Oklahoma

Federal prosecutors want a Sulphur saddle maker fined $100,000 for hiring illegal immigrants.

Billy Cook Harness and Saddle Incorporated pleaded guilty last year to a charge of providing false Social Security information.”*

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Increased statewide immigration enforcement has accelerated human rights violations of Mexican nationals, a consul for the Mexican government said Monday in Oklahoma City.

Andres Chao said the U.S. and Mexican governments must work together to address the growing problem of illegal immigration in such a way that benefits both countries and their citizens.

He dismissed the notion that migration to the United States is an attempt by the Mexican government to export its poverty, and said Mexico sorely misses the young workers that cross daily into the United States.”*

A proposal to declare that English is the official language of Oklahoma is a defensive measure to protect the state from enforcement of an unconstitutional, extortionary executive order issued by former President Bill Clinton, said the bill’s author.

Executive Order 13166, issued by Clinton in August 2000, orders governmental entities that accept federal funding to “provide meaningful access” to their services to persons who are not proficient in the English language, also referred to as “limited English proficiency” or LEP persons.”*

In the seven years after the 2000 Census count, Oklahoma’s Hispanic population increased about 44.7 percent, according to 2007 estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

On July 1, the Census Bureau estimated there were 261,635 Hispanics living in Oklahoma — up 5.5 percent from the 2006 estimates.

Of Oklahoma’s 3.6 million people estimated in July 2007, more than 261,000, or about 7.2 percent, were of Hispanic origin. In 16 other states, the Hispanic population exceeded 500,000, according to the Census Bureau.”*

Unlike the Hispanics of 1933 Tulsa, those of 2008 have even more obstacles to overcome. Not only do they have the difficulty of adjusting to a new country, they have one law, House Bill 1804, and a pending law, Senate Bill 163, with which to deal.

HB 1804, known as one of the most strict and punitive anti-illegal immigration laws in the country, was the brainchild of Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, and easily passed through the state Legislature and over the governor’s desk.

This wrongheaded and mean-spirited piece of legislation is now followed up with SB 163, which would make English the official language of Oklahoma. Funny, I thought English already was the official language, although I often have my doubts after reading some responses and listening to telephone messages following any column written about 1804. “*

Many Oklahoma public school students who are Hispanic say they’ve become the targets of bullies since a law aimed at illegal immigrants went into effect.

Edmond Memorial High School student Mayra Sigala says since the law went into effect she’s been called names in the school hallway and been told to “go back to Mexico” even though she was born in Oklahoma.”*

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

MAS MULTIMEDIA CORPORATION  is very  proud to announce the “Miss Latina Beauty of Oklahoma 2008″ and “Little Miss Latina Beauty of Oklahoma 2008″  Pageants.  Theses are two very attractive events, never seen before in our Latino Community, and of great importance, not only to the contestants, but also to the Hispanic community in our State.

We started about two years ago, in 2006, promoting and featuring the beauty, intelligence and talent of the Latinas living in Oklahoma, by means of our TV Show ESTILO LATINO, broadcasted by the local UNIVISION TV stations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Visit:  www.estilolatino.tv/demo/demo.html

Every week, we present during the show the bio a pictures of a girl or young Latina in the segment named: La belleza Latina de la Semana (The Latina Beauty of the week).  The girls are also showcased in the website of the show: www.estilolatino.tv, as well as in the Newspaper.

In 2007, after more than a year running the show and the segment, we decided to invite the girls to participate in a Beauty Pageant, which would provide them a wonderful experience that would change their lives forever. With this goal in our minds we invited all the girls that had participated in the segment on TV, and also convoked to an open registration that took place on September 29th and 30th, 2007.

On October 12th, 2007 all the girls who registered had the opportunity to meet the judges and introduce themselves, and since that moment, they have been practicing their talents, learning about modeling in our modeling school, and getting ready for the Pageant that we decided to run close to the “NUESTRA BELLEZA LATINA 2008″, a Reality Show and Pageant organized and broadcasted nationwide by UNIVISION network in Miami, Florida.

Little Miss Latina Beauty  Pageant took place on Saturday, March 29th, at the  Kerr Mac Gee Auditorium at OCU, located on 2501 North Blackwelder Avenue, OKC.

“Miss Latina Beauty Oklahoma 2008″ and Miss Teen Latina Beauty 2008″  will be on Saturday, April 26th, also at OCU, at the Petree Recital Hall, of the Wanda Bass Music Center

If you need any further information, please contact us at:

(405) 496-1346 or (405) 496-2821.

When it comes to beefing up business, Ed Sanchez knows where to turn to boost the bottom line at the Oklahoma-based meat-processing company he heads.

In two months, the president and chief executive of Lopez Foods will head to Russia as the company looks to expand some of its product line further into an international market that already includes Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico and the Caribbean islands.

And, while about half of Lopez’s business is generated through its relationship with McDonald’s Corp., the fast-food giant’s European locations don’t serve a breakfast menu.”*

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

Maria De Leon, Ed Martinez and Maria Carlota Palacios are the recipients of the chamber’s annual Excelencia Awards, which the chamber has granted to members of the Hispanic business community for nine years.

The awards dinner, to be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 100 E. Second St., is also the chamber’s main fundraiser of the year.”*

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

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From: http://www.forbes.com
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A new study estimates that Oklahoma’s anti-illegal immigration law will cause $1.8 billion in economic losses as foreign-born workers flee the state.The projection is based on 50,000 workers, both documented and undocumented, leaving Oklahoma, causing a 1.3 percent reduction in the gross state product over the next few years.

The Oklahoma Bankers Association said it has no stand on the immigration measure, but commissioned the study after reports from banks of problems incurred by companies that employ immigrant workers.”*

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

The author of Oklahoma’s sweeping anti-illegal-immigration law said Tuesday he plans new legislation that would ask voters to make English the official language of the state.

Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, said the measure will seek a constitutional amendment requiring that all official state government business be conducted in English similar to proposals adopted by 30 other states that have made English the official language.”*

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

Suenos LLC of Oklahoma officially broke ground for a 134-room Cambria Suites hotel to be located at 4410 SW 19th Street in Oklahoma City, Okla. Ground breaking ceremonies were held today at the construction site with business, community and government leaders in attendance. The construction of the Cambria Suites hotel is scheduled to be completed by January 28, 2009.

“As residents of Oklahoma City, Pat and I are excited about strengthening our ties to the Oklahoma City community,” said John C. Lopez, managing partner of Suenos LLC. “Our development of this Cambria Suites hotel allows us to continue contributing to the progress and economic development of our city.”

John and Pat Lopez are founders and Board Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of Lopez Foods, Inc. (LFI) of Oklahoma City. The meat processing company employs approximately 1,000 associates at its corporate headquarters and three plants located in Oklahoma City, Okla.; Columbus, Neb. and Caryville, Tenn. LFI’s customer base includes premier restaurant chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Sonic and Applebee’s, as well as grocery and membership stores such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Target, Costco and Sam’s Club.

“Cambria Suites is a great fit for business and leisure travelers to Okalahoma City and we are pleased to add it to the list of cities throughout the country that Cambria Suites can call home,” said William Edmundson, brand president, Cambria Suites. “This is the first of five Cambria Suites hotels under development with Suenos LLC and its principals, John and Pat Lopez and we look forward to continuing to build our business relationship with these highly respected local entrepreneurs.”

“As we continue to drive development in top urban markets John and Pat Lopez are exactly the type of developers that we’re looking for in building the Cambria Suites brand,” added Brad LeBlanc, vice president, franchise sales, Cambria Suites.

The Cambria Suites hotel brings the latest in hotel innovation to the Oklahoma City area. Cambria Suites, an all-suites hotel, boasts a stylish design and guestrooms that are 25 percent larger than standard hotel rooms. Hotels offer the latest in technology, from a large-screen television in the open, airy two-story lobby to two flat-screen LCD TVs, CD/DVD player, and MP3 jack in the guest suites and complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access throughout the property.

“This is yet another great milestone for John and Pat Lopez, the Cambria Suites brand and future Hispanic developers,” added Raul Fuentes, director of emerging markets, Choice Hotels. “The combination of a strong hotel market like Oklahoma City with a dedicated developer such as Suenos LLC is paramount to the growth of this brand.”

All Cambria Suites hotels include Reflect, a casual dining and gathering area that features a full barista coffee bar and serves breakfast and dinner; Refresh, a state-of-the-art fitness center with an indoor pool and spa; and Refill, a 24-7 convenience store that stocks freshly prepared “grab ‘n’ go” salads and sandwiches, as well as typical convenience store fare and healthy and organic foods. In addition, all hotels offer more than 1,000 square feet of meeting space. Every Cambria Suites hotel is committed to operational excellence and features the Cambria Pledge, an unconditional 100-percent satisfaction guarantee.
For more information about Cambria Suites, visit the Cambria Suites website at http://www.cambriasuites.com. As of December 31, 2007, 65 Cambria Suites hotels were under contract in 26 states nationwide and in Canada

About Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels International franchises more than 5,500 hotels, representing more than 450,000 rooms, in the United States and 37 countries and territories. As of December 31, 2007, 1,004 hotels are under development in the United States, representing 79,342 rooms, and an additional 89 hotels, representing 8,640 rooms, are under development in more than 15 countries and territories. The company’s Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands serve guests worldwide.

Additional corporate information may be found on Choice Hotels Web site, which may be accessed at http://www.choicehotels.com.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International. “*

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

Stronger state laws against them are making some illegal immigrants leave one area city behind. One area young man is fighting the pressure he feels to leave what he considers his hometown.

For ‘Jose,’ there is no place like the Oklahoma panhandle. This is home for me because I have never been back, he says. Never been back to Mexico since his parents brought him to the U.S. illegally when he was five. After Oklahoma enacted laws that punish employers who hire undocumented people, his family considered returning to Mexico.”*

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

Thousands of illegal immigrants have fled the two states that have enacted tough new immigration laws similar to the one before the Indiana General Assembly.ince passing their laws, Oklahoma and Arizona have seen declines in school enrollments, a scarcity of construction workers and the sudden emptying of rental homes and apartments.

The same, some people say, would happen in Indiana, though advocates of stronger immigration laws say they would welcome the change.”*

*From: http://www.indystar.com
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MINISTER BORN IN HONDURAS discusses the need for churches — in the United States and Latin America — to reach out to multiple cultures.

Berto Murillo is an affable, gregarious, effective minister of the gospel. Born in Petoa, Santa Barbara, Honduras, the 53-year-old Murillo studied agricultural engineering at the University of Honduras, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1977.

For the next eight years, he worked as an agricultural extension agent. Because of his outstanding work, the Honduran government gave him an award that entitled him to select any university in the world for further study. He chose Cameron University in Lawton, Okla., to pursue additional studies in agriculture. “*

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

Oklahoma’s immigration law unfairly punishes some of the state’s greatest assets: young people with the ability and desire to gain a college education, a University of Houston law professor said Tuesday.

The law that went into effect Nov. 1 makes it harder for illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state college tuition and bars them from state scholarships.

Michael Olivas said that is unfair because it targets the children of parents who brought them here illegally. Some teens do not know they are illegal until they are asked for proof of residency when they apply to college.”*

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

The small decrease reverses a years-long trend seen before a state law took effect.

Hispanic student enrollment is down slightly for many area school districts since portions of the state’s new immigration law took effect Nov. 1, officials report.

For years, Tulsa Public Schools has seen its Hispanic student enrollment grow steadily after the first day of school. But the trend reversed in 2007-08, with enrollment in that category falling 257 students. “*

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

Welcome to the nation’s laboratory for a crackdown on illegal immigration. Last year, Oklahoma’s Legislature passed, by huge margins, the nation’s toughest law on illegal immigrants, making it a felony to harbor, transport, shelter or conceal undocumented immigrants.

This summer, the same law also will allow U.S. citizens to sue employers if they think they were fired in favor of illegal workers. Employers in the state say they already see the results: “A total lack of workers,” said Doug Forrest, a Tulsa site-preparation contractor and golf course builder. “This is potentially sending our state into a recession.”"*

*From: http://www.dallasnews.com
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NORMAN, Okla. (NAMB)—Why did communist guerillas in El Salvador put Daniel Caceres so high on their murder “hit list” in 1980?

Was it because his brother was a top officer in El Salvador’s army battling the guerillas? Was it because Daniel had been a successful businessman, or because he was an evangelical Christian leader in the civil war-torn nation?

Now, 27 years later, Caceres (pronounced “Ka-se-res”) says he doesn’t care or want to know why he was targeted.”*

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

A new Oklahoma immigration law, which is one of the strictest in the nation, could have far-reaching effects on Kansas.

About 14 percent of Oklahoma’s legal and illegal immigrants have been moving to neighboring states or Mexico as a result of the bill, said Linda Allegro, a political science professor at the University of Tulsa.

With the outflow of migrants, some are concerned Kansas will become a “sanctuary state,” said Brent Metz, Kansas University assistant professor of anthropology”*

*From: http://www2.ljworld.com
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The splintered trees, downed branches and piles of wood still littering nearly every neighborhood of this sprawling city two months after a devastating ice storm stand as a testament to something more than the ferocity of nature.

The debris is also a sign of the effectiveness ofOklahoma’s new law intended to drive illegal immigrants out of the state — the strictest such statute in the nation.

The branches are still here, many of the law’s critics say, because the undocumented workers who would have cleaned them up are not.”*

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

uring a visit to Oklahoma, the former president of Mexico has urged lawmakers to develop sensible immigration reform.
Vicente Fox, who served as Mexico’s president from 2000 to 2006, spoke in Oklahoma City and Tulsa on Tuesday at events hosted by Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business.”*

*From: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/223873.phpDELETEME!
Traducido: usando Google o Altavista/Babel Fish

Get an education and give something back. That was the message given to more than 200 Hispanic high school students who attended the fourth annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference at Oklahoma City University.

Featured speakers Jesse Iniguez and Rolando Santoyo, co-founders of the Hispanic Web site and T-shirt line no-manches.com, told the students how they started their business. The Chicago natives, both in their mid-20s, said a solid college education was the key.”*

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