Asian Pacific American Legal Center
May 23, 2011
CALIFORNIA – Asian Americans are a large minority group in California – nearly 16% of the state’s population. With such populous numbers, those seeking public office have found it beneficial to translate their names into Chinese on ballots. "A lot of ethnic voters only read the ethnic media. They only recognize the candidate names in those languages," says Eugene Lee of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles.
Continue Reading ››Remap Deadlines Draw Near
Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization
May 20, 2011
Illinos – Chicago gears up for remapping voting districts, which help determine who gets elected into office, an issue that needs equal representation, argues Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization (MAGIC). “Because there has been movement in the city of Chicago, we wanted to make sure that our districts remain strong…we want to see a shared power between our communities.”
Continue Reading ››New Immigration Law in Georgia Has Asian Community Up in Arms
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
May 20, 2011
GEORGIA – Georgia’s working families are uneasy about immigration, particularly the Asian American community. New law HB 87 is a copy cat law of Arizona’s infamous SB 1040, which was criticized for encouraging racial profiling and discrimination.
Continue Reading ››Emanuel Prepares for Mayoral Inauguration
Action Now
May 16, 2011
ILLINOIS– Last week in Chicago, RahmEmanuel prepared for his mayoral inauguration, and so did the city. Activists took to the streets the day before, urging him to solve the city's budget issues with low-income, working people in consideration. "We're not gonna continue to let them think they can do what they wanna do with our neighborhoods, our schools, teacher layoffs, we're not gonna take it," said Michelle Young with Action Now, a community group that organizes working families and strengthens their voices on social justice issues
Continue Reading ››El Paso: the city hears the first battle cries in America’s explosive immigration debate
Border Action Network
May 15, 2011
TEXAS – In El Paso, Texas, President Barack Obama’s recent visit stirs up unresolved tension over promised – but yet delivered – immigration reform. To a mainly Hispanic crowd, with whom “national security” is perceived as controlling migration, Obama was received with cheers, and caution.
Continue Reading ››Area Children Suffer From Bad Economic Times
Children’s Action Alliance
April 26, 2011
CALIFORNIA – Phoenix, Arizona suffers the backlash of severe cuts to subsidized childcare, affecting low-income parents depending on the aid to transition out of welfare to work. The $13.7 million cut has forced 16,000 children from poor and low-income families onto a waiting list.
Continue Reading ››Lessons From The
Tomato Fields
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
April 20, 2011
FLORIDA – Last week, I attended tomato school. I learned that I had a right to earn a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, and could take regular breaks in a shady area provided by the farm – including a lunch break.
Continue Reading ››More Foreclosures
in Wake of HUD Cuts
National Council of La Raza
April 20, 2011
WASHINGTON D.C. –Despite having a history of bipartisan support, a housing program lost its entire $88 million budget, which it uses to support families in home ownership, rental, reverse mortgage and foreclosure prevention counseling.
Continue Reading ››Felon Question Gone on
Job Applications in Philly
NAACP
April 18, 2011
PHILADELPHIA – City agencies and private employers will no longer be allowed to ask about criminal background on job applications. The legislation will make it easier for ex-offenders to at least get a foot in the door at a potential job.
Continue Reading ››Deaths Decline In
Rio Grande Valley
La Union del Pueblo Entero
April 15, 2011
TEXAS – The number of Mexican and unidentified undocumented immigrants who died while passing through the Rio Grande Valley has dropped by 60 percent, to its lowest level in six years. But those who track immigration patterns say they cannot identify any clear reasons for the decrease.
Continue Reading ››Job Training Lost
in Budget Deal
Center for Community Change
April 15, 2011
WASHINGTON D.C. – Details of the budget deal between the president and congressional leaders show federal funding for job training programs has taken a significant hit — more than $870 million in all.
Continue Reading ››Working Together
For Latino Youth
National Council of La Raza
April 14, 2011
CALIFORNIA – A report released by the National Council of La Raza urges organizations to partner with one another to find ways to connect Latino youths and young adults with education and job training.
Continue Reading ››Child Abuse Statistics
Sad, But True
NAACP
April 14, 2011
MISSOURI – As more Black children enter foster care, and more die each year as a result of abuse and neglect, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have sparked a serious debate over the causes. Do the high numbers indicate more abuse at home? Are the numbers a result of racial bias in reporting by White social workers?
Continue Reading ››Secrecy Surrounds
Voter Fraud Probe
Somos Un Pueblo Unido
April 13, 2011
MEXICO – One month after Secretary of State Dianna Duran told legislators she had evidence of voter fraud, the cases remain under investigation and covered in secrecy.
Continue Reading ››Heartbreaking Stories of
Unemployment Told
Jobs With Justice
April 11, 2011
GEORGIA –Tonya Pinkston was raised by her parents to get a good education, a good job, and to contribute to society. But, something happened while she was climbing that ladder to success – she was laid off three times. Americans aren’t feeling much easing of recession.
Continue Reading ››Latinos Flexing Political
Muscle in Redistricting
Rio Grande Valley Equal Voice Network
April 11, 2011
TEXAS – Hispanics are demanding their fair share of political power as the Legislature works on a new state map for apportioning representation. Population increases mean the new map will likely see four new Congressional districts, and Hispanic groups say they ought to be shaped around Latino communities, since Latinos account for two-thirds of the growth.
Continue Reading ››Justice System Crushes
States – and Souls
NAACP
April 10, 2011
CALIFORNIA – Reforming the nation's criminal-justice system is the most urgent civil rights issues of our time. One reason: More black men are entangled in it than were enslaved in 1850.
Continue Reading ››Kentucky Governor Keeps
Pledge to Coal Activists
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
April 8, 2011
KENTUCKY – Members of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth showed Gov. Steve Beshear streams and homes damaged by surface mining and asked him to take a stand against permits.
Continue Reading ››‘Race Matters’ Say Groups
Hit by Budget Cuts
Washington Community Action Network
April 7, 2011
WASHINGTON – With the release of a“The Color of Cuts", the Washington Community Action Network has sounded an alarm about the corrosive impact of budget cuts on communities of color.
Continue Reading ››Parents Deported,
Kids Left Behind
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
April 6, 2011
ILLINOIS – When school friends wonder why her father is no longer in the picture, 13-year-old Elisabeth has learned to change the subject. It has been two years since her father was deported
Continue Reading ››Florida Tomato Pickers Challenge
Supermarkets To Do the Right Thing
Coalition of Immokalee Workers
April 6, 2011
FLORIDA – More than 1,000 tomato pickers and their supporters marched in front of supermarkets up and down the East Coast, demanding that big corporate buyers use their power to improve wages and working conditions.
Continue Reading ››TN Joins Pushback
Against Health Reform
Tennessee Health Care Campaign
April 4, 2011
TENNESSEE – Federal health care reform is preserving the health coverage – and lives – of people with certain medical conditions. But Tennessee is looking for a way out.
Continue Reading ››