March 5th

WORKERS LAY OFFS. Levi Strauss & Co. announced last week that it will close 11 of its 22 plants in the U.S. and Canada in 1999. In all, nearly 6,000 workers will be laid off and production will be shifted overseas. This week, we have a report on Fuerza Unida, a group of former Levi's employees in San Antonio who were laid off in 1990 and are protesting the current factory closures. Citlali Saenz reports how these workers are still trying to get proper compensation from Levi Strauss.

ZAPATISTA PROMOTERS IN LOS ANGELES. In an effort to gain support for their cause, the Zapatista Army for National Liberation, or EZLN, is encouraging Mexican citizens in the U.S. to participate in the upcoming Zapatista Plebiscite. This poll is being conducted to pressure the Mexican government to ratify the San Andreas Peace Accords that were signed in 1996. This week, Ruben Tapia reports on the efforts of Zapatista supporters in Los Angeles to promote participation in the plebiscite.

MARIACHI MUSIC LIVES ON. Keeping alive the tradition of Mariachi music is the theme of Satellite Radio Bilingue's 17th Annual Mariachi Festival, being held this weekend, March 6th and 7th. The festival will feature the renowned Mariachi Mexico de Pepe Villa, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, as well as the young voice of Tatiana Bolanos. This week's Edicion Semanaria features the voices of these artists.

March 12th

BIG SISTER LENDING A HAND. Latina teenagers face great risks of either getting pregnant, dropping out of school, or both. Community organizations attribute these rates to poverty and blight in the barrios. This week, in Celebration of Women's History Month, Citlali Saenz reports on a program in the San Francisco Bay Area, which pairs young girls with mentors who can help them overcome despair and realize what they can achieve.

HEALTH CARE FOR ALL. The distribution of health and social service benefits to immigrants has been a hot topic in California, as well as in other states with a large immigrant population. But, while some states are trying to limit the services immigrants can receive, others continue to reach out to this underserved population. This week, Silvia Parra reports from Arizona on efforts by the state's welfare department to ascertain everyone is served.

PRI AT THE CROSSROADS. After 70 years of ruling Mexico, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, is facing serious criticism from both within and out of their membership. Influential members of the party are demanding a renovation, including changes in the presidents role, the selection of candidates, and economic policy. This week, Raul Silva reports on the changes happening within that country's most influential political organization.

March 19th

ZAPATISTA PLEBISCITE. Thousands of representatives of the Zapatista guerrilla army in Chiapas travel across Mexico this week to generate support for the upcoming, March 21st, Zapatista referendum on Indigenous rights. The Zapatista National Liberation Army is holding the plebiscite in hopes of pressuring the Mexican government to ratify the San Andres Peace Agreements signed in 1996. Lenica Avila reports from Mexico.

AFTER THE FIRES. A year ago, much of Mexico's rain forest land went up in flames. The ashes reached as far up as the southern part of the United States. The fire caused great concern about the future of one of the worlds most diverse ecosystems. Nevertheless, as Kent Paterson reports, Mexico's forests face even more dangers of deforestation.

CUBA'S PRIMA BALLERINA. Alicia Alonso is one of the most recognized ballerinas in the world. In 1948 she founded and was principal ballerina of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. Today, at age 78, Alonso continues to direct and choreograph her company. This week, Citlali Saenz, reports on Alonso's work and on the Ballet Nacional de Cuba's latest tour in the United States, the first in 20 years.

March 26th

LANGUAGE DISCRIMINATION. In Fresno, CA., fourteen Latinas have filed discrimination charges against their employer, an Indiana-based manufacturing plant. The women claim the company required them to pass English-only exams as a condition of keeping their jobs, despite flawless work records. Araceli Garcia reports from Fresno.

MEXICO'S MILITARY. Last December, about 50 members of Mexico's military, led by Colonel Hildegardo Bacilio Gomez, held a march demanding the liberation of 500 military prisoners and the end of human rights abuses of subordinates. Lenica Avila reports on the ongoing debate that resulted from that action that has brought up calls to modernize the military's structure.

BRAVE NEW WORLD. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, interracial marriages increased six-fold from 1960 to 1990, and estimates show the numbers continue to grow. This week, Silvia Parra, speaks with one Anglo and Black Cuban couple, who believes that intermarrying and having bi-racial children is a way to achieve peace among diverse groups.

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