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villages/hispanic/ AP Headlines Update Page
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Gaps emerging in US census outreach to
immigrants |
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Calif. city councilman says he's 'proud racist' |
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PR to investigate MDs for Haiti
Facebook pics |
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Visitas a Casa Blanca revelan discusiones de
migración |
villages/hispanic/ AP Headlines Update Page
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 Hispanic
American Village News
By The Associated Press
Gaps emerging in US census outreach to immigrants
By HOPE YEN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON – The government is fumbling some efforts to assure
immigrants that U.S. census data won't be used against them, including
gaps in outreach and foreign language guides that refer to the decennial
count as an investigation.
With the launch of the head count weeks away, the Census Bureau's
outreach has been falling short in at least a dozen major cities, such
as Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Jose, Calif., and Seattle, according
to a report being released Monday by the Asian American Legal Defense
and Education Fund. Many of their states are on the cusp of gaining or
losing U.S. House seats and face a redrawing of legislative boundaries
that may tilt the balance of political power.
The legal group is partly critical of the Obama administration,
citing its refusal to give fuller assurances that census data would be
kept confidential and to suspend large-scale immigration raids during
the count — as was done in the 2000 census. AALDEF said it wasn't ruling
out legal action to get stronger guarantees.
The census officially began last month in parts of rural Alaska. Most
of the nation will receive their forms by mail the week of March 15.
"We have heard a lot of speeches by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and
the census director saying the census is confidential. But speeches and
Web postings do not have the force of law," said Glenn Magpantay, an
AALDEF program director, in a telephone interview. "Our concern is how
much risk immigrants are putting themselves at."
Other groups agree more work needs to be done.
"We are running the risk of a real undercount," said Arturo Vargas,
executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and
Appointed Officials. "The next few weeks will be critical."
The Census Bureau is printing instruction guides and sample forms in
dozens of different languages for use in community help centers, since
one in five residents speak a language other than English at home. But
there have been errors due to poor translations, including material for
Vietnamese speakers that describe the census as a "government
investigation."
The agency was able to correct its Web material two weeks ago after
groups pointed out the problem, but it's too late to fix the paper
forms, according to the report. There are more than 1.1 million
Vietnamese in the U.S., mostly clustered in California and Texas.
Other gaps included a lack of specialists for the Bangladeshi
community in Detroit; the nation's third largest Korean-American
population in Chicago; and the south Asian and Cambodian groups in
Philadelphia and Rhode Island. In Virginia, when groups cited a need for
census specialists for their Korean and Vietnamese communities, the
agency responded by hiring someone who spoke Chinese.
Responding, the Census Bureau has emphasized it is devoting a large
amount of its $133 million ad campaign to racial and ethnic audiences.
It also partnered with more than 150,000 business and community groups,
hoping to build trust in its message that filling out the 10-question
census form is safe and easy to complete.
The Commerce Department, which oversees the Census Bureau, has made
clear they will not ask the Homeland Security Department to hold off on
large-scale raids as they successfully did in 2000. That has drawn
consternation from immigrant groups, particularly as it has become
unlikely that Congress will take up immigration reform this year.
The recent criticisms by AALDEF and other groups underscore the
intense political pressure to have a tally free of the smallest margin
of error. Even a 1 percent undercount means 3 million people are missed,
typically minorities and poor people whose communities are then
shortchanged in representation and federal aid.
Other trouble spots:
-Some black activists are upset about the use of "Negro" on the
census form, in which respondents identifying their race must check a
listing of "Black, African Am., or Negro." Census director Robert Groves
says the term was not meant to offend but to be more inclusive since
thousands in the 2000 census self-identified as "Negro"; the agency is
now studying whether to drop the term after this year.
-College students are getting special attention, as recent polls show
that disinterested young people may prove to be among the hardest to
count. Colleges in Minnesota, Texas, California and other states are
organizing new campaigns to make sure students fill out their forms
correctly. Officials also want census-takers to make their rounds to
college dorms sooner before students disappear for summer break.
-Latino groups are worried the Census Bureau's ad campaign may
neglect communities with higher numbers of immigrants in poverty, such
as Laredo, Texas. Census-takers also may be less adept in navigating
some areas because of an agency requirement that employees be U.S.
citizens.
In 2000, the Census Bureau noted for the first time an overcount of
1.3 million people, due mostly to duplicate counts of more affluent
whites with multiple residences. About 4.5 million people were
ultimately missed, primarily lower-income minorities.
___
Associated Press writer Chris Williams in Minneapolis contributed to
this report.
On the Net:
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund:
http://www.aaldef.org
Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov
NALEO: http://www.naleo.org
Calif. city councilman says he's 'proud racist'
By The Associated Press
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) - A Southern California city councilman
who called himself "a proud racist'' at a recent rally against illegal
immigration said he has no regrets over the remark.
Santa Clarita councilman Bob Kellar made the comment at a Jan. 16
rally in the largely white and conservative bedroom community north of
Los Angeles, which has seen a large influx of Hispanic immigrants. His
videotaped remarks were posted on YouTube and caused an uproar.
At the rally, Kellar recalled that Theodore Roosevelt once said the
United States had room for only one flag and for one language --
English. He said he mentioned the former president's comment at a City
Council meeting several years ago.
"The only thing I heard back from a couple of people was, 'Bob, you
sound like a racist,''' Kellar told the rally. "I said, 'That's good. If
that's what you think I am because I happen to believe in America, then
I'm a proud racist. You're darn right I am.'''
Kellar released a statement before Tuesday night's City Council
meeting saying his comments were taken out of context.
"Some have called me a racist regarding this issue,'' Kellar said.
"Let me be perfectly clear on that point: I am not a racist. I abhor
racism in any form, shape or fashion.''
He added he was speaking about illegal immigration, which he said the
government has failed to adequately address.
"I am an American, a proud one,'' he said. "And I believe it is time
we stand behind our laws and the principles that have made this nation
great.''
Kellar has made no secret of his beliefs that immigrants should be
legal and should learn English. He also has proclaimed that illegal
immigrants harm the U.S. economy by using taxpayer-funded medical care
and social services.
Protesters and supporters of Kellar traded angry remarks outside City
Hall before Tuesday's meeting. Opponents' signs called for firing Kellar
while supporters waved American flags and signs proclaiming him a
"patriotic hero.''
Kellar received both protests and praise at the crowded council
meeting and was applauded as he entered the room.
PR to investigate MDs for Haiti Facebook pics
By DANICA COTO
Associated Press Writer
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Puerto Rican medical doctors who
appeared on Facebook posing with guns and Haitian earthquake victims are
under investigation for possible ethics violations, the U.S. territory's
health secretary said Saturday. One was expelled from his political
party for unstatesmanlike behavior.
Ethical guidelines prohibit taking pictures of operations or patients
unless they serve an academic or medical purpose, said Health Secretary
Lorenzo Gonzalez.
"My main concern is the transmission of a picture of a patient not
knowing whether there was an attempt for informed consent,'' said
Gonzalez, who noted that he is collaborating with the Puerto Rican
Association of Physicians and Surgeons in the investigation.
Association president Eduardo Ibarra, speaking by telephone from
Haiti, declined to comment extensively. "It's a difficult situation,''
he said.
A statement released by the association noted that "a small
minority'' of roughly 65 doctors who were sent to treat earthquake
victims "displayed behavior ... that did not meet the highest standards
of the medical profession.'' The statement did not say exactly how many
doctors appeared in the photos.
"We wish to respectfully ask forgiveness ... for the unfortunate
events described and widely disseminated, which we are sure added pain
and sadness to the enormous suffering,'' said the statement, which
praised the majority of the doctors for helping quake victims and
possibly saving dozens of lives.
In some of the photographs, smiling physicians appear in medical
scrubs, holding guns borrowed from Dominican soldiers. In another, a
doctor grins as he holds a saw next to a victim's leg, and a colleague
mugs for the camera as he holds up the injured arm of an earthquake
victim. Yet others show the doctors holding up condoms, drinking beer,
or smiling as they stand beside a coffin.
One picture depicts a prostrate quake victim wearing nothing but a
shirt and a small strip of cloth over the genitals.
The president of the Puerto Rican Senate called for the names of the
doctors to be made public, a motion supported by Julissa Nolasco,
president of the Health Committee of the House of Representatives.
"I hope they can provide an understandable explanation for such a
regrettable act,'' she said.
The five soldiers who allowed the doctors to hold their weapons were
arrested pending the investigation's outcome, Dominican Defense Minister
Lt. Gen. Rafael Pena Antonio said in a statement.
More than 60 doctors from Puerto Rico have traveled to the Dominican
Republic to treat victims transported there from Haiti following the
neighboring country's 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12 that killed an
estimated 200,000 people.
Associated Press Writer Dionisio Soldevila in Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic, contributed to this report.
Visitas a Casa Blanca revelan discusiones de
migración
Por SHARON THEIMER
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - La política de inmigración del gobierno del
presidente Barack Obama figura entre los asuntos que los visitantes al
complejo de la Casa Blanca han discutido en meses recientes, de acuerdo
con archivos revelados el viernes.
La Casa Blanca revela los registros de visitantes en forma periódica,
a fin de ayudar a que Obama cumpla su promesa de transparencia. La
mayoría de los 75.000 registros recién revelados data de octubre. La
mayoría de los visitantes en la lista estuvo ahí para recorridos
turísticos por la Casa Blanca.
Cientos de huéspedes vieron a Obama en actos que fueron de las
festividades de la Noche de Brujas a un partido de basquetbol en sillas
de ruedas. Pero hubo quien participó en encuentros sobre asuntos tales
como regulación financiera, pequeñas empresas y crímenes de intolerancia.
El consejo étnico del Comité Nacional Demócrata tuvo dos sesiones
informativas con asesores de Obama el año pasado, incluida una en
octubre, dijo James Zogby, presidente del Instituto Arabe-Estadounidense,
uno de los asistentes. Encuentros similares se realizaron en la década
de 1990, cuando Bill Clinton era el presidente.
Esos actos están abiertos también a quienes no pertenecen al Partido
Demócrata, añadió.
Las políticas de inmigración, salud, economía y relaciones exteriores
fueron temas de discusión, dijo Zogby. Sobre inmigración, algunos
miembros del consejo son de Europa Oriental y quieren que el gobierno
facilite a la gente la tramitación de visas para viajar a Estados Unidos
a fin de visitar a familiares o hacer negocios, dijo.
"Nuestros amigos no quieren que eso se pierda en la discusión.
Evidentemente entendemos las preocupaciones más amplias que hay en el
país sobre inmigración pero, por otro lado, tenemos la perspectiva de
que la inmigración es vital para nuestras comunidades'', dijo Zogby,
quien asistió también a tres encuentros en la Casa Blanca sobre temas
árabe-estadounidenses.
Como ha ocurrido en los gobiernos anteriores, la inmigración es un
asunto desafiante para Obama. El miércoles por la noche, en su informe
sobre el Estado de la Nación, Obama dijo que el gobierno debería seguir
trabajando para enmendar un sistema ineficiente, a fin de proteger las
fronteras y hacer que se cumplan las leyes.
Otros visitantes que se destacan en la lista incluyeron a la jueza
Sonia Sotomayor, la primera hispana en Corte Suprema, quien asistió a
una Fiesta Latina con Obama.
El periodista de la AP, Alan Fram, contribuyó con este despacho.
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