Speaker Uses Electric Grill and Beef Fajitas to Motivate Students to Pass State Tes

Youth speaker challenged students to get seasoned before they get grilled by the state of Texas.

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) March 23, 2010 -- In his speech, youth motivational speaker Fabian Ramirez used an electric grill to metaphorically represent how the state of Texas was about to grill their students with the TAKS test. Seasoned beef fajita meat was used to represent the student body.

“You have to be seasoned before you get grilled,” Fabian said while holding 2 lbs of seasoned beef fajitas in the air before laying a portion over an electric grill. “Seasoned students are well done after they have been grilled.”

Public schools in Texas are preparing to administer the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test to their students in April 2010. David Crockett Elementary students in Grand Prairie, Texas, will be among those taking the TAKS test.

In an effort to keep their students motivated through spring break, Crockett’s Principal Suzy Meyer and Fifth grade teacher Brance Barker, hosted a school assembly on Friday, March 12, 2010, and invited Fabian to encourage their students to do their best on the TAKS test.

Fabian connected with the students since he has walked in their shoes having attended public schools in the Houston Independent School District system and taking similar state tests such as the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS).

The assembly was held in the school cafeteria a day before the district was scheduled to be on spring break. The audience consisted of over two-hundred third through fifth grade students, all of which are scheduled to take the TAKS test in April 2010.

Responsive Students

The students responded positively to the message and left the cafeteria wanting to be a seasoned student so they can do their best on the TAKS.

"Fabian is the first youth speaker that I've seen that has kept the students completely engaged during the entire 30 minute presentation,” said Brance Barker. “They were cheering, sitting on the edge of their seat and volunteering to answer questions which kept them involved the entire time of the presentation. It is evident that Fabian has a heart for education and a gift for connecting with students. After the presentation, students shared with me different lessons or illustrations that stood out to them - like his fajita illustration about being 'well-seasoned' with education."

Response from Teachers

The teachers were laughing and enjoying the speech along with their students. "It was exciting seeing the principal, the teachers, and the students all smiling because of the joy and enthusiasm that Fabian brought to our campus,” said Brance Barker. “His heart and passion for students and education is contagious!"

About Fabian

Fabian Ramirez is a youth motivational speaker based out of Dallas, TX. Fabian has worked with at-risk youth for over ten years and continues to be a driving force in motivating students to finish high school and continue on to college. Fabian attended Dallas Baptist University where he finished with a 3.85 GPA while earning a Master’s degree in Management.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF to PR Gov: Keep Birth Certificates Valid Through December

LatinoJustice PRLDLEF wrote a letter to Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño, urging him to delay the new law that will require all persons born on the island to get new birth certificates.

A planned July 1st implementation of the law has precipitated much confusion among island residents and the more than 1.5 million Puerto Rican-born residents of the United States.

Under the law, every single birth certificate issued in Puerto Rico will become invalid starting July 1. After that date, those wanting proof that they were born on the island must apply to the commonwealth government for a new birth certificate.

Many stateside Puerto Ricans have expressed confusion and lack of information about the new law and its impact. The U.S. State Department has not yet decided how to deal with people who present invalid birth certificates for passports, according to a spokesperson.

Thus far, there seems to be little effort by the U.S. or Puerto Rico governments to educate people about the changes.

Government officials responded to LatinoJustice PRLDEF’s letter by saying they had plans for a public information campaign.

“The only way to address the confusion and angst this is creating is to allow all birth certificates to remain valid through the end of the year,” said Cesar Perales, President and General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “A media blitz at this late date will have little impact on allaying people’s confusion and fear over what will happen when their birth certificates become valid. We already have states denying birth certificates from Puerto Rico so whatever communication has come out so far hasn’t been very effective.”

People born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, are U.S. citizens at birth. Though the law does not go into effect until July 1, California, Ohio and Nevada have already stated they would not accept any birth certificates from Puerto Rico as proof of birth for driver’s licenses. This could effectively leave thousands of Puerto Ricans born on the island with no way of getting driver’s licenses in those states.

Creating confusion over birth certificates also fuels the real anti-Latino sentiment that has led to the escalating mandate to document the identity of Latinos for obtaining jobs, driver’s licenses, and government benefits.

Go to HAV columnist L. Patricia Ice's column--ICE ON IMMIGRATION-- for more information on these invalidations

Apply for an MBA scholarship up to $10,000 through NSHMBA

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LatinoJustice Works for Equal Education Opportunities

PRLDEF is making a concerted effort to support the DREAM ACT:
LatinoJustice PRLDEF believes that providing all students-- irrespective of their immigration status-- the opportunity to go to college is a positive step towards promoting education equality in the United States. This week, members of LatinoJustice PRLDEF’s Civic Engagement Network are participating in the National DREAM ACT action week. They are calling their representatives and urging them to support the bill, and educating their friends and colleagues about the benefits of the bill.

The DREAM Act would provide immigration relief to those who entered the U.S. more than five years ago if and when they graduate from high school, and allow them to become permanent residents and eventually citizens if they go to college or serve in the military.

Visit our network's facebook page to get involved.

The California Supreme Court is expected to announce when it will hear arguments in Martinez v. Regents of the University of California, a case for which LatinoJustice PRLDEF has submitted an amicus brief with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. The brief urges the California Supreme Court to dismiss a legal challenge to California AB540, which allows qualified students, including undocumented students, to pay in-state tuition rates at California's public colleges and universities.

Read more about the brief

Upcoming Scholarship Deadline: Chemistry Students

African-American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian students who are high school seniors, or college freshmen, sophomores or juniors are among those who can now apply for a scholarship from the American Chemical Society Scholars Program. Applications will be accepted through March 1, 2010, for the 2010-2011 school year.

Students must plan to major in or already be majoring in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering or a chemically-related science, and they must plan to pursue a career in the chemical sciences. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on college level and economic need.

For more details, see The American Chemical Society (ACS) Scholars Program accepting applications for minority students studying chemistry.

LatinoJustice PRLDEF Launches New Action Website

LatinoJustice PRLDEF unveiled a new website specifically designed to connect users to actions they can take to ensure the civil rights of Latinos. The site will seek to engage Latinos with the issues important to their community; to provide information about legal cases; and to offer tools where people can connect with government officials. The website will also become a central meeting place for young activists through it use of social networking tools. “Our goal with this website is to educate Americans about the civil rights issues facing Latinos,” said Cesar Perales, LatinoJustice PRLDEF President and General Counsel. “We have to bring attention to unjust policies and mobilize the community to support positive change. Having an effective website is critical to our success.” LatinoJustice PRLDEF over the last few years has focused on developing a communications strategy that works hand in hand with our litigation and complements our legal strategy in achieving our goals. These communications efforts have educated Americans about the civil rights issues facing Latinos, used the media to pressure public officials to revisit unjust policies, and mobilized the Latino community to support positive change. The first issue of the new website highlights a petition filed by LatinoJustice PRLDEF with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights charging that the United States has not fulfilled its mission to project Latinos. Supporters can send United States officials their own petition asking that the case be addressed by the government. The site also contains many tools and worksheets users can use to get involved in the U.S. Census. Users can also get information of all LatinoJustice PRLDEF pending cases. Students can access much information about the organization’s legal education programs, including registering for LSAT classes and LawBound Academy workshops.

Information re Temporary Protected Status for Haitians

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security has offered Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians in the aftermath of the January 12, 2010 earthquake. TPS will be offered for a minimum of 18 months to those eligible. All nationals of Haiti, and those having no nationality who last habitually resided in Haiti, and who have continuously resided in the United States since January 12, 2010 or before, may be eligible for TPS. This includes Haitians who are undocumented or who are in a temporary status, such as visitor status, in the United States. Haitians who wish to apply for TPS must file an immigration form I-821 along with a form I-765 in accordance with the forms' instructions during the applicable registration period, which will end in 6 months. Potential applicants should check the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS ) website at uscis.gov for further instructions or consult a reputable immigration attorney or BIA accredited representative regarding the Haitian TPA application process. In Mississippi Haitians can also seek assistance at the USCIS office located in Jackson. All visitors to the Jackson USCIS office must have an Infopass appointment prior to appearing at the office. To make an Infopass appointment seek the assistance of a reputable immigration attorney, BIA accredited representative or go online at uscis.gov. There are government filing fees that apply to TPS that may be waived under certain conditions. Haitian nationals who have been convicted of certain crimes may not be eligible for TPS.
In addition to TPS, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is offering other immigration relief on a case by case basis to eligible Haitians such as university students, orphans, visitors and others. Please check with a reputable immigration attorney, BIA accredited representative or the uscis.gov web site for more information. Please be aware that there may be disreputable individuals charging fees for preparing and filing TPS applications. Always be cautious when requesting assistance with U.S. immigration documents.
TPS is sometimes offered by the United States government to individuals from designated countries that have suffered severe disasters, political upheaval or armed conflict. TPS beneficiaries are eligible to remain in the United States and may obtain work authorization so long as they continue to meet the terms and conditions of their TPS status. TPS does not lead to permanent resident status in the United States. When the Secretary of Homeland Security terminates a country's TPS designation, the beneficiaries return to the same immigration status they maintained before TPS unless that status has since expired or been terminated. Among Latin American countries that have TPS designations are Nicaragua and Honduras.
Received by the HAV from immigration attorney and contributor, Patricia Ice.

Mississipi workshop on immigration

From our immigration attorney, Patricia Ice, who writes a regular column for the Hispanic American Village:
The Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance (MIRA!) will host a Naturalization Workshop on Thursday, January 28, 2010 from 3 to 7 P.m. at 612 N. State Street in Jackson. At that time MIRA licensed attorneys will assist applicants in preparing their N-400 applications for submission to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The fee for the Naturalization Workshop is $150, which includes a year long MIRA membership. The United States government N-400 filing fee is $675. This Naturalization Workshop is only for individuals who have been lawful permanent residents for the last five (5) years or three (3) years if married to and living with a United States citizen spouse. For more information, and a list of documents to bring to the Workshop, please contact Tatiana or Ulises at the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance at 601-354-9355 or send e-mail to t.mcdonald@yourmira.org.

Here's some good news: More and more Latinos are on line

Another key report from Pew Hispanic shows the increase in internet use grew faster amongst Latinos (10%) than it did amongst white non-Latinos (4%). Surprisingly perhaps is the fact that foreign-born Latinos increased internet use at a significantly greater rate than US-born. Read the report.

The heat's on CNN not to have it both ways

While CNN makes nicey nice to the community with their 2-part Latino in America series, they have yet to put their ear to the ground and hear the increasing rumbling to dump Latino-abuser Lou Dobbs. Read Joe Torres' widely circulated web piece on why he boycotts the network.

Univision and Kaiser Foundation Mark National Latino AIDS Awareness Day with New Campaign Featuring People Living With HIV/AIDS

Testimonials Aim to Inspire Hope and Debunk Myths in Response to Latino AIDS Crisis

LOS ANGELES, CA -- October 15, 2009 -- Univision Communications Inc. and the Kaiser Family Foundation today unveiled the second phase of "SOY..." (I AM...), the groundbreaking Spanish-language media campaign featuring the personal stories of a diverse group of Latinos living with HIV and their loved ones. The new campaign materials will debut on the Univision Network, the Telefutura Network and Galavision in conjunction with National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) on October 15th and continue throughout 2010.

"SOY..." features 14 Latinos in the U.S. and Latin America living with HIV/AIDS who share both a passion for life and a desire to end the spread of the disease. They are musicians, academics, businessmen and housewives -- everyday people who share their experiences living with HIV. Shot in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Mexico City, San Salvador, Lima, and Buenos Aires, the documentary-style public service ads (PSAs) aim to create a personal connection to HIV/AIDS among the audience and engender the feeling that HIV/AIDS could affect "people like me and those I care about."

In the first wave of the campaign, which debuts today, audiences will meet Yolanda, a devoted mother who works in a Los Angeles health clinic; Joann, a minister and church choir director from Chicago; Alejandro, a 20-year old Argentine musician; Dania, a vibrant Cuban-American poet and dancer from Miami; and, Enrique, a passionate community activist from New York City. The campaign spots will air in the United States on Univision, TeleFutura, and Galavisión networks and television and radio stations, and across more than 12 countries in Latin America as part of the Latin American Media AIDS Initiative.

Developed by Univision and the Kaiser Family Foundation, "SOY..." includes 28 original public service ads (PSAs) for television and radio and Spanish-language HIV/AIDS information and resources available online through a dedicated website (http://www.univision.com keyword: SIDA) and via a toll-free Spanish-language hotline (1-866-TU-SALUD). The campaign was developed as part of ¡Entérate de VIH y SIDA! (Get the Facts about HIV and AIDS!), a long-standing public information partnership established in 2001 between Univision and the Kaiser Family Foundation to provide culturally relevant Spanish-language information and resources about HIV/AIDS and sexual health. The latest series of campaign spots were conceptualized by Kaiser and Univision, and produced by ONYX.la and WeArePacheco, winners of 7 Lions Awards at the 2009 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

"Univision has a long history of addressing issues that are important to our audience and the response to HIV and AIDS within our community is an urgent issue," said Ivelisse Estrada, Senior Vice President for Corporate and Community Relations at Univision Communications. "Our work to provide information about HIV and link our audience to AIDS-related resources has made a critical difference in breaking the silence about this disease and getting people tested."

"Latinos in the United States are disproportionately impacted by HIV and AIDS, and stigma remains a key challenge to addressing the problem within the community," said Tina Hoff, Vice President and Director of Entertainment Media Partnerships at the Kaiser Family Foundation. "By sharing their stories, the individuals profiled in this campaign are connecting very personally with audiences in the U.S. and across Latin America, helping to break the silence and fight the stigma surrounding this disease."

The campaign launch coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month and National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) -- a national collective movement and public health marketing effort aimed at educating and mobilizing Hispanic/Latino communities to increase their knowledge on the impact of HIV/AIDS and health related safe practices. "SOY..." is the official campaign of NLAAD, and Univision and Kaiser are working with the Latino Commission on AIDS and the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) to distribute HIV/AIDS information resources and "SOY..." programming materials to community organizations, health agencies and local clinics and across the country.

"The ‘SOY...’ campaign provides an unprecedented opportunity to tell the story of HIV/AIDS in our communities in a way that’s real and compelling. The campaign reinforces that each of us is equal in the face of AIDS -- ending this epidemic requires both personal responsibility and community action," said Guillermo Chacon, interim Executive Director, Latino Commission on AIDS. "Univision and Kaiser are real leaders in the Latino response to AIDS, linking Univision’s audience to critical resources and fighting the stigmas and stereotypes that persist within our families and communities."

All campaign materials can be viewed at http://www.univision.com (keyword: SIDA) or on the campaign’s YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/soycampaign.

About HIV/AIDS and U.S. Latinos
Of the approximately 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, 200,000 are Latino. The U.S. Latino community is disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, accounting for 18 percent of total AIDS cases while comprising only 14 percent of the U.S. population. Latinos are testing positive for HIV, being diagnosed with AIDS and dying from the disease at four times the rate of Caucasian counterparts in the United States. As the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States, addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community takes on increased importance in efforts to improve the nation’s health.

About Univision Communications
Univision Communications Inc. is the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States. Its operations include Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 95% of U.S. Hispanic Households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network, which was launched in 2002 and now reaches 85% of U.S. Hispanic Households; Galavisión, the country’s leading Spanish-language cable network; Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 64 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group which owns and/or operates 68 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and 5 stations in Puerto Rico; and Univision Interactive Media, which includes http://www.univision.com, the premier Spanish-language Internet destination in the U.S., and Univision Móvil, the industry’s most comprehensive Spanish-language suite of mobile offerings. Univision Communications also has a 50% interest in TuTv, a joint venture formed to broadcast Televisa’s pay television channels in the U.S. Univision Communications has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.univision.net.

About the Kaiser Family Foundation
The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible information, research and analysis on health issues. It is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. Information on HIV/AIDS, global health and Kaiser’s public education partnerships with entertainment media is available at http://www.kff.org.

CONTACTS

Monica Talan
(212) 455-5331
mtalan@univision.net
Univision Communications Inc.
Rakesh Singh
(650) 854-9400
rakeshs@kff.org
The Kaiser Family Foundation

Encouraging news: The Changing Pathways of Hispanic Youths

A marked increase in Latinos aged 16 to 25 attending school and/or being part of the US work force between the years 1970 and 2007 highlight the Pew Center's report on young Latinos' growing investment in the US society. Young women still lag behind their male counterparts, however. Read the summary and full report.

Pew Center report on Mexico's gaze North

Most Mexicans See Better Life in U.S. – One In Three Would Migrate

Facing a variety of national problems, Mexicans overwhelmingly are dissatisfied with the direction of their country. Large majorities describe crime (81%) and illegal drugs (73%) as very big problems. And many believe there is a better life in the U.S. and would migrate if they had the chance. Most would do so without authorization. Read more

Military Coup Reverses Honduran Women’s Gains in Human Rights

For those of you who have been following the radar-slipping, deteriorating events surrounding the recent coup in Honduras, here's an article from the Women's Media Center that visits the situation from a women's perspective. Women, in fact, have been in the forefront of opposition to the new, uninvited, head of state, Roberto Micheletti.

My girl Toto's back in town

It was great Friday night seeing Toto la Momposina and her merry Tambores at the Queens Theatre in the Park, and it’s been great to see the Queens Latino Cultural Festival back in the groove this year of presenting top artists from throughout the Latino world in this, my borough, which boasts the largest concentration of Latinos in the Big Apple (or Gran Manzana, as they say).
Toto forces me into the cliché: She just gets better with age. Maybe it was the venue—last time I saw her, near on 10 years ago, it was at the more imposing Town Hall in Manhattan—maybe because as I get better or worse with age, she’s become nothing if not inspirational, a role model of how to stay gorgeous, sensual, spirited and—here comes another cliché—eminently young at heart.
Gigging the world over—you’d think she was homeless rather than a proud palenquera from Colombia’s northeastern panhandle—she carries with her her message as torchbearer for the traditions of her country and her people, Afro-Indio-Colombians. Toto maintains her rusticity; she’s like a pre-urbanized Susana Baca, a less buffed icon of the unsung history and contributions of African people in South America.
Toto was born into cantadora lineage: women keeping the traditions through healing, midwifery, political savvy, farming, and of course, song and dance. And that legacy infuses all of her, including her electric smile, her sensuality-- unabashed at over 60 now--and her good natured rule over her super musicians aging from their 20s to could-be “jubilados” (retirees).
The audience, too, was seduced from the first flash of that smile and her head cocked haughtily on high, her swooping skirts and her bossy and beguiling contralto. They were waving their straw hats and arms like streamers and were dancing in the seats.
I can’t wait for her next visit, predictably not for some time, though. Toto’s scored major success in Europe, but never here outside her Colombian homies. And her next show after that, and still the next one. But, at the rate she’s going, she may be still bringing the house down after I’m long gone!

Will healthcare reform be fair to immigrants?

Women's Media Center contributor, Sharmeen Gangat, worries that immigrants, currently faced with great disparities in health coverage between themselves and the native born, will fall by the wayside once "reform" is enacted. Especially at peril are prenatal and postpartum care for women and family planning.
Read the whole article

Pew's Profile of Puerto Ricans

Now that the US, thanks to the nomination of Nuyorican, Sonia Sotomayor, to the Supreme Court, knows that Puerto Rico is a territory of the US and that Puerto Ricans are born citizens just like the Mayflower descendants, the Pew Hispanic Center has compiled a survey of our second largest Latino group.
Click to read

What’s Behind the Rise of Women’s Philanthropy?

Women's giving has exceeded overall philanthropy by more tha 10%

The Women's Media Center has offered up yet another article of inspiration and information for women. Women's philanthropy supports primarily programs that help women and women's organizations worldwide, putting it at the "intersection between the women's movement and philanthropy." Its author, Deborah Richardson, has been active in programming and services for children and African-American arts and is currently chief program officer for the Women's Funding Network.

Click to read

Media Justice for Sotomayor

Since the announcement of Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court, some in the media have engaged in sexist and racist attacks against her. Attacks have been overt and blatant. Some have been the repetition of extreme far right commentary, often packaged as “news” and endlessly discussed in mainstream media outlets.

The Women’s Media Center is releasing its new video, “Media Justice for Sotomayor.” It documents some of these racist and sexist comments already delivered on high profile television programs, radio, print and online outlets.
Click here for video

Hispanic American Village Jobs Center Restored

Following IMDiversity's recent migration to a new jobs database and job tools format at http://jobsearch.imdiversity.com, the editors have begun to restore a number of previously popular jobs quicksearch features including our jobs by location and jobs by occupation quicksearches, our $100K-Plus Featured Jobs section, Bilingual Jobs quicksearch, and the Hispanic American Village Jobs Center.

As before, the section spotlights select job opportunities tagged by our staff and by employers as being of special interest to our Village readers and Latino jobseekers. However, the new database format also brings some changes in the custom search and quicksearch format, and we will be rebuilding the section throughout the summer.

Just one one new improvement to our job tools is that jobseekers can now quickly and easily schedule a Saved Search from any search results page to send them a job alert email whenever any new jobs match their custom criteria. Jobseekers can "subscribe" to a Saved Search agent without opening a full job tools account, but they will enjoy improved tools for managing multiple alerts and posting employer-searchable resume by creating a quick Job Tools account first

We've also added a much expanded network job search, greatly extending the range and variety of the job postings searchable from one site.

Stop back for updates about the new jobs center in coming weeks.