Latino Times 8-08 24pg

Transcription

Vol 7 Num.8
GRATIS — August 2008
The Children of Iowa ICE Raids
NAM, Marcelo Ballvé
POSTVILLE, Iowa – Jairo Chuy
Melendrez, 13, played the drums. His
brother Aldo, 11, played the bass. Their
14-year-old friends Jonter Gómez and
Mainor Ordoñez played the 12-string
guitar and accordion, respectively.
They might have been typical
American youth starting their first
garage band. Except in this case they
played Christian music in Spanish as
Grupo Sin Fronteras. They performed once a week at evangelical
services, which were attended primarily by Guatemalan immigrants and
held at a borrowed venue in this
small Iowa town.
The boys were talented enough so
that with the help of 28-year-old bandleader and vocalist Gabriel de León
they put out a self-produced
CD last year called
"Derribando Fronteras," or
"Tearing Down Borders."
On May 12, all of this
changed. An immigration raid
led to the arrest of not only De
León, the bandleader, but also
the church's pastor, Eddy
Santos, and the boys' mothers.
Two months after the raid, De
León has been deported to
Mexico, Santos is in prison, and
the boys' mothers still wear
ankle bracelets so they can be
monitored by Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE)
while they await court dates for immigration charges.
Sonia Melendrez, 28, the mother of
Jairo and Aldo, expects to be deported
to Guatemala once she goes to court,
and is trying to figure out how to send
her kids back home ahead of her.
My boys will have to leave behind
their dream," she says. "That's what fills
me with the most regret."
The story of Grupo Sin Fronteras is
one example among many of young
lives that unraveled in the aftermath of
the Postville raid, in which scores of
armed agents, with helicopter backup,
arrested nearly 400 undocumented
workers at the local Agriprocessors
meatpacking plant.
"I'm really sad about it. I think
about Gabriel (the bandleader) and
feel really strange" that he's gone,
says Jairo, a skinny teenager who was
sprawled out on a couch at home,
watching TV with his three siblings.
See Raids, page 8
Vidas jóvenes, víctimas de redadas de inmigración
NAM, Reportaje, Marcelo Ballvé
POSTVILLE, Iowa — Jairo Chuy
Meléndrez, de 13 años de edad, estaba
tocando el tambor. Su hermano Aldo, de
11 años, tocaba el bajo. Sus amigos de 14
años, Jonter Gómez y Mainor Ordóñez
tocaban la guitarra de 12 cuerdas y el
acordeón, respectivamente.
Estos podrían haber sido los típicos
jóvenes estadounidenses que comenzaban
su primer grupo musical de garaje. Salvo
que en este caso estaban tocando música
cristiana en español como el Grupo Sin
Fronteras. Tocaban una vez por semana
en los servicios evangélicos, a los cuales
asistían principalmente inmigrantes de
Guatemala y que se celebraban en un
lugar prestado en esta pequeña ciudad de
Iowa.
Los chicos eran lo suficientemente
talentosos, así que con la ayuda del líder
de la banda y vocalista de 28 años de
edad Gabriel de León produjeron de
cuenta propia un CD el año pasado
denominado "Derribando Fronteras" o
"Tearing Down Borders."
El 12 de mayo, todo esto cambió.
Una redada de inmigración condujo a la
detención no sólo de De León, el líder de
la banda, sino también del pastor de la
iglesia, Eddy Santos y de las madres de
los muchachos. Dos meses después de la
redada, De León ha sido deportado a
México, Santos está en prisión y las
madres de los chicos aún llevan un grillete en el tobillo para poder ser monitoreadas por Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE),
mientras esperan las fechas de los tri-
bunales para los cargos de inmigración.
Sonia Meléndrez, de 28 años, la
madre de Jairo y Aldo, espera ser deportada a Guatemala una vez que vaya a los
tribunales y está tratando de averiguar
cómo enviar a sus hijos de vuelta a casa
primero que ella.
"Mis chicos tendrán que dejar atrás
su sueño", dice. "Eso es lo que más me
llena de dolor."
La historia del Grupo Sin Fronteras
es un ejemplo de entre muchas jóvenes
vidas que se descarrilaron a raíz de la
incursión en Postville, en la que decenas
de agentes armados, con apoyo de
helicópteros, detuvo a casi 400 trabajadores indocumentados en la planta local
empacadora de carne Agriprocessors.
"Estoy realmente triste por esto.
Pienso en Gabriel (el líder del grupo
musical) y me siento realmente extraño"
con que se haya ido, dice Jairo, un adolescente delgado, tumbado en un sofá de
su casa, viendo televisión con sus tres
hermanos. "Sé que probablemente nunca
volveré a tocar música con él."
En el diminuto Postville, el mundo
se ha puesto patas arriba para cientos de
niños y adolescentes que una vez llevaban una vida relativamente normal –
asistían a la iglesia y a la escuela, hablaban dos idiomas y practicaban deportes.
El cambio llegó de repente, en el
curso de un solo día.
Muchos en Postville recuerdan cómo
los maestros iban de aula en aula en la
See Victimas, page 9
Obama Needs to be More Than Israel's Champion in Middle East
Arab Writers Group Syndicate,
Commentary, Ray Hanania,
Presumptive Democratic
Presidential nominee Barack Obama
did all the "right" things during his
tour of the Middle East. It will help
better define him in the eyes of
Americans as "presidential material"
and brush aside any concerns
about whether he can or can't
be a commander in chief. He
can.
But doing the "right
things" might not be enough
to actually achieve Middle
East peace. Obama needs to
do more. He's capable of it.
During his tour of Israel
and Palestine, for example,
his schedule played into
American domestic politics, reinforcing the belief that Obama will meet all
the requirements of an American
President, a solid supporter of Israel.
He went right down the checklist
of things he needs to do as a candidate: Obama met with Israel's leaders
and vowed continued, unwavering
support for Israel's security.
He visited the Yad Vashem to
show respect for the Holocaust survivors and placed a wreath there in
presidential fashion. He didn't make
any outrageous promises that he
would have to "explain" or "clarify"
on returning to the United States, as
he did when he appeared before
AIPAC, Israel's powerful lobbying
organization, and said Jerusalem
would be its undivided capitol an
later, having to explain he meant
"through negotiations."
He made the "empathy" visit with
residents of Sdereot, the Israeli town
targeted in Hamas Qassam missile
strikes. He even went so far as to ham-
mer Iran, offering tough-talk to minimize criticism of his "willing to talk to
every nation" position which is the
right thing to do, but becomes fodder
for his critics.
On the other side, he did all the
things that most American presidents
are required to do during presidential
elections. He minimized contact with
the Palestinians, making no promises
beyond supporting the vague notion of
"a Palestinian State."
He could have visited Palestinian
hotspots where the Wall imprisons
whole towns, like Qalqaliya, or standing at Shepherd's Field near the
Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
See Obama, page 10
2
Latino Times Magazine
August 2008
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
3
Walking in a Soldier's Shoes
Publisher & CEO
Andrew Ysiano
Vice President
Judy Quintana
Co-Editor
Andrew Ysiano • CEO
Marco Moreno
Co-Editor
Contributing Writers
Rhashad Pittman
CHCC Staff
Final Call, Nisa Islam Muhammad
EGP News, Irantzu Pujadas
NAM, Ekaterina Basilaia
NAM – Juan Jose Guerra
NAM – Marcelo Ballve
Arab Writers – Ray Hanania
Shawn Tully, NEW YORK (Fortune)
News USA
Judy Quintana • VP & Co-Editor
Design & Layout
Scott’s Universal Designs
Director of Marketing
Mary Ann Gomez
Marketing/Advertising
Andrew Ysiano
Judy Quintana
Marco Moreno
Kirstie Boyle
(209) 469-2407
[email protected]
Marco Moreno• Co-Editor
Photographer
Angelina Lozano
Distribution
Bill Repinski
Michelle Allen
www.latinotimes.org
Kirstie Boyle • Account Executive
(NewsUSA) —
Feet support 120 percent of each person's
body weight with every
step. No wonder many
Americans consider
foot pain a normal part
of everyday life.
Recently, 53 percent of
the people surveyed by
the American Podiatric
Medical Association
reported daily foot pain
so severe it interfered
with daily life.
The U.S. military
does not allow foot
pain to interrupt its
operations. And yet,
between long marches
and on-base routines, soldiers put
some major wear and tear on their
heels and arches. Soldiers must walk
through wet, sub-zero, hot, arid,
uneven, rough and slippery terrains.
Civilians who spend hours on
their feet, hike for recreation or
who work outdoors can stand to
learn a thing or two about footcare
from the U.S. military. Here are
some tips for Americans looking to
walk like foot soldiers:
- Consider Your Boots. The U.S.
military supplies different boots to
different units, yet traveling civilians
will wear the same sneakers in New
York City and Arizona.
Danner (www.danner.com), a
leading developer of work and out-
door footwear, supplies
boots specifically for the
military and other professionals who rely on
high performance
footwear.
Servicemembers understand how critical foot
comfort and support is
out in the field. All military boots fully protect
the foot and support the
ankle, helping to ease
pressure and avoid foot
pain. From hiking to
construction, civilians
hoping to protect their
feet couldn't do better
than to step into a soldier's shoes.
- Maintain Your Feet. U.S. military members care for and check
their feet daily. Likewise, civilians
should make footcare part of their
everyday routine. After showering,
civilians should thoroughly moisturize, then dry, their feet before putting on socks or shoes. Dry feet are
healthy feet, so choose a pair that
wick away moisture, such as Danner
socks made from merino wool.
- Don't Ignore Foot Pain. Every
soldier knows that his or her feet are
too important to ignore. Civilians
should forget soldiering through foot
pain - foot pain is never normal. Any
chronic or abnormal foot problems
warrant a trip to a dermatologist or
podiatrist for treatment.
4
SJCHCC Recognizes Community Leaders
Rafael Sanchez
Luis Sanchez
Linda Derivi
Henry Peralta
The San Joaquin County Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce (SJCHCC)
celebrated its 36th Annual Installation
of Officers and Awards Dinner on July
11, 2008 at the Sheraton Stockton
Hotel at Regent Pointe. The event
included the presentation of the new
Board of Directors and Executive
Committee and featured keynote
speaker Rafael Sanchez, Finance
Chairman for the United States
Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.
Honored that evening included:
Linda Derivi, Derivi Construction &
Architecture for Business Woman of
the Year; Frank Montelongo, San
Francisco Auto Body for Business
Man of the Year; Univision Television
Group, Corporation of the Year; Luis
Sanchez, Washington Mutual for
Frank Montelongo
Spencer Poore
Executive of the Year; Henry Peralta,
Stockton Auto Glass for Volunteer of
the Year, Spencer Poore, East Bay
Municipal District for Business
Advocate of the Year and United Way
of San Joaquin County for
Community Based Organization of the
Year. “Our annual installation dinner
is a time for us to share with the community the wonderful programs that
our chamber has grown and cultivated
and to recognize those that have contributed to our Hispanic community”
stated Mark Martinez, CEO of
SJCHCC.
The San Joaquin County Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce represents the
interest of approximately 250 members, many of whom are small business owners.
August 2008
Neighbors in Health:
A Community Partnership
The United Way of Stanislaus
County, Kaiser Permanente, and
the United Way of San Joaquin
County have entered into a partnership to continue the benefits of
this critical service in the Central
Valley. Neighbors in Health (NIH)
works towards creating a healthier
community by offering uninsured
and underinsured families the
opportunity to receive various
medical services at no cost. NIH
is widely respected and has
become an annual event that is
anticipated by thousands of individuals who do not have, or cannot
afford, health insurance. Medical
screenings and health education is
provided in a culturally sensitive
environment in three locations:
Modesto, Manteca and Stockton.
The health fair takes place on
Sunday August 17, 2008 from 8
a.m. to 3 p.m.
Feria de la Salud:
Una Comunidad Unida
United Way of Stanislaus County,
Kaiser Permanente y United Way
of San Joaquin County han formado una sociedad para continuar
con los servicios asistenciales que
proporcionan en el Valle Central.
Vecindarios Saludables tiene
como objetivo el crear una comunidad saludable - ofreciendo a las
personas que no tienen seguro
médico o que su seguro médico es
limitado- diversos servicios médicos sin costo alguno. Vecindarios
Saludables es ampliamente reconocido y respetado y se ha convertido en un evento anual que es
esperado por miles de personas.
Exámenes médicos y educación
sobre la salud serán proveídos en
un medio ambiente sensible a la
cultura de los asistentes en tres
localidades: Modesto, Stockton y
Manteca. La Feria de la Salud se
realizará el Domingo 17 de
Agosto, 2008 de 8:00 a.m. a 3:00
p.m. No falte…
Virginia Madueño honored
Modesto CA — Celebrating
the success of women business
owners nationwide, Wells Fargo
and the National Association of
Women Business Owners recog-
nized IMAGEN LLC President
Virginia Arauza-Madueño as one
of three women-owned businesses
with the 7th annual NAWBO/Wells
Fargo Trailblazer Award. Each
winner received a $5,000 cash
prize and be honored at NAWBO’s
2008 Women’s Business
Conference in Phoenix. Three winners were selected from a nationwide pool of applicants and evaluated based on their companies’
business performance, innovation,
growth, and personal service to the
community. “Virginia is a great
testament to the talent, passion and
strength demonstrated by women
business owners nationwide."
"She is inspirational and personifies what it means to be a ‘trailblazer’- both in her business and in
her community.
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
5
Former School Board Member, Board of Supervisor Aid Compete for Board of Supervisor Seat
By Rhashad Pittman
(Stockton, CA) — A former
San Joaquin County school board
member and an aid to a Board of
Supervisor are competing for a seat
on the San Joaquin County’s Board
of Supervisors to represent a large
part of Stockton.
Beverly A. Foster, a longtime
member of the San Joaquin County
School Board of Trustees, and
Carlos Villapudua, a legislative
assistant to Board of Supervisor
Steve Gutierrez, are vying for the
vacant seat on the county governing board. They are the last two
candidates remaining after a general election in June.
Voters will decide in a countywide runoff election in November
who will fill the district one seat,
Carlos Villapudua
Beverly A. Foster
which represents the portion of
Stockton south of Harding Way,
and include the downtown area,
south Stockton and parts of the
Country Club area. The seat is one
of three vacant Board of
Supervisor seats to be decided in
the election.
If elected, Foster said she
would implement neighborhood
watch programs, organize regular
Town Hall meetings, attempt to
resolve the county hospital deficit,
and address the lack of sidewalks,
curbs and gutters throughout the
county. She said she would meet
regularly with residents and update
them on the county’s responses to
their concerns while serving as a
“link” between the community and
the Board of Supervisors.
“I don’t think they really know
what’s going on in the community,”
Foster said of the board. “I speak for
the voiceless.”
See Supervisor, page 10
Consejero de Educación y Asistente Legislativo compiten por el Distrito 1
Rhashad Pittman
(Stockton, CA) – Un ex miembro
del Consejo de Educación del
Condado de San Joaquín y un asistente del consejo de supervisores
están compitiendo por un lugar en el
Consejo de Supervisores del
Condado de San Joaquín que al
mismo tiempo representa una gran
parte de Stockton.
Beverly A. Foster, quien fuera
por mucho tiempo miembro del consejo de educación del condado de
San Joaquín y Carlos Villapudua, un
asistente legislativo del supervisor
Steve Gutierrez se enfrentan por la
misma posición en ese organismo de
gobierno del condado. Ellos son los
dos candidatos que quedaron después
de la elección general en junio. Los
votantes decidirán en una elección
general de todo el condado en
noviembre quien será el ocupe ese
puesto que representa una parte de
Stockton localizada al sur del
Harding Way y que incluye el centro
de Stockton, sur de Stockton y partes
del área del Country Club. El puesto
es uno de los tres vacantes en el consejo de supervisores que se decidirá
en la elección.
De ser elegida Foster dice que
implementará programas de vigilancia en los vecindarios, organizará
reuniones comunitarias en forma
regular, intentará resolver el problema de déficit del hospital del condado y trabajará en resolver el problema de la falta de banquetas y alcantarillas a lo largo del condado. Dice
que se reunirá en forma regular con
los residentes para actualizarlos de
los avances en las respuestas a sus
preocupaciones y asuntos sirviendo
como enlace entre la comunidad y
el consejo de supervisores. Comenta
Foster “No creo que ellos sepan lo
que en realidad pasa en la comunidad” “Yo hablo por los que no
tienen voz”
Nacida en French Camp, Foster
de 55 años dice que ha vivido en el
sur de Stockton toda su vida. La originaria de French Camp trabaja como
Directora de Servicios Sociales del
Condado. Residente de toda la vida
del sur de Stockton ha sido una
activista en la comunidad por cerca
de 30 años. Además de servir en el
consejo de educación del condado de
San Joaquín por 18 años, ha servido
en números consejos y comisiones
como son: La Comisión del Crimen
de Stockton, la Comisión de
Transporte de Stockton y la
Comisión de Desarrollo de Stockton.
See Educación, page 19
6
August 2008
State Hispanic Chamber on the move
growing your business
By CHCC Staff
In today's economic times, many
Hispanic business-owners have
become worried about the future of
their business. They have a need to
know how to continue to be competitive, become more efficient and
effective in what they do, remain
profitable, and how to increase business. There are also those budding
entrepreneurs that want to start a
business, or want to expand their
current operations and are in need of
capital to finance their dreams.
The answer to these questions is
the California Hispanic Chambers of
Commerce (CHCC). For nearly
three decades, the CHCC has been
addressing the needs of Hispanic
business-owners through programs
and its annual Statewide
Convention. The CHCC will be
hosting it 29th Annual Convention,
August 13-16th in San Francisco.
The CHCC annual convention
offers Hispanic businesses the opportunity to expand their businesses, learn
ways to be more profitable, and
addresses the need for those looking
for funds to expand or start their business. Annually, hundreds of Hispanic
business-owners, companies, and individuals who have a desire to do business with them attend the convention.
“The CHCC Convention is the
“Mecca” for Hispanic business. It is
recognized as an event that fosters
business growth by providing networking, business opportunities, procurement/matchmaking activities and
providing Hispanic businesses with
the knowledge and tools to succeed,”
stated Ken Macias, CHCC Chairman.
This year's annual convention will
feature procurement/matchmaking
sessions where Hispanic businessowners will be paired with representatives of corporate and government
agencies who want to do business
with Hispanic businesses. “Many
Hispanic businesses do not realize the
opportunities that exists with corporate and government agencies,” said
Joel Ayala, President & CEO of the
CHCC. The procurement/matchmaking sessions have proven to be successful in years past, creating millions
of dollars in business for Hispanic
business owners who attended the
annual conventions.
An issue that is faced by many
Hispanic business-owners has been
the availability of capital to fund or
expand their business. The CHCC
has created the ACCESS TO CAPITAL PROGRAM (ABC) to address
this need in the Hispanic business
community. The ABC Program provides the business owner with the
tools, knowledge and training to
gain access to capital outside of the
traditional funding provided by
banking institutions. The program
also brings together Hispanic businesses with potential investors and
venture capitalist from throughout
the nation. During the convention
there will be three sessions specifically in the area of access to capital.
The convention will also provide
attendees with numerous opportunities
to network with other business-owners, community leaders, government
& elected officials and corporate representatives throughout the three-day
event. Whether it is at the golf tournament, matchmaking activities, and
luncheons or just in the halls of the
Mark Hopkins Hotel, the entire focus
is on Hispanic business and making
them more successful in what they do
every day. The CHCC Annual
Convention is a must attend event for
any Hispanic business owner who
wants to succeed in today's economy.
For more information of the CHCC's
29th Annual Convention, you can visit
their website at www.cahcc.com or call
(800) 662-4455.
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
7
Latino Councilman Serves as Role Model for Youth in Ceres
Guillermo G. Ochoa
Rhashad Pittman
(Stockton, CA) —
When Guillermo G.
Ochoa ran for a seat on
the Ceres City Council a
few years ago, even 12
and 13-year-old boys in
the local Latino community were talking about
his campaign. It was
potentially a historic
moment as Ochoa
became quite possibly
the city’s first Latino
council member.
Sitting just south of
Modesto along Highway
99, Ceres consists of
42,000 residents with
Latinos making up 38
percent of the popula-
tion. Yet, it is rare to see a Latino
active in local government,
Ochoa said.
“When I was growing up, I
always looked for role models and
mentors,” he said. “And I felt there
was a lack of leaders and mentors in
the Hispanic community.”
Ochoa, now in his second term
on the council, said he wanted to
serve as a role model for local
Latino youth as well as his own
children. The 47-year-old is married to Maria Martha Ochoa and
has two children, 14-year-old
Christian and 13-year-old
Kimberly.
Ochoa was appointed to the
Ceres City Council in November
2005 after losing the election in
August of that year by a little
more than one hundred votes.
Fortunately, a seat on the council
opened up after Anthony
Cannella was elected mayor.
Cannella then appointed Ochoa
to the city council.
“My objective was to represent
the Latino community,” Ochoa
recalled. But then as a council
member, “you see the whole city
regardless of race or ethnicity.
“The residents pretty much
have the same issues: water, sewer
infrastructure, roads, congestion . .
. it doesn’t matter what race you
are, the city helps everybody.”
Born in Mexico, Ochoa moved
to Ceres with his family at age 10.
After graduating from Ceres High
See Councilman, page 19
Consejero Latino desea ser un ejemplo para la juventud
Rhashad Pittman
(Stockton, CA) – Cuando hace
algunos años Guillermo G. Ochoa
decidió participar en las elecciones
para participar en Consejo de la
ciudad de Ceres, los jóvenes de 12
y 13 años de edad de la comunidad
Latina hablaban acerca de su campaña política. Era un momento
potencialmente histórico ya que
Ochoa sería posiblemente el
primer Latino en la historia de la
ciudad en ocupar un lugar en el
consejo.
La ciudad de Ceres esta ubicada al sur de Modesto sobre el
Freeway 99, su población es de
42,000 habitantes y la población
Latina es un 38 por ciento del
total. El mismo Ochoa comenta
afirmando “Sí, es raro ver un
Latino activo en el gobierno
local.” “Cuando crecía siempre
busque lideres y mentores
Latinos.” “Yo sentía que había una
falta de líderes y mentores en la
comunidad Latina.”
Ochoa ahora cumple su segundo término en el consejo. Comenta
“que quiere servir como modelo
para la juventud local Latina y
para sus propios hijos.” De 47
años de edad, está casado con
María Martha Ochoa y tiene dos
hijos Christian de 14 años y
Kimberly de 13. Ochoa fue designado al consejo de la ciudad de
Ceres en noviembre del 2005
después de perder la elección en
agosto de ese mismo año por una
diferencia mínima de 100 votos.
Afortunadamente, una de las posiciones del consejo quedó abierta
cuando Anthony Cannella fue
elegido como alcalde de la ciudad.
Cannella fue quien designó a
Ochoa para participar en el consejo de la ciudad.
“Mí objetivo fue el de representar a la comunidad Latina,”
recuerda Ochoa. Pero ya en el con-
sejo, “tienes que ver la ciudad
como un todo sin importar la raza
o etnicidad.” “Los residentes en
general tienen las mismas preocupaciones” a saber: agua, drenaje,
infraestructura, caminos, congestionamientos. . . no importa de qué
raza seas la ciudad ayuda a todos.”
Nacido en México, Ochoa llegó
a Ceres con su familia a la edad de
10 años. Después de graduarse en
Ceres High School en 1979,
estudió tres años en el Modesto
Junior College y de ahí pasó al St.
Mary’s College donde se gradúo en
See Consejero, page 19
8
Raids
continued from cover
"I know I'll probably never play
music with him again."
In tiny Postville, the world has
turned upside down for hundreds of
children and teenagers who once led
relatively normal lives — attending
church and school, speaking two languages, playing sports.
The change came suddenly, in the
course of a single day.
Many in Postville remember how
teachers went from classroom to classroom at the local school the day of the
raid, separating out the children of those
who had been arrested so they could be
taken to St. Bridget's Catholic Church.
The church became the gathering place
for scores of fearful immigrant families
once the news spread. It was where
they hid in fear of being arrested, and
where they anxiously awaited news of
relatives' fates. It was also where some
of the roughly 40 women released on
humanitarian grounds — with ankle
bracelet monitoring devices — had
tearful reunions with their children.
More than 300 other workers,
including many mothers and fathers,
would not be seen again in Postville.
"I don't know if we can really comprehend how this has affected the children," says Sister Mary McCauley of
St. Bridget's Church. "I'm wondering
what the long term effect of this is
going to be. It has really shattered family life."
'A thousand times my fault'
Some young people didn't lose
their parents, but their jobs. At least
17 underage workers, ranging in ages
from 14 to 17, were arrested the day
of the raid, according to attorney
Sonia Parras Konrad.
Three of them are presently in custody of the U.S. Office of Refugee
Resettlement — in Chicago, San Diego
and New York City — because the children claimed they were in the country
as unaccompanied minors.
Parras says in two of these cases
this wasn't true: the children lied simply
out of fear of putting their parents in
harm's way. She is now working to
have both released.
Another minor already has been
deported to Guatemala.
Parras also represents 11 undocumented underage workers in a pro-bono
effort to obtain U visas, which are given
to victims of violence or abuse and
would allow the teenagers to remain in
the country.
"These kids, these minors, they're
scared, they don't know what's going
on," she says. "They worked hard to do
the right thing by their families, to help
support them. Now they have been
caught in this web of law enforcement,
of officers with uniforms and guns.
Imagine how frightening the scenario is
for a teenager."
ICE has been cooperative and
efficient in handling the minors' cases,
she notes. The minors do not wear
ankle bracelets, but only intermittently are required to report to immigration authorities in Cedar Rapids,
Iowa, in order to prove they are still
physically in the country. The liberal
supervision regime doesn't mean it's
easy for them, however.
"You wouldn't believe the panicked
situation when they learned they had to
report," says Parras. "They thought they
were going to be sent home to their
countries, if that word 'home' has any
meaning for them anymore, because
some of them really don't have a
home," in their country of origin.
That's the case for Luis Nava
González, 17, a stocky teenager with
clipped black hair and a gruff attitude
who was brought to the United States
from Mexico at the age of three. He
worked at the Agriprocessors meatpacking plant in order to support his widowed mother and two younger siblings.
Along with other underage workers, he
operated a sort of chainsaw used to dismember cows.
His mother, Consuelo González, a
former Agriprocessors employee herself, suffered a workplace accident —
she fell down some stairs —and is no
longer able to handle heavy work. She
has supplemented her son's income with
babysitting and daycare work.
Now, she doesn't know how she'll
support herself without him as the principal breadwinner. And he faces deportation to a country where he has no real
experience and no one to look after him
besides distant aunts and uncles.
"I hug him at night and talk to him
like they do in the soap operas," says
Consuelo. "I say, 'Don't go, mi bombón
de chocolate.' He acts tough, but he's
extremely nervous all the time. He's
having a very hard time. He asks me,
'What am I going to do in Mexico?'"
One afternoon, Luis opens their
apartment's screen door halfway to ask
his mother if he can go with some
friends to Wal-Mart in Decorah, a town
a half-hour away. She looks fearfully at
him and makes him solemnly promise
he won't drive.
"None of this is his fault," she says
after he leaves. "It's my fault. It's a thousand times my fault for having brought
him here."
A few blocks across Main Street,
Abner López, 17, lives with his father
Cleotildo, 40, who is one of the few
men released with an ankle bracelet
device. Abner also worked at the
meatpacking plant, and when asked
about work conditions, he simply
smiles and says, "Very cold," and
curls his hands into claws to show
how his fingers would stiffen in the
course of a day's work.
The day of the raid, says Cleotildo,
he embraced his son once he found him
outside the plant where the detainees
were being processed. He told Abner to
place himself in God's hands, "because
there's nothing else we can do now."
According to federal labor law,
children under the age of 18 are prohibited from "operating power-driven
meat-processing machines, and slaughtering, meat packing or processing, and
rendering." It's alleged that children
were involved in many of these activities at Agriprocessors.
We have cases of kids... who were
using chainsaws to open up cows.
That's pretty dangerous," says Parras.
"A lot of them were using knives." She
also alleges that there was a concerted
practice at Agriprocessors of hiring
underage workers in order to fill an
incessant need for manpower. Some of
the detainees have alleged that
Agriprocessors knowingly overlooked
the age of workers.
August 2008
Juda Engelmayer, senior vice president for 5WPR, a New York PR firm
working for the meatpacker, denies that
Agriprocessors had a policy of hiring
underage workers or that the company
knowingly did so.
Considering that many of the workers were arrested on identity theft
charges, he says, "It is possible that
some underage people assumed the
identities of individuals of legal age."
Engelmayer adds that Agriprocessors
would fire any employee determined to
be lying about being over 18.
'I have nothing in Mexico'
Although ICE intended it as a
humanitarian gesture when they
allowed certain parents to return
home to their children, the released
arrestees are hobbled by the shame of
the monitoring device — not to mention their inability to provide for their
children while waiting for court dates.
In all, some 70 children are now living in Postville with parents wearing
ankle bracelets.
Since the parents can't legally
work, and can't yet leave, they must rely
on Postville's overtaxed food pantry and
religious charities for checks to help
them pay the factory town's inflated
rents: as much as $800 for an apartment
in a town of 2,000 people in remote
northeastern Iowa.
"I feel like I might as well be in
prison," says Anacleta Taj Taj López,
24, mother of a chubby and rambunctious seven-year-old. Her husband and
three brothers also were arrested in the
raids. She comforts her son by telling
him that his father is already back home
in Guatemala – although he is actually
in prison. "He says he wants to be back
in Guatemala with his father," she says.
The strain may show most clearly
on the parents, but it's the children who
probably absorb the anxiety and fear
most deeply.
María Guadalupe López, 42, says
her young daughter clings to her at
different times throughout the day,
asking if her mother is going to be
taken away again.
"I can't imagine the grief of these
children, the loss they've felt," says
David Vázquez, campus pastor at
Luther College in Decorah, and one of
those involved in the ecumenical relief
effort. He remembers a little girl who
not so long after the raids pointed at a
plane and asked if it was coming to take
her family away.
The children face another major
change: the realization that they'll have
to leave the only school they've known.
Sonia Melendrez, 28, the musicians'
mother, had a lump in her throat when
the school enrollment officer came to
her door recently and she had to say
there was no need for her to enroll her
kids this year.
Quendi Alejandra García, 22, has
been in the United States nine years and
both of her daughters were born here.
She prays to be allowed to stay when
she has her court date Oct. 14, so that
she can keep two-year-old Edith and
six-year-old Gabriela in their school,
and avoid having to start from scratch
in Mexico. "I don't have a house there, I
don't have savings, I don't have anything," she says. When she sees the
judge, she says she is "going to ask him
to let me stay here in my daughters’
country, so they can study, so they can
be somebody, and never have to suffer
what I suffered.
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
Victimas
escuela local el día de la redada, separando a los hijos de aquellos que habían
sido detenidos para que pudieran ser llevados a la Iglesia Católica St. Bridget's.
La iglesia se convirtió en el lugar de
reunión para decenas de temerosas
familias de inmigrantes una vez que se
difundió la noticia. Allí fue donde se
escondieron con miedo de ser detenidos,
y donde esperaron ansiosamente noticias de los destinos de sus familiares.
Fue allí también que algunas de las
aproximadamente 40 mujeres puestas en
libertad por razones humanitarias – con
dispositivos de vigilancia en grilletes de
tobillo – tuvieron reencuentros llenos de
lágrimas con sus hijos.
Más de otros 300 trabajadores,
incluyendo a muchas madres y padres,
no serían vistos de nuevo en Postville.
No sé si podamos comprender realmente cómo esto ha afectado a los
niños", dice la Hermana Mary McCauley
de la Iglesia St. Bridget's. "Me estoy preguntando cuál es el efecto a largo plazo
que va a tener esto. Realmente ha
destrozado la vida familiar."
"Una y mil veces es mi culpa"
Algunos jóvenes no pierden a sus
padres sino sus trabajos. Por lo menos
17 trabajadores menores de edad, en
edades de 14 a 17 años, fueron
detenidos el día de la redada, según la
abogada Sonia Parras Konrad.
Tres de ellos están actualmente bajo
custodia de la Oficina de Reubicación
de Refugiados de los EE.UU. - en
Chicago, San Diego y la ciudad de
Nueva York - porque los niños afirmaron que se encontraban en el país
como menores no acompañados.
Parras dice que en dos de estos casos
esto no es cierto: los niños mintieron simplemente por temor de poner a sus padres
en peligro. Ella está trabajando ahora
para ponerlos en libertad.
Otro menor de edad ya ha sido
deportado a Guatemala.
Parras también representa a 11 trabajadores indocumentados menores de
edad en un esfuerzo voluntario para
obtener visas clase "U", que se dan a
las víctimas de violencia o abuso y que
permitirían a los adolescentes permanecer en el país.
Estos niños, estos menores, están
asustados, no saben lo que está pasando",
dice. "Trabajaron duro para hacer lo correcto por sus familias, para ayudar a darles apoyo. Ahora que se han visto atrapados en esta telaraña de la aplicación de la
ley, de funcionarios con uniformes y
armas de fuego, imagine lo aterrador que
es el escenario para un adolescente."
El ICE ha sido cooperador y eficaz
en el tratamiento de los casos de los
menores", señala. Los menores no llevan
grilletes de tobillo, pero, intermitentemente, sólo están obligados a reportarse a
las autoridades de inmigración en Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, con el fin de demostrar que
todavía están físicamente en el país. El
régimen de supervisión liberal no significa que sea fácil para ellos, sin embargo.
Usted no creería la situación de
pánico que hubo cuando se enteraron
que tenían que reportarse", dice Parras.
"Ellos pensaron que iban a ser enviados de vuelta a casa a sus países, si es
que esa palabra "casa" tiene ahora
algún significado para ellos, porque
algunos de ellos realmente no tienen
un hogar," en su país de origen.
Ese es el caso de Luis Nava
González, de 17 años, un fornido adolescente con el pelo negro trasquilado y
una actitud brusca que fue traído a los
Estados Unidos desde México a la edad
de tres años. Trabajó en la planta
empacadora de carne Agriprocessors
con el fin de apoyar a su madre viuda y
a sus dos hermanos menores. Junto con
otros trabajadores menores de edad,
operaba una especie de motosierra utilizada para desmembrar las vacas.
Su madre, Consuelo González,
una exempleada de Agriprocessors
también, sufrió un accidente laboral cayó por las escaleras y ya no es capaz
de hacer trabajos pesados. Ha complementado el ingreso de su hijo con el
trabajo de niñera y en guarderías.
Ahora ella no sabe cómo se va a
financiar sin él como principal sostén de
la familia. Y él se enfrenta a la
deportación a un país donde no tiene
experiencia real ni nadie que le cuide
aparte de tías y tíos lejanos.
Yo le abrazo en la noche y le hablo
como lo hacen en las telenovelas", dice
Consuelo. "Digo, 'No te vayas, mi bombón de chocolate'. Él se hace el fuerte,
pero está muy nervioso todo el tiempo. Él
la está pasando muy mal. Me pregunta,
'¿Qué voy a hacer en México?’"
Una tarde, Luis abre hasta la mitad
la puerta de su apartamento para preguntar a su madre si puede ir con unos amigos a Wal-Mart en Decorah, un pueblo a
media hora de distancia. Ella le mira
temerosa y le hace prometer solemnemente que no va a manejar el auto.
Nada de esto es su culpa", dice
ella después de que se va. "Es culpa
mía. Es mil veces mi culpa por haberlo
traído aquí."
A pocas cuadras, por Main Street,
Abner López, de 17 años, vive con su
padre Cleotildo, de 40 años, que es
uno de los pocos hombres puestos en
libertad con un dispositivo de grillete
en el tobillo. Abner también trabajó en
la planta empacadora de carne, y cuando se le pregunta acerca de las condiciones de trabajo, simplemente sonríe
y dice: "Muy frías", y recoge sus
manos como garras para mostrar cómo
sus dedos se ponen tiesos en el transcurso de un día de trabajo.
El día de la redada, dice Cleotildo,
abrazó a su hijo una vez que lo encontró
fuera de la planta en que los detenidos
estaban siendo procesados. Le dijo a
Abner que se pusiera en las manos de
Dios, "porque no hay nada más que
podamos hacer ahora."
De acuerdo con la ley federal del trabajo, los niños menores de 18 años tienen
prohibido "operar las máquinas de motor
para el procesamiento de carne y el sacrificio, empacado, transformación y proceso de carne". Se alegó que los niños participaban en muchas de estas actividades
en Agriprocessors.
Tenemos casos de niños... que estaban utilizando motosierras para abrir
vacas. Eso es muy peligroso", dice
Parras. "Muchos de ellos estaban usando
cuchillos". Ella también alega que existe
una práctica concertada en
Agriprocessors de contratación de trabajadores menores de edad con el fin de
llenar una incesante necesidad de mano
de obra. Algunos de los detenidos han
alegado que Agriprocessors, a sabiendas,
pasa por alto la edad de los trabajadores.
Juda Engelmayer, vicepresidente
Senior para 5WPR, una empresa de
RRPP con sede en Nueva York que trabaja con la empacadora, niega que
Agriprocessors tuviera una política de
contratación de menores trabajadores o
que la empresa lo hizo a sabiendas.
Teniendo en cuenta que muchos de
los trabajadores fueron detenidos por
cargos de robo de identidad, dice, "Es
posible que algunas personas menores
de edad tomaran la identidad de las personas mayores de edad". Engelmayer
añade que Agriprocessors despediría a
cualquier empleado que quisiera mentir
acerca de ser mayor de 18 años.
Yo no tengo nada en México"
Aunque la intención del ICE fue
tener un gesto humanitario cuando permitió a algunos padres regresar a sus
hogares con sus hijos, los detenidos liberados son obstaculizados por la
vergüenza del dispositivo de vigilancia por no hablar de que no pueden mantener a sus hijos mientras esperan las fechas
de los juicios. En total, unos 70 niños
viven ahora en Postville con padres que
llevan grilletes en el tobillo.
Dado que los padres no pueden trabajar legalmente, y que aún no pueden
marcharse, deben apoyarse en la sobrecargada despensa de alimentos y las
beneficencias religiosas de Postville para
ayudarles a pagar los inflados alquileres
del pueblo manufacturero: hasta $800 por
un apartamento en una ciudad de 2,000
personas en el remoto noreste de Iowa.
Me siento como si sería lo mismo
estar en la cárcel", dice Anacleta Taj Taj
López, de 24 años, madre de un chico
regordete y alborotado de siete años de
edad. Su esposo y tres hermanos también
fueron detenidos en las redadas. Ella consuela a su hijo diciéndole que su padre ya
está de vuelta en casa en Guatemala -
9
aunque realmente se encuentra en prisión.
"Dice que quiere estar de vuelta en
Guatemala con su padre", dice.
La angustia puede verse más claramente en los padres, pero son los niños
los que probablemente absorben la
ansiedad y el temor más profundamente.
María Guadalupe López, de 42 años,
dice que su hija se aferra a ella varias
veces a lo largo del día, preguntando si se
van a llevar a su madre de nuevo.
No me puedo imaginar el dolor de
estos niños, la pérdida que han sentido", dice David Vázquez, el pastor
universitario en el Luther College en
Decorah, y uno de los que han participado en el esfuerzo ecuménico de
socorro. Él recuerda una niña que no
mucho después de las redadas señaló a
un avión y preguntó si se iba a llevar a
su familia.
Los niños se enfrentan a otro cambio importante: el darse cuenta de que
tendrán que dejar la única escuela que
han conocido. Sonia Meléndrez, de 28
años, la madre de los músicos tenía un
nudo en la garganta cuando el funcionario de inscripción de la escuela
llegó a su puerta recientemente y ella
le tuvo que decir que no había necesidad de inscribir a sus hijos este año.
Quendi Alejandra García, de 22
años, ha estado en los Estados Unidos
durante nueve años y sus dos hijas
nacieron aquí. Ella ora para que se le
permita permanecer cuando le llegue
la fecha del juicio el 14 de Octubre, a
fin de que pueda dejar a su hija de dos
años de edad, Edith, y a Gabriela, de
seis años de edad, en su escuela, y no
tener que empezar de cero en México.
"No tengo una casa allí, no tengo ahorros, no tengo nada", dice. Cuando vea
al juez, dice, va “a pedi
10
Obama
where Israeli settler growth is consuming Palestinian West Bank land.
It will help him secure the presidential nomination, but it won't do
much to achieve peace. Palestinians
can only hope that below the surface
of "going through the right
motions," Obama will push for a
resolution of the conflict that in fact
does achieve a Palestinian State.
What Obama needs to do as a president requires more courage. One
way is to define clear a "vision for
peace" that not only reinforces the
American commitments to Israel's
survival in a changing Middle East
but that also shows more compassion for Palestinian rights. He needs
to help take the American commitment to a Palestinian State and sow
how he believes it can be a reality.
In the end, Israelis and
Palestinians already know what the
final peace accord looks like. They've
seen it off-and-on. It was defined
realistically at Taba after the Camp
Supervisor
continued from page 5
Born in French Camp, Foster,
55, said she has lived in South
Stockton her entire life. The French
Camp native works as a social
services director for San Joaquin
County. A lifelong south Stockton
resident, she has been a community
advocate for nearly 30 years.
In addition to serving on the
San Joaquin County School Board
of Trustees for 18 years, she has
served on numerous other boards
and commissions, including the
Stockton Crime Commission, the
Stockton Transit Board and the
Stockton Community
Redevelopment Board. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in
Christian education from
Sacramento Bible College.
In 2005, her advocacy work led
to city and county ordinances that
prohibited ice cream truck vendors
from selling toy guns to children.
As a recreation program coordinator for the county, she developed a
number of programs, including a
summer camp for at risk children,
an informational program for lowincome residents with children,
English as a Second Language
classes and a bereavement assistance program.
“We need someone on that
board who is creative and understands survival and I’m that candidate,” Foster said.
Villapudua, 40, said that if
elected he would host regular Town
Hall meetings and “Community
Clean-ups,” preserve local farmland, protect the county’s water
August 2008
David Accords collapses in 2000.
Even the touchy issues of Jerusalem
and the Palestinian refugees can be
resolved, with honesty on all sides.
Most Palestinian refugees have said
they will accept compensation as an
alternative to returning to their lands
and homes in Israel taken from them
before the 1948 war, 60 years ago.
Until a Palestinian state is created, Israelis and Palestinians will
remain at each other's throats and
allow opportunities for extremist
violence on both sides, like the
recent attack this week in Jerusalem
by an Arab Israeli construction
worker, will continue.
For Obama and the future of
Palestinian-Israeli peace, leadership
will be defined by stepping past not
through the difficult rhetoric that
draws out the emotions of both
sides, and by standing firmly in the a
vision of what peace can be that
both sides already embrace.
That is clearly something Obama
can do once he becomes president.
Ray Hanania is an award
winning columnist and author.
He can be reached at
www.TheMediaOasis.com or by
email at [email protected].
supply, and work with local chambers of commerce to attract more
businesses. He would also form a
community outreach program to
encourage low-income residents to
apply for Medi-Cal, a state healthcare program for the uninsured.
“We need well-planned development instead of just rolling out
cement on this beautiful prime
agricultural land that makes us who
we are,” Villapudua said.
Born and raised in Stockton,
Villapudua said he is passionate
about improving the city and the
lives of residents in it. Villapudua
graduated from California State
University in Sacramento with a
bachelor’s degree in social work. He
has been working as a legislative
assistant to Board of Supervisor
Steve Gutierrez since 2004.
He has held a number of positions, including community social
service director for San Joaquin
County’s Human Services Agency at
the Northeast Community Center,
director for the Welfare-to-Work
“CalWorks” program and pre-trial
service officer for the San Joaquin
County Sheriff’s Department. He
was also chairman of the Coalition
of the Mexican-American organizations’ Cinco de Mayo Parade.
Villapudua founded the “Child’s
Smile” Celebrity Golf Tournament,
which has raised more than $40,000
in its three years of existence. He
has also led local efforts to start the
Statewide Healthy Families
Program for low cost insurance in
California. As a legislative aid, he
has helped organized residents in a
number of communities.
“I’m the only candidate that
has the experience of working for
the Board (of Supervisors),”
Villapudua said.
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
11
12
August 2008
August 2008
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14
August 2008
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
15
Diabetes Epidemic Hits the United States
Final Call, Nisa Islam Muhammad
(FinalCall.com) — Diabetes,
called by many the disease of excess,
now affects nearly 24 million people in
the United States, an increase of more
than 3 million in approximately two
years, according to new 2007 prevalence data estimates released June 25,
by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
This means that nearly 8 percent
of the U.S. population has diabetes.
"There's no simple answer as to
why were seeing this increase. So
many more people are obese and
overweight. Fat is the direct cause of
diabetes. Couple that with improper
eating, lack of exercise and the type
of food people eat," explained Dr.
Jewel Crawford, of the Morehouse
School of Medicine.
In addition to the 24 million with
diabetes, another 57 million people are
estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts people at increased risk for
diabetes. Among people with diabetes,
those who do not know they have the
disease decreased from 30 percent to 25
percent over a two-year period.
"These new estimates have both
good news and bad news," said Dr.
Ann Albright, director of the CDC
Division of Diabetes Translation. "It is
concerning to know that we have more
people developing diabetes, and these
data are a reminder of the importance
of increasing awareness of this condition, especially among people who are
at high risk.
"On the other hand, it is good to
see that more people are aware that
they have diabetes. That is an indication that our efforts to increase
awareness are working, and more
importantly, that more people are
better prepared to manage this disease and its complications."
At Temple Universitys School
of Podiatric Medicine podiatrists
have seen a spike in recently diagnosed diabetic patients who have
been referred by their primary care
physician as part of a heightened
awareness of the disease.
"Diabetes has reached epidemic
proportions, and health care providers
are becoming more proactive in their
approach to care," said Temple podiatrist Kathya Zinszer, who specializes
in diabetic wound care.
"In years past, patients would
come to their doctor with chronic foot
wounds, and would be so far gone that
the only option would be to amputate.
Now, that's not the case, thanks to the
push for preventative care."
Diabetes is a disease associated
with high levels of blood glucose
resulting from defects in insulin
production that causes sugar to
build up in the body. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the
country and can cause serious
health complications including heart
disease, blindness, kidney failure,
and lower-extremity amputations.
Among adults, diabetes increased
in both men and women and in all age
groups, but still disproportionately
affects the elderly. Almost 25 percent
of the population 60 years and older
had diabetes in 2007.
And, as in previous years, disparities exist among Caucasians, Native
Americans, Blacks and Latinos. After
adjusting for population age differences between the groups, the rate of
diagnosed diabetes was highest among
Native Americans and Alaska Natives
(16.5 percent).
This was followed by Blacks
(11.8 percent) and Latinos (10.4 percent), which includes rates for Puerto
Ricans (12.6 percent), Mexican
Americans (11.9 percent), and Cubans
(8.2 percent).
By comparison, the rate for Asian
Americans was 7.5 percent with
Whites at 6.6 percent.
Temple's approach to preventative
care is two fold: At the Foot and
Ankle Institute, newly diagnosed diabetics undergo a number of baseline
tests including shoe fittings and gait
analysis, to determine and correct any
problem areas before they develop
into chronic ulcers or wounds.
In addition, Dr. Zinszer and her
colleagues stress the need for patients
to make foot care a part of their everyday lives. She suggests wearing good,
supportive slippers in the house, never
going barefoot outdoors and checking
inside the shoes to make sure there are
no foreign objects that could rub or
cut the foot.
"I tell all my patients to get in the
habit of checking their shoes now,
because while they may have good
feeling in their feet today, in 10 years,
they might not," said Dr. Zinszer.
"Our goal is to do everything we
can to salvage limbs and help our diabetic patients maintain a good quality
of life," she said.
Dr. Crawford explains that there
are also environment causes of the disease as well.
"Animals are fed steroids to make
them bigger. The steroids cause weight
gain in the animals, which in turn
causes weight gain in the people who
eat them. Milk also has bovine growth
hormone. These additives are stored in
the fat tissue," she told The Final Call.
"Theres also too much sugar consumed. From Big Gulps to 32 ounce
sodas. The average can of soda has 10
teaspoons of sugar. What if a person
has four or five of these a day? That's
40-50 teaspoons of sugar."
She added, "This is a lifestyle disease which causes the pancreas to burn
out. The pancreas releases insulin.
There's also a lack of exercise. People
take in all of these calories but dont
burn them off."
The good news according to Dr.
Crawford is that early detection of
Type II Diabetes can be reversed.
"People have to eat more fruit
and vegetables. They have to exercise if only to go walking. The
sedentary lifestyle is killing us.
Weight loss, exercise and a change of
diet can help dramatically."
16
August 2008
For English Language Learners Everything Is an Uphill Battle
EGP News, Irantzu Pujadas
“Not to be fluent in English is a
disadvantage,” says Nalliber Ruiz,
a 17-year-old Bell Gardens High
School student from Colombia.
“But at the same time, it is a challenge for me [to learn].”
Ruiz came to the U.S as a
teenager. She says she was surprised to find most of her teachers spoke Spanish, which made it
easier for her to adapt to the
local school system. But, she
adds, the results have been a little disappointing.
“I wanted to speak more
English because I wanted to learn
it,” she says. “I speak Spanish at
home, with my friends, or when I
watch the TV novelas (Spanish language soap-operas).”
In the Montebello Unified
School District, which includes
Bell Gardens High School, 93.4
percent of the students are Latino.
At Bell Gardens High, over 90 percent of the student body is Latino,
says Mario Avila, the school’s
English Learner facilitator.
Seventy percent of all kindergarteners and 39 percent of all
high school students attending
MUSD schools are English
Learners, reports the school district. Overall, 36.8 percent of the
District’s students are classified
as English Learners.
Most of the younger students
are reclassified, meaning they are
placed in all English classes, by
grade 5, says Debbie De La Torre,
MUSD’s English Learner Program
Director. “English Learners have
always been the focus of our
efforts,” says De La Torre.
The District’s demographics
have changed, and that’s why positions like the one she holds have
been created, explains De La
Torre. “What we do in our program is help teachers develop professionally, so that they can help
students access advance placement
classes,” she told EGP.
MUSD’s objective is to
make sure students graduate
with the skills and classes needed to gain admission to college,
says De La Torre.
MUSD recently adopted the AG curriculum, classes required to
enter college, so that all students,
including English Learners, have
the opportunity to take the courses.
“It’s a great idea,” says Bell
Garden High’s Avila. “We are
already planning for it,” he said,
adding that while the number of
high school students overall is
dropping, the percentage of students who are English Learners
is increasing.
Many school districts across
the state are struggling with identifying the right time to move students from English Learner classrooms to classes where only
English is spoken. While most districts to some extent use state
issued tests as markers of ability,
few rely solely on those tests to
determine when a student is ready
to be reclassified.
At MUSD, reclassification of
English Learners is determined by
the California Department of
Education, and is done through the
CELDT examination or California
English Language Development
Test. The exam evaluates oral
expression, listening comprehension, reading and writing. In order
to be reclassified, the student
needs to score a 4 or 5 on the test’s
1-5 scale.
So far, results in the District
have been disappointing; Of the
10,626 MUSD students who took
the test during the 2007-08 academic year, from the beginning
level to advanced, only 20 percent
have successfully passed it,
according to the available data.
“Some students have to take
the test three times in one year,”
says Avila, pointing at the level of
difficulty most English Learners
face in the CELDT examination.
“For English Learners, everything is an uphill battle,” says
Avila. “They’re not only learning
another language, but they are also
learning another system and another culture and that can be very
frustrating for them.”
Bell Gardens High School
student Selma Palos, 18, who
came to the U.S. from Mexico
when she was 14, says her
biggest challenge was understanding the educational system.
“It was very different, a lot
different than in Mexico,” she said.
“Here you don’t have as
many classes, I would like to see
more classes offered to English
Learners,” she says. “My level
of English doesn’t allow me to
take the courses that I want to
take,” she says referring to the
A-G courses.
Palos wants to attend college
and believes that a big part of a
student’s academic success lies
with the skills and attitudes of the
teachers. “A lot depends on your
teacher,” she said with a smile.
Palos and Ruiz say they don’t
have a negative view of their situation, rather, they are realistic: “I
really admire the students who
take advanced placement courses,”
Ruiz says. “I took an advanced
class last year, but even though I
could understand the concept I
failed the exam because there
were so many words I didn’t
understand,” she says.
Avila told EGP that parent
participation is important, adding
that it makes a difference when
parents have a dialogue with their
children regarding social, political or economic issues in their
native Spanish.
“Talk to your kids about serious issues, help them build critical
thinking skills,” says Avila “To
learn English with good critical
thinking is a lot easier,” he says.
Thomas O. Gillis, Affornev
Former Judge, 30 years experience in Law
Accepting new clients.
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Also: CIVIL, DIVORCE, CHILD CUSTODY.
(209) 575-1153
(209) 518-8631 ABLAMOS
ESPANOIL? (209)450-9172
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
17
Diversity Gap Grows in UC Med Schools, Says Report
NAM, Ekaterina Basilaia
Juan Jose Guerra is now an
obstetrician and gynecologist at
Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif.
But when he was going to medical
school in the 1980s, he got little
encouragement to do so.
“I battled through college, I did
not have the highest grade point average. On one occasion I was told not
to go to medical school by my premed advisers,” he says, adding: “I
would not be here if I listened to
them.”
Guerra wanted to be a doctor not
because of an interest in science but
because he wanted there to be more
Spanish-speaking physicians.
As a seven-yearold, he accompanied his
grandfather, an
alcoholic with a
host of medical
problems, to the
doctor where he
had to serve as
an interpreter.
Now a new report by the
Greenlining Institute looking at who's
going to medical school in the
University of California system suggests that future generations of
Californians will
be facing the
same kind of
problems Guerra
faced as a boy.
The doctors of
tomorrow don't
match up to the
diversity of the
state today.
Even if the
universities start accepting only
Latinos, African Americans and
Native Americans, it would take 38
years to just match the population
trends says Hector Javier Preciado,
the director of health policy of
Greenlining Institute which issued the
report.
“The report looks at underrepresented minorities of California's population — Latinos, African Americans
and native Americans. That group
combined (represents) 40 percent of
the population of the state of
California and it is only 20 percent of
the student population of the
University of California's medical
school system,” says Preciado. While
Asians as a whole are not underrepresented in the system, Preciado says
it's important to realize that the aggreSee Diversity, page 18
En las escuelas de medicina crece la brecha de estudiantes Latinos
NAM – Juan Jose Guerra es
ahora un ginecólogo y obstetra
que trabaja para Kaiser
Permanente en Oakland Calif.
Pero en los 80’s, cuando pensaba
estudiar medicina encontró muy
poco apoyo. Le batalle para llegar
a la universidad, no tenía el mejor
promedio, menciona. En una
ocasión mis consejeros escolares
me dijeron que no estudiara medicina. “No estaría aquí si les
hubiera hecho caso.” Guerra
decidió ser doctor no por el
interés en la ciencia sino porque
quería que hubiera más doctores
que hablaran español. A los siete
años de edad acostumbraba acompañar a su abuelo, un alcohólico
con problemas médicos de todo
tipo al consultorio del doctor
donde el le servía de interprete.
Ahora un nuevo reporte del
Greenlining Institute, que analiza
la información de quienes actualmente estudian en las escuelas de
medicina de la Universidad de
California, sugiere que las futuras
generaciones de californianos
enfrentarán los mismos problemas
que Guerra enfrentó cuando era
niño. Aún si las universidades
empezaran a aceptar solo Latinos
tomaría cerca de 38 años el igualar
las tendencias del crecimiento de la
población. “El reporte se enfoca en
la falta de representación de las
minorías que viven en California.
Combinadas, estas minorías representan el 40% de la población total
del estado y solo son el 20% de
estudiantes en el sistema médico de
la Universidad de California.”
A pesar que desde el 2001 la
inscripción de minorías sub representadas se ha incrementado en
forma constante, la diferencia persiste dicen los investigadores. La
disparidad entre la representación
de Latinos en el cuerpo estudiantil
y su representación en las escuelas
de medicina de la U.C., sigue creciendo, esto porque el crecimiento
de la población supera los incrementos de inscripciones que se dan
en las escuelas. Por ejemplo, en el
2007 solo un 9.6 porciento de
solicitantes a las escuelas de medicina eran Latinos y solo el 14 por
ciento de los que fueron admitidos
fueron latinos.
Preciado niega que las universidades estén dejando afuera deliberadamente a los candidatos del
grupo Latino. Menciona que hasta
1996, la representación de minorías
en las escuelas de la U.C., era más
alta. Pero desde que fue aprobada
la proposición 209, una iniciativa
que terminó en forma efectiva los
programas de acción afirmativa en
el estado la U.C., también terminó
sus programas de acción afirmativa. “El resultado fue la declinación
See Medicina, page 18
AVISO FORMAL DE ELECCIÓN DE BONOS ESCOLARES
DEL DISTRITO Nº 3 DE MEJORA DE LAS INSTALACIONES ESCOLARES
DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR UNIFICADO CONJUNTO DE
TRACY
CONDADO DE SAN JOAQUIN, CALIFORNIA
MARTES, 4 DE NOVIEMBRE DEL 2008
POR EL PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA a los electores calificados del Distrito No. 3 de Mejora de las Instalaciones Escolares
del Distrito Escolar Unificado Conjunto de Tracy (el “Distrito
Escolar”) ubicado en el Condado de San Joaquin, Estado de
California, que de acuerdo con las disposiciones del Código de
Educación del Estado de California, se llevará a cabo una elección de bonos escolares el martes, 4 de noviembre de 2008, dentro de los límites del Distrito No. 3 de Mejora de las
Instalaciones Escolares.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que, en la elección, se presentará y se votará la siguiente propuesta (de forma abreviada de
acuerdo con el Código Electoral del Estado de California) a los
electores calificados del Distrito:
MEDIDA S:
“Para renovar y modernizar las escuelas primarias y secundarias más antiguas de la comunidad, mejorar las aulas, reemplazar los techos, los sistemas de calefacción, electricidad,
cañerías, refrigeración y ventilación antiguos con sistemas de
ahorro de energía, y mejorar los sistemas de seguridad y tecnología en todas las escuelas, aumentando el acceso de los alumnos a las computadoras, ¿deberá el Distrito Nº 3 de Mejora de
las Instalaciones Escolares del Distrito Escolar Unificado
Conjunto de Tracy tener autorización para emitir $43,100,000 en
bonos, a tasas de interés legales, con la verificación de todos los
gastos realizado por un Comité Supervisor de Ciudadanos
Independientes?”
Bonos - Sí
Bonos - No
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que la aprobación de la Medida
S no garantiza que el o los proyecto(s) propuesto(s) en el Distrito
Escolar Unificado Conjunto de Tracy que constituye(n) el objeto
de los bonos bajo la Medida S, será(n) financiado(s) más allá de
los ingresos locales generados por la Medida S. La propuesta del
Distrito para el o los proyecto(s) asume el recibo de los fondos
de contrapartida del Estado, que podrían estar sujetos a
apropiación por la Legislatura o a la aprobación de una medida
de bonos de todo el estado.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que todos los propósitos enumerados en esta propuesta serán unificados y votados como una
única propuesta, de conformidad con la Sección 15100 del
Código de Educación, y todos los propósitos enumerados constituirán el único propósito específico de los bonos, y los ingresos
provenientes de los bonos deberán ser gastados solamente para
ese fin, de conformidad con la Sección 53410 del Código de
Gobierno de California. Los bonos cuya venta y emisión se proponen generarán un interés a una tasa anual que no exceda el
máximo establecido por ley, y esos intereses deberán ser
pagaderos en el o los momento(s) permitidos por la ley. Los
bonos pueden ser emitidos y vendidos en varias series, y ningún
bono podrá tener un vencimiento a más de 40 años de la fecha
contenida en ese bono.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que el Distrito deberá publicar
el texto completo de la medida en los materiales del folleto de
la boleta electoral según corresponda.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que si el cincuenta y cinco por
ciento (55%) de los electores calificados que votan en la propuesta votan “SÍ”, la propuesta es aprobada.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que los argumentos a favor o
en contra de la Medida S pueden ser presentados en el
Departamento del Registro de Votantes, ubicado en 212 N. San
Joaquin St., 2º Piso, Stockton, California, antes de las 5:00 p. m.
del viernes, 15 de agosto del 2008, que el Registrador de
Votantes ha determinado como una fecha razonable basada en el
tiempo razonablemente necesario para preparar y presentar los
argumentos, y permitir los 10 días calendario para la consulta
pública, como se establece en la Sección 9509 del Código
Electoral.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que ningún argumento excederá las 300 palabras de extensión. La Junta de Educación del
Distrito o cualquier miembro o miembros de la Junta de
Educación, o cualquier votante individual o asociación de buena
fe de ciudadanos, o una combinación de votantes y asociaciones, que sean patrocinadores o partidarios de buena fe,
pueden presentar por escrito un argumento a favor o en contra
de la medida de bonos. No deberán aparecer más de cinco (5)
firmas en el argumento. Si más de cinco personas firman un
argumento, se imprimirán las firmas de las primeras cinco.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que se seleccionará un argumento en favor y un argumento en contra de la Medida S para
su impresión y distribución a los votantes. Para seleccionar los
argumentos, según se establece en la Sección 9503 del Código
Electoral, los funcionarios electorales darán preferencia y prioridad, en el orden mencionado, a los argumentos de los siguientes:
a) La junta directiva del distrito o el miembro o los miembros de la junta autorizados por ésta.
b) El votante individual, o las asociaciones de buena fe de
ciudadanos, o la combinación de votantes y asociaciones, que
sean patrocinadores o partidarios de buena fe de la Medida S.
c) Las asociaciones de buena fe de ciudadanos.
d) Los votantes individuales que califiquen para votar en la
Medida S.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que los argumentos de
refutación a favor o en contra de la Medida S se pueden presentar en el Departamento del Registro de Votantes dentro de los
10 días posteriores a la fecha final de presentación de los argu-
mentos a favor y en contra de la Medida S. La fecha para
presentar las refutaciones a los argumentos es el lunes, 25 de
Agosto l 2008. Los argumentos de refutación no pueden
exceder las 250 palabras de extensión.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que los votantes registrados
que residen dentro del Distrito No. 3 de Mejora de las
Instalaciones Escolares del Distrito Escolar Unificado
Conjunto de Tracy del Condado de San Joaquin, Estado de
California, y nadie más, están calificados para votar en esta
elección.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que la última fecha para
inscribirse para votar en esta elección es el lunes, 20 de
Octubre del 2008.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que el Departamento del
Registro de Votantes comenzará a procesar las boletas electorales de voto por correo para esta elección el día lunes, 6 de
Octubre del 2008 en 212 N. San Joaquin St., Stockton, CA.
Este procesamiento incluye verificar las firmas y direcciones
comparándolas con la información de inscripción de los
votantes. La apertura y el procesamiento adicional comenzarán el día martes, 28 de Octubre del 2008 hasta el Día de
las Elecciones, e incluirá la finalización del escrutinio de la
elección. El recuento de las boletas electorales comenzará a
las 8:00 p. m. del Día de las Elecciones. Se invita a los
miembros del público a presenciarlo.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que los votantes registrados
que deseen votar por correo pueden hacerlo solicitando la
boleta electoral de voto por correo en 212 N. San Joaquin St.,
Stockton, CA. El último día para solicitarla por correo es el
martes, 28 de octubre del 2008.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que el Registrador de
Votantes ha establecido el Departamento del Registro de
Votantes ubicado en el 212 N. San Joaquin St., Stockton,
CA., como el centro de recuento central de todas las boletas
electorales de Voto por Correo emitidas, y en el 6700 C.E.
Dixon Drive, Stockton, CA para todas las boletas electorales
del Recinto emitidas para la Elección de Bonos del Distrito
Nº 3 de Mejora de las Instalaciones Escolares del Distrito
Escolar Unificado Conjunto de Tracy que se llevará a cabo el
martes, 4 de Noviembre del 2008.
ASIMISMO SE NOTIFICA que el Departamento del
Registro de Votantes y las urnas en los centros electorales
estarán abiertos desde las 7:00 a. m. hasta las 8:00 pm. el día
de las elecciones. Los límites de los recintos electorales dentro del Distrito No. 3 de Mejora de las Instalaciones
Escolares, la ubicación de los centros electorales y los nombres de los funcionarios elegidos para realizar la elección
serán determinados por el Registrador de Votantes del
Condado de San Joaquin.
Fechado:
22 de Julio del 2008
AUSTIN G. ERDMAN
Registrador de Votantes
18
Medicina
Diversity
continued from 17
continued from 17
gated number for Asians might mask
under representation among certain
Asian groups such as Hmongs and
other Southeast Asians.
While underrepresented minority enrollment has been increasing
steadily since 2001, the representation gap still persists, say
researchers. The disparity between
the representation of African
Americans, Latinos, and Native
Americans in the U.C. student body
and their representation at U.C.
medical schools is growing,
because their rate of increase in the
population outstrips their increase
in medical school enrollment,
researchers say. For example, in
2007 only 9.6 percent of the applicants in a U.C. medical school were
Latinos, and 14 percent who were
accepted were also Latinos. Only
4.6 percent of the applicants were
African American, the same as the
percentage of the African American
enrollees. As for Native Americans,
the percentages were 0.2 percent
and 0.3 percent only.
Preciado denies that universities were filtering out candidates
from these groups. He points out
that until 1996, minority representation on U.C. campuses was a lot
higher. But with the passage of
Proposition 209, a ballot initiative
that effectively ended affirmative
action programs in the state, U.C.
schools also ended affirmative
action on their campuses.
“What happened is the steep
August 2008
decline in the number of the
minorities getting into the medical
school. Prop 209 punched the
major hole in that pipeline,” says
Preciado. “And a lot of people did
not get to the point where they
could be physicians, or where they
could enter the medical school.”
The problem is that the pipeline
leading up to medical education is
very constricted. Changes should
begin at the elementary school level
and continue into high school.
Of course, there is no guarantee
that increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in medical
school will mean those doctors are
bilingual. But Preciado says language
isn't the only issue when it comes to
wanting diversity in a body of doctors. At the core of the issue is what
has been referred to as cultural competency and quality care.
“The physician and patient relation is a very intimate one and as
you would imagine one would feel
more comfortable and more inclined
to be honest about one's health if
there was a rapport, and we know
that cultural similarities help establish that,” Preciado says.
He adds that it has also been
well-documented that like Dr.
Guerra, medical students from
underserved groups, once they
become doctors, are more likely
than anyone else to be willing to
serve in areas with higher minority
populations where the need is the
greatest.
constante de estudiante de minorías
en las escuelas.” La proposición 209
definitivamente causó el daño que se
esperaba,” comenta Preciado.
Mucha de la gente ni siquiera llegó
a al punto en donde ellos pudieran
pensar en estudiar medicina.”
Desde luego que no hay garantía
que incrementando el número de
estudiantes provenientes de minorías
en las escuelas de medicina esos doctores sean bilingües. Preciado dice
que el lenguaje no es el único problema cuando se desea tener diversidad
entre los doctores. El verdadero problema radica en el conocimiento de la
cultura y por consecuencia en la calidad del servicio.
“La relación entre el doctor y
su paciente es muy íntima y como
ustedes se imaginaran uno se
siente más confortable y más
inclinado a ser honesto acerca de
su salud cuando existe una buena
relación médico-paciente y sabemos que el compartir la misma
cultura ayudan a establecer esa
confianza,” dice Preciado. Añade
que esta bien documentado que
como el Dr. Guerra, los estudiantes de grupos sub representados, una vez que se gradúan,
tiene más predisposición a trabajar en áreas con una mayor
población minoritaria donde las
necesidades son más grandes.
Jackson Rancheria Casino offers
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The timely Pay for Gas and Play for Free! promotion continues through
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Thursday through August 21, and get that amount (up to $75) in Free Slot
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August is also Lucky 8 Days at Jackson Rancheria with random drawings
every Monday and Friday August 4-29 for up to $4,888 in Cash! There's over
$188,888 in prizes available. Visit the Dreamcatcher's Club booth for details
on all promotions.
Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel is located at 12222 New York Ranch
Road, Jackson, CA 95642. For more information, call 800-822-WINN or visit
jacksoncasino.com.
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
Educación
Es graduada de Sacramento Bible
College donde obtuvo su título en
Educación Cristiana.
En el 2005 su activismo condujo
a la aprobación de un reglamento que
prohibió a los vendedores de nieves
vender pistolas de juguete a los niños
tanto en la ciudad como el condado.
Como coordinadora del programa de
esparcimiento del condado desarrolló
un gran número de programas entre
otros los campamentos de verano
para niños en riesgo, un programa de
información para familias residentes
de bajos ingresos con niños, clases de
inglés como segunda lengua y un
programa de manejo de duelo.
“Necesitamos alguien en ese consejo
que sea creativo y entienda el salir
adelante yo soy ese candidato,” finalmente comentó Foster.
Villapudua de 40 años, dice que
de ser elegido realizará juntas comunitarias en forma regular y
“Limpiezas en la comunidad”
luchará por preservar las tierras agrícolas, protegerá las fuentes de agua
del condado y trabajará con las
cámaras locales de comercio para
atraer más negocios. Formará un
programa de vinculación con la
comunidad para impulsar a que los
residentes de bajos ingresos apliquen
para Medi-Cal el programa estatal
para los que no tiene seguro médico.
“Necesitamos desarrollo bien
Councilman
planeado en lugar de solo poner más
concreto en este rico suelo agrícola
que nos hace ser lo que somos,”
Comenta Villapudua.
Villapudua nació y creció en
Stockton, dice que es un apasionado
por mejorar la ciudad y la vida de sus
residentes. Villapudua es graduado de
la Universidad Estatal de California
en Sacramento donde obtuvo su título
en Trabajo Social. Ha venido trabajando como asistente legislativo para
el supervisor Steve Gutierrez desde el
año 2004. Ha tenido un gran número
de posiciones incluyendo Director de
Servicios Sociales Comunitarios de la
Agencia de Servicios Humanos en el
centro comunitario del Noreste,
Director del programa Cal Works
Welfare-to-Work, en el departamento
del Sheriff del Condado de San
Joaquín fue oficial de los servicios de
preparación de juicios. Ha servido
como director de la Coalición de
Organizaciones México-Americanas
para la organización del Desfile del
Cinco de Mayo.
Villapudua fundó el torneo de
Celebridades de Golf “Child’s
Smile” que ha recabado más de
40,000 dólares en tres años de existencia. También ha dirigido los
esfuerzos locales para iniciar a nivel
estatal el programa médico de bajo
costo Healthy Families. Como asistente legislativo ha ayudado a los
residentes a organizarse en un gran
número de comunidades.
“Soy el único candidato que
tiene experiencia en trabajar para el
Consejo de Supervisores comenta
finalmente Villapudua.
Consejero
School in 1979, he attended
Modesto Junior College for three
years and later transferred to St.
Mary’s College, where he graduated with a degree in business
administration and economics.
While in college, Ochoa was a
student senate and president of the
local chapter of MEChA
(Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de
Aztlan), a national Latino advocacy
organization. The self-described
moderate Republican said he always
enjoyed leadership positions.
Aside from local government,
Ochoa works for Yellow
Transportation Inc. in Tracy as a
19
workers compensation coordinator
and is co-owner of Garcia’s
Market grocery store in Empire.
As a city council member,
Ochoa’s goals are to improve the
city’s infrastructure, reduce crime
and bring economic development
to the city. After his term ends in
2011, Ochoa said he would consider running for a countywide
leadership position.
“I want to do a good job these
next four years and learn all that I
can,” he said. “And if I can do a
good job . . . I wouldn’t mind running for (the Stanislaus County)
Board of Supervisors.”
Administración de Negocios y
Economía” Mientras estudiaba en
St. Mary’s Ochoa formó parte del
senado estudiantil y fue el presidente del capítulo local de MEChA
(Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano
de Aztlán), una organización
Latina de ayuda. Se considera un
republicano moderado comentando
que “siempre ha disfrutado posiciones de liderazgo.”
Además de estar activo en el
gobierno local Ochoa trabaja como
coordinador del departamento de
workers compensation para Yellow
Transportation Inc., en Tracy, CA.
Y es co-dueño de Garcia’s Market
en Empire. Como miembro del
consejo de la ciudad, las metas de
Ochoa son las de mejorar la
infraestructura de la ciudad,
reducir el crimen y traer desarrollo
económico a la ciudad. Después
de terminar su periodo en el año
2011, Ochoa dice que va a considerar una posición de liderazgo a
nivel de condado.
Comenta “quiero hacer un
buen trabajo estos próximos cuatro
años y aprender lo más que
pueda,” “Y si realizo un buen trabajo. . . no me importaría correr
para el Consejo de Supervisores
del condado de Stanislaus.”
20
August 2008
Giant Drug Maker Pfizer Provides
Free and Discounted Medicines to Needy
By Rhashad Pittman
(STOCKTON, CA) –
The rising cost of health care
and prescription drugs have
long been an issue for millions of Americans and are
once again major topics of
discussion among voters during the presidential campaign.
The stories are endless:
Senior citizens on tight
budgets having to choose either food or medicine, millions of
children going without health insurance, and small businesses
not being able to afford to offer health coverage.
Yet, one of the world’s largest drug makers is providing a
flicker of light amidst a seemingly broken healthcare system.
New York-based Pfizer Inc. is offering free and discounted medications through its patient assistance programs and has been for
more than twenty years.
The programs are designed to reach people — regardless of
their age or income – who lack prescription drug coverage. And
millions of Americans fit into that category either because they
do not have health insurance or their insurance does not cover
prescriptions. The programs are available to anyone living in
the U.S.
Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based biomedical and
pharmaceutical company, produces dozens of drugs that treat a
number of medical conditions, including high blood pressure,
diabetes, high cholesterol and various infections.
“Anyone can qualify to get help if you do not have prescription coverage,” said Roy Cosme, spokesperson for Pfizer. “Your
age, income or family status doesn’t matter.”
Overall, 47 million people in the U.S. lack health insurance,
according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As the bureau prepares to
release its latest figures this month, that number is expected to
increase due to a surge in unemployment and the rising costs of
gas and food.
Latinos make up the highest rate of uninsured among ethnic
groups. About a third of all Latinos — 15.3 million — are withSee Medicines, page 22
Pfizer ofrece medicinas gratis y con descuento
Rhashad Pittman
(STOCKTON, CA) – La constante alza del costo en los servicios médicos y las medicinas ha sido una preocupación constante
para millones de personas de este país y de nuevo se ha convertido
en un tema de discusión entre los electores en esta campaña presidencial. Las historias son interminables entre jubilados y adultos
que viven con un ingreso fijo y en ocasiones tienen que escoger
entre comprar las medicinas ó comer, millones de niños carece de
seguro médico y los pequeños negocios no pueden ofrecer cobertura médica a sus empleados.
Dentro de toda esta problemática uno de los productores de
medicinas más grande del mundo ofrece un rayo de esperanza en
un sistema de salud que no responde a las necesidades de la
población. Pfizer, la compañía establecida en Nueva York está
ofreciendo medicinas en forma gratuita o con descuento por medio
de su Programa de Asistencia a Pacientes -programa que tiene más
de 20 años de existencia. El programa está diseñado para toda la
gente que carece de acceso a las medicinas – sin importar su edad
o nivel de ingreso – Millones de personas caen dentro de esta categoría debido a que no tienen seguro médico o su seguro no cubre
la compra de medicinas. El programa está disponible para
cualquier persona que viva en los Estado Unidos.
Pfizer es la compañía que realiza las mayores investigaciones
biomédicas y farmacéuticas, produce docenas de medicinas que
combaten problemas médicos entre otros presión arterial alta, diabetes, colesterol alto y diversas infecciones.
“Cualquiera puede calificar para obtener ayuda si no se tiene
cubierta la compra de medicinas,” comenta Roy Cosme, vocero de
Pfizer.” “Su edad, ingreso económico o estatus familiar no importa.” Alrededor de 47 millones de personas en los Estados Unidos
no cuentan con seguro médico, de acuerdo a la oficina de censos.
Mientras la oficina de censos se prepara para dar a conocer su
reporte este mes, se espera que la cifra anterior aumente debido al
desempleo y los aumentos de la gasolina y la comida.
Entre los grupos étnicos los Latinos conforman el grupo más
alto sin seguro médico. Cerca de la tercera parte de todos los
Latinos alrededor de 15.3 millones no cuentan con ese beneficio.
See Pfizer, page 22
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
21
On the Path to a Housing Rebound
By Shawn Tully, NEW YORK The
news that housing starts have fallen to
their lowest level in 17 years sounds
like one more reason to be depressed
about the shrinking value of your
home. In fact, it's an almost certain
sign that the path to a housing recovery is finally in sight.
If prices are going to stabilize, let
alone rebound, the United States
needs to produce far more first-time
home buyers than new houses. That's
the only way to tame the glut of "For
Sale" signs dotting front yards from
the Inland Empire of California to the
Gold Coast of Florida.
Builders constructed far more
homes from 2002 until 2006 — the
peak bubble years — than could possibly be absorbed by the normal
growth in households.
As a result, the market is now
swamped with one million new and
existing homes for sale that aren't
occupied, and hence need to sell
quickly. That's a multiple of the figure
in most downturns, and it testifies to
the duration and girth of the bubble.
"For the recovery to begin,
builders need to eliminate the standing
inventory of finished, unoccupied new
homes," says Mike Castleman,
founder of Metrostudy, which assembles sales data on four million subdivisions across the U.S.
The massive overhang of unsold
inventory has remained stubbornly
high. Sure, builders cut back, but sales
dropped just as quickly.
Now that excess supply is finally
beginning to shrink. In April, the number of new homes for sale stood at
456,000 according to the U.S.
Commerce Department, still a big
number, but 93,000 below the mountainous figure a year ago.
The return of the first-time buyer
The key player in any recovery
scenario is the first time buyer. The
housing market operates with a pronounced laddering or ripple effect.
When entry-level buyers flood the
market, they not only stimulate production of new homes, they purchase
existing homes. Those purchases, in
turn, allow the sellers to move up to
bigger houses.
But when the first-timers are
absent, the entire buying chain gets
frozen.
Today, newbies are coming back.
Why? For the first time in years,
entry-level homes are affordable.
Builders have slashed prices, and what
they're building tends to be far smaller
than the McMansions of the boom,
selling for far lower prices. KB
Home's average selling price dropped
to $248,0000 in its February quarter,
versus $267,000 a year earlier. In
2006, KB's basic model in
Victorville, Cal., a former boomtown
east of Los Angeles, took up as much
as 3,800 square feet and sold for
$328,000. Today, its stripped down
offering goes for $220,000, at less
than half the size.
So the first time in a decade
renters can carry the mortgage payments and taxes on a new house for
what they're paying a landlord. Call it
the New Affordability.
Here's how the numbers play out:
Single-family housing starts are now
running at fewer than 500,000 a year.
The normal demand for housing,
based on immigration and household
formation, is around one million units.
We won't get back to that figure
for a while because so many people
rushed to buy homes during the boom.
But with first timers returning,
sales should rise to almost 700,000
units by the end of next year, according to Bernard Markstein, senior economist for the National Association of
Home Builders. That means sales will
soon exceed new production by as
much as 250,000 units a year.
That margin forms the foundation
of the housing revival that comes in
four steps.
Step 1: First, the return of firsttime buyers will shrink the overhang
of new houses for sale.
Step 2: Second, because so few
new homes are being built, first-timers
will start buying existing homes from
owners who want to move up but
have been trapped by the dearth of
buyers. Their improved fortunes,
though, come with a big caveat: The
prices of new homes are now lower
than comparably-sized existing
homes. It's as if used cars are selling
for more than new ones. That can't
last. So move-up buyers are going to
have to accept less than they had
hoped to get for their current homes.
They'll get a big break as they
trade up, however. Unless they bought
at the height of the boom, they'll still
sell at a profit. They can then use that
equity to buy bigger homes at bargain
prices. During the bubble, homebuilders started pushing up home sizes
to 3,500 square feet or more. It's those
behemoths that are selling for the
steepest discounts today.
Step 3: Next, housing starts should
start rising, probably next year. The
increase, however, will be slow and
gradual. For the next two years at least,
homebuilders will compete ferociously
with existing home sellers for customers.
Step 4: Eventually, the glut of
existing homes will disappear as well.
The excess of new-home buyers over
new homes being built makes that
inevitable. But the oversupply is so
enormous that the healing process
could take as much as three more
years. Only then will prices in former
bubble markets start rising again.
What could go wrong?
One event has the potential to
slow or even derail the recovery: A
sharp rise in interest rates. Right now,
the first-timers are gorging on 6%
loans guaranteed by the FHA. But
rates may not stay there.
If they rise to 8% or higher
because inflation rebounds, it
would take a far bigger drop in
prices to make new and existing
homes affordable.
The New Affordability is now in
place. But if rates rise, we'll have to
establish a New New Affordability - at
even lower prices.
22
Univision 19 and Three Amigos Auto Center Sponsor Blood Drive
Please join Delta Blood Bank on
Friday, August 15 as we partner with
Univision 19 to host their annual
“Dia de Donar Sangre.” We will
begin the day at 6:00am at Three
Amigos Auto Center, 301 Mitchell
Rd, Modesto. The Three Amigos
location will be open from 6:00 a.m.
- 7:00 p.m, in addition to the Delta
Blood Bank donor centers.
Last year we registered 284
donors and collected 227 successful donations at Three Amigos
Auto Center alone! Delta Blood
Bank registered 632 donors that
day throughout the Central Valley.
It was a great success! We are asking for your support again this year
to make it another banner day!
One donation can help save the
lives of up to three people. Be a
part of this special event and join
us in helping to save lives.
The first 200 registered donors
at the Three Amigos Auto Center
will receive a FREE “Dia de Donar
Sangre” T-shirt. Donors will
receive a complimentary gift, be
entered into a drawing for an
$80.00 gas card and a weekly
drawing for three $400 gas cards,
courtesy of Delta Blood Bank.
Your chance to join this life saving event is at Three Amigos Auto
Center, 301 Mitchell Rd, Modesto
from 6:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Stockton2888 W March Ln, 9:00 a.m-7:00
p.m., Modesto- 1900 W Orangeburg
Ave, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Ceres2517 Mitchell Rd, 12:30 p.m.- 7:30
p.m., Tracy- 1960 N.Tracy Blvd,
2:30 p.m- 8:30 p.m. See you there!
Univisión 19 y Three Amigos Auto Center unidos en Donación de Sangre
Stockton - Delta Blood Bank y
Univisión 19 lo invitan a participar
en el evento anual “Día de Donar
Sangre.” El evento se realizará el día
15 de agosto e inicia a las 6:00 a.m.
en Three Amigos Auto Center, con
domicilio en el 301 Mitchell Rd.
Modesto, de las 6:00 a.m. a las 7:00
p.m. Los centros de donación de
Delta Blood Bank estarán abiertos
en sus horarios normales.
El año pasado en Three Amigos
Auto Center se registró a 284 personas de las cuales 227 pudieron
donar sangre. Delta Blood Bank registró 632 donadores en sus centros
localizados en el Valle Central. Sin
embargo la campaña de este año
necesita de su apoyo para que sea un
éxito. Su donación puede salvarle la
vida hasta tres personas. Sea parte de
este evento especial y únase a
nosotros para salvar vidas.
Los primero 200 donadores que
se registrarse en Three Amigos Auto
Center recibirán GRATIS una
camiseta del “Día de Donar
Sangre.” Adicionalmente y cortesía
de Delta Blood Bank los donadores
se podrán inscribir para participar en
la rifa de un vale de gasolina con
valor de $80.00 dólares y en la rifa
semanal de tres vales con valor cada
uno de $400.00 dólares también para
la compra de gasolina.
Para participar en este evento y
salvar vidas puede acudir a Three
Amigos Auto Center en el 301
Mitchell Rd. Modesto de las 6:00
a.m. hasta las 7:00 p.m., en
Stockton 2888 W March Ln. de
9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., en Modesto
1900 W Orangeburg Ave., 9:00
a.m. – 4:00 p.m. en Ceres 2517
Mitchell Rd. 12:30 p.m. – 7:30
p.m., y finalmente en Tracy N.
Tracy Blvd., 2:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Los esperamos!
August 2008
Medicines
out health insurance. Blacks have
the second highest percentage at
21 percent, or 7.6 million people,
while 16 percent of Asians lack
health coverage. Of non-Hispanic
whites, 11 percent (21.2 million
people) are uninsured.
“We’re really trying to reach
out to the whole population of uninsured,” Cosme said. “Especially the
Latino population because they
have the highest need.”
In the past five years, more
than five million patients have
received free or discounted drugs
through Pfizers’s programs, he
said, adding that 95 percent of the
medicines provided were for free.
“We know these programs are
not a complete solution to the problem, but at least these medicines are
being provided,” said Cosme.
The amount the drugs are discounted depends on how the participants compare to the federal poverty level, which is $10,400 for a single person and $21,200 for a family
of four, Cosme said. But regardless
of income, anyone living in the U.S.
is eligible as long as they lack prescription drug coverage.
For more information on
Pfizer’s free and discounted medication programs, call 1-866-7763700 or go online at www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com.
Pfizer
Los afroamericanos es el segundo
grupo con un 21 por ciento ó 7.6 millones de personas. Entre los asiáticos
el 16 por ciento tampoco cuentan con
seguro médico. En la población blanca
un 11 por ciento alrededor 21.2 millones carecen de seguro médico.
“Estamos tratando de llegar a
toda la población que no tiene
seguro médico,” dice Cosme.
Especialmente a la población Latina
porque ellos tiene las mayores
necesidades.” Durante los pasados
cinco años un poco más de cinco
millones de pacientes han recibido
medicinas en forma gratuita ó con
descuento por medio de los programas de Pfizer, comenta y añade que
un 95 por ciento de las medicinas
entregadas fueron sin ningún costo.
“Sabemos que estos programas
no son un solución completa al
problema, pero por lo menos las
medicinas entregadas así en algo
ayudan,” dice Cosme. El descuento
que se aplica a las medicinas
depende de cómo califique los participantes comparando su ingreso
contra el indicador del nivel federal
de pobreza que es de $10,400 para
una sola persona y $21,000 para una
familia de cuatro integrantes,
comenta de nuevo. Pero sin importar
el ingreso, cualquiera que viva en
los Estado Unidos, es elegible siempre y cuando no tenga cobertura
para la compra de medicinas.
Para mayor información sobre el
programa Pfizer de descuentos en
medicinas llame al 1-866-776-3700
o visite el website www.pfizerhelpfulanswers.com
August 2008
www.latinotimes.org
23

Latino Times 8-08 24pg

Transcription

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