Latinos in the News

Latino Students Attend Leadership Series

Jerome, Idaho (KMVT-TV) National training is being launched for the first time in Idaho called the Student Leadership Series.

Its goal is to help create a generation, in which every student begins to understand how to transition into higher education.

Friday's series was specifically geared toward the Latino population.

And, it's safe to say many of the students went home with a new perspective on how they can achieve their goals and what their capable of.

Students at Jerome High School cheered loudly, as a nationally recognized Latino speaker talked with the roughly 800 kids about their future.

"We're here to encourage and really try to motivate students to stay in school and to improve their academic performance, to focus on graduation and to be thinking and planning for post–secondary education and training," said Juan Andrade Jr, President of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute out of Chicago, Illinois.

For Selena Garcia, the message was loud and clear.

"It showed me that just because people say we're Latinos and we can't do much they're wrong and we can," said Garcia, a Jerome High School Sophomore.

Andrade hopes to inspire the young Latinos to dream big.

"Just as we are fueling the population growth in America we want to also fuel that work force that is well educated and prepared," said Andrade.

And, to overcome some grim statistics.

"Right now just a little over 12% of Latinos have gone on to complete their bachelors degree, only 4% have obtained a masters degree and less that 1% have a college degree. That's not good enough," said Andrade.

One of the biggest problems Andrade feels Latino students are facing today...

"More Latinos are getting into college today than ever before. We're able to get in, but we can't stay in. Not because we can't do the work, but because we can't afford it. We don't have the money," said Andrade.

Friday, students at Jerome High School were given a CD with a list of national scholarships.

"There's a high demand for bilingual and bicultural individuals in the workforce and unless we start to move our youth in the direction of continuing their education we're always going to lag behind," said Margie Gonzalez, Executive Director of Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs.

All the more reason to motivate today's youth.

Gonzalez hopes the leadership series will act as a model for schools statewide.

Regence BlueShield of Idaho awarded its 2009 Latino Hero Award to Boise resident Maria Berain, a mentor for local Latino college student.

The award honors individuals of Latino descent who have given back to the community and have impressive professional or educational accomplishments.

Below is a list of the 100 most influential Hispanics for 2009, which is identified annual by Hispanic Business magazine. For profiles of these influentials and further information, click here. For an analysis of this list, see the current issue of Hispanic Business (October 2009), pp. 14ff.

Washington, DC Power Brokers

Corporate

Green Business

Education

Health and Wellness

Information Technology

Judges

Legal/Finance/Insurance

Media

On behalf of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs we would like to congratulates Luis A. Carrillo and
Octavio Ambriz for graduating from Lewis-Clark State College.

Sigan Adelante!

On behalf of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs we would like to congratulates the following Scholarship Recipients of the Saber Foundation Scholarship:

Rubia Rangel (St. Anthonys) full tuition scholarship, supplemental assistance and mentoring
Maria Vanegas (Meridian) supplemental assistance and mentoring
Rosaura Vanegas (Meridian) supplemental assistance and mentoring
Armando Aguilar (Boise) - supplemental assistance and mentoring
Julian Rodriguez (Rupert) - supplemental assistance and mentoring
Lorena Vega (Wilder) - supplemental assistance and mentoring
Luis Albizo (Boise) - supplemental assistance and mentoring

In announcing the appointment of Judge Nelson Diaz to the President's commission on White House Fellowships, the White House released the following statement yesterday. Mr. Diaz joined Cozen O'Connor Law Firm in May 2007 as Of Counsel in the Government Affairs and General Litigation Departments. Mr. Diaz served as a Judge for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas from 1981 through 1993, the first Latino and youngest to serve. He was also appointed administrative judge by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. During his distinguished career, Mr. Diaz also served as City Solicitor of Philadelphia and a partner at Blank Rome Law Firm for 10 years and was appointed by President Clinton to be the General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he focused on reforming public and mixed-use housing programs. Mr. Diaz is a member of the Board of Directors of Exelon Corporation, the Advisory Board of PNC, and the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Temple University, where he also served on the University's Presidential Search Committee. He is a former chair of the Democratic National Committee's Hispanic Caucus.

Judge Nelson Diaz, arguably one of the most outstanding Latino leaders in the nation and member of the legal community, has once again been tapped at the highest level to serve the President of the United States and the people of America. He has been asked to join a Commission that will also include: former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, former presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.), former U.S. Senator Tom Daschle, and Carnegie Corporation of New York President Vartan Gregorian.

The White House Fellowship is America's most prestigious program for leadership and public service, providing young individuals with experience working at the highest levels of the federal government. Fellows also participate in an education program consisting of roundtable discussions with renowned leaders from the private and public sectors and complete service activities throughout the year. Alumni of this non-partisan program include former Secretary of State General Colin Powell, retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, and author Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Juan Sepulveda Appointed to Lead the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans

Juan Sepulveda, originally from Kansas and a USHLI friend for over 20 years, was recently appointed and has already begun his work as Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. Not only is he exceedingly well qualified for this position, Juan is arguably one of the brightest Latino stars in the Obama administration and on the short list of the new people to watch in the nation's capital.

A protégé and biographer of the legendary and late Willie Velasquez, Sepulveda earned a B.A. in government from Harvard University, a B.A. in politics, philosophy and economics as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and a law degree from Stanford University.

Sepulveda's experience over the last 20 years includes work as a senior executive, strategist, and advocate in the non-profit and philanthropic communities with a focus in community development, capacity building, and transformational management. Since 1995 he has served as President of The Common Enterprise, which he founded to help build stronger communities across America by making non-profits, philanthropic organizations, governments, businesses, and communities more effective in their public work. Sepulveda also worked at the Rockefeller Foundation, as a talk show host on KLRN in San Antonio, and was the Texas State Director for the Obama for America campaign.

Sotomayor nominated to high court — first Hispanic

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama chose federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to become the nation's first Hispanic Supreme Court justice on Tuesday, praising her as "an inspiring woman" with both the intellect and compassion to interpret the Constitution wisely. Obama said Sotomayor has more experience as a judge than any current member of the high court had when nominated, adding she has earned the "respect of colleagues on the bench, the admiration of many lawyers who argue cases in her court and the adoration of her clerks, who look to her as a mentor."

Barring the unexpected, Senate confirmation seems likely, given the large Democratic majority. If approved, she would join Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as the second woman on the current court, the third in history. She would succeed retiring Justice David Souter.

Sotomayor grew up in New York after her parents moved from Puerto Rico. She has dealt with diabetes since age 8 and lost her father at age 9, growing up under the care of her mother in humble surroundings. As a girl, inspired by the Perry Mason television show, she knew she wanted to be a judge.

A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, a former prosecutor and private attorney, Sotomayor became a federal judge for the Southern District of New York in 1992. She became an appeals judge in 1998 for the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers New York, Vermont and Connecticut.

At her Senate confirmation hearing more than a decade ago, she said, "I don't believe we should bend the Constitution under any circumstance. It says what it says. We should do honor to it."

Obama Administration Continues to Improve on Hispanic Nominations

The Obama administration continues to improve on its less than stellar performance on Hispanic appointments during the first 100 days, with more announcements of Hispanics nominated for Senate-confirmation level positions. The steady flow of announcements, which include the two listed last week, represent a 50% improvement since the report was released.

Rosa "Rosie" Gumatao Rios, a 20-year veteran in real estate investment management, community development, project management and executive management experience, has been nominated for United States Treasurer. She has worked in various development capacities for the cities of Oakland, Fremont, San Leandro, and Unity City, all in California, and holds a B.A. from Harvard University.

Arturo Valenzuela, professor of government and Director of the Center for Latin American Studies in the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and a specialist on the institutional dimensions of democratic governance and U.S.-Latin American relations, has been nominated for Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemispheric Affairs. He holds a B.A. summa cum laude in political science and religion for Drew University, and a Master's and Doctorate in political science from Columbia University.

Maria Otero, president and CEO of ACCION International and a pioneer and leader in microfinance working in 25 countries on three continents, has been nominated for Under Secretary of State on Global Affairs. She holds a Master's in Literature from the University of Maryland and a Master's from Johns Hopkins' Nitze School for Advanced International Studies.

Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana, the Superintendent at Pomona Unified School District in California, has been nominated Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. She has written extensively on the role of school administrators, the achievement gap, women in education, and the issues of race and class. She holds a B.A. with honors from UCLA and a Doctorate from the University of Southern California.

Ignacia S. Moreno, a leading expert in the field of environmental and natural resources law with over 18 years of government and corporate experience, has been nominated for Assistant Attorney General for Environmental and Natural Resources. She holds a law degree from New York University School of Law.

Victor Vasquez, a specialist in community and economic development with over two decades of government and private sector experience, has been nominated for Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for Rural Development. He holds a B.S. from the University of Oregon, a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, and has done doctoral work in community and economic development from Southern New Hampshire University.

Michael L. Connor, who is half Native American and half Hispanic and represented the Secretary of Interior during the Clinton administration in negotiations with Indian tribes, state legislators, and private water users to secure water rights settlements consistent with the federal trust responsibility to tribes, has been nominated for Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. He holds a B.S. from New Mexico State University and a J.D. from the School of Law at the University of Colorado.

Inez Moore Tenenbaum, who is half Hispanic on her mother's side and served in the South Carolina legislature before being elected State Superintendent of Education, has been nominated for Chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. She has extensive experience in public school finance and in health, environmental and public interest law, and holds a B.S. and M.Ed. from the University of Georgia and a J.D. from the law school at the University of South Carolina, and has received several honorary degrees.

Consuelo (Connie) Smith

Connie was presented the Financial Manager of the Year award from the Idaho Centennial Chapter of the Association of Governmental Accountants. Connie was nominated and received this award in recognition of her efforts on behalf of State government.

“Connie maintains all aspects of the budget for the Department of Administration and each of its smaller divisions. Not only does Connie complete her daily duties with the highest level of excellence, she also supports the Capitol Commission, Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council, Governor’s Housing Committee and several other groups. She has also been an integral part in the Governor’s Zero Based Budgeting initiative, and has assisted the Division of Financial Management in developing the forms and processes to best implement this initiative across the state. Connie has promoted the efficiency and effectiveness of state government by leading the Department in an effort to offer financial, human resource and IT services to smaller state agencies to ensure fiscal responsibility to Idaho’s tax-payers, She has been as asset to the Department for nearly ten years. Her unsurpassed quality of work and her ability to utilize the diverse skills of her employees has aided to the success of her team and of the Department”.

USHLI President Receives Honorary Doctorate, Delivers Commencement Address

Dr. Juan Andrade, USHLI President, received his sixth honorary degree on Thursday, May 7, and delivered the commencement address to the Graduate School at Loyola University Chicago.

Dr. Andrade has earned five college degrees and is one of only two Hispanic leaders to be decorated by the President of the United States "for the performance of exemplary deeds of service for the nation" and "promoting civic participation and leadership development." He continues to be the only Hispanic leader to have been a political commentator for a television network affiliate (ABC7 Chicago), a commentator on national radio (WGN), and a regular weekly columnist in a major newspaper (Chicago Sun-Times). Andrade has been listed four times among the "100 Most Influential Hispanics in America" by Hispanic Business Magazine.

President Obama Nominates John Trasviña for Assistant Secretary at HUD

President Obama nominates John Sepulveda for Assistant Secretary at Department of Veterans Affairs

President Barack Obama formally nominated John Sepulveda last week for Assistant Secretary for Human Resources at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sepulveda brings over 25 years of experience as an innovative leader in the public and private sectors. He earned a B.A. from Hunter College and two Master's degrees from Yale University, where he also taught political science. He served in the Clinton administration as a director at HUD, as well as in the Office of White House Personnel. Sepulveda was later appointed by the President to be Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. At OPM he authored Executive Order 13171, which called for government-wide strategies to address the persistent under-representation of Latinos within the federal workforce.

News Release
For Immediate Release: April 28, 2009
Information Contact: Bob Fick (208) 332-3570 ext. 3628 or Georgia Smith (208) 841-5509

Hispanic Economic Influence Continues to Grow in Idaho

The buying power of Idaho’s largest minority grew faster in 2008 than the buying power of Hispanics nationwide and faster than the state’s non-Hispanic population.

The Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia estimates the buying power of Idaho’s non-Hispanic population rose 7 percent, a half percentage point more than growth nationally, but Idaho’s Hispanic buying power jumped another 11.3 percent, a full percentage point more than Hispanics nationwide.

That increase came on top of a 9 percent gain in 2007 to give Hispanics 5.3 percent of Idaho’s buying power in 2008 – an estimated $2.33 billion from a total of $43.9 billion. In 2007, Idaho Hispanics controlled 5.1 percent of all buying power. In 1990, Hispanics had just 2.8 percent of the buying power.

La edad promedio de los hispanos en Idaho fue la tercera más baja, después de Dakota del Norte y Dakota del Sur.

La tendencia a la juventud en el rápido crecimiento de la población hispana indica que la influencia económica y política de la minoría más grande el estado podría crecer sustancialmente conforme se establezcan cada vez más familias hispanas.

The increasing economic influence of Idaho Hispanics reflects both their rapid population growth and their advancement up the earnings ladder as they become more and more integrated into Idaho’s social fabric.

“Hispanics have rapidly become a major contributor to Idaho’s economy and the diversity of its businesses,” Idaho Department of Labor Director Roger B. Madsen said. “Their increasing influence benefits every Idahoan and every community, both economically and socially.”

Buying power is the after-tax personal income people have to spend on virtually everything from necessities like food, clothing and housing to luxuries like recreation equipment and vacations. It does not include money that has been borrowed, saved from previous years or spent by tourists from other states or countries.

The Selig Center forecasts that the economic influence of Hispanics will continue growing through the current recession and beyond. By 2013, the center estimates Hispanic buying power in Idaho will jump another 51 percent, a third faster than the non-Hispanic side of the economy, to exceed $3.5 billion. That would account for 6 percent of all the buying power in Idaho.

Administrator Award Recepient

Dr. Hondo is an Assistant Principal at Burley School in Cassia County School District with over thirty years of experience in education. She is a tireless and exemplary advocate for educational excellence and equality for Idaho's Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. Her expertice, talent, and work ethic have been instrumental in the success of Burley Senior High School's academic and extra-curricular programs. Dr. Hondo has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, and the College of Southern Idaho. Dr. Hondo's numerous accomplishments include: co-author of Latino Dropouts in Rural America: Realities and Possibilities which has received national attention and praise, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics-state Level Awardee, the CSI & Kathryn Albertson Foundation Teacher Excellence Award, and Runner up for Cassia County School District Teacher of the Year.

Information is from 2009 Idaho LEP Educators of the Year

Picture is from Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs

3rd Annual ¡Animo! Media Awards recipients ¡Muchas Felicidades!

Outstanding Newspaper – Boise Weekly
Outstanding Print Reporter – Jessie Bonner, Associated Press
Outstanding Television Reporter – Michelle Stark, Today’s 6 KIVI
Outstanding News Team – Fox 12 News at Nine KTRV

Information from Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho

'The Whirlwind' Ana Maria Schachtell

Behind every beautiful building is a beautiful story of how it came to be. Ana Maria Schachtell wanted to build a home for the Latino arts, and the result was Nampa's Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho. A trilingual, multi-cultural globe-trotter, Ana Maria is happy to call the Treasure Valley her home. But it wasn't always so. "I was concerned for my kids growing up in Idaho," she told the Idaho Press-Tribune. "The image of the Mexican was so poor, so I got involved with the Mexican-American community right away."

Idaho First Mexican Consul sets up shop in Idaho

BOISE, Idaho — The newest Mexican consulate on United States soil consists of a couple of folding tables, an office copier, a fax machine and an eager diplomat named Ricardo Pineda. Less than a month into the job, Pineda is head of a consulate that was protested by an Idaho congressman long before the Mexican government appointed him to run it.

A small Mexican flag is perched on the window sill of his temporary office in Boise, where the 45-year-old Mexico City native is preparing to open a permanent consulate in December.

Picture and lines are from The Statesman

Hernan Reyes

The Caldwell artist realized early on that he must share all that he has to offer

Since the accident 15 years ago, Hernan has dedicated his life to his family - his wife and two children - and to others.

"A lot of people have everything and don't participate. I have a tiny bit - I want to give back to those around me."

Picture and lines are from The Statesman