Maryland

A White Marsh Japanese restaurant and sushi bar will pay $80,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit claiming Hispanic women were harassed there.

Kobe Steak House agreed to pay the women after the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit accusing workers of making unwelcome sexual advances toward several women, the federal agency said Tuesday.”*

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins is disputing a report released Tuesday that places an annual price tag of $3.2 million on a program that allows his deputies to check the immigration status of everyone arrested in Frederick County.

‘‘Much of it is not factual information,” said Jenkins (R) on Wednesday. ‘‘The costs are absolutely not true. … I absolutely dispute it.”

Jenkins stands by his claim that his department’s participation in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement program will cost county taxpayers nothing extra. ‘‘There are no significant costs,” he said.”*

David was brought to tears while speaking at CASA de Maryland’s press conference to unveil a report about a Frederick County program to detain and deport unauthorized immigrants. She said she has been unable to retrieve information about her partner’s case.

The negative effects from this program are not only physical, but psychological, David said.

“The fear is immense,” she said.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office program will cost millions and increase racial profiling without reducing crime, according to the report presented Tuesday by the immigration activists group.”*

In just over a decade, Frederick County has been transformed from a bucolic, timeless community of dairy farms and strawberry festivals to a fast-paced mosaic of high-tech firms and housing developments, Pilates classes and exotic eateries, mega-stores and McDonald’s.

The changes have also brought thousands of Hispanics, some legal immigrants and others not, who have migrated up Interstate 270 to meet the demand for construction and service jobs. Until now, the county has handled the influx with outreach classes in schools and community policing programs. Chic Hispanic restaurants flourish in downtown Frederick, and working-class Latinos have remained relatively invisible.”*

Maryland’s Hispanic population rose 5 percent from 2006 to 2007, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday, prompting state and city agencies to rethink outreach programs to help a growing immigrant population.

The Maryland Insurance Administration started a campaign to get accurate consumer insurance information to Spanish-speaking populations, and Baltimore’s Health Department is focusing on getting more Latinos in for health care.”*

The Frederick County government has proclaimed English its official language in a resolution so watered down that its original sponsor voted against it.

The document proclaims English the official, primary and common language of Frederick County government.

But the Board of County Commissioners deleted language proposed by Republican Commissioner Charles Jenkins that would have barred the translation of government documents into other languages.”*

About 200 state legislators, officials, activists and educators gathered Saturday at the University of Maryland, College Park, to address educational disparities among Latinos in Maryland during the first Maryland Latina⁄o Education Policy Summit.”*

Undergraduates at the University of Maryland at College Park can now graduate with a minor in U.S. Latino studies after school officials yesterday approved the first such minor at a major university in the Washington region.

Students and faculty members, some of whom have been promoting U.S. Latino studies at Maryland’s flagship public university for a decade, said they were delighted by the move but said more needs to be done to meet the needs of historically underserved Latino students.”*

*From: http://www.washingtonpost.com
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The future rolled into Our Lady of Pompei Church a few weeks ago. Her name was Yoselin Garcia, and she sat quietly in her stroller, a bit player in the vast demographic shift reshaping the Roman Catholic Church in America.

The Garcias - mom, dad and three little girls - had stopped in at the Highlandtown church to drop off a baptism form for the youngest, 1-year-old Yoselin. The Rev. Luigi Cremis, wearing a smile so wide he squinted, cooed at the dark-haired girl and chatted with her sisters, Yasmin, 2, and Estefania, 6.”*

*From: http://www.baltimoresun.com
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A man who told police he was ‘‘targeting Hispanics” in a burglary at a Gaithersburg apartment last month has been arrested in the February beating death of a 42-year-old Latino that occurred outside the same complex.”*

*From: http://www.gazette.net
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Walter Abbott lost his house, his drywall company – twice – and now his freedom.

When he discovered Maryland funds pro-immigration group CASA de Maryland, he fired off an angry letter to Gov. Martin O’Malley containing a threat on the governor’s life.

“It was out of frustration,” Abbott said.

Now is he on home detention awaiting a trial. “[CASA] helps find them a job – an American’s job that they help take away. They took away my job,” said Abbott, 44, of Parkville.”*

*From: http://www.examiner.com
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Senior Colleen Esper has all the credits she needs to graduate at the end of this semester with a major in sociology and a minor in U.S. Latina/o studies.

But she may not receive her minor if the university doesn’t pass the proposal to officially add it in the next few weeks.

“I’ve put in the work,” Esper said. “It’s not like I’m asking for a freebie. I earned my minor.”"*

*From: http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com
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Yesterday at the office of Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey in Upper Marlboro, Carlos Acosta was sworn in as the county’s first Latino deputy state’s attorney.

“I’m truly humbled to he here again,” Acosta said as state members flooded the room approvingly. They took pictures and said approving words as he took the oath of office and signed his name to the certificate of office. Ivey, who stood watching the scene approvingly, said he hired Acosta for more than just history.”*

*From: http://www.thesentinel.com
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Rafael “Tony” Vasquez’ duties with the Annapolis Police Department include attending local soccer and fishing camps, hosting anti-gang youth meetings for teens and speaking before Neighborhood Watch and other community forums.

He’s one of two Hispanic liaisons with the department, charged with reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community and improving their relationships with the police.

Vasquez and partner Gus Caballero man a police substation, helping about 15 to 30 people a week. Many of their “customers” don’t speak English. They may be seeking help navigating police and legal systems, or mediating private disputes, or translation services.”*

*From: http://www.wtopnews.com
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Some lawmakers want to withhold state aid from local governments with sanctuary policies that prohibit employees and police officers from asking someone’s immigration status.

Delegate Warren Miller, R-Howard County, introduced a bill to ban sanctuary policies and require “local governments to fully comply with and support federal immigration law.” Non-compliance could result in loss of some state aid for policing.”*

*From: http://www.delmarvanow.com
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Ober|Kaler attorney Sylvia Ontaneda-Bernales has been named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. The honor, bestowed by Maryland’s business and legal daily newspaper, The Daily Record, recognizes those women who demonstrate a high level of achievement through professional accomplishment, community service, leadership and mentoring. Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales will join the other Top 100 honorees at a special ceremony to be held at Baltimore’s Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on May 12.

An attorney in Ober|Kaler’s Litigation Group, Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales is dedicated to the legal profession and to public service. She is active in numerous professional and community groups, including the American, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, District of Columbia, and Maryland bar associations, as well as the Maryland Hispanic Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, the Maryland Women’s Bar Association, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She serves on the MSBA Immigration Committee, the Maryland Immigrant Rights Coalition Steering Committee, and the Baltimore City Bar’s Pro Bono Legal Services Committee, among others. Ms. Ontaneda-Bernales mentors law students in the MHBA program and high school students in the Mentoring to Empower Program sponsored by Community Law in Action. She also serves as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Volunteer and Spanish language interpreter for the Maryland State Judiciary, and as a Casa de Maryland board member. Governor O’Malley appointed her to the Maryland Health Care Commission in October 2007.”*

*From: http://lawfuel.com/
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Gov. Martin O’Malley cited the state’s growing Latino population for his recent reorganization and expansion of the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

“The competitive future of our state depends on our ability to build on our greatest strengths, the skills, talents and the diversity of our people,” he said. “As the Hispanic community grows, it is important that the members of the Commission on Hispanic Affairs have an understanding of community needs and how to connect them to services and progressive programs that provide opportunities.””*

*From: http://www.communitytimes.com
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David Baker, the county police department’s hate crimes coordinator, said immigrants, particularly illegal immigrants, are ideal for criminals.

‘‘There’s no better target to hit,” he said. ‘‘There’s cash in their pocket, they’re out at all hours of the night, they’re oftentimes alone, sometimes they’ve been drinking and they [attackers] know they’re not going to call the police.”

He added, ‘‘I guarantee you that in certain parts of the county, unreported robberies are out of control.””*

*From: http://www.gazette.net
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Some senators want to stop issuing Maryland drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants and make you prove you’re a U.S. citizen to get a license. Others want the state to stop spending money on the federally imposed Real ID license — which would also make all Maryland drivers prove their citizenship.

The debate on drivers’ licenses is one of the flash points in the heated debate over immigration in this session. Hundreds of mainly Hispanic demonstrators came to the State House Monday night to protest proposals to curtail licenses and benefits for illegals.”*

*From: http://www.examiner.com
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For the latest Q&A, I chatted with Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez, a sophomore from Caracas, Venezuela, who’s averaging 17.5 points and 6.7 assists per game. The Terps are currently 17-11 (7-6 in the ACC) and on the NCAA tournament bubble. “*

*From: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com
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Chanting “Yes, we can!” in English, Spanish and French, a crowd of mostly Hispanic men and women gathered near Maryland’s State House last night in hopes of stemming what they say is a growing backlash in the legislature over illegal immigration.

Participants in the rally, held on the eve of another round of General Assembly hearings on immigration bills, lighted several hundred candles and cheered local legislators and advocates, and national civil rights leaders. Most of the measures seek to curb or cut off benefits to those who cannot prove they are in the United States legally.”*

*From: http://www.baltimoresun.com
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On Valentine’s Day, Marina Aparicio of Montgomery Village celebrated her 15th birthday in part by heading to a two-story house in Gaithersburg where she received small gifts and birthday wishes from friends she met at Identity Inc.”

She spends most of her days after school with other Latino youth at the Olde Towne nonprofit.

‘‘My birthday is really hard because … I remember my time in El Salvador,” she said. ‘‘All my birthdays, I had my grandmother, she took us out, we ate outside — it was really nice being with her, all the love that she gave us.”*

*From: http://www.gazette.net
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Mr. Vasquez is one of two Hispanic liaisons for the department, charged with reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community and improving relations with police. He attends soccer and fishing camps, hosts anti-gang youth meetings for teens, and speaks at Neighborhood Watch and other community groups.

“Anything in the city that involves Hispanic people, I am involved,” he said.

But that’s only one facet of his job.”*

*From: http://www.hometownannapolis.com
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The Annapolis city council is set to tackle the issue of requiring some workers to speak English.

Alderman Samuel E. Shropshire planned to introduce legislation last night that would require at least one member of any utility crew working underground to speak English. He called the bill “an important public safety measure.”"*

*From: http://www.baltimoresun.com
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Illinois Sen Barack Obama (D) made an unexpected stop this afternoon in Silver Spring, at Mayorga Coffee Roasters, a Latino-owned shop. The event had not been announced publicly and was intended to be a chance for an intimate meeting between the presidential candidate and local Latino business owners and elected officials.

When he arrived, he was surrounded by such a crush of cameras and reporters that few got a chance for long talks. Still, Obama walked around the store, greeting supporters and asking children for their names. Eight-year old Elizabeth Cove and her brother Jack, 12, got a chance to talk to the candidate, then ran back to their mother literally hugging and squealing with delight. “It was the best experience!” Elizabeth Cove said.”*

*From: http://blog.washingtonpost.com
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