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Washington, DC – Who’s doing the Cubama; Maryland’s Ana Sol-Guiterrez & Congressman Luis Gutierrez bond; Grijalva speaks up for Sanders; Cruz & Trump mass deportations could trigger a 2008 sized economic melt-down; John Leguizamo grows his business; Maria Cardona explores cultural competence; TechLatino comes to Atlanta; DC’s Dialogue on Diversity focuses on Women’s Historay; the Latino Coalition assesses the Trump-Latino relationship; AMEXCAN makes a health push
Who’s doing the Cubama?
President Obama is in Havana. He will be positioning new initiatives to build better American relations with Cuba and move Cuba’s government into a more democratic posture. With him are an influential group of Latino leaders, including prominent Cuban-Americans. Among those Latinos traveling to Cuba with Obama will be:
· Congressman Xavier Becerra of California
· Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of the Small Business Administration
· Carlos Gutierrez, former CEO of Kelloggs and Secretary of Commerce under President George Bush
· Andres Fanjul, younger brother of Alfy Fanjul, one of the owners of the largest sugar producing companies in the USA, Fanjul Corporation
· Carlos Saladrigas, founder of the Cuba Study Group
· Jose Andres, founder of the Think Food Group
It’s insightful to reflect on polling in Florida’s Cuban-American community that has shown a steady decline in support for the 50 year old trade embargo the Obama Administration efforts to try new things. Over 20 years ago 85% of Cuban-American supported the trade embargo by 2014 the number of supporters had shrunk to less than half. As Carlos Gutierrez noted in a recent article “Cuba is the only country in the world where the U.S. government restricts travel by American citizens. With the goal of a barrier-free economic and commercial partnership between our two countries, that needs to change.”
Arizona Democratic Presidential Primary
Arizona’s Congressman Raul Grijalva has come out swinging with radio ad in Spanish in support of Senator Bernie Sanders campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Hillary Clinton is also airing Spanish language ads running into Arizona’s primary vote on Tuesday.
Arizona & Utah Republican Presidential Prmaries
Donald Trump has rolled out the endorsements of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former Governor Janet Brewer. Both Arpaio and Brewer have been strident anti-immigrant advocates whose policy actions are seen to have damaged the Arizona economy.
Ted Cruz is highlighting the luke warm endorsement of Mitt Romney as the lesser of two evils now contending for the Utah Republican caucuses for President.
Immigration & Republican Policy
The Wall Street Journal Editorial page points out that Ted Cruz and Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportation of 11 million immigrants without legal papers will cost $400,000,000 in new Federal spending and trigger a GDP reduction of $1 billion. The cost to the economy would shrink the U.S. labor force by 6.4% and the GDP by 5.7%. That decline in gross productivity would rival the decline during the Great Recession of 2008.
John Leguizamo expands NGL Media
New York’s NGL Media, the leading Hispanic video marketing solutions company co-founded by CEO, David Chitel, and Colombian actor John Leguizamo, has expanded to NGL Studios, a full scale production company.
DC’s Alice Deal MS explores Cultural Competence
This Thursday evening DC’s Alice Deal Middle School will host a panel discussion on cultural competence including Maria Cardona (political commentator on CNN & CNN En Espanol); DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson; Roland Martin from News One Now; and Michel Martin as host (NPR & All Things Considered).
MD Congressional candidate Ana Sol-Gutierrez garners Cong. Luis Gutierrez Support
Congressman Luis Gutierrez [D] Illinois is the special guest for Maryland Democratic Congressional contender Ana Sol-Gutierrez’ fund raiser at El Aguila 2 in Silver Spring, MD on Tuesday, March 22nd from 6:30 to 9pm.
Kansas Lawmakers Call for Resignation of State Hispanic Affairs Director
State Representatives Louis Ruis from Kansas City; John Alcala from Topeka and Ponka-We Victors of Wichita, all Democrats, have written Governor Sam Brownback [R] requesting the resignation of Adrienne Foster, the Executive Director of Kansas Hispanic & Latino American Affairs Commission. Ms. Foster endorsed Donald Trump during an interview speaking as the Director of the state commission.
CA Hispanic Chamber hosts Economic Summit
The California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will hosted the 2016 CHCC Economic Summit in Long Beach this Friday. Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia; US Congressman Alan Lowenthal; and Remy Arteaga with the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Center were among the featured speakers.
DC’s Dialogue on Diversity focuses on Women’s History Month
Cristian Caballero will lead Dialogue on Diversity’s public policy forum on March 23rd at the Mott Foundation offices on Capitol Hill.
Washington’s Metro Shut Down earns support from Brookings
Robert Puentes, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program and director of the Metropolitan Infrastructure Initiative, focuses on policies and issues relating to growth in the Northern Virginia-Washington-Baltimore region. Puentes sees the recent Metro rail service shut down mandated by new Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld as a jolt needed to get the system moving in the right direction.
TechLatino in Atlanta
Latinos in Sciences and Technology Association hosts the Georgia Emerging Tech Leaders Summit in Atlanta, GA the 23rd and 24th. The Latina Tech & Leaders Luncheon will take place at noon on Thursday.
The Latino Coalition view of Trump & Latino Voters
The Latino Coalition has posted a live link to the Fox Business News Interview with Hector Barreto about what Republican Presidential contender Donald Trump needs to do to garner more of the Latino vote. http://www.thelatinocoalition.com/fox-business-news-what-does-trump-need-to-do-to-garner-more-of-the-latino-vote/
North Carolina’s AMEXCAN Hosts Latino Community Health Fair
The Association of Mexicans in North Carolina, Inc. (AMEXCAN) and the Eastern North Carolina Latin American Coalition Inc. (ENCLACO) held a Latino Community Health Fair event at the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension in Kinston, NC this weekend.
DC Republicans select Teri Galvez as Marco Rubio delegate
DC Republicans elect Teri Galvez as a Marco Rubio delegate to this summer’s Republican National Convention. Ms. Galvez is believed to be the only Latina delegate from Washington DC.
International
Honduras sees more violence against Caceres’ supporters
Nelson García, 38, active member of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras (COPINH) was killed on 15 March in Rio Lindo (West). Since the murder of Berta Cáceres on 3 March, other COPINH members and Berta Caceres´ relatives have been harassed by authorities and unidentified armed men.
Amnesty International has made the following observations: In the afternoon of 15 March, Nelson García, 38, was shot dead in the face by unidentified men when he was returning home from a violent eviction conducted by law enforcement officials and which has been protested by Lenca Indigenous communities in Rio Lindo, Cortés Department (Northwest). COPINH members and Berta Cáceres´s relatives have faced successive security incidents and harassment by authorities since her murder.
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