News (Noticias) Tagged ‘Montgomery County’

Latinos have emerged as the fastest-growing population group in Montgomery County, and more needs to be done to boost their health and well-being, including improving access to medical care and expanding transportation and bilingual services, a new report says.

The report noted that the best estimates, from 2005, suggest that more than 50 percent of Latinos in the county are uninsured, and about half do not have a primary-care doctor. Among Latinos who had not seen a doctor in the past year, the primary reason was the high cost of care. “*

The 27-year-old daughter of a Salvadoran shopkeeper slain last month in Silver Spring pleaded yesterday for the public’s help solving the case, stressing that potential witnesses shouldn’t fear speaking to the police.

Jenny Villatoro, whose father was shot in an attempted robbery, emphasized that Montgomery County police do not ask about the immigration status of witnesses or victims.

She said her father, Jorge Villatoro, 50, befriended the Latino immigrants who shopped at the store, called Variedades Jenny. Many customers used the store’s wire transfer service to send cash home, she said.”*

The word pachanga means “party” in Spanish, and the atmosphere was certainly festive, with guests gathered under tents on the Carrillos’ verdant lawn and the smell of mint from the mojitos pervading the air. But for the Carrillos, there was another reason to invite people over on a Sunday afternoon for Cuban sandwiches and croquettes: the opportunity to make inroads in a community that is becoming economically powerful in the region. It was hard not to notice the event’s sponsor, Chevy Chase Bank, where Carrillo works as the director of Hispanic banking.

“These events are a great opportunity to reach out to the Hispanic community,” said Marta Brito Perez, who used to be the director of human relations for Montgomery County but now works for a Delaware-based drug company. “There is great economic potential, so understanding how to reach the community is a must.”"*

According to 2006 U.S. Census estimates, there were 8,756 Hispanic residents in Montgomery County and only 2,107 in the city of Dayton.

From April 2000 to July 2007, the Hispanic population increased by 66,632 in Ohio. Hispanics still only count for 2.5 percent of the state population.

“Stores like Meijer, they don’t stock the stuff Spanish people want,” said Jesus Sotelo, who runs La Favorita Supermercado with his wife Adrianna. “Plus we speak Spanish here; our customers feel more comfortable with that.”"*

“Mental Health America today released results from a national study of Latino parents to better understand parent-child communication about bullying, sexual orientation and prejudice. Despite the fact that nearly all Latino parents surveyed believe information on sexual orientation should come from parents, two-thirds have not started such conversations with their children. The findings coincide with the release of a new Spanish-language brochure, “Qué Significa Ser Gay?,” part of Mental Health America’s ongoing efforts to reduce bullying, particularly regarding sexual orientation. For details, visit mentalhealthamerica.net/go/surveys.

“Bullying and the use of gay slurs in schoolyards and communities are far too common in America,” said David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America. “It has serious effects on children’s self-esteem, schoolwork and overall development. Talking with children about sexual orientation may not be easy, but it will help them learn to better handle situations of bullying and to respect and value others.”

In 2005, nearly one-third of students reported being bullied at school during a 6-month period, according to the Department of Education. The Sex Information and Education Council of the United States found that perceived or actual sexual orientation and gender identification are two of the top three reasons youth in America are bullied. Young people who are bullied are at an increased risk of mental health problems such as anxiety disorders, depression and suicide. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth are at even greater risk. Studies on youth suicide rates and sexual orientation consistently show that LGBT youth are at least two times more likely than their same-sex peers to attempt suicide.

More prejudice about LGBT issues abounds in communities of color, and LGBT youth within these communities represent a “minority within a minority,” putting them at even greater risk of being bullied. In fact, LGBT students of color feel less safe at school than white LGBT students because of their race or ethnicity (16.6% versus 3.8%), according to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Almost a quarter of these students experience physical harassment due to their sexual orientation alone, and 13.2% due to both their sexual orientation and race or ethnicity.

“Young people of color who are bullied for sexual orientation or gender identification are not only at risk of bullying, assault and isolation, but they are at risk for problems such as depression, school failure and suicide,” said Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, M.D., Ph.D., board chair of Mental Health America. “All of these problems are preventable in part through improved parent-child communication.”

Key findings from the “What Does Gay Mean?: A Survey of Latino Parents’ Perspectives on Bullying, Sexual Orientation and Prejudice” include the following:

Key Findings: Parent-Child Communication

* Nearly all of Latino parents believe it is important that their children get information about sexual orientation directly from them (95%).
* Most Latino parents have not started conversations on sexual orientation (64%). Likewise, only a quarter of children initiate these conversations with their parents (26%).
* 70% feel somewhat, not very or not at all prepared to talk with their children about people who are gay.
* 63% feel it is important for parents to teach their children that it is wrong to treat other people differently because they are gay.
* If told by their child that a classmate was bullied for being gay, over one-third would talk with their child about the situation (35%), a third would teach their child how to handle the situation (34%) and about a quarter would discuss how they should treat the bullied child (23%).
* Age had an impact on how parents would handle a situation if their child told them a classmate was bullied because of sexual orientation. Parents aged 45 to 54 were significantly more likely than older or younger parents to talk with their kids about the situation and explain that bullying is wrong.

Key Findings: Impact of Bullying

* Nearly a quarter of Latino parents do not recognize that bullying of gay students happens at all (22%). Fifty-nine percent of parents recognized bullying of gay students happens in their child’s school: 17% say it happens occasionally, 15% feel it happens sometimes, 12% think it happens often and 15% say it happens all the time. Seventeen percent simply do not know if it happens.
* Over three-quarters of Latino parents feel it is harmful for children to tease each other for being gay - whether or not they are gay (76%).

About the Survey

“What Does Gay Mean?: A Survey of Latino Parents’ Perspectives on Bullying, Sexual Orientation and Prejudice” was conducted by International Communications Research, an independent research company. Interviews were conducted in English and/or Spanish between July 10 to July 23, 2007 among a representative sample of 503 Latino respondents age 18 and older with children 0-17-years-old. The margin of error for total respondents is +/- 4.37 at the 95% confidence level.

About the What Does Gay Mean? Initiative

Mental Health America’s What Does Gay Mean? initiative works to foster an environment of understanding and respect for all people. The initiative helps parents communicate with their children early and responsibly to reduce anti-gay prejudice and bullying and promote the mental wellness of LGBT youth. Mental Health America is working with its affiliates in New York City, North Carolina and Montgomery County, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C., to conduct programs with Latino parents in their communities as part of this initiative. This program is made possible by funding from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.

Visit mentalhealthamerica.net/go/surveys for the executive summary. “*

“Lawyer Leon Rodriguez, wearing an authentic guayaera, indicated the sights, sounds and smells at a recent party in a private home in Howard County.

“What you’re seeing here represents the dramatic economic and political growth of the Latino community in our region,” Rodriguez said proudly.

Rodriguez, a Cuban-American who is county attorney for Montgomery County, was one of about 100 elected officials, business people and bureaucrats gathered around the home’s swimming pool, enjoying Cuban salsa music, drinks, and food.”

“She has long had a passion for helping small businesses. Now, Isabel Regina Borkoski is about to hit her stride.

Borkoski is the new executive director of the 273-member Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Montgomery County.”

“At a primary care clinic in Montgomery County, Maryland, where I volunteer, the patients are uninsured immigrants from Latin America or West Africa. Many are day laborers, house cleaners, or construction workers; most do not speak English. Several months ago, I saw a middle-aged Hispanic baker with profound weakness, fatigue, limb swelling, and severe muscle pain, who had to be hospitalized for myxedema. Fortunately, a local charity agreed to pay most of her hospital costs, and shes now receiving thyroid hormone–replacement therapy ”” but with regular care, her hypothyroidism could have been diagnosed earlier and hospitalization averted. Another day, I tried to persuade a reticent West African man who had been tortured in prison that psychological counseling might help his chronic pain. However, mental health services for uninsured immigrants are sparse, and the man was reluctant to venture to a distant part of Washington, D.C., to a program for torture survivors. A third patient, a man in his 40s, came in with a nearly empty bottle of eyedrops, which he had brought from Ghana to take for glaucoma. The disease had already blinded him in one eye, and the vision in his other eye had been fluctuating. He needed a complete eye exam and visual-field testing, but arranging timely referrals to specialists is often difficult for caregivers treating the uninsured. I wrote him a prescription, and we managed to set up an appointment at a hospital-based ophthalmology clinic that accepts a limited number of uninsured patients.

For recent immigrants ”” especially the estimated 12 million who are here illegally ”” seeking health care often involves daunting encounters with a fragmented, bewildering, and hostile system. The reason most immigrants come here is to work and earn money; on average, they are younger and healthier than native-born Americans, and they tend to avoid going to the doctor. Many work for employers who dont offer health insurance, and they cant afford insurance premiums or medical care. They face language and cultural barriers, and many illegal immigrants fear that visiting a hospital or clinic may draw the attention of immigration officials. Although anti-immigrant sentiment is fueled by the belief that immigrants can obtain federal benefits, 1996 welfare-reform legislation greatly restricted immigrants access to programs such as Medicaid, shifting most health care responsibility to state and local governments. The law requires that immigrants wait 5 years after obtaining lawful permanent residency a “green card” to apply for federal benefits. In response, some states and localities ”” for instance, Illinois, New York, the District of Columbia, and certain California counties ”” have used their own funds to expand health insurance coverage even for undocumented immigrant children and pregnant women with low incomes. Other states, however, such as Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, and Virginia, have passed laws making it even more difficult for noncitizens to gain access to health services.”

“Montgomery County officials say a jump in the number of young Hispanic mothers is behind an overall increase in the countys teen birthrate. A report presented to county leaders on Thursday shows that overall births among women aged 15 to 19 in the county were up by 16 percent between 2002 and 2005, bucking a national and statewide trend. “

“Crawfordsville’s Hispanic community has a new resource in town ”” one that will provide translating services and referrals to other services in the county.

The Hispanic Center of Montgomery County, or Centro Hispano, has been in operation for almost three weeks at Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church, 307 S. Washington St. The center was founded by Claude Johnson seven years ago, but closed due to problems on the board of directors. Now, Rachel Myhre, a senior at Hanover College, has reopened the center as an internship and a resource to the Hispanic population.”

“Black and Hispanic students were suspended from school last year much more often than their white and Asian-American peers, continuing a disturbing trend that has not only been a problem in the county for years, but also mirrors a national quandary with no easy fix in sight.

Some educators say the curriculum needs to be tougher so students stay interested in classroom activities. Others say that some teachers ”” 78.4 percent of them are white, according to Montgomery County Public School statistics ”” are especially intimidated by black male students, have trouble connecting with them and are quicker to punish them.”

“On Saturday May 12 from Noon to 4 p.m. the City of Gaithersburg will host VIVAN LAS AMERICAS: Sabor Salud Salsa, a celebration of the heritage, culture and diversity of Montgomery County’s Hispanic community. It will be held at Bohrer Park, 506 South Frederick Avenue in Gaithersburg.

Organized by Through The Kitchen Door International with the support and participation of local government, area service providers and businesses, VIVAN LAS AMERICAS will feature cooking demonstrations, samples of typical foods from countries of the Americas, and activities promoting healthy families and communities.”

“Spanish-speaking residents in Montgomery County can now have a bit more involvement in the county’s operating budget process.

Officials will broadcast tonight’s public budget hearing on county cable TV with an option for viewers to select Spanish closed captioning.

County Council spokesman Neil Greenberger said the pilot program might seem like a small pursuit but it could start a much bigger effort countywide to involve the growing number of Hispanics.”

“Yesterday, Montgomery County school officials announced a pilot program tailored to the specific needs of students such as Lisama: recent immigrants who have had little formal education although they are reaching the age when most native-born Americans graduate from high school.

“Over there, people dont think school is a big deal,” Lisama said. “Even if people get their degree, theres no work.”

The program, Students Engaged in Pathways to Achievement, would begin this summer at Wheaton High School”

“Indiana’s Hispanic population has grown significantly in recent years. From 2000-02, there had been an increase of 19,277.

Montgomery County has also experienced an increase in the number of Hispanics opting to move to this area. This also means an increase in Hispanic students.”

“Washington Adventist Hospital and a District-based health center plan to open a primary care clinic for low-income and uninsured families, an unusual partnership geared toward the burgeoning Latino population in Takoma Park, Langley Park and southern Silver Spring.

The Montgomery County collaboration between the hospital and Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care is expected to serve 1,000 people in its first year.”

“Recursos para la Comunidad Hispanohablante Del Condado Montgomery (Resources for Montgomery County’s Spanish Speaking Community) has recently been published by the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County.

The 20-page resource guide provides pictures of social agencies and public facilities in Crawfordsville with information presented in both English and Spanish as well as a city map.”

“President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), New York Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz, announced Maryland Delegate Ana Sol Gutierrez as the recipient of the NHCSL John S. Martinez Excellence in Leadership Award. “Delegate Sol Gutierrez has consistently demonstrated a unique commitment to serve her community, in particular to ensure that our young people have the opportunity to have access to quality education,” said NHCSL President, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (NY).

“To be recognized by one’s peers in any professional or personal endeavor is the ultimate honor,” stated Delegate Sol Gutierrez. “I am deeply moved and truly grateful to my colleagues and friends at NHCSL for honoring my work as a legislator with this very special leadership award.”

Delegate Sol Gutierrez made history as the first Latina to be elected as a Maryland state legislator to the Maryland House of Delegates (District 18, Montgomery County, Maryland) in November, 2002. Previously, she was elected to the Montgomery County (MD) Board of Education serving as president and vice president during two terms from 1990-98. She was the first Latina ever to serve on a Maryland school board, as well as the first Salvadoran-American elected to public office in the USA (1990).

A chemist and computer systems engineer by profession, she was appointed in 1994 by President Clinton as the Deputy Administrator for Research at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She has worked for over 30 years in information technology in the private sector and is a recognized leader and role model for women in the fields of science and technology. She has twice been recognized among the “100 Most Influential Hispanics in the USA” by Hispanic Magazine, and named among Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2006.

Her passion for educational equity and her direct experience with public policy, at the local, state, and national levels, have made her a progressive and effective leader in Annapolis, where she continues to work to close the educational achievement gaps for Latino and African American students, and to protect immigrant, civil, and women’s rights in Maryland. During her first term as a legislator, she worked incessantly to defeat anti-immigrant legislation and to protect everyone’s access to driver’s licenses, making Maryland one of only ten states that grant licenses to immigrants regardless of immigration status. She strongly opposed weakening current gun safety laws and the expansion of slot machines and casinos in Maryland.

The John S. Martinez Excellence in Leadership Award is named in honor of John S. Martinez, former State Representative of Connecticut and NHCSL President in 2001-2002. The award is presented annually to a Hispanic legislator who embodies passion, dedication and great achievement throughout his/her political career. Delegate Gutierrez will receive the award at the NHCSL Fourth National Summit that will be held November 16-18 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The NHCSL is the premier national association of Hispanic state legislators working to design and implement policies and procedures that will improve the quality of life for Hispanics throughout the country. NHCSL was founded in 1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 with the mission to be the most effective voice for the more than 300 Hispanic legislators. For more information visit http://www.nhcsl.org. “

“Domestic workers in Montgomery County won’t be getting their own “bill of rights” to protect them from relatively low salaries and poor health insurance. That decision will be left to the next County Council elected in November.

Council President George L. Leventhal (D-At Large), who is up for reelection, said this week that no council member would sponsor a bill calling for a minimum wage of $10.50 an hour as well as health insurance, paid sick days and paid holidays for domestic workers, many of them Hispanic women who work as housekeepers or nannies.”

“Is little Bridgeport filling up with illegal immigrants? Local officials don’t know. But they intend to find out, and maybe ban them from living or working in the Montgomery County borough.

Four local council members plan to meet next week to explore whether Bridgeport will follow Riverside, N.J., and Hazleton, Pa., which have passed such laws.

Only 168 of Bridgeport’s 4,300 people identified themselves as Hispanic in the 2000 census, and Councilwoman Juanita Coover said she believed most of Bridgeport’s Hispanic immigrants were here legally.”

“A lack of information, plus skepticism and a language barrier, have kept many Latino-owned businesses from taking advantage of various county programs and services meant to help them succeed, say county business specialists who are trying to get the word out about their services.

Business development specialists all over Montgomery County agree that helping minority-owned businesses is crucial to the county’ economic growth. County agencies and organizations, including the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development and the Wheaton Redevelopment Program, are getting together to spread knowledge about their services. The outreach includes seminars, workshops and door-to-door meetings.”

“Montgomery College has teamed up with Maryland small business leaders to address the needs of Hispanic entrepreneurs in Montgomery County.

The college’s Hispanic Business and Training Institute is working on the project with the Maryland Small Business Development Center in the Capital Region, which is based in College Park and serves both Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.”

“Authorities interviewed a person of interest in the deaths of a Hispanic community leader and his son.

The body of Thomas Leon Vasquez, 18, was found by a school employee in the parking lot of Montgomery County Central High School around 5 a.m. Friday. When officers went to the father’s home to tell him about his son’s death, they discovered Juan Julian Vasquez, 45, had also been killed”

Washington, D.C. – The Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) announced today the launch of a new approach against gang violence in Latino communities across the United States: "2 Cooltura Eres TÚ" is a preventive multi-media effort, which aims to substitute the allure of gangs with a message of pride for Hispanic teens and a carefully-constructed infrastructure to help them find the "cool" in their culture by encouraging them to get involved with art, poetry and music instead.

The campaign features Grammy-nominated, Latin Billboard Award-winning "La Secta Allstar" and their platinum-selling song: "Consejo," a call to teens to heed the advice of those who’ve successfully exited gang culture. Also featured, a full-service website, music-based TV and radio public-service announcements, and interactive blog enabling teens to share their poetry, music and/or art, a national column to be carried by over 100 Latino publications during the month of June written by the bestselling author of "La Vida Loca," Luis J. Rodriguez, and a toll-free 800 referral hotline to connect parents with anti-violence services in their area.

"2 Cooltura Eres TÚ" is funded by the Department of Justice and developed by HCN, in partnership with the non-profit Self Reliance Foundation. "We knew we needed to do something different to help Latinos battle the hold of gangs on our youth and we’re delighted to partner with the Department of Justice and the Self Reliance Foundation to create this campaign that we think will inspire Hispanic parents and youth to reject gangs, resist recruitment and when already involved, raise awareness of the resources available to help them exit the gang culture," explained Carlos Alcazar, President of Hispanic Communications Network. In 1998, the last year for whic! h complete OJJDP data is available, 49 percent of gang members were Hispanic.

"2 Cooltura Eres TÚ" was also created in coordination with a dedicated advisory board of committed anti-violence and mass communications professionals:

• James C. "Buddy" Howell: Adjunct Researcher National Youth Gang Center / School violence expert.
• David Chitel: CEO Latcom Communications Inc./ Youth mass communications expert.
• Angela Gallegos-Castillo, Ph.D.: Senior Research Associate National Council on Crime and Delinquency/ Expert on Latina/o youth violence and its impact on the Latina/o community.
• Phelan Wyrick, Ph.D.: Gang Program Coordinator, OJJDP
• Luis J. Rodriguez: Activist and bestselling author of "La Vida Loca," among others.
• Diego Vigil, Ph.D.: Professor in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society, University of California , Irvine-USA. Author of "Barrio Gangs: Street Life and Identity in Southern California" and "A
• Rainbow of Gangs: A Cross-Cultural Study Street Youth in Los Angeles ," among many others.
• Luis Cardona: Gang Prevention Coordinator Montgomery County
• Nane Alejandrez: Founder of the grassroots anti-violence organization, "Barrios Unidos."

For more information about "2 Cooltura Eres TÚ:" Visit www.2cooltura.com

For help, call: 1-800-317-1314

To learn how your organization can be part of "2 Cooltura Eres TÚ:"
Email us at info@2cooltura.com