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Volume XXVII Number 36 September 5, 2003

FrontPage Stories

The absurd road to justice

Workers fight for compensation from Industria Fronteriza

By Mariana Martinez

My name is Margarita Avalos Salas, I used to work for Industria Fronteriza, an industry that made pantyhose, underwear and sportswear. I started working there in 2000. In 2002 the company stole our profit share. We tried to find a way to get what was lawfully ours. On June 5th we asked for legal advice from the Work and Social Development Agency so they could tell us what we could do to have justice. Our bosses got so mad they fired three of us the next day and one more on the 7th of June. We were on the street; no salary, no wages, no profit share -of course- no paid vacations, nothing.

That’s how Margarita’s saga began. When she, like thousands of people every year, arrive at Tijuana from their native Puebla, and the very next day they are at work at a local maquila. Industria Fronteriza is a 37-year-old company, one of the oldest ones in town, owned by American business family, Sagal Modelvsky.

Margarita Avalos Salas.

Human and labor rights activists say the personnel in this company worked under unsanitary, unsafe conditions; spoiled food at the cafeteria, yelling and cursing while the almost a thousand workers dyed, washed and iron the fabrics, among leaking vapor hoses, extreme noise and foul smells. Sadly these are not uncommon conditions in today’s Tijuana factories so many of the workers look it as “part of the job hazards”.

When I worked for Industria Fronteriza, I was also taking some human and labor rights workshops at Factor X Woman’s House; they where the ones who taught me about such thinks as labor laws, that’s why me and other workers got encouraged to fight for our rights, and we got fired as a result.

For the Rest of the Story Please Follow This Link:

El erosionante viaje a la justicia
 Trabajadores reclaman a Industria Fronteriza
 Por Mariana Martinez
Mi nombre es Margarita Avalos Salas, trabajaba en Industria Fronteriza, la cual producía medias, ropa interior y ropa deportiva; empecé a laborar en el año 2000. Para el año 2002 la empresa se robó nuestro reparto de utilidades; nosotros buscamos la forma de poder obtener lo que por ley nos correspondía y el 5 de Junio pedimos asesoría a la Secretaría de Trabajo y Previsión Social para que nos pudieran informar qué podíamos hacer para hacer justicia. El enojo de nuestros patrones fue tanto que el día 6 de Junio nos despidieron a tres personas y al día siguiente a otra más. Nosotros nos encontrábamos en la calle; sin salario, sin nuestra semana laborada, sin el reparto de utilidades —por supuesto— sin vacaciones, sin nada.

Tráfico de personas en San Diego:
Una tragedia internacional entre las vísceras de esta ciudad
 Por Mariana Martinez
En un reciente estudio realizado por el Dr. Richard Estes, profesor de trabajo social y co-autor del libro La emergencia silenciosa, se rastreo a niños en 28 de las ciudades más grandes de Estados Unidos, incluído San Diego y su ciudad vecina, Tijuana (Baja California). Ambas ciudades fueron identificadas por el estudio como puntos clave de transportación, tráfico y destino de menores explotados comercial y sexualmente.

Embattled Estrada Withdraws as Nominee for Federal Bench
 WASHINGTON — Attorney Miguel Estrada, whose appointment to a federal appellate court judgeship was blocked by Democrats in a protracted fight with the Bush White House, asked Thursday that he be removed from consideration.

To Young People Like Me, This Recall Is Real
 By Hector Gonzales
SAN JOSE—To many voting Californians, the gubernatorial recall election is being taken as a joke — an unexpected and entertaining twist to the usually boring political scene. But for me and my community, this recall is a very important.

Stories

Prepara Carlsbad Su Quinta “Fiesta del Barrio Carlsbad”
Por America Barcelo Feldman
A pesar de los pequeños tropiezos financieros, la ciudad de Carlsbad se prepara para llevar a cabo su tradicional “Fiesta del Barrio Carlsbad”, la cual es el resultado de las labores del Comité Organizador de la Asociación Fiesta del Barrio, quienes han trabajado con esmero para lograr celebrar su festejo que con orgullo habitantes del Barrio Carlsbad realizan anualmente. Y este año esta localidad de la costa norte del Condado de San Diego tendrá nuevamente su magno evento, el que como cada año se lleva a cabo en fechas próximas a la celebración del aniversario de la Independencia de México.

Analysis
 Killing of Ayatollah is Start of Iraqi Civil War
By William O. Beeman
The assassination of Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim in Najaf on August 28 is the opening volley in the coming Iraqi Civil War. The United States will reap the whirlwind.

Politica a la Mexicana
 Los Tropiezos de Fox
Por Luz Aída Salomón
 El presidente mexicano Vicente Fox, hombre dicharachero, ranchero desparpajado, empresario pragmático, candidato arrollador, presidente desganado, llega a la mitad del sexenio gubernamental sin cumplir la promesa de aplastar —según sus palabras— a tepocatas, arañas y alimañas, que para los mexicanos significa desmantelar el régimen autoritario impuesto por el Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) durante setenta y un años.

Pomp and Pageantry Highlight Inaugural Sweetwater Experience
High school athletes and marching bands participated in Olympic-style extravaganza
They came from each of the Sweetwater District’s high schools—more than 2,000 student athletes, cheerleaders and musicians—all to take part in the first Sweetwater Experience. The Olympic-style event was held recently at Sweetwater High’s Gail Devers Stadium. The grand spectacle got underway with a performance by Mariachi Chapultepec of Castle Park High and the foot stomping, toe tapping performances from school marching bands. Student athletes and cheer squads followed after.

Make the ‘Morning-After Pill’ Available the Morning After
 By Alison Regan, Esq.
The makers of Plan B emergency contraception (EC) submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to switch Plan B’s status from prescription to over-the-counter. EC treatments such as Plan B are a concentrated dosage of daily birth control pills that dramatically reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant if taken as soon as possible after unprotected sex and at least within 72 hours. Unfortunately, many women still do not know about this important option, and barriers to access EC still exist.

Nuevo servicio farmacéutico provee anticoncepción de emergencia a mujeres en California
Un nuevo servicio farmacéutico permite a las mujeres obtener anticoncepción de emergencia (EC) de las farmacias participantes sin una visita previa a su doctor o a la clínica. La anticoncepción de emergencia, o “EC” para abreviar, es un método de respaldo para el control de la natalidad. Es una manera segura y efectiva de prevenir el embarazo después de haber tenido relaciones sexuales sin protección o después de que el método anticonceptivo utilizado haya fallado.

¡No Se Deje!
Custodia de Hijos Menores
Por el Lic. Jess J. Araujo
En los casos de divorcio en que las partes tienen hijos menores de edad, la corte determina en qué forma los padres van a cuidarlos, y quién va a tener los derechos y responsabilidades para tomar las decisiones sobre su custodia, salud, educación y bienestar. La custodia puede ser física, legal o ambas, y puede ser exclusiva o conjunta.

San Diego’s First Tax Roll
by Albert Simonson
San Diegans wondered what it all meant when the U.S. Navy first sailed into our bay. They wondered again when the Army invaded and made themselves comfortable at the old mission, the very place that had once been the essence of Spanish San Diego.

Taking charge of our future
By Ron Morrison
Imagine a region where jobs and schools are close to home. A region where residents have realistic options for choosing how to travel efficiently throughout the region. Open space is protected for future generations. All of this is possible, if we channel some of the energy and fervor in today’s political climate toward shaping the future of the San Diego region.

NOTAS:
LA’s Mexican Cultural Institute Seeking Artwork for Cover Page
The Mexican Cultural Institute is seeking artwork to use as a cover for a new book by Professor David Hayes-Bautista, Director for the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, called: La Nueva California: Latinos in the Golden State.

Editorials

Editorial:
The Cost of Winning, In Politics, Too High!
On August 28, 2003 San Diego City Council members Ralph Inzunza Jr., Charles Lewis and Michael Zucchet were charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and extortion. In layman’s terms these council members were charged with selling their votes/influence to the owners of a nude entertainment business.

Commentary
The Smearing of Bustamante -  The Far Right and Anti-Mexican Racism
By Jorge Mariscal
It would be tempting to dismiss the recent media flap around the candidacy of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and his membership in the student organization Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) as much to do about nothing. But for those of us who have been following over the last decade the political propaganda of anti-Mexican hate groups, the controversy indicates just how far the rhetoric and tactics of the extreme right have entered the media mainstream.

Commentary:
Fair and Unbalanced Racism
By Rodolfo F. Acuna
Fox News and the O’Reilly factor have touched off a tempest in the proverbial teapot by denouncing California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante for not renouncing his affiliation with a Chicano student organization of which he was a member in the 1970s. These so-called journalists equate MEChA with the Klu Klux Klan and violence, which at a time of general hysteria over terrorism is irresponsible.

The Public Forum . . . El Foro Público
Bush’s Record/Actions Called Into Question
Re letter by COL. Jerry Webb,  USA Ret., San Diego Native, commentary on George W. Bush’s qualities The Public Forum, August 23,2003.

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

Cargado de Romanticismo “El Prisionero” de Karyn Monk
Por: Paco Zavala
Los diversos géneros y estilos literarios enmarcan en su contenido la belleza de la escritura en todo su esplendor y grandeza.

Showtime Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
Showtime, which presents compelling and diverse programming throughout the year, will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) with a number of programs that feature Latino themes and talent.

KPBS-TV Se Divierte - Mes de Herencia Hispana
En honor del mes de Herencia Hispana, KPBS ofrecerá programas especiales durante todo el mes de septiembre.
Aquí encontrará una lista de programas para ver.

Valley Center Library Announces September Programs
Spanish Heritage is Month’s Programming Focus
The Valley Center Branch of the San Diego County Library, 29200 Cole Grade Road, announces a variety of Spanish Heritage Month programs, from art and story-telling to crafts and a Mexican Fiesta.

Cuando la vida imita al arte
Wilson Cruz personifica a un latino víctima de un asesinato en “Party Monster”
Por Jose Daniel Bort
Las calles del oeste del histórico Village despertaron esa calurosa mañana de la primavera de 1996 emplastadas con el retrato de Ángel Meléndez, en blanco y negro, prometiendo una modesta recompensa a cambio de información sobre su paradero.

Los estrenos de la semana
¡Viva Mexico y Pancho Villa!
Por Jose Daniel Bort
Y protagonizando: Pancho Villa como el mismo. (And Starring: Pancho Villa as himself): La carrera de Antonio Banderas ha sido larga y fructífera. Engañó a todo el mundo pretendiendo que hablaba inglés, y se ha mantenido más bien que mal durante este tiempo. Han pegado algunas películas (La máscara del Zorro, Evita) y ha hecho cosas horrorosas (¿quién vio Ecks vs. Sever?). También ha hecho buenas películas que no han funcionado (Femme Fatale por ejemplo), y dirigió algo que no lo vio nadie (Crazy in Alabama).

Presentan el 5to Festival de Fotografía en Tijuana
Por: Paco Zavala
Con la finalidad de ornar y otorgar más lucidéz al marco que conlleva a la celebración de las fiestas septembrinas, las instituciones que se definen a donar fortalecimiento a las expresiones culturales en todo su contorno, han elaborado una serie de actividades, concernientes y dispuestas a lograr este cometido.

Macuilxochitl's Kiva
 “Love” at the Street Scene!
 Known as one of the best folk-rock/psychedelic bands to emerge form the Los Angeles music scene in the mid-sixties, Love, was also one of the first integrated rock groups, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Arthur Lee. The band proceeded their eventually more famous fellow Los Angelinos, the Doors, being one of the first rock and roll band signed to Elektra records. The label had recently enlisted early versions of the Byrds and the Lovin’ Spoonful. Jim Morrison and company was later courted by the label, as well and he often referred to Lee and Love as being a source of inspiration to the Doors.

Mosaico de Actividades Culturale en Tijuana
Por: Paco Zavala
Tomaremos un poco de este espacio para hacer mención de una lamentable noticia.

Calendar of Events:
By Berenice Cisneros
Concerts, Musicals…
** The La Jolla Stage Company is set to present “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown!”, a joyous celebration of our childhood times. This is a musical with a fresh approach to this all-time 1966 classic. Come have fun with Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the whole Peanuts gang as they romp their way through this perennial family favorite. Opening July 24 and continues through September 7th.

Fall’s Primetime Latinos
TV networks bring back old favorites, shine spotlight on newcomers
By Julio Martinez
Despite the loss of NBC’s Kingpin and WB’s Greetings From Tucson, due to cancellations, Latino performers will be present on all three major broadcast networks when primetime television launches its 2003 Fall season.

The Ghost Takes No Prisoners
By Fiona Manning
Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, 11-0, 4 KOs, California’s fast- rising southpaw super featherweight prospect, will finally get his chance to strut his stuff to the whole world when he kicks off the PPV TV telecast of Evander Holyfield vs James Toney at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on October 4.

Bullfight World
By Lyn Sherwood
Leonardo Benitez Returns in Triump to Tijuana
It had been a couple of years since Venezuelan Matador Leonardo Benitez had performed in Tijuana. But, he returned, Aug. 31, where he triumphed before a crowd of an estimated 10,000 fans. The following is how Tijuana correspondent Gary Sloan saw the afternoon.

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