Missouri

Senators have approved legislation adding penalties and restrictions on illegal immigrants and employers.

Senators passed the bill 27-7 today, but it has a provision House leaders don’t like. It would allow employers who misclassify workers as “contractors” instead of “employees” to be fined up to $50,000.”*

Senators continued discussing a broad immigration bill after midnight Wednesday that includes a provision, which the measure’s sponsor says could kill the legislation.

But they stopped short of a vote because a slew of amendments tacked onto the bill added a price tag to the bill, which must be reviewed by a Senate committee before the immigration legislation can be voted on.”*

But the relationship between illegal immigration and crime is complicated. Studies released early this year and in 2007 suggest that immigration does not lead to increased crime, a view that appears to be supported by data and opinions of law enforcement officials in St. Charles County.

In St. Charles, police say about 2.4 percent of people arrested in 2006 were in the country illegally.

“In the 19 years I have been here, I guarantee our Hispanic population has increased, in the St. Louis area the Somalian and Bosnian populations have increased, and I would consider 2 percent not a significant contribution,” said St. Charles Police Public Information Officer Lt. Donovan Kenton.”*

In the suit, filed back in 2005, Armando Diaz of Diaz Construction Company and other members of the Hispanic contractors’ association claimed that, during the construction of its new world headquarters, H&R Block and its general contractor, J.E. Dunn, paid fees to minority-owned businesses that acted as fronts, or “pass-through” companies, sending the work back to white subcontractors (“A City that Works?” November 15, 2007). It was a tricky way for H&R Block and J.E. Dunn to appear as if they were meeting the city’s minority-hiring goals without actually giving work to minorities, the contractors claimed.

Jackson County Circuit Judge Charles Atwell dismissed the case in December, saying that the contractors lacked legal standing to file the suit. But his ruling did acknowledge that the contractors had “presented meaningful evidence … suggesting that certifications provided by J.E. Dunn were inaccurate, false, or misleading.”"*

St. Louis-area Hispanic students are invited to apply for scholarships from the Hispanic Educational, Cultural and Scholarship Fund to pursue higher education.

Each year, the nonprofit Hispanic ECS Fund awards at least three $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors who have been accepted to an institution of higher learning or to students already enrolled in such an institution. All applicants must be of Hispanic origin, legal U.S. residents and residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area

The deadline for submitting an application for a scholarship is June 30. Applications are available at www.HispanicECSFund.org

The Hispanic ECS Fund has awarded more than $10,000 in scholarships in the last few years

The mission of the Hispanic Educational, Cultural & Scholarship Fund is better economic and social conditions for the Hispanic community in metropolitan St. Louis through local and regional educational, cultural and scholarship programs.  It is a Missouri nonprofit corporation and a public benefit entity organized for charitable and educational purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.   The Hispanic ECS Fund was created by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis in 1998. Additional information is available at www.HispanicECSFund.org.

If it’s a question about Mexicans, columnist Gustavo Arellano has the answer.

On Thursday evening, students and community members gathered to hear Arellano speak about his humorous yet informative column, “¡Ask a Mexican!” The Orange County, Calif., alternative weekly OC Weekly, publishes the nationally syndicated weekly column.

“¡Ask a Mexican!” features Arellano’s answers to questions sent by readers involving one topic — Mexicans.”*

Zulima Lugo-Knapp spends a lot of time in her head.

She reads. She writes. And she writes some more, but the Venezuelan transplant isn’t a shut-in.

“I think most of the time you have to live your experiences,” said the founder of a new bilingual publication here in St. Joseph.”*

Missouri gubernatorial candidates are finding themselves in the middle of the immigration debate as they yield to calls for tighter immigration laws without alienating the 161,000 Hispanics in the state.

Gov. Matt Blunt laid the groundwork for this session’s flurry of more than 30 bills addressing illegal immigration with comments in his State of the State address as he supported English as the language of official proceedings and called for legislators to “turn the magnets off” that attract illegal immigrants.”*

n conjunction with the launching of the Royals’ Spanish language site, losroyals.com, we are presenting this story of third-base coach Luis Silverio who has been in the organization for more than three decades. This is the second of two parts.

KANSAS CITY — One morning in 1979, a Japanese team that was also training in Florida stopped in at the Royals’ spring camp for a practice game.

Luis Silverio, a 22-year-old rookie, was one of the Royals that was assigned to the game.”*

*From: http://mlb.mlb.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The Kansas City Royals, in conjunction with Sprint - the official wireless provider of the team - and Univision Kansas City, announce the launch of the club’s Spanish-language website, losroyals.com. The site will be available to the public on Monday, April 21, following a 1:30 p.m. press conference at the Guadalupe Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Losroyals.com, which will be updated daily, features MLB.com editorial including game stories, recaps, features, photo galleries and more. The site will also feature special ticket programs and details on upcoming promotions at Kauffman Stadium. In addition, exclusive content on the site will include a recurring series of video profiles provided by Univision Kansas City featuring the Royals Hispanic players. Fans visiting losroyals.com will also have the opportunity to sign-up for the site’s official online newsletter, the Royals Boletin.”*

*From: http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

To get public benefits such as food stamps or housing assistance in Missouri, people would have to prove they are U.S. citizens or legally in the country under a bill endorsed by the House.

Those who couldn’t prove that they live legally in the United States could continue getting aid for 90 days. But after that, they would be reported to federal immigration authorities if they cannot prove they’re legally here.

Rep. Ed Emery said Missouri residents shouldn’t have to pay taxes so illegal immigrants can get help.”*

*From: http://www.columbiatribune.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

MU’s chapter of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization hosted its annual regional conference Saturday.

About 45 students from Missouri State University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Truman State University, the University of Kansas and Hickman High School attended the event, which focused on the theme “Celebrating our past, building our future.”

The conference featured speakers and workshops on the topic.”*

*From: http://www.themaneater.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The House gave preliminary approval Wednesday to legislation that would crack down on illegal immigrants — a week after the Senate approved its own version.

The House bill includes provisions requiring federal immigration law training for the Missouri State Highway Patrol if there’s funding, mandating immigration status checks for those placed in jail and requiring that commercial drivers license tests be given in English.

But the Senate Appropriations Committee has stripped money to pay for the troopers’ federal training from next year’s budget. Gov. Matt Blunt asked lawmakers to include $253,050 so 75 officers could be trained to use federal immigration databases and enforce immigration laws.”*

*From: http://www.stltoday.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Advocates of immigration reform attending the “Cambio de Colores: Latinos in Missouri” conference yesterday met to discuss a wide range of issues, from state lobbying efforts to prevent discriminatory legislation to cultural guidebooks and Web material to help social workers reach out to Missouri’s newest residents.

“We need to train more people … to make them aware of cultural differences, not to make them change, just to make them aware,” said Karina Galve, a Columbia Public Schools teacher who attended a break-out session on change and integration.”*

*From: http://www.columbiatribune.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Alex is in many ways a typical 15-year-old. She likes to shop, dance and talk on her cell phone. And she has a MySpace page.

But unlike most of her friends at a north St. Louis County high school, she does not have a drivers permit and evades questions about when she will get one. “Maybe next year,” she tells her classmates.

And when the conversation turns to college, she tries to change the subject. When she can’t avoid answering questions about what schools she wants to apply to, she just says, “I don’t know yet.”"*

*From: http://www.stltoday.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The seventh annual Cambio de Colores conference Monday through Wednesday at the Stoney Creek Inn will explore the impact of the exponential growth of the Hispanic population in Missouri and the Midwest.

The MU-sponsored conference is organized around five themes: change, civil rights, education, health and communities. Instead of assimilation, the conference focuses on integration.”*

*From: http://www.columbiamissourian.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The immigration debate might be bubbling across the nation, but the University of Missouri’s “Cambio de Colores: Latinos in Missouri” conference starting tomorrow hopes to put politics aside to address one key issue: Hispanics - legal or illegal, wanted or unwanted - are part of Missouri’s social fabric.

“This is not a political event. This is not a debate,” said Domingo Martinez, director of the MU Cambio Center and executive coordinator for the conference. “It is to help communities.”

Martinez explained the seventh annual conference is MU’s response to the changing dynamics in the state. By bringing academics and researchers together from around the region, the conference at the Stoney Creek Inn in Columbia aims to foster discussion on best practices regarding change and integration, communities, youths, education, health and civil rights.”*

*From: http://www.columbiatribune.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Missouri’s annual Cambio de Colores conference explores Hispanic immigration to Missouri and the rest of the Midwest. The conference is being held Monday through Wednesday in Columbia and features lectures on topics including recent immigrant adjustment, contributions and challenges in the region.

¡Adelante! profiled some of the people who will present their work at the conference.”*

*From: http://www.columbiamissourian.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

A wide-ranging illegal-immigration bill glided through the Missouri Senate on Tuesday with surprisingly little debate.

Senators spent just over an hour debating the bill, which includes an array of measures aimed at denying state resources to illegal immigrants, preventing them from finding work and identifying those who commit crimes. The measure passed on a voice vote with just five lawmakers present.

“I didn’t expect to get it through in an hour,” said Sen. Scott Rupp, a Wentzville Republican who is the bill’s sponsor. “But I think it’s a level-headed approach that makes sense and a fair way to deal with this issue.””*

*From: http://www.kansascity.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will join with one of its Affiliates, Guadalupe Center, Inc., and PepsiCo Foundation to launch the NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success – an initiative that encourages and helps Latino youth to graduate from high school, prepare for college, and explore career opportunities. The Guadalupe Center will be the site of the first Escalera program in Kansas City. The program launch will take place on Thursday, April 3, at the Guadalupe Center beginning at 10:30 a.m.

The pilot program for Escalera was launched in Los Angeles in 2002 by NCLR with support from PepsiCo Foundation and PepsiCo, Inc. as a strategy to increase the number of Latino students who graduate from high school. The program provides support and services that improve opportunities for Hispanic youth to attend college and attain the skills needed for high-paying jobs. To date, the NCLR Escalera Program has served 181 Latino youth with 96% graduating from high school and 94% enrolling in college.

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO:

Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO; Cris Medina, Executive Director, Guadalupe Center, Inc.; and Michelle Jordan, Senior Manager, Strategic Community Partnerships, PepsiCo
WHAT:

Launch of the NCLR Escalera Program: Taking Steps to Success in Kansas City to help Latino high school students achieve postsecondary education and expand their opportunities for developing careers in well-paying fields.
WHEN:

10:30 a.m., Thursday, April 3, 2008
WHERE:

Guadalupe Center, Inc. 1015 Avenida Cesar E. Chavez Kansas City, Missouri

For more information, please contact Marie Watteau in NCLR’s Office of Media Relations at mwatteau@nclr.org.”*

*From: http://www.nclr.org
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Steelman’s report overstated the estimate of illegal workers in Missouri by 5,800 to 10,800 workers. It overstated the unemployment rate among illegal workers by more than two-thirds. It also assumed that not a single illegal immigrant living in Missouri works for an employer who withholds and pays payroll taxes.

Other studies estimate that at least half of illegal workers pay normal withholding and payroll taxes. Those issues combined would cut Steelman’s estimate by nearly 60 percent.

Officials in Steelman’s office conceded that her testimony was flawed, but they insisted her point was still valid — employers who hire illegal workers need to be punished because they rob the government of taxes and deprive Missouri residents of jobs.”*

*From: http://www.kansascity.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Public colleges and universities would be barred from enrolling illegal immigrants under a bill given first-round approval Wednesday by the House.

The proposal would require colleges to certify that they have not knowingly enrolled illegal immigrants before they can receive state money.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jerry Nolte, R-Gladstone, said federal law already barred illegal immigrants from attending public colleges. “*

*From: http://www.stltoday.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

“Cambio de Colores (Change of Colors) - Latinos in Missouri” is an annual three-day conference that focuses on Latino immigration to the state in particular and the Midwest in general.  It is the premier event focusing on the heartland’s most important demographic and community change of the last two decades. The goal of this conference is to contribute to the smooth and sustainable integration of the new population for the benefit of all the people in Missouri and neighboring states.

Similar to other states of the Midwest and the South, the Latino population in Missouri has more than doubled in the past fifteen years. According to recent census data, Latinos or Hispanics comprise now 2.8 percent of Missourians, distributed in every county of our state.  The neighboring state of Kansas has seen its Latino population grow from 3.8 percent in 1990 to 8.3 percent in 2005.

“Cambio de Colores (Change of Colors)−Latinos in Missouri: Uniting Cultures – Uniendo Culturas” will take place from Monday April 7 to Wednesday April 9, 2008, at the Stoney Creek Inn, in Columbia, Missouri. The conference will draw between 200 and 250 participants, including academic researchers and extension specialists, public and private service providers, grassroots organizations, professionals from state, local, and federal government institutions, politicians, and newcomers themselves.

The main topics of the conference are: change and integration; civil rights; education; health; and youth, families, and communities. Around forty presentations and workshops will cover issues of special relevance to make this integration process beneficial to everyone, for example: asset accumulation strategies for newcomers; inclusion and integration of Latino parents and students into school systems; best practices for prevention of diseases; cultural competency; changes in sending and receiving communities; the immigration legal and political climate; and many others.

The 2008 conference underlines the need for every stakeholder—newcomer and long-established alike—to get involved into the complex and vibrant process of social, economic, and cultural change, so as to develop a sustainable, richer, diverse, and harmonic community, especially for the benefit of the incoming generations.

The conference chair is Lisa Y. Flores, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Missouri. The Executive Coordinator is Domingo Martínez Castilla, of the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Cambio Center.  The conference planning committee includes more than thirty volunteers from state public and private institutions.
Plenary speakers will be Huyen Pham, a researcher in immigration law and its effects on society, from Texas Wesleyan University School of Law; Edward A. Delgado-Romero, an expert in Multicultural Counseling and Competence, from the University of Georgia; Luis R. Torres, a Fellow with the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a researcher on Latino families, from Washington University in St. Louis. There will also be a plenary expert panel on difficult dialogues, with the participation of Roger L. Worthington, Sandra Hodge, and Paul Ladehoff, from  the University of Missouri- Columbia; and another plenary expert panel, including  Mary Simon Leuci, Jo Britt-Rankin, and David Baker, who will discuss the statewide resources for Latino integration offered by the University of Missouri’s Extension service,

The closing session keynote speaker will be Dr. Samuel Betances, a well-known and engaging communicator on the challenge of casting away barriers to success. A Harvard graduate, he is an honored Professor Emeritus, a consultant to U.S. Presidents, CEOs, managers, community groups, clergy members, educators, and a role model for youth.

Special guests include University of Missouri System President Gary Forsee, and other University of Missouri leaders. The conference is sponsored by the University of Missouri System and its Columbia campus.  Main external sponsors include the Missouri Foundation for Health.

For extensive and updated information regarding the conference, please access the conference website: http://www.cambiodecolores.org  (also reachable from www.latinosinmissouri.com.”*

State Treasurer Sarah Steelman, a Republican running for governor, says she plans to appear before a state Senate committee Wednesday and “present an analysis and testimony…that illegal workers are likely costing Missouri between $26 and $49 million every year.”

She will present her findings during a hearing of various pieces of legislation aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration,” a release from her office said.”*

of course this only half the equation and without the other half kind of useless

*From: http://www.stltoday.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

It was with prayers and an outpouring of emotion that the volunteers who operate radio station KCAH-LP, 107.9 FM introduced themselves to their community on Saturday.

La Iglesia Cristiana Hispanoamericana, or the Hispanic Christian Church, at 122 S. Grant St., held an open house, ribbon cutting and blessing for their new radio station which is aimed at opening a window for Spanish-speaking Carthage residents on a mostly-English speaking community that has long been closed because of the language barrier.”*

*From: http://www.carthagepress.com
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish