News (Noticias) Tagged ‘La Raza’

A little Mexico detour, because I’m wondering: Do news media outlets refer to the NAACP as “The Colored People” or the AJC as “The Jewish Committee”? No, they don’t. Yet while covering this month’s NCLR conference in San Diego many outlets including the L.A. Times, Washington Post, and other generally reputable sources like RealClearPolitics felt it okay to refer to NCLR as “La Raza.” This means that the mainstream press has adopted the semantics tricks of the right-wing propaganda machine to conflate together two very different things: NCLR — the largest and most middle-of-the-road, big-money-backed, non-partisan Hispanic (their word) advocacy organization in the United States, and the codeword for reconquista hallucinations advocated only by an extremely small, extremely fringe, and extremely irrelevant batch of Chicano nationalists.”*

Janet Murguia, national steering committee member of Strong American Schools and President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, will call on more than ten thousand journalists and media executives to support education reform during UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc.’s 2008 annual conference.

Recent polls show that as Americans focus on the critical issues that face this country, education continues to be a top priority. A poll conducted by The Pew Hispanic Center recently found that 94 percent of Latino voters said that education is extremely or very important to them, coming in above health care, the economy, and education. Another recent poll by Rasmussen’s found that nearly 90 percent of Americans believe education is important in the next congressional election.

These issues will be at the forefront of Murguia’s discussion during the panel “What’s Next for Generation Next in Education.”

Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008

Time: 2:00 p.m. CST

Location: McCormick Place West

Room W-196

2301 S. Lake Shore Drive

Chicago, IL 60616″

ONE of the dilemmas facing those who spoke at the National Council of La Raza this week was how to pronounce the Hispanic activist group’s name. The first syllable of the word raza (race, or people) requires a tricky, un-English tongue movement. Some of the anglophone speakers who tried it sounded as though they were about to choke. John McCain made no attempt at all, pronouncing the “R” like the last letter of “Budweiser”. Barack Obama, by contrast, breezed through the word as if he had grown up eating sopaipillas. Then, to show off, he did it again. “*

The angry mail has been pouring in today from folks who take issue with our reporting that Barack Obama — addressing the National Council of La Raza — made the translation of “la raza” as ”the people.”

He was right.
But let’s explain. Literally, yes”la raza” is ”the race.” But what it means: ”my people, my community,” as in ”my peeps,” or the Italian ”paisanos.” As a Spanish-speaker myself, I can attest: this is one of those phrases (think outside the box) where the literal translation isn’t accurate. “*

Janet Murguia, the National Council of La Raza’s president, says she has little use for those who pit groups against each other.

“I don’t believe in wedge politics,” she told The San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board. “And I don’t like people who try to divide and conquer. I prefer messages of unity and those who draw people together around the common good.” “*

“So I was surprised when Murguia said, “We’ve actually talked about the possibility of changing our name.”

The council, based in Washington, is the largest Hispanic advocacy organization in the country, and Bazan is the first person from North Carolina to head its board.

In the 40 years since the group was formed, North Carolina has gone from a state with almost no Hispanic population to one of the fastest growing destinations, and the state’s growing number of illegal immigrants has become a charged political issue.”*

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) announced today that Andrea Bazán, President of Triangle Community Foundation, has been elected as Chair of the NCLR Board of Directors. Ms. Bazán succeeds Monica Lozano, Publisher and CEO of La Opinión, the nation’s largest Spanish-language daily.

As president of the Triangle Community Foundation, a charitable foundation in Durham, North Carolina, Ms Bazán is responsible for leading the 25-year-old organization which has made grants of nearly $120 million to a wide rage of community nonprofits with a special emphasis on civic engagement and youth.

Ms. Bazán has served on the NCLR Board of Directors since 2002, most recently as Vice Chair. Before working with the foundation, Ms. Bazán co-founded and served as the first Executive Director of El Pueblo, a North Carolina statewide advocacy and public policy organization and an NCLR Affiliate, based in Raleigh. She holds a master’s degree in social work and a master’s in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One of a hand full of Latina heads of philanthropic foundations in the county, she has had a career in academia and state government and serves on a variety of boards including BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina and several others.

“As a former Executive Director of an NCLR Affiliate, Andrea brings community-grown leadership and the valuable insight and perspective of our most important constituency to her work on the Board. I am especially excited that NCLR will benefit from Andrea’s guidance and direction in this important time in our organization’s development and our community’s history,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.

“Being elected to serve as NCLR’s Board Chair is truly a proud moment for me, both personally and professionally,” said Andrea Bazán, NCLR Board of Directors Chair. “NCLR is an historic and influential national organization. I am both humbled and honored to work with Janet and the Board as we move forward during the next three years.”

NCLR’s Board is a 26-member body made up of elected officials and representatives of community-based organizations, the corporate sector, and academia. Board members reflect the diversity of Hispanic nationality groups and geographic distribution of the Hispanic population and, by mandate, the Board must include equal representation of men and women.

NCLR also named four new members at the June 2008 Board of Directors meeting in San Diego: César Álvarez, Chief Executive Officer, Greenberg Traurig, Miami, FL; Linda Mazón-Gutiérrez, President, Hispanic Women’s Corporation, Phoenix, AZ; Dr. Clara Rodríguez, Professor at Fordham University, New York, NY; and Cid Wilson, Director of Equity Research, Kevin Dann & Partners, Leonia, NJ.”*

A recent story by Maribel Hastings of La Opinión newspaper provides the most comprehensive analysis yet of the similarities and differences between John McCain and Barack Obama around immigration policy. According to Hastings, “Both candidates support construction of a wall at the southern U.S. border. But the most important differences are less obvious and have more to do with what kind of reform the candidates advocate for and try to get approved, according to Cecilia Muñoz, vice president of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).”

Among those revealing details, says Hastings, are small but important differences that may make a major difference in what will surely be an intense fight for the Latino vote. Hastings continues, “McCain, for example, is opposed to the DREAM Act, which would benefit undocumented students and Obama supports it;” adding that “McCain opposes the idea of giving driver’s licenses to the undocumented, while Obama favors the proposal.””*

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today joined the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) in announcing the release of the 2008 KIDS COUNT Data Book. The book contains new findings on various issues affecting the well-being of children living in Puerto Rico. Of particular concern, the data show that children in Puerto Rico face higher levels of risk than children in the main U.S. on eight of ten key indicators.

“The KIDS COUNT Data Book haslong been thought of as a continuous and dependable source of information on the status of children across the United States. This 2008 release marks yet another breakthrough for Puerto Rico, since it is the second consecutive year this publication provides benchmarks to document opportunities for leaders to plan and help improve on the needs of Puerto Rico’s children,” stated Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.

Among the report’s findings:

* In 2006, there were an estimated one million children on the island of Puerto Rico. This represents a larger child population than that of about half of the states in the United States.
* On eight of the ten key measures regarding child well-being, these children face higher levels of risk overall than the U.S. average.
* The child poverty rate for Puerto Rico (56%) is more than three times the level in the United States as a whole (18%).
* Babies born in Puerto Rico are far more likely to be of low birth weight (12.8%) and born to teen mothers (61 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19) than in the U.S. overall (8.2% and 40 per 1,000, respectively).
* The rate of deaths among children ages 1 to 14 (13 per 100,000) and teens ages 15 to 19 (63 per 100,000) are both lower than the national rates.

NCLR has housed the KIDS COUNT – Puerto Rico Project for the last six years and has contributed to reducing the information gap by publishing several reports, providing information free of charge through an online database, and engaging in multiple initiatives regarding children on the Island.

“KIDS COUNT provides a great opportunity to raise awareness, shape policy, and discuss current social policy concerns based on solid information to help improve the lives of families,” concluded Murguía.

For more information, please visit

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Raza Development Fund (RDF), Wachovia and The Wachovia Foundation today announced a five-year, $16.25 million partnership focused on economic development for the Latino community in the U.S.

The partnership will include:

• $5 million in grants over five years from The Wachovia Foundation for:
• Post-purchase homeownership counseling through NCLR’s Homeownership Network.
• Capacity building.
• Strengthening the NCLR Affiliate Network.
• Raza Development Fund’s community development efforts.

$1.25 million over five years from Wachovia to sponsor key NCLR events, including:

• National Annual Conference.
• Annual ALMA Awards®, which celebrate the outstanding artistic achievements of Latinos in motion pictures, television and music and are televised nationally.
• Annual Capital Awards, which recognize members of Congress for their outstanding support of public policies that are vital to Hispanic Americans.

· A $10 million loan to fund growth in Raza Development Fund’s lending activities, including property acquisition, community facility and charter school construction and affordable housing predevelopment and construction.

“Wachovia’s investment in NCLR will allow us to expand the successful programs we have developed with our nearly 300 community-based affiliates who every day strengthen America by promoting the advancement of Latino communities,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR. “Together with these organizations, NCLR has helped put hundreds of thousands of Latino children and families on the path to achieving the American dream, and we are honored that Wachovia shares our vision to build stronger communities.”

“We make loans to nonprofits to build community schools, health clinics and other community facilities — loans that commercial lenders often find too risky,” added Mark Van Brunt, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Raza Development Fund, NCLR’s lending arm. “With Wachovia’s support, we can expand our ability to make these critical investments in our community while at the same time ensuring that the deals are sound. We welcome the support and look forward to a long, mutually productive relationship.”

NCLR is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.

The Latino population is the fastest-growing minority population in the U.S. It is projected that Latinos will account for more than one in four U.S. residents by 2050.

“For 40 years, NCLR has been a vital support network for thousands of Latino families across the country,” said Mike Rizer, director of Community Relations for Wachovia and Executive Vice President of The Wachovia Foundation. “Through this partnership, Wachovia and The Wachovia Foundation will help NCLR become an even bigger force for positive change across the country —building more charter schools, preparing more families for success in homeownership, providing greater and more robust support services.”

In addition to its partnership with NCLR, The Wachovia Foundation has established national philanthropic partnerships with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to provide college scholarships for young Latinos.

Last year, The Wachovia Foundation joined with the MacArthur Foundation to create a $47 million award program for community development. The first recipient of the $5.5 million “Wachovia NEXT Award for Opportunity Finance” was the Latino Community Credit Union based in Durham, N.C.

Wachovia partners with local Hispanic organizations to deliver financial literacy training in English and Spanish and offers seminars to Latino-owned small businesses.

In addition, Wachovia:

• Is the only major financial institution to offer statements in Spanish for all of its deposit accounts.
• Has nearly 800 designated Hispanic financial centers throughout the U.S. capable of delivering a full in-language customer experience, including bilingual Spanish-speaking employees, bilingual merchandising and financial product information in Spanish.
• Offers Spanish-language personal assistance seven days a week through a multilingual call centers and at hundreds of bilingual ATMs.
• Offers a Spanish-language Web site, www.wachovia.com/espanol, which allows customers to open new accounts, locate the nearest financial center or ATM and look up information in Spanish.

.”*

La Raza Newspaper in Chicago has re-launched with unprecedented response from the Hispanic community and its advertisers. The new, vibrant and redesigned publication is the result of extensive market research that called for an innovative way to present the news to the fastest-growing minority in the country. “*

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., announced today that presumptive presidential nominees Senators John McCain (R–AZ) and Barack Obama (D–IL) will speak at the 2008 NCLR Annual Conference held at the San Diego Convention Center, July 12-15. Other speakers at the Conference include San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former NCLR President and CEO Raul Yzaguirre, CEO of Freddie Mac Richard F. Syron, New York Times best-selling author Alisa Valdés-Rodríguez and internationally renowned motivational speaker Samuel Betances.

“NCLR is excited to be in San Diego as we celebrate 40 years of strengthening America by promoting the advancement of Latino families. The presumptive presidential nominees and other government and business leaders speaking at NCLR’s Annual Conference will address a Latino community that is strengthening its political voice and engaging in campaigns, voter registration, and citizenship drives as never before,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO.

The NCLR Annual Conference is the single largest gathering of its kind in the Latino community. More than 20,000 community organization leaders, activists, and volunteers; elected and appointed officials; members of the corporate, philanthropic, and academic communities; senior citizens; college students; and youth are expected to participate this year. A popular Conference attraction is Latino Expo USA with more than 250 exhibits from leading Fortune 500 companies, Hispanic-owned businesses, nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, and government agencies.

Some highlights of the 2008 NCLR Annual Conference include:

Saturday, July 12

* The NCLR Diabetes Dash—a 5k fun run—will kick off this year’s Health Fair, which will provide free health screenings, information, and counseling on key health and lifestyle issues affecting the Hispanic community.
* A naturalization session, sponsored by ConAgra Foods, will provide information on the citizenship application process and step-by-step guidance on how to complete the required forms to become a U.S. citizen.
* Artists from MTV, MTVtr3s, and Sí TV along with NCLR youth leadership participants will participate in a youth-led Town Hall sponsored by GEICO and Microsoft that explores the growing influence of youth in the media.

Sunday, July 13

* A HOME Clinic, held in partnership with the San Diego Housing Opportunities Collaborative, will offer pro bono legal advice, housing counseling, and loan negotiation to help families facing foreclosure identify resources and assistance.
* A Town Hall presented by the Office of Minority Health and led by a panel of health experts, will address the need to reform a health care system in which millions of Latinos remain uninsured.

Monday, July 14
· Government and community leaders will come together in a Town Hall presented in part by Freddie Mac aimed at finding a solution to the national foreclosure crisis.
· The Heroes & Heritage Award for Valor and Service to Country will be presented to Sergeant Major Irene Zamora O’Neal.

Other workshops and activities will examine issues such as education, workforce development, community and family wealth-building, voting,juvenile justice, children’s health, the impact of immigration enforcement policy,and nonprofit management.

“Our Conference reflects the broad interests and involvement of Latinos in this great nation. We are working for better policies and programs in everything from education and health care to homeownership and financial security. When Latino families can get opportunities to advance, it strengthens America,” said Murguía.”*

Several organizations, including multicultural PR and marketing firm Comunicad, are hoping to bring one more museum to Washington, DC, but this one will be dedicated to a growing segment of the US population: the National Museum of the American Latino.

Univision, National Council of La Raza, the US Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and individuals like civil rights leader Raul Yzaguirre, are working together as an advisory board for the Latino museum, which they hope will open in the next five to ten years.”*

Who: Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR
Mike Rizer, Executive Vice President of The Wachovia Foundation and director of Community Relations for Wachovia
Mark Van Brunt, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Raza Development Fund
Frank Newman, Western Region COO and president for Southern California for Wachovia

What: Press conference to announce a multi-million dollar national partnership between NCLR, Raza Development Fund, Wachovia and The Wachovia Foundation.

When: Tuesday, June 10, 2008
3:00 – 3:30 pm
Cocktail reception to follow

Where: The Beverly Hilton Hotel
International Terrace (near self-parking entrance)
9876 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Why: This national partnership teams the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States with the country’s fourth largest financial services provider. Together, these organizations will expand financial possibilities for the U.S. Latino population—and build stronger communities.”*

Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza NCLR, the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., will be the featured speaker at the Bravo Foundation Speaker Series Luncheon on Thursday, June 5 at noon. The mission of the Speaker Series is to foster increased civic engagement by providing educational and networking opportunities, informing participants about critical issues affecting the Latino community, and honoring outstanding American Latino leaders.

Murguía will discuss topics of importance to the Latino community such as immigration reform and its impact on the presidential election. The Latino vote will help to decide who our nation’s next president will be, and NCLR is working to engage the Latino community to take an active role in this historic election. Murguía will also highlight NCLR’s upcoming Annual Conference which will take place in San Diego July 12-15.

For more information abut the 2008 NCLR Annual Conference visit www.nclr.org.

MEDIA ADVISORY
WHEN: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 12:00 Noon
WHERE: University of San Diego Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
5998 Alcala Park
San Diego, CA 92110
WHAT: NCLR President to speak at the Bravo Foundation Speaker Series Luncheon
WHO: Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO”*

An initiative to develop and improve five school libraries within the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., School Network in partnership with the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation was announced today. The NCLR was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Lowe’s to construct and supply the libraries scheduled for completion in August.

Unlike traditional public schools, public charter schools, like those in the NCLR School Network, lack resources like on-campus libraries because they receive approximately 20 percent less in per-student public funding than other schools in their respective districts. The support from the Lowe’s grant will help fill funding gaps, give the faculties and staffs the necessary tools to enrich students’ academic development and engage and involve parents and the community in school activities.

“All students should have access to library resources without having to leave their school building or school grounds,” said Janet Murguia, NCLR president and CEO. “NCLR applauds Lowe’s commitment to making this a reality for schools across the country.”

“Lowe’s is committed to recognizing and supporting efforts that enrich the lives of our neighbors and customers,” said Larry D. Stone, chairman of Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation. “By supporting organizations like the National Council of La Raza, we are contributing to a cause that’s important to our customers and employees and helping build a stronger foundation for the children who will be tomorrow’s employees, homeowners and community leaders.”

Raul Yzaguirre School for Success in Brownville, Texas; Erie Elementary Charter School in Chicago, Ill.; Academia Avance Charter Public School in Los Angeles, Calif.; Amber Charter School in New York, N.Y. and El Sol Science and Arts Academy in Santa Ana, Calif. will each receive $20,000 to help build and supply a library with the proper furniture, materials and books.

Since its inception in 1957, Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation has helped communities nationwide through employee volunteerism and financial contributions. Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $27.5 million to support community and education projects across the United States and Canada in 2007.”*

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, today released Overcoming Language and Cultural Barriers Using Evidence-Based Practices—a transcript of a panel discussion on the use of evidence-based practices in the juvenile justice system. Expert panelists focused on Latino youth who have benefitted from evidence-based practices and how changes in juvenile justice policies, practices, and programs could ensure fairness and improved outcomes.

Barriers such as cultural and linguistic discrepancies surface in every step of the juvenile justice process through interactions with law enforcement, courts, jails, and probation and threaten to unfairly impact Latino youth in the juvenile justice system. Inaccurate information also distorts realities in the juvenile justice system. For example, Latino youth are often counted as “White” in profile data rather than Latino or Hispanic, making them invisible in the system. Juvenile justice systems must find more effective ways to treat its youth. One way they can become more effective is by assessing whether their services address the cultural needs of Latino youth.

NCLR produced this transcript in collaboration with the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Models for Change initiative. The initiative seeks to create successful models of juvenile justice reform through targeted investments in key states. As a key partner in the Models for Change initiative, NCLR is committed to educating the public, policymakers, and juvenile justice systems personnel about the challenges that Latino youth and their families encounter when getting involved with juvenile justice programs.

Visit www.nclr.org/content/publications/detail/52033/ to download a copy of the transcript. “*

So when Rodriguez heard about Lee y sers, a national program to help Latino parents teach their children how to read, she jumped at the chance to participate in the free six-week workshop at the Bridgeport Public Library.

Rodriguez said she and her husband, Ruben, who came to Connecticut from Uruguay seven years ago, “are conscious of the importance of reading for children.” But they weren’t sure how to engage their son in bilingual learning.

The workshops have showed them ways to make reading fun for Sergio, who has already acquired a love for books, Rodriguez said. The Lee y sers program - Read and You Will Be - was created by Scholastic, in collaboration with the National Council of La Raza and the Verizon Foundation.”*

With Barack Obama his likely opponent in the fall, John McCain sees an opportunity to make inroads among Hispanic voters by touting himself as a different kind of Republican.

But in doing so, Mr. McCain runs a considerable risk: further alienating the GOP base, which already mistrusts him on immigration issues.

“It’s a tightrope,” said Celia Muñoz of the National Council of La Raza, a nonpartisan Hispanic advocacy group. “How does he convince Latinos that you’re on their side while convincing the rabidly anti-immigration faction of his own party?”"*

Today at a hearing before the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee to address the impact of immigration raids on the workplace, children, and families, Janet Murguía, National Council of La Raza (NCLR) President and CEO, expressed concern that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) current immigration law enforcement strategy is both undermining other important federal law enforcement responsibilities and wreaking havoc on communities throughout the country.

NCLR believes that the United States can and should enforce its immigration laws. But as with any set of laws, our nation should enforce them wisely and well,” said Murguía. During the hearing Murguía spoke of substantial and growing evidence that the use of workplace raids as an immigration enforcement strategy is causing great harm to children, schools, child care centers, and community service agencies.

For example, Murguia testified that a recent raid by ICE at a meat-processing plant in Postville, Iowa has eviscerated a current investigation by state authorities of child labor law violations. Agriprocessors, Inc. was under investigation for allegedly employing underage children to work in the plant. Some of the children who were in a position to testify about the abuses have themselves been detained.

To place children in detention while their exploitative employer regroups and reopens within a day is a clear indication that our enforcement strategies need to be reassessed and our enforcement priorities need to be reexamined,” continued Murguía.

In her testimony Murguía also shared examples of ICE’s failure to follow its own procedure when it comes to enforcement. Despite ICE’s longstanding guidelines about not conducting enforcement activities in or around schools, Murguía cited examples of ICE targeting migrant Head Start programs in eight states. In some instances ICE vans were parked near Head Start centers at drop-off and pickup times.

We need to make sure we do not undercut the best interest of our children and to think carefully about how we enforce our immigration laws,” concluded Murguía.

Read a copy of Janet Murguía’s testimony“*

The salsa music blared. The marching bands strutted their stuff. And hundreds of revelers lined Grand Concourse on Sunday for the 20th Annual Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade.

This year’s parade was all about diversity and celebrating not only “la raza,” but all ethnic groups.

“Our ancestors taught us that we should embrace other people, help each other and share in our richness and heritage together,” said parade organizer Francisco Gonzalez. “So, this year’s parade was for all ethnic groups. We all have pride in our heritage and came here to live the American dream. So, we wanted to bring everyone together.”"*

The 2008 NCLR ALMA (American Latino Media Arts) Awards celebrating the outstanding artistic achievements of Latinos in motion pictures, television and music, will air Friday, September 12, (8:00-10:00 p.m., EST) on ABC.

Television and film actress Eva Longoria Parker returns once again as executive producer and host of the telecast. The 2008 NCLR ALMA Awards will be taped on August 17 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

“We are thrilled that this year’s broadcast of the NCLR ALMA Awards will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States.

“What better way is there to celebrate than with a star-studded showcase of Latino contributions to American culture?” Murguía continued. “We are also delighted to have Eva as our host once again. She’s talented and respected in the entertainment industry and a true champion for our community.”

“I am honored to produce and host the ALMA Awards with NCLR again,” said Longoria Parker. “Every year we build a stronger show with some of the most amazing talent and performers.”

The NCLR ALMA Awards Call for Entries has also been officially opened for the 2008 selection process. In addition to the nominated awards, a series of special achievement honors will be presented. Nominees will be announced at a live press conference on July 8.

The ALMA Awards was created by NCLR in 1995 as part of NCLR’s strategy to promote the diverse, accurate, and balanced portrayal of Latinos in the media and the enhancement of the Latino image in the entertainment industry. The show is an example of how inclusion strengthens the entertainment industry, just as diversity strengthens our country.

Visit www.almaawards.com for more information on the 2008 NCLR ALMA Awards.
Following is the calendar of events:

ELIGIBILITY PERIOD: January 1, 2007 - May 31, 2008
March 31 p.m., EST Rules and entry forms available online
June 6 Entry form deadline
July 8 Nominations announcement press conference
July 9 Online polling begins for awards selection
July 30 Online polling ends for awards selection
August 17 2008 NCLR ALMA Awards presentation (taping)
September 12 2008 NCLR ALMA Awards broadcasts on ABC, 8:00-10:00″*

On Tuesday, May 20, Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) – the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. – will testify at a congressional hearing about the impact of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) workplace raids on children, families, and communities throughout the nation. The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee will hold the hearing, which will take place at 10:00 a.m. in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Murguía will discuss how increased immigration enforcement by the federal government is jeopardizing the health, well-being, and economic security of our nation’s children. She will present findings from a recent NCLR report, Paying the Price: The Impact of Immigration Raids on America’s Children, which addresses how our nation’s immigration enforcement policies are undermining our broader goals for children. The report also focuses on how such policies place undue burden on the social institutions – schools, child care centers, and social service agencies – which are charged with protecting and nurturing America’s children.

Approximately five million children have an undocumented parent; however, the vast majority of these children are U.S. citizens and under the age of ten. Despite efforts to mitigate harm to children by changing the manner in which raids and other immigration enforcement actions are conducted, children continue to be placed in harm’s way.

Following the hearing, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will hold a press conference at noon on the Cannon Terrace. Speakers include Sisters of Mercy Kathy Thornton and Kathy Thill, who helped families in the aftermath of the largest ICE workplace raid in U.S. history, during which an estimated 400 workers from the Agriprocessors, Inc. meatpacking plant in Postville, Iowa, were arrested.
MEDIA ADVISORY

WHAT: Congressional hearing on “ICE Workplace Raids: Their Impact on U.S. Children,
Families, and Communities”

WHO: Janet Murguía, President and CEO, NCLR

WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 20, 2008

WHERE: Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building”*

John McCain is generating outrage among a border watch organization for accepting an invitation to a controversial Hispanic group.

Al Garza, national executive director of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, is expressing outrage over Senator McCain’s (R-Arizona) planned attendance to the annual convention of the National Council of La Raza. Garza claims the group espouses the re-conquering of the southwestern United States for assimilation back into Mexico.”*

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.”