La Plaza Central

Here’s the title to the story:

Arizona schools superintendent pushes ban on ethnic studies.

What? So…teaching by withholding information is the preferred methodology. This brand of racism is baffling, as evidenced by the quotes drawn in the story, e.g. “The job of the public schools is to develop the student’s identity as Americans and as strong individuals. It’s not the job of the public schools to promote ethnic chauvinism.” Right, since this whole thing isn’t chauvinistically American…

Here’s the bill itself, which was passed by the Arizona State Legislature.  Yet another hole in reasoning: an exception will be made for classes for Native American pupils.

Nice afterthought.

This Saturday, AZ Governor Jan Brewer will pass or veto a new (anti-) immigration bill. Among other things, the bill would allow police officers to determine the legal status of whomever strikes them as suspicious, which will be 1 out of 3 people. For the record, Gov. Brewer has “worked with the legislature to make sure that no public services are being offered to anyone who is in this state illegally,” so I’m a bit worried.

Already, nine university students have been arrested for protesting outside the capitol, as reported by the Arizona Republic. And of all days it has to be Earth Day! At least Reid/Pelosi want to make immigration the next box on the big To-Do List.

As for immigrants in Arizona, I hope they can find a way to support their families without going outside. Oh wait — the bill also gives a free ride to your country of origin (let’s say Mexico) if you are harboring illegals (let’s say your own grandma). Let’s pray Brewer sees the light come Saturday.

UPDATE: Friday was a sad day in America.

There’s a nice posting from Stop Big Media here, via the National Institute for Latino Policy, about the NBC/Comcast merger and how it would negatively affect Latino media and its constituents. I’ve been passively following the net neutrality issue and until now haven’t seen an argument involving the implications for our Latino population. Even more reason to get behind the issue and break up the telecoms monopoly!

For readers who aren’t up to speed on this, here’s and example of part of this monopoly: graphical history of the AT&T break-up (and “get back together”).

Do you love that Red Map vs. Blue Map ad campaign or what?

There is an article on NPR’s website entitled ‘How Should We Teach English-Language Learners?‘ that presents a basic overview of the tough climate in which schools find themselves, specifically with the disparate camps between dual-language programs and the ‘sink or swim’ method that plunks students in English-only environments. They actually interviewed a Nebraskan educator, et al. I don’t claim to know the answer to what the title poses, though I am in favor of dual-language education…the problem with those is the second language is usually Spanish, which doesn’t satisfy the countless tongues our citizens speak. The only thing I can supply is a push for outside programming, e.g. nosotros at El Centro and our Family Literacy Pilot Project, in which we collaborated with Lincoln Public Schools and the Lincoln Literacy Council, a trinity of organizations whose combined foci of Education, Literacy and Español provided outreach for ten Lincoln families and their children. Thanks to all who contributed and we wish the best for future projects.

Enjoy the following photos:

Computacion Basica

bilingual literacy

Parent/children time

Nice vista on the ride home from work

Photo from Omaha World-Herald

Here‘s something cool.    I’m not a shopper, by any stretch, but I really liked walking the open markets in Central America.  It looks like southern Omaha will be getting a taste of that this Sunday, as well as the last Sundays in July and August.  The impromptu market takes place this Sunday from noon to 7:00 pm at the Plaza de la Raza at 24th and N streets in Omaha.  The vendors range from established businesses to ladies who make jewelry out of their homes.  There will be food, entertainment and games for the kids.  It sounds like a good time.

Logo from Updowntowners Association

FYI, El Centro de las Américas will be represented tomorrow and Saturday at the Celebrate Lincoln International Festival with a booth filled with information and children’s activities.  We plan on offering face painting and coloring books for the kids, as well as having various Latino musical instruments on display.  It should be a good time, and we’re looking forward to it.  Our booth will be staffed by, well, staff members and board members all day Friday and Saturday, so stop by and say hola.

Here’s a nice story from the Journal Star’s high school graduates in the spotlight series.  Benito Sanchez of Lincoln High found his calling in theatre while in high school, and he plans to intern Washington DC and New Mexico this summer before attending UNL’s Johnny Carson School of Film and Theatre in the fall.  Well done, Benito.

Just when you think you know about most things going on in your neighborhood…

I learned about a new campaign called Nebraska is Home from our friends at Nebraska Appleseed in a Journal Star article from Saturday.  The campaign, which already has it’s own página web, is seeking to promote unity in communities across the state.  Saturday’s event was in Fremont.  Previous campaign events have been held in Grand Island, Crete Schuyler and Seward.  The program aims to celebrate the contributions of immigrants and promote the shared values in the community.

It sounds like a great idea to me.  The website has more information about events, like the one coming up in Grand Island on June 27th, and campaign posters you can print and hang up in your office.

There’s a new sheriff in town.  By sheriff I mean center for training immigrant leaders and by town I mean Omaha.  There’s a nice article, as always, from Cindy Gonzalez on the newly redesigned Omaha World-Herald website.  The Heartland Workers Center was announced last weekend at a luncheon in Omaha.  It will be housed in the Latino Center of the Midlands and focus on increasing civic and political participation in immigrant communities.  There was also a three-day leadership training session that has borne immediate fruits.  One woman plans to set up a legal assistance center for immigrants in Columbus, Nebraska.

One of the first projects for the Workers Center is working with day laborers that gather in a south Omaha parking lot.  The goal is to offer them computer and English classes while they wait for work.  I think this is one of the most valuable, and simultaneously difficult, things to do.  Hang up a sign that says “Computer Classes Here”, and you’ll get people interested in taking computer classes.  But oftentimes the people who could probably benefit the most from some instruction/education may be convinced that they don’t have the time/energy/capacity or even the desire to take such classes.  It’s probably the toughest job there is and wrought with numerous failures, but because your impact could be so much greater success is that much sweeter.

Just a quick note to promote our friends over at Community CROPS whose farmer’s market begins tomorrow,  Thursday, from 4:30 to 7:30 in Pentzer Park on North 27th Street.  It’s not quite as large as the one in the Haymarket or the one on Old Cheney, but it’s cool because they generally have more ethnic vegetables and foods.  And Cycle Works will be there tomorrow to perform free bike checkups.

Journal Star article here.

Check out CROPS’ website, if you get a chance.  They’re doing some cool things.