New York Latino Political Leaders - A Video Short

Here's a terrific 4:00 minute history of the rise of Latino political power in New York by Marlene Peralta for HITNTelevision.

"Latinos started having a political presence in New York dating back to the late 1800s. In the 1930s East Harlem became El Barrio, and the main hub for Puerto Ricans, a community that rapidly became politically active, leadership that later spread to other local Hispanic groups."

BTW: NY's 1st elected Latino was Oscar Garcia Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico who won a seat in the NYS Assembly in 1937 as a Republican. Garcia Rivera was a Social Democrat by philosophy and a strong proponent of labor unions. It was he who drafted NYS' Unemployment Insurance Law and paved the way for minimum wage, right to organize and child labor laws.

Elaine Del Valle in 'Brownsville Bred...Growing Up Elaine'

Brownsville Bred...Growing Up Elaine

A One Woman Show
Written, Performed & Lived by:
Elaine Del Valle

WINNER March 2009 "ONE ACT" FESTIVAL
WINNER BEST ACTRESS
WINNER BEST SCRIPT
WINNER BEST SHOW
WINNER April 2009 Teatro LA TEA's "THE ONE" FESTIVAL

PLAYING EVERY MONDAY IN NOVEMBER AT

This autobiographical show takes the audience through an "emotional rollercoaster" that is uplifting, heartbreaking and powerful as they witness Del Valle recreate life in the tough projects of 1980's Brownsville, Brooklyn NY.

Amongst eight other characters, Del Valle narrates as herself from ages 11 to 17. Del Valle's loving father, another empathetic character, leaves the family of five as he falls from stature as a talented musician to a defeated heroine addict. Not unlike most impoverished families, Elaine's mother emerges as the loveable spirit that holds the family together and guides them to a hopeful future.



Crime, Drugs and Poverty mix with the Joys of Family, Hope, Salsa and the Birth of Rap, as Del Valle's innocence recounts a journey to womanhood, a neighborhoods crack & crime epidemic, Salsa rumbas, and her love of Run DMC, which often times help her verbalize a unique struggle and triumph that has audiences cheering and laughing through their tears while swaying to urban rhythms.

Click for more info on Brownsville Bred and tickets.

Bloomberg a Hypocrite? If it walks like a duck and whines like a duck...

In a moment of honesty, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg (aka King Bloomies) complimented Bill Thompson as "the greatest comptroller the City's ever had". Yet now that his reign as mayor is threatened, he's running $millions in negative ads distorting Thompson's record.

Hypocrisy?

Perhaps, but King Bloomies simply keeping in character. After all, he's the man who called the City Council's efforts to ditch term limits, calling it SHAMEFUL, and then drove the effort himself when his presidential ambitions were blocked.

He's the man who pretends to speak for 'the people', but pushes policies that have enriched his buddies in Wall Street and Park Avenue at the expense of the City's working and middle class families.

He's the man who takes a limo to the subway.

The man whose ed policies pushes the weakest students out of the schools they desperately need and then boasts that tests score are up.

I could go on and on...but King Bloomies hypocrisy? I think so.

El Diario-La Prensa Endorses Bill Thompson for Mayor

El Diario-La Prensa's endorsement (Bill Thompson for Mayor - 10/15/09) tells why all City voters must reject King Bloomies' bid for a 3rd term and instead pull the lever for Bill Thompson. en español

Excerpt 1
After a decade misspent lionizing the rich and their excesses, too many New Yorkers are paying the price for the decisions made in Washington, on Wall Street and in City Hall. What New York City needs is an executive with a balanced perspective...where families most in need are a high priority. This leader is Bill Thompson.

Excerpt 2
Thompson has a sterling record...[and] has won the backing of highly regarded elected officials, including Nydia Velázquez, José Serrano, Rubén Díaz Jr. and Adriano Espaillat...DC37, TWU Local 100 and Uniformed Firefighters Association...

Excerpt 3
[Bloomberg's undemocratic maneuver he pulled on term limits] is not simply slick scheming—it is a gross abuse of power. Even Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez conducted a plebiscite on his extended stay in power.

Excerpt 4
With city government already tipped to favor the executive branch, Bloomberg’s power grab delivers a clear message: the ability of constituents to challenge power and shape decisions at the top is seriously in danger.

Thompson v Bloomberg Debate #1 - Bloomies TKO's himself

Wow..the Thompson v King Bloomies debate wasn't even close!

Thompson was the clear winner. He was strong, factual and assertive while maintaining in his trademark likability. On the other hand, Bloomberg seemed shrunken, uncomfortable and evasive behind that masked disdain which has been his trademark.

It was a victory for Thompson on style as well as substance. But King Bloomies kinda beat himself up with his obvious lies, misrepresentations, Republican views and strange comments. Check out some of these gems:

- Insults El Museo and Latinos w/terrible, terrible Spanish
- Lies that he's never had a manicure/pedicure
- States that the city is a mixture and not a mosaic(?)
- Raves that Giuliani would make a great governor
- Claims no one's being forced to leave NYC due to rising costs
- Way prefers Joe Bruno over Pedro Espada for Senate Majority Leader
- Suggests that Ray Kelly is indispensable
- Confides that 'friends' asked him to overturn term limits
- Misrepresented his involvement in pension decisions
- Doesn't answer if schools are 55% better (as per budget increases)
- Blatantly distorts Thompson's role w/the public schools
- Doesn't deny buying political party lines
- Doesn't deny spending $200 million to win a 3rd term
- Supporting a 'stop n search' program that targets people of color
- Claims that his $235 million in grants to city nonprofit groups did not buy him silence or endorsements; and that grantees don't even know he's the donor

No wonder King Bloomies is kept under tight wraps, the man is, politically speaking, an idiot. W/o his billions he'd never ever come close to win citywide office nor even councilman from the silk stocking district.

Eight is way more than enough for this bozo.

Click here for the full Thompson v Bloomberg NY1 Debate at El Museo del Barrio

Jazz/Latino, inc. -- Promoting Latin Jazz in the NY Capital District Region

Machito and the AfroCubans, 1946

Jazz/Latino, inc.

Dedicated to the Promotion of Jazz and Latin Jazz in the New York State Capital Region

1 Bonnie Drive
Guilderland, New York 12084
518/466-9990
518/464-9564 (fax)
www.jazzlatino.org
info@jazzlatino.org

Thompson, Liu & De Blasio: The Democratic Dream Team!

The Democratic 'Dream' Team for NYC: Bill Thompson, John Liu and Bill de Blasio. A true coordinated effort by these 3 candidates could very well trump his $millions and decide the fate of King Bloomie. Stay tuned.

Unity Rally at City Hall - 10/4/09

Bill Thompson for Mayor
John Liu for NYC Comproller
Bill De Blasio for Public Advocate

The International Poetic Short Film Festival - 10/5-26

My Dear Friends,

It’s been a year since The 1st Latino American Poetic Short Film Festival at the Nuyorican Poets Café. In this our 2nd annual Poetic Film Festival we have opened the doors to the rest of the world. The International poetic Short Film Festival begins tomorrow Monday October 5, 2009. I apologize for my late invitation. It’s been a busy and hectic year for all us. I am sure.

The International Poetic Short Film Festival will be held Mondays October 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2009 at The NUYORICAN Poets Café located at 236 East 3rd Street New York, NY 10009Tickets are $10 at the door.

Visit the IPSFF website for more information.

Vision has no boundaries,

Leandro Goicuria
Executive Director
José Antonio
Curator

Latinos for Liu -- VOTE TODAY!!!

New York's El Diario has endorsed John Liu for NYC Comptroller (A vote for John Liu - Sptember 21, 2009) in today's run-off election. El Diario's reasoning is straightfoward:

1. Liu is exceptionally qualified.

"Liu spent 14 years in the financial sector, where he worked as an actuary for pension funds. He combines this impressive professional background with eight years of city government experience."

2. Liu is independent.

"As comptroller, Liu would bring more energy and independence to the table than Yassky. He has actively questioned the numbers put forth by agencies like the MTA and the city’s Department of Education and held them accountable for self-serving reports."

3. Liu is no King Bloomie pushover.

"Liu voted against King Bloomie’s undoing of term limits, while his opponent flushed his 'reformer' credentials down and voted against the voters hard fought reforms."

4. Liu is inclusive with a record of fighting for all of use constituents.

"Liu is passionately committed to increasing opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses. His campaign has excited and mobilized Asian voters. But he also appeals to a broad range of New Yorkers." While his opponent, "despite representing communities like Williamsburg...being suffocated by soaring rents, showed little interest in meeting with a coalition of 40 Latino, Black and Jewish organizations that were shut out of the Broadway Triangle planning process."

Links:
John Liu for NYC Comproller '09
John Liu: One For All video

Wise Latina Diccia T. Pineda-Kirwan for State Supreme Court

Dominican-born Judge Diccia T. Pineda-Kirwan has been asked by the Democratic Judicial Convention to accept the nomination for a vacancy on the State of New York Supreme Court bench.

Judge Pineda-Kirwan, who’s currently a Civil Court Judge in New York City’s Queens County, was nominated by the Queens Democratic Organization as a candidate for the State Supreme Court vacancy in the 11th Judicial District. She’ll be on the ballot for the General Election on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 for the state-wide bench.

If elected, Judge Pineda-Kirwan will be the first Latina to serve in New York’s Supreme Court.

Rita Moreno to Deliver 14th Annual Burian Lecture @ UAlbany - 10/7

Rita Moreno, Star of Stage, Screen, and Television to Deliver 14th Annual Burian Lecture, October 7, 2009

Rita Moreno, past winner of all four of the most prestigious awards in show business—the Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy—will speak about her life on stage, screen and television as part of the 14th Annual Burian Lecture on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. in Page Hall on the University at Albany's downtown campus.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the New York State Writers Institute.

The daughter of a seamstress and a farmer, Moreno emigrated to New York City with her mother at the age of five.

For additional information, contact the Writers Institute at 518-442-5620 or online.

Latinos of Amsterdam, NY

Latinos have been residents of the City of Amsterdam, New York since the post-WWII mass migration of Puerto Ricans to the mainland U.S.A. The original settlers arrived as workers in the area's once booming textile industry.

A half hour's drive west of NY's Capital District, Amsterdam sits on a slope rising above the Mohawk River. It's was a major transport point for the movement of goods along New York's famed Erie Canal system. The City's current population of 17,500 (est.) is down 1/3rd from its 1990 count. It serves as the urban hub for Montgomery County (48K pop) and the largely rural Mohawk Valley.

Latinos comprise 20-25% of the city's residents and are about 10% of the county population.

The above photo* is of the Camacho family (1953), Amsterdam, NY.

* Courtesy of NYS Legacies Project

Links:
Amsterdam's Centro Civico marks its 20th year

Zoe Colon New ED of Mamaroneck's Hispanic Resource Center

Zoe M. Colon, MPA, 30, former program manager at the Carver Center in Port Chester, has been appointed executive director of the Hispanic Resource Center (HRC), a 10-year-old immigrant social service agency in Mamaroneck.

Colon received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in urban studies and psychology from Barnard College and a Master of Public Administration degree, specializing in non-profit management and policy, from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

She succeeds Mariana Boneo, who resigned in March after three years as executive director, helping HRC achieve record financial support and a position as one of the leaders in the Mamaroneck/Larchmont social service community.

HRC served more than 1,500 clients in the past year. Its primary activities are traditional social services for individuals and families, educational classes and workshops that are occupationally helpful and aid in immigrant integration in the community, and special services for day laborers.

Injured Undocumented Workers Awarded $3.85MM

Three undocumented workers (two Mexicans and an Ecuadorian) have been awarded $3.85 million in damages for New York construction-site accidents.

"All three cases involve construction and terribly unsafe working conditions. We're here today to re-emphasize -- as we have in the past -- to the Latino community and all undocumented workers that they have the same rights once they're on the job as any New York citizen." Brian O'Dwyer, Attorney

This is a bit of good news in an otherwise ugly chapter in the treatment of immigrant workers in America. It's been well-documented that many construction companies often skirt government safety rules for their undocumented workers. As a result, these workers--which are heavily Latino--suffer a disproportionate number of construction site related injuries and fatalities.

Hopefully, these awards are the beginning of righting a terrible wrong. By making it financially painful, business--at least those in NYC--will have to think twice before deciding to ignore safety standards when deploying immigrant workers.

Undocumented workers awarded $3.85 million in accidents
The Tepeyac Association
Latino Immigrants Build NYC's Towers & Pay With Their Lives

Cesar Perales & The Latino Struggle

Civil rights leader Cesar Perales recently went to Washington, D.C. to offer his opinion on the woman who may become the next Supreme Court justice. It's the latest chapter in an illustrious career which includes city, state and federal government work, plus helping those who can't help themselves through LatinoJustice, a civil rights agency he founded in the early 1970's.

All Latinos in New York--indeed, in the country--owe a deep measure of gratitude to Cesar Perales, a tireless fighter for Latino rights. Borikua. Americano. Hero.

Cesar Perales On The Latino Struggle:


Link: One On 1: Cesar Perales Discusses The Latino Struggle
TAVIS SMILEY Guest: Cesar Perales PBS

National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2009 - Photos

Links:
Photo series (30 images)
National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2009 -- Video
National Puerto Rican Day Parade - Wikipedia

Sonia Sotomayor's Gutsy Start in '78

At the tender age 24, a daring Sonia Sotomayor took on an elite Manhattan law firm -- and won!

So reports the LATimes (At Yale, Sotomayor won apology from law firm - 5/28/09):

While interviewing for jobs during her final year of school, [Sotomayor] accused the firm, then known as Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge, of discriminating against her by asking questions about the qualifications of Puerto Ricans and other minorities.

Sotomayor's complaint caused a campus furor. A student-faculty panel found the complaint warranted and ordered Shaw Pittman to write her a letter of apology.

That incident speaks volumes for why Sotomayor is the perfect choice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. No shrinking violet...Sotomayor had the guts to take on a wrong -- even if it jeopardized her career with the uber powerful Manhattan corporate legal establishment.

Sotomayor's challenge caused the law firm to reconsider its ways. Remarkably, that firm is now recognized as a leader in diversity. Now that's change we can believe in!

How many Supreme wannabes would dare such a thing?

Don't Let Me Drown: A Dominican-Mexican Love Story in Brooklyn by Cruz Angeles

At the center of Cruz Angeles's compelling first feature Don't Let Me Drown are Lalo (E.J. Bonilla) and Stefanie (Gleendylis Inoa), two high-school kids living in Brooklyn.

Lalo comes from a Mexican immigrant family that struggles financially. His father (Damian Alcázar), formerly a janitor at the World Trade Center, now works at Ground Zero cleaning up debris.

Stefanie's family is Dominican and they moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn after her sister was killed in the attacks. While her mother (Gina Torres) tries to hold the family together, her father (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) is overwhelmed by the loss and cannot control his anger.

In the midst of their family turmoil and exactly one month after the WTC attacks, Lalo and Stefanie meet at a birthday party, and although they start off on the wrong foot, the ice melts, and their budding friendship becomes a clandestine romance.

Don't Let Me Drown features an elegantly poignant story, layered characters and standout performances. The textures of the city and the lives of the families are shaded with a wistful sense of struggle but the heart of the film is a refreshing and honest love story.

Links:
Sundance 2009 Review: Cruz Angeles' Don't Let Me Drown

Cruz Angeles, "Don't Let Me Drown": Daydreams, Grief and Hope

DON'T LET ME DROWN—Introductory Remarks and Q&A With Cruz Angeles and Maria Topete

Overcoming Obstacles To Love

Sonia Sotomayor: Supreme Niuyorican!

President Barack Obama has nominated Appellate Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Sotomayor will become the first member of Latino heritage to serve on the nation's highest court.

From the AP (Obama picks Sotomayor for high court):

Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a self-described "Niuyorican" who grew up in a Bronx housing project after her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico. She has dealt with diabetes since age 8 and lost her father at age 9, growing up under the care of her mother in humble surroundings. As a girl, inspired by the Perry Mason television show, she knew she wanted to be a judge.

A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, a former prosecutor and private attorney, Sotomayor became a federal judge for the Southern District of New York in 1992.

As a judge, she has a bipartisan pedigree. She was first appointed by a Republican, President George H.W. Bush, then named an appeals judge by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

Drums Along the Hudson: A Native American Festival May 17th

The Seventh Annual DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON: A NATIVE AMERICAN FESTIVAL will take place on Sunday, May 17th, 2009 in Upper Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm, rain or shine. The event is FREE to the public and presented by Lotus Music & Dance.

DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON features Manhattan’s only open air pow wow, which is a celebratory gathering of Native people. This year’s pow wow will be led by Louis Mofsie and the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers and will feature other indigenous and international artists.

A multi cultural family-oriented festival, DRUMS ALONG THE HUDSON includes exhibitions of world dance and drumming traditions as well as Native American crafts and international cuisines. The festival combines a celebration of Native American heritage, culture, and art with the diversity of New York City itself.

More

NYJets' Mark Sanchez: Franchise Player & Latino Role Model

Viva Mark Sanchez! New Jets QB celebrates his Mexican heritage NY DailyNews

NYJets 2009 NFL Draft pick QB Mark Sanchez:


Jets fans react to selection of Sanchez:


Sanchez' USC '08 highlights & USC fan reaction the draft:


Sanchez on being Latino & a role model:

Gov. Paterson's Wheelchair Skit

From the Daily Politics Blog....

Gov. David Paterson, who is legally blind, used his response to last night's LCA show to hit back at an 1199/GNYHA TV ad released during the budget battle that featured a blind man in a wheelchair slamming the governor's proposed healthcare spending cuts.

Three thoughts:

1) While the audio is bad and hard to hear in parts, it's clear that the skit is a 5 minute whinefest by an unpopular politician.

2) It's one thing to skewer critics using humor. It's quite another to do so in a way that's demeaning to yourself and others.

3) In a state in which Wall Street billionaires pay the same rate in state taxes as the very poor, is it really funny to mock the disabled worried about cuts in healthcare funding?

On the plus side, Paterson did a funny impersonation of Sheldon Silvers--and the folks in the jaded Capitol reporters in the room laughed throughout the monologue.

The question though is, were they laughing with the governor, or at him?

Gov. Paterson's Skit


Healthcare Cuts Ad

Immigrant Heritage Week - April 17-23

Close D20 Race Shows GOP Weakness

The national GOP is so desperate to recapture the 20th Congressional seat, that it has dumped $1,600,000 to shore up Jim Tedisco's flagging campaign.

In contrast, the DCCC has invested a more reasonable $574K in Scott Murphy's run. But remember, Republicans hold a huge 28 point registration advantage in the sprawling, rural and still conservative district.
Rightwing pundits are trying to make the race a referendum on the Obama administration and his economic policies, which Murphy supports and Tedisco opposes. But that's utter nonsense.

Objective observers can see that this race is really a test for the Republicans; after all, the fact that Tedisco is not trouncing Murphy in the very red 20th speaks volumes about the low level of confidence in the GOP by the district's Republican majority.

With a 64% to 36% advantage over the Democrats, it seems to me that Tedisco needs to win with over 60% of the vote in order for Republicans to brag about anything. A close victory by Tedisco or a defeat, which is possible, is not good news for the Republicans--no matter how they spin it.

North Country Public radio reporter Brian Mann agrees that the stakes are huge for the Republicans.

Links:
NY-20: Democrat Closes with Palin, Limbaugh
NY House special election seen as Obama's 1st test
NY-20: The War of Surrogates

Scott Murphy Upsets GOP Plan to Retake the 20th

New York's 20th Congressional District seat was supposed to be an easy pickup for the Republicans; after all, the voters in the majority Republican and rural district prefer their politicians to reflect their socially conservative values.

While Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand won in the 20th, she did so as a hometown girl from a prominent Republican family and as pol with social conservative views on issues such as guns, war, immigration and government spending -- a so-called 'blue dog' democrat.

So, the newly minted GOP Chair Michael Steele thought it smart to fly to Albany to declare that the GOP's rebirth starts with a win in the 20th. The GOP has poured resources in support of their standardbearer, 58 year old Jim Tedisco, a longtime Albany politician who's against the Obama stimulus bill. The GOP's enthusiasm further heightened when the Democrats picked Scott Murphy, a 39 year businessman and political novice with progressive views aligned with Obama's policies.

Needless to say, Steele's tenure as GOP Big Dog has not gone as planned, and neither has Tedisco's imagined stroll to Congress. With a recent Marist poll showing Murphy gaining a slight lead in the run-up to the March 31st Special election, Tedisco is sinking under the weight of the obstructionism of the Party of No.

It seems the more national Republicans such as Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Boehner and others support Tedisco, the weaker he grows.

Is there a message here?

On the issues concerning Latinos in the 20th and across the country--as well as Americans of all stripes, a smart, energetic, moderate progressive newcomer like Murphy representing New York's 20th is hugely preferable to an old-line Albany pol aligned with national reactionary forces like Tedisco.

Links:
For Republicans, 20th Race Will Be 'Battle Royale' Says Steele
Murphy Takes 4-Point Lead Over Tedisco in Final Week
President Obama Endorses Scott Murphy for Congress
Scott Murphy for Congress
NY-20: Libertarian Sundwall Endorses Murphy
D-20 Map
ACTBlue: Scott Murphy

Do You Pay the Same State Tax Rate As Donald Trump and Bernie Madoff? The Answer Will Shock You!

In New York State, how much money would you have to make in order to be in the very highest income tax bracket? That's the question posed by the WFF to a sampling of New Yorkers. The answer is truly shocking! Needless to say, not one of the individuals interviewed was even close.

Watch this video and then do something about this stunning injustice--even if it's only forwarding the video to friends and family members in New York.

Rights for Domestic Workers in New York

El Diario today called on New York's legislature to give Governor David Paterson legislation to provide basic labor protections to the state's 200,000 domestic workers. See the editorial below.

Latino New York joins El Diario to finally move to protect some of society's most vulnerable and easily exploited workers. With the horror stories of greed run-a-muck on Wall Street, the harassment--and even murder--of immigrant workers, and the mistreatment of domestic workers (including enslavement), New York must quit stalling and move quickly to extend labor rights to all domestic workers. Doing so will send a loud message that New York will once again stand on the side of economic justice.

Rights for domestic workers
Derechos para trabajadoras domésticas

Today, on International Women's Day, we honor the long struggle and accomplishments towards equality and respect for women. Another milestone is within reach if New York state lawmakers push through a bill in the legislative pipeline.

For five years, domestic workers in New York have rallied for a bill of rights that would provide them with basic protections. These workers, estimated at 200,000 in New York State, are often exploited, even more so in this economic climate.

Thousands of families count on domestic workers to care for their children, elders and households. This allows professionals to perform jobs in sectors on which the city depends. Yet domestic workers are not guaranteed sick or vacation days or pay increases. They can be fired at will and without notice.

The vast majority of domestic workers are immigrant women, many from Latin America. Here, they find themselves isolated, underpaid and mistreated by employers taking advantage of the fact that their work is not protected under state and federal laws. It's abuse employers would not tolerate for themselves.

Tomorrow, the State Senate's labor committee is expected to vote on legislation that would address unfair working conditions for domestic workers. A bill long sponsored by Assemblyman Keith Wright is in the rules committee. The committees should approve these bills so they can be presented on the floor for passage.

This is the fifth year that domestic workers, represented by Domestic Workers United, have tried to get a bill approved. The legislature and Governor David Paterson should make sure this is the last year they have to advocate for overdue protections.

Related:
From Stand in Long Island Slavery Case, a Snapshot of a Hidden U.S. Problem
Albany drags feet on domestic worker bill
Domestic workers sue, organize for their rights: Long denied sick time, vacation and health care, group pressures politicians
Nanny abuse rally eyes domestic worker plight
Domestic Workers: Little Protection for the Underpaid
Break The Chain Campaign: Assisting the Enslaved in the Land of the Free
Maid to Order: Modern-day Slavery in the USA
Domestic Workers Unite

The History, Music and Culture of the Indigenous Taíno People - 3.20.09 @ The New York Open Center

This evening, indigenous activist, historian, artist, musician and storyteller Roberto Borrero, one of only a handful of actual Taino descendants who are considered authorities on the ancient Taino culture, will introduce us to the history, creation stories, spirituality, music and song of the first indigenous people encountered by Columbus in 1492.

The program will include stunning slides and a performance of Taino music by Roberto and other members of the Cacibajagua Taino Cultural Society, an organization dedicated to the promotion of Taino culture.

AN EVENING EVENT

Friday, March 20, 7:30pm
The New York Open Center
83 Spring Street (Btw B'way and Lafayette Sts.)
212-219-2527 Ext.2
www.opencenter.org
Program #09WSN14P
Members: $18/Nonmembers: $20
Location: The New York Open Center, 83 Spring Street
(Btw B'way and Lafayette Sts.)
Contact: www.opencenter. org

Source: UCTP - email: la_voz_taino@yahoo.com

Affordable Housing Expo - Saturday, 3.7.09 @ Westchester County Center

See attached flyer
En Español

The Great Recession Hits Latinos Hardest

The Great Recession of 2008 (and beyond) is hurting men more than women. It is hurting homeowners and investors more than renters or retirees who rely on Social Security checks. It is hurting Latinos more than any other ethnic group. A year ago, a greater share of Latinos held jobs than whites. Today, the two have switched places.

Link

Severe & Deeply Rooted Housing Discrimination on Long Island

The advocacy group Education Research Advocacy Support to Eliminate Racism (ERASE Racism)'s latest report, The Racial Equity Report Card: Fair Housing on Long Island (pdf), concludes that African Americans and Latinos are still treated unfairly when searching for homes in Long Island (New York).

The discrimination, the report observes, is severe and deeply rooted in the highly segregated society that is Long Island.

A primary culprit? Real estate professionals.

The report found that some Long Island real estate agents routinely practice housing discrimination, despite efforts to crack down on it, including repeatedly steering African Americans and Latinos to rundown neighborhoods.

Seventy three percent (73%) of all housing race discrimination complaints on Long Island from 2000 to 2007 were filed against real estate professionals.

The report also found that local state and federal government agencies failed to act to stem housing discrimination based on race on Long Island.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under George W. Bush failed to oversee and monitor New York’s human rights cases.

The state’s Division of Human Rights under George Pataki dismissed most housing discrimination complaints. Between 1999 and 2007, 90 percent of the race-based fair housing complaints from Long Island received a “no probable cause” finding.

And local municipalities failed to take “any significant steps towards drafting and implementing community development plans that address inequities caused by racial segregation.”

Links:
Report: Housing discrimination on LI 'routine practice'
Not so fair housing on LI
Housing Barriers Persist on Long Island: New Study Reveals Housing Discrimination on
Long Island Is Severe and Deeply Rooted - report press release
The Racial Equity Report Card: Fair Housing on Long Island