Latino Issues, A Conservative Blog

HT: ( La Ventanita ) The Washington Post has an interesting article . I found this particular paragraph talking about increased travel restrictions to Cuba just laughable! Like he knows so much about protecting constitutional rights? Like he knows ANYTHING about rights! Castro and other Cuban officials have criticized the travel crackdown, saying the Bush administration is violating the constitutional rights of American citizens. Lets all be clear. The only one to blame for Cuba's poverty is castro himself. The embargo is simply making it hard for him to continue stealing from the backs of hard working Cubans. We can all look forward to the day he is gone.

It's like a bad nightmare that keeps coming back. I grew up with stories from my Grandfather of the sugarcane fields. My "abuelo" had his own sugarcane plant in the back yard of his Hialeah home, and every time we visited (about once a year during childhood) we would beg him to go out back and chop down a piece for our own enjoyment. I still love chewing on the sweet sugarcane wedges whenever I get a chance. I believe Sedanos sells the small bags of freshly cut sugarcane, as well as a ice-cold glass of " guarapa ". How many more people will die in Venezuela from the poverty and famine this bastard is causing. How much longer will America look the other way, while castro exports his death-sentence socialism throughout South America? How many more have to die!!!?? Mora reports at BabaluBlog.com After fleeing castro in the 1960s for the then-undeveloped farmlands of remote parts of Venezuela, my farmer [ Daniel ] now sees castro coming right back for him and his p...

I'll be spending the weekend at my in-laws, so expect below-average blogging. I'll still try to check in at least once or twice during the day, but its warm and breezy outside, and my wife is in a great mood!! That means the last thing I want to do is be staring at the glow of my lap top. Here is a thought in light of the current immigration debate. I love America. I love it so much, I found particularly attractive that my wife was from a traditional American family. They have made me feel completely welcome, and despite the "loudness" of my family, and strangeness of my taste in food, my ethnic background has never been an issue. My wife loves cooking Cuban food for me, and for her relatives as well. She does a real good job too! She bakes Cuban bread, which I've heard is quite difficult to bake. My point: assimilation and integration are NOT bad things. The fact that I seek to assimilate does not mean I instantly forget, hate or attempt to hide my past. It does...

This is one of the many reasons I think La Raza does more harm to the Mexican immigrant community. They mix socialist ideas with multiculturalism and the oldie-but-goodie "right of self determination," hence the separatist and "reconquista" ideals taking root. Oftentimes, those who support a more liberalized immigration policy accuse those favoring a more restrictive one of paranoia for suggesting that there are those who fight against assimilation. Yet, here is an open admission that assimilation is considered "dangerous" to hispanic communities, and that things such as patriotism and traditional values are threatening as well. Via RedState.com : National Review has posted a letter which was sent by Dr. Michele Waslin, Director of Immigration Policy Research for the National Council of La Raza. In the letter, Dr. Waslin states some objections to the Alexander/Cornyn citizenship bill, S. 1815. The NCLR "thinks there are at least 3 big problems" ...

Update (03/31/06): Here is a picture I managed to take at the Heritage foundation panel discussion on Hugh's new book. I haven't read the book yet, but I thought I would share some of my notes on what was said. Bob Beckel was entertaining, and actually seemed like a nice guy--confused, but nice. When asked about the Democrat's platform, he basicly said "We are an opposition party. We are against Bush." Beckel disagrees with Hugh on the impact of hte blogosphere, but my co-worker and I where discussing that even if Beckel is right in that most undecided voters are not influenced by the blogs directly, the influencers are. If the Democrat party is on the same page as Beckel, this is good news for the GOP, who seems to be paying more attention to bloggers. Some more quotes: "If the Republicans are going to win, they need to carry a banner of bold colors, not pale pastels." (Hugh Hewitt) He believes the GOP needs to focus on 4 key messages: Win the war Conf...

BabaluBlog pointed out a mistake in terms, one I have been making. Since so many of the protesters are skipping school to take back their lands via la Reconquista , I thought I'd offer up a quick vocabulary lesson that will hopefully clear up the "we're the same" misconception: ref·u·gee n. One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution. im·mi·grant n . A person who leaves one country to settle permanently in another. Contrary to what today's media prefers to call Cubans who risk their lives to reach US shores - lately the term has been "migrants" - those Cubans are fleeing political oppression and are, thus, refugees. As I stated in a previous post , when Mexican "migrants" are faced with systematic violations of every basic human and civil right as the people of Cuba are, then perhaps I would accept a similarity. So, I stand corrected--I am not a son of immigrants, but of refuge...

Here are some thought-provoking words from Tony Snow . I am not able to verify the statistics, and I keep hearing conflicting numbers from both sides of the spectrum, but this piece provides needed common sense. Read the full article over at TownHall.com . Rather than panicking, the political class might want to take a deep breath and attempt a little common sense. Virtually everyone agrees that we need to secure our borders, deport lawbreakers and slackers among the illegal-immigrant population, and revitalize the notion of citizenship by insisting that prospective citizens master the English language and the fundaments of American history and culture. The Statue of Liberty symbolizes America's affection for the world's tired and poor, the "huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Before someone razes Lady Liberty and decides to erect a wall to "protect" America from the world, shouldn't we at least spend a little time trying to get our facts straight?...

Sorry this update is so late. If you follow some of the other blogs covering this story, you might have heard already. (HT: Faustas blog ) Cuban dissident recovering in clinic after ending hunger strike Guillermo Fariñas, a psychologist and director of the independent Cubanacan Press agency, is in serious but stable condition after on Wednesday ending a 56-day hunger strike he began to demand free access to the Internet. The dissident "has had no complications, but he is very weak, with headaches and polyneuropathies in his legs and hands," his mother Alicia Hernandez said. Fariñas, 43, is receiving medical care – including intravenous nourishment and fluids – in a hospital in Santa Clara, some 280 kilometers (about 175 miles) east of Havana. He had more to say: Another independent journalist, Juan Carlos Herrera, has also been transferred to a hospital after going on hunger strike protesting his prison conditions. Last year I posted a graphic description of the dissidents...

This was an interesting post . It has some good thoughts on the cracks on the other side. Tags: Politics , border , Terrorism , Homeland Security , MEXICO , Immigration , Illegal Aliens , Border Security , California , GOP

To start, I want to clarify that use the term "Latino" loosely, and it is meant as a category, not an ethnic identity or nationality. This clarification is important to better understand the true effects of what is going on. I also want to clarify my position on the issue, and I do not assume it is the position of all citizens of immigrant background, though I would gamble a large amount of them would agree! The first and foremost issue, to Americans, AND to legal immigrants, is border security. Many immigrants from Central America have experienced first-hand the cost of high crime rates at the hands of "maras" like the M13 gang. As with most immigrants, these are hard working families who are unable to earn a decent living because of crime and corruption. Many choose to immigrate legally, and sacrifice a lot to do so. It wins no political points with them to have a unsecured border that allows drug lords and gangs to move unhindered. Decent law-abiding citizens of...

I have some more thoughts on this, but will post about it later. Look for it. Read through the comments on the various posts about the illegal immigrant issue, and you'll get a better feel for what many non-Mexican Latinos or Hispanics think about the debate. I don't think the GOP has to lose votes for enforcing the current laws, and for securing our borders--with a fence if need be!

I know some are really trying to pain illegal immigrants as desperate, but good people. Thats fine, but it doesn't take away from the facts. Michelle Malkin makes the point: Not that the law matters anymore, but identification document fraud is a crime . She has tons of pictures of forged documents .

BabaluBlog said it best . Make sure to read the whole thing. First, there is no such thing as a "latino" race. There is no such thing as an "hispanic" race. Both terms are contrived and used solely for census purposes. There is no such country as "latinolandia" and Hispaniola is technically half of an island in the Caribbean. Second, I am not nor will I ever be part of "La Raza." Nor do I agree or support their current protests. Some of you may, but I do not. Third, I have never and will never, despite having many issues with the government of the United States throughout the years, burn a flag of the United States of America. I am Cuban by birth, American by the grace of God. And a darned proud, dignified, thankful and respectful American. Advice to Mexicans: Fire your "La Raza" so-called leadership. They will destroy any chance you have of making a better life for yourself in America.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=21841 Reporter Sara Carter of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin says since these protests, border patrol agents have reported an explosion in illegal crossings from Mexicans (and others) keenly observing the Senate debate and emboldened by same. Some were under the impression amnesty had already been granted and hoped to be the first to take part in the second California Gold Rush. Michelle Malkin has pictures and up to the minute coverage. Just when you think this can't get any worst, it does. They are shooting themselves in the foot! Wait for the backlash..its coming.

Via CNN ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The Afghan man who could have received the death penalty for his conversion from Islam to Christianity has left Afghanistan for asylum in Italy, according to the Italian Embassy in Kabul. Officials there said Abdul Rahman should be arriving in Italy later Wednesday.

Kathleen Parker has a great piece today on the immigration protests and the illegal aliens debate. There's nothing like the sight of 500,000 protesters on U.S. turf, demanding rights in Spanish while waving Mexican flags, to stir Americans from their siestas. In Los Angeles, the iconic phrase may be "Si se puede," but in Muncie, it's "What the ... ?" Suddenly, in the flash of a newscast, polite political debate about guest worker programs visually morphed into what seemed like a full-blown invasion. I agree people need to stop the PC mumbo-jumbo. It's not helping anyone.

A reader said it well. I was just searching for information on this whole La Raza movement and happened on your blog. I'm 24 an Immigrant from Colombia, I've been in the US for 15 years. I'm now a citizen. And I have no idea how to feel or what to think about this whole issue? I feel conflicted, being pulled in every direction. I spent all of Sunday researching this whole Aztlan fiasco, and frankly their 'cause' seem to me to be comical in principle and unrealistic. I mean, more than half of their supporters who are under the age of 20 are their most vocal and probably cannot carry a conversation in Spanish, yet they want to reclaim their land for Mexico? I just do not understand it. I also stumbled across this photo with Arafat yesterday and in the page they were comparing their struggle with that of the Palestinians. Again I do not understand the correlation. Also who ever is in charge of these protest for the love of God, pass out American Flags. They are losing ...

Considering the current situation, and posts by Michelle Malkin, I thought this old post would be relevant. The source of these student activists are the teachers themselves!! I heard for myself at a scholarship presentation banquet a high school teacher recite a violent, racist poem against white people, and calling for violent uprising. I found this amazing picture . I don't know if its authentic, but if any of the readers can tell, let me know. This is only a few years old. Whether its real or not, it is this sort of thing that has America concerned about the illegal immigration problem. The mass rallies are not helping. The myth of Aztlan can best be explained by California's Santa Barbara School District's Chicano Studies textbook, "The Mexican American Heritage" by East Los Angeles high school teacher Carlos Jimenez. Page 84 shows a redrawn map of Mexico and the United States, showing Mexico with a full one-third more territory, all of it taken back from the...

Profound thoughts and long-term implications coming from Glenn Reynolds. Time will tell what the goal and end-result will be from these mass rallies. I tend to agree with Glenn--whichever way you look at this, the left always has "more control" as the end goal. ...the obvious tendency of this weekend's marches to provoke a backlash makes me wonder why they're happening. One possibility is that the organizers are dumb, and don't think there will be a backlash. The other possibility is that the organizers aren't dumb, and figure that they'll benefit from a backlash if it occurs. Either they win (which means they win) or they lose, and get a prop. 187 type response, leaving both illegal and legal Latino immigrants polarized and looking to them for leadership (which means they win). Given the GOP's inroads into the Latino vote, this may be, in part, an effort to sabotage any Latino realignment toward the GOP. Meanwhile, the issue is becoming more and more...

There is a blogburst going for Coco Fariñas, who is on a hunger strike for freedom of information. Why would a man die for his internet access, you must be asking. Here is the situation via La Ventanita: Unless you are a government member , as a regular Cuban you have to go to an Internet café to access the Internet. At an exorbitant price, half of a month's wages, you can purchase an hour on the n et. However, your surfing abilities are curtailed as the regime blocks all sites it does not want its people to see - just like China blocks opposition blogs and commentaries. Cubanacán Staff used the Internet to send out their reports, their stories to foreign press bureaus for publication, in an effort to report the truth about Cuba and their situation. Freedom of information is a foundational freedom. Allow me to look back at the start of the Reformation, which as Hugh Hewitt notes in his book, Blog , was empowered in large by the invention of the printing press. The Reformation bega...

Yesterday my wife and I enjoyed the all-American tradition of the yearly kite festival. We drove down to Arlington, and took the metro to the mall. We got to walk around, watch kids running around and flying kites (and some adults acting like kids with their kites), and we watched some trick kite competition. It was an amazing site. If you missed it this year, make it a point to make it next year. I thought I would share some fotos for everyone to see. Of course, I had never been to the National Air & Space Museum, so we took the time to walk around the exibits. I was excited to see SpaceShipOne on display in the main entry hall. It was right there next to the Spirit of Saint Louis , and the X-1 . The connection between the Spirit of Saint Louis and SpaceShipOne being the X-Prize competition , which motivated in part the whole SpaceShipOne project . I love this stuff! I got to watch the award winning launch, and to see the ship in person was great. I'm one of those kids that w...

World Magazine has a story on the violence at the border. It goes to prove that there is a serious threat on our Southern border. We cannot ignore it. We cannot politicize it. This is about national security. Don't let the related issues distract from the top priority--a secure, and controlled southern border. The Mexican government's attempt to stop a bloody gang war in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico (just across the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas) appears to have failed. Earlier this month, Mexican officials reorganized the army-led effort and promised between 600 and 800 more troops to break up a bloody rivalry between the Gulf and Sinaloa Cartels. The groups are battling for the Nuevo Laredo territory - an all-important transfer point for transporting cocaine, heroin and marijuana into the United States. Tags: Immigration , Politics , border , Terrorism , Homeland Security , MEXICO .

I have to say I admire Abdul Rahman . I wonder if I would choose to stand by my faith when having to choose between my very own life? This is a real-life testament to the transforming power of Jesus in the live of millions throughout history. It's good to hear the good news via FoxNews about his pending release. Its not over yet, as the extreemists want to kill him. I do hope he is given free passage out, and that he will come to America and share his story. Rahman...said he was fully aware of his choice and was ready to die for it, according to an interview published Sunday in an Italian newspaper La Repubblica. "I am serene. I have full awareness of what I have chosen. If I must die, I will die," Abdul Rahman told the Rome daily, responding to questions sent to him via a human rights worker who visited him in prison. "Somebody, a long time ago, did it for all of us," he added in a clear reference...

From Mark Steyn : What can we do? Should governments with troops in Afghanistan pass joint emergency legislation conferring their citizenship on this poor man and declaring him, as much as Karzai, under their protection? In a more culturally confident age, the British in India were faced with the practice of "suttee" - the tradition of burning widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. Gen. Sir Charles Napier was impeccably multicultural: "You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: When men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks, and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours." India today is better off without suttee. If we shrink from the logic of that, then in Afghanistan and many places far closer to home the implications are, as the Prince of Wales would say, "ghastly." America must stand by its tr...