California

This year marks 40 years that El Concilio (Counsel for the Spanish Speaking) has helped tens of thousands of people every year with programs such as its legal services.

As more Latinos call San Joaquin County home, there is an increasing need for such services. More than 35 percent of the county population is Latino, and that number is expected to reach nearly 50 percent by 2050, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and California Department of Finance.

The nonprofit group, started in 1968 by the human services Cursillo movement group from Catholic Charities, has more than a dozen programs, many of them intended for Latinos. They include child care centers for the children of migrant workers, free and low-cost health insurance enrollment, mental health services, English classes and immigration services.”*

Sixty-one illegal immigrants, including three toddlers, were discovered at a house in South Los Angeles early Wednesday by federal immigration agents serving a search warrant as part of an investigation into a human smuggling ring, authorities said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the single-family, two-story home in the 10000 block of South Normandie Avenue about 6:30 a.m. and found the Central and South American immigrants crowded into the house, with trash and rotting food piled 2 to 3 feet high in each room, agency spokeswoman Virginia Kice said. The immigrants told agents that they had been staying there since Friday.”*

Members of the only Latino women’s Republican group in the area gathered Wednesday for a lesson on media coverage and political spin, as they push for Republican candidate support this election year.

On the group’s agenda is promoting Republicans for office, including Sen. John McCain of Arizona for president and Stockton City Council District 4 candidate Diana Lowery.

“We need to know how to answer media questions the best way we know how,” said Carol Trujillo-Hadley, founder of Latinas United Republican Women Federated.”*

A growing number of Latino consumers in San Diego County own computers and connect to the Internet, and the majority absorb media and advertising in a half-and-half mix of English and Spanish, according to a survey of Latinos in 18 ZIP codes in the county.

However, home ownership in the region’s still-costly real estate market remained out of reach for many respondents.

The San Diego “Ask Hispanics” survey was conducted this spring by Meneses Research & Associates, a San Diego-based firm that does market research in cities with large Latino populations. The firm conducted similar studies in San Diego in 2006 and 2004.”*

Miguel Tejada returned to where he began his career, ready to face many of his former fans with a clear conscience.

Last month, Houston’s star shortstop told the Astros he’s actually 33, two years older than what the Oakland Athletics and everybody else thought when he signed with the organization in 1993 to escape the poverty he grew up in back home in his native Dominican Republic.

Tejada, the 2002 AL MVP, will turn 34 on May 25.”*

After waiting 10 years to be called up from the minors, Luis Maza was understandably eager to put on a big league uniform for the first time. Which is why he showed up early at Milwaukee’s Miller Park on Monday.

Problem was, the Dodgers weren’t scheduled to play there until Tuesday.

“A guy met me at the door and said, ‘No, today St. Louis is playing. Tomorrow your team plays,’ ” Maza said.

So a stadium attendant put him back in a taxi and sent him off to the Dodgers team hotel. But give Maza points for enthusiasm.”*

Nearly 14 years ago, when Hartnell College was in the process of selecting a new president-superintendent, Latino leaders in Salinas raised their voices and asked that a Latino candidate be chosen.

Now, as the process to select a new leader for the community college is coming to an end, several of those same leaders are raising their voices again. This time they assert the process has been tainted and is favoring Phoebe Helm, the interim superintendent and the only non-Latina among the three finalists.

Santos Martinez Jr., vice president of student services at Coastal Bend College in Texas, was interviewed Monday, and Cecilia Cervantes, president of the College of Alameda, was interviewed Tuesday. Helm is scheduled for today.”*

Educators and business professionals hope to use their own stories of struggle and success to motivate male Latino students at Rialto Unified School District’s inaugural Latino Male Youth Summit.

The Saturday event, to be held at Wilmer Amina Carter High School, will include workshops and panel discussions on navigating high school and preparing for college.

Speakers will include Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto; state Deputy Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Anthony Monreal; and San Bernardino City Unified School District Superintendent Arturo Delgado. The keynote speaker will be Manny Medrano, journalist and legal correspondent for ABC News.”*

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass has selected Alberto Torrico (D-Newark) to serve as Assembly Majority Floor Leader.

Torrico, the son of immigrants from Bolivia, is in his second term. He represents the 20th Assembly District, which includes parts of Alameda and Santa Clara counties. He previously served as chair of the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. “*

What Hunter and his employees are hearing from the Latino community is painfully obvious, but not easily deliverable under the MLS structure. He speaks of getting a player who will help “move the needle.”

“They want players from Mexico that are young, that are exciting on the field,” Hunter said. “If I could wave a magic wand, they’d say, ‘Well, next month bring us (Omar) Bravo, (Ramon) Morales, (Oswaldo) Sanchez.’ And then you’re a smart guy. As you know in MLS, you just can’t make moves like that.”*

“Members of America’s premier Latino theatre troupe star in a funny, tough-minded and penetrating look at Southern California power politics. The twin brothers — Water, a rising star State Senator, and Power, a cop who breaks all the rules — are caught in a life-or-death scandal that threatens to destroy their lives and dreams. A gripping and explosive piece of California noir fiction.”"*

The community solidarity that followed the killing of high school football star Jamiel Shaw Jr. did not last.

A prosecutor has been pulled from the case after clashing with Shaw’s parents, who are demanding hate-crime charges against the suspect, believed to belong to a violent Hispanic gang. And the family is fighting suggestions that an affinity for a rival gang was what led to Shaw’s slaying March 2.

At the heart of the friction is the polarizing issue of race in a city known for its diversity of cultures. Shaw, 17, was black; prosecutors say the man charged with killing him, Pedro Espinoza, is in the country illegally.”*

Mills College will present its 120th Commencement on Saturday, May 17, 2008 with an address given by award-winning actress Rita Moreno. During the ceremony, honorary doctorates will be conferred upon Moreno, Renel Brooks-Moon, a Mills alumna (Class of 1981) who is the public address announcer for the San Francisco Giants, and Glenn Voyles, a Mills Trustee and investment management expert.

Mills’ graduating class includes 245 undergraduate women and 220 graduate women and men, as well as students receiving certificates and credentials in a variety of fields. The College’s 120th graduation begins at 9:45 am on the campus’ Toyon Meadow.

Rita Moreno is an extraordinary actress with more than six decades of achievement including appearances in nearly 50 films. Born Rosita Dolores Alverío in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Moreno began her acting career with a Broadway debut in Skydrift at the age of 13. She has crossed racial barriers ever since as a singer, dancer, and actress.

She is renowned for her performance as Anita in the film version of West Side Story, for which she won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 1961. Moreno was the first actress and the first Hispanic to win an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy.

Renel Brooks-Moon is a pioneering sports announcer and media personality who has broken through formidable gender and racial barriers throughout her multifaceted career.

The only female public address announcer in major league baseball, the exuberant Brooks-Moon is known as “the voice of the San Francisco Giants” at AT&T Park. This year marks her ninth season with the Giants. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown recognized Brooks-Moon as the first female announcer of a championship game in professional sports for her role in the 2002 World Series.

Completing more than two decades as a Bay Area radio personality, she is the host of the “Renel in the Morning Show” on KISS FM 98.1. Brooks-Moon has also been an entertainment reporter for CBS TV 5 since 1998.

Glenn Voyles is an expert in investment markets with more than four decades of experience in his field. During his career, he provided three investment management firms with executive leadership: Loomis, Sayles & Company (vice president, 2003-07), Jurika & Voyles (chair, 1981-2003), and Scudder, Stevens & Clark (vice president, 1965-1981).

Voyles has been a vital member of the Mills College community since 1996, serving as a Trustee, mentor, advisor, fundraiser, and donor. A four-term member of the Mills College Board of Trustees, he is instrumental in stewarding Mills resources to ensure the College’s vibrant future.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 900 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The College ranks as one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report and one of the Best 366 Colleges by the Princeton Review. For more information, visit http://www.mills.edu/.”*

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, the gardener’s son who rose from a San Diego barrio to one of California’s most powerful posts, leaves office Tuesday having arguably fulfilled a vow he made when he was sworn in four years ago: to renew his chamber’s prestige as “the house of ideas.”

But by many accounts, the Los Angeles Democrat and former labor leader failed to keep another pledge: to restore citizens’ faith in government.”*

You could write an anthology of sad stories about iconic bookstores across Southern California. Problem is, they’d all have similar plots: Individuals who struggle to nurture a vision of what bookstores can mean, not just to readers but to communities. Debts that grow instead of sales. Landlords with ambitious new plans.

Over the last few months, three extraordinary shops have either closed or are in dire danger. Less than a year ago, this page was celebrating the survival of Dutton’s Brentwood Books after the property owner reconsidered his plans for new development. Crippled by debt, the store closed anyway in April.”*

Time Warner Cable is adding eight new Spanish language and Latino focused channels.

The channels are accessible for customers who purchase the “Espanol Tier 1” (formerly “Nuestra Tele”).

They cost $5, plus the cost of a digital converter.

“We’re excited to be able to bring these new channels to our Spanish speaking customers,” Time Warner local vice president and general manager Tad Yo said in a statement.”*

The California Fire Foundation and California Professional Firefighters have joined forces to launch a statewide Spanish-language campaign aimed at educating Latino families in California on the importance of having and practicing a fire escape plan.

The focus of the campaign is for everyone to have an escape plan and to realize that fires can happen to anyone, said Sacramento Fire Capt. Jim Doucette. No one is immune to fires, and everyone should be prepared, he said.”*

An innovative exhibition that traces the genesis and evolution of Chicano and Latino music over the past 70 years is currently on view at the University of California, Santa Barbara and is accessible via telephone. “Sounds Latino!” continues through June 30 and highlights renowned singers and groups whose papers and other collections are represented in the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives ( CEMA ) located in UCSB’s Davidson Library.

The bolero, mambo, corrido, swing, boogie, Tex-Mex, and even punk rock are woven into the fabric of Latino cultural heritage, and the multidisciplinary exhibition engages visitors through the visual and theater arts as well as recorded music.

“We bring to life some of the music that many people may not have known was part of the historical chronology of Latino music over the last seven decades,” said Salvador Güereña, director of CEMA. “It’s important for younger people to know the impact it had on music across the spectrum.”

Vintage recordings were brought back to life for the exhibition –– which also includes interpretive texts, photos, artifacts, and historical documents –– and Güereña included the telephone component because he wanted “Sounds Latino!” to appeal to young people and engage them through the music. Over 40 music selections can be accessed by telephone, including pieces by Lalo Guerrero, whose archives are housed at UCSB; Tito Puente; Perez Prado; Adelina García; Ritchie Valens; Don Tosti; and the Chicano punk rock group The Brat.

“Not everyone has an iPod or an iPhone, but pretty much everyone has a cell phone,” he said. “Also, Latino music lovers aren’t limited by the four walls of the exhibition room. They can pick up a phone anywhere and at any time call in for a bolero or mambo or boogie and listen to their heart’s content.”

More information about the exhibition, including directions for accessing the recordings, is available at http://cemaweb.library.ucsb.edu/cema_exh_present.html”*

COOL - Use your cell phone and enter phone number (805) 357-4694, wait for prompt, and then enter selection number followed by the pound sign. These are mainly vintage recordings transferred from original disks, including hisses and pops. Go to this page to see what you can listen to.

Nurturing the desire for college and keeping it on track is the purpose of Comienza con un Sueño ( It Begins with a Dream ), a major college outreach event taking place this month at UCSD. Aimed at Latino and Mexican American students, parents and families, this free event will be held Saturday, May 31 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in various stages on Library Walk, Center Hall and Geisel Library terrace.

More than 700 attendees from San Diego and Imperial counties are expected.

In a cultural atmosphere replete with keynote addresses and presentations by Latino role models, the event will center on empowering 6th through 12th grade students and their parents with key information on academic preparation, how to succeed in college and how to prepare for the hot careers of today, say Comienza’s organizers.

“Like other major ethnic minority groups, the college-going rate of Latinos and Mexican Americans remains significantly low,” says Rafael Hernandez, director of UCSD’s Early Academic Outreach Program ( EAOP ) who is spearheading the coordination of the event with Carri Fierro, director of UCSD’s TRIO Outreach Programs under Student Educational Advancement. “Many students at the event will be the first in their family to attend college upon high school graduation,” Hernandez continues, “so it is important that students learn early what it takes to develop good study skills, excel and graduate once admitted to college.”

Adds Fierro: “Another goal of Comienza is to let students know about life beyond college graduation – such as tips on succeeding in their careers, pursuing an advanced degree, and how students can return to the community from which they came to serve as role models to others.” This is the first of what will be an annual event, Hernandez and
Fierro say.

Comienza—a collaboration between UCSD and a host of community partners—will also feature interactive sessions specifically for parents, including bilingual workshops on finding money for college, help with the college application process, and how parents can be strong advocates for their children’s education. Latino and Mexican American art, dancing and music will add a genuine flair to the day.

“We want this event to be a special one both educationally and culturally,” says Fierro. “It’s a golden opportunity for us to showcase the many hallmarks of UCSD, including its academic opportunities, and to let students know we want them to succeed here.”

Comienza is a joint partnership between UC San Diego’s Office of the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence ( CREATE ), Chicano/Latino/Arts & Humanities Minor, TRIO Outreach Programs, Early Academic Outreach Program ( EAOP ),Office of Academic Support & Instructional Services ( OASIS ), Academic Enrichment Programs ( AEP ), Student Educational Advancement ( SEA ), SHAPES, Cross-Cultural Center, and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers; and community partners, including the Price Charities; the Parent Institute for Educational Equity; Fidelity/ScholarShare; the Lemon Grove School District; and the San Diego County Office of Education.

The event evolved from the success of other major UCSD-sponsored outreach events to underrepresented populations. These include the Dare to Dream College event ( held for the first time last November for the African American community ), and I’m Going to College ( held for the American Indian reservation communities ). Both are annual events.

For more information on Comienza and to register, visit: http://sea.ucsd.edu/comienza”*

What do superstar actor Will Smith, Miami’s Latino scene, The San Francisco Bay Area, Mortgages, Real Estate, Salsa Dancing, and Healthy Latino Cooking have in common?

Armando Tam.

At 32, Armando “Mando” Tam, of Concord, California has achieved much in his young business life. Originally from Rivas, Nicaragua, the son of Chinese and Nicaraguan parents, Mando arrived in America at age 3.

A few years ago, after spending several years in retail management and a few more in telecom and insurance, Armando Tam started teaching Salsa dancing and began singing with a Latino band. His dancing skills landed him a job with Will Smith in the Welcome to Miami Summer hit video. His lyrical skills got him his own record deal. More recently, he competed in a reality TV cooking show with a healthy Latino cooking cuisine.

“*

Most Popular Female DJ in the San Francisco Bay Area Moves to Los Angeles’ Leading Mexican Regional Station KLAX 97.9 FM La Raza -

Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) (NASDAQ: SBSA) announced today that on May 12, “El Show de La Bronca,” hosted by Silvia Del Valle, the San Francisco Bay area’s most popular female DJ, will begin airing her show from KLAX 97.9 FM La Raza the leading Mexican regional format station in Los Angeles. The program, which will air Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, will also be simulcast on San Francisco’s KRZZ 93.3 FM La Raza and Miami’s WRAZ 106.3 FM La Raza.

Born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico, La Bronca has a unique energy that is known as “Throwing Tanga,” and characterized by her energetic, urban, Spanish twang, making her La Raza’s number one female personality.

Her arrival means that “Lupita Del Castillo” will now be on the air from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM on “La Raza 97.9.”

Do not miss “El Show De La Bronca,” every Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM on KLAX 97.9 FM La Raza - a Spanish Broadcasting System radio station in Los Angeles.”

Aimed at gaining more accountability on judicial appointments, a new state law requires gender and ethnic information to be provided by the governor, the State Bar of California’s Commission of Judicial Nominees Evaluation, or JNE Commission, and the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts. The JNE Commission investigates and evaluates judicial applicants.

Some Latino and black leaders say that a criminal justice system in which only white people are seen wearing robes or prosecuting minority defendants is perceived by many as being unfair and unjust.

The county needs more minority judges and commissioners, who are appointed by Superior Court judges and carry out most of the same duties as the judges, to reflect the diversity of the community, Arzu and Ramirez said.”*

If you have ever gone to a political debate or forum in the South Bay then you already know who Jose Preciado is. For years now Jose has been the preferred choice as moderator. For those of you who have yet to meet Jose, he is someone you will not soon forget. He is an imposing man who displays a nimble mind, a soft sense of humor, and a dedication to education.

Jose Preciado has always been the facilitator of the political debates but never the focus, that is, until now. Today Jose is running hard to be the next Hispanic representative on the County Board of Education, District 2 to replace current member Nick Aguilar who has decided to step down.”*

When members of an anti-illegal immigration group offered to sponsor litter cleanup on local roads, they never imagined California officials would offer them an Adopt-a-Highway stretch near a Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 5, the main artery carrying illegal migrants north from the U.S.-Mexico border.

On Friday, lawyers for the San Diego Minutemen told a federal judge that the state had no right to rescind the offer after state legislators complained to the California Department of Transportation. The group asked that its blue Adopt-a-Highway sign be put back where it stood without incident for about six weeks until the agency removed it in January.”*

A fight between rival groups of black and Latino students at Locke High School quickly escalated into a campus-wide melee Friday, with as many as 600 students brawling until police restored calm with billy clubs.

The troubled campus in South Los Angeles was locked down after the fight broke out at 12:55 p.m., as students returned from lunch to their fifth-period classes. Overwhelmed school officials called Los Angeles police for help, but students and faculty said it took about half an hour before dozens of officers, many in riot gear, restored order.”*