SOULFRITO! -- Celebrating Urban Latino Culture

SOULFRITO ARTS FOUNDATION - Soulfrito Arts is a non-for-profit cultural organization dedicated to the advancement and promotion of the Urban Latino culture in America today, through music, fashion, film, theatre, literary and visual arts.

An Invitation to The VIVA Raleigh Festival

The City of Raleigh (NC) invites warmly invites the public to The Viva Raleigh Festival, Saturday, July 19, from 2:30-7:30 p.m. at Moore Square in Downtown Raleigh.

The City of Raleigh and a committee of city residents present a day long celebration of Latino culture, featuring live performances by local and internationally known artists, Latin American delicacies, exhibits, arts & crafts, and information on lifestyle and health choices for area Latinos. Capital Area Transit (CAT) will be offering free public transportation.

If you would like to participate as a volunteer, reserve a booth, or for more information please contact:
Aracelys Torrez 919-831-6099 Aracelys.torrez@ci.raleigh.nc.us or
Luis Olivieri-Robert 919-831-6124 Luis.olivieri-robert@ci.raleigh.nc.us

The Polling 'Mala Práctica' of Sergio Bendixon

The Latino vote is in play in the presidential contest, so writes Josh Gerstein, a reporter for the conservative New York Sun. He arrives at his surprising finding even though the facts suggest otherwise. The data--which Gerstein mentions and then ignores--clearly show that Obama is beating McCain by a two-to-one margin among Latino voters in ALL national polls.

So how is it that Gerstein sees a reality different than what the professional national polls (including Gallup and NBC/Wall Street Journal) are picking up?

Well, it seems that Gerstein gets his wisdom from Sergio Bendixon, a "prominent Hispanic pollster", who's gut, it seems, tells him that Latinos nationally are not as taken by Obama. Without a shred of evidence, Bendixon--owner of Bendixen & Associates, a multi-lingual opinion survey group in Coral Gables, Florida--claims that Obama's double-digit lead over McCain among Latinos nationally is false.

Bendixon's special knowledge appears to come from his reading of his own "poll" among Latinos (mostly Cubans) of Miami/Dade County. It's a survey in which the self-proclaimed expert in multi-ethnic survey research finds lots of love for McCain among his hometown Cubans and a split McCain/Obama preference among other local Latinos.

While Bendixon's survey may represent Miami/Dade Latino voter preference, it says zippo, nada about Latino voter preference nationally or anywhere else outside of Bendixon's home turf.

Remember though that Bendixon is the guy who did Spanish language polling for Hillary--and may still be at her service. And he is also the Clinton political operative that went on record with the disgusting assertion that "Hispanics" won't vote for the Black man.

Note to political candidates: Do buy Bendixon's polls--and his opinions--if you have money to waste.

BTW: I'd love to listen in on Mr. Bendixon's Spanish language interviews. If their tone and wording reflects the class/racial attitudes of Mr. Bendixon and his telenovela clients, one would have to declare them polling mala práctica.

Link: Latino Vote Is in Play in Presidential Contest

Related:
Who'll Win the Latino Vote?
Latinos Shift to Obama
The Clinton campaign's assertion that Latinos historically haven't voted for black candidates is divisive -- and false.
The Black-Brown Divide
Misleading Latinos for Political Advantage
A campaign about race
Latinos for Obama - Si Se Puede!

Mazie Hirono: Japanese Immigrant, Lawyer, Congresswoman

Here's a nice photo of Congresswoman Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and some of her constituents.

An immigrant from Japan, Hirono represents Hawai`i's 2nd Congressional District, a district that is the greatest distance from Washington, D.C., and covers seven populated islands and Kaho`olawe an island destroyed during decades of bombing practice by the U.S. Navy.

In 1994, Hirono and her running mate, Benjamin J. Cayetano, were elected to an historic administration. Hirono became the first Japanese immigrant lieutenant governor, and Cayetano, the first Filipino American governor.

In 2002, Hirono ran for governor against Republican Linda Lingle in Hawai'i's first all-female gubernatorial contest.

La Borinqueña (Puerto Rico's National Anthem) by Two U.S. Navy Sailors

U.S. Navy Sailors, Jose Gomez (guitar) and Nathan Kunst (piano) play a traditional version of "La Borinqueña" (Puerto Rico's National Anthem). It's quite lovely.

Army Sgt 1st Class Jeffrey Rada Morales: R.I.P.

The latest Boricua soldier to die in the Iraq/Afghanistan wars was Army Sgt 1st Class Jeffrey Sgt. Rada Morales who was killed in the line of duty along with two other members of his unit on June 29th. The Green Berets died when their vehicle rolled into a canal in Khosrwo-E Sofla, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

"El día que me dijo que se iba para el Ejército me dio un llantén... Nunca he creído en la guerra, pero eso era su sueño y tenía que respertarlo.” Virginia Morales, Sgt. Rada Morales' mother

Sgt. Rada Morales, a 32-year old Puerto Rican, born in the town of Naranjito, is survived by his wife, Amanda Rada Morales, daughter Jessica and son Andrew of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Sgt. Rada Morales was a medical sergeant in the Airborne unit; this was his second deployment to Afghanistan since joining the Army in 1995.

Links:
Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey M. Rada Morales
3 Special Forces soldiers killed in vehicle rollover
Suma otra baja boricua la guerra de Afganistán
Muere otro militar boricua en Afganistán

“Decía que estaba defendiendo a su patria”
Faces of the Fallen

The Iraq War IS for Oil

John McCain lets slip that the Iraq War is really a war for oil.






The Young Turks: Oil Companies Take Over Iraq


The former Austrailian prime minister admits that Iraq is about oil.


"The Iraq War is largely about OIL." - Alan Greenspan


Straight-shooter Congressman Lantos (now deceased) agreed that Iraq war was about oil.


BBC: The War for Oil 1


BBC: The War for Oil 2


BBC: The War for Oil 3


Ex-White House Aide McClellan: Bush Lied About Iraq!

Sgt. Nelson Rodríguez Ramírez: Another Boricua Sacrificed

Sgt. Nelson Rodríguez Ramírez, 22 years old, is the latest soldier of Puerto Rican heritage killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Some 70 Puerto Rican soldiers have died: 64 in Iraq and 6 in Afghanistan.

"He didn't like war, but it was in his heart to be there and protect those kids." Nelson's father

A specialist with the New York Army National Guard, Sgt. Rodriquez Ramirez and three other U.S. soldiers died on June 21st when their truck was hit by a roadside explosive and small arms fire in Afghanistan. The soldiers were on their way to a police-training assignment in Kandahar City.

Rodriquez Ramirez leaves behind a wife and two daughters.

Rodriquez Ramirez was posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant posthumously. All three men were also posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge for their service in Afghanistan.

U.S. military war fatalities now total 4,620: 4,104 in Iraq and 516 in Afghanistan. Latinos represent about 11% or some 500 of the dead.

Links:
Fallen Revere soldier inspired by kids he met in the war
'Evil in the world has taken Nelson'
Hundreds gather at Revere soldier's funeral
Friends, family attend Mass. soldier's funeral
Faces of the Fallen

Latinos Rising Lance a Nativist GOP?

The New Democrat Network has published Hispanics Rising 2, a report on the Latino electorate and the 2008 presidential elections.

NDN's conclusion?

The harshness of the current immigration debate has changed American politics -- and Latinos may now flex their growing electoral clout by tipping upwards of five critical swing states in favor of the Democrats in 2008 in response to the GOP's anti-Latino and anti-immigrant politics.

• The Republican handling of immigration has been one of the biggest strategic mistakes by a modern party in recent American history. In 2006, the national GOP spent tens of millions of dollars and tremendous brand power in making immigration a winning issue for them. It failed.

• Meanwhile, the relentless demonization of Latinos by the GOP has turned this community, the fastest-growing section of the American electorate, against them, erasing significant gains that had been made.

• Latinos are becoming an energized political force. Millions marched against anti-immigrant sentiment, turnout is climbing and citizenship applications have soared.

• If the GOP’s experience in California is replicated nationally, it may spell 21st century electoral doom for the GOP.

• In 2008, the GOP cannot build a reliable electoral map without the heavily Latino swing states of AZ, CO, FL, NM and NV. Democrats have many more tools than they did in 2004 to take advantage of the tremendous GOP stumble.

Related:
Hispanic voters gaining strength in key states
The GOP's Bitter Harvest to Come
A Xenophobic Zeitgeist - Erasing GOP Latino Gains
WSJ -- The GOP's Anti-Latino Tone is a Loser
Linda Chavez: GOP's Self-Inflicted Wound
Republican Presidential Hopefuls Diss 1,000 Latino Leaders
The Coming Latino Voter Response to the Failure of Immigration Reform
Republicans: nativism is a proven loser
Clint Bolick: The GOP Must Now Prove Itself to Latinos
Linda Chavez' The Company You Keep: In Search of anti-Hispanic hostility
GOP Risks Losing Latino Voters

Americans Who Tell the Truth: Carlos Muñoz Jr.

"As Latinos, we are not islands unto ourselves. Our past and present struggles for social and economic justice have been directly connected with those of all oppressed peoples.

We know we are an indigenous people. But we must also know that we are African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and European.

We are of all faiths. We are America!"

Americans Who Tell the Truth