News (Noticias) for Arkansas

“Bee Movie “will be shown in Spanish at the Blackhawk Theatre here on Saturday.

“Several people have asked me about showing a movie in Spanish,” said Jeff Cato, owner of the theater. “I hire quite a bit of Hispanic labor and they always ask.”

Cato said he hires people both in his construction jobs and to work at the theater.”*

The investigation of a deadly passenger bus crash along a rain-soaked highway in eastern Arkansas was hindered by a language barrier between state police and the victims, who were primarily Latino, authorities said Monday.

Three people died in the late-night crash — a Mexican citizen and a naturalized U.S. citizen from Mexico who were bus passengers, and the driver of a pickup the bus collided with.

At least 19 others were hospitalized, including three children. Several were in serious or critical condition.”*

Nearly half of the babies delivered by Hispanic mothers in Benton County last year were born out of wedlock.

That was double the rate for white, non-Hispanic mothers in the county.

The statistics mirror national trends that have the attention of advocates of all persuasions.”*

The growing Mexican population in Arkansas and neighboring mid-south states created a demand for passports and identity cards beyond what even the Mexican government prepared for.

In its first six months, the Mexican consulate based in Little Rock has seen the number of citizens it serves a day rise from 50 to 120, said consul Andres Chao. Now, Chao said the consulate plans to hire three or more new staffers in the coming year, anticipating demand will only grow.

The demand is there for the office to process more papers, but the office doesn’t have the workers, Chao told reporters after giving a speech at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “If we add another eight (workers), we could attend daily probably 300 people yet to come.”"*

Members of Arkansas’ hispanic community gathered at the state fairgrounds Saturday for the 14th Annual Encuentro Hispano, or hispanic encounter.

It was put on by the Catholic Diocese, and included cultural and religious events, along with free health screenings. Jade Salazar endured a flu shot at the Encuentro Hispano Health Fair Saturday. Her mom said it’s one less thing for her to talk about.”*

As floods swept through Mexico this week, the telephones at Red Cross chapters in Arkansas remained silent even as Spanish television channels remained fixed on the disaster.

Arkansas has one of the fastest-growing Hispanic populations in the nation, with the majority of immigrants filling poultry plant jobs and construction trades coming from Mexico. But that population moving to northwest Arkansas so far hasn’t reached out when disasters strike family members still living in the country.

“It’s going to take a while,” said Susan Duel-Mitchell, a spokeswoman for Red Cross’ northwest Arkansas chapter. “They have not built a relationship with us because until up to recently, they could not speak to us in their native tongue.”*

The Clinton Presidential Library is building a bridge to its Spanish-speaking visitors.

The library, designed to resemble a bridge and one of former President Bill Clinton’s favorite metaphors, now offers a Spanish-language option on touch-screen displays that dot three of its main exhibits. The displays, unique among America’s 12 presidential libraries, allow for changes and variations to how visitors experience the library, as opposed to the wall placards and labels common to museums.

“The goal was to make this library accessible to all,” library spokesman Jordan Johnson said. “This is just another step in that direction.”"*

THIS week executives from some of Arkansas’s principal companies—Tyson Foods, the world’s largest meat processor, Alltel, a wireless company, and Stephens, one of the biggest investment firms outside Wall Street—joined ministers, civic leaders and the local American Civil Liberties Union to form the Arkansas Friendship Coalition. The group, led by Steve Copley, a Methodist minister, stresses that states should abide by federal immigration laws rather than try to make their own.

This sudden respect for the wisdom of Washington has been prompted by anti-immigration laws passed in Arkansas’s neighbours, Oklahoma and Missouri. Oklahoma’s Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act, which went into effect on November 1st after a lawsuit failed to stop it, will be one of the most stringent in the country. It imposes tighter screening on employers, essentially barring undocumented workers from getting jobs. Illegal immigrants will also find it harder to get benefits.”*

Police in Arkansas haven’t been tracking the immigration status of suspected criminals as much as police in neighboring states do.

Figures obtained from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement reveal that Arkansas law enforcement officials are much less likely to check whether a suspect is in the state legally, according to an analysis by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

“*

Gov. Mike Beebe says the Hispanic community has a “disconnect” when it comes to the subject of illegal immigration.

Beebe told an audience at the University of Central Arkansas that while he doesn’t want to paint Hispanics with a wide brush, but “one of the things that the Hispanic community has, in effect, a disconnect with, with the non-Hispanic community, is the whole issue of ‘ illegal. ’” “*

“The Hispanic community has a “disconnect” with non-Hispanics on the issue of illegal immigration, Gov. Mike Beebe told a group of University of Central Arkansas students Wednesday.

Beebe was fielding students’ questions in a public forum on the UCA campus when a student mentioned legislation in Congress that would put children of illegal immigrants on a path toward citizenship, as long as they came to the U.S. with their families before turning 16 and they plan to attend college or join the military.

The measure failed a test vote in Wednesday in the U.S. Senate. “*

““Wake Up! Take Control!” Is the theme for the inaugural Latino AIDS Awareness Day in Arkansas.

More than 100 people took part in entertainment, free food and free H-I-V testing at Southwest Community Center to kick off the event. “*

“A new educator at UALR is the first Hispanic professor in to work in her department.

(Anarella Cellitti, UALR Dept. of Education) “I always go where there is a big concentration of Latino students. That’s my goal.”

And that’s part of why Anarella Cellitti is now an Associate Professor of Early Childhood at UALR.”

“By way of Mexico, El Salvador, Missouri and Minnesota, an author spoke Wednesday evening about the importance of sharing and looking for stories.

Sandra Benitez, author of “A Place Where the Sea Remembers” and “Night of the Radishes,” was the fourth distinguished Latin American author to come to the UA, a tradition that has become a staple of the Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations.

“I am so impressed with your campus,” Benitez said to the audience of about 300 people at the Union Theatre. “I am so impressed with your population, your international student population,” she added, citing the more than 100 countries represented at the UA.”

“Illegal immigration is no problem for me. My taxes haven’t been raised to provide medical care to undocumented people. My only tax change lately is that the state cut my grocery tax in half.

Speaking of that, I buy a lot of chicken. If undocumented immigrants are among those processing and packaging this product - and I’m not saying they are - I sure do appreciate it.

I like chicken, and it’s good for you if you cook it right. My kinfolks in Southwest Arkansas who worked in what they called “the chicken plant” always told me it wasn’t the best work.”

“As Arkansas’ new kicker, Alex Tejada’s job is to make solid contact with the ball.

As a Hispanic playing a high-profile position, he’s helping the Razorbacks make contact with the state’s growing Latino population.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Tejada joined a team desperate for consistent kicking after the 2006 season, when the Razorbacks made only six field goals all season. After two games, Tejada is already 5-for-5. “

“Governor Mike Beebe has directed his office to take action. Beebe says he is committed to improving education and better serving the community. That includes hiring more Hispanic teachers as the Hispanic student population grows.”

“A legislative committee is to hear testimony Tuesday on some of the cost illegal immigrants generate in Arkansas.

Information provided to legislators says illegal immigrants represent a small percentage of the number of those served by Arkansas’ programs in health and human services. Other agencies say they could not estimate immigrations costs. “

“About 250 people turned out to receive matricula consular cards during the first visit to the region by the Mexican consulate in Little Rock.”

“Twin City Bank only realized they had a language gap when the Mexican consulate in Little Rock opened in April.

Their ATM machines didn’t offer services in Spanish and their brochures hadn’t been translated. Perhaps worst, the company hadn’t made any effort to reach Hispanic customers in Arkansas, a state with one of the fastest growing Spanish-speaking communities in the nation.

“We do want to serve all of our community,” said Donna Hardcastle, the bank chain’s senior vice president of retail. “We need to recognize this group and they need a little different attention than some of our other markets.”"

“The Mexican consul general in Arkansas said Monday the city of Rogers is “closing the door” on any talks about the training of police officers for immigration enforcement.

Andres Chao told reporters after his speech to the Arkansas Committee on Foreign Relations that he has tried more than once to meet with the Northwest Arkansas city’s mayor about the training, which began last week in Boston, but that he has not been able to reach him.

Chao said his latest request was to meet with Mayor Steve Womack on Sept. 7 or 8 when Chao will have a “mobile consulate” in Northwest Arkansas. Chao said he has received no response from Rogers officials. “

“Today’s THV and ¡Hola Arkansas are celebrating four years of providing the local and national news in Spanish on SAP Secondary Audio Channel to audiences in Arkansas.

“Today’s THV has been broadcasting the “THV 10:00 Difference” in Spanish since 2003. We added the Spanish translation to the “CBS Evening News” with Katie Couric and “Todays THV at 6:00″ with Anne Jansen, Liz Massey, Dawn Scott, Ed Buckner and Craig ONeill beginning on Sept. 5, 2006,” said Today’s THV General Manager Larry Audas.”

“Being the victim of a violent crime is horrific enough, but imagine feeling as if you couldn’t call the police to report the crime.

It happens often in the Hispanic community–but there’s a Little Rock group that is trying to help, letting Spanish-speaking victims of violent crime know that there is a safe place for them.”

“A woman billing herself as a “notario” to the Hispanic community is the target of a suit by the Arkansas attorney generals office that accuses her of practicing law without a license.

The suit was filed in Washington County Circuit Court against Victoria Nimroozi and her business, Latin Community Services. The suit says Nimroozi, using the name Vicky Carreon, purports to offer immigration assistance, visas, tax assistance, identifications, photos and power-of-attorney letters for a fee.”

“False identities provided by Hispanic immigrants in northwest Arkansas are snarling police and courts in the region, leaving warrants unserved and cases unprosecuted, the areas congressman said Wednesday.

“Theres chaos involved,” Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., told The Associated Press in an interview. “And along with that, the public is feeling they are paying for all of this.”

Boozman, the sole Republican in the states congressional delegation, said immigration reform would come only after Congress and President Bush listen to what he described as overwhelming public concern on the issue. Boozman said that he and others would view any plans to offer citizenship through fines as an amnesty that would overwhelm the nation.”