Missouri

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
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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
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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
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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

*From: http://www.nclr.org
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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
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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
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“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
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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
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Catholic schools across the Kansas City metro area are welcoming a new superintendent.

Marlon De La Torre was recently tapped by Bishop Robert Finn to take over as Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, according to a Feb. 8 press release.”*

*From: http://www.kccommunitynews.com
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From culture to language to music, Brenda Cardenas has learned to straddle some pretty sizable divides.

Cardenas is bringing her brand of cross-cultural poetry to Park University. She will read and perform her work at 6:30 p.m. today in the school’s Graham Tyler Memorial Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

Raised in a Latino community in Milwaukee, Cardenas developed a unique and often startling blend of Spanish and English. Some critics have described it as “Spanglish.” She’s fine with that term, though personally uses other words to define her art.”*

*From: http://www.kccommunitynews.com
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Cuban-American leaders in St. Louis say that they’re not sure what to make of Fidel Castro’s surprise retirement and that they’re skeptical conditions on the island will change soon.

“No one is really dancing in the street at this point,” said Luis Trabanco, 49, the owner of La Tropicana Market and Cafe, 5001 Lindenwood Avenue. “I think the attitude here is let’s watch and see.” “*

*From: http://www.stltoday.com
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Coming off surgery that ended his season early, catcher Yadier Molina decided the best way to protect the health of his knee was to improve his overall fitness.

Molina arrived at spring training Wednesday, a day before Cardinals pitchers and catchers report. And, in the words of his pitching coach, he “looked great, doesn’t he?” The 25-year-old catcher not only sports fresh ink on a four-year contract but also a slimmer, lighter build.

All the better for his knees, he said.”*

*From: http://www.stltoday.com
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Hispanic Republicans were among the hundreds of GOP faithful attending Lincoln Days this weekend in Springfield.

A half dozen members from the Hispanic Republicans of Missouri came from Joplin, Kansas City and from across the St. Louis area to attend the meetings and social events. They were professionals and leaders in the Hispanic chambers of commerce in their communities.”*

*From: http://www.news-leader.com/
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Federal courts are now split on the question of whether cities and towns may take steps to curb illegal immigration.

A federal judge in Missouri says local governments may do so. That contradicts a federal judge in Pennsylvania, who forbade the city of Hazleton from cracking down on illegal immigrants. “*

*From: http://www.whptv.com
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A federal judge has upheld an ordinance in a suburban St. Louis town that penalizes businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber ruled late Thursday that the city of Valley Park, Mo.’s ordinance is not pre-empted by federal law, does not discriminate against Hispanics and does not violate due-process rights or Missouri law.

The ordinance “is not preempted by federal law, to the contrary, federal law specifically permits such licensing laws as the one at issue,” Webber wrote.”*

*From: http://www.iht.com
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KCTV5 News captured undercover video of a drug deal taking place at a Hispanic-owned boot shop in Kansas City, Kan.

But the station’s undercover producer didn’t buy heroin, cocaine or marijuana; she bought an antibiotic for $1.75 a pill, without a prescription.”*

*From: http://www.kctv5.com
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The National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders has appointed Bernardo Ramirez to its board of directors.

Ramirez is executive director of the Hispanic Economic Development Center of Kansas City, a job he has had for about a year.”*

*From: http://www.bizjournals.com
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More than 200 demonstrators turned up to protest the opening here of an anti-illegal immigration group’s first regional conference.

The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps is holding a two-day conference in Kansas City in a show of solidarity with member Frances Semler, who attracted criticism from civil rights groups after she was appointed to a local parks board.

On Friday, protesters marched several blocks and held a demonstration outside the group’s meeting place shortly before the event was to begin.”*

*From: http://www.bnd.com
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Hispanic newcomers to Sedalia may feel welcome at the hospital, high school or Wal-Mart but not so much at Woods, the license office or the college.

These were some of the findings of a University of Missouri-Columbia research project presented Friday at the West Central Missouri Multicultural Forum at Tyson Foods.

Researchers presented the first part in a three-year study on how the immigrant Hispanic community is adapting to Sedalia.”*

*From: http://www.tradingmarkets.com
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Although Missouri is not a national hotbed for illegal immigration, the state is taking the lead in training local law officers on how to help federal immigration authorities.

The training includes tips for working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and information about specific programs, such as allowing local police to be deputized to enforce federal immigration law or helping identify illegal immigrants in county jails and state prisons. “*

*From: http://www.stltoday.com
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A week after Kansas City Parks Board member Frances Semler resigned, the Latino Civil Rights Task Force held a news conference Monday to address the issue.

Semler was criticized for her role in the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, an anti-illegal immigration organization.

“We felt it was a flawed appointment and a slap in the face to our community,” said Rita Valenciano with the Latino Civil Rights Task Force.
sponsor”*

*From: http://www.kmbc.com
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With Congress on the sidelines, lawmakers in Kansas and Missouri say they have no choice but to make illegal immigration a target in 2008.

In both states, legislators are pushing tougher laws. The measures — being considered in neighboring states and already passed in Oklahoma — range from increased authority for law enforcement to tougher rules for employers.

“You’re seeing this now because this issue has hit the heartland,” said Sen. Scott Rupp, a Wentzville, Mo., Republican who said he had seen two instances of illegal immigrant labor in his home district.”*

*From: http://www.kansascity.com
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The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., said it regrets that the mayor did not act sooner to accept the resignation of Frances Semler from the Kansas City Parks Board. “Unfortunately because of the mayor’s lack of leadership and sensitivity to the Hispanic community, it is now too late for NCLR to bring its Conference to Kansas City in 2009,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. At the request of its Kansas City Affiliates, NCLR removed its 2009 Annual Conference from Kansas City after Mayor Mark Funkhouser appointed Semler, an active member of the extremist Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, and refused to accept her resignation when she first offered it.

The Minuteman, a self-avowed vigilante group, is listed as a “nativist-extremist” organization by the Anti-Defamation League. Chris Simcox, one of the Minuteman’s founders, was convicted in 2003 of carrying a weapon into a national park while searching for undocumented immigrants.

“The Minutemen advocate division and intolerance, and their members openly harass and intimidate Hispanics solely based on their appearance. The Kansas City Hispanic community did not accept the mayor’s tacit endorsement of such policies, and we supported their views,” said Murguía.

“From the beginning, the mayor has consistently refused to act on this issue and failed to take direct action,” added Murguía. “We thank the community partners in Kansas City who stood with us, including our Affiliates, the NAACP, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and the religious community.”

In October, the NCLR Board of Directors voted to move the 2009 Annual Conference from Kansas City to a different site. NCLR has signed a contract for this new location, which will be announced in the next few weeks.”*

*From: http://www.nclr.org
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Frances Semler, who was the focus of months of controversy because of her affiliation with an anti-illegal immigration organization, has resigned from the city parks board.Semler, 74, said Tuesday she resigned because her involvement with the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Board had become too contentious and she did not feel Mayor Mark Funkhouser supported her.

“I feel betrayed,” she said. “From time to time they would say good things, but from time to time there would be something hurtful. … But it all piles up.”"*

*From: http://ap.cjonline.com
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