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DID MISSISSIPPI VOTE FOR A CRACKDOWN ON UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS?

March 21, 2012 by 2 Comments

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Joining a nationwide trend, Mississippi House members voted for a bill Thursday that seeks to crack down on undocumented immigrants.

The bill, which passed with a 70-47 vote, calls for police to check the immigration status of people they arrest.

Leaders stripped more controversial provisions before the vote on House Bill 488. Next, the Republican-controlled state Senate is expected to pass it, and the governor has expressed support for the measure.

After initially failing, opponents of the bill were able on a second attempt to strip a provision requiring schools to count undocumented immigrants, saying it would violate federal law.

House Judiciary B Committee Chairman Andy Gipson, a Braxton Republican, denied opponents’ claims that the measure was racist or immoral, saying it was about enforcing the law. Gipson said he tried to craft a bill that would survive court challenges and allow charity toward migrants.

“It’s about the rule of law,” he told House members. “We want to say you’re welcome here, we just want you to follow the proper procedures, the proper protocols.”

Opponents warned families would be shattered by deportations and that the bill would reinforce outsiders’ stereotypes of Mississippi.

“If we pass this bill, it will set Mississippi back 60 years,” said Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes, D-Gulfport. “Let us show America we are not the narrow-minded people they say we are.”

No Republicans opposed the bill, while 10 mostly white and rural Democrats voted for it. They crossed party lines despite an appeal from House Agriculture Chairman Preston Sullivan, D-Okolona, a rural white Democrat who warned the bill would hurt farmers.

A provision that allowed law enforcement officers to ask about a person’s immigration status in a traffic stop was removed. That means someone would have to be arrested for another offense before inquiries could be made.

“If they’re stopped, that in itself will not trigger this bill,” Gipson said. “It would require an arrest to be made. If they are found to be unlawful, then they would be deported.”

Among earlier changes was the removal of a clause that said people could be arrested for not carrying identification, a clause that had led opponents to nickname the measure the “papers, please” bill. That portion, like several others removed in committee last month, have been blocked by courts in Arizona, Alabama and elsewhere.

During the debate that ran from late Wednesday into Thursday, Gipson also removed a provision that could have allowed municipal utilities to refuse power, water, sewer and other services to undocumented immigrants. Such a provision was also recently blocked by a federal court in Alabama.

Gipson said he was balancing the need to write a law that will survive court scrutiny versus the desire to remove undocumented immigrants.

“I have tried to bring the best possible product to the body for a vote,” he said.

The changes did little to mollify critics, who continued to question whether the bill was needed. Opponents emphasize that Mississippi doesn’t need to summon any ghosts of its racist past.

Opponents in the House debate zeroed in on the possibility that parents could be arrested, leaving behind children who are U.S. citizens. Those who have fought the Alabama and Arizona measures have highlighted such problems.

“Your bill has nothing in it to show any kind of compassion or any kind of consideration for the children who are left behind,” said Rep. Kelvin Buck, D-Holly Springs.

Gipson admitted that “some separations” were a possibility.

Mississippi has a relatively small undocumented population, although it appears to have grown in recent years. The Pew Hispanic Center estimated that in 2010, the state had about 45,000 undocumented immigrants out of nearly 3 million total residents.

The bill is supported by Gov. Phil Bryant, a Republican who has been campaigning against illegal immigration since his days as state auditor.

Proponents say the state spends more money providing services to immigrants than it reaps in taxes, and claim that undocumented immigrants, if they leave, will vacate jobs that unemployed citizens can take. They say the bill is about legal compliance and that they welcome legal immigrants.

Gipson denied any racist intent, saying he had helped start a Hispanic ministry at a church nearly 20 years ago.

“I have been accused of being a racist,” he said. “I reject that.”

Gipson earlier added an amendment that allows any church or religious organization to minister to “immediate basic and human needs.”

He told a questioner Wednesday that a soup kitchen could feed an undocumented immigrant every day and not run afoul of the proposed bill. But Gipson said that, “if the question is `Can they harbor these people?’ the answer is `No.”‘

The bill now goes to the Senate, which has not advanced its own immigration bill.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

Photo: jimmywayne @ Flickr. 

Read more: LATINO FOX NEWS

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DID COCA-COLA RACIALLY DISCRIMINATE?

March 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

Coca-Cola responds

Coca-Cola issued a statement saying, “Where discrimination is alleged, we conduct a thorough investigation.” It said it appears one of the plaintiffs was terminated five years ago and “other allegations were addressed and resolved even longer ago. Contrary to the allegations in the lawsuit, our investigation has not uncovered a culture of workplace discrimination. In fact, many minority associates have come forward to strongly disavow the allegations of discrimination contained in the lawsuit.”

“We have investigated, and will continue to investigate, all allegations of discrimination and harassment brought to our attention. We are confident that this matter will be resolved fairly and justly through the judicial system,” Coca-Cola said in the statement

The Coca-Cola Co.’s minority employees work in a “cesspool of racial discrimination,” says a lawsuit filed against a unit of the Atlanta-based beverage company.

David Alvarez et al. vs. Coca-Cola Refreshments USA Inc., which was filed in New York State Supreme Court in Queens on behalf of 16 current and former black and Hispanic workers, charges that an “endemic culture of racism” runs through the company’s management and supervisors at its New York bottling plans in Elmsford and Maspeth, N.Y. The suit was filed Jan. 3, but only publicized last week in the New York Daily News.

The lawsuit charges that the 16 plaintiffs “have suffered from the worst of its ills in terms of biased work assignments and allotment of hours, unfair discipline and retaliation, and a caustic work environment.”

Worst duties, seniority system

It says black and Hispanic workers “are typically assigned to the most undesirable and physically dangerous positions, and to tasks that are outside of their job descriptions.

“Meanwhile, the managers contravene the established seniority system by giving better jobs and more overtime hours to workers with less seniority than minority workers.

“As several of the plaintiffs have found, opportunities for advancement and promotion within the company are routinely biased against minority workers. Finally, the truck drivers among the plaintiffs have had their hours unfairly limited and prevented from working overtime, while white drivers do not have to face these problems,” the lawsuit says.

Claims of retaliation

The lawsuit also charged that plaintiffs who have complained have “faced swift retaliation from the white managers.”

The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory, emotional, psychological and punitive damages, lost compensation, front and back pay, injunctive relief, attorneys’ fees and any other damages permitted by law.

Commenting on the lawsuit, plaintiffs attorney Steve A. Morelli of the Law Office of Steven A. Morelli P.C. in Garden City, N.Y., said Coca- Cola’s hostile work environment is “clearly something that needs to be addressed.”

READ MORE: http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20120319/NEWS07/120319876?tags=|70|75|303

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TOP 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE ILLINOIS’ REPUBLICAN PRIMARY: STATE’S EMERGING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR & IMMIGRATION POLITICS

March 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

photo source AP/M. SPENCER GREENE Gov. Pat Quinn celebrates with students and supporters after signing the Illinois DREAM Act into law on August 1, 2011.

A Look at the State’s Emerging Communities of Color in Light of the Republican Primary

Illinois’s slow population growth over the last decade—3.3 percent, compared to a nationwide average of 9.7 percent—masks striking demographic changes in the state. While the white share of the population declined by 4.1 percent between 2000 and 2010, the state’s Hispanic, Asian American, Native American, Alaska Native, and mixed-race communities grew significantly. In 2010 Illinois had the fifth-largest Hispanic population in the country and the 10th-largest Hispanic share as a percent of the total population.

In light of the state’s primary tomorrow, here are some facts about how the state’s growing communities of color are changing Illinois’s economy and electorate.

1. Communities of color—particularly Latinos—drive Illinois’s population growth. The surging Hispanic population in particular propelled the state’s population increase. In 2010 Hispanics represented 15.8 percent of the state’s population, a growth rate of 32 percent over the decade. Hispanic population growth alone accounted for 89.5 percentof the state’s total growth from 2000 to 2009.

2. Children of color now make up close to half of the children in Illinois. In 2008 Illinois was 1 of 20 states in the nation with a child population that was more than 40 percent minority.

3. Communities of color are younger and represent the future of the state. In 2010 the median age of non-Hispanic whites in the state was 41.6 years. By comparison, Hispanics’ median age was only 26.3 years, while the median age of African Americans was32.7 years and Asians 34.6 years.

4. The increase in Illinois’s communities of color will soon translate into political power. In 2008 there were 749,000 eligible Hispanic voters in Illinois—the sixth-largesteligible Hispanic voter population in the nation. In that year the state had the 10th-largestHispanic voting share nationwide, with Hispanics comprising 8 percent of the total eligible voter population in the state. In the 2010 elections 658,000 African Americans, 241,000Hispanics, and 88,000 Asians voted in Illinois, and there is room for these numbers to grow. The pressure to turn numbers into political power will rise along with the number of eligible voters of color in the state.

5. In 2008 the support of Illinois’s voters of color helped then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) defeat Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in the state. Even though Sen. McCain won 57 percent of white voters, Sen. Obama won the state with 61.8 percent of the total vote in 2008. More than 1 million voters of color cast their ballots in Illinois in 2008—more than 25 percent of all votes cast. Exit polls suggest that 95 percent of African American voters, 67 percent of Hispanic voters, and 62 percent of Asian voters supported Sen. Obama at the polls.

6. Illinois is a standout state in protecting its foreign-born population. On May 5, 2011, Gov. Pat Quinn (D) announced that Illinois would not participate in the controversial Secure Communities program (where immigrants booked into a county jail in a participating jurisdiction have their fingerprints shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement), because of concerns that the program was being used to racially profile Latinos and resulting in the deportation of immigrants not convicted of serious crimes. This action spurred other states, such as Massachusetts and New York, to drop the program as well.

7. Illinois passed a DREAM Act and stopped an Arizona-style anti-immigration law. The Illinois DREAM Act creates a privately funded “DREAM Fund,” giving undocumented immigrants access to much-needed financial aid to afford college, and putting them one step closer to reaching the American Dream. On the flip side, Illinois State Rep. Randy Ramey’s (R) Arizona-styled bill H.B. 1969—filed in February 2011—has not been able to make it out of committee.

8. Families of color in Illinois face significant economic hurdles. In 2010 the median household income for African Americans in the state was $32,866—just above 55 percent of the household income for whites. The median household income for Hispanic residents in Illinois that year was 76 percent of non-Hispanic white income.

9. Unemployment hits these communities harder than any other. In 2010, 22.6 percent of the African American civilian labor force over the age of 16 in Illinois was unemployed. This level was 2.4 times as high as the comparable unemployment rate of whites (9.2 percent). Hispanic unemployment in 2010 was also high, at 13.2 percent.

10. Nevertheless, communities of color contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Unauthorized immigrants paid $500 million in state and local taxes in 2010. In 2009 the purchasing power of Illinois Latinos totaled $43.6 billion. The same year Asian American buying power totaled $23.8 billion. The 56,567 Latino-owned businesses in the state made more than $10 billion in sales in 2007, the last year for which data are available, while the state’s 59,367 Asian-owned businesses generated more than $18 billion in sales.

READ MORE: CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS

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WHICH COMPANIES ARE TARGETING HISPANIC CONSUMERS RIGHT NOW?

March 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

A summary for, Media Sales Executives, Advertising Agencies and Corporate Marketers to

see what clients are moving into the Hispanic market and/or targeting Hispanic consumers

right now.

  • Post Foods-XL Alliance
    Post Food’s has announced that XL Alliance will be its new advertising agency-of-record in support of Honey Bunches of Oats Hispanic marketing, the Bradington Herald reports. The New York and Denver-based agency will work in collaboration with their current media agency, MV42, Mediavest Multicultural. “We have a strong commitment to the growth of the Post business,” said Tony Shurman, Post Marketing Director. “XL Alliance has the right framework and is a great marketing partner to help continue the positive momentum we have achieved within the multicultural community.” In its new role, XL will evolve its incumbent assignment as Hispanic digital and social media marketing agency to include advertising, cross-channel planning and shopper marketing for Honey Bunches of Oats.Liliana Gil, cofounder and Managing Partner of XL Alliance; an executive who departed from Johnson & Johnson three years ago to join partners Enrique Arbelaez, Manny Fields and Armando Martin as cofounders of the agency.  In addition to Post Foods, XL serves a roster of clients that includes Kroger Co., Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Diageo, among others.
  • American Heart Association – Interlex
    The American Heart Association is working with Interlex to conduct branding, awareness and attitudinal research to develop a new positioning strategy for the American Stroke Association Brand. “For the past few months we’ve been deep into the research phase, conducting both quantitative and qualitative studies across General, African American, Asian American, Hispanic, South Asian, and Native American segments,” said Interlex President and CEO Rudy Ruiz. The goal, according to Ruiz, is to help the Association build a brand platform and communications strategy which is universally appealing and multicultural at the core. “This is a national initiative,” said Ruiz. “The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is very committed to improving the health of all Americans. And since minority segments are often disproportionately impacted by stroke, it is very important that they reach these audiences in meaningful, motivational ways.”The San Antonio-based shop joins the Ad Council, Grey Worldwide, and Omnicom’s Cone Communications on the AHA/ASA roster of agencies.
  • Yahoo! En español – Toyota Prius
    Yahoo! en Español launched a new blog, “Vida Ecologica” sponsored by Toyota Prius v, presenting tips on how to live an environmentally-conscious life.
  • American Airlines – Q’VIVA
    American Airlines and Q’VIVA! The Chosen have teamed up with the show’s producers to offer fans a chance to win a unique VIP experience to attend a live Q’VIVA! performance in the United States.
  • Walt Disney Records
    Walt Disney Records will be releasing two Song & Story titles and a collection of Disney Princess songs in Spanish for the very first time.  The label will also release the Spanish language digital soundtracks for Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.  All five albums will be released tomorrow March 20, 2012 wherever music is sold, digitally and physically. “We’re thrilled to offer Spanish-speaking families an additional way to experience the magic of Disney music in their native language,” says Cathleen Taff, SVP/GM, Disney Music Group.
  • Pepsi NEXT
    Starting March 26, cola lovers everywhere will be invited to get a first taste of new Pepsi NEXT, a new beverage which intends to be a game changer in the cola category and the first to deliver real cola taste with 60% less sugar than Pepsi-Cola. “We’re on a mission to get consumers to experience the real cola taste of Pepsi NEXT for themselves,” said Angelique Krembs, Vice President TM Pepsi Marketing.
    Promotions around the launch will include:
    – A Walmart sampling program hitting 800 Walmart Supercenter stores across the country, beginning March 26 through the end of April. Consumers can visit facebook.com/pepsinext to find the nearest Walmart store for their risk-free trial of Pepsi NEXT.
    – In-market sampling for consumers to try Pepsi NEXT for free across 40+ cities nationwide between the end of March and August 2012.
    – A TV ad spot, created by TBWA/Chiat/Day, featuring an excited young couple recording their first interaction with Pepsi NEXT, meanwhile missing the “unbelievable acts” of their baby in the background, from dancing to handstands. This 30-second spot will begin airing nationwide on March 26 on prime-time and cable networks, and will be complemented with online and radio advertising.
    – A digital application on facebook.com/pepsinext inviting users to “taste” Pepsi NEXT online.
    – Targeted and relevant Hispanic advertising and grassroots marketing.

READ MORE: PORTADA NEWS

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UNITED AIRLINES RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH NAT’L ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC JOURNALISTS

March 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

United Airlines announced that it has renewed its partnership with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). United will be the official airline of special events for the organization in 2012.

“United is proud to continue its support of the NAHJ,” said John Slater, United’s vice president of sales – Americas. “We applaud the NAHJ’s dedication to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry and are pleased to facilitate the organization’s events around the country.”

The United-NAHJ partnership includes support for seven events: the 2012 NAHJ Hall of Fame Gala during the UNITY Convention, August 1-4, in Las Vegas – the nation’s largest gathering of minority journalists; the NAHJ 23rd Annual Scholarship Benefit in the fall; and five NAHJ regional events to take place in Albuquerque, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C.

Postcard from event that happened September 2011

“We are grateful to United for its generous support of NAHJ at a time when news coverage of the growing Latino community has never been more crucial,” said Michele Salcedo, NAHJ president. “Although many companies are rethinking their commitment to diversity, United has chosen to continue our longstanding relationship that began with Continental Airlines. We not only thank them, we applaud them.”

Continental began its support of the NAHJ in 2005.

SOURCE United Continental Holdings, Inc.

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