U.S.A./Mexico immigration issues, illicit drug smugling, Baja Real Estate & Medical services

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E-mail Digest: Subscribe/Unsubscribe Home / Letters to Editor / Announcements / Columnists /Immigration Past Issues / About Us /Links THE OSIO REPORT The Connection Column Archives, June, July, August, 2011
Are Hispanics for or against illegal immigration?	The Mexican-American Boom:
By Patrick Osio, Jr. Editor/HispanicVista.com Knowing that I am an American of Mexican descent, you ask me with a scowling and suspicious look seemingly saying – let’s see if this guy is a true American so you ask: “Are you against illegal immigration?” The question begins in a mid 70 decibel scale, rising to over 80 decibels. I answer, “Yes.”	Births Overtake Immigration Births have surpassed immigration as the main driver of the dynamic growth of the Mexican-American population, according to a new analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. Between 2000 and 2010, the Mexican-American population grew by 7.2 million as a result of births and by 4.2 million as a result of new immigrant arrivals.
Random Political Compareisons	Isabel Allende returns with "El cuaderno de Maya"
By Richard N. Baldwin T. /HispanicVista.com As both México and the United States are gearing up for national presidential elections for 2012, I offer some random comparisons between México and the U.S. This is after living in México for almost two decades. You might find it interesting	By Marcela Álvare Each new book by Isabel Allende is a literary event and "El cuaderno de Maya" (Vintage Español) is no exception. The novel tells the story of Maya, a 19-year-old teenager from the U.S. who falls into drugs, alcohol and must flee the country to avoid those who seek to kill her and in the process discovers a family secret. The plot moves between the U.S. and the island of Chiloe, in southern Chile.
How the Republicans Can Loose in 2012	Latino Underrepresentation in Science & Technology
By Richard N. Baldwin T. /HispanicVista.com Always remember that an incumbent has an enormous advantage in seeking reelection. He not only has name recognition but also many advantages of his government office to get his campaign out to the voters. That said, the Obama administration has some very high walls to climb in 2012. Unemployment at recession levels (with his core of the youth vote approaching 20%). A sputtering economy showing no typical after recession growth spurt. The endless list of promises that never materialized. And poll numbers in the tank.	By Mónica I. Feliú-Mójer Latinos are the fastest growing demographic in the United States. The 2010 U.S. Census revealed that there are 50.5 million Latinos in this country, comprising 16% of the total population and 14.3% of the workforce. These numbers are expected to increase rapidly in the next few decades. By 2030, it is estimated that Latinos will make up more than 20% of the population and over 22% of the labor workforce, increasing their standing as a major driving force in the U.S. economy and labor market.
Raul, Raoul!	Arrested in Mexico: Illegally Detained While Gangsters Go Free
By Raoul Lowery Contreras Imagine my surprise when I discovered that a Hispanic I supported for Congress last November – Raul Labrador– was not a Mexican American. He is, in fact, Puerto Rican-born brought to the Mainland USA by his mother when he was 13. He is a natural-born U.S. Citizen by virtue of a WWI-era law Congress passed making Puerto Ricans citizens. Why? So they could be drafted to fight Germany under President Woodrow Wilson.	By Jose Luis Sierra New America Media Synopsis: Basic legal rights remain out of reach in Mexico where wealth, political connections, police and judicial incompetence, and corruption overrule any presumption of innocence. "We presented witnesses [to the army] to prove that [my son] had no relation with the victims and that, on the day of the massacre, he was away from the scene. Still, he has been in jail for 17 months without a trial,'' declares Melendez.
First E-Verify, then a National ID Card	Border agents corrupted while FBI and DHS wrangle for power
By Raoul Lowery Contrera States like Arizona, Alabama, Georgia and others are passing laws requiring the use of the federal E-Verify program to check out legality of new workers. They won’t stop there. The National Identification Cards will look like the California drivers license. It is a plastic card, with color picture, magnetic information strip and holograms. It will be tamper proof, by decree of Governor (fill in the name of your Governor).	Homeland Security News Wire Using sex and money, Mexican drug cartels have been increasingly successful in corrupting U.S. border agents while the federal government has struggled to stop it; since 2004 CBP has made 127 arrests or indictments against border agents for acts of corruption which include "drug smuggling, alien smuggling, money laundering, and conspiracy"; jurisdictional turf wars between the FBI and the DHS Inspector General have limited the government's ability to investigate and prosecute corruption cases effectively; corruption is still relatively limited given the size of the U.S. border force -- more than 20,000 agents
Our Out-of-Control Military-Industrial Complex	Pirates Take the Game
By Sal Osio, JD *Mi Punto de Vista* From the Publisher’s Corner Over the past decade, the U.S. defense budget has gone from a third of worldwide defense spending to 50 percent - more than the planet’s remaining countries put together. Between 2001 and 2009, the defense budget rose from $412 billion to $699 billion, a 70 percent increase. We spent $250 billion more than the average U.S. defense expenditures during the Cold War — a time when the Soviet-Chinese military were poised against us.	Report from Frontera NorteSur A prominent Mexican business leader is stepping up his calls for authorities to take action against a burgeoning, illegal economy. Jorge Davila, president of the Concanaco-Servytur business association, a grouping which represents merchants and members of the tourism industry, said this week that money made from pirate goods far outstrips legitimate earnings from foreign tourism, migrant remittances and direct foreign investment.
GUEST COMMENTARY Drug war destroyed values I swore to uphold	Restoring Democracy to the USHCC
By Norm Stamper It’s not hard to explain why I morphed from drug warrior to drug policy reformer. For more than three decades, I watched the drug war destroy values that, as a cop, I swore to uphold. I observed unnecessary suffering, justice gone wrong, and widespread corruption within policing. I witnessed the physical deterioration of whole neighborhoods—streets, homes, and schools made less safe. And I saw myself and fellow police officers cast as the “bad guys” in the enforcement of drug laws.	By Alfred Placeres As President of the New York State Federation of Chambers of Commerce, I have called on the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) to restore Board elections at their annual membership meeting during its upcoming national convention. This 32nd annual national gathering will be held from September 18-21, 2011, in Miami, Florida. I have also insisted that they hold an annual membership meeting, which was done away with in 2007 by the group's National Board without membership participation. This is outrageous!
Mexican Migration Patterns Signal a New Immigration Reality	Mexico and the Myth of the "Failed State"
Fewer Mexicans are Entering the U.S., Fewer Are Leaving, and Mexican American Births Now Outpace Immigration from Mexico Source: Immigration Policy Center Much of what we thought we knew about immigration is changing, and the new reality means we need to think differently about how we approach immigrants and immigration reform in the United States. Unauthorized immigration has clearly paused, and three-fifths of unauthorized immigrants have been in the United States for more than a decade. Immigrants are becoming more integrated into U.S. communities. Given these trends, now is the time to seriously consider comprehensive immigration reform.	By Luis V. Nevear New America Media, Snopsis: Far from being a "failed state," Mexico is proving itself to be one of the most successful countries in the world MERIDA, Mexico -- For more than four decades, Americans have expressed alarm at what they see the imminent collapse of the Mexican government, warning their fellow citizens that Mexico is a "failed state." But far from being a "failed state," Mexico is proving itself to be one of the most successful countries in the world, one that has made the transition from an agrarian economy to a modern industrialized one, while moving from a closed, authoritarian regime to a vibrant democracy.
MISGUIDED “WAR ON DRUGS” HAS COST TAXPAYERS $1 TRILLION	THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION
After 40 years, the United States' war on drugs has cost $1 trillion and hundreds of thousands of lives. Drug use is rampant and violence even more brutal and widespread, according to a Fox News report issued last year. The waste of taxpayer dollars is staggering, and the cost of human lives is truly depressing. The Fox news report listed these drug war failures:	Time to Tackle Immigration Now that the Border is More “Secure” Than Ever, Report Says The U.S.-Mexico border isn’t what it used to be. That is the over-arching theme of a new report from the Center for American Progress (CAP), entitled Safer than Ever. The report describes the immense buildup in enforcement resources which has occurred along the U.S.-Mexico border since 1993. This buildup has created “a border where the vast majority of attempted entries are identified and a far larger percentage of entrants are apprehended than ever before.” In other words, border enforcement is at an historic high and unauthorized immigration is at an historic low. This creates, as the CAP report puts it, “a unique opportunity” to redesign the broken U.S. immigration system and finally confront the fact that 11 million unauthorized immigrants now call the United States home