Mexican American Pro Archives

Impartirán inglés desde preescolar hasta secundaria en la entidad, anuncia Educación y Cultura

Published January 31, 2011 | By admin

Erika Talina Perea
El Diario | 26-01-2011 | 00:44

Chihuahua— Niños desde preescolar hasta nivel medio superior aprenderán el idioma inglés como segunda lengua anunció la Secretaria de Educación, Cultura y Deporte en el marco de la firma del Convenio Educativo con el Consulado de Estados Unidos.

El director de Educación Superior, Carlos Ochoa Ortega expresó que es importante que se fortalezca el idioma inglés entre los niños chihuahuenses para que en un futuro puedan acceder a los programas de intercambio estudiantil y cultural que existe con la Unión Americana.

Y anunció que a partir de este año se instrumentarán los mecanismos para que los maestros de distintos niveles educativos tomen un curso intensivo de inglés para enseñarlo a sus alumnos.

“En lo que a mi área corresponde estaré platicando con directores e inspectores de educación media superior y superior para que seleccionen a un grupo de maestros y los enviemos a estudiar inglés una temporada a Estados Unidos”.

Agregó que se pretende sumar a este proyecto a los niveles de educación básica desde preescolar, primaria y secundaria pues entre más pequeño es el niño puede aprender la segunda lengua con mayor facilidad.

Esto derivado del convenio de entendimiento que ayer martes signó la Secretaria de Educación y Cultura para promover el Centro de Asesoria Education USA.

El Centro de Asesoría Educativa Education USA es un organismo que ofrece a los interesados información sobre opciones y oportunidades educativas en todas las instituciones acreditadas de educación superior en Estados Unidos.

Al respecto el subsecretario de la SECD señaló que para el estado de Chihuahua es una distinción contar en la ciudad de Chihuahua con dos centros de este tipo; uno en Juárez y el nuevo que estará funcionando en la capital del estado, pues en todo el mundo funcionan 420 instituciones similares, promovidas por el gobierno norteamericano.

Señaló que en nuestro país las instituciones de educación superior “significan un factor de movilidad social que nosotros tenemos que impulsar”.

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Posted in EDUCATIONAL NEWS FROM MEXICO

CARTA A UN MAESTRO

Published January 26, 2011 | By admin

Creo que ser maestro tiene, como la Luna, se cara luminosa y su cara oscura. En la vida casi todo es así; no hay nada tan malo que no tenga algo bueno y al revés. Lo que importan es ser consciente de todo, luces y sombras, para que nada nos tome desprevenidos y sobre aviso no hay engaño. No abogo por una actitud estoica ante la ambivalencia de la vida, ni mucho menos por la resignación; más bien por una actitud realista que relativice lo negativo y valore sin fantasías los positivo; creo que por ahí va eso que llaman madurez.

El lado oscuro de la luna lo conoces bien. Es el bajo suelo, y más fondo, lo que ese suelo significa: el poco reconocimiento social hacia el maestro. Esto duele; lo percibes todos los días y te acompaña como mala sombre; a veces alguien te ve de arriba abajo; mucha gente no valora lo que estudiaste ni lo que haces. El lado oscuro son también los escasos recursos con que cuentas para realizar tu tarea y l apoca atención que les mereces a las autoridades. Fuera del libro de texto y el gis, casi no cuentas con nada; estás liberado a tu imaginación.

Hay, además, corrupción en el medio magisterial; reglas de juego poco edificantes que tienes que aceptar; a veces la manipulación, abusos y un doble lenguaje que molesta, hay también – aun que no es privativo de tu profesión- rivalidades, murmuraciones, envidias y zancadillas de algunos compañeros. Entre esto hay que caminar, como equilibrista sobre la cuerda floja.

Júntale a todo lo anterior la pobreza de los alumnos que se les dificulta tanto aprender; la testarudez, indisciplina y rebeldía de algunos muchachos del aula; la ignorancia, a veces, de los padre de familia que no saben cómo estimularlos ni corregirlos, y la maledicencia, que nunca falta, en la comunidad. Para ganarte la atención de los chicos tienes que competir con la “tele”, los videos y los cantantes de moda, en batallas que estar perdidas de antemano; y como colofón, se te culpa no solo de que los alumnos no aprendan, sino de todos los males del sistema educativo. Decididamente, el lado oscuro es más bien negro, de tantas dificultades y problemas que tiene la profesión.

Que podremos en el lado luminoso? Yo fui maestro por varios años (un tiempo quizá demasiado corto para tanto como ahora hablo sobre la educación) y recuerdo siempre tres cosas que me parecen hermosas y hoy añoro.

La primera es la experiencia de “ver aprender”, suena curioso decirlo así pero no hallo otra manera. Aunque daba clases en una secundaria. Por una circunstancia excepcional me tocó en unas vacaciones ensenar a leer a varios niños; en otra época posterior ensene a leer a un grupo de campesinos adultos ( uno de ellos, don José, de 76 años, por cierto) en el momento en que las letras se convierten en palabras y estas en pensamientos es como un chispazo que estremece al niño y al adulto por igual; en ese momento el niño sonríe y su sonrisa es expresión de triunfo, gozo de descubrimiento y juego ganado; el adulto es emoción que le desconcierta, comprobación de que “no era tan fácil” y extraña sensación de descubrir que el pensamiento está escondido en los garabatos del papel. Yo simplemente lloré cuando don José me dijo esa tarde: “Ya sé leer; y estoy gente de razón”, soltando un orgullo reprimido por setenta años.

Ver aprender, presenciarlo, mas cómo testigo que como actor, es la satisfacción fundamental de quien enseña. Lo malo está en que a veces nos concentramos en vez de disfrutar el milagro continuo de los que aprender. Ver aprender es ver crecer y madurar a los niños y jóvenes, comprobar por sí mismos y que van saliendo adelante.

Mi segundo recuerdo se liga a la formación de carácter de mis alumnos adolescentes. Siempre considero esto tan importante o más que el que aprendieran conocimientos. Una vez el grupo de tercero de secundaria debía organizar una serie de festejos y el director me encargó de coordinar las actividades. Propuse a la clase que tomáramos esa experiencia como una ocasión para que cada uno conociese mejor sus cualidades y sus defectos y la manera en la que los demás los percibían. Establecimos por conceso los “criterios de evaluación” (compañerismo, creatividad, eficiencia, y ano recuerdo, eran como diez) y después de los festejos, el grupo evalúo a cada alumno a la luz de esos criterios. Hoy, muchos años después, cuando me encuentro a alguno de aquellos muchachos, me dicen: “maestro, esa experiencia fue para mí definitiva; ahí empecé a conocerme de veras; fue estupendo.”

Ser maestro o maestra es ser invitado, en ciertos momentos privilegiados, a entrar al alma de un chico o una chica y ayudarle a encontrarse, a firmar paulatinamente su carácter, a descubrir sus emociones, quizás a superar sus temores y angustias. Y para muchos alumnos o alumnas el maestro o la maestra son los únicos apoyos con los que cuentan.

El tercer recuerdo de esos años, que hoy evoco con nostalgia, es que el contacto cotidiano con los alumnos me mantenía joven. Tus alumnos te obligan a estar enterado de cuanto pasa; te bombardean con preguntas; te ponen en órbita; de todo tienes que saber; acaban ensenándote mas que tú a ellos. Esto es bonito: ser maestro es seguir creciendo.

Evoco hoy estos recuerdos que son, para mí, algunos atisbos del lado luminoso de la Luna. Otros maestros, tú mismo, añadirías mas luces con el lenguaje insustituible de tu experiencia de vida. Si en el balance final las luces son más poderosas que las sombras, no lo sé. Es cosa de vocación, de inclinación interior, de proyecto de vida. O quizá de amor. Y digo la palabra sin ruborizarme porque creo que la profesión de maestro se emparenta con la paternidad y ésta o es amor o no es nada. Todo hijo causa muchos problemas, desde los biberones y panales, pasando por los médicos, hasta los inevitables desencuentros de la adolescencia; pero ningún padre ni ninguna madre pone en duda que en cada hijo las luces superan a las sombras.

Si tienes vocación de maestro, concluyo, creo que tú también opinarás, sin grandilocuencia ni idealizaciones, que la Luna es, decididamente, luminosa y bella.

¡Felicidades maestro!

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Posted in EDUCATIONAL NEWS FROM MEXICO

LA EVALUACIÓN DEL MAGISTERIO

Published January 26, 2011 | By admin

Sorprende la cifra recabada por la Secretaría de Educación Pública sobre todo porque la evaluación era un requisito, supuestamente indispensable, para que los maestros recibieran estímulos de hasta 150% de su sueldo. Esta anomalía nos puede hacer especular varias cosas. O los profesores nunca se enteraron de la opción, o no necesitan el incremento, o han conseguido recibirlo a través de otros canales, o tienen más razones para negarse a ser evaluados de las que tienen para realizar el trámite. Por los resultados de este examen, la respuesta parece ser la última, si bien tal vez no es la única

El Programa Internacional para la Evaluación de Estudiantes (PISA por sus siglas en inglés) por citar la más reconocida de las mediciones educativas, no examina la calidad de los maestros, pero sí la de sus resultados. Dicha prueba ha demostrado año con año que México está por debajo del nivel educativo del resto de los países de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económicos. ¿Esto qué significa?

A la larga, como lo ha demostrado la historia, son los países con generaciones mejor preparadas los que hacen crecer su economía e incrementan la calidad de vida de sus habitantes. Corea del Sur y Japón son un ejemplo consolidado de cómo aprovechar en ese sentido la ciencia y la tecnología. Hacia allá se dirigen a últimas fechas países como China e India, incluso Brasil a pesar de que sus indicadores educativos son similares a los de México.

Cambiar el hecho de que nuestro país exporte frutas y maquila en vez de barcos o computadores depende en primera instancia de la educación. Llegar a ser parte de la sociedad del conocimiento tiene como primer paso diagnosticar adecuadamente los recursos educativos. Eso incluye a los maestros.

Los recursos naturales y la mano de obra barata para la exportación ya no pueden sostener más los privilegios acumulados. Hay que apoyar a los profesores, como a todos, en proporción a la calidad de su trabajo.

Fuente: Educación a Debate

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Research Briefs Cervical Cancer Screening and Older Mexican American Women: A Case Study

Published January 23, 2011 | By admin

Research in Gerontological Nursing Vol. 4 No. 1 January 2011

By Bertha “Penny” Flores, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC; Deborah L. Volker, PhD, RN, AOCN

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explore an older Mexican American woman’s decision-making process to engage in cervical cancer screening. A qualitative single case study design was used along with a purposive, typical case sampling strategy. The participant, a 52-year-old Mexican American woman, was interviewed using a semi-structured format. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. The analytic process revealed three concepts and motivators that influenced the participant’s behavior regarding cervical cancer screening practices: knowledge, family history, and sexual history. As such, these findings are useful for crafting subsequent investigations. Although the study participant’s experience is instructive regarding facilitators or motivators for engaging in screening practices, further exploration of barriers faced by older Mexican American women who decline to be screened is warranted.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Ms. Flores is Clinical Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, and a 2009-2011 John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar and a doctoral student, The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, and Dr. Volker is Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, Austin, Texas.

The authors disclose that they have no significant financial interests in any product or class of products discussed directly or indirectly in this activity. The authors acknowledge support from the John A. Hartford Foundation for Bertha “Penny” Flores.

Address correspondence to Bertha “Penny” Flores, MSN, RN, WHNP-BC, Clinical Assistant Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229; e-mail: Floresb2@uthscsa.edu.

Received: July 20, 2010; Accepted: October 27, 2010; Posted: December 29, 2010

doi:10.3928/19404921-20101201-04

Link to journal

Posted in Front Page Items, Health

México con 33 millones en rezago educativo

Published January 21, 2011 | By admin

Domingo 02 de enero de 2011

Nurit Martínez | El Universal
nurit.martinez@eluniversal.com.mx

24 comentarios

En México, cuatro de cada 10 personas mayores de 15 años están en situación de “rezago educativo”, esto es que no concluyeron estudios de educación básica: son analfabetas, no terminaron la primaria o la secundaria y esa situación los hace enfrentarse en condiciones de desventaja en el mercado laboral, con ingresos promedios de entre seis y ocho pesos por hora laborada, mientras que una persona que alcanza estudios universitarios logra ingresos de 56 pesos la hora, según estimaciones de la Secretaría de Educación Pública.

El número de mexicanos con capacidades mínimas de educación se incrementó más de 3.6 millones de personas en las últimas dos décadas, al pasar de 29.7 millones a 33.4 millones, informó el Instituto Nacional de Educación para los Adultos.

El que no sepan leer y escribir o que no hayan terminado la primaria o la secundaria significa que enfrentan mayores posibilidades de estar desempleados, recibir bajos salarios o trabajar sin prestaciones y también carecen de conocimientos mínimos para procurarse formas de vida saludables como elegir alimentos al comprarlos, lavarse las manos, los dientes o hervir el agua.

Lograr estudios de nivel básico hace que aumente el interés por mantenerse informados sobre asuntos políticos y encontrar soluciones a conflictos de su entorno inmediato, refiere la Evaluación de Impacto del Modelo Educación para la Vida y el Trabajo realizado por Investigaciones Sociales, Políticas y de Opinión Pública solicitada por el INEA.

“Es una desventaja educativa para la empleabilidad y hace que cuando logran su inserción laboral, sea en el mercado informal o en actividades como la delincuencia organizada y esto último es lo que debería llamar la atención más allá de los discursos”, asegura Roberto Rodríguez Gómez, miembro del Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

Lo que más preocupa a la SEP es que 44% de los 33 millones 403 mil personas en rezago tienen entre 15 y 39 años de edad.

El último reporte del INEA refiere que existen seis millones de mexicanos en condición de analfabetismo, 10 millones más que no concluyeron la primaria y otros 17 millones de jóvenes y adultos que truncaron sus estudios en la secundaria.

Si bien el número de analfabetas en el país se mantiene en torno a los seis millones de personas desde la década de los 70, el grupo de personas que no concluyeron la secundaria sumaron más de 2 millones 680 mil personas, según las cifras de rezago educativo.

Para disminuir este problema, el secretario de Educación Pública, Alonso Lujambio, anunció que a la par de que se realizará la preinscripción de niños a la educación básica, se levantará un primer censo nacional de escolaridad de los padres de familia para “promover que quienes no hayan concluido la primaria o la secundaria, o incluso que no sepan leer o escribir, puedan retomar los estudios y concluyan su educación básica”.

Lujambio Irazábal convocó a los gobiernos estatales para que en 2011 se pueda concretar una estrategia nacional para la retención y la no reprobación de los alumnos de secundaria.

El estudio “El analfabetismo en América Latina una deuda social”, elaborado por el Sistema de Información de Tendencias Educativas en América Latina, del Instituto Internacional de Planeamiento de la Educación, estima que en México la desigualdad en el acceso de oportunidades educativas hace que existan tres analfabetas en zonas rurales por uno en las zonas urbanas.

“El número de personas adultas que carecen de competencias mínimas necesarias en escritura, lectura y cálculo elemental se torna en un indicador crítico de la situación de inequidad existente en Latinoamérica y en una evidencia de la deuda que todavía tienen los Estados y el conjunto de la sociedad con una importante parte de ella”, señala el informe.

Con base en un diagnóstico de la Subsecretaría de Educación Básica, se estima que un millón 200 mil adolescentes reprueban o abandonan la escuela en ese nivel educativo cada año.

Es con un grupo de ellos y de los que abandonan o reprueban la primaria, que el INEA recibe cada año a 630 mil niños y jóvenes que se suman al “rezago educativo fresco”, reconoce el Instituto.

Para el especialista Roberto Rodríguez Gómez, el gobierno “no está a la altura de la problemática, sus acciones son deficientes y pobres a lo largo de la historia la alfabetización, sólo ha formado parte de la liberación del servicio militar obligatorio o del servicio social de algunas universidades”.

El rezago educativo en México “requiere que se le dé prioridad, atención y eso se refleje en el dinero que se le destina. Emprender una acción de este tipo podría ofrecer, incluso, oportunidades de empleo a los jóvenes y el alfabetizador sería un profesional y no una labor altruista”.

El INEA señala que el promedio nacional del costo por alumno es de 5 mil 400 pesos, pero varía de una entidad a otra.

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REPORTA ABUSO Este espacio es regulado por la propia comunidad. ¿Crees que el comentario, avatar o imagen que lo acompaña son inapropiados? REPÓRTALO
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Serv D.F. 02 de enero del 2011 13:43 Y gracias a medios que aplauden todo lo que dice el gobierno por no perder el ingreso de la publicidad gubernamental el país esta como esta ahora resulta que nadie es cómplice del mal gobierno!

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso Allbert13579 Vancouver 02 de enero del 2011 13:38 Despiertate censor!!!!!!! andas crudo todavia????

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso Allbert13579 Vancouver 02 de enero del 2011 13:34 Y todavia nos sorprendemos de los niveles de pobreza, violencia y corrupcion.

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso PERDURABO DISTRITO FEDERAL 02 de enero del 2011 13:32 Y el Sindicato? pues repartiendo Hummers y madreando granaderos. Es mas que claro que el sistema educativo no funciona tanto gubernamental como el que prevalece en la casa, para que una mejóría se de alguien debe tomar la iniciativa en la SEP y con una estrategia clara, quien será?. Y para los que son adultos y tienen conciencia de su situación hay formas para estudiar algo y mejorar la calidad de vida.

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso vicunca Riga 02 de enero del 2011 13:31 Los países títeres siempre tienen a su población pobre y casi sin educación. Son países destinados a generar mano de obra barata para otros países. Mientras no se genere educación de calidad en este país, seguiremos siendo el segundo país en el mundo con mas ciudadanos viendo afuera de las fronteras. Muchas veces en condición de esclavos.

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jieg Df 02 de enero del 2011 13:31 lo patetico de este rezago educativo, es que si le preguntan a cada gobernador, estos inutiles diran que su estado es campeon en educación a nivel nacional, pero los numeros de los gobernadores siempre son mentiras

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso ellaestere Priespeligropanesmuerteprdesbasura 02 de enero del 2011 13:29 esperare pacientemente a que permitan publicar un comentario

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso autenticcamaleon D.F 02 de enero del 2011 13:21 no hay necesidad de leer el articulo, ya que esto se compensa con el doble de narcos, comerciantes, etc. que no requiren estudos para ser exitosos en la vida, y tener dinero más que suficiente.

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso eltata Tijuana 02 de enero del 2011 13:03 Por todo esto y mucho mas… gracias a la vitalicia de ELba Esther Gordillo. Obstaculo de la educacion publica.

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso KRISTIAN CApital DF 02 de enero del 2011 12:51 a quien hay q culpar?

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso
cuchillo MEXICO 02 de enero del 2011 12:49 La información económica está a medias, en realidad un albañil con 1o de primaria puede ganar más que un ejecutivo de cuenta de un banco (por más bonitas que estén). Se privilegia más al esfuerzo físico que al conocimiento en algunos casos.

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso Montalbo El cerrito 02 de enero del 2011 12:40 Hen mejiko no ai HA NALFAVETAZ zi todoz bemos el progrmah ece de la profe gordiyo en la TB…HA NALFAVETAZ zu avuela!!!

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso Fredy68 Valle de chalco 02 de enero del 2011 12:28 Des-afortunadamente con los gobiernos del PAN la educación, el poder adquisitivo del salario y el desarrollo se han venido abajo. el fracaso no es sino resultado de los gobernantes me/dio/cres que no saben gobernar.

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso alternativa1 Tampico 02 de enero del 2011 12:27 CON EL NARCO PAN…MEXICO REZAGADO….PARA VIVIR MEJOR…REZAGADO…

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso Elbarbaazul Monterrey 02 de enero del 2011 11:52 PARA VIVIR MEJOR ! !

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beatrix PLEASANTON 02 de enero del 2011 11:42 Una reforma educativa en la formacion de Maestros academicos y profesores. asi mismo en las escuelas.. Muchos de estos personas son las que emigran a USA por falta de oportunidades y aqui encuentran el paraiso al no pedirles escolaridad . cuando este pais se las pida dejaran de venir a mendingar . 200 anos de Independencia y no ha servido para mejorar la educacion que es la base del progreso de un Pais . Comparen con Finlandia 93 anos de independecia y 1Er lugar de esducacion en el mundo

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso velaturbo Los Mochis 02 de enero del 2011 11:41 LAMENTABLE, SIGUEN FALLANDO LAS POLÍTICAS EDUCATIVAS Y SOCIALES EN MÉXICO,URGE CAMBIARLAS Y COOPERAR TODOS LOS MEXICANOS. LA CLASE POLÍTICA SIGUE DESORIENTADA, PERDIDA, LAMENTABLE. GRACIAS Y SALUDOS!

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso ingaquedito Estado Fallido del yo porque y del haiga sido 02 de enero del 2011 11:37 Esas cuatro de cada 10 personas mayores de 15 años que son analfabetas o no concluyeron estudios de educación básica que ni se preocupen, arrimense a algun partido politico ande de arrastrados y abrepuertas un rato y seguro buena chamba en el gobierno agarran.

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso Fulcrom D.F 02 de enero del 2011 11:20 Como país gastamos millones y millones en salarios de profesores desde hace lustros y no se ve claro si esos gastos redituan. Especialmente en las zonas rurales.

Me gusta (0) No me gusta (0) Responder Reportar abuso igalil Mexico 02 de enero del 2011 10:26 ¿Nomas en educación? creo que tiene otrs 70 millones con rezago economico y social…

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Issues in Mexican American Education: Addressing the Academic Needs of Mexican American Students at the Secondary Level

Published January 20, 2011 | By admin

Author:

Alvarez, Ricky A

Abstract:

In light of the growing number of ethnic minority adolescents in the United States, it has long been recognized that the level of educational attainment of Mexican-American students is below to that of other ethnic minority communities in the United States. From towering impoverishment rates, lower parental education, dilapidated neighborhoods and communities, to a clash of culture, marginalized education, and impersonal behaviors, Mexican-American students have endured an educational challenge that has become more difficult to win than imagined. Entailed by cultural identity, exceptionalities, language, gender, economic status, health, beliefs, values, and perceptions of education, this thesis will not only make possible recommendations for the plight among Mexican-American education, but will also investigate the socioeconomic, sociocultural, and the supplementary issues and factors that influence the academic advancement of Mexican-American students at the secondary level.

Link to thesis

Posted in Education, Front Page Items, RSS Google Alerts Archive

Gay Intern Helped Save The Life Of Gabrielle Giffords

Published January 9, 2011 | By admin

Daniel Hernandez Jr., an Openly Gay 20-year-old intern for Gabrielle Giffords, is being credited with saving the congresswoman’s life.

Hernandez, who confirmed that he is gay in an interview with Instant Tea on Sunday morning, is a member of the City of Tucson Commission on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues. “She’s been a great ally to the LGBT community,” Hernandez said of Giffords during the brief interview across a bad connection

Link to read more

Posted in Front Page Items, News and Information

Perceptions of Discrimination among Mexican American Families of Seriously Ill Children

Published January 4, 2011 | By admin

Betty Davies, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN,1,2
Judith Larson, Ph.D., F.T.,1
Nancy Contro, M.S.W.,3 and
Ana P. Cabrera, M.A.1
Accepted September 2, 2010
Abstract

This paper describes Mexican American family members’ descriptions of perceived discrimination by pediatric health care providers (HCPs) and the families’ reactions to the HCPs’ discriminatory conduct. A retrospective, grounded theory design guided the overall study. Content analysis of interviews with 13 participants from 11 families who were recruited from two children’s hospitals in Northern California resulted in numerous codes and revealed that participants perceived discrimination when they were treated differently from other, usually white, families. They believed they were treated differently because they were Mexican, because they were poor, because of language barriers, or because of their physical appearance.

Participants reported feeling hurt, saddened, and confused regarding the differential treatment they received from HCPs who parents perceived “should care equally for all people.”

They struggled to understand and searched for explanations. Few spoke up about unfair treatment or complained about poor quality of care. Most assumed a quiet, passive position, according to their cultural norms of respecting authority figures by being submissive and not questioning them. Participants did not perceive all HCPs as discriminatory; their stories of discrimination derived from encounters with individual nurses or physicians. However, participants were greatly affected by the encounters, which continue to be painful memories.

Despite increasing efforts to provide culturally competent palliative care, there is still need for improvement. Providing opportunities for changing HCPs’ beliefs and behaviors is essential to developing cultural competence.

Link to Journal

Posted in Front Page Items, Health, News and Information

Mexican and Canadian NAFTA Professional Worker

Published December 27, 2010 | By admin

Overview

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) creates special economic and trade relationships for the United States (U.S.), Canada and Mexico. The nonimmigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visa allows citizens of Canada and Mexico, as NAFTA professionals, to work in the U.S. in a prearranged business activity for a U.S. or foreign employer. Permanent residents, including Canadian permanent residents, are not able to apply to work as a NAFTA professional.
How Can Professionals from Mexico and Canada Work in the U.S.?

Professionals of Canada or Mexico may work in the U.S. under the following conditions:

* Applicant is a citizen of Canada or Mexico;
* Profession is on the NAFTA list;
* Position in the U.S. requires a NAFTA professional;
* Mexican or Canadian applicant is to work in a prearranged full-time or part-time job, for a U.S. employer (see documentation required). Self employment is not permitted;
* Professional Canadian or Mexican citizen has the qualifications of the profession.

Note: The application requirements for citizens of Canada and Mexico, shown below are different.
Requirements for Canadian Citizens

Canadian citizens usually do not need a visa as a NAFTA Professional, although a visa can be issued to qualified TN visa applicants upon request. A Canadian citizen without a TN visa can apply at a U.S. port of entry. Learn about requirements and more on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. Canadian citizens can also review information regarding TN visas through U.S. Embassy Ottawa’s website.

When Does a Canadian NAFTA Professional Need a Visa? A Canadian residing in another country with a non-Canadian spouse and child would need a visa to enable the spouse and child to be able to apply for a visa to accompany or join the NAFTA Professional, as a TD visa holder. Canadians applying for a visa will follow the same documentation requirements as shown in the sections Mexican Citizens, Applying for a TN Visa, and Required Documentation.
Requirements for Mexican Citizens

Mexican citizens require a visa to request admission to the U.S. (A USCIS approved petition is not required.)
Applying for a TN Visa

NAFTA applicants must meet specific requirements to qualify for a NAFTA Professional Worker (TN) visa under immigration law. The consular officer will determine whether you qualify for the visa. Applicants may apply at consular sections around the world for a NAFTA professional (TN) visa. As part of the visa application process, an interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate is required for visa applicants from age 14 to 79, with few exceptions. Persons age 13 and younger, and age 80 and older, generally do not require an interview, unless requested by the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Making your appointment for an interview is the first step in the visa application process. The waiting time for an interview appointment for applicants can vary, so early visa application is strongly encouraged. Visa wait times for interview appointments and visa processing time information for each U.S. Embassy or Consulate worldwide is available on our website at Visa Wait Times, and on most U.S. Embassy or Consulate websites. Visit the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website where you will apply for your visa to find out how to schedule an interview appointment, pay the fees and any other instructions.

During the visa application process, usually at the interview, an ink-free digital fingerprint scan will be quickly taken. Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a Consular Officer.
Required Documentation

Each applicant for a TN visa must adhere to the procedure as explained below:

* Online Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application, Form DS-160. Visit our DS-160 webpage to learn more about the DS-160 online process.
* A passport valid for travel to the U.S. and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant’s intended period of stay in the U.S. (unless country-specific agreements provide exemptions).
* One (1) 2×2 photograph. See the required photo format explained in Nonimmigrant Photograph Requirements. A photograph is not required if you are applying in Mexico.
* Letter of Employment in the U.S. Additionally, the applicant’s employer in the U.S. must provide an employment letter that includes the following:
o The letter must indicate that the position in question in the U.S. requires the employment of a person in a professional capacity, consistent with the NAFTA Chapter 16, Annex 1603, Appendix 1603.d.1.
o The applicant must present evidence of professional employment to satisfy the Consular Officer of your plans to be employed in prearranged business activities for a U.S. employer(s) or entity(ies) at a professional level. Part-time employment is permitted. Self-employment is not permitted. An employment letter or contract providing a detailed description of the business activities may be provided from the U.S. or foreign employer, and should state the following:
o Activity in which the applicant shall be engaged and purpose of entry;
o Anticipated length of stay;
o Educational qualifications or appropriate credentials demonstrating professional status;
o Evidence of compliance with DHS regulations, and/or state laws; and
o Arrangements for pay.
o Although not required, proof of licensure to practice a given profession in the U.S. may be offered along with a job offer letter, or other documentation in support of a TN visa application.

What are the Required Visa Fees?

* Nonimmigrant visa application processing fee – For current fees for Department of State government services select Fees. You will need to provide a receipt showing the visa application processing fee has been paid, when you come for your visa interview.
* Visa issuance fee – Additionally, if the visa is issued, there will be an additional visa issuance reciprocity fee, if applicable. Please consult the Visa Reciprocity Tables to find out if you must pay a visa issuance reciprocity fee and what the fee amount is.

Additional Documentation

Applicants must show their intended stay is temporary, without the intent to establish permanent residence. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate that they have the following:

* Education: The applicant’s employer must submit proof that the applicant meets the minimum education requirements or has the alternative credentials set forth in NAFTA agreement, chapter 16 appendix 1603.d.1. Evidence of professional qualifications may be in the form of degrees, certificates, diplomas, professional licenses, or membership in a professional organization. Degrees, diplomas, or certificates received from an educational institution outside the U.S., Canada, or Mexico must be accompanied by an evaluation by a reliable credentials evaluation service specializing in evaluating foreign documentation.
* Work Experience: Documentation proving to the applicant’s experience should be in the form of letters from former employers. If the applicant was self-employed, business records should be submitted proving that self-employment.

Is Licensure Required?

Requirements for NAFTA professional do not include licensure. Licensure to practice a given profession in the U.S. is a post-entry requirement subject to enforcement by the appropriate state or other sub-federal authority.
Spouses and Children

Spouses and children (unmarried children under the age of 21) who are accompanying or following to join NAFTA Professionals (TN visa holders) may receive a TD visa. Applicants must demonstrate a bona fide spousal or parent-child relationship to the principal TN visa holder. Dependents do not have to be citizens of Mexico or Canada. Spouses and children cannot work while in the U.S. They are permitted to study.

* Canadian citizen spouses and children do not need visas, but review the CBP website for the port of entry requirements:
* Spouse and children are not Canadian citizens – They must get a TD nonimmigrant visa from a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. They should review U.S. Embassy or Consulate website how to apply information.
* Mexican citizen spouses and children must apply for TD nonimmigrant visas at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate,
* Spouses or children following to join must show a valid I-94, thereby providing proof that the principal TN visa holder is maintaining his/her TN visa status.

Period of Stay and Extension of Stay

Review the USCIS website for NAFTA period of stay information. Canadian or Mexican citizens admitted as a NAFTA Professional may apply to USCIS for extension of stay.
NAFTA Professional Job Series List

For a complete list of professions with minimum education requirements and alternative credentials, see the NAFTA webpage, Appendix 1603.D.1 With some exceptions, each profession requires a baccalaureate degree as an entry-level requirement. If a baccalaureate is required, experience cannot be substituted for that degree. In some professions, an alternative criteria to a bachelor’s degree is listed. For some professions, experience is required in addition to the degree.
Additional Information

* No assurances regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Therefore final travel plans or the purchase of nonrefundable tickets should not be made until a visa has been issued.
* Unless previously canceled, a visa is valid until its expiration date. Therefore, if the traveler has a valid U.S. visitor visa in an expired passport, do not remove the visa page from the expired passport. You may use it along with a new valid passport for travel and admission to the U.S.

Misrepresentation of a Material Facts, or Fraud

Attempting to obtain a visa by the willful misrepresentation of a material fact, or fraud, may result in the permanent refusal of a visa or denial of entry into the U.S. Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas, provides important information about ineligibilities.
Visa Ineligibility/Waiver

Certain activities can make you ineligible for a U.S. visa. The Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-156, lists classes of persons who are ineligible under U.S. law to receive visas. In some instances an applicant who is ineligible, but who is otherwise properly classifiable as a visitor, may apply for a waiver of ineligibility and be issued a visa if the waiver is approved. Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas provides important information about ineligibilities, by reviewing sections of the law taken from the immigration and Nationality Act.
Visa Denials

If the consular officer should find it necessary to deny the issuance of a TN visa, the applicant may apply again if there is new evidence to overcome the basis for the refusal. For additional information, select Denials to learn more.
Entering the U.S. – Port of Entry

Applicants should be aware that a visa does not guarantee entry into the U.S. The visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to a port-of-entry in the U.S., such as an international airport, a seaport or a land border crossing, and request permission to enter the U.S. CBP, U.S. immigration inspector will permit or deny admission to the U.S., and determine your length of stay in the U.S., on any particular visit. Form I-94, Record of Arrival-Departure, which notes the length of stay permitted, is validated by the immigration official. Form I-94, which documents your authorized stay in the U.S., is very important to keep in your passport. Additionally, as a Mexican citizen seeking entry as a NAFTA professional, you must present evidence of professional employment to satisfy the Immigration Officer of your plans to be employed in prearranged business activities for a U.S. employer(s) or entity(ies) at a professional level. To find out more detailed information about admissions and entry in the U.S., select Admissions to go to the CBP website.
Staying Beyond Your Authorized Stay in the U.S. and Being Out of Status

* It is important that you depart the U.S. on or before the last day you are authorized to be in the U.S. on any given trip, based on the specified end date on your Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94. Failure to depart the U.S. will cause you to be out-of-status. Staying beyond the period of time authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and being out-of-status in the U.S. is a violation of U.S. immigration laws, and may cause you to be ineligible for a visa in the future for return travel to the U.S. Select Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas to learn more.
* Staying unlawfully in the U.S. beyond the date CBP officials have authorized, even by one day, results in your visa being automatically voided, in accordance with INA 222(g). Under this provision of immigration law, if you overstay on your nonimmigrant authorized stay in the U.S. your visa will be automatically voided. In this situation, you are required to reapply for a new nonimmigrant visa, generally in your country of nationality.

How Do I Extend My Stay?

Visitors who wish to stay beyond the date indicated on their Form I-94 are required to have approval by USCIS. See Extend Your Stay on the USCIS website.
How Do I Change My Status?

Some nonimmigrant visa holders, while present in the U.S., are able to file a request which must be approved by USCIS to change to another nonimmigrant category. See Change My Nonimmigrant Status on the USCIS website.

Important Note: Filing a request with USCIS for approval of change of status before your authorized stay expires, while you remain in the U.S., does not by itself require the visa holder to apply for a new visa. However, if you cannot remain in the U.S. while USCIS processes your change of status request, you will need to apply for a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad.
Further Visa Inquiries

* Questions on visa application procedures and visa ineligibilities should be made to the American consular office abroad by the applicant. Before submitting your inquiry, we request that you carefully review this web site and also the U.S. Embassy or Consulate website abroad. Very often you will find the information you need.
* If your inquiry concerns a visa case in progress overseas, you should first contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate handling your case for status information. Select U.S. Embassy or Consulate, and you can choose the Embassy or Consulate website you need to contact.

We Want You to Know

* Visa News

* Adoption Alerts

* Diversity Visa

* Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

* Iraqis & Afghans-SIV

* Business Visa Center

* Customer Service Statement to Visa Applicants

* Fraud Warning

* Privacy
* Copyright & Disclaimer
* FOIA
* Office of the Inspector General
* No Fear Act Data
* U.S. Department of State
* Other U.S. Government Information
* USA.gov

Canadian Work Permits

Posted in Front Page Items, General M-A Professional News, News and Information

Dream Act

Published December 26, 2010 | By admin

December 23, 2010
J. Perez

jperez2002 My musings Christian, DREAM Act, college admissions, immigration, Mennonite Central Committee, Reform, enculturation, Lynne Hybels Leave a comment

Lynne Hybels a prominent evangelical Christian woman posted on her blog the following post in regards to the DREAM Act. I am active support of this legislation as I have come into contact with many high school and college students that live in the shadows. In response to her blog I made the following comments in the hopes that reader of her blog would be better informed about what is at stake for many students in the US that have been education in our system, but when it comes to college they have been shut out. Below you will find her post and my comments.

Lynne Hybels: Like many of my friends, I am profoundly disappointed by Saturday’s defeat of the DREAM Act by just a few votes in the Senate. I have to confess this is the first time I have actually called the offices of politicians to ask for their vote on a particular piece of legislation. I had really hoped that Senator Kirk would change his mind and vote Yes. I’m grateful to Senator Dick Durbin for sponsoring and championing this bill, and to Representative Melissa Bean for voting Yes and helping to pass the bill in the House of Representatives last week.

I want to say to the many God-loving, hard-working young people—some in my church—whose hopes were dashed by the failure of the DREAM Act that you will not be forgotten. Your dreams will not be ignored. Your value and dignity depend not on the affirmation of any government, but on the affirmation of the God who created and loves you. Your friends will continue to work on your behalf.

My comments: Being a college administrator and one who has spoken extensively with high school and college students who are undocumented, the defeat of this bill was devastating not only for me but the students I work with. This has been shared before, but for some of the students that have a desire to pursue college degree do not discover their immigration status until they begin to apply for financial aid. I have had high school college counselors share with me their experiences in advising students who discover their status during the financial aid process. I would encourage all of you to watch “Papers.” Is the DREAM Act perfect? No, but it is a start and there are several laws that have far worse loopholes than the ones listed above. I believe that this is a moral issue for us as believers. If a Republican congress wants to work on new legislation I encourage them to do so.

In regards to immigrants being enculturated, Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform reports that within 10 years of arrival more than 75 percent of immigrants speak English well. Having parents myself who immigrated to this country from Mexico and watching them obtain US citizenship I would say if there was a path to legal residence, most immigrants would take it and be productive citizens of our country. I would also encourage all of you to get to know immigrants in your communities. You will be surprised by their resiliency and determination to succeed in spite of their circumstances. The Mennonite Central Committee which has put together excellent resources on immigration.

The DREAM Act

Posted in Front Page Items, News and Information

The Red State Blues Life in the Bush Leagues Sunday, April 18, 2010 Mexican American Political Activism At Mid-Century

Published December 23, 2010 | By admin

Michael Phillips
Location: Plano, Texas, United States

Mexican American Political Activism At Mid-Century
I am a coauthor of an updated version of the college American history textbook, currently titled “American Dreams & Reality: A Retelling of the American Story.” Below I describe the civil rights struggles of Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants during the time from 1945 to 1960.

From 1941-1945, close to 500,000 Mexican Americans served in the United States military out of a Hispanic population of about 2.7 million. In Los Angeles, Hispanics accounted for one-tenth of the total population but comprised one-fifth of the metropolis’ wartime casualties. Hispanics made up 25 percent of the victims of the “Bataan Death March” (in which the Japanese beat, shot and marched to death captured British and American prisoners of war in the Philippines), and Mexicans and Mexican Americans earned more medals of honor than any other demographic group.

The Mexican population in the United States increased dramatically during the post-World War II period, with Mexican immigrants increasing from 5.9 percent of all newcomers to 11.9 percent at the end of the 1950s. Part of this increase resulted from the bracero program, in which American landowners imported Mexicans as low-paid agricultural workers. The number of braceros brought in from Mexico jumped from about 35,000 in 1949 to 107,000 in 1960. In 1956, the bracero program peaked with more than 445,000 Mexicans working on American farms that year. Many braceros remained in the United States after their year-long contracts expired, joining a growing number of Mexicans who fled poverty in their country by crossing the American border.

Responding to Anglo concerns about the rising number of so-called “wetbacks” – the insulting term used for Mexican immigrants who supposedly crossed the border by swimming across the Rio Grande River – the federal government launched a crackdown on undocumented workers, “Operation Wetback,” in 1950. During the next five years, the government seized and deported nearly four million people whom authorities claimed were illegal immigrants, with Mexican American legal residents sometimes included in the sweeps. Immigration would heavily politicize the Mexican American community after the war, and many Hispanic political organizations battled to improve working conditions for migrant workers and to fight what they saw as harassment of the Mexican American community, including repeated FBI investigations of Hispanic labor unions which Anglo law enforcement insisted were communist fronts.

As with African Americans, Mexican American veterans of World War II returned from a war against racist fascist regimes impatient with the intolerance they still encountered at home. Passage of the G.I. Bill meant that more Mexican Americans attended college than ever before, and with increased enrollment at colleges and universities came rising expectations for a better life. The percentage of Hispanics living in towns and cities as opposed to rural areas dramatically increased after the war, reaching 65 percent in 1950, which facilitated political activism. Hispanic veterans in particular played a major role in the two primary Latino civil rights organizations of the post-war years: the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the American GI Forum. Well-educated, often prosperous and urban Mexican American elites formed LULAC in Texas in the late 1920s. LULAC’s founders saw assimilation with the Anglo majority as a path toward winning acceptance in American society. They embraced a “Mexican American” identity that combined respect for Mexican traditions and pride in American citizenship. A major focus was “Americanizing” Mexican Americans and recent Mexican immigrants who still spoke Spanish.

“LULAC symbolized the rise of the Mexican middle class,” according to historian Rodolfo Acuña. “As in the past, the organization did not really serve the interests of the poor, but, rather, reflected the philosophy of the middle class, who wanted assimilation . . . To achieve its goal, the middle-class leadership demanded constitutional and human rights for all Mexicans . . . They demanded equality as North Americans; their major goals remained equal access to education and other public and private institutions, and the enactment of state laws to end discrimination against Mexicans.”

The Anglo response to Mexican Americans and immigrants in states like Texas and New Mexico varied widely, with discrimination more common and harsher in places with large Spanish-speaking populations. In such communities, authorities denied Mexican Americans access to public parks and swimming pools, and restaurants either would not serve Mexican American and Mexican patrons or would force them to take their food through a back window and eat outside. Though no formal law segregated Mexican and Mexican American children from Anglos in Texas schools, in districts with large Latino populations, school officials routinely assigned Hispanic children to separate, crowded and poorly funded schools.

In New Mexico, teachers taught Mexican school children in Spanish, which LULAC saw as a deliberate attempt to block these pupils from economic success in an English-speaking country. Mexican children fared poorly in Anglo-run school districts. Hispanic students rarely finished their public school education with a high school diploma. Many non-native speakers of English ended up assigned to remedial classes. In San Antonio in 1920, 11,000 students attended the district’s elementary schools, but there were only 250 high school graduates. In 1928, only 250 Mexican students attended colleges and universities in the entire state of Texas.

To address the high drop-out problem in the Mexican American community, in 1956 LULAC President Felix Tijerina established “The Little School of the 400” program designed to teach Spanish-speaking preschool children a 400-word vocabulary of basic English words before they began first grade. Like the NAACP, from the late 1920s through the post-World War II years LULAC helped members file lawsuits against informal school segregation in the public schools and to open access to higher education for the Mexican and Mexican American community.

In 1946, a U.S. District court in Southern California ruled, in Méndez v. Westminster School District, that segregating Mexican school children violated their constitutional rights, a decision later upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The dismantling of segregation in Texas began with the 1948 Delgado v. Bastrop ISD U.S. Supreme Court decision that banned school boards from placing Mexican-American students in different schools than Anglo children. These cases established a precedent for the Brown decision. In the 1957 Hernandez v. Driscoll CISD case, the court ruled that a Texas district’s practice of holding back Mexican American children in grades one and two for four years served as a form of discrimination.

Dr. Hector Garcia formed the American GI Forum (AGIF) in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1948 to serve Mexican American veterans who frequently did not receive Veterans Administration benefits on time. Shut out by the Anglo-run American Legion, Garcia and others decided to form their own veterans’ group. The AGIF grabbed national headlines in 1949 when it led protests against a Three Rivers, Texas, funeral home that denied the use of a chapel to the family of Army Private Felix Longoria, who died in combat in World War II. The AGIF launched an intense lobbying campaign. Lyndon Johnson, at the time a U.S. senator from Texas, successfully persuaded authorities to grant a full funeral service for Longoria at Arlington National Cemetery. Angered by the treatment of Longoria, Mexican American veterans across the country flocked to the GI Forum and by the end of 1949, there were 100 AGIF chapters in 23 states across the country. With its ladies’ auxiliary, entire families could participate in GI Forum events, a key to its success.

The LULAC and AGIF leadership tended to be conservative, and through the 1950s often presented Mexican Americans as a white ethnic group with a distinct cultural identity but American loyalties. As such, the leaders of these groups distanced themselves from the African American civil rights movement, were often critical of black civil rights protests, and sometimes even used racist terms to describe African American leaders. Nevertheless, Mexican American politicians like Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas threw his support behind the NAACP and black desegregation efforts. The Chicano movement of the late 1960s would bring increased efforts to unite blacks and browns in a common battle against racism.

Michael Phillips is the author of “White Metropolis: Race, Ethnicity and Religion in Dallas, 1841-2001” published in 2006, and “The House Will Come To Order: How the Texas Speaker Became a Power in State and National Politics,” co-written with Patrick Cox and published in 2010 by The University of Texas Press

Posted in Front Page Items, History, News and Information

Survey Response Styles, Acculturation, and Culture Among a Sample of Mexican American Adults

Published December 20, 2010 | By admin

Rachel Ellen Davis, PhD

Ken Resnicow

Mick P. Couper

Abstract
A number of studies have investigated use of extreme (ERS) and acquiescent (ARS) response styles across cultural groups. However, due to within-group heterogeneity, it is important to also examine use of response styles, acculturation, and endorsement of cultural variables at the individual level. This study explores relationships between acculturation, six Mexican cultural factors, ERS, and ARS among a sample of 288 Mexican American telephone survey respondents. Three aspects of acculturation were assessed: Spanish use, the importance of preserving Mexican culture, and interaction with Mexican Americans versus Anglos. These variables were hypothesized to positively associate with ERS and ARS. Participants with higher Spanish use did utilize more ERS and ARS; however, value for preserving Mexican culture and interaction with Mexican Americans were not associated with response style use. In analyses of cultural factors, endorsement of familismo and simpatía were related to more frequent ERS and ARS, machismo was associated with lower ERS among men, and la mujer was related to higher ERS among women. Caballerismo was marginally associated with utilization of ERS among men. No association was found between la mujer abnegada and ERS among women. Relationships between male gender roles and ARS were nonsignificant. Relationships between female gender roles and ARS were mixed but trended in the positive direction. Overall, these findings suggest that Mexican American respondents vary in their use of response styles by acculturation and cultural factors. This usage may be specifically influenced by participants’ valuing of and engagement with constructs directly associated with social behavior.

Posted in RSS Google Alerts Archive, Social Sciences

Mexican American General in US forces-Ricardo Sanchez

Published December 20, 2010 | By admin

By Jorge Mariscal

In its December 2003 cover story Hispanic magazine featured an article about Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez titled “Soldier of Fortune: Far from Home, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez Leads the Effort to Stabilize Postwar Iraq.” Sanchez was the top U.S. commander in Iraq during the first year of the occupation.

Rick Sanchez, as he was known growing up, spent his childhood two miles from the Mexican border in Rio Grande City in Starr County, Texas. Today, Starr County remains the poorest county in the United States. The son of a single-parent family, his uneducated mother once made him spend the day picking cotton as she had done so that he would learn the value of hard work.

In 1973, he defied the odds and graduated from Texas A&I University with a double major in history and mathematics, entered the Army, and quickly rose through the ranks. He also holds a master’s degree in operations research and systems analysis engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.

According to 2002 Department of Defense statistics, only 4.1% of all active duty officers in the U.S. armed forces are of “Hispanic descent” (compared to 8.5% for African Americans). As the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S. Army and only the ninth Latino general in the history of the Army, Sanchez believes he is a role model for young Latinos. He told Hispanic magazine: “Whether you like it or not, once you are honored with these kind of responsibilities, and more importantly blessed by all those great people over the years who allowed you to succeed, it’s inevitable that you will be looked at as a role model.”

It is true that role models are often drawn from those few who seem to defy expectations. But the recent history of Ricardo Sanchez exposes a more pressing area of concern for Latino families – the ways in which military culture contradicts the basic values of decency and service to others that are taught in the majority of Latino working-class homes and communities.

Sanchez’s assertions in the Hispanic interview deserve our scrutiny. He said: “When I became a soldier the ethics and the value system of the military profession fit almost perfectly with my own heritage. It made it very easy for me to adapt to the military value system.” In light of recent revelations about Sanchez’s role in the abuse of prisoners carried out by U.S. personnel at the Abu Ghraib prison, one can only wonder what Sanchez understands to be the “ethics and the value system of the military profession” and the values of his “heritage.”

Official documents obtained by the Washington Post in June revealed that Sanchez had a direct connection to the inhumane interrogation methods employed against Iraqi prisoners. Although in October of 2003 he slightly reduced the number of extreme practices, he authorized the continued application of methods such as the use of sentry dogs to incite fear, solitary confinement for more than 30 days, and the manipulation of a prisoner’s diet. Sanchez did not eliminate these methods until media revelations broke concerning the torture scandal.

As the investigation of the Abu Ghraib scandal proceeded, it was learned that the International Committee for the Red Cross had filed numerous complaints about the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and other U.S.-run prison facilities in Iraq. Although those reports were handed over to U.S. authorities, Sanchez told the Senate Armed Services Committee he had never seen them and that he was unaware of the abuses.

But one military officer cited in the Washington Post article claimed that Sanchez was actually present at the prison and on several occasions witnessed the abuse as it was taking place. According to one report, the uncropped version of a widely circulated photo of a U.S. guard holding a dog on a crouching and naked Iraqi prisoner reveals Lt. General Sanchez off to the right observing the scene.

The Pentagon continues to deny these allegations and, as one might expect, Sanchez’s family has rushed to his defense. On the local NBC affiliate in South Texas, his sister Diane Sanchez stated: “I know my brother and I know what he is made of and he’s a man of very high morals and standards.”

Despite his sister’s protestations, young Latinos and Latinas hungry for role models need to ask about the extent to which Sanchez was willing to abandon his “very high morals and standards” in the service of raw imperial power. To what extent did the process of assimilation and “Hispanic success” transform a poor Mexican American boy into an overseer of the Bush/Rumsfeld torture regime? If the great labor organizer Cesar Chavez taught us that the greatest contribution we can make is to serve the poor and the oppressed, must we not view Lt. General Sanchez’s actions as a gross corruption of “Latino values”?

When the Pentagon announced Lt. General Sanchez’s departure from Iraq in May, it was widely assumed that he would be promoted to a four star general and given the top post in the U.S. Southern Command in charge of Latin America. But it was not long before NBC news reported that although Sanchez might still be nominated for a fourth star the prisoner abuse scandal could “complicate that process.” In an interview with the BBC, Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, who was in charge of U.S. military police units in Iraqi prisons, suggested that Sanchez was fully aware of the abuses.

This Hispanic Horatio Alger, who believes his cultural values coincide with those of the military, may continue to serve as a role model for some young people. But like Colin Powell before him, he now must be viewed as an anti-model whose purported ethics and values were overwhelmed too easily by the military’s fundamental culture of violence and racism, a culture laid bare especially in times of war. Latinos and Latinas must reject the example of Lt. General Sanchez in order to illuminate the place where ethnic pride gives way to a commitment to universal social justice.

Whatever his future assignments may be, Rick Sanchez will go down in history as the Mexican American general who approved the use of attack dogs against naked Iraqi prisoners. In the future perceptive students will point out that dogs were one of the most effective weapons used by the Spanish invaders and colonizers of Mexico to incite terror in the indigenous population. They will note the disturbing irony of Lt. General Sanchez, the “Hispanic of the Year” with Mexican roots, turning loose the dogs of war against another colonized people.

Jorge Mariscal is Director of the Chicano/a~Latino/a Arts and Humanities Program at the University of California, San Diego. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968 and served in Viet Nam the following year. His new book is Brown-eyed Children of the Sun: Lessons from the Chicano Movement, 1965-75.

http://www.blackcommentator.com/98/98_mariscal_general.html

Posted in Military, RSS Google Alerts Archive

Mexican American Bar Association

Published December 20, 2010 | By admin

Here’s a link to the website for the Mexican American Bar Association, one of the most prominent and largest Latino bar associations in the nation. They are a volunteer entity whose success rests on the commitment of members and supporters. Members include; attorneys, judges, elected officials, law school students and business people of many ethnic backgrounds.

www.mabaattorneys.com

Posted in Law, RSS Google Alerts Archive

Mexican American Hispanic Physicians Association-Scholarships

Published December 19, 2010 | By admin

Posted in Health, RSS Google Alerts Archive, Science

Hector Ruiz former AMD CEO- video

Published December 19, 2010 | By admin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEjZoaRGNF0

Posted in Computer Science

Women in the Mexican-American community: Religion, culture, and reproductive attitudes and experiences

Published December 18, 2010 | By admin

Hortensia Amaro

Abstract

The goals of this study were (a) to provide descriptive information on the reproductive attitudes and behavior of Mexican-American women and (b) to investigate the relationship of socioeconomic status, acculturation, and religiosity with these attitudes and experiences. Data were obtained in personal interviews with 137 Mexican-American women visiting a community health center. Women were asked questions about religion, motherhood and pregnancy, sexuality, and unwanted pregnancy and abortion. The results indicate a great heterogeneity, even among relatively low-income and unacculturated Mexican-American women, in attitudes and experiences. Socioeconomic status, degree of religiosity, and degree of acculturation were associated with women’s reproductive attitudes. Overall, the results contradict common stereotypes that present Mexican-American women as dominated by Catholic doctrine, passive in fertility decisions, and desirous of large familiesstract

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1520-6629%28198801%2916:1%3C6::AID-JCOP2290160104%3E3.0.CO;2-1/abstract

“>“>Posted in Science

Reaching underserved populations and cultural competence in diabetes education Sharon A. Brown, Alexandra A. Garcia and Maria Winchell

Published December 17, 2010 | By admin

Abstract
Diabetes self-management education has gained in importance over the past decade as research has documented the benefits of such interventions in improving glucose control and reducing diabetes-related complications. Although minority populations bear a disproportionate burden of diabetes, past strategies have not addressed cultural characteristics of groups typically underrepresented in diabetes research. Recent research literature on the development of culturally competent diabetes self-management is summarized and an example of a culturally competent intervention designed for Spanishspeaking Mexican Americans is presented. Recent research is laying the foundation for future intervention development to meet the cultural needs of racial/ethnic groups.

Posted in Health

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