Las Voces de Mexico Episode 3

Las Voces de Mexico Episode 3 by Radiolatinodekansascity on Mixcloud

Broadcasting Live from Alta Vista High School-Conexión Azteca TV Episode 2

Latin Americans rank as happiest people on planet - KansasCity.com

MEXICO CITY -- The world's happiest people aren't in Qatar, the richest country by most measures. They aren't in Japan, the nation with the highest life expectancy. Canada, with its chart-topping percentage of college graduates, doesn't make the top 10.

A poll released Wednesday of nearly 150,000 people around the world says seven of the world's 10 countries with the most upbeat attitudes are in Latin America.

Many of the seven do poorly in traditional measures of well-being, like Guatemala, a country torn by decades of civil war followed by waves of gang-driven criminality that give it one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Guatemala sits just above Iraq on the United Nations' Human Development Index, a composite of life expectancy, education and per capita income. But it ranks seventh in positive emotions.

"In Guatemala, it's a culture of friendly people who are always smiling," said Luz Castillo, a 30-year-old surfing instructor. "Despite all the problems that we're facing, we're surrounded by natural beauty that lets us get away from it all."

Gallup Inc. asked about 1,000 people in each of 148 countries last year if they were well-rested, had been treated with respect, smiled or laughed a lot, learned or did something interesting and felt feelings of enjoyment the previous day.

In Panama and Paraguay, 85 percent of those polled said yes to all five, putting those countries at the top of the list. They were followed closely by El Salvador, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Thailand, Guatemala, the Philippines, Ecuador and Costa Rica.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/12/19/3973831/poll-says-latin-americans-most.html#storylink=cpy

Jenni Rivera given tribute in KC - KansasCity.com

Jenni Rivera given tribute in KC - KansasCity.com

Jenni Rivera Tribute

With the tragic news of her death Radio Latino de Kansas City will pay tribute to Mexican-American Superstar Jenni Rivera by broadcasting her greatest hits and more all day Friday starting at 8am ending Saturday morning. You can tune in by logging on at www.radiolatinokc.org Any requests can be made at info@radiolatinokc.org

Jenni Rivera presumed killed in a plane crash

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Mexico's music world mourned Jenni Rivera, the U.S.-born singer presumed killed in a plane crash whose soulful voice and openness about her personal troubles had made her a Mexican-American superstar.

Authorities have not confirmed her death, but Rivera's relatives in the U.S. say they have few doubts that she was on the Learjet 25 that disintegrated on impact Sunday in rugged territory in Nuevo Leon state in northern Mexico.

"My son Lupillo told me that effectively it was Jenni's plane that crashed and that everyone on board died," her father, Pedro Rivera told dozens of reporters gathered in front of his Los Angeles-area home. "I believe my daughter's body is unrecognizable."

He said that his son would fly to Monterrey early Monday to identify her presumed remains

Messages of condolence poured in from fellow musicians and celebrities.

Mexican songstress and actress Lucero wrote on her Twitter account: "What terrible news! Rest in peace ... My deepest condolences for her family and friends." Rivera's colleague on the Mexican show "The Voice of Mexico," pop star Paulina Rubio, said on her Twitter account: "My friend! Why? There is no consolation. God, please help me!"

Born in Long Beach, California, Rivera was at the peak of her career as perhaps the most successful female singer in grupero, a male-dominated regional style influenced by the norteno, cumbia and ranchero styles.

A 43-year-old mother of five children and grandmother of two, the woman known as the "Diva de la Banda" was known for her frank talk about her struggles to give a good life to her children despite a series of setbacks.

She was recently divorced from her third husband, was once detained at a Mexico City airport with tens of thousands of dollars in cash, and she publicly apologized after her brother assaulted a drunken fan who verbally attacked her in 2011.

Her openness about her personal troubles endeared her to millions in the U.S. and Mexico.

"I am the same as the public, as my fans," she told The Associated Press in an interview last March.

Rivera sold 15 million records, and recently won two Billboard Mexican Music Awards: Female Artist of the Year and Banda Album of the Year for "Joyas prestadas: Banda." She was nominated for Latin Grammys in 2002, 2008 and 2011.

Transportation and Communications Minister Gerardo Ruiz Esparza said "everything points toward" the wreckage belonging to the plane carrying Rivera and six other people to Toluca, outside Mexico City, from Monterrey, where the singer had just given a concert.

"There is nothing recognizable, neither material nor human" in the wreckage found in the state of Nuevo Leon, Ruiz Esparza said. The impact was so powerful that the remains of the plane "are scattered over an area of 250 to 300 meters. It is almost unrecognizable."

A mangled California driver's license with Rivera's name and picture was found in the crash site debris.

No cause was given for the plane's crash, but its wreckage was found near the town of Iturbide in Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental, where the terrain is very rough.

Productive U.S.-Mexico relations should be a foreign policy priority - KansasCity.com

On Saturday, Enrique Pena Nieto will take office as the new president of Mexico. I had the pleasure of meeting briefly with President-elect Pena Nieto during his short visit to the United States this week, and I am hopeful that his tenure can represent an opportunity to continue and expand on the good relations we have enjoyed with his predecessor Felipe Calderon.

Mexico's longstanding economic, social and cultural ties with the United States have always made our relations with Mexico important. However, since the inauguration of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the dramatic increase in cross-border commerce that resulted, Mexico's economy has grown to become the second largest in Latin America, and it is now the United States' third-largest commercial partner and second-largest market for U.S. exports. For 22 U.S. states, Mexico is the first- or second-largest export market.   Clearly, the need for a positive, productive U.S.-Mexico relationship is driven by far more than the immigration and transnational crime issues that dominate the headlines. A strong, prosperous Mexico is good for the United States. It represents a large, growing market for a wide variety of U.S. exports. It offers a convenient, economically competitive alternative to China and other Asian countries for foreign corporations looking to manufacture and export to the United States. And a strong Mexico that produces good, legitimate jobs for its growing population will undermine the appeal of criminal organizations and the enticement of undocumented employment in the United States.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/30/3941268/productive-us-mexico-relations.html#storylink=cpy

Young Immigrants Say It’s Obama’s Time to Act

NEW HAVEN — It has been a good year for young immigrants living in the country without legal papers, the ones who call themselves Dreamers.

Their protests and pressure helped push President Obama to offer many of them reprieves from deportation. So far about 310,000 youths have emerged from the shadows to apply, with numbers rising rapidly.

 

Door-knocking campaigns led by those immigrants, who could not vote, mobilized many Latinos who could, based in no small part on the popularity of the reprieve program. After Latinos rewarded Mr. Obama with 71 percent of their votes, the president said one of the first items on his agenda next year would be a bill to legalize 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, which would offer a path to citizenship for young people.

 

Behind the political momentum, administration officials and advocates say, is an extensive and surprisingly adroit movement of youthful immigrants. Because of their illegal status, however, they have often been more influential than they have been visible. In the past two years, they pursued their goal of legal recognition through a calibrated strategy of quiet negotiations, public “coming-out” events where youths declared their status, and escalating street protests.

Now, movement leaders say, it is payback time. When Congress last debated broad reform, in 2007, populist energy was on the side of those opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants. Angry resistance from Republicans defeated a legalization proposal by President George W. Bush.

This time the young immigrants are the rising force, and they seek legislation to give them a direct and permanent path to citizenship. But recalling that Mr. Obama also promised at the start of his first term to move swiftly on immigration overhaul, they say their attitude toward him is wait-and-see.

 

Read more here

After Obama’s re-election, what are the possibilities for immigration reform in 2013?

IMMIGRATION EDITION: A NEW PANORAMA. After Barack Obama’s re-election, what are the possibilities for immigration reform in 2013? Immigration attorney Rosalba Piña hosts this edition from Chicago, interviewing policy analysts and answering listeners’ questions about the do’s and don’ts of applying for residency and naturalization.

Guest: Marielena Hincapie , Executive Director, National Immigration Law Center (NILC), Los Ángeles, CA, www.nilc.org.

Listen to the program

Un mensaje especial para la comunidad latina del Presidente Obama

Realizing the importance of the Latino vote and with knowledge that is favorable in the polls , President Barack Obama recorded a message in Spanish to ask that segment that next go to the polls Tuesday.

Obama should also know that Latinos are the group that has less participation in elections, so his message becomes relevant.

Latinos must move from being "the sleeping giant" a giant asset to make their voices heard and their rights.

This Tuesday will be a golden opportunity for Latinos to force Democrats and Republicans to show how much they want to meet the demands of this large minority.

Now, we invite you to discuss the proposals of both candidates, to better know Obama and his rival, Republican candidate Mitt Romney , to take a decision, but especially to participate in the elections this November 6th

Another look at Latinos is needed - KansasCity.com

Twenty-four years ago, a study put facts and figures to one of the most diverse and too often miscategorized local communities: Latinos.

The 1988 Hispanic Needs Assessment detailed population and historical information and surveyed opinions about needs and perceptions. The long-overdue second study of the nine-county region is about to get under way.The community has grown dramatically, from 39,500 in 1988 to 204,280 in 2010.The greatest need highlighted by the past study — educational attainment — is probably going to emerge again. Nothing will move Latinos forward more than lower dropout rates and higher numbers of people with college degrees and/or competitive job skills. The Latino Civic Engagement Collaborative commissioned the study and raised $70,000 to complete it by early 2013. The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Institute for Human Development will oversee surveying 500 people on a range of issues, including local government, police, voting and civic engagement.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/08/05/3744929/study-aims-to-show-assets-needs.html#storylink=cpy

Job Opportunities-El Centro

El Centro is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Chief Program Officer. The Chief Program Officer has a high degree of responsibility and accountability for directing and managing the programs within Children and Family Services. This is a key leadership position reporting to the CEO and contributing to the strategic development and direction of the organization alongside the CFO/COO and Director of Development. This leadership team in partnership with El Centro’s Board of Directors works towards establishing and securing resources to attain long-range goals. These professional leaders set the cultural and professional tone of the organization by striving for cultural competency, valuing diverse populations and ideas and adhering to El Centro’s values and culture.


Minimum Requirements include: Masters Degree in public administration, business administration, social work, human services, or related degree. Minimum of five years experience demonstrating increasingly responsible administrative and leadership experience.

Applicants need to submit cover letter, resume, skills assessment(see job description) and a 1-page statement regarding past administrative and advocacy experience to humanresources@elcentroinc.com or via mail to: El Centro, Inc., Attn: Human Resources 650 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, KS 66101. No Phone Calls

Deadline fo Applications is November 6th.

Hispanic vote at core of U.S. election scene

People here in New Mexico's largest city are preparing to vote Tuesday in a very tightly contested presidential election, in which the Hispanic vote in the Southwest border states will be a key element.
Barack Obama had the support of almost 7 out of 10 Hispanic voters in the 2008 election.
At that time, 19.5 million Hispanics were registered voters but only half of them cast their ballots. On this occasion there will be 23.7 million Latinos eligible to vote.

New Mexico, with a 46.7 percent Hispanic population, appears to be solidly in Obama's column.
Polls point to a Democratic victory for the Democratic incumbent by a margin of some 10 points over Republican rival Mitt Romney.

What will happen seems so obvious, in fact, that neither candidate bothers to visit that state. Obama and Romney have only set foot in New Mexico once in the whole year.

"In a certain way we feel a abandoned," Republican Lt. Gov. John Sanchez told Efe. "It's pretty unusual. Historically we have been one of the states where the voting has been decisive, and, with the exception of 2008, very equal. Tradition says that whoever wins New Mexico wins the election," he said.

Obama took 57 percent of the vote in that state in 2008 against John McCain.
California, where Latinos make up 36.2 percent of the population, is another state where an Obama victory is taken for granted thanks to a current 15 percent lead over Romney.

"I'm confident that the change promoted by Obama will become a reality in the next four years. And to me, what Romney says sounds false," Bryan Miranda, 29, a valet parker at a hotel in West Hollywood, told Efe.

Just the opposite is happening in the more conservative states of Texas and Arizona, which, according to the latest poll results, will give strong support to Romney with wide margins of up to 20 percentage points.

Nonetheless, the majority of Hispanics in those states will be voting for Obama again, as they did in 2008.

"I voted last Thursday," Neylu Longoria, an Obama supporter in Austin, Texas, told Efe.
"As a Latino and a woman, I believe that Obama is the one who best defends our interests and most supports us," she said. But her friend Alexandra Martinez thinks differently, and is disappointed by the still-high joblessness.
"I voted for Romney. I'm against everything Obama has done," Martinez said. EFE


Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/11/05/hispanic-vote-at-core-us-election-scene/#ixzz2BOyn57Jf

 

The right wing has been trying to stop Black people, other people of color, young people, and the elderly from voting for partisan gain

For years, the right wing has been trying to stop Black people, other people of color, young people, and the elderly from voting for partisan gain — and now some of America's biggest companies are helping them do it.

These companies have helped pass discriminatory voter ID legislation by funding a right wing policy group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Voter ID bills linked to ALEC have already passed in seven states,¹ and similar voter ID bills have been introduced in 27 other states.²

Supporters of discriminatory voter ID laws claim they want to reduce voter fraud (individuals voting illegally, or voting twice). But such fraud almost never actually occurs, and never in amounts large enough to affect the result of elections.³ What is clear is that voter ID laws prevent large numbers of eligible voters from casting a ballot, and could disenfranchise up to 5 million people.⁴

ALEC's voter ID laws are undemocratic, unjust and part of a longstanding right wing agenda to weaken the Black vote. Major companies that rely on business from Black folks shouldn't be involved in suppressing our vote. Please join us in demanding that these companies stop funding ALEC:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/alec

ALEC’s right wing agenda

The American Legislative Exchange Council is a behind-the-scenes group whose membership consists of legislators and corporations who work together to push legislation that benefits their interests. ALEC crafts model legislation, which its member legislators then introduce in statehouses across the country, without mentioning its corporate ties. The group has written legislation to impose harsher criminal penalties on juveniles, to privatize education, and to break unions.

ALEC is funded in part by the Koch Brothers, the same family that funds the radically conservative tea party. It also receives funding from large corporations, many of which are household names.

"Voter fraud" and discriminatory voter ID laws

Supporters of discriminatory voter ID laws say they're needed to stop "voter fraud." The fact is that voter fraud rarely occurs, and when it does occur it does not happen at a scale that would change the outcome of an election. The kind of voter fraud addressed by the ALEC voter id bill happens as infrequently as death by lightning.⁵

Over and over again, the myth of widespread voter fraud is used to justify stronger restrictions on voting and voter registration (like voter ID laws), as well as voter roll purges. It has also been used to attack organizations which register large numbers of low income and minority voters, by painting simple mistakes made during registration drives as organized efforts to commit voter fraud. These kind of made up scandals have helped the right wing convince the public that voter fraud is real and voter ID laws are necessary to protect the integrity of elections.

The truth is that voter ID laws are discriminatory — Black people, Latinos, the elderly, students, people with disabilities, and the poor are all less likely to have the photo IDs necessary to vote under these laws.⁶ For example, if you've recently moved because of foreclosure or some other economic circumstance, you're more likely to have recently ended up in a new state which won't accept your out of state driver's license. If you don't have a car, you're less likely to have a driver's license in the first place.

In many states, it can be expensive and time consuming to secure the proper ID. Even when the ID itself is free, it often requires supporting documents like a birth certificate which cost money to achieve. There are already stories of voters who have been eligible for years struggling to navigate a frustrating bureaucratic maze in order to vote. Requiring ID to vote amounts to a modern day poll tax. And that's the real purpose of voter ID laws - they are an important part of the modern effort to suppress the votes of groups that usually vote against right wing politicians.

These laws are part of a long history of voter suppression directed at Black folks and other underrepresented groups. No longer is the Black vote suppressed through violence, intimidation and literary tests. It’s now suppressed through laws that make it burdensome and difficult for many Black folks to vote.

Corporate-backed voter suppression

Some of the companies supporting ALEC may simply be unaware that the group is involved in voter suppression. Others might think that voter suppression will benefit their political interests, and hope that they can get away with supporting it because so few people have even heard of ALEC.

We've started reaching out to these companies to make sure they know what they're supporting, and to demand that they stop. Adding your voice to this campaign will help us convince these companies that continuing to support ALEC will hurt their reputation with consumers. We hope that many of them will simply do the right thing and stop supporting ALEC. If they don't, we'll be prepared to shine a spotlight on them and make sure the world understands what they're involved in.

Please take a moment to join us in standing up to corporate-backed voter suppression. And please ask your friends and family to do the same. It takes just a moment:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/alec

Thanks and Peace,

-- Rashad, James, Gabriel, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
November 6th, 2012

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

References

1. "New Evidence of ALEC Connections in All Successful Voter ID Legislation," Campus Progress, 09-08-11
http://www.campusprogress.org/articles/new_evidence_of_alec_connections_in_all_successful_voter_id_legislatio/

2. "First, show your face," The Economist, 09-17-11
http://www.economist.com/node/21529061

3. “The Myth of Voter Fraud,” Washington Post, 03-29-07
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/the_myth_of_voter_fraud/

4. “GOP, ALEC Could Make It Harder For 5 Million To Cast Ballots,” Mother Jones, 10-3-11
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/10/gop-alec-could-make-it-harder-5-million-cast-ballots

5. See reference 3.

6. "Citizens without proof," Brennan Center For Justice, 11-2006
http://www.brennancenter.org/page/-/d/download_file_39242.pdf

Disney defends new Hispanic-influenced princess - KansasCity.com

LOS ANGELES -- The Walt Disney Co. is defending its newest princess following a backlash over her Hispanic-influenced ethnicity.

A new character named Sofia will star in the TV movie "Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess" airing Nov. 18 on the Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Hispanic advocacy groups have questioned whether the fair-skinned, blue-eyed young princess is an accurate representation of the Hispanic population and wondered why Disney isn't doing more to promote its first princess with Hispanic-inspired roots.
"They seem to be backpedaling," said Lisa Navarrete, spokeswoman for the National Council of La Raza. "They've done such a good job in the past when they've introduced Native American, African-American and Asian princesses. They made a big deal out of it, and there was a lot of fanfare, but now they're sort of scrambling. It's unusual because Disney has been very good about Latino diversity."

Craig Gerber, co-executive producer of "Sofia the First," clarified in a Facebook post on Friday that Sofia is "a mixed-heritage princess in a fairytale world." He said her mother and birth father respectively hail from kingdoms inspired by Spain and Scandinavia, though Sofia was born and raised in Enchancia, a "make-believe 'melting pot' kingdom" patterned after the British Isles.
Sofia is voiced by Caucasian "Modern Family" actress Ariel Winter, and her mother is played by Hispanic "Grey's Anatomy" actress Sara Ramirez.

The film and a subsequent TV series will follow the young princess as she adjusts to royal life after her mother marries the king of Enchancia.

"Sofia considers herself a normal Enchancian girl like any other," said Gerber. "Her mixed heritage and blended family are a reflection of what many children today experience."
Inez Gonzalez, executive vice president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, said Monday that the organization wanted to meet with Disney to discuss "Sofia the First."

"Sofia's world reflects the ethnically diverse world we live in, but it is not our world," said Nancy Kanter, senior vice president of original programming for Disney Junior. "It is a fairytale and storybook world that we hope will help spur a child's imagination. It's one where we can have flying horses, schools led by fairies, songs that have a Latin beat and towns with markets like those found in North Africa."
Kanter added that the "Sofia the First" series set to debut next year would include storylines about a holiday called Wassailia, which is reminiscent of a Scandinavian Christmas; and the characters would go on a picnic in Wei-Ling, an Asian-inspired kingdom.
Marcela Davison Aviles, president of the Mexican Heritage Corporation, said that calling Sofia a Latina princess is "not an accurate use of the term as many in our community understand its meaning." Davison Aviles has worked with Disney on the TV series "Handy Manny," which features a bilingual Hispanic handyman character. She added that "Disney leadership embraces the complexity, diversity and beauty" of the Hispanic community.

"I'll bet folks at the company are using this as a teachable moment to improve on that effort," said Davison Aviles. "I'm looking forward to meeting Sofia and to Disney's future efforts to illuminate our diverse melting pot, including the varied colors which thread our tapestry of Latino identity."

Over the past two decades, Disney has introduced such culturally diverse female protagonists as Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Merida and Tiana, the African-American princess from 2009's "Princess and the Frog." Disney's 2000 animated film "The Emperor's New Groove" and its subsequent spin-offs were set amid the Incan Empire in South America.

"Little girls look to these characters to see themselves represented," said Navarrete. "If they don't see themselves, it makes a difference. It would be nice to see Disney make a full-out push for a Latina princess, whether it's 'Sofia the First' or not."

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/22/3879709/disney-defends-new-hispanic-influenced.html#storylink=cpy