Collection of Popular Documents
April 24 – 30, 2004
LETTERS TO
EDITOR
The American WASP - a Master Race?
HispanicVista.com COLUMNISTS
The Draft - we need it, but we won't use it -
well, maybe…
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
On January 7, 2003, both houses of Congress introduced the "Universal
National Service Act of 2003" (S89 and HR 163); a bill to reinstate the
military draft and mandate either military or civilian service for two years
for all "U.S. citizens and every other person residing in the U.S., who is
between the ages of 18 and 26."
Non-English speakers should learn
English - Non-Spanish speakers should learn Spanish.
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
HispanicVista.com
Writers responding to a recent article on the need in the Western
Hemisphere, home to the Americas and Caribbean, to learn at least two of the
four prominent languages in use, provided an assortment of opinions. A great
number took exception at the suggestion that Spanish should be the second
language in the
US
as it is, after English, the most important but the most used language in
our hemisphere far outpacing Portuguese and French, the third and fourth
hemispheric prominent languages. It seems that the word Spanish, as in
language, is held to be synonymous with Mexican legal and illegal
immigration by many.
Learn a Language in Thirty Days?
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
You can become fluent in Spanish in 30 days, according to a Berlitz ad. You
can also learn English or just about any other language in the same time…Jim
Boulet, the executive director of English First, a group that advocates
making English the official language of the US, believes the ad. He was
therefore shocked to read that in fact it takes as long as seven years for
immigrant children to learn English. That's what the California Legislative
Analyst found after an exhaustive study.
Bilingual Education out - English in.
By Domingo Ivan Casañas
Last year I wrote an article about ESL (English as a second language) for
the high school students. As I do more research and remembering my own
experience of arriving in this country without any English proficiency I
must try to understand in what way has bilingual education help our
Spanish-speaking children.
Iraqi War of Liberation: The Fatal Knot
By Luis Tijerina
HispanicVista.com
Many of American generals have read Clausewitz's "ON WAR," however the
majority of them do not practice his theory on the battlefield. They do not
understand the political and moral factor of war, thinking that by sheer
force alone, they can conquer, vanquish anyone in their war.
Part-Time This
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
Governor Schwarzenegger wants to move California to a part-time legislative
model in which legislators would have a "real job" and only go up to
Sacramento once in a while to do vote on a few bills, then get back to the
"real world." Apparently the Governor hopes this will cut down on all the
strange bills legislators like to banty about when they're actually spending
any time on the job at all.
Terrorist Lose Another Battle
By Raoul Lowery Contreras
HispanicVista.com
Americans are being attacked every day in Iraq by terrorists, terrorists
will lose the fight, however, for freedom, while expensive, is far more
powerful than whatever the terrorists have in mind… The fight for freedom is
not limited to
Iraq,
however. Our freedom and liberty are under assault right here in the United
States not by foreign terrorists but by homegrown Americans. These homegrown
anarchists are determined to destroy America for political and racist
reasons that have little acceptance by the rest of us who live and breathe
America.
Justice for All
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
Although I certainly do not hesitate to give criticism against the US in its
treatment of Mexicans, I present the following in the spirit of fairness: In
an article that appeared in our local press here, supplied by Associated
Press, there is a story that is worth attention. The author is Juliana
Barbassa, with a dateline of
Merced,
California
under the headline "Deaf Mother wants the baby she nearly killed".
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
'BUSHIST' AGENDA STRIKES PARALYZING FEAR
"Bushist." -- That's an adjective that may soon enter our political lexicon.
It points to a radical political philosophy -- best expounded by President
George W. Bush -- that describes both an aggressive military agenda and the
surrendering of government to the world's most exploitive and
anti-environmental corporations.
LETTERS TO
EDITOR
English and Spanish must know languages in the
Western Hemisphere
April 17 –
23, 2004
HISPANICVISTA COLUMNISTS
The American WASP - A Master Race?
By Sal Osio, JD
HispanicVista.com
Samuel B. Huntington is an academician, the Chairman for the Harvard Academy
for International and Area studies. In his recent book "The Hispanic
Challenge," a digest of which was published online, he has ignited a
maelstrom of dissent and concern. At the core of his essay is his conviction
that Hispanics, particularly Mexican-Americans, pose a threat to the United
States: "The Unites States ignores this challenge at its peril."
Wilson statue is red cape to Latinos.
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
(sic)…But the announced placement of the Pete Wilson statue had come under
fire from the Latino community. Not because of his performance as Mayor; but
because of his support for Proposition 187 during his bid for a second term
for governor of
California
in 1994.
Electing the President: The Latino Electorate
(1960-2000)
By John P. Schmal
Special to HispanicVista.com
The Latino electorate of the Twenty-First Century has become recognized as a
powerful force that no political candidate in the United States can afford
to ignore. Since the turn of the Millennium, one political analyst after
another has stressed the fact that the Latino electorate can no longer be
ignored and, in fact, may play a pivotal role in all future elections.
Although their share of the electorate has been relatively small over the
last half century, Hispanic voters, starting in 1960, have felt that they
have could play an important role in the election of the President.
The Democrat's Plantation Politics
By Leonard Brennan Rodriguez
Special to HispanicVista.com
For generations, Democrats have sold the Latino and Black communities a lie
as shameful as segregation. And if you have ever been told, or actually
believe, that "Republicans are for the rich" consider yourself a victim.
Truth be told, Republican are not for the rich, but rather, the ills that
plague minority communities exist because Democrats trap the poor. There is
perhaps no better example of this reality than examining the Black
community's lopsided loyalty to the Democrat Party.
Presidential elections 2004 and the issue of
Employment
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
(sic)…The unemployment situation of Hispanics is worrisome. By January 2004,
the unemployment rate was 7.3 percent. By March, the rate had gone up to 7.4
percent. This means that more than 1.26 millions of Hispanics are currently
unemployed.
Driving Legally: Good Policy or Just
Politics?
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
In the 2000 presidential election George W. Bush once asked a Latino group
for their "botas" (boots) instead of their "votos" (votes). His brother Jeb
Bush, Governor of Florida, speaks Spanish much better and would not make
that kind of mistake. Jeb spent significant time in Mexico, where he met his
wife, Columba Garnica Gallo….Jeb Bush beats his older brother with language
but also with deeds when it comes to reaching out to Latinos. During his
three years as president, George Bush has done virtually nothing of
substance to earn Latinos' votes. Jeb's recent support…
Silly Mexicans
By Raoul Lowery Contreras
Well, how silly of Mexicans to have not forged institutions in the United
States…Steve Sailer of Vdare.com (an officially listed "hate site" by the
Southern Poverty Law Center) writes, "Walking around downtown Philadelphia a
couple of weeks ago, it occurred to me that Ben Franklin started more civic
institutions than have all three million people of Mexican descent in Los
Angeles County."
Mexicans and Chinese…Bilingualism and
"Democracy"
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
Last week, we were talking about the diversity of the Hispanic sector in the
US. And my opinion was that diversity is good for not only the Hispanic
sector, but for the whole country…I had not meant to do more on this subject
at this time, but lo and behold, I came across an article in the China Daily
(an organ of the Chinese communist government) that gives their opinion on
this very matter. The title is "From Mexicans to Chinese; from bilingualism
to "democracy". The quotes are theirs.
Latinos and Educational Reform in the United
States (Part 4)
By Manuel Hernandez
HispanicVista.com
Latinos are no longer streaming at barriers, circumstances and struggles of
the past but are looking beyond to establish goals and objectives, achieve
dreams and become successful as individuals, human beings and communities.
Instead of reverberating that the educational system has been responsible,
Latinos have been able to cast away fears of oppression and hostility and
unite to devise an educational reform that will meet the expectations and
demands of all Latinos and other emerging communities as well.
A Culture of Vulgar and Moral Decay
By Domingo Casañas
HispanicVista.com
Good morning readers, today I need to talk with you about a topic that is
extremely important. It does not matter if you are Hispanic, white, black,
yellow or red. It's big and complex. The subject I am talking about is that
we are living in a culture that vulgar is in and the Ten Commandments are
out. We all see it, hear it, and sometimes participate in it. Why has their
been such a decline in moral fitness and this era of moral decay?
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
Sovereignty in a Time of Occupation
It has become obvious that whether through incompetence or deception, the
war in
Iraq
is based not simply on a bad cause, but it's being led by a very evasive and
equivocating leader. As has been noted in the past, the president is not
only not wearing any clothes, he is also morally anorexic. Either that, or
he continues to have tragicomical problems with the English language.
April 10 16, 2004
HispanicVista.com COLUMNISTS
English
and Spanish must know languages in the Western Hemisphere.
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
I've yet to meet anyone who speaks more than one language that has said,
"I'm sorry I speak more than one language." But I have met and heard from
those who only speak one language who are resentful of others speaking
another. In fact, monolingual people fall into categories - those who wish
they spoke another language; those who don't care; and, those who object to
others who speak more than one language. In the USA we have quite a group
who claim English is the only language we need to speak, and don't want to
hear foreign languages in America. And unfortunately this group garners the
most media attention with nationalistic patriotic sounding rhetoric such as-
our sovereignty is at stake, our culture is being lost.
Ariel Sharon and The Rise of Fascism
By Luis Tijerina
HispanicVista.com
Ariel Sharon and Israeli imperialism is the result and consequence of one
man's insatiable drive for power. It was shortly after the contentious
struggle between the
United
States
and the Soviet Union, which ended with the collapse of Soviet hegemony, that
the imperial leaders of America begin to maneuver politically and military
for control of the
Middle
East.
This strategy has actually been an on going process since the end of World
War II. Although it was the British Mandate that provided the first stage in
the completion of Western domination over the region of Palestine, after its
failure to bring a peace to the Arabs and Israelis, the crises was handed
over to the United Nations to bring about a partition of the disputed lands.
Illegal Immigration: Outsourcing Jobs on
Reverse?
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
Reacting to one of my articles on immigration, the reader stated that
companies hire "illegals" because they are not "willing to pay fair wages."
As a result, the reader went on, the American worker "gets the shaft from
the depressed wages."…My older brother, a legal immigrant, a laborer, and a
union member, would totally agree. He sees first hand in New Jersey how
companies, both big and particularly small ones, refuse to hire union
workers. They cost much more.
Discrimination Still Going On
By Domingo Ivan Casañas
HispanicVista.com
I was reading in Hispanic magazine that discrimination against minorities
overall has declined significantly between 1989 and 2000. However, it has
declined less for Hispanic homebuyers and not at all for Hispanic
renters...The study compared the experiences of black, white and Hispanic
testers who posed as apartment seekers and homebuyers in 20 U.S.
metropolitan areas. The testers responded to the same housing advertisements
within hours of each other's. With only their ethnicity being different they
showed the same financial backgrounds, job histories and with other factors
being the same investigators found that rental agents discriminated…
¡Si! People as well as nations, age, but don't
necessarily grow wiser!
By Ricardo Castañón
HispanicVista.com
Regretfully, it seems the predominant mentality in Mexico remains as it was
in the days of Cortez. We still look at foreigners as demigods and bow in an
effort to please them. As we all learned in the news, a group of British
tourists had been regularly "visiting" the caverns in the outskirts of
Puebla.
As it turned out to be, they were not tourists at all. They are an
undercover team of military scientists posing as sports fans with a definite
strategic purpose….
"Mexican Americans will Overcome Cruz
Bustamante's Sins"
By Raoul Lowery Contreras
HispanicVista.com
But memories fade and as When Republican Romauldo Pacheco, the first Mexican
American elected to statewide office in California in 1875, retired from
Congress to accept an ambassadorship, Mexican Americans would suffer through
over six decades of state and federal electoral drought. No a single Mexican
American would win elective office until Los Angeles City Councilman Ed
Roybal was elected to Congress in the early 1960s
Hubris
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
The World Court handed down a decision on a case brought by México
concerning 51 Mexican nationals on death row in the United States. The basis
of this case was the denial of access to the Mexican council for assistance.
This is not the first instance as both
Germany
and Paraguay has raised this issue in recent years against the US. This time
the court has simply asked that the US review these cases. This procedure of
allowing foreigners access to their national consulates for assistance is
part of the 1963 Vienna Convention in which the US was a signor. It is also
one of the treaties that was torn up by the Bush administration as
infringing on its sovereignty. But treaties mean very little to that
administration…
COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
Remembering and The Battle Over Memory
Remember…That's what the ad in the April 12 issue of Time magazine says…So
powerful are these words in the American psyche that there's no need to add
the name of the 1960 movie: "The Alamo." (Aside from this DVD release,
there's also a 2004 version of the movie about the battle that fueled Texas
independence.)…Remembering has a powerful function in American history. Yet
it is very selective. Memory is critical to things Americana, just as long
as it doesn't go too far back, nor stray too far from promoting
Anglo-American Protestant values. (Just ask Harvard's Samuel P. Huntington,
who claims that Mexicans -- Hispanics/Latinos as a whole -- threaten the
national security of the nation…
April 3 – 9, 2004
COLUMNISTS
Confessions of a Cultural-Terrorist
By Patrick Osio, Jr
HispanicVista.com It's not easy going public confessing to my being a
'cultural-terrorist.' After reading Harvard Professor Samuel Huntington's
essay, The Hispanic Challenge, wherein he accuses Latinos of forming our own
enclaves, rejecting the Anglo-Protestant values and continuing to speak
Spanish. He feels that we are culturally and linguistically reconquering the
southwest and that the
United
States
ignores this challenge at its peril - I somehow feel compelled to cry out
Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa.
Happy About Your Lower Taxes?
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
A friend of mine recently saw her tax rate drop from 45% to 20%. A gift from
our tax-cutting president? Not quite. My friend had moved from Italy to the
US. Everyone complains about high taxes, but of course it's all relative. In
many European countries taxes are considerably higher than those of the US.
In some countries they reach 50%.
¡AY, Ay, ay! Mejico lindo, what have they done
to you?
By Ricardo Castañón
HispanicVista.com
Mexican news media exploit negative sensational events only. They address
the audience's morbidity; gossip sells ads. Its sinister message though,
only begins to scratch the surface. They don't talk about the real drama,
the poverty the people have to muddle in, the lack of incentives, the
desolated fields, the dried rivers, the polluted streets, lakes and beaches.
A Skeleton in the Closet in Our Latino
Community
By Domingo Ivan Casañas
HispanicVista.com
Sometimes as Latino's we must admit to our weaknesses, to our close mind
ness, as well as to admit to our own skeleton's in our closet. The African
Americans in the
United
States
have gained many rights that they never had before, such as equal treatment
and equal rights and justice. Unfortunately, I must say that in the Latino
community throughout South America, Central America, and the Caribbean as
well as in Mexico & Puerto Rico, there has not been a coalition building in
the makings toward justice, economic and political power for the Latinos of
African descendants as well as indigenous people.
Latinos and Educational Reform in the
United States (Part 3)
By Manuel Hernández
HispanicVista.com
Of the five definitions stated for vision in Webster's New World Dictionary,
the one closest to its connotative meanings is the fourth one: "the ability
to foresee something as through mental acuteness." In plain and simple
words, vision is the process, which delineates a mental framework and sets
goals in motion. In a society where appearances play a role in determining
who we are as a people, a vision is unequivocally needed to establish the
founding principles of an educational reform that will benefit Latinos and
other Americans as well. As a student and observer of educational…
The Texas Revolution: Tejano Patriots
By John P. Schmal
The siege of the
Alamo
lasted 13 days and ended on the morning of
March 6,
1836
when the Mexican forces of General Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna stormed
the old mission. While the men at the
Alamo
manned the front lines in the struggle for independence, a Convention was
taking place on the banks of the
Brazos
River.
This convention, lasting from March 1 to 17, 1836 declared Texas to be an
independent republic and wrote a constitution.
Real Wild West Political Campaigns
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
This is, the last time I looked, the year of 2004. In the US, it is a
presidential election year. In México, however, the next presidential
election takes place in 2006. In the
US,
things really started up in the beginning of this year and this also
portends to be one of the more acrimonious and expensive elections in recent
history. Here in México, things have also heated up considerably at the
beginning of this year . . . two years early. But in our case, it is
beginning to look like a full-fledged riot.
COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
The President's Smog of War The president's smog of war is not just
metaphorical rhyme for Errol Morris' "The Fog of War" -- the acclaimed
documentary about Robert McNamara's views on war. The smog of war is
actually literal…If anything, it's an understatement about how President
Bush has been conducting the war on terrorism: secrecy, arrogance, deceit
and a wimpish assertion of executive privilege.
March 27 – April 3, 2004
COLUMNISTS
You can join the debate - but it's in Spanish.
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
HispanicVista.com
Why weren't any Mexican presidents on the top ten list of the most corrupt
leaders in the world in the last two-decades is the subject of an ongoing
debate on Cyber space. Transparency International based in Berlin recently
published the list - there were two former Latin American presidents -
Peru's Alberto Fujimori reputedly taking $600 million, and Nicaragua's
Arnoldo Aleman reputedly taking $100 million. Small amounts compared to the
billions taken by the top five, but absent from the list were any Mexican
presidents and debaters are arguing who should be on the list.
Learning English Takes More Than a Year
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
"At my age learning Spanish is difficult," stated my community college
student to explain her difficulty in my class. In her mind, children learn
languages faster than adults. Ron Unz agreed with my students. Proposition
227, which the
California
software entrepreneur sponsored, stated that immigrant children would learn
English in one year of immersion. Eight years after California voters
approved the initiative which virtually banned bilingual education, the vast
majority of California immigrant children are not learning the new language
in one year.
¡Si! Something must be done! (Part two)
By Ricardo Castañón
HispanicVista.com
When I see names such as Horacio Gutierrez --Microsoft's Chief European
Lawyer, and Amelia Torres --European Commission's spokeswoman, my chest
expands with legitimate ethnic pride. (I'm NOT saying we're better than any
body else, only as good!) The brains that can get some of our people to such
high places must be coupled with noble hearts. At the bottom of the ladder
though, our brothers have to put up with numerous sorts of hurdles and
taking unthinkable risks just to survive and get their dreams going.
My Heart Went Weak
By Domingo Ivan Casanas
HispanicVista.com
As a 46 year old man feeling like 26 and looking like 36, I felt invincible.
Last month, I had been feeling some stomach heartburn and had been given
Zantac for acid indigestion. I had also experienced for the first time a bit
of pressure (not pain) on my chest. During the short chest pressure, I
promised God that if it would happen again I would drive myself to a
hospital emergency room.
Fixing the Broken System
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
Just after writing my last week's article (The System is Broken!), our
president, Vicente Fox, announced that he was going to send Congress
proposals "to guarantee Mexicans an efficient system of public security".
Among his proposals was to introduce the presumption of innocence into our
constitution. He is also talking about open to the public trials with the
judge in view. Well! Two out of three isn't bad - I'll keep the suggestions
coming.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
Honoring the Trauma of Memory
This week marks 25 years since my life was violently taken from me by
club-wielding
East Los
Angeles
deputies. The details are no longer important. Please permit me to remember
those days -- not by dwelling on the trauma I received to my body and the
continual dehumanization I was subjected to -- but by honoring.
March 20 – 26, 2004
COLUMNIST
Harvard Professor Huntington is looking under
the wrong bed for the boogieman.
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
HispanicVista.com
How unfortunate it is to have Samuel P. Huntington, a now defrocked but
formerly renowned Harvard professor, betray his lofty academic credentials
to espouse his personal biases using facts contrary to evidence,
suppositions used by white supremacists and fictionalizing historical
accounts. As the Miami Herald put it, "Racist in America must be having a
field day. At long last they have found a world-renowned intellectual to
rationalize their resentment against America's rapidly growing Hispanic
community."
Bashing Immigrants Academically?
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
Although America is a land of immigrants, the relationship between those who
have just arrived and those who have been here a long time has never been
easy. The myth is that
America
welcomes immigrants. The reality is that in difficult times, immigrants are
blamed for many of the country's ills…It has happened in the past. And it
continues to this day. The ethnicity may have changed but the feelings
toward immigrants repeat those of the past.
March 11th, 2004, Madrid: Shades of Guernica
By Luis Tijerina
HispanicVista.com
In 1937, when the Basque campaign by Generalisimo Franco began in earnest,
little would historians and scholars of Spanish history realize how his
campaign of terror against the Basque people would come full circle on
March 11, 2004,
with the killing of over 200 Spanish citizens. But beyond the human carnage,
beyond the sorrow of relatives and friends of these citizens who died in
this act of political terror, was the 'double game' or domestic political
duplicity that would affect the national elections…
Where Have You Gone, Cruz Bustamante
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
California Democrats have a serious problem- they've become a party without
a leader. With Davis out, Bustamante down and a weak bench, Democrats go
into the November general elections General-less.
¡Si...! Something must be done!
By Ricardo Castañón
HispanicVista.com
An investigation conducted by The Associated Press, compared safety
statistics among various ethnic groups. Justin Pritchard (AP) reports that
the study covered from 1996 through 2002 and based its findings on data from
the US Bureau of labor statistics. The annual death rate for Mexican workers
was found to be -one in 16,000- while the average
US born
worker was -one in 28,000. Our brothers are more likely to be killed than
other workers doing similar work. Kids in their teens get buried in ditches
at construction sites or in the fields. Others get torn apart by heavy
equipment -it is gruesome.
A Culture with Rhythm and Good Food
By Domingo Ivan Casañas
HispanicVista.com
I have been a proud United States Citizen for over 30 years now. I still
remember when I arrived from Cuba with my family. To this date people will
ask me how I got my blue eyes, and fair skin. This people are Hispanics as
well as Anglos. I am also given hot sauce to put on my food, because some
people think that Hispanics means Mexican. I bring this up because our
History classes are not doing a good enough job on the difference of
cultures when it comes to
Latin
America.
Latinos and Educational Reform in the United
States (Part 2)
By Manuel Hernández
HispanicVista.com
A student must be much more than a student and become a disciple. The
denotative meanings are similar, but the connotations of one and the other
are far apart. A student is bond to a classroom, one school and several
teachers. The disciple receives an intensive impartation from one or few
teachers in a real-life classroom.
Inside Mexico
The System is Broken
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
Television watchers in México have had a real treat recently in watching
opposition party members in films taking suitcases of what appears to be
bribe money. This may be a sinister plot to discredit a political party by
their rivals, or it might be real. But it sure is entertaining. One comes to
the conclusion that our next federal election will be a nasty one because it
is still three years away.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
What is it about MEChA?
The nationwide attacks against MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de
Aztlan) by the extreme right wing have escalated to extremely disturbing
levels. For example, tens of thousands of dollars are now being funneled by
hate-radio aficionados to target the UCLA chapter…
March 14 – 20, 2004
COLUMNISTS
...and
Justice for All.
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
A 1999 National Survey reported that 54 percent of Hispanics agreed with the
statement: "Courts are out of touch with their community." Like all
Americans, Hispanics are concerned about crime and justice; but the
disproportionate incarceration of Latinos in the
US -almost
19.9 percent of all those incarcerated in 2002 were Latinos- makes you
wonder if the criminal justice system has been fair towards them and other
minorities.
"We are a
nation of immigrants,
we welcome them if they enter legally" - yeah, right.
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
HispanicVista.com
The most often heard comment on the immigration issue from both politicians
and common citizens is - "As a nation of immigrants we welcome new
immigrants, but legally - as did the millions before them." Sound good and
it sounds fair - but suppose obstacles so onerous are put in the way making
it almost impossible for one group to enter legally, while allowing another
group to easily qualify? Suppose Mexicans can enter with little restriction
while Canadians are made to jump through so many hoops so as to not qualify
with the same ease?
From Mexico Obituary for an Unknown Mexican
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
Recently, trying to travel on the Autopista, I was stopped by an enormous
traffic jam. After twenty minutes and arriving at my destination (about 1
Km), I learned that a few kilometers beyond, a man had jumped from a bridge
onto the high-speed lanes and committed suicide. I don't know who the man
was, or what drove him to this end, as there was (as usual) no news coverage
of this matter. These things are usually kept quiet so as not to give others
the same idea.
Adiós Bill Jones, Latinos are in Play
By Steven J. Ybarra, JD
HispanicVista.com
"WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ), Chairman of the Democratic
Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), hailed the developments in the U.S.
Senate race in Colorado today as leading Democrats, including Rutt Bridges
and Congressman Mark Udall, rallied behind state Attorney General Ken
Salazar who entered the race this afternoon.
The Tongue-Tied CIA
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
"It turns out we were all wrong" stated David Kay to the Senate Armed
Services Committee recently. Kay, the former chief
US weapons
inspector in Iraq, said that there was no evidence Saddam Hussein had
stockpiled weapons of mass destruction. Kay explained that it was an
intelligence failure. President George Bush has appointed a commission to
find out what happened.
Does hearing Spanish around you bother
you?
By Domingo Casañas
HispanicVista.com
(sic)…What I have noticed is that many Americans do not like to hear someone
speak Spanish in their presence. I can understand if we are in an office of
three people and two of us are speaking Spanish this might be rude. But what
I am talking about is when it is out in the open or in an office where there
are many employees and two fluent Spanish speaking associates or friends
start speaking Spanish with each other. In the other countries that I have
visited this has not been an issue.
¡Si...! "Irony is my teacher, Failure is...my
Destiny"
By Ricardo Castañón
Irony... you are the best! You have opened my eyes, as I am about to go into
eternal sleep. Your lessons have that sweet 'n sour everlasting taste one
never forgets. Come on! Hit me! Again and again! I will learn to endure your
sarcastic lectures and at some future time put them to good use. My body is
decorated with the scars with which your occult wisdom has lashed me. I am
not ashamed to have these burning marks - they identify me as your favorite
student and gladiator. At whatever universe I may be sent to next, my soul
will glow because of them.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
What is it About Mexicans?
For years, right-wing ideologues have littered the country with anti-Mexican
billboards and filled the airwaves with other kinds of hate-filled
propaganda. But now, it's not just nut cases or hate-radio "discussion
leaders" anymore -- academics and legislators have also entered the fray.
March 6 – 12, 2004
HISPANICVISTA COLUMNISTS
Exempting Mexican border residents from the USVisit mandate is cost
effective, good for business and good politics.
By Patrick Osio, Jr
HispanicVista.com
Most Americans know that elected officials always have political reasons
when doing something - that is the nature of the animal. So of course, Bush
keeps in mind political consequences when acting on any given issue.
Exempting Mexican border residents from the onerous border crossing
fingerprinting when entering and again when leaving the
US is one
such issue. Unfortunately the wire services make politics out to be the
primary reason -
The Return of the King
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
Last Tuesday's Primary vote marks the effective coronation of the new King
of California politics and the start of a real and rapid political change in
otherwise glacial
Sacramento.
Arnold Schwarzenegger single-handedly turned a massive deficit in the polls
for prop 57 into landslide win-- a 30 point swing in a matter of a month and
one of the biggest reversals of fortune for a proposition in California
history.
Schwarzenegger: Raising Taxes Like a Politician
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stated a number of times he is a
salesperson. He is right. The recent California election in which voters
approved a $15 billion bond proves he can sell just about anything. That
includes raising taxes without using the dreaded word.
John Kerry - The Myth
By Gary Mendoza
HispanicVista.com
John Kerry's months of honorable service in Vietnam and his deliberative,
ponderous speaking style have helped create an image of a principled, steady
leader. While this image has played a central role in his successful pursuit
of the Democratic presidential nomination, it's not supported by Kerry's
record, and it won't withstand the type of scrutiny he's avoided so far but
will soon receive.
Presidential Candidates on the issue Education
for Hispanics
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
One of the many issues of major importance to the Hispanic community we need
to pay attention to before deciding who to vote for in the coming elections
is the measures the candidates are proposing to improve the educational
system in the US…. U.S. Census data confirm that, in the next ten years, a
significant share of
America's
schools will be largely composed of Hispanic children. However, a large
percentage of Hispanic children attend inadequately funded schools.
Oaxaca
Journal
John Kerry Ingests Virtual Viagra® - Again
Bashes Bush on Terror War
By Fernando Oaxaca
HispanicVista.com
Given John Kerry's major primary wins on "Super Tuesday," the possibility of
this weak, unprincipled man being the Democrat candidate for
Commander-In-Chief in November looms menacingly. Let's give a look at a
striking display of where his true character can guide political rhetoric.
A Chip Off of National Sovereignty
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
I am on record in criticizing many of our politicians when they howl about
loosing our national sovereignty when in fact the real reason is to cover up
national ineptness. But move over gentlemen, today I join you on this issue.
Latinos and Educational Reform in the United
States (Part I)
By Manuel Hernandez
HispanicVista.com
Although educational task forces have been confronted with ignorance,
prejudice and disillusionment, Latinos have learned from past experiences
and are walking forward to a present and future with educational
empowerment. The educational outcome of the contemporary American
educational system has been to create critical thinkers who become
pro-active participants in society. As a result, Latinos have become aware
that the educational development of their community is intrinsically related
to their struggles to achieve economic, social and political justice in the
United States of America.
Riding the Mexican Railroads to America
By Donna S. Morales and John P. Schmal
The one crucial ingredient linking all these immigrants from every corner of
Mexico was their use of the Mexican railway systems. The original purpose
behind creating a wide-ranging railroad system in Mexico did not anticipate
the level of emigration that would take place between 1900 and 2000.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
The Bush-Clinton Morality Play
A lie is a lie is a lie and is equally deplorable, whether it involves a
blue dress or the loss of thousands of lives. As we see the Middle East,
Iraq and Haiti burn, it sounds counterintuitive, but this is the moral
lesson the previous president's detractors taught us. Agree with this
morality or not, it's indisputable that President Clinton did dishonor his
office.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
'Don't Let All This Die'
Last week, within a 24-hour period, three colleagues unexpectedly passed
away. That shock has taken me back a generation to when I attended 12
funerals of friends in 18 months. While most died violent deaths, only one
was a gang member.
February 27 – March 5, 2004
HISPANIC
VISTA COLUMNISTS
Presidential Elections 2004 and Hispanics
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
(sic)…According to the results from a recent survey by New York management
consultants Westhill Partners and the Hispanic publication Poder magazine,
26 percent of those responding to the survey said they were Democrats, 9
percent said they were Republicans, and 52 percent said they were
independent or had no party affiliation.
Bilingual Education Better Than
English-Only
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
When California voters approved Proposition 227 in 1998, which virtually
eliminate bilingual education from the Golden State, they were sold the idea
that with one year of immersion kids would learn English. The unfortunate
result has been that only 7% of English language learners have become
proficient.
The
Oaxaca
Journal
Haiti and Aristide - A ticking, Stealth Crisis
for the U.S.
By Fernando Oaxaca
HispanicVista.com
They are out there again! Many of the same folks who coerced Bill Clinton
into invading Haiti in 1994 are trying to get the U.S. to buy into the
latest Jean-Bertrande Aristide-inspired chaos and scams in Haiti! Again they
want American troops to risk their lives on the island and for American
taxpayers to fund one more bailout of super-loser Aristide, the Haitian
President who is fighting ouster by overwhelming rebellious forces for
grossly bad and larcenous leadership.
A War with No Winners
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
In the Great California Grocery Strike, neither labor nor management can
claim victory. The labor unions can take solace in the fact that they
received as much public support as they did and, more importantly, that they
survived the longest grocery strike in
California
history. But the damage done to the pocketbooks of both individual workers
and grocery corporations has outweighed the gains either party can claim.
The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend
By Raoul Lowery Contreras
HispanicVista.com
A friend of mine's father once said, "A man who agrees with me 80% of the
time is not my enemy." I reminded my friend Michael Reagan of his father's
declaration when he was indicating support for Arnold Schwarzenegger's
"conservative" opponent in the Recall-Gubernatorial election last October.
He agreed and eventually supported Governor-to-be-Arnold despite differences
in opinions.
Toilet Wars
By Steven J. Ybarra JD
HispanicVista.com
I guess it is time to set the tone for the upcoming election. It is clear to
me that there will be a new low in how we are all going to be bombarded by
both the left and the right. Say, by the way, have you noticed that there
can be Conservative Democrats, Moderate Democrats and Liberal Democrats but
that there are only Conservative Republicans and Moderate Republicans? I
wonder how A. Lincoln would have felt about that. Anyway, I digress.
American Deception, Maskirovaka and Weapons of
Mass Destruction
By Luis Tijerina
HispanicVista.com
Maskirovaka is a Soviet word defining an act of intentional misleading,
involving the presentation and dissemination of false information. In the
Soviet context, Maskirovaka is a moral deception, in one case used to defeat
the invading German armies, in other cases used to maintain order among its
people and was politically acceptable. In the American context, deception of
the people, to manipulate their support of an individual President's policy,
should be considered in contradiction to supposed Democratic principles.
Juarez - Again
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
Recently, a group of celebrities organized a demonstration against Mexico's
inaction on solving the 10-year string of unsolved brutal murders of young
Mexican women and girls. More and more the world is taking notice. And now
the ante has been upped again by none other than the famous actress Jane
Fonda (of Vietnam War "fame") who headed the last group. The list included
others of the arts like Sally Field and playwright Eve Ensler. Our federal
government can't seem to understand is that this will not quit, and even
more the worldwide attention this is getting.
A Typical Californio (Chapter 7)
By Manuel Hernandez
HispanicVista.com
Winters in
New York
City's
Lower East Side were chillingly frightening. The roaring twenties had frozen
the solar system in 1923. Although there was a warm stint at times, it
seemed like an eternity before the mild and warm weather could find its
place between the hard brick front homes and cold sidewalks. While Joey
fluttered down the street, he felt the stark wind creeping in every cell of
his body. Manny's divine intervention was fine. His English professor had
opened a spiritual door, and the dazzling Light had come in to his heart;
but now it was time to make decisions.
February 21-26, 2004
HISPANICVISTA COLUMNISTS
Candidate Howard Kaloogian comes up with a lulu
proposal.
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
HispanicVista.com
Racism is the mother of all ignorance, and racist-ignorance has a multiplier
effect seeking through its own ignorance, new venues for its justification
through constant new expressions. Those afflicted with racist-ignorance lose
sight of reason, logic and good sense - they simply charge blindly ahead
truly believing within themselves theirs is a just cause, God is on their
side, and freedom is at stake. In this political year, we have yet one more
case in point - meet Howard Kaloogian,
California
candidate for the Republican nomination for the US Senate.
"Is our children learning?" Part II
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com Since the 1970s, poor schools have been in court fighting
for equality, trying to close the spending gap between rich and poor public
schools. Children from low-income families are always more expensive to
educate as they don't always show up at school ready to learn.
Presidential Politics En Español
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com George W. Bush speaks passable Español. He used Spanish in
the 2000 campaign and has continued to do so since becoming president. Now
the Democratic presidential candidates are following suit. Most of them are
using some Spanish in their speeches and some have bilingual web sites…Must
you speak Spanish to become president of the US?
Liberals v. Bush Doctrine - A Case of
Collective Delusion
By Gary Mendoza
HispanicVista.com
As the intensity of liberal criticism of President Bush's foreign policy
escalates, the collective detachment from reality of the people screeching
this criticism grows. While the long list of inconvenient facts they choose
to ignore adds passion to their diatribes, in these dangerous times,
inconvenient facts matter, and leaders who ignore unpleasant realities do so
at America's peril.
Dear Republicans: Please Stay Home
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
Such might be the sentiment Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may be feeling
when it comes to next Tuesday's primary election. The Governor should have
expected many liberal democrats to oppose his Mega-bond initiative, if only
to get even with him for his doing in their man Gray "man-did-he-blow-it"
Davis --and perhaps to force Schwarzenegger's hand on taxes. But if the bond
fails next Tuesday, you can blame it most on conservative Republicans who
would rather send the state to fiscal Armageddon than feed the beast of
government with any more debt.
The Children's Crusade
By Steven J. Ybarra JD
HispanicVista.com
Of the thirteen crusades to "free" Jerusalem from the hold of the "godless
infidels," the one that was the most disastrous was the Children's Crusade.
Put together by priests who were true believers, they took literally the
words in the Christian bible that a "child shall lead them." The priests
believed if children led the way, the "infidels" would give up Jerusalem and
go away. Of course, the children fighters who weren't killed were sold into
slavery and eventually became Muslim.
The Mexican National Home Mortgage
Market
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
While the government pays lip service from time to time regarding Mexico's
lack of a strong national market, this article will look at one of the
strongest engines of any national market: the home market.
Si…! Undocumented folks are between a rock and
a HARD PLACE!
By Ricardo Castañon
HispanicVista.com
The majority of undocumented immigrants in the land, are uneducated farmers
and crop-growers. Their hopes for opportunity are as big as their hearts.
However, the rather sudden change from their warm southern villages to these
latitudes often takes a toll on their health. Here, they find themselves
unprotected for the bitter winter and before a very different variety of
foods (not in vain called "junk-foods"). This combination of facts
aggravates their overall uncertain future.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
Cuauhtemoc Has Landed
Shortly after Cuauhtemoc was put to death by Cortez in 1525, the body of the
last "tlatoani," or speaker of the Mexica, was surreptitiously spirited to
his birthplace of Ixcateopan, Guerrero, Mexico. For more than 400 years, the
people of Ixcateopan held on to this closely guarded secret, finally
revealing it in 1949.
February 14 – 20, 2004
HISPANICVISTA COLUMNISTS
Part II: Finding Balance: Develop Your Mind
By Michael G. Santos
HispanicVista.com
Virtually all of the men confined in federal prison are assigned to a work
detail. This minimum-security camp at
Florence
sits within the Federal Correctional Complex, and those of us in the camp
provide much of the labor for the three other higher security prisons on the
property. My initial job has been in the laundry at the Florence ADX, the
federal prison system's only super-maximum security prison.
English, Math, and Spanish?
By Domenico Maceri
Reacting to one of my articles on the value of bilingualism, the reader
suggested that Spanish should become a basic subject for American students
alongside of English and math…Although I have often advocated the value of
Spanish and indeed of other languages because of their practical and
intellectual value, I have never gone as far as saying that Spanish should
be a basic subject. However, a second language should become a basic
subject. Spanish, of course, would be an obvious choice, though not the only
one.
"Is our children learning"
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
In order to answer Bush's widely quoted question: "Is our children
learning?" we need to take a closer look at how public schools are
performing and how they have been affected by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Act. The Act makes the most sweeping change in decades in the role federal
and state governments play in the nation's schools.
Now What?
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
Following 9/11 the Bush Administration formulated an aggressive new
strategic doctrine for the application of American military power against
real and potential strategic threats. The first test of this doctrine was
Afghanistan, where a regime friendly to terrorists that had struck the US
was overthrown by a highly effective American military blitzkrieg. War
against Iraq marked the second application of this doctrine. So far the
political debate over the Iraqi campaign has focused on the reasoning
leading up to the war. What has been lacking from the national dialogue is
an adequate debate of the more important question, after
Iraq,
what next?
A Typical Californio Boy (Chapter 6)*
By Manuel Hernandez
HispanicVista.com
The professor was named after his great-grandfather, but everyone called him
Manny. Emmanuel arrived to
New York
City
in 1915, a stowaway on a steamboat that traveled between Ponce and New York.
From New York City, he moved to Tarrytown. It was a quiet, peaceful town, he
heard, and after being abandoned by his parents…
John Kerry: A Peacenik for President?
By Fernando Oaxaca
HispanicVista.com
John Kerry only a few weeks ago was presidentially dead, eclipsed by the
media's selected Democratic presidential nominee, Dr. Howard Dean. Suddenly,
he is the darling again, through Dean's self-destruction, General Wesley
Clark's flakiness and dishonesty and John Edwards' obvious inexperience and
resulting unsuitability. Then there is Democrat desperation about who can
beat President Bush. These realities have led to Kerry primary victories in
overwhelming numbers. Yet his campaign may be turning again; based on newly
exposed knowledge about his post-Vietnam behavior and a vaguely defined and
questionable relationship with the gentler sex.
The Sliming of the President
By Raoul Lowery Contreras
HispanicVista.com
The brawl among Washington reporters and President Bush has reached new lows
with the constant sliming by sleazy partisan non-veteran reporters on the
President's honorable service as a Texas Air National Guard officer…This
question is of paramount importance among Hispanics because military service
ranks so high among this, the fastest growing segment of the American
population and a segment that, among combat arms units, has a higher
percentage of troopers than their share of the population, according to
Department of Defense information.
Immigration is Mexico's "safety valve"
By Richard Baldwin
Immigration from México to the United States is getting increasing attention
these days. And it will certainly get even more in the future. Each country
sees the issue differently from their perspectives…While the US has been
able to use many of these immigrants, both legal and illegal, to fuel their
economy (and lower the wage level for greater productivity), the shear
volume of this mass migration does present problems. One of the main faults
of the system in the US has been in not bringing the immigration system up
to date with reality. As an example, letting the number of visas available
for Mexicans at the same level as those from Nepal is just stupidity in
light of reality.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
Seeking the Root of the Truth: Part II
In the wake of David Kay's revelations and resignation, one would think the
White House had hired former Iraqi Information Minister Mohammad Saeed al-Sahaf
as special media adviser. Remember him? The tragicomic King of Da Nile?
Si...! HISPANIA... the birth of a nation within
our greater NATION!
By Ricardo Castañón
HispanicVista.com
Only in
America
could it have happened! Here, peoples of goodwill and open minds have found
the ideal environment to work, live long and prosper. The legitimate
"Pursuit of Happiness" guaranteed by the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence, and further endorsed by the Bill of Rights have created an
atmosphere of positivism unlike anywhere in the rest of the planet…
February 7 -13, 2004
HISPANIC
VISTA COLUMNISTS
Is this
another anti-Latino election year - or just an immigration issue?
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
HispanicVista.com What may have otherwise been an obscure footnote to this
year's elections, has suddenly gained newsworthy attention from the media,
for now at least at the
California
state level. The tidbit comes about by one Republican attacking another
Republican, both competing for the party's nomination for an open
Congressional seat. The attack by State Sen. Rico Oller against Dan Lungren,
a former five-term Congressman and more recently the state's Attorney
General. The attack mailer is vividly reminiscent of the Pete Wilson
campaign against Latinos during his quest for a second term as governor in
1994.
Wedding
Bell Blues
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
Forget
Iraq,
missing WMD's and lagging employment numbers. Last week's decision by the
Massachusetts Supreme Court may well have handed George W. Bush his
re-election on a silver wedding tray. And Republicans stand to clean up on
the issue in Congressional, Senate and State legislative races across the
board, as well.
It's OK to Raise Taxes
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
In his campaign for governor last year, Arnold Schwarzenegger said that
Californians are taxed from the moment they get up until they go to bed. For
Schwarzenegger, taxes punish and should not be raised. American taxes too
high?
A Progressive Alternative: Charter Schools
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
Charter schools are publicly funded schools permitted to operate
autonomously and free from many of the regulations other public schools must
follow. They encourage innovative and creative educational practices without
excessive bureaucracy and rules. Many parents choose to leave the
traditional public school in favor of a charter school that offers a unique
philosophy, culture, curriculum, or organizational style better suited to
meet the educational needs of their children This flexibility is awarded as
part of a contract with an authorizing agency that holds the school
accountable for achieving its outlined charter goals, including supporting
student achievement, within a certain period of time.
Paying Taxes in Mexico is in dire need of
institutional reforms
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
We were talking about the banking landscape in México recently, but today
the subject touches more directly the ordinary people here; but it's also
important for foreign companies contemplating doing business in México. And
this brings up what Jorge Castañeda is talking about (yes, he is starting to
write again now) - "institutional" reforms that are badly needed. He was, if
you remember,
Mexico's
Secretary of Foreign Relations in the Fox cabinet.
Oh...Valentina, VALENTINA! Si! ...Si!
By Ricardo Castañón
HispanicVista.com
You think romance is only for the young? Think again! Just as my dear old
friend repeatedly says: "Youth is wasted on the young!"…As I recall, he once
went on to say: "Seniors have learned to take love beyond physical pleasure
and onto an spiritual level…. I said...maybe it is because Hispanic blood is
thicker than HO2.
Part I: Finding Balance
By Michael G. Santos
HispanicVista.com
Forty-two days have passed since administrators processed me in at the
Federal Prison Camp in
Florence,
Colorado. Although I am new to minimum-security, I am not new to
imprisonment. Indeed, as I write this article, I am in the 17th year of my
term. The experience has taught me a lot about adjusting to adversity.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
Amor Revolucionario (Revolutionary Love)
By Patrisia Gonzales.
I once fell in love with a voice over the radio that woke me up each morning
with words of love for his people…I once loved a man because he could sing
101 songs in the fields as he worked as a farmworker…I loved another because
he had a laugh that embraced all those around him, though he had been
tortured…These men, I loved for their acts. I loved them, as I have loved
others, for the stories they gave me. They were not meant nor destined for
romantic love. I shared with them "revolutionary love."
January 31 – February 7, 2004
COLUMNISTS
Illegal
Immigration: A World Concern
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
Twenty-one Albanians died recently in the
Adriatic
Sea as they tried to enter Italy illegally. Another twenty Chinese illegal
immigrants suffocated in a truck a few years ago. They were headed for
Great Britain.
Hundreds of undocumented workers died on the Mexico/US border in the last
several years. The circumstances in these and other cases are not exactly
alike but the immigrants' goals were the same- finding minimum wage jobs in
wealthy countries.
A Prison Experience Part Six: Moving Forward
By Michael G. Santos
My transfer would require another cross-country move for my wife, but
conditions likely would be much better for both of us there. Indeed, ever
since my time in confinement began, I had hoped to build a record that would
prove me worthy of camp placement as soon as I became eligible. Eligibility
required me to fall within ten years of my release date, which, for me, came
less than three months ago. I did not expect a transfer to camp to come so
quickly, if it were ever to come at all.
Offroading Iraq
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
A guy tells his wife he wants to buy an SUV so he can go out on weekends and
run over stuff in the desert. His wife says no, they can't afford it. He
comes back a while later and says "Honey, I think we should buy an SUV so
you can have a bigger car to drive the kids around in." His wife says she'd
like a bigger car but they can't afford it. He comes back a few days later
and says "Honey, I think we should buy an SUV so you and the kids are safer
out there on those dangerous roads." Looking at her little kids, his wife
finally says okay. The guy buys the SUV. And uses it on weekends to run over
stuff in the desert.
Hang Osama!
By Steven J. Ybarra, JD
HispanicVista.com
I have been watching from my recovery bed the recent events of the
primaries. Howard Dean's rebel yell had little to do with his loss in Iowa
and his second place in
New
Hampshire.
His loss had to do with a lack of focus. He, like most Triple A ball players
entering the bigs, now understands that the game has changed - the fast
balls are now all ninety miles an hour and the balls are all brand new.
Real TV Problems
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
When I first moved to
London,
I rented a small one-bedroom flat -apartment- with the little money I'd left
from traveling around
Europe.
I paid the landlord the agreed deposit, bought some second-hand furniture
(although for the price I paid I could have bought it new in the States) and
an old, cheap television set.
A Gateway to Latino Education: Vouchers
By Manuel Hernandez
HispanicVista.com
Most Latinos believe that improving the American system of education is a
top priority for their families. One attempt to facilitate the education of
our children and rescue children from failing school systems, especially
those in inner-city neighborhoods are school voucher programs. The program
proposed in states across the
United
States of America
would distribute vouchers to parents, usually in inner-city school
districts. Parents could then use the vouchers to pay for the cost of
tuition at private schools of their choice. After a period of tentative
receptiveness, Latinos and vouchers have finally found a personal connection
and are walking together and gaining solid ground amongst its participants.
Stop the Flow of Illegal Aliens
By Raoul Lowery Contreras
HispanicVista.com
Contextually speaking, one has to reach back to the White Citizens Council
1950s days in the American South and back to the 1920s heyday of the Ku Klux
Klan, to find the total misstatement of facts, dissembling and plain
ignorance manifested by critics of the immigration policy changes suggested
by President George W. Bush.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
It's Not the President, Stupid!
At no time in recent memory has there been a clearer choice for the future
and the direction of the country. The election season notwithstanding, the
choice is less about who runs the nation than about who or what we as a
nation choose to become.
Si... tough to say, but si we must say!
By Ricardo Castañon
HispanicVista.com
Traditionally, it has been very difficult, for us boys, to get our Hispanic
women to say...Si! Lately though, some of our females have escalated such
high positions in the business world, that they are the ones demanding a...Si!
From their subordinate males. In romantic matters though, we should now
-maybe- turn the table around and play difficult regardless of hierarchy.
Let them suffer for a while! Let them serenade us instead! Let them beg for
a kiss on the cheek!
The Great Mexican Bank Bail Out
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
What happened to México's banking system in 1995, can compare to a similar
situation (though minor) that happened in the State of Illinois in the late
70s. The Continental Bank of
Illinois,
the largest bank in that state, made a series of bad (and in some cases,
illegal) loans that went sour. First, remember that in the US individual
deposits are insured up to $100,000 but that insurance was insufficient to
cover all losses.
January 24-31, 2004
HISPANICVISTA COLUMNISTS
Saving
Lives with Languages
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
Police dispatchers can save lives with quick thinking. Elsa Santos, one of a
few bilingual dispatchers at the Riverside Communications Center in Southern
California, can do it in two languages…Santos is not the only one, but
unfortunately there is a serious shortage of bilingual dispatchers because
of the relatively low pay and the inevitable high degree of job-related
stress.
Oaxaca
Journal
Has Schwarzenegger Re-elected Senator Boxer?
By Fernando Oaxaca
HispanicVista.com A white male Republican with no national experience cannot
unseat Senator Barbara Boxer in 2004, even in post-recall, still liberal
California. Last weekend Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger, seemingly obtuse
to that simple political reality, endorsed Bill Jones, ex-California
Secretary of State and repeat political loser, as his recommended Republican
candidate to run against Barbara Boxer in November.
Is Bush for real?
By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
It's clear the Bush Administration is concerned with security, but are we
safer now? "I believe that yesterday was a day -- or Saturday, when we
captured Saddam, it was a day where America is more secure as a result of
his capture," Bush said at a Press Conference in
Dec 15,
2003.
Unfortunately, the capture of Saddam Hussein didn't make the
US
safer. Three weeks ago, the threat level was raised to high. Today, the
threat level is elevated. And on January 14, FBI director, Robert S. Mueller
III, said that terrorists would "quite probably" strike the US again…I would
like to know in which way America is more secure due to Saddam's capture. It
appears to be the other way around, at least according to Mr. Mueller and
the threat levels.
Michael Moore and Stupid White Men like Wesley
Clark
By Raoul Lowery Contreras
HispanicVista.com
"In short, George W. Bush is still George W. Bush: ruthless, corrupt,
untrustworthy, closed-minded, authoritarian, inarticulate, intellectually
challenged, programmed, cynical, dishonest, violent, a draft dodger - and a
religious fanatic who believes he speaks to and for God."
State of Disunion
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
The President's address last week underscored the divided nature of the
American people and electorate. The speech didn't sway many minds one way or
another -- if you liked the guy already (read Republican) you loved the
speech, if you hated the guy (read Democrat) you disliked the speech and if
you were an independent, the speech did nothing to pull you into the
President's camp. This was verified by the small focus group I watched the
speech with for a local television station.
COLUMN OF THE
AMERICAS
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
Dancing Bishops and Presidents
A Wisconsin Roman Catholic bishop has issued a controversial edict to
Catholic politicians that could inadvertently do what nothing else has been
able to do: derail President Bush's pre-emptive and permanent worldwide war
policies and maybe even his re-election bid. It might even change the very
nature of our government.
A Typical Californio Boy (Chapter 5)
By Manuel Hernández
HispanicVista.com
Joey and Alma planned to elope. Alma's father would never approve of the
relationship, and they loved each other too much to break up. They had met
secretly in parks and shopping centers, but they wanted to marry, live
together, have children, be happy, and it was impossible for them to
continue seeing each other like this. Alma's father, Mario Capone, the
Italian entrepreneur, was well known in Manhattan, and they feared to be
recognized by one of his friends or associates. Mr. Capone had broken the
news to
Alma
about her up and coming wedding to the son of the wealthy Louie Righetti,
and she was devastated.
From Inside Mexico
Banks and Banking Laws in Mexico
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
One hears a lot that the financial and competitiveness problems in México
are because of low tax collection (true) and that this is because the
opposition parties will not let the present administration include taxing
food and medicine (at 15%). Well, all this is indeed a factor in our
problems, but the banking and financing need for all sizes of businesses
gets little attention.
A Prison Experience
By Michael G. Santos
Part Five: Departing Fort Dix for the Unknown
I sat alone on the bus, watching the street signs and freedom outside. I
wondered where I was going, and I worried about how my wife would react when
she heard the news of my transfer. I did not know whether I was being
charged with a disciplinary infraction, or even with a new crime. I did not
know anything. I felt vulnerable, yet I knew that I would have to allow the
events to play out. There was no one I could ask for information on what was
happening.
Si...! Hispanic bamba-beat is
crisscrossing the land in a reverberating ECHO, Echo, echo....
By Ricardo Castañón
HispanicVista.com
It is not just Texas or California or the southwest, it is everywhere; from
coast to coast and from southern to northern borders that Hispanic families
have made a positive impact among society. Old and conservative towns in
New
England and in other traditionally puritan communities have noticed the
peculiar flavor our presence imparts to the surroundings. Natural,
spontaneous smiles and a willing attitude have melted the ice; old bluenoses
are turning red with this new vitality
January
17-24, 2004
COLUMNISTS
Hypocrisy has no room in seeking immigration reform.
By Patrick Osio, Jr.
HispanicVista.com
Opponents to President Bush's immigration proposal object, saying that
amnesty rewards crime. Let's call it what it really is - a pardon. Bush's
proposal would pardon those who entered the country without a visa or stayed
after their visa expired as prescribed by US laws, but it would also pardon
their US employers, who by hiring them broke federal laws. So it's not just
the undocumented immigrant benefiting from the Bush proposal.
Bush's Immigration Plan: Spinning as Usual?
By Domenico Maceri
HispanicVista.com
After more than three years in office, Bush finally got down to business and
began to deal with the question of immigration. Although details of his plan
will have to go through Congress, Bush's proposal would allow immigrants to
cross the border legally if jobs are awaiting them and at the same time
would provide undocumented workers already in the US a way to regularize
their immigration status…Some Mexican officials, upon hearing of Bush's
plan, were initially happy but were worried that it might be a campaign
tactic to win the Latino vote in this year's presidential election…Do
Mexican officials have reason to mistrust Bush?
Bush's specifics: the poor, the minorities, the
foreigners, and the unfortunate
. By Erika Robles
HispanicVista.com
Bush's proposal to provide legal status -an initial three-year work permit-
to millions of undocumented workers now in the US and for those who are
still in their home countries and can show they've a job a offer, is nothing
but a nice and catching headline to attract Hispanics' votes in the coming
elections.
Simple-Mindedness Runs Amok Throughout the USA
By Raoul Lowery Contreras
HispanicVista.com
President George W. Bush has revealed himself for what he is. He, according
to legions of commentators, is a traitor to the United States intent on
destroying the United States of America…In fact, they bellow, true
conservatives are bailing out on the President and are cutting off their
munificent contributions to his reelection. Why, at least two contributors
didn't hand over their checks at an
Atlanta
fundraiser. Shock and awe! Golly gee. The world is turned up side down. How
dare he reward lawbreakers!
Si...! So they say... "No man is ever a prophet
in his own land"
By Ricardo Castañón
HispanicVista.com
Notoriousness is an often overlooked, nonetheless powerful element for
migration. Besides the well known social, political, religious and mainly
economical reasons people leave their place of birth, is the very human
yearn for notoriety. A deep and intimate craving for success. We all want to
be somebody; we want to be remembered. We want to live life to the fullest,
but in third-world countries our own people often obscure our initiatives.
A Typical Californio Boy (Chapter 4)
By Manuel Hernández
HispanicVista.com
They arrived in
New York
City
in the hard cold winter of 1920. Thanks to a cousin, Manolo, Maria and Joey
found an apartment on 110th Street off Third Avenue in Manhattan. It was a
block of two-story tenements with brick fronts. Their apartment was a
two-room second floor walk-up. It had a bedroom, a kitchen-living room and a
bathroom. Joey complained about sleeping in the living room, but his father
guaranteed they would move into a better place soon. Maria was silent but
felt she was living in a fish tank. Every time she argued with Manolo about
New York, he would remind her of the better opportunities that existed for
Joey. She decided to keep quiet and hold on to the love she had for her
family.
Florida HispanicVista Anybody but Harris,
probably hopes Rove
By Alvaro F. Fernandez
HispanicVista.com
If I was Betty Castor I would be praying and asking for heavenly help to
assure that Rep. Katherine Harris jumps into the Florida Senate race to
decide who will replace retiring Democratic Sen. Bob Graham…By the end of
2004, this race, which has drawn numerous candidates running for their
respective party's nomination, should be the most interesting contest in
what may turn out to be a banner year in Florida politics. And that's a lot
to say when you consider that this state brought us the Bush-Gore debacle of
2000.
Small Business in Mexico
By Richard Baldwin
HispanicVista.com
Regardless of the popular conception of where the preponderance of business
is in developed countries, it is the small businesses that are in the
majority. In the
US,
it is the small businesses that have the highest number of employees, with
the vast majority of employees working for companies of under 50 employees.
And it is these smaller companies that are the core of manufacturing in
developed countries. The big ones, the GMs, Fords and the IBMs, attract the
attention, but it is the small businesses that are doing most of the work.
COLUMN OF THE AMERICAS
The Elusive Pursuit of Truth
By Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez
President Bush has long been accused by his critics of playing verbal
gymnastics in order to carry out his agenda, principally, the Iraqi war.
It's the same charge that hounded President Clinton…Now the same charges are
coming from a flurry of noted conservatives, such as author Kevin Phillips,
and former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, who charges that the president
had planned the Iraqi invasion long before 9/11. (Earlier, former Ambassador
Joseph Wilson exposed the fraudulent Nigerian-Iraqi uranium connection.)
Schwarzenegger II: Reality Strikes Back
By Carl J. Luna
HispanicVista.com
Remember that nice guy - the actor fellow? Did a few movies playing a robot
or something - went off to be Governor of California? What ever happened to
him after the recall of '05? …OK, things aren't that bleak for California's
new Thespian Governor. Indeed, so far His Arnoldness is enjoying a fairly
nice honeymoon period. He came into the New Year flush with a triad of
victories - roll back of the car tax, repeal of SB60 and getting his mega
refinance bond on the March ballot. He finished things off with a few regal
pen strokes, moving millions of dollars by executive decree to keep firemen
firefighting and cops copping. Then he starts off the year with a well
received address and rolls out a complicated but seemingly plausible budget
plan to put California back in the black within the next few years.
A Prison Experience
By Michael G. Santos
HispanicVista.com