El Semanario - Periodico para Hispanos en Denver y Colorado - Bilingual Latino newspaper:National News

Alabama�s repressive laws sets back civil rights gains

Last week�s 47th commemoration of the Bloody Sunday March of 1965 marks a new phase in the civil rights movement. It represents a turning point for people from all backgrounds, who are joining together, not only to remember our shared past, but also to fight for a shared future. It�s a moment of

Admission rules threatens a civil rights setback

On February 21st, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case, Fisher v. The University of Texas, which may challenge the future of race-conscious admissions at our country�s colleges and universities. If the Court bars the use of race in admissions decisions, it threatens years of hard work by civil

Admission rules threatens a civil rights setback

DEGETTE BLASTS ROMNEY SUPPORT OF BLUNT AMENDMENT

DENVER � Congresswoman Diana DeGette, co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, today issued the following statement regarding Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney�s support of the Blunt Amendment that would enable employers to opt out of providing insurance for health care

8,000 Petitions Delivered to GOP

This week in Phoenix, AZ, undocumented youth and allies with the DRM Capitol Group, the Arizona DREAM Act Coalition and others delivered approximately 8,000 petitions to the Arizona Republican Party headquarters, urging Republican candidates to stop opposing the DREAM Act and to change their

Southern Poverty Law Center Report Finds Growing Hostility Against Alabama Latinos Following Passage

MONTGOMERY, Ala. � The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) issued a report today that shows Alabama�s anti-immigrant law has created a xenophobic climate where Latinos have experienced harassment, hardship and discrimination regardless of their immigration status. The report, Alabama�s Shame: HB

Voter identification laws harm our democracy

2011 was a historic year for people across the world wanting more access to a democratic and open political process. Movements such as the Arab Spring inspired people to take action and have a say in their political future, and the Occupy Wall Street movement is a manifestation of that desire here

Epic Story of Race and the American Media

News for All the People is a sweeping account of the class and racial conflicts in American news media, from the first colonial newspaper to the internet age. It chronicles key government decisions that created our nation�s system of news, major political battles over the role of the press, and the

Fake solution to a fake problem

The right to vote is under attack in states across the country. Conservative legislators are introducing and passing legislation that creates barriers to voting, including �Voter ID� bills that require voters to show specific types of photo identification at the polls. The claimed intent of these

Difference of opinion

A Latino radio host and blogger is calling for Cecilia Muñoz to resign from the White House for her defense of the administration�s deportation policies. Presente.org, the immigrant rights group that led the petition to get CNN�s Lou Dobbs off the air, is demanding that Muñoz denounce the Secure

Difference of opinion

Fake solution to a fake problem

Valuable Role Model

WASHINGTON DC � PoderPAC, a political action committee founded by and for Latinas to help more Latinas get elected to positions at the local, state and federal level, today recognized and congratulated fellow PoderPAC Board Member Maria Cardona for her new appointment as CNN�s newest Political

Valuable Role Model

Medicare: It�s worth comparing

Medicare beneficiaries can make changes to their prescription and health plans once a year. These changes could result in savings on medical costs, or increased access to new benefits such as wellness visits and preventive care services. Changes to Medicare health plans can only be made between

Are they against putting people back on the job?

Editor�s Note: In this week�s address on Oct. 1, President Obama told the American people that it has been nearly three weeks since he sent Congress his jobs bill, and now it is time for Congress to send it back so that it can be signed into law. It�s been almost three weeks since I sent the

Report: Border Patrol Abuses on the Rise

The number of apprehensions of undocumented immigrants on the U.S.-Mexico border has dropped, but reports of abuses against immigrants are on the rise. Those are the findings of a new report released by the Arizona humanitarian aid organization No More Deaths. The report, �A Culture of Cruelty,�

Undocumented Immigrants Steer Clear of Arizona

People on both sides of the immigration debate in Arizona are skeptical of new research that shows a national decrease in the flow of illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States. But there is one thing they are certain of: undocumented immigrants are steering clear of the border

Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail

We can discuss many of America�s national parks as if they were celebrated paintings, featuring the colors of Impressionism, the wild shapes of Cubism, and the luminosity of the Hudson River School. Some parks are masterpieces of filmmaking rather than works on paper or canvas. These parks move �

Mentally disabled Navajo man branded with swastika

In the first known case filed under the federal hate crimes law signed by President Obama in 2009, three New Mexico men face charges after being accused of using a heated wire coat hanger to brand a swastika on a mentally disabled Navajo man. Paul Beebe, William Hatch and Jesse Sanford each face

Next Target

The US Human Rights Network (USHRN), an Atlanta-based coalition of more than 300 organizations from around the country, announced today that it will move its 2011 national conference outside the state of Georgia if Gov. Nathan Deal follows through with his intent to sign controversial

Black Politicians Defend Immigrants

As immigrant advocates battle hardline immigration bills in state capitols across the country, they�re receiving crucial support from caucuses of black legislators. Black politicians have come out in defense of immigrants, questioning the morality and wisdom of tough immigration legislation in

Even in Arizona?

The news out of Arizona is that its Republican-dominated state Senate rejected the latest series of harsh immigration measures. For once, the Arizona GOP said no to their leader, State Sen. Russell Pearce, who wanted to enact a package that has been called SB 1070 on steroids. How come? Some

Study Reveals Dangers of Prenatal Pesticide Exposure

(EDITOR�S NOTE: California state regulators claim that certain pesticides � like methyl iodide, which was recently approved for agricultural use on crops such as strawberries - can be used safely, while many of the state�s environmental and health groups say that pesticide use in farming is

More Oversight Needed

Last week, the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling released its full report on the BP disaster in the Gulf calling for widespread reform of the offshore drilling industry, including better safety regulations and more stringent enforcement by federal

Buried on the other side

Sending bodies to the United States has become commonplace for Mexican funeral homes in Ciudad Juárez. At least twice a week, Jose Meléndez�s hearses cross the border. But the practice of sending the bodies of American tourists or seniors north has given way to a new phenomenon: the shipment of the

We need justice

Pink crosses draped with dresses stood before the concrete walls of the police station. Posters of missing and murdered women stared into the eyes of passerby. Relatives of victims shared their stories, denouncing what they charged was official indifference. Another anti-femicide demonstration

Policing the police in Tucson

A coalition of community groups in Tuscon is using video to show how readily police are cooperating with Border Patrol, despite local law enforcement�s stated opposition to Arizona�s new immigration law before it took effect. The �Yo Soy Testigo� ("I�m a witness") campaign, launched by

Citizenship at 106 years old

Ignacia Moya, born in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Jalisco,106 years ago, became a U.S. citizen in her second attempt to get citizenship. Wearing a blue, red and white blouse representing the American flag, Moya celebrated the occasion with her two sons and some of her 20 grandchildren, 15

Call to Action to Congressional Leaders

On Jul 20, a group of 18 civil rights organizations submitted a letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Commerce Committees expressing their disappointment with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowskis proposal to regulate the Internet. These organizations are extremely troubled by the potential

Latinos help clean up oil spill

As oil escapes from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico and washes up on the coasts of Louisiana, hundreds of Latinos are working hard on the clean-up efforts.

Among them are 40 women. They are part of a group of 500 people who are preparing the dam near Hopedale, two hours from New Orleans, for the

Thousands Protest SB1070 in Phoenix Rally

In the second largest march in Arizona’s history dozens of thousands of people took to the streets of Phoenix in opposition to SB 1070 on Saturday, May 29th.

The law that will take effect on July 29 would make it a crime for a person to be an undocumented immigrant in Arizona.

“We are not

Obama, Calderón: Ties between Our People

President Felipe Calderón and President Barack Obama on May 19th reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Mexico and underscored their commitment to improve the lives of all citizens in both our countries, building upon our deep ties, and working with mutual respect and

Dan Choi: Repeal 'Don't ask, don't tell' now

Editor’s Note: In his State of the Union address to Congress, President Obama promised to end the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy, which forbids gays and lesbians from serving openly in the Armed Forces. Months later, efforts to repeal the policy continue to languish in Congress. But when Lt.

MALDEF, ACLU And NILC To Announce Upcoming Legal Challenge To Arizona Racial Profiling Law At Press

PHOENIX – Today at 11:00 a.m. (MST), MALDEF, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Arizona and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) will hold a news conference on the House of Representatives Lawn of the Arizona State Capitol Building in Phoenix, Arizona to announce that they are

Facts on U Visas

On March 15, Secretary Solis announced that the Department of Labor (DOL) will begin exercising its authority to certify applications for U Nonimmigrant Status Visas ("U Visas").

What are U Visas?

U Nonimmigrant Visas ("U Visas") were created by the Victims of Trafficking and Violence

Updated Unemployment Data Shows Racial Inequality Worse in Many States

Boston, MA, March 10, 2010 – United for a Fair Economy today announced that its annual report on racial economic inequality is now available in Spanish. The report, State of the Dream 2010: Drained – Jobless and Foreclosed in Communities of Color examines racial economic disparities in a range

SECRETARY NAPOLITANO AND MEXICAN SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY GENARO GARCÍA LUNA SIGN DECLARATION OF

MEXICO CITY—U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and Mexican Secretary of Public Safety (SSP) Genaro García Luna today signed a Declaration of Principles of Cooperation on joint efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and share information about transnational

Civil Rights Leaders and Economists say that Senate Jobs Bill must do more to tackle minority

Washington, DC—Leading economists and civil rights figures reacted to the Senate’s latest proposal to create jobs in light of new unemployment numbers from the Department of Labor. The legislation, introduced by Senators Reid (D–NV), Durbin (D–IL), Dorgan (D–ND), Baucus (D–MT), and

New FDIC Study Shows One In Four U.S. Households Currently Unbanked Or Underbanked, State-By-State

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today released the findings of its FDIC National Survey of Unbanked and Underbanked Households, breaking new ground in gaining understanding of which Americans remain outside the banking system. The

GOVERNORS TO HOLD BIENNIAL SEMINAR IN COLORADO

WASHINGTON—In 2010, the nation will hold 39 gubernatorial elections. In at least 22 of those races, there will be a definite change in leadership. To assist new governors in their transition from campaigning to governing, the National Governors Association (NGA) holds a Seminar for New Governors

Action for census boycott splits Latinos

Earlier this year, a prominent Latino religious leader proposed a boycott of the 2010 Census as a way for undocumented immigrants to bring their voices to bear on the immigration debate.

The boycott, pushed by the Rev. Miguel Ángel Rivera of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian

Havasupai protecting the Mother Canyon

With the songs of Navajo, Hopi, Hualapai and Supai traditional singers, Native Americans gathered for ceremonies, while occupying their traditional land at sacred Red Butte and opposing uranium mining, at what is known today as the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

“We are the Grand Canyon,”

Work with dignity equals food with integrity

As people are consumed by the hustle and bustle this holiday season, few take the time to consider their food sources during the winter season. Grabbing a quick bite to eat, few question, where do these tomatoes come from? Who picked these tomatoes? Do the tomato pickers have fair working