Volume XXVIII Number 20 May 21, 2004

FrontPage Stories

Young Latino Men Keeping Their Palabra

By Raymond R. Beltrán

After a lunchtime assembly at Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach, a stream of young men, ranging from 9th to 12th grade students, gathered into Mr. Pedro Fuentes’s classroom to have a celebration commemorating their soon-to-be departed teacher, who’s acted as a personal confidante to them within the passed three years in a program they attend, ending next year, called Stand and Deliver.

Stand and Deliver members, Saul and Michael, help pass out 550 toys they helped to collect for Smythe Elementary students yesterday. Photo by Patricia Burch.

As the young men, along with their female companions, began considerately passing out cake and soda to each other, they sat, ate and shared personal stories that would usually be perceived as taboo or overemotional in their neighborhoods, where many of them become pressured into taking on a more defensive, machismo role.

Stand and Deliver is actually Mar Vista High’s adaptation of the California Department of Education’s Gang Risk Intervention Program, or GRIP, a support group where young Latino men can go every Thursday, at lunch, to discuss troubling questions in their lives and seek out alternative ways of dealing with problems.

With their ‘homeboy’ style of dress and pelón hairdos, the young men confessed that it was their single parent mothers who were their role models. Others expressed that without the Stand and Deliver program, they probably wouldn’t have been introduced to mature alternative ways of dealing with aggression and confrontation.

For the rest of the story:

Construction will begin on Herbert Ibarra Elementary
New school will honor first Latino principal
On May 4, 2004, students from Euclid Elementary and members of the Herbert Ibarra family turned the earth with shovels to signify the beginning of construction on the new Herbert Ibarra Elementary School. The new school will open on September 6, 2005.


Democrats Lead the Charge in Defeating Rohrabacher Anti-Hispanic Bill
WASHINGTON, DC — House Democratic Caucus Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) applauded the sound defeat — by a vote of 331-88 — of H.R. 3722, the Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical Assistance Amendments of 2004, authored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), amending Section 1011 of last year’s Medicare bill, which provided federal funds to reimburse physicians and hospitals for emergency health services to undocumented individuals. H.R. 3722 would have required health care providers to report undocumented patients as a condition of receiving reimbursement for emergency services to undocumented immigrants, and would have imposed new burdensome and costly requirements on hospitals and turn doctors and nurses into immigration officers.


Senators Introduce Bill to Create National Museum of the American Latino in Washington D.C.
WASGHINTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT),  Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) yesterday introduced bipartisan legislation to celebrate the culture of American Latinos by beginning the process of creating a National Museum of the American Latino.


Con Fe en la Justicia
Durante una reunión pública se reconoció al director de la agencia Asistencia Legal Rural de California (CRLA) por sus 25 años de servicios mientras se inauguró una importante muestra fotográfica sobre trabajadores del campo.
Por Eduardo Stanley
FRESNO, CA — El jueves 13 de mayo, unas de 200 personas se congregaron en el Arte Américas para celebrar los 25 años de trabajo del abogado José Padilla en la agencia Asistencia Legal Rural de California (CRLA). Desde hace 20 años, Padilla es director de esa organización, creada en 1966 y cuyo objetivo es proveer servicios legales gratuitos para trabajadores del campo y sectores rurales de bajos ingresos.


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Stories

More Than a Half Century: A Final Parade and a National Tribute
 Bonita Band Students On Their Way to Washington Ceremonies
Bonita Vista band members are taking their next duty—as the only official representatives of California at the World War II Memorial Dedication Ceremonies in Washington, D.C.—very seriously. They have been thinking about those who served more than a half century ago.


Acclaimed journalist, David Bacon, discusses his latest book, “The Children of NAFTA: Labor Wars on the U.S./Mexico Border” and connects border labor struggles with Iraq
By Perlita R. Dicochea
Acclaimed journalist and photographer, David Bacon, discussed his newly released book, “The Children of NAFTA: Labor Wars on the U.S./Mexico Border,” and presented dozens of photographs of labor struggles in Mexico and Iraq on Wednesday. Himself a labor organizer of 20 years, Bacon’s book focuses on the experiences and analyses of the workers on both sides of the border who continue to fight for better wages and work conditions despite the devastating economic impacts of NAFTA.


1st Annual Career and Educational Conference for Latino Middle- and High-School Age Boys to be Held at CSU San Marcos
Encuentros Leadership of North San Diego County presents the 1st Annual Career Exploration and Educational Conference for Latino boys. Presentations on careers, succeeding in school, information about local colleges, and small group sessions delivered by prominent Latino males are just some of the activities planned. Keynoting the event is Oceanside Councilman and Vice-Mayor, Rocky Chavez. Also on the program with welcoming remarks, is CSU, San Marcos President Haynes.


LA COLUMNA VERTEBRAL
Por Beverly Lyles - Traducción al español por Karina Hurley-Flores
La vida secreta de los hombres contribuye al contagio del VIH entre las Latinas
Como si el ser una mujer perteneciente a una minoría de bajos recursos y sin educación universitaria, no fuera reto suficiente para sobrevivir en este país, parece que ahora el VIH se está expandiendo rápidamente entre estas mujeres (CDC 2000.)  Lo que resulta aún más trágico es que estas mujeres, de por sí vulnerables y luchando valientemente para cumplir con sus numerosas responsabilidades- están contrayendo esta enfermedad mortal a través de sus novios, amantes y esposos. Así es. El mismo hombre en el cual confían para su cuidado y protección, es quien les arrebata la vida.


Ixchel Ahau
Prosperidad Practicando el Poder del Amor
Por Diana Gomez
La clave de la abundancia es conocer los valores del amor; preguntémonos: ¿qué es el amor?

Editorials

Editorial
Where did America lose Its Soul?
Events unfolding in the desert sands of Iraq seem to be a rerun of wars past. What is occurring in Iraq is distressingly familiar. Walk into any VFW hall or American Legion Post and you will hear the same questions being asked that were asked when America dropped two atomic bombs on the hapless citizens of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan: Why did we do it? Did America lose its soul in slaughtering thousands upon thousands of innocent Japanese civilians?


Perspective
Lightening Dark Stains
by Ernie McCray
Man, I look out a world in dire need of a U.S. president who is compassionate and wise and loving and bright and then I think of what we’ve got: a Yee! Ha! reactionary who has no conscience or common sense, and is prone to tell lies. A man who yells: “Bring it on!” to the whole wide world right before our eyes.


Commentary
A Duty to Disobey: The Forgotten Lessons of My Lai
By Robert S. Rivkin
At their heart and core, young soldiers are trained to obey orders. Perhaps one measure that could have prevented the horrible abuses in Iraqi prisons would have been better training for U.S. soldiers on exactly when their own Army regulations require them to disobey orders. They needed to know, unequivocally, from their own officers and trainers, when they had to say “No” in order to avoid being court-martialed.


Commentary
The Gathering Storm (revisited)
By Andrés Lozano
As if yanked from a Greek tragedy; Moira, the Goddess of misfortune threatens Mexico. How apt is Lord Acton’s dictum: “Those ignorant of history risk repeating it.” In its confusion, civic ignorance, reliance and idolatry Mexican voters ready themselves to elect tyrant López Robador —a pun not a typo, Robador as in thief in lieu of Obrador, his last name— in 2006. How can such a thing happen? It is easy to explain. As a fly attentive cat, a hefty part of the constituency suffers from attention deficiency syndrome. Overwhelmed with sundry information and childlike elusiveness, does not itemize real issues, is concerned with trifling and opens spaces for the tyrant in a risky pipe dream. Greece and Rome offer us varied unlearned lessons of the tyranny-demagoguery-tyranny cycle. A cunning rogue, AMLO -the same character’s acronym- easily drifts public attention away with a crude, yet effective sort of political shell game.


Comentario
La tormenta se avecina (repetición)
Por Andrés Lozano
Como arrancado de las páginas de la tragedia griega; Moira, la diosa del infortunio se cierne sobre México. Qué cierta es la afirmación de Lord Acton: “Quienes desconocen la historia se arriesgan a repetirla”. En su aturdimiento, incultura cívica, atenimiento e idolatría, la grey mexicana se apresta a elegir a López Robador en el 2006 como tirano. ¿Cómo puede ocurrir esto? Es fácil entenderlo: Como gato distraído con mosca, parte del electorado sufre síndrome de atención deficiente. Abrumado con información variopinta y evasivas infantiles, no prioriza temas importantes, se ocupa de bobadas y abre espacios para el tirano en un peligroso ejercicio de amnesia. Grecia y Roma ofrecen lecciones sin aprender entre nos del ciclo tiranía-demagogiatiranía. Pillo astuto, AMLO desvía con facilidad la atención del respetable con tinglados rudimentarios. ¿Dónde quedó la bolita?


México del Norte
Por Jorge Mújica
México en la Luna
No se confunda el lector. No es que México ande por la Luna, ni vamos a escribir acerca de algunas propuestas presidenciales que parece que se escribieran en el bello satélite de la Tierra.


Commentary
Informan Sobre la Nueva Ley “Anfitrión Social
Es importante tener en cuenta las normas y leyes que rigen nuestra entidad. Es por eso que es importante que la comunidad conozca La nueva ley “Anfitrion Social” o “Social Host Ordinance” la cual ayuda a reducir los problemas asociados con el consumo del alcohol por los menores de edad.

Etc. Etc. Etc.
Entertainment, Reviews, Sporting news, and other tid bits

Célebres Hijas Latinas Rinden un Tributo a sus Madres en: “Mamá”
Por: Paco Zavala
La publicación de ésta historia pudo haber aparecido unos días antes a ésta fecha, pero lamentablemente no pudo ser así porque la edición de este libro la recibimos ya sobre el tiempo de nuestra edición de la semana pasada.


La Esquina
arte de la comunidad
Perry Vasquez, A Local Artist Maintaining Outside of the Box
By Geneva Gamez
There are people we meet and remember with a smile, others that cause a stir within us, some are just passers by in our lives, and then there’s those we grow fond of for their intellectual thrive to learn more and share that intellect with the rest of the world. This is the case with Perry Vasquez.


La Esquina
arte de la comunidad
To a Cholo Dying Young
& to think
I could have been you


El Drama Histórico Musical “Maximiliano y Carlota” de Jesús Sierra-Oliva en Escena Nuevamente
Por: Paco Zavala
Todas las cosas tienen un principio y tienen un fín. El dramaturgo y maestro de teatro Jesús Sierra-Oliva, después de manejar atinadamente los destinos del grupo teatral “Teatro Hispano de San Diego”, traspasa la responsabilidad sobre del manejo de ésta importante organización, impulsora de la cultura en el área del Condado de San Diego.


Of Mexican Descent - Xolo Represents
Q & A, By Issac Jimenez
Betrayal, the not-so-free, unseen forces of nature, ancient peoples, love lost and the tragic relationship between a flower and a caterpillar are just some of the topics Xol-olanxinxo feels you should know about.


VAMOS AL CINE
El regreso de la reina de la pantalla de plata
Julie Andrews disfruta del redescubrimiento
By Jose Daniel Bort
1964. El año donde el musical de Hollywood floreció como pocos, gracias a “Mi Bella Dama” y “Mary Poppins”. Ambos tenían una persona en común: la incomparable Julie Andrews. En aquella oportunidad, la actriz fue rechazada para el papel de Eliza Doolittle en Mi Bella Dama, que Audrey Hepburn hizo suyo. Andrews tomó el papel principal en la “otra” película, robándose el corazón de todos y el Oscar como mejor actriz.


VAMOS AL CINE
¿Cómo? ¿Un día sin mexicanos?
Por Jose Daniel Bort
El fuerte de Yareli Arizmendi son las palabras. Por ella fluyen con la agudeza y sensibilidad del poeta. (¿Como haces lo invisible, visible? Desapareciéndolo). El fuerte de Sergio Arau son las imágenes. Juntos son la fuerza creadora de la película “Un día sin Mexicanos” que se estrena este fin de semana.


VAMOS AL CINE
Hector Babenco’s Carandiru Adds Ironic Decree to a World Where There Isn’t Supposed to Be Any
A movie review by Raymond R. Beltrán
Who knows what started the 1992 riots at Carandiru Prison in San Paolo, Brazil that led to the massacre of 111 unarmed inmates by government troops? In essence, it could have reflected the inhumane conditions, the growing overcrowded population, the prisoners’ village politics that were created out of their independence from the “free world,” or it could also have been the escalation of a prison-yard brawl between two inmates over who would get to use the outdoor clothesline that day.

Gran Oportunidad para Estudiantes de Demostrar sus Talentos y Conocimientos Organizan Concursos para Celebrar el Cuarto Aniversario del “Museo de las Californias”
Por: Paco Zavala
Para muchos residentes de la ciudad de Tijuana, quizá no les ha contado el tiempo, pero ya han transcurrido cuatro años de que se estableció en la ciudad, en uno de los espacios con que cuenta el Centro Cultural Tijuana, “El Museo de las Californias”, albergando en su interior una gran riqueza cultural, digno de ser visitado por el mortal más exigente.


Mosaico de Actividades Culturales en Tijuana
Por Paco Zavala
El próximo domingo 23 de mayo se celebra a nivel nacional el Día del Estudiante. En el marco de estas celebraciones se han organizado diversas actividades. Todo ésta bien, ojalá que todas las actividades que hayan organizado para ésta celebración se encuentren dentro del marco de la legalidad y el órden. Jóvenes estudiantes, ¡Muchas Felicidades!

Martinez and Mendoza Team up in Rarities at PB Block Party
By John Philip Wyllie
Parking was at a premium and Garnet Avenue was solid sea of humanity as thousands of San Diegans flocked to the annual unofficial beginning of summer, the Pacific Beach Block Party. The sweet smell of carne asada filled the air and the sound of music pulsated up and down the street as the more than forty bands on hand entertained the festive crowd. There was something for everyone. For Latin Jazz fans there were well known local acts such as Jaime Valle, the B-Side Players and Agua Dulce. A block away the always entertaining Steve Poltz joined girlfriend Anya Marina for a spirited set and further down the road the amusing Americana aficionados Jeff Berkley and Calman Hart played cuts from their latest CD “Berkley Hart 12.”

Bullfight World
By Lyn Sherwood
Venezuelan Cuts Undeserved Ear in Reynosa Bullfight
If you’ve ever wondered what “bad luck” is, you should ask Mexican Matador Hector de Granada. He had more than his share of it, last Sunday, in Plaza Monumental de Reynosa.

¿Pierde Terreno “La Fiesta Brava”?
 Por Arnold Varona
Los aficionados a las corridas de toros o “Fiesta Brava” alrededor del mundo, principalmente en España estan enfurecidos. Hace unos pocos dias el ‘Consejo Plenario del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona’ ( una de las plazas que mayor número de corridas celebra en toda España) emitió una declaración donde se expresa contraria a las corridas de toros y en favor de los derechos de los animales, como antes habian hecho las localidades de Tossa de Mar (Girona) y Coslada cerca de Madrid. Aunque sin competencia para prohibir las corridas, la medida es un fuerte golpe a los aficionados del milenario y popular “Arte Taurino”. Quizás una futura tendencia.

Jaguars 1-2 Pitching Punch KO’s Mounties In State Playoffs
Jaguars’ Blow The Game Wide Open In The Eight Inning
By Jaime Cárdenas
CHULA VISTA — Jack Spradlin did not have his best game during Southwestern College opening game of the California Community College State baseball playoff tournament, “but being the competitor Jack is, he found a way to win,” said Jaguars Assistant Coach Jaime Paredes.

Women’s Amateur Soccer Season Kicks-Off Sunday
San Diego WFC opens its 2004 home season in the Women’s Premier Soccer League this Sunday at 11:00 a.m., when the SeaLions face the Las Vegas Tabagators, at Hoover High School. Ticket prices are: $5 Adult, $3 Youth (7-16), and children 6 and under Free. Directions to Hoover High School Stadium, go east on El Cajon Blvd. off of I-15.Turn Left on Highland Ave. Field is located at the end of Highland Ave.