LULAC NEWSlulac.org/publications/2002janfeb.pdfLULAC NEWS • January/February 2002 www .LULAC.org 3...

��

��

� ��

��

��

��LULAC NEWSLULAC NEWS

�� !�� "�#�$�� %��&��'��#()��*#��#(��++��,-.+�� !�� "�#�$�� %��&��'��#()��*#��#(��++��,-.+

��

2 www.LULAC.org LULAC NEWS • January/February 2002

��

��/��&� 0�� "�� (��#�$��$�1#�$0�# �#&� �� #�"�"*�#&0�2

��$�

��

��

�� $ ��2��#�1�&� �� 3&��1��&��$�� 4.5.665+6�7

LULAC NEWS • January/February 2002 www.LULAC.org 3

LULAC NEWSLeague of United Latin American Citizens2000 L Street, NW, Suite 610Washington, D.C. 20036TEL: (202) 833-6130 • FAX: (202) 833-6135www.LULAC.org

National President Executive DirectorRick Dovalina Brent Wilkes

Editor: Scott Gunderson RosaContributor: Gabriela D. Lemus

��NATIONAL OFFICERSRick Dovalina National PresidentBelén Robles Immediate Past PresidentHector Flores TreasurerJuan Lopez Youth PresidentDamaris Sifuentes VP for ElderlyRosa Rosales VP for WomenFernando Escabi VP for YouthJuan García VP for Young AdultsRichard Fimbres VP for FarwestBlanca Vargas VP for MidwestRegla González VP for NortheastElsie Valdes VP for SoutheastFrank Ortiz VP for SouthwestRay Velarde National Legal Advisor

STATE DIRECTORSMary Fimbres ArizonaBob Treviño ArkansasMickie Luna CaliforniaChristine Pacheco-Koveleski ColoradoPanchita Bello District of ColumbiaArmando Pomar FloridaManual Isquierdo IllinoisAlicia Rios IndianaJuanita Lopez IowaRodrigo Bonilla KansasSara Barrientos MassachusettsAugustin Sanchez MichiganCarmen Ramos NevadaFrank Cordova New MexicoWilfredo Santiago New YorkHaydee Rivera Puerto RicoDilka Román TennesseeMargaret Moran TexasLeni González VirginiaGregorio Montoto Wisconsin

© LULAC National OfficeLULAC NEWS is published bimonthly by the National Officeof the League of United Latin American Citizens.

One-year subscription price is $24. Single copies are $4.50.LULAC members receive a complimentary subscription. The pub-lisher encourages LULAC members to submit articles and photos forinclusion in future issues. Once submitted, articles are property ofthe LULAC News and may be subject to editing.

Advertising rates for the LULAC NEWS are available by contactingthe LULAC National Office in Washington, D.C. (202) 833-6130.

President’s Message....................................................5

LULAC Index: Latinos Are the Future......................5

LULAC Leadership Summit for the Southeast..........6

PBS To Premiere Latino Drama.................................7Network Launches National Outreach Campaign

LULAC Tennessee......................................................8The Determination of a Younger Generation

Verizon Gives $200K to Young Readers Program.....9

LULAC’s 5th Annual Legislative Awards Gala........10

LULAC and Mazda Give Away New Car.................12

LULAC National Scholarship Fund.........................13

News From Around the LeagueLULAC Partners with University of Texas; ArizonaState Director to be Honored...................................14

Leadership Director Making a Difference; NationalVice President Wins Valle del Sol Award...................15

We Will Miss You!; LULAC Goes to Tijuana; Break-fast in Laredo............................................................16

Book Review..............................................................17Mexican American Odyssey: Felix Tijerina, Entrepre-neur and Civic Leader, 1905-1965

Policy Briefs..............................................................17Immigration Reform; Adminstration, Congress An-nounce Plans to Restructure INS

Cover: The cover features several different photos thatrespresent special events of 2001 for LULAC, the His-panic community, and the United States.

��


�#�&�!�� 3&��&&��ear Brothers and Sisters of LULAC:

�� !�89� �� &� #�� 0�� #�� !� �� "

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

��

�� !�"

#��

�� $��%

&'�� #��

��(��)(

*��+�

,��

��

�-��

��

��

��-

� �-

��

I would like to wish allLULAC members and their fami-lies a happy holiday season frommyself, the LULAC NationalBoard and National Staff. I wouldalso like to take this opportunityto thank each member for the hardwork and dedication they exhibitall year long while helping theLatino community.

This holiday season is quiteunlike any we have ever seen inthe history of our country. I ask

that LULAC members pray for everyone touched by the events ofSeptember 11, the anthrax scares, and the ongoing war against terror-ism in Afghanistan. I know that as an organizaton, a community anda country, we will come together to bring a joyful and peaceful closeto this year. Let us hope that 2002 brings a new sense of security anda return to normalcy in America.

I personally look forward to the challenges of the upcomingyear, my last as LULAC National President. The organization is ac-tively seeking new members so that when I step aside next June, Iwill leave my predecessor a bigger and stronger organization than theone I took over four years ago.

Our national office in Washington is already in high gear pre-paring for LULAC’s two major annual events, the LULAC Legisla-tive Awards Gala and LULAC National Convention. As always, thelegislative gala will be held in our nation’s capital this March andwill gather leaders from all facets of society to honor those that haveserved us well in the political arena.

Our 73rd national convention and exposition will be held nextJune 23-29 in Houston, Texas. It is a great honor for me to have theopportunity to host the greatest convention of the year in my home-town. I hope to see every LULAC member from California to PuertoRico come together in Houston for what I promise will be the time ofyour life.

��#�$��#��In keeping with LULAC’s role in the policy arena — advocacy

and support for LULAC membership — legislative priorities will con-tinue based on the LULAC National Convention’s Legislative Plat-form. The issues addressed are focused on the following five priorityareas: education, health, immigration, economic and political repre-sentation, and social justice.

The events of September 11th have forced a re-examination ofour traditional priorities and a shift in strategy, and suggest a needfor a deeper analysis of our changing national priorities and its im-pact on the Hispanic community.

The year 2002 promises to be one of new challenges. The coun-try faces not only a challenging war, but an economy that is less se-cure and in recession. Policy priorities have been reconstructed bythe administration as a result of the war in Afghanistan and othertensions worldwide. There are eminent changes in the relationshipbetween government and the people. More than ever, it is importantfor the organization to attend to its mission, while at the same timeremaining sufficiently flexible to engage in the exploration of newapproaches in advocacy.

LULAC is currently working closely with Leslie Sanchez andthe White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for HispanicAmericans to establish a set of educational goals for Latino students.As a member of the Hispanic Education Coalition (HEC), LULACcontinues to lobby for legislation that would benefit Latino educa-tion in general with particular emphasis on Elementary & SecondaryEducation Act appropriations. We also continue to advocate for theBroadband Internet Access Act to provide rapid deployment ofInternet services for low-income urban and rural communities wheremany Hispanics reside.

Please remember that you can help by contacting your repre-sentatives on the issues important to the Latino community.

Sincerely,

Rick DovalinaLULAC National President


The first LULAC Leadership Summitfor the Southeast took place in SanJuan, Puerto Rico from October 19–

21, 2001. The summit was nearly canceledbecause of the horrific events of September11th; however, Elsie Valdes, LULAC NationalVice President for the Southeast, and HaydeeRivera, LULAC State Director for PuertoRico, felt it was important to carry on withthe event in memory of those lost to the trag-edy, and in tribute to the heroism of the manyfirefighters, police officers, medical teams andvolunteers who have bravely faced the crisis.

The summit was originally planned aspart of a celebration of Hispanic HeritageMonth, specifically to recognize the rapidgrowth of the Hispanic population in theAmerican southeast during the past decade.As such, it was designed to become one ofthe prime public policy forums for Hispanicaffairs in the region. It provided a unique op-portunity to discuss some of the most press-ing issues affecting Latinos in both the south-east and the country generally.

Approximately 100 participants lis-tened to thoughtful presentations regardingsuch varied topics as civil rights, advocacy,coalition-building, and the use of the mediafor political campaigns, as well as a soberingdiscussion on HIV/AIDS and bio-terrorismrelated to the anthrax scare. Summit partici-pants were able to engage expert panelists inlively discussion after their presentations.

The first day of the conference tookplace in the amphitheater of the Museo deArte de San Juan. The first seminar was ledby LULAC leaders, including Hector Flores,LULAC National Treasurer; Rosa Rosales,LULAC National Vice President for Women;Juan García, LULAC National Vice Presidentfor Young Adults; and Fernando Escabí,LULAC National Vice President for Youth.Their discussions focused on LULAC posi-tions on the power of education, advocacy,and civil rights.

That lively workshop was followed bya presentation by Carlos Escalante, Execu-tive Director of the Interamerican Center forPolitical Management in Florida. Mr.Escalante detailed the challenges of the po-litical campaign process and provided attend-

ees with an overview of different communi-cations theories by which Latinos can em-power themselves politically should theychoose to run for office.

The presentations on HIV/AIDS andanthrax held the audience in rapt attention.Maria Ayala, Senior Evaluator for Health Pro-gram Consultants in Puerto Rico, spoke ofthe devastating impact AIDS was having onPuerto Rico, particularly its younger inhab-itants. She was accompanied by Dr. KennethDominguez of the Center for Disease Con-trol, who gave a national perspective on thedisease. Both their conclusions were thesame: Hispanics are over-represented amongpersons with AIDS. Dr. Dominguez also gavea brief presentation on the basics of anthraxand how its spread can be prevented.

After the full day of invaluable presen-tations, Elsie Valdez invited the participantsto a networking reception, “Nuestros Lideres/Our Leaders,” held at the San Juan City Hallwhere local leaders mingled with LULACmembers and shared important viewpoints ontheir regional experiences.

The Leadership Summit was wrappedup the following day at the historical Teatro

��!�#&0�2��""� � �"&� ��& �*1�&0��#�"� ��#�� &&��&�� 0�� 0��&

LULAC board members share a moment at the LULAC Leadership Summit for theSoutheast in San Juan, PR. L-R: Fernando Escabí, Vice President for Youth; Rosa Rosales,Vice President for Women; Damaris Sifuentes, Vice President for Elderly; Brent Wilkes,National Executive Director; Rick Dovalina, National President; Blanca Vargas, VicePresident for the Midwest; Hector Flores, National Treasurer; Armando Pomar, FloridaState Director; and Juan García, Vice President for Young Adults.

Tapia with a panel discussion on Hispanicsand the congressional agenda. After a rous-ing chorus of “God Bless America,” SharonCastillo, communications director for the Re-publican National Committee in Washing-ton D.C., delivered a hopeful message fromPresident George W. Bush. The Presidentbelieves that the future of the United Statesis directly related to the strides that Latinosare now making, Ms. Castillo said. In thepresident’s words, “America’s great successhas grown from its diverse population and theHispanic community has been an essentialcontributor to this success story.”

LULAC National President Rick Dovalinawith LULAC Vice President for theSoutheast and Summit host Elsie Valdes.


Early next year the Public Broadcast-ing Service (PBS) will premiere a newLatino drama series featuring an all-

Latino cast. AMERICAN FAMILY, premier-ing in January 2002, will be the first Latinodrama ever to air on broadcast television.Created by Academy Award nominated direc-tor Gregory Nava (Selena), the series featuresan all-star cast of top Latino talent includingEdward James Olmos, Raquel Welch and EsaiMorales. Set in Los Angeles, the serieschronicles the lives of the Gonzalez family,depicting, with humor and affection, theirdaily challenges and triumphs and the bondsthat hold them together.

“This exciting new Latino drama is astep in the right direction for assuring thatLatinos gain recognition and prominence inthe media,” said Monica Medina, OutreachProject Director for AMERICAN FAMILY.“As it will be airing on broadcast television,the series has great potential for tune-in andfor developing a wide-reaching audience wellbeyond the Latino community.”

Produced by El Norte Films and KCET/

�:��#�"��#�� #�"��%��&��

AMERICAN FAMILY stars (back row, l-r) Kurt Caceres, Rachel Ticotin, Esai Morales, MariaCanals, Raquel Welch; (front row, l-r) Constance Marie, Edward James Olmos, Sonia Braga,Austin Noah Marques and A.J. Lamas.

Hollywood, the 13-part AMERICAN FAMILYseries will be supported by a national out-reach campaign that will help local PBS sta-tions build and sustain long-term relation-ships with Latino communities and organi-zations.

AMERICAN FAMILY and its outreachcampaign will bring public television mediaresources and opportunities to local Latinocommunities and organizations. It will laythe groundwork for a meaningful partnershipas a way to address local issues and presentthe perspectives of the Latino community.Through broadening the dialogue around fam-ily and community issues, AMERICAN FAM-ILY will give all Americans a new understand-ing about the vital contributions of diverseLatino cultures across America.

A vital component to the outreach willbe the AMERICAN FAMILY Album. Every-one is part of a family and has treasured fam-ily stories to share. This engaging activity willprovide opportunities for families and com-munities to explore their art, culture, history,and traditions. The AMERICAN FAMILY Al-

bum may become part of local festivals andevents. Stations will be encouraged to invitelocal participation and showcase personalstories on their Web sites. Stations may alsohost daylong “Mi Familia” events to show-case the art, culture and traditions of LatinAmericans through hands-on activities, mu-sic, performances, interactive online experi-ences, and community resources.

“This is a groundbreaking opportunityfor Latino organizations and communities topartner with their local public stations to in-crease awareness for the series and engagefamilies in local activities,” Medina said.

On a national level, the campaign willforge relationships with Latino organizations,including LULAC, to develop resources andsupport activities within local communities.Funding for the national outreach campaignis being provided by Johnson & Johnson,Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)and PBS.

For more information about the out-reach initiative, contact Monica Medina [email protected], or 619.594.7152.

Edward James Olmos and Sonia Braga starin AMERICAN FAMILY.

Photo by Joseph Viles


To see LULAC sprout up in new placesone only needs to look in Memphis,Tennessee, where the Latino popula-

tion has grown from 7,000 in 1998 to morethan 150,000 in 2001. LULAC Tennesseeoriginated from the determination of five pro-fessional women, each from a different coun-try in Latin America.

Current State Director Dilka Román, aPuerto Rican, along with Cristina Vargas ofColombia, Elena Salas of Panama, AnnaPalazola of Venezuela, and Mary Longoriaof Mexico, came together to form a grassrootsorganization hoping to make a difference inMemphis. Working from their kitchens andthe trunks of their cars, LULAC was born.

Before long each of these women wereaddressing issues of discrimination againstHispanics, and promoting bilingualism, edu-cation, and Hispanic businesses to the out-side community. They have also recruited anenergetic young group of members who arededicated to improving the conditions of His-panics in Tennessee.

Now LULAC Tennessee has grown outof the kitchen and into its own facility. InJanuary of 2001, LULAC Tennessee openedits 3000 sq. ft. state office and resource cen-ter. The center is run by volunteers who as-sist over 250 members and respond to morethan 80 phone calls per day.

To date, LULAC Tennessee has helpedthe Hispanic community by assisting with rentand utility payments, delivering food to un-der-privileged families, assisting with jobs,

assisting with funeral services, and provid-ing religious and professional counseling,legal services, housing services and moneymanagement seminars.

For almost a year, the LULAC centerhas been hosting ESL and computer classestaught by local LULAC college students. Theresponse has been impressive with over 100students enrolled.

This past summer LULAC Tennesseeassisted more than 1000 Hispanics over a 7-hour period who came to apply for the IRSIndividual Taxpayer Identification Number.This number allows immigrants to open bankaccounts without the need for a Social Secu-rity number, as well as obtain state identifi-cation and legally pay taxes.

LULAC Tennessee was also recentlyinvolved in assisting over 450 workers with afood drive when their employer left town.LULAC arranged for food to be donated fromother nearby states as well.

One of the main goals of LULAC hasbeen to raise funds for young students to goto college. The state of Tennessee does notrecognize Hispanics as minorities. This de-nies Hispanics the advantages of affirmativeaction at state colleges and universities andfurther hinders the possibility of scholarships.Over $90,000 has been awarded to deservingHispanic students in Tennessee. Each stu-dent who has received a scholarship is respon-sible for donating fifty hours to the LULACstate office in Memphis.

LULAC Tennessee has also started to

�� &&��9�0�� #"�� ;��#��#� ��

Local business contractors receive a lessonin architectual formation from Mexicanarchitect Ricardo Escajadillo (standing) atthe LULAC Tennessee technology center.

Immigrant workers line up outside of the LULAC Tennessee office to receive assistance inobtaining an ITN number that will allow them to file tax returns and open bank accounts.

LULAC scholarship recipients paint theTennessee State Office in preparation for itsopening.

have a presence in the local media. They werefeatured recently on Univision’s PrimerImpacto. When Maximilia Barron, a seven-

(continued next page)


Tennessee State Director Dilka Román (far left) readies the field of contestants in thepotato sack races. The event was part of the 5th Annual Fiesta for Children held inconjunction with Radio Ambiente.

month pregnant Mexican woman was brutallymurdered and her 4-year-old son Eric wentmissing, LULAC Tennessee sought the assis-tance of America’s Most Wanted to profilethe case in the hope of finding the missing

child. When the young boy’s body was foundseveral months later, LULAC was there tomake arrangements for the bodies to be senthome to Mexico for burial. LULAC contin-ues to push the local law enforcement agen-

LNESC Executive Director Richard Roybal and LULAC Executive Director Brent Wilkesstand with Verizon Vice President Victor Cabral, who holds up a check for $200,000designated for LULAC’s Young Readers Program.

Recognizing that the path to success inschool starts early in the educational

process, Verizon Communications hasjoined LULAC and LULAC National Edu-cational Service Centers (LNESC) to helpyoung Hispanic children develop good read-ing skills. With a continued grant fromVerizon in the amount of $200,000, LNESCwill implement and increase the YoungReaders Program in fifteen Hispanic com-munities across the country.

The Young Readers Program wasoriginally implemented as a six-week sum-mer program but has been expanded to ayear-long program due to the generous con-tribution to literacy made by Verizon Com-munications and the Verizon Foundation.

“Lacking necessary language skills toexcel in the classroom, Hispanic studentsoften fall behind their peers in scholasticachievement,” said Richard Roybal, LNESCExecutive Director. “By the time they reachhigh school, many become frustrated by thislack of achievement and drop out of school.It is imperative that we intervene early in theeducational process and reverse this trend.”

The program provides elementary stu-dents an opportunity to experience enjoy-

<�#�%��=�&,�++�+++�� ;��!�#&

able reading activities that instill a love forreading, encouraging them to make readinga life-long habit. Ultimately, the program wasdesigned for students to improve their over-all school performance and increase theirreading scores.

Participants meet weekly during thesummer and monthly during the school yearwith a reading coordinator and engage in edu-cational activities that are entertaining andhelp children build concepts, develop an un-derstanding on the reading process and ex-perience the joy of reading.

A local elementary public school pro-vides a reading teacher to implement the pro-gram. Support of the local community andparental involvement are central to the suc-

cess of the program.This grant was made possible through

the Verizon Foundation, which serves thenonprofit community on behalf of VerizonCommunications, America’s premierwireline and wireless company with morethan 112 million access line equivalents andmore than 28 million wireless subscribers.The Verizon foundation is one of the top 10largest corporate foundations. One ofVerizon’s major funding priorities is basicliteracy due to its impact on education,health, economic development, and thosewho speak English as a second language.

For more information, call LorenaMaymi, National Young Readers Coordina-tor, at (202) 835-9646.

cies to find those responsible.LULAC Tennessee continues to build

its resources to keep fighting the issues thataffect all Hispanics living in the state.LULAC’s state office and resource center hasserved to bring the Hispanic community to-gether, providing them with educational fo-rums on topics such as women’s health, im-migration, cultural adaptation, family plan-ning, and civil rights symposiums.

State Director Dilka Román plans tokeep increasing membership, and is activelyworking to generate new revenues and de-velop more programs for the Tennesee StateOffice. “Compared to where we were threeyears ago, we have come a long way,” she said.“But there are so many of our people that needhelp and LULAC will continue to work hardso that we can provide all that’s needed toLatinos in Tennessee.”


The League of United Latin American Citizens and its Corporate Alliance

cordially invite you to attend

◆

The Fifth Annual

LULACNational Legislative Awards Gala

Celebrating the 73nd Anniversary of LULAC

◆

J.W. Marriott Hotel1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC

Wednesday, March 13, 20026:00 pm Cocktails7:00 pm Awards8:00 pm Dinner

9:00 pm Entertainment

◆For more information, please call (202) 833-6130

Black Tie


2002 LULAC National Legislative Awards Gala

SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Please print or type the requested information below to confirm sponsorship.

Name______________________________ Title ____________________________________

Company _____________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________

City _______________________________ State _________________ Zip_____________

Telephone __________________________ Fax ____________________________________

Please indicate choices below: Contributions are not tax deductible.

❏ Platinum Sponsor ......... Please reserve two tables at $25,000.

❏ Gold Sponsor ................ Please reserve one table(s) at $10,000 per table.

❏ Silver Sponsor ............... Please reserve one table(s) at $6,000 per table.

❏ Bronze Sponsor ............. Please reserve one table(s) at $3,000 per table.

❏ Individual Ticket .......... Please reserve______ticket(s) at $250 per ticket.

Enclosed is my check, payable to LULAC Legislative Gala in the amount of $ ______________

Please charge my: ❏ Visa ❏ Mastercard ❏ American Express

Account No: __________________________________ Exp Date _______________________

Signature Date

Please send agreement and payment to:LULAC National Office, 2000 L St., NW, Suite 610, Washington, DC, 20036PHONE (202) 833-6130 FAX (202) 833-6135


�� !��%!��=� /�(��/��#

��'��#��

Matthew M. Lara of San Antonio, TX,was awarded a new 2002 Mazda

Protegé5 by Mazda and LULAC on Satur-day, December 8 at LULAC’s annual boardmeeting. Proceeds benefit the LULAC Na-tional Office, LULAC National EducationalService Centers, and local LULAC councilsthroughout the country who participated inthe program.

“LULAC is very pleased to be partnerswith Mazda,” said LULAC National Presi-dent Rick Dovalina. “They are a companycommitted to giving back to the Hispaniccommunity and providing our organizationwith a new Mazda Protegé is proof of that.The proceeds from this raffle will allowLULAC to give out more money in scholar-ships and enhance some of our other pro-grams.”

“We’re honored to provide support toLULAC through the donation of our hottestnew car, the Mazda Protege5,” said Jay

Amestoy, Vice President of Public & Gov-ernment Affairs for Mazda North AmericanOperations. “LULAC and Mazda make agreat fit and we’re looking forward to a longand prosperous relationship.”

“First of all, I want to give all the thanksand glory to God,” said Lara. “I also want tothank Mazda and LULAC for not only sup-

porting the Hispanic community, but for giv-ing me the best Christmas present ever.”

Lara is a 33-year-old single parent withtwo children. He purchased a single $5 ticketfrom LULAC Council 4482 in San Antonio.He will be accompanied by National Presi-dent Rick Dovalina to a Mazda dealership inSan Antonio to receive his new vehicle.

Mazda representative Sandra Gonzalez, LULAC Fiscal Officer Carolina Muñoz, NationalPresident Rick Dovalina, Auditor Dan Painter, and National Treasurer Hector Flores observeas the winning name is read in the Mazda raffle.


��(�(�(�(��

��&��)�*

��

��

The LULAC National Educational Service Centers(LNESC) are awarding scholarships to deserving His-panic students who are in college or will be enrollingin college next fall. Hispanic students who have ex-celled academically and who demonstrate need, lead-ership, and a commitment to their community are en-couraged to apply.

Please contact Carlos Zapata, Scholarship Administrator if your council did not participatein the LNSF matching funds program last year and would like to do so in 2002. We ask thatyou please do so in writing at: LNESC, 2000 "L" St., NW, Ste. 610, Washington, DC, 20036,or via e-mail at: [email protected].

APPLICATION PROCESS: LULAC Councils must be in good standing with the LULACNational Office in order to participate in the 2002 LNSF matching funds program. Your councilmust complete the Partnership Agreement (parts A&B) and return it along with your local funds tothe LNESC National Office by March 1. Students interested in applying for an LNSF scholarshipmust first contact (you) the local LULAC Council to request a scholarship application. The dead-line for students applying to the program is March 31, 2002. Councils must turn in the studentrecipient report (part C&D) along with the completed student applications to the LNESC NationalOffice by May 1, 2002. Recipient awards will be issued on July 15, 2002 and January 15, 2003.

LNESC is pleased to extend an invitation to all LULAC Councils to participate in the LNSFmatching funds program. Partnership Agreements will be available in January for the year 2002.


Arizona State Director Mary L. Fimbreswill be honored by the Women’s Foundationof Southern Arizona this March and will beplaced in their annual tribute book “In Cel-ebration of Women: Everyday Heroes,”scheduled to be out in January.

The Women’s Foundation is an organi-zation committed to raising, managing andgranting funds in order to help women andgirls overcome economic, political, racial,gender, and social barriers.

Mary was also in-ducted into LULAC’S Na-tional Women’s Hall ofFame this past June atLULAC’s 72nd Annual Na-tional Convention inPhoenix, Arizona. Sheserved as the co-chair ofthe national convention inPhoenix and was the keyperson in Arizona to orga-nize volunteers and ensurethe convention was a suc-cess. Her commitment toexcellence and leadershipskills proved invaluable asshe was able to organize asuccessful convention inless than six months.

Mary’s leadership,advocacy, dedication, andcommitment have had avery positive impact on theLatino community in Tuc-son and throughout the state of Arizona. Sheserves on the LULAC National Board of Di-rectors and she is the Board Secretary andProgram Chairperson for the LULAC Na-tional Educational Service Centers’ Board ofDirectors.

As a LULAC volunteer and member ofthe community, she has been recognized forher efforts. Previous awards/recognitions in-clude the Latina Heritage Award; VolunteerCenter of Tucson, Citizen of the Year; U.S.

Army Certificate of Appreciation; HonoraryArmy Recruiter; Knights of Columbus “Fam-ily of the Month” Award; F.B.I. CommunityService Award; YWCA’s Women on the MoveAward; Pima County Supervisor DanEckstrom’s Community Service Award;Mujer 2000 Rising Star Award; ArizonaLULAC’s Woman of the Year Award; HUD’sFriends of the Community Award; and PimaCommunity College’s Hispanic Student En-dowment and Community Service Awards.

��/&��#�"� #��!� 0��

University of Texas at Austin President Larry Faulkner at a press conference announcing apartnership between LULAC and and the University of Texas System.

�� +�� #��,� $# ��-�� .�� #

Texas LULAC and the University ofTexas System announced a new partnershipto help Hispanic high school students getadmitted to Texas colleges and universitieson November 12, 2001. The partnership in-cludes the creation of a Youth LeadershipAcademy at the University of Texas-Austin.

Fifty Central Texas high school stu-dents will participate in the Academy, whichincludes three weekend workshops at thesystem’s Austin campus. Students will learnstudy topics such as public speaking, leader-ship skills, goal planning, financial aid, anddiversity.

“The UT System is the first large insti-tution that has really embraced this programand the potential it has to add to the cam-pus,” said Roseanne Ortega, LULAC Texasdeputy director for youth.

Ortega initiated similar programs atcommunity colleges in North Texas in 1994.Now the goal is to eventually include all 21LULAC districts throughout Texas.

University of Texas at Austin PresidentLarry Faulkner is excited about the opportu-nity to reach out to the fastest-growing seg-ment of Texas’ population.

“This university is supposed to be aboutall of Texas and it’s supposed to be about allof what Texas sees in its future,” Faulknersaid. “Hispanic youth have an enormous roleto play in the future of Texas for decades tocome. The university needs to do what it canto help develop the talent that is in thatgroup.”

��/��$��0��!��

LULAC National VP for Women Rosa Rosales (left) presentsArizona State Director Mary Fimbres with the LULAC Women’sHall of Fame Award.

��/&��#�"� #��!� 0��1�� 2�� 1��$��

LULAC National Vice President forthe Farwest Richard Fimbres received oneof Arizona’s most prestigious awards thispast September. Valle del Sol, a Latino com-munity-based organization, presentedFimbres with one of seven Profiles of Suc-cess awards. The awards annually honorthe contributions Latinos make to the com-munity and the state of Arizona.

“I was very honored to receive thisaward as it is a very prestigious award givenout in the state of Arizona,” said Fimbres.“I felt it was a very positive reflection onthe volunteerism and the commitment wehave made to achieve LULAC’s goals andobjectives in improving the qualityof lifefor all our citizens.”

Valle del Sol provides behavioralhealth, educational, and social services tothe Latino community in Arizona. Fimbres

also won the award for LULAC Man of theYear at the LULAC National Conventionin Phoenix this past June.

LULAC National Vice President for theFarwest Richard Fimbres.

LULAC’s Youth Leadership InstituteDirector Alma L. Yubeta was recently recog-nized by Arizona’s YWCA at their AnnualWomen on the Move Awards Banquet.

As the Director of the Leadership In-stitute, Alma is working hard to offer studentsalternatives in life and is helping in the de-velopment of the next generation of leaders.The Institute is designed to keep middle andhigh school students in school and preventyouth crime by focusing on personal leader-ship development. A key ingredient to thisprogram is that students are able to enroll ascommunity college students and earn valu-able college credits.

Initially LULAC’s agreements with thecity of Tucson and Pima County was to train300 students, but under Alma’s leadership,the Institute surpassed all expectations andtrained over 850 students.

Currently, Alma is also the Co-Chairof the 13th Annual LULAC Youth LeadershipConference. She has been a member of theconference’s planning committee for the lasteight years. She also currently serves as Ari-zona LULAC’s State Treasurer and as the Di-rector of Youth Programs for Pima Commu-nity College and LULAC Arizona.

Alma is a Nogales native and stronglybelieves in volunteerism. She has earned anAssociate’s degree in computer science fromPima Community College, a bachelor’s de-

L-R: Mr. Candy Saenz, LULAC District 7 Director and President/CEO of South BayLatino Chamber of Commerce (SBLCC); Honorable Janice Hahn, Councilwoman, 15thDistrict, Los Angeles,CA, and founding board member of the SBLCC; Dr. JuanHernández, Director of Mexicans Living Abroad and Mexican Americans for the MexicanGovernment; and Mr. Trini Jimenez ESQ., LULAC Lennox Council Member and SBLCCboard member.

�� 0��3�%��0��

gree in business/communications/politicalscience and Spanish from the University ofArizona, and a Master’s degree with distinc-tion in educational leadership from NorthernArizona University.

Alma’s volunteer efforts have earned herseveral awards including LULAC Commu-

nity Service Awards; two FBI OutstandingCommunity Service Awards; U.S. Army Re-cruiting Battalion Certificate of Appreciationwith military coin; Outstanding CommunityCollege Alumni Award; and the City ofTucson’s Citizen and Neighborhood ServicesAward.

LULAC Youth Leadership Institute DirectorAlma L. Yubeta.

��/&��#�"� #��!� 0��

LULAC Council 7 of Laredo, TX hosted abreakfast in honor of LULAC National Trea-surer Hector Flores on November 24, 2001.The event was held at the Cotulla Style BBQHouse in Laredo.

Back Row (l-r): Conrado Hein, Jr.; RoleGonzalez; LNESC boardmember; and RogerRocha, Texas Deputy State Director.

Seated (l-r): Pitin Guajardo, CandyRodriguez, and Hector Flores.

��%��

��*�� 4��

LULAC was well represented at a recent con-ference sponsored by the Mexican govern-ment in Tijuana, Baja California. TheInstituto Nacional de Migracíon held a con-ference to promote the “Paisano Program”that will help Mexican immigrants in boththe United States and Mexico. LULAC wasone of several organization from more than30 states to attend the event.

L-R: LULAC National Treasurer HectorFlores, California State Director MickieLuna, and LULAC Legal Counsel JoaquinAvila in Tijuana, Mexico.

2��2��3� �.�5LULAC District III of North Texas recentlysponsored a farewell party for Dr. CorinaGardea. Dr. Gardea has been instrumental inthe founding of the LNESC Center in Dallasand as a supervisor of the “Rising Star” pro-gram sponsored by the Dallas County Com-munity College District. She is leaving forPhoenix, AZ, where she has been namedpresident of Maricopa County CommunityCollege. She will be missed by her friendsand associates from LULAC.

L-R: Roman Palomares, Past Texas StateDirector; Adrian Rodriguez, Texas DistrictIII Director; Dr. Corina Gardea; Rey de losSantos, Dallas LNESC Director; and HectorFlores, LULAC National Treasurer.


In Mexican American Odyssey, Tho-mas H. Kreneck not only traces the influen-tial life of Houston entrepreneur and civicleader Felix Tijerina, but also shows howTijerina’s enterprise influenced and reflectedthe trends in Mexican American develop-ment during years that were crucial for theHispanic community. Kreneck outlines apattern of identity and assimilation that hasbeen traced in broader terms by other schol-ars, who have called Tijerina’s contempo-raries the “Mexican American Generation.”

Felix Tijerina was born in 1905 inMexico, although he publicly claimed tohave been born in Texas. He worked his wayfrom busboy and waiter to owner of a prof-itable, well-known chain of Mexican restau-rants. The story of his economic successparallels that of other self-made Americanbusiness leaders. But his contribution didnot end there. He was an active leader oflocal, state, and national Mexican Ameri-can organizations, and in those groups heworked to advance the Hispanic communityand promote social harmony. Moreover,

:��>��=��/3�,��&�# �#6�'��,��4��-7��+��-��8�9:�8;9

Kreneck demonstrates how Tijerina’s life andefforts symbolized the history of a peoplewho, by the time Tijerina died in the mid-1960s, were no longer lost in a sea of voicesand ineffectual.

Emerging as a leader in such main-stream groups and boards as Rotary Interna-tional and the Houston Housing Authority,Tijerina was a pioneer in Mexican Americaninteraction with Anglos. He was noted for hisefforts on behalf of Mexican American edu-cation. While serving an unprecedented fourterms as national president of LULAC, from1956 to 1960, he launched an internation-ally acclaimed educational initiative calledthe Little School of the 400, to teach Englishto preschool Spanish-speaking children.

Through Tijerina’s life, Kreneck illus-trates the intricate relations between Anglosand Mexican Americans during the early andmiddle years of the century. He identifies bothprejudice and opportunity in Tijerina’s envi-ronment and analyzes the qualities that al-lowed the man to flourish within those cir-cumstances. He also shows how Tijerina andhis colleagues responded to the black civilrights movement that swept the South in thelater years of his life.

Mexican American Odyssey thus por-trays a significant individual and places himwithin a larger context as a member of a gen-eration whose importance still affects soci-ety at large.

“The work is very impressive and will

be recognized as an important contribution,especially in the field of Mexican Americanbiography,” said Emilio Zamora, author, TheWorld of the Mexican Worker in Texas.

THOMAS H. KRENECK is head ofSpecial Collections and Archives at TexasA&M University—Corpus Christi. A spe-cialist in developing local research re-sources, Kreneck founded the MexicanAmerican archival component at the Hous-ton Metropolitan Research Center.

The United States and Mexico resumedstalled talks on immigration reform when mid-level officials met on Tuesday, November 20,2001. Creating a better situation for millionsof undocumented workers in the United Stateswas high on the priority list of both Presi-dent George W. Bush and Mexican PresidentVicente Fox until the events of September 11,2001.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle(D-SD) and House Minority Leader RichardGephardt (D-MO) also traveled to Mexico onFriday, November 16, 2001, to discuss im-migration with President Fox.

“LULAC is pleased that the UnitedStates and Mexico are putting immigrationreform back on the table,” said Rick Dovalina,LULAC National President. “We realize thatthe events of September 11 call for increasednational security, however we also have to

��#�� understand that hard-working immigrantsshould not be punished for the actions of oth-ers. Now is the time to revisit the talks be-gun back in August and come up with a planto legalize the status of millions of immigrantscontributing to our economy.”

The United States could actually en-hance national security by legalizing immi-grant workers, who would be subject to FBIbackground checks. It would also allow theUnited States to more accurately know ex-actly who is in the country and eliminate thosethat pose a threat.

“If you legalize the status of undocu-mented workers you allow them to step outof the shadows and become regular membersof our society,” said Dovalina. “The countrybenefits because it knows who is here, wherethey are, and what they are doing.”

)��<��

�� -��

�� <� ��)�$Attorney General John Ashcroft and

Republican members of Congress are pro-

ceeding with two separate plans to reform theImmigration and Naturalization Service(INS). Ashcroft’s plan would separate theagency into enforcement and services divi-sions, but still maintain one agency. Con-gressman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI),Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee,proposes to create two completely separateentities.

“We are all well aware that the INS hasstruggled to provide accurate and timely ser-vices to the hundreds of thousands of peopleseeking to become citizens and permanentresidents, while increased funding for bor-der enforcement has failed to alleviate theflow of immigrants looking for work,” saidDovalina. “Any plan to restructure the INSmust include adequate funding to the servicesdivision to relieve the backlog and providethe services that are needed. We are con-cerned that with national security being a highpriority right now, funding for enforcementwill be plentiful and services will remain thesame or get worse.”

LULAC NEWSlulac.org/publications/2002janfeb.pdfLULAC NEWS • January/February 2002 www .LULAC.org 3...

Documents

Transcript of LULAC NEWSlulac.org/publications/2002janfeb.pdfLULAC NEWS • January/February 2002 www .LULAC.org 3...