Archive for May 22nd, 2008
Argentine Children Murder Baby
2:29 pm By Maegan La Mala · Argentina|children|crime|Latin America · Comments Off
22 May 2008
Some shocking news out of Buenos Aires, Argentina: two children, aged 7 and 9 have allegedly murdered a baby and declared to police that they did so “with pleasure”:
Argentine society is witness to the horror and confusion caused by the revelation of the details around the death of a 2 year old girl. It happened on Sunday…Milagros Belizán [pictured] was first beaten over the head, later hung on the wall and finally beaten relentlessly with wooden boards and suffocated little by little until she died. Medical examiners say she endured “long agony…
The crime was originally blamed on an adult, and authorities had to intervene to avoid the man being lynched by neighbors. Later the bizarre truth came out. Witnesses had seen two boys abusing the baby in the street, the police questioned them, and when they told the story of what they had done, they did so with pride and excitement.
The children accused of the crime reportedly come from a violent family environment. Police are looking to take the boys out of their homes because of death threats from neighbors.
Via / El País
Maybe Lou Dobbs Needs to Talk About the Mexican Donkey Problem
2:11 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bizarro|Funny|mexico · Comments Off
22 May 2008
Forget undocumented immigrants, the real problems are the animals in Chiapas. Apparently donkeys, bulls and other animals need to watch their backs when attacking people or property because they could find their asses in jail (pun completely intended).
A Mexican donkey has landed itself in jail after biting and kicking two men.
The animal was locked up in a holding pen normally used for keeping drunks off the streets after it lashed out at the pair at a ranch in Chiapas state, local police revealed yesterday.
The owner of the angry ass, Mauro Gutierrez, has been told that he will have to pay the injured men’s medical bills before the creature is released from custody.
Who said Mexico isn’t tough on crime?
Via / The Guardian
Berlusconi’s Immigration Laws: Could it Happen Here?
1:24 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Controversia|Immigration|society|World · 3 Comments
22 May 2008
Europe is buzzing with praise and criticism for Italian president Silvio Berlusconi‘s [pictured] tough (read xenophobic) approach to immigration legislation.
According to the president’s new stance, being an undocumented immigrant in Italy will become a crime, punishable by up to 18 months in a detention center. In addition, local authorities will have the right to detain and order the expulsion of undocumented immigrants. Families petitioning the Italian government for visas based on reunification will have to submit to DNA testing. Renting an apartment to an undocumented immigrant will also become a crime, punishable by up to 4 years in prison, plus a fine of 50,000 euros. Oh, and they’ll confiscate the apartment.
That’s not all. If you are undocumented and you commit a crime, your sentence will be increased by 1/3 more than if you are Italian. That means if you are sentenced to 3 years in prison, tack on another if you are undocumented.
In response to these propositions — now approved by the Italian government — a few hundred protesters gathered in Napoles, where Berlusconi was at an event, shouting “No racism, no intolerance, equality!”, reports Spain’s El País.
Reading this got me thinking: could this happen in the U.S.? There certainly are bills which are moving our immigration legislation in this direction, but is a complete immigration overhaul of this magnitude possible in the U.S.? That’s a pretty scary thought.
New Report on How Cable Media Skews Immigration Issue
12:00 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Immigration|Media|Politics|race|TV · Comments Off
22 May 2008Turn on CNN, Fox News, and any other number of cable news networks and you’re likely to see and hear a skewed vision of the state of immigration in the U.S. and it’s impact. No surprise here. Media Matters Action Network just released a study, Fear and Loathing in Prime Time Immigration Myths and Cable News, that puts some numbers together to show just how warped this vision is. For example, our pal Lou Dobbs has dedicated 70% of his shows to the issue of “illegal immigration”. Dobbs, Bill O’Reilly, and Glenn Beck specifically have made careers on making the myths surrounding “scary brown people without papers” part of the media and general consciousness.
During 2007, the alleged connection between illegal immigration and crime was discussed on 94 episodes of Lou Dobbs Tonight, 66 episodes of The O’Reilly Factor, and 29 episodes of Glenn Beck.During 2007, the allegation that undocumented immigrants drain social services and/or don’t pay taxes was discussed on 71 episodes of Lou Dobbs Tonight, 13 episodes of Glenn Beck, and eight episodes of The O’Reilly Factor.
Dobbs and Beck have perpetuated two related myths, that there are plans to construct a “NAFTA Superhighway” running from Mexico to Canada, and that there are plans to join Mexico, Canada, and the United States in a “North American Union” similar to the European Union. Dobbs has discussed the fictional North American Union on 56 separate programs during the past two years. (These two myths were also given a boost by Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, who pushed the ideas on the campaign trail.)
All three programs have presented as fact the “reconquista” myth, which states that there is a movement afoot for Mexico to take over the American Southwest.
Lou Dobbs Tonight has also been the show on which viewers are told about a mythical explosion of leprosy cases due to illegal immigration, and a mythical epidemic of voter fraud due to illegal immigration.
The report does an excellent job at countering the myths with facts and stats, just like the right wing fear mongers do.
It’s really worth reading.
Check out the report here.
Check out a video to go with the report after the jump.
Race and the Criminal Justice System : An Inside Reminder
11:00 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Justice|New York City|race · Comments Off
22 May 2008
My 28 year old “baby” sister just completed jury duty in the same courthouse where the officer’s that killed Sean Bell were acquitted in Queens, NY. It was an eye opening experience for her because she witnessed first hand how racism against Latinos is built into the very justice system. The case involved a young Latino man accused of gun possession. His accusers were NYC Public School Safety officers, now a subdivision of the NYC police department. A lack of evidence tying the accused to the gun (dubious witness accounts, no fingerprints even taken) eventually led to a not guilty verdict, but what also, undoubtedly influenced the jury was the blatant racism shown by the judge, who is supposed to be impartial.
One Month Since Sean Bell Police Shooting Acquittal : The Community Doesn’t Stop
10:00 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Activism|Events|Justice|New York City · Comments Off
22 May 2008
Sunday marks one month since the New York City Police officers that shot and killed Sean Bell were acquitted.If you think one month is enough time to forget, and move on to business as usual, at least one part of the community thinks otherwise. Today and next Thursday, at 4 pm in Rufus King Park – Jamaica Avenue add 150th St in Queens, there will be people saying “We Are All Sean Bell”.
El Museo del Barrio Has It’s Quinceñero Tonight
8:00 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Arts|Celebrities|Culture|Events|Fashion|literature|New York City · Comments Off
22 May 2008
El Museo del Barrio, located in Spanish Harlem, New York City, is actually older than 15 years old, but I’m able to stay quiet about an institution’s age. Founded in 1969, by a group of artists and community activists, tonight el Museo, a Latino institution in the city, celebrates it’s 15th Annual Gala. From the press release:
As it is the Latin American tradition, El Museo Gala’s fifteenth birthday will be celebrated in the style of a quinceañero; this is a coming-of-age party for a daughter turning fifteen. For this gala, guests are invited to wear white or black (with long gloves and tiaras optional).
El Museo will honor Dr. Mario Vargas Llosa, Ambassador Paul L. Cejas and Mrs. Trudy Cejas, and Mr. Angel Collado-Schwarz of Fundación Voz del Centro. Special guests will include Miss Universe, Riyo Mori; Miss Teen USA, Hilary Cruz; and the newly crowned Miss USA, and they will be wearing their tiaras.
Hola!
VivirLatino is a daily publication published by Mamita Mala Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse Latin@ diaspora.
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