Hudson Valley Latinos: Franky Perez

The Poughkeepsie Journal's series, What life is like for valley Hispanics, gives its Hudson Valley readers a glimpse into the region's expanding Latino community.

This week they feature a piece on Franky Perez, 40, a guidance counselor in the local high school whose of Dominican heritage.

Very nice.

Poughkeepsie High School guidance counselor Franky Perez was born in Brooklyn to parents who had emigrated from the Dominican Republic and never spoke English at home while he was growing up.

Perez, 40, is the youngest of nine children - the only one not born in the Dominican Republic - and is married to a woman of Irish descent. Like two of his siblings, he attended college. However, he is the only one in his family to receive a master's degree. Actually, he has two of them.

Perez, of New Paltz, maintains strong connections to his heritage.

"Knowing that my parents were immigrants, knowing that they came here for a better life, it helped in shaping me," he said. "I needed to do the best I could in school and make sure I was getting ready for my life in America, understanding what my parents had come from."

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Related: What life is like for Hudson Valley Hispanics: Francisco Del Moral and Reyna Garcia, store owners
Latinos' local presence expanding

Dr. Alex Blanco: 1st Dominican-American Mayor in U.S.

In another political breakthrough this cycle, voters of Passaic, New Jersey elected Dr. Alex Blanco -- the first Dominican-American mayor in the United States.

The Dominican American National Roundtable estimates that there are currently 36 Dominican-born elected officials in the United States.

"I'm very excited, putting the Dominican Republic on a high pedestal, and being a role model for young Dominicans and other nationalities. (To) let them know that if you work hard, you can achieve your dream." Dr. Blanco

The father of three moved to Passaic in 1981 with his mother and two siblings from La Vega, in the Dominican Republic.

Financially, the Blanco family struggled -- including being on food-stamps during part of his childhood. It was the Passaic School Board that paid for Blanco to take the SAT college-admissions test. He went on to graduate from Kean University and the New York College of Podiatric Medicine.

"All you need is the desire to do something," Blanco said.

Link

Latino Scholar Dr. Rodolfo Acuña to Receive National Hispanic Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award

PIONEERING LATINO SCHOLAR RODOLFO ACUNA TO BE AWARDED LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT NATIONAL HISPANIC INSTITUTE'S CELEBRACION 2008
Nov. 15 award ceremony celebrating respected author and professor to cap off event celebrating top Latino high school students

The National Hispanic Institute, which has been working for nearly 30 years to prepare high-performing Latino high school students for leadership roles in the U.S. Latino community, will honor celebrated Latino scholar Dr. Rodolfo Acuña next month at its annual Celebracion event in Austin.

Acuña, currently Professor of Chicano Studies at California State University at Northridge, is a pioneering Latino scholar, whose many works focusing on the U.S. Latino experience include the groundbreaking 1972 work, Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, now in its sixth printing.

Acuña will be honored with the National Hispanic Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, the organization's highest honor. The organization has helped nearly 70,000 Latino students develop the leadership and communications skills necessary to lead the U.S. Latino community.

Acuña will be awarded at a banquet event Saturday, November 15, 7 p.m., at the Hilton Austin Airport. Tickets for the event are $50 per person; for more information, visit www.nhi-net.org or call 512.357.6137.

'It's A New Day' by will.i.am at Oprah's

will.i.am debuted his aptly titled 'It's A New Day' on Oprah today. He is the genius and creator of the Yes We Can and We Are The Ones videos.

It's another terrific work of art.

El Diario: Political blowback

Attacking immigrants is just not good politics. Some politicians learned this the hard way. In this election cycle, several politicians campaigned on anti-immigrant platforms—and lost. The most outrageous was Congressman Tom Tancredo, who ran for the Republican nomination for president. Tancredo is in favor of ending legal immigration.

Other candidates—namely Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney—tried to outdo Tancredo. But their sparring during the primary debates did not take them to the top of the Republican ticket. And ultimately, Republican nominee John McCain, by backstepping on immigration reform, failed to move the vast majority Latino voters. Latin American immigrants are 40 percent of the Hispanic electorate. The vast majority of Latinos support a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants.

The scapegoating of immigrants had its consequences locally. Republican incumbents like State Senator Serphin Maltese were not helped by their party’s shortsighted platform on immigration and the economy. And without a disastrous party, Maltese alone would have been counting his days in Queens, the borough with the largest immigrant population. Maltese voted against a state measure allowing non citizen students to pay the same rate of in-state tuition as native students.

But one of the most significant defeats in the northeast was of Mayor Lou Barletta of Hazleton, PA. Barletta appeared on the national radar when he pushed through a harsh anti-immigrant ordinance that was thrown out in a legal battle. With the admiration of enforcement-only zealots, Barletta ran for Congress. He lost on Tuesday.

Click here and here for more on Barletta; here for more on Tancredo; and here for why Maltese's opponent--Senator-elect Joseph Addabbo--was the better choice for Latinos and immigrants of Queens .

Undoubtedly, some politicians will resort to another fear-based campaign to rile up voters. But the tide of blaming immigrants may have run its course.

Link

Latino Bloggers Celebrate Obama's Victory

In a quick survey of Latino political bloggers, it's apparent they reflect the joy, pride and sense of relief so many Americans feel in the historic election of Barack Obama as the 44th U.S. President. Some though are set to hold President Obama accountable from Day One on issues of critical importance to Latino voters.

The following is a sampling of Latino political blogger reactions:

Octogenarian first-time voters
Lotería Chicana
This morning, despite both having nagging colds, Papá Chepe and Mamá Toni went out to vote. My dad helped them fill out their sample ballots and drove them to their polling place in Hacienda Heights. They waited half an hour before voting. When they got home, Lori made them pose for a photo. They were proud to show off their stickers. Later, I called Papá Chepe on his cell phone.

“¿Votaron por Obama?” I asked.

“Sí,” Papá Chepe responded. “Lo tenemos que meter.”

YES, WE DID
Chicana on the Edge
I was in Grant Park on Tuesday night, not in the actual event, but standing with thousands of people just outside of the fenced area. When CNN called it for Obama, everyone started yelling and cheering and hugging each other. I stood there stunned for a minute before I began to clap and cheer also. Couples embraced, people cried, including me. The huge Jumbotron showed the words "Obama" and "president" and it was an incredible moment.

Last night “That One” became our President-Elect!
LatinoPoliticsBlog
We witnessed history in the making yesterday folks in selecting the first African-American President-Elect to govern this great nation. This is monumental, not only for our African-American brothers and sisters, but for all non-WASP people who have ever dreamed that one day, we may achieve success in this right-center, Anglo dominated country. Barack Hussein Obama, born to an immigrant father and a white woman from Kansas, represents the new face of America, one that is not so easily categorized but reflects the true complexity of what our nation has become.

You Can Call Him "President-Elect Obama" Now
Latino Pundit
There are no words to describe how immensely ecstatic I am right now. I am so lucky to have been able to witness history in the making.

President Barack Hussein Obama!
The Unapologetic Mexican
CONGRATULATIONS TO BARACK OBAMA, the 44th president (-elect) of the United States of America. And to all who supported and worked for or contributed in some way toward this moment. It has been an overwhelming and amazing night. Here’s looking toward the future, and all it may contain.

Some thoughts on last night's election
South Texas Chisme
Obama won by a landslide! OK, I admit it. I'm glad. Obama's way better than the other guy. But, I am still mad about a few things - tone deafness with respect to women, the FISA vote and 'the end justifies the means' campaign tactics. OK, I have hope. But, I am watching and hoping he selects strong women and Hispanics to be around him. Hoping he undoes the damage Bush did to our constitution and the basic fabric of our governmental institutions.

Yes we can.... and we did!!
BrownViews
Tonight I can go to bed at ease... this nightmare of the Bush administration is almost over, and none too soon. I pray for our new president - there are just too many people filled with hate and remain concerned, in large part a result of the McCain gutter campaign. But now is a time to hope, to celebrate. Now, we really can hope. Now we can really instill in our children the possibility of their becoming a future president of the USA. Choosing hope over fear. "Keep hope alive!"

That Whole Latino Vote Thing : A look at the Numeros
VivirLatino
What's next for Latinos, voters or not? Ensuring that at the top of the agenda is ending the terrorism of ICE and that U.S. policy towards Latin America moves away from colonial paternalism. A tall order that not even an Obama presidency may be able to fill.

Political Jargon
no controles
Democracy is like banana bread. Even if you don’t always like all the nuts in it, ya have to admit, it’s pretty good! And i have to admit, i’m happy McCain got his personality back as a parting gift.

Congratulations To El Presidente! We Love You World!
Guanabee
You are probably in a particular good mood today world. Right? Right? So are we. Today, with the confirmed election of Barack Obama as the future President of the United States, there is light at the end of the tunnel during these difficult times.

Obama Must Usher In Era of Rational and Transparent Government
Of América
Lastly, an Obama Administration should set a more humane and rational tone around immigration, a tone that shuts down the borders of irrationality and violence in government while also fostering greater understanding of and openness to the geopolitical, legal and other complexities of immigration today.

Felicidades to Obama and Fortuño
Puerto Rico Sun
As a Boricua, it is amazing and inspiring to see that the first African-American has been elected to serve this country. I am happy I was able to witness this historical moment. Yes we can!

Obama should read between the lines – Latinos matter
The South Chicagoan
I say that because Obama got strong Latino support, even though he ran a presidential campaign that at times seemed not to care about the part of the U.S. population that is skyrocketing in size.

A Bluer New America

The NYTimes has this interesting look at Tuesday's presidential election results compared to 2004. The redder the area, the more people shifted towards Republicans. The bluer the area, the more people shifted towards the Democrats.

The map is interactive on the NYTimes site, allowing viewers to see national, state and county level shifts between 2008 and 2004 (as well as three presidential elections). Click here and here for the maps.

What's evident in viewing the maps is how red (i.e., Republican) the country was when Bill Clinton first won election in 1992; and how dramatically America shifted bluer during George W. Bush's 8 years in office.

With the exception of the deep South, the movement towards the Democrats since 1992 are striking and unbroken. Yet, Bush and Cheney won in 2000 and 2004.

Curious, no?

Christopher London: Obama's Victory Was The Dream of My Father (also)

I found myself standing among friends and family last night in the Sheraton Ballroom in New York City with tears streaming down my face. While I was happy and moved, for a few moments I was alone in my thoughts. After Obama surpassed 270 Electoral votes, the room went crazy as some of NY's leading Democrats ascended on stage in a triumphant spirit. Watching Governor Patterson speak before Obama came on screen, I looked around the room and so many people had tears in their eyes, black, white, Spanish, Asian, young, old, from students, young professionals, creatives, business men and women. It was so beautiful. And I thought of my father, a great American Citizen who was born in Colombia, South America who came to the United States to go to college and marry my Chelsea, New York City born mother who was of Italian and German heritage. I remember his words so clearly. "Some day my son, I hope that you will have someone who inspires your generation, in the same way that JFK and RFK, Bobby, did for mine, and then America will clearly have brighter days ahead." To my father in Heaven, "YES WE DO" Dad and I love you and my country even more today. I wish you were still here and that I could share this moment with you. You gave me the ability to reason, think independently, to appreciate all cultures and gave me profound respect for the less fortunate. Every day that I see a small piece of you in me and my brothers I salute you. You may not have been born in America but you were truly one of its greatest citizens.

This morning I got ugly emails from a handful of Republicans who were like "let's see if your magical black man can produce now." And then they wonder why I find such a hard time with the Republican brand and a party that refuses to respect the will of the people and the right of all citizens, lower income and minorities included, to vote and participate in the political process. Only a deluded right wing nut job cannot appreciate the breadth and extent of this historic victory and how people all over the world love President Elect Obama and will love America again. Make no mistake GOP Vote Suppression efforts were successful. Hundreds of thousands of registrations and votes were knocked out in battleground states, preventing an even greater margin in the electoral college and holding back even greater gains in the Senate. They could not steal this election in its entirety. The revolution of the people was too overwhelming but they sliced and diced at the margins. Consider Al Franken one of its victims and Michele Bachmann one of its beneficiaries.

Watch as in the coming days the RNC/GOP will send out the talking points that Obama's win, while historic, does not give him a mandate. That is the biggest load of bullshit. My friends, if we have learned anything, never become complacent, there are dark forces who like Freddie Kruger want to steal your dreams. Remain hopeful, determined and vigilant. Stay engaged in the political process. The transformation has only just begun!

God bless Democrats, Independents and yes Obamacans, thinking and thoughtful Conservatives who crossed party lines to support Obama. But most of all, god bless America. As Barack said last night, let's wipe away the tears and roll up our sleeves. This is our time. Americans will face some of the most challenging times since The Great Depression we must band together. In the words of another Kennedy, Teddy: "The work begins anew, the hope rises again and the dream lives on."

Sincerely,

NYC Consigliere's Corner

Denise Juneau: 1st American Indian Elected Statewide in Montana

Denise Juneau won her bid to become Montana's State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

A member of Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Tribes, Juneau is the first American Indian woman elected to statewide office in Montana, and only the third tribal member ever elected statewide.

Juneau defeated Republican Elaine Sollie Herman -- a candidate caught in a racial controversy for referring to her opponent as "a young Indian girl" in a plea for conservative support. Juneau won by a margin of 51% to 44%.

(See Juneau's political ad below.)

In addition to Juneau, INDN's List reports that 22 American Indians won elective office in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.

Congratulations to Juneau and all of the winners on INDN's List.

From Velvet Revolution: Finally, An Elected President

Velvet Revolution: The New American Patriot

Barack Obama was overwhelmingly elected by citizens in all regions of the country. Unlike the past two elections where the results were contested in two states run by partisans who rigged the results, this election was won hands down by the person who ran the best campaign. This is not to say that there were not massive problems with voting systems in many states. But this election did not come down to one state or county controlled by corrupt officials.

Four years ago, VR was formed out of the chaos of the 2004 election. Since then, we and all of you have fought a long battle to ensure that our elections are fair, honest and transparent. We demanded accurate voting machines and paper ballots. In this election, both Florida and Ohio, now with paper ballots, went Blue and there is no one questioning that result.

Over the past several months, we have raised the specter of a Man in the Middle computer attack on the vote tabulators controlled by partisan evangelicals. We identified Michael Connell as the key GOP IT expert who created these nefarious networks. We took legal action against Connell in the form of a federal deposition. Karl Rove responded by threatening Connell to either take the fall or keep his mouth shut. Connell’s Bush/Cheney attorneys did everything possible to keep Connell from testifying.

Two weeks ago, Rove was confidently saying that John McCain could win ten battleground states to become President. McCain was confidently telling everyone that he would win with a surge in the wee hours of election night.

Well, last Friday, something important happened: Michael Connell was forced to appear before Solomon Oliver, a Clinton appointed Afro-American federal Judge in Cleveland. After Attorney Cliff Arnebeck accused Connell in open court of rigging elections for Karl Rove, the judge ordered Connell to submit to a sworn deposition 18 hours before the polls were to open. On Monday at noon, Connell was placed under oath and grilled about election fraud, Man in the Middle attacks, Trojan horse manipulations and threats from Rove.

And guess what happened? Connell suddenly changed his tune. Connell said that to his knowledge there would be no tabulation manipulations of Tuesday’s election. And something else, Karl Rove wrote on his blog late Monday that Obama would win by a landslide even in those states he had previously predicted McCain would win.

In short, at VR, with all the help from you, our affiliates, our supporters and others, we played a role in helping to make this presidential election more fair than the past two. Our education campaign, our paper ballot campaign, our whistleblower campaign and our legal strategies worked. That’s what democracy is all about.

Thank all of you for your confidence in our work, your dedication and your kind and generous support. We hope to continue to do our small part to make our government more accountable to everyone.