LINEA ABIERTA | THIS WEEK | PREVIOUS PROGRAMS

Linea Abierta Programs for February 2005

Tuesday, February 1st

PROGRAM # 4427 - 12:00 PST
IMMIGRATION EDITION. Attorney Rosalba Piña comments on a new bill pushed by Congressman James Sensenbrenner to curtail political asylum applications and restrict issuing driver's licenses for immigrants. Piña also answers listener calls on immigrant rights and citizenship procedures.

Wednesday, February 2nd

PROGRAM # 4428 - 12:00 PST
STATE OF THE UNION. On this day, President Bush delivers his annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. A high-ranking Republican official, a Democratic congressman, and a renowned representative of the Green Party have been invited to this program to comment on Bush’s budget and goals in areas such as Social Security and the war in Iraq.

Guests: Hector V. Barreto, administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration, Washington, DC; Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Democrat, Tucson, AZ; Peter Miguel Camejo, former U.S. vicepresidential candidate, former candidate to governor of California, Green Party, Oakland, CA.

PROGRAM # 4429 - 12:00 PST
PUERTO RICO EDITION. Meet Wanda Colón Cortés, the host in WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico, who brings live interviews and commentary on news developments with an emphasis in issues on women and peace in the Caribbean basin. Listeners are encouraged to call in.

Friday, February 4th

PROGRAM # 4430 - 12:00 PST
MEXICO EDITION. Journalists Martha Elena Ramirez and Dr. Enrique Velasco join this edition to pay a tribute to Francisco “Paco” Huerta, the founder of the program Voz Pública and Mexican civic journalism’s foremost advocate. Paco Huerta passed away last week of a heart attack. Ramirez and Velasco share memories of their work with Huerta. They also broadcast voices from citizens from Mexico City who attended the funeral for Huerta. Finally, they comment on efforts to reform the laws that govern radio and television, issue addressed by Huerta in his last show.

Monday, February 7th

PROGRAM # 4431 - 12:00 PST
OBESITY AND CHRONIC DISEASE. Obesity, traditionally seen as a problem of the rich, is now inflicting a heavy toll among poor and indigenous communities. Many low-income families believe that fat kids are healthy kids and celebrate foods that are high in fats and calories. These myths are in part responsible for the expansion of waistlines and diabetes, stroke, and heart disease among Mexican-Americans and Latinos. What to do to stop this costly trend?

Guests: Dr. Jane Delgado, President and CEO, National Alliance for Hispanic Health, Washington, DC; others TBA.

Tuesday, February 8th

PROGRAM # 4432 - 12:00 PST
TEXAS EDITION - MONEY REMITTANCES. Remittances from émigrés in the U.S. are critical to sustain Mexico. Migrant remittances already surpassed direct foreign investment and have become the second source of revenue for the country, after oil exports. And the flow of money may further increase now that the high costs of money-transfer services slowly begin to go down, spurred by public pressure and market competition. Journalist Dianne Solís, with The Dallas Morning News, researched the issue and published a series of news stories. She joins this program from Dallas.

ALSO, THE U.S. BUDGET. President Bush proposed a budget that would cut many domestic programs, including Medicaid, vocational education, farm subsidies, and veteran benefits. Critics of the plan give a glimpse on the emerging war around President Bush’s fiscal priorities..

Guests: Congressman Henry Cuellar, Democrat, Laredo, Texas; Lydia Camarillo, Vice president, South West Voter Registration and Education Project, San Antonio, TX.

Wednesday, February 9th

PROGRAM # 4433 - 12:00 PST
MARIACHI VARGAS DE TECALITLÁN. The legendary Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, in its fifth generation, comes to Fresno to headline Radio Bilingue’s Viva el Mariachi! Festival, the oldest in California. While the centenarian group brings traditional Mexican sones, it also includes a repertoire of classical music, boleros, huapangos and ranchera songs. The annual festival in Fresno is part of a movement kicked off 25 years ago in San Antonio, Texas by a mariachi conference where Vargas was the star performer.

Guests: Pepe Martínez, director, and Arturo Vargas, singer and guitar player, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Mexico City; Dr. Jonathan Clark, ethnomusicologist, guitarron player, professor, San Jose, CA.

PROGRAM # 4434 - 12:00 PST
PUERTO RICO EDITION. Meet Wanda Colón Cortés, the host in WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico, who brings live interviews and commentary on news developments with an emphasis in issues on women and peace in the Caribbean basin. Listeners are encouraged to call in.

Friday, February 11th

PROGRAM # 4435 - 12:00 PST
MEXICO EDITION. Journalist Martha Elena Ramírez, producer of the radio program “Voz Pública,” premieres a new chapter of this radio series. Ramírez begins hosting this edition live from Mexico City, providing as usual news and interviews from Mexico and voices from participant listeners. Francisco “Paco” Huerta, the founder of “Voz Pública” and a civic-journalism movement in Mexico, has passed away of a heart attack.

Monday, February 14th

PROGRAM # 4436 - 12:00 PST
INFERTILITY. Infertility affects one of every six couples of childbearing age. This medical condition often leads to stress, anxiety, and other complications. On the holiday that celebrates love, this program dispels mistaken beliefs about infertility and comments on medical advice and modern treatments to achieve a successful pregnancy. This program is aired in collaboration with KQED, San Francisco.

Guest: Dr. David Tourgeman, obstetrician/gynecologist, expert on infertility, Huntington Reproductive Center, West Los Angeles; former professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA; "Alicia", infertility patient.

Tuesday, February 15th

PROGRAM # 4437 - 12:00 PST
IMMIGRATION EDITION. Attorney Rosalba Piña comments on the Real ID Act, a bill seeking to deny driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. The House passed the bill with strong support of the Bush administration. Piña also answers listener calls on immigrant rights and citizenship procedures.

Wednesday, February 16th

PROGRAM # 4438 - 12:00 PST
LOS PANCHOS. The group that began a new musical age half a century ago by taking the sounds of bolero to the whole world return to San Francisco for a four-week engagement. Trío Los Panchos invented the requinto, a small-sized guitar that became a standard instrument for trios. Los Panchos, whose tradition is now continued by Gaby Vargas (adoptive son of co-founder Alfredo Gil), Taurino Vargas and Jaime Islas, come to California as the world-renowned ambassadors of the romantic song. This is a live conversation with members of the group.

PROGRAM # 4439 - 12:00 PST
PUERTO RICO EDITION. Meet Wanda Colón Cortés, the host in WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico, who brings live interviews and commentary on news developments with an emphasis in issues on women and peace in the Caribbean basin. Listeners are encouraged to call in.

PROGRAM # 4440 - 13:00 PST
THE NEW CALIFORNIA. Merced, a small community in central California that bills itself as a top national agricultural center and home to the first U.S. research university built in the 21st century, is set to become a large urban metropolis. The forces propelling this change are the founding of a campus of the University of California and the rapid growth of Latinos and Asians, according to a recent study. The report concludes: “A community known for its primarily rural, poorer, farm working, less educated population with strong roots in Latino culture, is positioned to become a community that demands greater education, cultural and economic capacity.” What are the plans in preparation for the future?

Guests: Ismael Montoya, member of the board of directors, Community Partnership Alliance, Merced, CA; Orson Aguilar, associate director, The Greenlining Institute, Berkeley, CA; Martha Marmolejo, member, Community Partnership Alliance, Merced, CA; Assemblyman Juan Arambula, District 31, Fresno, CA.

Friday, February 18th

PROGRAM # 4441 - 12:00 PST
MEXICO EDITION. Journalist Martha Elena Ramírez, producer of the radio program “Voz Pública,” begins a new chapter of this radio series. Ramírez hosts this edition live from Mexico City, providing as usual news and interviews from Mexico and voices from participant listeners. Francisco “Paco” Huerta, the founder of “Voz Pública” and a civic-journalism movement in Mexico, has passed away of a heart attack.

Monday, February 21st

PROGRAM # 4442 - 12:00 PST
HEART DISEASE AND LATINAS. Heart disease deaths have declined in the general population in recent years. But among Latinas, those tragic numbers are not declining as fast as the rest. This program focuses on how to blood cholesterol on check as a way to prevent high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke. An expert explains how to tailor heart-healthy preventive measures to the needs of each woman. A rural physician also comments on the great number of patients who stop taking their medication and efforts to persuade them to maintain their treatment.

Guest: Matilde M. Alvarado, Coordinator, Minority Health Education and Outreach Programs, Office of Prevention, Education and Control, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC; Dr. Maximiliano Cuevas, chief executive officer, Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, Salinas, CA.

Tuesday, February 22nd

PROGRAM # 4443 - 12:00 PST
LATINOS AND THE WAR. Latinos in the U.S. are more opposed to the war in Iraq than the general population, and most favor an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops. These are findings of a national survey conducted as President Bush begins his second term. This is a conversation with the authors of the report.

Guest: Robert Suro, director, The Pew Hispanic Center, Washington, DC.

PARENTS OF SOLDIERS. Jorge Medina encouraged his two sons and daughter to enlist in the armed forces. But when his son Irving was killed in Iraq he blamed the Bush administration and has now become a vocal critic of the war in Iraq. This is an interview with Mr. Medina from New York.

CAMILO MEJIA RELEASED. Young Sgt. Camilo Mejia, the first Iraqi War veteran to refuse to return to the war, was released after serving nine months in a military prison. Mejia speaks about his days in prison, his first days with the family and his plans for the future, in one of his first interviews with the media.

Wednesday, February 23rd

PROGRAM # 4444 - 12:00 PST
JALISCO-U.S. SIMULCAST - VIVA EL MARIACHI! This is a monthly edition that interconnects audiences from the Mexican heartlands in the Western state of Jalisco with audiences in the U.S. This program features a conversation about the mariachi tradition with Pepe Villa Jr., director of Mariachi México de Pepe Villa, legendary composer Manuel Esperón, author of some of the most celebrated songs in the mariachi’s classical repertoire, and Mauro Calderón, a tenor singer who will perform in a special tribute to Mr. Esperón legacy sponsored by Radio Bilingüe’s “Viva el Mariachi!” Festival in Fresno, CA. The program also includes a conversation with Dr. Jorge Arturo Chamorro, ethnomusicologist, researcher and professor at Universidad de Guadalajara.

PROGRAM # 4445 - 12:00 PST
PUERTO RICO EDITION. Meet Wanda Colón Cortés, the host in WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico, who brings live interviews and commentary on news developments with an emphasis in issues on women and peace in the Caribbean basin. Listeners are encouraged to call in.

PROGRAM # 4446 - 21:00 PST
LOS ANGELES - SIMULCAST: TRADE AND POLLUTION ON U.S. PORTS. Listeners from KPFK in Los Angeles and Radio Bilingüe’s network in California are invited to comment on the topic of this special, monthly simulcast. As international trade grows, the marine port complex of Los Angeles/Long Beach is planning to expand to accommodate greater cargo volumes. But how is the already increased level of pollution from ships engines, and diesel trucks and locomotives impacting local communities? What’s being done to alleviate smog and water contamination, and the blight of local communities?

Guests: Felipe Aguirre, United Neighbors Organization, Maywood, CA; Miguel López, Teamsters Union, Los Angeles; Martha Argüello, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Los Angeles; Dr. Shankar Prasad, health advisor to the chairman, California Air Resource Board, Cal EPA, Sacramento, CA; assemblyman Hector de la Torre, Democrat-Los Angeles.

Friday, February 25th

PROGRAM # 4447 - 12:00 PST and PROGRAM # 4448 13:00 PST
TENTH ANNIVERSARY EDITION. This program marks the tenth anniversary of Línea Abierta. To celebrate the occasion, the hosts of the weekly editions from Puerto Rico and Mexico, Wanda Colón Cortés and Martha Elena Ramírez, join regular host Samuel Orozco in this two-hour program to analyze the on-air service and dialogue with listeners. The program also features excerpts from archived programs.

Monday, February 28th

PROGRAM # 4449 - 12:00 PST
MCDONALD'S TO PAY ON USE OF TRANS FAT. The fast-food chain McDonald's Corp. agreed to pay millions of dollars to help educate the public about the dangers of trans fats. The company also agreed to keep the public posted on its promise of cutting the levels of hydrogenated vegetable oil. This program looks into the expected impact of this settlement in the fast-food industry, why the focus on trans fat acids and how fast-food trans fat is related to the obesity epidemics among children.

Guests: Dr. America Bracho, director, Latino Health Access, Santa Ana, CA; Dr. Vilma Torres, member, President, Board of Directors, Inland-Empire American Heart Association, Los Angeles; Angel Ponce, registered dietician, Encourage Tomorrow Program/Sequoia Community Healthy Centers, Fresno, CA.

 

To tune in to this news service, check our Affiliate Stations page to find your nearest station. Also, the audio of these news stories will soon be available live in this same website.

LINEA ABIERTA | THIS WEEK | PREVIOUS PROGRAMS