A Dream Act Without the Dream

The Republican party continues to stay strong on their beliefs on immigrants and their status. The Dream Act was never really accepted by the Republican party yet they are trying to 'show' that they are willing to still offer some sort of altered proposition. The Senator of Florida, Marco Rubio, for example has been working to offer a striped down version of the Dream Act. Rubio is suggesting to offer legalization to immigrants in the military or enrolled college students, BUT without offering them citizenship. The article quotes Rubio saying: "You can legalize someone without putting them on the path to citizenship." Rubio's fear was also addressed: by granting citizenship to immigrants, they would only file papers for their relatives to also gain citizenship. Ridiculous. The author describes this status as a newly invented status for immigrants-'not illegal, but not American.'

I could not agree more. I understand that the Republican party needs to address this issue in order to gain Hispanic votes, but this is not the way. Sadly, I think the Hispanic voters might take to this as a sign that additional change may come from it as well, but who knows. This could just be something that is going to be offered to get votes and then discarded.

The author of the article does well in finishing the article by stating that: Republicans are only showing how much they have diverted from the American ideals of assimilation and welcome.

Gay married immigrant fights deportation in California

This particular article is dealing with an issue that will most likely continue to occur in state's acknowledging gay marriage. Alfonso Garcia has been in the U.S. since childhood and reported that his papers filled for residency. Garcia and his partner were married in New York and now live in the San Francisco Bay area, but the federal immigration court doesn't recognize gay marriage under the federal Defense of Marriage Act. If deported, Garcia faces being excluded from the U.S. for ten years.

The article stood out to me because of the issue and circumstances surrounding the couple. I wonder how many other same-sex couples are dealing with this issue in states that o not recognize their relationship as permanent? This issue brought presidential awareness and will obviously create some changes  

Stop sex discrimination in health plan costs

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/20/opinion/greenberger-health-premiums-gender-gap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29
This issue is new to me. I was unaware of some issues mentioned in this article. This article describes that only 14 states ban this gender rating approach used in health insurance. It stated that 92% of top insurance plans charge women more then men. Throughout the article, some issues that seem to be denying women who have survived domestic violence or have had C-sections when giving birth. It also addresses effect of the Affordable Care Act and what that can offer for women nationwide. The program seems to help women in beneficial and preventative measures for the betterment of their health.
Shockingly enough, I only turned to this article because I wanted to see what was being discussed. I was stunned to see the issues going on that could affect me if I had a child or was a victim of domestic violence. I had no idea. The worst thing is, that states have been publicized for doing this and have not banned gender rating.

Casa de mi Padre - Official Trailer

After watching this film last night I highly recommend it to others. I was unaware of the general plot of the film, but was planning on seeing it for Will Ferrell, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Diego Luna. The fact that he would be speaking Spanish throughout the entire film was a plus. The film mocks the drug cartels in Mexico as well as the US's lack of involvement in the matter. The stabs made are numerous throughout the film and indirectly targeted  at the US.
I was happy to see other leading Latino actors in the film supporting the film. I am eager to hear the criticism of the film, the issue at hand, and any other comments directed toward the film.

Chants of "USA!" -- directed at Latino team -- roil San Antonio

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-texas-chanting-20120308,0,2273180.story

I am sure most of you heard from this in the local news lately but if you haven't here is an article I found online. The predominantly white Alamo Heights team had defeated San Antonio's Thomas A. Edison High School, a mostly Latino team, by 50-39 Friday night, earning its first spot in the state tournament since 1991, the station reported. Many defended the children who chanted "USA" toward students saying that "I am totally with the USA Cheers," wrote John Nicks. "They should not be forced to or apologize at all. Its Hispanic team vs Caucasian Team, whats wrong with rooting and cheering for the USA/Caucasians to win?" While other parents seem upset and bothered by how these comments effect their children.
I recall hearing this story and was sure this dealt with national leagues but was surprised to know it was a local high school team. I was even more alarmed to see parents' publicly supporting their children in those chants.

Young and Mixed in America

As much as I think to have it somewhat hard as a Hispanic female in America, there are other men and women who have a much more distinct mix of races. I ran across this film from The University of Maryland, and found it interesting that so many young men and women are open to sharing their experiences and issues with their self identification.

For Many Latinos, Racial Identity Is More Culture Than Color

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/14/us/for-many-latinos-race-is-more-culture-than-color.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=raceremixed

I have yet to complete my own census form but in reading this article I am almost scared to find myself as confused as other Latinos. The article mentions the need for the census form to be filled out is essential for all citizens, but it also has undergone some changes to help individuals identify "what they are." Many Latinos argue that the country’s race categories — indeed, the government’s very conception of identity — do not fit them. The main reason for the split is that the census categorizes people by race, which typically refers to a set of common physical traits. But Latinos, as a group in this country, tend to identify themselves more by their ethnicity, meaning a shared set of cultural traits, like language or customs.
I can't help but think that I too identify myself as 'white' when there are no other terms that I see accurate. Mary C. Waters, a sociology professor at Harvard who specializes in the challenges of measuring race and ethnicity stated that she agreed with the changes being made to the census forms, due to a lack of individuals answering the questions dealing with race.The article goes on to describe certain individuals' particular cases and their issue with identifing with the options given on the census.