 Edición Semanaria de Noticiero Latino |
 |
March 2002
March 1st | Listen to the program
WELFARE REFORM - President Bush submitted a proposal to Congress this week to continue reforming the nation's public assistance program. However, the proposal came under heavy criticism from Latino organizations who called it insulting to thousands of hard-working, low income immigrants for perpetuating the stereotype that immigrants come to this country simply to take advantage of welfare. Maria Eraña has the details.
ONE-STOP IMMIGRATION - This week, after thirty years of serving the immigration needs of Los Angeles area residents, One-Stop Immigration shut its doors for the last time. One-Stop, a pioneer in the push for amnesty in the 1980s, now faces charges of corruption and a debt of more than $2 million. The announcement of its closing took both its clients and its employees by surprise, as correspondent Ruben Tapia reports.
PERCUSSIONIST DAFNIS PRIETO - Cuban percussionist Dafnis Prieto just recently moved in New York and immediately began playing with musicians in the city's jazz vanguard. Correspondent Marco Vinicio Gonzalez spoke with Prieto after a recent performance by the young percussionist about how his Latin roots enrich his current work. The interview took place at the Jazz Gallery in Lower Manhattan, a site renowned as one of the centers of musical experimentation.
March 8th | Listen to the program
WORKERS COMP FOR FARMWORKERS - In a case without precedent, a ruling by California's Workers Compensation Appeals Board could entitle two farmworkers who survived a horrific accident on a rural road in Central California to receive worker's comp benefits. This is the first time that a contractor and a farmer are ordered to jointly pay benefits.
HISTORIC TEXAS GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE - Two Latinos are battling for the Democratic nomination for governor of Texas. Businessman Tony Sanchez and former Attorney General Dan Morales recently made history when they held the first-ever televised debate in Spanish. The primary next Tuesday will determine who will face Republican Gov. Rick Perry in November.
CENTER FOR DAY LABORERS - Day laborers who would gather every morning in New York City street corners looking for work have won a victory. Though many of them are undocumented, these immigrants have been relocated by the police to a place safe from harassment and potential abuses. Representatives of the Center for Latino Workers in Brooklyn, which is behind the initiative, spoke with correspondent Marco Vinicio Gonzalez about this change in relations between day laborers and the police.
March 15th | Listen to the program
245(i) EXTENSION - After an intense debate, the House of Representatives this week approved a temporary extension of section 245(i) of the U.S. immigration law. The proposal will now be debated before the Senate. Meanwhile, Latino organizations warn that the extension will only benefit a few immigrants and point out that it is not a general amnesty. Patricia Guadalupe reports.
SEPT. 11th AID - The city of New York paid tribute this week to those killed in the World Trade Center attack to mark its six month anniversary. At the same time, a demonstration was staged to protest the mismanagement of aid going to those affected by the attack. As Marco Vinicio Gonzalez explains, six months after 9/11, problems to distribute aid for victims persist.
TACO BELL BOYCOTT - Workers from Florida wrapped up their cross-country Truth Tour this week, arriving by caravan at Taco Bell headquarters in Irvine, California. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers is promoting a boycott of the fast food chain to urge Taco Bell to push the ranchers that sell them their tomatoes to improve their pay and working conditions. But, as correspondent Ruben Tapia reports, although the workers were able to meet with Taco Bell executives, the company insists there is nothing they can do on their behalf.
March 22nd | Listen to the program
BUSH IN LATIN AMERICA - This week, on the eve of his trip to Mexico, El Salvador and Peru, President Bush met with members of the Latino media. Among the main themes covered by the president were his interest in promoting commerce with Latin American countries as a better alternative to sending aid and the need to find better means to administer the U.S.-Mexico border. Correspondent Patricia Guadalupe reports from Washington, D.C.
RODOLFO MONTIEL - Peasant Ecologist Rodolfo Montiel, leader of the Campesinos Ecologistas de la Sierra de Petatlan, in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, wrapped up a tour through the U.S. this week. During his stops in Oregon, California, and Washington, D.C., Montiel spoke before various forums about his fight to stop uncontrolled logging in the forests of Guerrero and asked for more support from the U.S. The last stop on his tour was in New York City, where he was honored for his work and where he received a commitment to help him in his cause. Marco Vinicio Gonzalez explains.
MURDERED JUAREZ WOMEN - Pressure continues to mount, nationally and internationally, on the government of Ciudad Juarez to solve the murders of hundreds of women in this border city. During a recent demonstration by border residents, Mexican and U.S. lawmakers supported the proposal to create a Binational Investigative Commission to investigate these killings. Correspondent Kent Patterson has the details in this report, voiced by Guadalupe Carrasco.
March 29th | Listen to the program
ANTI-LABOR DECISION - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that a company that has fired a worker unjustifiably is not required to provide him back pay if the worker is undocumented. United Farm Workers treasurer Tanis Ybarra explains why this decision has left a sour taste at the time of the holiday honoring Cesar Chavez this March 31st.
LATINO JUDGE SHORTAGE - A study by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense an Education Fund (PRLDEF) revealed a continued shortage of Latino judges nationwide. According to the report, fewer than four percent of federal judges are Latino, and the numbers are comparable at a state level. Marco Vinicio Gonzalez reports on the implications of this disparity.
STUDENT MASSACRE REVIEW - Almost thirty-four years after the repression of the 1968 student movement in Mexico, some of its former leaders have made important advances in the legal battle to bring those responsible to justice. The recent intervention by Mexico's Supreme Court, calling for a thorough investigation into their complaints by the Attorney General's office, is part of what could be a new chapter in the struggle for human rights in Mexico. Raul Silva has the details.