorse you and what you are doing,” Mr. Reagan told the 15,000 or so conservative church leaders there assembled.

From that point on, the “religious right,” earlier seen by many as almost a fringe movement, became an important force within an ascendant Republican coalition.

Republicans today are trying something similar with the Tea Party movement. Yet even as Republicans relish this thought, it’s worth remembering that, just as their embrace of the religious right created occasional heartburn alongside electoral success, so too does their slow embrace of the Tea Party movement carry downside risks as well as upside potential.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703429304575095441763635842.html

Washington Hispanic website now offers Daily News & Multimedia Online

Washington DC, [CapitalWirePR]  –March 1, 2010— With a redesigned web site featuring sleek visuals, The Washington Hispanic today launched a fresh new look on line. The Capital’s largest Spanish language newspaper is now repositioning with a robust web presence to better serve its readers and the community at http://www.washingtonhispanic.com.

“The redesigned site has been in development for some time. Our community is seeking faster access and greater coverage to keep growing and prospering. Our readers want to stay informed. The Washington Hispanic intends to meet their news needs. Our news will now be even more timely and ever more relevant to our reader’s interests,“ said founder Johnny A. Yataco.

http://www.capitalwirepr.com/pr_description.php?id=c416fd81-b938-af87-bd2c-4b8c3d3d6195

The Dream that Keeps on Marching for America

The man handed us several crumpled $20 bills. “I would like to donate $200 to help a household worker or a day laborer go to Washington and speak for us,” he said, turning to walk away. He was referring to the rally planned for March 21 in Washington, DC, for the purpose of raising awareness about the need to fix our nation’s broken immigration system. We asked to get his name and nationality but he chose to remain anonymous: “Like many of us, without a name or country of origin, but ever present,” was his response.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jorgemario-cabrera/the-dream-that-keeps-on-m_b_476724.html

News Clips Feb. 11, 2010

Same day registration for early voting moving forward

Legislation that would allow a person to register to vote then immediately cast a ballot at early voting sites is scheduled in final committees in both the House and Senate this week. Proponents say it would increase access to elections at the same time it improves the accuracy, transparency, and efficiency of how voter registration files are maintained. Detractors voice concern that without an official government issued photo ID, the possibility of voter fraud will increase.

http://newmexicoindependent.com/46915/same-day-registration-for-early-voting-moving-forward

Illegal immigrant numbers plunge

California’s number drops by 250,000, the nation’s nearly 1 million. The sharpest drop in three decades renews the debate over what to do about those still here.
A new report that the nation’s illegal immigrant population has declined by nearly 1 million has sharpened the debate over whether to legalize those remaining or allow their numbers to shrink through attrition.

The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States dropped to 10.8 million in 2009 from 11.6 million in 2008, marking the second consecutive year of decline and the sharpest decrease in at least three decades, according to a report this week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-immig11-2010feb11,0,4502287.story

Arizona Sheriff, U.S. in Standoff Over Immigration Enforcement

An Arizona sheriff said he planned to defy Washington’s attempts to roll back his staunch enforcement of federal immigration law, a move that could put him on a collision course with the U.S. government.

Late last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest arm of the Department of Homeland Security, stripped Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio of the authority to use 100 of his deputies to enforce federal immigration in his jurisdiction, which includes Phoenix. The customs agency took the action because Mr. Arpaio’s aggressive immigration crackdowns had drawn criticism from human-rights groups and had run afoul of the U.S. Justice Department, which is investigating whether he has used racial profiling and abused his authority.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703455804575057650062572536.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5

A Progressive Game Changer: Immigration Reform In 2010

Success in politics requires moving people to act. Unless people are motivated, mobilized, and given something to fight for, they stay home, they don’t vote, they don’t participate. In that scenario, the status quo goes merrily along unchanged and unchallenged or those few who are motivated and mobilized win – even if they carry misspelled signs and have an incoherent and backwards policy prescription for the country.

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2010/02/11/a-progressive-game-changer-immigration-reform-in-2010/

Governor Perry speaks out against illegal immigration

Gov. Rick Perry today visited San Antonio on Wednesday and called on the federal government to reimburse the state of Texas for costs associated with detaining criminals in Texas jails who are undocumented immigrants.

Gov. Perry announced he will send a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking the federal government to begin reimbursing the state for such costs. The state will begin submitting monthly invoices to the federal government for these costs in hopes that it will start meeting its obligations to uphold immigration policy.

http://www.kens5.com/news/Governor-Perry-speaks-out-against-illegal-immigration-84067997.html

Texas governor Rick Perry says Predator drones should patrol U.S. border

IRVING, Texas – Texas Gov. Rick Perry tried to shore up his border security credentials Monday as he campaigned for re-election by calling for a Predator drone at the Texas-Mexico border and highlighting a transnational gang initiative.

Perry, a Republican seeking his third full term as governor, said he has asked the Defense Department to deploy an unarmed drone to the Texas border to assist in border security and provide “real-time” data. “Why not fly them from Brownsville to El Paso?” Perry said in remarks at the Irving Police Association Hall.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Texas+governor+Rick+Perry+says+Predator+drones+should+patrol+border/2542449/story.html

Getting the Facts Straight About Immigration

Despite Pessimism, Support for Immigration Reform Has Always Been High, We Just Don’t Realize It

Scott Brown’s election to the Senate, stalled healthcare reform legislation, and Obama’s 30 words about immigration reform in this state of the union address have once again raised the volume of naysayers that claim immigration reform is dead or has permanently stalled. A significant number of comments in response to my article last week, also express the same pessimism accompanied by hateful and derogatory remarks about undocumented immigrants. As a social scientist, I am dismayed by such categorical claims that completely ignore the facts and creates a self-fulfilling prophecy that paralyzes politicians and denies undocumented immigrants a better way of life .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/will-perez-phd/getting-the-facts-straigh_b_457319.html

News Clips Feb. 10, 2010

Hispanic Democratic group endorses Shami for governor

AUSTIN – A leading group of Hispanic Democrats endorsed businessman Farouk Shami for governor Tuesday, saying the Palestinian-American immigrant personifies the American dream.

“He is inclusive of all people from all walks of life and can identify with those of us who were not born in the United States,” said Dallas City Council member Steve Salazar, state chairman of the Mexican American Democrats.

Salazar said the group met with Shami on Saturday and particularly liked his stances on immigration and crime. The Houston hair products entrepreneur has criticized federal and state border security policies.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-shami_10tex.ART.State.Edition1.4bfa040.html

U.S. illegal immigrant population declines for second year

The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States fell by 1 million, or 8 percent, between 2007 and 2009, the U.S. government reported Tuesday.

The decline, to 10.8 million people in January 2009 from 11.8 million in 2007 and 11.6 million in 2008, coincides with the national economic downturn. It marked the first back-to-back drops in the number of illegal immigrants since the federal government allowed many to obtain legal status after a 1986 amnesty.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020903702.html

New report says illegal immigration population plummeted last year

The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States dropped by 1 million people in two years, according to new estimates by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The government believes 10.8 million illegal immigrants lived in the country in January 2009, down from a peak of nearly 12 million in 2007. If the official estimates are correct, not since 2005 has the population of illegal immigrants been as low as it was last year.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14370889?source=most_viewed&nclick_check=1

Census outreach to hard-to-count groups ratchets up

Koreans and Vietnamese descended upon Doraville for a chance Tuesday to land one of the coveted, $18.45-an-hour census-taking jobs.

An hour later, along Buford Highway, Hispanic leaders implored business owners to prod their customers into participating in the all-important census.

And downtown, in midafternoon, Mayor Kasim Reed endorsed a “census blitz” across Atlanta on April 10.

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/census-outreach-to-hard-295367.html?cxtype=rss_news_128746

PCC may face grant squeeze
Colleges serving Hispanics on rise

The competition soon will be tougher for federal funds to help Hispanic college students as more colleges are designated as serving Hispanics.

There are 265 colleges that have the federal designation of “Hispanic Serving Institution.” At least 25 percent of their students are Hispanic and the colleges are eligible for Title V federal grants to help improve academic outcomes for Hispanic and low-income students.

An additional 67 colleges are very close to receiving the designation – with 20 percent to 24 percent Hispanic enrollment, according to a new study by Excelencia in Education.

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/local/education/college/article_bd7eb9a4-016e-5bf4-b92e-a88670590cbc.html

All Eyes on Health Care Reform

With one in three U.S. Hispanics lacking health insurance, it’s little wonder recent nationwide surveys show that the Hispanic population considers healthcare reform to be the No. 1 issue of the day — surpassing even immigration reform and the economic downturn. Now, with a historic effort underway on Capitol Hill to merge two recently approved health bills — the House’s in November and the Senate in late December — the implications for Hispanics are monumental.

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/2010/2/9/all_eyes_on_healthcare_reform.htm

Arpaio’s Immigration Numbers Questioned

PHOENIX — Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio takes credit for putting 37,000 illegal immigrants in jail but a closer look at the numbers reveals it’s not his deputies who are making most of the arrests.
Arpaio held a press conference on Monday afternoon to announce he is in the process of training his nearly 900 deputies to enforce federal and state immigration laws.

http://www.kpho.com/news/22505869/detail.html

Immigration crackdowns hurt kids—US study

WASHINGTON DC, United States—Immigration enforcement takes a heavy toll on children, according to a recent study by the Urban Institute.

The study, “Facing Our Future: Children in the Aftermath of Immigration Enforcement,” puts young people into the national immigration debate by assessing their experiences.

There are 5.5 million children with unauthorized parents in the United States and when it comes to immigration enforcement, “it is often the children who pay the price,” said Carola Suárez-Orozco, co-director of immigration studies at New York University.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20100210-252385/Immigration-crackdowns-hurt-kidsUS-study

A new move against illegal immigrants

Bill would require Md. prisons to notify U.S. of an inmate’s status

Some Maryland lawmakers want to require the state prison system to notify federal authorities when an inmate may be in the country unlawfully – potentially resurrecting last year’s debate about how the state is responding to an influx of illegal immigrants.

The proposal, backed by a group of powerful Democratic senators that includes Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, came before a committee Tuesday. Sen. James E. DeGrange Sr. of Anne Arundel County said the measure could save the state millions by shifting incarceration costs away from the state by deporting more illegal immigrants.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-md.immigrants10feb10,0,255515.story

Students Walking to D.C. for Immigration Law Changes

Some South Florida students are walking for change in connection with the nation’s immigration laws.

Some South Florida students are walking for change in connection with the nation’s immigration laws.

Four students from Miami-Dade College are walking from Miami to Washington, D.C. stopping along the way to talk with community leaders they hope will bring reform to current immigration laws.

Earlier Tuesday, they met with an aid for Florida Governor Charlie Crist in Tallahassee and several other state legislators about their mission.

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/83986137.html

News Clips Feb. 9, 2010

Latino voters will be a force in midterm elections, report argues

How potent will the immigration issue be for Latino voters in 2010?

Advocacy groups representing the community predict it will remain a “litmus test” in key mid-term races.

In a report out Monday, the immigration reform advocacy group America’s Voice outlined 40 mid-term races where Hispanic voters could have a significant impact on the outcome.

“Most politicians understand the importance of the Latino vote in presidential years, but what we’re saying is that Latino voters will have a huge impact in the mid-term elections,” Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, said on a conference call with reporters Monday. “The number of voters coming of age and registering continues to grow. You have seen growth even when a presidential race isn’t at the top of the ticket.”

Nearly one in five Congressional Districts has a Latino population that is at least a quarter of the district.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/02/latino-voters-will-be-a-force.html?wprss=44

Lawyers Back Creating New Immigration Courts

Responding to pleas from immigration judges and lawyers who say the nation’s immigration courts are faltering under a crushing caseload, the American Bar Association called Monday for Congress to scrap the current system and create a new, independent court for immigration cases.

In a vote at its semiannual meeting in Orlando, Fla., the lawyers’ organization endorsed a recommendation for a separate immigration court system that would be similar to federal courts that decide tax cases.

Immigration overhaul called a vital issue

A group that supports an immigration policy overhaul said candidates could lose the Latino vote if they don’t support it.

WASHINGTON — Failing to overhaul the nation’s immigration system, currently a back burner issue for Congress and President Barack Obama, could play a pivotal role in key mid-term election in November, according to a new study on Latino voting patterns.

The report by America’s Voice, which supports comprehensive new immigration policies, says revising the laws is the defining issue for Latino voters. The report says that progress — or the lack thereof — in revamping immigration laws and regulations could affect as many as 40 congressional races in areas with sizable Latino populations, including the reelection bids of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., just two years ago his party’s presidential candidate.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/story/1470014.html

Sheriff: Big Change in Immigration Enforcement

PHOENIX — Sheriff Joe Arpaio held a press conference Monday afternoon to announce some big changes in the way he enforces immigration laws.

The sheriff is under investigation by the Justice Department for racial profiling, and has taken heat for his crime suppression sweeps. But Arpaio still says he won’t back down, despite the fact the government has stripped some of his power from him.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/immigration/immigration-enforcement-change-2-8-2010

MCSO deputies will undergo training to target illegal immigrants

PHOENIX – When the federal government stripped Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies of their power to enforce federal immigration laws on the streets, the sheriff repeatedly said nothing would change.

Nevertheless, something did change on Monday. The sheriff raised the stakes in his battle against illegal immigration. The sheriff said that starting Monday every one of his deputies will go through training to specifically target illegal immigrants.

Sheriff Joe says, “I have been saying over and over again that my deputies can enforce the illegal immigration laws.”

http://www.azfamily.com/news/MCSO-deputies-to-undergo-training-to-target-illegal-immigrants-83850037.html

SCHUMACHER-MATOS: Obama can’t duck immigration

PRAYING FOR SANTA CLARITA

WASHINGTON —- The Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita has long served as a backlot for Hollywood films, but for the last three weeks it has been a live stand-in for America.

Bob Kellar, a city councilman and former mayor, spoke at a rally against unauthorized immigrants where he repeated Theodore Roosevelt’s admonition that the United States has a place for only one flag and one language. After some accused Kellar of being racist, he responded that if believing in America causes people to think he is one, then “I’m a proud racist.”

His remarks were posted on YouTube and provoked a firestorm on the Web and in Santa Clarita, where a tumultuous town hall meeting last week was marked by opposing protesters, angry speeches and tears. But no apology from Kellar.

http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/schumacher-matos/article_d7df6669-0190-5aec-8001-c287fac98df1.html

Managing the 2010 Census and planning for 2020

The 2010 decennial census is just getting underway, but Daniel Weinberg is already thinking about 2020 and how the Internet might be used to collect the nation’s population data.

Weinberg, the assistant director for the Decennial Census and American Community Survey, spends his time in two primary areas: helping make sure everything is in order for the 2010 census and coming up with ways to improve the massive undertaking 10 years from now.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/08/AR2010020801404.html

Census Bureau Super Bowl Ad: “Spot On” Or “Waste Of Money”?

Buffalo, NY- Should the US Census Bureau have spent $2.5 million taxpayer dollars on a thirty second commercial which aired during the Super Bowl?

It’s a debate which may continue well after the excitement over the big game ebbs.

Although he had nothing to do with creating or placing the ad, the Regional Office Manager for the Census Bureau in Buffalo believes it was a wise use of taxpayer money because the Census Bureau was able to convey a message to 100 million people at an average cost of 25 cents per viewer — which is far less than the cost of a postage stamp.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/investigative/youpaidforit/story.aspx?storyid=74312&catid=220

Daniel Weinberg, the man behind the nation’s census

American Community Survey and Decennial Census, U.S. Census Bureau

Best known for: Playing a key management role in 2010 Census count while also planning for the 2020 Census, which will make greater use of the Internet in collecting the nation’s population and household data. Weinberg also supervises the American Community Survey Office, which collects and produces population and housing information every year, and has gained recognition for improving the measurements of poverty to help policymakers make more informed decisions.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/08/AR2010020803801.html

Immigration activists concerned about anti-Latino sentiment at Tea Party Convention

This weekend’s Tea Party Convention in Nashville featured a speech by former Congressman Tom Tancredo. He suggested President Obama was elected by folks who couldn’t spell “vote” or say it in English. Immigration activists say they’re watching the growth of the Tea Party movement closely.
Immigration reform advocates say they are concerned that an anti-Latino sentiment could grow within the Tea Party crowd.

http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/02/08/immigration-activists-concerned-about-anti-latino-/