 Edición Semanaria de Noticiero Latino |
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December 2001
December 7th | Listen to the program
ASHCROFT DEFENDS ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES BEFORE SENATE COMMITTEE - Attorney General John Ashcroft appeared this week before a Senate committee questioning the legality of new anti-terrorism measures. Ashcroft insisted that measures such as indefinitely detaining certain immigrants are necessary, even if there is no proof that they have information about criminal activities. But even though the attorney general insists that these criticisms only help terrorists, it is apparent that the constitutionality of the measures will continue to be questioned.
LATINO LAWYER ON CHALLENGES OF DEFENDING IMMIGRANTS SUSPECTED OF TERRORIST LINKS - Defending Middle Eastern immigrants who have been detained to see if they have information on those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks has become a real challenge for attorneys in Southern California. A Latino lawyer, one of the few attorneys who have accepted this challenge, spoke with correspondent Ruben Tapia about some of the reasons that many lawyers are thinking twice before taking on these cases.
MEXICO MOURNS THE DEATH OF WRITER JUAN ARREOLA - Juan Jose Arreola, considered on of the great Mexican writers of the 20th century, died on Monday in Guadalajara at the age of 83. The theater, chess and long conversations with friends were among the passions of this writer from the Mexican state of Jalisco. During his long career, Arreola received numerous national and international awards. Correspondent Raul Silva attended a tribute to Arreola in Guadalajara shortly after the writer's death and has this report.
December 14th | Listen to the program
IMMIGRANT WORKERS ALONG CHIHUAHUA-NEW MEXICO BORDER SEEK LEGAL ACCESS TO THE U.S. - In the wake of the Sept. 11th attacks the U.S.-Mexico border has experienced increased vigilance, and the immigration reforms that Mexico's president hoped to see implemented by year's end have been put on the back burner. Despite these difficulties, local organizations recently held the first of a series of binational events to call attention to the need to prevent further deaths along the border and to grant immigrant workers legal access to the U.S. Correspondent Kent Paterson has this report from Palomas, Chihuahua, voiced by Alejandro Glusman.
OFFICIAL REPORT ON DISAPPEARED MEXICAN DISSIDENTS GETS MIXED REACTIONS - Mexico's National Commission on Human Rights recently published an extensive report on the disappearance of hundreds of political dissidents in the 1970s and 80s. The report confirms the role of high ranking military and police officials from that era in the torture and disappearance of nearly 250 of those missing. Furthermore, the report recommends the appointment of a special prosecutor to bring those responsible to justice. Mexico correspondent Raul Silva captured some reactions.
MEXICANS IN NEW YORK HOLD MASSIVE CELEBRATION FOR PATRON SAINT DESPITE CITY'S CONCERNS - Mexicans in New York City came out en masse to honor the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico's Patron Saint, this past Wednesday, December 12th, defying the city police department that sought to keep the procession from reaching the city's main thoroughfares. This year, the Mexican community received the support of New York Cardinal Edward Fagan, and, as Marco Vinicio Gonzalez reports, many see a growing possibility of the Cardinal's active involvement in the struggle by undocumented workers to legalize their status.
December 21st | Listen to the program
UNEMPLOYED EL PASO WOMEN LAUNCH AND OPERTATE OWN BUSINESSES - More than twenty-five thousand workers in El Paso, Texas have lost their jobs since the North American Free Trade Agreement took effect, according to analysts. Women working in factories were among the most affected. To deal with this problem, a group of unemployed women decided to create and run their own businesses. The grassroots group "Women Workers" recently celebrated the launch of a Mexican market, just in time for the holiday shopping season. Correspondent Kent Patterson spoke with the group's organizers in El Paso for this report voiced by Guadalupe Carrasco.
CLEAN AIR IN CALIFORNIA - The commission in charge of lobbying for clean air in California recently discussed and approved a proposal that seeks to reduce the air pollution in poor and minority neighborhoods. These measures come after insistent calls upon Latino politicians and environmental groups. Although pleased with the proposal, many wonder if it will be effective immediately and if the commission will have sufficient funds to cover the necessary costs. Ruben Tapia has the details from Los Angeles.
MEXICAN PASTORELAS - In Mexico, it's Pastorela season. The Mexican pastorela, or Christmas pageant, a Catholic tradition dating back to the days of the Spanish colonies, is a theatrical re-creation of the shepherds' trek to the site of the Nativity in the biblical town of Bethlehem. The state of Morelos, the cradle of Mexico's pastorelas, has been the site of many notable celebrations. Silvia Parra reports from the old town of Tepoztlan, in Morelos.
December 28th | Listen to the program
TRIBUTE TO MEXICAN POET MARIO SANTIAGO PAPASQUIARO - Mario Santiago Papasquiaro was the adopted name of the young Mexican poet who died tragically three years ago after being hit by a car. Inspired by the American Beat poets of the 1950s, an iconoclast and a rebel, Mario Santiago Papasquiaro published only one book, but his works are vividly remembered by an entire generation of lovers of the written word. This special holiday edition of Edicion Semanaria presents a tribute to the deceased poet. Mexico correspondent Raul Silva received the prestigious Fernando Benitez National Award for Cultural Journalism for this feature, an award presented by the 2001 International Book Fair of Guadalajara.