Society of Hispanic Historical�
and Ancestral Research���
P.O. 490
Midway City, CA�
92655-0490

[email protected]
714-894-8161

Board Members:
Bea Armenta Dever
Gloria C. Oliver
Mimi Lozano
Pat Lozano
Cathy Trejo Luijt�
Viola R. Sadler
Tom Saenz
John P. Schmal

Resources:
SHHAR
Networking
Calendar
www.SHHAR.net
www.SomosPrimos.com�

It is incumbent on every Generation to pay its own debts as it goes.�
A principle which if acted on would save�one-half the wars of the world.���

Thomas Jefferson

UNITED STATES

�

Serving the U.S. Hispanic Community since 1980

Hispanic link news service
1420 N Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
established 1980
founders
Sebastiana Ericksen-Mendoza,�
Charles A. Ericksen�
& H�ctor Ericksen-Mendoza

http://www.hispaniclink.org/Hispanic_Link/Front_Page.html

Charlie Ericksen
Editor / Publisher
Hispanic Link News Service
1420 N Street, N.W.
Washington D.C. 20005
phone: (202) 234-0280
www.hispaniclink.org

�

�

The Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln

Sent by [email protected]

NCLR National convention, July 10-13, click�

81st LULAC, National Convention & Exposition
Albuquerque, NM | July 12�17, 2010

New Strategies for Community Empowerment:�
New Leadership through Action

The 2010 LULAC Expo will feature 300 corporate partners, government agencies, colleges and universities, labor unions and non-profit organizations displaying their products and services while recruiting Latino employees at the LULAC career fair. In addition, the LULAC Convention hosts the Federal Training Institute�an intensive and structured career development program for government employees.

Sincerely, Rosa Rosales
LULAC National President Click Here to Register!
Click here for more information about the 2010 LULAC National Convention

LULAC National Office, 2000 L Street, NW, Suite 610 Washington DC 20036, (202) 833-6130, (202) 833-6135 FAX


FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT LULAC EVENTS, LULAC distributes a brief newsletter which includes important issues� and call to action items. PLEASE VISIT: www.lulac.org/events

Prosecutors called Higgins the central figure in a scheme that provided services for at least 119 students � all from Middle Eastern countries � who he charged at least $1,000 per exam.

Immigration officials said it was the most unusual case they've seen involving a suspected visa fraud scheme. They said the sting also highlights the vulnerability in the college and university testing process.

A foreign student temporarily granted admission to the U.S. on a student F-1 visa is allowed to stay in the country as long as he or she is enrolled as a full-time student in an educational program, attending classes at least 18 hours a week. Any failure to comply could lead the student to lose his visa, according to immigration law.

CLICK HERE for more immigration-related stories.

According to prosecutors, the scheme began in January 2002 and ended in December when agents served a search warrant to Higgins' home. Agents said they seized 60 California driver's licenses featuring the names of foreign students and photographs of Higgins or his associates who prosecutors said were hired to take the exams.

The complaint document also states that agents discovered college exams and spiral notebooks with university course notes taken by Higgins, among other items.

Immigration officials said Higgins was a legitimate tutor at one point. They say what likely motivated him to get in the visa fraud business was money.

HOW IT WORKED

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said the defendant and others he recruited posed as foreign students, gaining access to testing centers at colleges and universities throughout Southern California such as Irvine Valley and Saddleback colleges, prosecutors alleged in court documents.

They gained access with fraudulent California driver's licenses, officials said. In return, Higgins charged at least $1,000 each for English placement exams, math and English tests. The price went up if he or the others attended classes on behalf of a student.

Prosecutors state that he provided services to at least 119 students � all men from Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Kuwait, Turkey, and Qatar.

For the last eight years, prosecutors said Higgins � who prosecutors said never graduated from college � aided students by taking or directing his associates to take math and English proficiency exams and sit in on sociology and marketing classes. About half of the students are believed to have returned to their home countries, immigration officials said.

Prosecutors stated that the students attended the following public colleges and universities:
Irvine Valley College, Saddleback College, Coastline Community College, Golden West College, Orange Coast College, El Camino College, Santa Monica College; California State University in Los Angeles, California State University in Long Beach, and California State University in Dominguez Hills.

Researching the topic further, I found some interesting facts.� First, no one seems to know how many foreign students are in the United States on Student Visas.� The article above states that according to immigration officials dealing with the recent case, "About half of the students are believed to have returned to their home countries."�� Believed . .� that means they entered as students, paid to have tests taken so they could be remain classified as students, and now no one knows where they are.�

In 1998, . . . the INS reported that 599,000 foreign students entered the country. But the State Department reported issuing only 280,000 student visas (Borja report below).� That is in one year.�� Over the last three decades, the number of F-1 academic visas and M-1 vocational visas has increased yearly from 65,000 to 315,000.�

Based on the INS report of 599,000 foreign students entering in 1998, approximating adjustments as indicated by yearly increase estimates, we would have about 7 million foreign " students" entering the U.S., just since 1998.� For the 20 years prior to 1998, roughly 8 million foreign "students" entered the U.S., for a rough total of 15 million over the past 30 years. (Since we are unable or unwilling to keep track of these "students," we do not know where they are now.)

The U.S. has approximately 4,000 colleges and universities, 6,000 state-accredited vocational schools and 24,000 secondary schools for a total of 34,000 legitimate learning institutions.�

But the INS, which must approve all schools as qualified to accept visa holders, has certified . . "golf academies, beauty schools, acupuncture colleges and, of course, flight training centers are among those who can accept foreign students. Those institutions actively recruit abroad for pupils."��
�
Of particular concern for Latinos should be the drive for diversity on campus, because foreign students are sought out by recruiters, even offering financial benefits. � This has got to be impacting our universities and potentially taking the seats of our Hispanic students, who don't carry the mystique of being foreign students.��

Of the 10 colleges identified in Carcamo's article, all are part of the public system.� The first seven are junior colleges feeding into the three Cal State Universities.� All campuses are heavily strained by our youthful California population.��

A recent Orange County Register article stated that there are 29,000 students are on the waiting list to get into the Cal State University system. The fact that foreign students, who are not legitimate students,� are taking seats which were promised to students who transferred up from a junior college . . .� should be viewed as a serious problem.��

The position of many who oppose the DREAM Act is that our colleges and universities are over-burdened and should not have to educate undocumented Latino students, even if those students have lived in California system for most of their lives.�

Yet, I've observed little reaction to the facts that Middle Eastern foreign nationals are taking seats by fraud. No letters to the editors commented on the problem.� Perhaps, it was lost to the public because the title of the article, de-emphasized the importance of the case: "Laguna Niguel man pleads guilty in student visa fraud ring".� With so many cases of fraud in the news daily, it went unnoticed. No letters to the editor.� However, is this a quiet case of Open Border of a different kind?��

Where is the logic for public universities to enroll foreign nationals, when our public California Junior Colleges, California State Universities, and University of California campuses are burdened with the need of educating our own future citizens?� How is it being justified?��Most campuses want to promote understanding of diversity in our midst.� Our California elementary and secondary students experience diversity and are being trained through the curriculum to understand varieties of cultural and ethnic groups.��

I surely hope that our state run California system will meet the needs of our young people, graduating from our high schools, and not play host to foreigners students who will not be contributors to California's future.���

Searching further, I found a report that points out the deficiencies in current system of distributing Student VISAs:
An Evaluation of the Foreign Student Program, by George Borjas, Center for Immigration Studies,
Download the .pdf version�
Read the panel discussion transcript�
http://www.cis.org/articles/2002/back602.html�

� The INS has little control over the number and type of students being admitted;

� The program is littered with corruption and fraud;

� American taxpayers subsidize a sizable part of the tuition of foreign students;

� The benefits from the program are greatly exaggerated, and the program may well generate a net economic loss for the country;

� The program is best viewed as yet another redistribution program, shifting wealth away from native workers and taxpayers and redistributing it to universities and foreigners.

. . ." there is a huge incentive to effectively sell visas to enter the United States under the guise of a foreign student program. . . .� The website of the IEF Education Foundation includes the statement� . . . "Many of you are interested in recruiting students from China. We share your interests in this lucrative market."

. .�" fact, there are reports that the foreign student program has corrupted the admission and educational process at some schools in the United States. A recent well-publicized example involved a San Diego-area businessman who received between $200,000 and $300,000 to procure student visas for Middle Eastern students. This corrupt scheme was so intricate that it included an admissions officer who accepted bribes to admit the foreign students, as well as professors at three different colleges who sold passing grades to the students."

Editor Question:� How can our Latino students compete with Middle Eastern students who are so well positioned financially that they can pay $200,000 and $300,000 to procure a student visas and then pay as in the Santa Ana case $1,000 per test for someone to take their math and English proficiency tests?��

The presence of foreign students at prestigious East Coast Ivy League universities is well known.� Their desire to achieve multicultural diversity, admirable. Many present-day world leaders attended those universities. However, California's schools are public schools, culturally and racially diverse; we do not need to bring in foreign students to achieve diversity.�

Why should California's public universities accept foreign students on student visas?� The burden of educating our own population is challenging enough.� Perhaps all public institutions of higher learning should question to who they own their allegiance, and develop policies to reflect their position.���

California's population is identified as 36.6 % Latino/Hispanic, but if the figures were separated for just Southern California, the numbers would be considerably higher. .� Santa Ana, the city in which Middle Eastern students were paying $1,000 for someone to take their tests, has a population composed of� 75% Latinos/Hispanics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_California#Hispanic.2FLatino_Americans��

All of our public institutions of higher learning should answer to the needs of their local community, and reflect the student resident population.� Our responsibility is to our youth, and their future.��

Key Issues Addressed at the 2010 NCLR Annual Conference

�

Exciting developments are underway as we move closer to the 2010 NCLR Annual Conference, from July 10�13 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas!� NCLR consistently addresses the issues that directly affect the Hispanic community, uniting individuals and organizations with the movers and shakers that continue to push the issues to the center of the national discussion.

�

This year, the topics you�re most interested in will be addressed through our 60 workshops, offered over four days along eight different issue tracks.� These engaging and informative workshops will present the latest information, tips, and best practices regarding your own work in the community.� This year�s issue tracks are Affiliate/Nonprofit Management, Community and Family Wealth-Building, Community Empowerment, Education, Health, Policy, Women�s Issues, and Workforce Development.

�

The obesity epidemic and diabetes are top health concerns so join us for on-point workshops that will directly address these issues, such as �Fighting La Diabetes with Promotores de Salud.�� The �2010 Legislative Update:� Has Washington Delivered for the Latino Community?�� will discuss how our government is addressing the growing Latino constituency and, with the financial situation in America far from being resolved, workshops like �An Uphill Battle for Latino Families in Foreclosure� deal directly with this situation, presenting ways to move our community forward.� �Latinas Bringing Home the Bacon:� Changing the Dynamics of Work and Family Life� reflects on the growing trend of Latinas balancing their roles at home and in the workforce.� These are just four of our 60 different workshops!� Click here to get a full and complete description of each workshop that we�re offering at the 2010 NCLR Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas!

�

In addition, there will also be three interactive town hall sessions that will address the topics at the forefront of the discussion, from education and health to the economy.� Hosted by the nation�s leading experts in each field, NCLR town hall sessions are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get answers to your most important questions and concerns on the issues that are directly affecting the Hispanic community today.�

�

Text CONF to 62571 to receive Conference updates directly to your cell phone!� Visit www.nclr.org/conference for upcoming Conference deadlines, information, an updated schedule, and more.

Go to: http://www.nclr.org/section/events/conference/about_conference1/agenda_glance/issue_track_description/conference��
and click on the titles below for description of what will be covered in each session, (as of April 8th):�

NCLR in Action is a monthly communication from the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) which provides information on issues of importance to Latinos.� Each Action Alert email contains one action item, followed by updates on what's happening with other issue areas.��

The GOOD NEWS, Action Alerts are not limited to members of NCLR.�� Jennifer Edwards writes, "We would love for you to sign up and spread the word to anyone who is interested in receiving these."� Here is the link to sign up:� http://www.nclr.org/section/national_campaigns/� We also have a new mobile action network that you can join by sending the word NOW to 62571 on your mobile phone.��

Sent by Jennifer Edwards | [email protected] | Ph: (202) 776-1770
National Council of La Raza | Office of Research, Advocacy, and Legislation

�

�

HISPANICS BREAKING BARRIERS

Part XVII

By

Mercy Bautista-Olvera�

�

�

The 17th article in the series �Hispanics Breaking Barriers� focuses on contributions of Hispanic leadership in United States government. Their contributions have improved not only the local community but the country as well. Their struggles, stories, and accomplishments will by example; illustrate to our youth and to future generations that everything and anything is possible.

�

P. David Lopez:� General Counsel of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Department (Confirmed)

�

Eduardo M. Ochoa: �Department of Education�s Office of Post Secondary Education in the Education Department (Nominated)

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Marisa Demeo:� Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (Confirmed)

�

Edith Ramirez: �Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission in the Federal Trade Commission Department (Confirmed)

�

Kenneth J. Gonzales: � U.S. Attorney for the district of New Mexico (Confirmed)

�

�

P. David Lopez

�

Swearing In Ceremony March 27, 2010

�

�

On March 27, 2010, P. David Lopez was sworn in as General Counsel of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

�

P. David Lopez is the second of four children. His parents Ernesto and Faith Lopez are both from families that go back several hundred years and many generations in Northern New Mexico . His father is a retired teacher and his mother owned a small business store. (When he was 14 years old, his parents divorced). His mother moved from Tucson to Woodburn , Oregon , with him and his two brothers Noel Ernesto and Tobias Ramon. Lopez worked as a dishwasher, listened to music, but most of all he enjoyed reading. He later married Maria Leyva, (born and raised in Boston , Massachusetts ). They have three sons, Javier, Julian Diego, and Luis Andres.

�

In Oregon , Lopez took classes at a local community college, then returned to Arizona and enrolled at Arizona State University , earning a B.S. in Political Science in 1985, magna cum laude. In 1988, Lopez attended Harvard Law School where he earned a J.D. degree.

�

From 1988 to 1991, he was an associate with the MacDiarmid Law firm in Washington , DC . He also served in the Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1991 to 1994. �

�

Lopez began his career at the (EEOC) working for former Chairman Gilbert Casellas as a Special Assistant in Washington D.C. For the past 12 years, he has served as a Senior Trial Attorney and a Supervisory Trial Attorney in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission�s Phoenix District Office. There he was responsible for successfully litigating many high-profile cases on a wide variety of legal bases involving disability, discrimination, sexual harassment, race discrimination and harassment, gender-wage discrimination, and religious discrimination.

�

�I am delighted to have an attorney with David�s extensive knowledge of the law and familiarity with the EEOC�s legal program as General Counsel,� said EEOC Chair Jacqueline A. Berrien. �He will be a valued partner in our vital mission of eradicating employment discrimination.��

�[I�m] honored by President Obama�s appointment and view it as an affirmation of support for the EEOC staff in the field fighting every day to vindicate civil rights and preserve the promise of this great country,� Lopez said. �I intend to further develop the national law firm model for the EEOC to combat discrimination. I look forward to working with Chair Berrien and the entire Commission to ensure equal opportunity throughout this nation.�

�

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.

�

�� ��

�Dr. Eduardo M. Ochoa

�

Dr. Eduardo M. Ochoa has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Education�s Office of Post Secondary Education, which administers most of the federal government�s programs for colleges and college students.

�

Eduardo Martin Ochoa was born on November 18, 1950, in Argentina .� When he was 14 years old, he moved with his family to Portland , Oregon . He is married to Holly Byers-Ochoa.

�

In 1973, Dr. Ochoa received his bachelor�s degree in Physics and Philosophy from Reed College in Portland , Oregon . He earned a Master�s and doctoral degrees in Economics from the New School for Social Research (1984). His dissertation was on �Labor Values and Prices of Production: An Inter-industry Study of the US Economy, 1947-1972.�

�

He and his wife, Holly, made an extended visit to Argentina , but then returned to the United States . In 1976, he earned a Master�s degree in Nuclear Science and Engineering from Columbia University .

�

Dr. Ochoa served as an Assistant Engineer in the Radiation Safety Group at Gibbs & Hill in New York , studying the thickness of walls at nuclear power plants. ��He then served as an Associate Engineer in the Applied Physics Group for Ebasco Services.

�

In 1984, Dr. Ochoa moved to California State University , Los Angeles , where he spent the next 13 years. From 1984-1997 he rose from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor to full professor of Economics and Statistics. During this time, he also served as Director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (1987-1990), Chair of the Department of Economics and Statistics (1990-1994), Associate Dean for External Programs (1994-1996), and acting dean of the School of Business and Economics (1996-1997).

�

From 1997 to 2003, Dr. Ochoa served as Dean of the College of Business Administration at California State Polytechnic University , Pomona , where he was also professor of International Business.

�

In 2003, Dr. Eduardo M. Ochoa joined Sonoma State University as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He was responsible for the university�s academic programs, strategic planning for the college�s diversity initiative as well as the university�s role in the CSU Graduation Initiative, an effort by the state to raise higher education graduation rates. Dr. Ochoa also serves as a member of the CSU Academic Council.

���

�

�

Judge Marisa Demeo

�

Honorable Judge Marisa Demeo has been confirmed by the Senators to serve as an Associate Judge in Washington D.C. Superior Court. The vote was 66-32.

�

Marisa Demeo was born in Washington D. C., and raised in Dale City , Virginia . She is the daughter of an Italian-American father, Palmer Demeo, (born in Massachusetts and Emilia Mauras-Demeo born in Puerto Rico ). She has one brother Palmer Demeo Jr. and one sister, Priscilla.

�

In 1988, Demeo received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics focusing in Latin American Studies.� In 1993, she went on to receive her Jurist Doctorate from New York University school of Law (NYU); here she served on the Law Review. She was also selected as a Root-Tilden scholar for her academic achievement and commitment to public service.�

Demeo began her legal career at the Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division, where she litigated Title VII cases against state and local governments in federal district courts around the country. She served for three years as a trial attorney in the Department Of Justice honors program. She prosecuted public employers for patterns or practices of employment discrimination in federal courts around the country. ��

In 1997, Demeo served as Regional Counsel at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDF), a national Latino civil rights organization. She was an expert on immigration law and other policy issues affecting the Hispanic community. She was the national advocate on the Hill, in the White House, and with the Federal agencies, including employment, voting, immigration, education, and criminal justice. She has received awards, from the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia , the Congressional Black Caucus, NYU school of Law , the National Puerto Rican Coalition, and the U.S. Department of Commerce�s Census Bureau.

�

From 2004 to 2007, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington D.C. As a Federal Prosecutor, she obtained 30 indictments and tried 45 criminal cases. She has also served with distinction as a Magistrate Judge in the D.C. Superior Court�s criminal division. �She has presided over more than 100 bench trials and more that 300 detention and preliminary hearings. While serving as an Assistant United States Attorney, Judge Demeo also taught a criminal procedures class and an immigration course, at Howard University School of Law.�

She has also worked for the AIDS Service Center of Lower Manhattan and the Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund.

Roman D. Hernandez, Hispanic National Bar Association President noted, "the HNBA supported Judge Demeo's nomination to the Superior Court and previously supported her appointment as Magistrate Judge because of her experience in the public sector, prior litigation experience and superb legal skills. She will make an exceptional Superior Court judge."

�

�

Edith Ramirez

�

Edith Ramirez has been confirmed by the Senate to serve as a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission. She joins a five-member commission that works against deceptive advertising and enforces adherence to antitrust law.

� Edith Ramirez was born in Southern California .

�

In 1989, Edith Ramirez earned an Associate of Business in History magna cum laude from Harvard-Radcliffe College . From 1990-1991, Ramirez worked with President Obama in law school, where both served as members of the Harvard Law Review. She served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and Obama served as its first black president. In 1992, Ramirez, graduated from Harvard Law School cum laude.

�

From 1992-1993, she clerked for 9th Circuit Judge, Alfred Goodwin in the United States Court of Appeals. She then served as an Associate at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, in Los Angeles , California .

�

Ramirez was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, in Los Angeles , California , where she handled a broad range of complex business litigation, including successfully representing clients in intellectual property, antitrust and unfair competition matters. She also has extensive appellate litigation experience.

�

Ramirez has served in a variety of professional and community activities, she served as the Vice President on the Board of Commissioners for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (the nation�s largest municipal utility). She later worked on Obama's campaign as director of Latino Outreach in California . Ramirez is also involved with a number of community outreach activities; she has served on the board of directors for Volunteers of America, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.�

�

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz welcomed Edith Ramirez as an FTC Commissioner at her official swearing-in ceremony. President Obama named Ramirez, a Democrat, to a term that ends on September 25, 2015.� �

�

�I�m delighted to welcome Commissioner Ramirez to the FTC,� Leibowitz said.� �Edith is a talented litigator with a strong commitment to public service and I�m sure her contributions to upholding our mission of antitrust enforcement and consumer protection will be tremendous.�

�

Kenneth J. Gonzales

Kenneth J. Gonzales has been confirmed by the Senate to serve as United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico.

�

Kenneth John Gonzales was born in 1964 in Espa�ola , New Mexico . He is married to Jennifer Lynn Brisbin-Gonzales, the couple have one son.

�

Kenneth J. Gonzales graduated from Pojoaque High School and received his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of New Mexico .

From 1989 to 1991, Gonzales served as a Financial Aid Counselor at the University of New Mexico . In 1992, he served as a Clerk at Shehan, Sheehan & Stelzner, P. A. in Albuquerque , New Mexico .

�

Gonzales began his legal career serving as a Judicial Law Clerk for New Mexico State Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph F. Baca.

�

In 1999, he began his career serving as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Bingaman on criminal justice, Native American affairs, and other issues. He was also a prosecutor in the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force unit, and previously served in the Violent Crimes, Narcotics, and Criminal Immigration units.

�

Since 2001, Gonzales has been a judge advocate in the U.S. Army Reserve in the Office of the Judge Advocate General, working with Army personnel on estates. He later served as a Senior Trial Counsel in the army on active duty from 2008 to 2009.

�

U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-New Mexico) applauded news that President Obama nominated Albuquerque resident Kenneth J. Gonzales to be New Mexico 's U.S. Attorney. Jeff Bingaman stated, "President Obama could not have selected a more qualified, capable candidate for this important position. Ken has

the experience required of a U.S. attorney, having served for the past 11 years as a career prosecutor working on cases involving organized crime, narcotics, anti-terrorism, and other violent crimes." "Ken worked as an aide to me more than a decade ago, so I have witnessed first-hand his keen legal judgment, fair-mindedness and strong work ethic. I applaud the president for choosing someone of Ken's caliber and experience."

�

*Updates from Previous Articles*

Rosa Gumataotao Rios:� Treasurer of the U.S. in the Treasury Department (Confirmed July 24, 2009) Rosa �s husband name: Jose �Joe� Diaz Gumataotao Jr. (Correction)� (See July 2009 issue of �Somos Primos� for complete biography)�

�

Francisco �Frank� Sanchez:� Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade in the Commerce Department (Confirmed March 27, 2010) (See July 2009 issue of �Somos Primos� for complete biography)�

�

Dr. Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana : �Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education in the Education Department (Confirmed July 24, 2009)� She is in 2010 �Hispanic Business Magazine�s� ��Woman of the Year� (See September 2009 issue of �Somos Primos� for complete biography)�

�Carmen Nazario: �Assistant Secretary for Children and Families in the Department of Health and Human Resources (Confirmed September 22, 2009)�� (2010 �Hispanic Business Magazine�s� �Woman of the year� finalist) (See November 2009 issue of �Somos Primos� for complete biography)� �

Michael F. Mundaca: Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy in the Treasury Department (Confirmed March 27, 2010) (See November 2009 issue of �Somos Primos� for complete biography)�

�

Rafael Borras: Under Secretary for Management in the Department of Homeland Security (Confirmed March 27, 2010) (See December 2009 issue of �Somos Primos� for complete biography)�

Joe Garcia:� Latest status currently running for Congress, Garcia resigned as Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity in the Energy Department� (See December 2009 issue of �Somos Primos� for complete biography)�

�

�

http://www.caller.com/news/2010/apr/14/us-house-of-representatives-passes-resolution-dr /
Corpus Christi Caller Times,�

TEJANO LEGENDS

By

Daisy Wanda Garcia

�

Editor:� The following text� was written by Wanda for the upcoming GI Forum Texas State conference.

Welcome to the 2010 AGIF State Conference.� My father Dr. Hector P. Garcia wrote a column called Message from the Founder for every convention booklet.� It is my pleasure to follow his example by writing this article for the State Conference.

We have all heard the expression, "There are no accidents." The truth is all that we experience is by plan, and so is what we attract to our physical world.

My father Dr. Hector P. Garcia belonged to this category of special people.

In the 40s and 50s, the quality of life was dim for Mexican Americans. They attended segregated schools, rarely completed grammar school, could not hope to get a fair trial by jury, and could only aspire to hold menial jobs. The poll tax kept low-income Hispanics from voting. Even Mexican American students who spoke English were placed in segregated schools.� This is the world my father was born into and these conditions provided him with the impetus to make the world better not only for him but for his people.

�

My Papa was not the only one chosen for this mission.� Among the Tejanos were Gustavo Garcia, Dr. George I. Sanchez, Dr. Clotilde Garcia, Cristobal Aldrete, Ed Idar, and James DeAnda.� Vicente Ximenes who met my father in Corpus Christi, Texas returned to his home and blazed a path in New Mexico by working on desegregation issues. These men had special skills needed to meet challenges in the areas of health, education and law.

�

Dr. Hector P. Garcia

Dr. Hector worked tirelessly on his mission to improve the lot of the Mexican American People.� He attended segregated schools in Mercedes Texas.� Graduated at the top of his class at the University of Texas at Austin and UTMB in Galveston.� He joined the U.S. Army and served in the European theatre in the infantry, the Corpus of Engineers, and in the Medical Corps.� Dr. Garcia earned the Bronze Star with six battle stars for his bravery during the war.� Later after being honorably discharged he returned to Corpus Christi, Texas to begin his private medical practice.� He became a doctor for the Veterans Administration where he soon learned about the plight of the veteran to obtain benefits.� He was instrumental in desegregating the Nueces county hospital system and the Naval Air Station hospital.� Dr. Garcia organized the American G.I. Forum to help the veterans.� Later, the AGIF became involved with desegregating the school systems and the obtaining equity for Mexican Americans in the court system.� The American G.I. Forum is a national organization.

�

Dr. Garcia was recognized world wide for his work. The lists of honors are so numerous, that I will not mention them.� The award that meant the most to him was the Presidential Medal of Freedom award given to him by President Ronald Reagan.� He told the President, �Now I feel that I have truly arrived as an American.�� Dr. Garcia is a model for us all and the embodiment of the American Dream.

�

Dr. Clotilde P. Garcia

�

When Dr. Cleo came into my life I was a child.� Cleo was pursuing higher education and raising her son Tony Canales.� She wanted to attend Medical School but did not know if she could afford it.� Dr. Hector, her brother inspired her and she applied.� Cleo graduated at the top of her class and returned to Corpus Christi Texas to practice medicine.� During the span of her long career she delivered 10,000 babies.

�

Cleo actively promoted the research, collection and development of genealogical data on Spanish/Mexican settlers of South Texas.� She amassed a huge collection of genealogical books from Spain from the about one thousand volumes she used during research.� She donated the collection to the library at Texas A&M University because she believed in the importance of taking pride in our roots and culture.� Dr. Cleo was a role model for us.� She held traditional beliefs, yet was a trailblazer.� Dr. Cleo served on the Del Mar Board of regents for 22 years.� She served on various state commissions.� She was an accomplished historian writing 10 books about the history of northeastern Mexico and South Texas.� In 1990, United States Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. honored Dr. Cleo as �A Rediscoverer of Texas.� Juan Carlos I, King of Spain presented Dr. Cleo with the order of Isabella the Catholica in honor of her work and contribution to our Spanish American heritage.� In 1990, His Holiness Pope John Paul II awarded Dr. Cleo with the �Benemerenti� Pontifical Decoration Medal. Being a single mother and a pioneer in a field dominated by males inspires us to climb over the barriers.� In 1984, Dr. Cleo was inducted into the first Texas Women�s Hall of Fame.� She was recognized for her service as a doctor for her concern for the needs of Mexican-American people.� She is a pioneer for all women.

������������������������������ GUSTAVO GARCIA

When Attorney Gustavo Garcia "Gus" came in my life, he had a long and distinguished list of accomplishments in the work of desegregating schools in Texas and other states. He became first lieutenant in the United States Army, and was stationed in Japan with the judge advocate corps.

In 1949, he represented the family of Pvt. Felix Longoria. From 1951 to 1952, he was the legal advisor for the AGIF. In 1952, Garcia was an attorney in the case of Hernandez v. State of Texas. The case eventually went before the Supreme Court. Gustavo argued that Hernandez was denied a fair trial because an all white jury decided the trial. Garcia presented such a brilliant case that Chief Justice Warren allowed him an extra 15 minutes to present his arguments.� Gustavo Garcia died before his time. A brilliant career cut short because of personal demons. As I reflect on Gus� life, I wonder whether his life might have ended differently if he had not dealt with issues degrading his people. His memory will always haunt me.

�

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Dr. George I. Sanchez dedicated his life to improving the educational opportunities for Hispanics. He questioned school funding, the use of standardized tests, segregation based on non-proficiency in English and other discriminatory practices against Spanish speaking schoolchildren. While in New Mexico, Dr. Sanchez challenged the use of standardized tests with Spanish-speaking children and equalization of school funding in the school system. His success came at a personal price, though. The opposing side used their influence to withhold a tenured position at the University of New Mexico. One door closed and another door opened. In 1940, Sanchez accepted an invitation from the University of Texas at Austin to teach Latin American Studies where he remained until his death in 1972.

Dr. Hector P. Garcia (left), Dr. George I. Sanchez



CRISTOBAL ALDRETE

Papa always said that Cris single handedly desegregated the Del Rio ISD.��
In fact, Cris had a long history of being involved in school desegregation cases. In 1949, he lodged a complaint with the Texas Department of Education against the segregated Del Rio school system on behalf of the Alba Club founded by Cris. Ultimately, the state required that public�
schools in Texas end segregation based on national origin by September�
of 1949. Cris was involved in the case of Delgado v. Bastrop Independent School District.� Aldrete was one of five attorneys representing Hernandez on behalf of the AGIF and LULAC in Hern�ndez v. State of Texas.� Cris�
soon found Dr. Hector. In August 1952, he and Dr. Hector P. Garc�a,�
traveled throughout the Southwest promoting the organization to make�
the organization national in scope. They traveled through four states and organized AGIF chapters in 19 cities in two weeks. Cris served for many elected officials throughout his distinguished public service career.�

�

I became acquainted with Cris while he served in the American G.I. Forum (AGIF), as State Chairman in 1953.� Later I had the honor of working with Cris for several years when he worked for U.S. Senator Lloyd M Bentsen Jr.� We lost touch when he retired from the Senate office.� The last time I saw Cris, he was battling liver cancer.� Always the optimist, Cris�
said he was looking for a job.� He died 5 months after I saw him in 1991.�

�

��������������������������������� ED IDAR (on the right)

I never became close to Ed, but remember seeing him at the AGIF conventions.� He served as State Chairman.� Later I would hear his name in conversation.� Ed was born into of a family of political activists.�

Idar's father, aunt and grandfather were both newspaper printers before and after the Mexican Revolution. In 1938, Idar served as a civilian employee and soldier of the U.S. Army, working in England, India and China in the 1940s. While in China, Idar earned both the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal, and rose to the rank of Technical Sergeant. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1946.

Idar earned his Bachelor of Arts in journalism at The University of Texas at Austin in 1949. At UT, he was a member of the Alba and Laredo clubs, and began to work with Hector P. Garc�a during the founding of the American G.I. Forum (AGIF). Idar served as both chairman and secretary of the AGIF in Texas. There, he and others worked towards increasing the Mexican American influence in the political arena, and fought against segregation in the schools. Idar graduated from the University Of Texas School Of Law, and eventually set up his own legal practices in McAllen and later San Angelo.

In 1970, Idar became an attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). While with MALDEF, he worked on several civil rights cases, including Regester v. Bullock, a case that brought about single-member legislative districts in Bexar County. In 1974, Idar took the position of Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas, and assisted in several police brutality cases.� Idar argued the landmark prison rights case in Ruiz v. Estelle on the side of the Texas Department of Corrections. In retirement, Idar stayed involved in various Mexican American interest groups and participated in talks and panels on education and civil rights. Idar died in on 11 October 2003, at the age of 82.

��������������������������������������� JAMES DEANDA (at podium)

�Jimmy�, was what family members called him when he would come to visit us.� He had this standing joke.� He would hold his arm at shoulder level and then say the he would marry Cecilia my sister when she grew that high.� His easy manner and jovial appearance concealed a razor sharp intellect, which made him succeed in legal battles. Papa met DeAnda while he was working for Carlos Cadena writing briefs for Hernandez v. State of Texas. Later, DeAnda served as legal council for the American G.I. Forum.� Both Papa and DeAnda formed a lifelong friendship that lasted until his death in 1996.

DeAnda challenged substandard schooling for Mexican American children, voting rights, employment cases.� He helped to establish, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.� James DeAnda, served as one of the lawyers on the Hernandez v. Texas.� This ruling was significant because for the first time gave Mexican Americans status as a distinct legal classification entitled to special protection under the Constitution. Later, Mr. DeAnda handled a series of important school desegregation cases, among them Hernandez v. Driscoll Independent School District in 1956. It challenged a school system that required children from Spanish-speaking families to spend three years in the first grade because of a presumed need to learn English.

In 1979, Mr. DeAnda was appointed by President Carter to the federal bench in the Southern District of Texas. He was the nation's second Mexican American federal judge and served for 13 years, including four as chief judge.� DeAnda died in 2006.

The sacrifices and work of all these men opened many doors for Mexican Americans.� Let us never forget them and let us ensure that history does not.� As my father used to say, �Que Dios los bendiga.�

IMMGRATION

"In a society, to be invisible is to be powerless. . . . " ml�

�

Arizona's Immigration Law Spurs Copycat Legislation
New America Media�

...Utah is another state that has recently taken a hard tack on immigration. A Utah law, which went into effect last year, sought to prevent state employers from hiring undocumented immigrants and also made it illegal to harbor them. At the same time, undocumented immigrants are allowed in-state tuition in Utah schools, and the influential Mormon Church allows undocumented immigrants to be bishops...

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.
html?article_id=d8f9be46a8b86c61a61ce5f00acde741�

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a citzen or qualified alien and lawfully present. Effective October 1, 2009.

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PUBLIC BENEFITS (15)

Fifteen laws were enacted in 13 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and Oregon. One law was vetoed.

�

These laws relate to immigrant eligibility and documentation requirements for benefits. Several laws related to eligibility for adoption assistance or child care assistance. Oklahoma's act relates to custody and guardianship of children, including unaccompanied refugee minors. Illinois extended aid to aged, blind and disabled refugees and asylees ineligible for federal SSI.

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VOTING (4)

Four laws were enacted in Georgia, New Hampshire and Washington.

�These laws relate to voter registration and voter citizenship affidavits.

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RESOLUTIONS (131)

There were 131 resolutions and memorials adopted in 19 states: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

�

These resolutions and memorials generally honor immigrants for their contributions. Most celebrate America's ethnic heritage and others applaud immigrants or programs that serve refugees or immigrants. Twelve resolutions urge Congress to: support funding; expedite naturalizations; change requirements for enhanced driver's licenses; promote travel to the United States; permanently extend e-verify; address delays at ports of entry on the Texas-Mexican border; and grant waivers for an employer sponsored work program.

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A visa grants the holder the right to apply for entry into the United States: http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org

• B-1 Business Visa
• B-2 Tourist Visa
• F-1 Student Visa
• J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa
• H-1B Work Visa
• H-2B Work Visa
• K-1 Fiance(e)/Fiance Visa
• TN NAFTA Work Visa
• U.S. Work Visa
  
  

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TEXAS TEXTBOOK BATTLE

The Historic Facts that the State of Texas does not want its Citizens to know

Dear Mr. Executive Director,

�

With all due respect, Mr Wilkes, but I believe that if you are going to be a leader of a Hispanic organization of which I am a member, I suggest you take a history lesson or two.

�

Your quote in the National Institute for Latino Policy �that because the African American civil rights movement was more dramatic because of slavery and that the Latino community did not face the same level of discrimination.� clearly shows your ignorance of history.

�

In 1823 our ancestors gave permission to the Anglo colonists to bring their families to Texas, providing they became Catholics, left their slaves at home, and swore allegiance to the Mexican Government. In ten years they out-numbered us ten to one, brought their slaves with them and said to hell with both Tejanos and Catholics. The so-called Texas Revolution was not a revolution at all but an out-right invasion by the United States.

�

�A revolution is when the legal inhabitants of a sovereign nation take up arms against the legitimate government. Eighty percent of the invaders were here illegally. There were such groups as the Tennessee Volunteers, the Georgia Battalion, the Kentucky long rifles, the New Orleans Grays and so forth. Texas history professor, Dr Stephen Hardin, in his book �Texan Iliad,� calls these revolutionists� illegal rebels, I call them what they were, illegal aliens.

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By 1840 the land grants that had been issued by both the Spanish and Mexican Governments began to be seized by the invaders most at the point of a gun or fictitious foreclosures and trumped up tax sales.

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In 1845 Texas was illegally annexed by the United States resulting in the second invasion of Mexico , the War between the U.S. and Mexico of 1846-1848: where Mexico was forced to give up half of its territory. In 1857 in Austin Texas all of the Tejano community was rounded-up and forced to leave the city at the point of a gun. The same thing was attempted in San Antonio, but it failed because the German community would not go along, stating that this was wrong and that this was their land.

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In 1846 there was the Cordova Rebellion in East Texas , which was not a revolution at all, but an attempt by the previous owners of the land to take back what was legally theirs.

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In the 1860�s there was the Cortina War in the Brownsville area, which again was nothing but an attempt to reclaim what was previously ours.

The indiscriminate killing of Mexicans by lynching, shooting and burning began and it is believed that between 1890 and 1920 three to five thousand Tejanos Mexicanos were brutally murdered by the Texas Rangers.

�

In 1930 during the great depression, a class of citizens, Mexican Americans were blamed for the economic problems of the nation and approximately 1.1 million Mexicans were rounded up and sent back to Mexico ; of which it is believed that half were American citizens.

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According to several Texas history professors such as Dr Tacho Mendiola, Dr Andres Tijerina , there was more violence and discrimination in Texas than in any other state in the Southwest.

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I could go on and on with the zoot-suit riots in California the massacre of Mexicans by the US army in New Mexico , California and the Felix Longoria story, but I believe I have made my point.

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The biggest difference between the African American discrimination and ourselves, Mr Wilkes is that this was previously our land and that we did not come to the United States , the United States came to us.

�

Respectfully submitted,
Dan Arellano
Author/ Historian
512-826-7569
[email protected]

�

Painting: Fall of the Alamo by Robert Onderdonk,�
Courtesy of Friends of the Governor's Mansion.)

FAMOUS BATTLE SCENE -- Davy Crockett and his Tennessee boys shown in desperate combat at the Alamo.

�Defenders� or �invaders��
of the Alamo, which is it?

EDITOR:� Below is a listing of the "defenders of the Alamo".� Please look carefully at their identified home state and/or country. Only nine of the 186 had been born in Texas. Two identified as Texans, William Philip King and Richardson Perry were not born in Texas and did not enter into Texas until the mid 1830s.���

Dominance of the non-Hispanics over the Tejanos was put in place by the land benefits given by the state of� Texas to� the descendants of those who had died at the Alamo.�� Land grant compensations were promised to the those joining the Texas Militia.��

"Alamo and Goliad became rallying cries for Texas freedom, and years later the Jennings family heirs received 1,280 acres for each hero � reflecting their service and ultimate sacrifice."
www.agribusinesscouncil.org/ Jennings%20Herita...

However: "Andres Nava's half-brother, Carmel Gonzara, and his sister, Dorotea Mu��s, swore in an application for a grant of land that Nava died at the Alamo. On March 25, 1861, a note was placed in their file stating that they were too poor to carry the claim any further."
Source: Daughters of the American Revolution,�
The Alamo Heroes and Their Revolutionary Ancestors �

Sent by Gilbert Canales Fuentes
[email protected]

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BIBLIOGRAPHY: Daughters of the American Revolution, The Alamo Heroes and Their Revolutionary Ancestors (San Antonio, 1976). Thomas L. Miller, "Mexican-Texans at the Alamo," Journal of Mexican-American History 2 (Fall 1971).

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In Search of the truth in telling�
of Spanish Mexican History in Texas

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Information Sheet - Tejano History Series

(The Angel of Goliad)

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TEXAS Historic Presence

The Tejano Declaration of Independence
�April 10, 2010� Reenactment
San Antonio, Texas


Parade reenactor were members of The Granaderos de Galvez,�
ALMA Tejano Reenactors and the Lipan Apache band of Texas

"We're here to honor the Mexican soldiers, Tejanos, and Texians that died at the Alamo. We're not giving honor to Santa Anna; we're giving honor to the Mexican soldiers."�
�Edward Teniente, Portrays Mexican Soldier in Alamo re-enactment.

Dan Arellano, chair of the event, standing in front of the San Antonio Texas Spanish Governors Palace,� and welcomes the crowd.

The event attracted the participation of men and women of all ages, and families.���

Los Tejanos�

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Los Granaderos de Galvez

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Harlingen families celebrate heritage

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For the full study (34 pages) which ties into many South Texas families, go to: http://home.earthlink.net/~shharmembers/tcmtdna.pdf��

"A Tejano Son of Texas" Exhibit at Houston Heritage Society Museum

HISTORY

Alison Oswald, Lemelson Center Archivist: To ensure that the rich history of invention is preserved� for the future, the Lemelson Center and the National Museum of American History (NMAH) Archives Center launched the Modern INventors Documentation (MIND) program in 1997.� Its goals are

• to advance and diffuse knowledge about American invention;
• to identify, acquire, and preserve the records of living inventors;
• to serve as a clearinghouse for inventors seeking to preserve and donate their papers;
• to increase access to and promote use of those records by scholars, students, and the general public; and
• to identify inventors whose records and artifacts support and enhance the research and educational goals of the National Museum of American History.

At the heart of the MIND program is an initiative to promote the retention of the records and artifacts of invention and to facilitate their use.� A database of inventors' documents housed in archives, libraries, historical societies, and museums throughout the United States currently lists more than 1,000 collections and continues to be expanded and enriched.

http://invention.smithsonian.org/resources/online_articles_detail.aspx?id=347�

Note: Victor Ochoa from El Paso also had other patents, channel locks and windmills plans.� Tom� Braniff, of the Braniff airline family learned about aircraft from Victor.� Both men served� with Pancho Villa in the Northern state of Chihuahua.� Photos in El Paso newspaper articles show the two men together in several photos.� Tey are in a group photo with Villla, and another with Giuseppe Garibaldi in Juarez in 1911.
Walter Herbeck.

�Juan,

Here's a couple of links...the first one is to the movie's/documentary website. It used to have a movie trailer at one time, but I couldn't find it so I found a copy on YouTube (2nd link). It's about 5 minutes long...the actual documentary is about an hour long and it's very well done...very thorough and objective, although not very flattering for some, I would imagine. The author is Kirby Warnock, His grandfather was shot by one of the same rangers involved in the killing of Bazan and Longoria, although for a different reason...that's the connection between Warnock and the Bazan/Longoria story. Warnock got into a disagreement with the farmer/land baron he was working for, who then cut off his water, sparking a feud that led to Warnock killing one of his "enforcers" in an armed confrontation....which then led to Warnock being shot in downtown Mission by the Ranger. Warnock was unarmed and shot in the back. However, while the movie does include the Warnock incident, it is fully focused on the Bazan/Longoria incident. The Bazan/Longoria gravesite is on FM1017 East of San Isidro....just a few miles West of Santa Anita (McAllen) Ranch. I have a picture of my son at the gravesite right off the roadway enclosed in a hurricane-style fence. Little known history, which makes it even more compelling.

http://www.borderbanditsmovie.com/index.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAQhD4Iazjw

Source Ruben Salazar
Sent by Juan Marinez

�

AUSTIN, January 9, 2005 One Texas legislator filed a bill that could bring public recognition to the seedy side of the Texas Rangers, who historians say killed and terrorized thousands of Tejanos.�

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Rep. Aaron Pena, D-Edinburg, Thursday filed House Bill 317, which would designate Cinco de Mayo, or May 5, as Tejano Heritage Day. The day would commemorate the history of Tejanos and the contributions they have made to history in Texas and the world.� He is working with historians and families of the victims to develop some type of memorial, he said Monday.�

The recent interest by legislators was spurred largely by the 2004 film Border Bandits, which depicted the 1915 story of two well-respected Tejano landowners who were shot in the back near the McAllen Ranch in Hidalgo County by Texas Rangers after Mexicans came to raid the ranch.�

Their killer, Bill Sterling, has a historical marker at his grave in Corpus Christi, but the victims, Jesus Bazan, 67, and his son-in-law, Antonio Longoria, have ordinary roadside graves on FM 1017 in northern Hidalgo County.�

But Pena will stop short of introducing the bill to require that Texas children learn in their required state history classes about the questionable activities of the Texas Rangers.�Changing curriculum to reflect what many historians know to be true would be politically difficult considering the romantic lore of Texas Rangers, he said.�

He said he wants to take steps to recognize the history without risking losing support for the bill in a state where Texas Rangers are respected in the history books for their bravery.�The middle ground is where we have to find, because this is not a bunch of South Texans getting together to decide what happened, Pena said. These are people who have a vision of Texas as being glorified and pure.�

Pena is also exploring the possibility of working to have a highway named in honor of Tejano heritage. He would not say where that highway is, saying the discussions are preliminary.� The issue is near to Pena, who has studied it since seeing the film last fall in Harlingen. After the screening, grandchildren of each of the two men killed said they want recognition of the deaths.�

A New York Times reporter was also in the audience, and Peas office later was flooded with e-mails from across the country from people who said they knew of relatives killed by the Texas Rangers, Pena said.� The Texas Department of Public Safety, which includes the Texas Rangers, said the history has nothing to do with the Rangers of today. Tom Vinger, spokesman for DPS, said he had not seen the movie, but was familiar with the story it tells.�

"That was a historical event that took place before the Rangers were part of DPS, so it doesn't have any relation to the modern rangers," he said.� The Texas Rangers merged with the highway department in 1935, Vinger said.�

Dallas filmmaker Kirby Warnock created Border Bandits based on the story told to him by his grandfather, a 19-year old cowboy working on the Guadalupe Ranch near present-day Edinburg. His grandfather Roland witnessed the Rangers from Company D shoot the two unarmed men in the back, according to the film.�

The Rangers said they were seeking justice for an earlier raid by Mexicans on the McAllen Ranch, but the men were Valley landowners and American citizens. One was a postmaster and another a respected 67-year-old, Warnock said.�

Warnock first recorded his grandfathers story in 1973 when he was a senior history major at Baylor University taking a course in oral history. He held onto the recordings and later spent five years researching the story to back up his grandfathers account with facts.�

The screening in September at Cine Sol in the Valley, along with other screenings around Texas have received strong responses from audiences who were either shocked that their history books misled them or glad to have attention paid to their ancestors stories, he said.�

The Anglo people in the audience, they're just dumbfounded, but the Hispanics, they are both angry and relieved, he said. They're angry its taken so long to tell the story, and relieved that someone is finally telling it.�

Warnock said he's not out to dispel the contributions of the Texas Rangers, but only to tell his grandfathers story.��
I'm not some crusading liberal, he said. I own a Suburban, seven guns, I drink beer, and I go hunting, so please don't call me the Michael Moore of Texas, because I'm not.�

Since the release of the film, Warnock has had at least 70 calls from families, many in the Valley, saying the Texas Rangers killed their relatives, he said.�

Rudolfo Rocha, professor of history and the dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Texas-Pan American, appeared in the film and has studied Texas Rangers and Tejanos for 20 years.�

In his research, Rocha has documented 3,000 Tejanos killed by the Texas Rangers. Other historians estimate the number was twice as much, he said.�

He was asked by Pena to be part of an advisory team to decide what type of memorial or grave marker should be erected for the two men who were killed. Like Pena, Rocha wants recognition of the event to serve as an important reminder of an ugly chapter of history, not to nullify the positive accomplishments of the Texas Rangers or change history.�

We should have some sort of a memorial to them as a symbol, not just to those two individuals, but symbolic of what happened to way over 3,000 Mexican-Americans, he said.� With Hispanics set to eventually become a majority in Texas, the time is right to tell their story, Rocha said.�

In this country, when we think of racism, or segregation or integration, people probably think of black and white, he said. However, in Texas, it really hasn't been black and white, its been brown and white, so its time that we recognize that.�

For more information, visit Warnocks Web site at www.bigbendquarterly.com�� [email protected]
Sent by Walter Herbeck [email protected]

WITNESS TO HERITAGE

�
�The Pacific�
or�
�The untold story of the Invisible people�

��������������� By: Tony (The Marine) Santiago

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As a Hispanic and former Marine, I watched the ten chapters of the Hanks-Spielberg HBO TV series �The Pacific� with a lot of anticipation. I must say that it was a well written and performed series based on the experiences and sacrifices made by my fellow countrymen and Marine brothers in World War II. I do, however have mixed feelings towards the series.

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First of all, I am glad that finally justice was made and that these men who fought in the Pacific were finally given their due. Most of the World War II movies and television series that you see are focused on the Army and the European theater of the war, almost as if the Pacific theater never happened. The series was focused on the lives of some heroes and I respect and admire their sacrifices, however as always not one Hispanic was among them.

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It seems to me that the uproar which the series �The War� by Ken Burns for PBS caused was in vain. After the Ken Burns fiasco, which omitted the Hispanic contribution to the war effort, you would think that Hanks and Spielberg would not make the same mistake. Well, guess what? Our contributions were once again omitted and that is why I call Hispanics the �Invisible people�.

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Yes, John Seda, an actor of Puerto Rican descent, played the role of Marine hero and Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. John Basilone. However, Basilone was an Italian-American, not a Hispanic and therefore does not reflect the Hispanic experience of said conflict. No, I did not forget that in the beginning there was a Manny Rodriguez. Rodriguez was killed in the first chapter and the inclusion of his character reminds me of what went on in the 1960s when under pressure by the African-American community Hollywood began to place African-Americans in minor roles in their productions. These roles were referred to as �token� roles and that is what I believe that Hanks and Spielberg did with �The Pacific�, they included a Hispanic (Rodriguez) in the series as a �token�, maybe to shut the Hispanic community up.

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Hispanic Americans in the Marines fought in every major battle in the Pacific Theater of Operations. The battles of Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa saw fierce fighting between U.S. Marines and the Imperial Japanese Army. One Marine was awarded the Medal of Honor and 25 Hispanics were awarded the Navy Cross. 15 of those Navy Crosses were awarded to Marines. The lives of any one of these Hispanic Marines could have been included and told in the series. Since there are too many, I will proceed to tell you the story of three of them.����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������

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PFC Guy Gabaldon,� in case you never heard of him, during the battle of Saipan he� worked alone in front of the lines, entered enemy caves, pillboxes, buildings, and jungle brush, frequently in the face of hostile fire, and succeeded in not only obtaining vital military information, but in convincing well over 1,500 enemy civilians and troops to surrender. He was nominated for the Medal of Honor, but was awarded the Silver Star Medal instead. His medal was later upgraded to the Navy Cross. He turned in more enemy soldiers than Sergeant Alvin York, who was awarded the Medal of Honor during World War I for having captured 132 enemy German soldiers. The magnitude of his actions and the lives that he saved can be only imagined when you take into account the average Japanese soldier was ordered to kill seven American soldier for every soldier that they lost.

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PFC Harold Gonsalves, was a� 19-year-old Marine who as a member of an eight-man forward observer team was engaged in directing artillery fire in support of an attack by the infantry on Japanese positions on Motobu Peninsula. When it finally became necessary for the team to advance to the actual front lines, the officer in charge took PFC Gonsalves and one other man with him. PFC Gonsalves was acting Scout Sergeant of the team. He and the other Marine were to lay telephone lines for communication with the artillery battalion.

�

As the team advanced to the front, they were brought under heavy enemy rifle, grenade and mortar fire. Just as the three had reached the front lines, a Japanese grenade landed among them. It was less than a foot from the two Marines with PFC Gonsalves. Without a moment's hesitation, he flung himself on the deadly missile, taking the full explosion into his own body. He gallantly gave his life for his fellow Marines and his country. The other two were not even touched by grenade fragments and they successfully completed their mission. Gonsalves was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, becoming the only Hispanic Marine recipient in World War II. It should be noted that there is a connection between Sgt. Basilone and Gonsalves, both were Medal of Honor recipients, both were members of the 5^th Marine Division and both died in Okinawa. That is the end of the similarities because the story of one is now known while the story of the other is only known by a few of us who care enough in making sure that the �Invisible people� are not forgotten.���������������������������������������������������������������������������������

Then we have Brigadier General Pedro del Valle. In the series,� Hanks-Spielberg do justice to Colonel �Chesty Puller�. Puller, the most decorated Marine in history deserved it, however why wasn�t del Valle, the first Hispanic to reach the rank of General (he would eventually reach the rank of Lieutenant General) in the Marine Corps not be mentioned?��

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In late October 1944, Brigadier General Pedro del Valle succeeded Major General William Rupertus as Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division, being personally greeted to his new command by Colonel Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller. At the time, the 1st Marine Division was training on the island of Pavuvu for the invasion of Okinawa. He participated in one of the most important events that led to victory in Okinawa. After five weeks of fighting, del Valle ordered Company A of the 1st Battalion 5th Marines to capture Shuri Castle, a medieval fortress of the ancient Ryukyuan kings. Seizure of Shuri Castle represented a morale blow������ Lieutenant General�
for the Japanese and was a milestone in the Okinawa campaign. The fighting in Okinawa������������ Pedro del Valle
would continue for 24 more days. Del Valle was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal�
for his leadership during the battle and the subsequent occupation and reorganization of Okinawa.

�As I have always stated, I am proud to be a Marine and always will be. I am proud of the Corps history and lore. I am proud of those who served before me, those who continue to serve and those who will serve in the future. Yet, HBO�s �The Pacific� left a sour taste in my mouth because as a Hispanic I feel that we the �invisible people�� have been �whitewashed� once again.�������

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Staff photo by ANDY JONES

Don Basilone is seen with a portrait of his brother and World War II hero John Basilone. John Basilone is profiled in the HBO series "The Pacific." The framed portrait was for the Sunday News, New York Picture Newspaper in 1943 or 1944 when John Basilone was a sergeant in the Marines.

Photo from Don Basilone

A photo of WW II war hero John Basilone and his youger brother Don Basilone, right, taken in 1943 when Don was 13. John Basilone was home on leave at the time for a parade in his honor in his home town of Raritan, N.J.

HBO

The story of Sgt. John Balisone, who won the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross in World War II, is featured in "The Pacific" on HBO. Photo from HBO

By WALT�BELCHER | The Tampa Tribune
http://suncoastpinellas.tbo.com/content/2010/apr/05/051017/series-allows-new-port-richey-man-relive-brothers
Published: April 5, 2010��

TAMPA - Don Basilone was 12 years old when his older brother, John, went off to fight in World War II. John, 23, had enlisted in the Marines in 1940 and eventually was shipped off to fight the Japanese in the Pacific. During the bloody battle of Guadalcanal, Gunnery Sgt. Basilone held off 3,000 Japanese troops after his 16-member unit was reduced to two men.� Manning two machine guns, Basilone fired nonstop during an overnight battle, cutting down wave after wave of attacking soldiers.

Sgt. Basilone became the only enlisted Marine in World War II to receive the Medal of Honor, a Purple Heart and the Navy Cross (for the battle of Iwo Jima).� "He was a hero and now people are learning about what he did because of the TV series ('The Pacific') on HBO," says Don Basilone, who is 80 and living in New Port Richey.

"I was just a kid when he left," he says. "I was the youngest of 10 and I remember when my brother came home after Guadalcanal. There were 50,000 people who came to the parade in our little town."� It was the last time Don would see his brother.

John Basilone, a wisecracking former boxer and truck driver, from Raritan, N.J. is one of the central characters in the 10-episode miniseries "The Pacific."� Produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, "The Pacific" intertwines the true stories of three real-life hero Marines: Robert Leckie, Eugene Sledge and Basilone. Their stories began with the series debut on March 14. The episode recounted the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

The second episode which debuted March 21 covered Basilone's heroism at Guadalcanal.� Actor John Seda, who plays Basilone, has said "it's such a privilege and honor to have had the opportunity to portray these men. � I only wish and hope that I had an ounce of the� same courage that these guys had."

In February, Don Basilone attended a special screening in Raritan of the first episode of the "Pacific" series. He says that he felt it was accurate.� "It was a terrible war but it had to be fought," he says.� For 28 years, Raritan has held an annual John Basilone Memorial Parade.

Don Basilone, who retired to New Port Richey in 1999, says a series like "The Pacific" is important because it shows young people the sacrifices that were made for freedom.

He says that after his brother came home for a visit in 1943, John went on a war bond tour with movie stars such as John Garfield, Virginia Grey and others.� The beginning of his celebrated return was covered in Episode 3 of "The Pacific" which aired March 28. More about his war bond tour airs on Episode 5 debuting Sunday.

"He wanted to go back to the war," Basilone says. "Usually a Medal of Honor winner didn't have to go back but he wanted to and he kept bugging them."� John Basilone seemed to be uncomfortable with his celebrity status. The Marine Corps at first turned down his request to go back to the front. And he turned down the Corps' offer of a commission and an assignment as an instructor.

The Marines finally agreed he could return. While stationed at Camp Pendleton he had met Lena Mae Riggi, a sergeant in the Marine Corps Women's Reserve. They were married just before he shipped out for the Pacific.

Their whirlwind courtship and marriage will be covered in Episode 8 debuting May 2. "He only knew her a short time before they were married," says Don Basilone.

Basilone says it's going to be tough for him to watch the episode depicting the battle of Iwo Jima where his brother died. His brother was serving as a machine-gun section leader when his unit became pinned down by enemy fire from a blockhouse.

He circled the Japanese and made his way to the top of the blockhouse and single-handedly destroyed it with grenades and demolitions. He then helped an American tank get through a minefield before being cut down by a machine gun.� Don Basilone remembers getting the news that his brother had died.� "There was no television back them and it took longer for news to be reported," he says.� "But his death was big news. I think it was harder for me and my sister to handle his death because there was so much publicity."

For his actions at Iwo Jima, John Basilone was posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and the Marine Corps' second highest decoration for bravery, the Navy Cross. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

"His story was told in the book 'Hero of the Pacific' by John Bradley," says Don Basilone.� For more information on "The Pacific" go to www.hbo.com.� Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654��
Sent by Joe Sanchez� [email protected]�

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HONORING HISPANIC LEADERSHIP

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BUSINESS

For over 10 years, Estrada Communications Group has been compiling and distributing a weekly summary of news stories about Hispanic/Latino issues/concerns. The service was designed to provide insights into how traditional and emerging media perceive and effect attitudes and opinions about our nation�s largest ethnic population: U.S. Latinos. From a handful of network members and client staffs, the HCM/Latino News service has grown to become a trusted resource for students, academicians, CBO leaders, community advocates, elected and appointed officials, professionals/executives, and others concerned with U.S. Latino issues.

Beginning June 2010, the HCM/Latino News service will initiate a 52-week/year subscription fees, based on the following subscription information listed below:

Categories: One Year (pre-paid): Two Years (pre-paid):

Students: - K-12 � College N/C N/C

Professionals/Executives:
- Private Sector $60.00 X 1 = $60.00 $50.00 X 2 = $100.00� $1.15 per week $.96 per week
- Public Sector $55.00 X 1 = $55.00 $45.00 X 2 = $90.00 $1.06 per week $.87 per week
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- Unemployed Retirees N/C N/C

(For an invoice, indicate subscription preference and send an eMail to: [email protected] with � SEND INVOICE� in subject window.)
More information about Estrada Communications Group, Inc. at: http://www.estradausa.com
ECG�s Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Estrada-Communications-Group-Inc/338917230016.

***************************************************************************************************

Editor:� I have been receiving the HCM/Latino News Service for two years. It is always an outstanding selection of news items.� If you are a student K through college, or have students in your household, I strongly suggest that you sign up to receive this newsletter.� Below the subscription information is a listing of articles included in one of the weekly newsletters.� You can see that the range is broad, but focuses on current news.� It is an example of the diversity and selection of articles that you can expect:

Week of May 2, 2010:�

- U.S. Hyatts Join Breast Cancer Network of Strength�s Walk to Empower
- NY Gov. Paterson Applauded for Leadership on Immigration
- Most Popular Soccer Team in USA: Mexico?
- Latino Voters Strongly Reject AZ�s Immigration Law 1070
- AZ Law and Sacramento Mayor�s Flip-Flop Anger Former Judge
- Tribune Introduces �Am Nueva York�
- Spanish Language Media to the Rescue.
- Latino Giant to Change U.S. Politics�
- Republican National Hispanic Assembly of CA Endorses Meg Whitman
- Tucson City Council Votes to Sue AZ over Immigration Law
- Latina Among Presidential Candidates in College Democrats Race
- CA Latino Legislative Caucus Names 2010 Spirit Awards Honorees�
- Violence is Not Up on Arizona/Mexico Border
- Five Myths About Immigration
- Protests Take on AZ Immigration Law
- College Students Walk 1,500 Miles to Bring Immigration Message to DC
- Protesters of AZ�s Immigration Law Try to Focus Boycotts
- AZ Hispanics Support Jewish Candidate Over Latino Hopeful for McCain�s Seat�
- �Zoot Suit� Premieres in Mexico City
- San Diego Thrives Via Hispanic Business

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EDUCATION

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CULTURE

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Photo: Andy Templeton, for the Orange County Register

Monica Serratos� baking business,�
Two Parts Sugar, started with sales to friends, then she found herself making cupcakes for the Academy Awards.

Only a certain kind of woman is willing to mix it up and go head to head against guys in a wrestling match. You might not expect it to be the same woman who now bakes cupcakes for a living � but it turns out they require the same ingredients. The tenacity to score on the mat is not all that different from the tenacity you need to make a business into a winner. So call this a story about what happens when sweat meets sweet. To me, though, it's that familiar tale of a young mother juggling family and work. Mothers who learn how to fit their dreams around their children know how to grapple with life.

Monica Serratos, 28, wrestled at Estancia High School in Costa Mesa. As one of two women on the team, she wrestled mostly guys in the 103- or 112-pound class.� She didn't win a single match in her first year, but that only made her work harder. By senior year she was team captain.

Monica met her future husband, Fernando, on the wrestling team at Golden West College � and that's where three babies come in.� Monica is primed to tell me about all this, plus cupcakes and the Academy Awards, but 3-month-old Angelica announces � loudly � she's ready to eat. There's no arguing with that.

Monica fell into baking the way women fall in love: opportunity and attraction to something sweet. She was working weekends and nights at Macy's and wanted to start her own business. Then her sister took a culinary class, and Monica sampled some recipes. �I liked the cake on one and the icing on the other,� Monica recalls. �When we put them together, it was gold.�

First, she experimented with recipes � a little more egg here, a bit less oil there. A good cake is moist, not over-baked, with icing that isn't overly sweet. One result is her signature raspberry red velvet cake.� �This is my passion ... when people pop a bite into their mouth and their reaction is, �Wow!' you've created this little bit of dessert heaven.�

For a year she explored the idea of a baking business. She took some classes in cake decorating and discovered she was good at it � very good.� Monica began selling her creations to friends and their friends and suddenly realized: �I guess I'm in business.�� Two Parts Sugar ( www.twopartssugar.com) launched in December 2008. Listening to Monica explain how she hustles to build her business is exhausting.

Less than a year after launching, a very pregnant Monica was competing (and losing) in the first episode of the Food Network reality show �Cupcake Wars.� Yes, she admits, she spent one crazy evening with power tools building a display stand for her cupcakes.

Twice she's accepted the annual LA Cupcake Challenge, passing out thousands of samples so the public can eat and vote. The first year Two Parts Sugar won second place and bragging rights for its (suddenly) �award-winning� cupcakes. In February, she won third place for her chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes.

She's already diversified from cupcakes into other sweets and aprons. With marketing help from her brother, Monica tweets and blogs and looks for every advantage.� When the Academy Awards came calling, Monica didn't hesitate. She pulled several all-nighters to bake mini-cupcakes for tasting and �swag� bags for stars visiting the gifting suite.� She's tasted other cupcakes. With no modesty she says, �Some of the cupcakes out there made me realize that what I have here is fantastic.�


Monica Serratos met her husband, Fernando, while wrestling at Golden West College. They have three children.

An entrepreneur and mother, Monica knows all about juggling her time. Most mothers mentally barter with their kids, trading more favors than a backroom politico: If we accomplish one chore for me, later we will do one fun thing for you. Monica trades a morning at the park for a run to buy ingredients or make a delivery. She packs Alicia, 3, Anabelle, 2, and the baby into the car and tells them it's time to make a trip. She bakes; they bake with an Easy Bake Oven.

After the girls' 8 p.m. bedtime, she heads to her Irvine-based kitchen to work. Her time is her own until 6 a.m. when the kids wake up.� �I tuck them into bed. They know Daddy is here and Mommy has to go to work.�� No problem � if you don't require sleep.

And here's where wrestling comes in. This is a grueling schedule. To meet it, Monica calls upon the same focus and drive she needed just to finish a practice.� �Some nights I'm baking and I'm dead tired and I tell myself: All right, it's overtime. I need that extra bit you have to give.�

Endurance counts. She's taken a self-taught crash course in business: setting prices (too low), buying supplies (no longer at the grocery store), packaging and marketing.

So far, Two Parts Sugar is barely profitable. The deal with Fernando is that she needs to at least cover expenses and pay the family's bill for health insurance.� Monica is selling cupcakes, but she's buying herself time.

Right now, her business is the freedom to stay home days and weekends with her girls. But she has ambitions: maybe her own storefront bakery one day, maybe a little saved for the girls' education. She would like them to finish college.

�I am setting an example. My girls can see it's important to be independent and be able to support themselves and not have to rely on anybody else.� She wants to build a successful business. She wants to be a successful mother. She wants more hours in the day.� All mothers wrestle with that.

The finale was Thursday night (4/08), in the �Dance Crew� studio on the Warner Bros. Studios lot in Burbank. It was broadcast live on the East Coast and aired at 10 p.m. Thursday.

Poreotix, a six-member outfit of Asian American guys, beat out eight-member Blueprint Cru, a co-ed dancing group from Montreal, Canada. Host Mario Lopez said 15 million people voted this past week, and it was the �tightest race ever.�

The Orange County crew also won $100,000 and the title of �America�s Best Dance Crew.�

�What an amazing season,� Randy Jackson, series executive producer� said. �Poreotix, you dominated the competition this year with your crazy robotic style and your brilliant sense of humor. You guys are funny dudes. So listen, the golden �ABDC� trophy and the $100,000 prize are all yours! � I got the honor of naming you America�s Best Dance Crew! Let the championship banner fall!�

Can Nguyen, 19, one of the members of Poreotix, said, �I just want to thank all of our fans and everybody who supported us. We love you guys. We wouldn�t be here without you guys, so thank you.�

The other members are Lawrence �Law� Devera, 21, Andrew �Chad� Mayate, 20, Justin �Jet Li� Valles, 20, Charles Nguyen, 20, and Matt �Dumbo� Nguyen, 20.

The finale started with a series of group dances. West Coast finalists did a group number to open the show, followed by crews from the East Coast and the �Dirty South.�

More than halfway through the show, a retrospective on Poreotix�s journey to the finals aired. �We�ve been auditioning since season 3,� �Jet Li� Valles said. �If we win, it�ll just be a dream come true for sure.�

Poreotix did a final, percussion-heavy face-off dance with Blueprint Cru, then celebrated once their names were announced. They performed a final dance routine, then were joined by all the regional finalists onstage.

After the program, the members of Poreotix celebrated on the Warner Bros.� lot with a catered red carpet party, accompanied by fans, family, studio employees, some celebrities and members of the media.

�We never expected to get to this point,� Devera said in an interview. �We just want to thank everybody for bringing us to this point. We�re really thankful for the hard-core fans that we have, and the hard-core fans and family that love to support us and what we do.

�It�s really proof that if you really work hard at something, you can go far with it. And you can make something that�s just a hobby into something that is great.�

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/poreotix-241289-crew-dance.html?pic=1

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The hour long documentary from veteran filmmaker Jess Trevino is "Visions of Aztlan." And it's an apt title. "Aztlan" is a mexica or Aztec nahuatl word for the land that now comprises the Southwest of the United States. Tradition suggests that the Aztecs originated in this territory before making their way to central Mexico hundreds of years ago. The term "Aztlan" was embraced by many Chicanos during the turbulent times of the 1960s and 1970s as a kind of spiritual homeland and a sense of historical continuity and cultural solidarity.

Mexican-American artists were inspired by the struggles for justice and political equality that marked the time. In the film, California artist and art historian Amalia Mesa-Baines explains, "The Chicano Movement gave me a sense of idenity, it gave me a source of energy and it inspired me." That sentiment is echoed by many of the painters and sculptors highlighted in "Visions of Aztlan."

Artists of that era not only drew inspiration from the activism and cultural awareness that surrounded them, but they also forged art as an instrument in that movement for social change. In the film, Bay Area painter Jose Montoya recalls, "It was the notion that we could better the plight of our people - that we had the tools and the people to do it." He adds, "And this was more important than showing our work in New York or Paris."

The film's director explains that the Chicano artists who began their careers in earnest in that cauldron of activism were eager to reflect the goals and hopes of the Chicano community. Following conventional career paths and seeking mainstream acceptance by galleries and museums was not the primary goal. Trevino says these artists eschewed the goal of mainstream acknowledgement "to render their community's urgent struggles and aspirations for social justice and equality."

Today, some 40 years after that artistic movement began as a parallel endeavor to the Chicano political movement, prominent Chicano artists now find their work in high-end galleries and in prestigious museums throughout the country.

For example, the comprehensive exhibition titled "Phantom Sightings: Art After the Chicano Movement" which debuted at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has been touring the country for two years, with its latest stop in New York.

It is often said of art and literature that creators "must find their audience and target that audience." Conversely, Pablo Picasso once said that "art creates audiences." And so, it seems, that has occurred with the best of Chicano art which has developed a transcendent appeal and appreciation.

Trevino's film is a masterful work, providing an insightful historical analysis of the roots of Chicano art while celebrating the exhuberance, power and beauty of the works that are featured in the production.

Full disclosure here is required: the director is a friend of mine and someone with whom I've collaborated on documentary films in the past.

"Visions of Aztlan" highlights the works of such Southern California artists as Carlos Almaraz, Judy Baca, David Botello, Barbara Carrasco, Harry Gamboa, Gronk, Wayne Healy, Gilbert Lujan, Frank Romero and John Valadez.

Collaborating with director Jess Trevino on the film was producer Armando Acevedo of Los Angeles. Acevedo says: "Before the 1960s, there was virtually no imagery about our Mexican-American community on television, in the movies or in magazines, and then a generation of Mexican-American artists arose, inspired by the Chicano civil rights movement, who began to portray our community, its goals and aspirations, our customs and lifestyles through murals, paintings, silkscreens and sculpture."

Luis Torres is a veteran journalist and filmmaker who is a contributor to this newspaper.

LITERATURE

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BOOKS

Beyond the Latino World War II Hero:

The Social and Political Legacy of a Generation

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Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez is an Associate Professor of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin . In 1999, she founded the U.S. Latino & Latina World War II Oral History Project. It has interviewed over 650 men and women of the World War II generation.�

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Her co-author of this publication is Emilio Zamora; he is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of �The World of the Mexican Worker in Texas.�

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Their current work on �Beyond the Latino World War II Hero: The Social and Political Legacy of a Generation� compiles essays by Richard Griswold del Castillo, ( San Diego University ), Maggie Rivas Rodriguez, ( University of Texas at Austin ), Dionicio Vald�s, ( Michigan State University ), Joanne Rao S�nchez, (St. Edwards University Austin). Emilio Zamora, ( University of Texas at Austin ), Silvia Alvarez Curbelo, ( University of Puerto Rico , Rio Piedras), Rea Ann Trotter, (Independent Scholar, Colorado ), Ricardo Ainslie & Daphny Dominguez, ( University of Texas at Austin ), and Brenda Sendejo, ( University of Texas at Austin ).

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To order a book, click below or ask for it at your local bookstore: �http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/excerpts/exrivbey.html

� email: [email protected]

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Chapters are:

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The Paradox of War; Mexican American Patriotism, Racism and Memory

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Embracing the Ether: Spanish-language Radio, and the WWII Latino GI

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�Now Get Back to Work�: Mexican Americans and the Agricultural Migrant Stream

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The Latinas of World War II: From Familiar Shelter to Expanding Horizons

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Mexican Nationals in the U.S. Military: Diplomacy and Battlefield Sacrifice

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The Color of War: Puerto Rican soldiers and Discrimination during World War II

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God and War: The impact of Combat upon Latino soldiers� Religious Beliefs

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Silent Wounds: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Latino World War II Veterans

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�Our Mothers� Legacy; Cultivating the Early Seeds of Chicana Feminism in the World War II Years

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MILITARY/LAW ENFORCEMENT

Sent by Bill Carmena

Sent by Rafael Ojeda� . . .� get inform

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Lieutenant Augusto Rodriguez

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� Lieutenant Augusto Rodriguez (born c. 1835), was a Puerto Rican who served as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Rodriguez served in the defenses of Washington, D.C. and led his men in the Battles of Fredericksburg and Wyse Fork.

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Early years: Augusto Rodriguez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico when the island was still a Spanish possession. He immigrated to the United States in the 1850s. The 1860 census of New Haven, Connecticut, shows there were 10 Puerto Ricans living there, among them Augusto Rodriguez, who resided in Columbus Ave.

1800s Puerto Rican Diaspora: �During the 1800s, commerce existed between the ports of the eastern coast of the United States and Puerto Rico. Ship records show that many Puerto Ricans traveled on ships that sailed from and to U.S. and Puerto Rico. Many of them settled in places such as New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Upon the outbreak of the American Civil War, many Puerto Ricans joined the ranks of military armed forces, however since Puerto Ricans were Spanish subjects they were inscribed as Spaniards.

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15th Connecticut Regiment: In 1862, Rodriguez volunteered and joined the 15th Connecticut Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, also known as the "Lyon Regiment" in honor of Nathaniel Lyon the first general officer killed in the U.S. Civil War, organized August 25, 1862 at New Haven. The Regiment left Connecticut for Washington, D.C., on August 28 and was attached to Casey's Provisional Brigade, Military District of Washington, serving in the defenses of Washington until September 17, 1862.

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Battles of Fredericksburg and Wyse Fork: From December 1-6, the 15th Connecticut Regiment marched to Fredericksburg, Virginia and was assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Army Corps, Army of the Potomac commanded by Major Maj. General Ambrose E. Burnside. Lieutenant Rodriguez led his men in the Battle of Fredericksburg which was fought against General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia from December 12-15. The battle resulted in a disastrous defeat for General Burnside and the Union Army. Burnside attempted to make an offensive movement on January 20, 1863, in which Lt. Rodriguez and the men of the 15th Connecticut Regiment were involved. However, the offensive, which became known as the "Mud March�, was aborted because of constant rain.�

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On March 1865, Lt. Rodriguez and the 15th Connecticut Regiment were assigned to the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, District of Beaufort, N. C., Dept. North Carolina. From March 8-10, Lt. Rodriguez once more led his men combat in the Battle of Wyse Fork, a confrontation against a Confederate army being gathered under Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston and Union troops under the command of Major General John M. Schofield. The final outcome of the battle resulted in a Union victory.

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The 15th Connecticut Regiment was assigned to provost duty as part of the garrison upon the occupation of Kinston, North Carolina by Union forces. They performed this duty until June 6th, when it was ordered to New Bern, North Carolina, to prepare for muster-out

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Later years: The regiment was mustered out in June 27, 1865 and Rodriguez was discharged in New Haven on July 12, 1865. Little is known about what became of Lt. Rodriguez, except that as a civilian he became a firefighter in New Haven, plus the records show that he was also a proprietor of a cigar store, a bartender and saloon keeper.

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Awards and decorations

: Augusto Rodriguez's awards and decorations include the following:
*Army Civil War Campaign Medal

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Bataan Death March Photo Correction
Noted by John E. Love

Actor Luis Jimenez portraying Iraq War Marine Veteran Abraham Salazar Beruman.

������� Yours truly,�

HISPANIC RECIPIENTS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL
MEDAL OF HONOR

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PATRIOTS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

����������� Hello Somos Primos friends . . . . . .

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Admiral DeLoach emailed me Saturday and confirmed that he would come view the birthplace monument while he was in town for the unveiling of the Farragut statue in the Town of Farragut! Commissioner Finbarr Saunders, Coral Getino, Cristina Laurido, Mercedes Strollo, Mull Wyman, my husband (who served as photographer) and I were there.

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Knox County Parks and Recreation director Doug Bataille couldn�t join us but he had two county parks and recreation representatives come out and cut a section of fence and bend it back so we could get in. We walked along the old ferry road down to the 110-year-old monument and had a great time discussing what it must have been like in 1797 when Jorge and Elizabeth Farragut first settled there and what a pretty place it still is.

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We then all drove to the unveiling of a new statue of Admiral Farragut in the town of Farragut, which was very interesting� the sculptor, Linda White Rankin, talked about how she did all the stages of the new Farragut statue and showed a powerpoint slideshow that was fascinating. Then a local historian talked about Farragut, mostly focusing on his Naval career and famous Civil War battles. That part was inside, then we went out to where the statue was and several town �leaders talked. Admiral DeLoach spoke last, and as he had promised me earlier he said he was privileged to be the second admiral to come to Knox County for a commemoration and that the first was Admiral Dewey, who came in 1900 to place the monument where Farragut was born (yea!!!!) He also said how much he admired Admiral Farragut and that he is proud to share some things in common with him, including having Hispanic heritage (that got a big round of applause).

�All in all, it was a wonderful day!!!!

�Admiral DeLoach sent this email to all of us who visited the birthplace:

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Happy to have made everyone's acquaintance today.� Thanks very much for setting up�the field trip to ADM Farragut's birthplace.� I was�also very impressed with the combined effort of the town to raise the funding to build a wonderful statue of our Navy's first admiral.� With regards to the online book on Jorge Farragut/Ferregut/Ferragut family history, see link at: http://www.jhbayo.com/farragut.htm. I'm very rusty in my Spanish but believe this information contains a deeper understanding of the Farragut family tree going back to 1249.� Please correct me if I am wrong and let me know what you think or find some other treasure of knowledge on the Farragut's.

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All the best,

�Jay DeLoach

Finbarr Saunders, Mull Wyman, Admiral Jay DeLoach, Margot Kline, Mercedes Strollo, Cristina Lourido

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Mercedes, Finbarr, Mull, Admiral DeLoach, and Cristina pointing toward the monument

Zoom of a photo I took of the monument�
from a distance

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Looking at the monument from the county road

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Admiral DeLoach at Lowe�s Ferry Landing

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Beginning of the unveiling ceremony

���������������������� Admiral DeLoach speaking at the unveiling