LINEA ABIERTA | THIS WEEK | PREVIOUS PROGRAMS

Linea Abierta Programs for February 2003

Monday, February 3rd

PROGRAM # 3774 - 12:00 PDT
HEALTH EDITION – DIABETIC COOKING FOR LATINOS. The American Diabetes Association published a book entitled Diabetic Cooking for Latinos (Cocinando para Latinos con Diabetes), to help Latinos with diabetes follow a meal plan to keep blood sugar under control, while enjoying their delicious culinary traditions. This is a conversation with Olga V. Fusté, MS, RD, a nutrition expert who writes for Latino publications and is a member of the Latino Education Alliance.

PROGRAM # 3775 - 13:00 PDT
COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID. Students who need the most financial aid for college are less likely to know about grants, loans, scholarships and work study programs that pay for student tuition’s fees. This program discusses the findings of a national survey and reports on current efforts by public colleges to get the word out.

Guest: Ricardo Vazquez, Spokesperson, University of California - Office of the President, Oakland, CA.

ALSO, SPACE SHUTTLE DISASTER. While the search for answers and debris continue after the tragedy of the space shuttle Columbia, a NASA representative calls on listeners in Texas and Louisiana to keep distance from the wreckage and report any pieces of debris.

Guest: Heriberto Soto, Spokesperson, Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL.

Tuesday, February 4th

PROGRAM # 3776 - 12:00 PDT
ESTRADA’S NOMINATION. Despite opposition from major Latino organizations, the Senate Judicial Committee voted to approve Miguel Estrada’s nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. MALDEF said: "The most difficult situation is when a President nominates a Latino who does not reflect, resonate or associate with the Latino community." MALDEF's Marisa Demeo elaborates on their opposition to Estrada's nomination.

ALSO, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. Civil rights organizations condemn President Bush’ decision to take side against the University of Michigan’s affirmative action programs in a landmark case before the Supreme Court. Dr. Antonio Flores, president and CEO, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, calls the White House decision a step back in history.

PROGRAM # 3777 - 13:00 PDT
MEXICAN VILLAGES BAN ALCOHOL. Mexican Indian women from ten Huasteca villages in San Luis Potosi, tired of drunken husbands and domestic abuse, got their public officials to ban alcohol sales. Through public meetings, women in other communities also consider imposing dry laws to curtail aguardiente and beer sales and consumption. Local officials discuss how the drunkenness issue galvanized women’s participation and has generated interest in discussing solutions.

Guests: Jaime Altamirano Moreno, city manager, Aquismon, SLP, Mexico; Raul Hernandez Becerril, Alcohol Inspector, Aquismon, SLP.

Wednesday, February 5th

PROGRAM # 3778 - 12:00 PDT
CONTROLLING YOUR DEATH. Hospice institutions help terminally-ill patients regain control over their lives at a time when they feel most vulnerable and every moment is precious. This month’s edition of the series Ultimos Cuidados looks at the options hospice makes available to those who leave the hospital system. Choices include living at home; choosing caregivers; help in designating proxy decision-makers; support in getting public assistance and choosing a final resting place; and, above all, control over the patient’s time as painful curative treatments like chemotherapy and surgery are replaced by comfort-focused palliative care. This series is aired in partnership with the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association.

Guests: Bruce Hobson, Bilingual Outreach Worker, Hospice Caring Project of Santa Cruz County, Aptos, CA; Magali Oliva, Community Health Advocate, QueensCare Hospice, Los Angeles.

PROGRAM # 3779 - 13:00 PDT
NATIVO LOPEZ RECALLED. Nativo Lopez, leader of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, was ousted from the Santa Ana Unified school board after a recall election. Funded by the millionaire Ron Unz, co-author of Proposition 227, the recall effort is seen as a continuation of the battle on bilingual education in California. Santa Ana is considered the most Spanish speaking city in the nation.

Guest: Luis Arritola, editor, Union Hispana weekly newspaper, Santa Ana, CA.

ALSO, POWELL'S CASE AGAINST IRAQ. U.S. State Secretary Colin Powell presented alleged evidence of banned weapons programs against Iraq before the United Nations Security Council. Correspondent Marco Vinicio Gonzalez reports on the skeptical reaction from representatives of other nations in the Security Council, including China, Russia, France and Mexico. Also, listeners call in, most calling to question the evidence provided by Secretary Powell and all calling to give UN inspectors a chance and rely on multilateral action.

Thursday, February 6th

PROGRAM # 3780 - 12:00 PDT
PUERTO RICO EDITION. WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico brings interviews and commentary on news developments in the Caribbean basin.

Host: Wanda Colon-Cortez.

PROGRAM # 3781 - 13:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Francisco “Paco” Huerta, a veteran radio journalist and civic journalism’s foremost advocate, is the program host. He offers a weekly, tape-delayed edition of the series “Voz Pública,” a call-in program airing from Mexico City.

Host: Francisco Huerta, www.vozpublica.com.

Friday, February 7th

PROGRAM # 3782 - 12:00 PDT
IMMIGRATION EDITION. Attorney Carlos Spector Calderón, in El Paso, TX, provides news and commentary on major developments regarding U.S. immigration law. Listeners are encouraged to call in with comments and questions on immigration and citizenship issues. News include: Under a federal court order in a case known as Proyecto San Pablo, INS posts notice for applicants for legalization whose amnesty applications were denied in the late 1980s. Also, Tyson Foods company in Tennessee faces charges of conspiracy to smuggle undocumented immigrants in a federal trial that begins this week.

PROGRAM # 3783 - 13:00 PDT
VENEZUELA IN TURMOIL. Venezuela lives under a climate of turmoil. Backed by a general strike, the business and political elite is waging a months-long opposition movement against populist President Hugo Chávez. The opposition calls for an immediate referendum. Chávez says he is prepared to hold a referendum at mid-term, as dictated by the Venezuelan Constitution. Leaders of Venezuelan groups in the U.S. debate the issue.

Guests: Omar Garcia Bolivar, director, Coordinadora Internacional Venezolana, Alexandria, VA; Gustavo Moncada, representative, Comite de Solidaridad con Venezuela, Brooklyn, NY.

Monday, February 10th

PROGRAM # 3784 - 12:00 PDT
HEALTH EDITION – STD. Long seasons of separation from families and homes puts migrant workers at risk of unprotected sex and high rates of chlamydia, gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted diseases. Dr. Elmer Huerta, a regular commentator, provides practical advice and chats with listeners.

PROGRAM # 3785 - 13:00 PDT
ENVIRONMENTAL BINATIONAL PROGRAMS. Federal officials from the U.S. and Mexico provide information on programs along the border that help treat residual water and save and store drinking water. These projects are finding support from an EPA’s fund for small communities.

Guests: Eugenia McNaughton, Environmental Scientist, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9, San Francisco, CA; Maritza Aguirre, Spokesperson, Office of External Affaris, U.S. EPA, Region 6, Dallas TX; Oscar Cabral, Interim Director, Technical Services, NADBANK; Efrain Muñoz Martín, Director General, Comisión Estatal de Servicios Públicos de Mexicali; Mariano Martínez, Director, Public Works, City of Calexico, CA.

Tuesday, February 11th

PROGRAM # 3786 - 12:00 PDT
TRAILBLAZING SCIENTIST. A conversation with Dr. Karen Lozano, the first Mexican American woman to graduate from Rice University and the fifth woman in getting a mechanical engineering degree from Mexico’s Universidad de Monterrey. Dr. Lozano received the “Most Promising Scientist” award at the latest HENAAC conference (Hispanic Engineers National Achievement Awards Conference).

Guest: Karen Lozano, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Rice University, Houston, TX.

PROGRAM # 3787 - 13:00 PDT
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. Mental disorders are not more common among Latinos than among whites. But Latinos suffer more the effects of mental illness because they are least likely to access the health care system. A mental health expert gives advice on how to seek help for depression and anxiety. Guest: Dr. Karla Lacayo, psychiatrist, California State University Fresno.

Wednesday, February 12th

PROGRAM # 3788 - 12:00 PDT
BRACEROS. Bracero advocates are urging veteran Bracero workers or family members to send letters to the Mexican government to apply for long-overdue monies deducted from their wages in the 1940s. This program also provides an update on efforts to appeal the decision of a San Francisco judge who dismissed a legal claim by Braceros for compensation.

Guests: Ventura Gutierrez, Union sin Fronteras, Coachella, CA; Enriqueta Quintero, Comite Ex-braceros, Mexicali, MX; Enrique Martinez, attorney, San Francisco, CA.

PROGRAM # 3789 - 13:00 PDT
DRINKING CLEAN WATER. Groundwater and wells around the nation have been polluted by chemicals like DBCP and MTBE. Federal and state governments have enacted regulations to ensure a clean water supply, but environmentalists blame states for weak monitoring programs. How do we know the water on the tap is safe? What can communities do to ensure clean, healthy and reliable water? This program is in conjunction with KQED, San Francisco's public radio.

Guests: Sen. Nell Soto, D-Ontario, CA; Jose Caratini, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, San Francisco, CA; Yvette Quiroga, councilmember, City of Mendota, CA.

Thursday, February 13th

PROGRAM # 3790 - 12:00 PDT
PUERTO RICO EDITION. WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico brings interviews and commentary on news developments in the Caribbean basin.

Host: Wanda Colon-Cortez.

PROGRAM # 3791 - 13:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Francisco “Paco” Huerta, a veteran radio journalist and civic journalism’s foremost advocate, is the program host. He offers a weekly, tape-delayed edition of the series “Voz Pública,” a call-in program airing from Mexico City.

Host: Francisco Huerta, www.vozpublica.com.

Friday, February 14th

PROGRAM # 3792 - 12:00 PDT
DIABETES. Latinos with diabetes have higher rates of complications such as kidney disease, eye disease, lower-leg amputations, strokes, and vascular disease. Health care organizations encourage Latinos to monitor and control blood-sugar levels to keep those serious medical risks at bay. On the day of St. Valentine, a diabetes expert also give advise on how to enjoy candies, chocolate and other sweet gifts without affecting blood-sugar levels.

Guest: Dr. Joel Zonszein, director of Diabetes Clinical Center, Medical Center Montefiore, New York; National Alliance for Hispanic Health, Washington, DC, www.hispanichealth.org.

PROGRAM # 3793 - 13:00 PDT
IMMIGRATION EDITION. Attorney Carlos Spector Calderón, in El Paso, TX, provides news and commentary on major developments regarding U.S. immigration law. Listeners are encouraged to call in with comments and questions on immigration and citizenship issues. Spector reports on the long lines and higher scrutiny at the border checkpoints due to the Orange Code security alert declared in the nation.

Monday, February 17th

PROGRAM # 3794 - 12:00 PDT
HEALTH EDITION – MEXICAN GASTRONOMY. Mexican traditional cuisine, based on the staple foods corn, beans and chili, should be a matter of national security for Mexico, according to advocates. When those ancient dishes are threatened by environmental disasters or fast and junk food, a whole culture and eating style also dissapears. Also, canned and junk foods are fastly becoming a source of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. A proposal to declare Mexican gastronomy a world treasure is in the making at the United Nations Organization.

Guest: Cristina Barros, columnist, El Itacate, La Jornada newspaper, Mexico City; author, "Las Once y Sereno".

PROGRAM # 3795 - 13:00 PDT
LOS CENZONTLES. An acclaimed dance and music ensemble, Los Cenzontles is an institution in San Pablo, CA, dedicated to share the traditional arts of Mexico with young students. They have recorded CDs with some of the Mexican American song masters, including Grammy-nominated Papa’s Dreams with pioneer Lalo Guerrero and East L.A.’s Los Lobos. Guests talk about their recent CD "Plan de la Villa," featuring sones abajenos from Jalisco, and their repertoire for the upcoming ¡Viva el Mariachi! Festival in downtown Fresno, CA on March 23rd.

Guests: Lucina Rodriguez, singer/dancer; Julian Gonzalez, master teacher, Los Cenzontles, www.loscenzontles.com.

ALSO, ANTI-WAR VOICES. More than 200 thousand demonstrators attended a huge antiwar rally in San Francisco to protest U.S. plans to invade Iraq. This segment features interviews with two leading speakers at the rally's stage. Attorney Renee Saucedo is the director of La Raza Centro Legal and the Day Laborers Program. Olga Talamantes is executive director of the Chicana/Latina Foundation in San Francisco.

Tuesday, February 18th

PROGRAM # 3796 - 12:00 PDT
OMAR SOSA. Cuba-born pianist Omar Sosa’s latest album Sentir was nominated in two categories in this month’s Grammy Awards. The recording mixes traditional rhythms from Cuba, Venezuela and Morocco with contemporary jazz. Sosa, who moved to San Francisco from Cuba and has now moved to Spain, also comments on his new release, “Ayaguna,” recorded live in Japan. He joins this program from Barcelona.

ALSO, U.N. REBUFFS U.S. WAR PLANS. Correspondent Marco Vinicio Gonzalez reports from New York on the U.S. quest for authorization for a war to remove President Saddam Hussein and disarm Iraq. Also, reporter Gabriela Benitez files a report on a demonstration in East L.A. opposing the war and urging a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

PROGRAM # 3797 - 13:00 PDT
MIGUEL ESTRADA NOMINATION. The White House refuses to release internal documents written by Miguel Estrada, nominee to an important court of appeals. Democrat senators warn they will use a filibuster to derail the nomination until the Latino lawyer answers more questions about his views on critical issues. These are the latest developments on this controversial nomination.

Interviewees: Manuel Miranda, legislative adviser, Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), leader of the Senate Majority; Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-LA), member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Wednesday, February 19th

PROGRAM # 3798 - 12:00 PDT
HOSPICE CARE. Hospice professionals meet in San Francisco to exchange views on issues such as changing the way death is viewed in the U.S., improving palliative care for cancer, using ceremony and rituals to reduce fears about death and put families in charge, educating doctors on end-of-life curriculum, and more. In this live broadcast from the conference site, hospice professionals reflect on their experience. A social worker talks about the changes she has witnessed in care for the terminally-ill since the days before hospice care. A nurse reflects on his previous work as a ICU and ER paramedic. And a chaplain stresses on the critical need of professionals to serve the growing Spanish-speaking population.

Guests: Sheila Kennedy, social worker, Veterans Administration, Hospice Care Center, Palo Alto, CA; member of board of directors, California Hospice Foundation; Tony Facundo, RN, Universal Health Services, Fort Worth, TX; Tom Nadelin, Chaplain, Sutter Auburn Faith Hospice, Auburn, CA.

PROGRAM # 3799 - 13:00 PDT
CERVIX CANCER. Latinas suffer a higher burden and deaths of cancers of the cervix than other women. They are diagnosed twice as many cases of cervix cancer that the rest of the women population. Scientists at Stanford University are studying the problem among non-insured Latino women at risk. A researcher and a survivor join this program live at the conference of the California Hospice Foundation.

Guests: Rosario L. Villacorta, research assistant, Stanford Infection and Family Transmission Study, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; Xiomara Artola,cervix cancer survivor, Redwood City, CA.

Thursday, February 20th

PROGRAM # 3800 - 12:00 PDT
PUERTO RICO EDITION. WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico brings interviews and commentary on news developments in the Caribbean basin.

Host: Wanda Colon-Cortez.

PROGRAM # 3801 - 13:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Francisco “Paco” Huerta, a veteran radio journalist and civic journalism’s foremost advocate, is the program host. He offers a weekly, tape-delayed edition of the series “Voz Pública,” a call-in program airing from Mexico City.

Host: Francisco Huerta, www.vozpublica.com.

Friday, February 21st

PROGRAM # 3802 - 12:00 PDT
IMMIGRATION EDITION. Attorney Carlos Spector Calderón, in El Paso, TX, provides news and commentary on major developments regarding U.S. immigration law. Listeners are encouraged to call in with comments and questions on immigration and citizenship issues. Comments focus this week on a warning released by Texas' Attorney General Office about notaries public that are ripping off unsuspecting immigrants.

PROGRAM # 3803 - 13:00 PDT
PESTICIDE EXPOSURE. Last summer, a toxic gas that drifted away from the soil in neighboring agricultural fields, poisoned hundreds in a residential area in Arvin, CA. In this program, two survivors of pesticide drift exposure talk about their efforts to get agencies to act on the Arvin case and to protect rural communities from pesticide drift accidents.

Guests: Teresa de Anda, President, Comite para el Bienestar de Earlimart, CA; Edelmira Alcazar, member, Comite para el Bienestar de Earlimart.

Monday, February 24th

PROGRAM # 3804 - 12:00 PDT
HEALTH EDITION – HEART DISEASE. February is American Heart Month and February 21 is Woman’s Heart Day. In this program, Dr. Elmer Huerta shares advice on how to save the lives of victims of coronary heart disease, the single leading cause of death in the U.S. Dr. Huerta also discusses risk factors, how to get screened and how to follow a heart-healthy lifestyle.

PROGRAM # 3805 - 13:00 PDT
MARIACHI FEVER. This year’s mariachi festival in Fresno, CA, the longest-running mariachi fest in California, celebrates children and the family. The founder of the festival reflects on this theme and this 21-year Californian tradition, a scholar discusses the impact of this tradition on both Mexico and the U.S., and a charro performer talks about his art and announce plans for the event.

Guests: Hugo Morales, CEO, Radio Bilingüe, Fresno, CA; Jonathan Clark, ethnomusicologist and mariachi virtuoso, San Jose, CA; Victor Escamilla, member of Hermanos Escamilla, world’s renowned floreadores de reata or trick ropers, Chihuahua, MX.

Tuesday, February 25th

PROGRAM # 3806 - 12:00 PDT
ANNIVERSARY EDITION – LATINO POETS’ MESSAGE TO BUSH. On this day, Línea Abierta celebrates eight years on public radio’s airwaves. To mark the occasion, renowned Latino and Mexican poets were invited to share their thoughts on the U.S.’ call for war. Writers offering a special message are: Juan Felipe Herrera, author of Mayan Drifter: Chicano Drifter in the Lowlands of the Americas; Margarita Luna Robles, author of Triptych: Dreams, Lust and Other Performances; Julia Alvarez, author of In the Time of the Butterflies; Alice Walker (African-American), author of The Color Purple; and Mexican actress Ofelia Medina.

ALSO, EDUARDO GALEANO AT THE WORLD SOCIAL FORUM. This broadcast features selected segments of the speech of Uruguayan journalist and writer Eduardo Galeano before the World Social Forum, a gathering of activists for social reform and peace in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Galeano reflects on the paradoxes of the modern, global world.

PROGRAM # 3807 - 13:00 PDT
MENTAL HEALTH AND THE FAMILY. A mental health expert gives advice to families on how to help detect major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and psychosis. She also discusses access to clinical mental health services available for low-income families.

Guest: Dr. Karla Lacayo, psychiatrist and researcher, California State University Fresno.

Wednesday, February 26th

PROGRAM # 3808 - 12:00 PDT
2002 FARM BILL. High-ranking officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture meet in California with minority and low-income farmers to discuss details of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, known as the 2002 Farm Bill. This program features an interview with USDA Assistant Secretary Lou Gallegos on issues such as crop subsidies for top growers, the plight of the family farm, equality for Latino farmers and the collapsing of poor Third World farmers.

ALSO, FILIBUSTER ON ESTRADA NOMINATION. Senate Democrats continue to block a vote on President Bush’s nomination of Miguel Estrada to an influential federal appeals court. In as the Senate convenes for sessioning, the White House is taking the debate to the public. This segment begins with President Bush's address to the nation, which this week focuses on Estrada's nomination.

Guests: Secretary Mel Martínez, U.S. Housing Department, The White House; María Echaveste, spokesperson for the Democratic National Committee and former deputy Chief of Staff for President Clinton.

PROGRAM # 3809 - 13:00 PDT
HEALTHY COOKING. Despite evidence that a healthy diet can help prevent obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and learning disorders, most U.S. residents practice poor eating habits. In this program on nutritional awareness, guest listeners share stories about how they continue using ingredients of their traditional cuisine to prepare healthy recipes for the whole family.

Guests: Raul Lopez Santana, Los Banos, CA; Josefina Rodriguez, Soledad, CA.

ALSO, TOMATO PICKERS FASTING. Tomato pickers with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Florida are in their third day of a hunger strike at the headquarters of Taco Bell in Irvine. They urge the fast-food giant to put pressure growers to improve salaries and working conditions for field workers in Florida.

Guest: Lucas Benitez, coordinator, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Immokalee, FL.

Thursday, February 27th

PROGRAM # 3810 - 12:00 PDT
PUERTO RICO EDITION. WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico brings interviews and commentary on news developments in the Caribbean basin.

Host: Wanda Colon-Cortez.

PROGRAM # 3811 - 13:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Francisco “Paco” Huerta, a veteran radio journalist and civic journalism’s foremost advocate, is the program host. He offers a weekly, tape-delayed edition of the series “Voz Pública,” a call-in program airing from Mexico City.

Host: Francisco Huerta, www.vozpublica.com.

Friday, February 28th

PROGRAM # 3812 - 12:00 PDT
WELCOME BACK CENTER. Two campuses in San Francisco join efforts to help immigrant health professionals in the U.S. to get credentials and jobs in the U.S. health care system. They are also being trained in leadership and advocacy skills. Once trained at the Welcome Back Center, these professionals are placed in medically underserved areas.

Guest: Jose Ramon Fernandez-Pena, MD, MPA, director of the Regional Health Occupations Resource Center, San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco; Pablo Pinedo, participant and volunteer advisor, Welcome Back Initiative,San Francisco, CA.

PROGRAM # 3813 - 13:00 PDT
IMMIGRATION EDITION. Attorney Carlos Spector Calderón, in El Paso, TX, provides news and commentary on major developments regarding U.S. immigration law. Listeners are encouraged to call in with comments and questions on immigration and citizenship issues. Spector comments on immigration attorneys concerns as the U.S. INS becomes part of the newly-created Department of Homeland Security.

ALSO, HUNGER STRIKE AT TACO BELL. As dozens of farm worker organizers enter their fourth day of fasting and receive support from demonstrators from across California, Lucas Benitez comments on this protest by Florida tomato pickers against fast food giant Taco Bell.

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