News (Noticias) Tagged ‘Luis Gutierrez’

He stated that while top Latino leaders such as New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, former Clinton Transportation Secretary Federico Peña and U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., have direct access to Obama, “that is very different than BEING in the inner circle of the Obama campaign.”

”My experience with how the Obama campaign handled the delegate vote on June 1 in Puerto Rico was disastrous,” Ferre wrote. “The principal decision makers, operatives and advertisements were all made in or through Chicago. The result is that [Sen. Hillary] Clinton got almost 70 percent of the vote in Puerto Rico.””*

Democratic Hispanic lawmakers lashed out at their own party Wednesday for planning hearings on immigration enforcement legislation and “piecemeal” visa reform measures while ignoring broader reforms.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, a leader on immigration issues, said that Democrats were “no better than the Republican majority” if they didn’t offer a solution for all immigrants, including those in the United States illegally.

He said that millions of immigrants and their supporters didn’t stage giant marches in 2006 “for a handful of visas.””*

Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) presents “The Question is Known: (W)here is Latin American/Latino Art?” in the MCCLA gallery, 2868 Mission St, San Francisco, April 18-May 24, 2008. Opening reception Friday, April 18, 7-10pm ($5). “The Question is Known” includes works by 30 Latino/Latin American artists as well as non-Latinos. Curator Anthony Torres writes that the exhibition “is concerned with making what should be a simple and obvious statement — that Latino artists and art practices are diverse.” A related symposium takes place Saturday, April 19, 10am-3:30pm at San Francisco Art Institute (800 Chestnut St., San Francisco).

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 7, 2008 — Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) presents “The Question is Known: (W)here is Latin American/Latino Art?” The exhibition, curated by Anthony Torres, features thirty artists whose works reflect a vast range of aesthetic and conceptual frameworks and material approaches. “The Question is Known: (W)here is Latin American/Latino Art?” is on view at Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 2868 Mission Street (near 24th), San Francisco, April 18-May 24, 2008. The gallery is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (daily admission $2). For more information, call (415) 821-1155, or visit www.MissionCulturalCenter.org.

The exhibition premieres with an opening reception on Friday, April 18, 7-10 p.m. ($5). To augment the exhibition, MCCLA has teamed with the Graduate Program of San Francisco Art Institute to present a free symposium on Saturday, April 19, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at SFAI (800 Chestnut St., San Francisco, www.sfai.edu/questionisknown), exploring various aspects of current approaches to Latin American/Latino art practice.

“The Question is Known” (the title was inspired by lyrics from a Jimi Hendrix song) includes works from private and public collections by artists from the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, and includes Latino/Latin American artists as well as non-Latinos for whom Latino/Caribbean art and culture have been sources of inspiration in their work. In an accompanying brochure, curator Anthony Torres writes that “The Question is Known” “is concerned with making what should be a simple and obvious statement — that Latino artists and art practices are diverse.”

On view are works by Vicente Antonorsi, Adrián Arias, José Bedia, Claudia Bernardi, Luis Camnitzer, Victor Cartagena, Rolando Castellón, Enrique Chagoya, Ana de la Cueva, Lewis deSoto, Miguel Farias, Juan Fuentes, Rupert Garcia, Manuel A. Gomez, Matt Gonzalez, Luis Gutierrez, Sylvia Ji, Rob Keller, Geraldine Lozano, Manuel Lucero, James Luna, Manuel Neri, Bernardo Roman Palau, Liliana Porter, Gustavo Ramos Rivera, Clare Rojas, Claudio Roncoli, Raymond Saunders, Robin Savinar, and Nahum Zenil.

MCCLA Executive Director Jennie E. Rodríguez says, “For thirty years, Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts has presented exhibitions and programs that highlight the richness and diversity of Latino visual arts and cultural expression, and this exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for us to expand on this tradition.”

MCCLA Gallery Coordinator Patricia Rodríguez says, “In my seven years at MCCLA, I have coordinated and curated exhibitions that primarily focus on Latino artists from the Bay Area and throughout California, and have seen audience participation grow. This is a historic exhibition in the 30-year history of MCCLA, with the participation of national and international artists and important galleries and museums, and we hope it will add further audience support for our gallery, classes and programs.”

Through the works selected for “The Question is Known,” explains Torres, the exhibition “aims to interrogate the significance of ‘Latin American/Latino Art’ by problematizing, reformulating, and re-presenting ‘Latin American/Latino Art’ as an intellectual fabrication that is often ‘essentialized’ as a unitary subject or category.”

The exhibition explores Latin American/Latino art as “a historically contingent ideological construct that is not ‘natural’ or given,” Torres continues, “but rather a hybrid of cultural creations that are fluid and mobile, established by contact, conflict, experience, sympathetic issue identification, and fantasy constructions, often constituted as living sources of inspiration, articulated through iconography, formal vocabularies, and personal associations.” The exhibition is thus “concerned with positing ‘Latino art’ as an ambiguous area of inquiry that raises issues, poses questions, and interrogates curatorial perspectives and institutional politics.”"*

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

ECATEPEC, MEXICO — Jose Luis Gutierrez is the mayor of the biggest city in Mexico you’ve never heard of, a sprawling suburb of Mexico City built by people on the move.

And the charismatic Gutierrez has done something almost as unheard of: He has declared this city of as many as 3 million people a “sanctuary” for the illegal immigrants from Central America who pass through here each day.

He has ordered his police officers and city officials not to arrest, extort or otherwise harass the migrants. He’s also ordered them not to cooperate with Mexican immigration agents.”*

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

The debate over how to deal with illegal immigrants split the Republican Party two years ago, infuriating its social-conservative base and driving away Hispanic voters. It could be even more perilous for Democrats.

Democratic strategists believe that Hispanic voters could swing a decisive handful of states — including Florida, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada — to the Democrats in 2008, ensuring the election of a Democratic president and cementing a Democratic majority for years to come. But the party’s blue-collar, middle-income and African-American supporters are increasingly angry about illegal immigration, much of it Hispanic.

Democrats “are pretty jumpy on the issue,” says Rep. Luis Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat who pushed for immigration overhaul in the House. “They would prefer to allow the Republicans to shepherd the Hispanic votes into the Democratic column without having to scare away a single oth”*

Washington, DC - In the elections this past Tuesday, immigration emerged as a prominent issue in the closely-watched Virginia state and local races. It also showed up late in the New York elections. Meanwhile, in the U.S. House of Representatives, freshman Congressman and former football player Heath Shuler (D-NC) introduced an enforcement-only bill (HR 4088) alongside such anti-immigrant stalwarts as Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) and Brian Bilbray (R-CA). The following is a statement by Frank Sharry, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum, a non-partisan pro-immigrant advocacy group in Washington, DC.

As the saying goes, the only polls that matter are on Election Day. Forgive us. We are biting our tongue. We want to scream “We told you so!!!” But we are above that. We will refrain from such childish triumphalism and seek to educate.

Let’s Review

Immigration is an issue that is relatively new to most in the political class, and as a result is often misunderstood as both a policy issue and a political issue. Just as in the lead up to the 2006 mid-terms, the pre-election conventional wisdom this year held that illegal immigration had arrived as a potent new Republican wedge issue. It goes something like this: “Watch out. This issue has legs and it will swing elections. The polls couldn’t be clearer. People are angry about this issue. Candidates, especially those who run on the issue, say illegal immigration is all they hear about on the campaign trail.”

But what about 2006 we ask? You told us it would work then and it didn’t. In fact, in the first election in which immigration became a major issue across the country, the results were indisputable: in race after race the centrist reformer beat the hard liner. (See the Forum’s analysis of the 2006 races, Nov. 8, 2006.)

Perhaps, but that was then and this is now comes the response. In 2006 the pop of this issue was overwhelmed by the prominence and power of other issues. Now that illegal immigration is front and center, from Virginia to New York, you guys are in for a rude awakening.

Thanks for sharing, we reply. But we stand by our prediction: voters want measured leadership, not gotcha politics; yes, the issue has legs, but the hard-liners don’t; voters are not so much anti-immigrant as they are anti-inaction.

The cognoscenti smile and dismiss our views as the wishful thinking of those with an axe to grind.

Results Don’t Lie

So, now that the results are in, perhaps we can shift from predictions to analysis.

In Virginia, the November 7th front page Washington Post headline said it all: “In the Ballot Booths, No Fixation on Immigration.” Democrats continued their winning streak in this once-red, now-purple state by taking the State Senate and gaining in the House of Delegates. Combined with the recent wins of Governor Tim Kaine, Senator James Webb, and the ascendancy of Senate candidate Mark Warner, Democrats are on a roll.

How did Democrats dodge the immigration bullet in Virginia? By emphasizing sensible leadership and practical solutions on the priorities of the voters, including illegal immigration, over the heated rhetoric and polarizing politics of many Republican candidates. Democratic candidates acknowledged the importance of illegal immigration and promised measured action. Perhaps the leading example is the Fairfax Country Board Chairman Gerry Connolly (who won re-election against immigration hawk John Blaise by a 2-1 margin). He promised to deal with problems associated with immigration based on behavior, not immigration status, and he denounced the demagoguery of Republicans, including his opponent.

According to the Post’s columnist Marc Fisher, who follows Virginia politics closely, many Republicans now get that they relied too heavily on immigration as an issue. On November 8th, he wrote:

The one point on which moderates and conservatives seem to agree is that their party overplayed the illegal immigration issue. “They went for a magic bullet with immigration, and it didn’t work,” says a conservative strategist who doesn’t want his name used because his clients don’t agree that immigration is a losing issue. Prince William County board Chairman Corey Stewart [the leading proponent of harsh policies aimed at making the country inhospitable to undocumented immigrants], the strategist says, “won last year as the anti-tax and anti-growth candidate, and he ended up in the same place this year. He pushed hard on immigration, but it didn’t move his numbers” in his reelection victory Tuesday. Moderates say harsh rhetoric on immigration repelled independent voters. Northern Virginians “know this crackdown on illegal immigration was posturing,” Potts says [Sen. Russ Potts is a moderate Republican from Winchester, VA]. “The only entity in the world that could solve that problem is the federal government.”

But what about New York? Didn’t the botched roll-out and public outcry over Governor Spitzer’s ill-timed drivers’ license proposal doom the Democrats up for election on Tuesday? Well, the November 7th New York Times headline read: “New York Democrats Say License Issue Had Little Effect.” According to someone who should know, June O’Neill, the chairwoman of the state Democratic Party, “it’s clear that all politics really are local and that the pundits really missed the mark on this one. For weeks, all we’ve heard was that driver’s licenses would be a key issue in these races. That just didn’t come to pass.”

As Mort Kondracke, a long-time observer of the immigration debate wrote in Wednesday’s Roll Call, “American voters this year have rejected a nativist approach to illegal immigration. It ought to be a warning to Republicans: Don’t make this your 2008 wedge issue. Election results on Tuesday, especially in Virginia and New York state, also should encourage nervous Democrats that they can support comprehensive immigration reform - stronger enforcement plus earned legalization - and prevail.” (”Despite Danger, GOP Tees Up Immigration as 2008 Wedge Issue,” Nov. 8, 2007.)

Will House Democrats Learn From Virginia Democrats, or Not?

So, let’s see if we can be heard now that illegal immigration issue was once again tried just about everywhere, and once again failed just about everywhere. Why do polls show voters angry and frustrated with this issue, but seem reluctant to give their votes to the hardliners with the toughest rhetoric, the meanest mailers, and the punchiest slogans? Because despite the visibility of a loud but not large cadre of mobilized extremists, most of those voters upset with the illegal immigration issue want leadership aimed at solving the problem, not political grandstanding aimed at inflaming tensions. And the partisan gap on what E.J. Dionne calls “solutionism” is getting bigger by the day. (”Democrats Hone The Brand,” Washington Post, Nov. 9, 2007.)

What can we learn from the way illegal immigration is playing in elections when it comes to the Democratic Party and in particular the House of Representatives as it heads into an important election year? This is the People’s House, and in 2006 the people fired the Republicans for playing games rather than solving problems. They hired the Democrats to give them a chance. How are they doing on the vexing challenge of illegal immigration?

Speaker Pelosi deserves very high marks. Earlier this year she rightly called on the Senate to move on comprehensive immigration reform first (the Senate had approved a version of comprehensive reform in 2006, and taking it up first would provide needed momentum to move it in the House). She regularly and loudly called for action on this pressing priority. She and those members who are immigration experts were clearly disappointed when in June of this year Republican opposition killed a Senate bill designed to win Republican support, thereby dooming comprehensive immigration reform as we have known it for this Congress.

But the voters want action, and the issue won’t go away. What now? The House Democratic leadership seems divided. Some want to move targeted measures, while some are interested in a reformulated broader approach. Still others seem tempted to move towards an enforcement-only approach favored by most Republicans.

Enter Heath Shuler, Freshman Democrat from the red state of North Carolina. Coming from a state that has experienced the largest percentage increase in illegal workers, one can understand that he wants to take on this issue and be seen as a leader. Introducing a bill and sending out a press release locally is standard fare for members in their first term. But he is not alone. He has been joined by more than 40 Democratic co-sponsors and a similar number of Republican co-sponsors

At first blush, and as policy, the Shuler proposal may sound reasonable to those relatively new to the immigration issue. His enforcement-only bill would get tougher on the border, facilitate the apprehension and deportation of those in the U.S. illegally, and institute a full-blown employer verification and sanctions regime aimed at preventing the hiring and employment of illegal workers. After all, don’t we need enhanced enforcement to get control of the borders and reduce illegal immigration? And what’s wrong with doing “enforcement first” so we gain the confidence of the American people who are skeptical about our resolve to curtail illegal immigration?

In reality, while the Shuler proposal may sound reasonable, if enacted as proposed, it would be anything but. Let’s recall that we have 12 million undocumented immigrants living and working in the U.S. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, most have lived in the U.S. for more than five years, most work in multiple jobs, and most live in family units comprised of citizens, permanent residents, and undocumented immigrants. The undocumented comprise 1 out of 20 workers in the U.S. and are overrepresented in agriculture, landscaping, construction, and hospitality. The effect of an enforcement-only bill along the lines of Shuler’s would be as follows: some undocumented immigrants would leave the country, but the vast majority would stay even as they are driven further into the shadows; unscrupulous employers and cutthroat sub-contractors would have a bigger pool of even easier-to-exploit workers; and decent employers intent on paying decent wages and growing their businesses would be further undermined by bottom-feeder employers. As a result, American low-wage workers would be worse off, law-abiding employers would be worse off, immigrant families would be worse off, and the currently dysfunctional immigration system would be worse off.

But what about the politics? If voters are upset about illegal immigration and want something done, shouldn’t Democrats take the lead and propose measured solutions? And isn’t enforcement a critical component of fixing the broken system? Yes, and yes!!! As part of a broader bill that reboots the system and legally registers the current undocumented through an earned legalization program, many of Shuler’s proposals could work. In fact, his bill seems to be based on legislation written by the likes of Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA). Gutierrez rightly sized up the Shuler bill when he said this: “It looked like he grabbed my STRIVE bill [the comprehensive immigration reform proposal introduced by Gutierrez and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) earlier this year], took all the enforcement parts of it and forgot to turn the page. It’s a book he didn’t finish reading.” (CQ Politics, “Divisive Border Bill Faces Tough Road,” Nov. 9, 2007.)

Without the legalization component, Shuler’s bill hops on one foot. Worse, it hops right over the political cliff. As Gutierrez himself said, “we might as well put the Republicans in charge.”

How so? The Shuler bill as proposed is closer to the punitive Sensenbrenner bill that passed the Republican-controlled House in December 2005 (HR 4437) than the comprehensive reform proposals favored by most Democrats. And the Sensenbrenner bill was the infamous measure that led Latino immigrants and their allies to take to the streets in the largest protests in recent American history. It is hard to imagine how the headline “Democrats for Sensenbrenner-lite” does anything but turn off Latino immigrants, the fastest growing group of new voters in the nation.

The fact that the bill is co-sponsored by the likes of Tom Tancredo (R-CO) and Brian Bilbray (R-CA) only makes matters worse. Tancredo, and not Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) or President Bush, is now the face of the GOP when it comes to immigration, especially in the Latino community. As a Presidential candidate, he sure gets a lot of attention in the Spanish language press. He calls Miami a “third world country,” repeatedly demands the arrest and deportation of Latino kids without status who have won honors in high school and want to go to college, and rails against the “invasion” by those from south of the border. Bilbray has his own baggage. Before returning to Congress, Bilbray was a lobbyist for the militant anti-immigrant group FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform), and now chairs the equally controversial House Immigration Reform Caucus founded by Tancredo, a collection of mostly Republican Congressional Representatives who have been driving the nativist agenda in the House.

Shuler’s foray could turn out to be something of a political disaster for Democrats in 2008. It could enhance the chances of an enforcement-only bill actually being approved in the House in 2008, a move that would be very unpopular with the growing number of Latino voters in key swing states such as Florida, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. Isn’t it supposed to be Republicans that are sweating bullets about the Latino vote and the potential for a historic realignment of the electoral map? This is what Michael Gerson, former speechwriter to George W. Bush, had to say in a recent Washington Post column:

I have never seen an issue [immigration] where the short-term interests of Republican presidential candidates in the primaries were more starkly at odds with the long-term interests of the party itself. At least five swing states that Bush carried in 2004 are rich in Hispanic voters — Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado and Florida. Bush won Nevada by just over 20,000 votes. A substantial shift of Hispanic voters toward the Democrats in these states could make the national political map unwinnable for Republicans … Some in the party seem pleased. They should be terrified.

No wonder Brian Bilbray rushed to join Heath Shuler in the press conference announcing the bill.

Hold Back, or Lean Forward?

So, what should the Democratic leadership do? Here’s our recommendation: Learn from recent elections. Go on offense, propose measured solutions, and unite behind policies that will actually have a chance of working. Be tough and smart. Be for carrots and sticks. Be for targeted enforcement at the border and in the workplace and for earned legalization. Be for ending illegal immigration as we know it. Recognize that the only way to make a system to prevent illegal hiring really work is to make verification and sanctions work and simultaneously provide a path to legal status for the current undocumented in the workforce. Don’t drive workers further underground, bring them out of the shadows so they are known to the government, in the U.S. legally, and able to stand up for their labor rights alongside American workers. Be for enforcement plus legalization, not enforcement-only.

This approach is good politics and good policy. It appeals to those voters who want a tough crackdown and voters who want a humane approach to those here illegally. Beyond the hotheads, most voters want a practical solution that will work. They want employers to be held to account, the border to be controlled, and the immigrants in the country to be legal. They want taxes paid, laws respected, and workers protected. If Democrats unite behind such a strategy, they can stand for what voters want and do so in a way that replicates the winning strategies of recent elections. If they don’t, they could end up being me-too Republicans in more ways than one.

“*

“With the 2008 presidential election still more than a year away, 15 out of 22 Democratic Latino members in the House have picked their candidates. Of the two Democratic senators, only Robert Menendez of New Jersey has stated his selection, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

Clinton has also garnered support of seven Hispanic House members, four of them women. Three of the latter are from California and one from New York.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is backed by three House veterans, two from Texas and one from Arizona. Also with Hispanic endorsers are Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd (two), former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards (two) and Sen. Barack Obama, who is supported by a fellow legislator from Illinois, Luis Gutierrez.”*

“The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) celebrates 30 years of serving Latino youth with its 30th Annual Gala on Wednesday, October 3, 2007. This year’s theme is Hispanic America: A Legacy of Honor and commemorates the vast contributions Latinos have made and continue to make in building this country.

With 40 Members of Congress in attendance, an unprecedented number, Latino leaders unite to honor Hispanic veterans. This year’s Chairman’s Award, selected by CHCI Chairman, Hon. Joe Baca (CA-43), will honor all Hispanic veterans who have served our country and pay tribute to three of five living Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients who will be present.

Congressman Luis Gutierrez and Monica Lozano will be presented with the Medallion of Excellence for Leadership and Community Service Awards. Gutierrez is an eight-term Member of Congress from Illinois and a tireless leader championing the causes of the Latino and immigrant communities across the nation. Lozano is a powerhouse in the media industry, leading the most widely read Spanish language newspaper in the United States, La Opinion, and using her influence to inform millions of Latinos about critical issues such as immigration, health care and education.

The event will be emceed by Ali Landry, an actress and Miss USA 1996, with entertainment provided by legendary salsero Willie Colon, who celebrates his 40th year in the music business. Gala Host Astrazeneca joins in supporting CHCI’s leadership development programs for Hispanic youth, along with Premiere Sponsors Bank of America and Comcast Corporation.

For press credentials, please contact: Scott Gunderson Rosa at 202-548- 5876 or via email at sgunderson_rosa@chci.org.

About Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization, provides leadership development programs and educational services to students and young emerging leaders. The CHCI Board of Directors is comprised of Hispanic Members of Congress, nonprofit leaders and corporate executives. For more information call CHCI at (202) 340-7073 or visit www.chci.org.
Website: www.chci.org/
“

“Azteca America, the fastest-growing Hispanic television network in the United States, is proud to announce the launch of “Issues: Caras y Voces,” a political forum hosted by veteran Latino journalist Armando Guzman. The weekly forum will begin airing October 1 and continue every Monday during the national newscast of Noticiero Azteca America at 6:30 pm EST and PST/ 5:30 pm CST and 11:00 pm EST and PST / 10:00 pm CST. The forum will also be transmitted on broadcast television in Mexico through Proyecto 40.

The broadcast premiere will feature Governor Bill Richardson, the first Latino Democratic presidential candidate with real possibilities of being part of the Democratic ticket in 2008. His public service history includes US Congressman, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of Energy and currently Governor of New Mexico.

“The birth of this forum is the result of a dialog with bipartisan members of Congress, who expressed the need for our Latino communities to have issues in Washington communicated in simple, straightforward language through a broadcast television network in both the United States and Mexico,” said Luis J. Echarte, Chairman of Azteca America.

The focus of the segment is the projection and analysis of top leaders that impact the Hispanic community through one-on-one interviews, which will be conducted by Armando Guzman. Covering the White House and the Capitol for almost two decades, Mr. Guzman is one of the most veteran and respected correspondents in Washington.

During ten years as senior anchor and producer of the weekly political news program “Temas y Debates,” Mr. Guzman interviewed numerous heads of state and U.S. political figures. He has interviewed the last four U.S. presidents and vice presidents, as well as world figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and countless Latin American presidents.

As a war correspondent, he was the first Latino journalist to ever broadcast from the USS Air Carrier Theodore Roosevelt during the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.

He has been recognized by numerous organizations for his journalistic contributions, including the Edward R. Murrow award in 1996 and the “Premio Nacional de Periodismo,” Mexico’s National Journalism Award, for his coverage of the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Mr. Guzman will also be moderating an immigration forum as part of the activities of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute on October 2. The Plenary Session is titled “Achieving Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Where Do We Go From Here?” and will include participation by Congressman Luis Gutierrez.

About Azteca America

Azteca America is the fastest-growing Hispanic network in the United States. The network is a wholly owned subsidiary of TV Azteca S.A. de C.V., one of the two largest producers of Spanish-language television content in the world. Azteca America currently has presence in 60 Hispanic markets, including: Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, San Antonio, San Francisco, Phoenix, Brownsville-McAllen, Sacramento, Albuquerque, Fresno, San Diego, Denver, El Paso, Orlando, Philadelphia, Tampa, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Austin, Las Vegas, Boston, Tucson, Corpus Christi, West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, Seattle, Bakersfield, Hartford-New Haven, Portland, Salt Lake City, Monterey-Salinas, Laredo, Yuma, Ft. Myers-Naples, Palm Springs, Raleigh-Durham, Odessa, Colorado Springs, Milwaukee, Santa Barbara, Lubbock, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Reno, Greenville-Spartanburg, New Orleans, Omaha, Tulsa, Boise, Abilene, Chico, Toledo, Chattanooga, Victoria, Twin Falls, Charleston and Sherman.

www.aztecaamerica.com/corporate Azteca America is a Grupo Salinas Company. Visit: www.gruposalinas.com Grupo Salinas Media Contact: Daniel McCosh 011 (5255) 1720-0059 dmccosh@gruposalinas.com
Website: www.aztecaamerica.com/
“

“The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) today announced details of its 2007 Public Policy Conference, part of its 30th Anniversary Hispanic Heritage Month events. Hispanic Members of Congress and prominent Latino experts and national leaders will participate in more than 30 separate events taking place on September 30 - October 3, 2007, at the Washington DC, Convention Center, under the theme Hispanic America: A Legacy of Honor.

“This year we honor the accomplishments and contributions of Latinos to the fabric of our nation,” said Congressman Joe Baca (CA-43), CHCI Chairman. “Latinos have a rich history in this country and America’s future legacy will be greatly affected by the success and achievements of the growing Latino community.”

Members of Congress will lead discussions on various issues of importance to Latinos, including summits and plenary sessions on education, business, civil rights, health, housing, immigration, labor and technology. The following is the Summit schedule:

Monday, October 1, 2007 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Banking & Finance - Cong. Loretta Sanchez (CA)
Corporate America - Cong. Joe Baca (CA)
Education A - Cong. Ruben Hinojosa (TX)
Health A - Cong. Hilda Solis (CA)
Mental Health - Cong. Grace Napolitano (CA)
Workforce - Cong. Ed Pastor (AZ)

Tuesday, October 2, 2007 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Civil Rights - Cong. Charles Gonzalez (TX)
Econ. Dev. & Housing - Cong. Albio Sires (NJ)
Education B - Cong. Ruben Hinojosa (TX)
International Relations - Cong. Henry Cuellar (TX)
Technology - Cong. Joe Baca (CA)
Veterans - Cong. Ciro Rodriguez (TX)

U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (NJ) and Ken Salazar (CO) headline the Opening Lunch on October 1. Other key events that day include a Labor Breakfast honoring Linda Chavez-Thompson, the Opening Plenary honoring Latina women in Congress, and a General Session on education with Cong. Baca and Hinojosa. Monday evening features a special performance by the East LA Classic Theater.

Tuesday’s highlights include the Closing Plenary on immigration with Cong. Luis Gutierrez (IL), a Salute to Veterans with Cong. Solomon Ortiz (TX) Silvestre Reyes (TX), John Salazar (CO) and others, and the Latina Leaders Celebration with Cong. Hilda Solis and honoring several prominent Latinas, including America Ferrera of ABC’s hit series Ugly Betty and Gloria Molina, LA County Supervisor.

CHCI’s Hispanic Heritage Month Events also include Reyes of Comedy night, featuring Carlos Mencia on Tuesday evening, and the Presidential Candidates Forum and 30th Annual Gala on Wednesday, October 3, 2007.

The 2007 Public Policy Conference is proudly hosted by Citigroup and benefits CHCI’s nationally recognized youth leadership development programs. For a complete agenda and more information, please go to www.chci.org, or call 202-543-1771.
Website:

“Today in Washington, in Room 2141 of the Rayburn Building, the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law held a hearing on the STRIVE Act ”” a bipartisan immigration reform legislation introduced earlier this year by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL).

To many who have been involved from the onset to push Congress to adopt just and fair immigration reform measures, these hearings and what they result in is the Final Curtain call for the issue before it’s mothballed until after the Presidential election.”

“Open congressional seats are like invitations to A-list dinner parties. Everyone angles to sup at the table.

Luis “El Gallito The Little Fighting Rooster” Gutierrez says he is battle-worn. He has declared he wont run for re-election to his 4th Congressional District seat in 2008. While his plans are viewed skeptically by many, potential successors have been popping up out of the woodwork. Heres just a few: Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado, Aldermen Danny Solis 25th and Manny Flores 1st, and state Representatives Susana Mendoza and George Cardenas, and my personal favorite, 22nd Ward Ald. Ricardo Munoz.”

“Most members of Congress focus their tenures on two or three big issues, but for Rep. Luis Gutierrez, for 14 years there has been only one.

Now, as he prepares to retire after eight terms and dozens of failed attempts to even tweak Americas immigration laws, the Chicago Democrat finally finds himself tantalizingly close to a career-capping victory — or to the sort of disappointment that can only come from chasing a dream and falling short.”

“Hon. Luis Gutierrez (IL-4) will join The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), the nation’s premier Hispanic youth leadership development and educational organization, at its Community Housing Fair at the Rauner Family YMCA in Chicago, IL, Saturday, April 28th, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Attendees will have the chance to learn — in English and in Spanish — about opportunities to purchase their first home, avoid predatory lenders and prevent mortgage foreclosure. The family-oriented fair is a product of CHCI’s HOGAR program, a
housing initiative that seeks to ensure that Latinos share equally in the American dream of homeownership.

Members of the press are asked to contact CHCI’s press office in advance. Who: Hon. Luis Gutierrez (CA-31) The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Neighborworks of Chicago Spanish Coalition for Housing When: Saturday, April 28, 2007, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Where: Rauner Family YMCA, 2700 South Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60608

Spanish for “home,” HOGAR has three complementary components: 1) a fellowship program which develops Latino leaders in the housing and finance fields; 2) community housing events that both increase financial literacy and improve consumer understanding about the mortgage process; and 3) research and policy analyses that address homeownership barriers Latinos face and the opportunities that exist for them to become homeowners.

About Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), a nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization, provides leadership development programs and educational services to students and young emerging leaders. The CHCI Board of Directors is comprised of Hispanic Members of Congress, nonprofit leaders and corporate executives. For more information call CHCI at (202) 543-1771 or visit www.chci.org/. “

“When Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., introduced what could be a landmark immigration bill, he said a few words about the legislation in English. Then, he became more passionate in another tongue.

Reflecting a growing trend on Capitol Hill, Gutierrez spoke in Spanish about the 90-day window of opportunity for the bill and urged the Hispanic community to get involved.”

“The National Council of La Raza NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today joined with national faith, labor, and immigration advocacy organizations to urge congressional action on immigration and to use the “Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007” STRIVE Act, introduced last month by Rep. Jeff Flake R-AZ and Rep. Luis Gutierrez D-IL, as a starting point.

“We are confident that the “STRIVE Act’ incorporates all the elements necessary for real comprehensive immigration reform,” stated Janet Murguí, NCLR President and CEO. The “STRIVE Act” includes major fixes to our current broken immigration system – a path to permanent residency for the vast majority of the 12 million undocumented immigrants; a reduction in family immigration backlogs; and a new worker visa program so that future workers can arrive legally, have the freedom to change employers, and have the possibility of applying for more permanent legal status if they choose to remain in the U.S.

While we recognize that the bill is not perfect and we intend to seek improvements, the “STRIVE Act’ gives us the best chance at passing legislation in 2007. We support this bill and urge swift and immediate congressional action,” concluded Murguí.”

“The Board of Directors of The Latino Coalition announced today that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be a keynote speaker at the 2007 Small Business Economic Summit to be held at the Four Season’s Hotel in Washington, D.C. on May 1-2, 2007.

“We are honored that Mayor Giuliani will address Latino business and community leaders from across the country at this summit,” said TLC Chairman Hector Barreto. “As Mayor, Rudy Giuliani received strong support among Latinos due to his leadership in growing the economy in New York City and resurrecting the inner city neighborhoods where many Latino families reside. Sharing his ideas about the future with the attendees in a town-hall format will help open up a serious national discussion on the issues affecting Latinos in our overall economy.”

Also, Angela Braly, the incoming President and CEO of Wellpoint, Inc., the nation’s largest health insurance company, confirmed her address to this economic summit. “The uninsured levels among U.S. Latinos are three times higher than the rest of the population, making this one of the most important issues affecting our community,” said TLC President Robert Deposada. “Having the nation’s largest health insurance company participate in a town-hall meeting format will help our members and attendees understand the problems with the system and share potential solutions to this crisis.”

Addressing the issue of comprehensive immigration reform is one of the top priorities of the Latino business community. Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), a leader in Congress on this critical issue, has also confirmed his participation. “Representative Gutierrez has been one of the most responsible and common-sense voices in Congress seeking immigration reform,” Deposada added. “Luis has pushed aside partisan extremists in order to seek common ground and legislative language that can pass Congress and be signed by the President, in order to help solve this crisis. We are very excited to count on his participation.”

Giuliani is the first of several of the major presidential candidates who are expected to address this conference. Other invited guests to the Summit include President George W. Bush, U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barrack Obama, and Governor Bill Richardson, among other corporate leaders and elected and appointed officials.

Contact: Martha Lozada, 202-546-0008

Latino Coalition”

“WHAT:

Following Congressmen Luis Gutierrez D-IL and Congressman Jeff Flake’s R-AZ bipartisan introduction of a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the House, advocates will jam the phone lines in Congress as part of a national call-in day on March 28 and 29. The Fair Immigration Reform Movement along with the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform are inviting families, workers, students, faith leaders, business leaders, immigrant rights groups and communities across the country to become a part of the movement for immigrant rights.

LULAC is working in coordination with the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform CCIR, a national campaign to get legislation enacted this year. The unprecedented campaign brings together faith-based and labor organizations, state, local, and national advocates, and immigrant families and workers themselves to remind our elected representatives in Washington that passing comprehensive immigration reform this year is a priority, no matter what state or congressional district they represent.

If you have not done so already, we also welcome you sign the One Million Voices United Petition. Or you can visit the website directly at: www.onemillionvoicesunited.org/

The time is NOW for comprehensive immigration reform in this country. This call-in day is part of a national coordinated campaign of actions to push for fair and humane comprehensive reform
WHEN:

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 and Thursday, March 29, 2007
HOW:

Connect to the office of your Congress member. Once connected, tell your Representative that the country needs workable immigration reform now.
WHO: Fair Immigration Reform Movement FIRM and the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform CCIR”

“There is a new proposal in Congress to address Americas illegal resident/immigration situation, one that approaches this problem in a multi-faceted manner and proposes what appears to be a potentially workable plan. Two House members, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., say they are optimistic their measure, introduced last Thursday in the House, will eventually win congressional approval. That, of course, remains to be seen, but lawmakers must realize by now that the longer they delay in addressing this problem, the more serious and unworkable it becomes.

Considering there are an estimated 12 million to 20 million people, the majority of them Hispanic, living illegally in the United States, the government has two options: Congress can either continue to ignore the problem, or it can start to work now to solve what many consider to be Americas most vexing issue. To do that, lawmakers must acknowledge one immutable fact: This problems genesis is decades old, and there are too many illegal residents in the United States for eviction to be a workable solution.”

“The National Council of La Raza NCLR, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S., today applauded Representatives Luis Gutierrez D-IL and Jeff Flake R-AZ for taking a bold step forward and introducing the bipartisan “Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007” STRIVE Act. The bill was introduced today at a news conference on Capitol Hill.

“This is an important step forward on the road to comprehensive immigration reform,” stated Janet Murguí, NCLR President and CEO. “The time is now for Congress to act, and we are heartened by the number of legislators on both sides of the aisle deeply committed to producing a realistic solution to our immigration problems.”

The “STRIVE Act” includes key elements necessary to fix the broken immigration system: a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, a new worker visa program so that future immigrants can arrive legally, a reduction in family immigration backlogs which allows American families to unite in a reasonable time period, and smart enforcement mechanisms to ensure that the new system remains viable.

“Enforcement-only tactics such as anti-immigrant local ordinances and worksite raids have done nothing to curb undocumented immigration, but they have hurt local economies and caused suffering for American families,” continued Murguí. “Only a comprehensive approach like the “STRIVE Act’ provides the right framework for a truly workable and effective solution.”

“We know this is not a perfect bill and that the devil is in the details, but NCLR and its coalition partners will work hard to ensure that any bill that becomes law is workable, fully protects all workers, and guarantees the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans,” noted Murguí.

“All in all, we believe that the introduction of the “STRIVE Act’ marks the beginning of a process which will result in signed legislation this year. This bill can result in good public policy for all Americans who are hungry for a real solution to a system in crisis,” concluded Murguí.”

“Two important members of the U.S. House of Representatives are proposing that illegal immigrants must leave the United States and re-enter legally before becoming eligible for permanent U.S. residency.

The proposal by Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Jeff Flake is intended to appease both critics who say granting legal status is amnesty, and immigration supporters who do not want an estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants deported.”