2010 January | VivirLatino

Archive for January, 2010

Texting to Avoid Arpaio

9:25 am By Maegan La Mala · arizona|Media|Tech · Comments Off

4 Jan 2010

Adding to the ways that we think technology should be used, Lydia Guzman, director of the nonprofit immigrant advocacy group Respect/Respeto, has created a “text tree” system in Maricopa County, Arizona, to alert people of when Sheriff Joe Arpaio is conducting one of his infamous (and likely unconstitutional) street sweeps.

“Everyone is responsible for sending it out to their own networks, and that is how it spreads like wildfire,” Guzman said of the text messages.

This relative simple use of technology is more important to me than say, text lists that are being built by orgs to promote legislation. Not to knock that work but this is about the very immediate needs of communities and is something that can be replicated easily and is accessible to many. While not all Latinos are plugged into the internet, most do have cell phones and use text messaging.

Not surprisingly, Sheriff Joe and others are saying that such information sharing borders on illegal since the text messages could be construed as evading law enforcement. In fact during the RNC activists who used twitter to report on the moves of law enforcement, this was a charge levied.

I think this is something that all communities should try and replicate on some level in order to deal not just with raids and street sweeps but with other types of attacks against our community.

Via / LA Times

Mala’s Monday Morning Movie : Celia the Queen

7:23 am By Maegan La Mala · Cuba|Movies|Music · 1 Comment

4 Jan 2010

With the holiday and cold here in NYC, I’ve been watching lots of movies at home. This past weekend I caught another film featured on the PBS Voces series, Celia, the Queen, about Celia Cruz.

Celia the Queen by Joe Cardona
Celia the Queen is a loving look at the amazing life and legacy of a woman whose voice symbolized the soul of a nation and captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Erupting onto the Cuban music scene as the lead singer for La Sonora Matancera, Celia Cruz broke down barriers of racism and sexism. With the powerful weapon of her voice and the warm tolerance of her heart, Celia soon became all things to all people. The film shows the diversity of the people whose lives she touched, from stars like Quincy Jones, Andy Garcia, and Wyclef Jean to ordinary people all over the world who loved not only her music but her incredible spirit. A co-presentation with National Black Programming Consortium.

What I found most interesting was how Afro-Latino and Pan-Latino Celia was in terms of the kind of music she sang and with whom she worked with while remaining rooted in lo Afro-Cubano. The film features other musicians she workd with like Johnny Pacheco, Oscar De Leon, and Willie Colon. What I also found interesting was how apolitical the film attempted to be. Not once was Fidel Castro mentioned and in a clip of Celia, she herself refuses to call him by name, but rather just speaks of how she worked even harder outside of Cuba post-Revolution to make sure her sick mother could get what she needed.

Call for Submissions : Love Beyond the Wall

9:38 am By Maegan La Mala · Books|Justice · Comments Off

3 Jan 2010

Via e-mail:

LOVE BEYOND THE WALL

As we gather amongst friends and families for this holiday season, it is imperative that we remember the countless brothers and sisters who can only join us in their memories. All too often many find themselves victims to the concept known as “out of sight and out of mind”. However, such a fate can be averted if only we remember to look beyond those that are in front of us and recognize those who have always stood by our side in the physical sense, the emotional sense, the mental sense, and the spiritual sense.

As 2010 quickly approaches, Despierta Boricua, Inc. and Levantate Latino, Inc. are prepared to enter the next stage of “Love Beyond The Wall”. This stage will allow for both our brothers and sisters who are currently incarcerated, as well as those who have been reunited with the outside community, and their family and friends to share their sentiments with the world via a book entitled “Love Beyond The Wall Volume 1”.

With an expected release of December 2010, all publishing expenses will be covered by both Despierta Boricua, Inc. and Levantate Latino, Inc.

Upon publication, those who contributed to this project by sharing their voice, will be
empowered to present themselves as published writers and may use the book as a foundation for any forums, events, activities, etcetera where their personal experiences can be shared for the purpose of community progression.

All proceeds of “Love Beyond The Wall Volume 1” will be used to fund community initiatives that directly benefit the children of our incarcerated brothers and sisters.

Beginning January 1, 2010 and until September 30, 2010, we encourage you all to send your poems, stories, pictures, and overall reflections to either mission@despiertaboricua.com or PO Box 37095, Phoenix, AZ 85069.

We must always remember that our true scope of vision is not limited to what our eyes can “see”….we must also look with our heart and soul.

In the struggle,
Mission
President
Despierta Boricua, Inc.
Levantate Latino, Inc.
mission@despiertaboricua.com

A New Year Without Her Daughter: Update on Angelina Hassel Case

7:48 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · New York City|Women · 4 Comments

3 Jan 2010

Some of the most heartbreaking stories I came across last year had to do with mothers and their children. I was personally impacted by these stories because of my own struggles as a single Latina mami in the United States. A sad and unfortunately not new pattern of women of color being separated from their children, often by the very entities charged with protecting families.

The current struggle of Angeline Hassel was one that I wrote about a few times here and one that hit especially close to home and not just because it is based in my own borough of Queens, NYC.

Many people are asking us how can a loving, smart, and capable mother lose custody of her daughter? The answer is, Judge Esther Morgenstern, who now sits on the bench in IDV Brooklyn Family Court. She issued a warrant for Angeline’s arrest over a non threatening letter. You read the transcript, and the letter which are attached.
You judge for yourself.

Many people are asking us how is it Judge Fernando Camacho issued a Order of Protection against the respondent father, then turned around and and essentially let him take off with Aniysah? You read the Order of Protection which is attached and again you judge for yourself.

This case has been dragging out since March 3rd,2009 (over 303 days) and the year 2010 is approaching and still Angeline has not received a trial date as of yet.

Is this the treatment families can expect when entering the Family Court system?

You be the judge.

Tell us what you think?

OOP.issued by Judge Camacho

court.transcript and letter

VL At The Cine: Sherlock Holmes

12:45 pm By BiancaLaureano · Movies · 4 Comments

2 Jan 2010

My exposure to Sherlock Holmes stories growing up was limited. As a result, when I heard that Guy Ritchie (RocknRolla, Snatch) was working on a film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, I let myself stay in that space of vagueness about the origins and history of the characters. There are times when you just want to be surprised, and often Ritchie’s films have been pleasant surprises, especially in the casting choices for characters. I’ve found that Ritchie’s films have helped in normalizing the people of Color that live in parts of the UK that US audiences may not get exposure to/consider/know about. I desired to have this same element of surprise for this film.

I do enjoy a mystery and even more a psychological thriller, and I do believe Sherlock Holmes offers both of these to viewers. There were some things I knew to prepare for regarding the film, such as a 2+ hour-long experience, and some UKish accents. Our theater was sold out and as we watched the trailers, my friend and I were not impressed with the films that are coming out in the near future. I was hoping this was not trying to set us up for a poor film experience.
Read more…

Anti-Mining Activists Murdered in El Salvador

11:52 am By la Macha · El Salvador · 7 Comments

1 Jan 2010

For all those people in comments recently who just couldn’t possibly see the Hugo Chavez’s accusations of drone fly over to be true–because why on *earth* would the U.S. do something like that??–I highly recommend watching the following segment.

Pacific Rim applied for mining permits, and they were denied on the basis of their environmental impact study that didn’t pass muster in El Salvador. And that was in 2005, 2006. But just this past year, Pacific Rim filed a lawsuit through CAFTA, the US Central American Free Trade Agreement, suing the Salvadoran government for, at the minimum, $77 million, claiming that this is money that they have lost in their investment or money, potential profits, that they could have made, had they been granted the permits.

And they are going through CAFTA, which was the—is the US Central America Free Trade Agreement, and the only way that they are able to do this, because Pacific Rim is located in Vancouver, is that they acquired a subsidiary in Nevada in 2007. And through that US subsidiary, they are taking advantage of the very generous and expansive corporate rights that are built into CAFTA.

CAFTA has a Chapter 11, which is—Chapter 10, which is very similar to NAFTA’s Chapter 11, around, quote-unquote, “investment rights,” which really is a chapter that gives transnational corporations tremendous legal access to the natural resources of the countries in Central America and in Mexico and defines investors with more rights, literally, to land and to water than even local or national governments have.

And so, the basis of Pacific Rim’s lawsuit is that they didn’t get these permits, even though the Salvadoran government has every right to give or not give mining permits based on what the impact will be—and in this case, you know, because Pacific Rim is going to use, or proposing to use, cyanide extraction, presents a tremendous health and environmental danger to the community. So the really central issue here is about sovereignty. Does El Salvador, do the other countries in Central America, have the right to enforce their own environmental laws, or do transnational corporations get to rule?

NYC : Demand Political Asylum for Victor Toro, Fill the Courtroom January 11th

9:31 am By Maegan La Mala · Chile|Immigration|Justice|New York City · 6 Comments

1 Jan 2010

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) started a defamation campaign against Victor Toro and the Movement of the Revolutionary (MIR) with recently submitted DHS documents to the US federal immigration court. Victor Toro is facing deportation proceedings and is scheduled for a final hearing on January 11, 2010.

On July 6, 2007 Toro, a Chilean was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol, while on board Amtrak in Rochester, New York. He is in danger of being deported. Victor’s counsel, Carlos Moreno and his supporters are calling for political asylum. If Victor is deported back to Chile, his life is in real danger and he would be separated from his family and friends.

Victor was jailed and tortured because of his opposition to the right-wing dictator Augusto Pinochet government in the early 70’s. Victor was a founder and leader of the MIR , a people’s organization that led many militant struggles for the workers and peasants of Chile. Victor’s past persecution is well documented and his political work has been the subject of books, including Alistair Horne’s Small Earthquake in Chile. Toro was listed along with MIR’s leader Miguel Enriquez and others, as one of the thirteen most wanted people by the Pinochet dictatorship in 1973.

His wife and compañera, Nieves Ayres, is a U.S. citizen and his daughter, Rosita Toro, is a legal permanent resident of the U.S.

Since his arrival in New York Victor has been a dedicated activist in the city including being one of the founders of La Peña del Bronx, a long time community and activist organization. The name La Peña along with the reputation of Nieves and Victor is synonymous with struggles against the war, for workers and immigrant rights, against racism and all social and progressive causes.

The Victor Toro Defense Committee urges everyone to get involved in defending Victor and the MIR. The real terrorists are those who orchestrated the massacre of the Chilean people from Washington. Help spread the word on Victor’s case.

FILL THE COURTROOM JANUARY 11, 2010 12-1pm
26 FEDERAL PLAZA

For more information visit www.may1.info

mage Via / Thomas Good/ Next Left Notes

Newer Entries

Maegan La Mala: Thank you Julio! To be honest I was a little nervous. [...]

Ana L. Flores: I was very excited when you decided to join us. I really wanted your voice there as it would add dep [...]

Maegan La Mala: Hola Juliana and thanks for commenting. There is a dearth in activist/critical thinking Latino blogg [...]

Julio Ricardo Varela: Good for you for asking. I got goose bumps just reading this and yes, yes, yes, to it all. Thank you [...]

julianabritto: The sense that I get is that you might feel a little frustrated at the dearth in activist bloggers? [...]

VivirLatino