Andrés Lopera

By Julie Cortez, El Hispanic News

Portland, OR — Andrés Lopera spent his youth surrounded by mountains, though his hometown of Donmatías, Colombia — nearly 30 miles from Medellín — was not quite isolated enough to be overlooked by a government seeking to encourage youth to “drop the arms and embrace instruments.”

“It was pretty rough, violent times in Colombia at that point,” Lopera recalls. Thanks to a government program geared toward forming bands in small towns, at age 11 his small arms picked up a trombone for the first time.

He told his teacher he wanted to play the cornet — not out of a great love for the horn, but because it was the only instrument he’d heard of.
Oh well, I have a trombone,” the teacher told him. “Take it or leave it.”

The teacher did not, however, have a working knowledge of the trombone, and so would strike a key on the piano and have Lopera sing then play the note. He would also loan the boy CDs, instructing his pupil to write the music he heard down and teach himself how to play it.

Lopera learned all the music by heart and was eager to fill in on new, unfamiliar instruments when his peers would fall ill.

“My dad was really resourceful, and he taught us to be resourceful,” Lopera says of the man with a third-grade education who supported his family through various businesses, such as collecting and sorting recyclables. Lopera would help out after school, and later contributed by videotaping local weddings and funerals.

Lopera wanted to experience the world outside Donmatías, and saw music as the ticket — both through travel and by serving as a link to composers in other cultures.

“To be able to love music … just to try to play something, is a great challenge, a great commitment to make for yourself,” Andrés Lopera says. Photo by John Rudoff

He studied trombone and conducting in Medellín before earning a master’s degree in trombone at the University of Texas at Austin and then a master’s in orchestral conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. His talents have landed him conducting jobs with ensembles ranging from the Colombian National Symphony Orchestra to the Youth Orchestra of the Americas to Sembrando Talentos Uruguay. He was the founder and conductor of the Boston Latin American Orchestra, and is now finishing up his first season as conductor and music director of Portland’s Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS), an educational organization with 13 performing groups made up of over 400 youth, elementary to college age.

All this, and more — from a man only 29 years old.

“I’m a really passionate person,” Lopera says. “I put a lot of passion into my conducting, into my rehearsing, into everything. I give it a lot of thought. … For me, music is life, and somebody took the time to sit down in front of that white piece of paper, and took the time to put all his creativity and all his thoughts … into this piece of music.… I see my position as a conductor as a liaison between the composer and the music and the musicians, and as a source of energy [for]the 80 people in an orchestra….”

“I was thinking about that [recently] — it’s such a miracle,” he adds, “the whole idea of a symphony orchestra. It’s 80 people at the same beat, playing the same music, and inspiring more people.”

Lopera and MYS are dedicated to taking that miracle to as many people in the community as possible, through outreach concerts at schools, collaborations with the Oregon Symphony, and by finding ways to ensure MYS is accessible to aspiring musicians. The youth symphony currently requires only one year of musical training before auditioning, but they’re working on doing away with even that hurdle. The organization also offers financial aid, installment plans, and, according to Lopera, a mission to “to not leave kids behind.”

Despite his inherited resourcefulness, the young conductor knows he “wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without scholarships.”

For children and their parents wondering if they have enough money or time for music education, Lopera says that at MYS, “We have a place for you.”

“Opportunities are there,” insists Lopera, who sometimes wakes up in disbelief over how far music has taken one small-town Colombia boy. “The most important part is just for you to believe in yourself, and just to have an idea, feel passionate about it, and believe in it. When you have a firm belief in something, as cheesy as it sounds, the world shapes to make it happen.”

Just as it did for a trombone-playing child, reshaping itself to give him a view — and an avenue — into the world beyond his mountain-ringed home.

New and returning MYS students may register online for auditions to be held June 17-19 and June 26 and 28 at Lewis and Clark College for the 2013-2014 season. The 2012-2013 season closes June 9 with “Finale!” at 7 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. For registration and information on auditions and the concert, visit playmys.org/.

The post Andrés Lopera: ‘Music is life’ appeared first on El Hispanic News.

The Multnomah County Library has chosen U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s memoir “My Beloved World” for its annual community reading project, Everybody Reads 2014. While supplies last, extra copies of the book will be available at all Multnomah County libraries in early January 2014. Beginning in February 2014, readers can share their thoughts during book discussions at neighborhood libraries and other locations. Sotomayor will speak on March 11, 2014, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall; tickets will be available for sale on June 3, 2013, at PCPA.com. For more information, visit multcolib.org/reads.

Francisco López is no longer Causa’s executive director as of April 22. Photo by Jules Garza, El Hispanic News

Causa Board President Ramón Ramirez announced May 16 via email that as of April 22, Francisco López is no longer serving as the immigrant rights organization’s executive director. “In the near future, the board and staff will launch a search for a long term executive director who will continue to lead this organization,” Ramírez said in the email. “We will make sure that the individual who steps into this role upholds our core mission and values.” Luis Guerra is currently serving as acting executive director. López has yet to return El Hispanic News’ calls seeking comment.

TriMet’s newly-formed Transit Equity and Access Advisory Committee met for the first time in May and will hold monthly meetings, some of which will offer opportunities for public comment. According to a press release from TriMet, the panel will seek to increase outreach and involvement, serve as a link to community organizations, and help direct the agency’s transit equity strategy. “This committee will help us be even more inclusive in all aspects of our business, including making transit more accessible to communities of color and low income riders,” TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane said in the release. Among those participating on the 14-member panel are TriMet board member Consuelo Saragoza, NAYA Community Development Director Rey España, David Douglas High School student José López Delgado, ODOT Public Policy and Community Affairs Manager Shelli Romero, and Beaverton Cultural Inclusion Coordinator Daniel Vázquez.

Edna Vázquez and Joaquín López present a fundraiser concert for Portland Latino Gay Pride on June 9. Photo by Alejandro Juárez

The eighth annual Portland Latino Gay Pride (PLGP) celebration, themed “¡Viva la Vida!,” will kick off with “Voz Alta: Amor! Amor!” on July 20, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., at Q Center (4115 N Mississippi Ave.). Tickets to this all-ages event are $15. The Portland Latino Gay Pride Festival will take place July 21, 5 p.m.-9 p.m., at the Jupiter Hotel (800 E. Burnside); a $5 admission donation is suggested. The festival will be followed by the ¡Viva La Vida! Dance Party at Embers (110 NW Broadway Ave.), 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Both of the July 21 events are 21-plus. To raise funds for PLGP, Edna Vázquez and Joaquín López will perform at the Jade Lounge (2342 SE Ankeny St.) on June 9, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). Tickets are $20 and available at tiny.cc/MelodicAllure/. Mariposa Award nominations and PLGP Scholarship applications will be accepted through July 1. For more information, visit latinogaypridepdx.com/.

According to a May article in the journal Health Affairs, immigrant workers are helping to pay Medicare costs for retired people born in the United States. Dr. Leah Zallman said that between 2002 and 2009, people born in the United States paid $192 billion to Medicare and received $223 billion in services. On the other hand, immigrants — both those who have become U.S. citizens and those who have not — paid $19 billion while receiving $14 billion worth of services. Zallman is a researcher at Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts. Harvard Medical School and City University of New York also participated in this study. The article was in part a reaction to data showing that the average bill for a U.S.-born patient was $5,388, while the average for a foreign-born patient was $3,923. The figures are based on Medicare Part A, while Part B was not included. On May 30, National Public Radio ran an extended version of this story by Jordan Rau; it is available at npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/30/187280882/immigrants-subsidize-rather-than-drain-medicare/.

The post News Briefs: June 2013 appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Luis Guerra, Causa’s acting executive director, and Reyna López explain the details of Oregon’s forthcoming driver card program. López serves as Causa’s civic engagement director. Photo by Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

By Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

Portland, OR — On the second day of January 2014, expect long lines at DMV offices throughout the state. On that day undocumented immigrants in Oregon can legally apply for a driver card. This is not a driver license, but it does offer some privileges.

Between now and December, DMV workers aim to complete the chores of defining new procedures, designing forms, and training DMV clerks.

The driver card is a measure offering some of the driving rights accorded to documented Oregon residents and citizens. In April 2013, starting as Senate Bill 833, it passed the Oregon’s Senate and House of Representatives. Gov. John Kitzhaber signed the bill on the first day of May.

Causa, an Oregon-based immigrant rights organization, held a press conference in Portland in mid-May during which Luis Guerra and Reyna López explained the fine points of SB 833. Guerra is Causa’s new interim executive officer; López is the group’s civic engagement director

SB 833 will encourage undocumented immigrants to learn Oregon’s driving laws and will make it easier for them to buy automobile insurance. From that point of view, Causa has framed SB 833 as a “safe roads bill.”

Features of the driver card

After a study of SB 833, Causa staff persons have thoroughly mastered the new law. At this time the DMV plans for the driver card to look very much like the standard Oregon Driver License except for one detail: the card’s face will have a blue stripe. As for the rules, the details become more complex.

Candidates for a driver card, which costs $64, must meet all the qualifications expected of an Oregon resident applying for a driver license, except for the matter of legal residency. Candidates must have good eyesight and be able to pass the written and performance tests.

If an undocumented immigrant already has an Oregon Driver License that will expire in less than a year before applying for a driver card, that candidate will not have to take the written or performance tests.

Driver Card owners cannot drive commercial vehicles such as taxis, busses, or large trucks. They may drive farm equipment.

The DMV notes that the driver card fills several other purposes. Those include the option of certifying that a driver has registered as an organ donor, showing that a person has served in the U.S. military, and indicating that a person has the rights of an adult as an “emancipated minor.”

The DMV says and stores selling alcohol, banks, and airlines may, if they choose, accept a driver card as identification. The card will not allow one to vote, to carry firearms, or change a person’s immigration status. It should not be used as a document to cross international borders, and the DMV notes that the driver card might not be accepted in other states. Although this seems unlikely, people planning to visit other states should check for rules.

The DMV brings up the possibility that SB 833 might not go into effect if opponents complete a referendum to put the issue on the November 2014 ballot. The public at large would then vote to retain — or repeal — SB 833.

Preparing for a driver card

To qualify for a driver card, one must be able to prove show he or she has resided in Oregon for at least a year. Now would be a good time to collect sufficient documents such as school records, bank records, health records, and utility bills. Individuals who have served in the U.S. military should have a copy of their records. People with a social security number should present this to the DMV.

Candidates would do well to get a copy of the driver manual and study Oregon’s somewhat complex traffic laws. Practicing driving in parking lots or private roads with the car to be used for the performance test will make the test easier. Knowing how to parallel park will impress DMV agents.

Candidates will need to have either a valid unexpired passport or identification from the appropriate national consul. Many countries, including Mexico, have offices in Oregon.

The DMV notes that a hardship permit might be used to obtain a driver card if other documents are not sufficient. Applicants should discuss this with a DMV official if this might be an issue.

The post DMV prepares to offer driver cards to undocumented residents in January appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Eugene Arte Latino celebrated Carnaval Brasil!, a fundraiser for Students Helping Street Kids International (SHSKI), in March.

By Olga Sanchez, El Hispanic News

When Jessica Zapata arrived in Eugene, Ore., in 2007 with her husband and small son, she encountered a different world from her home in Cuernavaca. Zapata had spent years working as an architect primarily with indigenous communities in Morelos, Guerrero, and Michoacán. Her work was known as “vernacular” architecture, designing and building using local materials, such as mud and lumber, reflecting local traditions. She had learned many things about creating indigenous art while working in these communities. The people she worked with made art using nearby resources, and the children played with things they found on nature’s ground.

In Eugene, she could find no Latino cultural presence at all. She enjoyed attending the monthly First Friday Art Walks downtown, but longed to see the work of Latino artists in the galleries. When her son enrolled in elementary school, she looked forward to seeing him participate in the kinds of arts activities that she had enjoyed as a child. In Mexico, her elementary school had offered numerous opportunities to learn artistic skills, especially in celebration of holidays. She remembered learning folkloric dances throughout the school year to perform on Mother’s Day, memorizing poems and dressing in regional costumes for the Flag Day parade. These were always family events; at least one project required the whole family’s participation at home. It taught the children to work collaboratively and with their families.

Photo courtesy of Eugene Arte Latino

In an effort to better connect with her new community, she decided to volunteer as a teacher for the local ESL program that her son attended. Soon she met other parents who shared her longing for cultural activities. Many asked her whether any events were planned to celebrate the holidays of their heritage and she had to tell them no, they were not part of the curriculum. The parents were disappointed, but seeing their interest inspired Zapata to approach the school and ask permission to initiate a cultural education program for el Día de los Muertos. For that first project, the children built an altar together as they learned about the traditional holiday and its history. They molded and decorated “calaveritas” out of clay, and drew skeletons from stencils. Not all the children in the program were Latino; there were families from China, Russia, and Korea, but everyone participated in the process, sharing stories about their cultures with each other. Parents began to attend the classes to help the children create their art projects.

Everything turned out so beautifully, Zapata approached the Network Charter School, which had a gallery in the First Friday Art Walk, to see if they’d display the children’s art works. They were delighted by the idea. She contacted friends and put out an announcement to invite community participation, and for el Día de los Muertos in 2007, the venue displayed skeleton drawings and clay calaveritas, as well as a community altar and 10 more altars created by individual artists. Zapata’s first Latino community cultural arts event was a lovely and meaningful success.

Soon after this event, Zapata and her husband invited their friend from Cuernavaca, the singer-songwriter Alfonso Maya, to perform in Eugene. The evening, called “Pueblo a Pueblo”, began with a reception celebrating an exhibition of works by local Latino artists, followed by Maya’s concert accompanied by local musicians. About 200 people attended, Latino and non-Latino, creating a second success for Zapata and her community organizers.

No sooner had the concert ended, than they decided to plan “Las Posadas.” Together, the students and parents made piñatas, created a procession, and found musicians to sing the “outdoor” and “indoor” parts of the traditional Posada song. Upstart Crow Studio welcomed them into their theatre. Zapata directed the pastorela with the children and their parents, and the mothers sewed the costumes. People arrived with candles for the procession and tamales to share, and together they sang “villancicos” (children’s songs) for the audience. A third Eugene cultural tradition was born.

Zapata decided to name this work Eugene Arte Latino. She began producing new exhibits for Latino visual artists every two months, hosting monthly receptions with local Latino musicians. Her list of artists grew as they sought her out for opportunities to present their work. She soon approached the Last Friday Art Walk in Whitaker to find more galleries to share the art.

Since 2008 Eugene Arte Latino has produced annual celebrations for Mother’s Day, Mexican Independence Day, el Día de los Muertos, and Las Posadas. Every event is free. The “Pueblo a Pueblo” program has continued going strong, thanks to support from the Lane Arts Council and the University of Oregon, which have provided airfare for the visiting musicians.

In her spare time, Zapata offers art classes for children in the libraries. Her specialty is working with recycled materials, teaching the children to appreciate the things they find around the house to create art. This is the legacy of her work with the indigenous communities of Mexico. But the architect’s dream is to open a Centro Cultural, a place where her community can find music, dance and visual art classes, cultural performances, and art exhibits. Zapata welcomes the whole community of Eugene and Oregon to work together, to build a rich cultural heritage they can enjoy with their families.

For more information about Eugene Arte Latino, contact Jessica Zapata at eugeneartelatino@yahoo.com and visit their website, eugeneartelatino.wordpress.com.

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Demonstrators call for immigrant rights at this year’s May Day rally in Portland. Photo by Jules Garza, El Hispanic News

By Elena Shore, New America Media

In late May, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed out of committee an imperfect immigration bill that advocates say is the best shot they have to modernize the U.S. immigration system. The bill now heads to the Senate floor, where the Senate is expected to take it up during the week of June 10.

A revised bill could be ready by the end of June.

Here’s a look at some of the amendments added to the senate’s immigration reform bill after nearly 30 hours of debate:

• Family unity — The Senate Judiciary Committee approved amendments to protect children whose parents have been caught up in immigration actions or who lack a parent or guardian (Al Franken, D-Minn.), allow Border Patrol Officers to use discretion to keep families together at the border, and place child welfare professionals at border patrol stations (Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii).
• Affordability — Another amendment proposed by Hirono allows immigrants who are legalizing their status to pay fines in installments. The $2,000 penalty associated with legalizing one’s status is unaffordable for many.
• Same-sex couples — Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, decided to withdraw an amendment that would have allowed same-sex couples to apply for a green card through their U.S.-citizen partner, after Democrats and Republicans threatened to walk if the amendment was included.

Most of the immigration reform bill remains intact, including a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States, a ratcheting up of enforcement on the border and internally, the mandatory use of E-Verify, a federal database to check the immigration status of potential employees, and several changes to visas for future flows of immigrants.

These changes would whittle down family-based visas, eliminating the brother and sister category and the category for adult married children over 30. They would also eliminate the diversity visa lottery program, which is one of the main ways African immigrants enter the United States; and create a new merit-based visa system that will take into account education, work history, and other factors as part of a point system.

Several key agreements were also reached between business and labor, which would create new types of visas, including a “blue card” for agricultural workers and a “W Visa” for other workers. Business and labor groups, however, have not come to an agreement on what to do about temporary workers here on an H1B visa. The ongoing tension is expected to play out on the Senate floor.

Another important element of the senate bill that remains intact gives judges discretion when determining whether to give an individual legal status or to have him or her deported.

Key issues to watch in the Senate debate

Angela Kelley of the Center for American Progress spoke about the changes during a national telebriefing for ethnic media reporters organized by New America Media. She pointed to four key issues that immigration reform advocates will be watching closely as the Senate takes up the immigration reform debate:

• The border —The Senate bill already includes massive investments in enforcement and border security. Advocates will be watching for triggers that could tie enforcement to the pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants, making it harder for undocumented immigrants to legalize their status.
• Benefits — Advocates will also be watching to make sure those on the pathway to citizenship are able to access benefits including the child tax credit, and credits for social security down the road for the amount they worked while undocumented.
• Biometrics — The Senate Judiciary Committee rejected an amendment that would have required a biometric system for non-U.S. citizens, and approved a narrower amendment sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch that would require non-citizens to submit fingerprints when they leave the country. Conservatives on the Senate floor are expected to push for increased use of biometrics to track immigrants.
• Burdens — Advocates of immigration reform will also be watching the Senate debate to make sure the new rules don’t become so onerous that they render the prospect of legalization unattainable for many.

What will the House bill look like?

While immigration reform advances in the Senate, advocates say the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is a different story.

The House — which like the Senate has its own Gang of Eight, a group of four Democrats and four Republicans — appears to be making progress toward its own comprehensive bill that includes a pathway to legislation.

The sticking point in the House now is whether to mandate health insurance for the 11 million undocumented immigrants who are waiting to begin the citizenship process.

This is “important — and ironic,” observed Angela Kelley, vice president for immigration policy and advocacy at the Center for American Progress.

It’s important, she said, because a health care requirement “could pose a substantial burden on the 11 million.” The Affordable Care Act bans undocumented immigrants from participating in the government-subsidized health exchanges. That means that if Republicans succeed in mandating health insurance for those on the pathway to legalization, immigrant families would have to purchase their own individual policies.

The irony, noted Kelley, is that Republicans are “asking for a mandate to buy health care insurance, which they opposed in the health reform debate.”

The House is expected to consider immigration reform legislation in July. Even if the House’s Gang of Eight is unsuccessful in reaching a comprehensive immigration reform bill, the House is also looking at several piecemeal bills that would take on E-Verify, the agricultural sector, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs.

After an August recess, the debate is expected to continue into the fall, when members from the House and Senate will meet in a Conference Committee to craft a version of the bill that both chambers can agree on.

The role of media: Stay sober

Lynn Tramonte, deputy director of America’s Voice, compared the current debate with the last time Congress took up immigration reform in 2006 and 2007. There are “not many hard no’s” this time around, she said, adding there are “many people in the middle who are still trying to figure it out.”

With momentum on their side, some pro-immigration reform legislators are even discussing trying to pass the bill with many more than the 60 votes needed in the Senate. But Tramonte cautions against this tactic, saying, “It’s far better to have a good bill with 65 votes than a compromised bill at 75 or 80 votes.”

Despite the momentum, Kelley warns that it’s important for the media that serve U.S. immigrant audiences to remain cautious. With so much excitement over the prospect of immigration reform, some undocumented immigrants could be tempted to pay an unscrupulous notary public or attorney who gives them false promises of legalization.

But there are some things undocumented immigrants can do now to prepare for a possible immigration reform law in the future. Kelley’s advice is to “keep your nose clean,” (getting in trouble with the law will make it harder for an individual to get legalization); “keep your wallet closed” (avoid paying notarios and unscrupulous individuals); and “keep records and keep paying taxes” (which can be used as evidence that they were in the country before the cutoff date of Dec. 31, 2011).

The post Where immigration reform stands now appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Work celebrations don’t have to be sweetened with sugary treats. Co-workers at the Multnomah County Health Department’s Community Wellness and Prevention Program recently had a lunchtime baby celebration featuring this colorful and healthy fruit arrangement.

By Elizabeth Takahashi, MPH, Healthy Worksites Coordinator for Multnomah County Health Department

Have you ever started a week with a vow to eat healthier and then arrived at work only to be tempted by a plate of sweet treats in the break room? How about making a commitment to get more exercise, then working late and going home too tired to do anything?

Sometimes the odds can seem stacked against us, but they don’t have to be. By creating healthier environments at work, we can help ourselves, our co-workers, and our employees make healthy changes. And as an added benefit, we can increase productivity and even save money.

Over time, our lives have been made easier by cars, machines that help us do our work, and convenient, inexpensive fast foods. All this convenience has taken a toll when it comes to our health. We are eating more unhealthy foods and moving less. Obesity and ongoing health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure are on the rise and are plaguing our families, our communities, and our wallets.

In Multnomah County, more than one-half of all adults are overweight or obese. Latino adults have slightly higher rates of obesity than other groups. According to the Partnership for Solutions, a program based at John Hopkins University, more than 80 percent of health care spending in the United States is spent on people with chronic or ongoing conditions. Many chronic conditions can be improved or even eliminated by healthy lifestyle changes.

On average, adults spend more than half of their waking hours at work, making worksites key places that can help or hinder our efforts to be healthy. Employee wellness doesn’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time. Both employees and employers can see benefits from making small changes that can add up to big results.

For employers

• Offer fruits and vegetables at trainings and meetings instead of, or along with, other treats.
• Work with your vending machine contractor to offer a selection of snacks and beverages that include several healthy options.
• Encourage drinking tap water instead of sugary drinks. Provide water and cups for people to use.
• Encourage people to take the stairs instead of the elevator. Unlock the stairwells, put posters on the walls, have a contest to see who can take the stairs most often.
• Encourage active transportation — walking, biking, or taking the bus or train to work. Provide a place to park bikes and store biking or walking gear.
• Adopt a tobacco-free workplace policy and offer tobacco cessation services to help employees quit and stay quit.
• Form a wellness committee with your employees to help promote wellness at work.

Not only will these kinds of activities support employees who are working toward personal health and wellness goals, but employers win too. Healthier employees mean positive benefits for employers like increased productivity, less sick time, and reduced healthcare costs.

For employees

• Take a walk when you meet with a co-worker instead of sitting at a table. You’ll get a little exercise and the fresh air and change of scenery just might help you think more creatively.
• Replace the candy bowl in your office with a bowl of fresh fruit. Try bringing a bag of mandarin oranges or carrots to your next meeting. You may be surprised at how welcome they are.
• Burn calories instead of electricity. Take the stairs. Start small by just replacing one elevator ride a day. Walking up stairs just two minutes a day can help prevent weight gain.
• Drink water to quench your thirst. Try replacing even one sugary drink a day with a glass of water and work your way to drinking more water.
• Try walking or biking to work. If you take the bus or train, get off early and walk the last few blocks.
• If you are on your feet all day, try refreshing yourself by drinking water and taking a few minutes on your break to stretch in ways you don’t while you work.
• If you sit all day at a desk or in a vehicle, take a brisk 10 minute walk on your break or at lunch.
• Support a tobacco-free workplace. Take advantage of any tobacco cessation benefits that your employer or healthcare benefit offers. Call the Oregon Tobacco Quit Line for help — 1-877-2NO-FUME (1-877-266-3863).
• Challenge your coworkers to make one healthy change with you and support each other.

Adopting these healthy habits at work can spill over into what you do at home and have added benefits for your children and your family.

Get more tips, information and resources for workplace wellness at multco-itstartshere.org.

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“This is the first opportunity since 1986 to create the immigration reform that we need for our communities,” said Maru Mora Villalpando (center), CEO of Seattle-based political consulting firm Latino Advocacy.

By Ivonne Rivero, El Hispanic News

Vancouver, WA — Latino leaders and civic organizations in Oregon and Washington have joined forces to unite their combined representation of 1.2 million people who live, work, and travel between both states. The WA-OR Coalition on Immigration Reform was created to keep the community informed about the developments and impacts of S. 744 — the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act — which is currently in the U.S. Senate and backed by a bipartisan group of eight senators.

Speaking to some 50 community members who gathered with their families at Vancouver’s Discovery Middle School on May 24, leaders and advocates representing small businesses, higher education, law, unions, cultural organizations, social services, faith-based organizations, and the non-profit sector — as well as political analysts — shared their perspectives on education, economic development, labor, deferred action, and LGBTQ issues as they pertain to immigration and policy building.

Among the organizations coalescing with the purpose of analyzing the pros and cons of such a bill, especially for Latino immigrants in the area, are the Southwest Washington and Eugene chapters of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Woodburn-based farmworker union PCUN, Seattle-based LGBTQ organization “Entre Hermanos,” and other Oregon and Washington groups.

At the Vancouver event, Diana Pérez, president of Southwest Washington’s LULAC Council, spoke of the need to voice support for comprehensive immigration reform, raising awareness of needed improvements to the bill, and of uniting as a Latino population within the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area in an organized and civil way.

Pérez explained that while “the immigration bill is taking center stage on Capitol Hill, it is important we are aware of what is being negotiated and how decisions are being reached,” she said. “Our nation urgently needs an effective and practical immigration system that will reflect the best of America’s values. The current patchwork of policies and programs is clearly broken. It’s time to stop playing politics and focus on creating a commonsense immigration process in our country that puts our values first and moves us forward together ….”

Presenters gave three-minute speeches on their perspectives of what the proposed the immigration bill would mean to the represented groups, as well as the positive and negative implications for Washington and Oregon’s immigrant communities. At the core was the importance of keeping families together, legalization for Dreamers, protection of labor guarantees, elimination of national origin caps, and shortening the 13-year wait for legalization, while stressing the need for communities to take leadership in having Latino voices heard.

The May 24 town hall was taken to Eugene on the following day for an event headlined by Tom Saenz, president and general counsel of the Latino legal civil rights organization MALDEF.

Maru Mora Villalpando, CEO of Seattle-based political consulting firm Latino Advocacy, spoke at both events, emphasizing that Latinos need to influence the current dialogue on immigration reform in ways that represent the true interests of the different sectors of the community.

“This is the first opportunity since 1986 to create the immigration reform that we need for our communities,” she said, adding that the bill still needs some work, particularly in terms of waiting periods and its emphasis on border security.

Roxana Pardo of Entre Hermanos said that the LGBTQ Latino and immigrant communities are facing a lot of compound struggles under the current immigration bill. “It is important to ask who’s included in this bill and who’s not,” she said. “The LGBT community needs comprehensive reform for the same reasons that all want it: we don’t have access to healthcare, money for school, or access to better education.”

Marcos Miranda, political science professor at Portland Community College (PCC), was among the many speakers at the forums.

Pardo addressed the obstacles faced by same-sex couples in which one partner is undocumented and unable to obtain legalization under the provisions for family reunification visas. “For social reasons and political reasons, there’s no pro-LGBT advocates working on this bill in Washington (D.C.),” she said. Pardo countered the opinion she’s heard expressed that the LGBTQ community is “hindering” immigration reform with a simple: “We’re all Latinos.”

PCUN President Ramon Ramírez, who echoed Pardo’s message about the need to include the LGBTQ issues, also emphasized the importance of maintaining farm worker rights. “What’s really at stake here is developing a reform that benefits 11 million people, many of whom are agricultural workers in both states,” he said, adding that he’s “very concerned about the bill proposed at the Senate.”

“They want to bring back the Bracero Program,” which PCUN opposes, he continued. The only thing that benefits workers under the present bill, Ramírez said, is “portability” — the ability to come and change jobs.

“Employers will always find ways to exploit workers,” he said. “We have to do away with the current guest program. They have to provide a minimum wage, access to OSHA [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration], etc., and need to recruit among local communities. Currently no one pays these minimum wages. My advice is that we’re gonna have to mobilize with our two senators, with protests, marches, and participation in ways like we never have.…”

The Vancouver town hall was the first of many planned for the two months to discuss federal legislation for immigration reform. Latino civic organizations in both states are planning on holding meetings in areas of higher density Latino/Hispanic populations in Oregon, such as Newport, Salem, Hermiston, and at a to-be-determined location in Washington County. In Washington state, a gathering will take place in the Seattle area on May 30, and events are being slated for Walla Walla, White Salmon/Hood River, and Longview/Kelso.

For more information and dates of upcoming town halls, contact Luis Nava at 503-548-3650 navajl@msn.com for Oregon or  Diana Pérez at 360-910-8493 for Washington.

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Eva Calcagno

By Eva Calcagno, Washington County Cooperative Library Services

The images that come to mind when I think “front porch” include the entrance to a home, a place to welcome old friends and greet the neighbors, a place to sit down, relax, and watch the world go by, and a place to read a book, tell stories, and otherwise reflect on life.

Those characteristics also describe the public library, our community’s front porch. For many new residents, the library is the entrance or threshold to our community. It is a first stop for information on local events and resources; it’s a place to use the internet, or use library resources to find a job. For new immigrants, the library is a place to practice English skills at “intercambios,” to study for citizenship tests, to check out bilingual books for their children, and follow news events back home through library newspapers and the internet.

The libraries in Washington County are increasingly becoming a place for gatherings of new and old friends. Knitting and crafting groups continue to expand, as do clubs on a variety of topics: anime, gaming (board, card and/or electronic), chess, homework help, Lego robotics, trivia, and poetry — to name a few. These groups provide opportunities for people to share their expertise, to learn new skills, and to have fun with others.

Libraries also offer workshops and presentations on a wide range of topics and anyone is welcome to pull up a chair and learn. Some recent offerings include animation, beekeeping, chocolate tasting, duct tape crafts, e-readers, foreign films, geocaching, henna art, intergenerational activities, landscape design, musical performances, natural pest control, Oregon civics, photography, earthquake preparation, scrapbooking, Tai Chi, vegetable gardening, wine appreciation, Xbox gaming, yoga, and Zombie Marimbas (I’m not making that one up!). I know you wouldn’t do all of these things on your front porch, but you might talk about them with your neighbors over a glass of lemonade or a perfect Oregon pinot. Go to calendar.wccls.org to find out what’s happening at your neighborhood library.

Libraries also provide a never-ending supply of reading materials in multiple formats. Fill your Sunday afternoon or a warm summer evening with a good read. Audiobooks, e-books, large print, and regular print (or, if you must, the movie version in DVD or Blu-Ray) are all available to you through wccls.org. If you like a challenge and free prizes, sign-up for the Summer Reading Program. There are programs for children, teens, and adults that offer free performances, activities, giveaways, and prize drawings.

A story well told is a time-honored practice, both on the porch and at the library. On a typical week there can be over 60 scheduled storytimes at WCCLS libraries. Some are for families, others are more specific such as Toddler Time, Fun for 1’s, or Spanish, Japanese, and even Bulgarian language stories. All use stories to entertain, educate, and enlighten. Recounting favorite stories, whether it be fairy tales or the story about how Grandpa came to Oregon, helps us connect with each other across miles and generations.

Libraries do all of these things to fulfill a mission of building connections between residents, creating livable communities, and life-long learning opportunities.

Welcome to your front porch. Pull up a seat this summer and enjoy.

 

Eva Calcagno has been director of Washington County Cooperative Library Services since 1997. She holds a master’s degree in librarianship from the University of Washington. She strongly promotes public libraries as essential community resources to educate, enlighten, and empower residents.

 

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PCUN President Ramón Ramírez smiles as SB 833 passes in the Oregon House of Representatives. Photos by Jules Garza, El Hispanic News

 

By Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

 
Salem — Five years after cutting off driver licenses for those living in Oregon without immigration documents, Oregon’s legislators went back to work and created a means to allow undocumented immigrants to drive on the streets and highways of the state.

Oregon Senate Bill 833 will create a new level of driver permission. In addition to the current driver license, Oregon will now create a four-year driver card.

With both houses of the legislature approving SB 833 in late April, and Gov. John Kitzhaber signed the bill on May 1. Implementation will likely not take place until January of next year.

The Oregon Senate passed the bill by a margin of 20 to 7 — with three senators not voting — on April 23. Fourteen Democrats and 6 Republicans voted for the measure. Two Democrats and one Republican did not vote. The House of Representatives backed the bill 38 to 20 on April 30, with two members not voting.

Five years ago, in 2008, Oregon ceased issuing driver licenses to undocumented immigrants. The turnaround from February 2008 to April 2013 came from many sources. Prime among them was the likelihood that more drivers will purchase more automobile insurance. Few insurance companies will sell policies to unregistered drivers. With that in mind, the Oregon immigrant rights organization Causa dubbed SB 833 the “Safe Roads Bill.”

Compromise in the wind?

Photo by Jules Garza, El Hispanic News

“This is the largest victory for Latino families, Causa, our allies and our movement in Oregon history,” said Luis Guerra, a spokesperson for Causa Oregon. “The work that went into passage of SB 833 is due to the dedication and hard work of a broad coalition of bipartisan legislators, civic leaders, law enforcement, and organizations from the immigrant rights, legal, business, faith, education, and health communities.”

In their praise for the result, Causa referred to the bill as “Oregon’s bipartisan Safe Roads Bill.” A significant number of Republicans did vote for SB 833.

Rep. Dennis Richardson, a Republican from the Medford and Grants Pass area, sent an email to his constituents on April 26 asking for their input on the bill via an online survey. In the email, he outlined arguments both for and against SB 833. While asking for guidance from voters, he did give twice as much space to the supporting arguments SB 833.

Richardson said he found that four other states had adopted driver card programs. In New Mexico, he said, the rate of uninsured motorists dropped from 33 percent in 2002 to 10.6 perecent in 2007. In Utah, the number of uninsured drivers fell from 10 percent to 5 percent. Richardson said the improvement to the insured rates could be attributed to driver card programs in those states.

Opponents, Richardson said, argued that “since everyone with Oregon automobile insurance already pays for uninsured motorist coverage, the fact that automobile insurance would be more readily available is not a significant enough reason to create a special driver’s card for illegal immigrants.”

Perhaps the change from 2008 was that SB 833 was not making it an all or nothing proposition. SB 833 did not ask for a full driver license package. Instead, the SB 833 program called for a driver card — which offers fewer functions than a full license, but a lot more than nothing. In the following months, strategists from both parties will likely review the SB 833 campaign and figure what it might means for future issues.

Some features of SB 833

The 24-page bill “Directs Department of Transportation to issue driver card to applicant who does not provide proof of legal presence in United States but otherwise has complied with all requirements and has resided in Oregon more than one year.”

In general, the bill states, “a driver card is subject to the same statutes and procedures that govern driver licenses and driver permits and shall be issued, renewed, or replaced in the same manner as driver licenses or driver permits.”

The bill requires candidates for a driver card to show proof of age, as well as proof that they have lived in Oregon more than a year.

Holders of driver cards will not be eligible to have a commercial driver license, and they will not be able to use the cards as government-issued identification. The cards will expire every four years.

The bill sets out several fees.  A knowledge (written) test will cost $5, while a skills (driving) test goes for $9. Several other fees that apply in special cases range from $30 to $75.

For full details, refer to legiscan.com/OR/text/SB833/id/827283/.

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Kuno Becker portrays General Ignacio Zaragoza in “Cinco de Mayo, La Batalla.” Photo by Sandra Mayerstein, Pantelion Films 2013

 
That’s right, it’s time to celebrate Mexico’s victory in the Battle of Puebla. While the grocery stores and television ads would have folks in the U.S. believe it’s all about beer and tortilla chips, there’s real history and a real sense of culture and community behind el Cinco de Mayo. Luckily, we not only have several options to celebrate, we also have a chance to widely share what makes the fifth day in May worth noting every year thanks to a new, soon-to-be-released historical film. Read on to learn more.

Go big

The 29th Annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta will offer a number of diversions for kids and adults May 3-May 5 at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Photo courtesy of Lara Media Services

Portland’s massive Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, now in its 29th year, stretches out the celebration into three full days, May 3-5, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Get in free 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 3, and stay late for fireworks at 9:55 p.m. The weekend also includes live music and dancing, lucha libre matches, a live butterfly exhibit, a flash mob at 6:30 p.m. on May 4, and more. Visit cincodemayo.org for more details.

Looking for something a little more intimate and farther north? The Hispanic Chamber of Yakima County offers up the 12th Annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Grande May 4-5 in downtown Yakima, Wash. Among the Fiesta Grande’s offerings are a car show, street soccer, talent show, and charro parade. Learn more at yakimahispanicchamber.com. Sunnyside, Wash., is also home to an annual celebration; this year’s will be held May 3-5 in downtown Sunnyside. Contact the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce at 800-457-8089 or 509-837-5939 for more information.

Go to the movies

Technically there aren’t currently any plans to release it in the Pacific Northwest, but the Mexican film “Cinco de Mayo, La Batalla” opens May 3 in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Mexico. We may have to wait for the DVD release, but that doesn’t mean we can’t eagerly anticipate the chance to see Kuno Becker (“Goal!”) portray General Ignacio Zaragoza as he leads his troops to victory over the French army in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The Spanish-language film, directed by Rafa Lara (“La Milagrosa,” “Labios Rojos”), is rated R.

Get community-oriented

Southwest Portland’s Rieke Elementary and North Portland’s César Chávez School are teaming up for the Rieke Art Fair and Cinco de Mayo Celebration on May 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Rieke Elementary School (1405 S.W. Vermont St.). In addition to art classes and artistic vendors, the fair will include authentic Mexican food provided by César Chávez School parents and musical entertainment by Guitarras Románticas, Confluence, and Panache. The art fair will coincide with the weekly opening of the Hillsdale Farmers Market located in the Rieke Elementary parking lot. See riekeartfair.com for further details.

Open House Ministries, a faith-based shelter for homeless families in Vancouver, is hosting a Cinco de Mayo meal and celebration to raise funds for the shelter on May 5, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., at 900 W. 12th St., Vancouver, Wash. Tickets are $10 and RSVPs are requested to Lucy Gaspar at 360-980-7328. Also contact Gaspar if you are interested in sponsoring or donating food to the event. For more on Open House Ministries, visit sheltered.org.

The Democratic Party of Washington County has dubbed its SpringFest 2013 fundraiser “Cinco de Mayo, El Festival de la Primavera.” Taking place May 5 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Local 290 Plumbers & Steamfitters Hall (20210 SW Teton Ave., Tualatin), the fundraiser will feature a keynote address by Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, a silent auction, raffle, and Mexican buffet dinner. Tickets are $30; $25 for seniors, veterans, and PCPs (precinct committee persons); and $15 for children. For information and reservations, visit washcodems.org/Springfest_2013 or call 503-626-7018.

Get moving

Andrea’s Cha Cha Club (832 SE Grand Ave, Portland) will host Pilon D’Azucar May 2 (doors open at 9 p.m.) for a night of salsa (including a lesson early in the evening), cumbia, merengue, bachata, son, timba, and more. Andrea’s will also be home to a “Sexy 5 de Mayo Fiesta Celebration” May 4, starting at 9 p.m. with a dance lesson. DJ Ariel will spin Top 40s, cumbia, bachata, merenguge, cubaton, timba, salsa, and tropical.

If you have any strength left in your legs after all that dancing, check out Portland’s Cinco de Mayo run/walk — which offers a half marathon as well as 5k and 10k runs/walks, and a half-mile run for kids. Runners will meet up early in the morning at Pioneer Courthouse Square on May 5, but first check out terrapinevents.com for registration information.

The post Cinco de Mayo: Celebrate, connect, and show it’s about more than cerveza and sombreros appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Ramón Ramírez, Frank García, Jr., Rep. Jessica Vega Pederson, Elizabeth Slater Remley, Andrea Cano, and Jeff Stone celebrate the César Chávez Community Service Day proclamation and the passage of SB 833. Photo by Jules Garza, El Hispanic News

 
On April 8 Gov. John Kitzhaber signed a proclamation declaring April 26 Cesar Chavez Community Service Day in Oregon. In a release, Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs Chair Andrea Cano said the day not only honors the civil rights leader, but also commemorates the individuals and groups “working together to assure a quality of life and economy for our families, equity and quality in our education system, and labor justice for our work force, especially the women and men who contribute to the profitability of Oregon’s agribusiness.” The proclamation was celebrated on April 30 during a gathering at the Oregon Capitol, postponed from April 26 to coincide with the Oregon House’s vote on SB 833, Oregon’s Safe Roads Bill, which will grant driving rights to undocumented immigrants. Read more about SB 833 on pages 6-7.

Elizabeth González

Oregon State University student Elizabeth González will be one of just 30 students nationwide to participate in the inaugural GEAR UP Alumni Leadership Academy (GUALA) in Washington, D.C., this summer. González will be the only Oregon student represented and will travel to the capitol for a week-long retreat in June to receive training in grassroots advocacy, social media advocacy, and leadership skills. A sociology major and alumna of Madras High School, González is active in the Kalmekak outreach program, the Meso American Student Association, and the College Assistance Migrant Program. “I am really excited to be able to give back to those who have helped me so much with my education, as well as being able to improve the GEAR UP program for those who come after me,” Gonzalez said in a release.

Tiempo Libre joins the Oregon Symphony May 9 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Photo by Elvis Suarez, GlassWorks MultiMedia

The Oregon Symphony will team up with Tiempo Libre for a concert conducted by Carlos Kalmar on May 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (1037 SW Broadway, Portland). The Grammy-nominated Cuban timba band will be joined by the Oregon Symphony for medleys of traditional Cuban songs and selections from Tiempo Libre’s Cuban-Baroque fusion album, “Bach in Havana.” According to an Oregon Symphony press release, “… Tiempo Libre’s members see Cuban timba music as a living, breathing art form that continues to evolve over time. Tiempo Libre’s sound honors the group’s Cuban musical heritage, while incorporating their American experiences — funk, hip-hop, rap, jazz, ska and pop.” For tickets and information, visit orsymphony.org or call 503-228-1353.

Cynthia Carmina Gómez’s appointment to the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs (OCHA) by Gov. John Kitzhaber has been approved by the Oregon Senate. Gómez’s appointment carries a three-year term  on the 11-member commission. Gómez, Portland State University’s director of cultural centers in the Department of Diversity and Multicultural Student Services, is a first generation Mexican-American who has lived in Oregon since 1993. She is currently on the United Way Diversity Advisory Committee and is a parent representative on Bridger’s Portland Public School Site Council. “We are thrilled to have Cynthia’s expertise on the commission,” OCHA Chair Andrea Cano said in a press release. “Cynthia’s background in social justice, education, and working with adjudicated youth will contribute to the OCHA’s policy work in these areas.”

The city of Beaverton is seeking applications from performers, artists/crafters, and cultural exhibitors interested in participating in the third annual Beaverton International Celebration. This year’s event is slated for July 27, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. There is no entry fee to participate as an artist/crafter or exhibitor. Performing arts groups selected for this event will receive a stipend of $400. The application deadline has been extended to May 20. For information and to apply, visit BeavertonOregon.gov/InternationalCelebration/ or contact Deidre Schultz at schuetz.deidre@gmail.com or 503-730-4452.

The post News briefs: May 2013 appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Clipboard in hand, Ignacio Paramo, a supervisor at the center, awaits day laborers and employers. Photo by Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

 

By Richard Jones, El Hispanic News<
 
Portland, OR — On the last Saturday in April, a small lot on the corner is barely visible to the drivers zipping south on Martin Luther King Blvd. Even so, the MLK Worker Center attracts people in search of day laborers. That might be as few as 15 jobs per day during the worst January weather or as many as 54 on pleasant warm days.

“Since we opened we have has provided more than 16,000 jobs,” says Romeo Sosa, executive director of VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project.

An hour before the 2 p.m. closing time, supervisor Francisco Aguirre calculated that some 50 day workers had found jobs. With any luck the count might break the record of 54 jobs in one day.

Matters were not always so bright. For many years in Portland, day laborers looking for work would gather at corners along N.E. MLK Blvd. or E. Burnside St. If it happened to be raining — or if the temperature dropped to 20 degrees below freezing — they stood outside and toughed out the conditions.

At that early stage, far-seeing day workers began to organize. Only by consolidating their strength could they make progress.

The next major improvement occurred on June 16, 2008, when day workers found shelter at the current site of the MLK Workers’ Center.

The Portland Development Commission (PDC) provided a site to VOZ, and with the help of volunteer labor the VOZ team touched up the basic materials available and converted them into a decent looking pair of shelters.

The relationship between PDC and VOZ is still positive. The PDC started by offering VOZ a five-year lease, charging only $1 annually. This year the PDC will start sending out monthly leases.

In the early days on street corners, when a pickup truck stopped and the driver held up three fingers, six men would rush to the truck bed, trying to be one of the lucky ones hired that day.

Conditions have improved remarkably since then. Now when an employer arrives in search of labor, he or she checks in with a supervisor. Gone are the rushing and shoving. A supervisor handles the selection much like a raffle. In full sight of all the candidates, he pulls four names from a box. Then, writing on a form on his clipboard, the supervisor logs the names of the workers and that of the employer.

On the other hand, employers who have been pleased with workers may request them by name for another job.

Even with the difficulty of locating the MLK Workers’ Center, employers manage to find their way to the small parking lot. There they hire day laborers for landscaping, painting, household goods moving, and other chores. Workers often bring tools, work gloves, and hard shoes for tough jobs.

One woman conceded she had something of an advantage. In addition to performing hard labor chores alongside men, she can also take care of inside chores — vacuuming and dusting — jobs that men have little knowledge of.

Sosa says that workers receive $12 per hour. Workers performing skilled jobs can receive higher wages for their time. By custom, Sosa adds, those who get hired will donate $1 the next day to help maintain the facilities.

Volunteers pitch in

The opening of the MLK Worker Center marked a great leap forward. The larger of the two buildings — about 24-feet by 24-feet — sometimes serves as a meeting room, or a lunch room, or just a place to sit down to rest and sip a cup of coffee.

Another building — about 8-feet wide and 30-feet long — serves as the on-site office and classroom. Sosa notes that the floor now needs substantioal repair.

Supervisors such as Ignacio Paramo and Aguirre take care of business on site.

The MLK Worker Center hosts more than workers. On the last Saturday in April, about 20 teenagers from Ascension Catholic Church in Portland had come to learn about the center. Later they grabbed brooms and swept down the asphalt paths and parking areas and collected litter.

One of the girls said that to help the teens understand the plight of those who sometimes could not always afford to feed themselves, the group had not eaten dinner the previous night. She said they would remain without food until that night to complete their 24-hour fast.

Another group of a half-dozen adults arrived from the Yankton Community Church near St. Helens. Jeff Van Natta said this group comes down about once a month with sack lunches for the day laborers.

“They welcome us with warm smiles,” Van Natta says. “It gives them hope. You can see it in their eyes.” In winter, he says, the workers really look forward to a bowl of hot soup.

On other days, one of the day workers said, bakeries sometimes bring treats, or an Asian restaurant might offer up some of their specialties.

This all-purpose facility now has a cabinet, a refrigerator, a microwave a tiny toaster-oven, and even a TV that could get lost behind a pizza box. Only one thing was missing: indoor running water. There is only one source for water and that is a hose by a fence adjacent to the sidewalk.

The facilities at the center aren’t exactly built along the lines of a five-star luxury hotel. The waiting room serves to protect prospective day laborers with shelter from harsh winter days. Inside, workers can warm themselves with coffee. Outside, in fair weather or foul, day workers can relieve themselves in one of two portable toilets on site. But running water? Maybe. If the hose is not frozen.

As much as the MLK Worker Center has improved the workers’ conditions, it is still a notch below any basic human standards.

A better future?

Even though the MLK Workers’ Center has made impressive progress, the project needs more attention. Sosa and his staff have been meeting with Portland officials, including Mayor Charlie Hales, to discuss the situation. Sosa reports that in forums Hales has definitely expressed support the center.

“He’s on our side,” Sosa says.

Sosa also maintains good relationships with businesses near the center.

“We clean the street and pick up garbage,” he says. Moreover, he adds, “We invite them to come to our events.”

Sosa would like to bring the site up to decent sanitary standards. Indeed, he says an architect has sketched out some preliminary plans for a two-story building to serve all the center’s needs.

That’s where a gray cloud floats over the project. If VOZ invests a large sum of money in building and ties into city water and sewage services, VOZ would not have legal control of the site. In theory, the PDC could wait until the lease runs out and then claim the improvements as belonging to the PDC and, in effect, to the city of Portland.

To cover the interests of VOZ investors, Sosa would like to have the PDC — and Portland — sign the property over to VOZ.

Sosa also worries that PDC might have its own plans for this small chunk of property.

At the moment, PDC spokesman Shawn Uhlman says he has heard no plans for PDC to develop the site in any way.

Uhlman said that he has sent VOZ a renewal lease form to sign.

It is uncertain if worker center members will, one day in the future, wash their lunch dishes in an indoor sink or continue to use hoses by the fence — or if they’ll have access to a bathroom rather than a portable toilet in January.

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Portland Opera presents Verdi’s comedic opera “Falstaff” May 10-18 at Portland’s Keller Auditorium. Photo by Kent Miles

By Julie Cortez, El Hispanic News

 
If comedy is hard, try hustling for laughs while belting out arias. Oh, and you’re going to have to pass muster as a Shakespearean actor at the same time. And wear a fat suit.

“You have a body over your body that you don’t feel,” says bass baritone Eduardo Chama. “You sweat like a pig!”

Such is the test facing Chama as he fills the role — and the fat suit — of the title character in Portland Opera’s production of “Falstaff,” opening May 10 at the Keller Auditorium.

“Most conductors love this opera,” he says, “because it’s such a challenge.”

Giuseppe Verdi’s final opera and only his second comedy, “Falstaff” distills the thousands of words in Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” down to hundreds, resulting in great demands on performers in terms of dialogue, rhythm, and believability, according to the Argentina-born opera singer, who also teaches voice at Rutgers University. Musically, he adds, the work requires the talents of the singers and the orchestra to be “squeezed to the max.”

Yet Chama insists the risk he runs is not of bringing too little to this massive task, but too much.

“I’m very energetic,” Chama says. “I always go to 300 percent.”

He credits directors like Portland Opera’s Christopher Mataliano for reining him in so he doesn’t resort to “cheap comedy” — an easy path to veer toward in a comedic work about the continuing misadventures of one of the Bard’s most beloved — and most low-brow — characters, the lusty and rotund Sir John Falstaff.

Eduardo Chama

Chama describes Falstaff as a “very cute” and “very rude” rogue — a man of questionable morals who nonetheless believes, to a point, in honor amongst thieves. He’s also in the throes of a middle-age crisis.

“He truly believes he’s sexy,” Chama says.

Short on cash, Falstaff seeks to shore up his finances by seducing two married women — only to be abused and humiliated as the women team up to exact revenge on the aging knight.

“He’s a role that everybody loves,” Chama says, and he expects “Falstaff” to appeal to fans of comedy, opera newbies, and folks looking for something a little different on date night. The performer even suggests bringing the object of one’s affection to this production might improve the odds of having a particularly successful evening after the curtain falls.

“If you know what I mean,” he says with a smile, channeling a touch of Falstaff’s winking charm.

There will be four performances of “Falstaff” between May 10 and May 18 at Portland’s Keller Auditorium. For information about the production and tickets — which start at $25 — visit portlandopera.org or call 503-241-1802.

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Alberto Moreno

By Alberto Moreno, El Hispanic News

 
In 1977 we arrived in this country. My sister and I. After travelling on Coyote’s back for thousands of miles across uncharted territories.

Unknown to us at the time another voyager had also begun its own journey, its own tentative improbable migration across a different frontier. On the year of our arrival to this country, Voyager was launched on its maiden flight across our mysterious, uncharted galaxy. This small crucible portaging with it our hopes and aspirations into distant planets. Its small atomic heart beating lonely across a dark unseen sky. Reaching.

Sent into the abyss to shine a mirror into dark space and see ourselves reflected there. Hardwired into its ribs and bones our longing for ourselves.

Built into its metallic body a question. Are we alone?

This small crucible has now been travelling by its lonesome for 35 years, searching for other life among this vast cosmos, searching for this divine reflection.

In that time here countless wars have been waged. Millions of men and women have perished to our own tended darkness.

In only a generation, Mahatma, Martin, and César have come and gone.

Our careless leaders and fathers boast the threat of nuclear annihilation. Trillions of dollars have been spent on the armature of war and the extinction of human lives.

But we have not always given in to the narrative of fear. There is evidence buried, of our better nature. We are unearthing it now. This evidence of our irrational compassion and kindness.

In the meantime, Voyager’s lonely heart thumps, carrying forward a kind of prayer into the vast night sky. A small red beacon pulsing on and off. On and off.

Voyager has now travelled across our planetary system, past small Pluto, past lovely Venus, and has bid farewell to Saturn’s rings.

We cannot know with certainty what its mechanical eye has seen or who has witnessed its solitary silent passing.

But carried in this tender hull we have placed an invitation. In the form of two golden plaques to describe where the spacecraft came from, with images of an unclothed man and unclothed woman, a diagram of a solar system, and a pictorial showing the sun relative to other nearby stars.

The discs carry photos of the Earth and its life forms, spoken greetings from people and a medley of Earth sounds, including the sounds of whales, a baby crying, waves breaking on a shore.

In case, just in case, anyone is out there.

I marvel at this chance meeting and how courageous we are. To journey naked, save for our hope, in the event that someone should want to claim us.

To receive us and in so doing answer our one question, our own plaintive prayer. That we are not alone. That we are so loved that our seeding is neither accidental nor unique.

Since we launched Voyager, we have spent billions upon billions of dollars to search for other life.

And do not misunderstand me — human inquiry has its place. But I want to scream or whisper to us that there is life here. Sweet, sacred life. And it is endangered.

But I want to say again that there is tender, beautiful, precious life here among us. Worth preserving. Worth defending. I want to say we are each other’s longing. Here. Now!

And I want to share a secret with you. I want to whisper it into your ear, as if we were lovers so that only you and I hear it. And that is this:

That everything will turn out alright.

And that you are Great. Beyond measure. This is your birthright.

Do not believe the lie that tells you that you are small.

Rage against the lie that tells you that you are a sin or illegal! Your body is not illegal! It is above all things, sacred. Know instead that you are grace incarnate waiting for itself.

Do not believe the lie that tells you that you are your fears. Or your anger. Anger is only a bridge and not the full path.

Do not believe the narrative of hopelessness and powerlessness. You are powerful beyond your own imagining.

This brief appearance you call your life has been in the making for millennia and the echo of your deeds will reverberate for generations to come.

No, fear is not your inheritance. You are not this darkness which visits you in this moment of your life. Instead know that you are hope’s cradle and the fire’s consuming source.

You are life’s longing for itself expressed briefly in this most tender of forms.

And know finally and beyond all doubt that

There Will Come A Time

There will come

A time

When against

Our waning, dying

Faith

Someone will come

To claim us

Will come, simply

To walk us home …

The post Opinion: The archeology of kindness appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Will demonstrations like this Portland one in support of José Barreto Alonso, who held by ICE in 2012, be less necessary under the new attempt at immigration reform? Photo by Jules Garza, El Hispanic News

 

By Valeria Fernández, New America Media

 
Phoenix, AZ — Maria Del Rosario Rodríguez first heard the good news via a text message from her husband. She rushed to tell her co-workers — there might be a chance for her to reunite with her family on U.S. soil for the first time since she was deported in May 2011.

“My husband told me he heard on the news there’ll be immigration reform for those who are outside (the U.S.),” said the 36-year-old woman, speaking by phone from her current residence in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico.

A bipartisan group of senators known as the “Gang of 8” introduced an immigration reform bill in the U.S. Senate on April 17 that includes a long path to citizenship for some of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country, and a chance for those who have already been deported to return, if they have children or spouses who are already U.S. citizens and can meet other requirements.

That means Rodríguez could get a shot at reuniting with her two U.S.-citizen children, whom she now sees every 15 days when they come visit her in Puerto Peñasco, a Mexican tourist town located five hours by car from their home in Phoenix.

The provision of the bill in question, S. 744, would allow the parents of U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents to request a waiver from the secretary of Homeland Security to allow them to apply for legal residency.

Applicants would need to meet all requirements, which include not having a felony conviction. Those who qualify would be classified as Registered Provisional Immigrants (RPI) with a right to travel and work in the United States. After 10 years, they would then be given a chance to apply for a green card.

The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act would also allow DREAMers — undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children — who have been deported a chance to reenter the United States with RPI status.

While this is apparently the first time an immigration reform bill offers deported immigrants a chance to return to the country legally, the law is still very narrow, explained Claire Bergeron, a research assistant at the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) a non-partisan immigration think tank based in Washington, D.C.

“It will be limited to people that were not deported for a criminal reason,” said Bergeron. “What kind of criminal convictions will bar you will depend on regulations issued by DHS [Department of Homeland Security].”

In Arizona, this particular aspect of the proposed bill is of special interest because the state has carried out large numbers of deportations resulting from state laws like SB 1070 and heavy-handed enforcement tactics such as immigration sweeps of neighborhoods and businesses in places like Maricopa County. During 2010, the year SB 1070 became made it a crime to be an undocumented immigrant in Arizona, more than 92,000 people were deported from Arizona, accounting for about one quarter of deportations nationwide.

“With SB 1070 we’ve seen too many deportations,” said Petra Falcón, president of the organization Promesa Arizona. The activist group has been holding vigils the last few days in expectation of the immigration bill being introduced.

Falcón and others marched on April 17 to the Maricopa County Jail on 4th Avenue in Phoenix to protest the arrest of immigrants caught working with false documents — a charge that could result in their deportation.

“Moving forward, we must ensure that individuals are not excluded from participating in this historic reform because of old or minor criminal offenses,” said Alessandra Soller, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Arizona.

The provision S. 744 would also allow people currently in deportation proceedings to apply for RPI status.

Falcón and other activists believe that’s a positive element of the proposed bill, but say President Obama should declare a halt on all deportations, with so many continuing to face harsh penalties in states like Arizona.

Renewed hope

Jaqueline García, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen, has renewed hope that her grandfather — her legal custodian — will now have a chance to come back home. In May of last year, he was driving to the hospital to visit his wife when local police pulled him over, asked for his papers, and subsequently turned him over to immigration authorities.

“He didn’t have anything [crimes] on his record,” García said.

After her grandfather was deported, García dropped out of high school to become the main breadwinner for her family.

“I’m really hoping for this legislation to keep going further,” she said. “I really need my grandfather. It’s been really hard for me to work two jobs, taking care of my brother and my grandmother.”

Cynthia Gómez, the 17-year-old daughter of Maria Del Rosario Rodríguez, is more skeptical.

“I’m obviously excited about it, but I’m doubtful. It sounds too good to be true,” Gómez said.

For the past two years, Rodríguez has had to adjust to life in Mexico after being gone for over a decade.

“There’s lots of people like me here [in Mexico],” she said. “My son doesn’t like to come here (and) the future of my daughter is in the U.S. I do hope they do something, because I’m not the only one.”

According to Bergeron, there are still many questions that need to be answered as to how the waiver for those who were deported will work, and whether it will extend to those who left the United States by choice.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of undocumented immigrants in Arizona dropped by 200,000 between 2008 and 2011. Many chose to leave the state to relocate to other, friendlier locations. Others returned to their country of origin due to Arizona’s strict employment laws and the frequent immigration sweeps.

Salvador Reza, a longtime human rights activist in Arizona and a member of the indigenous collective Tonatierra, said that giving a second chance to people who were deported is one of the “only aspects of the bill I like.”

“What I worry about,” he said, “is how they’re criminalizing the people that will be left outside of the reform.”

The post Some deportees could reunite with families in U.S. under new immigration bill appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Jaime Rodriguez (center) is surrounded by supporters wearing his campaign T-shirts. Left to right, Michael Crabbe, Nancy Ashton, Rodriguez, Aije Ashton, and Timbrel Ashton. Photos by Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

 

By Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

 
Hillsboro, OR — Blocks away from the Tom Hughes Civic Central Plaza in Hillsboro, one could hear the Elvis Presley sound-alike belting out the King’s hits. En español, no less.

Foods and crafts awaited the crowd. Hillsboro’s ninth annual Latino Cultural Fiesta was in high gear.

And, with a school board election set for May 21, no fiesta would be complete without a candidate or two. In this case the candidate was Jaime Rodríguez, who is seeking a seat on the Hillsboro School Board, position 2. Rodríguez had set up shop at the Democratic Party booth, offering information sheets and campaign buttons, posters, and T-shirts.

The previous day in Northeast Portland, Erick Flores — and his Parkrose School District position 5 campaign materials — greeted coffee drinkers at a Starbucks shop. In addition to his handouts and buttons, Flores had pages and pages of names of voters along with their party registration. Along with this, he had maps to enable supporters to know which homes had been visited and which doors they should knock on. The goal: reach as many voters in as possible without knocking on any door twice.

Both Rodríguez and Flores enlisted dozens and dozens of volunteers to encourage citizens to send in their ballots — and vote for the “right” candidate.

These days, it seems, any candidate — school board candidates or prospective U.S. senator —must huddle with an advisor to develop a carefully thought out plan to expect to be competitive. And that plan needs to identify a short list of issues that will resonate with voters.

Rodríguez and Flores had done their homework.

Since school board members receive no pay for their labors, the cost of campaign materials comes largely from the candidates’ pockets and purses.

Working with a savvy print shop worker, Flores found that by using several trade secrets it was possible to turn out professional-looking brochures at bargain prices.

The Hillsboro School District

Jaime Rodríguez’ small campaign cards offer a quick summary of his values — “Kids First!” — but, seated on an outdoor table at the fiesta, he quickly shifted into the details of his major issues.

He says adequate funding means having sufficient money to hire enough teachers to keep class sizes at a reasonable level. Or, failing that, schools should have classroom assistants to provide individual attention for students in need of special help.

“Teacher aides are needed in large classrooms,” he notes.

On the other side of the public purse, Rodríguez proposes to create a set of “checks and balances to be sure that resources are being used [wisely].”

Rodríguez says school board members should stay in touch with their state legislators to keep them posted on the needs of schools.

He also pegs technology as a critical element in education. “This is what I hear from parents, teachers, and students,” he reports, adding that he agrees with them. “Technology is needed for students to be competitive in the real world.”

“Computers in our classrooms are antiquated,” he charges. “They take too long to download information.”

Moreover, he says, teachers should know how to use computers and other technological tools.

“Hillsboro is very diversified in population,” Rodríguez says. It is important, he adds, to “insure that teachers have the cultural diversity training they need. Don’t put them in a classroom situation without training.”

So far, Rodríguez says, he and his opponent, Glenn Miller, have not appeared on the same platform together. Nonetheless, Rodríquez feels confident about his chance in the May 21 election.

The Parkrose School District

Erick Flores turns a coffee shop into a campaign center as he explains the programs he would like to initiate as a member of the Parkrose School Board. Photos by Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

On his smaller brochures, Flores says he’s an advocate “for greater and stronger schools.”

In his campaign for position 5 in the Parkrose School District, Flores has two opponents —Bruce Altizer and Heather Simoneau.

During Flores’ meet-and-greet with Starbucks’ customers, Diego Hernández dropped by to greet Flores. Hernández is unopposed in his quest to win a seat on the Reynolds School District Board of Directors, position 2.

Flores came to the United States when he was 17. As an immigrant, he knows well the difficulties of adapting to how things operate in this country. Thus he aims to help parents new to the U.S. to understand how the education system works.

Flores understands that children who receive help from their parents are more likely to excel in school. One of his goals is to educate parents so they understand how important it is for them to take an active role in their kids’ learning.

Flores aims to close the achievement gap for students of color by changing the school’s attitude. He says it is important “to have models from many communities.” That way, he reasons, we can achieve a path to the middle economic class.

For the next generation to rise to middle class status or higher, he says, “We need all of the people to be involved.”

Correction: An article in our April edition erroneously reported that Erick Flores was running for a seat on the Mount Hood Community College school board. El Hispanic News regrets the error.

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The post April 2013 print edition appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Robin Castro (left) and John Halseth have been together almost 18 years. Photo by Julie Cortez, El Hispanic News

 

By Julie Cortez, El Hispanic News

 
Robin Castro and John Halseth were married once — for a very short time. The brevity of their union was not caused by infidelity, or youthful haste, or disregard for the hard work needed to make a marriage last. Together almost 18 years, Castro and Halseth are, in fact, still very much in love.

But after becoming legally wed when Multnomah County briefly granted marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004, their marriage was taken away by a voter-backed amendment to the Oregon Constitution and by the Oregon Supreme Court.

“After that, when it became that close, we decided we were going to wait and we’re gonna fight for that right,” Castro said of the couple’s decision not to register as domestic partners after their marriage license was invalidated.

“We’re waiting for marriage to be legal right here in Oregon,” Halseth said, “and we’re working hard for that.”

Hundreds of people packed the sidewalk in front of the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse for the “Portland Rally for the Freedom to Marry” on March 26. Photo by Julie Cortez, El Hispanic News

The couple spoke to El Hispanic News during the “Portland Rally for the Freedom to Marry,” held downtown on March 26 to coincide with the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8.

When Measure 36 passed in 2004, amending the Oregon Constitution to limit marriage to one man and one woman, Thalia Zepatos — then a local activist and now director of public engagement for the national Freedom to Marry campaign — recalls thinking it could take another 20 or 30 years for Oregon to be ready to seriously consider extending the right to marry to same-sex couples. Just 10 years later, in 2014, marriage equality will once again be put before Oregon voters — and this time supporters are optimistic, both about the state’s chances and the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court will rule in their favor come June.

“I’m very, very hopeful after the oral arguments in the cases,” Zepatos said.

“It was something that we never thought would happen in our lifetime,” Castro said, barely audible above the approving honks from drivers passing the rally. “… To see the support that we have now, versus what we had when we were in our 20s — it’s a totally different world.”

“It feels like we’re on this kind of accelerating process of breaking down misinformation,” Thalia Zepatos says. Photo by Julie Cortez, El Hispanic News

Much of Zepatos’ work in recent years has been centered on rallying that level of support — on changing hearts and minds and letting less vocal supporters know they aren’t alone in their opinions. For example, multiple national polls have shown a majority of Latinos support same-sex marriage rights, but it was often a “quiet level of support” within families, Zepatos said. “People were not talking about it too much.”

In response, she helped develop Familia es Familia, a partnership of over 20 national Latino civil rights organizations that has produced a website and bilingual brochure focused on spurring conversations in Latino families around LGBTQ issues. The partner organizations — among them the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the National Council of la Raza (NCLR) — are actively communicating to their communities,  that “Gay people are not someone else,” Zepatos said. “Gay people are part of the Latino community, too.”

“When one group is denied the dignity and the right to marry, it diminishes us all,” NCLR President and CEO Janet Murguía said in a press release on the day the Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments on DOMA and Prop. 8. “We stand with our LGBT brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and sons and daughters, many of whom are Latino, and call upon the Supreme Court to make the right choice and extend the freedom to marry to the LGBT community.”

The release went on to argue: “The Supreme Court decision is particularly important for Latinos in immigrant families because many same-sex binational couples are prohibited from petitioning for a foreign-born partner to receive permanent residence and citizenship. Many spouses have had no choice but to return to their country of origin, often separating not only from their partner, but also from their children. In fact, in nearly one-half of the binational LGBT couples facing separation, one of the partners is Hispanic.”

Castro and Halseth’s more basic motivation for wanting to be legally wed is the desire to ensure they can care for each other as they approach retirement age, but to them it’s also about fundamental fairness — and they are heartened that so many people seem to be moving toward the same conclusion.

“I think people are finally realizing not only the reality that same-sex marriage is equality, but also that it’s good for society,” Castro said. “… It is so overwhelming sometimes when we see the amount of support we have now. I would just say thank you to everybody, because this is not a gay issue; this is an issue that impacts everybody,” he added, tears springing to his eyes. “To see all the support is amazing, and it is overwhelming sometimes, and that could make me cry — but I’m a cry baby.”

For more information on Familia es Familia, visit familiaesfamilia.org.

The post Is same-sex marriage on the horizon for Oregon — and the nation? appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Gov. John Kitzhaber signed Oregon’s Tuition Equity Bill into law April 2. Photo by Izzy Ventura

 
On April 2, Gov. John Kitzhaber signed House Bill 2787, also known as the Tuition Equity bill, into law. The bill, which was passed by the Oregon House in February and the Oregon Senate in March, allows undocumented youth to pay in-state tuition if they have lived in the U.S. for five years, attended Oregon schools for three years, and graduated from an Oregon high school. They also must demonstrate that they intend to become U.S. citizens. In a release announcing the scheduling of the signing, Kitzhaber said, “Young people who work hard in our schools deserve equal access to post-secondary education, and House Bill 2787 opens up that opportunity to them. This will help our state capitalize on the investment we’ve made in these students through the K-12 system while giving them their shot at the American dream. I appreciate the hard work of so many Oregonians to make this possible.”

At the “Coming out of the Shadows” rally at the Oregon Capitol March 26, speakers called for undocumented immigrants to have access to drivers licenses that are the same as those of other Oregonians. Photo by Julie Cortez, El Hispanic News

 
Also on April 2, eight bipartisan legislators introduced a bill that would grant undocumented immigrants access to short-term Oregon driver licenses. Under Senate Bill 833, applicants would be required to have lived in Oregon for at least a year, and to fulfill all normal requirements for earning a license. The bill’s sponsors are Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Pendleton), Sen. Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River), Sen. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay), Sen. Chip Shields (D-Portland), Rep. Mark Johnson (R-Hood River), Rep. Vic Gilliam (R-Silverton), Rep. Chris Harker (D-Beaverton), and Rep. Jessica Vega Pederson (D-Portland).
“All Oregonians, regardless of the documents they have, need the ability to participate in the local economy,” Jeff Stone, executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, said in a release from both the OAN and farmworker union PCUN. “People need to pass a test [and] obtain a license and insurance to be on the roads. We all need to get to church, the store and work. We have worked hard to craft a bill that allows our law enforcement officials to know when they are looking at a valid driver’s license. Senate Bill 833 is a reasonable solution to the problem.”

 

Sheriff Dan Staton

Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton will no longer cooperate — at least in part — with the Secure Communities program, according to a March 27 article by the Willamette Week. Staton’s decision means that the county will no longer comply with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency by holding undocumented immigrants arrested for nonviolent misdemeanors so the feds can take custody and possibly deport them. A release from Causa Oregon said the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners will vote on the change April 4.
“This slight change in policy might repair the damage caused by Sheriff Staton’s slow action on the ICE program, and by his decision to send Undersheriff Tim Moore to a training last fall sponsored by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an organization classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center,” Causa Executive Director Francisco López said in the release.
The ACT (Activists Coming Together for Justice and Dignity) Network — which includes Causa as well as the Center for Intercultural Organizing (CIO), Jobs with Justice, Oregon Dream Activist, Voz Workers’ Rights Education Project, the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC), and the American Friends Service Committee — issued a statement claiming Staton’s stance “falls short of the change necessary to reestablish real trust and safety in our community,” because he will still hold higher-level offenders for ICE. “We want nothing short of a complete end to ICE holds in Multnomah County,” CIO Executive Director Kayse Jama added.

The post News briefs: April 2013 appeared first on El Hispanic News.

Trilingual? Woodburn school board member Gemma Punzo says a few ambitious parents have their children working on fluency in Spanish, Russian, and English. Photo by Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

By Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

 
Woodburn, OR — Oregon’s educators have a goal for the year 2025: 40 percent of adults will have a four year college degree or higher, another 40 percent will have two years of-post secondary preparation — a two year college degree — and the remaining 20 percent will have a high school diploma or the equivalent.

A chart published by Western Oregon University showed that in 2005 the state’s adults, 25 years old or above, had a long way to go to reach the 40-40-20 plan’s goal. At that point Oregon’s numbers were 28, 33, 26, with 13 percent of adults not graduating from high school.

The noble goal of a more educated world conjures images of more health care providers, of better means of transportation, politicians aware of — and able to avoid — the blunders of the past, and, for the public’s schools, playwrights and musicians whose works can survive for centuries to generate the heights of human beauty.

Unfortunately, a number of barriers block the paths to more effective education. Moreover, no single tactic can solve every problem. Under-funded schools in low income neighborhoods have their problems. In school systems, such as the David Douglas District in Portland, some 55 different languages are spoken.

The Woodburn School District’s 25,000 residents include 59 percent Latinos from several ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Moreover, an estimated five percent of Woodburn’s students come from families that observe Russian traditions. This would seem to present a problem of trying to teach students both subject matter and the English language simultaneously.

Surprisingly, this “handicap” might actually prove to be a great advantage in Woodburn.

Finding the right path

Last May, three Woodburn High School teens were experimenting with a YouTube trick. While messing around with chemicals, they set fire to a school computer room, causing about $6 million in damages.

In Woodburn, $6 million is serious money.

And then something special happened. As Gemma Punzo put it, “I was surprised how everyone helped out.” Punzo’s seat on the Woodburn District School Board gave her a great perspective.

Woodburn citizens provided materials and labor to help clean up the mess. Those who couldn’t handle heavy lifting provided food for those who could. Punzo was impressed how many people stepped up in Woodburn’s time of need.

In March, Punzo provided a non-intrusive tour through three Woodburn schools. The tour provided some insights on how an active town can affect schools — and, more importantly, students.

The children in all three rooms — second, seventh, and eighth grades — never looked up from their tasks to scan the outsiders. All the teachers were on a casual, friendly basis with Punzo.

In Jesús Sandoval’s seventh grade history class, 29 students had their eyes focused on 29 small laptop computers. All business, no chatter, no notes being passed.

Sandoval also teaches English and health at night at “Family University.”

In Lisa Wolf’s Russian room, about two-dozen first and second grade boys and girls sat on a carpet paying attention to their teacher. Wolf said that first grade classes were conducted in a ratio of about 65 percent Russian to 35 percent English. By second grade, classes become 45 percent English.

Punzo says a few ambitious parents have their children working on becoming fluent in Spanish, Russian, and English.

Before being appointed to the school board in 2008, Punzo, served as an interpreter in the Keizer school district and in Portland. She soon grasped the importance of her post on the school board, encouraging her to run for election in 2009. Now, with five years of experience, she is running unopposed for re-election in 2013.

Punzo sees her role as communicating with teachers, identifying their problems, and sharing information with the four other school board members. With five minds at work, problems usually find solutions.

In her spare time she is a notary and at other times she writes and leads wedding ceremonies.

A new captain at the helm

“Rushing English is not as effective in the long term,” Woodburn School Superintendent Charles “Chuck” Ransom says. Photo by Richard Jones, El Hispanic News

Early in 2013 David Bautista was doing an exceptional job as superintendent of Woodburn School District. Someone in Salem thought Bautista was ready for Oregon’s big leagues, and in April he officially dusted off his desk in the Oregon Department of Education and became a state assistant superintendent.

Back in Woodburn, Charles “Chuck” Ransom filled in as interim superintendent of the school district. In the meantime the school board is conducting a search for a permanent replacement.

Ransom says he intends to apply. If selected, he can erase the “interim” tag and become superintendent of Woodburn schools.

Punzo has nothing but praise for Ransom, who was principal where her two children went to school.

“Chuck was a very good principal,” she says. “Kids relate to him. He can communicate with the kids.”

In early March Ransom, while in the midst of rearranging his world, took time to explain the game plan for making Oregon’s 40-40-20 goal a reality.

Not unlike a baseball slugger, Ransom has his eye on the fences. Not only does he see the 40-40-20 plan as within reach, he foresees “students from our system [being] the best in the nation.”

He aims for Woodburn schools to deliver “a world-class education.”

Considering the percentage of kindergarten students coming in speaking only Spanish or Russian, how does he expect these youngsters to catch up, let alone excel?

“Rushing English is not as effective in the long term,” Ransom says. “They should learn [subjects] in their native language first, while they learn English.”

Therefore he opposes immediately immersing non-English speaking children into an English-only context. He sees that as overloading them.

He plans to first emphasize basic reading and writing skills in their family’s language. As they “learn how to learn” during the first four years — kindergarten through third — they can increase to a 50-50 dual language model where English becomes one of their two languages.

“We’re confident in our model,” Ransom says. “We’re just trying to polish it.”

Some schools in the Salem-Keizer district and Westside Elementary School in Hood River, Ransom says, use similar programs.

“We’ve studied Ysleta [School District] in El Paso, Texas. They’re ahead of everybody,” Ransom says. “We’re learning from them.”

Ransom notes that each incoming child needs to be individually assessed. “There’s no one model that suits all,” he cautions.

One of Woodburn’s advantages, Ransom says, is that 60 percent or more of the town’s residents are Latino. This allows schools to fill classes with children of similar backgrounds.

On the other hand, with widely varied ethnic groups and classes with only a few students, some schools find it difficult — and expensive — to provide English Language Learner (ELL) classes. This spreads teachers very thin. In Woodburn’s case, with large numbers of Russian and Spanish speaking students, teachers can be deployed much more effectively.

Ransom soon found that no leader is ever without critics. One newspaper reader charged that Woodburn’s graduation rate was beneath Oregon’s average.

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Ransom responded.

The Woodburn Independent supported him by running his rebuttal in its March 6 issue.

Although 58.3 percent of students graduated in four years, that was only half the story, Ransom noted in his printed response. He noted that about 20 percent more graduated in five years through various other paths such as Chemeketa Community College, GED tests, the Bridges programs, and other means.

By Ransom’s calculations, 90.8 percent of Woodburn students earn a diploma or the equivalent.

“We are very proud of all our students for their commitment, their families, for their involvement, as well as the dedication of our amazing faculty,” his rebuttal concluded.

Woodburn pride

One other possible factor might bode well for education in Woodburn. Wearing up-to-the-minute clothes can help anyone feel special. Teenage boys love to impress young women by driving the flashiest (and loudest) automobiles possible.

Perhaps the same psychology might also work for towns.

Ten years ago, on Front Street along the railroad tracks, downtown Woodburn looked just a bit worn down — and maybe just a little hazardous.

Today a new concrete sidewalks runs from end to end of Front Street. This not only reduces the risk of pedestrians being hit by cars, but it also looks clean and fresh. Moreover, this ambiance makes the many shops and restaurants look more attractive to customers.

Across the railroad tracks, Chemeketa Community College is now open for business.

On First Street a public lawn subtly tells people they are wanted and welcome to select one of the many chairs and sit awhile. A fountain invites residents and visitors to stop a while and eavesdrop on bird chatter.

The unspoken message is, “We want you to realize that you are someone special.”

On blocks in all directions most of the buildings are freshly painted. The cleanliness suggests that Woodburn is a city on the move.

In the handsome, two-floor Woodburn Public Library tri-lingual signs — English, Spanish, and Russian — announce that everyone is welcome. A few steps from the library young girls practice their pas de deux in the afternoon at the Willamette Ballet Academy.

Can the image of a neat, fresh small city do for its citizens what a convertible or new pair of shoes can do for a juvenile?

The answer should appear in five or 10 years. In the meantime, keep an eye on Woodburn.

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