La Prensa San Diego

This week, a state civil rights board heard tales of increased racial profiling and police mistrust. By Valeria Fernández New America Media PHOENIX, Ariz. — Police pulling people over for minor infractions and asking for documents, rape victims too afraid to call the police, children living in fear of having their parents taken away. These [...]

An Arizona court ruled last week that a state law banning the Mexican-American Studies (MAS) curriculum is constitutional. The ruling was perceived as a partial defeat for groups advocating in favor of the curriculum and those who had hoped the court would overturn the 2010 law. “I was really surprised at the decision,” said Jose [...]

By Rodolfo F. Acuña The National Committee for Protection of Foreign Born Workers was established in 1923 in reaction to the virulent xenophobia of a Republican Congress and President toward immigrant workers, and their right to organize and strike. This campaign resulted in the Immigration Acts of 1921 and in 1924. The latter ushered in [...]

Commentary: By Adam Gettinger-Brizuela MA, CATC-IV “Let us not fear going to jail. If the officials threaten to arrest us for standing up for our rights, we must answer by saying that we are willing and prepared to fill up the jails of the South.” The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., February, 1960 I’m [...]

By Valeria Fernández New America Media PHOENIX, Ariz.—A movement to oust Joe Arpaio, America’s self-proclaimed “toughest sheriff,” from office continues to gain momentum in Arizona. Actions range from a Latino voter mobilization to an infusion of support from out-of-state groups helping run anti-Joe Arpaio radio ads on Spanish radio. Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio, 80, known [...]

Commentary: By Rodolfo Acuña In the City of Los Angeles, Art Snyder represented the 14th Council District from 1971 to the mid-1980s. Chicanos considered the 14th a Chicano District, and they ran multiple candidates against him. Snyder seemed invincible, and in 1981 he ran with no opposition. In 1984, a recall election was mounted, based [...]

By Latino Decisions In 2010, the average of 16 polls of likely voters in Nevada suggested Sharon Angle had a firm 3 point lead, and 538’s Nate Silver gave her an 83.4% chance of winning. On election night, the results showed Harry Reid with a 5 point win — an 8 point difference from the [...]

Ending the Illusion By Rodolfo F. Acuña Instead of the usual 16th of September celebrated in most Mexican American communities, MEChA students at California State University at Northridge hold an “Endependence Day.” The event has the blaring of the mariachis, the jarabe tapatio, and gritos, but in the center stage are speeches and poetry readings [...]

On September 19, join San Diego Latino Film Festival celebrate the best in Latino film and music! 6th Annual “¡Que Viva! Cine Latino” film series continues with a screening of the powerful documentary Precious Knowledge, an essential look at Ethnic Studies in Arizona. We are proud to announce that filmmaker and San Diego native Eren [...]

By Valeria Fernandez New America Media PHOENIX – Arizona governor Jan Brewer issued an executive order on Wednesday (July 15) that will deny undocumented youth access to state-issued identification cards and other state benefits. But the order, say legal experts, will have consequences for other immigrants as well. The Republican governor issued her executive order [...]

Commentary: By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez At the Aug 7 trial for Randall Leon Thompson, the person accused of leaving three death threats against me in my university voicemail, was placed under supervised probation for a year, but was spared jail time. The judge said he found his behavior disgusting and was inclined to throw [...]

Commentary: By Rodolfo F. Acuña With all of the hype around Latinos these days, how could Arizona have happened? I thought we had power. One-third of Arizona is Latino and its neighbor California is the land of milk and honey – the favorite destination of politicos of all colors. Over fifty percent of Los Angeles [...]

By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez When historians examine Arizona’s early 21st century, including the anti-immigrant SB 1070 and the anti-Ethnic Studies HB 2281, the question they will ask of intellectuals is not what side they were on? Instead, they will ask, what did you do? I am often asked this question; they also ask me [...]

By Valeria Fernández New America Media PHOENIX, Ariz. — A series of discriminatory emails, some containing racially derogatory images of Mexicans resurfaced during the third day of hearings in the trial against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office. The emails were forwarded by Sergeant Brett Palmer, a supervisor in the human- smuggling division of the [...]

Commentary: By Herman Baca Committee on Chicano Rights, (CCR) The stopping, detaining, and the senior citizen abuse of 96 year old ex.-Governor (1974-77), of Arizona, Raul Castro along with his wife and Ms. Anne Doan (driver) by the U.S. Border Patrol raises legal and constitutional questions that the CCR has requested the U.S. Department of [...]

By Valeria Fernández New America Media PHOENIX, Ariz. – Known for his “off the cuff” remarks and tough stance against illegal immigration, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio took the stand Tuesday in a long-anticipated racial profiling trial in which his office is being accused of violating Latinos’ civil rights. Arpaio’s media statements, press releases, his [...]

Arizona’s Freedom Summer continues By Roberto Dr. Cintli Rodriguez Iconic images are those that stand the test of time and become engraved in our psyche. They freeze a moment and tell a story. They create truths and inform our memories. For instance, the intense human rights struggle in Arizona has managed to produce several powerful [...]