On Thursday, Grammy-Award winning singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan led a march on the famous Calle Ocho in Miami, in support of Cuba’s Las Damas de Blanco, or the Ladies in White. At a press conference earlier this week, Estefan called on exiles to join her in protest of the treatment received by the women […]
Pelosi Appoints Latino Lawmaker to President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on Wednesday, appointed Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-CA) to serve on President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The nine-term member joins fellow Democrats, Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt, and Energy and Commerce Committee member Jan Schakowsky to complete the 18 member bipartisan commission. In addition to serving as a […]
Senate Committee Begins Hearing on Aponte Nomination
Yesterday, the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations began hearings on the nomination of Mari Carmen Aponte to be US Ambassador to El Salvador. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) presided over the hearing. Senate Republicans have attempted to stall action her confirmation over reported allegation more than ten years old that Aponte had a relationship in […]
Americans Killed in Ciudad Juárez
On Sunday, three people associated with the US Consulate in Ciudad Juárez, including two US citizens, were murdered in what is believed to be a targeted attack against Americans in this border city. According to Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz, the murders were carried out by a local gang known a Los Aztecas, which is […]
U.S. Census Forms Arrive in the Mail
More than 120 million U.S. census forms will begin arriving in mailboxes around the country this week. This decade population count will be used to determine congressional districts and allocate more than $400 billion in federal aid. Census Bureau director Robert Groves kicked off the national mail-in campaign in Phoenix on Monday, urging cities and […]
Minorities will soon be the Majority
According to a new demographic report, minorities make up nearly half the children born in the U.S. This is part of a historic trend in which whites of European descent are expected to become the minority of the U.S. population over the next 40 years. “Census projections suggest America may become a minority-majority country by […]
White House takes on Immigration Reform despite Challenges
Despite the political hurdles that the White House is facing as it attempts to push through its health care reform agenda, President Obama has not abandoned his efforts to overhaul the country’s immigration system as well. This week, the president will meet with his Domestic Policy Task Force and Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Charles […]
Traces of Racism in the Afterglow of a Texas Primary
The electoral defeat of the highest-ranking Hispanic Republican in Texas has triggered widespread speculation that race is still a significant obstacle in Texas politics, particularly among the Right. Victor Carrillo, the incumbent Railroad Commissioner, was handed an unexpected and lopsided defeat by a relatively unknown, under-funded challenger in the recent GOP primary. After the election, […]
Edward James Olmos Asks for Support for Legendary East L.A. Math Teacher Jaime Escalante
Jaime Escalante, the East L.A. high school math teacher who was immortalized in the 1988 film “Stand and Deliver” is battling cancer. According to the film’s star and Escalante’s friend, Edward James Olmos, the legendary educator is struggling to pay for his treatment. Olmos has announced a request for donations to help Escalante. “The treatment […]
Shakira meets with President Obama to discuss Early Childhood Development and Comprehensive Immigration Reform
On Monday, Colombian singer Shakira was received at the White House to discuss early childhood development (ECD) projects in Latin America. Shakira, who is involved with the issue, founded the Fundación América Latina en Acción Solidaria (ALAS), a group comprised of Latin American artists and business leaders that advocates for ECD programs. While at the […]