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Linea Abierta Programs for September 2005

PROGRAM # 4597 - 12:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Host Martha Elena Ramírez and the “Voz Pública” program continue a tradition of civic radio journalism. Ramírez hosts this edition live from Mexico City, providing as usual news and interviews from Mexico and voices from participant listeners.

Friday, September 2nd

PROGRAM # 4598 - 12:00 PDT
KATRINA: THE DISASTER. The worst natural disaster in U.S. history has left hundreds dead, widespread chaos and a deep human crisis. This is a conversation with Adhemir Olguín, press attaché with the Mexican Consulate in Houston, about Mexico’s plans to help émigrés and Spanish-speaking hurricane refugees to find relief.

FLACO JIMÉNEZ. This conversation with popular accordionist Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, from San Antonio, was recorded at this week’s Cotati Accordion Festival in California. The Grammy winner talks about two recent albums. “Chavez Ravine,” produced by Ry Cooder and headlining the late Lalo Guerrero, and a recording with Tomás Ortiz, the surviving member of the legendary Los Alegres de Terán.

LATINA WRITERS. In this conversation, Dr. Gwendolyn Díaz talks about the recent conference “Latina Letters” in San Antonio, the achievements and challenges of Texana women writers, and pays tribute to poet Angela de Hoyos, a pioneer of bilingual, Spanglish literature. Dr. Díaz is the head of the English Department’s Graduate Studies Program at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

Monday, September 5th

PROGRAM # 4600 - 12:00 PDT
SIMULCAST WITH MICHOACÁN: EMOTIONAL LONELINESS. Women in migrant communities are usually left in charge of the home economy, the children’s health and education, and other responsibilities. This is reportedly a source of frequent stress-related ailments. Women find relief in self-care, family members, pharmacy clerks, traditional healers or general physicians. What is the state of Michoacan doing to provide culturally sensitive mental health care to this rural population? This is a live discussion on the issue, in conjunction with the twelve-station network of Radio Michoacán in Morelia, Mexico.

Guests: Dr. Nelly Salgado de Snyder, Director of Community Health and Social Welfare, Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica de Mexico, Cuernavaca, MX; Guadalupe Hernandez Dimas, Chief, Departamento de Vinculacion Social con Pueblos y Comunidades Indigenas, Direccion de Atencion a Grupos Sociales en Condiciones de Pobreza, Secretaria de Desarrollo Social, Santa Fe de la Laguna, MX; Mtra. Rubi de Maria Gomez, director, Instituto Michoacano de la Mujer, Morelia, MX; Dr. Bertha Dimas Huacuz, member of the community, Santa Fe de la Laguna, Graduate degree from Public Health School of Harvard University, National Journalism Award 2004, Morelia, MX.

Tuesday, September 6th

PROGRAM # 4601 - 12:00 PDT
KATRINA: DISASTER AND RELIEF. Hurricane Katrina is considered the costliest U.S. natural disaster. Thousands may be dead and hundreds of thousands were left homeless. This program reports on the extent of the devastation, the missing, the threat of disease, and the refugee exodus into Texas. It also looks into efforts to bring bilingual relief services to the tens of thousands Latino victims and to get assurances from federal authorities to protect immigrants from the threat of deportation.

Guests: Jose Martin Samano, news anchor and special envoy, Azteca America TV Network, New Orleans, LA;  Gustavo Rangel, news reporter, Diarios Rumbo, Houston, TX; Mayra Lopez de Victoria, public affairs specialist, Federal Emergency Management Agency - FEMA, Washington, DC.

Wednesday, September 7th

PROGRAM # 4602 - 12:00 PDT
KATRINA: EVACUEES AND PREPAREDNESS. In the aftermath of the worst hurricane in U.S. history, this program looks into the plight of the thousands of the evacuees. It continues reporting on relief operations, including Mexico's contribution, and efforts to find and provide help for immigrant families. It also examines reports about a slow response, poor federal leadership and a critical lack of disaster preparedness.

Guests: Juan Bosco Marti Ascencio, executive director for North America, Mexico's Foreign Relations Ministry, Mexico City; Alejandro Rosales, coordinator of Humanitarian Aid, OxFam America, Biloxi, Miss. www.oxfamamerica.org ; Esther Hernandez, hurricane victim, Algiers, LA; Javier Omar Rosado, hurricane victim, Nueva Orleans, LA; Janet Murguia, executive director, National Council of La Raza, Washington, DC, www.nclr.org.

PROGRAM # 4603 - 12:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Host Martha Elena Ramírez and the “Voz Pública” program continue a tradition of civic radio journalism. Ramírez hosts this edition live from Mexico City, providing as usual news and interviews from Mexico and voices from participant listeners.

Friday, September 9th

PROGRAM # 4604 - 12:00 PDT
NARCISO MARTÍNEZ FESTIVAL. On Mexican Independence Day, the Narciso Martínez Conjunto Festival in San Benito begins a three-day celebration of the best of Texas’ cultural treasure: accordion music. The annual grassroots event, which bears the name of the father of the Texano-Mexicano Conjunto, takes place in the Rio Grande valley, the cradle of this musical tradition. This is a conversation with headlining artists and the festival's organizer.

Guests: Cristina Balli, director of programming and development, Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, San Benito, TX; Gilberto Perez, founder and director, Gilberto Perez y sus Compadres, Mercedes, TX; Professor Benny Layton, Los Hermanos Layton, Elsa, TX.

AID FOR VICTIMS OF KATRINA. In this news interview, Hector Barreto, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration at the White House, annnounces that his agency will begin providing Katrina evacuees with financial assistance. Evacuees may now be able to apply for low-interes loans. He also talks about his plans to increase bilingual services and outreach efforts to immigrant evacuees.

NOMINATION TO CHIEF JUSTICE. Attorney Norma Cantu, professor of law at University of Texas Austin's School of Law, analizes the background of judge John Roberts, the nominee of President Bush for the top job at the U.S. Supreme Court. Cantu, who is also a former regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, raises questions about judge Roberts' opinions or decisions in areas such as civil rights, affirmative action and immigration.

Monday, September 12th

PROGRAM # 4606 - 12:00 PDT
MEXICAN PSYCHOLOGIST RECEIVES AWARD. This is a conversation with Dr. Eduardo Almeida Acosta about his decades-long work with poor and Nahuatl indigenous communities in Central Mexico. Dr. Almeida has advocated for local social and cultural empowerment and for independent cooperative networks. He has also promoted the teaching of community psychology in Mexico’s college education. He recently became the first Mexican to receive a prestigious award from the American Psychology Association. Dr. Almeida comments on community-based responses to issues such as natural disasters, poverty, alcohol abuse and others.

Guest: Dr. Eduardo Almeida Acosta, professor and social psychologist, Department of Psychology, Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, Puebla, MX.

Tuesday, September 13th

PROGRAM # 4607 - 12:00 PDT
IMMIGRATION EDITION – HURRICANE VICTIMS AND PRACTICAL ADVICE. Chicago attorney Rosalba Piña joins this edition as a regular commentator. This program features a conversation with Dan Kane, national spokesperson for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, to clarify procedures for immigrant victims of Hurricane Katrina who may not have documented proof of lawful status. Piña comments on this story and also answers listener calls on immigrant rights and citizenship procedures.

Wednesday, September 14th

PROGRAM # 4608 - 12:00 PDT
TESTING OF TOXIC PESTICIDES IN HUMANS. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing rules that will establish ethical safeguards banning intentional dosing research on pesticides with children and pregnant women. The Clinton administration had declared a moratorium on human testing; the Bush administration lifted it. Farm worker advocates say the rules have ethical loopholes and call to stop systematic experimentation of toxic pesticides on humans. EPA's spokespersons declined participation.

Guests: Congressman Henry Waxman, Democrat, Los Angeles; Shelly Davis, deputy director, Farmworkers Justice Fund, Washington, DC.

PROGRAM # 4609 - 12:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Host Martha Elena Ramírez and the “Voz Pública” program continue a tradition of civic radio journalism. Ramírez hosts this edition live from Mexico City, providing as usual news and interviews from Mexico and voices from participant listeners.

PROGRAM # 4610 - 13:00 PDT
PUERTO RICO EDITION. Meet Wanda Colón Cortés, the host in WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico, who brings interviews and commentary on news developments with an emphasis on issues about women and peace in the Caribbean basin. Listeners are encouraged to call in.

Friday, September 16th

PROGRAM # 4611 - 12:00 PDT
ROLAS DE AZTLÁN. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the farm worker movement, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings releases an anthology of recordings, from picket-line songs to Mexican revolutionary corridos. The compilation is titled “Rolas de Aztlán: Songs of the Chicano Movement” and includes Chicano grass-roots musicians with tracks recorded live at union meeting halls or gathered from recognized labels. This program is also in commemoration of Mexican Independence Day.

Guests: Agustín Lira, co-founder of El Teatro Campesino and director of Grupo Alma, Fresno, CA; Ramón “Chunky” González, Los Alacranes Mojados, San Diego, CA; Daniel Sheehy, producer, Rolas de Aztlán, director of Smithsonian Kolkways Recordings, Washington, DC.

Monday, September 19th

PROGRAM # 4612 - 12:00 PDT
REAL MEN, REAL DEPRESSION. Warning that more than six million men a year suffer depression in silence, health care promoters reach out to men in the U.S. spreading the message that depression is a serious medical condition and it takes courage to ask for help. This program announces the upcoming debut of the campaign "Real Men, Real Depression" for Spanish speakers. Listeners who report suffering from depression call in to share their testimony on the air.

Guest: Dr. Sergio Aguilar Gaxiola, clinical psychologist, professor, director of the Center to Reduce Health Disparities, University of California, Davis, coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Mental Health Initiative, World Health Organization, Sacramento, CA; Dr. Cristina Magana, mental health researcher, Department of Psychology, California State UNiversity Fresno.

Tuesday, September 20th

PROGRAM # 4613 - 12:00 PDT
SPRAYING FARM WORKERS. This is a conversation with the author of “The Death of Ramón González,” a book about a young Mixtec tomato picker in the Culiacan valley who died two days after taking a bath in an irrigation canal. “Ramón”, who likely died of poisoning, was working in close contact with dangerous chemicals without safety gear. Through this case, Dr. Angus Wright examines  use and abuse of pesticides in modern, pesticide-intensive Mexican agriculture and the greater use of “nonpersistent pesticides.” The University of Texas Press is preparing a new release of Wright’s book.

Guest: Angus Wright, professor of environmental studies, California State University, Sacramento.

Wednesday, September 21st

PROGRAM # 4614 - 12:00 PDT
SUPREME COURT NOMINEES. Attorney Norma Cantú, professor of law at the University of Texas, Austin, analyzes current confirmation hearings for the post of chief justice of the Supreme Court and the prospects of having a woman or a person of color nominated for the remaining vacancy.

LA HISPANIDAD: FIESTA Y RITO. In this interview, Mexican author Leonardo da Jandra speaks about his new book “La Hispanidad: Fiesta y Rito.” Da Jandra talks about the festivities, rituals, arts and traditions that are at the heart of Mexican cultural identity. He describes Mexican culture in three stages: Spain’s imperative past; Mexico’s continuing present; and MexAmerica, the promising future represented by Latino communities in the U.S.

EL ÁGUILA EN LA ALCOBA. This is an interview with Adolfo Arrioja about his new book “El águila en la alcoba,” a historic novel based on the story of la Güera Rodríguez, an extraordinary woman who supported the Independence movement and played a major role in shaping important decisions in the first national governments. Adolfo Rioja is a doctor of law and professor at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.

PROGRAM # 4615 - 12:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Host Martha Elena Ramírez and the “Voz Pública” program continue a tradition of civic radio journalism. Ramírez hosts this edition live from Mexico City, providing as usual news and interviews from Mexico and voices from participant listeners.

PROGRAM # 4616 - 13:00 PDT
PUERTO RICO EDITION. Meet Wanda Colón Cortés, the host in WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico, who brings interviews and commentary on news developments with an emphasis on issues about women and peace in the Caribbean basin. Listeners are encouraged to call in.

Friday, September 23rd

PROGRAM # 4617 - 12:00 PDT
HURRICANE RITA: EVACUATION STALLS. Millions in Houston became stranded in traffic jams in the evacuation routes after many heeded warnings about Hurricane Rita and fled the coast. Gasoline is in short supply and this worsens the jam. In this program, correspondent Raul Feliciano reports on life in the city, traffic nightmares in the roads, and the preparations he has made to stay in Houston with his family. Also, Mayra Lopez de Victoria, a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA, gives advise for those in the Gulf Coast area and talks about her agency's plans to help bring relief to evacuees.

PEACE RALLY. On the eve of a massive anti-war march in Washington, this program brings talks with Latino leaders opposed to the wat, including the father of a soldier who died in Iraq and a veteran activist. They talk about President Bush' defense of maintaining U.S. troops in Iraq, military recruiting at schools, and the stance on the war by Latino members of Congress.

Guests: Fernando Suarez del Solar, father of Jesus Suarez, U.S. soldier who died in Iraq; Rosalio Munoz, leader, Latinos por la Paz, Washington, DC.

Sunday, September 25th

PROGRAM # 4618 and # 4619 / 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
DYING TO WORK. This is a live broadcast of a public forum in the citrus-belt town of Lindsay, CA on the latest about farmworkers occupational health and safety. During the first hour, the special broadcast focused on the case of brothers Jesús and Refugio Castro, who worked as milkers at a mega-dairy in Tulare county. They won a labor-rights lawsuit claiming they were not receiving overtime pay nor rest and meal periods. They also claimed their employer failed to provide protective gear such as boots and raincoats. Also, farmworker José Guadalupe Gudiño testified about the death of his brother Agustín, who collapsed of heatstroke and dehydration while working in a vineyard in Visalia. Agustín was one of three heatstroke deaths in the Central Valley that prompted emergency regulations to protect fieldworkers against the heat wave. Identifying risk factors for heat illness and measures to prevent it were topics of this program. The second hour featured a discussion about recent regulations to protect field workers against heat illness and the public push to have them become permanent health and safety measures. This program also aired testimonials from women farmworkers on cases of toxic poisoning in the fields. The recent case of dozens of vineyard workers sprayed with pesticides in Kern county was also a subject for this panel.

Guests: Jesús Castro, milkman and plaintiff, Castro v. VanderEyk, Tulare, CA; José Guadalupe Gudiño, farmworker, representative for Gudiño family, Tulare, CA; Sandra García, Campesinas Unidas, Tulare, CA; Amalia Neidhardt, MPH, Senior Industrial Hygienist, Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Cal/OSHA Enforcement, Sacramento, CA; Enrique Hank Rivera, Cal/OSHA; Mario Ibarra, program specialist, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Pesticide Enforcement Branch, Fresno, CA; Javier Cadena, Deputy Labor Commissioner, Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Bakersfield, CA; Alegria de la Cruz, attorney, California Rural Legal Assistance, Fresno, CA; Silas Shawver, attorney, California Rural Legal Assistance, Fresno, CA; Ephraim Camacho, community worker, CRLA, Fresno, CA.

Monday, September 26th

PROGRAM # 4620 - 12:00 PDT
LAND AND LIFE. Mexicans and Latinos in the U.S. experience more environmental injustices than other national-origin groups, yet this fact is hardly reflected in history. With this in mind, Dr. Devon Peña has been writing books about the environmental history of Mexican-descent people on both sides of the border and current ecological politics. Dr. Peña, who has worked on community-owned acequias in New Mexico and Mexican Indian gardens in South Central Los Angeles, says that Latino communities have a wealth of deep-rooted pro-environmental beliefs and they should draw on that traditional knowledge to control their ecological future.

Guest: Dr. Devon G. Peña, professor of anthropology, environmental studies, and Chicano studies at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA; author of The Terror of the Machine, Mexican Americans and the Environment: Tierra y Vida, and other books.

Tuesday, September 27th

PROGRAM # 4621 - 12:00 PDT
IMMIGRATION EDITION – HURRICANE VICTIMS FACE DEPORTATION. Chicago attorney Rosalba Piña joins this edition as a regular commentator. Immigration agents detained undocumented evacuees who fled Hurricane Katrina in West Virginia and Texas and now the immigrants face deportation. Advocacy groups have called on the Bush administration to suspend deportation proceedings against those victims seeking emergency help. Piña comments on this story and also answers listener calls on immigrant rights and citizenship procedures.

Guests: Leticia Zamarripa, spokesperson, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, El Paso, TX; Flavia Jimenez, immigration policy analyst, National Council of La Raza, Washington, DC.

Wednesday, September 28th

PROGRAM # 4622 - 12:00 PDT
EXAS-JALISCO SIMULCAST: CHOCOLATE CAR AMNESTY. Mexico approved a vehicle amnesty to legalize imports and register an estimated 3 million chocolate cars, as the unlicensed, illegally-imported cars are called. This binational radio program, broadcast in conjunction with the three-station network of Radiarte in Guadalajara, features representatives from Jalisciense émigré groups in Texas and federal treasury officials in charge of the car amnesty program in Western Mexico.

Guests: Rosalba Santibañez, President, Clubes Jaliscienses, San Antonio, Texas; Jesus Gonzalez Martinez, coordinador, Atencion al Contribuyente, Secretaria de Finanzas;  Armando Sojo Garza Aldape, Delegado federal en Jalisco, Secretaria de Economia; Jose Guzman Torres, subdirector, Promocion al Comercio Exterior, Secretaria de Economia; Monica Martinez, subdirectora, Servicios y Asuntos Juridicos, Secretaria de Economia; Roberto Argueta, subdirector, Servicios al Publico, Secretaria de Economia.

MEXICO PROVIDES FORMS FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS. On the eve of the start of the distribution of forms to apply for absentee ballots in Mexico's diplomatic missions, Pilar Alvarez Lasso, spokesperson for the department of Mexican Vote from Abroad from Instituto Federal Electoral de Mexico, provides news on regulations to vote for Mexican emigres.

PROGRAM # 4623 - 12:00 PDT
MEXICO EDITION. Host Martha Elena Ramírez and the “Voz Pública” program continue a tradition of civic radio journalism. Ramírez hosts this edition live from Mexico City, providing as usual news and interviews from Mexico and voices from participant listeners.

PROGRAM # 4624 - 13:00 PDT
PUERTO RICO EDITION. Meet Wanda Colón Cortés, the host in WRTU, Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico, who brings interviews and commentary on news developments with an emphasis on issues about women and peace in the Caribbean basin. Listeners are encouraged to call in.

Friday, September 30th

PROGRAM # 4625 - 12:00 PDT
OF GAS PRICE HIKES, SUVS AND HYBRIDS. Recent gas price hikes may be spurring an unusual consumer backlash, with surveys showing overwhelming public support for higher fuel-efficiency standards and fuel-saving hybrid technology. Sales of large sport-utility vehicles (SUV), the thirstiest vehicles, are plunging, and a growing number of consumers are shopping now for cars with fuel-saving hybrid engines.  Are SUVs on the way out? Are hybrid cars quickly becoming part of the mainstream U.S. auto market? Will consumers switch to smaller cars? Is this crisis spurring action to impose higher fuel efficiency standards and more support for alternative energy research? What about its impact on air pollution?

Guests: Luis Cabrales, California organizer, National Environment Trust, Los Angeles, CA; Alberto Rojas, communications counsel, Consumer Reports magazine, New York, NY; Mike Garza, hybrid car salesman, Fresno, CA; Ramon Torres, sales manager, used car sales agency, 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.

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