News for the Mixed race, Multiracial and Multicultural enthusiast!

5:00 AM - May 14, 2009

5:00 AM - June 11, 2009

Takeru V. Maeda

Cuba-US Relations: A Sign of Strengthening?

Recently, the Cuban government has agreed on an invitation by the US to resume talks on Cuba' s stance with the Organization of American States (OAS), which were put on hold since 2003. According to a Cuban official, Cuba and the United States are at a stage where

both can work together on issues concerning with terrorism and drug trafficking, along with working out direct mail services between the two nations.

On a visit toEl Salvador where she attended the inauguration of Mauricio Funes as president, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was pleased to hear of Cuba's acceptance to resume talks.

According to Clinton, the US will work to lobby with Cuba on preserving basic civil rights, along with pardoning political prisoners, with the hopes for a democratic reform.

Clinton is expected to attend a meeting in Honduras for the OAS, where members will discuss the fate of Cuba's stance with the organization.

Months before, President Barack Obama helped began a stride toward a friendly relations with Cuba by relieving some of the restrictions on visitations between the two nations, along with enabling money, medicine, and food to be sent with less strain.

For decades, the United States have tried to convince the Cuban government to reform its regime into a democracy, however always faced strong opposition. In result, Cuba has been rejected admission into the OAS ever since adopting Communist rule. During the Bush (W) administration, US-Cuba relations thinned even more after the US added more restrictions on visitation policies and mail services, appearing to severe almost all ties with the Communist nation. But with the increasing numbers of Latin-American nations within the OAS -- nations which have stronger relations with Cuba than the US -- the issue of Cuba's admission has been brought up with the organization�s members to allow the Communist country membership.

According to BBC's Michael Voss, the US aims for a full democratic reform in Cuba -- with the protection of civil rights -- before putting the trade embargo at an end or admitting the country into the OAS. And according to Cuban president Raul Castro, Cuba ' s leaders are prepared to negotiate with the new US administration.

Colleen Morrison

5:00 AM - June 11, 2009

A New American Monument

The Secretary of the Interior announced last week that folks can visit the national parks without charge during the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16.

Statues with International Meaning

An American icon that is recognized around the globe, the Statue of Liberty inNew York Harbor is one of the many attractions that will be open to the public on these dates. The face of Lady Liberty welcomed millions of newcomers to the United States over the years, and the statue has been a symbol of liberty and freedom since France first made a gift of it to the US in the 1880s.

This well-known landmark may soon have a sister sculpture on the West Coast. There is a movement afoot to build a second monument, which has been named the Statue of Responsibility. The idea is to create a set of "bookends" that surround the nation, one that reflects important principles and the other a call to action.

A Vision of Responsibility

According to the Statue of Responsibility Foundation, the statue will stand as an international symbol that demonstrates the critical connection between liberty and responsibility. It is the joint vision of four men: Dr. Viktor Frankl, Dr. Stephen Covey, James Newman and Kevin Hall.

Dr. Frankl was a survivor of Nazi concentration camps during World War II; his book, Man's Search for Meaning, describes his prison experience and in it, he concluded that freedom can only be achieved when people couple liberty with responsibility. The book is included among the Library of Congress's "Ten Most Influential Books in America."

As of now, the Statue of Responsibility continues to exist as a vision; the Foundation is predicting a completion date for their statue of 2010, but has yet to name a site and solicit sufficient funding for its construction. And the project has stirred up controversy in some circles, with critics arguing that it is little more than an excuse for additional government programs

Over 200 years ago, philosopher and statesman Benjamin Franklin warned that those who are willing to sacrifice liberty for security ultimately end up with neither. The Statue of Responsibility echoes a similar message; it remains to be seen if people will hear.

5:00 AM - May 28, 2009

Takeru V. Maeda

The Clashing of Cultures

President Barack Obama's visit to Notre Dame as an honorary guest sparked debate, within the Roman Catholic community, about the very controversial issue of legalized abortion and embryonic stem cell research and whether the school thinks its befitting to host an advocate for those issues; issues that go against church teachings.

Obama, who is a supporter of legalized abortion and stem cell research, will give the commencement address as well as accepting an honorary law doctorate. Like Obama, the majority of Americans share the same ideals as our president concerning abortion rights along with understanding the importance to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

Some of Notre Dame's alumni, as well as hundreds of thousands of Catholics -- including 71 Catholic bishops; two of them cardinals -- have expressed their opposing thoughts on the school's honorary invitation to our president. A few of the alumni describe it as being a way to put Notre Dame's "true soul" at risk by inviting Obama, while others have gone on to sign online petitions to urge the school to withdraw their invitation.

What proves to be a clash between moral ideals within the realm of religion, is also a clash between political parties. Many Catholic conservatives who strongly oppose Obama's presence as an honorary invitee, think that the president lacks direction on the abortion issue and has yet to be challenged on the issue. For an event where antiabortion groups will supposedly have antiabortion banners flying over the school, many conservatives feel that this will undoubtedly pin the president in a tough position to their liking.

"What the Notre Dame appearance has done is brought into focus the Obama rhetoric and the Obama policy, which, from a pro-life perspective, are as different as night and day," says Rev. Patrick Mahoney, a Presbyterian who heads the Christian Defense Coalition.

However, records show that Obama had won more than 50% of the Catholic vote which left Catholic conservatives baffled. Catholic voters who supported the Obama campaign believe the president, at the time of candidacy, had made a convincing argument with his fair views toward abortion -- not supporting to criminalize it but by offering ways, through economic and social assistance, where Catholics wouldn't feel morally invested.

Notre Dame's president, Rev. John Jenkins, has faced harsh criticism from conservative Catholics before back in 2006 when students were allowed to perform "The Vagina Monologues" on campus. This year, Rev. Jenkins' invitation to the president led to more harsh criticism but he claims that the school will be honoring Obama for his "leadership and achievement as the first African American president."

"We are not ignoring the critical issue of the protection of life," said Rev. Jenkins. "On the contrary, we invited him because we care so much about these issues. You cannot change the world if you shun the people you want to persuafe, and if you cannot persuade them, show respect for them and listen to them."

Takeru V. Maeda

Decrease in Immigrant Population in Outlying Towns

5:00 AM -May 21, 2009

According to the latest data from the US Census Bureau, the Asian and Latino immigrant population is steadily decreasing in the outlying areas of Los Angeles , along with other counties like Inland Empire, San Bernardino, Riverside County, where many families

Colleen Morrison

Economy Turns Up Heat for Immigration

The recent slump in the global economy has created some predictable outcomes. Most of us are not surprised when we learn that the flagging economy has reached out and dinged us in our personal lives. The impact on government spending programs, however, may have some

implications for us in ways that many people have not anticipated. Case in point: the situation at the border and the situation for immigrants may be changing as a result of the administration's proposed budget.

Someone is getting burned

Immigration is a political hot potato around the globe, one that has provoked heated conversation in theUnited States since the 19^th century. In the US today, that conversation frequently revolves around the actions of people who slip across the border into the US without passing through a port of entry. The subject inspires strong emotions, and it can be a difficult one. The terms we use to discuss it demonstrate our mixed feelings: are the border crossers illegal immigrants or are they undocumented workers? And current economic woes are adding fuel to that fire.

The most recent news out of Washington, D.C. suggests that the President's budget does not have wiggle room to continue some programs related to immigration in the US. One program that may go away if the President has his way is the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), a grant program that helps offset the cost to states that incarcerate "undocumented criminal aliens."

Congress has provided funding for SCAAP since 1995. By the end of FY 2005, the states had been awarded over $4 billion by the legislation. Data provided by the Department of Justice indicate that the lion's share of awards went to six states: Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Texas. The administration prefers to speed up deportation proceedings for illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the US.

No more fence

The SCAAP paid out to every state in the Union, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, so it's not surprising to hear members of Congress from around the nation raise their voices in its defense. A second project, the notorious border fence that marks the border between the United States and Mexico, is also under the gun. This one may not get such a wide hearing.

The border fence ignited controversy from the start. Organizations that advocate for immigrants oppose it, as do many people living on the border, and the government of Mexico has voiced its disapproval. Other groups, including the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, are strong advocates for the fence. Although the President voted in 2006 to extend the fence, when he was a Senator from Illinois, his budget does not include funds to build additional fencing.



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and homeowners are facing foreclosures while illegal immigrants face deportation.

Demographers suggest that the country's recession is the reason for California - and most likely, other outlying towns and counties around major cities - experiencing a decline in the immigrant population.San Bernardino and Riverside County are ranked as one of the top counties out of 3,000 US counties to have experienced the highest percentages in home foreclosures. San Bernardino has an 7.5% drop while Riverside County has an 8.4% foreclosure rate.

Other analysts have pointed out that the reduction in illegal immigrants have greatly contributed to the decreased number of immigrants in the state of California . Many have had to face deportation authorities, and were immediately sent to immigrant deportation facilities. While many immigrants are being stopped and picked up by authorities on the streets, many truckers have tried detouring around authorities. In San Bernardino , some authorities have been seen stopping suspected pedestrians and asking them to show documentation or papers; without them, the immigrants can be taken in.

While the number of immigrants have declined in the outlying counties, urban locations have gained in immigrant population. Those who faced foreclosure were either forced to move back to their country of origin or move into the cities for family support and for better services and aid were available for those in need, along with offering social/ethnicnetworks as support.

Some Immigrant control advocates believe that with the decrease in the immigrant population, more pressure is taken off on jobs, natural resources, and the public infrastructure.Despite this claim, many demographers still believe that the immigrant population will most definitely rise again once the economy stabilizes.

"Immigrants always respond to the economy," said USC demographer, Dowell Myers.

"The boom and bust cycle is totally normal."