La Plaza

Last week hundreds of young and middle aged Los Angeles residents, primarily blacks and Latinos, lined the street outside of an employment office vying for more than 600 jobs. In the second largest U.S. city, the unemployment rate is nearly fourteen percent. So when the new JW Marriot and Ritz Carlton hotels in downtown announced the availability of so many jobs, which pay $14+ an hour and provide free healthcare, there were plenty of eager applicants.

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The current economic situation is forcing legislators to alter their approach to comprehensive immigration reform.  Speaking on the issue, Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) said “each bill is reflective of a time. And with unemployment over 10 percent I think we need to have language that is very carefully tailored.”  His concerns are echoed by other lawmakers, including Representative Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who acknowledge that tough economic times create challenges for passing such legislation.

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Latinovations would like to thank Rudy Ruiz for his contribution to La Plaza.

Republicans say they love Latinos, but they sure have a funny way of showing it.

Recently, the Senate killed the controversial Vitter Amendment, which would have required that the 2010 Census questionnaire be changed to include an unprecedented question regarding citizenship status. Crafted by Republican Senator David Vitter (Louisiana), the amendment was widely seen as a GOP tactic to discourage immigrants and Latinos from participating in the Census, which has always counted “persons” rather than “citizens.”

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U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)

On November 18, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) addressed supporters of immigration reform on a national conference call organized by Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) and Immigration Reform for America, a policy group that is spearheading a campaign to promote public support for the issue.  The purpose of the conference was to rally support for comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

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As the 2010 Census approaches, it is likely that the count of the U.S. population will confirm the continued growth of the nation’s largest minority population – Hispanics. The importance of this growth and what it means for congressional district reapportionments is becoming increasingly clear. Continue Reading »

In what YouTube owners are calling one of their most comprehensive agreements for TV content, a deal was struck on Monday between the video sharing site and Univision, the most watched Spanish language television network. This deal is one of many the site has been negotiating with owners of professionally-produced programming. Continue Reading »

Three years ago, lawmakers in the only state to mandate health care and the first to legalize gay marriage, struck down a bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to attend college at in-state tuition rates. With 10 other states – some far more conservative – having adopted such legislation, Massachusetts lawmakers are poised to revisit this issue. Continue Reading »

Speaking on the issue of immigration reform Friday morning the Center for American Progress , Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano explained that many of the benchmarks Congress set in 2007 for border security have been met. Continue Reading »

One of immigration reform’s biggest opponents on television, Lou Dobbs, abruptly resigned from his position as news anchor for CNN on Wednesday. The cable news network’s attempt at remaining neutral was hindered by Dobbs’ tendency for venting his strong opinions. President of CNN/U.S., Jonathan Klein, offered an ultimatum to Dobbs months ago that would allow him to express his partisan feelings on the radio while maintaining an objective stance on television, or he could leave the network. Continue Reading »

  Latinovations would like to thank Ms. Murguía and Mr. Neas for their contribution to La Plaza.

America cannot afford to allow anti-immigrant sentiment to shape healthcare reform policy. The health reform debate must be about what is best for all Americans, not about immigration. Our nation’s leaders should not allow preventable illnesses, instability, and insecurity to plague any American child. Continue Reading »