Archive for April, 2010
Haitian Sweatshops
19 Apr 2010This is a really important look at Haitian sweatshops post-earthquake (although it’s not explicitly stated in the video). Haitian workers are making on average, $2 a day at these shops.
Another thing to consider–the current president was a replacement for ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Who helped to oust him? The US, of course. Isn’t it weird how all the presidents that we “support” think it’s best to keep worker wages just a tad above the ‘why even bother working’ line?
Young Women Organizing Themselves
19 Apr 2010From Incite! Blog, comes this really important update on the Young Women’s Empowerment Project, who recently got interviewed by Chicago Public Radio.
Young Women’s Empowerment Project (YWEP) recently released their findings from a participatory action research project entitled, , “Girls do what they have to do to survive: Illuminating Methods used by Girls in the Sex Trade and Street Economy to Fight Back and Heal.” YWEP is a youth leadership organization grounded in harm reduction and social justice organizing by and for girls and young women (ages 12-23) impacted by the sex trade and street economies, and is run by girls and women with life experience in the sex trade and street economies. YWEP members were interviewed about their research by Chicago Public Radio program, Eight Forty-Eight, who posted a podcast of the interview.
The most startling thing I heard on the podcast:
I would say for us, the surprises in the data were about how much people were being denied help from institutions. And by help, we don’t mean rescue or saving. We mean, I need stitches. We don’t mean, save me from the street. We mean, give me a hug, or I need to file a report against this person. We’re not even talking about elaborate forms of life changing help, we’re talking about really simple emergency intervention type care that was really shocking to hear how infrequently girls were being successful in getting that help from systems.
So young women and girls can not even get emergency help when they have problems like needing stitches. This is not just heartbreaking, but absolutely infuriating. Can you imagine being a teenager, getting the shit kicked out of you, and then not even able to get help from the local clinic or hospital?
Does anybody else besides me see how impossible the “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” dictum really is?
Listen to the whole podcast here!
Verdict in Hate Crime Death of Marcelo Lucero, Guilty but not of Murder
12:22 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Immigration|Justice|Violence · 19 Comments
19 Apr 2010Jeffrey Conroy, the accused killer of Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero has been found guilty, but not of murder. The young man who made it a sport to go “beaner jumping” has been found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime and gang assault. Conroy was acquitted of the more serious charge of murder in the second degree as a hate crime, a charge that could have sent hm away for life. Under the charges that Conroy was convicted of, he faces a minimum of eight years and a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 26.
I have many more thoughts on this verdict and will be writing a more detailed post later tonight but what do you all think? Was justice served?
Via / NYT and Long Island WINS
NJ Senator Menendez Making Pro-Migrant Moves Outside of CIR Framework
8:27 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Immigration|Labor|New Jersey|Politics · Comments Off
19 Apr 2010
In the absence of any Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill, seems that some Senators are making moves which take piecemeal approaches to protecting immigrant workers. Last week, New Jersey Democrat Senator Robert Menendez introduced the Protect Our Workers from Exploitation and Retailation (POWER) Act which seeks to protect immigrant whistleblowers who report workplace violations and abuses of being threatened with deportation.
Sen. Menendez said that the bill is likely to get the 60 votes in November 2010 which is better than the expectations for CIR.
“It may very well be in November the lame duck session, when members, who have retired or not going to run again, whose heart and mind says this is the right thing but maybe whose politics says to them no, would be willing to vote,”
Donations Request for Angeline Hassell Case
6:58 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · New York City|Women · Comments Off
19 Apr 2010
Angeline Hassell, whose story and struggle we have shared here at VL since last year, is requesting donations to help with the enormous legal fees she has accrued in the fight to get her daughter back home with her.
Quite simply, a lack of funding should not be what stands in the way of a mother fighting for her child and for justice! This tragedy should never have happened. Our goal is to help reunite Angeline and her daughter. Her need is real and we need your help because we want to help turn this tragic story around for the two of them.
You can find out more about Angeline’s fight and make a donation here.
As many of you know, I have contributed occasionally to the website, Feminist Review. Basically, Feminist Review is a website that does reviews on everything from books to zines to clothes. I never thought to even look at the website before I was approached by one of the editors, Mandy Van Deven, to write up a few reviews for them. It’s a feminist site, and well, I don’t call myself a feminist.
But since then, I’ve been reading the site regularly–they always have interesting reviews up and lots of times they promote items from sellers at Etsy (a website that hosts individuals looking to sell items they crafted themselves). Because I know so many women who could *only* sell their product by marketing it themselves, I really appreciate that a bigger feminist website is willing to treat Etsy sellers like legitimate businesses with a product to sell.
So, when I found out that FR was going to be holding a fundraiser to help raise money for the site–I decided to ask Mandy to do an interview for VL.
The following is that interview! 
1. Can you talk about what Feminist Review is and how it works?
I started Feminist Review three and a half years ago because I’d
gotten really invested in indie media through my work with
Magazine and
Inspirations : Whose Afraid of Anti-Immigrant Hate? Not these Children.
11:35 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · children|Immigration|Justice|mexico · 5 Comments
18 Apr 2010With the horrible things happening in Arizona, activists/writers/advocates/culture workers, and all of us really need doses of strong inspiration. We need hope, love and beauty.
This video, which apparently is kinda old, reminds me of all those things and of the lessons we teach our children by example.
Feliz Domingo
National Poetry Month : Dia 13 Fragments of Sandra Maria Esteves’s Puerto Rican Discovery #23
8:10 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Books|Culture|Poetry|Women · 1 Comment
18 Apr 2010This morning’s poem was a little more deliberate. I want to dedicate the verses and phrases today, taken from Sandra Maria Esteves and pedacitos of her poem Puerto Rican Discovery #23 : Portrait in Raising Self-Esteem, as printed in Aloud : Voices from the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe, to our own VivirLatino hermana Bianca Laureano.
Today Bianca is among mujeres being honored by El Diario La Prensa as part of their 15th annual Mujeres Destacadas Award Luncheon here in NYC. Bianca is being recognized for her fierce leadership in the area of healthy pro-sexuality education. I know I couldn’t be prouder. I am honored and feel blessed to have her as part of the VivirLatino familia. You, Bianca, are a portrait in raising the self-esteem for Rican women and all women. Felicidades.
Puerto Rican Discovery #23: Portrait in Raising Self-Esteem
by Sandra Maria Esteves
Flirtatious dreamers
we judge ourselves all wrongBackward guilt
feet-first jumpstarts into birth
innocent to realize
rain days can be good
blessings from heaven
disguisedWe watch for the signs
Survival manna…We are infants compared to the universe
a wise great-grandmother
who can harvest the stars around the moonShe cannot be bought
No pricetags are attached
The inner life has no boundaries
No jail cells – not a one
No fixed points of reference to confine a soul
No eye-catching bozes
to pollute everyday sidewalksThe names of all things are sacred
like thoughts of breathing clean air
More than loving
living means giving
Like homegrown food
from the eternal harvest withinBut for real.
National Journal Blogger Poll Has “Lefties” Split on Immigration Reform Being Made a Reality
5:34 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Immigration|Politics · Comments Off
17 Apr 2010
I don’t like/trust most polls. In fact I tend to like to poke holes in all of them. The only reason I am referencing this National Journal Blogger Poll is because, yes, I am on the blogger panel and usually am (blogputa that I am), but also because I was struck by the three way split on the “left” side of the blogosphere (I wonder how many of the peeps on the “left” side consider themselves “radical”?).
According to the poll of those on the “left”, 40 percent said CIR was somewhat unlikely, 30 percent said it was somewhat likely, and another 30 percent said very unlikely. If you want to know where I stood you can guess based on my writings or visit the poll. I’m the one with the coolest name.
The results coming in from the “right” were less surprising and contained the usual “buzz words” on the Latino vote and of course, men from space. 55.6 percent majority called CIR very unlikely and 11.1 percent judged CIR as somewhat likely.
WTF Moment: We ain’t racist, we rap!
17 Apr 2010Well. The Tea Party is going on a regular media blitz to prove it’s not racist. Included in their promotional efforts is this “reach across the aisle” rap. Making friends with the black folk. And the young ones too, I guess.
Untitled from elizabeth glover on Vimeo.
Woa. Put your hands in the air?
Hola!
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