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HispanicVista Columnists & Guest Columns

Week of January 7, 2006

 

HispanicVista Columnists & Guest Columns

Week of January 7, 2006

The Great White Way

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

   January 7, 2006

 “Breathes there the man, whose soul so dead, never to himself hath said – This is my own, my native land.”  If Congressmen Tancredo, Sensenbrenner, Hunter and the other members of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus have their way, Walter Scott’s rhetorical question from his “Lay of the Last Minstrel” will prophetically create untold thousands of “dead souls” unable to call the US “my native land.” How can any American, indeed any human being, do such a thing to the yet unborn?

By Raoul Lowery Contreras/HispanicVista.com

   January 7, 2006

 

  I so look forward to receiving the transcripts of National Alliance short wave broadcasts, as nothing better defines the incompetent racists among us than their own words.  Ignorant as they are, they can be comical in their exposure of stupidity and lack of historical knowledge.
Take, for example, the broadcast after murderer Tookie Williams was executed in California, an execution the overwhelming majority of Californians, including this writer, not only supported but fervently demanded of Governor Schwarzenegger.

By Richard N. Baldwin T. /HispanicVista.com

   January 7, 2006

 

FROM MEXICO

   Now, with the US House of Representatives passing a bill to not only fortify the southern border and add militarization to the mix (while talking about doing the same thing on the northern border) and raising illegal entry to a felony we, in fairness, should look at México first.

México, in fact, has militarized its southern border. And while complaining about the way Mexican illegals are treated in the US, the Mexican government admits worse human rights violations against illegals in México than takes place in the US against Mexicans.

 By Robert Miranda

In the world of politrixs nothing is sacred—not even our liberty.

The people of the United States have become privy to the fact that our federal government has been eavesdropping on them without court approval. This represents not only a “major shift in American intelligence-gathering practices” in the war against terror; it also establishes the realization that our government has become delusional as it enforces irrational and dangerous policies brought on by the aftermath of 9-11.

LETTERS TO EDITOR

Actions that Defy Words - The Educational Crisis in California

From: Ms. Carmen Morales Permora@aol.com

Subject: Illegal means Illegal

I as a Puerto Rican who has lived in this country my entire life, can speak on what Racism is.
Racism exists and always will on both ends. Hardly anyone likes people who are way too different than they are. But we must tolerate and learn from their differences also. Hispanics are people who are very racists themselves, but they love to assume that only white Americans are racists.

By Hector M. Barajas

Los Angeles is at a crossroads.  In the past few months, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has met with community leaders and business groups about his plan to assume control of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).  The LAUSD and the rest of the state education system are in dire need of reform.  Make no mistake; only 45% of LAUSD; 56.9% Fresno; 47.8% Oakland; 52.6% Sacramento; and 63.8% San Diego students are graduating high school in comparison to 71% for...

Environmental Protection Is a Top Issue in Southeast Los Angeles

By Randy Jurado Ertll

An unprecedented campaign result occurred in the City of Maywood where the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters endorsed candidates Thomas Martin, Felipe Aguirre, and Sergio Calderon won with 63% of the Maywood vote.  This was an overwhelming environmental victory. 

The City of Maywood is one of the smallest and most over populated cities in California.  Even though it is small in geographic size, Maywood can no longer be ignored.

By Gregory Siskind

The US House of Representatives passed the Border and Immigration Enforcement Act of 2005. The bill’s primary sponsors are James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

 The bill makes numerous to changes to US immigration law which are summarized as follows:

By Douglas S. Massey for the Immigration Policy Center

Executive Summary

A proper understanding of the causes of international migration suggests that punitive immigration and border policies tend to backfire, and this is precisely what has happened in the case of the United States and Mexico. Rather than raising the odds that undocumented immigrants will be apprehended, U.S. border-enforcement policies have reduced the apprehension rate to historical lows and in the process helped transform Mexican immigration from a regional to a national phenomenon. The solution to the problems associated with undocumented migration is not open borders, but frontiers that are reasonably regulated on a binational basis.

By Juan Pacheco

New America Media/Commentary

(SIC)…In April 2005, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided a carnival near the Springfield Mall. Ernesto was arrested in the sweep and placed in a detention center in Farmville, Va., where he awaited his deportation hearing. Ernesto knew he couldn't stay in the United States, but he wanted to be released for a short period, under a form of immigration relief known as voluntary departure, so he could take care of his partner before leaving. Little did he know that because he was arrested under "Operation Community Shield," a joint ICE-local police national program to arrest alleged violent gang members, his application for voluntary departure would be denied.

Stripping Grandma's Cupboard -- Congress Cuts Food Money to Grandparents Raising Kids

By Nell Bernstein

New America Media

Our grandchildren are luckier than most," a California grandmother told a group of others. "They're not in a foster home. They get to know that we've loved them since they were born." The women were gathered at a community organization that offered grandparents raising grandchildren a support group, activities for the kids and a box of cereal to take home at the end of the month when the grocery money ran out.

By Gary Endelman

Immigration Daily

Now we know how Tom Paine felt at Valley Forge. It has been a cold December for those who think immigration is good for America. On December 16th, the House of Representatives approved the Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005(H.R.4437), perhaps the most draconian bill of recent memory...

By Raj Jayadev

New America Media

Last month, this city -- the state's third-largest and one of its most racially diverse -- had its own Rodney King moment. A jury found a state drug agent not guilty of fatally shooting a father of five in the back.
The Michael Walker case captured headlines and the public's imagination for over a year and a half, and brimmed with social and racial realities felt in the city but not acknowledged in its public identity. On Feb. 17, 2004, Rudy Cardenas, a Latino man, was mistaken by agent Walker for another Latino man of dramatically different height and weight. Many felt Cardenas was killed by stereotype.

Interview With President of Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music
Gregorian chant has been unjustly abandoned and its place in the life of the Church should be recovered, says a Vatican aide.
Monsignor Valenti Miserachs Grau made this declaration at a recent encounter organized by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments at the Vatican.
Monsignor Miserachs has been president of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music since 1995. This Spanish musician, who has composed more than 2,000 pieces, is also the canonical chapel director of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.

Official Addresses a World Trade Organization Summit

The Holy See insists that the system of international commercial rules must become a means to achieve the integral development of all peoples and the reduction of poverty.
Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer to the U.N. offices in Geneva, delivered that message when he addressed the ministerial summit of the World Trade Organization, held in Hong Kong from Dec. 13-18.

(Wherever You Are)

From: S.A.Rehman
Aslam-o-Alaikum!
Do you know what degree of shame, abomination, misery and wretchedness is being heaped on the innocent and peace-following Muslims all over the world because of this so-called and self styled Jihad of yours?
Do you know how many innocent, unsullied people are being daily...

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive E-book on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The E-book is also an in depth primer on Mexican culture and protocol for better understanding that allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals. Literally this book has been of immense help to thousands, you too can gain from Mr. Osio's lifetime experience.

About the author

Table of Contents

Excerpts from the manual

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

COMMENTARY

THE BEST FROM THE NET

January 7, 2006

Beyond Guest Workers

By Amy M. Traub

Listening to President Bush’s latest pronouncements on immigration, it’s easy to spot him speaking to the interests of big corporations: That’s the part about a guest worker program to ensure a constant supply of low-wage labor in the United States. It’s also easy to see where the president plays to the xenophobic fears of his right-wing base: That’s the rest of the speech, focused from top to bottom on cracking down and banishing all undocumented immigrants from our pristine shores.

But where do ordinary Americans fit in?

Contradictions of a sluggish economy 

By Ricardo Pascoe

Miami Herald/El Universal - Mexico

When Vicente Fox won the presidency in 2000 after 70 years of a one-party rule, expectations soared. The president-elect promised a 7 percent annual growth rate, and people began to equate democratic change with economic well-being.

As high expectations turned into disappointment, the obvious question arose: Was Fox simply incompetent, or did opposition parties refuse to approve legislation that would benefit the current government?

Denver Post Editorial

Time is right for immigration review

Lawmakers are proposing a flurry of bills to address the impact of illegal immigration. It is a sensitive issue that will require a bipartisan approach.

Illegal immigration is a political and economic headache that is sure to get an exhaustive hearing this year in Washington and Colorado. With an estimated 200,000 undocumented people in our state, the rhetoric won't be for the faint of heart.

Better border reform

By Boston Herald editorial staff

 

When Congress returns, one item on the Senate’s plate will be an overhaul of immigration law passed by the House. Among other things, this bill would require a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border.

Such a fence may well be required, but not via this bill, largely a grab-bag of increased penalties for irrelevant infractions.

Editorial Houston Chronicle
DON'T FENCE IT IN!
Two-ply security barrier along Rio Grande would create social, environmental monstrosity

Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

 

History is riddled with episodes in which governments attempted to control external threats or internal dissent by building walls. Such measures sometimes achieve short-range goals, but they rarely outlast their architects.

The Great Wall of China, breached ages ago by the invaders it was erected to repel, stands as the world's largest monument to the long-term futility of such strategies. France's famed Maginot Line, intended to hold Nazi power at bay, was quickly…

Will immigration stance save sinking Republicans?

By George W. Grayson

The Baltimore Sun

Republicans fear that the flagrant misconduct by some of their members could cost them control of the House in the November election. Thus, the GOP, which now outnumbers the Democrats 231 seats to 202, has grabbed the immigration issue as a lifeline to preserve the majority it has enjoyed since Newt Gingrich swept the party to power in 1994.

Because of the benefits of incumbency - lots of political action committee money, greater name recognition than challengers, continual access to the media and custom-made districts - only about 35 of the 435 seats are usually subject to real contests.

Spin doctors: For when all else fails 

By Kelly Arthur Garrette

Miami Herald/El Universal - Mexico

 

After waiting five frustrating years for the United States to show some interest in a workable bilateral solution to the migration crisis, the Mexican government has decided to pull the big club out of its bag.

President Vicente Fox turned last week to the one species of political operative guaranteed to have an effect — the public relations pro.

It’s a 21st century approach to a 21st century problem: If you can’t solve it, spin it. Sound-bite that sucker to death.

IFE faces major challenges refereeing Mexico´s political games

By Kenneth Emmond

Miami Herald/El Universal – Mexico

As the referee in the rough-and-tumble world of Mexico's politics, the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) has one of the toughest jobs in the nation.

A key step forward — or backward, as the case may be — in Mexico's quest for democracy will be determined by its performance in the months leading up to next July's federal elections.

The IFE broke new ground in 2000 when it succeeded in running a mostly clean election. There were complaints from all sides but none serious enough to call the results into question.

The border’s vital center 

By Dick Morris

The Hill

 

Republicans face one of the trickiest political problems they have faced as a party since Clinton pre-empted their program through triangulation and left them temporarily devoid of issues.

As the number of illegal immigrants mounts in the United States, the demands of the party’s nativist constituency for tighter border controls and immigration enforcement threatens to put it at odds with America’s rapidly growing Hispanic population, dooming the GOP to possible minority status not just in California and New York but in Texas and Florida as well.

Washington Pulse -- Alito Record Shows Hard Line on Immigrant Rights

By Mark Lloyd

New America Media

Editor's Note: Little attention has been paid to Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito's views on immigration. As a lawyer for Reagan administration, Alito argued that immigrants who enter the United States illegally are not entitled to the rights afforded to American citizens.

Much has been made of Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel A. Alito's record on subjects such as abortion (he is "personally opposed" to it) and his general support for greater presidential power...

(MN) Star Tribune Editorial:

Time for calm talk about immigration

The governor's report got the conversation off to a bad start.

When Minnesotans peer into the box labeled "immigration," they generally see what they are predisposed to see. Employers find a supply of cheap labor. School superintendents see children needing costly tutors. Urban neighborhoods see the entrepreneurial bustle known as immigrant vigor. Bigots find dark skins and foreign accents. Many Minnesotans see a mirror image of their own ancestors.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty opened this box recently, pulled out a piece of the puzzle called "cost to taxpayers," and triggered a nasty and divisive start to what really needs to be a civil and careful conversation.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa
America's porous border enables Mexico's misrule.
By Victor Davis Hanson

Wall Street Journal/Guest Commentary
“Shameful," screams Mexico's President Vicente Fox, about the proposed extension of a security fence along the southern border of the U.S. "Stupid! Underhanded! Xenophobic!" bellowed his foreign secretary, Luis Ernesto Derbez, warning: "Mexico is not going to bear, it is not going to permit, and it will not allow a stupid thing like this wall."

The allusions to the Berlin Wall made by aggrieved Mexican politicians miss the

Wall Street Journal REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Tom Tancredo's Wall
The Colorado Congressman tries to make America the world's biggest gated community.
"We have a supply and a demand problem. The supply problem is coming across the border. We are in this bill doing something very specific about that with the inclusion of the amendment, with the passage of the amendment, to build some barrier along at least 700 miles of our southern border. I hope we continue with that, by the way, along the entire border, to the extent it is feasible, and the northern border we could start next."
--Rep. Tom Tancredo (R., Colo.)
So there you have it. Tom Tancredo has done everyone a favor by stating plainly the immigration rejectionists' endgame--turn the United States into the world's largest gated community.

The tug of security and prosperity

By Richard Gonzales

Special to the Star-Telegram

Immigration loomed as the top news in 2005 for Latinos.

With an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, mostly from Mexico, few issues stir the blood more than deciding on how to secure the borders and ensure economic prosperity. Minutemen patrol the borders, congressmen propose physical and virtual fences, and President Bush wants to convert illegals into guest workers.

While they argue, illegal immigrants keep coming.

Even if the United States builds tall fences, people will come because it's not just U.S. security interests at stake but Mexican and U.S. economic interests as well.

Tom Tancredo: Leader of the Anti-Immigrant Populist Revolt

By Tom Barry

International Relations Center (IRC)

Rep. Tom Tancredo, who has represented Colorado's Sixth District since 1999, has in the last six years succeeded in rallying an anti-immigrant populist revolt that brings together the nativists, religious right, cultural supremacists, militia movement, and anti-immigration policy institutes with a new anti-immigration wing of the Republican Party.

Tom Tancredo is a firebrand politician, who doesn't mince words but who speaks about little except immigration, multiculturalism, and the clash of civilizations. He made his mark in Colorado's House of Representatives in the late 1970s, where he teamed up with other social conservatives and new right advocates—a group that Gov. Dick Lamm called “House crazies.” As a state legislator, Tancredo earned a reputation for slashing social services, backing social conservative positions, and cutting taxes.

 

PUBLIC SERVICE - BAJA CALIFORNIA VISITOR INFORMATION
(Most of the below advise and laws are the same throughout Mexico)
General Information.
1. Remember that Mexican laws apply equally to local residents as well as visitors. Don’t do things that you would not do at home—and always use common sense.
2. It is important to always have a valid photo ID with you.
3. If you plan on driving, it is very important that you consider buying Mexican auto insurance.

What Should I do if I find Myself in a Traffic Accident

What Should I do if I find Myself in a Traffic Accident
1. Dial the statewide Emergency Response Hotline 066 (equivalent to 911 in the USA) from any conventional or cellular phone (for additional assistance dial 078).

(MORE)

 

NEWS  

Of Interest Around the Net

AP Poll: Congressional Democrats Favored

In an ominous election-year sign for Republicans, Americans are leaning sharply toward wanting Democrats to take control of Congress, an AP-Ipsos poll finds. Democrats are favored 49 percent to 36 percent.

Report: N.C. Hispanics contribute billions

North Carolina's fast-growing Hispanic community is almost 20 percent larger than government estimates, nearly half illegal and contributes billions to the state's economy, according to research released today.

Illegal immigration a 'real issue'

If you're an illegal immigrant, watch out. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty wants to crack down on you and those who might employ you or provide you with false identification cards.

EDUCATION

Brought as children, attended schools, graduate high schools with honors – so what?

Help may be on the way for thousands of illegal immigrant students who are ineligible for college financial aid and don't qualify for in-state tuition discounts.

Few Mexicans in U.S. seek absentee ballots

Luis del Ángel García perks up as the first person in an hour approaches his information booth to ask about voting in the Mexican presidential election in July.

Fruit company pays settlement over immigrants to avoid legal fees

 William Zirkle has agreed to pay $1.3 million to settle a lawsuit accusing him and two other executives at a Selah-based fruit company of conspiring to hire thousands of illegal immigrants in order to keep wages low.

Gang Killings Close to Home

It happened without any fanfare, weeks ago in Pomona. A young Latino boy, popular among kids of his age and a student at the Pomona Alternative School, attended a party with some friends. An overtone of hostility began to replace the enjoyment of the early

Georgia's immigration proposals zero in on college benefits
 Trying to tackle the challenges of the state's booming, young immigrant population, Georgia lawmakers are preparing to debate an issue that many consider critical to the integration of immigrant communities _ access to higher education.

Immigration debate parallels -Historians see similarities with 19th century

The immigrants work for peanuts, drive down wages and push Americans out of good jobs. They swarm the hospitals, jails and welfare rolls. Their neighborhoods are crime-ridden. They don't learn English. They won't assimilate.

Jose Padilla finally to get his day in court.

US terror suspect Jose Padilla, detained for over three years without charges as an "enemy combatant," appeared in court for the first time after being flown to Miami from a military prison.

Mexican lawmakers request meeting with US counterparts on proposed border fences

Mexican lawmakers will ask their U.S. counterparts to move up a scheduled meeting on immigration to February from March, Mexico´s speaker of the lower house of Congress said.

Minimum Wage May Get Boost

The California business community's long-standing opposition to boosting the state's minimum wage is eroding — at least for now — amid a growing recognition that increases are inevitable and previous hikes haven't produced dire economic consequences.

Opinions split on proposed border fence

It hasn't even been built, but already a proposed 15-feet-high fence along nearly a third of the U.S.-Mexico border has ignited fiery passions on both sides of the international line.

To die-hard supporters, the proposed fence isn't just metal and concrete, it's a way to help protect the United States, cut crime and reduce the threat of terrorism.

Chertoff: Plan will curb immigration
 
On Wednesday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told a gathering of county sheriffs from across the country that he plans to initiate today a program uniting federal and local agencies in the fight against those who make their money smuggling illegal immigrants and drugs into this country.

Poll says Latinos oppose GOP stance on illegal immigration
 Because Hispanic voters are turned off by the conservative-led push for tougher penalties on illegal immigration, they are more likely to support Democrats than Republicans in November, according to the 2005 National Latino Survey released Thursday.

Pregnant Migrant Farmworkers face health risks for themselves and unborn.

When her infant son was just 20 days old, Cristina Matias, 28, poor, Mexican, abandoned by her two brothers, went back to work.

Immigration/Economic News
Profiting from Remittances
 
 According to Bank of Mexico Governor Guillermo Ortiz, remittances from Mexican migrants are expected to reach or surpass $20 billion dollars for 2005. Money sent home from Mexican migrants who mainly work in the United States now constitutes Mexico's second largest source of legal foreign exchange…

Republicans will bring back the issue of denying citizenship to US born children

The Associated Press January 3, 2006 -A proposal to change long-standing federal policy and deny citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants on U.S. soil ran aground last month in Congress, but it is sure to resurface — kindling bitter debate even if it fails to become law.

Tijuana News
Border Shooting Whips Up New Tensions
 
Just like the old year ended, the new one began with rising tensions on the US-Mexico border. Fueling discord this time was the shooting death of a young Mexican man, Guillermo Martinez Rodriguez, by a US Border Patrol agent.

Trio of Democrats touts proposal to cut aid to illegal immigrants

Former Gov. Dick Lamm and two other Democrats on Wednesday touted a proposed ballot initiative to stop illegal immigrants from getting government services.

US faces severe worker shortage in near future

The United States faces a severe worker shortage in the near future, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday in advocating better education for Americans and changes in immigration law to allow in more foreign workers.

U.S. Installs Visitor Tracking Stations

Four years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration has finished installing the equipment for a system to identify, photograph and fingerprint visitors arriving at every land, sea and air port of entry in the country.

Vehicle Pollution Linked to Respiratory Illness in Children

Recent findings from a study by USC Keck School of Medicine indicate that the closer children live to freeways, the higher their risk of asthma. The findings are consistent with the Help California Breathe Easier public awareness campaign...

Immigration bill blasted by area officials

 The U.S. House of Representatives passed an immigration bill recently that critics say would punish good samaritans who help undocumented immigrants in any way.

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive E-book on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The E-book is also an in depth primer on Mexican culture and protocol for better understanding that allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals. Literally this book has been of immense help to thousands, you too can gain from Mr. Osio's lifetime experience.