Archive for April, 2006
Anti-Immigrant Hate Video Game
4:56 pm By Maegan La Mala · Controversia| Immigration| mexico| race · 3 Comments
26 Apr 2006
If timing is everything, then its only fitting that I should come across a story on CNN today about a flash animation video game called Border Patrol. The game’s obejctive is sinister in its simplicity. Shoot stereotypical animations of a Mexican nationalist, a drug smuggler, or a “breeder”, a pregnant woman with a child and an infant, as they cross the border into the U.S. Every hit of a brown “wetback” is a score complete with blood. The sign that says Welcome to the United States of America has a Star of David on it, indicating that this is more than just a Mexican hating game.
On May 1st You Can Dance
12:00 pm By Maegan La Mala · Activism| Georgia| Immigration| Music · Comments Off
26 Apr 2006
The new Latinized version of the U.S. National Anthem may be marketable and timely but can you dance to it? To steal Emma Goldman’s words, if I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution! Well if you’re going to be in Milledgeville, Georgia, you can dance instead of march on May 1st. According to a press release sent out by Chicano artist and chair of the art department of Georgia College & State University, Richard Lou(whom VL featured) there will be an In Solidarity Dance-In. Instead of marching, we will DANCE together
On average, 70 percent of U.S. students receive their high school diploma. Yet for Latinos this number is only at 53 percent according to a study released last week by the conservative think tank, the Manhattan Institute. The report cites that whites have the highest graduation rates at 78 percent, followed by Asians at 72 percent. African-Americans are cited as having a 55 percent graduation rate. What is really alarming is the gender gap pointed to in the study, which shows that girls have a higher graduation rate across all races/ethnicities compared to boys. Even more alarming are the numbers coming out of urban Latino New York City showing that only 29 percent of boys and 37 percent of girls are graduating high school. What’s going on in our schools and with our youth?
Via / La Raza
Villaraigosa and Bustamante threatened
9:24 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · California| Controversia| Immigration| Politics · 1 Comment
25 Apr 2006
Hate rears its ugly head again in the immigration debate, with two prominent Latino politicians en la mira of anti-immigrant elements who threaten their lives. LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Lt. Governor (California) Cruz Bustamente have both been on the receiving end of threatening correspondence. Governor Schwarzenegger announced this news, but the two Latino politicians are playing down the incidents, according to Reuters:
Villaraigosa, son of a Mexican immigrant, said threats “come with the turf” and has also not increased his security.“There is nothing to worry about. … You can see by my face that I’m not concerned about that,” Villaraigosa told reporters.
The threats have taken on various forms, with Reuters pointing one out in particular that read “The only good Mexican is dead Mexican”. Not very original, I must say.
Via / CNN.com
Photo via USA Today (Dan MacMedan)
Sesame Street’s “Maria” to host Latina event
5:37 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Celebrities| Events| children| houston · 1 Comment
25 Apr 2006
Remember “Maria” from Sesame Street? Well her name is Sonia Manzano and she’s back on the scene to promote Catalina, a new magazine for Latinas and an event called “Essence of Latinas”:
Known by millions of children and adults as “Maria” on Sesame Street, Sonia Manzano will join Catalina, the only national lifestyle magazine for “the mind, body, and soul of today’s Latina,” for two days of events celebrating Latinas. One event is open to the public, and the other is invite-only.On May 7, Sonia will join the Catalina book club event at the Houston Latino Book & Family Festival. The Latina star will address a crowd of more than 600 and read from her highly acclaimed children’s book, NO DOGS ALLOWED. The reading, which is open to the public and includes an introduction by Cathy Areu, Catalina’s publisher and the author of the new book Latino Wisdom, will be held at 2:30 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Houston Community College Central.
More on Hispanic PRWire (Photo Hispanic PRWire)
Chicago Hosts Its Own (Latino) Film Festival
9:05 am By Maegan La Mala · Events| Music| chicago · Comments Off
25 Apr 2006
Last Friday, April 20th, marked the opening of one of the largest Latino film festivals in the United States, the Chicago Latino Film Festival. The festival, now in its 22nd year, features close to 100 films from Latin America, Spain, Portugal and the United States and is hosting over 70 visiting filmmakers. The event, sponsored by Univision Chicago and Telefutura Chicago, gave its Gloria Lifetime Achievement Award to Uruguayan/Argentine actress China Zorrilla with the Argentine and Spanish film, Elsa & Fred . Various nights feature films from various Hispanic nations.
“Nuestro Himno”: Musical patriotism and solidarity
4:40 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Activism| Bilingualism| Immigration| Music · 124 Comments
24 Apr 2006
Latino performers have banded together in solidarity with immigrants to record a new version of the national anthem. I’m sure this is likely to piss off quite a few conservatives, but the message is clear: the flag, the anthem and other symbols of patriotism belong to all of us, no matter where we came from:
The Latino-oriented record label Urban Box Office (UBO) said Friday it will put the new Spanish-English version of the U.S. national anthem on the market Monday to coincide with the U.S. Senate’s restarting debate on immigration legislation.“We decided to re-record ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ to show our solidarity with the undocumented migrants,” said UBO President Adam Kidron. “Today we are Americans and ‘The-Star Spangled Banner’ represents everything to us.”
The recording features performances by Gloria Trevi, Don Omar and Ivy Queen.
Via / SiLive.com
Update Friday, 28 March: VL Editors available for comment on “Nuestro Himno” controversy
Tribeca Film Festival Goes Latina
10:28 am By Maegan La Mala · Events| Movies| New York City · Comments Off
24 Apr 2006
Robert DeNiro’s downtown NYC film festival, the Tribeca Film Festival, is in full swing in this, its 6th year. The festival, featuring the best in new film from all over the globe, would be incomplete, especially in NYC, if it didn’t feature the Latina experience. Rican actress and director Rosie Perez has her first documentary film featured at the festival, Yo Soy Boricua, Pa’Que Tu lo Sepas, which looks at the history of Ricans, including her own familia. The feature length documentary is showing April 28th through May 7th at theatres throughout the city.
Georgia criminalizes immigrants, Mexico reacts
5:10 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Georgia| Immigration| mexico · 1 Comment
21 Apr 2006
This week Georgia governor Sonny Perdue signed into legislation the strictest immigration laws on the books in the United States. The law will deny some aid and social services to those unable to prove their legal status in the U.S. and will penalize employers who employ undocumented immigrants. Fulfilling a promise from months ago (also proposed in other states), Georgia will also demand that local police report undocumented immigrants to Immigration.
American media certainly doesn’t care about Mexico’s take on the whole matter, so it’s a good thing that foreign media does. The BBC quotes Mexican presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar:
“The referred legislation incurs discriminatory acts against the Mexican population and those of Mexican origin,” Mr Aguilar said.“It is a partial measure that fails to resolve the complex phenomenon of immigration between Mexico and the United States in an integral manner.”
Mexico’s El Universal goes on:
Aguilar pointed out that as Perdue was signing the bill in Georgia, border state Arizona’s governor, Janet Napolitano, “vetoed [proposed] legislation that would be anti-immigrant”.“This just shows the complexity of a problem that affects both countries, and that can only be resolved by looking at the phenomenon in an integral way.”
More on Atlanta Latino
Related reading: Ga. town at center of immigrant labor case
Via / BBC News and El Universal (Spanish)
Photo via Henry Herald (Jeffrey Leo)
Eva Longoria speaks up for immigrants
3:20 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Activism| Celebrities| Immigration · Comments Off
21 Apr 2006
Eva Longoria is winning her stars back in my book. After pissing off a bunch of people when she allegedly made some negative comments about a Latino cop, Eva’s bounced back. First, news that she was producing a documentary about the plight of farmworkers. Now she’s proving us wrong when we said that no celebs were stepping up to talk about the immigration debate; she did just that on today’s edition of the CBS Morning Show:
It’s a shame,” she told Smith, “because we’re the land of immigrants. I think it’s kind of an oxymoron to be fighting this battle about immigrants when everybody is traced back to an immigrant at one time or another. And you (Smith) wouldn’t be here if your ancestors hadn’t had a chance.
“So why not give these people a chance? And you know, I grew up in South Texas (Corpus Christi), where I didn’t cross the border. The border crossed us. So we were Mexicans. And then, one day, we were Americans. And that doesn’t change who you are.
“The border crossed us” — I love it. Reminiscent of the famous “Plymouth Rock landed on us” quote by Malcolm X.
Hola!
VivirLatino is a daily publication published by 2 Mujeres Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse and influential Latino and Latina community in the U.S.
About | Advertise with us | Contact | Twitter
- AmeRICAN: Calle 13 is a bad luck charm brought on Puerto Rico ex-Boxing Champion Miguel Cotto a BEATING by Pac [...]
- Maegan La Mala: I don't think so [...]
- Maegan La Mala: I was thinking about this...how the two are connected [...]
- Maegan La Mala: Well I certainly don't condone an eye for an eye politics and don't think that that kind of "justice [...]
- Raymond Lee: This is an outrage, again a young gay man attacked and killed and the fact that they where gay or bi [...]
- Pedro Julio Serrano on the Murder of Lopez Mercado
- Bay Area Community Members to Hold Vigil and Release Statement about Murders in Maryland and Puerto Rico
- Transgender Day of Remembrance and Latin@s
- Dear Troll(s):
- Puerto Rican, Latino Clergy, Theology Professors, Community Members To Condemn Brutal Hate Killing of Gay Puerto Rican Man
- Vigils for Justice y en Memoria de Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado
- Russell Athletic rehires fired union organizers
- When Things Go Wrong…Terribly Wrong.
- Official VivirLatino Statement on Lou Dobbs Leaving CNN
- Sexual Violence Against Women in Immigrant Detention
VivirLatino RSS Feed
- Pedro Julio Serrano on the Murder of Lopez Mercado
- Bay Area Community Members to Hold Vigil and Release Statement about Murders in Maryland and Puerto Rico
- Transgender Day of Remembrance and Latin@s
- Dear Troll(s):
- Puerto Rican, Latino Clergy, Theology Professors, Community Members To Condemn Brutal Hate Killing of Gay Puerto Rican Man
- Vigils for Justice y en Memoria de Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado
- Russell Athletic rehires fired union organizers
- When Things Go Wrong…Terribly Wrong.
- Official VivirLatino Statement on Lou Dobbs Leaving CNN
- Sexual Violence Against Women in Immigrant Detention
