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The House Health Care Reform Bill and Immigrants

7:00 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Health| Immigration| Politics · 1 Comment

11 Nov 2009

As promised, I’m spending the next few days slowly but surely exploring different aspects of the Affordable Health Care for America Act which passed in the House of Representatives this weekend. I wrote a little yesterday on the Stupak Amendment which pretty much bans access to abortion services for women. Of major concern ever since health care reform was presented was how immigrant access to healthcare would be impacted.

My reading of H.R. 3962 says that undocumented immigrants can buy into the health exchange out of their own pockets but that they are not eligible for any subsidies or affordability credits. Documented immigrants would be subject to a 5 year ban on access to subsidized public health services including Medicaid.

Liza over at Culture Kitchen writes about the impact that the Stupak Amendment has on Latina abortion access.

It is a fact of the heinous access to reproductive health education and services in this country that 67% of non-white women in this country have abortions. 22% of those women are Latinas. Why make it even more difficult for our sisters to get the kind of health care services they need to survive?

How can the infamous pro-Stupak men of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus be considered “courageous” for throwing lower-income and poorer Latinas under the bus with their? This amendment actually extends the Hyde Amendment in Medicaid legislation and goes further since it the ban would extend to any federally funded health insurance, not just Medicaid. This would mean that many more than the 2 Million Latinas who rely on Medicaid would be affected by Stupak. And it would mean many more Latinas relying even more on the “do-it-yourself” abortions that kill at least 5,000 of us yearly.

Is that what Janet Murguia and the National Council de la Raza really want for Latinas, needless to say all women in the United States? What would it have taken for NCLR to stand right next to Planned Parenthood or the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and denounce this Health Care Reform bill as bad for all women and all immigrants? Why do we still have to debate the important of not just intersectionality in politics but in coalition building as well?

NY State Holds an Extraordinary Session for What Should be Ordinary Rights

8:56 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · GLBT| New York| Politics · 1 Comment

10 Nov 2009

I’m a spoiled NY’er who thinks that the rest of the United States and yes, the world should have the same values I do which is why I’m surprised that New York State still doesn’t have marriage equality for all of it’s residents. Today could be the day that changes. In what’s being called an extraordinary session, because it’s not a regularly scheduled one, not because it sparkles or anything like that, the NY State legislature is meeting to tackle a growing deficit and possibly approval of same-sex marriage.

The not too popular Governor David Paterson has called for a vote on gay marriage but also on budge cuts that impact school aid and hospitals. What could very well happen is that the legislature could get wrapped up in the important budget issue and ignore the marriage proposal all together. We’ll just have to wait and see.

If you are a NY’er (and hell even if you’re not) you should call your NY State Senator to let them know that you don’t want cuts to our school system and that you want marriage equity for all NY’ers! NY’ers for Marriage Equality has this handy little tool for you to figure out who your state senator is. I already know who mine is. Sigh.

Supreme Court Hearing Two Cases on Juvenile (In)justice

12:36 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Justice| Linking Latinos| Politics| crime| youth · No Comments

9 Nov 2009

Today the Supreme Court is hearing two cases that could hopefully change how the (in)justice system sentences juveniles. The cases specifically deal with sentencing youth to life without parole and if that is unconstitutional. The cases being used are that of Terrance Jamar Graham and Joe Sullivan, who were 16 and 13, respectively, when they committed their crimes. Not surprisingly, considering how in all phases of the criminal (in)justice system people of color are profiled and targeted, the Supreme Court’s ruling could impact the case of Latino Efrén Paredes, Jr., who at age 15 and wrongly convicted in 1989 for a murder and armed robbery he did not commit; a crime to which others have admitted guilt.

This week’s News With Nezua discusses what the Supreme Court is up to and what’s at stake.

The House Health Care Reform Bill That Passed and Passed Over

11:28 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · GLBT| Immigration| Politics| Women · 4 Comments

9 Nov 2009

Some are celebrating the weekend passage of a health insurance bill in the House of Representatives. Pero those unhappy and critical aren’t just tea-baggers and others crying over a red scare. From jump, I was angered that health care reform was excluding and scapegoating some of the communities I feel strongly about, immigrants and women.

The Affordable Health Care for America Act, aka HR3962, passed 220-215 but the act contains provisions that bar access to services for women.

The Stupak Amendment (does that rhyme with stupid) bans coverage for abortion under any plans that use federal monies. This amendment apparently was a response to threats from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops who threatened to dis the bill at masses across the country if abortion was covered. I went to church this Sunday specifically to see if the health care reform bill would be mentioned instead the priest talked about the World Series. Hmm.

Additionally the amendment requires that those participating in the “health exchange”, individuals and employers, buy riders for covering abortion services. The only exceptions are for pregnancies that are the result of rape/incest or when the life of the pregnant woman is in danger (her life, not her health). Additionally employer sponsored and private plans that don’t take government money are exempt. This means that women who participate in the public option of health care exchanges couldn’t even use their own money to access abortions.

Maine Voters Said Yes on 1 and Yes to Marriage Inequity

3:32 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Family| GLBT| Immigration| Maine| Politics · 5 Comments

4 Nov 2009

5450_109742748525_105762473525_2307856_7278867_n In more bad election news, yesterday voters in Maine said yes to Question 1, overturning the state’s marriage equality law.

Prerna Lal at Dream Activistreminds us how this ties into the immigration issue:

Why should an average non-gay DREAM Act student care about my queer rants? Because like your families, like the Mejia-Perez family, our non-straight families are also scrutinized, separated and pulled apart since the law refuses to recognize them and grant them full and equal rights. Quite like President Obama delivered change for your families and has yet to deliver, he is also largely ignoring LGBT families.

When you do eventually gain the right to vote on other types of families at the polls, just remember what your own family, especially those who lived in mixed-status families, have had to endure. After that, question your ‘faith-based leaders.’ Ask them why they exclude same-sex families when they talk about ‘family unity?’ The Catholic Church, on one hand, stands up strong for the rights of undocumented workers. On the same page, it denounces civil rights for gay couples. Ask your pastors and priests, your clergy and pundits whether ‘God’ would deport a gay immigrant over a straight immigrant. Ask them whether some rights are more important than others. Ask them to support all families.

New York City Wakes Up to Four More Years of Bloomberg

12:17 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · New York City| Politics · 1 Comment

4 Nov 2009

It was a close one, 51% to 46%— a difference of less than 51,000 votes. For a moment I thought that New York City would have a new mayor but instead it looks like NYC’s billionaire mayor has won a historic and controversial third term. Certainly the fact that he reportedly spent $100 million, $15,000 an hour to Thompson’s $7 million over all, had nothing to do with it.

I was thinking about what bothered me so much about Bloomberg’s third term. Wasn’t the issue of third terms at the center of so many problems in Latin America, from Honduras to Venezuela to Colombia? Claro the fact that my politics differ is part of it but reality is a bigger part. In Latin America, at least the leaders in question attempted to have some sort of vote or referendum on the issue of additional terms, something Bloomberg did not do. Instead he went over the heads of the NYC people and went ahead and changed the term limits law. His justification, saying the city needed his help because of the economic crisis, makes no sense looking at how the economic conditions for Latinos in NYC has worsened. And it’s not just the economics that bother me. While Bloomberg doesn’t have the rabid personality of his predecessor, Giuliani, Latinos and other people of color have experienced some of the same “community policing” tactics but with a nicer facade.

Maybe I really do need to move out of NYC.

Via / The Daily Mail

NY’ers and Others : Don’t Forget to Vote Today

12:51 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · New York City| Politics · No Comments

3 Nov 2009

It’s election day in New York City (and in many other places I’m sure). If you can vote, please do with everything I said before last year’s presidential election holding true.

The biggest race here in my hood is for mayor, with wannabe third term Bloomberg and Bill Thompson as the top contenders and making sure they pander, er campaign to the Latino community. I have seen many more Bloomberg operatives in my immigrant ‘hood and much more of his trash lining the streets of my hood but he does have what, a few billion in his wallet? My mom’s phone has been ringing off the hook though with Spanish language robo-calls featuring former Bronx borough pres Fernando Ferrer telling us to support Thompson.

I won’t tell you who to vote for pero if going by any of the Spanish language campaign ads is any indication, I may have to vote for the Rent is Too Damn High Party (ok, ok I do like the Basta Bloomberg ad).

Queens, NYC State Senator : Once a Community Defender, Now an Attacker?

11:00 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Justice| New York City| Politics| Violence| Women · 3 Comments

30 Oct 2009

How do we deal with men in our communities who hurt the women in our community? And I’m not just talking about our physical communities like our neighbors or relatives. What of those who claim to represent us in public office.

I wrote about my discomfort surrounding the NYC State Senator Hiram Monserrate case when charges first surfaced against him, accusing him of attacking his girlfriend. It feels complicated for me on multiple levels. Monserratte was my local council person and he is my local state senator. That never has stopped me before. That wasn’t it. I had dealings with Monserrate before he was involved in electoral politics, when he worked with the Latino Police Officers Association here in NYC and he and his organization stood with the Latino families of those killed by police brutality and us organizers. As a Latina who has dealt with domestic violence both personally, politically, and professionally, how did this man whom I identified as a defender of the community suddenly become an attacker?
Read more…

Fortuño Es Un Hijo de PU

8:17 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Music| Politics| Puerto Rico · No Comments

28 Oct 2009

I wasn’t a huge fan of the original song pero with these lyrics…..

…ok I could do without the chipmunk voice too and I feel bad for las putas cuz really even a puta wouldn’t want an hijo como el gov. de Puerto Rico.

Via / Cargas y Descargas

Why Does Latino in America Equal Spanish Being Criminalized and Pushed Aside

28 Oct 2009

It’s not just immigration that is being criminalized as some people have commented. Any trace of Latinidad deems people as targets for varying forms of harassment ranging from traffic stops, to tickets, to jails, to beat downs, to deaths. While some think that skin color alone can “mark” someone as other, and in this case Latino, language and varying levels of accents also brand. Just look at how much time is spent in this discussion on Latino in America on the issue of assimilation, acculturation and the role of language.

The issue always is how can you speak Spanish and still assimilate/aculturate with the ultimate goal seemingly being not being labeled/identified/called out as “other”. If you are going to insist on speaking Spanish then for everyone’s sake do it at home, where no one else can see or hear you or else face the consequences:

Let us not forget that we started 2009 with someone getting physically attacked while having a cell phone conversation in Spanish.

Sometimes we don’t even need language. Just having a name that could remind someone that you are Latino is enough to get you fired.

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